Episode Summary
In short, the team suffers a major setback after a botched operation, leading to a bloody confrontation where key spies are killed. But new clues, including a specific type of ear scar and a mysterious mask, connect the Helan conspiracy to Nanzhou and, surprisingly, to the lovesick Scholar Tian's beloved.
Spoiler Alert
Recap: Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Episode 38
A Hothead Wrecks the Plan
So, the episode kicks off with Xiong Qiannian completely blowing the operation. He acts rashly. This makes Lu Lingfeng furious. He thinks Xiong is not only incompetent but might have deliberately tipped off the spies. I mean, the suspicion is definitely there.
Su Wuming tries to calm Lu Lingfeng down. They go to question the "spy" they caught, a guy named You Tiancai. It turns out he's not a spy at all. He was just scalping tickets for the big polo match. He wanted to make extra money to buy a bigger house. You have to respect the hustle, I guess.
But Xiong Qiannian isn't done being a jerk. He takes You Tiancai to the Honglu Temple, which is basically a public shaming. This really ticks off Pei Mian. He's in charge of the polo tournament and doesn't want any drama. He kicks You Tiancai out and makes it clear the polo match is the only thing that matters.
Chasing Down New Leads
Chu Yingtao is on the move. She secretly follows the spy Hu Mei'er to the Bafang Inn. Su Wuming heads over to meet her. While there, Yang Ji gives them a solid clue. He says the woman they're after has a left ear covered in scars from a knife. That's specific.
Later, Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming visit their informant, Sun Zi, again. He gives them the spies' backup plan. If the first meetup at the Great Wild Goose Pagoda failed, they would meet at the quietest place in Chang'an. The contacts would be wearing masks of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Su Wuming thinks about this. He realizes something is off. The original contact was supposed to wear just one specific mask. He puts two and two together. He believes the next meeting is still at the Great Wild Goose Pagoda. The new info is a trick.
So they split up. Lu Lingfeng and Xue Huan go to watch the Pagoda. Su Wuming heads to the Ghost Market to check out a mask shop. The owner tells him a man with six fingers bought the Four Heavenly Kings masks. He also left behind an old, broken mask. Su Wuming immediately buys it.
A Bloody Night at the Temple
Su Wuming feels like he's missing a piece of the puzzle. One of his constables mentions Leyou Yuan, and it clicks. He rushes over there with his men.
He was right. Hu Mei'er and another spy, Hu Da, are at a ruined temple. They are meeting a contact called Gray Wolf. They hand him a black copper tube. As they leave, they sense something is wrong. They turn back and find Chu Yingtao trying to grab the tube.
A fight breaks out. Hu Mei'er and Hu Da team up against Chu Yingtao. She manages to kill Hu Da with a single strike. The other constables arrive and surround Hu Mei'er. She fights to the death rather than be captured.
At the same time, Gray Wolf gives the copper tube to a mysterious masked person in exchange for silver. As soon as the deal is done, the masked person kills Gray Wolf. No loose ends.
Suspicions and Frustrations
Lu Lingfeng and Xue Huan wait all night at the Great Wild Goose Pagoda. Nothing happens. They return to the city and find out about the fight and the deaths.
Lu Lingfeng tells Su Wuming he has a very specific person in mind as the mole. Su Wuming has been thinking the exact same thing. They both suspect Xiong Qiannian. Lu Lingfeng decides it's time to investigate him properly.
Su Wuming is beating himself up over his mistakes. Chu Yingtao reminds him about the clue from Yang Ji, the scarred ear. Su Wuming examines Hu Mei'er's body. He confirms the cuts on her ear are a custom for Helan nobles. This is a huge connection.
The Mask and the Scholar
Su Wuming takes the old mask he bought back to the Ghost Market. He asks an expert, Feng Tai, about its origin. Feng Tai can only give him a general idea. But then Master Fei looks at it. He finds the molted skin of a "hundred-venom insect" inside. He says this proves the mask is from Nanzhou. Or at least, its owner lived in Nanzhou for a long time.
Next, Su Wuming goes undercover. He sees a man named Scholar Tian hanging around an inn. The guy is completely lovesick for a woman named Chong Sanshiliu Niang. He just waits there day and night hoping to see her.
Su Wuming disguises himself as a fortune teller to talk to him. Scholar Tian is sharp, though. He sees through the disguise right away. They end up having a real conversation. The scholar says he and Chong Sanshiliu Niang were once close. Then she suddenly became distant. He also tells Su Wuming something heartbreaking. He saw that she now has the same kind of knife scars on her ear.
Su Wuming sees how much the scholar cares for her. He tells him if he ever thinks Chong Sanshiliu Niang is in danger, he must come find him at his sushan dessert shop.
The episode closes with a few loose ends. The special seven-colored polo ball is finally finished. Pei Mian puts Li Zhuang in charge of guarding it. Li Zhuang swears an oath to protect it with his life. Lu Lingfeng also reports to the Emperor. He admits the investigation into Gray Wolf has hit a wall. For now, all they can do is wait.
