Episode Summary
Yan Tuo is grieving Nie Jiuluo's disappearance but believes her monster-mother saved her. He leads a team back to the Black and White Stream to investigate. After a failed confrontation with the mother, Yan Tuo and Yu Rong dive into a mysterious lake. The dive goes wrong, leading Yan Tuo to a surreal underwater pocket where he finally finds Nie Jiuluo encased in a protective cocoon.
Spoiler Alert
The Search for Nie Jiuluo
Yan Tuo is in a bad place. He sits alone in a quiet room, staring at old, yellowed photos of Nie Jiuluo as a child. You can feel the weight of his worry. He moves to the yard and just stares off into the distance. It’s heartbreaking. Lin Ling picks up on his mood immediately. She walks over and asks the hard question: Where is Nie Jiuluo?
Lin Ling does the math in her head. The big villain, Lin Xirou, is dead. Nie Jiuluo should be free. But she isn't here. Lin Ling looks at Yan Tuo’s lonely silhouette and makes a choice. She isn't going to let him do this alone. She decides to help him find her so they can all get some closure.
A Mother's Instinct
The next day, the mood is still heavy. Yan Tuo finally decides to trust Yu Rong with a massive secret. He tells her what he really saw back at the Black and White Stream. That terrifying white-haired monster, the "Di Ba," isn't just a monster. It is Nie Jiuluo’s mother.
Yan Tuo is convinced of one thing. Even looking like that, the mother still has a consciousness. She wouldn't hurt her own daughter. He thinks she might have taken an injured Nie Jiuluo away to heal her. This theory gives them a new direction. Yan Tuo, Yu Rong, and Que Cha gear up. They head back to the dangerous ravine with a singular purpose. They are going to find her.
The Silent treatment
They reach the cliff. Yan Tuo grips Nie Jiuluo’s "Feng Dao" knife tight. He and Yu Rong push open the cave doors. It’s tense. Yan Tuo takes a deep breath and blows into Xing Shen’s gourd. The sound echoes through the valley.
It works. The monsters come out. The white-haired witch, Pei Ke, steps out of the darkness. Yan Tuo doesn't back down. He calls out her name. He knows who she is. He begs her to give her daughter back. But Pei Ke gives him nothing. She acts like she doesn't even hear him. She turns around and walks back into the dark. Yan Tuo and Yu Rong are left standing there, stunned.
False Hope and Deep Waters
Yan Tuo drags himself home that night. He looks up and sees a light on in the upstairs room. His heart stops. He thinks she’s back. He sprints up the stairs, desperate to see her. But it’s just Lin Ling cleaning the room. The disappointment on his face is brutal.
They don't give up, though. The next day, the team tries a different approach. They go to the opposite side of the cliff. Yan Tuo and Yu Rong dive underwater to cross over. Que Cha stays topside to monitor the feed.
Things go wrong fast. The water temperature spikes. Que Cha tries to warn them, but the signal cuts out. Down below, something grabs Yu Rong and drags her away. Yan Tuo sees it happen. He cuts his safety rope immediately. He swims into the dark after her.
The Sea Within a Sea
Yan Tuo ends up in a strange place at the bottom of the lake. It looks like a giant eye. He runs out of oxygen and blacks out. His mind drifts to the first time he met Nie Jiuluo outside the welfare institute. He dreams of hugging her, terrified she will vanish again.
He wakes up in a surreal environment. It’s a "sea within a sea," with water floating above his head. He is trapped in a sticky, thick membrane. He tries to rip it open, but it burns his hands like acid.
Then he sees her. Nie Jiuluo is floating nearby in her own membrane. She looks peaceful, curled up like a fetus. The "Yu Wang meat" seems to be reacting to her blood, forming a protective cocoon around her. Yan Tuo doesn't care about the pain. He tears through his prison. He reaches out. He touches her. He pulls her into a hug that says he is never letting go.
