Episode Summary
Zhuge Heng's quest for Yuehua Swordplay leads him to become Black Chick Hero's apprentice. Gou Lingfeng struggles to help Ma Yingdan with her poisoning while dealing with his secret identity as a Demonic Sect leader. A martial arts tournament is set up, with Zhuge Heng and Gou Lingfeng facing off, only for Ma Yingdan to interrupt. Baihe Xia deals with the loss of his father's portrait and the revelation about the "Life's Saber" technique. Political intrigue brews with Prince of Chang and Eunuch Deng.
Spoiler Alert
"Hidden Master" Episode 13: A Tangled Web of Sects, Secrets, and Seriously Bad Timing
Alright, folks, Episode 13 of "Hidden Master" is a wild ride! Zhuge Heng is still obsessed with learning the Yuehua Swordplay. He's practically begging Gou Lingfeng to teach him, even considering going straight to the Old Beggar (Gou Lingfeng's master). But Gou Lingfeng shuts that down fast. Apparently, the Old Beggar and the Jianmeng Sect (Sword Alliance) are mortal enemies. Anyone from Jianmeng is toast if the Old Beggar sees them.
Zhuge Heng, understandably bummed, storms off and accidentally bumps into Ma Yingdan. Cue the drama – she coughs up blood! She tries to play it cool, but Gou Lingfeng is immediately blaming Zhuge Heng. Zhuge Heng fires back, pointing out that it's obviously the poison inside Ma Yingdan acting up, and that Gou Lingfeng isn't taking good enough care of her. Ouch. Gou Lingfeng clearly feels guilty about that.
So, Zhuge Heng is drowning his sorrows at a local tavern when Dao Laoda (Knife Boss) from the Demonic Sect strolls in with his crew. And guess who's with him? The Black Chick Hero (Hei Chu Xia) that Baihe Xia (White Crane Hero) mentioned! Dao Laoda asks if Black Chick Hero is confident about facing Baihe Xia. Black Chick Hero admits he beat Baihe Xia before, but knows Baihe Xia will send a student this time. To avoid looking bad if he wins against a student, Black Chick Hero decides to take on a student himself. Zhuge Heng sees his chance and immediately kowtows, offering to trade Yuehua Swordplay secrets for apprenticeship. Talk about seizing the moment!
Meanwhile, Baihe Xia is showing off a fake "Solid Gold Saber" outside his shop and has Gou Lingfeng guarding him. Gou Lingfeng uses the opportunity to ask about detoxifying methods from Poison Immortal Valley, but Baihe Xia tells him no one from Poison Immortal Valley can be cured. Gou Lingfeng is bummed out and starts collecting poisons to try and find a cure for Ma Yingdan himself.
Zhuge Heng packs his bags and tells Gou Lingfeng he's leaving to become Black Chick Hero's student. They argue, and Zhuge Heng storms off. Gou Lingfeng chases after him, only to run into Dao Laoda and Black Chick Hero. Dao Laoda recognizes Gou Lingfeng from a portrait he saw of Old Beggar and immediately kneels, calling him "Sect Leader"! Gou Lingfeng is freaked out and runs away, covering his face.
In the palace, Deng Yunfeng reports to Eunuch Deng about the list, but Eunuch Deng already knows everything. Prince of Chang shows up and implies that Wu Guangming's power is growing too strong, asking him what he thinks should be done. Eunuch Deng suggests Deng Yunfeng join the Wulin Xia Association, which Prince of Chang thinks is a great idea.
The day of the martial arts competition arrives, and the Wulin Xia Association is charging a fortune for entry! Even Black Chick Hero has to pay. Baihe Xia and Black Chick Hero argue, with Black Chick Hero claiming he didn't kill anyone from his sect, but Baihe Xia doesn't believe him. Gou Lingfeng notices that Black Chick Hero looks younger than Baihe Xia, even though he's the older brother.
Gou Lingfeng, wearing a mask, steps in to fight for Baihe Xia. But guess who Black Chick Hero sends out? Zhuge Heng! During the fight, Gou Lingfeng is holding back because he doesn't want to reveal his Demonic Sect skills. He's got Zhuge Heng on the ropes but can't finish him off quickly. Ma Yingdan sees an opportunity and sets the backyard on fire, stopping the fight while everyone rushes to put out the fire.
Baihe Xia is devastated because a portrait of his father was destroyed in the fire and yells at Gou Lingfeng for stalling during the fight. Wu Guangming secretly tells He Changzai to help Baihe Xia rebuild the Divine Saber Sect, especially to cultivate "Worse than pigs and dogs". Baihe Xia thinks Gou Lingfeng's martial arts are mediocre and asks He Changzai and Liu Sanniang to find experts, but they can't find anyone good.
Later, Baihe Xia runs into Black Chick Hero, who mocks him. Baihe Xia is angry but scared of Black Chick Hero's skills. Gou Lingfeng suggests treating Baihe Xia's toothache first, and Baihe Xia reveals that his father only taught Black Chick Hero the full saber techniques, leaving him with only "Life's Saber". The brothers used to be close, but they became enemies after Baihe Xia's father died. Ma Yingdan reveals that "Life's Saber" is the Divine Saber Sect's ultimate technique, which almost no one has mastered in the last hundred years. Gou Lingfeng and Ma Yingdan decide to help Baihe Xia regain his confidence and unlock the essence of this technique.
