Episode Summary
This episode was a chaotic shell game. A fake Sleeping Dragon Sword was offered to the Su family, but the deal was crashed by Mu Ciling. The sword then changed hands between multiple factions in a series of frantic fights, resulting in the death of one of Su Muyu's men. In the end, we learn the real sword was safe with the Patriarch all along, who effortlessly proves he is still too powerful for any assassin to handle.
Spoiler Alert
The Su Family's Big Gamble
The episode kicks off with Su Muyu challenging Su Ze. You can probably guess how that went. The fight was over in a single move. Su Muyu didn't even break a sweat.
He then walks up to Su Jinhui, the head of the Su family. He presents him with the Sleeping Dragon Sword. He says it’s a gift from the Patriarch. Of course, a gift like that always has strings attached. The condition is that anyone in Dark River who wants to leave must be allowed to go. This move would effectively dissolve the entire organization.
Su Jinhui knows this is a huge risk. He also knows the other families are just waiting for a chance to pounce. But he's arrogant. He thinks he can handle a fractured Dark River, especially with the legendary sword in his hand. The promise of that much power is too much to resist. He accepts the deal.
A Party Crasher and a Tough Choice
Just as Su Jinhui reaches for the sword, a coffin slams down in the middle of the room. It bursts open. Mu Ciling from the Mu family is inside. He is clearly not here to make friends. Su Ze gets angry about the disrespect and tries to fight him. Mu Ciling takes him down instantly.
No one else can stop him. Su Jinhui realizes he has to step up and fight Mu Ciling himself.
Su Muyu watches the whole thing unfold. He knows Su Jinhui can't win this fight alone. He tries to convince Su Changhe to jump in with him. The three of them together might stand a chance. But Su Changhe is suspicious. He thinks Su Muyu is just using him and refuses to help.
While they talk, the fight between Su Jinhui and Mu Ciling gets brutal. Su Muyu makes a call. He decides to stay out of it. His logic is pretty sound. If Su Jinhui somehow wins on his own, the Mu family will have to accept the loss and back off. But if Su Muyu helps him win, the other families will never accept Su Jinhui's claim to the sword and leadership.
It was a good plan, but it didn't matter. Su Jinhui loses the fight.
The Sword Plays Keep-Away
The second Su Jinhui goes down, Xie Qidao appears. Mu Ciling ignores him, walks over, and just takes the Sleeping Dragon Sword. Defeated, Su Jinhui announces that the Su family is officially out of this power struggle.
Xie Qidao immediately chases after Mu Ciling for the sword. Their fight spills out past a teahouse where Bai Hehuai happens to be watching. Bai Hehuai sees an opening, jumps into the fray, and snatches the sword for himself.
So now, both Xie Qidao and Mu Ciling are chasing Bai Hehuai. Bai Hehuai is smart enough to know he can't beat them both. He lays down a poison trap to create some distance. It works, but he knows it won't last long. When he sees no backup is coming, he hurls the sword as a distraction and makes a run for it.
This is where it gets even crazier. The 12 Spider's Shadow members show up. One of them, Chen Long, catches the sword. His victory lasts about five seconds. Mu Zizhe appears out of nowhere, kills Chen Long, and takes the sword.
Su Muyu is furious watching his man get killed. To make things worse, Mu Ciling grabs another member of the Spider's Shadow. He holds the man hostage. He tells Su Muyu to give him the sword if he wants his man to live. Trapped, Su Muyu hands over the sword. Mu Ciling immediately gives it to Mu Zizhe.
Just when you think the Mu family has finally won, Xie Qidao and his entire family show up to challenge them again. And through all of this, Su Zhe has been hiding in the shadows, watching everything.
The Real Twist
The final scene cuts away from the chaos. The Water Official has found the Patriarch. And here comes the big reveal. The real Sleeping Dragon Sword has been with the Patriarch this whole time. Everyone was fighting and dying over a fake.
The Patriarch tells the Water Official he's planning to retire. But he also knows the Water Official didn't come all this way just to talk. He's here to kill him. The Water Official attacks. The Patriarch barely moves. After seeing just a few of the Patriarch's techniques, the Water Official realizes how hopeless it is. He can't win. He just turns around and leaves.
