Episode Summary
Sun Siming invades the city to find the real jade plate. Wen Jiu dies heroically defending the Medical Hall while Fu Sheng performs surgery. Fu Sheng uses the plate to bargain with Su Rang and joins the treasure hunt. The group solves a map puzzle and finds the cave entrance, but a mysterious masked figure stalks them, and Sun Siming is knocked unconscious in the chaos.
Spoiler Alert
The Old Switcheroo Backfires
Fu Sheng is always three steps ahead. He knew Sun Siming was plotting something nasty for the competition. So, he swapped the real jade plate for a fake one. Sun Siming didn't check. He grabbed the fake and ran to Su Rang to claim his reward. That backfired immediately. Su Rang realized it was a dud. Sun Siming suddenly found himself staring death in the face. He had to think fast. He told Su Rang he knew a secret tunnel into the city. He promised to find Fu Sheng and the real plate within a day. It was a desperate lie, but it bought him time.
The Siege of the Medical Hall
Sun Siming doesn't waste a second. He leads a squad through the secret tunnel and storms the city. They head straight for the Medical Hall. This is bad timing. Fu Sheng is in the middle of a critical surgery on Wen Yu. He can't stop. Wen Jiu gets the news and steps up. He rallies the elite guards to defend the hall. But the enemy has too many men. The City Lord's troops start to crumble. Wen Jiu knows they need to buy time. He grabs his weapon and charges into the enemy lines himself.
Wen Jiu's Last Stand
Inside, Fu Sheng focuses on the surgery. Outside, it is a bloodbath. Wen Jiu fights like a man possessed. He blocks the path of the entire enemy army. Sun Siming tries to get him to surrender. Wen Jiu refuses. He is there to protect Wen Yu until the end. Sun Siming gets frustrated. He offers a huge reward for Wen Jiu's head. The soldiers swarm him. Wen Jiu fights them off, but he takes heavy damage. He backs up to the door and blocks it with his body. The enemy soldiers are actually scared of him. They hesitate. So Sun Siming plays dirty. He shoots a cold arrow from a distance. It hits the mark. Wen Jiu dies standing his ground.
A High-Stakes Bargain
Sun Siming is absolutely ruthless. He drags Wen Jiu's body to the door. He threatens to slaughter the remaining guards if Fu Sheng doesn't hand over the plate. The surgery finishes. It was a success. Then Fu Sheng hears the news about Wen Jiu. He is devastated. But he keeps his cool. He walks out with the real jade plate. He uses it to force Sun Siming to release the captives. Then he makes a demand. He wants to see Su Rang. He threatens to smash the plate if they refuse. Sun Siming has no choice. He agrees.
The Hunt Begins
Fu Sheng meets Su Rang. He holds the plate hostage. He claims he has extra clues about the treasure. He offers to lead them to it. Sun Siming tries to weasel his way into the expedition too. Guo Sishui warns Su Rang against this. He knows Sun Siming is too ambitious. Su Rang doesn't care. He plans to use that ambition for his own gain.
The group heads out. They carry the Luan Bird Map and the jade plate. Sun Siming gets paranoid. He thinks Fu Sheng is walking them in circles. Fu Sheng puts the map on the plate. It triggers a reaction. Fu Sheng remembers a childhood game he played with his father. It involved a map of the Xichuan terrain. The puzzle pieces click into place.
The Dragon's Head
They reach a mountain peak. Sun Siming sends his men to search the area. Wen Yu and Gu Tian act casual. They admire the view. Sun Siming watches them like a hawk. He trusts no one. Fu Sheng looks at the landscape. He sees the shape of a dragon in the mountains. The entrance is right at the dragon's head. They find the cave. But they aren't alone. A masked man watches them from the shadows. The group enters the cave. It is a maze inside. They get separated in the dark. Someone attacks Sun Siming and knocks him out cold.
