Episode Summary
Nie Jiuluo successfully moves Master Sun but crashes into Yan Tuo. After a clever escape where she kidnaps him instead, she delivers him to her contacts at a pier. There, we learn that the man she was hunting is a supernatural creature called a Dixiao. We also get flashbacks to Nie Jiuluo's tragic past and her harsh training as a hunter. The episode ends with Yan Tuo being interrogated about the Dixiao, while Nie Jiuluo dreams of a normal life.
Spoiler Alert
A Car Crash and a Kidnapping Swap
So, Nie Jiuluo is trying to get Master Sun out of the hotel safely. She has him hidden in her car. But her luck runs out fast. She gets into a nasty car wreck with none other than Yan Tuo. The impact knocks her out cold.
Nie Jiuluo's Great Escape
Yan Tuo gets out to check on the other driver. He's surprised to see it's Nie Jiuluo. While trying to help her, he spots Master Sun hidden in a bag in the backseat. He's sharp. He knows something is up.
Nie Jiuluo wakes up tied. Her car is being towed to the seaside. She immediately tries to spin a story. She says the guy in the back is just her driver. She claims he needs to get to a hospital. Yan Tuo isn't buying it for a second. He even checks her ID.
Once she realizes the act is up, her whole vibe changes. She warns him that getting her was the easy part. Getting rid of her will be much harder. Then, she pulls a fast one. She pretends to have an asthma attack. Yan Tuo, not a total monster, gets out of the car to grab her medicine. The second he turns his back, Nie Jiuluo is right behind him. He sees her for a split second before everything goes black. She knocked him out.
Yan Tuo's Turn in the Backseat
Now it's Yan Tuo's turn to wake up tied in the backseat. He tries to play possum and pretends he's still unconscious. Nie Jiuluo sees right through it. She doesn't say a word. She just drives him straight to a pier.
The Pier and a Big Reveal
At the pier, Nie Jiuluo calls over a guy named Jiang Baichuan to "inspect the goods." Jiang Baichuan seems annoyed with her. He complains that she still holds a grudge against him.
What is a Dixiao?
He gets down to business and inspects the man from the car, Dog Tooth. That's when he makes a shocking discovery. Dog Tooth isn't just a person. He's a Dixiao, or an "Earth Owl," in human form. This is a huge piece of the puzzle.
Nie Jiuluo is desperate. She begs Jiang Baichuan to save Master Sun if he can. But there's a problem. They need "heaven and earth fire" to save him. The sky has been cloudy for days. They might miss their window to treat him.
Nie Jiuluo then gives Jiang Baichuan some ointment. It's a small gesture. She tells him to take care of himself. It shows us she's let go of their past issues. She really does see him as family now.
An Offer She Can Refuse
As soon as they arrived at the pier, a man named Xing Shen noticed something. He's from the Nanshan organization. He could smell the "owl" scent on Nie Jiuluo. Xing Shen asks her to stay. He wants her help to completely get rid of the Dixiao.
Nie Jiuluo just shakes her head. She looks exhausted. She tells him she just wants a normal life. She's done with all of this.
A Look into Nie Jiuluo's Past
We get a flashback to her childhood. Her mother and father used to fight constantly about her mother's patrol duties for Nanshan. One day, her mother left and never came back. Her father died not long after. Nie Jiuluo was sent to live with her uncle. Eventually, Jiang Baichuan took her in. He started her brutal training as a Nanshan hunter.
We also learn about a woman named Ling Jie. She feels she owes Nie Jiuluo. Apparently, Jiuluo's mother sacrificed herself to save everyone during something called the Battle of Gold Mountain.
The Hunter's Burden
There's another flashback to her training days. Xing Shen, who is from the "Dog Division," became good friends with Nie Jiuluo. They were on a mission together when things went wrong. Ling Jie was killed. Even with "heavenly fire," they couldn't save her. It was a heavy loss for everyone.
Back in the present, Nie Jiuluo is at her art gallery. She seems happy. She's one step closer to the free, normal life she wants. She folds a paper star. We learn she folds one for every owl she catches. She opens a cabinet, and it's filled with these stars. It's a quiet reminder of her dangerous past.
Yan Tuo in the Hot (Cold) Seat
Yan Tuo's situation is not so great. He's been taken to an ice cellar for interrogation. He's completely confused. He keeps asking what a Dixiao is. He swears he had no idea about Dog Tooth's real identity. Xing Shen is there. He already knows Yan Tuo is a company director but decides to keep that information to himself for now.
Somewhere else, a man named Xiong Hei is being brutally punished by Lin Xirou. Despite the pain, he's defiant. He swears he will find Yan Tuo. His expression says he won't stop until he succeeds.
