Episode Summary
In episode 5, Mo Qingchuan, disguised as Mo Wang, orchestrates a trap to confront Chen Siqi, a traitor from her former army. By kidnapping his sister, she lures him to a ruined temple where she forces him to confess his betrayal before executing him. Meanwhile, her disciple, Xia Qiguang, grows more suspicious of her identity after finding a name on an old army roster, and their relationship becomes strained as she maintains her cover story. The episode concludes with the traitor's death and the introduction of a new political threat: an arriving envoy from the rival state of Chu.
Spoiler Alert
Qingchuan's Veil of Vengeance Episode 5: The Traitor's Price
In an episode defined by simmering tension and explosive confrontation, Mo Qingchuan (under the alias Mo Wang) finally closes the net on a traitor from her past, while her strained relationship with her disciple, Xia Qiguang, deepens with suspicion and lies. The cost of betrayal is paid in blood, but the victory is anything but clean, leaving new threats looming on the horizon.
A Test of Identity and a Painful Past
The episode opens with Xia Qiguang consumed by doubt. In his study, he pores over a roster of the Mo Family Army's vanguard, confirming the existence of a soldier named "Shuicao" (Water Weed). Still unconvinced, he seeks out one of Mo Qingchuan's former subordinates, only to be fed a rehearsed lie, courtesy of the ever-loyal Jiang Kui, confirming Mo Wang's cover story.
Disappointed, Xia Qiguang's demeanor toward his master turns icy. He confronts Mo Wang, pointedly calling her "Shuicao." Unfazed, Mo Wang accepts the name, offering a cutting explanation: she hid her past as one of Mo Qingchuan's secret guards because she considers the celebrated general a traitor.
During their tense exchange, Xia Qiguang also reveals the source of his deep-seated hatred for Cao Huaitai, recounting how the official was responsible for his mother's death. Mo Wang, showing a flicker of empathy, dismisses Cao Huaitai as nothing more than a coward hiding behind a facade of brutality.
The Traitor's Trap
Meanwhile, Chen Siqi, a former captain of the Mo Family Army, is released from custody, only to find himself under the tight surveillance of the "Chan" (Cicada) unit. His freedom is short-lived. The next day, his younger sister is abducted, with the kidnappers demanding a hefty ransom. While Chen Siqi appears to scramble for the money, he is secretly hiring assassins, planning to turn the tables on his sister's captors. He receives instructions to go alone to a ruined temple west of the city, unaware that he is walking directly into a trap meticulously laid by Mo Qingchuan.
Confrontation at the Ruined Temple
At the desolate temple, Chen Siqi finds only Jiang Kui waiting and scoffs at her apparent lack of backup. His arrogance evaporates when Mo Qingchuan emerges from the shadows. Chen Siqi immediately drops to his knees, pleading that he only betrayed the army to protect his sister.
Mo Qingchuan is unmoved, cutting through his lies to expose the real motive: a greedy ambition for power that turned him into a parasite within the Mo Family Army.As he signs the document, Chen Siqi notices that Mo Qingchuan hasn't used any physical force against him, planting a dangerous seed of suspicion that her legendary martial arts skills may be gone.
A Final, Fatal Gamble
After a brief, tense reunion where he urges his sister to flee, Chen Siqi puts his desperate plan into action. He blows a whistle, signaling his hidden assassins to ambush Mo Qingchuan and retrieve the confession. But the whistle is met with silence. Jiang Kui had already dispatched his men.
In a flash, Jiang Kui neutralizes Chen Siqi. Mo Qingchuan steps forward, and with a single, decisive stroke of her sword, slits the traitor's throat, declaring his name struck from the Mo Family Army forever.
Unsettled Scores and New Threats
Though one traitor has been dealt with, the episode's conclusion makes it clear that the danger is far from over. Xia Qiguang, hearing Mo Wang's pained coughs from a distance, is visibly conflicted but chooses not to turn back, the thorn of suspicion now firmly lodged in his heart.
As Mo Qingchuan stands in the rain, having settled this old score, her strategist Qi Yun delivers urgent intelligence: Feng Shiye, an envoy from the rival state of Chu, is en route to the capital for negotiations. Mo Qingchuan immediately tasks her spy, Jin Chan (Golden Cicada), with investigating Chu's military strength, already planning her next move. With a foreign envoy's arrival set to stir the political pot and Xia Qiguang's trust in his master hanging by a thread, the path of vengeance has become more complicated than ever.
