Episode Summary
In this episode, Su Changhe's decoy plan works, allowing Su Muyu's team to rescue a frozen Tang Lianyue from the Tang Clan's headquarters. After a series of fights and poisonings, the power balance within the clan shifts. The focus then moves to Tianqi City, where a new rumor about the Prince of Langya's claim to the throne begins to spread, setting the stage for a new political conflict.
Spoiler Alert
The Big Misdirect
A Failed Negotiation
The episode kicks off with Tang Lingzun staring down Su Changhe. She knows something is wrong. Su Changhe plays it cool. He says Su Muyu just wanted some lighter food, and maybe the Tang Clan had some.
This is obviously a lie. Tang Lingzun finally gets it. She realizes she's been played. This was all a decoy to get Su Muyu into the Tang Clan's headquarters. She declares their deal is off. They broke the agreement first. Su Changhe just laughs at her. He says they never really cared about the cooperation anyway.
Dark River's Real Goal
Su Changhe lays his cards on the table. He says Mu Xuewei is back, so their whole negotiation was pointless. He calls the Dark River's Patriarch despicable. It's hard to tell what Su Changhe truly wants. He says his goal is to change the Dark River. And from his point of view, the Tang Clan doesn't need to exist anymore.
Chaos at the Tang Clan
The Rescue Mission
Over at the Tang Clan, things are tense. Tang Tianlu is there. Mu Yumo and Su Muyu know they don't have the numbers to win a straight fight. Then, Tang Lian shows up. He calls Mu Yumo his master's wife. He offers to draw the guards away so they can get inside.
With the guards gone, Mu Yumo and Su Muyu sneak in. They find Tang Lianyue completely frozen by something called Ice Moon Heavenly Silkworm. Su Muyu tries to use his Fire Pattern Spider to thaw him out. It doesn't work at all.
Fights and Poison
Back outside, Tang Lingzun has no choice but to fight Su Changhe. During the chaos at the headquarters, Su Muyu gets hit by a poisoned hidden weapon. The poison is serious. Mu Yumo gets tired of the attacker's monologuing and just kills him.
Just in time, Bai Hehuai arrives. He tells Su Muyu the poison is tricky to cure. He can only suppress it for now. As an elder attacks the group, Tang Lianyue suddenly wakes up. He strikes back and saves them. He knows they're keeping him alive for a reason. Tang Linghuang is still their hostage. Mu Yumo warns him not to get emotional or he'll fall into their trap.
Shifting Alliances
A New Power Dynamic
We learn Night Raven's plan. He wants to find the most powerful martial artist in the Tang Clan. He plans to control that person to control the entire clan. Elsewhere, Mu Qingyang gets badly wounded and poisoned while fighting enemies. Just as he's about to die, Li Hanyi passes by and saves him.
Su Changhe hears a signal. He knows it means the Tang Clan has officially changed hands. The mission was a success. Su Muyu's team rescued Tang Lianyue. Mu Yumo tries to return a dagger she got from Tang Lianyue, but he tells her to keep it. Li Hanyi also appears for a moment, hears something Su Muyu says, and then leaves just as quickly.
Setting New Terms
The mission is complete. Now they just have to wait for Tang Lianyue to clean up the internal mess at the Tang Clan. Later, Tang Xuan arrives to thank them on behalf of Tang Lianyue, who is recovering. Su Muyu sends a message back. He tells Tang Xuan that if Tang Lianyue wants to find them in the future, he has to come to the Dark River personally.
Tang Lianyue covers his tracks. He tells everyone the poison affected his abilities. He says he couldn't keep up while chasing his captors and lost track of Tang Linghuang.
A New Rumor in the City
A Pharmacy and a Favor
Su Changhe wanted to go on the offensive. But Su Muyu told him this was a good chance to become friends with the Prince of Langya. So, Su Changhe shamelessly asks for an introduction.
Su Muyu and Bai Hehuai decide to open a pharmacy in the city. The shopkeeper mistakes them for a married couple. They don't correct him, and Bai Hehuai seems pretty happy about it. Tu Wan shows up while they're negotiating the rent. He sees the shopkeeper trying to rip them off. He steps in and offers his friends a mansion to stay in. The shopkeeper hears they know Tu Wan and immediately rents them the shop for just one silver tael.
The Prince and the Edict
Tu Wan brings them up to speed on city gossip. A rumor is spreading about a destroyed imperial edict. The edict supposedly named the Prince of Langya as the heir to the throne. Tu Wan is sure someone is spreading this rumor on purpose.
He thinks people can change. The Prince of Langya might have protected the emperor in the past. But now, things could be different. Su Muyu puts the pieces together. He figures out that someone is making a move against the Prince of Langya. Tu Wan just sighs. He says he's grown numb after living in the fake, political world of Tianqi City for so long.
