The Wanted Detective Episode 20 Recap
> The Wanted Detective 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.
