Episode Summary
Guo Sishui takes control of the local gangs in Xichuan while Fu Sheng investigates a mysterious mask. The team discovers a hidden community in the Ghost Cave where a witch doctor treats stolen babies. Fu Sheng exposes the witch doctor's incompetence during a medical emergency, but she claims credit for the cure anyway.
Spoiler Alert
Treasure at Dawn Episode 21 Recap
A New General and a Hot Arrival
The Wise Monarch calls a meeting with three elders. They need a replacement for General Dou. The group agrees on one name. Dushang is the man for the job.
Over in Xichuan, the heat is brutal. Yin Lie and Guo Sishui arrive with their troops. They are there to meet Sun Siming. Wen Yu and Fu Sheng spot the Jibei Army at the Chamber of Commerce. The soldiers are wearing masks. This makes Fu Sheng suspicious. Wen Yu brushes it off. She thinks they just wore them for the long, dusty journey.
Power Plays
Sun Siming makes a mistake. He looks down on Guo Sishui. She doesn't tolerate disrespect. She physically subdues him in seconds. Sun Siming changes his tune immediately. He agrees to all her demands. But he is not happy. Later, he complains to his boss. He plans to kill Guo Sishui when he gets the chance.
The next day, Sun Siming plays the middleman. He introduces Guo Sishui to the leader of the Horse Gang. The leader tries to be polite. Guo Sishui skips the pleasantries. She states her goal plainly. She wants their land back. She also learns something interesting. A doctor named Fu Sheng helps the gang. This medical support gives them confidence in battle. Guo Sishui decides she needs to meet this doctor.
The Mask Experiment
Guo Sishui tracks down Wen Yu’s father. She wants him to make Wen Yu close the clinic. He refuses. He says it is just a hobby for his daughter. He performs a magic trick for Guo Sishui. The point is simple. She shouldn't believe everything she sees.
Fu Sheng approaches Guo Sishui directly. This surprises her. He asks to borrow one of the soldier's masks. She hands it over without asking questions. Fu Sheng takes it apart. He finds multiple layers inside. He wants to know if it stops poison gas. The initial test fails.
Hulu notices something by accident. Charcoal clears up toxic water. Fu Sheng gets an idea. He puts charcoal inside the mask layers. It works perfectly against the gas.
The Ghost Cave
Night falls. The group investigates the Ghost Cave. They hear crying. It sounds like infants. They go inside and find a community of disabled commoners living there.
They spot Qin Miao, a witch doctor. She is performing a ritual on a stolen baby. The situation looks dangerous. Gu Tian rushes in and saves the child. The locals are not grateful. They surround the team. They claim the witch doctor is saving the child, not hurting it. The witch doctor feeds the baby a potion. The crying stops instantly. Fu Sheng is skeptical. He wonders if the medicine is actually a cure.
False Miracles
The clan leader steps in. He tells Fu Sheng and his crew to leave. He explains the process. Children stay for seven days to detox. Then they go home. Fu Sheng demands to see the witch doctor. The leader refuses.
Gu Tian sneaks off. He spies on the witch doctor brewing medicine. She looks impatient with the babies. The next day, the leader hosts Fu Sheng again. A sick boy named Tianyu starts coughing violently. Fu Sheng tries to check his pulse. The witch doctor interferes. She has her goons push Fu Sheng away. She gives Tianyu her magic water.
It doesn't work. The boy keeps coughing. Fu Sheng steps in. He saves Tianyu's life. The witch doctor spins the narrative. She thanks the gods. She claims divine intervention saved the boy, not Fu Sheng. Gu Tian takes advantage of the chaos. He steals a sample of the magic water.
