The Wanted Detective Recap, Plot, Synopsis
The Wanted Detective Synopsis
On the day of his wedding, Xiao Beiming, the top detective of the Great Qi, is framed as the demon Yesha and accused of murdering his master and betraying the nation. He escapes by jumping into Fengbo Lake.
Three years later, Xiao Beiming returns to the capital and gains the trust of his junior sister, Zhong Xueman. In the darkness, he teams up with a group of intelligent and courageous companions, using their lives as bait and facing death head-on. Together, they solve several bizarre cases, uncover the true identity of Yesha, stabilize the turbulent state of Great Qi, and protect the people of the realm.
The Wanted Detective Recap
Episode 1 Recap
The Emperor of Qi, wishing to honor forty-eight loyal ministers who had served the court for many years, commissioned the construction of the Lang Hua Pavilion. Within this grand structure, ministers were to be ranked by their contributions, with Lu Wenzhong, Qin Ye, Fan Jingzhi, and Shen Bi, four senior aides, holding the highest honors.
However, on the very day of the Lang Hua Pavilion's opening, a chilling phenomenon occurred: tears of blood flowed from the eyes of the four distinguished ministers' statues. The Emperor immediately ordered all knowledge of this ominous event to be sealed, yet in the days that followed, all four ministers met with bizarre and tragic ends.
Lu Wenzhong, traveling day and night to deliver disaster relief, was found decapitated in a forest, with the name "Yesha" carved into a nearby tree. Soon after, Qin Ye was mysteriously engulfed in flames while writing in his study, leaving only ashes and the name "Yesha" scattered on the floor. Fan Jingzhi was later found drowned in a washbasin, with "Yesha" scrawled on his mirror.
The mysterious deaths of these three senior aides plunged the Qi court into a state of panic, and strange phenomena began appearing among the populace, including blood-stained lakes and bleeding fish, accompanied by chilling notes proclaiming "Yesha's descent, the Qi Kingdom will be doomed." The Elite Constabulary Unit's Constable Xiao Beiming arrived to investigate the death of Lin Shu, found dead in his room. By simulating the crime scene, he deduced the true nature of the murder.
He found husk residue near a cushion and observed a small bird outside the window, leading him to conclude that Lin Shu had been murdered by his cousin, Lin Kang. Years prior, Lin Shu had become paralyzed, and Lin Kang had moved into his mansion, claiming to care for him. However, Lin Kang had dismissed Lin Shu's servants and subjected his cousin to continuous torment.
When Lin Shu's will to live proved surprisingly strong, Lin Kang, driven by greed for the family property, decided to kill him. Despite Lin Kang’s initial denial, the evidence—including the meticulously precise stab wounds, his choice of a stormy night to mask the murder, the poor quality of food Lin Shu received, his numerous bedsores, and the hurried changing of the property deed after Lin Shu’s death—left him no choice but to confess.
Later, while eating at a noodle stall, Xiao Beiming, through astute observation of the owner's bloodshot eyes, herbal residue on his clothes, and his mother's unusual absence, correctly deduced that the owner’s mother was gravely ill. He generously paid extra, urging the grateful owner to use the money for medicine without delay. Just as Xiao Beiming was preparing to investigate another case, an imperial envoy arrived to summon him and his master to the palace.
As Xiao Beiming changed his blood-stained clothes, Zhuge Kongyun from the Secret Investigation Unit appeared, mockingly commenting on his appearance and suggesting the Elite Constabulary Unit's constant work left them little leisure. In the imperial court, a heated dispute erupted between Zhong Yunchi, the Chief of the Elite Constabulary Unit, and Zhuge Tong, the Chief of the Secret Investigation Unit, both vying for the authority to investigate the Yesha case.
Zhuge Tong initially requested a month, then shortened it to ten days. Unexpectedly, Xiao Beiming boldly declared he could solve the case in just three days, citing his upcoming wedding as the reason for needing a swift resolution. Impressed by Xiao Beiming's recent track record of solving difficult cases, the Emperor entrusted the Yesha investigation to him, warning of severe consequences if no progress was made within the promised timeframe.
After the court session, Zhong Yunchi was deeply troubled, sensing that the Yesha case was far more complex than it appeared and secretly suspecting a connection to a mysterious past event at a place called Sea Cliff. The Emperor, upon hearing Zhong Yunchi's subtle reference, reacted with sudden fury, sternly warning him never to speak of it again. He then discreetly handed Zhong Yunchi a jade tablet, instructing him to secretly seek out a specific person.
Meanwhile, back at the Elite Constabulary Unit’s headquarters, Xiao Beiming faced a stern lecture from his master for his impulsive promise to the Emperor, unaware of the meticulous plan Xiao Beiming had already formed. That night, Xiao Beiming stealthily returned to the Lang Hua Pavilion. As he expected, a masked figure appeared, and they immediately engaged in combat. After a few exchanges, Xiao Beiming recognized his junior sister, Zhong Xueman.
He intentionally feigned defeat to end the fight, not wanting her involved in the dangerous case. He urged her to return home, but Zhong Xueman remained resolute, insisting on assisting with the investigation, explaining that her motivation was to expedite their marriage. Despite the culprit having wiped away the blood tears from the statues to destroy evidence, Xiao Beiming's keen mind quickly uncovered another crucial clue.
The following day, he visited the forest where Lu Wenzhong was murdered and, after a thorough examination, discovered suspicious markings left on a tree. Meanwhile, Shen Bi, restless at home, was determined to leave for his new assignment despite his guards' objections regarding his safety. Xiao Beiming, with a flash of insight, assured Shen Bi that he could depart safely, promising to guarantee his well-being.
Subsequently, Xiao Beiming arrived at a gambling den, where he found his junior, Fang Yin, in a predicament, having lost a large sum to Zhuge Kongyun, who was now threatening to sever his fingers. Xiao Beiming calmly called Zhuge Kongyun's bluff by sarcastically suggesting the fingers were a fair price. Realizing the stalemate, Zhuge Kongyun dropped the pretense, admitting his actions were a ploy to get information about the Yesha case from Xiao Beiming.
They agreed to a wager over a game of dice: if Xiao Beiming lost, he would hand over all his clues; if Zhuge Kongyun lost, he would lead the bridal horse for Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman’s wedding procession. During the game, Zhuge Kongyun appeared to be winning consistently, oblivious that Xiao Beiming had shattered one of the dice, creating a winning roll.
Despite winning, Xiao Beiming "generously" provided Zhuge Kongyun with a crucial piece of information: Shen Bi was leaving the capital the next day. Upon learning of their gambling escapade, Zhong Xueman sternly reprimanded both Xiao Beiming and Zhuge Kongyun. The following day, four identical carriages departed from Shen Bi's residence, dispersing into different streets filled with suspicious individuals.
Zhuge Kongyun, deducing that Shen Bi was most likely in Zhong Xueman's carriage, decided to assist Xiao Beiming's "golden cicada shedding its shell" strategy, hoping to use it to his own advantage. However, just outside the city gates, Zhuge Kongyun reached Zhong Xueman’s carriage and was horrified to find Shen Bi already dead, having been silently pierced by a steel needle to a vital point in his head. Even Xiao Beiming, who was guarding the carriage, remained oblivious to the fatal attack, indicating a much larger and more insidious conspiracy was unfolding.
Episode 2 Recap
In the Emperor's court, a furious Emperor berated Zhong Yunchi for failing to solve the case within three days and for the assassination of Grand Secretary Shen Bi on the street. At that moment, Xiao Beiming of the Elite Constabulary Unit sought an audience and, to the Emperor's astonishment, presented Shen Bi alive and well. Xiao Beiming explained that he had faked Shen Bi's demise by having a death row prisoner, disguised with a lifelike mask, die in the carriage.
The plan was a ruse to lure out the true culprit, Yesha, though it had not yet succeeded. Despite this, the Emperor remained stern, demanding a full explanation and reminding Xiao Beiming that his three-day deadline had arrived. Xiao Beiming began his report, revealing the truth behind the mysterious deaths. He explained that the "blood tears" on the statue were not a divine omen but a special substance called Mara Candle, or Phoenix Wax.
This rare wax is colorless at room temperature but melts into a blood-red liquid when heated, creating the illusion of a divine curse. The perpetrator had bribed the eunuch guarding the Lang Hua Pavilion to apply the wax, and the eunuch was later found dead, either from suicide or silenced by Yesha.
Next, he detailed that Lu Wenzhong was killed by a Melted-in-Blood Thread, a near-invisible but incredibly tough line tied between trees, which was crafted to dissolve upon contact with blood. Qin Ye’s death by fire was caused by a special fuel containing nitre applied to his clothes; being nearsighted, he leaned close to a candle, and the fuel caused him to be instantly incinerated.
Lastly, Mr. Fan, who suffered from facial ulcers and used a daily medicinal wash, was paralyzed by an overdose of wolfsbane in his medicine and drowned in his basin. The name "Yesha" on his mirror was pre-written with acid, appearing only when exposed to steam. Xiao Beiming confidently concluded that although Yesha had seen through his trap, this was a calculated part of his plan, and he was now close to identifying the killer.
Despite Xiao Beiming's progress, his master, Zhong Yunchi, was furious. He chastised Xiao Beiming for audaciously using a death row prisoner as bait without permission, calling it an arrogant and dangerous act. Xiao Beiming defended his methods, arguing that the prisoner’s heinous crimes made his death a worthy sacrifice to save Shen Bi, and that extraordinary times required extraordinary measures. His master, though still angry, agreed to table the argument until the case was closed.
Xiao Beiming then shared his theory: Yesha was a high-ranking court official. He had narrowed the suspects to three men who had been privy to the fake route information for Shen Bi: Yin Er of the Army's Assassination Unit, known for his martial arts and underworld connections; Mei Baiyu, an Assistant Director from the Court of Judicial Review with legendary hidden weapon skills; and Miao Jie, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, a former ranger with access to all court dossiers.
Lacking direct evidence, Xiao Beiming proposed a bold plan: to use his own wedding to Zhong Xueman as a pretext to gather the three suspects and expose the true Yesha. His master was deeply worried, but Xiao Beiming remained resolute, believing the risk was necessary. That night, Xiao Beiming played chess with his master, whose unease was palpable. The master noted his apprentice's unusually risky strategy and warned him against overconfidence.
He explained that Yesha was a master manipulator of human emotion, far more cunning than any opponent Xiao Beiming had ever faced. He cautioned that Xiao Beiming's pride was his greatest weakness and that Yesha might be deliberately letting him win small victories to set up a devastating final move. Despite the grave warning, Xiao Beiming won the game, seemingly unshaken.
On the wedding day, Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman made a spectacle, riding together on a single horse led by Zhuge Kongyun. The banquet was held at Dingfeng Pavilion, where Yin Er, Mei Baiyu, and Miao Jie arrived to congratulate Zhong Yunchi. Their conversation was a web of polite congratulations and subtle, probing remarks.
Zhong Yunchi skillfully parried their questions about the lavish security, explaining that his adopted son's wedding required a scenic venue and that he had enlisted Yulin Commander Huo Zongyao for safety. During the ceremony, Zhong Xueman stood by Xiao Beiming, her expression a mix of love and tension. A constable herself, she had fully committed to his plan, viewing the capture of Yesha as the greatest possible wedding gift.
After the ceremony, Xiao Beiming stood alone, troubled by his master's solemn words from the night before, which had sounded like a final farewell. He feared for his master's safety. Zhong Xueman felt a similar sense of foreboding, recalling how her father had given her a family ring as a dowry, an act that felt more like a final entrustment than a gift. Soon after, Miao Jie suggested a boat trip on the scenic Fengbo Lake.
Zhong Yunchi attempted to delay, but the suspects were insistent. Xiao Beiming, after sealing Zhong Xueman's acupoint to keep her safe in their room, offered to join the men. Zhong Yunchi refused, but the three suspects pressed the issue, claiming they wished to celebrate with the groom and implying that Zhong Yunchi had something to hide. Relenting, Zhong Yunchi allowed Xiao Beiming to board the boat with them.
Once on the lake, Xiao Beiming presented the three officials with dossiers, openly accusing them of being Yesha. Outraged, they denied the charge and threatened to report him to the Emperor, only for Xiao Beiming to calmly reveal the entire operation was sanctioned by the Emperor himself. Stunned, the officials began accusing one another. The confrontation escalated when Miao Jie shockingly declared that Zhong Yunchi was the real Yesha.
He claimed the wedding was a trap to kill them all and that Xiao Beiming was an unplanned complication, which was why Zhong Yunchi tried to keep him off the boat. As Miao Jie prepared to reveal a damning story from Zhong Yunchi's past, Zhong Yunchi drew a dagger and lunged at him, plunging the boat into chaos. At that moment, Zhong Xueman, having forcefully broken her acupoint seal, leaped onto the boat.
She was met with a horrific sight: Miao Jie, Mei Baiyu, Yin Er, and her father, Zhong Yunchi, all lay dead. Xiao Beiming stood amidst the carnage, holding a bloody weapon, his eyes vacant as if he couldn't recall what had just happened. Before a devastated Zhong Xueman could even process the scene, arrows rained down from the shore. Xiao Beiming was struck and fell into the lake. Overwhelmed by the twin horrors of her father's death and her lover's apparent guilt, Zhong Xueman collapsed into unconsciousness as the water turned red.
Episode 3 Recap
Three years after the Fengbo Lake tragedy, a new bride meets a horrifying end in a secluded hut during a stormy night, impaled by a silver needle in a manner eerily similar to Zhong Yunchi and others. Zhong Xueman, haunted by nightmares of her father, Zhong Yunchi, wakes up drenched in sweat. She visits his memorial tablet, vowing to find Xiao Beiming and make him pay for his crimes.
Soon after, she witnesses another bride brutally sewn to death in a forest, the horrifying method chillingly consistent with previous cases. The clues she finds all seem to point toward Xiao Beiming. Incensed, Zhong Xueman arrives at the Elite Constabulary Unit, demanding access to the burnt corpse case dossiers. She finds the Case File Room in disarray, with Fang Yin, Xiao Beiming’s junior apprentice and newly appointed by his uncle, casually stepping on documents while playing with crickets.
Zhong Xueman furiously criticizes the negligence and demands he restore the room to its previous order, emphasizing the importance of preserving every clue. The new chief, Fang Tianzheng, soon appears with General Huo Zongyao, the Commander of Yulin Officers. Fang Tianzheng underlines the case's gravity, instructing officers Zhu Yitie and Tong Shuang to keep all clues strictly confidential, even from within the unit, subtly referring to Zhong Xueman's presence.
He entrusts the case to the meticulous Zhu Yitie and advises the new recruit, Tong Shuang, to learn from him. Demonstrating her improved combat skills, Zhong Xueman swiftly overpowers Fang Yin and seizes a dossier. Meanwhile, Zhuge Kongyun, head of the Secret Investigation Unit, receives a report about Zhong Xueman’s interest in the burnt corpse cases, deducing it is a veiled attempt to track Xiao Beiming.
Later, Zhong Xueman visits a tea house where a storyteller captivates the audience with a dramatic tale of Yesha’s escape and the murder of Zhong Yunchi. Zhuge Kongyun approaches her, proposing a collaboration to find Xiao Beiming. He points out that the Elite Constabulary Unit has fallen out of favor with the Emperor since the Fengbo Lake incident, with major cases now handled by his Secret Investigation Unit. He notes Zhong Xueman’s fruitless three-year pursuit of copycat murderers.
He then challenges her, suggesting she harbors doubts about Xiao Beiming's guilt despite the ironclad evidence: the tightly surrounded Fengbo Lake, the victims being poisoned, and Xiao Beiming's unexplained escape and three-year disappearance. Zhong Xueman asserts her belief in evidence alone, stating her resolve to find Xiao Beiming and uncover the truth, vowing to kill him herself if he is truly guilty. In a forest, Zhong Xueman follows a clue, and Xiao Beiming suddenly appears.
He immediately denies killing her father, revealing he was the one who provided her with the clue to lead her to him. He claims he has spent the last three years relentlessly tracking the real Yesha to prove his innocence. Xiao Beiming attempts to show her evidence, pointing out that the needle marks on three recent bride victims are identical to those from the Fengbo Lake case, signifying the killer's reappearance.
Zhong Xueman retorts that his presence at the scene only implicates him further. Overcome with fury, she stabs him in the shoulder. She then drags him to a secluded tunnel, demanding the truth of what transpired on the boat. Xiao Beiming, injured, explains that he had passed out shortly after boarding and awoke to the horrifying scene, professing no knowledge of the intervening events and adamantly denying he is Yesha.
Zhong Xueman cuts him off, forbidding him from uttering that name. Zhong Xueman then seeks out Feng Qingzhuo, a renowned coroner, requesting a substance that would incapacitate someone by sealing their internal energy. Feng Qingzhuo, indebted to Zhong Xueman for saving his life, provides what he believes is a "Paralysis Pill." However, he later discovers he accidentally gave her the extremely potent and rare poison, "Blood-freezing Frost."
Unaware of the mix-up, Xiao Beiming willingly consumes the pill to prove his innocence. He challenges her, stating that if she truly believed him to be her father's murderer, her blade would have pierced his heart, not his shoulder. He pleads with her to maintain a shred of doubt and let him stay by her side to uncover the truth. Just then, a distraught Feng Qingzhuo rushes in, revealing the mix-up.
He administers acupuncture, but the frost toxin has already infiltrated Xiao Beiming's body. It is a slow-acting poison for which Feng Qingzhuo has no antidote, leaving Xiao Beiming's remaining time uncertain, though it has completely nullified his martial arts and internal energy. Upon realizing the poisoned man is the wanted Yesha, Feng Qingzhuo expresses relief that he is now harmless. As he recovers, Xiao Beiming elaborates on his theory.
He insists that upon regaining consciousness on the boat, he found his master and the others already dead, and that he himself was poisoned and shot before falling into the lake. When Zhong Xueman questions how someone could commit the murders while drugged, Xiao presents a bold theory: the existence of a "sixth person" on the boat, someone who may have been on board all along.
He admits his past arrogance in believing Yesha was a single person and now theorizes that "Yesha" is a large, malevolent organization, based on the varied death methods of past victims. He dubs the sewing murderer the "Tailor" and explains that the recent sewing murders in the capital are the Tailor's work. Capturing this person, he argues, will prove his own innocence.
He also reveals that the burning of the recent victims' bodies was a cover-up by the Elite Constabulary, led by Fang Tianzheng, to avoid further disgrace. Despite the revelations, Zhong Xueman still demands concrete evidence. Xiao Beiming then uses a map to show that the locations of the murdered brides form a pattern. Zhong Xueman recognizes it as a "Four Devils Formation," a legendary array from the kingdom's founding believed to trap souls.
With three corners of the formation marked by murders, they realize a fourth is imminent. Noting the three-day interval between cases, they deduce the final murder is set to occur in the western suburbs tonight. Zhong Xueman rushes to the location, but tragically, arrives too late, finding another new bride has been brutally murdered.
Episode 4 Recap
Zhong Xueman discovered the bride hanging dead in her room. She immediately pursued a mysterious figure into the forest, engaging in a brief struggle before the individual, a member of the Elite Constabulary Unit, escaped. The following day, Zhong Xueman concealed herself near the crime scene. As anticipated, members of the Elite Constabulary Unit arrived, acting suspiciously as they prepared to burn the body.
Zhong Xueman stepped forward, sternly confronting Fang Zheng and demanding to know why he was concealing the case and destroying evidence. She pointed out this was the fourth "corpse-sewing" murder and threatened to report the matter directly to the Ministry of Justice and the Emperor, warning that the Secret Investigation Unit might take over. Fang Zheng grimly explained that he was destroying the evidence solely to protect her.
He revealed that Xiao Beiming, her former husband and alleged killer of her father, had reappeared, but all previous sightings had been fakes. Aware of her reckless nature, he feared for her safety if she were to confront the real Xiao Beiming, stating he owed her father a debt and must protect her. Zhong Xueman, however, asserted her duty as a constable, declaring she would uphold her father's name even if it meant death.
Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming learned he had been poisoned with "Blood-freezing Frost," a potent toxin that would corrode his organs, nullify his internal energy, and eventually kill him. He deduced that Feng Qingzhuo, who had treated him, was the "Little White Dragon" of the infamous Poison Valley. He recognized Feng Qingzhuo's unique "Beacon Fire Golden Needles" as a technique belonging to the Valley Master, the Unstoppable Old Man, who was Feng's master.
Xiao Beiming realized Feng Qingzhuo had hidden his identity within the Elite Constabulary Unit to escape a relentless manhunt. He proposed a deal: he would protect Feng's secret if Feng would help him investigate and keep his own presence near Zhong Xueman confidential.
Feng Qingzhuo, who explained he follows his master's teaching that poison can be used to either harm or save, insisted he is a healer who has never hurt anyone, blaming his dark reputation on rumors spread by "Old Bug," his master's rival. While Feng Qingzhuo accepted the deal, he clarified that he would have helped regardless because Zhong Xueman had once saved his life.
He asked them to consider "Little White Dragon" dead and to know him only as Feng Qingzhuo, the coroner. In her investigation, Zhong Xueman discovered that all four deceased women were courtesans, identified by tattoos on their backs as mandated by law. Jiang Yi, a fellow constable, confirmed the three previously burned bodies also bore these tattoos. All four had been redeemed and were wearing bridal gowns when they died.
Believing the killer's motive was key, Zhong Xueman knelt and pleaded with Fang Zheng to let her investigate, vowing to bring justice for her father and the victims. Fang Zheng reluctantly agreed. Jiang Yi offered his team's assistance, including Mo Chong and Liu Feng, to investigate the brothels. Zhong Xueman informed Xiao Beiming that one victim, Ruolan, was sold to a brothel by Hu Shisan, a notorious human trafficker, who then strangely bought her back for a higher price.
They went to Hu Shisan's residence but found he had been missing for over ten days. His subordinates confirmed they delivered women for him by carriage but knew nothing of their origins. They did, however, recall hearing Hu Shisan crying intensely the night before he disappeared. Later, Zhuge Kongyun, son of the Secret Investigation Unit's chief, secretly entered Zhong Xueman's mansion. He explored the backyard, pausing at an intriguing rockery, just as Xiao Beiming, who was inside, hid.
Zhong Xueman returned, interrupting Zhuge and sternly questioning his presence. He feigned an interest in the case but admitted his true interest was in her, alluding to a past offer of cooperation. After Zhong Xueman firmly rejected him, he left, instructing his subordinate to keep a close watch on her. The team decided to examine the victims' bodies at the Baishui River Morgue, with Zhong Xueman disguising Xiao Beiming as Feng Qingzhuo's helper.
At the morgue, Mo Chong directed them to Room Jin. Feng Qingzhuo began the autopsy and discovered fine gold threads beneath the skin of the victim's face, a feature consistent across all four bodies, even the three that were charred. Suddenly, the morgue door was locked from the outside and the building was set on fire. The fire intensified quickly, but Xiao Beiming managed to carry Zhong Xueman to safety.
Upon escaping, they encountered Fang Zheng and other constables, including Zhu Yitie, who had seen the fire. When questioned about the veiled Xiao Beiming, and as Zhu Yitie reached for the veil, Tong Shuang, another constable, loudly intervened. He chastised Xiao Beiming in a made-up dialect and falsely claimed he was a newly arrived friend from his hometown whom he had asked to assist.
Later, Tong Shuang secretly met with the group, revealing he was Xiao Beiming's long-standing informant inside the Elite Constabulary Unit. Zhong Xueman, though angered by the secrecy, now understood someone was actively trying to destroy evidence. Xiao Beiming theorized the fire was set by the killer, the "Tailor," to stop them. Feng Qingzhuo noted the gold threads were remarkably pure.
Xiao Beiming recalled the "Strange Stories of the Nine States" mentioning a secret Nanyue technique called "Gold Thread Rejuvenation," which used such threads to preserve youth. Realizing the victims were connected to the fallen Nanyue kingdom, they decided Nanren Lane was their next destination. The next day, the trio—with Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman disguised as a married couple and Feng Qingzhuo as their servant—visited a gold shop in Nanren Lane.
Zhong Xueman found the specific gold threads and questioned the owner about the rejuvenation technique. The owner became evasive, but under the threat of the Elite Constabulary Unit's "pig-skinning" torture method, he confessed. He sold the gold threads to "Blossom Skies," a Nanyue religious organization led by Sada, a supposed messenger from "Blue Heaven." He had implanted the threads into five selected "Saintesses" two months prior, including the woman in a portrait Zhong Xueman showed him.
He believed these women had ascended to Blue Heaven in a holy light. The team connected the dots: four of these five Saintesses were the "Tailor's" recent victims. The owner also revealed that Blossom Skies selected new Saintesses during a fireworks ritual on the 15th of every even-numbered lunar month. Realizing it was the 15th of the sixth month, they planned to investigate the ritual that night, unaware that Zhuge Kongyun's men were still tailing them.
Episode 5 Recap
Two months ago, a group of women were forcibly taken from a carriage to the Hu Mansion in the capital. Amidst the chaos, one woman, Hibiscus, managed to escape, briefly finding refuge in a guesthouse before being recaptured, bound, and held in a woodshed where she was ultimately killed. On the same night, Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman, disguised as villagers, calmly made their way towards Huaman Mountain with a group of abductors.
Xiao Beiming noticed they were being followed by Zhuge Kongyun's team. Realizing Zhuge Kongyun was uncertain of his presence and feared alerting them, Xiao Beiming had already discarded his bamboo hat to blend in. Due to Huaman Mountain's complex terrain, Zhuge Kongyun eventually lost their trail. The grand sacrificial ceremony at Huaman Mountain commenced. Marquis Jingshan, a respected figure, also arrived.
Years prior, he had protected the Emperor's family during an attack, suffering a leg injury that left him permanently disabled. For this, he received immense favor from the Emperor. Soon, the Saintesses were brought onto the stage, surrounded by devout villagers. As fireworks burst, illuminating the sky, the Saintesses seemingly vanished into thin air. The stunned villagers quickly knelt, believing it to be a divine manifestation.
Zhong Xueman and Xiao Beiming observed, deciding to wait for an opportune moment to uncover clues related to the corpse-sewing case. Afterward, Zhong Xueman exposed the deception. She deduced that Sada, the ceremony's leader, had used the dazzling fireworks to distract the crowd while scattering luminous stone powder into a fire basin. The powder produced an intensely bright light, causing people to shut their eyes.
Sada then activated a hidden trapdoor beneath the altar, causing the Saintesses to fall through and creating the illusion of their disappearance. Zhong Xueman opened the hidden compartment, discovering the abducted women. With his trick revealed, Sada confessed that a man named Hu Shisan was involved in selling the women after each sacrifice. At that moment, a group of mysterious black-clad figures appeared and rescued Sada.
Xiao Beiming restrained a pursuing Zhong Xueman, urging her to prioritize the rescue of the captive women. Witnessing Xiao Beiming's actions, Feng Qingzhuo began to see him in a new light, questioning if he had truly been framed. He also observed that Zhong Xueman's behavior towards Xiao Beiming went beyond merely preventing his escape; she desperately pursued other leads as if they were her only hope, which she wouldn't do if she truly believed him to be her father's killer.
Later, Zhuge Kongyun infiltrated Zhong Xueman's residence to ambush and capture Xiao Beiming. When he confronted a cloaked figure and removed the hat, he found it was Tong Shuang. Realizing he had been tricked, Zhuge pointed to bloodstains on the ground. Feng Qingzhuo claimed it was animal blood for a new medicine, but Zhuge insisted it was human blood. Zhong Xueman then covertly applied a substance to Zhuge Kongyun, causing him to cough up blood.
She wittily explained it was Tong Shuang's "waste blood" expelled after taking the medicine, forcing a humiliated Zhuge to leave. Xiao Beiming sought refuge at Dingfeng Pavilion, a place holding cherished memories with Zhong Xueman. Meanwhile, Zhong Xueman discovered that a woman named Hibiscus was missing from the list of rescued women. A trafficker recalled that Hibiscus had escaped two months prior but was recaptured after the other four Saintesses revealed her location.
The next day, Zhong Xueman's group found Hibiscus's body in an abandoned courtyard, buried in a makeshift grave marked with hibiscus flowers. Hu Shisan was also found dead nearby, his corpse sewn. The investigation revealed Hibiscus was pregnant and had died from blunt force trauma to the head, likely killed in a rage by Hu Shisan after her escape attempt.
They also recalled that one of the black-clad men who rescued Sada had been wounded in the shoulder, leading them to suspect Marquis Jingshan's two highly-skilled bodyguards, who were also from Nanyue and followers of the Blossom Skies cult. Zhong Xueman went to Marquis Jingshan's mansion to investigate but was met with strong resistance from the guards. Chief Fang soon arrived with the Elite Constabulary Unit.
Zhong Xueman declared that the two guards before them had rescued Sada the previous night and challenged them to prove their innocence by showing their shoulders. Marquis Jingshan intervened and ordered his guards to disrobe. However, they were covered in numerous minor cuts, a clear attempt to conceal the specific wound. Undeterred, Zhong Xueman pressed to search the mansion, warning the Marquis of the severe consequences of obstructing an investigation potentially linked to the "Yesha case" from three years ago.
