Episode Summary
Wu Zhen and Hu Zhu lay a trap for Zhangming, luring him into the Demon Market. There, the truth about a battle from 18 years ago is revealed, showing the demons were not the villains. Zhangming is exposed as an evil cultivator and tries to steal a life-saving demon core from Wu Zhen. When Mei Zhuyu defends her, Zhangming attempts to kill him but is destroyed by a magical oath he swore years ago. In the end, Wu Zhen banishes the disgraced Heavenly Master sect from Chang'an before collapsing.
Spoiler Alert
The Fake-Out
The episode kicks off with Wu Zhen putting Mei Zhuyu on the spot. She asks him about Zhangming and his crew crashing at the Ruyi Lounge. Mei Zhuyu plays it cool. He says they're just old friends visiting the city. She doesn't look like she buys it for a second, but she lets it go and leaves with him.
Of course, the ever-paranoid Zhangming sends one of his junior disciples to tail them. He's not subtle. Mei Zhuyu spots the tail immediately. So what does he do? He pulls Wu Zhen close and lays on the charm. The disciple watching them just scoffs. He figures Mei Zhuyu is just some lovesick fool and heads back to report. It's a clever move. It also shows Mei Zhuyu isn't as clueless as he sometimes seems.
The Trap is Set
Back with Zhangming, things get ugly. He's torturing Hu Zhu, trying to force her to reveal the location of the Demon Market. She refuses to break. It's a tough scene to watch, made worse by Shuang Jiang just standing there, unable to do anything because he can't defy his leader.
Finally, Hu Zhu "confesses." She leads Zhangming and his people to a deserted temple. She points to a deep pool of water and says the entrance is at the bottom, hidden by a magical barrier. This is all a setup. While this is happening, Shuang Jiang manages to send a secret message to Mei Zhuyu via a paper crane.
Mei Zhuyu gets the warning. He tells Wu Zhen he has to go, promising to explain everything when he gets back. She has to stay put. Alone, Wu Zhen puts the pieces together. She remembers him mentioning his skills and his rank. She finally realizes he's from the legendary Changxi Palace.
The Point of No Return
Mei Zhuyu finds the temple. Just as he locates the entrance to the Demon Market, a calico cat shows up. He knows instantly it's Wu Zhen.
She transforms back into her human form. She looks him dead in the eyes and asks if he's really going in there. She tells him that if he takes that step, everything between them is over. It's a heavy moment. He thinks about it, but he still chooses to go.
Wu Zhen isn't having it. She attacks him to block his path. They fight under the moonlight, a clash of his sword and her claws. Ultimately, he breaks past her and steps into the Demon Market.
What he finds is not what he expected. Zhangming and all his disciples are suspended in mid-air, completely helpless. The whole thing was a trap from the start.
The Truth Unravels
It turns out Wu Zhen's words at the Ruyi Lounge were a coded signal. Hu Zhu understood perfectly. Her "betrayal" was an act to lure Zhangming into the Demon Market's territory.The place was already set up like a fortress.
Wu Zhen then shows Mei Zhuyu the real Demon Market. It's a peaceful community, not the nest of evil he was taught to believe. She asks him why Changxi Palace is so determined to destroy them. Zhangming, ever the zealot, brings up an old grudge from eighteen years ago.
So Wu Zhen takes them to the Demon Prison. She uses a magical artifact, the Zhaoming Mirror, to show them what really happened back then. The Demon Market suffered massive losses to destroy a creature called the Evil Spirit Infant. They were the heroes of that story, not the villains.
Zhangming calls it demon propaganda. But Mei Zhuyu and the other disciples are starting to have serious doubts.
The Headmaster's True Face
Then comes the next twist. The remnants of the Evil Spirit Infant's power vanish. Its demon core is gone. At that exact moment, Zhangming attacks. He uses forbidden, evil techniques to start absorbing demon power right from the air. Liu Taizhen recognizes the style. It's the same as the mysterious attacker from before. The disciples are horrified. Their respected leader is an evil cultivator.
The missing demon core? It's inside Wu Zhen. The infant gave it to her as it was dying, and it's the only thing that has kept her alive all these years. Zhangming sees this and goes wild with greed. He tries to rip the core right out of her.
Seeing Wu Zhen in agony is the final straw for Mei Zhuyu. He finally summons his own sacred weapon, the Changxi Jian, and attacks Zhangming to protect her.
Zhangming feels zero remorse. He turns on Mei Zhuyu, ready to kill him. But as he powers up his evil arts, his body just... explodes. Everyone is stunned into silence.
We learn that years ago, their master caught Zhangming studying these dark arts. Zhangming swore a magical oath that he would be destroyed by the heavens if he ever touched them again. The master, not trusting him, secretly carved that oath directly into his life force. Zhangming was always jealous that the master favored Mei Zhuyu and planned to make him the next leader. In the end, his own bitterness and the oath he swore were his undoing.
The Aftermath
With their leader dead and revealed as a fraud, the Changxi Palace disciples are overcome with shame. Wu Zhen forgives them but delivers a final judgment. The Heavenly Master sect is banished from the capital city of Chang'an, forever.
Just as she says this, the strain becomes too much. Wu Zhen collapses. The Wordless Book scoops her up and carries her away, walking right past Mei Zhuyu without a single glance. It's a brutal, silent rejection.
