Episode Summary
Xie Huaian survives a critical neck injury while Liu Ziyan is ostracized by his own allies for disobeying orders. While Xie recovers and relives his traumatic past in a coma, his team sets a trap using one of Liu's old subordinates. Xie wakes up just in time to ambush Liu Ziyan, killing him and avenging his father. The episode ends on a poignant note as Xie reunites with his childhood dog, who leads him to his father's secret grave.
Spoiler Alert
A Blade to the Neck
Ye Zheng arrives just in time to interrupt the fight. He trades blows with Liu Ziyan, but Liu knows when to cut his losses. He sees an opening and bolts. Ye Zheng can't chase him. Xie Huaian is in bad shape. He has a knife sticking out of his neck. Ye Zheng scrambles to find a doctor.
Zhu Zhiguang shows up and takes control of the chaotic scene. He orders his men to brew a soup to stop the bleeding. The situation is critical. The knife has to come out, but pulling it might kill Xie Huaian. Zhu Zhiguang decides to do it himself. Bai Wan steps in to help him with the operation.
The Waiting Game
The surgery is technically a success. The dagger is out. However, Xie Huaian remains unconscious. Zhu Zhiguang gives the group a grim prognosis. He can't guarantee Xie will ever wake up. The blood loss was massive. Xie might recover, or he might stay in a coma forever like a living corpse.
Bai Wan refuses to accept that. She is devastated but holds onto hope. She knows her brother. His vendetta isn't finished yet. He won't let himself die until the job is done.
No Safe Harbor
Liu Ziyan runs back to Hidden Soldier Alley thinking he is safe. He is wrong. Yan Fengshan is furious with him. He gave strict orders not to touch Xie Huaian because Xie holds Xiao Wenjing hostage. If Xie dies, they lose their leverage. Liu Ziyan ignored orders and used the Tiger Guard for a personal grudge.
The alley turns hostile. Liu Ziyan realizes he is trapped. He fights desperately and manages to break out of the encirclement. He tracks down an old subordinate from years ago. This man helped him slaughter Liu Ziwen’s family. The man has since remarried and hidden his identity. Liu Ziyan threatens him. He demands a carriage out of the capital in two days, or the man’s new family dies.
A Deal in the Shadows
Bai Wan doesn't just sit by Xie’s bedside. She makes a move while he sleeps. She finds the wife of Liu’s old subordinate. Their daughter has been missing for a while. Bai Wan makes the terms clear. If the husband does what they want, the kid comes home safe. The mother tears up the moment she hears her child is still alive.
Ghosts of the Past
Xie Huaian drifts into a fever dream. His mind goes back more than a decade. He watches his uncle murder his father. A young Xie grabs his little sister and flees into the snow. They walk for miles, cold and starving. They find a ruined hut. Xie leaves her there to find food.
When he returns, she is gone. A kind family took her in. Xie realizes she is safer without him. Carrying the Liu family name is a death sentence. He decides to let her live a normal life. He follows the family and works as a boatman nearby for seven years. He watches over her until she is an adult. Only then does he leave.
In the dream, Xie sees his father. He holds his father's cold hand. His dad tells him to live for himself, not just for revenge. Xie rejects this. He tells his father that revenge is the only way he can find peace. He wakes up two days later.
The Trap Springs
The two days are up. Liu Ziyan gets into the carriage to escape Chang'an. He thinks he has outsmarted everyone. He closes his eyes to rest. When he opens them, his old subordinate is gone. The drivers are Xie Huaian and Ye Zheng.
Xie Huaian doesn't hesitate. He plunges a dagger into Liu’s chest. He stabs him repeatedly, paying him back for every wound he inflicted on Xie's father years ago.
Old Friends
Liu Ziyan is dead. The subordinate kneels and begs for his life. He asks Xie to spare his daughter. Xie tells him to look behind him. The girl is already back with her mother. Xie spares the man. He knows the guy was just a pawn trying to survive back then. The family leaves quickly.
Suddenly, an old dog runs toward Xie. It barks frantically. Xie looks closer and recognizes it. It’s "Big Yellow," his childhood dog. The dog is still alive. It leads Xie, Bai Wan, and the others into the woods.
They find a stone marker. It is a grave for Xie’s father. Someone in the capital risked their life to bury Liu Ziwen properly. The dog has been guarding the grave this whole time. Xie is overcome with emotion. He realizes he wasn't entirely alone.
