Episode Summary
After a shocking defeat in a tournament leaves her poisoned and powerless, Crown Prince Ming Xian goes undercover as a female attendant to get close to her rival, Ji Bozai. She believes he holds the only antidote that can save her life, but her first attempt to find it in his home ends in failure.
Spoiler Alert
A Champion's Fall
The Undefeated Prince
First, you meet Ming Xian. She is the Crown Prince of Yaoguang Mountain. She is also a legendary warrior. She has competed in the Qingyun Tournament for seven years. And she has never lost. She's basically a rockstar.
But here's the twist. Ming Xian is secretly a woman. She has been using magic to disguise herself as a man this whole time. She feels immense pressure to keep winning for her people. She can't afford a single loss.
The Fight That Changed Everything
This is her eighth tournament. She faces a new challenger, Ji Bozai. He’s a fighter from a rival land called Jixing Yuan. He seems calm. Almost too calm.
The fight starts. Ji Bozai quickly tricks her. He leads her into a special area that completely blocks her magic. Just like that, her biggest weapon is gone. She has to rely purely on her fighting skills. It's not enough.
Ji Bozai defeats her. He was once a prisoner, and now he has beaten the unbeatable champion. The entire crowd is stunned. Then they turn on Ming Xian. All her past victories are forgotten in an instant. The crowd mocks her. She feels like a total failure.
A Poisoned Fate
The Awful Truth
Ming Xian returns to her palace. She discovers something is terribly wrong. Her spiritual veins, the source of her power, have been severed. She immediately suspects Ji Bozai poisoned her during their fight. She confides in her magical spirit cat, a little guy named Twenty-Seven.
Her mother, Queen Jing Shu, is heartbroken but practical. She orders Ming Xian to leave the mountain immediately. She must drop the disguise and live a quiet life as a woman in hiding. But Ming Xian refuses to just give up. She kneels and promises her mother she will find a way to heal herself. She vows to return to her former glory.
A One-Year Countdown
Ming Xian goes to her master for help. The news is bad. The poison is called "Li Hen Tian." It has created a flower-shaped mark on her spiritual veins. This flower has seven petals.
Every time a petal falls, she gets closer to death. When the seventh and final petal falls, her spirit will be extinguished. She has exactly one year to find the antidote. The antidote is a rare item called "Huang Liang Meng."
Going Undercover
A New Plan
Two months go by. Ming Xian has been watching Ji Bozai from the shadows. He hasn't done much. He just parties every night, enjoying his newfound fame.
Then, an opportunity appears. The Tianji Princess decides to throw a huge party for Ji Bozai. It's at a famous club in his territory. Ming Xian knows this is her chance. She creates a new identity. She disguises herself as a beautiful female attendant named Ming Yi and gets inside.
Playing Games at the Party
Ming Yi gets to work immediately. She tries to cause some chaos. She subtly provokes another fighter, Sun Liao, into challenging Ji Bozai. The plan backfires. Ji Bozai defeats him without breaking a sweat.
So, Ming Yi switches tactics. She tries acting weak and vulnerable. She hopes to get his sympathy and get close to him that way. He is completely uninterested.
Then, another powerful figure arrives. His name is Mu Qibai. He's the brother of the local God-King. He tries to force two of his own attendants onto Ji Bozai. It's a clumsy attempt to plant spies. Ji Bozai is cornered. He can't really refuse without causing a scene.
Ming Yi sees her opening. She steps in and cleverly diffuses the situation for him. As a reward, Ji Bozai agrees to take her back to his personal residence, Wugui Hai.
A Night of Deception
The Trap is Set
Ji Bozai is no fool. He knows Mu Qibai has spies watching his every move. So he decides to put on a little show for them. He dramatically carries Ming Yi into his private room. He makes sure the spies get a good look.
Inside the room, the games continue. Ming Yi acts completely smitten with him. She lays it on thick. Ji Bozai plays right along, knowing they are being watched. He sits on the bed and starts taking off his clothes. Ming Yi panics internally. She pretends to be shy to stall for time. She's desperately hoping her cat, Twenty-Seven, can create a distraction.
The Search Begins
Right on schedule, a fire breaks out somewhere in the residence. It's the diversion she needed. Ji Bozai has to leave to deal with it. But before he goes, he puts up a magical barrier. He traps her inside the room.
Ming Yi uses the last bit of her remaining power to shatter the barrier. She and Twenty-Seven then frantically search the entire house. They are looking for the antidote, Huang Liang Meng. They search all night long. They find nothing.
