Episode Summary
Luo Ren successfully rescues Mu Dai after she was buried alive, but they are immediately ambushed by Cheetah. After a fierce fight where Luo Ren is incapacitated by the sight of a living Tasha, Cheetah issues an ultimatum: the Phoenix Buckle in exchange for Mu Dai's life within ten days. While the team follows clues to the Four-Archway Tower to find the buckle and uncover the relics' true origins, Mu Dai, held captive in a desolate place called the Black Sand, induces self-hypnosis, awakening her darker personality to survive.
Spoiler Alert
The Seven Relics of Ill Omen, Episode 28 Recap: An Ultimatum in the Sand
The desperate search for Mu Dai comes to a bloody conclusion, only to trigger a new, frantic race against time. Luo Ren is pushed to his breaking point, a devastating family history is revealed, and the team uncovers the true origin of the ancient relics.
A Desperate Rescue and a Cruel Ambush
The episode opens with Luo Ren in a frenzy, searching for any sign of the missing Mu Dai. His desperation is answered by Cao Fangfang, who swoops down from a tree, scratches his back, and gestures toward a patch of open ground. Wasting no time, Luo Ren digs with his bare hands and unearths Mu Dai, who was buried alive.
Just as relief seems possible, the formidable Cheetah appears, refusing to let Mu Dai go. Luo Ren attacks with his dagger, but Cheetah, empowered by a relic, easily gains the upper hand. The rescue was a setup: while Qing Mu was tasked with extracting Mu Dai, Luo Ren's job was to keep Cheetah occupied. He nearly succeeds, pressing his blade to Cheetah's throat, but hesitates when a voice calls out "Dad." He turns to see Tasha, alive and well, and freezes in shock. In that moment of distraction, four gunshots ring out. Qing Mu, who had just escaped with Mu Dai, rushes back to find Luo Ren unconscious on the ground. He makes the difficult choice to save Luo Ren, later reporting that while grievously wounded, there were no bullet marks on his body.
Cheetah's Threat and a Ten-Day Deadline
Cheetah taunts the captive Mu Dai, telling her that Luo Ren survived the attack but reveling in the memory of his stunned expression upon seeing Tasha. To Mu Dai's horror, Cheetah summons Tasha, who acts completely brainwashed and obedient. Cheetah then takes Mu Dai's sailor's whistle and confronts the recovering Luo Ren with an ultimatum: deliver the Phoenix Buckle to the Black Sand within ten days, or Mu Dai dies.
Once conscious, Luo Ren informs the team of the deal and, against all advice, insists on leaving the hospital immediately to find the buckle. The Mystic arrives with a crucial breakthrough. Analyzing clues left by a Mr. Yin, he deduces that the Phoenix Buckle and the legendary Immortal Wood are located at a place called Feng X Ridge.
A Villain's Ambition
Meanwhile, Mu Dai is taken to the desolate region known as the Black Sand, with Cao Fangfang quietly staying by her side. There, Cheetah reveals her dark family history. Her ancestors were criminals in Xiacheng Town before relocating abroad to the Black Sand. After a past incident nearly killed her, her grandfather returned to Xiacheng, found a person possessed by one of the relics, and killed them, forcing the relic to transfer to her. But possessing a single relic isn't enough for Cheetah. Her ultimate goal is to collect all seven and become their destined, undisputed master.
The Path to the Four-Archway Tower
Back with the team, The Mystic delves into the Yin family genealogy, uncovering a cryptic phrase: "The northern geese fly south, beneath the cloudy ridge, to view the four archways." Zheng Mingshan recognizes the last four words, "Guan Si Pailou" (the Four-Archway Tower), as the inscription on his master's door, suggesting a deep connection between his sect and the relics' origins.
The team rushes back to the Plum Blossom Sect headquarters.
Secrets of the Relics Revealed
Inside, the team finds a stone keypad. Luo Ren correctly guesses the password from the genealogical clue—"beneath the cloudy ridge, to view the four archways"—and a massive door swings open. The chamber beyond is covered in murals that depict the origin of the Seven Relics of Ill Omen.
Deeper inside, they find a larger space with five stone statues. The Mystic theorizes these are the five heroes from the "Winter Plum in Snow" case in Xiacheng Town, the same figures represented by the kneeling figurines in Cao Family Village. As the five team members push the statues simultaneously, another hidden door begins to open.
The Dark Side Awakens
Trapped in the Black Sand, Mu Dai fights to stay conscious and sane. Using a flickering light on the wall, she manages to hypnotize herself, deliberately awakening her dangerous alter ego. As the episode ends, "Dark Mu Dai" is now in control.
