Episode Summary
Following Lu Kaide's death, Wang Xiaofei makes a violent play for control of the Deqing Society. To protect a cornered Lu Shufen, Li Heng falsely declares they are engaged, giving him authority. The power struggle escalates into an armed standoff with corrupt military officers, but Li Heng's ally Wu Shiren intervenes. Li Heng ultimately secures Lu Shufen's leadership, punishes Wang Xiaofei, and banishes him.
Spoiler Alert
A Fake Mourner and a Slap
So, Lu Kaide is dead. His daughter, Lu Shufen, is completely shattered. You can see the grief is real.
But then you have Wang Xiaofei. He shows up in the hospital room and puts on a ridiculous performance. He's crying, beating his chest, and acting like he lost his own father. It’s all a show. Lu Shufen knows he had something to do with her dad's death. She walks right up to him and gives him a hard slap across the face. He just keeps begging and bowing at the bedside. It’s pathetic.
Li Heng's Next Move
Li Heng is also reeling from the loss. But he doesn't have time to fall apart. The Deqing Society is already in hot water over that drug scandal. He knows he needs to figure out a new direction for them. He wants to turn the society into a force that can help liberate Chengdu.
As he leaves to figure things out, he shares a long look with Jia Yunying. You can feel the weight of everything in that one moment. He then disappears into the night.
Later, we see Shen Yihe trying to close the case. He tells Cao Peng that his investigation points to Lu Kaide working with Zhao Jun on the drug trafficking. It’s a convenient way to blame a dead man. But Li Heng walks in. He asks Cao Peng to stop the investigation. Out of respect for the dead, Cao Peng agrees to drop it.
A Desperate Proposal
Li Heng goes to see Lu Shufen. He tells her she has to pull it together. She can't look weak in front of the others. She needs to be strong.
Her response is pretty direct. She asks him to marry her. She needs him to stay with the Deqing Society and be her anchor. Before he can even answer, they hear a commotion outside. It's Wang Xiaofei, drunk and yelling disgusting things at the house. Li Heng is furious. He storms out the door and throws Wang Xiaofei to the ground.
The Coup at the Funeral
Wang Xiaofei Makes His Play
The next day is Lu Kaide's funeral service. Li Heng is there, helping Lu Shufen get through it. Of course, the peace doesn't last. Wang Xiaofei storms the hall with a bunch of his guys. He looks ready for a fight.
Li Heng sees what's coming. He quickly hands a secret letter to Qing Tian. He tells him to run it over to Wu Shiren at the training corps immediately.
Wang Xiaofei gets in front of everyone. He announces that as Lu Kaide's top disciple, he should be the one to take over the Deqing Society. And some of the members actually start to agree with him.
A Fiancé Out of Nowhere
Just when it looks like he might win, Lu Shufen appears. She's holding her father's long spear. She points it right at Wang Xiaofei's chest. She declares she's taking back what belongs to her family.
They fight, but she's outmatched. Wang Xiaofei is about to land a serious blow. Li Heng jumps between them to protect her. Then he drops a bombshell on everyone. He announces that Lu Kaide entrusted his daughter to him before he died. This makes him Lu Shufen's fiancé. It also gives him the authority to run the society.
Jia Yunying walks in right at that moment. She sees Li Heng protecting Lu Shufen and hears his claim. She is absolutely crushed. Li Heng sees her, but he can't explain. He has to let her believe the lie to keep the society from falling apart.
The Standoff Gets Real
Wang Xiaofei isn't buying it. He calls in his own backup. Turns out, he paid off a Sichuan Army officer. This officer shows up with soldiers and surrounds the building. He tries to arrest everyone for disturbing the peace.
The situation gets tense fast. Lu Shufen's men start shoving the soldiers. In the middle of the chaos, one of Wang Xiaofei's men follows a silent order. He secretly shoots one of the soldiers. The whole place explodes.
Li Heng yells for everyone to stop. He agrees to go with the officer to calm things down. Lu Shufen panics and tries to stop them.
A New Leader and an Old Punishment
Just in the nick of time, Wu Shiren arrives. The letter worked. He immediately takes charge. He walks up to the corrupt officer and whispers something to him. The deal is simple. Take the man who fired the shot, leave, and Wu Shiren will personally handle any questions from his superiors. The officer knows a good deal when he hears one. He takes his troops and leaves.
Wang Xiaofei thinks he's getting away too. He's wrong. Li Heng orders the doors locked. He forces Wang Xiaofei to face a traditional punishment in front of everyone. It's a brutal ritual called "three cuts, six holes." After that, he's banished from the Deqing Society forever.
Watching all this from a car are Lu Wenlu and Tang Meng. They're impressed with how quickly Li Heng got military support. They decide they can use the disgraced Wang Xiaofei for their own plans.
Back inside, the crisis is over for now. The members all support Lu Shufen as the new leader. Li Heng pledges to stand by her side and help her lead.
