Episode Summary
Zhu Yitie confesses to the recent string of murders, revealing they were an act of revenge for his wife's death and that he was manipulated by a mysterious master.He discloses that "Night Devil" is a code for "Haiya," a lost tribe seeking vengeance, before killing himself to force Xiao Beiming to continue the investigation under the Night Devil's identity.The true conspirators use this opportunity to assassinate the retired official Shen Bi with a cleverly hidden poison, leaving Xiao Beiming framed and Zhuge Kongyun vowing to unravel the conspiracy.
Spoiler Alert
"The Wanted Detective" Episode 7: The Truth Behind the Devil's Mask
The mystery deepens as Zhu Yitie confesses, but his story reveals that he is merely a pawn in a much larger, more tragic game. Two years prior, while on a mission in the Nan Yue Nation, Zhu Yitie met and fell in love with a woman named Xiao Fu.To help her out of a tough situation, he bought all of her tea and later married her in secret due to the fraught relationship between their two nations.They lived a hidden, peaceful life in a cliffside cave until two months ago. Upon returning from a case, Zhu Yitie discovered that his beloved Xiao Fu, who was pregnant with their child, had been brutally murdered by a man named A'Jia and a group of human traffickers.Consumed by grief and rage, Zhu Yitie sought revenge, killing them one by one and staging the murders to look like the work of the infamous "Night Devil."
Zhu Yitie admits to being the one who killed Zhong Yunchi and the others on the boat, but he was acting under orders.Hidden aboard the vessel, his mission was twofold: first, to kill everyone on board, including his own master, a middle-aged man he knew only as the leader of the Night Devil; second, to infiltrate the Divine Capture Camp and assassinate Shen Bi.He never knew the true identity of the Night Devil on the boat.
Skeptical that the real Night Devil is dead, Xiao Beiming presses for more information. Zhu Yitie reveals a critical clue: "Night Devil" is a code word for "Haiya" (Sea Cliff).He recalls hearing the name on the boat, where another official, Miao Jie, mentioned that Haiya was once a peaceful tribe that was mysteriously wiped out overnight in an incident of cannibalism, causing the town to vanish from all maps.The survivors of Haiya are now seeking revenge on the organization responsible for the massacre.To ensure Xiao Beiming can uncover the full truth, Zhu Yitie takes his own life, once again framing Xiao Beiming as the Night Devil and forcing him to continue the investigation while on the run.
The revelation devastates Zhong Xueman, who now understands her father was killed by Zhu Yitie.She realizes her father must have known the Night Devil was on the boat and tried to prevent Xiao Beiming from boarding to protect him.Overcome with guilt for misjudging and even poisoning Xiao Beiming, she tearfully embraces him. Xiao Beiming, however, holds no grudge, grateful that these painful events have brought him closer to the truth.He vows to find the lost city of Haiya.
While Fang Zheng orders the Divine Capture Camp to search for Zhu Yitie, Xiao Beiming embraces his role as the new Night Devil to draw out his enemies.The ruse works, but not as intended. A masked figure, the true mastermind, learns of Zhu Yitie's death but is unafraid, wanting Xiao Beiming to discover the truth about the powers that be in the Great Qi kingdom.Zhuge Kongyun correctly deduces that the real target is the retired official Shen Bi, who is living in seclusion under guard.Despite his efforts, Shen Bi is poisoned and dies.Xiao Beiming realizes he was manipulated and used to lure Shen Bi out.The poison wasn't in the food, which had been tested repeatedly, but in the pages of a book; the killer knew of Shen Bi's habit of licking his fingers to turn the pages.Zhuge Kongyun reaches the same conclusion and solemnly promises the Emperor he will solve the case within three months.
