Episode Summary
Zang Hai reunites with his senior, Guan Feng, and they deduce his father, Kuai Duo, hid a treasure in Liu Xian's tomb. They explore the tomb, finding not the Dong Xia treasure, but a powerful bronze weapon box left by Kuai Duo. Zang Hai then plots to assassinate Zhuang Lu Yin during an ancestral ritual using this box, but his attempt is mysteriously foiled. A masked figure reveals Zhuang Lu Yin was testing him and that Zang Hai has two other powerful enemies, Grand Eunuch Cao Jing Xian and an unknown third person, all after Kuai Duo's treasure. Zang Hai decides to bide his time and hides the weapon.
Spoiler Alert
So, Episode 10 kicks off with a much-needed reunion. Zang Hai finally connects with his senior, Guan Feng. After the initial "good to see you, man," they get down to brass tacks: that ominous threatening letter. Zang Hai's gut tells him it’s all about the mysterious treasure his father, Kuai Duo, brought back from Dong Xia. Guan Feng, racking his brain, remembers Kuai Duo returning from the southwest. This sparks a lightbulb moment for Zang Hai, who figures his dad stashed the goods in Liu Xian's tomb.
Wasting no time, Zang Hai, Guan Feng, and Shi Lei make a nighttime dash to the tomb. Zang Hai has a flashback to his childhood when Kuai Duo actually showed him a secret entrance to the tomb. Turns out, Kuai Duo, worried about grave robbers, had the passage sealed up before he left. The trio splits up to search, and Zang Hai, ever the observant one, quickly spots the hidden entrance concealed by fallen leaves. Down they go into the darkness.
Inside, they find a joint tomb for a husband and wife, complete with an exquisitely crafted coffin. The catch? No epitaph in sight. Zang Hai, putting his detective hat on, guesses the inscription is hidden beneath a turtle carving next to the coffin. He pops open the turtle shell, and bingo! The epitaph is there, revealing the tomb belongs to Liu Xian.
A thorough sweep of the mausoleum reveals that grave robbers have already had their way with the place, taking all the burial goods. The thieves themselves either fell victim to traps or, more likely, to some good old-fashioned infighting, as their bodies are strewn about. Disappointed, Zang Hai is about to call it a night when he notices something peculiar – an inverted pattern on the coffin. He gives the stone a gentle push, and a large section of the wall crumbles away, unveiling a massive stone stele. This carving tells the story of Shan Yi Zi, a righteous official dedicated to the people, who also happened to be Liu Xian's master. Amidst the debris, Zang Hai picks up a carving knife – one he instantly recognizes as his father's. Guan Feng confirms it belonged to their master. The only mystery left is a single missing character at the end of the inscription.
Zang Hai sifts through scattered characters on the ground and finds the one they need: "Heng." He places it in the empty spot, triggering a hidden mechanism. A stone box is revealed! Zang Hai carefully opens it to find a bronze box, a creation of his father, Kuai Duo. This isn't just any box; it's a formidable weapon. Kuai Duo, fearing it could fall into the wrong hands and harm innocents, hid it in Liu Xian's tomb. Zang Hai now realizes that the treasure from Dong Xia, the one everyone's after, isn't here. He secures the bronze box, and the three make their way out of the tomb.
Outside, Guan Feng is ready to go full vigilante and help Zang Hai take down Zhuang Lu Yin to avenge Kuai Duo. But Zang Hai, ever considerate of his friends, doesn't want to drag him into his mess. He asks Guan Feng and Shi Lei to seal up the tomb entrance. Zang Hai then heads back to the Marquis Pingjin's residence alone, but not before dropping off a letter for Gao Ming on the way.
Back at the mansion, Zang Hai finds Zhuang Shan bossing around servants, preparing for an ancestral ritual. Zang Hai retreats to his room and preps the bronze box, arming its mechanisms. His plan? To assassinate Zhuang Lu Yin during the upcoming ceremony.
The day of the ritual arrives. Zhuang Lu Yin leads his family to the ancestral hall to pay respects to his deceased father. The only no-show is Zhuang Zhi Xing. Zhuang Lu Yin, impatient, wants to proceed, but Zang Hai quickly steps in, urging him to wait for Zhuang Zhi Xing. This immediately piques Zhuang Lu Yin's suspicion. Zhuang Shan jumps in to explain that Zang Hai had prepared special incense with gold threads for the occasion, which he (Zhuang Shan) had preemptively swapped out. Zang Hai, quick on his feet, explains the gold threads were meant to symbolize Zhuang Lu Yin's lifelong military achievements, hoping the ancestors would bless him and protect the household. Zhuang Lu Yin isn't buying it and orders Zhuang Shan to meticulously inspect the incense burner. Zang Hai is sweating bullets, but Zhuang Shan finds nothing amiss. Zhuang Lu Yin lets it slide, even scolding Zhuang Shan for misinterpreting Zang Hai's "good intentions."
Zang Hai is completely baffled. He knows he placed the booby-trapped box in the incense burner. How did it vanish within an hour? A servant casually mentions that the ashes from the ancestral hall were carted away. Zang Hai bolts after the waste cart, only to be intercepted by a masked figure. And what’s that in their hand? Zang Hai's missing device! The masked individual chides Zang Hai for his recklessness, revealing that Zhuang Lu Yin deliberately had Zang Hai prepare for the ritual as a test. The lightbulb finally goes on for Zang Hai – he was played.
Later that night, Zang Hai goes to Zhuang Lu Yin to "confess." He spins a tale about someone sending him poison with instructions to kill Zhuang Lu Yin within three days, claiming he was trying to investigate the sender privately but found nothing. Zhuang Lu Yin, surprisingly, isn't angry. He consoles Zang Hai, saying he has many enemies who want him dead, and that he'll look into this mysterious poisoner himself. He then tells Zang Hai to go get some rest.
The plot thickens when the masked figure reveals more to Zang Hai: he has not one, but three enemies. Besides Zhuang Lu Yin, there's the powerful Grand Eunuch Cao Jing Xian, and a third, very well-hidden adversary. All three are after Kuai Duo's treasure from Dong Xia. Zang Hai recalls a copper fish in the Marquis's secret room and deduces that two similar items were likely taken by Cao Jing Xian and this unknown third enemy. The masked person advises Zang Hai to lay low, bide his time, and wait for the opportune moment to take down all three foes at once.
Zang Hai, who was initially laser-focused on avenging his parents and sister by killing Zhuang Lu Yin, now realizes he's facing a much larger conspiracy. After some serious internal debate, he decides that patience is his best weapon for now. He takes the bronze box and hides it behind a decorative plaque in his room, waiting for the right time to strike.
