Episode Summary
Liu Taizhen reveals her true identity to a devastated Mei Si, who later learns from Ling Xiao that his love is for the person she is now, not a memory. While Wu Zhen studies new powers, Xuanhui fails his dragon transformation due to his feelings for Mei Si. Wu Zhen develops dangerous demon sores, prompting a desperate Mei Zhuyu to attempt a forbidden time-reversal spell to save her, despite the lethal risks. Meanwhile, the Wordless Book forms a reluctant alliance with Elder Hui to find a cure for Wu Zhen, leading them to pursue a key held by the Snake Duke. The episode ends with Mei Zhuyu preparing the time-reversal ritual, warned not to alter the past.
Spoiler Alert
Liu Taizhen Drops a Bomb
The Truth Comes Out
I have to hand it to Liu Taizhen. She finally told Mei Si the truth. She lays it all out for him. The real Liu Taizhen, his childhood sweetheart, is dead. She died at the bottom of a cliff years ago. This body is just a shell she's been using to walk around in the human world.
Mei Si does not take this well. At all. He thought her coldness was just a phase. He believed his love for her would eventually win out. Instead, he learns the person he loves doesn't really exist. He grabs a portrait of her, calls her arrogant, and just leaves. It’s a rough scene.
A Tale of Two Destinies
Wu Zhen's Training Montage
While Mei Si is having his world fall apart, Wu Zhen is living her best life. She's in the Changxi Palace, geeking out over a bunch of secret martial arts books. Her goal is to master both demon and celestial arts. She wants to be the baddest person in both the human and demon worlds. You have to admire the ambition. Mei Zhuyu just stands by and watches her, looking completely fond of her intense focus.
Xuanhui's Failed Transformation
On the flip side, Xuanhui is having a terrible night. He's finally ready to become a dragon. The sky rumbles, the lightning starts, and he braces for his transformation. But it fails. The heavenly trial stops and basically tells him he has unresolved issues. He immediately flashes back to all his moments with Mei Si. It turns out his attachment to her is the real tribulation he needs to overcome.
Picking Up the Pieces
A Grave and a Drunken Heart-to-Heart
The next day, Mei Si is still reeling. He tracks down Liu Taizhen and demands to know where the "real" her is. She takes him to an unmarked grave out in the countryside. She confesses she felt so guilty for impersonating his friend that she never even dared to put up a tombstone.
This sends Mei Si straight to a bar. He's trying to drink himself into oblivion when Ling Xiao finds him. Ling Xiao gives him a much-needed reality check. He points out that Mei Si isn't even drinking his favorite osmanthus wine. He tells him he might think he's in love with the memory of a girl from ten years ago. But the truth is, he's in love with the person who has been by his side for the last decade.
The Sickness Spreads
Not Just a Rash
Things take a dark turn for Wu Zhen. She suddenly gets a bunch of red marks on her arm. She thinks it's just a rash and tries to compare it with her fellow disciples. They all get weird about it and refuse, citing propriety.
Then Mei Zhuyu shows up. He takes one look at her arm and knows exactly what's wrong. Those aren't just marks. They're demon sores, caused by a backlash of demonic energy.
A Desperate Plan
Mei Zhuyu decides he has to do something extreme. He plans to use a forbidden spell to reverse time. Xiao Mu warns him against it. Using this kind of magic is a violation of heavenly law. It could get him trapped in the turbulence of time and space, killing him without even saving Wu Zhen.
Mei Zhuyu doesn't care. Wu Zhen's life force is draining away. He refuses to let his enemy win and will risk his own life to find a solution. Seeing his determination, Xiao Mu agrees to help and gets the other disciples ready.
New Deals and Old Haunts
The Wordless Book's Mission
Hu Zhu receives an urgent message from Changxi Palace and prepares to leave. As she's talking to Ling Xiao, they both spot the Wordless Book sneaking away. The Wordless Book follows a strange feeling deep into the Demon Market. He arrives at a hidden spot and feels a familiar evil energy. This was the former lair of the Infant Ghoul.
A Dangerous Partnership
Just as the Wordless Book figures this out, Elder Hui appears. He tells him that he can't get into this "Old Land" without a key. And the only way to get the key is from the Snake Duke. Elder Hui proposes they work together. The Wordless Book knows it's a terrible idea but agrees. He'll do anything if it means saving Wu Zhen.
Rewinding the Clock
The Ritual Begins
Mei Zhuyu is watching over Wu Zhen as she sleeps. Her core energy is unstable. He uses his own power to temporarily suppress the evil energy inside her. He realizes the only way to find a cure is to see how the previous Cat Duke sealed her core in the first place.
He lights some incense to make sure Wu Zhen stays in a deep sleep. Then he goes to the main hall. His fellow disciples are waiting for him, ready to start the ritual. They give him one final, serious warning: when you look into the past, do not interfere with matters of life and death.
