Episode Summary
The incense competition turns chaotic when An Biluo reveals his cruel methods and unleashes a possessed attack. Mei Zhuyu saves Wu Zhen from the demon goose, but she gives her attention to her childhood friend, Pei Jiya. We learn Pei Jiya has a dark past and a secret benefactor. Wu Zhen's father returns and seems to favor Mei Zhuyu as a suitor. Other plots are brewing involving Liu Taizhen, the Demon Market, and the Wordless Book's true identity.
Spoiler Alert
The Incense Competition Goes Sideways
An Old Flame and a New Horror
The episode kicks off at an incense competition. A guy named Pei Jiya shows up with a special blend called "Old Times Incense." We learn he and Wu Zhen were childhood friends who bonded over incense. He was a sickly kid with asthma, and she protected him from bullies.
He’s not subtle. When asked why he traveled all this way just to use common ingredients, he says he only came for one person. He’s looking right at Wu Zhen. She’s moved by the gesture and gives his incense a top rating.
Then, it's An Biluo's turn. He presents his "Spirit-Praying Incense," and things get weird fast. The smell is absolutely terrible. Wu Zhen says it smells like a dirty barn, and Mei Zhuyu agrees.But everyone else is too scared of An Biluo to say anything. They actually give it high praise.
The Goose is Loose
An Biluo does not take the criticism well. He snaps. He reveals the incense is made from the feathers of a white goose, and the process was brutal. Then he just loses it, laughing like a maniac as a storm of goose feathers bursts through the doors.The whole place is thrown into chaos. Mei Zhuyu prepares for a fight.
Rescues and Revelations
A Hero's Entrance
Wu Zhen and Ling Xiao realize An Biluo is possessed. They magically drag him to a nearby riverbank, hoping to force the demon out. The plan backfires completely. The demon goose is powerful. It injures Ling Xiao and starts choking Wu Zhen.
Mei Zhuyu, sensing trouble, uses his powers to see what’s happening. He spots Wu Zhen across the river, in serious danger. Without a second thought, he flies across the water and lands a single, heavy punch on An Biluo. The blow knocks the demon goose right out of his body. The creature immediately flees.
Everyone comes running. Pei Jiya fusses over Wu Zhen, and she only has eyes for him. She completely ignores Mei Zhuyu, who just saved her life. He looks heartbroken and walks away.
The Real Villain
Here’s the big twist. Pei Jiya wasn't just there to be the concerned childhood friend. During the feather storm, he stole an item called the Qilin Horn Glue and gave it to a mysterious benefactor.
We see in a flashback that years ago, Pei Jiya was saved from bandits by a man in black. This man taught him dark magic. Now, Pei Jiya recognizes that Mei Zhuyu's magic is similar to his benefactor's, and he suspects a connection to Changxi Palace.
Mei Zhuyu tracks the escaped goose demon to a dilapidated house. He finds the spirit and performs a rite to peacefully resolve its grudge, helping it move on. Wu Zhen arrives soon after and sees the house is full of animal carcasses. She finally understands that An Biluo was a monster who tortured animals for his craft. The goose demon was just getting its revenge.
What Happens Next
Dad's Home (And He's Got Questions)
Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu find a single living duckling in the house of horrors. Wu Zhen takes it home, only to find her father, the Duke of Yu, has returned from his travels.
He walks in to find Wu Zhen with Mei Zhuyu, Mei Si, and Pei Jiya. He jokes about which of the three young men will become his son-in-law. Seizing the moment, Pei Jiya immediately asks for Wu Zhen's hand in marriage. The Duke doesn't answer him. Instead, he takes the duckling and places it in Mei Zhuyu's hands. A pretty clear message if you ask me.
Trouble in the Demon Market
A few other things are going on. Mei Si is worried about Liu Taizhen, but Wu Zhen brushes it off, saying she's just sick. In reality, Liu Taizhen is in the mountains preparing to molt. She spots the man in black from Pei Jiya's past absorbing demon energy. She's too weak to fight him and has to escape.
Meanwhile, a fight breaks out in the Demon Market. The Wordless Book asks Wu Zhen to mediate. Later, as Wu Zhen sleeps in the market, the Wordless Book watches over her. A remnant soul appears and calls him by his real name: "Qiang Yijun." The Wordless Book angrily drives the soul away, not wanting his time with Wu Zhen to be disturbed.
Episode Summary
The incense competition turns chaotic when An Biluo reveals his cruel methods and unleashes a possessed attack. Mei Zhuyu saves Wu Zhen from the demon goose, but she gives her attention to her childhood friend, Pei Jiya. We learn Pei Jiya has a dark past and a secret benefactor. Wu Zhen's father returns and seems to favor Mei Zhuyu as a suitor. Other plots are brewing involving Liu Taizhen, the Demon Market, and the Wordless Book's true identity.
