Episode Summary
Zhong Xueman's investigation into a security leak leads her to a skilled pigeon keeper, Xiao Qingmao, who provides a crucial coded message. The trail then points to a storyteller who admits to intercepting messages and implicates a bookseller. A note with the clue "Can Ben" is passed to Zhuge Kongyun, revealing his shifting allegiance. The team discovers "Can Ben" is a book used for communication by the spy, and the episode concludes with the stunning revelation that Constable Jiang from their own Divine Capture Camp is connected to it.
Spoiler Alert
In a calculated move, Zhong Xueman attempts to visit Zhuge Kongyun, who is held in the Dark Detective Camp's prison, only to be firmly denied entry. Undeterred, she devises a plan, instructing Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo to set off firecrackers outside. The sound serves as a signal to Zhuge Kongyun, who instantly grasps her intentions. He deliberately leaks information, leading Zhong Xueman to a critical realization: he and Zhuge Tong have been communicating via carrier pigeons. This sparks a new suspicion in her mind—that a pigeon was responsible for leaking Huang Wuchang's whereabouts.
Zhong Xueman's investigation leads her to the pigeon keeper, a woman known as Xiao Qingmao. With a sharp gaze, Xiao Qingmao not only recognizes Zhong Xueman by her reputation as a formidable constable but also readily agrees to accompany her to the Divine Capture Camp. There, in the presence of the imprisoned Xiao Beiming, Zhong Xueman begins her interrogation. She questions whether a message could have been intercepted from one of her pigeons. Xiao Qingmao stands firm, stating her birds are professionally trained and that intercepting their messages would be nearly impossible.
However, Xiao Beiming's keen observation skills lead him to deduce her true identity: she is a survivor of the Sparrow Taming Clan, a tribe from a mysterious island that was brutally massacred. Faced with this revelation, Xiao Qingmao confirms her tragic past. Moved by Xiao Beiming's plea that the Great Qi kingdom faces a similar threat of annihilation, her resolve softens. She reveals that while she saw Zhuge Tong send messages by pigeon, they were in a code she could not decipher. Crucially, she kept detailed records in her ledgers. Before leaving, she expresses her hope that they will capture Huang Wuchang and restore peace.
Xiao Qingmao sends over the contents of Zhuge Tong's coded messages. After some thought, Xiao Beiming suggests that only someone from within the Divine Capture Camp might be able to decode them. A member of the camp volunteers to get close to Zhuge Kongyun's personal guard, Li Huwei. Meanwhile, Guard Li, while buying food for his master, overhears common folk debating the identity of the "Night Devil," with some defending Xiao Beiming and recounting his past good deeds. At this moment, Huo Dairong and her team approach Guard Li for help, but he flatly refuses. Unfazed, Huo Dairong comes up with a new idea: using the art of disguise.
The team's plan unfolds as Huo Dairong persuades a restaurant waiter to hide a small note inside Zhuge Kongyun's meal. Simultaneously, they lure a local storyteller to the Divine Capture Camp by tempting him with a supposed "heavenly book." The storyteller, now trapped, confesses that he intercepted some pigeon messages by using fake pigeon feed to lure the birds down. However, he insists he only obtained old intelligence, as the cleverest pigeons refused the bait. Under the threat of torture from Zhong Xueman, he finally breaks, revealing that a bookseller from the Ministry of Justice had intercepted a truly important piece of intelligence.
Later, when Guard Li delivers the meal to Zhuge Kongyun, he also hands him the hidden note. On it are two words: "Can Ben." Zhuge Kongyun, in a moment of candor, confesses to Li Huwei—whom he now considers a friend—that his long-standing hatred for Xiao Beiming stemmed from pure jealousy of his intellect. He now believes Xiao Beiming is not the Night Devil and wants to use him to unmask the real villain.
The clue "Can Ben" refers to an out-of-print book. The team learns from the storyteller that its real title is "The Chronicle of Eliminating Pirates in the East Sea," a tale about a former general. Xiao Beiming immediately deduces this book is the key used by the spy to communicate with their enemies. Acting on this lead, the Divine Capture Camp questions the storyteller again, who reveals a shocking truth: Constable Jiang, one of their own from the Divine Capture Camp, had previously come to copy the book.
