Episode Summary
Chongyi Biao and Jiang Wenhuan separately uncover clues that point to Gongsun Wuyu as the mastermind behind the recent tragedies. After a failed assassination attempt on A'si, Jiang Wenhuan confirms his master's guilt. Gongsun Wuyu reveals her true plan by ordering the slaughter of Zhongli, forcing the heroes to choose sides. Chongyi Biao sides with her to resurrect Jiang Yiyao, while Jiang Wenhuan, A'si, and E Shun vow to protect the city. The episode ends by revealing Gongsun Wuyu's tragic past and her ultimate goal: to create an army of the dead.
Spoiler Alert
The Clues Pile Up
Something's Not Right
The episode kicks off with Chongyi Biao getting suspicious. He learns that Gongsun Wuyu was found near the north gate of Zhongli, which sets off alarm bells for him. He knows something is off.
At the same time, Jiang Wenhuan is struggling. He has to write a letter to his brother explaining that their sister, Jiang Yiyao, is dead. A'si comes to comfort him. She feels guilty and thinks she could have saved Yiyao if she'd found her sooner. She promises Jiang Wenhuan that they will get revenge together.
Chongyi Biao is basically playing detective now. He examines the dregs from some medicine and makes a shocking discovery. The medicine given to A'nay矢 is identical to the poison that infected Jiang Wenhuan. He rushes to the place where Jiang Yiyao was killed. After searching around in a haystack, he finds A'nay矢's bracelet.
A Story from the Past
We get a flashback from A'si. She remembers looking for an immortality pill back in her homeland. She ran into E Shun, the heir of Nandu. He knew about a secret cave in Tushan and went there with her. Inside, they found some old bronze artifacts. They also found a dried-out corpse wrapped in strange cords. The locals call it a "puppet corpse." The corpse was missing part of a finger and had another half-finger in its mouth. They figured the person with the missing finger probably got away with the immortality pill.
The Confrontation
Jiang Wenhuan Asks the Hard Questions
A lightbulb goes off for Jiang Wenhuan. He connects the story of the half-fingered person to his master, Gongsun Wuyu. He really doesn't want to believe she's the killer.
He goes to her room to test the waters. He gives her a rare musical score he found for her in Ningzhou. Then he carefully asks if she's ever been to Tushan. He also asks how she lost her finger. Gongsun Wuyu sees that he won't let it go. She admits she was there and saw everything.
She spins a sad story. She claims that years ago, bandits captured her and her village. They were taken to the Tushan cave, and that's where her finger was bitten off. She says she only survived because she was pregnant and had a strong will to live for her child. She escaped to Donglu and hid her past as a Tushan survivor.
Jiang Wenhuan feels terrible. He thinks he completely misjudged her. He even tells her that A'si is also a Tushan orphan, so she's not alone anymore. Gongsun Wuyu pretends to be surprised and says she will go talk to A'si.
The Mask Comes Off
Later that night, Chongyi Biao goes to Gongsun Wuyu's room. He's not buying her story. He asks her why A'nay矢's bracelet was at the murder scene. He also asks why the medicine dregs matched Jiang Wenhuan's poison.
Gongsun Wuyu sees that he's figured out most of it. She drops the act. She claims she is the only one who can bring Jiang Yiyao back to life. She even brags that she has created the immortality pill. Chongyi Biao doesn't want to turn Yiyao into an undead monster. Gongsun Wuyu then manipulates him by talking about his past. It works, and he becomes determined to resurrect Jiang Yiyao, no matter the cost.
All-Out War
The City Under Threat
A'si and her guard are attacked by assassins. The attempt fails, and A'si kills them instead. Jiang Wenhuan rushes to the scene. He sees a mark on one of the assassins' necks and recognizes it. The same pattern is on his master's instrument.
The next day, Gongsun Wuyu walks into the Zhongli palace. She calls all the citizens for a public assembly. She then reads a decree from the Shang King. The order is to slaughter the entire city. The people panic. E Shun can't believe what he's hearing. He begs for the people's lives, saying the city's ruler was corrupt, but the citizens are innocent. He declares that Nandu will stand with the people.
Chongyi Biao, desperate to revive Jiang Yiyao, publicly supports Gongsun Wuyu. The other young lords are shocked. They can't believe a hero from the grasslands would help a tyrant. Jiang Wenhuan and A'si arrive just in time. They swear to protect the people and fight Gongsun Wuyu. Furious, she orders the city gates sealed. She gives Jiang Wenhuan a little time to reconsider, for old times' sake. He refuses and immediately starts organizing the people to defend themselves.
Afterward, Jiang Wenhuan finally understands. His master, Gongsun Wuyu, is the leader of Kui Fang.
We then get a final flashback. We see Gongsun Wuyu, whose real name is Xuan Yin, sixteen years ago. She was happily pregnant, and her love, Haozhong, was carving a mask for her. He told her the mask would make the Kui Fang people treat her well. Their life was simple and happy. But then, men from Shangshan came demanding the immortality pill. When the villagers refused, they were attacked. Haozhong died trying to save everyone. Xuan Yin and the other survivors were taken to the Tushan cave. She escaped and used the Shang King's love for music to get close to him and gain power. Jiang Wenhuan realizes her plan. She wants to practice necromancy and build a massive army of the dead.
