Episode Summary
Gu Yu forces the regional commanders to surrender their troops, but the alliance's plan to ambush Yan Fengshan fails catastrophically. Yan tricks them into killing Xie Huaian's sister instead. The Tiger Guard seizes control of the capital, forcing Emperor Xiao Wuyang into hiding and wiping out Gu Yu's forces. Xie Huaian buries his sister and comes face-to-face with Yan Fengshan, recognizing him as his family's murderer before vowing revenge.
Spoiler Alert
Gu Yu Flexes His Muscle
Gu Yu doesn't waste time feeling sorry for himself. He leaves Hidden Soldier Alley and rolls his wheelchair straight to the four regional commanders. These guys are tough veterans. They even planned to take out Prime Minister Gao themselves. But Gu Yu stares them down. He tells them Yan Fengshan is weak and untrustworthy. He mentions the mountain of corpses he left behind in the alley as proof of his own power. He threatens that if they don't hand over their military command, their families will suffer. The commanders do the math. They surrender their power immediately.
The Decoy at the Gate
The trap is set. A pass forged by Xie Huaian appears at a city checkpoint. Reports confirm a man in white wearing a bamboo hat is approaching. This matches Yan Fengshan's description. Gu Yu and Xie Huaian wait with Emperor Xiao Wuyang. They watch the walls. A signal flag goes up. The gates close on the white-clad figure. Soldiers swarm in and stab the target to death instantly.
But something is wrong. A soldier brings an umbrella found on the body to the Emperor. Xie Huaian freezes. He gave that specific umbrella to his sister. He runs to the bloody scene. It isn't Yan Fengshan. It is his sister, Bai Wan. She was hacked to death by their own ambush. Xie Huaian breaks down completely.
The City Falls
Xie Huaian realizes too late that he got played. Yan Fengshan used a decoy. The real villain is already inside the city. His Tiger Guard troops have seized control of the defenses. Their first target is the Emperor.
Emperor Xiao Wuyang’s sedan gets surrounded. His bodyguards die quickly. The Emperor relies on his own martial arts skills to fight his way out and goes into hiding. Gu Yu tries to bring his White Kiss Tiger unit to the rescue. It’s a slaughter. The unit gets wiped out and Gu Yu goes missing in the chaos.
A Cruel Twist
Xie Huaian stays by his sister's body. He finds a kinship note in her hand signed "Liu Li." We learn the sick truth behind her return. On her way home, she met a family who told her a story about a brother who ferried a boat for seven years to protect his sister. She connected the dots and realized Xie Huaian was her brother. She rushed back to the capital to find him. She didn't know Yan Fengshan staged that entire interaction to lure her into the trap.
The Face of the Killer
Xie Huaian buries his sister at their old family home. He tells Ye Zheng and Xiao Wenjing to flee the city. He goes out alone to commission a spirit tablet. That is when he runs into Yan Fengshan. The villain chases him down to gloat. He asks if Xie admits defeat. Xie looks closely at Yan’s face. He recognizes him. This is the man who killed his family on that rainy night years ago. Xie Huaian laughs cold. He promises he will return.