At that critical moment, a servant reported that the Marquis's son, Ajia, had gone missing, with blood found in the backyard. Seizing the opportunity, the Elite Constabulary Unit began a full search of the mansion. Several courtesans were found drugged and unconscious. Examining the scene, Feng Qingzhuo found a piece of coarse cloth on a thorny bush and detected the distinct scent of iron and salt.
He deduced that the culprit frequented a place where large quantities of salt and iron were stored. In the capital, the only such place was the state-controlled Western Salt and Iron Works. The Elite Constabulary Unit immediately assembled and set off.
Episode 6 Recap
Tong Shuang urgently pleaded with Feng Qingzhuo to save Xiao Beiming, who was suffering from a frost toxin flare-up. Tong Shuang initially suspected Feng Qingzhuo had poisoned him, but Xiao Beiming confessed he had poisoned himself, insisting it had nothing to do with Feng Qingzhuo. Despite his deteriorating condition, Xiao Beiming prioritized the investigation. He instructed Zhong Xueman and Tong Shuang to proceed to the salt and iron factory while Feng Qingzhuo carried him to the scene where Ajia disappeared.
At a pavilion, Feng Qingzhuo observed striking bloodstains and a torn piece of cloth that Constable Zhu Yitie had discovered on thorns. The cloth had a distinct smell of salt and iron, leading them to suspect a connection to the salt and iron factory. Xiao Beiming had Feng Qingzhuo carry him to the wall where Ajia was taken, and just before collapsing, he murmured, "I understand now."
Meanwhile, Zhong Xueman and Tong Shuang searched the salt and iron factory, navigating through its labyrinthine warehouses. In a dimly lit dungeon, they discovered Young Master Ajia, barely clinging to life. His body was gruesomely pierced by thick threads and steel needles. They rushed him to Marquis Jingshan's Mansion, where a physician regretfully informed the Marquis that Ajia's injuries were too complex; removing the threads would cause excessive blood loss, and he could only temporarily stem the bleeding.
The Marquis was furious at the physician's inability to save his son. Back at the Elite Constabulary Unit, Zhuge Tong of the Secret Investigation Unit confronted Chief Fang, accusing him of concealing information about Yesha and the recent corpse-sewing cases, which were under his unit's jurisdiction. He warned Chief Fang against obstructing the investigation, threatening to take the matter directly to the Emperor. Chief Fang created a distraction by feigning anger and ordering Zhong Xueman away.
He then tried to explain to Zhuge Tong that he hadn't linked the recent cases to the Fengbo Lake case, but Zhuge Tong asserted that Chief Fang simply didn't understand Xiao Beiming and that their priority should be to capture him swiftly. Zhong Xueman returned to the still unconscious Xiao Beiming. Feng Qingzhuo explained that while Xiao Beiming's pulse had stabilized after acupuncture, the frost toxin would progress through stages, eventually leading to his death.
Zhong Xueman vowed to find an antidote before the toxin reached its final, fatal stage. Back at Zhong Xueman's residence, Xiao Beiming regained consciousness. Zhong Xueman recounted his last words before fainting. Xiao Beiming then revealed that the "Ajia" they found was an imposter, "Tailor," whose ultimate target was Marquis Jingshan himself. Xiao Beiming explained that Tailor used the real Ajia as bait because the Marquis was aware of Ajia's misdeeds but had chosen to ignore them.
Unable to directly assault the well-guarded Marquis, Tailor had orchestrated events, including leaving the salt and iron factory clue, to ensure the imposter Ajia would be brought back to the mansion. Zhong Xueman wanted to accompany Xiao Beiming, but he told her to wait, citing his own frailty from the poison. Despite this, he insisted it was his best and final opportunity and that he had to go.
Zhong Xueman rushed to the Marquis's Mansion, only to find the Marquis brutally murdered. Zhong Xueman pursued Tailor, disguised as Ajia, to a cliff's edge. As she confronted him, Zhuge Tong arrived with his forces. Tailor, without hesitation, leaped off the cliff. Zhong Xueman confirmed to Zhuge Tong that the man, disguised as Ajia, had indeed jumped. Zhuge Tong, expressing doubt that Xiao Beiming would commit suicide, dispatched a search party to the base of the cliff.
Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming, who was hiding on the cliff face, struggled to hold on as the poison weakened him. Tong Shuang attempted to reach him with a melon mace, but Xiao Beiming's grip failed, and he fell into the abyss as Zhong Xueman watched in horror. Following this, Chief Fang attempted to persuade Zhuge Tong to close the case.
However, Zhuge Tong firmly refused, stating that without a body, closing the case would be irresponsible and could lead to severe repercussions from the Emperor if Xiao Beiming were still alive. He then pointed out that Xiao Beiming had fallen under the Elite Constabulary Unit's watch, implying their responsibility. Chief Fang retorted that Zhuge Tong and his unit were also witnesses to the event. Later, Zhong Xueman and Feng Qingzhuo were among those searching for Xiao Beiming and Tailor.
Feng Qingzhuo was consumed by guilt, lamenting that if he hadn't mistakenly given Xiao Beiming the "Blood-freezing Frost," Xiao Beiming wouldn't have lost his martial arts skills and would have been able to save himself. Separately, Zhuge Tong visited a mysterious black market, inquiring about someone who had commissioned a "skin-like mask," but the shop owner remained uncooperative. Still convinced that Xiao Beiming was alive, Zhuge Tong jumped off the cliff himself.
He discovered a hidden cave midway down and, inside, found a corpse killed by Yesha's signature method, confirming his belief that Xiao Beiming was not dead. To Zhong Xueman's immense relief, Xiao Beiming reappeared at her residence. He explained that he had fallen into the secret cave, which was an ancient tunnel. Inside, he discovered the real Ajia's body and the very "skin-like mask" Zhuge Tong had sought.
He had then exited the tunnel from the other side of the mountain. He deduced that Tailor had long known about this hidden passage and that his "jump" was merely a calculated part of his escape plan. Xiao Beiming also revealed he now knew Tailor's true identity and his connection to Hibiscus.
He surmised that the grave found for Hibiscus was not created by Hu Shisan but by Tailor, who had also killed Hu Shisan and placed his body there as atonement. Xiao Beiming concluded that Tailor's series of murders were acts of vengeance for Hibiscus, a theory Zhong Xueman agreed with, noting that Hibiscus's deep trust in Tailor suggested an unusual bond. Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman arrived at Hibiscus's secluded, abandoned home, where they found Zhu Yitie already present.
Zhong Xueman questioned Zhu Yitie's unexpected presence at the remote house. Xiao Beiming directly confronted Zhu Yitie, revealing his true identity as "Tailor." Xiao Beiming systematically unraveled Tailor's elaborate scheme, starting with the morgue fire, which he said was deliberately set to obstruct the investigation. He explained that such a complex plot could only have been executed by an insider within the Elite Constabulary Unit.
He recounted Zhu Yitie's suspicious disappearance from the salt and iron factory and his subsequent sudden reappearance at the cliff. Xiao Beiming highlighted the deliberately placed cloth clue, which was meant to guide the Elite Constabulary Unit and ensure the plan's progression. Zhu Yitie tried to deflect, but Xiao Beiming countered that Tailor had never anticipated his return or his discovery of the secret cave containing Ajia's body and the mask.
Finally, Xiao Beiming declared that the irrefutable evidence was on Tailor's own body, challenging him to reveal the wounds from using steel needles to stitch through his own body to achieve the impersonation. Zhu Yitie, acknowledging he was severely injured from killing the Marquis and unable to fight, conceded defeat. He agreed to return to the Elite Constabulary Unit but requested a moment to bid farewell to the house.
Episode 7 Recap
Two years ago, while working on a case in Nanren Lane, Zhu Yitie encountered Hibiscus, a young woman from Nanyue. He was immediately smitten and, to help her out, bought all her tea leaves. Their connection deepened, and they soon married in secret within a cliffside cave, as relations between their respective countries were strained.
Those were the happiest days of Zhu Yitie's life; he yearned to abandon his past as a killer and live simply as Hibiscus’s husband and a father to their unborn child. However, this peace was shattered two months ago when Zhu Yitie returned from a case to find Hibiscus and their unborn child brutally murdered by Ajia, Hu Shisan, Marquis Jingshan, and four other individuals.
Overwhelmed by grief and a thirst for revenge, Zhu Yitie reverted to his old ways, meticulously using "sewing murder"—the most agonizing method—to ensure his victims suffered, framing these deaths to appear as Yesha’s work. Zhu Yitie admitted to his role in the deaths of Zhong Yunchi and the others from the Fengbo Lake case three years prior. He recounted how he had hidden beneath the ship's deck, emerging only after the five victims had been drugged into complete incapacitation.
He then effortlessly carried out the assassinations, leaving Xiao Beiming alive as per Yesha's specific instructions. He claimed never to have seen Yesha, only vaguely hearing a middle-aged man's voice on the ship. He described Yesha as an "extraordinary genius" who had meticulously designed the previous "Case of the Blood-Weeping Statues" as well. Zhu Yitie hypothesized that if Yesha was indeed on the ship, he might have inadvertently killed him during the massacre.
Following the initial killings, Yesha had given him a second order: to infiltrate the Elite Constabulary Unit and track down Shen Bi, ensuring he was eliminated. Zhu Yitie had managed to join the Elite Constabulary Unit, but Shen Bi had retired and vanished, presumably under the protection of the Secret Investigation Unit, preventing Zhu Yitie from fulfilling that second command. Before his own death, Zhu Yitie revealed the true meaning of the name "Yesha": "Haiya."
He explained that Haiya was a small, peaceful border city, home to fewer than ten thousand people. However, in the 36th year of Ningtai, it was tragically beset by a strange phenomenon where its inhabitants turned on each other and were brutally massacred overnight by monstrous individuals, or more accurately, by humans whose evil surpassed that of ghosts. These perpetrators then deliberately framed the slaughter as the work of a vengeful spirit, calling it "Yesha."
Zhu Yitie, a survivor and orphan of Haiya, then declared that every survivor of the Haiya massacre is "Yesha," and as long as one remains, "Yesha" will endlessly reappear, including Xiao Beiming. To ensure Xiao Beiming remained burdened with the "Yesha" identity and walked the "dark path" of vengeance, Zhu Yitie committed suicide in front of him, forcing Xiao Beiming to continue the quest for truth about Haiya.
Afterward, Zhong Xueman was devastated to learn of her father, Zhong Yunchi's, murder at Zhu Yitie's hands. Entering her father's room, she recalled him giving her a thumb ring as her dowry the day before his death, realizing it felt more like a final entrustment. Her suspicions were further fueled by his desperate attempts to prevent Xiao Beiming from boarding the ship that fateful day.
Xiao Beiming admitted that he, too, had suspected his master of being Yesha after witnessing Zhong Yunchi’s "angry, frenzied, out-of-control" expression just before Xiao Beiming himself blacked out on the ship. Xiao Beiming recounted his three-year search for Haiya, a place mentioned by Miao Jie on the ship, but to no avail. An old man confirmed that Haiya was indeed a legend, a border town wiped out by "demons."
Xiao Beiming deduced that Yesha's actions were driven by a desire to avenge Haiya. Zhong Xueman, remorseful, tearfully apologized for ever doubting and even poisoning Xiao Beiming. He comforted her, stating he never blamed her, and in fact, her actions had ultimately led him to find Zhu Yitie and uncover crucial truths. He assured her that having her and others by his side was his greatest comfort.
The next day, as the Elite Constabulary Unit tirelessly searched for the vanished Zhu Yitie, Xiao Beiming decided to "be Yesha again." He confided in his companion that he intended to lure out Shen Bi, believing that as a survivor of the Fengbo Lake incident, Shen Bi held vital information about Haiya. Despite warnings about the dangers and his dwindling time due to the frost toxin, Xiao Beiming was resolute.
Meanwhile, the master orchestrating Yesha's actions, a masked man in a cave, expressed no concern over Zhu Yitie's death or potential revelations. Instead, he welcomed Xiao Beiming's pursuit of the truth, intending to lead him and the entire Qi Kingdom to a grand, unsettling revelation.
News of "Yesha's" reappearance, marked by blood characters on a pillar, quickly reached Zhuge Kongyun, head of the Secret Investigation Unit, who immediately dispatched Li Long and his men to Chunyu Town to escort Shen Bi to a heavily guarded safe house. Despite the precautions, Shen Bi was found dead. The Emperor, furious at the loss of another official, demanded answers. Zhuge Kongyun reported that Shen Bi had been poisoned by "Heart-Severing Red" found in his pastries.
Xiao Beiming, realizing he had been manipulated and that his plan to draw out Shen Bi had led to the former official's death, deduced the cunning method of the poisoning. He recalled Shen Bi's habit of wetting his finger with saliva to turn book pages. The poison, he concluded, was not directly in the pastry, but on the books Shen Bi brought with him, transferred to his fingers, and then to the pastry as he ate.
Zhuge Kongyun, independently investigating Shen Bi's study, came to the same conclusion about the tampered books. Facing the Emperor's wrath, Zhuge Kongyun and his father were given a strict deadline: one month to apprehend Yesha, or face severe punishment. Accepting the immense pressure, Zhuge Kongyun pledged that the Secret Investigation Unit would bring Yesha to justice within the month.
Believing Yesha had a compelling motive beyond mere chaos, Zhuge Kongyun decided to investigate the resume documents of the four officials from the "Blood-Weeping Statues Case" to uncover any hidden connections among the victims and reveal the true reasons behind Yesha's relentless vendetta. He obtained a token to access the Imperial Secretariat for his investigation.
Episode 8 Recap
Years ago, a harrowing scene unfolds as a master is attacked by individuals seeking revenge. His distraught disciple cries out as the master defiantly challenges his assailants before succumbing. Years later, Xiao Beiming is determined to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Haiya, where its soldiers inexplicably turned into murderers overnight. He searches the Imperial Secretariat's archives for information on four specific officials.
His subordinate finds nothing unusual in their records, but Xiao Beiming notes a suspicious omission related to "The Council Chamber." He explains that in the 36th year of Ningtai, the year the late emperor passed away and His Majesty ascended the throne, several officials were temporarily assigned to handle state affairs in a side hall known as the Council Chamber.
While this is the only documented connection between the four officials, Xiao Beiming suspects it’s not merely a coincidence but a cover-up, suggesting they were involved in something together that led to severe consequences. Meanwhile, Zhong Xueman of the Elite Constabulary Unit seeks out Zhuge Kongyun of the Secret Investigation Unit, proposing a collaboration. She reveals that her father was among seven high-ranking officials killed by Yesha three years prior.
More recently, seven lives were lost in the corpse-sewing case, and now Mr. Shen has also fallen victim, bringing Yesha's total to fifteen. For Zhong Xueman, catching Yesha outweighs any rivalry between their units. Zhuge Kongyun agrees to cooperate, but with the condition that if Xiao Beiming, believed to be Yesha, is captured, he must be handed over to the Secret Investigation Unit for disposition.
Zhong Xueman provides a vital clue: her father once mentioned serving as a soldier in the 36th year of Ningtai, suggesting they investigate military records from that period. Xiao Beiming, discussing the case with his mentor, learns that Mr. Shen’s tragic death spurred him to send Zhong Xueman to Zhuge Kongyun—a risky yet crucial move. His mentor warns that Zhuge Kongyun will not be a mere pawn in their plans.
Xiao Beiming also recalls a heated argument he had with King Zhong of Constables before the Fengbo Lake case, during which the 36th year of Ningtai was mentioned, reinforcing its significance. Zhong Xueman and Zhuge Kongyun proceed to the Imperial Secretariat. They discover that the records for King Zhong of Constables from the 36th year of Ningtai and earlier have been torn out.
An official explains that documents of such high-ranking officials are annually reviewed and sealed by the Emperor and Cabinet, implying the records were likely torn before they were even filed. Suspecting higher-level involvement, they decide to investigate military records for any generals who served alongside King Zhong of Constables during that pivotal year.
Zhuge Kongyun continues his investigation, discovering that the records of Miao Jie and Huo Zongyao from the 36th year of Ningtai are also missing, strengthening the belief that someone is deliberately concealing events from that year. Recognizing a pattern of concealment, Zhuge Kongyun and Zhong Xueman head to Huo Zongyao's mansion, where they learn that General Huo suddenly died the previous night from an old illness.
They note that Miao Jie was killed three years ago at Fengbo Lake, alongside Zhong Xueman's father, leaving General Huo Zongyao as the only remaining individual connected to those events. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming, who had previously sent Zhong Xueman to collaborate with Zhuge Kongyun following Mr. Shen's death, also learns of General Huo's suspicious demise. He determines that immediate action is necessary to uncover the truth.
That night, Xiao Beiming, Tong Shuang, and their team infiltrate the Huo Mansion by posing as night watchmen, wearing special robes adorned with bats and moons, symbols of fortune and prosperity for the deceased. Inside the mourning hall, General Huo's two disciples, Xue Qianshan and Li Xiao, are openly at odds.
Xiao Beiming instructs his team to split up and search for clues: he and Tong Shuang go to General Huo's quarters, while Zhong Xueman and Feng Qingzhuo go to the backyard, planning to reconvene in half an hour. In the courtyard, Zhong Xueman discovers fresh bloodstains. She is then confronted by Huo Dairong, General Huo's daughter, who, rather than mourning in the main hall, is found armed at the training ground.
Huo Dairong, an astute observer with an interest in criminal investigation, quickly deduces Zhong Xueman's identity from her official boots and the distinctive Bi'an Sword. Huo Dairong reveals her suspicion about her father's sudden death and, recognizing a shared goal, proposes they work together, stating she trusts Zhong Xueman more than anyone else in her own household. She suggests starting their search in her father's bedroom, where secrets would likely be kept.
Meanwhile, Zhuge Kongyun’s father, Zhuge Tong, cautions his son against making rash judgments, advising him not to become overly fixated on Xiao Beiming every time a murder occurs, as it could lead him astray. The discovery that General Huo is to be buried the very next day, much sooner than the traditional seven days, deepens Xiao Beiming's suspicions, confirming that something is amiss. As Zhong Xueman heads to the bedroom, a scream from the mourning hall draws everyone's attention.
Huo Zongyao's wife claims a black-clad intruder attempted to assault her while she was sorting her husband's belongings. Zhong Xueman, witnessing the wife's disheveled state, coolly questions her, causing the woman to defensively exclaim that Zhong Xueman herself is a woman. Zhong Xueman then identifies herself as a constable from the Elite Constabulary Unit.
When asked for proof, she realizes she does not have her official badge, prompting the Huo family to brand her an impostor and attempt to seize her. At this critical moment, Huo Dairong steps forward, confirming Zhong Xueman's true identity as the daughter of King Zhong of Constables, thus allowing her safe passage. Capitalizing on the chaos, Xiao Beiming and his team successfully steal General Huo's body. Xue Qianshan and Li Xiao immediately pursue them.
As they flee, Tong Shuang deploys a smoke device, momentarily creating a diversion and allowing them to escape. After a swift journey, Xiao Beiming transports General Huo's body to the morgue at White River. The Huo family, having realized the theft, quickly catches up. At the morgue, Xiao Beiming activates another smoke device, but Xue Qianshan and Li Xiao threaten to set the morgue on fire, regardless of the body inside, to force them out.
Just as the situation escalates, Chief Fang arrives, preventing the arson and inadvertently buying Tong Shuang crucial time to conduct an autopsy. Tong Shuang's findings are perplexing: General Huo exhibits signs of strangulation—a swollen, purple-black tongue and bleeding eyes—yet there are no ligature marks, no external injuries, and no broken neck bones, making the death inexplicable by conventional means.
Zhong Xueman explains her actions to Chief Fang, admitting to stealing the body because she suspects General Huo's death is connected to the Yesha case and seeks to uncover the truth. Li Xiao challenges her, stating that all major cases in the capital now fall under the Secret Investigation Unit's jurisdiction, not the Elite Constabulary Unit's.
At this point, Zhuge Kongyun arrives, confirming that he was the one who initially discovered the suspicious nature of General Huo's death and had delegated Zhong Xueman to investigate. He apologizes for the commotion but asserts that both the Secret Investigation and Elite Constabulary Units, as part of the Ministry of Justice, are working together in unity.
Zhuge Kongyun then asks Zhong Xueman to open the morgue door, hinting at the need for her cooperation to de-escalate the tension, which she cautiously does, mindful of Xiao Beiming's hidden presence.
Episode 9 Recap
At the Huo Mansion, Zhuge Kongyun announced that he and Zhong Xueman were jointly investigating General Huo's death. The coroner, Feng Qingzhuo, then presented his findings, reporting that the General did not die of illness and that the circumstances were suspicious. In response, Huo Dairong, the General's daughter, requested that both the Elite Constabulary Unit and the Secret Investigation Unit thoroughly investigate her father's potential murder.
Feng Qingzhuo revealed that the General's neck bore hidden strangulation marks, which had been concealed with a specific cosmetic powder. The physical evidence, including a swollen tongue and eye hemorrhaging, confirmed death by asphyxiation—he had been strangled. While the Huo family was distraught, a disciple challenged the investigators, demanding that Zhong Xueman's crime of stealing the body not be overlooked.
Zhuge Kongyun intervened, promising that he and Zhong Xueman would solve the case by the General's seventh-day memorial or they would accept punishment. After the confrontation, Mo Chong met with Zhong Xueman, expressing frustration that trouble always seemed to find her. He acknowledged that her cooperation with Zhuge Kongyun was a personal decision, driven by her desire to apprehend Yesha quickly. Elsewhere in the mansion, Huo Dairong gently informed Feng, the General's concubine, that he had been murdered.
Feng was distraught, but Huo Dairong consoled her, noting that with his death, her mother would no longer have to endure his abuse or make tea for him. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming recounted his narrow escape from the mansion through a back window, worrying that Zhuge Kongyun remained suspicious. Zhong Xueman agreed that the case was strange, as the entire Huo family seemed to be hiding something.
She recalled suspicious details from her investigation: the disciple's quarters were run with brutal military strictness, evidenced by a training ground with old bloodstains and torture devices, suggesting a motive for revenge. Mrs. Huo’s back was covered in scars from abuse, yet her vibrant attire and calm demeanor during the mourning period suggested she was celebrating his death. Furthermore, the disciple Xue Qianshan had suggested burning down the mortuary, a clear attempt to destroy evidence.
Even Huo Dairong was an enigma, having instantly seen through Zhong Xueman's disguise and later attempting to curry favor, revealing a shrewdness that contradicted her gentle appearance. Reminded of their master's teachings on humility and public duty, Xiao Beiming affirmed that, regardless of its connection to Yesha, they had a responsibility to solve the murder. The next day, believing he had missed a key detail, Xiao Beiming roused Feng Qingzhuo and rushed to the morgue to re-examine the General's body.
Concurrently, Zhong Xueman and Zhuge Kongyun questioned the disciple Li Xiao at the Huo Mansion. Zhong Xueman deduced that the powder covering the strangulation marks must have been applied by the family, as it would have worn off otherwise. Cornered, Li Xiao confessed that he, Xue Qianshan, Mrs. Huo, Huo Dairong, and two maids had all been present when the General died.
He claimed the General suffered a violent delusion, believing he was fighting off avengers, and ended up strangling himself. Back at the morgue, Feng Qingzhuo examined the General’s calloused hands and the marks on his neck, theorizing that he did indeed strangle himself while under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug like the banned Five-Mineral Powder. Just as they reached this conclusion, Zhuge Kongyun arrived.
To avoid him, Xiao Beiming had Zhong Xueman feign an aversion to autopsies as an excuse to leave. Zhuge instructed Feng to proceed with the autopsy, offering him a "Taste-Blocking Pill" to help with the smell. Outside, Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman finalized their new plan: he would aid her investigation by posing as another constable, Tong Shuang.
Returning to the Huo Mansion, Zhong Xueman, accompanied by Xiao Beiming disguised as Constable Tong Shuang, found that Xue Qianshan was away and Mrs. Huo was too unwell to see them. They questioned Li Xiao in his quarters, where Zhong Xueman noted his nervousness, especially regarding a sharp dagger by his bed that he claimed was a family keepsake.
At the same time, Feng Qingzhuo's autopsy confirmed that the General's brain showed damage consistent with long-term consumption of hallucinogenic drugs over several months. Just then, Li Xiao reported that Zhuge Kongyun had arrived to inspect the General's pharmacy. To avoid being discovered, Zhong Xueman and the disguised Xiao Beiming proceeded to the East Courtyard to question Huo Dairong. Upon meeting them, Huo Dairong stared intently at Xiao Beiming, remarking that he strongly resembled a dear old friend.
She readily admitted to being present at her father's death and helping to cover the marks but confessed that she also had doubts. Stating that "seeing is not always believing," she questioned why her father, a man with no apparent worries, would kill himself, implying that the truth was more complex. She claimed her previous deception was for self-preservation, as she held little power in the household, and thanked them for pursuing the real story behind her father’s death.
Episode 10 Recap
Yesha's subordinate reported that everything was proceeding according to their master's plan. Yesha commented that Xiao Beiming, like a fish that has bitten the bait, would not easily let go, and by the time he realized it, the hook would be firmly in place. Yesha then ordered the subordinate to continue as planned, finding the entire "game of chess" with Xiao Beiming increasingly interesting.
Meanwhile, at the Huo Mansion, Xiao Beiming, disguised as Tong Shuang, and Zhong Xueman were questioning Huo Dairong. Xiao Beiming expressed confusion over Huo Dairong's mention of "self-protection," questioning who in the Huo household could harm the only daughter. Huo Dairong pointed out the dilapidated state of the East Courtyard compared to the other parts of the mansion, revealing that while she was indeed the family's only daughter, she was one no one cared about.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Madam Feng, the general's concubine, coughing. They requested to see her, but Huo Dairong hesitated, citing Madam Feng's frail health and overwhelming grief, eventually permitting them to wait. Concurrently, Feng Qingzhuo was examining tonics at the mansion when he was joined by Zhuge Kongyun. Upon learning that Constable Zhong and Tong Shuang were in the East Courtyard, Zhuge prepared to go there.
Fearing Zhuge would discover Xiao Beiming's disguise, Feng Qingzhuo resorted to various delaying tactics he had prepared. He suggested taking additional medicine bottles for testing, feigned forgetting his token, and pretended to be clumsy. Finally, his efforts paid off when a special medicine he had previously administered took effect, causing Zhuge to suffer severe stomach cramps and urgently need a toilet, effectively delaying him.
Zhong Xueman quickly advised Xiao Beiming to escape through the back door while she stalled Zhuge Kongyun, arranging to meet at Sanli Teahouse later. As Xiao Beiming reached the back door, he encountered Huo Dairong. She immediately revealed she had seen through his disguise and recognized him as Xiao Beiming, someone she had secretly admired for a long time, having even visited the Elite Constabulary Unit's gate multiple times to observe him.
She declared her belief that he was not Yesha, reasoning that Zhong Xueman, who had every reason to hate him, remained steadfastly by his side, proving he had earned her trust. Huo Dairong then questioned why a convicted man like him was so deeply invested in her father's case, suspecting a connection to Fengbo Lake. Xiao Beiming confirmed that General Huo was indeed linked to their leads and his mysterious death upon their arrival was too coincidental to ignore.
When someone was heard approaching, Huo Dairong quickly informed Xiao Beiming of the guards at the front and Zhuge Kongyun at the back, assuring him she had a plan and leading him away. Huo Dairong ingeniously disguised Xiao Beiming as an old swill collector, allowing him to leave the Huo Mansion unnoticed. Upon seeing his new appearance, Zhong Xueman displayed a hint of jealousy, questioning why a stranger would help him.
Xiao Beiming explained that Huo Dairong had sought his help in uncovering the truth behind her father's death. He shared Huo Dairong's suspicion regarding Mrs. Huo, the general's second wife. Huo Dairong recounted how her father's temperament had drastically changed six months earlier, becoming violently abusive, especially towards her mother, the concubine. She believed he had been poisoned, and since Mrs. Huo managed all his daily affairs and medicine, she was the prime suspect.
Xiao Beiming added that Mrs. Huo's family operated a weapons workshop that became a designated military supplier after her marriage. Zhong Xueman, however, cautioned against fully trusting Huo Dairong, describing her as extremely clever and difficult to read. They decided to find a way to meet Mrs. Huo themselves.
In a separate development, Zhuge Kongyun reported to his father that General Huo's death was caused by the long-term use of hallucinogenic drugs, confirming the killer was likely within the Huo Mansion. However, he admitted he couldn't establish a link to Yesha or Xiao Beiming, despite his intuition that Xiao Beiming was close by.
His father urged him not to waste time clinging to the Yesha connection without concrete evidence, reminding him that failing to apprehend Xiao Beiming would negate any other solved cases. Later, Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman observed Xue Qianshan acting furtively, entering a concealed, high-walled compound that Xiao Beiming identified as an illegal gambling den. They witnessed Li Xiao at the den's back door, demanding another 500 taels from Xue Qianshan for an item.
Zhong Xueman then began to follow Xue Qianshan but was unexpectedly joined by Zhuge Kongyun. After some verbal sparring, they followed Xue Qianshan together into a rouge shop. There, Xue Qianshan purchased an expensive perfume powder called "Beauty Snow." Both Zhong Xueman and Zhuge Kongyun recognized its unique scent from someone at the Huo Mansion. Suspecting a connection, they rushed to confront Huo Dairong.
