Episode Summary
Han Li, with crucial intelligence from Mo Caihuan and assistance from a group of repentant cultivators, successfully raids a secret Demonic Dao stronghold, freeing captured cultivators and delivering justice to the cruel Steward Wang. Simultaneously, Dong Xuan'er is taken by Wang Chan to meet Yun Lu of the Joyful Union Sect, where she learns a devastating secret about her parentage and the true nature of the conflict between the righteous and demonic sects.
Spoiler Alert
The episode picks up with Han Li continuing his investigation into the powerful Wang Residence. An informant from within the residence offers Han Li a fire control technique, but Han Li is more interested in the connection between Prince Wang, Steward Wang, and the Demonic Dao, tasking the informant to dig deeper.
Meanwhile, Han Li visits Mo Caihuan at her clinic, bringing his young companion Cui'er along. Cui'er is initially unimpressed with the mortal Mo Caihuan, but Han Li is quick to praise her skills. The clinic is bustling; the Yingxiang Pills, a product Han Li taught her to make, have become a huge success, turning her shop into a hub of information. Han Li warns her to be careful and to erase any tracks that might lead back to her inquiries about Steward Wang.
Mo Caihuan's intel proves invaluable as she provides a map marking suspicious locations. Cui'er's attitude shifts completely when she learns that two cultivators who recently disappeared were last seen in one of the areas Caihuan identified. Seeing that the two are getting along, Han Li arranges for Cui'er to stay with Mo Caihuan, ostensibly for training, but in reality, so the gifted young cultivator can act as a bodyguard.
Han Li then confronts a group of cultivators led by Meng Da. Outmatched, they confess to being forced to lure independent cultivators into a trap. They reveal that the victims are not dead but are being held prisoner. Eager to atone, they agree to help Han Li pinpoint the exact location of the stronghold. Mo Caihuan provides the final piece of the puzzle after examining a ledger; the amount of food and weapons being sent to a specific location is enough for fifty people, confirming it as the base. Han Li leads a successful rescue mission, and in a touching moment, Cui'er is reunited with her captive grandfather.
In a parallel storyline, Wang Chan delivers Dong Xuan'er to a mysterious and powerful figure named Yun Lu. After seeing a jade pendant, Yun Lu agrees to meet them and reveals a shocking truth: she is Dong Xuan'er's parent. She tells a bewildered Dong Xuan'er that her natural "charming physique" makes her a perfect fit for the Joyful Union Sect's techniques. Yun Lu further dismantles Dong Xuan'er's understanding of the world by claiming the "Righteous" Seven Sects were merely a faction that broke away from their Demonic Dao long ago, blurring the lines between good and evil. Dong Xuan'er is left reeling, wondering if her own master, Hong Fu, is the mother Yun Lu speaks of. Elsewhere, a frantic Hong Fu searches desperately for her, terrified of this very reunion.
The episode culminates in Han Li's assault on the stronghold. He easily bypasses the formation array and confronts Steward Wang. Han Li questions him about Mo Juren, a name from the past. The arrogant steward, assuming Han Li is seeking revenge for a personal grudge, callously boasts about slaughtering Mo Juren's entire family over a petty rivalry, sneering that the lives of mortals are worthless. Disgusted by his cruelty and lack of remorse, Han Li rejects the steward's desperate offers of power and techniques and executes him.
