Episode Summary
In this episode, Ding Yi's intricate plan comes to fruition. He successfully manipulates his two greatest enemies, Nai Hui and Sasaki, into a final battle that results in their mutual destruction.
Spoiler Alert
A Plan Built on Lies
So, Nai Hui is out for blood. She wants Sasaki dead and she wants it now. She makes a deal with the man she knows as Joseph Needham. You and I both know this is really Ding Yi wearing a very convincing disguise.
The plan he sells her sounds simple. They will use Xian Biyun as bait. This will supposedly lure the real Ding Yi into an ambush where he can be forced to kill Sasaki. Nai Hui is so consumed by her need for revenge that she completely misses the fact that she's the one being played.
Her top subordinate is not so sure. He tells her flat out that he doesn’t trust "Needham". But his loyalty to Nai Hui wins out. He promises he is willing to die to get revenge on Sasaki. Nai Hui is moved by his dedication. She gathers her people and heads out to spring the trap. As Ding Yi leaves, Xian Biyun watches him go. She has a terrible feeling this might be the last time she ever sees him.
The Trap Springs Sideways
The whole chaotic showdown is set at Qiaoben's funeral. Nai Hui and her crew are hiding outside, ready to move in. She sends her loyal subordinate and Ding Yi (as "Needham") inside to pay their respects.
Sasaki is already there, and he has his own agenda. He wants to use Luo Han to finally get a positive ID on this mysterious Needham.
Then, everything goes completely off the rails.
Ding Yi walks right up to Nai Hui's subordinate. He stabs him in front of everyone. Then he loudly announces Nai Hui's entire assassination plot to a stunned Sasaki. The dying subordinate finally gets it. Ding Yi played him. He just used him to drive a wedge between Nai Hui and Sasaki.
But Ding Yi isn't finished. He tells Sasaki that men from Dongsi Garden have the entire place surrounded. He then opens his coat to reveal a vest packed with explosives. He keeps dropping bombs, both literal and figurative. He tells Sasaki that The Duke is dead. He says all the evidence for the murder points directly at Sasaki. He also informs him that Nai Hui has already captured all of his telegraph operators.
Outside, Nai Hui’s team just waits. They have no idea what is happening in there. They only know the timer on the bomb is ticking down.
Sasaki's Countermove
While the funeral home standoff is happening, Sasaki is already making moves. He sends a team to Nai Hui's residence. They successfully break in and rescue Xian Biyun.
Sasaki is still struggling with the accusation against his son. He insists his son, a quiet guy who loves math, could not have killed Edward. But seeing "Needham" kill Nai Hui's man and publicly expose her makes him start to doubt. He decides to set his own trap. He arranges for a separate explosion to go off nearby.
The trick works perfectly. Nai Hui hears the blast. She assumes Ding Yi and Sasaki have killed each other as planned. She and her men charge in, right into the ambush Sasaki has waiting for them.
The Final, Bloody Confrontation
Now, Nai Hui and Sasaki are finally face-to-face. He tries to explain that his son is innocent. She isn't listening. She tells him she saw what she saw.
Then Nai Hui plays what she thinks is her trump card. She screams that Joseph Needham is a fake. She reveals he's just an actor and an anti-Japanese operative. She expects this to change everything. It doesn't. Ding Yi already told Sasaki all of this himself.
Sasaki thinks she is just making a desperate lie. That’s it. The talking is over.
A massive gunfight breaks out between the two factions. In the chaos, Nai Hui manages to shoot and kill Sasaki. But she is also shot and killed in the return fire. The two rival groups have effectively wiped each other out.
The Last Grenade
An injured Ding Yi stumbles out from the carnage. One of the few surviving henchmen looks at him closely. He suddenly realizes Ding Yi isn't blind. In that moment, everyone understands the truth. They were all just puppets.
With his last ounce of strength, the henchman pulls the pin on a grenade attached to Ding Yi's explosive vest. Ding Yi grabs the lever, holding it down with all his might. He is now a living bomb with a few seconds to live.
Just then, Sasaki's men arrive with Xian Biyun. They see the field of bodies. They see Ding Yi about to explode. They drop Xian Biyun and run for their lives.
Xian Biyun doesn't run away. She runs toward him. She bravely gets to his side and pulls the live grenade from his vest. They look at each other, ready for the end. Together, they throw the grenade down a nearby well.
