Episode Summary
Xie Huaian and Han Ziling rescue Gu Yu, but Gu Yu refuses to leave without revenge. After a failed ambush on Wang Pu, the group splits up. Gu Yu escapes to summon the Emperor's army. Han Ziling sacrifices himself to save Xie Huaian and is killed by Wang Pu.
Spoiler Alert
The Search for Gu Yu
Xie Huaian heads to Zuihua Tower based on Han Ziling’s tip. It doesn't look like a prison. That story about Wang Pu dragging Gu Yu around on a chain was just a trick. Xie helps Han focus. They need to remember the one time they actually saw Gu Yu. Han recalls the iron shackles around Gu Yu's neck. The metal cut deep. There was a lot of blood. That means someone had to dress the wounds.
Han starts digging through the trash immediately. It pays off. He finds a strip of bloody gauze in a bin. Gu Yu is definitely here. Xie Huaian teams up with Gu Yu’s subordinate, Wu Mei. They take out the guards and locate the prisoner.
Blood for Blood
Time is running out. Xie Huaian tells Gu Yu they need to move now. Wu Mei killed people to get in here. The people running Hidden Soldier Alley will figure it out within a day. But Gu Yu refuses to leave. He isn't done yet. His White Kiss Tiger unit was slaughtered. He wants payback. He begs Xie to help him kill Wang Pu. Xie hates Wang Pu anyway. He agrees to the risky plan.
Wang Pu thinks he has won. He prepares to deliver the final blow to the White Kiss Tiger remnants. He walks right into a trap. He opens a door and Gu Yu is waiting on horseback. Gu Yu fires an arrow immediately. Wang Pu barely reacts in time. The arrow almost hits him right between the eyes. Gu Yu looks like a cornered animal. He has piled up the bodies of death row prisoners. The count matches the number of his fallen soldiers exactly.
The Escape and the Lie
Wang Pu manages to run away. He goes to get backup. Gu Yu and Xie split up to escape. Wang Pu’s reinforcements are already starting a counterattack. Xie Huaian and Han Ziling make a run for it. They want Gu Yu to leave without looking back. They send a message to him claiming they already broke out.
Gu Yu leads a few of his guards out of Hidden Soldier Alley. He realizes the truth once he is safe. Xie Huaian is still inside. The alley is too massive. Gu Yu’s thousand soldiers can’t destroy it alone. He hands a token to a guard. He orders him to ride to the palace and beg the Emperor for the Jinwu Guard and the cavalry.
A Drink for the Dead
Xie Huaian and Han Ziling are trapped. They hide in Di Lu’s room. We get a dark reveal here. Han Ziling killed Di Lu earlier because Di Lu discovered Xie’s identity. Han tears up. He burned Di Lu’s body and hid the ashes in a wine jar. Di Lu loved wine. It’s a tragic send-off.
Han is loyal to the end. He knows this is a suicide mission. He asks Xie how many more people they need to kill. Xie wants to wipe out the Tiger Guard and kill Yan Fengshan. But Yan isn't here yet. The Tiger Guard is tearing the place apart looking for them. There is no way out. Han makes a choice. He gives his chance at survival to Xie. He runs out to distract the guards.
Xie Huaian makes it about a hundred steps. He stands on a wall and waits. He hopes Han will follow. But Han Ziling is surrounded. Wang Pu looks at him with disgust. He says Han is just a garbage picker even in death. Then he stabs Han Ziling in the chest.
