Episode Summary
Mei Zhuyu decides to leave his sect to marry Wu Zhen, forcing him to undergo a brutal punishment called the White Night Array. While he endures the torture, which appears to have been tampered with, Wu Zhen formally announces their engagement in the Demon Market. With a little secret help from his brother, Xiao Mu, Mei Zhuyu survives the ordeal. He gives up his sacred weapon and leaves the sect, determined to return to Wu Zhen.
Spoiler Alert
Mei Zhuyu Makes His Choice
Quitting the Sect
The episode kicks off at Changxi Palace. Mei Zhuyu and his fellow disciples are all gathered. The new leader, Zhangming, is pretty happy with him. He praises Mei Zhuyu for tracking down the Demon Market. Zhangming is ready to lead everyone down the mountain to go fight some demons.
But Mei Zhuyu stops him. He says the whole demon tiger disaster in the capital wasn't a natural event. It was man-made. He asks Zhangming to hold off on the attack. Zhangming actually listens and agrees. He's so impressed that he offers to make Mei Zhuyu the general manager of the entire palace.
This is where it gets good. Mei Zhuyu turns him down flat. He announces in front of everyone that he wants to leave the sect. He wants to get married and is willing to accept any punishment for his decision. You can imagine the shock in the room.
A Look Back
Mei Zhuyu kneels before his old master's memorial tablet. We get a flashback to how he joined the sect in the first place. He was just an orphan boy chasing a pheasant in the woods. A Taoist master appeared and, with a flick of his sleeve, turned the bird into a chicken spirit. The master knew Mei Zhuyu was an orphan and offered him a deal. Join the sect, eat good food, and learn to fight evil. Mei Zhuyu immediately bowed and became a disciple.
As he got older, he got lost in the ancient books and became rigid. His master noticed he was getting stuffy and gave him some advice. The true path isn't found in texts. It's found by clearing your mind and understanding your own nature.
Back in the present, Zhangming tries to change Mei Zhuyu's mind. It doesn't work. Mei Zhuyu gives a pretty solid speech. He says he loves someone. If he lied about that just to save his own skin, how could anyone trust him in a real life-or-death situation? Zhangming sees that he's made up his mind. So, he lays out the rule for leaving Changxi Palace. You have to enter the "White Night Array" and be pierced by divine birds. After that, your past is erased, and all debts are paid.
Trouble Brewing
A Rigged Game?
A few of the other disciples get together to talk about Zhangming's decision. They're all worried about Mei Zhuyu. They know the White Night Array is no joke and that others haven't survived it. But there’s nothing they can do.
Later, the second-oldest disciple, Xiao Mu, is heading to bed. He spots a mysterious person dressed in black inside the array. The figure hides something at the array's core. Xiao Mu is immediately on alert.
An Announcement in the Demon Market
Wu Zhen returns to the Demon Market. She announces to everyone that she and Mei Zhuyu are getting married. The Wordless Book completely loses it and loudly objects. Wu Zhen puts it in its place. She says her destiny is her own to decide. She also warns the Wordless Book not to overstep its bounds. The other demons go silent, and the elders just have to accept it.
The Punishment
The Long Wait
Ten days were supposed to have passed, but it's only been two. Mei Zhuyu is still gone. The Duke of Yu is getting worried. He's concerned Mei Zhuyu has bailed on his daughter. But he also thinks about how Wu Zhen has done the same thing to others in the past. He basically chalks it up to karma.
The next morning, Mei Zhuyu is still kneeling outside the palace. Shuang Jiang, who was just released from confinement, rushes to see him. She's heartbroken seeing him so worn out and doesn't get why he's so stubborn. Mei Zhuyu thinks about when he first met Wu Zhen. He explains how he fell for her over time and now can't imagine life without her. He says he has to prevent what happened eighteen years ago from repeating itself.
The White Night Array
With everyone watching, Mei Zhuyu walks into the White Night Array. A storm of blue, ghostly birds pours down from the clouds. The other disciples are horrified, thinking there's no way he can survive this. Mei Zhuyu just accepts it. He lets the birds pierce his body like blades.
Then something strange happens. The birds circle back and attack him a second time. This is not normal. Shuang Jiang tries to run in and stop it, but the array's magic blocks her. The other disciples are just as confused and alarmed. Xiao Mu secretly sends a bit of his own energy into the array. This helps Mei Zhuyu summon his weapon, the Changxi Jian. The weapon rings out, scattering the birds and lifting Mei Zhuyu's body up from the ground.
The Aftermath
Wu Zhen is worried, but she also has faith in his strength. Around town, people are betting that Mei Zhuyu won't come back. Only Hu Zhu bets everything she has that he will return.
Mei Zhuyu miraculously survives being pierced by the birds twice. Zhangming sees how badly injured he is and allows him to stay in the palace to recover. Someone immediately objects. They argue that since he's not a disciple anymore, he can't stay.
Mei Zhuyu doesn't want to stay anyway. He's in a hurry to get back to the capital and see Wu Zhen. But before he leaves, Zhangming stops him. He has to leave the Changxi Jian behind. Their master gave it to him, but since he has left the sect, he can no longer carry it. Mei Zhuyu remembers his master giving him the weapon and teaching him how to use it. He's sad, but he hands it over to Zhangming.
