Episode Summary
Chu Jing is rescued from the Chief Guard by Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu. Nangong Chui collects Demon Control Talismans. Mu Xiaowu helps Chu Jing escape, leading to his torture by Nangong Chui, who attempts to frame the Yang family. Dongfang Huaizhu begins to see Wangquan Hongye in a new light, while Yang Yan fights to save Mu Xiaowu.
Spoiler Alert
"Love in Pavilion" Episode 7: A Tangled Web of Deceit and Sacrifice
Episode 7 of "Love in Pavilion" kicks off with a serious rescue mission and some shady power plays. Chu Jing, hiding out at the Li family's dyehouse, is cornered by a Chief Guard from the Bureau of Investigation. This guy's even faster than Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu! He's after the Demon Control Talisman, and he's not playing nice.
Turns out, this Chief Guard is a real piece of work. He uses the talisman to control Chu Jing, forcing him to the brink of suicide. Talk about a dramatic entrance – Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu arrive just in the nick of time to stop him and whisk Chu Jing away to safety.
Meanwhile, Nangong Chui is busy collecting Demon Control Talismans from Liuyun Pavilion. These things are seriously dangerous – they let you control demons, but if the demon rebels, you can burn the talisman and the demon goes up in flames too. Brutal! Yang Ying, sent by Yang Huanzhou to apologize to Nangong Chui, gets a cold shoulder. Nangong Chui isn't buying it.
Dongfang Huaizhu finds a doctor to counteract the effects of whatever nasty stuff Chu Jing was dosed with. She stays by his side until he wakes up. Wangquan Hongye takes a minor hit protecting Dongfang Huaizhu, and she genuinely thanks him while tending to his wounds. When Chu Jing finally comes to, his first thought is for the safety of Mu Xiaowu. We learn that back in the mines, Chu Jing was surveying the veins when Mu Xiaowu found him absorbing spiritual energy and controlling the elements.
Speaking of Mu Xiaowu, he's got a heart of gold. He pleads with Yang Ying to release Chu Jing, knowing the Lingli demon will die if trapped in the mine for too long. Yang Ying, of course, couldn't care less about a demon's life. He warns Mu Xiaowu to stay out of it, reminding him that these demons are registered with the Mixed Heaven Prison. Despite the risks, Mu Xiaowu secretly helps Chu Jing escape, getting him a job as a gardener with Master Zhou.
But trouble always finds a way. The Chief Guard from the Bureau of Investigation shows up, forces Chu Jing to swallow a Demon Control Talisman, and then frames him for murder. Chu Jing manages to escape and grab the talisman. Wangquan Hongye, hearing the full story, is ready to take action. On the other side of town, Yang Ying drugs the Wangquan family with a little something extra in their sweet osmanthus dumplings. Yang Yan avoids the dumplings, but the osmanthus syrup is also laced, so she only has a sliver of consciousness left when she sees Yang Ying take Mu Xiaowu away.
Mu Xiaowu is hauled off to the Bureau of Investigation and tortured until he's barely conscious. They use even more torture to force him to implicate the Yang family. To stay awake, Yang Yan stabs her palm with a hairpin. Wangquan Hongye has another dream where the tree keeps growing, possibly foreshadowing the coming of Eternal Night.
After the Mu Xiaowu incident, Dongfang Huaizhu starts to see Wangquan Hongye in a new light and gives him the antidote earlier than planned. Turns out, the "poison" she gave him wasn't sparrow bile at all, but a Golden Flower Pill. No wonder he hasn't felt any ill effects! This is a good sign for Wangquan Hongye.
Yang Yan, barely able to stand, drags herself to the Bureau of Investigation, demanding to see Mu Renzhi, but she's blocked at the entrance. Her hands are bloody and bruised as she fights against the Bureau's guards. Mu Xiaowu is a mess, and Nangong Chui wants him to falsely accuse the Yang family of releasing Chu Jing, which would give them a "pro-demon" label. Nangong Chui also wants to drag the Wangquan family into it.
Despite his low status, Mu Xiaowu refuses to break his promise to Yang Yan and won't lie about the Yang family. Nangong Chui, furious, orders more torture. Meanwhile, Chu Jing is still unconscious, and Dongfang Huaizhu's divine fire mark on her forehead flickers, giving her a premonition that something terrible has happened to the Yang family.
