Episode Summary
Mei Zhuyu travels 18 years into the past and discovers his father was the former Cat Duke. In the present, Wu Zhen regains her memories and pushes Mei Zhuyu away. Back in Chang'an, a rumor about snakes puts Liu Taizhen in danger, but Mei Si saves her. Their investigation into the rumor leads to a dead end when their only lead is killed. The episode ends with Elder Hui capturing Mei Si and Xuanhui, leading to a tense confrontation with a weakened Liu Taizhen.
Spoiler Alert
A Past in Flames and a Father Revealed
Alright, let's get into it. This episode kicks off with a massive trip. Mei Zhuyu's four masters team up to send him back in time. He lands eighteen years in the past, right in the middle of a city-wide fire in Chang'an.He finds his mother during her last moments. She holds his hand, calling his name, while he has to comfort his own younger self. It's a heavy start.
The real bombshell drops moments later. A fire demon is torching Chang'an, and Wu Zhen is badly hurt.As Mei Zhuyu rushes to her, he sees a black cat next to her transform into a young man.Just as this guy asks Mei Zhuyu who he is, the young version of Mei Zhuyu runs out. He points at the man who was just a cat and yells "Dad." The penny finally drops for Mei Zhuyu. He realizes his father was the previous Cat Duke.
Waking Up and Moving On
A Return to the Present
Wu Zhen wakes up in the present day. The good news is her injuries are completely healed. The bad news? All her memories are back. She walks out of her room and finds Hu Zhu and Shuang Jiang, who stayed by her side all night. Everyone at Changxi Palace is relieved to see her looking well. But Mei Zhuyu is nowhere to be found. Shuang Jiang explains that his master knew she'd want nothing to do with him after getting her memory back, so he left quietly.
A Bittersweet Gift
Later, Xiao Mu takes Wu Zhen to the library. He gives her the Changxi Jian heart technique, a powerful skill perfect for her recovery.As she takes the bamboo scrolls, she glances at a corner of the room. She remembers reading there with Mei Zhuyu when she had amnesia. Now, sitting alone, all the small moments they shared come flooding back.
Before leaving for Chang'an, Hu Zhu says goodbye to Shuang Jiang. She's clearly still smitten as he talks about his dream of being a wandering hero. As a parting gift, Shuang Jiang tries to give her a golden sprite. The little creature has other ideas. It escapes and flies into Wu Zhen's room. Wu Zhen catches it just as Shuang Jiang and Hu Zhu run in. After that, Wu Zhen and Hu Zhu leave Changxi Palace for good.
Trouble in Chang'an
A Snake Scare
Back in Chang'an City, a new problem is brewing. Snake catchers are spreading rumors about a giant snake on the loose. This sends the citizens into a panic. They all grab sulfur and start burning it in the streets and in their homes. The whole city is choked with foul smoke.
This is a disaster for Liu Taizhen. While riding in her carriage, the sulfur fumes make her lose control and her snake tail appears. One of her servants sees the snake tail in the carriage and thinks a demon has snuck in. Just in time, Mei Si shows up. He wraps his own coat around her tail and carries her back to her residence on foot.
An Investigation Goes Wrong
After that incident, the servants start gossiping, convinced that Mei Si and Liu Taizhen are secretly together.Liu Taizhen does have feelings for him, but they both keep their distance. She knows the priority is to find out who started the snake rumor. Mei Si and Xuanhui investigate and eventually find the snake catcher who started it all. The man claims he was just trying to sell more sulfur and that no one put him up to it. Liu Taizhen doesn't get anything else out of him, so she lets him go. This turns out to be a fatal mistake. The snake catcher is later intercepted and killed by the Wordless Book.
A Deadly Trap
Liu Taizhen can't find Mei Si or Xuanhui. Instead, she receives a letter laced with dark magic, telling her to meet someone in the suburbs. At the same time, Elder Hui has captured Mei Si and tied him to a tree.Xuanhui arrives to save him but is no match for the elder's power.After a brief fight, Xuanhui is critically injured. With his last bit of strength, he manages to break the ropes binding Mei Si and tells him to escape.
Mei Si, furious, tries to punch Elder Hui. It's useless; he's only human. As Elder Hui grabs both of them by the throat, Liu Taizhen appears.The magic from the letter has weakened her, so she can't fight. All she can do is glare at Elder Hui and demand to know what his real plan is.
