Episode Summary
The search for the missing Butler Liu leads Yan Chi and Qin Wan to a supposedly haunted bamboo forest, where they discover his murdered body inside a sealed well. The investigation uncovers not only the killer's manipulative tactics but also a second set of remains belonging to a concubine who allegedly committed suicide years ago. As family secrets unravel, Qin Wan realizes the deaths are intricately linked, a suspicion that is confirmed when a shocking anomaly is found during the examination of the old skeleton, complicating the entire case.
Spoiler Alert
Coroner's Diary: Episode 8 Spoilers
The search for the missing Butler Liu intensifies, but he is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Fuling grows suspicious after seeing a maid from the eldest brother's courtyard retrieve musk, claiming it's for his delirium, even though he appears perfectly healthy. As Yan Chi and Qin Wan convene to discuss the case, they conclude that Butler Liu is likely being framed and may be in grave danger. Their investigation also uncovers a new lead: the Third Master is suffering from the same syphilis that afflicted the Eighth Concubine.
Suddenly, strange rumors of ghost fires and wailing spirits emerge from the Qin Mansion's forbidden Purple Bamboo Forest.Lured by the mystery, Yan Chi and Qin Wan investigate and discover that a large "demon-suppressing stone" has been moved, unsealing a dry well. Inside, they find signs of a struggle and, at the bottom, a corpse. Qin Wan personally conducts the autopsy and confirms the deceased is Butler Liu. He was strangled, the same method used on his lover, the Eighth Concubine, and his syphilis was in an advanced stage. Qin Wan and Yan Chi suspect the ghost stories were a deliberate ploy to lead them to the body.
As they prepare to excavate the well further, the furious Old Madam Qin arrives to stop them from desecrating the forbidden ground. However, the excavation continues, and Baifeng unearths a female skull that has been buried for at least seven years. Cornered, Old Madam Qin confesses a long-hidden family secret: the remains belong to the Second Concubine, Yang shi. Years ago, after the Third Master insisted on marrying the Eighth Concubine, the pregnant Yang shi suffered a miscarriage and, in her grief, threw herself into the well. To quell rumors and preserve the family's honor, Old Madam Qin sealed the well and forbade anyone from entering the area.
Qin Wan detects the scent of burnt phosphorus, confirming her suspicion that the "ghost fire" was man-made. She theorizes that all the recent events are connected and that the mastermind behind the murders deliberately led them to Yang shi's remains, suggesting her death was not a simple suicide. Later, in a private moment, Yan Chi shares a story of past trauma from his military days, urging Qin Wan to step away from the investigation for her own safety, given her connection to the Qin family. She staunchly refuses, promising to seek his help if she finds herself in peril. Moved, Yan Chi grasps her hand.
The next day, while reassembling Yang shi's skeleton, Qin Wan makes two critical discoveries: evidence that Yang shi had previously given birth to a child, and, more shockingly, an extra, unidentifiable bone among the remains.
