Episode Summary
Yan Fengshan installs a fake prince as a puppet emperor. Xie Huaian reveals to Wang Pu that Yan killed his biological parents. Wang Pu confronts Yan and commits suicide by eating poisoned dumplings. Xie regroups with his allies at Cangshui Abyss. Yan tries to hire the Tiemo tribe to kill White Kiss Tiger, but Xie plans to intercept the deal.
Spoiler Alert
The Vendetta of An Episode 15 Recap
The Puppet Emperor
Yan Fengshan is desperate to secure his power. He needs a puppet on the throne immediately. He finds a random orphan and concocts a lie. He claims this kid is actually royal blood from the Xiao family. He says the boy is the lost crown prince. He dresses the confused child in dragon robes. Yan doesn't care about the truth. He just needs a figurehead to control.
A Horrifying History Lesson
Wang Pu goes to meet Xie Huaian alone. Xie decides it is time for the truth. He tells Wang Pu about his origins. The story goes back twenty-five years. The Tiemo people captured Yan Fengshan and his soldiers. They locked them in a granary in Minshanzi. The captors starved them. They eventually left only one bun and a dagger. Yan Fengshan realized the Tiemo wanted the prisoners to kill each other.
Yan did exactly that. He slaughtered everyone to survive. The Tiemo sent men to clear the bodies later. They found Yan sitting in a pile of corpses. He was eating them. Yan broke out of the granary and killed the Tiemo soldiers before escaping.
The Murder of Wang Pu's Parents
Yan fled the scene and found a farmhouse. A kind couple took him in. They fed him and cooked meat for him. They put a knife on the table for the meal. Yan took that knife and murdered them. The couple had a baby. Yan felt a rare moment of guilt. He decided to raise the infant. That baby grew up to be Wang Pu. The man he calls father is actually the butcher who killed his parents.
The Last Meal
Xie Huaian gives Wang Pu an ultimatum. Go back and poison Yan Fengshan with dumplings, or die right now. Wang Pu returns home. He cooks a plate of dumplings. He asks Yan if the story is true. Yan admits it without hesitation.
Wang Pu makes a tragic choice. He eats the poisoned dumplings himself. He vomits blood before he can finish the plate. With his dying breath, he lies to Yan. He claims Xie Huaian is watching from a nearby tower wearing a fish-skin mask.
Yan sends guards to the tower immediately. It is empty. Wang Pu dies in front of him. Yan realizes the cruelty of Xie's plan. Xie knew Wang Pu wouldn't kill his adoptive father. He just wanted Yan to watch the boy die. It hits Yan hard.
Gathering the Old Crew
Xie Huaian ties up loose ends. He takes Captain Wang to a temple. They beat up the guard there. This guard is smart. He recognized Xie earlier. He kept tabs on Xie as a potential backup plan. But when Xie looked unstable, the guard tried to sell him out for reward money. Xie spares his life anyway.
Zhu Zhiguang takes Xie to Cangshui Abyss. Xie reunites with old allies. He sees Xiao Wenjing and Ye Zheng. Xiao Wenjing used to be a shop clerk who stole salt for extra cash. He is thrilled to see Xie. He looks at Xie like a savior.
Xie also visits Xiao Wuyang. Wuyang has a moment of clarity. He tells Xie to keep living. He says a man with Xie's courage should use his brain to help the people. Xie laughs bitterly. His father was that kind of man. It didn't save him from a terrible death. Xiao Wuyang has no answer for that.
The Tiemo Negotiation
Tiemo envoys arrive in the capital. They want to cut a deal with Yan Fengshan. Yan agrees to their terms. He promises to give them a huge chunk of land. In exchange, they must kill White Kiss Tiger. Xie Huaian gets this intel. He sees an opportunity. He decides to approach the Tiemo himself. He thinks he can offer better terms and steal their alliance.
