Episode Summary
In this episode, we learn that Quan Rumu and Wangquan Fugui are childhood friends with a secret plan. Fugui allowed Rumu to blind him to deceive Rumu's cruel father, Quan Jingting, who is holding Rumu's son hostage. While Fugui and Qingtong travel to the Li Family estate for a competition, Rumu follows, and their plan to locate and rescue his son begins to unfold.
Spoiler Alert
Spies, Lies, and a Road Trip
A Deal with a Demon
The episode kicks off with Quan Rumu. He's not messing around. He finds a pair of Leopard Demons, Lu Qiba and Lu Shangxia. He needs them to do a little job for him. They have to follow Wangquan Fugui and report his every move.
To make sure they cooperate, he gets serious. He cuts off one of their braids. For these demons, a braid is a huge deal. Losing it is basically the human equivalent of being castrated. Rumu promises to reattach it once the mission is complete. It's a pretty effective threat.
The Journey to the Li Family
While he's being tracked, Fugui is on the road with Qingtong. They stop by a beautiful lake. It’s the first time she has ever seen something so peaceful. She promises him she will weave the entire scene into a tapestry. That way, he can "see" it too.
They finally arrive at the Li Family estate. Before they go in, Fugui gives Qingtong a special talisman. It will hide her demon aura from everyone. He tells her the cover story. She is a maid arranged by Butler Fei. He warns her to keep her contact with strangers to a minimum. Good luck with that.
The Worst Dad of the Year Award
Family Drama at the Convention
We cut to the Blue Sky Convention. Wangquan Hongye knows his son Fugui is blind. He doesn't seem to care all that much.
Then, Quan Jingting arrives with his son, Rumu. Jingting’s friends are nervous about the "Weapon Human," which is their name for Fugui. They want to see Rumu’s power for themselves. So, Fugui challenges all of the day's winners at once. He beats them all without breaking a sweat. Rumu, on the other hand, loses his own match.
Rumu's Awful Backstory
This is where we learn why Rumu is the way he is. His father, Jingting, is a monster. Years ago, Jingting was exiled from the Wangquan Mountain Villa. He was sent to the desolate Western Regions. He forced Rumu to go with him. He did this knowing Rumu had severe asthma and could barely survive there. Wangquan Hongye even offered to let the boy stay behind. Jingting refused.
In the Western Regions, Rumu’s health got worse. Jingting was too busy killing demons to pay him any attention. At one point, a demon captured Rumu and held him hostage. Jingting did not care if his son lived or died. Rumu ended up surviving alone in the desert for decades.
Jingting only showed interest in him again after Rumu became a master swordsman. Then he did the unthinkable. He took Rumu's own son hostage. He uses the boy as leverage to force Rumu to do his bidding. Jingting now demands that Rumu defeat the Weapon Human in the competition. If he wins, he gets his son back. To ensure victory, he forces Rumu to swallow a pill that boosts his spiritual power. For his son's sake, Rumu takes it.
A Secret Friendship Revealed
A Tense Reunion
Back at the Li Family estate, everyone is at dinner. Rumu shows up uninvited. He demands a spot in the next day's competition. Wangquan Shouyi tells him he needs approval from the Weapon Human. Fugui, cool as ever, gives him a nod. Rumu is in.
Later, Rumu finds Qingtong practicing her sword forms. He immediately notices two things. She is not a demon, and her fighting style is a perfect copy of Fugui's. When Qingtong learns that Rumu is the man who blinded Fugui, she nearly attacks him. Fugui appears just in time to stop her. He tells her that Rumu is a friend.
The Truth at the Lake
This changes everything. The three of them go to that same lake from earlier. We get a flashback to when Fugui and Rumu were kids. Rumu snuck into the barrier that held the "Weapon Human." They fought over a cricket but ended up becoming friends. For Fugui, Rumu was the only friend he ever had. They used to skip stones at this very lake before Rumu was taken away by his father.
Qingtong is totally lost. She asks why a friend would blind him. Fugui finally explains the whole plan. He allowedRumu to blind him. It was all a setup. Rumu came to him for help right after Qingtong took human form. The blinding was a strategy to trick Quan Jingting. It bought them time to figure out how to rescue Rumu's son.
Just then, the two Leopard Demons arrive. They followed Jingting to a hidden cave. It's almost certainly where the boy is being held. The episode ends with Rumu telling Fugui about the pill. He's worried about its side effects. He makes Fugui promise that if something goes wrong during their match tomorrow, he won't hold back. He has to do whatever it takes to win.
