Episode Summary
Yan Tuo finds the captured Jiang Baichuan, but the older hunter refuses rescue to spy from the inside. Yu Rong bonds with Que Cha and inspects the captured Di Xiao, which fears her. Lu Xian and Lin Ling bond over being orphans, unaware Fourth Sister is tailing them. Yan Tuo and Nie Jiuluo analyze clues from a secret file, leading them to a disturbing theory that the enemy uses blood relatives as "blood sacs" for reproduction.
Spoiler Alert
The Infiltration Plan Hits a Snag
Yan Tuo moves fast. He waits for Lu Xian to distract Lin Xirou’s goons. Then he slips into the backyard like a cat. He finds Jiang Baichuan pretty quickly. The old man is wary. Yan Tuo flashes Nie Jiuluo’s bracelet to prove he is on the level. Jiang Baichuan relaxes. Yan Tuo lays out the plan. The Nanshan hunters are ready to break him out.
Jiang Baichuan shuts it down. He refuses to leave. He thinks he is safe enough right now. He wants to stay inside and gather intel. He gives Yan Tuo a specific order. He needs to keep a close eye on the Grasshopper.
Bonding and Beast Taming
Que Cha is a mess. She is crying over Jiang Baichuan’s capture. Yu Rong steps up. She is the cool traveler of the group. She works as an animal trainer overseas and only comes back when the organization is in trouble. She tells some funny zoo stories to distract Que Cha. It works. Que Cha dries her tears. She asks Yu Rong to teach her how to tame beasts. She wants to be useful.
Secrets in the Basement
Xing Shen is handling a precious tripod vessel. He puts it back in its place and notices something odd. There is a mechanism for a secret compartment. He reaches for it. Yu Rong walks in right at that second. She interrupts him. She wants to see the "Grasshopper" he keeps talking about.
They go to the cage. The Di Xiao is massive. But it freezes up when it sees Yu Rong. It is terrified of her. She hides so she doesn't spook it further. Xing Shen talks about how he caught it. He and Ma Hanzi were just trying to have a barbecue in the woods one night. They stumbled upon the creature and dragged it home.
Quiet Moments and Backstories
Yan Tuo takes a break from the chaos. He visits Nie Jiuluo. He washes her hair for her. He brings her books and carving tools to kill the boredom. The sun is shining. The wind blows through her hair. It is a soft, quiet scene. You can feel the chemistry shifting between them.
Elsewhere, Lu Xian and Lin Ling are on a date. They get deep. They talk about their pasts. Lu Xian is an orphan. Lin Xirou paid for his schooling. Lin Ling isn't Lin Xirou’s biological daughter either. She was adopted young. They bond over this. But the vibe gets ruined. Lu Xian feels eyes on him. He turns around. Fourth Sister is stalking them.
The Nature of the Enemy
Nie Jiuluo drops some lore. She tells Yan Tuo that only a "Crazy Knife" can kill a Di Xiao. Yan Tuo isn't bought in. He remembers seeing Dog Tooth die. He thinks there are other ways to take them out.
Xing Shen takes Yu Rong to see Master Sun. It is a grim sight. The man has fully turned into a beast. Yu Rong takes one look. She says there is no saving him. He cannot be tamed. Xing Shen is stubborn. He insists she try anyway.
The Blood Sac Theory
Uncle Changxi makes beef dumplings. Nie Jiuluo loves them. She and Yan Tuo plan to bring some to Sister Lu. The food gets them thinking. They compare humans and Di Xiao. They wonder about the transformation process.
Yan Tuo brings up a file he found in Lin Xirou’s hidden stash. It was about a girl named Xu Annie. The file suggests Di Xiao never live alone. They connect this to Lin Xirou’s behavior. She is constantly pushing Lin Ling to get married and have kids. Nie Jiuluo has a dark realization. She suspects they use blood relatives to reproduce. She calls it the blood sac theory.