She admitted receiving the gift but vehemently denied any romantic involvement, stating Xue Qianshan had been persistently pursuing her. She then agreed to assist their investigation. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming, reflecting on how his actions had inadvertently caused suffering to his colleagues, was inspired by Tong Shuang's earnest commitment to making amends for any wrongdoing, even for strangers. He thanked Tong Shuang, having found a new resolve.
Concurrently, Huo Dairong visited Xue Qianshan, feigning grief over her father's death and expressing vulnerability. With calculated words, she coaxed Xue Qianshan into revealing the source of his newfound wealth: a "treasure" that generated substantial income. Eager to impress her, Xue Qianshan went to retrieve it. After a long wait, a terrified scream echoed.
People rushed to the scene to find Xue Qianshan dead, with Feng Qingzhuo standing over the body, knife in hand, utterly disoriented and denying any knowledge of what had happened. Enraged, Mrs. Huo and others from the mansion demanded Feng Qingzhuo's immediate arrest. Zhong Xueman stepped forward to defend him, asserting his innocence and gentle nature.
Zhuge Kongyun concurred, pointing out that the highly skilled Xue Qianshan could not have been killed by a defenseless Feng Qingzhuo with a single stab to the chest without any signs of a struggle. He reasoned that the killer must either be a martial arts master or someone Xue Qianshan knew well enough to catch him off guard. Mrs. Huo accused them of favoritism, but Zhong Xueman firmly stated they would ensure justice without prejudgment.
She insisted on taking the now-fainted Feng Qingzhuo back to the Elite Constabulary Unit for official questioning. Mrs. Huo reluctantly agreed. Zhuge Kongyun then dismissed the case's complexity, claiming exhaustion, and departed, promising to return the next morning, all the while concealing a crucial lead he had discovered on Xue Qianshan.
Episode 11 Recap
Feng Qingzhuo, startled and disoriented, awoke remembering only that he had lost his medicine bottle on the road back to Dingfeng Pavilion and returned to the Huo Mansion to find it. There, he spotted Mrs. Huo rushing towards the backyard, an area reserved for Huo family disciples. Finding her demeanor suspicious, he followed her but was suddenly rendered unconscious. Upon regaining consciousness, he discovered Xue Qianshan's lifeless body beside him, making him the prime suspect.
He frantically insisted on his innocence. Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman began to piece together the events. Zhong Xueman recalled that Mrs. Huo, who lived in the South Courtyard, arrived at the scene of Xue Qianshan's death with surprising speed, even before servants could have reported it. Xiao Beiming deduced that Mrs. Huo must have been in the backyard from dusk until late at night for a secret rendezvous.
They concluded she was having an affair with a disciple, Li Xiao. This suspicion was supported by Huo Dairong, who had told Zhong Xueman that Mrs. Huo's spirits lifted only after Li Xiao joined the household three years prior. Furthermore, during their secret investigation of the mansion, Huo Dairong had intentionally led Zhong Xueman to a bedroom, likely hoping she would discover Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao together, but Li Xiao had already left.
Adding to the evidence, Xiao Beiming had noticed a knife by Li Xiao's bedside bearing the unique emblem of the Kunwu Knife Factory. Knowing Mrs. Huo’s father owned a weapon workshop, Xiao Beiming surmised the knife was a gift from her, confirming their romantic involvement.
The connection to Xue Qianshan's death became clearer when Xiao Beiming recalled a conversation where Xue accused Li Xiao and Mrs. Huo of controlling the Huo family’s wealth and engaging in "despicable things," implying they might have killed the General. This suggested Xue Qianshan possessed incriminating evidence of their affair, which Huo Dairong had alluded to when she mentioned Xue had a "treasure" that could generate continuous income.
They deduced that after Xue Qianshan discovered the affair and blackmailed them, Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao murdered him and framed Feng Qingzhuo. Anticipating the couple would try to retrieve the evidence, Xiao Beiming dispatched Tong Shuang to monitor the Huo Mansion, while Zhuge Kongyun appeared to have reached a similar conclusion on his own. Later, as Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman were discussing the case, Feng Qingzhuo arrived, interrupting them.
After a brief, lighthearted exchange, Xiao Beiming advised Zhong Xueman on handling Zhuge Kongyun's growing suspicions, suggesting she act like her "old self"—confidently uncooperative and even physically confrontational if necessary. The next morning, Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao attempted to flee under the pretense of a day trip to Biyun Temple for prayers. However, Xiao Beiming noticed the deep carriage wheel tracks, correctly deducing they were carrying heavy luggage and escaping.
He sent his men in pursuit and personally intercepted the couple. Li Xiao initially considered resisting, but Mrs. Huo pleaded with him not to fight, leading him to surrender. They were then taken to the Secret Investigation Unit for interrogation. Shortly after, Zhuge Kongyun confronted Zhong Xueman, questioning how she captured the culprits so swiftly and implying she had external help.
Following Xiao Beiming's advice, Zhong Xueman erupted in a fiery outburst, accusing Zhuge of treating her like a criminal and reminding him that she had tracked and captured the fugitives herself. She threatened him with physical harm if he provoked her again, causing him to back down and apologize. During the interrogation, Li Xiao tried to take the blame for Xue Qianshan's murder to protect Mrs. Huo.
However, Zhuge Kongyun countered with forensic evidence: the fatal wound on Xue Qianshan's body was inflicted from a low angle, indicating the killer was significantly shorter, a height that precisely matched Mrs. Huo. Faced with this, Mrs. Huo confessed. She admitted to killing Xue Qianshan to protect her affair with Li Xiao and secure the Huo family inheritance, and to framing Feng Qingzhuo. When questioned about General Huo’s death, both vehemently denied any involvement.
Feng Qingzhuo had discovered that the General's tonic was laced with "red crystal," a rare hallucinogen with a distinct fishy odor. Li Xiao revealed his crippled hands, explaining that General Huo had discovered their affair six months prior and had beaten Mrs. Huo severely. To appease the General, Li Xiao deliberately plunged his own hands into boiling oil. Afterward, the General retreated to his study, ignoring them. Soon after, Mrs. Huo discovered she was pregnant.
The General, who was infertile from an old war injury, knew the child wasn't his. To their shock, he gave them a divorce agreement, allowing them to leave for the sake of the unborn child. They claimed to be grateful and had no reason to harm him. They explained that the General’s sudden death the next day gave them a new, greedy idea.
Since no one knew of the divorce agreement, Mrs. Huo could remain his widow and inherit the fortune. Their plan was jeopardized when Xue Qianshan stole the agreement and blackmailed them. When he threatened to show the document to Huo Dairong, Mrs. Huo panicked, realizing that if Huo Dairong, as the rightful heir, saw it, they would lose everything. In desperation, she killed Xue Qianshan and framed the unconscious Feng Qingzhuo.
Expressing remorse, Mrs. Huo pleaded to be allowed to give birth before her execution, a request Zhuge Kongyun granted in accordance with the law. Despite the confession, Xiao Beiming remained suspicious about General Huo's death. He questioned why the General, a seasoned warrior, would not have noticed the foul smell of the red crystal-laced tonic he had been consuming for months. He concluded the poison was too obvious and must have been planted as a misdirection by the real killer.
His investigation revealed that Huo Dairong had consistently steered him towards suspecting Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao. Without the discovery of the divorce agreement, the affair and the poison would have been enough to convict them, leaving Huo Dairong and her mother to inherit the entire fortune. A new clue emerged when Xiao Beiming found a burnt fragment in the General’s study that read, "It's too late to regret the chaos at Haiya."
Connecting this to the General’s infertility, he hypothesized that Huo Dairong was not his biological daughter but an orphan from Haiya, a place linked to the mysterious "Yesha" organization. This would provide her with a powerful motive for revenge. To investigate further, the team returned to the Huo Mansion under the pretext of Feng Qingzhuo providing medical treatment for Madam Feng.
After diagnosing her with a condition that could lead to paralysis, alarming Huo Dairong, Feng Qingzhuo was led away to prepare medicine. Seizing the opportunity, Zhong Xueman directly asked Madam Feng if Huo Dairong was her and the General's biological daughter.
Episode 12 Recap
Following the arrest of Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao, and the ongoing investigation into General Huo's death, Feng Qingzhuo finished preparing a prescription for Madam Feng. Huo Dairong expressed her deep gratitude, and Feng Qingzhuo remarked that the bond between her and Madam Feng was truly touching. Shortly after, Xiao Beiming arrived.
Huo Dairong immediately inquired if Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao had confessed everything, stating that Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao had an affair, and if her father had discovered it, Mrs. Huo would have faced death. Given that Mrs. Huo managed the pharmacy, Huo Dairong believed she had the best opportunity to commit the crime.
However, Xiao Beiming revealed that General Huo had actually known about their relationship and had even signed a divorce agreement, but he passed away before they could leave. He further explained that Mrs. Huo had confessed that General Huo was infertile, though Huo Dairong insisted she was the General's biological daughter, born before his supposed hidden illness. Xiao Beiming then pointed out that managing the pharmacy wasn't conclusive evidence and that there were many ways to poison someone.
He then specifically asked Huo Dairong if any of the wellness tea, which Madam Feng had acquired from a renowned physician for the General, was still available. Huo Dairong, sensing suspicion, agreed to retrieve it, but Xiao Beiming followed her closely. Meanwhile, Zhong Xueman spoke with Madam Feng, pressing her to reveal the truth about an incident that occurred 23 years ago, observing Madam Feng's unusually tense reaction.
Xiao Beiming, upon examining General Huo's study earlier, had noticed that all the tea utensils had been replaced. However, he also observed that one particular flowerpot was positioned differently from others and was still blooming beautifully despite the season. He suspected that General Huo might have had a habit of pouring the last bit of his tea into the flowerpot, and the accumulated tea dregs mixed with fallen leaves in the soil were hard to notice.
He had asked Tong Shuang to retrieve this flowerpot. His presence and Feng Qingzhuo's medical consultation were merely a ploy to distract Huo Dairong and allow Tong Shuang time to collect the evidence. When Huo Dairong returned to her father's study, she discovered the missing flowerpot. Unbeknownst to her, Feng Qingzhuo had already found traces of the same hallucinogenic poison that was found in General Huo's body in the flowerpot's soil.
Upon confirming these findings, Xiao Beiming confronted Huo Dairong with the flowerpot at the Huo Mansion. Faced with irrefutable evidence, Huo Dairong confessed. She admitted to hating her father, claiming he had always treated her like an annoying object and allowed Mrs. Huo to bully her and her mother.
She poisoned him through the wellness tea, using a hallucinogen, intending for him to slowly sicken and die, so she could become the sole mistress of the Huo Mansion and secure a better life for her mother. She claimed he had accidentally strangled himself while hallucinating, viewing it as karma. However, Xiao Beiming did not believe her fabricated story.
Just then, Madam Feng arrived, scolding Huo Dairong for her childish and unconvincing account, and then confessed that she was the true killer of General Huo. She explained that six months prior, the General was troubled, and she sought a solution. By chance, she met a limping physician who gave her pills to add to the General's tea, promising it would alleviate his worries and make him more affectionate.
Initially, the General did become more energetic and loving, demanding the tea daily. But soon, he grew increasingly aggressive and dependent, like a wild beast, even physically harming her when she tried to withhold the tea. One night, while hallucinating from the tea, he saw Huo Dairong and screamed about a "Haiya ghost," attempting to kill her. To protect her daughter, Madam Feng made the desperate decision to increase the dosage of the poison.
She watched him descend into madness and ultimately strangle himself to death. Huo Dairong, desperate to save her mother, offered to conceal Xiao Beiming's true identity as a wanted criminal if he would spare Madam Feng's life. However, Xiao Beiming firmly refused to be blackmailed, stating that his principles were more important than his own life and that he would not yield to coercion.
Meanwhile, Zhuge Kongyun, having also gathered evidence against the mother and daughter, was rushing to the Huo Mansion. Madam Feng, however, began to cough uncontrollably, revealing that she had taken poison earlier, intending to atone for her crime with her own life. Before her death, she divulged a shocking secret: Huo Dairong was not her biological daughter.
Twenty-three years ago, General Huo had brought an infant girl back from the border, whom Madam Feng raised as her own, keeping her true origins a secret even from Dairong. She suggested that General Huo's lifelong coldness toward Dairong might have been due to her unknown origins. Madam Feng urged Huo Dairong to forget past resentments and live a normal life, asking her not to follow down a dark path. With her final words spoken, Madam Feng passed away.
Zhuge Kongyun arrived moments too late, witnessing Madam Feng's body being carried out. That night, Xiao Beiming reflected on the case. He felt that while Madam Feng's confession seemed to protect Huo Dairong, there was a greater, unseen force at play. He suspected her suicide was meant to cover something larger. The next day, Zhong Xueman visited Madam Feng's resting place. Huo Dairong, looking weary, reiterated her promise not to expose Xiao Beiming.
Feng Qingzhuo was about to share information about the limping physician Madam Feng had mentioned, but Xiao Beiming suddenly succumbed to his blood-freezing frost toxin, collapsing. Zhuge Kongyun, still convinced that Xiao Beiming was lurking nearby, wanted to delve deeper into the matter. However, his father, Li Long, urged him to drop the pursuit of Xiao Beiming for the moment and prioritize finding the limping physician, as their own positions were at risk.
Li Long took over the investigation of the limping physician. Feng Qingzhuo tirelessly searched through all his medical texts but found no cure for Xiao Beiming's poison. He eventually considered a perilous "fight poison with poison" method, using an extremely rare and potent herb called the "Fire Cicada" as a primer. This plant, which resembled a cicada, was said to grow only in volcanic craters and was believed to counteract the blood-freezing frost toxin.
Although he had never studied it and couldn't guarantee its effectiveness, he felt it was their only chance. Without hesitation, Zhong Xueman and Feng Qingzhuo set off for the capital's infamous Ghost Market, the only place where the Fire Cicada was rumored to be found. They navigated the eerie market, where goods were acquired through questionable means. They eventually located an old man selling the Fire Cicada. The old man refused money, instead demanding a "trade for one item."
Zhong Xueman offered her father's most valuable heirloom, a bank token, but the old man rejected it, stating he desired one of her eyes. As Zhong Xueman, desperate to save Xiao Beiming, began to raise a dagger to her own eye, Feng Qingzhuo recognized the old man and intervened just in time. The old man then threw ash powder into Zhong Xueman's eyes, temporarily blinding her.
Suddenly, a mysterious figure in the crowd rang a bell, guiding Zhong Xueman toward the old man's location. Despite her blindness, she managed to strike him down. As Xiao Beiming and Tong Shuang arrived on the scene, the old man seized the opportunity and fled.
Episode 13 Recap
An unknown individual arrived at the location of Old Bug, who was quietly recovering from injuries and cursing Feng Qingzhuo. The visitor informed Old Bug they had a new assignment. Meanwhile, Zhong Xueman, having regained her sight, expressed her suspicion to Feng Qingzhuo about the old man they encountered in the Ghost Market, questioning why he had attacked them. She asked if Feng Qingzhuo knew him, but he lied, denying any acquaintance.
Zhong Xueman felt that the man, who had immediately demanded her eye, was clearly not a good person. Feng Qingzhuo expressed concern over Zhong Xueman's willingness to sacrifice her eye, considering it a reckless act, but Zhong Xueman asserted that it was a chance to save Xiao Beiming. She also reassured Feng Qingzhuo that the man didn't truly want her eye.
Feng Qingzhuo then admitted he tried to stop the man because he saw him hiding poison, but his martial skills were insufficient. He blamed himself for taking Zhong Xueman to the Ghost Market, but she insisted it was her own choice. The following morning, Xiao Beiming confronted Feng Qingzhuo, asking about the identity of the old man who attacked them.
Seeing that Xiao Beiming had already guessed, Feng Qingzhuo confessed that the man from the Ghost Market was indeed Old Bug, his martial uncle from Poison Valley. He explained that Old Bug had killed his master in an attempt to steal the Yin-Yang Book, which contained all of their grand-master's knowledge. However, his master had already entrusted the book to Feng Qingzhuo, preventing Old Bug from succeeding.
Feng Qingzhuo also revealed that Old Bug was likely the one who sold the hallucinogenic drug to Madam Feng and was the only person capable of refining red crystal, leading to the suspicion that Old Bug might be connected to Yesha. He lamented Old Bug's escape but believed they could still find him in the capital.
Xiao Beiming questioned if Feng Qingzhuo intended to keep his identity a secret from others, to which Feng Qingzhuo expressed concern about people trusting someone from Poison Valley, despite Xiao Beiming's reassurances. He ultimately decided to think it over, understanding that trust is fragile. Later, Huo Dairong, while reviewing her family's ledgers, discovered a significant clue.
She quickly summoned Zhong Xueman, explaining that the ledger showed a large sum of money transferred every six months from Guangsha Villa, with the first transfer occurring 23 years ago. This piqued her interest, as her mother had told her she was brought back from the frontier that very year by her father, General Huo Zongyao. She also recalled her mother mentioning that Chu Guangsha, the owner of Guangsha Villa, was once her father's personal guard.
Eager to uncover her true origins, Huo Dairong shared all the details with Zhong Xueman, hoping for her assistance in investigating Chu Guangsha, who might hold answers. Zhong Xueman relayed the ledger's information to Xiao Beiming, suggesting that if Chu Guangsha was General Huo Zongyao's personal guard, he must have also been at Haiya when General Huo returned, implying a deep connection. However, Xiao Beiming suspected Huo Dairong might have ulterior motives for leading them to this clue.
He decided they should proceed cautiously, using the opportunity to investigate further. The next day, Xiao Beiming, Zhong Xueman, and Huo Dairong set off for Guangsha Villa. Upon their arrival, they found the villa bustling with guests, as Chu Guangsha was celebrating his birthday and was said to have successfully refined an immortality pill, which he planned to take publicly. Xiao Beiming and his companions gained entry under the guise of honored guests.
They observed the grand "Celestial Staircase Cloud Terrace" within the courtyard. Chu Guangsha proudly presented an immortality pill from a jade box, claiming it was a gift from the Immortal Master of Qingtai Mountain. He then ascended the Cloud Terrace and publicly consumed the pill with warm wine, proclaiming its instant effects. Moments later, Chu Guangsha began to hallucinate, reliving the horrific scene of the Haiya massacre.
He descended into a frenzied madness, bleeding from all seven orifices, before leaping from the high structure, dying instantly upon impact. Huo Dairong observed Chu Guangsha's corpse, noting that his death was eerily similar to her father's. Zhong Xueman immediately secured the scene and began searching for clues, while Feng Qingzhuo proceeded with the autopsy. That night, Feng Qingzhuo discovered a large amount of red crystal in Chu Guangsha's stomach, suggesting the "immortality pill" was the source of the poison.
He noted differences from General Huo Zongyao's case: while General Huo suffered chronic poisoning from small, prolonged doses of red crystal, Chu Guangsha's brain tissue was not riddled with holes, and large amounts of black blood in his eyes, ears, and nose indicated he had ingested a massive dose of red crystal in a short time, leading to acute brain tissue rupture and immediate death.
This led Xiao Beiming to suspect that someone intentionally murdered Chu Guangsha, and since they had just tracked the case to him, it could not be a coincidence. The group considered who else might possess such poison, suspecting the limping physician and even Huo Dairong, as she knew about the poison. Zhong Xueman pointed out that it would be foolish for Huo Dairong, an intelligent woman, to lead them directly into a trap if she were guilty.
Zhong Xueman instructed Huo Dairong to remain with them, given her significant suspicion. The group then traveled to Qingtai Mountain and informed the Immortal Master of Chu Guangsha's death. The Immortal Master vehemently denied that his immortality pills were problematic, explaining that each pill was personally made by him and delivered by his disciple, Immortal Jiu, every month.
When Feng Qingzhuo requested a sample of the pills for examination, the Immortal Master refused, stating that the pills were of celestial origin, required great sacrifice to make, and lost efficacy if not consumed within a day. He also refused to provide the pill formula, citing tradition. Xiao Beiming reasoned with him, emphasizing the widespread implications of Chu Guangsha's death and how rumors could harm the Immortal Master's reputation.
Eventually, the Immortal Master relented and provided some "defective pills," which his disciple, Immortal Jiu, personally escorted to them. Immortal Jiu explained that he delivered the pills on foot as a form of "hardship cultivation," and that the jade box containing the pills was sealed with fire clay and his master's private seal, preventing anyone from opening it mid-journey. He also stated that only Chu Guangsha himself was allowed to receive the pills directly to prevent contamination.
Xiao Beiming noticed Immortal Jiu's shoes and his unusual "piety" for such a long journey by foot, finding it suspicious. Feng Qingzhuo later examined the "defective pills," finding them to be merely ordinary tonics mixed with mercury and yellow stone, completely different from the red crystal found in Chu Guangsha. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming also concluded that Immortal Jiu had lied.
He observed injuries on Immortal Jiu's hips and buttocks, consistent with horseback riding, and his swollen hand indicated he was unaccustomed to holding reins for long periods. This confirmed Immortal Jiu had ridden a horse, not walked, to Guangsha Villa, giving him ample time to potentially swap the pills.
Simultaneously, a subordinate informed Xiao Beiming that Zhong Xueman was investigating a murder at Guangsha Villa, a detail he instructed his subordinate not to report to their chief, taking full responsibility himself.
Episode 14 Recap
Zhong Xueman successfully apprehended a disciple who had attempted to escape. Under interrogation, the disciple confessed that during a past pill delivery, he had indulged in forbidden meat at Qingmu Inn, which caused a delay, leading him to choose to ride a horse to make up for lost time. He admitted to repeatedly breaking the strict monastic rules and feared severe punishment if his transgressions were discovered during the investigation.
Meanwhile, Tong Shuang, after diligently searching the Ghost Market, discovered that Old Bug had not returned since the day of the incident. However, Tong Shuang did find a peculiar seal with a distinct pattern in Old Bug's deserted medicine shop. Xiao Beiming later showed this seal to Huo Dairong, who immediately recognized the identical pattern from the pills the physician had given her mother, Madam Feng.
Xiao Beiming instructed Tong Shuang to discreetly investigate if similar medicine bottles bearing this seal appeared in the capital. Zhong Xueman independently verified the disciple's confession at Qingmu Inn, confirming his account. Separately, Huo Dairong delved into Chu Guangsha's account books. While the public ledgers appeared normal, his private accounts revealed a significant anomaly: a large sum of money had been transferred to Weizhou, an area with no apparent business connections, leaving her perplexed.
Xiao Beiming, having confirmed the disciple's story about Qingmu Inn, retraced the full delivery route, including the time-saving horseback ride to Guangsha Villa. At the villa, Steward Li confirmed that Chu Guangsha always personally received the immortality pill. Entering Chu Guangsha's locked study, Xiao Beiming discovered a unique mechanism box that had contained the pill.
He later presented this box to Huo Dairong, demonstrating how it was designed with a hidden compartment that could swap a genuine pill for a poisoned one when closed. Xiao Beiming deduced that the genuine immortality pill was likely swapped right after it was produced, before it even reached Chu Guangsha.
He also learned that the jade boxes were custom-made by Chu Guangsha and were supposed to be delivered by the jade shop owner to the foot of Qingtai Mountain, where an Immortal Master would collect it. However, on the critical day, a servant delivered the box directly up the mountain to an Immortal Master, suggesting an elaborate deception. Xiao Beiming then confronted Huo Dairong, accusing her of the crime.
Despite her claims of being with them the entire time Chu Guangsha died, Xiao Beiming countered with evidence. He pointed out her monthly visits to Qingtai Mountain to pray for Madam Feng's health, her renowned disguise skills, and a distinctive "Beauty Snow" perfume scent on the person who delivered the box and the Immortal Master who received it. Both the jade shop owner and Immortal Jiu confirmed this unique scent.
Xiao Beiming noted that Huo Dairong, being in mourning, did not wear perfume, implying someone close to her who shared her cosmetics must be the culprit. As Zhong Xueman attempted to apprehend Huo Dairong, Qing Ying, Huo Dairong's maid, unexpectedly displayed advanced martial arts skills, blocking the arrest.
Xiao Beiming revealed he had suspected Qing Ying since Madam Feng's deathbed, observing that Madam Feng, in her final moments, had entrusted Huo Dairong to Qing Ying, hinting that Qing Ying held control over Huo Dairong's life. He also confirmed that Qing Ying used the same "Beauty Snow" perfume as Huo Dairong. With her facade shattered, Qing Ying confessed.
She revealed that she had deliberately orchestrated her rescue by Zhong Xueman years ago, intending to influence Zhong Xueman, also a Haiya orphan, to reject allegiance to the Qi Kingdom's powerful families. However, Madam Feng's constant protection of Zhong Xueman thwarted these initial plans. Qing Ying also expressed frustration that Madam Feng's protective nature towards Huo Dairong had made her "weak" and prevented her from making "correct choices."
Qing Ying then admitted to introducing the limping physician to Madam Feng, forcing Madam Feng to poison General Huo's tea, and then compelling her to take the blame, all by threatening Huo Dairong's life. Qing Ying explained her actions stemmed from a deep-seated hatred for General Huo and Chu Guangsha, whom she claimed deserved to die.
She revealed the harrowing truth of the Haiya massacre 26 years prior: the Qi Kingdom's Canfeng Army, including General Huo and Chu Guangsha, had massacred innocent Haiya civilians overnight, including Qing Ying's own parents. She claimed to be acting under the orders of her "Master," whom she revered as a god and the guiding light for all Haiya survivors, leading them in their quest for vengeance against the Qi Kingdom.
As she finished her confession, Qing Ying violently broke free from her restraints and tragically took her own life with Tong Shuang's sword. Zhuge Kongyun arrived shortly after, observing another suspect's suicide, and took custody of the body for the Secret Investigation Unit.
Episode 15 Recap
Zhong Xueman harbored deep doubts about Qing Ying's revelations, unable to believe her father could be part of the Yesha organization. She discussed her concerns with Feng Qingzhuo, reasoning that if her father was in the Canfeng Army, he would be a target of Yesha's revenge, not a member. Feng Qingzhuo acknowledged the inconsistencies in the case, particularly the contradiction between Zhu Yitie's testimony of hearing a voice like Yesha's and Qing Ying's claim that Yesha never died.
This gave Zhong Xueman hope that her master could be cleared of suspicion. Later, Zhong Xueman informed Chief Zhuge that Qing Ying had confessed to being ordered by Yesha to poison both Huo Zongyao and Chu Guangsha. She explained she had uncovered Chu's involvement after Huo Dairong found financial discrepancies in the Huo family's ledgers linking to Guangsha Villa.
However, Feng Qingzhuo warned her not to reveal anything about the Canfeng Army or the Haiya incident to the Secret Investigation Unit. He explained that a powerful individual had erased all official records of the massacre to protect the Qi Kingdom's stability, and revealing this truth could be fatal for Chief Zhuge and his son. Without warning, Xiao Beiming collapsed, his condition beyond what Feng Qingzhuo's acupuncture could treat.
With only days, or perhaps hours, left, he urgently needed a Fire Cicada. Desperate, Zhong Xueman asked her superior, Jiang Yi, for a city-wide warrant to find Old Bug, who she believed had the antidote. Jiang Yi regretfully declined, explaining that such a warrant required official approval from the Ministry of Justice and would put the Elite Constabulary Unit at risk. Old Bug, having intentionally sold his unique medicine to a constable to lure Zhong Xueman, met with her.
He correctly identified Xiao Beiming's condition as a severe frost poison and confirmed they needed his Fire Cicada. He then proposed a trade: the antidote in exchange for the "Little White Dragon." That evening, a suspicious Zhong Xueman questioned Feng Qingzhuo about his past, but he remained evasive. She had already learned from Old Bug that Feng Qingzhuo was the "Little White Dragon" from the infamous Poison Valley, accused of murdering his master and stealing the sacred Yin-Yang Book.
Meanwhile, Huo Dairong found a troubled Feng Qingzhuo and gently encouraged him to unburden himself. She comforted him by saying that good intentions can justify white lies and that true friends judge people by their actions, not their past. Her words seemed to resolve his inner conflict. Later, Feng Qingzhuo confessed his identity to Zhong Xueman. Unfazed, she reaffirmed her trust in him, and together they devised a plan.
Zhong Xueman pretended to agree to Old Bug's deal and led him to a secluded spot, offering the "Little White Dragon" in exchange for the Fire Cicada. As Old Bug approached the seemingly unconscious Feng Qingzhuo, the trap was sprung. Feng revealed he was awake, and with the timely help of a hidden Huo Dairong, who knocked Old Bug unconscious, they captured him. When Old Bug awoke, tied up, he cursed their deception.
Feng Qingzhuo declared that he was no longer the Little White Dragon but a member of the Elite Constabulary Unit, vowing to bring him to justice. Old Bug scoffed at their plan to use the Fire Cicada, warning that its raw power would clash with the frost poison and kill Xiao Beiming instantly. He claimed to be the only one who could process it correctly but demanded the Yin-Yang Book as his price.
While Zhong Xueman was reluctant to part with his master's memento, Feng Qingzhuo prioritized Xiao Beiming’s life. He tore the book in half, giving one part to Old Bug and promising the rest after Xiao Beiming's recovery. Under Feng Qingzhuo's close supervision, Old Bug prepared the antidote. The next day, after taking the medicine, Xiao Beiming awakened, his condition stabilized. He immediately questioned Old Bug about Yesha.
