Episode Summary
In episode 18 of "The Seven Relics of Ill Omen," Yi Wan San is cleared of murder charges after Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua use a blood test to prove the key witnesses were manipulated into giving false testimony. The investigation leads them to a mysterious woman in a red dress, whom Mu Dai suspects is her long-lost mother, Xiang Silan. They uncover a dark past involving Xiang Silan and her former psychiatrist, Ding Guohua, who was attacked by her years ago. The team deduces that Xiang Silan is controlling people through "Relic hair" spread by the wind at the Tengma Terrace. They set a trap and confront her, and during the struggle, Mu Dai discovers Xiang Silan has a gaping hole in her chest. With Luo Ren's help, Mu Dai subdues her mother, capturing the central figure behind the recent events.
Spoiler Alert
"The Seven Relics of Ill Omen" Episode 18 Recap: The Woman in Red
This week, the tangled web surrounding the Relics grows even more complex as the Phoenix Squad clears one of their own, only to be pulled deeper into a decades-old mystery of trauma, manipulation, and supernatural influence. Mu Dai comes face-to-face with a terrifying figure from her past, leading to a cliffside confrontation that leaves everyone breathless.
A Name is Cleared, A New Clue Emerges
The episode kicks off with Yi Wan San's release from police custody, finally cleared of the murder charge. He recounts a bizarre detail to the team: when he touched the victim Ma Chao's face, the skin blistered as if burned, and an ancient character for "mouth" appeared. Mu Dai speculates that a Relic possessed Ma Chao, but this doesn't explain why two other witnesses would provide false testimony against her.
Meanwhile, Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua take matters into their own hands. Using Luo Ren's blood, which reacts to the Relics' power, they visit the two witnesses. A single drop is all it takes to break the spell, and both immediately recant their stories, finally exonerating Mu Dai. Their investigation gets a major break when Yi Wan San, reviewing security footage from Ma Chao's car accident, spots a mysterious woman in a red dress and red shoes acting suspiciously at the scene. For Mu Dai, the image strikes a chilling chord—she has a gut feeling this woman is her birth mother, Xiang Silan.
A Traumatized Past and a Fragile Present
The search for answers brings Luo Ren and Mu Dai to Ding Guohua, a former psychiatrist who now runs a quiet bookstore. He is the man Xiang Silan attacked twenty years ago. The mere mention of her name sends him into a panic. He claims to have cured her, only to nearly suffocate himself while trying to cover his own mouth.
His daughter reveals the tragic truth: two decades ago, her father developed a compulsive lying disorder, leading him to misdiagnose several patients, including Xiang Silan. When he realized his mistake and suggested she seek treatment elsewhere, a distraught Xiang Silan attacked him with a knife. The strangest part of the story? When he was hospitalized, a large patch of skin was inexplicably missing from his back, an injury far too severe to have been caused by the knife. The mention of a place called the Tengma (Soaring Horse) Terrace snaps him out of his fit, and he begins repeating the name, giving the squad their next destination.
The emotional weight of the past hangs heavy on Mu Dai. Seeing a family on the street triggers her own feelings of abandonment. Luo Ren offers a comforting word, telling her, "To someone who truly loves you, you're never a bother." Though she initially pushes him away, the moment deepens their connection as they navigate the dangerous path ahead.
Confrontation at Tengma Terrace
The Phoenix Squad discovers that all the false witnesses had recently visited the Tengma Terrace. Luo Ren theorizes they were controlled by "Relic hair" – microscopic carriers of the Relic's influence – spread by Xiang Silan through the wind. He proves his theory by using his own blood to lure out an illusion, which manifests as a pair of red high heels.
Laying a trap, the team waits at the terrace. Soon, Xiang Silan appears. Mu Dai gives chase, and in a horrifying reveal, sees that Xiang Silan has a gaping, hollow cavity where her chest should be. Xiang Silan lures Mu Dai into a trap by pretending to jump from the building. Mu Dai, acting on instinct, lunges to save her and is pulled over the edge, left clinging desperately to the wall. Just as the hollow-chested Xiang Silan moves in with a shard of glass to finish her, Luo Ren arrives. Together, he and Mu Dai fight back, finally subduing the monstrous figure who may hold all the answers to Mu Dai's past.
Spoilers & Key Takeaways:
- Mu Dai is Innocent: The false witnesses were being manipulated by Xiang Silan. Luo Ren's blood proves to be the antidote to this control.
- The Woman in Red is Xiang Silan: Mu Dai's mother is not only back, but she appears to be the central antagonist, possessing strange powers and a horrifying physical deformity.
- The Psychiatrist's Tale: Ding Guohua's story reveals Xiang Silan's violent breakdown 20 years ago and introduces another supernatural element: the mysterious loss of his skin, suggesting the Relics' power has been at play for a long time.
- A Hollow Victory: The team captures Xiang Silan, but her grotesque injury—a hole in her chest—raises more questions than answers. What did the Relic do to her, and is she even fully human anymore?
