Episode Summary
In this episode, an autopsy proves Xiao Beiming did not murder Old Bug, but he is still jailed under suspicion of being the Night Devil. Zhuge Kongyun cleverly arranges for Zhong Xueman to lead the investigation, earning him a brutal punishment from his own father. Convinced of his innocence, Fang Zheng secretly allies with Xiao Beiming, and they determine that finding a man named Huang Wuchang is the key to unmasking the real Night Devil.
Spoiler Alert
The episode picks up with Xiao Beiming firmly stating that he was alone when Old Bug died. He claims the killer wasn't human at all, but an act of nature. During a fierce thunderstorm, a bolt of lightning struck and killed Old Bug. To prove his innocence, he demands an immediate autopsy.
Feng Qingzhuo arrives to perform the public examination. Despite the corpse's foul stench, he proceeds, explaining to the crowd that the tightened skin and other marks on Old Bug's body are clear evidence of death by lightning strike. With this, Zhuge Tong has no choice but to release Zhong Xueman. However, Xiao Beiming is still the prime suspect for being the "Night Devil" and is taken back to jail. Just then, Zhuge Tong, Fang Zheng, and Zhuge Kongyun are urgently summoned to the palace.
The Emperor, deeply concerned that the infamous "Night Devil" Xiao Beiming is now implicated in a public murder case, asks the three to decide on an interrogation plan. Surprisingly, Zhuge Kongyun suggests that Zhong Xueman should be the one to lead the interrogation. After a moment of thought, the Emperor agrees. This enrages Zhuge Tong. Furious with his son's audacious move, he orders Xiao Beiming to be transferred to the Divine Capture Camp. He then has his own son, Zhuge Kongyun, flogged thirty times with a rod and thrown into a jail cell.
At the Divine Capture Camp, Xiao Beiming is greeted respectfully by his old friends. Flooded with memories of their past together, he feels too ashamed to face them and walks into the cell on his own accord. A heartbroken Zhong Xueman rushes to embrace him, but he stands frozen, unable to return her affection. Fang Zheng dismisses the others to privately ask Xiao Beiming the question on everyone's mind: is he truly the Night Devil?
Meanwhile, a battered and bleeding Zhuge Kongyun lies weakly in his cell. His father, Zhuge Tong, is heartbroken but feels his son has changed into someone he no longer recognizes.
In his private talk with Xiao Beiming, Fang Zheng admits that while he initially suspected him, seeing him risk his life to save Zhong Xueman made him doubt that he could be the vicious Night Devil. Xiao Beiming finally opens up, telling the story of Haiya City. He theorizes that the real Night Devil is likely an orphan from Haiya who is also wary of a special pill he developed. Fang Zheng considers a formal investigation but worries that the state of Great Qi might interfere. Xiao Beiming concludes that their only path forward is to find Huang Wuchang as quickly as possible to get more clues.
Later, Fang Zheng returns to the main hall where everyone is pleading for leniency for Xiao Beiming. Little do they know, Fang Zheng is already convinced of his innocence. He decisively orders a full-scale search for Huang Wuchang. To everyone's astonishment, he then praises Zhong Xueman and gives her full authority to interrogate Xiao Beiming. Left alone, Fang Zheng mutters to himself that after a decades-long career as an official, he is now betting his entire life and fortune on Xiao Beiming.
Tong Shuang and Zhong Xueman rush to the jail to see Xiao Beiming. He tells them that the person they should truly be thanking is Zhuge Kongyun. Xiao Beiming reveals that Kongyun had sensed his presence even before he returned to the capital and grew suspicious seeing them all together. However, Kongyun knew deep down that Xiao Beiming was not the Night Devil. His suggestion to have Zhong Xueman lead the investigation was a deliberate tactic to help uncover the truth and clear Xiao Beiming's name.