When Old Bug mocked him, Feng Qingzhuo threatened to expose Old Bug's location to his many enemies. He then offered a deal: temporary safety and the other half of the Yin-Yang Book for information. Old Bug reluctantly agreed, but only to speak with Feng Qingzhuo alone. In private, Old Bug revealed that Feng Qingzhuo's master had died not from murder, but from a poison called ice-heart grass during a traditional Poison Valley sparring match.
He argued that it was an accident, pointing out that if he truly possessed a poison capable of killing his formidable master, he wouldn't have lost the duel for the Valley Chief position in the first place. He also criticized Feng Qingzhuo for never performing an autopsy on his master's body.
Episode 16 Recap
Feng Qingzhuo, having finally understood the truth about his master's death from Old Bug, was present as Xiao Beiming interrogated Old Bug for details about Yesha. Old Bug demanded his freedom in exchange for information about Yesha, a proposal Xiao Beiming rejected. Old Bug then threatened that if he were to die, the truth about Yesha would forever remain hidden.
Later, Xiao Beiming was surprised when Feng Qingzhuo admitted to having released Old Bug, explaining he did so precisely because Old Bug possessed crucial information about Yesha. Xiao Beiming deduced that Old Bug had blackmailed Feng with these details, and Feng confirmed that a deal was struck: information for freedom. Feng clarified that while avenging his master was once his utmost priority, some people and matters had now become more important.
Old Bug, now free, described Yesha as a masked young man with a black mole on the right side of his eye, though he couldn't see his true face. This description conflicted with previous accounts, making Xiao Beiming question the identity of Yesha and whether multiple individuals were operating under that name. Old Bug further revealed that Yesha had commissioned him to create a poison that would cause hallucinations and ultimately death, all while being difficult to detect.
Old Bug identified Red Crystal as the ideal substance, explaining it is refined from a rare mineral called red obsidian. While red obsidian is not hard to find, the refinement process requires a large quantity of "medicinal usher," specifically corpse oil and living blood. Old Bug confessed to providing Yesha with the ingredients and method, expressing shock at the amount of Red Crystal Yesha produced, implying numerous lives were taken to create it.
Realizing the extreme cruelty of this poison, Xiao Beiming decided to focus their investigation on the rare sources of red obsidian as a primary lead to finding Yesha. Although Feng Qingzhuo initially believed the Fire Cicada had cured Xiao Beiming's Blood-freezing Frost poison, he soon learned the painful truth from Old Bug: it had merely stimulated Xiao Beiming's remaining vitality, leaving him with only a month to live.
Xiao Beiming, already aware of his deteriorating condition and the poison's progression (manifesting as a livid streak on his arm that would progressively darken and spread), comforted a burdened Feng, expressing gratitude for the additional month of life Feng had helped him secure.
He also thanked Feng for keeping his true condition a secret from Zhong Xueman and Tong Shuang, emphasizing that their focus on the case and finding Yesha was paramount, and they would be too distracted if they knew. Xiao Beiming affirmed his unwavering resolve to pursue justice until his last breath, likening his commitment as a constable to Feng's own dedication as a forensic medical examiner.
With the red obsidian clue pointing to Weizhou, Xiao Beiming, Feng Qingzhuo, and Zhong Xueman began preparing for the journey. Tong Shuang, revealing his origins as the Third Young Master of the Pingyuan Escort Agency in Weizhou, offered to guide them. He recounted the tragic massacre of his entire family, 74 people, by poisoning and fire during a Mid-Autumn Festival dinner ten years prior. Tong Shuang survived only because he was out playing.
He then spent three agonizing years on the run, suffering greatly after being captured by a trafficker, until Xiao Beiming rescued him. Xiao Beiming corroborated Tong Shuang's story, stating that Tong Shuang became his only family and endured many scars protecting him during those years. To secure an official reason for leaving the capital, Xiao Beiming devised a plan involving Zhong Xueman. The Elite Constabulary Unit had a pending case in Weizhou concerning a shipment of sick horses.
Zhong Xueman, with Feng Qingzhuo's medical skills in mind, suggested they volunteer. Knowing this was a low-prestige, difficult task that would raise suspicion if they merely volunteered, Zhong Xueman orchestrated a public confrontation with Chief Fang Tianzheng. She taunted him about his gambling debts and a prized cricket, escalating the dispute until Fang Tianzheng, exasperated by her defiance and past insubordination, angrily assigned her the Weizhou sick horse case.
He specifically instructed her not to return to the capital until the case was solved. Zhong Xueman, feigning reluctance, then requested Tong Shuang as her helper, citing his familiarity with Weizhou, and Feng Qingzhuo, given his medical expertise. Fang Tianzheng, annoyed but having no choice, reluctantly agreed. Later that evening, Feng Qingzhuo brought supper to Huo Dairong, noticing her visible distress. She requested him to accompany her on a walk, burdened by memories of her mother.
Meanwhile, Zhong Xueman brought a medicinal tonic to Xiao Beiming, who quickly concealed his arm, where the poison was visibly worsening. Zhong Xueman expressed immense relief that his "poison was detoxified," and joyfully spoke of their future once his name was cleared and Yesha captured, unaware of his true, grim prognosis. Xiao Beiming, troubled by his limited time, could only express a distant hope, while Zhong Xueman, determined, insisted they must succeed.
The following morning, Feng Qingzhuo had worried about Huo Dairong traveling alone after she left the capital silently. To his surprise, Huo Dairong was waiting for them at the city gate, determined to join their journey to Weizhou. She revealed her desire to investigate the Haiya and uncover the truth about her own identity and birth parents.
When they expressed caution, she tearfully explained her profound sense of being alone after losing her father, mother, and Qing Ying, emphasizing that she had nothing left to lose and would face any danger. Xiao Beiming, touched by her plight, agreed to let her join, stating he wouldn't be comfortable letting her travel alone. He assigned Tong Shuang to handle her extensive luggage, which included many clothes and cosmetics, much to Xiao Beiming's humorous chagrin.
During their journey, Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo went to gather wild vegetables, while Xiao Beiming impressively demonstrated his fishing skills, providing a bountiful meal of fresh fish and pheasant. As they shared the meal, Tong Shuang playfully teased Feng Qingzhuo about his obvious affection for Huo Dairong, remarking on the similar sparkle in his eyes when looking at her and when examining corpses.
Meanwhile, Huo Dairong privately thanked Zhong Xueman for her kindness and for making her feel like she had friends and was no longer alone. Later, as they celebrated, Zhong Xueman, still believing Xiao Beiming was cured, asked everyone about their plans after catching Yesha. Xiao Beiming admitted he hadn't decided if he'd stay with the Elite Constabulary Unit, and Zhong Xueman also mused about her own future. Tong Shuang lightheartedly suggested Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman should get married first.
Feng Qingzhuo shared his aspiration to capture Old Bug to truly avenge his master, then open a medical clinic for a simple life. Huo Dairong expressed a desire to travel and see the beautiful landscapes of the Qi Kingdom, prompting Tong Shuang to suggest Feng Qingzhuo could accompany her. After more than two arduous days of travel, the group finally arrived in Weizhou.
Tong Shuang led them to the dilapidated Pingyuan Escort Agency, his former home, which had remained vacant since the fire. Despite its desolate state, he believed it could be made habitable with some effort, and they went inside to inspect it. As they entered, Xiao Beiming suddenly felt dizzy, a moment of weakness that Zhong Xueman keenly observed.
Episode 17 Recap
A thick, mysterious white smoke suddenly billowed from a deep forest outside Weizhou. Not long after, a team of wagons, emblazoned with escort flags, slowly made their way along a winding road, drawing curious stares. A passing traveler noticed the deserted wagons and, upon closer inspection, found them laden with corpses. Xiao Beiming, Zhong Xueman, Feng Qingzhuo, and Huo Dairong arrived in Weizhou, making their way to the former Pingyuan Escort Agency.
Xiao Beiming felt a dizzy spell but dismissed it, claiming he hadn't rested well on their journey, though he later admitted to Huo Dairong that his poison was not yet cured, which was why he couldn't exert himself. Tong Shuang, the Third Young Master of the agency, found the main gate sealed.
As he tried to open it, Mr. Hai, the agency's old steward, emerged from a side door, scolding him and demanding he leave, believing everyone in the agency had died in the great fire. Tong Shuang quickly recognized Mr. Hai and revealed his identity, delighting the old steward, who had faithfully looked after the desolate property for years.
Mr. Hai recounted the tragic Pingyuan Escort Agency massacre, where nearly a hundred people perished overnight, expressing his grief at not being present to die with them. Zhong Xueman inquired about Mr. Hai's return, to which he explained he had buried the Tong family before returning to his hometown, only to return to the agency after his own parents passed away, drawn back by dreams of the family's past happiness.
Mr. Hai then busied himself preparing food, while Xiao Beiming and the others helped clean the long-abandoned courtyard and rooms. That night, Xiao Beiming assigned tasks for the next day. He and Zhong Xueman would visit the Weizhou Garrison to report and inquire about red obsidian. Feng Qingzhuo and Huo Dairong would visit the stables to investigate the horse plague. Tong Shuang, who hadn't been back to Weizhou in a long time, was instructed to visit his parents' graves.
Tong Shuang then brought up Mr. Hai's initial hostility, noting that the steward had clearly mistaken them for someone else who had been disturbing the agency recently. Zhong Xueman, confiding in Huo Dairong, reflected on her past marriage to Xiao Beiming and her hopes for their future, now that she believed his poison was cured and he was no longer suspected of being Yesha.
Huo Dairong advised her to either directly ask Xiao Beiming about his feelings or wait for him to express them, and Zhong Xueman decided to wait. The following morning, Feng Qingzhuo checked on Xiao Beiming, who was still feeling cold, and offered him ginger soup. Their quiet morning was abruptly interrupted by a commotion outside the agency's gates.
A large crowd, led by a man named Li Goudan, had gathered, accusing the Pingyuan Escort Agency of being infested with evil spirits. Tong Shuang, enraged by the slander against his family, tried to confront them but was held back by Xiao Beiming and Mr. Hai. Wang Feihu, a constable from the Weizhou Garrison, arrived with his men to disperse the crowd. He identified Li Goudan as the ringleader and demanded an explanation.
Li Goudan claimed to have repeatedly seen a "haunted escort wagon" since the massacre, and his uncle's grave had been desecrated and the body stolen shortly after one such sighting, leading him to believe vengeful spirits from the agency were responsible. Other townsfolk corroborated his stories. Zhong Xueman pressed Constable Wang to investigate seriously, and Wang Feihu promised a thorough inquiry while warning the crowd against further disturbances.
Xiao Beiming then asked Mr. Hai if the alleged haunted wagons were original Pingyuan Escort Agency property. Mr. Hai confirmed that after the massacre, all the agency's equipment had been looted, implying anyone could be using them to create false illusions. Constable Wang agreed to let Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman's group handle the "haunted escort wagon" case. Meanwhile, Tong Shuang and Huo Dairong investigated the horse plague at the local stables.
Tong Shuang observed that while the horses' feed seemed fine, their water source might be the culprit. A stable hand explained they sometimes fetched water from the Salty River, a slightly saline river flowing down from the mountains, which was usually used for livestock, unlike the pure well water reserved for human consumption. This led Tong Shuang to conclude that the problem must lie with the Salty River water.
Separately, Zhong Xueman discussed "red obsidian" with Constable Wang, who informed her that the stone, once considered worthless and rare, had become unobtainable in Weizhou after a mysterious wealthy merchant bought up Mount Chixia, its source, and aggressively purchased all existing red obsidian from the locals about a year ago. Wang Feihu offered to investigate the merchant's identity, and Zhong Xueman asked to be immediately informed of any news. Xiao Beiming suspected this mysterious merchant might be Yesha.
Later, Tong Shuang returned, reporting his findings from the Salty River. He and Huo Dairong had discovered charred human fingers and evidence of an abandoned corpse-processing operation upstream. They found kilns built along the river, with kiln waste dumped directly into the water, contaminating it and causing the horse plague downstream. They surmised the perpetrators had fled before finishing their work.
Xiao Beiming speculated that these charred bodies were likely the stolen corpses, used to extract "corpse oil" for refining "red crystal," a process "Old Bug" had mentioned, suggesting a connection to Yesha. He deduced that the culprits would likely return to steal more fresh corpses using the "haunted escort wagon" ruse. Feng Qingzhuo then informed the group of two recent deaths: a wealthy merchant and a farmer who died from a fall.
They decided the farmer's body would be easier to steal. Xiao Beiming instructed Feng Qingzhuo to stay behind and care for Huo Dairong, who was feeling unwell, while he, Zhong Xueman, and Tong Shuang, without the Weizhou Garrison's bulk, would confront the "haunted escort wagon" at the farmer's new grave. Tong Shuang secretly placed joss paper under the tombstone, confident they would catch the "ghostly" thieves.
That night, as the "haunted escort wagon" approached the grave, Tong Shuang impulsively charged, enraged that his family's agency name was being tarnished. Xiao Beiming swiftly intervened, pulling him back and having Zhong Xueman extinguish the lantern, plunging the area into darkness. They captured the perpetrators, who revealed the "haunted escort wagon" was a mere illusion.
Xiao Beiming explained how the thieves used sulfur-core candles mixed with copper powder for green flames, and a stove burning camphor and cypress wood to create dense white smoke, combined with black iron wires from the shadows to pull and control the wagons, giving the illusion of unguided movement.
The captured grave robbers confessed to regularly stealing corpses, admitting they had modified old Pingyuan Escort Agency wagons to create the "haunted" facade, hoping to deter witnesses and profit from selling bodies to buyers. However, they claimed they did not know what the corpses were used for. Xiao Beiming concluded they were mere pawns, believing the corpse buyers were the same individuals who operated the processing kilns by the Salty River.
The next day, Xiao Beiming outlined a plan to catch the corpse buyers: Tong Shuang would go to the marketplace disguised as a chamber pot vendor, using the number of chamber pots to signal how many "goods" (corpses) were available. Feng Qingzhuo would disguise himself as a corpse thief for the delivery, while Tong Shuang would hide inside a coffin, ready to surprise the buyers.
Xiao Beiming expressed concern about Tong Shuang's recklessness and hot temper given the sensitivity of the Pingyuan Escort Agency case, and Zhong Xueman urged him to speak with Tong Shuang. Later, the plan was set in motion. Feng Qingzhuo, disguised, delivered the coffin. However, Tong Shuang, impatient, burst out of the coffin prematurely, alarming the buyers. One buyer immediately grabbed Feng Qingzhuo, threatening to kill him.
The buyers, unafraid of death, began chanting, declaring their readiness to sacrifice themselves for the "Holy Master" and the "Yellow Heaven," believing they would ascend. Xiao Beiming quickly subdued the buyers, and Zhong Xueman produced an "impurity pill" made from diseased animals, asserting it would corrupt their spiritual cultivation and prevent their ascension. Faced with this threat, the terrified buyers confessed. They admitted to burning corpses for "corpse oil" to make "immortality pills" for the "Holy Master," their leader.
They revealed that this alchemy involved two stages: "Earth's Whisper," which was corpse oil extraction, and "Heaven's Roar," which involved harvesting blood from the living. While they had not seen the Holy Master's face, one of them recalled he had a black mole by his right eye. They claimed ignorance regarding the specifics of the "Heaven's Roar" operation or the identities of those involved, stating their "Earth's Whisper" rank within the Yellow Heaven cult was the lowest.
Episode 18 Recap
Zhuge Kongyun, immersed in memories of recent cases, sensed that Zhong Xueman was deliberately concealing something. Recalling their recent interactions, a sudden insight struck him. He frantically searched his files, confirming that Xiao Beiming was indeed alive, and immediately dispatched his men to find Zhong Xueman, determined to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming's poison worsened considerably, leaving him colder as his one-month deadline neared.
He insisted Feng Qingzhuo keep his deteriorating condition a secret, stating that their mission was far more important than his own life. He then gathered the team to plan their next steps: locating the site of Yellow Heaven's inhumane "Heaven's Roar" ritual, which required live human blood, and identifying high-level followers to eventually find the Holy Master.
Beiming assigned Zhong Xueman and Huo Dairong to investigate strange occurrences in Weizhou for clues, while Feng Qingzhuo was tasked with looking into medicinal techniques related to blood harvesting. When Tong Shuang asked for a role, Beiming ordered him to remain at the Pingyuan Escort Agency to guard their two captives.
Tong Shuang protested, arguing his familiarity with Weizhou made him ideal for scouting, but Beiming firmly explained that Tong Shuang's public recognition as the "Third Young Master of the Tong family" would alert their targets. Beiming then sternly reprimanded him for his recent reckless actions, citing his impulsiveness during the haunted escort wagon incident, the exchange where Feng Qingzhuo was nearly killed, and the interrogation where he nearly beat two men to death.
Remorseful, Tong Shuang apologized and agreed to stand guard. Zhong Xueman later discussed Tong Shuang's volatile emotional state with Xiao Beiming, acknowledging that the trauma of the Pingyuan Escort Agency massacre, where dozens died overnight, made his outbursts understandable. She urged Beiming to check on Tong Shuang, suggesting he needed his brother's support.
At the same time, villagers, having learned the truth about the grave robbers from the authorities, arrived at the agency with gifts of millet to apologize to Tong Shuang. They humbly recalled how the Tong family had saved their own families from starvation in the past. Though Tong Shuang initially tried to send them away, he was moved by their sincerity and accepted their apologies.
Consoling Tong Shuang later, Xiao Beiming offered him some dried food, which triggered a flood of memories for Tong Shuang. A flashback revealed how, years ago, after his family was massacred and the agency burned, a young, starving Tong Shuang was found by Beiming, who gave him his own food. Filled with a desire to repay this kindness, Tong Shuang insisted on following him, even after Beiming revealed his identity as the notorious assassin Yesha.
Unfazed, Tong Shuang declared his life, saved by Beiming, now belonged to him. Seeing his determination, Beiming allowed him to stay. Back in the present, Tong Shuang expressed his sorrow over his inability to avenge his family. Beiming consoled him, explaining that the agency's legacy lived on not in its building but in its people. He emphasized that Tong Shuang now represented the Pingyuan Escort Agency and must carry the weight of its name in his pursuit of justice.
Elsewhere, Huo Dairong and Feng Qingzhuo discovered that all blood-nourishing herbs in Weizhou had been bought out. The last shop owner they visited refused to say more until Feng Qingzhuo feigned a collapse from a severe bleeding injury. Fearing Feng would die in his shop, the panicked owner revealed where the mysterious buyer, a wealthy merchant, could be found.
The next day, Zhuge Kongyun arrived in Weizhou and questioned Constable Wang, confirming Zhong Xueman had arrived with a group of five. He instructed Wang to cooperate with her unit as usual and keep his own visit a secret. Later, Zhuge's subordinate reported they couldn't find Xueman, but had learned that a man resembling Feng Qingzhuo and an unidentified woman had inquired about sick horses at the stables.
Deducing their hideout was the old Pingyuan Escort Agency, Zhuge told his man he knew where to find them and ordered him to simply maintain surveillance. Soon after, Xiao Beiming collapsed, the poison in his system finally overwhelming him. Feng Qingzhuo confirmed the poison had entered his meridians, revealing the antidote had never truly worked. Beiming stated he was prepared to die on the path of justice and had hidden his condition to keep the team focused on the mission.
A heartbroken Tong Shuang tried to rush off to find Old Bug for a cure, but Feng stopped him, explaining there was nothing Old Bug could do. Zhong Xueman, filled with regret, knelt by Beiming's side, reassuring him that Old Bug had likely exaggerated the danger to secure his own escape. She tearfully apologized for not believing him sooner, and he, in turn, thanked her for having given him the benefit of the doubt.
That evening, the team reported their findings. Huo Dairong confirmed a mysterious merchant had bought all the blood-nourishing tonics. Xueman shared a strange local phenomenon: a group of childless, wealthy merchants were recruiting strong, parentless young men as "adopted sons," promising them their inheritance. Both leads pointed to the Salt Business Guild, where the recruitment was taking place.
Beiming deduced this was Yellow Heaven's plot to gather subjects, condition their blood with the tonics, and then harvest it for their rituals, knowing the parentless beggars and ruffians they targeted would not be missed. To investigate, Feng Qingzhuo volunteered to go undercover as an adopted son, arguing his meticulous nature and knowledge of poisons would allow him to gather information and escape safely.
Beiming approved the plan, assigning Huo Dairong to help disguise Feng's injuries and Tong Shuang to scout the perimeter for ambush and rescue points. He assured them their success would be the best medicine for him and that he would await their return.
Episode 19 Recap
People began to gather at the imposing gates of a mysterious rich merchant's residence, each hoping to be chosen as an adopted son. Feng Qingzhuo, despite his nervousness, successfully passed the rigorous preliminary assessments. The peculiar recruitment process involved both a test of strength and literary knowledge, specifically reciting the "Twenty-four Filial Exemplars." After the screening, Feng Qingzhuo was among those selected to stay. Meanwhile, Huo Dairong chose to remain outside with Tong Shuang to monitor the guild.
She instructed Zhong Xueman to return home and care for Xiao Beiming, reassuring her that Feng Qingzhuo would be safe and that Tong Shuang, who was both clever and strong, would protect her. Later that evening, Zhong Xueman gently fed Xiao Beiming his medicine.
They reminisced about their childhood days at the Elite Constabulary Unit, recalling humorous incidents like Xiao Beiming throwing firecrackers into his comrades' room and his father's subsequent punishment, or his father accidentally eating a dumpling filled with spices during the Spring Festival. As they talked, the past felt vividly present, yet the thought of their impending separation filled them with sorrow. Xiao Beiming looked at Zhong Xueman, noting how much she had grown.
He believed she had become brave and strong enough to care for herself, even if she were alone, and urged her not to fear what hadn't happened yet. Simultaneously, outside the Salt Business Guild, Huo Dairong and Tong Shuang waited, perplexed by the unusual quietness within. Suspecting something amiss, they decided Tong Shuang would create a diversion to get inside and find Feng Qingzhuo. Inside, the ever-alert Feng Qingzhuo discovered a sedative in his food and discreetly consumed an antidote.
Later that night, he slipped out of his room and found a room with a suspicious aura. When a guard spotted him, Feng Qingzhuo quickly feigned a severe case of sleepwalking, rambling nonsensically until the confused guard sent him back to his room. At the same time, Tong Shuang executed his plan, creating a ruckus with the guard dogs that drew personnel to the east courtyard.
Seizing the opportunity, Tong Shuang entered the unguarded west courtyard and rendezvoused with Feng Qingzhuo. Feng Qingzhuo shared his findings: the guild primarily sought strong men, the literary test was a facade, and they were constantly fed "blood-nourishing" food. Most disturbingly, he had detected a strong, lingering scent of blood in a hidden room, suspecting the guild was extracting human blood. Feng Qingzhuo proposed that Tong Shuang return the next morning with the Weizhou Garrison to raid the guild.
Before they parted, he urged Tong Shuang to ensure Huo Dairong's safety. The next morning, a firewood cart departed the Salt Business Guild. Soon after, Wang Feihu arrived with Weizhou Garrison soldiers to search the guild based on a report. The guild director feigned cooperation, claiming his establishment was merely a charitable intermediary. Inside, Tong Shuang investigated the suspicious room and found discernible bloodstains, but the director explained it was the former kitchen where livestock were slaughtered.
Tong Shuang then asked to see the adopted sons. They all appeared, attesting to the excellent treatment they received, but Feng Qingzhuo was conspicuously absent. The director claimed Feng Qingzhuo had changed his mind and left just before the raid. Xiao Beiming, having insisted on joining, arrived at the scene. Learning of Feng Qingzhuo's disappearance and recalling the firewood cart Tong Shuang had seen leaving, he immediately suspected Feng Qingzhuo was on board.
He instructed Zhong Xueman to ensure the director revealed the truth using "special measures." Meanwhile, Feng Qingzhuo regained consciousness, bound inside the moving cart with another captive. Realizing their peril, he cut his own finger, leaving a trail of blood drops as a signal. Under duress, the guild director confessed that Feng Qingzhuo had been taken away in a firewood cart, though he only knew the general direction.
With this information, Xiao Beiming and his group mounted their horses to pursue the cart toward the back hills. Feng Qingzhuo and his companion were taken into a dark cave by their captors, who intended to extract their blood. Despite his weakening state, Feng Qingzhuo remained composed, using clever pretexts to stall for time. As a coroner, he questioned the cleanliness of the dagger, explaining that impure tools would spoil the blood and render it useless for refining elixirs.
He then brazenly confronted the leader, having deduced his identity as Huang Wuchang, the "Holy Master" of the Yellow Heaven, by a mole on his face. Feng Qingzhuo condemned their actions, exposing the Yellow Heaven's fraudulent promises of immortality and declaring that they would face consequences for their deeds. Amused by his defiance, Huang Wuchang acknowledged his name and noted Feng Qingzhuo was a particularly "interesting offering."
Simultaneously, Xiao Beiming and his group, following the blood trail, discovered wooden barrels that had contained blood and corpse oil, confirming Feng Qingzhuo was nearby and alive, fueling their desperate rush to save him.
Episode 20 Recap
As Feng Qingzhuo lay unconscious from severe blood loss, the cult leader Huang Wuchang began a strange incantation over him. Just then, Xiao Beiming and Tong Shuang arrived, intervening to save Feng. While Tong Shuang valiantly covered their retreat, Feng Qingzhuo awoke to see Huo Dairong by his side, momentarily thinking it was a hallucination. Constable Wang Feihu then arrived with reinforcements.
Seeing Huang Wuchang attempt to destroy a pill and flee, Xiao Beiming intercepted him, seizing the refined red crystal and unmasking the cult leader. Zhong Xueman declared that Huang Wuchang, a key criminal wanted by the Elite Constabulary Unit, would be interrogated separately, and asked Constable Wang to take the other captured men into custody. The following day, the doctors summoned to treat Feng Qingzhuo deemed his condition hopeless.
Desperate, Tong Shuang threatened them, but Feng, with his last vestiges of strength, dictated a unique prescription. Though skeptical, the doctors prepared the medicine. Filled with remorse for his delayed arrival, Tong Shuang apologized profusely and playfully vowed to call Feng "Grandpa Feng" from then on, a vow Feng found amusing. Later, Huo Dairong carefully fed Feng the medicine.
He could only offer repeated thanks, prompting her to tease him for being a "coward" and more talkative when he was unconscious. That evening, Zhong Xueman interrogated Huang Wuchang. He initially feigned ignorance but then maliciously implicated Xiao Beiming as Yesha, claiming the Yellow Heaven cult operated under his direct orders. The next day, Huang chillingly elaborated on his motive, stating that refining the red crystal was merely for "fun."
He described the sound of a person dying, from begging to silence, as the "most pleasant sound in the world" and "truly delightful," emphasizing that his enjoyment came from watching others suffer. An urgent message arrived from the Ministry of Justice, ordering Huang Wuchang to be escorted to the capital for trial. Xiao Beiming found the timing unsettling, deducing that someone must have anticipated the capture and reported it to the Ministry in advance.
Zhong Xueman confirmed that while Huang Wuchang had named Xiao Beiming as Yesha, he hadn't recognized the disguised Xiao. Before parting ways, Constable Wang asked Zhong to put in a good word for his men who assisted in the case. The next morning, the escort to the capital was halted by Zhuge Kongyun of the Secret Investigation Unit.
Citing the Yesha case's connection, Zhuge presented official documents from the Ministry of Justice mandating Huang Wuchang's transfer to his custody, pointing to Zhong Xueman's past dishonesty as the reason he sought explicit orders. Infuriated, Zhong had no choice but to comply. Zhuge then approached the carriage carrying Feng Qingzhuo and Huo Dairong, ostensibly to greet them. Sensing the tension, he noted Feng's recent injuries and decided not to disturb them, much to the relief of those inside.
In the carriage, Xiao Beiming sensed that Zhuge knew of his presence but couldn't understand why he wasn't exposed. Unbeknownst to them, Zhuge had indeed deduced Xiao was inside. He explained to his subordinate that the "performance wasn't over yet" and that he intended to let their "little show" continue. Viewing the Yesha case as a gamble, he believed Xiao Beiming, the "hunter," was deliberately leading the investigation and intended to follow his lead to uncover the truth.
Later, Zhong Xueman shared her profound dislike for Zhuge with her friends, describing him as a "wolf in sheep's clothing" who resorted to shady tactics. She recalled a past case where Zhuge used a teenage girl as bait to catch a killer, leaving the child traumatized. Xiao Beiming cautioned Zhong against underestimating her opponent, advising her to recognize where to draw the line and suggesting Zhuge might not be inherently bad, but simply valued different things.
As Zhuge Kongyun's convoy continued, the forest grew eerily silent. They were ambushed with a poison gas, and Huang Wuchang was abducted. After the ambush, Xiao Beiming, concerned that Zhong Xueman's prolonged absence would arouse suspicion, urged her to return to the capital. He then dispatched Tong Shuang to investigate the whereabouts of Old Bug, a notorious master of poisons, whom he deduced was behind the abduction.
Back in the capital, Zhong Xueman was reprimanded by Chief Fang Tianzheng of the Elite Constabulary Unit, who was furious that the high-profile case had been lost to their rivals. Meanwhile, a distraught Zhuge Kongyun learned Huang Wuchang was gone, fearing the Emperor's wrath. Zhong Xueman met Zhuge in secret, offering to help recapture the prisoner in exchange for details of the abduction. Acting on Xiao's theory, she identified the culprit as Old Bug.
