Episode Summary
Mei Zhuyu sacrifices himself for Wu Zhen after confessing his feelings, but survives and defeats Pei Jiya.Wu Zhen uncovers Pei Jiya's full betrayal and banishes him. In a subplot, Liu Taizhen confronts the snake demon Xuanhui, but Wu Zhen intervenes, reveals his tragic past, and pardons him. The episode concludes with Mei Zhuyu making a heartfelt vow to always protect Wu Zhen.
Spoiler Alert
A Sacrifice and a Confession
The episode kicks off right where we left it. Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu are stuck in Pei Jiya's rock trap. The Wordless Book is losing its mind, trying to get Pei Jiya to tell them how to break the spell.
But Pei Jiya just laughs. He admits the whole thing was designed to kill Mei Zhuyu. He also says that even if they break the formation, it needs a blood sacrifice. Someone has to die. The rocks start closing in. With just moments left, Mei Zhuyu finally tells Wu Zhen the truth. He says he fell for her way back in the sea of flowers. He just never said anything because he was afraid his own problems would bring her down.
Then he shoves her out of the trap. He falls into a dark abyss and gets swallowed by black fog. Wu Zhen is left screaming his name. It's a gut punch.
The Tables Turn
Just as the Wordless Book is about to end Pei Jiya, a flash of light shoots out from the abyss. It's Mei Zhuyu. He figured out the trap's weak point from the inside and used it to shoot a magical blast right through Pei Jiya's eye.
Mei Zhuyu isn't totally safe, though. He starts turning to stone. But then his spiritual power flares up and completely shatters the trap around him. He stumbles out, and Wu Zhen just runs and throws her arms around him. They have a real, proper hug.
The Aftermath
Confronting the Traitor
Back on the boat, Pei Jiya is bleeding everywhere from his eye. He confesses he did it all because he was jealous of Mei Zhuyu. Wu Zhen is having none of it. She lays out exactly how she figured him out. She knew something was up ever since a servant at the Ruyi Lounge used a weird incense that made her mistake Pei Jiya for Mei Zhuyu.Then Hu Zhu told her that Pei Jiya was spotted lurking around the ink room. All the little pieces finally clicked into place.
Pei Jiya tries to argue he did it all for her love. Wu Zhen calls him out for being a monster who left them to die.
A Merciful Banishment
The evil spell starts to backfire on Pei Jiya, causing him agonizing pain in his ruined eye. Mei Zhuyu, being the good guy he is, actually helps him and removes the arrow. Seeing this, Wu Zhen comes up with a clever solution. She banishes Pei Jiya to the distant Kunzhou province, telling everyone it's for "medical treatment." This gets him out of their lives for good without causing a huge political scandal.
Side Plots and Big Reveals
A Doomed Romance?
We cut to Mei Si, who is escorting Liu Taizhen back to the capital. He swears he'll keep her secrets. She's still keeping him at a distance, though. She tells him to forget about any romantic ideas. He doesn't listen and decides he's going to marry her properly one day.
As Pei Jiya heads south into exile, he gets a secret message from his mysterious benefactor. The letter reveals Mei Zhuyu's true identity. He is the Celestial Master of Changxi Palace.Pei Jiya gets a nasty smile on his face. He figures Mei Zhuyu must have a hidden agenda and is sure that his relationship with Wu Zhen is destined to fail.
The Snake Demon's Story
Xuanhui, the black snake demon, leads Mei Si to a pond.He says it's the birthplace of his kind. He jumps in, disappears, and then re-emerges as a giant black snake before turning back into his human form.
Just then, Liu Taizhen appears. She's furious. She accuses Xuanhui of killing innocent people after he escaped the Demon Market. They start to fight. But Liu Taizhen is still weak from her recent transformation, and she's losing badly. Mei Si, in a moment of pure guts, jumps in front of her to shield her from Xuanhui's attack. Liu Taizhen is completely stunned.
The Cat Duke Steps In
Xuanhui stops his attack. He calls Liu Taizhen cold for turning on her own kind. Right when the tension is at its peak, Wu Zhen shows up.Mei Si is shocked to realize she is the Cat Duke.Xuanhui is also surprised, realizing his location was never a secret.
Wu Zhen slaps Xuanhui twice as payback for his past schemes. Liu Taizhen is ready to kill him, but Wu Zhen stops her. She pulls out the Zhaoming Mirror, which shows Xuanhui's past. We see him being brutally bullied in the Demon Market until he finally snapped and killed his tormentors. Seeing this, Liu Taizhen's anger fades. As the Snake Duke, she officially pardons him.She allows him to stay at the Mei Manor to recover, since he's also about to go through a transformation.
A Promise at the Doorstep
The episode ends with Wu Zhen returning home. Mei Zhuyu is waiting for her outside. He finally works up the courage to properly confess his love for her. He swears he will protect her from now on, and he won't let anyone hurt her ever again.
