Episode Summary
Supa relives a 2009 assault by Tai Shu, thwarted by Liao Zhibai. A decomposed corpse hidden in a village statue is identified as Tai Shu, dead for years. Nawa’s twisted loyalty to Ke Xin drives him to murder Tai Shu and Jie’en, framing the crimes as supernatural acts. A tense confrontation exposes Nawa’s crossbow attacks and obsession, while a photo links him to the unresolved Liào family fire mystery.
Spoiler Alert
Supa’s traumatic 2009 memory resurfaces: Tai Shu once tried to assault her at night, but Liao Zhibai intervened, fighting him off. During the struggle, Tai Shu shot Liào in the arm with a crossbow bolt. Meanwhile, the shattered village deity statue reveals a hidden corpse. Forensic expert Qi Xia determines the remains are decades old, identifying Tai Shu through a prosthetic eye. Liao Zhibai connects this to Jie’en’s recent suspicious act of damaging the statue with an axe, suspecting he’d glimpsed the body but kept silent.
The village descends into chaos as Nawa and grieving grandmother Granny Yun claim Tai Shu’s innocence. Liao Zhibai questions why Granny Yun mourns her abusive grandson so deeply. While authorities arrange blood tests, Granny Yun scatters Tai Shu’s “ashes” into the river—later revealed to be fake. Shu He probes Nawa about the statue’s mysterious construction five years prior, which villagers attributed to divine intervention. Liao Siyuan theorizes the killer murdered Tai Shu during the statue’s renovation, then impersonated him via surveillance footage to create an alibi.
Autopsy reports show Tai Shu was stabbed from behind, mirroring Jie’en’s fatal wounds. The team debates how the killer concealed the corpse’s odor within cement, suggesting advanced methods. Suspicions mount as Liao Siyuan deduces the murderer exploited a timed underwater device using tires to fake their whereabouts. A breakthrough comes when Li Zhi discovers crossbow bolts at Nawa’s home—identical to the weapon used against Supa and Liao Zhibai.
Tensions erupt as Supa confronts Nawa about impersonating the River God, only to be shot with a crossbow. During the showdown at Nawa’s hideout, he confesses: Tormented by Tai Shu’s cruelty—including stealing Granny Yun’s medicine funds—Nawa killed him after he targeted Ke Xin, the woman Nawa secretly loved. When Jie’en later threatened Ke Xin, Nawa repeated his violent “protection.” The episode closes with a bombshell: Nawa admits photographing the Liào family fire years prior but claims ignorance of the shadowy arsonist’s identity, leaving the mystery burning hotter than ever.
Key Spoilers:
- Nawa’s crossbow attacks link him to multiple crimes
- The statue corpse is confirmed as Tai Shu, dead for five years
- Romantic obsession drives Nawa’s murder spree
- Fire investigation takes shocking turn with Nawa’s photo revelation
