Episode Summary
Xiao Beiming is secretly released from prison by Fang Zheng and given 15 days to find the real Night Devil. The investigation leads him and his team to examine the body of Old Bug, which points them toward a past tragedy at a place called Haiya. A new lead, the legendary strategist Wu Zhui, holds the key. After passing a dangerous loyalty test set by Wu Zhui, Xiao Beiming learns of a massacre at Haiya and the existence of a hidden register of orphans. This register, which Zhong Xueman successfully retrieves, becomes their most crucial piece of evidence in uncovering the conspiracy.
Spoiler Alert
When Zhong Xueman awakens, she learns the devastating news that Xiao Beiming has once again been taken to the Divine Capture Camp's prison. Her immediate instinct is to plead for him, but Feng Qingzhuo and Tong Shuang arrive to deliver more grim news: even the influential Fang Zheng is powerless in this situation, and they must find another solution.
Just as despair sets in, Xiao Beiming makes a shocking return. He claims to have escaped, but the truth is far more complex. Fang Zheng, now convinced that Xiao Beiming is not the murderous Night Devil, used his authority to release him secretly. He has given Xiao Beiming a fifteen-day deadline to unmask the real killer, promising to take full responsibility and face the emperor's wrath himself.
The team quickly begins to strategize. Suspecting a link between the crystals found in the bodies of Huang Liang and Old Bug, Xiao Beiming dispatches Tong Shuang to rent a carriage. He then arranges a clandestine meeting with Zhuge Kongyun at their "old spot." This location holds a painful memory for Zhuge Kongyun; it's where a plan to use a victim as bait went horribly wrong, leading to the person's accidental death by drowning. The victim's mother was left so grief-stricken that she cried herself blind, and Zhuge Kongyun has been caring for her ever since.
Xiao Beiming, accompanied by Zhong Xueman, visits this woman, Aunt Lin, bearing gifts. She is overjoyed to hear Xiao Beiming's voice and warmly welcomes Zhong Xueman, sharing stories of the two men's past and urging Zhong Xueman to cherish those she loves before it's too late.
Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming and Zhuge Kongyun discuss the case. Zhuge quickly deduces that Xiao Beiming needs his help with Old Bug's corpse. Xiao Beiming explains that the recent cases are all connected to a place called Haiya and that Old Bug's body must hold vital clues. Believing Zhuge is the only one who can retrieve it, he asks for his help. Zhuge agrees on one condition: if he finds a clue, Xiao Beiming must lead his horse for him once as a sign of respect.
Zhuge successfully retrieves Old Bug's body from the Dark Detective Camp. Inside a carriage, he, Feng Qingzhuo, and Xiao Beiming conduct an autopsy. They discover the heart is unnaturally swollen, likely due to a pill that drastically increased his power before death, a theory Feng Qingzhuo finds hard to believe. With more questions than answers, they realize their investigation must lead them to Haiya.
Later, Zhuge provides Xiao Beiming with a new lead: a man named Wu Zhui. A legendary figure in the Great Qi dynasty, Wu Zhui is someone Xiao Beiming has long admired for his strategic genius and his courage to challenge the emperor's policies. Zhong Xueman speculates that Wu Zhui's mysterious abilities might be connected to the "Canfeng Jia," but Xiao Beiming decides to pursue this lead alone.
He finds Wu Zhui living as a humble farmer. When Xiao Beiming reveals he is investigating the Haiya incident, Wu Zhui's demeanor changes drastically. He confesses he swore a blood oath to never speak of Haiya, warning that exposing the truth would plunge the Great Qi into chaos and turn him into a monster no different from the Night Devil.
Unwilling to back down, Xiao Beiming is presented with a deadly test. Wu Zhui poisons a cup of water and tells him that if he drinks it, he will have one hour to live. In that hour, Wu Zhui will reveal the whole truth. Xiao Beiming, without hesitation, drinks the poison.
Wu Zhui reveals the horrifying truth: as a military strategist for the Canfeng Jia, he participated in a brutal massacre of the people of Haiya. He also managed to save a register containing the names of the orphans from Haiya, which he has hidden in the Library Pavilion. As the "poison" takes hold, Xiao Beiming, in his last moments of clarity, creates a marker from a piece of cloth, hides it in an iron ball, and swallows it, hoping it will be found during his autopsy. He then collapses, seemingly dead.
However, Xiao Beiming wakes up to find Zhong Xueman watching over him. The poison was a fake; it was Wu Zhui's final test of his resolve. Wu Zhui himself had informed Zhong Xueman where to find him. Now understanding the full weight of the past, Zhong Xueman proceeds to the Library Pavilion, where she finds the hidden register of the Haiya orphans, unlocking the next chapter of their perilous investigation.
