Episode Summary
In Episode 13 of "The Seven Relics of Ill Omen," the team learns of an ancient legend about three divine birds sealing away evil, which provides a crucial clue. A rescue mission is launched to save their captive friends, during which Mu Dai's dormant second personality violently emerges to defeat their captor, the white-haired woman, by destroying a cursed "Heart-Slip." The episode culminates in tragedy when the Wild Man, in a misunderstood act of kindness, carries an ailing Yi Wan San to a village for help, only to be mistaken for a threat and killed by the fearful villagers, leaving the team devastated and facing a moral crisis.
Spoiler Alert
The Seven Relics of Ill Omen Episode 13 Recap: The Truth of the Wild Man
This Episode , an ancient legend provides a crucial clue, a rescue mission takes a dark turn, and a tragic misunderstanding leads to a devastating loss. The team gets closer to the truth behind the strange occurrences in the mountains, but the revelations come at a heavy price.
An Ancient Legend and a Modern-Day Clue
The episode opens with Shen Gun, the group's mystic, captivated by murals at a cold spring. A tour guide recounts the ancient legend of Boyangzi, a great scholar who fought against a powerful evil that plagued the land.Seeing a parallel to their own mission, Shen Gun buys five bracelets shaped like the divine birds, perhaps sensing they might need their own miracle.
A Risky Rescue and a Glimmer of Hope
Meanwhile, part of the team is held captive. Yi Wan San observes the so-called Wild Man, concluding he isn't hostile and suggests they try a friendly approach. When the Wild Man returns, Cao Yanhua offers him an apple as a peace offering.Later, Yi Wan San draws cartoons on the wall, and to their surprise, the Wild Man responds with his own drawing, using a stick to sketch a message: Luo Ren and the others have escaped.
On the outside, the freed members of the group plan their next move. Yan Hongsha is despondent over the loss of her family, but Mu Dai comforts her by sharing her own difficult past. Luo Ren, who had lost a dagger gifted to him by Mu Dai, promises he will get it back. He then formulates a rescue plan: Yan Hongsha will create a thick cloud of smoke to lure their enemies out, while he and Mu Dai sneak into the cave.Luo Ren positions himself at the entrance to guard against a potential ambush by the Wild Man.
Confrontation in the Cave
The plan works better than expected. The smoke weakens the white-haired woman who was holding them captive, allowing Mu Dai to subdue her easily.Once inside, Luo Ren’s first priority is finding his dagger, which Mu Dai has already recovered and returns to him. The situation escalates when the woman lets out a piercing shriek. The Wild Man hears her cry and rushes to her aid, only to quickly turn back and abduct Cao Yanhua.
As Cao Yanhua is dragged away, his screams for help alert Luo Ren and Yan Hongsha, who give chase. This leaves Mu Dai alone to guard the captive white-haired woman.
Mu Dai's Dark Side Emerges
The white-haired woman, regaining some strength, launches a desperate attack, her arms twisting unnaturally as she strangles Mu Dai. In this near-death moment, something inside Mu Dai snaps. Her second personality emerges—cold, ruthless, and brutally efficient. She rips a "Heart-Slip" from the woman's neck and throws it into a nearby fire. The moment the slip burns, the woman's body disintegrates into a pile of white bones.
When Luo Ren returns, he finds a traumatized Mu Dai with no memory of what just happened. Putting the pieces together with an illusion Cao Yanhua had previously described, Luo Ren deduces the truth: the Heart-Slip was originally attached to a skeleton in a well and later transferred to the woman after her throat was cut. He theorizes that the woman had mistaken pieces of amber for treasure, giving them to local children. When Mu Dai previously yanked the amber off, it broke the curse's hold, allowing the Wild Man's true, gentler nature to surface.
A Tragic Misunderstanding
Back in the cave where Yi Wan San is being held, the Wild Man returns. Yi Wan San, mistakenly believing Cao Yanhua has been killed, tries to attack the Wild Man with a stone but is overcome by grief and a sudden stomach ailment. Seeing his distress, the Wild Man hoists Yi Wan San onto his back and carries him out of the cave.
Running out of food and water, the rest of the team decides to head down the mountain to resupply before continuing their search for Yi Wan San. However, the tragedy has already unfolded. The Wild Man carried Yi Wan San into the village, but the terrified villagers assumed he was attacking. They swarmed him, beating him to death.
The team arrives to find Yi Wan San alive and reunited with Cao Yanhua, but he is inconsolable. Through gut-wrenching sobs, he explains what happened: he had tried to play dead, but the Wild Man, in an act of kindness, carried him toward the village to get help. The Wild Man tried to get the attention of a villager named Zha Ma, but it was misinterpreted as an attack. Despite Yi Wan San's pleas, a villager shot the Wild Man, who then fell from a cliff. As the team tries to comfort him with the possibility that the Wild Man might have survived the fall, their hopes are shattered. The villagers enter, triumphantly carrying the Wild Man's body, and Yi Wan San completely breaks down, his guilt and sorrow overwhelming him. The episode ends on this somber note, hinting that the secrets of the Wild Men are far from over.
