Episode Summary
General Dou Tong attempts to expose a conspiracy surrounding the Wise Lord but is assassinated and framed for treason. Fu Sheng successfully treats Master Luo, who reveals the history of the mysterious Jades. The team investigates "Ghost Cave Howl" in Xichuan, where babies vanish into black mist. They discover the "ghosts" are a cover for a group using toxic, hallucinogenic fog, but fail to rescue a kidnapped infant.
Spoiler Alert
A Bloody Palace Coup
General Dou Tong isn't wasting time on pleasantries. He marches a squad of elite soldiers right into the palace. He claims he is there to protect Prince Jibei. The Prince looks completely lost. He has no idea why he needs protection.
Dou gets serious. He brings up old history. Twenty years ago, Su Rang put down a rebellion. But three major cases from that time remain unsolved. Royal relatives vanished into thin air. Su Rang and 82 loyal officials were purged. The files got burned. Dou says this is no coincidence. He points the finger at the "Wise Lord" standing by the Prince's side. Dou tries to arrest this advisor. But he never gets the chance. A spy within his own ranks stabs him. Dou dies right there. Prince Jibei is terrified. He proves how weak he is immediately. The Wise Lord tells him to frame Dou for treason. Jibei agrees to do it.
The Surgery and the Jade
Wen Yu hands over a special set of surgical tools. Her father made them. Fu Sheng takes them and feels confident. He performs surgery on Master Luo. The operation is a success.
Luo wakes up and finally explains how Han Shuo died. It goes back two decades. Luo and Han's father went hunting in the mountains. They found two sick men, Song Zhe and Song Yuan. Song Zhe died. They buried him. Song Yuan survived and took a job as a gatekeeper for the Chang family. He gave the Han family two heirlooms as thanks. These were the Mountain-shaped Jade and the Cloud-shaped Jade. They made a pact to meet every year. Five years ago, Han Shuo took the jade to keep the appointment. He ended up dead at a place called Ghost Cave Howl.
The Mystery of the Black Mist
Ghost Cave Howl is a nightmare spot in Xichuan. Babies have been disappearing there for over ten years. Parents say a black mist snatches them. The mist leaves behind a mud doll. Locals named the place after these events. Fu Sheng, Gu Tian, and Wen Yu go to investigate. They visit a grieving family. The parents hand over the mud doll found at the scene. They beg Fu Sheng for answers.
Fu Sheng sets a trap. He orders Wen Jiu to hide soldiers around the village at night. He suspects human foul play. A villager named Liu Da is home with his wife. Suddenly, black mist appears in their house. Liu Da tries to hit it. It doesn't work. The baby vanishes. Fu Sheng is baffled. He doesn't understand how mist can physically carry a child.
Poison in the Village
Fu Sheng opens a clinic the next day. He examines the villagers. They are all poisoned. He visits the Chang manor next. Young Master Chang is a unique case. He is the only child who was ever stolen by the Ghost Cave and survived. Song Yuan and Han Shuo saved him years ago. Song Yuan died during that rescue. His last words were "West City Woods."
The team realizes something else. The villagers are superstitious. They drink "holy water" to fight off the ghosts. This water is likely the source of the poison.
The Fog in the Woods
Feng Qianli gets intel on the Ghost Cave. He tells Yingying. She passes the message to Gu Tian. The team stakes out the cave entrance that night. A figure shows up holding a baby. Fu Sheng and Gu Tian jump in. They save the child. But a group of enemies attacks them.
They run into the woods. The fog there is toxic. It causes hallucinations. Fu Sheng uses his acupuncture needles to keep everyone focused. They manage to escape the woods. However, they lose the baby during the chaos.
Gu Tian and Fu Sheng refuse to give up. They go back to the woods the next day. They bottle some of the fog. Back at their base, Fu Sheng decides to test it on himself. He inhales the poison to figure out the antidote. He tells the others to knock him out if he loses control. He enters a hallucination. He wakes up later with a splitting headache.
