Episode Summary
The Pill Hall's plan to assassinate Prince of Chang and retrieve Ma Yingdan goes awry. Alliances shift as Ma Yingdan, Zhuge Heng, and Gou Lingfeng solidify their friendship. Deng Yunfeng secretly releases Pill Hall prisoners and learns Gou Lingfeng killed the Deputy Hall Master.
Spoiler Alert
This episode is a wild ride, folks! Things are heating up in Huizhou City, and nobody's quite who they seem.
The episode kicks off with the Deputy Hall Master of the Pill Hall getting a status report. Turns out, their poison did a number on the Wulin Hero Assembly, leaving them with barely any fight left. Prince of Chang is expected to arrive soon, and the Deputy Hall Master is itching for revenge, ordering his people to make tonight a success, no matter the cost. He's especially worried about Ma Yingdan, the poison expert, messing up their plans.
Speaking of Ma Yingdan, she's playing dress-up! Zhuge Heng and Gou Lingfeng follow her leads to a brothel called Juhong House, only to find her disguised as a courtesan. Gou Lingfeng can barely contain his laughter, and Zhuge Heng is hiding behind his fan, shaking with amusement. Ma Yingdan isn't thrilled, but she gets serious when she realizes the brothel owner's rouge has the same poison they've been tracking. They find the real owner tied up, revealing that the "madam" was a Pill Hall imposter.
Ma Yingdan chases after the fake madam, who tries to tempt her to join the Pill Hall, promising a haven for her unconventional methods. Gou Lingfeng and Zhuge Heng arrive to find Ma Yingdan in a brawl. The real owner, Hao Mei, shows up and knocks out the Pill Hall disciple, but still manages to roast Gou Lingfeng with her sharp tongue.
Meanwhile, Prince of Chang is on his way to Huizhou City with his daughter. He's pushing her to get close to Deng Yunfeng, because Deng's foster father, Eunuch Deng, controls a huge chunk of the court. If they can get Deng Yunfeng on their side, the kingdom is practically theirs.
Back with the good guys, Ma Yingdan cures the Wulin heroes. He Changzai begs her to protect Prince of Chang. Ma Yingdan and Zhuge Heng agree, and Gou Lingfeng insists on joining, forming a temporary duo with Zhuge Heng called "Zhu-Gou are not as good as others." (a play of words of their surnames)
Prince of Chang arrives in style, and his daughter, the Linglong Princess, is already smitten with Deng Yunfeng. At a banquet, Prince of Chang names He Changzai as the Vice President of the Wulin Hero Assembly, and announces his intention to marry his daughter to Deng Yunfeng. Deng Yunfeng is shocked and declines, while Linglong Princess hides her feelings, saying she needs time to get to know him.
In a separate room, Gou Lingfeng, Zhuge Heng, and Ma Yingdan are waiting for something to happen. Ma Yingdan brings out wine, and Gou Lingfeng and Zhuge Heng are nervous she's still plotting revenge against the Vice President. Ma Yingdan assures them she's not evil.
That's when chaos erupts! Pill Hall assassins crash the party. Zhuge Heng instinctively protects the Linglong Princess, making her fall for him even harder. The Deputy Hall Master kidnaps Ma Yingdan, threatening to kill Prince of Chang because of the past crackdown on the Pill Hall.
The Deputy Hall Master reveals that the Vice President is actually the Pill Hall Master, and their goal is to take Ma Yingdan. Gou Lingfeng and Deng Yunfeng team up to rescue Ma Yingdan, but Gou Lingfeng thinks he's been poisoned and starts a dramatic farewell speech. Ma Yingdan, annoyed, just gives him an antidote.
The Deputy Hall Master swallows a red pill, a secret medicine made from her heart's blood by the Vice President, and gets a massive power boost, knocking out Deng Yunfeng. Ma Yingdan is heartbroken, realizing she was just a pawn. Gou Lingfeng uses his demonic powers to kill the Deputy Hall Master.
Liu Sanniang arrives to clean up the mess. Deng Yunfeng wakes up and demands to know who killed the Deputy Hall Master, and Zhuge Heng covers for Gou Lingfeng. On the way back, Ma Yingdan talks about her past with the Vice President, and Gou Lingfeng comforts her. The three become friends.
The next day, Deng Yunfeng is ordered to escort the Pill Hall disciples, but he lets them go. He also learns that Gou Lingfeng was the one who killed the Deputy Hall Master.
