Episode Summary
Jiang Wen Huan is saved from an ambush by A Si, who Kun Wu recognizes. The investigation into a stolen horse leads to A Si's home, where her guardian, Elder Li, is suspiciously injured. The horse theft is revealed to be a distraction for the real crime: Yao Shu Liang stealing the city defense map. The group follows Yao Shu Liang into a trap set by the Kui Fang, who try to force them to draw the real map. They cleverly draw a fake map instead and escape into a water trap, only to be rescued by A Si. Yao Shu Liang confesses he was blackmailed but gave the enemy a fake map, which the Kui Fang are now using to launch their attack.
Spoiler Alert
A Mess at the Market
The episode kicks off with Jiang Wen Huan just trying to enjoy a night market. Of course, that doesn't last. He gets ambushed by a group of thugs. Just when it looks like trouble, A Si strolls in like she owns the place and handles the situation. She saves him, no sweat.
This is when Kun Wu gets a good look at her. He realizes she's the same female thief he rescued a few days ago. After the dust settles, Yao Shu Liang is immediately on Jiang Wen Huan's case. He's annoyed that Jiang Wen Huan never mentioned knowing A Si and suspects there's something more between them. Kun Wu, ever the practical one, cuts through the drama. He just wants to know about the stolen prized horse.
The Case of the Injured Elder
A Si agrees to take them to the guy who sold the horse. While they're walking, Kun Wu's sharp eyes spot a trail of blood on the ground. He follows it, and it leads straight to the back door of A Si's house. Inside, they find Elder Li, who insists everything is fine. But Jiang Wen Huan and Kun Wu aren't convinced. They find a very suspicious-looking room in the backyard.
Before they can investigate, A Si lets out a scream. They rush back inside to find Elder Li injured on the floor. He claims the horse thief did it. Jiang Wen Huan's suspicion goes into overdrive. He knows Elder Li is a master fighter. There is no way a simple horse thief could have wounded him. His doubts just make A Si angry, and she throws them out of the house.
The Real Heist
Later, Kun Wu voices his own theory. He's sure the horse theft was an inside job, with help from someone in the Prince's camp. They head back to camp, and what do you know? The prized horse has returned all by itself.
While all this horse drama was a distraction, a much bigger crime went down. The military defense department was robbed. The city's defense map is missing. Back at her house, A Si finds a bowl of fish soup in her father's room, which is weird because he hates fish soup. She brushes it off, but after she leaves, a mysterious figure emerges from an inner room and takes the soup. It turns out Yao Shu Liang was the one who stole the map.
A Trap in the Woods
Jiang Wen Huan quickly figures out that someone is planning an attack on the state of Donglu. He gets the group together to hunt down Yao Shu Liang. They follow horse tracks into a forest but lose the trail. Kun Wu, using his impressive tracking skills, manages to locate Yao Shu Liang's horse.
They hear a noise and find a remote cabin. Inside, Yao Shu Liang is tied up and gagged, unable to warn them. It's a trap. The entire group gets knocked unconscious by smoke. A Si, who had someone tailing Jiang Wen Huan, learns they're in danger and prepares a rescue.
The Kui Fang's Test
Jiang Wen Huan wakes up to find they are prisoners of the Kui Fang. General Bo Gu lays out the whole scheme. The map Yao Shu Liang "stole" was bait. The real goal was to capture them, separate them, and force each of them to draw the city defense map from memory. If the maps don't match, they die.
This is a problem. Xin Jia immediately confesses he slept through that lesson and has no idea what the map looks like. Chong Yi Biao, thinking on his feet, asks the general how he'll know which map is real if one person draws it correctly and the others get it wrong.
A Desperate Escape
The Kui Fang bring the five of them back together. General Bo Gu is shocked to see they all drew the exact same map. He just assumes they're cowards who agreed on a story to save their own necks. Then, Yao Shu Liang starts putting on a show. He begs for his life and tells the general to kill the others. This sends Jiang Wen Huan into a rage. As they argue, Yao Shu Liang seizes an opportunity. He grabs an arrow from the general's quiver and uses it to cut Jiang Wen Huan's ropes.
The group fights their way out and escapes into a secret chamber. We then learn their brilliant plan. They all intentionally drew a fake map, one that Xin Jia had used for a gambling game a few days earlier.
Rescue and Revelations
They think they've found an exit, but their luck runs out. The secret chamber is a water trap, and it begins to flood. The situation triggers Kun Wu, who has a deep fear of water from his past. As he starts to lose consciousness, Jiang Wen Huan shouts encouragement at him. In his delirium, Kun Wu apologizes for hiding something.
Just in the nick of time, A Si and her people arrive and rescue them all. Once they're safe, Jiang Wen Huan asks Kun Wu what he meant back in the water, but Kun Wu just blows it off as nonsense.
Finally, Yao Shu Liang confesses everything. The Kui Fang were holding his family hostage. He had to steal the map to save them. He used the horse as a diversion and drugged the guards. But he didn't give them the real map. He gave them a fake one he drew using Xin Jia's compass as a guide. As the episode ends, the Kui Fang have already started their invasion of Donglu, using the worthless map to guide their attack.