Zhuge confirmed that poison gas was used and admitted he suspected an internal spy, as the escort route was top secret. Zhong Xueman knew she was embarking on a perilous plan: use Zhuge's resources to find Old Bug, then snatch him before Zhuge could learn of his connection to Xiao. As their meeting ended, Zhong returned to their hideout, only to find that Xiao Beiming had vanished.
Episode 21 Recap
Huo Dairong recounted that while Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo went to investigate clues about Old Bug, she fainted while preparing food for Xiao Beiming. Feng Qingzhuo confirmed she had been drugged unconscious. Feng Qingzhuo initially suspected Zhuge Kongyun, Zhong Xueman quickly dismissed the idea, realizing that only Old Bug, who had escaped from Dingfeng Pavilion and was known for using poison, could have been responsible for Beiming's abduction.
She also noted that Beiming suspected Huang Wuchang was abducted by poison, a detail Zhuge Kongyun later confirmed. Zhong Xueman then realized that if Old Bug indeed kidnapped Beiming, the Secret Investigation Unit finding Old Bug would expose Beiming. She resolved that they must find Old Bug and rescue Beiming before the Secret Investigation Unit did, and then force Old Bug to detoxify Beiming.
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, the Emperor angrily demanded an explanation from Zhuge Kongyun regarding the Yesha case and the escape of the key criminal, Huang Wuchang, from his custody. Zhuge Kongyun admitted his failure but asserted he had found a lead, linking Huang Wuchang's abduction to a wandering physician from Poison Valley named Old Bug, who also had connections to Yesha.
Zhuge Kongyun pleaded for three more days, promising to capture both Old Bug and Huang Wuchang, or face immediate execution. Xiao Beiming awoke to find himself bound and his pressure points sealed in an abandoned house. Old Bug confirmed Beiming's condition, dismissing his struggles. Beiming, sharp as ever, deduced that Old Bug had lied to Feng Qingzhuo and that Yesha was behind his actions.
He concluded that Old Bug was the true mastermind of the Yellow Heaven cult, not merely a hired hand, and that Huang Wuchang was just an executor. Beiming reasoned that Old Bug, risking exposure for the Yin-Yang Book, had abducted Huang Wuchang to appease Yesha, who was angered by Huang Wuchang's capture in Weizhou. Old Bug acknowledged Beiming's insight. Beiming then questioned why he wasn't killed at Dingfeng Pavilion if his death was inevitable, suspecting he served another purpose.
Old Bug confirmed Beiming's eventual demise but revealed he had other plans first. He explained his primary motivation was to prove his superiority over his Senior Wushuang, who had crafted the poison Beiming suffered from. Old Bug was determined to cure Beiming to demonstrate his mastery and avoid losing face to his senior.
He also admitted that Yesha was indeed furious about the destruction of Yellow Heaven and the theft of the red crystal, and Beiming's life was required as further compensation. Beiming understood Old Bug's intricate plan: to cure him first to uphold his reputation and satisfy his ego, and then kill him to appease Yesha and secure his own safety.
While searching for Xiao Beiming, Zhong Xueman was approached by a child named Shitou, who handed her a piece of cloth given by an old man with long hair and a sick young man. Following Shitou, Zhong Xueman was led to the abandoned house where Old Bug ambushed and knocked her unconscious, stating it was "a blow for a blow" for a previous encounter. Zhong Xueman awoke to find herself bound.
Old Bug announced he was detoxifying her lover and revealed his method: "blood-exchange therapy," using Zhong Xueman's "clean blood" to replace Beiming's poisoned blood. He declared that his victory over his senior depended on her. Xiao Beiming attempted to resist, but his sealed pressure points rendered him helpless. Zhong Xueman cleverly provoked Old Bug, arguing that such a method wouldn't truly prove his superiority over his senior, suggesting Beiming's gender would become ambiguous and his victory would be hollow.
Swayed by the fear of his senior's ridicule, Old Bug dismissed the blood-exchange idea. Meanwhile, Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo, searching for Zhong Xueman, questioned Shitou. Feng Qingzhuo, showing kindness, gave the child candied haws. Old Bug then concocted a new, highly perilous method: "Meridian Modification with Golden Needles." He explained that this technique, never before successfully performed, involved separating some of Beiming's meridians into "obsolete channels" and forcing the poison into them.
This would render the poison harmless and restore Beiming's internal energy, thus allowing Old Bug to claim victory over his senior. Old Bug admitted the procedure was "excruciating pain, barely better than death by a thousand cuts," with a "ten deaths, no life" survival rate, but he was resolute to attempt it. Before commencing, Beiming, accepting his fate, asked Old Bug three questions about Yesha's true identity, purpose, and the medicine.
Old Bug revealed that Yesha never showed his true face and sought the production of a "supreme elixir," a more potent version of the poison that killed Huo Zongyao and Chu Guangsha. He claimed that upon completion, this elixir would "change the world, and the Qi Kingdom will fall," elevating him to a position revered by all poison masters and physicians.
During the excruciating process, Xiao Beiming succumbed to the immense pain and fainted, while Zhong Xueman, still bound, watched helplessly. As Zhuge Kongyun fretted over the approaching deadline to find Old Bug, Old Bug exultantly confirmed Xiao Beiming's pulse, surprised he had survived the "Meridian Modification with Golden Needles." He boastfully declared his triumph over his senior and announced his intention to kill Beiming as final proof.
Just then, Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo, along with other members of the Elite Constabulary Unit, arrived and quickly subdued Old Bug. Zhong Xueman instructed Feng Qingzhuo to attend to the still-breathing Beiming and told the others to take him back, insisting she needed to speak with Old Bug alone and assuring them he was no match for her.
Outside, Feng Qingzhuo expressed his grave concerns to Tong Shuang about Beiming's condition, emphasizing that no one had ever survived the "Meridian Modification with Golden Needles," despite the poison being sealed. Tong Shuang, anxious about Beiming not waking up, wanted to find a solution. Feng Qingzhuo urged him to have faith, reminding him that Beiming had overcome an impossible feat and had many reasons, including Zhong Xueman, to wake up.
Tong Shuang, worried about Zhong Xueman's safety with the cunning Old Bug, resolved to return to the abandoned house, but Feng Qingzhuo offered to go instead, being swifter. Inside the abandoned house, Zhong Xueman interrogated the captured Old Bug, questioning him about Huang Wuchang, Yesha's elixir plot, and Yesha's identity. Old Bug, feigning cooperation, told her to come closer to reveal the information. As she approached, he cunningly poisoned her, swallowed a pill, and freed himself from his restraints.
He then struck her, knocking her unconscious. Shortly after, both Fang Tianzheng of the Elite Constabulary Unit and Zhuge Kongyun of the Secret Investigation Unit arrived, each eager to claim credit for Old Bug's capture. They discovered Old Bug's burned body and Zhong Xueman standing beside it. Zhuge Kongyun immediately accused her of murder, citing her presence at the scene. Zhong Xueman vehemently denied the accusation.
Feng Qingzhuo and Fang Tianzheng defended her, highlighting the illogical nature of her actions if she were guilty and suggesting she had been framed, possibly by Huang Wuchang. However, Zhuge Kongyun dismissed their arguments as lacking evidence and insisted the case be handled by the Secret Investigation Unit to avoid bias, as Zhong Xueman was from the Elite Constabulary Unit. Fang Tianzheng adamantly refused, leading to a tense standoff between the two units.
Zhong Xueman, maintaining her innocence, agreed to be taken into custody to allow time for evidence to be found. Recognizing the futility of further conflict, Fang Tianzheng reluctantly ordered his men to stand down, allowing the Secret Investigation Unit to take Zhong Xueman, but asserted that the Elite Constabulary Unit would remain responsible for her safety until the truth was revealed.
Back at their base, Tong Shuang informed a newly awakened Xiao Beiming that Old Bug was dead and Zhong Xueman had been taken by the Secret Investigation Unit, expressing deep concern for her well-being.
Episode 22 Recap
Xiao Beiming awoke to the distressing news of Zhong Xueman’s arrest. Though Feng Qingzhuo and Tong Shuang urged him to rest and recuperate, assuring him that Zhong Xueman, as the daughter of King Zhong of Constables and a member of the Elite Constabulary Unit, would not be easily convicted or subjected to torture, Xiao Beiming insisted on returning to the abandoned house.
He was convinced that if Zhong Xueman was innocent, evidence supporting her innocence must be present at the crime scene. At the abandoned house, they noted that Zhong Xueman had been found eight feet away from Old Bug’s charred body. Despite the extensive burns, there was no trace of lamp oil, an absence that the Secret Investigation Unit attributed to Zhong Xueman cleaning the scene before her capture.
However, Xiao Beiming and Feng Qingzhuo noticed a peculiar, sickly sweet scent in the air. Feng Qingzhuo identified this as Seven-Star Powder from Poison Valley, a potent toxin capable of inducing unconsciousness within moments. This suggested that Zhong Xueman had likely been knocked out by Old Bug, making it impossible for her to have committed the murder or burned the body.
Puzzled by the murderer's choice of burning the body, Xiao Beiming further examined a piece of burnt grass near the corpse. It also emitted the same sweet aroma rather than the expected smell of charring or decay, leading him to suspect that the burned body might not be Old Bug’s after all. Since Old Bug’s corpse had been taken by the Secret Investigation Unit, Xiao Beiming devised a plan to gain access for a proper autopsy.
Later, Xiao Beiming, his internal energy gradually recovering and the poison neutralized, met with Tong Shuang. Tong Shuang provided crucial information: Old Bug’s body was stored in Room A16 of the Secret Investigation Unit, and the night duty guards were Dong Liang and Wang Lang. Despite his lingering weakness, Xiao Beiming planned to infiltrate the unit that night. However, Tong Shuang, supported by Feng Qingzhuo, adamantly insisted that Xiao Beiming stay behind.
They argued that his recovery was vital, and if their mission failed, he would be their last hope for rescue. Reluctantly, Xiao Beiming agreed, cautioning Feng Qingzhuo to be extremely careful, Tong Shuang to avoid impulsive actions, and both to meticulously follow Huo Dairong's instructions. Meanwhile, in the prison, Zhuge Kongyun interrogated Zhong Xueman. He acknowledged the lack of evidence for a third party at the crime scene and attempted to coerce her into signing a confession.
He proposed that if she admitted to accidentally killing Old Bug in self-defense during the arrest, she would receive a lighter sentence and avoid execution. Zhong Xueman, incensed by this manipulative tactic, scornfully tore up the confession. She declared that she would never admit to a falsehood nor compromise her principles for self-preservation.
She then chastised Zhuge Kongyun, recalling past discussions about his morally questionable methods of using victims as bait to lure criminals, condemning his continued unscrupulousness and disregard for the truth. Zhuge Kongyun departed, viewing her defiance as her own choice. As night fell, Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo tailed the two Secret Investigation Unit guards, Dong Liang and Wang Lang, who were grumbling about their long shifts and looking forward to Zhong Xueman’s confession.
Seizing an opportune moment, Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo subdued the guards. With Huo Dairong’s expert assistance in their disguises, they entered the Secret Investigation Unit. Tong Shuang was strictly instructed by Huo Dairong to remain silent and communicate only through sign language to avoid detection, while Huo Dairong positioned herself outside as a diversion. Inside Room A16, Feng Qingzhuo meticulously began examining Old Bug’s charred remains. Just as they were engrossed in their initial work, Zhuge Kongyun arrived.
Noticing the absence of guards at the entrance, he entered Room A16 to investigate. Concurrently, Huo Dairong, feigning extreme drunkenness, created a loud disturbance outside the main gate, demanding to see Zhong Xueman and even intentionally spilling wine on Zhuge Kongyun. Annoyed, Zhuge Kongyun ordered his own guards to escort the "drunk" Huo Dairong away, allowing Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo to remain undetected inside.
After Zhuge Kongyun’s own guards returned, claiming they had been attacked and robbed earlier, he deduced that the two "guards" inside the Secret Investigation Unit and the "drunk" woman outside were imposters. He realized he had been cunningly outsmarted by Huo Dairong. While Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo continued their examination of the corpse, Feng Qingzhuo discovered an unknown object on Old Bug’s charred remains.
He noted that its scent strikingly resembled the strange weeds found earlier at Yaksha Temple, confirming his suspicion that the corpse held unusual secrets. With only two days left before the Emperor’s deadline, Zhuge Kongyun consulted his father, Zhuge Tong, the chief of the Secret Investigation Unit.
To salvage their reputations and the unit's future, Zhuge Tong proposed framing Zhong Xueman for Old Bug’s murder, reasoning that since they had found Old Bug, his death by Zhong Xueman’s hand absolved them of blame. The following morning, a joint trial was convened between the Secret Investigation Unit and the Elite Constabulary Unit. Zhuge Tong presented what he claimed was irrefutable evidence, asserting that Zhong Xueman had indeed killed Old Bug.
Zhong Xueman vehemently denied the accusation but lacked concrete evidence to prove her innocence. Zhuge Tong argued that as a constable, Zhong Xueman had knowingly broken the law, resorted to unauthorized punishment, and cruelly murdered a key criminal, thereby deserving the death penalty. Members of the Elite Constabulary Unit, including Chief Fang, protested, arguing that the crime did not warrant such a severe sentence and that her motive was insufficient, making the conviction hasty.
Zhuge Tong countered by highlighting Zhong Xueman’s personal vendetta against Yesha, who was responsible for her father's death, implying she could have taken the law into her own hands.
He further suggested a pattern of Zhong Xueman obstructing the Yesha case, citing instances where criminals related to Yesha either escaped under her watch or died in her presence, and hinted at her past connection to Xiao Beiming, her childhood sweetheart and former husband, as a possible reason for her alleged actions. Chief Fang vehemently accused Zhuge Tong of making baseless and slanderous accusations, driven by selfish motives for a hasty conviction.
Zhuge Tong retorted, accusing Chief Fang of bias due to Zhong Xueman's affiliation with the Elite Constabulary Unit. Chief Fang proposed detaining Zhong Xueman and seeking final approval from the Emperor. However, Zhuge Tong, producing an imperial token, declared that the Emperor had granted the Secret Investigation Unit special authority for Yesha-related cases, allowing for execution after a joint trial verdict without further imperial review.
He then dramatically announced that Zhong Xueman would be beheaded in public at the third quarter past noon, causing Chief Fang to denounce the ruling as a disgrace to the Elite Constabulary Unit. The Elite Constabulary Unit members, incensed by the verdict and their unit's humiliation, sought counsel from Chief Fang.
They expressed their belief in Zhong Xueman’s innocence and their unwillingness to tolerate the Secret Investigation Unit's blatant disregard for justice, despite Zhuge Tong’s possession of an Imperial Jade Pendant. Fang Yin, a passionate member, passionately confronted Chief Fang, reminding him that they had watched Zhong Xueman grow up and imploring him not to allow her to be unjustly executed.
He argued that while they might tolerate insults and bullying normally, they could not stand by when an innocent life was at stake. As Zhong Xueman was escorted to the execution ground, the public reacted with disbelief, many openly questioning her guilt, some even arguing with those who called the Elite Constabulary Unit corrupt. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming received urgent news from his companions about Zhong Xueman’s impending public execution at noon.
By a serene lake, Xiao Beiming reflected on his solemn promise to his late master’s wife, who had entrusted Zhong Xueman to his care, imploring him to protect her from all harm. He realized that he alone possessed the means to rescue her. The execution ground swelled with onlookers, among whom Tong Shuang and his allies blended in, ready to attempt a rescue.
As the designated hour of the third quarter past noon arrived, and Zhong Xueman was brought to the block, Zhuge Tong, chief of the Secret Investigation Unit, was present, relishing his perceived victory and taunting her. Suddenly, Chief Fang, leading the Elite Constabulary Unit, arrived and loudly interjected, publicly refuting Zhuge Tong’s actions. Chief Fang branded Zhuge Tong’s conduct as despicable, unjust, unlawful, and beastly, revealing that he had already reported Zhuge Tong to the Emperor.
Zhuge Tong, unfazed, challenged Chief Fang to produce the Emperor’s reply, asserting that he would still proceed with the execution and present Zhong Xueman’s head to the Emperor himself. As the tension escalated and Chief Fang drew his sword, accusing Zhuge Tong of attempted rebellion, Xiao Beiming dramatically appeared, declaring that they had apprehended the wrong person. A surprised Zhuge Tong immediately ordered Xiao Beiming’s arrest. However, Xiao Beiming calmly stopped the guards, revealing a small vial.
He announced that he had consumed a potent poison that would kill him within thirty minutes if he did not receive an antidote. He explained that his presence was solely to save Zhong Xueman. If he were to die, Zhuge Tong would lose all clues pertaining to the Yesha case, leaving him unable to account to the Emperor. Faced with this dilemma, Zhuge Tong agreed to halt Zhong Xueman’s execution and re-examine her case if Xiao Beiming surrendered. Xiao Beiming then allowed himself to be arrested, and Zhuge Tong, proclaiming his victory, ordered him taken to the Secret Investigation Unit’s prison.
Episode 23 Recap
Xiao Beiming, under interrogation by Chief Zhuge Tong, firmly declared there was no third person present at the scene of Old Bug's death. He asserted that the true killer was not human, but rather the heavens themselves, specifically a lightning strike during the fierce thunderstorm that night. To prove this, Xiao Beiming demanded an autopsy, confident that the body would reveal the truth. Zhuge Kongyun intervened, urging his father to allow Xiao Beiming to make his case.
Xiao Beiming then explained that while no third person was seen entering or leaving the Yaksha Temple, the evidence of a lightning strike was undeniable. He noted the heavy rain, thunder, and lightning around the time of the incident. Though he was not an expert, Xiao Beiming requested that Coroner Feng Qingzhuo of the Elite Constabulary Unit perform the examination for impartiality. Feng Qingzhuo meticulously examined the corpse, which emitted a foul odor.
He explained that a crack ran from the top of the skull to the back of the skull, charred brain fluid could be extracted from the nasal cavity, and the iron object on the deceased was magnetized – all clear signs of a lightning strike. He further clarified that Old Bug's body was severely charred because he was a drunkard and alcohol acted as a flammable agent, making the usual signs of electrocution less obvious.
Feng Qingzhuo also pointed out the largest leak in the Yaksha Temple roof was directly above the body, with burnt weeds around it, conclusively proving that Old Bug was killed by lightning. Satisfied with the evidence, Chief Zhuge Tong reluctantly released Zhong Xueman, clearing her of the murder charge. However, he still ordered Xiao Beiming's detention, stating that as the long-sought Yesha, his case required further investigation.
When Zhong Xueman tried to object, Zhuge Tong warned her not to obstruct the Secret Investigation Unit's work, threatening to include her in the trial if she interfered. Shortly after, an imperial decree summoned Chief Zhuge Tong, Zhuge Kongyun, and Fang Tianzheng of the Elite Constabulary Unit to the palace. The Emperor, concerned by Yesha, Xiao Beiming's sudden public appearance after three years, demanded an explanation.
Chief Zhuge Tong suggested Xiao Beiming had appeared out of "unresolved feelings" for Zhong Xueman. When asked who should interrogate Xiao Beiming, Zhuge Kongyun surprisingly suggested Zhong Xueman herself. He reasoned that due to Xiao Beiming's past as a skilled constable, ordinary interrogation methods would be useless, and only Zhong Xueman, who knew him best, could uncover his schemes and eliminate his accomplices to stabilize the Qi Kingdom.
The Emperor agreed, assigning the interrogation of Xiao Beiming to the Elite Constabulary Unit, under Zhong Xueman's charge. Zhuge Kongyun then confessed his responsibility for the escape of Huang Wuchang and Constable Zhong Xueman's near-wrongful execution, requesting punishment. The Emperor sentenced Zhuge Kongyun to 30 strokes of the rod and confinement for reflection in the Secret Investigation Unit, forbidding him from any cases or contact.
Enraged by his son's actions, Chief Zhuge Tong immediately ordered Xiao Beiming to be transferred to the Elite Constabulary Unit and had Zhuge Kongyun publicly subjected to 30 strokes of the rod before being taken to prison. Xiao Beiming was escorted to the Elite Constabulary Unit, where his former colleagues greeted him respectfully, though some were confused about his identity as Yesha. Feeling a deep sense of guilt, Xiao Beiming walked into the prison cell himself.
Zhong Xueman, visibly distraught, rushed to embrace him, but he remained still, unable to reciprocate. Fang Tianzheng, the chief of the Elite Constabulary Unit, dismissed everyone to speak with Xiao Beiming privately. Fang Tianzheng, who had watched Xiao Beiming grow up and become the youngest elite constable, admitted he had believed Xiao Beiming was Yesha until he risked his life to save Zhong Xueman at the execution ground.
He questioned how a seemingly ruthless killer could act out of mere "romantic feelings," suggesting a deeper mystery. Xiao Beiming promised to tell him everything he knew from the past three years in his search for the truth, allowing Fang Tianzheng to judge for himself. He spoke of a place called Haiya and an army called Canfeng Army, where his master Zhong Yunchi and General Huo Zongyao had served.
He revealed that he learned about Haiya from Yesha's subordinates, and that Yesha was likely a Haiya orphan seeking revenge for the events three years ago and the Fengbo Lake case, a revenge that was still ongoing. He also disclosed that before Old Bug died, he had admitted Yesha forced him to create a powerful pill that, if completed, could bring down the Qi Kingdom.
Fang Tianzheng proposed an investigation, but Xiao Beiming warned that this was a dangerous "taboo" for the Qi Kingdom, advising Fang Tianzheng not to pursue it himself. Xiao Beiming concluded that the immediate priority was to capture Huang Wuchang, who had met Yesha.
Xiao Beiming then presented Fang Tianzheng with three choices: declare him Yesha and execute him, risking future attacks by the true Yesha; keep him imprisoned while the Elite Constabulary Unit searches for Huang Wuchang, a risky race against time; or trust him and let him lead the capture of Huang Wuchang. Meanwhile, Zhuge Kongyun, bloodied from the caning, lay weak in his prison cell.
Chief Zhuge Tong visited him, expressing heartache but also confusion over his son's recent actions, feeling as though he no longer knew him. Zhuge Kongyun explained that handing Xiao Beiming over to the Elite Constabulary Unit was a calculated gamble, a way to protect their own unit by passing a "hot potato" and ensuring the Yesha case wouldn't end too quickly, giving them another opportunity later.
Back in the main hall of the Elite Constabulary Unit, Tong Shuang and other colleagues pleaded for Xiao Beiming. Fang Tianzheng, now convinced of Xiao Beiming's innocence, publicly commended Zhong Xueman. He created a fictitious report for his aide, Fang Yin, stating that Zhong Xueman had indeed reported Xiao Beiming's whereabouts, and he had then strategically assigned her to approach Xiao Beiming to gain intelligence due to the case's significance.
He announced the completion of this mission and promised commendations to the Ministry of Justice. Finally, he confirmed that by imperial decree, Zhong Xueman was now in charge of interrogating Yesha, Xiao Beiming, granting her unrestricted access to him in the Elite Constabulary Unit prison. After dismissing everyone, Fang Tianzheng was left alone, muttering to himself that after decades in office, he was now betting his life on a suspect.
Later, Tong Shuang, Zhong Xueman, and others gathered with Xiao Beiming in his cell, celebrating his survival. Xiao Beiming expressed his gratitude to Zhuge Kongyun, explaining that Zhuge Kongyun had sensed his presence in Weizhou, or perhaps even earlier, but chose not to act to prevent conflict between the Secret Investigation Unit and the Elite Constabulary Unit. He also suspected Zhuge Kongyun wondered why Zhong Xueman and the others were with him.
Xiao Beiming clarified that Zhuge Kongyun, despite his seemingly cruel act of trying to execute Zhong Xueman, was never truly malicious. His desperate measure was simply to force Xiao Beiming's appearance, as Chief Zhuge Tong and he were under a strict three-day deadline from the Emperor to show progress on the Yesha case. Xiao Beiming hinted that Zhuge Kongyun also believed in his innocence and his actions were ultimately for "the truth."
The immediate priority, they agreed, was to locate Huang Wuchang. Zhong Xueman pointed out that Fang Tianzheng had only allowed them to visit Xiao Beiming, not for him to leave and investigate. Xiao Beiming assured them that with their help, they could still proceed. They theorized that Huang Wuchang's kidnapping, despite the top-secret transport route, implied an internal mole, a suspicion Zhuge Kongyun also held.
They realized Chief Zhuge Tong had changed the route at the last minute to prevent leaks, meaning only he and Zhuge Kongyun knew it. The most likely point of compromise was during the transmission of this updated information. They resolved to investigate the Secret Investigation Unit's communication methods and devise a plan to speak with Zhuge Kongyun in prison.
Episode 24 Recap
Zhong Xueman intended to visit Zhuge Kongyun in the Secret Investigation Unit’s prison, but the guards, who still held a grudge from a previous encounter, blocked her entry. Realizing direct access was impossible, Zhong Xueman devised a plan. She instructed Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo to set off firecrackers outside the prison. Hearing the noise, Zhuge Kongyun immediately recognized it as Zhong Xueman’s doing and understood her objective.
He then released carrier pigeons, conveying information to Zhong Xueman from which she swiftly deduced that he and his father communicated via this method. Zhong Xueman suspected that this seemingly ordinary method of communication might have been the source of the leak regarding Huang Wuchang’s new transport route. She concluded that to investigate further, they needed to visit the dovecote. Zhong Xueman arrived at the dovecote and was greeted by its Director, Blue Cat.
Blue Cat recognized Zhong Xueman instantly, explaining that her master had worked with Zhong Xueman’s father, the esteemed King of Constables, and that Zhong Xueman was his only daughter and the recent events at the execution ground involving Xiao Beiming had made her famous in the capital. Zhong Xueman requested Blue Cat to accompany her to the Elite Constabulary Unit, stating that some sensitive matters could not be discussed openly at the dovecote.
Blue Cat, though initially hesitant about breaking dovecote rules, agreed to assist. At the Elite Constabulary Unit, Chief Fang apologized for the inconvenience, and Xiao Beiming was present as an observer, to Blue Cat's initial surprise. Zhong Xueman and Chief Fang questioned Blue Cat about the possibility of the carrier pigeons being intercepted, leading to Huang Wuchang's escape. Blue Cat confidently stated that her pigeons were professionally trained and highly resistant to tampering, making interception extremely difficult.
However, Xiao Beiming, observing her unusually long thumb, deduced that she belonged to the fabled Bird Tamer Tribe from a mystical island in the eastern seas. Blue Cat confirmed his suspicion, revealing that her tribe was slaughtered by the Eastern Sea Kingdom when they refused to become spies, and she barely escaped to the Qi Kingdom.
Moved by her past, and in light of the potential devastation Huang Wuchang's conspiracy could bring to the Qi Kingdom, Xiao Beiming implored her for help. Blue Cat, expressing sympathy for the innocent people, confessed that the dovecote kept detailed copies of all pigeon messages. She also revealed that her tribe possessed an ancestral skill to read sealed messages without breaking them.
She had seen the correspondence between Chief Zhuge Tong and his son, but they were in code, requiring a "codebook" for deciphering. She further disclosed that collecting and deciphering pigeon intelligence had become a thriving business, with "Book Merchants," "Scribes," and "Book Collectors" frequently operating on Sibao Street. Blue Cat promised to send the copied messages and urged them to capture Huang Wuchang quickly, expressing her belief that Xiao Beiming was not the ruthless killer Yesha as rumored.
Upon receiving the coded message, Xiao Beiming surmised that a codebook was essential for deciphering them and that they would need to find a way to communicate with Zhuge Kongyun, who was imprisoned. Given the Secret Investigation Unit's heightened vigilance, direct infiltration was deemed too risky. One officer suggested approaching Li Long, Zhuge Kongyun's loyal personal guard, despite the known animosity between the two units.
Simultaneously, Zhong Xueman dispatched Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo to Sibao Street to investigate the intelligence network Blue Cat had mentioned. She cautioned them to dress as common citizens to avoid drawing attention. Meanwhile, Li Long was at a wine shop, purchasing food for Zhuge Kongyun. He overheard commoners discussing Xiao Beiming, noting the peculiar situation where he had supposedly killed Zhong Xueman’s father yet risked his life for her.
Many expressed doubts that Xiao Beiming was truly the villainous Yesha, citing his recent heroic actions. Huo Dairong, Tong Shuang, and other Elite Constabulary Unit members approached Li Long, seeking his assistance. Li Long, still bitter about Zhuge Kongyun’s imprisonment, vehemently refused to help them. Tong Shuang then suggested knocking Li Long unconscious and having Huo Dairong use her disguise skills to infiltrate the Secret Investigation Unit.
However, Huo Dairong dismissed the idea, explaining that the Secret Investigation Unit had implemented daily password changes since their last encounter, rendering disguises ineffective for direct entry. Unable to directly infiltrate, Huo Dairong decided on an indirect approach. She instructed a waiter to hide a small note inside Zhuge Kongyun's pastries. The waiter, initially reluctant, complied after being shown an Elite Constabulary Unit token and threatened with charges of obstructing a major case.
