Episode Summary
Twenty-Seven is captured trying to find a hidden roster, leading Mu Qibai to expose Ming Yi's true identity as Prince Ming Xian. Ji Bozai and Situ Ling cleverly discredit the evidence, but the situation forces a final test. Ji Bozai and Ming Yi must prove their love at the Marriage Stone. They succeed, but the process reveals the painful truth of her deception to Ji Bozai, leaving him heartbroken despite his public victory.
Spoiler Alert
The Trap Is Sprung
The episode kicks off with Ming Yi having a theory. She thinks Mu Qibai hid that important name roster in a place called The Abyss. Her loyal companion, Twenty-Seven, hears this. He immediately heads off to find it.
This was a bad move. He barely steps foot inside The Abyss before he's captured. Mu Qibai’s man, Sun Liao, gets the jump on him. Sun Liao then tortures Twenty-Seven, trying to get him to reveal Ming Xian's location. But Twenty-Seven is tough. He doesn't say a word. He waits for his chance, makes a break for it, and manages to escape. He runs until he literally collapses from exhaustion right into Ming Yi’s arms.
The Confrontation
With Twenty-Seven captured, Mu Qibai has what he needs. He gathers every single guard from Si Pan Hall. He then leads them himself straight to Sea of No Return to confront Ming Yi.
Granny Xun steps up to protect her. She tries to block Mu Qibai and demands to know what he's doing. He doesn't waste any time. He announces Ming Yi's real identity to everyone present. To make matters worse, he pulls out a "Chasing Mirror." The arrow on the device points directly at Ming Yi. It looks like solid proof.
While all this is happening, Situ Ling is buried under a mountain of paperwork. He's completely out of the loop. He tries to call a guard for help and accidentally learns that Mu Qibai is on his way to arrest Ming Xian.
A Fake Mirror and a Quick Lie
The accusations keep coming. Yan Xiao and his men storm into Ji Bozai's palace. He publicly accuses Ji Bozai of hiding the prince of Yaoguang Mountain. He says Ji Bozai disguised the prince as a woman named Ming Yi. He even points to the white cat and the Chasing Mirror as his evidence.
Ji Bozai hears this and thinks back. All of Ming Yi's strange behavior suddenly makes sense. He knows it's true. But he also senses she's in serious danger. So, he decides to protect her anyway and shows up at the confrontation.
Princess Tianji rushes in too. She tries to argue that Ming Yi is innocent. Mu Qibai just scoffs at her. He insists the mirror is never wrong. Seeing this, Ji Bozai gets clever. He secretly uses his powers to mess with the mirror's needle. He then asks how anyone can trust a tool that's so easily manipulated. This move neatly shifts suspicion back onto Mu Qibai.
Just then, Situ Ling arrives. He drops a bombshell. He confirms that the realChasing Mirror was made by Ming Xian himself when he was sixteen. But that genuine artifact is sealed away on Yaoguang Mountain. It could never have fallen into Mu Qibai's hands. The implication is clear. Mu Qibai's mirror is a fake.
The Ultimate Test
Mu Qibai is cornered and speechless. He changes his attack. He asks why Ming Yi is protecting the white cat, Twenty-Seven. Ji Bozai doesn't miss a beat. He scoops Twenty-Seven into his sleeve. He claims that when he defeated Ming Xian years ago, he took the cat as his own prize. Therefore, Twenty-Seven belongs to him.
Mu Qibai doesn't believe a word of it. He insists on taking Ming Yi for interrogation. Ji Bozai refuses to move. They're at a total standoff, ready to draw swords. That's when Princess Tianji suggests a different kind of test. The Marriage Stone.
She explains the rules. They will carve Ji Bozai's and Ming Yi's names onto the stone. If they truly have feelings for each other, the stone will prove it.
A Painful Truth
Ji Bozai agrees without a second of hesitation. He takes Ming Yi's hand and walks toward the Meng Yuan Tan barrier. The water ripples and a bridge magically forms, allowing them to pass through safely. This alone proves they have feelings for one another, since only lovers can enter. Mu Qibai and the others are left stuck outside the barrier, forced to wait.
Inside, they approach the Marriage Stone. Ji Bozai gets ready to carve their names, but Ming Yi tries to stop him. She knows the stone punishes liars with heavenly lightning. If your feelings aren't true, you get zapped. She knows that while they care for each other, they haven't been honest. This is a huge risk.
He doesn't listen. He starts to carve her name. Immediately, lightning crashes down from the sky. The strike is so powerful it shatters a jade bottle on his waist. That bottle was full of "Hui Ling" he had been collecting. He was saving them to make a wish to spend the rest of his life with her.
The truth hits him like a ton of bricks. His heart is completely broken. Still, he stands there, taking the lightning strikes. He finishes carving both of their names onto the stone, one painful stroke at a time. Ming Yi just watches him, tears streaming down her face. The names are set, and the mark of their bond glows on the stone. But there is no joy in Ji Bozai's eyes. The first person he truly trusted and loved was all a lie.
Back outside, Mu Qibai sees them walk out of the barrier together, unharmed. Defeated, he has no choice but to leave. Princess Tianji and the others congratulate the couple before taking their leave as well. Ji Bozai was just putting on a brave face. Once everyone is gone, he can't hold it together anymore. He stumbles, almost collapsing to the ground.
