Episode Summary
A renowned but fraudulent "Child-Giving Master" at a remote temple uses his disciples to impregnate women seeking help to conceive. A new magistrate, Han Muzhi, sends courtesans Luo Shuxiang and Jin Miaocui undercover to expose the scheme. They succeed, revealing the Master's deception and a hidden hoard of wealth. The Master is killed during an attempted escape, and Luo Shuxiang asks Han Muzhi to buy her freedom from the brothel.
Spoiler Alert
The series opens in rural Linfen, where a remote, ancient Buddhist temple is nestled deep within a mountain range, surrounded by lush forests. The temple's bells resonate through the valleys, a constant reminder of its presence. Inside, a renowned "Child-Giving Master" draws hopeful visitors from far and wide.
Luo Shuxiang and Jin Miaocui, who present themselves as sisters-in-law, have made the arduous journey to the temple seeking help to conceive. Upon arrival, they are met with the temple's strict protocols. They see a row of soft-soled shoes before the statue of the Child-Giving Master, and are made to exchange their footwear. Bai Yue, the Master's chief disciple, greets them not with warmth, but with demands. He orders them to kneel and confiscates their jewelry.
The women finally meet the Master. Luo Shuxiang explains their plight: she has been married for three years without a child, and her "sister-in-law" Jin Miaocui has been married for five, also without children. They beg for guidance. The Master performs a small ritual, sprinkling water from a copper basin, and then has his disciples provide the women with two types of pills: "Qi Rong" pills and "Menstrual Regulator" pills. He meticulously explains how to take them and instructs the women to retire to their rooms for prayer.
Later, Luo Shuxiang attempts to explore the temple grounds but is rebuffed by Bai Yue and forced back to her room. That night, Bai Yue sneaks into Luo Shuxiang's room, intending to assault her. She fights back fiercely, scratching his shoulder. Bai Yue, enraged, accuses her of not taking the prescribed pills. Luo Shuxiang lies, claiming she vomited after taking them. Bai Yue proceeds to sexually assault her. During the assault, he discovers her undergarments are sewn shut. He flies into a rage, striking her, and notices her body is already covered with bruises.
Luo Shuxiang desperately pleads for mercy, revealing a shocking truth: she is a servant in the Ding household. The Ding family's master has been unable to produce an heir, and the mistress has sent Luo Shuxiang and Jin Miaocui to seek the temple's blessing. Luo Shuxiang explains that if they return home appearing untouched, it will prove the Child-Giving Master's legitimacy. She offers Bai Yue all her money and proposes a twisted scheme. She will lure the mistress to the temple, where Bai Yue can use the same method to impregnate her. Luo Shuxiang plans to use this to overthrow the mistress, take her place, and, once the master dies, live happily ever after with Bai Yue.
Bai Yue, weary of the Master's control and greed (the Master keeps all the donated money), is tempted. He worries Luo Shuxiang might betray him, but she offers to write an IOU. A dark alliance is formed. Meanwhile, in Jin Miaocui's room, another disciple attempts the same assault. Jin Miaocui fights back, leaving him covered in scratches, but he ultimately retreats, frustrated.
The shocking truth about the Child-Giving Master is revealed: he's a complete fraud. He keeps twenty young, virile men as his "disciples." These men are used to impregnate the women who come seeking help. The "miracle pills" are actually sedatives, used to render the women unconscious. The women, believing they've been blessed by the Master, return home and soon discover they are pregnant, further solidifying the Master's reputation as a miracle worker.
The charade begins to unravel when County Magistrate Chen Meiqing arrives at the temple with a group of constables. They subdue the gatekeeper and surround the compound. Chen Meiqing demands that the Master and all his disciples be brought before him, and he roughly handles a disciple who resists. The Master finally appears, arrogant and demanding, but is quickly put in his place by Han Muzhi, who has only been in office for ten days. The Master, thoroughly intimidated, begs for mercy and summons his twenty disciples.
Han Muzhi orders the disciples to remove their clothes. Bai Yue and another disciple have visible scratch marks. Han Muzhi presses for an explanation, but Bai Yue lies, claiming they were just roughhousing. Luo Shuxiang steps forward and exposes the lie, recounting in detail how Bai Yue drugged and assaulted her. The Master immediately throws Bai Yue under the bus, claiming it was all Bai Yue's doing and that he had no knowledge of it. Luo Shuxiang wants to implicate the Master, but lacks concrete proof. The other scratched disciple then reveals Luo Shuxiang's true identity: she's a courtesan from the Mingke Brothel, known by the stage name "Jinnang." The Master demands that Han Muzhi severely punish Luo Shuxiang. Luo Shuxiang, suspecting hidden passages within the temple, suggests a thorough search. Han Muzhi orders the constables to begin.
The constables discover a secret passage, where they find numerous women held captive. Chen Meiqing suggests taking the captive women in for questioning, but Luo Shuxiang pleads with Han Muzhi to release them, explaining that they are also victims. The backstory is revealed: a few days earlier, a woman who had visited the temple, unable to face her husband's family with the demand for money, attempted suicide by drowning. The constables rescued her, and she revealed the temple's sinister scheme. This prompted Han Muzhi to send Luo Shuxiang and Jin Miaocui undercover to expose the truth.
Luo Shuxiang leads Chen Meiqing to the Master's residence, where they quickly uncover another secret passage. Inside, they find a vast hoard of gold, silver, and land deeds. The Master denies ownership. Han Muzhi orders the Master and his disciples to be taken into custody for interrogation. Suddenly, Luo Shuxiang faints. Han Muzhi, concerned, orders that the Master and disciples be held under guard at the temple. Luo Shuxiang doesn't regain consciousness until dawn. Han Muzhi shows her great care and then orders the constables to escort the Master and his disciples down the mountain to the county Yamen (government office).
On the way, a group of bandits ambushes them, attempting to rescue the Master. The Master demands that Han Muzhi release him, but Han Muzhi refuses. The Master orders his bandits to kill Han Muzhi and his men. However, Chen Meiqing arrives with reinforcements, surrounding the Master and his gang. The Master realizes that Luo Shuxiang's fainting spell was a ruse, a way for her to signal Chen Meiqing to bring backup.
Desperate, the Master takes Luo Shuxiang hostage. Han Muzhi bravely offers himself as a hostage in exchange for Luo Shuxiang. Chen Meiqing seizes the opportunity and shoots the Master dead. The bandits scatter. Han Muzhi, keeping his promise, offers Luo Shuxiang a reward, but she refuses, asking only for Han Muzhi to buy her freedom. The episode closes with a flashback to the previous day: Madam Yu of the Mingke Brothel is preparing for the "coming-of-age" ceremony (hair-pinning ceremony, marking adulthood) of an eighteen-year-old courtesan. She has spread the word far and wide, and the brothel is packed with eager patrons.