Simultaneously, on Sibao Street, Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo struggled to locate any "Book Merchants." Feng Qingzhuo cleverly deduced that these intelligence peddlers might be disguised as ordinary vendors and suggested they ask about "forbidden books" instead. Their inquiry led them to a sugar figurine vendor, who directed them to a discreet shop. There, they encountered a man named Du Gouzi, a "Book Merchant."
They lured him to a more private location by offering a "Heavenly Book from the Ministry of Justice" as bait and then apprehended him, bringing him to the Elite Constabulary Unit for interrogation. Under interrogation by Zhong Xueman, Feng Qingzhuo, and Tong Shuang, Du Gouzi confessed to intercepting pigeon messages. He explained that he used specially prepared bait, disguised as dovecote feed, to lure the trained pigeons off their flight paths.
However, he maintained that the intelligence he acquired was outdated and denied intercepting any recent Secret Investigation Unit information. Initially defiant, he refused to divulge more, claiming he would die whether he spoke or not. It was only when Zhong Xueman brandished torture instruments that he relented. He confessed that he had heard a rumor about a senior "Book Merchant" who had successfully intercepted critical intelligence from the Secret Investigation Unit.
This individual was known to also work as a "Scribe," understand codes, write his own books, and deal with official murder cases, leading to the strong suspicion that he was an operative within the Ministry of Justice itself. Meanwhile, in prison, Zhuge Kongyun inquired about the situation outside.
Li Long assured him that all was calm but then expressed confusion as to why Zhuge Kongyun was seemingly aiding Xiao Beiming, given his apparent disdain for him and the rivalry between their respective units. Zhuge Kongyun then revealed his true feelings, admitting his long-standing resentment towards Xiao Beiming stemmed from Xiao Beiming’s superior intelligence and investigative prowess. He confessed that he no longer believed Xiao Beiming was Yesha.
Instead, he intended to use Xiao Beiming to expose the true Yesha. He confided in Li Long, considering him a trusted friend. At this point, Li Long produced the note he had found in the pastry, which contained the two characters: "codebook." Back at the Elite Constabulary Unit, Xiao Beiming examined the coded message.
The note from Zhuge Kongyun identified the codebook as "Chronicle of Pacifying Pirates in the Eastern Sea," an out-of-print book Zhong Xueman had been unable to locate. Xiao Beiming learned that the book was famously recounted by a specific storyteller, Mr. Wang, at the Bao Yi Xing Teahouse, being the only one in the capital who knew its entire contents.
This led Xiao Beiming to conclude that if someone were using this book as a codebook, they would undoubtedly consult Mr. Wang. He swiftly connected this to Du Gouzi's confession about a suspicious Scribe possibly from the Ministry of Justice, suggesting an internal traitor. Chief Fang was immediately dispatched to question Mr. Wang. Upon arriving at the teahouse, Chief Fang asked Mr. Wang if anyone had recently copied his rare edition of "Chronicle of Pacifying Pirates in the Eastern Sea." Mr. Wang recalled one such person: Constable Jiang from the Elite Constabulary Unit.
Episode 25 Recap
A stormy night found an old man secretly entering a forest to meet a black-clad figure, who purchased an item from him at a high price. Elsewhere, Fang Yin informed Xiao Beiming that Jiang Yi, who had previously copied a codebook from a storyteller, had suddenly disappeared that day, inadvertently exposing him as a mole embedded by the Ministry of Justice.
Xiao Beiming immediately dispatched Fang Yin to check within the unit for anyone who last saw him, Tong Shuang and other brothers to inquire at city gates, and Zhong Xueman to check Jiang Yi's residence. Despite widespread inquiries, Jiang Yi's whereabouts remained unknown. Zhong Xueman found his home desolate, the stove cold, as if unoccupied for days. She also discovered a copy of "Chronicle of Pacifying Pirates in the Eastern Sea" under his desk.
Recalling Jiang Yi's reputation as a filial son who had diligently cared for his gravely ill mother for years, Zhong Xueman suspected a tragedy had befallen his family, as he would never abandon his frail mother. Later, the Elite Constabulary Unit located Jiang Yi in the back mountains, mourning at his mother's grave. He confessed to leaking Huang Wuchang's whereabouts to Zhuge Tong, who was allied with Yesha.
He explained his betrayal was born of desperation to save his mother, who was suffering from a severe illness and bleeding, requiring fifty taels for treatment. Having previously worked in the dovecote and skilled in decoding, he started transcribing messages for income, always ensuring they did not involve loss of life to ease his conscience. However, when his mother's condition worsened, Huang Wuchang's accomplice approached him.
Jiang Yi seized the opportunity, pretending to defect to Zhuge Tong in the Secret Investigation Unit to extract information. He successfully deduced that "Chronicle of Pacifying Pirates in the Eastern Sea" was the codebook, then used bait to lure a carrier pigeon, stole its letter, and sold Huang Wuchang's escort route. Despite securing the fifty taels, his mother ultimately succumbed to her illness, leaving him with deep regret.
Jiang Yi then described the accomplice who contacted him: the man wore a face cloth, had a deep scar on his forehead, and a distinct shell-shaped pendant around his neck, which was a rare sight in the capital.
Feeling immense guilt for his actions, Jiang Yi expressed admiration for his comrades' recent efforts, including rescuing Zhong Xueman at the execution ground and their relentless investigation, stating that while they all seemed to have returned to their former selves, he, Jiang Yi, could not. He expressed remorse to Chief Fang and his brothers and offered to face punishment, only asking for one last chance to kowtow to his mother.
As he did so, he was struck by lightning and died. Xiao Beiming discovered a crystal stone embedded in Jiang Yi's ear. That night, the constables were puzzled by Jiang Yi's death, especially considering a similar crystal stone had been found on Old Bug. They questioned why Old Bug, whom Yesha needed for alchemy, would also be silenced in such a manner.
Feng Qingzhuo suggested consulting a bronze beast craftsman, explaining that these artisans, who cast the lightning-diverting bronze beasts on temple and palace eaves, would be most knowledgeable about lightning. Meanwhile, the scar-faced assassin reported to his superior, requesting release after completing the task of killing Jiang Yi.
The superior refused, citing ongoing investigations by the Elite Constabulary Unit and Secret Investigation Unit, emphasizing that only death guarantees silence and that the Master's elixir was almost complete, allowing no room for failure. Tong Shuang, Xiao Beiming, and Feng Qingzhuo visited Mr. Jiao, a renowned bronze beast craftsman whose structures were never struck by lightning. Mr. Jiao recognized the crystal stone by its sweet, sticky scent.
He agreed to reveal its nature if they helped him with a personal matter: a month prior, he had fallen from a roof, and an iron needle had pierced his skull. Although it missed his brain, it caused excruciating headaches. Despite doctors' warnings that removal would be fatal, Mr. Jiao, weary of the torment, pleaded for Feng Qingzhuo's help, offering to write a will to absolve them of responsibility.
Feng Qingzhuo, driven by a doctor's compassion rather than the promise of information, agreed to attempt the dangerous procedure despite the less than 50% success rate, preparing the team for immediate action once the needle was removed. Simultaneously, Zhong Xueman visited a jewelry shop searching for the unique shell ornament. The shop owner confirmed his establishment was unique in the capital for carrying such items, which were customs of the East Sea region and crafted only by artisans from Penglai.
He summoned his Penglai craftsman. Meanwhile, Feng Qingzhuo successfully removed the iron needle from Mr. Jiao's head. True to his word, Mr. Jiao revealed the crystal was a legendary substance called "thunder gold," originating from Mount Lightning, a mountain east of the capital known for frequent lightning strikes during cloudy weather. He explained that thunder gold, though metallic, resembles mercury and, once inside a human or animal, attracts lightning during inclement weather, manifesting as a colorful, sweet-smelling crystal.
Mr. Jiao then revealed that a month ago, he encountered a hunter from a mountain produce shop using thunder gold for hunting. Out of curiosity, he questioned the hunter, and the very next day, he fell from the roof. Tong Shuang suspected Mr. Jiao's fall was not accidental but an attempt on his life to silence him.
Mr. Jiao warned them that if thunder gold enters the body, one must remain in a sealed room for twelve hours during rainy weather until it dissipates. At the jewelry shop, the craftsman informed Zhong Xueman that the shell ornament she described was specially ordered by a hunter's wife, whose accent indicated they were from his hometown. Zhong Xueman realized this hunter was connected to the scar-faced man's accomplice.
Realizing both investigations pointed to the same hunter, Xiao Beiming, Zhong Xueman, and Feng Qingzhuo located him. Xiao Beiming prepared to confront him, instructing his team to stay behind him due to the hunter's thunder gold weapon. As they observed, Tong Shuang instructed Huo Dairong to gather backup from the Elite Constabulary Unit. However, the hunter quickly noticed their presence and fled into the deep mountains.
Feng Qingzhuo, despite the danger, pursued the hunter alone, instructing Zhong Xueman to call for Elite Constabulary Unit reinforcements. Meanwhile, Zhuge Kongyun learned from Huo Dairong that Huang Wuchang might be hiding on Mount Lightning and that the Elite Constabulary Unit was gathering forces to surround it. Though initially suspicious of the information, he realized its importance and urgently demanded to be released from his confinement to report to his chief.
On Mount Lightning, a dense fog descended, disorienting the search parties. Fang Yin suggested waiting for city guard reinforcements, but Xiao Beiming, concerned for Tong Shuang's safety, insisted on immediate action, leading his unit into the treacherous fog. They soon realized they were caught in a formation that used the mountain's fog and terrain to deceive. Huo Dairong, recognizing the nature of the formation, successfully guided them out. They then discovered the hunter's lifeless body.
Deeper in the mountains, Huang Liang had captured Tong Shuang and was attempting to force her to ingest the crystal. Xiao Beiming and his team arrived just in time, engaging Huang Liang's forces in a fierce battle. The tide turned with the timely arrival of Zhuge Kongyun and the Secret Investigation Unit, providing crucial backup. Huang Liang was apprehended.
Xiao Beiming, recognizing that Huang Liang was not the true Yesha, offered to spare his life if he revealed Yesha's identity and location. Huang Liang disclosed that "Master" was at Haiya. Then, looking towards the stormy sky, Huang Liang committed suicide, claiming it was to repay his Master's kindness. Xiao Beiming instantly perceived a trick, urgently yelling for everyone to run as an explosion immediately erupted where Huang Liang had been.
Episode 26 Recap
Zhong Xueman awoke to learn that Xiao Beiming had once again been apprehended and taken to the Elite Constabulary Unit's prison. Though she intended to plead for his release, Feng Qingzhuo and Tong Shuang informed her that even Chief Fang was powerless to help, and they needed to devise an alternative plan. To their surprise, Xiao Beiming suddenly appeared, claiming to have escaped from prison.
In truth, Chief Fang, Fang Tianzheng, had come to believe in Xiao Beiming's innocence regarding the Yesha conspiracy. Risking his own life, Chief Fang had secretly released Xiao Beiming, instructing him to uncover the true Yesha culprit within half a month. Chief Fang vowed to take full responsibility to the emperor for his actions. With Xiao Beiming back, the group began to strategize.
Xiao Beiming deduced that the mysterious crystal found in Huang Liang's body was the same type as the one in Old Bug, suggesting the pills they took were identical. He expressed a desire to examine Old Bug's body, which was currently held by the Secret Investigation Unit. To facilitate this, Xiao Beiming instructed Tong Shuang to arrange a carriage and asked Huo Dairong to convey a message to Zhuge Kongyun about meeting at a specific, discreet location.
Xiao Beiming led Zhong Xueman to this meeting spot—the humble home of Mrs. Lin. He explained that this was where he occasionally met Zhuge Kongyun before the Fengbo Lake case. Mrs. Lin was the blind mother of a victim from a past case where Zhuge Kongyun had controversially used her daughter as bait, leading to the daughter’s hysteria and eventual tragic drowning. Zhuge Kongyun had quietly cared for Mrs. Lin for years, making her home a significant place.
Mrs. Lin, recognizing Beiming's voice, expressed joy at his return and welcomed Zhong Xueman warmly, sharing how Beiming and Zhuge Kongyun often spoke highly of her. She gently advised Zhong Xueman to cherish her loved ones, emphasizing that evil is endless and that they, despite their noble pursuits, should not shoulder all burdens, lest they regret neglecting those closest to them. While Mrs. Lin rested, Xiao Beiming and Zhuge Kongyun conversed.
Zhuge Kongyun, observing Beiming, immediately deduced that he needed help, specifically concerning Old Bug’s body. Beiming confirmed this, explaining his theory about the pills and the need to investigate Old Bug’s body for clues related to Haiya. He also highlighted that his current "fugitive" status made direct investigation difficult, and Zhuge Kongyun was best suited to uncover the remaining Haiya connections.
Zhuge Kongyun agreed to help, but on one condition: once Yesha was caught and Beiming's name cleared, Beiming must lead Zhuge Kongyun’s horse and declare him the greatest detective in Qi Kingdom before the entire realm. Beiming accepted, acknowledging Zhuge Kongyun's deservingness of the title. Zhuge Kongyun arranged for Old Bug’s body to be temporarily released from the Secret Investigation Unit. Feng Qingzhuo and Xiao Beiming quickly performed an autopsy in the prepared carriage, given only two hours.
They discovered not only thunder gold but also red crystal, and noted Old Bug's heart was alarmingly swollen. Beiming recalled Zhong Xueman's account of Old Bug's sudden surge of internal energy after taking the pill. However, Feng Qingzhuo theorized that the pill was incomplete due to its fatal effect of heart rupture, suggesting Huang Liang forced Tong Shuang to take it to test its potency.
They remained puzzled as to why Old Bug, a man knowledgeable in pharmacology, would knowingly take such a lethal, incomplete drug. Concluding that Old Bug's incoherent ramblings before death held more clues, they resolved to return to Haiya for further investigation. Zhuge Kongyun then provided Xiao Beiming with a new lead: Wu Zhui. Beiming described Wu Zhui as a legendary figure in the Qi Kingdom, one of the few he truly respected.
Wu Zhui, despite humble beginnings, possessed an unyielding spirit, once openly criticizing the late emperor's policies and court officials. Though exiled to the border to temper his spirit, Wu Zhui achieved numerous strategic victories without resorting to direct combat. After the late emperor’s passing, he became an esteemed envoy, resolving many disputes for Qi in secret.
Zhuge Kongyun’s letter indicated Wu Zhui had fallen ill six months prior and was now recovering at a farmstead outside the capital, prompting suspicion due to his past military connection to the Canfeng Army. Despite Zhong Xueman's deep concerns for his safety, Xiao Beiming insisted on going alone, citing his unique "imprisoned" status as an advantage for a covert investigation and his recovered strength as sufficient for self-defense.
Xiao Beiming located Wu Zhui, disguised as an old farmer, and subtly revealed his knowledge of Wu Zhui’s past, including a specific leg injury and calluses from writing rather than farming. Wu Zhui, surprised, recognized Beiming. Beiming stated his purpose was to investigate the Canfeng Army and the truth about Haiya, acknowledging Wu Zhui's past involvement with the Canfeng Army alongside Beiming's master, Huo Zongyao, and Miao Jie.
Wu Zhui, his expression changing, confessed to having sworn an oath to never reveal Haiya's secrets. He warned Beiming that uncovering this truth would unleash chaos and bloodshed upon the Qi Kingdom, claiming that Beiming's pursuit of justice would make him, in a sense, no different from Yesha. Beiming vehemently disagreed, asserting that no calamity was predestined and that only justice could counter the treachery of human hearts. He vowed not to leave until he found the truth.
Wu Zhui led Beiming to "poison" the water, presenting it as a test. He told Beiming that if he drank it, he would have one shichen (two hours) to live, during which he could ask three questions within the first fifteen minutes. After the full one shichen, Beiming would die, and Wu Zhui would then speak the truth, having fulfilled his oath by speaking to a dead man. If Beiming refused, Wu Zhui would drink it himself.
After a moment of profound contemplation, Beiming accepted, but first extracted three promises from Wu Zhui: to answer truthfully, to ensure Zhong Xueman retrieved his body intact, and to keep their conversation absolutely secret to protect his colleagues.
Beiming then asked his questions: first, if the Canfeng Army massacred Haiya, to which Wu Zhui confirmed his role as a military advisor and direct participant; second, why, to which Wu Zhui stated it was a complex necessity; and third, about surviving Canfeng Army members and Haiya orphans, to which Wu Zhui revealed a registry existed in the Imperial Secretariat’s Heavenly Chamber, on the 12th bookshelf.
As the "poison" took effect, Beiming secretly used a wax pellet to mark a piece of cloth with crucial information, swallowed it, and appeared to die. Wu Zhui, impressed by Beiming's courage and ingenuity, acknowledged him as a remarkable disciple of Huo Zongyao (referring to him as Yunchi) and immediately sent his guards to find Zhong Xueman. Xiao Beiming suddenly awoke to find Zhong Xueman diligently tending to him.
She explained that two farmers had led her to a carriage where she found him unconscious but unharmed. Beiming revealed that Wu Zhui's "poison" was merely a test of his resolve, and his survival confirmed Wu Zhui's inner struggle regarding the Haiya truth. Despite Tong Shuang's outrage at Wu Zhui's extreme method, Beiming clarified the "poison" was harmless. Following Wu Zhui's clue, Beiming instructed Zhong Xueman to go to the Imperial Secretariat's Heavenly Chamber to retrieve the Haiya orphan registry. Zhong Xueman successfully located the book, hidden within a secret compartment on the 12th bookshelf, just as Wu Zhui had indicated.
Episode 27 Recap
Zhong Xueman discovered a registry of Haiya orphans, which listed Huo Dairong, Miao Yun, and surprisingly, Xiao Beiming himself. Xiao Beiming revealed he had already suspected his background after learning his master was part of the Canfeng Army, and while the confirmation brought closure, it would not deter him from his goals.
Tong Shuang was shocked to find his second brother, Tong Peng, also on the list, leading him to question how his father, Old Master Tong, could have been in the Canfeng Army if his brother was a Haiya orphan. Xiao Beiming speculated that if Old Master Tong was indeed in the Canfeng Army, then the massacre at Pingyuan Escort Agency might have been Yesha's revenge.
Tong Shuang explained his second brother had died accidentally before the massacre and he had no idea of his connection to Haiya. He vowed to personally apprehend Yesha and intended to investigate everyone on the list, with Zhong Xueman offering to accompany him, but Huo Dairong suggested Xiao Beiming remain behind to await news. Investigating further, they discovered that those who adopted Haiya orphans were high-ranking military officials, not ordinary soldiers.
Zhong Xueman reported that all the former Canfeng Army members who stayed in the capital were found dead, and the same applied to those who had moved elsewhere, all dying under various suspicious circumstances like illness or disappearance over the past decade. She noted that these deaths would never have been connected if they hadn't investigated the Huo family case.
Moreover, the adopted Haiya orphans, like Tong Shuang's brother, had also died, with only Xiao Beiming and Huo Dairong confirmed to be alive, while others were missing and presumed taken by Yesha to be trained as his agents. Xiao Beiming determined that Yesha's revenge began 13 years ago in the ninth year of Xingwen. He then discovered a hidden seal on the registry, revealing the name "Prince of Pingnan, Wu Lie."
Xiao Beiming hypothesized that Wu Lie, being the Late Emperor's sixth younger brother and the current Emperor's sixth uncle, was likely the true leader of the Canfeng Army, as only someone of his rank could have made the decision to take the Haiya orphans. Zhuge Kongyun informed them that Wu Lie had officially died of illness in the early years of Xingwen, but his death was suspiciously quiet.
There were no records of a grand funeral or medical treatment from the Imperial Infirmary, despite his royal status. Zhuge Kongyun speculated that the official records might be false, or that Wu Lie, due to the heinous crime of slaughtering an entire city, might have been secretly executed by the Emperor.
However, he pointed out that Wu Lie's subordinates, including Xiao Beiming's master Zhong Yunchi, General Huo Zongyao, and Old Master Tong, all continued to hold prominent positions or live peaceful lives after the Haiya case, suggesting Wu Lie's death was not a straightforward punishment for his crimes. Convinced Wu Lie was still alive but in hiding, Xiao Beiming sought out Wu Zhui.
Upon arriving at Wu Zhui's residence, he was informed that Wu Zhui had already left but had anticipated his visit and left a cryptic message: "Born the most exalted in the Qi Kingdom, stuck in its darkest place, facing its hardest tribulation." Xiao Beiming deciphered this to mean Prince Wu Lie, the most exalted royal, was in the "darkest place" of the Qi Kingdom, facing its "hardest tribulation."
Both Xiao Beiming and Zhuge Kongyun realized this referred to the same mysterious, dangerous location. Xiao Beiming then went to the Elite Constabulary Unit to inform Chief Fang Zheng of his impending journey. Fang Zheng, concerned, warned him that no one enters or leaves that place alive, but Xiao Beiming was determined.
Understanding his resolve, Fang Zheng offered a contingency plan: if Xiao Beiming did not return, he would fabricate a story of a prison fire where a criminal, Xiao Beiming, died, burned beyond recognition, erasing him from existence. Xiao Beiming accepted, asking Fang Zheng to implement the plan if he didn't return within a day. He then decided to leave immediately, without informing Zhong Xueman, deeming the mission too dangerous to involve her.
Zhong Xueman was enraged to learn Xiao Beiming intended to go to the Infernal Dungeon of the Heavenly Prison, a formidable eighteen-level facility for the Qi Kingdom's most dangerous criminals, where the lowest levels held those guilty of the gravest offenses and faced the harshest punishments. Xiao Beiming clarified that the Infernal Dungeon was the eighteenth level, reserved for royals and princes accused of treason, which perfectly matched Wu Zhui's description of "the darkest place."
Despite Xiao Beiming's initial attempt to go alone and his explanation that he didn't want to endanger her, Zhong Xueman's past traumatic experience on Fengbo Lake, when she felt abandoned, fueled her resolve to accompany him. Utilizing an imperial token, they presented themselves as imperial envoys and gained entry to the Heavenly Prison. They descended through its levels, observing the increasingly severe punishments inflicted on prisoners.
The prison guard escorted them only to the entrance of the eighteenth level, explaining he would face execution if he went any further. After he departed, Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman pushed open a massive stone door and entered the Infernal Dungeon. Inside, they found Prince Wu Lie, incredibly, carving a stone stele with his bare hands, a testament to his immense internal energy.
Xiao Beiming noted that the heavy chains on Wu Lie's body indicated he was enduring the "hardest tribulation" and indeed matched the description of the person they sought. Zhong Xueman presented their imperial token and declared their purpose to interrogate him about an urgent matter. However, Wu Lie immediately dismissed them, recognizing the token as genuine but stating that the Emperor would never send anyone to him. He asserted he was in seclusion and desired no part in their affairs.
When they insisted on answers, Wu Lie released a surge of internal energy, momentarily destabilizing them. Xiao Beiming then mentioned Wu Zhui, which caused Wu Lie to halt, inquire about Wu Zhui, and specifically how they obtained the Haiya orphan registry. Xiao Beiming explained the ongoing crisis with Yesha, emphasizing that Wu Lie held the key to the truth.
Wu Lie, however, reiterated his stance that he was repenting for his past actions and that revealing the truth would only invite further calamity. Growing frustrated, Xiao Beiming lashed out, ridiculing Wu Lie's current state, calling his atonement absurd, and questioning his understanding of cause and effect.
He passionately recounted the tragic deaths of Wu Lie's former vice commanders—his own master Zhong Yunchi, General Huo Zongyao, and Old Master Tong Xin, detailing how they had dedicated their lives to the Qi Kingdom only to meet horrific ends. He also highlighted the suffering of the Haiya orphans, who were either orphaned, lost their adoptive parents, or were manipulated by Yesha into becoming his loyal agents.
Xiao Beiming accused Wu Lie of hiding his hypocrisy and cowardice behind chants and chains, declaring that he would personally atone for the sins Wu Lie could not. Deeply moved and recognizing Xiao Beiming's conviction and resemblance to his trusted master, Wu Lie relented. He handed Xiao Beiming a map of Haiya, promising to reveal everything if Xiao Beiming could find the location and bring it back.
The following day, Xiao Beiming, Zhong Xueman, Feng Qingzhuo, Tong Shuang, and Huo Dairong embarked on their journey to Haiya. The map, drawn over two decades ago, proved challenging to follow as the old path was now overgrown. They encountered a hesitant woodcutter who initially denied knowledge of Haiya but became terrified upon seeing their Elite Constabulary Unit token.
He warned them that while people wouldn't harm him for speaking of Haiya, "things" within it might, and urged them not to go. Despite his fear and his insistence that strange creatures resided there, the woodcutter, after being offered money and assurances of safety, reluctantly provided directions, describing a path that would lead them to Haiya within three miles after a turn. After traveling for some hours, the group decided to rest.
Tong Shuang and Feng Qingzhuo volunteered to scout ahead and hunt for game. Feng Qingzhuo expressed a fear of "monsters," but Tong Shuang dismissed it as a fabricated tale to conceal the Canfeng Army's secrets. As they ventured deeper, they suddenly came face-to-face with a massive, terrifying creature.
Episode 28 Recap
As night fell upon Haiya, Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman maintained a vigilant watch, acutely aware of the man-eating monsters lurking nearby, especially after a recent close encounter. A person attempted to discreetly steal property from their carriage but was quickly detected. Upon tracking the intruder, they discovered it was a child, and the child led them to an entire group consisting only of women, who displayed immediate hostility, shooting arrows as a warning.
Xiao Beiming reasoned that raiding the camp was not an option for investigators, noting that Feng Qingzhuo's medical chest had also been taken by the group during the encounter. He later confided in Zhong Xueman that he had deliberately revealed their origin from the Qi Kingdom to gauge the women's reactions, suspecting they held critical information about the past events in Haiya.
The next morning, Xiao Beiming formulated a plan, recognizing that in this desolate area, food was their most valuable asset. He decided to use their provisions as a "ticket in," observing the women's gaunt appearance and the child's desperate attempt to steal food, which suggested the absence of men in their camp. Meanwhile, Luo Shu, the leader of the Haiya women, expressed deep concern over their dwindling food supplies and the increasing frequency of monster attacks.
She worried about their ability to sustain themselves, especially with no word from the men who had left over a month ago, and prepared to venture out alone if necessary. When Xiao Beiming and his companions approached their camp with food, Luo Shu confronted them aggressively, accusing the Qi people of feigned compassion. Despite her initial rejection, they left the food and retreated.
Inside the camp, some women remained suspicious, but desperation, particularly for the children, led Luo Shu to instruct them to bring the food in and test it for poison. Xiao Beiming, understanding their ingrained resentment, nonetheless hoped his genuine intentions would eventually be recognized, noting the warning arrow was aimed at the ground, not them, as a small sign of hope.
He acknowledged the drain on their own provisions but emphasized that only these Haiya people could help them uncover the truth about the past. Later that night, Luo Shu, unable to bear the prolonged wait for news, decided to leave the camp in search of a solution. Xing, a boy from her group, secretly followed her out of concern for her safety. Tragically, Xing was bitten by a poisonous snake. Luo Shu quickly carried him back, triggering the camp's alarm.
Feng Qingzhuo immediately recognized the severity of the viper bite. Realizing his medical chest, which contained the necessary antidote, had been stolen by Xing and was now within the Haiya camp, he urgently demanded to be taken to their camp. Luo Shu initially resisted, bringing up the long-standing feud between the Qi and Haiya people. However, Xiao Beiming forcefully insisted that saving the child's life was paramount. Luo Shu finally relented, opening the gates and allowing them inside.
The Haiya women helped search for Feng Qingzhuo's medical chest, which was quickly found. With the chest recovered, Feng Qingzhuo skillfully treated Xing with acupuncture, stabilizing his condition. Overwhelmed with gratitude for saving Xing and for the life-saving food, Luo Shu, despite her lingering wariness, agreed to try to convince her people to allow them to stay the night. That evening, Xiao Beiming directly asked Luo Shu about the profound hatred the Haiya people harbored for the Qi Kingdom.
Luo Shu, still cautious, countered by questioning how they had entered Haiya, which was blockaded by the Qi, and what their true purpose was. Xiao Beiming explained that an elder had given him a map and that they were in Haiya to investigate the highly classified "Haiya Case." Luo Shu responded with bitter sarcasm, asserting that such an "unconscionable and inhuman" act should indeed remain classified, and abruptly ended the conversation.
Sensing the lingering distrust, Huo Dairong stepped forward, offering to try to bridge the gap. Luo Shu warned her not to spoil the limited goodwill she had extended. Huo Dairong then empathetically expressed her understanding of Luo Shu's immense burden as a leader. She then revealed a profound truth: she and Xiao Beiming were also Haiya people, born there before the tragic events that led to their families being torn apart and their subsequent upbringing in the Qi Kingdom.
She explained that their shared history of loss fueled their quest for the truth, hoping it could mend the rift between Haiya and Qi. Stunned by this revelation, Luo Shu invited Huo Dairong to sit and asked how they discovered their Haiya origins if the matter was so secretive. Huo Dairong explained they uncovered the Qi army's massacre and their own identities through an orphan registry, though the reasons behind Qi's actions remained unknown to them.
Luo Shu admitted her knowledge of the past was limited, only knowing that the Qi Kingdom had brought the monsters and inflicted a life of constant fear upon her people. She recounted how the adults had told them of the Qi's slaughter and destruction but had no answers as to why. She questioned the purpose of seeking a truth that couldn't change their living hell. Suddenly, a strange sound interrupted them.
