Episode Summary
In this episode, Tong Shuang surrenders and is revealed to be Xiao Beiming's long-lost brother. He explains his tragic past and motives for revenge. He then orchestrates a series of seemingly supernatural events, including a murder from within his prison cell and a miraculous escape from his own execution, in a grand scheme to convince the populace that he is a divine being.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with a shocking twist as Tong Shuang unexpectedly turns himself in. Xiao Beiming and his team rush to the prison, where a distraught Feng Qingzhuo confronts his friend, unable to comprehend his actions. Xiao Beiming, however, follows a long-held suspicion. He pulls open Tong Shuang's shirt, revealing a unique birthmark on his shoulder that confirms he is Xiao Beiming's long-lost older brother.
After dismissing the others, Xiao Beiming demands the truth. Tong Shuang confesses that everything he has done was for revenge. He only surrendered because he couldn't bear to see Xiao Beiming searching so desperately for him. He recounts a tragic past: after returning to the Pingyuan Escort Agency, he was treated cruelly by the lady of the house. The final straw was when they brutally killed his beloved dog, even cooking and eating its remains. Heartbroken and caught in a downpour, he met a mysterious figure named Miao Jie, who set him on a path of vengeance. He started by burning down the Pingyuan Escort Agency and later assumed the identity of a young master, also named Tong Shuang. From that day forward, he dedicated himself to mastering the art of killing, and the trauma left him with a deep-seated hatred for the sound of dogs barking.
Tong Shuang's heart remains consumed by hatred. He expresses intense jealousy that Xiao Beiming, despite being branded as the notorious "Night Devil," is still trusted by so many. He questions why he had to suffer so much while the people of the Great Qi live in happiness, vowing to make them feel his pain. Following this, the Emperor issues a decree: the Night Devil is to be beheaded immediately without further trial. As he is taken away, Tong Shuang coldly warns that his death will not stop the events he has set in motion.
Sensing that something is amiss, Zhong Xueman and a team of elite imperial guards take turns watching over the Night Devil in the heavily fortified celestial prison. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming has a nagging feeling of unease, which crystallizes into a sudden realization after a comment from Zhuge Kongyun. Inside the prison, the Night Devil appears unnervingly calm. Zhong Xueman, feeling an unusual heat outside the cell, opens the door. She is met with the phantom image of a fire phoenix in the sky before she collapses, unconscious. By the time Zhuge Kongyun and Xiao Beiming arrive, they find another guard, Wu Lie, mysteriously dead.
Afterward, Zhong Xueman insists that what she saw was a real fire phoenix, not a mere illusion. Feng Qingzhuo's examination of Wu Lie's body confirms he died from violent scratches consistent with a large bird. A strange symbol, identical to the one found at Wu Zhui's death scene, is discovered nearby.
On the day of the execution, officials and commoners gather to watch. The Night Devil, now on the execution platform overseen by Fang Zheng and Zhuge Tong, brazenly declares that a heavenly disaster will soon strike the Great Qi as punishment. As if on cue, colorful, auspicious-looking clouds fill the sky, and the executioner's blade shatters upon trying to strike. Before the stunned crowd, the Night Devil is lifted into the air by a mysterious cloud and vanishes without a trace.
In the aftermath, Xiao Beiming finally understands the true reason for his brother's surrender. It was all a calculated performance to use the state's power to stage a miraculous escape, thereby proving his "divinity" to the public and manipulating them for his own dark purposes.
