Episode Summary
In "Abyss Dweller" Episode 19, Takagi Yugi intensifies his hunt for the mole "Bone Maggot," setting a deadline that forces Liang Shuo and Lu Xijian into a premature rescue mission at Xiaodongmen. Meanwhile, Jiang Feiman escapes custody, and Director Cui's suspicion of Liang Shuo grows. The rescue attempt turns into a bloody ambush set by Takagi. Although the trap is foiled with the help of the bait and timely reinforcements, it comes at a great cost. Liang Shuo manages to escape and maintain his cover through quick thinking.
Spoiler Alert
Abyss Dweller Episode 19 Recap & Spoilers: The Bloody Showdown at Xiaodongmen
The walls are closing in. In a tense and bloody episode, Takagi Yugi’s hunt for the mole codenamed "Bone Maggot" forces Liang Shuo and his allies into a desperate gambit, culminating in a deadly ambush where no one escapes unscathed.
The Clock is Ticking
The episode opens with Takagi Yugi meticulously sifting through the late Hirata Kiko's personal letters. He’s convinced the key to unmasking the deep-cover operative "Bone Maggot" lies within her correspondence and is determined to lure the agent out.
Meanwhile, Jiang Feiman, still under de facto house arrest at Xie Nianci’s residence, seizes her chance. Exploiting the exhaustion of Director Cui’s guards in the early morning hours, she makes a clean escape. Before leaving, she gives Xie Nianci a stark warning: do not touch any food sent by Director Cui. Though she’s tailed, Feiman’s quick thinking allows her to shake her pursuers.
Her escape adds fuel to a fire already burning in Director Cui’s mind. Haunted by the dying words of Chen Gengsheng—who claimed Liang Shuo’s "brain was broken" and his "memory was gone"—Cui decides to test this theory. He confronts Liang Shuo, probing him about their shared past. Liang Shuo’s fumbling, unnatural answers do nothing to quell Cui's growing suspicions.
A Desperate Plan Set in Motion
The pressure intensifies at an emergency meeting at the intelligence headquarters. Takagi publicly announces a major breakthrough in the Hirata Kiko case, boasting that he will deliver results by 10 AM. His arrogant warning—that anti-Japanese elements are still hiding within their ranks—infuriates the agency’s Director but sends a clear message to his true targets.
For Liang Shuo and Lu Xijian, the 10 AM deadline is a death knell. They fear Takagi has already identified "Bone Maggot" and is merely setting the stage for a public execution. With no other choice, they decide to launch a preemptive rescue operation for a comrade being used as bait. They send word to Xie Jun'an, who, despite knowing it’s a trap, agrees to provide support. He understands that if Liang Shuo’s cover is blown, their entire intelligence network will collapse.
The Ambush at Xiaodongmen
Takagi chooses the bustling Xiaodongmen district as his kill zone, with Director Cui assigned to assist. Their plan is simple: use a captured Communist Party member as live bait to draw out the rescuers.
Lu Xijian, aware that Liang Shuo is Takagi’s primary obsession, urges him to stay away from the operation. Lu creates his own alibi, claiming he has an urgent report to deliver to Mizuho Genxin. However, Liang Shuo refuses to stand down, insisting it is his duty to be there. After noticing a large number of intelligence officers being redeployed from the headquarters at No. 76, he tells his driver, Zhao Di, that he needs to go to the pharmacy. Near Xiaodongmen, he sends the unsuspecting driver to buy medicine, creating his window to slip away and join the fight.
He’s not the first to arrive. Lu Xijian is already on site, perfectly disguised as a blind musician playing the erhu, allowing him to scout the area undetected.
Chaos, Carnage, and a Blown Trap
As Takagi’s convoy rolls into position, the operation begins to unravel. Liang Shuo intercepts two of Director Cui’s men, coolly dismisses them with a fake order, and then swiftly eliminates them.
Just as the trap is about to be sprung, Liang Shuo and Lu Xijian launch their disruption. The chaos is amplified when the Communist bait, in an act of ultimate sacrifice, screams, "It's an ambush!" The warning shatters Takagi’s meticulous plan. In the ensuing pandemonium, Liang Shuo and Lu Xijian realize they are surrounded, with nearly every escape route blocked.
Director Cui is livid when he discovers his men have been killed. But his fury is eclipsed by Takagi’s. Enraged that his perfect trap has failed, Takagi executes the Communist bait on the spot, venting his frustration in a moment of cold-blooded cruelty.
A Narrow Escape and Lingering Shadows
Just when all seems lost, Xie Jun'an's operatives appear, creating a diversion that allows Liang Shuo and Lu Xijian a path to safety. In a puzzling move, however, Liang Shuo tells them to leave without him, cryptically stating he has his own way out.
His plan becomes clear moments later. He returns to his car just as Japanese soldiers are surrounding and interrogating his driver, Zhao Di. Liang Shuo calmly steps in, presents his high-level credentials, and escorts Zhao Di away from danger, his cover miraculously intact.
The showdown at Xiaodongmen ends in a tactical failure for Takagi, but the victory for the resistance is soaked in blood. With Liang Shuo’s identity safe for now but his actions drawing ever more scrutiny, the stage is set for an even deadlier chapter in this clandestine war.
