Episode Summary
Su Muyu, now cured of his poison, breaks out of confinement with the help of a traitor. He and Su Changhe reveal their true objective is to destroy the Tower of Ten Thousand Scrolls, leading to a tragic confrontation between Mu Ciling and her brother.
Spoiler Alert
The Breakout
Su Muyu is Back in Business
The episode kicks off right where we left off. The Water Official and his guys are trying to bust into the dungeon. They are completely outmatched. Crow is watching all this and getting pretty smug about it. He thinks his traps are foolproof. He brags that even top-tier fighters failed to get through years ago. He is certain Su Muyu is a dead man.
Then, he's proven wrong. Very wrong.
Su Muyu literally explodes out of the dungeon. He uses his pure sword energy to blast through the walls and knock everyone back. Crow can’t believe it. The poison in Su Muyu’s system is completely gone. He then notices the Water Official isn't fighting back. He realizes he’s been betrayed. The Water Official tells Su Muyu to go. He says he can hold the line here. Su Muyu has more important things to do.
The Real Target
Su Changhe sees the explosion from a distance. He knows his partner is free. He turns to his allies and tells them the truth. Their mission was never about fighting the Shadow Sect. The real goal is to destroy the Tower of Ten Thousand Scrolls.
Mu Ciling steps forward. She volunteers to clear a path for them. This is when Yi Bu finally understands the entire plan. The big, dramatic fight was just a diversion. It was all designed to create an opening to attack the tower.
Family Feuds and Old Grudges
A Brother vs. Sister Showdown
Mu Zizhe is furious. He confronts Yi Bu. He says they should have killed Su Muyu and Su Changhe years ago. Now they've become too powerful. He decides he will be the one to clean up this old mess.
He then finds his sister, Mu Ciling. He yells at her for helping their family's enemies. But she just stares back at him. She says he is too trapped by family duty. He called her skills unorthodox and evil. But the truth is he never really saw her for who she is.
While all this is happening, we get a quick scene with two masters. The State Preceptor finds Zhuo Qing at the Imperial Mausoleum. They sit down to play a game of Go. They agree to stay out of the fight. It seems they both studied under the same teacher, a man named Mr. Li.
The Three Families Return
Su Muyu is back in the fight. He faces off against an opponent using a "Seven Stars" sword technique. He deflects it easily. He even manages to turn the opponent's own sword against them.
But he gets a little too confident. He misjudges a final attack. An arrow is about to hit him. Su Changhe arrives just in time. He jumps in front of Su Muyu and blocks the blow.
They are then confronted by three old masters. Their names are Xie Pityou, Mu Fusheng, and Su Ziyan. They reveal a piece of history. Some members of their three great families left long ago. But others, like them, stayed behind. Su Muyu shows them his signature 18-move sword style. We learn this whole massive fight was also a signal. It was meant to be loud and chaotic. It was designed to let everyone hiding in the shadows know what their real plan was.
A Tragic End and a New Beginning
An Agonizing Choice
The fight between Mu Ciling and her brother Mu Zizhe gets intense. She refuses to use her so-called "heretical" skills against him. She tells him people need to live for themselves. They can't just carry the weight of their family's destiny forever.
Her words hit him hard. Mu Zizhe has a sudden realization. He finally understands a question their master asked them as children. The family can only be truly strong when its members are free to be themselves. But he can't bring himself to admit he was wrong. Instead of yielding, he takes his own life.
Mu Ciling is heartbroken. She looks at her brother's body. She says their master's words were meaningless. She says the Dark River is meaningless. The only thing that matters is living for yourself.
The Old Guard Steps Aside
The three elders have seen enough. They acknowledge Su Muyu’s strength. They decide there is no reason to continue the fight. Su Muyu shows them respect. He tells them to leave. He promises that the new Dark River will not hunt them down. The elders agree it's time for them to find a new path.
After they leave, Su Changhe calls Su Muyu out. He says Su Muyu was holding back. If they had fought together seriously, they could have beaten the elders easily. Su Muyu admits it's true. He just didn't want to hurt them. He has a soft heart.
The path is finally clear. Su Muyu walks into the Tower of Ten Thousand Scrolls alone. Su Changhe stays behind, watching him go with a resigned look on his face.
