Episode Summary
In this episode, Ding Yi's attempt to poison He Yan and Xiao Jue is foiled when He Yan pulls them both into water. The incident leads to Xiao Jue discovering that He Yan has been faking her blindness. For revenge and to protect Xiao Jue, He Yan confronts and kills Ding Yi, an act that Xiao Jue witnesses, causing him to become highly suspicious of her true identity. The episode concludes with the grim discovery of multiple female bodies buried by the Sun family, uncovering their serial murders.
Spoiler Alert
The web of intrigue in Yezhou tightens as Ying Xiang reports to Chu Zhao that she witnessed Xiao Jue entering Sun Ling's secret chamber. Chu Zhao correctly deduces that Xiao Jue is after the Yezhou garrison's tax ledgers, as he wouldn't otherwise know about the secret financial dealings between Xu Jingfu and Sun Xiangfu.
Meanwhile, Ding Yi, still suspicious of He Yan, decides to test if she is truly blind by replacing the scented sachet on her clothes with a poisoned one. His goal is to eliminate not only her but also Xiao Jue. He Yan quickly realizes the sachet is poisoned and understands the danger it poses to them both. In a desperate move, she intentionally bumps into Xiao Jue. Aware that Ding Yi is likely watching, she whispers a warning about the poison. To neutralize the threat, she pulls them both into a nearby body of water. Xiao Jue, in turn, saves her from drowning by lifting her out in his arms.
The failed assassination attempt leaves Sun Chuanfu enraged and frustrated with the ever-elusive He Yan. Ding Yi's suspicions grow stronger, believing the chain of events is too coincidental and that He Yan is faking her blindness. Later, as He Yan bathes after the incident, she continues her act. Xiao Jue assists her, handing her a belt and draping an outer robe over her shoulders.
That night, dressed for stealth, He Yan overhears Ding Yi and Sun Chuanfu plotting to kill her. When she is discovered, she flees across the rooftops, only to run into Xiao Jue, who is also in disguise. They clash briefly before recognizing each other and quickly part ways to evade the pursuing guards from the Sun mansion.
Xiao Jue returns to his room for a bath, but He Yan soon bursts in with Ding Yi in hot pursuit. With no time to explain, Xiao Jue exposes her feigned blindness. In a moment of panic, He Yan holds her breath and hides in the bathtub with a bare-chested Xiao Jue. Xiao Jue manages to send Ding Yi away with a plausible excuse. He doesn't press He Yan about her deception, but she reminds him not to forget his debt to her just because she can see again.
Knowing that Ding Yi is a threat to Xiao Jue, He Yan resolves to kill him, both for her own revenge and to protect Xiao Jue. She is unaware that Xiao Jue had also been on the roof and overheard that Ding Yi was sent by He Rufei to assassinate him, leaving him to wonder about He Rufei's motives and He Yan's role in the conspiracy.
He Yan confronts Ding Yi, removing her veil and no longer hiding her identity. A fierce battle ensues, but He Yan's skills far surpass his. She lures him to a grim Buddhist hall, a place the Sun family uses to suppress restless spirits. After an intense fight, He Yan blinds Ding Yi before slitting his throat. Xiao Jue arrives just in time to hear her declare that she is claiming his life, which deepens his suspicions about who she really is. He calls her "Miss He," but she plays dumb. Thanks to a fake identity with a backup plan created by Liu Buwang, she manages to temporarily quell his doubts.
Wounded from the fight, He Yan asks Xiao Jue to apply medicine to her back. She provides a convincing reason for her determination to join the Jiuqi Camp, but Xiao Jue remains skeptical, threatening to expel her from the Yezhou garrison if she doesn't reveal the truth.
As Fei Nu goes to bury Ding Yi's body, he makes a horrifying discovery in the Buddhist hall: the corpses of numerous women. It is revealed that the Sun father and son have been abducting and murdering women from Yezhou, which explains the city's many unsolved cases of missing women.