Moments later, a woman named Xiaoyue was found bitten and collapsed. Feng Qingzhuo quickly examined her, confirming the bite marks were human, not from a beast. Xiao Beiming and Tong Shuang tracked the bloodstains, finding a man exhibiting extraordinary lightness skill with blood still on his mouth. Xiao Beiming, sensing Luo Shu's evasion, confronted her, stating that the monster's footprints indicated it had been within the camp, not from outside, suggesting she knew more.
He urged her to trust them for their collective safety. Reluctantly, Luo Shu led them to a hidden underground dungeon filled with the stench of decay. There, they discovered multiple emaciated corpses. Feng Qingzhuo confirmed they had starved to death. Luo Shu painfully revealed that these were their own family members whom they had been forced to cage and leave to die after they turned into monsters.
She then disclosed that the monster who had just attacked Xiaoyue was her own brother, Luo Sen, who had recently escaped from one of these cages. Luo Shu explained that years ago, the Qi army massacred people in "Lonely Town," located in central Haiya. Legend had it that anyone who went there lost their souls and became monsters. Desperate for supplies, Luo Sen and other men had risked a trip to Lonely Town.
They returned with provisions, but soon began to exhibit monstrous behavior, losing their humanity and cycling between violent frenzies and unconsciousness. Luo Sen, the last to succumb, had himself confined to protect others, but his condition worsened, and he eventually broke free, leading to Xiaoyue's attack. Feng Qingzhuo noted a striking similarity between Luo Sen's symptoms and those of Old Bug before his death, specifically the swollen and deformed hearts.
He hypothesized a connection to Yesha's mysterious pills, although he dismissed the idea that the Haiya people had ingested them, citing the recent development of the pills by Huang Wuchang. Xiao Beiming concluded that the origin of the illness must lie within Lonely Town and that capturing Luo Sen was crucial for obtaining clues. Realizing Luo Sen's extreme hunger from his recent actions, Xiao Beiming devised a trap using food. They prepared roasted chicken as bait.
Luo Sen soon appeared and consumed the drugged food, which should have sedated him. However, to their surprise, Luo Sen suddenly erupted into an even more violent frenzy, demonstrating immense strength. Despite the unexpected turn, the group managed to activate a prepared trap, using a net to successfully capture Luo Sen.
Episode 29 Recap
Upon capturing Luo Sen, Feng Qingzhuo quickly discerned that he had been afflicted by a mysterious and potent poison, unlike anything he had ever encountered. This poison, he explained to Luo Shu, caused one's vital essence to boil, unleashing temporary potential but overwhelmingly straining the body, rupturing the heart and meridians. He revealed that even if Luo Sen were to regain consciousness, he would only survive for a few hours at most, and at best, a few days if saved.
Heartbroken, Luo Shu implored Feng Qingzhuo to use his medical skills to grant her brother a final moment of clarity and dignity before he passed. Feng Qingzhuo proceeded, while Luo Shu expressed deep regret for not mastering her medical studies at Poison Valley, believing she could have saved Luo Sen.
Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman reassured her, acknowledging her past efforts in saving many lives and emphasizing that their current investigation hinged on her expertise, as all clues now pointed to poison. Soon, A Xing announced Luo Sen's awakening. Luo Shu introduced Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman to her brother, who, despite his weakened state, thanked them for their willingness to help him and his family.
Xiao Beiming asked Luo Sen about his activities in Lonely Town and how he contracted the poison. Luo Sen recounted that they had merely collected winter supplies and promptly returned, doing nothing else. When pressed about strange encounters, Luo Sen vividly recalled a place called the Bei Hai Residence. He shared stories passed down from the Haiya massacre survivors, who claimed that a soul-devouring monster in Haiya was unleashed by a Qi Kingdom individual named Bei Hai.
Though his memory was fading, Luo Sen managed to indicate that the Bei Hai Residence was located on the Northwest slope, on the first small hill in Lonely Town, before finally succumbing to the poison. A Xing then conveyed Luo Sen's last message, expressing hope that they would return, a promise Luo Shu solemnly vowed to keep.
Witnessing the devastation and Luo Sen's passing, Xiao Beiming reflected on the cycle of hatred between the Qi Kingdom and Haiya, acknowledging that while they might not resolve all animosity, they could prevent further tragedies. Zhong Xueman agreed, believing that truth and justice, born from human compassion, would ultimately prevail. With a shared resolve, they decided to pack up and head to Lonely Town before nightfall.
Huo Dairong voiced her reluctance to visit such a place if not for the investigation. As they approached Lonely Town, the grim reality struck them: the moat had turned into a river of blood, emitting a putrid stench, and the city itself lay in ruins. Xiao Beiming instructed them to proceed cautiously, noting that Luo Sen had mentioned the Bei Hai Residence being on the Northwest slope, on the first small hill in Lonely Town.
As they cautiously ventured deeper into Lonely Town, Tong Shuang discovered a peculiar blank tombstone within a courtyard. Xiao Beiming found the courtyard itself strange, noting the absence of weeds despite the surrounding overgrowth, suggesting an unnatural desolation. As he investigated further, a hidden mechanism was triggered, causing the ground to open into a cavernous underground chamber. Descending into the dark depths with torches, they encountered strange insects with green blood.
Zhong Xueman swiftly killed one, but countless more swarmed them, undeterred by their attempts to use fire, quickly cornering them. In a desperate moment, Feng Qingzhuo selflessly pushed Huo Dairong to safety, getting enveloped by the insects himself. Xiao Beiming quickly observed that the insects recoiled from salt and immediately instructed everyone to use whatever salt they had to repel the creatures. This revelation allowed them to escape the immediate danger.
Huo Dairong, shaken but safe, expressed her gratitude to Feng Qingzhuo, who playfully brushed off her concerns. Realizing there was no turning back, they continued their descent along a narrow path on the cliff face, with Xiao Beiming leading the way to scout ahead. Suddenly, he noticed a wooden doll on Lu Zhong's person, which illuminated and triggered a hidden mechanism. With no other option, they were forced to leap into the rushing river below to escape.
Amidst the chaos, they inadvertently discovered a shortcut along the mountainside. Upon entering, they were immediately hit by an extreme, biting cold, realizing they had entered a cavern filled with cold jade. Before they could fully react, a stone door slammed shut behind them, trapping them in the frigid chamber. Realizing they would freeze to death without an exit, they began a desperate search.
Feng Qingzhuo, with his keen eye, noticed that the patterns on the ground were, in fact, symbols from Poison Valley. He deduced that Bei Hai must have been a disciple of Poison Valley and that these symbols were likely a password or a clue. He explained that he had previously found unique gold needles from Poison Valley in Bei Hai's medicine box on the upper level, but the symbols confirmed his suspicion.
He revealed that Poison Valley's secret formulas used such symbols to represent medicinal herbs, making them unintelligible to outsiders. Relying on his master's medical teachings, Feng Qingzhuo pondered and eventually deciphered the symbols, causing an exit to slowly appear. Upon closer inspection, they noticed that the exit's door bore a distinct pattern resembling Zhong Xueman's father's thumb ring.
Recalling her father had given her such a ring as a token for their family's land deeds and shops, Zhong Xueman immediately took out her thumb ring and inserted it into the hole, twisting it. With a low rumble, the stone door slowly opened, revealing a path forward and a glimmer of hope.
Episode 30 Recap
A stone door slowly opened, revealing a long, deep underground tunnel. With a mix of apprehension and curiosity, the group carefully ventured deeper. Feng Qingzhuo speculated that the person who set up the secret chamber's mechanisms was very likely his Junior Master Uncle. He recounted how his master used to speak of his junior, Bei Hai, as a prodigy in the Poison Valley, whose talent for alchemy and poison-making surpassed both his master and Old Bug combined.
Bei Hai was the most valued disciple in the valley until he fell deeply in love with a woman he brought back from his travels. Unexpectedly, she turned out to be a spy from another sect. Despite her betrayal, Bei Hai could not bring himself to harm her. Ultimately, the Valley Chief himself administered a poison called Separation Powder to the woman.
No one anticipated the depth of Bei Hai's love; to save her, he knelt outside his master's door for a day and a night. Although his master knew the antidote from the Yin-Yang Book, he could not defy the Valley Chief. In a desperate act, Bei Hai tested the poison on himself, gambling with his life, and successfully neutralized it. After curing the poison, Bei Hai and the woman fled the valley, disappearing without a trace.
Feng Qingzhuo concluded that only Bei Hai could have accomplished such a feat, or created such a puzzle using that particular poison. He also suggested that Bei Hai's underground chamber might have been prepared for disciples of the Poison Valley. As they pressed on, they discovered a secret chamber containing the corpses of a woman and a man, presumed to be Bei Hai and his wife, having been dead for about twenty years.
A thick cloth on a stone wall concealed a significant secret. Upon removing it, they found carvings detailing a shocking history from the 36th year of Ningtai. The Emperor was gravely ill, causing turmoil in the court, while five border nations formed an alliance and attacked without declaration, leading to military defeat and civilian displacement. In this dire situation, a miraculous Swift Wind Pill was discovered, capable of turning the tide.
Bei Hai, confident in its power, demonstrated it by having a warrior take the pill, enabling him to single-handedly defeat many foes. Impressed, the Emperor regarded Bei Hai as a savior. Bei Hai then tirelessly worked day and night in the secret chamber, diligently recording his progress as he refined more Swift Wind Pills. The records continued, detailing how the Canfeng Army, commanded by Prince Wu Lie, numbering a thousand strong, took the Swift Wind Pill before battle.
They launched a surprise attack on the allied forces, who were caught off guard due to sandstorms. Despite losing eight hundred men, they successfully killed the enemy leaders and returned to Haiya victorious, hoping to reunite with their families. However, once back, the remaining two hundred soldiers of the Canfeng Army suddenly went berserk, attacking those around them. Bei Hai, witnessing this horrific sight, realized the Swift Wind Pill was the cause.
He ceased taking it himself, believing it would restore him, but the pill's potent "dan toxin" had deeply permeated his system. When he stopped, his meridians could not adapt, and the stimulated internal energy rampaged chaotically, causing hallucinations where he perceived everything as a threat, leading him to attack others. He documented his desperate efforts to find an antidote, exhausting all his knowledge.
With more and more people becoming infected and the Swift Wind Pill supply dwindling, officials in the capital debated the escalating crisis at Haiya. Aware of the Emperor's fragile health, they decided to contain the information and seal off Haiya to prevent public panic. They also considered contingencies if no antidote was found, as the infected soldiers, now powerful, mindless beasts, could unleash an unmanageable catastrophe. The Emperor, momentarily lucid, issued a single word: "Kill."
General Wu Lie was devastated by the order to slaughter his own men, who had fought valiantly for the Qi Kingdom. Despite his anguish, he recognized the grim necessity to protect the capital and could not defy the imperial command. He gave the order to attack. Two teams sent into Haiya to carry out the massacre were lost without a trace.
Realizing that further attempts would be futile as the remaining Canfeng Army soldiers had completely lost their minds and scattered throughout the city, Wu Lie ordered his forces to withdraw from the city, seal the gates, and allow no one to leave, acknowledging that the innocent civilians inside, thousands of elderly, children, and women, would face certain death against the frenzied beasts. The stone record grimly concluded that Haiya had become hell on earth.
Days later, General Wu Lie, heavy-hearted, ordered the gates of Haiya to be opened. He reiterated the command that all survivors within must be killed for the sake of the Qi Kingdom's stability and to prevent the devastating secret from leaking out. He acknowledged that the Haiya citizens were innocent, but stated he had no other choice to protect the greater populace.
Zhong Yunchi, however, stepped forward, appealing to his fellow soldiers, Zongyao and Tong, reminding them of their humanity and urging them to "leave some roots for Haiya" for their families' karma. He declared he would bear all responsibility if the General blamed them. Persuaded by his unwavering resolve, the four men jointly rescued a male infant. Zhong Yunchi, knowing the gravity of the situation, sought out Bei Hai, whom he found in the underground chamber.
Bei Hai, filled with remorse for the Haiya catastrophe, entrusted Zhong Yunchi with the remaining Swift Wind Pills, pleading with him to deliver them to his senior brother, Wu Shuang, the Poison Valley Chief. He expressed hope that Wu Shuang, despite their past estrangement, would use his righteous character to develop an antidote and avert further disaster if the poison had spread.
Bei Hai also revealed that the carved history on the wall detailed Wu Lie's actions, likely carried out under imperial orders to burn Haiya and destroy the path leading to it, making the city vanish. He then gave Zhong Yunchi a thumb ring, the key to the secret chamber, as a symbol of hope for Haiya and the Qi Kingdom.
He hoped that if his senior brother failed to find a cure, a righteous person in the future, guided by the thumb ring, would discover the truth within the chamber, use the Swift Wind Pill formula hidden there to create an antidote, and ultimately reveal the truth to the world to end both the poison's and humanity's calamities. Lastly, Bei Hai tearfully implored Zhong Yunchi to protect his wife and children.
Just as Bei Hai prepared to take his own life, his wife, Xiao, refused to be a burden on her children and poisoned herself. The couple was then laid to rest together in the secret chamber. Bei Hai had marked his two sons, Bei Kun and Bei Ming, with incense scars on their shoulders, praying for their safety. As the group stood before the corpses, it was revealed that they were, in fact, Xiao Beiming's birth parents.
Zhong Xuexuan explained to Xiao Beiming that Zhong Yunchi had adopted him and that his mother's surname was Xiao. Xiao Beiming's brother, Bei Kun, however, was missing, his whereabouts unknown, with only Wu Lie possibly knowing his fate. As Xiao Beiming lingered near his parents' bodies, he inadvertently triggered a hidden mechanism, causing another stone door to slowly open in the chamber.
Behind the newly opened door, they discovered another stone wall, bearing the complete formula for the Swift Wind Pill. Feng Qingzhuo remarked on Old Bug's skill, having almost perfectly replicated the pill. He lamented that his master had been killed by Old Bug before he could develop the antidote from the formula Bei Hai had sent him. Feng Qingzhuo then encouraged Xiao Beiming, calling this discovery his master's dying wish and a crucial responsibility.
He emphasized the importance of committing the formula to memory and preventing it from falling into the hands of Yesha, expressing confidence that Xiao Beiming would eventually develop the antidote. Feng Qingzhuo then noted that Bei Hai had left them a way back. As they prepared to depart, deciding to leave Bei Hai and his wife in the secret chamber with a blank tombstone, the ground began to shake violently.
Episode 31 Recap
As Zhong Xueman's group navigated the deep, extensive tunnel, a sudden explosion startled them. Realizing someone might be following, they quickly rushed out of the cave just as a massive boulder plummeted from above. Without hesitation, Tong Shuang pushed Xiao Beiming out of the way, but he himself was crushed by the falling rock, dying instantly. Xiao Beiming was utterly devastated, recalling all his moments with Tong Shuang, from shared laughter to fighting side by side.
He was consumed by regret, remembering his promise to arrange Tong Shuang's marriage and give him a happy life. He blamed himself for not solving the case sooner, for delaying Tong Shuang's new beginning, which ultimately led to his tragic death. Overwhelmed by grief, Xiao Beiming impulsively declared he was going to Lonely Town, convinced Tong Shuang was waiting for him there. Zhong Xueman, seeing his state, slapped him to snap him back to reality.
She sternly reminded him that Coroner Feng risked his life for them, Dairong (Sister Huo) insisted on accompanying them to Haiya despite not knowing martial arts, and Chief Fang Tianzheng and Zhuge Kongyun risked their families' lives by supporting them in the capital. She told him everyone was grieving and had regrets, but the case wasn't over, and he couldn't give up.
She offered to go to Lonely Town with him and dig through the rubble for years if needed, until they found Tong Shuang, so he could see the man he saved and judge if his sacrifice was worth it. Though they searched tirelessly through the debris, the group only found Tong Shuang's peace talisman. Luo Shu expressed his understanding of Xiao Beiming's pain, acknowledging that everyone in their community had experienced losing loved ones.
He emphasized that after such losses, there was no choice but to wipe away tears and grit their teeth to live on, because losing hope was far more terrifying than losing life itself. He then thanked Xiao Beiming's group for rekindling their hope, apologizing that they couldn't offer more help. The following day, with heavy hearts, they erected a tombstone for Tong Shuang.
Xiao Beiming bade him a tearful farewell, promising to complete the unfinished case and bring back the pastries from Phoenix Market and the wine from Huangni Village. He urged Tong Shuang to rest, assuring him he would keep all his promises, except perhaps for the tofu maker's daughter, as Tong Shuang's impatience might have scared her off. Xiao Beiming vowed to catch Yesha, avenge Tong Shuang and his family, and finally bring him home.
Luo Shu then confirmed that his brother and others were poisoned by the water in Lonely Town. Xiao Beiming explained that after the massacre, the Canfeng Army burned the numerous bodies and dumped them into the stagnant lake, causing a pill toxin to spread throughout the water. He deduced that Luo Shu's brother and his group must have accidentally contacted the water while gathering supplies in the town, leading to their eventual poisoning.
He further speculated that the wild beasts in the area, having also drunk from the poisoned lake over generations, transformed into the crazed creatures they encountered. Though there was no immediate cure, Xiao Beiming assured them that with the Swift Wind Pill's formula and a skilled physician, an antidote would be developed. He warned everyone against touching the lake water if they had to enter Lonely Town.
The Haiya people, while grateful, decided not to accompany them, believing they would be a burden and preferring to stay in their homeland until the matter was fully resolved. Xiao Beiming expressed his deep gratitude, stating that they had helped him regain his clarity and purpose. He promised that he and his friends would ensure the Haiya people received a satisfactory explanation. Luo Shu's group then helped Xiao Beiming's party prepare their bags, and the companions resumed their journey.
That night, Xiao Beiming revealed that the entire situation stemmed from the Case of the Blood-Weeping Statues, explaining that when the late emperor was gravely ill, four officials served as senior aides, and according to his father's records, they instigated the Haiya massacre. Therefore, Yesha's revenge targeted these four.
His father, a member of the Canfeng Army, immediately knew the blood-weeping statues case was connected to Haiya, and even before the Fengbo Lake incident, Master had already identified the real, or rather, the first Yesha: Miao Jie.
The others expressed confusion, questioning why Miao Jie, a former Canfeng Army member, would seek revenge on himself after the massacre, especially since both King Zhong of Constables (Zhong Yunchi) and Xiao Beiming's father, also Canfeng Army members, had remained silent about the past. Xiao Beiming clarified that Miao Jie was different; he was a Haiya native who had witnessed his home being massacred, and he was the first Haiya orphan.
Xiao Beiming explained he deduced this from a specific hand gesture he'd seen Miao Jie make three years prior, a farewell gesture unique to Haiya, meant to guide souls back to their homeland, which he had also seen at Luo Sen's funeral. This led him to believe Miao Jie was in fact bidding farewell to himself, hoping his soul could return home.
Xiao Beiming revealed that the entire Fengbo Lake case was a deadly trap set mutually by Miao Jie and Master, using themselves as bait. He further explained that Master had known Miao Jie was Yesha before the incident and had prepared for Miao Jie's next target to be him. Master's original plan was to incapacitate Yin Er and Mei Baiyu by putting knockout drops in the tea.
However, Miao Jie, having fallen for the "four-carriage trap" and realizing his identity was exposed, foresaw Master's every move, including the wedding being a trap. He swapped the incense on the ship with knockout drops, ensuring everyone would be poisoned regardless of the tea. Consequently, Zhu Yitie, acting on Miao Jie's orders, killed everyone on board, including Miao Jie himself, sparing only Xiao Beiming.
Miao Jie's death was central to his "three birds with one stone" plan: first, to kill Master since his identity was exposed; second, to frame Xiao Beiming and make him a fugitive, thereby diverting all attention and concealing the true, younger second Yesha, who was the actual target of Qing Ying, Huang Wuchang, and Old Bug's pursuit; and third, and most importantly, to manipulate Xiao Beiming himself.
Miao Jie knew Xiao Beiming's competitive nature and deep affection for Master, calculating that once Xiao Beiming escaped, he would inevitably investigate Haiya and uncover its history, thus putting them right where Miao Jie wanted them. It was revealed that Miao Yun, the adopted son of Miao Jie, was suspected to be the second Yesha, but his whereabouts were unknown. The group continued their journey, hoping to reach the capital by dawn, knowing Chief Fang Tianzheng was covering for them.
However, they soon learned that Chief Fang Tianzheng had been arrested by the Secret Investigation Unit. Zhuge Kongyun caught up to them, explaining that his father, Zhuge Tong, had received an anonymous tip-off and stormed the Elite Constabulary Unit's prison, arresting Fang Tianzheng for illegally releasing a key criminal – Xiao Beiming. Despite torture, Chief Fang Tianzheng remained silent. The Emperor had decreed that if there was no confession within ten days, Fang Tianzheng would be executed.
Zhuge Kongyun explained he hurried to them after receiving Xiao Beiming's carrier pigeon message about Haiya. Xiao Beiming quickly determined they could not return to the capital, as they were wanted fugitives, the Elite Constabulary Unit was sealed, and their allies were under surveillance. He reasoned that even if they revealed everything, they lacked sufficient evidence, and exposing Haiya's dark history would destabilize the Qi Kingdom, which was precisely what the new Yesha desired.
The only way to save Chief Fang Tianzheng was to capture the new Yesha within the ten-day deadline. Zhuge Kongyun had already investigated Miao Yun's whereabouts based on Xiao Beiming's earlier message. He discovered Miao Jie, who lived a solitary life, had secretly bought a remote house in Mount Nan, outside the capital, which he suspected was where Miao Yun was hidden. He provided Xiao Beiming's group with Secret Investigation Unit uniforms for their covert operation.
The group located the secluded courtyard and learned from a local physician, who had practiced medicine there for over a decade, that he had once treated a child from that house. The child, who was feverish and spoke nonsensically, had scars all over his body, new and old, and a limp, looking like an old soldier despite being so young.
The physician recounted that the family moved away shortly after, and the house had been abandoned for over ten years, a fact confirmed by the dust inside. Xiao Beiming deduced that if the physician's story was true, Miao Jie must have taken Miao Yun for treatment.
Given Miao Jie's public persona as a solitary official, he wouldn't have been able to keep Miao Yun by his side without arousing suspicion, especially since Master and General Huo also adopted Haiya orphans and would notice. They concluded Miao Jie must have used a method an Imperial Secretariat official would employ, but Yesha wouldn't, to conceal Miao Yun: sending him to the Cixin Orphanage.
The administrator there remembered Miao Yun as a mentally impaired, limping child with scars, who could only smile foolishly and often wandered off. He had stayed only a few days before disappearing, and despite their search, he was never found. While the administrator could attempt to draw a portrait, its usefulness was limited given the passage of time.
The group acknowledged that Miao Yun's mental impairment could have been a disguise and that finding him now, possibly in the vast capital and as fugitives, would be incredibly challenging. That night, Zhuge Kongyun urgently appealed to his father, Zhuge Tong, to reconsider Fang Tianzheng's case, believing there were hidden details and asking for an extension on the execution date.
Zhuge Tong adamantly refused, citing the Emperor's unchangeable decree and the need to quickly execute Fang Tianzheng to restore the court's dignity. Zhuge Kongyun argued that Fang Tianzheng was a cautious man, suggesting something extraordinary must have forced his hand. His father, however, was resolute in Fang Tianzheng's guilt for releasing a key criminal.
Zhuge Kongyun then cautiously suggested that Xiao Beiming might be innocent and that he had used his methods to gain Fang Tianzheng's trust, convincing him to risk his life for an appeal, especially since the Fengbo Lake and Huang Wuchang cases were full of inconsistencies. Zhuge Tong vehemently rejected this, proposing instead that Xiao Beiming and Fang Tianzheng were both Yesha's accomplices.
He theorized that Zhong Yunchi had discovered their sinister ambitions, leading to the murders on Fengbo Lake, with Xiao Beiming escaping and Fang Tianzheng remaining to continue their evil deeds. Zhuge Kongyun vehemently countered that his father's reasoning was too far-fetched, accusing him of trusting questionable evidence over the possibility of a fugitive's innocence.
He boldly declared that his father's judgment on the Yesha case had never convinced him, asking why, with so many doubts, he was so fixated on Xiao Beiming as the sole suspect. He questioned how King Zhong of Constables (Zhong Yunchi), being so close to Xiao Beiming, could have missed his supposed malicious intent.
Zhuge Tong erupted, claiming Zhong Yunchi was a hypocritical and cunning individual, stating that the entire Elite Constabulary Unit, despite its righteous facade, was internally corrupt and despicable. He added that he wouldn't be surprised by any evil committed by their disciples or subordinates.
When Zhuge Kongyun questioned his father's deep-seated prejudice, Zhuge Tong revealed the shocking truth: his current disposition was entirely due to Zhong Yunchi, whom he knew better than anyone because he himself had once been a constable in the Elite Constabulary Unit.
Episode 32 Recap
In the third year of Xingwen, long before the Secret Investigation Unit was established, Zhuge Tong, filled with a passion for justice, served as a constable in the Elite Constabulary Unit. A serial murder case plagued the capital. The victims were three beautiful women whose faces had been skinned.
Despite having never seen the perpetrator, Zhuge Tong, with his extraordinary skill, could deduce the killer's appearance through "bone-drawing" based on the subtle wounds on the victims' bodies and Deputy Chief Zhong Yunchi's insights. He theorized the killer was a short individual, driven by immense resentment due to their own unsightly appearance, leading them to destroy the beauty they envied.
His colleagues were initially skeptical, doubting how such a detailed portrait could be drawn from mere "assumption," but desperate to solve the case, they used his drawing. Miraculously, the portrait led to the capture of the vicious murderer, earning Zhuge Tong widespread fame.
This breakthrough also forged a deep bond and friendship between Zhuge Tong and Zhong Yunchi, making them an unparalleled duo in cracking countless cases and capturing numerous criminals, which in turn brought great renown to the Elite Constabulary Unit. However, their partnership took a tragic turn. While pursuing a group of felons, Zhuge Tong was captured and gravely injured while trying to save Zhong Yunchi. To exact revenge, the felons cut off his right hand and blinded his left eye.
From that day forward, everything changed. While Zhuge Tong spent two years bedridden, consumed by despair and unable to wield a brush, Zhong Yunchi's career soared. He solved several major cases, was granted the title of "King of Constables" by the Emperor, and became the Chief of the Elite Constabulary Unit.
Zhuge Tong felt abandoned and viewed his transfer to a mere clerk position as an insult, believing Zhong Yunchi had seized all the glory and respect that rightfully belonged to him. He vowed to sever ties with Zhong Yunchi and the Elite Constabulary Unit, especially after he himself was unexpectedly promoted by the Emperor to Chief of the newly formed Secret Investigation Unit.
He swore to reclaim everything he had lost from them, holding a deep prejudice even against Zhong Yunchi's disciple, Xiao Beiming. Under the cloak of night, Xiao Beiming urgently entered the city and sought Zhuge Kongyun. He presented Zhuge Kongyun with a portrait of Miao Yun, hoping his father, Zhuge Tong, known for his ability to deduce a person's appearance at any age, would use his "bone-drawing" skill to render the current likeness of the Yesha killer.
Zhuge Kongyun explained the difficulties and risks of involving his father directly, given his father's deep-seated resentment towards Zhong Yunchi. However, Xiao Beiming revealed that he never intended for Zhuge Kongyun to directly ask his father. Instead, he had acquired crucial records from the Imperial Secretariat, documenting discussions between the Emperor and Zhong Yunchi before the Secret Investigation Unit's formation. Zhuge Kongyun presented these records to Zhuge Tong, urging him to reconsider his animosity towards Zhong Yunchi.
The documents revealed that Zhong Yunchi had passionately advocated for Zhuge Tong to be appointed Chief of the Secret Investigation Unit, vouching for his unparalleled talent despite his injuries. Zhong Yunchi had explained that he transferred Zhuge Tong to protect his dear friend from the dangers he faced as the new Chief of the Elite Constabulary Unit, regretting that Zhuge Tong’s emotional state at the time prevented a proper explanation, leading to the misunderstanding.
Confronted with this truth, Zhuge Tong was deeply moved, realizing the years of misunderstanding and feeling a profound sense of guilt. Xiao Beiming further conveyed Zhong Yunchi's remorse, speaking of his master's regret for the strained friendship and his wish to apologize properly. Moved by these revelations and Xiao Beiming's earnest appeal, Zhuge Tong found the courage to pick up his brush once more. Focusing intently on the victims' death methods, he meticulously began drawing the portrait of Yesha.
The next morning, portraits of Miao Yun were plastered throughout the capital. Zhong Xueman was surprised by the Secret Investigation Unit's unexpected assistance and found the face in the portrait strangely familiar. Meanwhile, Zhuge Tong visited Fang Zheng in prison, bringing food and wine. They drank together, and Fang Zheng expressed his joy that the old Zhuge Tong, the brilliant and righteous detective, had finally returned.
Later, Zhong Xueman suddenly recalled seeing a beggar resembling Miao Yun three years ago outside a restaurant/inn. Following this clue, she and her team went to the beggar's gathering place near the abandoned City God Temple. They found a beggar, referred to as "Dummy" by the locals, who matched the portrait and had the described scars and a lame right foot. His apparent mental disability, however, raised suspicions that he might be feigning his condition.
