Episode Summary
Episode 32 climaxes in a fatal rooftop showdown where Asai Hisashi is killed, but Xie Nianci falls and is left comatose. Before dying, Xie Jun'an confesses his betrayal as the spy "Scorpio." Lu Xijian sacrifices himself to protect Liang Shuo's cover. Faced with an impending truth serum interrogation, Liang Shuo violently induces amnesia upon himself to safeguard critical secrets.
Spoiler Alert
Abyss Dweller Ep. 32: The Price of Betrayal
The episode kicks off with a tense operation as Old Tan's unit prepares to extract Comrade Qingshuang. Xie Jun'an, sensing a deeper conspiracy, confronts Asai Hisashi. He correctly intuits Asai's plan: to use the agents of No. 76 to engage Mizuho Genxin's forces, creating a diversion for the Japanese to annihilate them all. After Liang Shuo confirms the treachery, a resolute Xie Jun'an decides to walk into the trap himself.
The conflict comes to a head on a rooftop, where Asai Hisashi holds Xie Nianci hostage to force Xie Jun'an to his knees. In front of his niece, Xie Jun'an's powerful facade crumbles. Asai exposes him as the spy "Scorpio" and reveals that he is on "The List" of traitors. As Liang Shuo raises his gun in fury, Lu Xijian makes a shocking move, aiming his own weapon at Liang Shuo.
However, it's a brilliant deception. After a silent, knowing exchange of looks, both men pivot and fire in perfect sync, killing Asai instantly. But the victory is short-lived. In the ensuing chaos, Xie Nianci's rope breaks, and she falls from the building as Liang Shuo fails to grab her in time.
Mortally wounded by a final shot from Asai, Xie Jun'an confesses his past betrayal, a single moment of weakness that changed everything. His dying wish is for Lu Xijian to destroy The List. Shattered by the collapse of his faith, Lu Xijian stages a hostage scenario with Liang Shuo as Mizuho Genxin's men arrive. In a final act of sacrifice to protect Liang Shuo's cover, he entrusts his friend with finding The List and caring for Nianci before taking his own life. Elsewhere, Takagi Yugi's forces brutally suppress a student protest, clearing a path for Mizuho Genxin.
Covered in blood, Liang Shuo arrives at the hospital to find Nianci alive but in a deep coma. He refuses his comrade's suggestion to evacuate, vowing to stay to find The List and protect her. His story doesn't convince Mizuho Genxin, who decides to use truth serum to extract what he believes is the real story.
Facing an interrogation he cannot win, Liang Shuo makes a devastating choice. To protect the mission's secrets, he retreats to a washroom and repeatedly strikes his own head with a brick, erasing his memory and sacrificing his identity for the cause.
