Episode Summary

After deducing that Ya Feng was merely a decoy, Luo Ren's team tracks down Cao Qingshan, who now possesses the Relic. Following a desperate lakeside struggle initiated by a vengeful Yi Wan San, the team successfully secures the artifact. Upon accessing its "Water Shadow," they discover the visions are part of a larger story told in reverse chronological order. By hypnotizing Ya Feng, they learn the "Rule of Forty-Nine": they have 49 days to find the next Relic, or the one they hold will break free. The episode ends with two major developments: Cao Yanhua becomes paranoid after learning of his villainous ancestry, and Ya Feng is brutally killed by Zhang Guanghua during a violent confrontation.

Spoiler Alert

The Seven Relics of Ill Omen: Episode 24 Recap & Spoilers:The Water Shadow's Secret and a Relic's Fate

This episode dives deep into the mechanics of the Relics as Luo Ren's team secures another powerful artifact. The confrontation with Ya Feng and Cao Qingshan leads to a desperate chase, a shocking revelation about the Relics' timeline, and the discovery of a critical rule that governs their containment. As the team grapples with this new knowledge, loyalties are tested, and the episode culminates in a brutal, unexpected death.

Episode 24 Recap: The Full Story

The episode opens with Mu Dai replaying her fight with Ya Feng. She realizes that despite Ya Feng’s superior fighting skills, she was easily subdued once Luo Ren arrived. Luo Ren quickly deduces that Ya Feng wasn't fighting to win but was intentionally stalling to give Cao Qingshan time to escape with the Relic. When confronted, Ya Feng drops her innocent act but refuses to cooperate, sneering at the team.

Meanwhile, Yi Wan San, mistakenly believing that Yan Hongsha has been killed, is consumed by grief and rage. Grabbing a shovel, he tracks Cao Qingshan on his own. The rest of the team, discovering him missing, receives a location pin just in time. Yi Wan San corners Cao Qingshan at a lakeside, but his target vanishes, only to reappear behind him. Remembering that the Relics are repelled by water, Yi Wan San makes a desperate move, tackling Cao Qingshan and plunging them both into the lake.

Luo Ren and the others arrive to find the two locked in a struggle in the water. Luo Ren intervenes, successfully retrieving the Relic from Cao Qingshan. Upon learning the Relic has been taken, a captured Ya Feng begins cryptically chanting about the "Rule of Forty-Nine" and warns that someone will come for revenge.

To understand the Relic's power, the team places their hands into the water tank now containing it, instantly transporting their consciousness into a "Water Shadow" world. Inside, they see a vision of a young woman feeding a dog named Keke. Luo Ren recognizes her as the same woman from a previous vision who was seen leaving in a wedding sedan, with the same dog watching her go. He realizes this new vision takes place before the wedding, indicating that the timeline of the Water Shadows is reversed. Luo Ren theorizes that the seven Relics create seven Water Shadows, which, when pieced together, tell a complete story from over a century ago.

Back in the real world, the team struggles to understand Ya Feng's "Rule of Forty-Nine." Since she is different from other hosts, Luo Ren's usual methods fail. Mu Dai steps in, and together she and Luo Ren put on a coordinated act to hypnotize Ya Feng. Under hypnosis, Ya Feng reveals the crucial rule: nothing can contain a Relic forever except for the legendary "Wood of Immortality" and the "Phoenix Luan Buckle." The blood of the five team members can only suppress a Relic for 49 days. However, if they manage to capture a new Relic within that 49-day window, the countdown resets.

With the Relic secured, Luo Ren releases Ya Feng and Cao Qingshan. Ya Feng refuses to return to her village and leaves alone. The team pools their money to send Cao Yanhua home to reconcile with his parents, which he does in a tearful reunion. Later, the team investigates the tomb in the cave, speculating that the kneeling figures were those who opposed the Relics, while the coffins held the "Star Lords" who hosted them. They believe Cao Sanbao, the founder of Caojia Village, was likely one of the few who escaped.

Unfortunately, Cao Yanhua overhears their discussion about the Star Lords and his ancestry. Realizing he is a descendant of the story's villains, he becomes paranoid and withdrawn, convinced the team now despises him. Feeling isolated, he buys a chicken to keep as a pet for companionship.

The episode takes a dark turn when Zhang Guanghua confronts Ya Feng. He furiously accuses her of taking things too far and nearly getting people killed, reminding her that Luo Ren's team only wants the Relics, not to harm anyone. Ya Feng, defiant, attacks Zhang Guanghua, attempting to steal the Relic he carries. In a shocking and brutal moment, he overpowers her, impaling and killing her against a post with a metal rod.

As the episode closes, the team gets a new lead from a mystic, who tells Luo Ren that the "Seven Stars" shining brightly in the sky will cause the Relics to grow, though the details remain a mystery. The team is left to face the ever-deepening puzzle of the Relics, setting the stage for their next move.

Spoilers & Key Takeaways

  • The Relic is Secured: Luo Ren's team successfully retrieves the Relic from Cao Qingshan after a dramatic lakeside battle initiated by Yi Wan San.
  • The Water Shadows are a Reversed Timeline: The visions contained within the Relics are not random. They are fragments of a century-old story told in reverse chronological order.
  • The Rule of Forty-Nine Revealed: The team learns they can only contain a Relic for 49 days. The clock can only be reset by acquiring another Relic within that time frame.
  • Ya Feng is Killed: In a stunning turn of events, Ya Feng attacks Zhang Guanghua to steal his Relic but is overpowered and brutally killed by him.
  • Cao Yanhua's Crisis: After learning he is descended from the "villainous" Star Lords, Cao Yanhua becomes paranoid and isolates himself from the group.
  • A New Clue: The team learns that the "Seven Stars" cause the Relics to "grow," adding another layer to the mystery.