To test him, they gave him a bowl of rice heavily seasoned with salt, which he ate without complaint, further strengthening their suspicions that he was pretending. That night, Feng Qingzhuo administered a tranquilizer to the beggar. In a semi-conscious state, the beggar revealed that the real Miao Yun was already dead.
He then led Xiao Beiming and the others to a grim secret chamber filled with various torture instruments, which he explained were evidence of Miao Jie forcing him to kill. He confessed that he was the "second Yesha," having been compelled to kill since childhood, which left him covered in scars and with a leg injury. He explained that he never wished for revenge or to die.
During a high fever, he feigned mental illness and was sent to the Cixin Orphanage. He later escaped, believing the most dangerous place was the safest, and disguised himself as a beggar, remaining in the capital. He only felt relieved three years ago when he heard Miao Jie had died at Fengbo Lake.
He also mentioned that he feared Xiao Beiming might be Yesha and that the constables were after him, which made him hide in the capital, believing it was still the safest place. He offered to testify that Miao Jie was Yesha and insisted he was not the person they were truly seeking.
Despite the beggar's confession and the evidence from the secret chamber, Xiao Beiming felt a crucial piece of information was still missing, like scattered stars he couldn't quite grasp. He requested a cell and all case files related to the Yesha case from Zhuge Tong, intending to meticulously review them and figure out what he had overlooked. He then asked Zhuge Kongyun to take him somewhere, suggesting he had found another vital lead.
Episode 33 Recap
Xiao Beiming, accompanied by Zhuge Kongyun, ventured into a dark and forbidding prison. For days, Xiao Beiming had immersed himself in the investigation there, refusing any disturbances from the outside world. As anticipated, Zhuge Kongyun returned with crucial information, which, once revealed to Xiao Beiming, shocked him to his core. The identity of the new Yesha had finally come to light. Calmly, Xiao Beiming began to meticulously piece together the facts.
He revealed that Miao Jie had found the new Yesha, a Haiya orphan who had been lurking near them all along, perfectly aware of their every move and plan. Zhuge Kongyun's investigation through Mr. Hai led them to Tong Shuang’s elder brother, Tong Peng. When they hesitantly exhumed Tong Peng's coffin, they were shocked to discover the body inside was actually Tong Shuang.
A series of key figures had died, with Tong Shuang being the last person seen by each of them before their demise, indicating a carefully orchestrated and premeditated scheme. Feng Qingzhuo then recalled that when he untied Tong Shuang, the rope marks on his arm were surprisingly shallow, suggesting the binds were applied later.
Xiao Beiming concluded that Tong Shuang, anticipating the Swift Wind Pills in the secret chamber, had faked his own death and then returned to the chamber to retrieve them, demonstrating chilling foresight. Following these revelations, Zhuge Tong and his son, Zhuge Kongyun, brought Xiao Beiming before the Emperor. Both vouched for Xiao Beiming, asserting his innocence. The Emperor, with a grave expression, directly questioned Xiao Beiming about the truth of Yesha.
Xiao Beiming solemnly uttered the name "Haiya," informing the Emperor that he had personally visited the site and that the current wave of revenge was being orchestrated by the Haiya people. He warned that if Tong Shuang, now in possession of the Swift Wind Pills, was not stopped, the devastating virus would likely spread again, posing a dire threat. The Emperor, deeply alarmed, immediately ordered Xiao Beiming to swiftly apprehend Yesha.
However, Xiao Beiming argued that such an action would only be a temporary solution. He asserted that even if one Yesha was eliminated, others would rise to seek vengeance, as the flames of retribution would not easily be extinguished. Sensing the Emperor’s reluctance to acknowledge past mistakes, Xiao Beiming, risking his life, spoke his mind without reservation, directly condemning the Emperor's past actions. He detailed how the Haiya people were forced from their homes and remained displaced.
He urged the Emperor to publicly reveal the truth about Haiya and provide them with a place to call home. After careful consideration, the Emperor eventually accepted Xiao Beiming’s recommendations. Everyone was relieved to see Xiao Beiming emerge unharmed, a sign of hope. The Secret Investigation Unit and the Elite Constabulary Unit launched a joint operation to track down Yesha. After three years as a fugitive, Xiao Beiming’s name was finally cleared, and he regained his former standing.
He immediately joined forces with Zhong Xueman to search for Tong Shuang. Meanwhile, Tong Shuang, with a sinister expression, approached Wu Zhui, seemingly hatching a new plot. Along a street, a group of performers began a ritual, chanting words and waving flags that mysteriously changed color. Suddenly, a phantom image resembling a divine beast appeared in the sky, and immediately after, Wu Zhui's body fell from above. Panicked, the terrified citizens fled, believing an evil spirit had appeared.
Zhong Xueman and Xiao Beiming, who were nearby, inspected Wu Zhui's body. They noted severe injuries consistent with a ferocious animal attack, but Xiao Beiming was skeptical that the phantom beast in the sky was responsible, suspecting another layer of deception. Their investigation revealed that the changing flags were an illusion, painted with Ziyang Grass dye that altered color with heat. They deduced this was a deliberate ruse by Tong Shuang, who would not easily expose himself.
They pondered whether a hallucinogenic substance could induce a shared illusion in a large crowd. While some hallucinogens could cause individual hallucinations, creating a unified illusion for everyone was unheard of. They realized that the "White Tiger" incident was another trick, similar to the flags, meant to deceive the public. The citizens, however, were convinced that Yesha was a divine being sent to save them, leading to widespread concern that Yesha was aiming to instigate greater chaos.
Xiao Beiming understood that the public killing of Wu Zhui was a declaration of war. Reflecting on the ritual's slogan, "All four symbols turned demonic, the Qi Kingdom is going to collapse, Yesha has descended, the world will be in his reign," Xiao Beiming concluded that since the "White Tiger" had already struck, three more such incidents involving the other symbols were likely to occur.
This put them at a disadvantage, knowing Tong Shuang was in the capital and his general intent, but unaware of his specific targets, times, or locations. Xiao Beiming declared his intention to scour the capital to find Tong Shuang immediately, rather than waiting for subsequent attacks. However, before they could act, stunning news arrived: Yesha had surrendered himself.
Episode 34 Recap
Tong Shuang, who was later identified as Bei Kun, unexpectedly turned himself in, sending shockwaves through the capital. Xiao Beiming, Feng Qingzhuo, and others rushed to the prison. Feng Qingzhuo stood by, overwhelmed with grief and disbelief that his former friend could have committed such heinous acts. At that moment, Xiao Beiming stepped forward, his resolve firm, and pulled back Tong Shuang's clothing.
Upon seeing the distinctive birthmark on his shoulder, Xiao Beiming's long-held suspicion was confirmed: this man was indeed his long-lost older brother, Bei Kun, also known as Bei Hai's son. Overwhelmed by a mix of joy and anguish, Xiao Beiming dismissed everyone, intending to privately confront Bei Kun for the truth. Bei Kun, maintaining a cold demeanor, calmly stated that everything he had done was for revenge.
He claimed his surrender was due to feeling a touch of sympathy after seeing Xiao Beiming tirelessly searching for him. Xiao Beiming, enraged by his brother's attitude, demanded to know why he had chosen such a path. Bei Kun then recounted his tragic past. Upon returning to the Pingyuan Escort Agency, he was cruelly mistreated by the Madame, her harsh words piercing his heart. His beloved dog, Lantern, which he had named and cherished, was then brutally killed and eaten.
In despair, Bei Kun recounted meeting Miao Jie on a rainy night. Miao Jie persuaded him that as orphans from Haiya, they bore a mission of revenge. Under Miao Jie's guidance, he embarked on his path of vengeance. He burned down the Pingyuan Escort Agency, faking Tong Peng's death in the fire, and then assumed the identity of Young Master Tong Shuang to continue living. From then on, he rigorously trained in killing techniques.
His fondness for dogs transformed into a deep aversion, finding even their barks irritating. Bei Kun, still consumed by hatred, looked at Xiao Beiming with resentment, expressing his extreme imbalance at how Xiao Beiming, despite being labeled Yesha, still garnered belief and support from so many. He questioned why he suffered so much while the people of Qi lived happily, vowing to make them experience similar pain and plunge the entire nation into fear.
Just then, an imperial decree arrived, ordering Yesha's immediate execution without further interrogation. As he was led away, Bei Kun chillingly declared that even if he died, the events yet to unfold would continue unimpeded, hinting at a greater impending disaster. Zhong Xueman, sensing an ominous turn of events, meticulously guarded Bei Kun in the Heavenly Prison, alongside elite imperial guards. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming felt a persistent unease, as if an unseen force was watching them.
Zhuge Kongyun's sudden realization regarding Bei Kun's imprisonment location struck Xiao Beiming. Inside the Heavenly Prison, Bei Kun appeared surprisingly relaxed, as if anticipating a grand celebration rather than death. Outside, Zhong Xueman noticed an unusual heat in the air and a growing sense of dread. She opened the cell door and was stunned to see a phantom fiery phoenix in the sky, emitting an eerie glow, before she fainted.
When Zhuge Kongyun and Xiao Beiming arrived, they found Wu Lie mysteriously dead amidst a chaotic scene. Afterwards, Zhong Xueman recounted vividly seeing the phoenix, convinced it was no mere illusion. Xiao Beiming examined Wu Lie's body, confirming he died from severe bird-like claw marks, and also discovered the same mysterious symbol and peculiar ants found at Wu Zhui's death site. The next day, as Bei Kun's execution drew near, officials and commoners gathered expectantly.
Xiao Beiming, however, remained uneasy, sensing impending chaos. Zhuge Tong and Fangzheng oversaw the execution. Bei Kun, brimming with arrogance, proclaimed that a heavenly calamity would soon befall Qi as punishment. Suddenly, colorful clouds appeared in the sky, and the executioner's blade snapped. In front of the bewildered crowd, Bei Kun was enveloped by a mysterious cloud and vanished without a trace.
After the astonishing escape, Xiao Beiming finally understood Bei Kun's true motive for surrendering: he intended to use them to publicly prove himself a divine being, thereby manipulating people's minds for his nefarious goals. Xiao Beiming explained that Bei Kun wanted to destroy the very spirit of Qi. He elaborated that someone with divine powers, impervious to weapons, capable of commanding divine beasts, awakening deities, and controlling life and death at will could only be perceived as a god.
Bei Kun had used them to elevate himself into a god before the public eye. Now, no one would care if Yesha was a murderer; they would only believe his actions were divine will and his words divine oracles. Rumors would spread, followers would multiply, and he would effortlessly manipulate minds. Combined with his possession of the Swift Wind Pill, this could unleash true heavenly wrath upon the world.
They realized the Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Azure Dragon—three of the Four Symbols—had already appeared. They urgently needed to stop him before the Black Tortoise manifested, as they didn't know what he would do with it. Time was short, and to unravel the mystery of the Four Symbols, they had to start with the peculiar insects found at the crime scenes. Xiao Beiming believed he knew someone who could help.
Episode 35 Recap
Xiao Beiming, Feng Qingzhuo, and their companions arrived at Chessboard Alley, a quiet and mysterious place known as the residential area for Ministry of Works officials. Feng Qingzhuo was curious why they were there instead of the Ministry of Justice for their investigation. Xiao Beiming explained that some matters were beyond the Ministry of Justice's scope but could be handled by the Ministry of Works.
Their destination was the home of Feng Bamao, a peculiar clerk from the Office of Rodents and Insects, a small department under the Ministry of Works responsible for all snake, insect, rat, and ant problems in the capital. Xiao Beiming had previously dealt with Feng Bamao before the Fengbo Lake case. Despite the unappealing nature of his work, Feng Bamao loved it and spent his days surrounded by insects, a field in which he had no equal.
Feng Qingzhuo noted the strangeness of Feng Bamao's obsession with bugs, while Xiao Beiming added that Zhuge Kongyun and Huo Dairong had opted out of this visit, likely due to Zhuge Kongyun's cleanliness obsession and Huo Dairong's previous traumatic experience in the underground tomb. As Xiao Beiming opened the old door to Feng Bamao's house, Feng Qingzhuo shivered, hit by an odd smell of soil and insects.
The room was filled with containers of all shapes and sizes, holding various creepy crawlies. Feng Bamao himself was on the floor, intently studying a tiny insect, seemingly oblivious to their presence. He was searching for a rare black silkworm from the Kingdom of Mulberry, explaining that its skin changed color to blend with its surroundings, making it extremely elusive.
Xiao Beiming, offering a practical suggestion, proposed tying a red thread around its head, as the thread wouldn't change color, making it easier to track. After retrieving his silkworm, Feng Bamao, recognizing Xiao Beiming, expressed his gratitude for the help. Xiao Beiming then presented the strange, spirally arranged dead insects found at the three crime scenes to Feng Bamao, seeking his expertise.
Upon examining the insects, Feng Bamao immediately noticed signs of molting, indicating they had been "extremely agitated" or "excited themselves to death" before dying. He clarified that just as people could die from extreme excitement, so too could insects. These insects must have come into contact with a specific substance. Xiao Beiming inferred they were poisoned. Feng Bamao confirmed that the insects were likely collateral damage from someone using certain drugs, emphasizing it wasn't a pesticide.
Though he couldn't identify the exact drug, he felt he had seen insects die in the same manner before. He asked Feng Qingzhuo to help him search through his extensive records of insect specimens, which detailed how, where, and in what condition each insect had died. Feng Qingzhuo asked how Xiao Beiming knew Feng Bamao. Xiao Beiming explained that Feng Bamao had helped him investigate a palace collapse years ago.
Feng Bamao had correctly attributed the collapse to termite damage, even when the Ministry of Justice had blamed human error, and had selflessly helped clear the name of the supervisor, despite their previous conflicts. After a thorough search, Feng Bamao finally found a similar case recorded at Yunji Palace, the residence of Taoist Yunji. Taoist Yunji was a sorcerer from a foreign land, renowned for his mastery of illusions. During festivals, nobles frequently invited him to perform.
Feng Qingzhuo recalled that Xiao Beiming had once invited him to such a performance but he couldn't attend due to official duties. Taoist Yunji was famous for his "Thousand Miles Landscape" illusion, where he would create a magnificent, realistic scene of rivers, mountains, and stars, accompanied by faint Buddhist chants, in front of the Emperor and officials.
Xiao Beiming noted the striking similarity between Taoist Yunji's "Thousand Miles Landscape" and Yesha's "Demonized Four Symbols," hoping that finding Taoist Yunji would unlock the mystery. Following this lead, Xiao Beiming and his group arrived at Yunji Palace. Feng Qingzhuo was surprised to find it was a humble, small house, contrary to his expectation of a grand palace. Xiao Beiming pointed out that Taoist Yunji was more of a "mechanical sorcerer" than a conventional palace resident.
Zhuge Kongyun, who had joined them, admitted he was better at capturing people than finding bugs. They entered the seemingly empty house, observing dust and clear signs of a struggle, indicating Taoist Yunji had been taken, not left willingly. Xiao Beiming deduced that Yesha had abducted Taoist Yunji to exploit his illusion skills for the "Demonized Four Symbols" case, fearing they were already too late.
However, he believed Yesha might not have taken everything, so they split up to search for clues. Inside, Xiao Beiming and Zhuge Kongyun simultaneously discovered a hidden secret room. Meanwhile, Feng Qingzhuo found scattered petals and seeds of Bosuo Flowers in the courtyard, although the blooms themselves had been removed. Zhong Xueman was unfamiliar with the Bosuo Flower. Xiao Beiming explained that it was a foreign plant whose refined powder acted as a sedative.
While non-toxic to humans, causing temporary dullness of consciousness and numbing of the five senses that was hard to detect, it was instantly fatal to insects. He was certain that large amounts of Bosuo Flower pollen were present at the crime scenes and were crucial to the illusion technique. Feng Qingzhuo added that the pollen merely aided in making viewers more immersed in the illusion, not creating it itself. They collected all the materials to investigate further.
Analyzing the situation, Xiao Beiming reasoned that the few Bosuo Flowers at Yunji Palace wouldn't suffice to induce widespread numbing of senses. Since Qi Kingdom didn't grow this plant, large quantities would have to be imported from the Western Regions. He suggested checking trading houses like Xilaigui and Liluxi in the capital, which specialized in Western goods. Zhong Xueman suggested searching the Ghost Market as well.
They decided to split up, with Xiao Beiming and Feng Qingzhuo continuing to investigate the illusion techniques, while the others pursued leads in the markets. Subsequently, the owners of two trading houses confessed that someone had recently purchased a large quantity of Bosuo Flowers from them at an extremely high price. The buyer had been very cautious, never showing their face, and the payment method was anonymous, with boxes of gold and silver mysteriously appearing.
The instructions in the boxes directed them to deliver the flowers to a courtyard in the north of the city. Zhuge Kongyun arrived at the courtyard but was too late; the place was empty, leaving only a few Bosuo Flower leaves, confirming the trading house owners' accounts and the buyer's foresight. Meanwhile, Zhong Xueman's investigation at the Ghost Market revealed that large quantities of Bosuo Flowers had recently been transported there.
Feng Qingzhuo realized this was likely for refining the powder, as the process of refining such a large quantity would attract numerous insects, making it easily detectable if done openly. The Ghost Market pharmacies, designed for refining forbidden substances and adhering to strict rules of anonymity regarding source and purpose, provided the safest and most secure location. The pharmacy staff there reported that the person who collected the powders had a bandaged and impaired left hand.
Xiao Beiming believed this individual was one of Yesha's subordinates, acknowledging that while the clue was broad, it was still valuable. Xiao Beiming, reflecting on the three crime scenes of the Four Symbols case, realized the intricate effects of the Bosuo Flower on both humans and insects. He deduced that Yesha would inevitably use this method for the final Black Tortoise case.
He also noted that the Emperor's sudden decision to hold the Heaven Worship Ceremony tomorrow at the Heaven Worship Altar, aimed at calming public unrest, was perfectly aligned with Yesha's grand scheme. Yesha's objective was to make the Emperor and high-ranking officials take the Swift Wind Pill during the ceremony, transforming them into monsters before the terrified populace. This would fulfill the ominous rumors and allow Yesha to seize control of Qi Kingdom under the guise of divine intervention.
It was too late to cancel the imperial edict without further alarming the public. To counter the threat, Feng Qingzhuo distributed specially treated bamboo sticks that would turn black upon contact with the Swift Wind Pill, offering a means to test food and water. He urged the palace staff and officials to use these sticks diligently. The Heaven Worship Ceremony commenced. As predicted, colorful clouds appeared in the sky, accompanied by voices proclaiming the Emperor's injustice and Heaven's abandonment.
Suddenly, the voices ceased. Xiao Beiming and his group had found and neutralized the source of the illusion. Taoist Yunji confessed that he had been coerced by Yesha after being captured. Xiao Beiming instructed him to dispel the illusion. Simultaneously, Zhuge Kongyun loudly declared that the demons had been vanquished and Yesha destroyed, restoring calm and confidence among the kneeling populace.
Xiao Beiming revealed that the colorful clouds were an elaborate deception created using celestial stone powder and sugar, mixed with pigments to produce colored smoke. Adding crystal powder allowed the clouds to reflect light and shadow. Crucially, they contained a large amount of Bosuo Flower pollen, which, upon drifting down, numbed the senses of onlookers, making them more susceptible to believing the illusions before them. This entire setup required deployment from a high vantage point.
Both the White Tiger and Azure Dragon crime scenes were near watchtowers, which Xiao Beiming believed Yesha's men had used as their hiding spots. He further explained that the injuries on Wu Zhui and Wu Lie's bodies were fabricated, made with wild beast fangs, and Wu Zhui's corpse lacked any signs of a genuine tiger attack. He instructed Feng Qingzhuo to re-examine the bodies.
Regarding Yesha's escape from execution, Xiao Beiming revealed that the executioner from that day had gone missing, likely bribed or killed. The execution blade itself was fake. During the chaotic smoke and the distraction caused by the Azure Dragon illusion in the sky, Yesha had quickly changed clothes, left his shackles, and melted into the crowd. Xiao Beiming then explained that the Vermilion Bird case was different from the previous two.
It involved Taoist Yunji's other unique skill: "Mind Control," a form of hypnotism from the Western Regions that allowed control over a person's consciousness and selectively implanted memories. The Bosuo Flower was integral to this. Zhong Xueman, Tiangang, Disha, and Wu Lie had all fallen victim to this technique. The Heavenly Prison's narrow vents, unnoticed by most, allowed Bosuo Flower pollen to reach the lower levels, causing not just sensory numbness but blurred consciousness.
The repeated actions and sounds of "Mind Control" subtly trapped them. Zhong Xueman's vivid memory of the fire phoenix, Xiao Beiming concluded, was entirely fabricated; her clean shoes, lack of smoke smell, and unsinged hair proved she had never entered the burning hall. Her becoming the sole witness was Yesha's specific objective. Xiao Beiming declared that the "Demonized Four Symbols" was nothing more than an elaborate illusion created through unorthodox means.
Having deciphered all of Yesha's methods, they were now confident they could prevent the final Black Tortoise case. Just then, Xiao Beiming confronted Gong Fu, the man with the bandaged left hand who had purchased the Bosuo Flower powder at the Ghost Market. Xiao Beiming recognized him as the supervisor who had been wrongfully imprisoned and tortured during the palace collapse investigation, the same incident Feng Bamao had helped with.
Gong Fu confirmed his identity and revealed he was also an orphan from Haiya, who had almost been castrated after being sold into the palace, only to end up in the Ministry of Works. He expressed bitterness over the injustice that cost him his left hand due to "termites" – a metaphorical reference to the minor causes blamed for larger problems – and how he had found his "Master" (Yesha) in that difficult time.
Refusing to betray Yesha, Gong Fu defiantly stated that solving the Four Symbols case would not prevent the fall of Qi Kingdom. Before he could do more, Zhong Xueman intervened. As Gong Fu was apprehended, he revealed that he might know Yesha's current hiding place: the very place where he himself had once been imprisoned.
Episode 36 (Ending) Recap
Yunji Taoist gravely led Xiao Beiming and his companions back to the courtyard where the Bosuo Flowers had been traded. Upon careful search, they discovered a hidden passage in the wall behind a cupboard. This deep, narrow passage twisted to the other side of the mountain, ending in a courtyard with three willow trees. This courtyard was surprisingly close to Dingfeng Pavilion.
Xiao Beiming realized that when they were wanted throughout the city and had to hide in Dingfeng Pavilion, Chief Zhuge had deliberately avoided patrolling this specific area to protect them, making it the safest place in the capital for a fugitive. Yesha had evidently exploited this circumstance, setting up a secret base of operations, including this hidden passage, right under their noses. Yesha, already anticipating their movements, had arrived in the passage ahead of them.
He had been informed by a subordinate that Yunji Taoist had escaped and their location was about to be exposed. While his subordinate urged retreat, Yesha confidently stated it was too late and that Xiao Beiming's group was likely already above them, with all exits surrounded. He reassured his subordinate that everything was according to his plan and sent him away, despite the subordinate's offer to hold them off.
Yunji Taoist, grateful for their rescue, then departed, promising to perform for three days if Yesha was captured. As Xiao Beiming's group entered the passage, Yesha appeared, acknowledging that he had underestimated them, yet asserting they could not win. He revealed he had intentionally let Yunji Taoist discover the place and was waiting for them. As Zhuge Kongyun moved to apprehend him, a chilling sound echoed, and a mechanism activated, trapping everyone in a sealed room.
Yesha mockingly told them they were a nuisance and would be released only after he achieved his goal: to destroy everything they protected and completely transform the Qi Kingdom. Trapped, the group realized they had fallen into Yesha's trap. Xiao Beiming observed that the secret passage was interconnected with more than one exit, meaning their men outside wouldn't be able to capture Yesha.
He then deduced that the bricks in the room were from an official kiln, indicating it was an ancient abandoned underground waterway, part of the Qi Kingdom's vast flood discharge system, large enough for boats. Xiao Beiming realized that with Gong Fu's help, Yesha could control the entire underground waterway system.
He connected this to Yesha's threat of destroying everything and concluded Yesha's final plan was to poison the entire Qi Kingdom's population using these waterways, turning them into man-eating monsters. Initially, some doubted this was possible, as the drinking water channels and street wells were separate to prevent contamination.
However, Xiao Beiming recalled the Heaven Worship Ceremony custom: the Emperor’s water, sourced from the Imperial Spring, was bestowed upon the common people as "sweet dew" through shallow "Blessing Wells" on every main street. These wells were specifically built water channels leading directly to the Imperial Spring. If Yesha poisoned the Imperial Spring via the underground waterways, the entire Qi Kingdom would be doomed. Knowing Yesha wouldn't be far, they focused on escaping the sealed room.
Initial attempts to force the heavy stone door failed. Desperate, Zhong Xueman volunteered, revealing she had taken three Swift Wind Pills. She explained that while the pill was a deadly poison, it granted immense temporary strength, which she intended to use to break the door, citing Xiao Beiming's past teachings about a constable's duty to protect. With a powerful strike, she shattered the stone door but collapsed, gravely injured by the immense internal energy surge.
Seeing her critical condition, Xiao Beiming told Zhuge Kongyun to lead the others to stop Yesha, while he stayed with Zhong Xueman. Though reluctant, Zhuge Kongyun and the others heeded Xiao Beiming's plea not to let Zhong Xueman's sacrifice be in vain and left to save the people. Zhong Xueman lay weakly in Xiao Beiming's arms, her eyes filled with sorrow and concern. She confessed her fear of the poison taking effect, worried she would forget and harm him.
Xiao Beiming held her tightly, promising to find a way to save her, asserting she would be alright. Despite her struggle, the Swift Wind Pill's corrosive effects took hold, and she transformed into a monster, suddenly lashing out at Xiao Beiming. Meanwhile, Zhuge Kongyun and his team arrived at the Dragon Mouth Waterfall, the source of the Imperial Spring.
They found Yesha and his accomplices already poisoning the water, having opened the palace's sluice gates for the bestowing of sweet dew. A fierce battle erupted, but despite their efforts, they couldn't prevent Yesha from dropping Swift Wind Pills into the spring. Elsewhere, the citizens eagerly gathered at the Blessing Wells, drinking the supposedly blessed water bestowed by the Emperor. Yesha, observing from the shadows, smiled, confident his plan was unfolding as intended.
Three days later, Yesha walked through the streets, expecting chaos and monsters. To his astonishment, the city was peaceful, and people lived their lives normally. An old man he encountered, who had drunk from the Blessing Well, stated he was perfectly fine and had gained longevity. Suddenly, Xiao Beiming appeared behind Yesha. He revealed that his Blood-freezing Frost, which had been in his body since Old Bug modified his meridians, was the antidote to the Swift Wind Pill.
When Zhong Xueman, in her transformed state, attacked and bit him, the Blood-freezing Frost in his body not only protected him but also neutralized the Swift Wind Pill poison in her, curing her. Knowing this, he had promptly released Blood-freezing Frost into the Imperial Spring, thus protecting the entire populace. Yesha, enraged that his meticulously planned revenge was thwarted by his own brother, refused to accept defeat.
Xiao Beiming tried to reason with him, explaining that the Blood-freezing Frost had been in his body since Old Bug modified his meridians. He also revealed that the Unstoppable Old Man, knowing Blood-freezing Frost was the antidote, had tragically died because he prioritized fulfilling their fathers' mission to create the antidote, undergoing multiple self-tests and missing his own detoxification window after being poisoned by Old Bug.
Xiao Beiming tried to make Yesha understand that while he might have "won" against Xiao Beiming in some aspects, he had lost to righteousness and the collective spirit of countless good people. He argued that suffering and hatred should never justify harming the innocent, and that Yesha's actions against the Qi Kingdom were no different from what the Qi Kingdom had done to Haiya, only perpetuating a cycle of hatred.
Yesha, consumed by his belief that fate and heaven always favored Xiao Beiming and denied him victory, proclaimed that he had known there was no turning back the moment he aligned with Miao Jie. He admitted he had only trapped Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman in the underground passage, not killed them, because he wanted them to witness the Qi Kingdom's downfall.
He then acknowledged seeing the cenotaph built for Tong Shuang in Haiya, admitting some things were beyond his reach. With a final, chilling statement that it was best they never meet again in another life, Yesha committed suicide, bringing his tragic life to an end. One month later, the Emperor publicly disclosed the Haiya incident and the full details of the Yesha case.
Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman planned to return to Haiya to help rebuild their homes, fulfilling their promise to the Haiya people, a journey that might take a year or more. Zhuge Kongyun wanted to join them, but his father had assigned him duties, making him the new Chief of the Secret Investigation Unit, much to his chagrin. He complained about the loss of freedom but reluctantly accepted. The friends agreed to reunite in one year.
A year later, Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman held a second wedding ceremony at Dingfeng Pavilion. True to their playful rivalry, Zhuge Kongyun, now Chief of the Secret Investigation Unit, was again the one leading the horse, having lost a bet to Xiao Beiming the night before. He comically lamented his loss of face, but accepted his unique role in history as the Chief who led the greatest detective's horse twice for the same bride.
As Zhong Xueman's father expressed his peace at seeing her marry, Xiao Beiming playfully asked his wife if she was impatient. She admitted she had waited long enough. Just as they shared a tender moment, an urgent report arrived: a major new case required their immediate attention. The couple, along with Zhuge Kongyun and others, immediately set off to face this new challenge.
