Episode Summary
Heng Hui is defeated but mysteriously regenerates, prompting suspicion of a hidden mastermind. Xu Qi'an teams up with the elusive formation master Yang Qianhuan to investigate. The truth behind Princess Pingyang's death a year ago is revealed, implicating the Minister of War and leading to a dramatic confrontation in the Imperial Court.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with a fierce battle. Xiao Rou faces off against Heng Hui, a formidable opponent. Despite her skills, Xiao Rou is quickly overpowered and severely injured after only three rounds. Yang Yan, seeing his partner down, rushes to her aid and impressively pierces Heng Hui's chest with his sword. However, Heng Hui mysteriously regenerates, showcasing some unknown power. Luckily, Yang Qianhuan steps in with a finishing blow, forcing Heng Hui to retreat.
Yang Qianhuan, Yang Yan, and Xiao Rou are left puzzled. They realize that Heng Hui's arm seemed unnatural, possessing immense power beyond that of an ordinary person. They suspect a hidden mastermind is pulling the strings, but they can't figure out who. Yang Qianhuan, hearing about a low-ranking "copper gong" (Xu Qi'an) being assigned to the case, is intrigued and decides to meet this Xu Qi'an personally, not wanting to be outshined.
Meanwhile, Heng Hui flees to a hiding place – a dry well – where he finds Hengyuan meditating. Hengyuan urges his fellow monk to turn back from his dark path, but Heng Hui remains defiant, even threatening to consume his senior to replenish his energy.
Back at Wei Yuan's office, Xu Qi'an finds Xiao Rou and Golden Gong Jiang heavily bandaged, with Jiang sporting a black eye, causing Xu Qi'an to chuckle. Based on Yang Yan's account, Heng Hui is suspected of being a top-tier martial artist. The focus now shifts to Xu Qi'an to uncover the mastermind behind these events. Wei Yuan advises Xu Qi'an not to use his "Qi-gazing" technique on officials above the fourth rank, but explicitly allows him to bring along a sorcerer. Xu Qi'an initially hopes to bring Caiwei, but Yang Yan cryptically hints at a "more powerful" companion.
This "more powerful" person turns out to be Yang Qianhuan, a fourth-rank formation master from the Si Tian Jian. Xu Qi'an, curious about Yang Qianhuan's identity (which is only revealed by the writing on his clothes), tries to get a glimpse of his face, but Yang Qianhuan, with his incredible agility, effortlessly evades him.
Xu Qi'an, however, is no fool. To gain Yang Qianhuan's trust, he recites a flattering poem, "Holding the sun and moon, plucking stars; there's no one like me in this world," which greatly pleases the formation master. When Xu Qi'an mentions he's going to interrogate Minister of War Zhang Shen, Yang Qianhuan readily agrees to accompany him.
With a mere wave of his fan, Yang Qianhuan transports Xu Qi'an to the Minister of War's residence. Even facing away from Zhang Shen, Yang Qianhuan can sense that the Minister is lying through his teeth. Despite their collaboration, Xu Qi'an still doesn't manage to see Yang Qianhuan's true face.
A message arrives via a jade mirror: Hengyuan has been found. Xu Qi'an rushes to the scene with his fellow Night Watchmen, finding not only Hengyuan but also the lifeless body of Heng Hui. Hengyuan claims that Heng Hui sacrificed himself the previous night to save him. He then reveals a long-hidden secret: a year ago, Princess Pingyang, refusing an arranged marriage by the Emperor, sought help from Earl of Pingyuan's heir to escape, obtaining a magical artifact to conceal her presence.
The Princess, naive and sheltered, and the carefree heir, unfamiliar with the darkness of power, were doomed from the start. Zhang Yi, a seemingly trustworthy attendant, betrayed them, aiming to strike at Yu Wang. Zhang Yi, son of the Vice Minister of War Zhang Shen, brutally murdered Heng Hui and attempted to assault Princess Pingyang, who chose to take her own life with a hairpin.
Heng Hui's body, already dead, was then manipulated by a powerful entity, infused with demonic energy. Yang Yan identifies this as a "corpse puppet," indicating that Heng Hui had become a mere vessel.
Following Hengyuan's directions, Xu Qi'an locates Princess Pingyang's burial site and unearths her remains. Lin'an, hearing the devastating news, rushes to the morgue. She's heartbroken to see her closest friend and sister, Princess Pingyang, dead. Comparing the unearthed hairpin with her own, she confirms it's indeed the Princess.
Princess Pingyang's mother also arrives, overwhelmed with grief at the loss of her daughter. In the palace, the Grand Princess, usually composed, is enraged by the news.
Learning that the death of Princess Pingyang was caused by Zhang Yi and Earl of Pingyuan's heir, Lin'an writes a letter in her own blood. She personally delivers it to the Emperor and the court officials.
During the morning court, Lin'an, dressed in mourning attire, presents her blood-written letter, detailing Princess Pingyang's tragic fate. The usually cheerful Lin'an is now tearful, her pale face accusing the Minister of War of his crimes. The implicated officials are terrified upon hearing the details of the case.
