In Blossom Recap, Plot, Synopsis

In Blossom Synopsis

In the city of He Yang, where sin reigns, Pan Yue, admired by many women for his charm, marries the universally despised Yang Caiwei. On their wedding day, Yang Caiwei is murdered, and the prime suspect is Pan Yue.

However, Yang Caiwei miraculously returns from the dead, assuming the fierce persona of "evil woman" Shangguan Zhi, determined to expose Pan Yue's true nature. As they bravely confront the forces of evil represented by the "Four Great Families" and unravel the mysteries of old cases, their hearts draw closer once again.

Yang Caiwei discovers that the true culprit behind her murder is someone else entirely, and that Pan Yue has always deeply loved her. Just as everything seems to be falling into place, unseen forces behind the scenes set another trap, aiming to push the couple into eternal damnation.

In Blossom Recap

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17
• 18
• 19
• 20
• 21
• 22
• 23
• 24
• 25
• 26
• 27
• 28
• 29
• 30
• 31
• 32

Today, Princess Liu Qing of Changle hosted a painting gathering to celebrate the festival. Liu Qing sat gracefully in a pavilion while the gathered young men painted her portrait. Among them, the most lifelike was painted by Pan Hui, the legitimate second son of Lord Pan, who earned widespread praise for his extraordinary talent. Just as it was about to be announced that Pan Hui was the winner of the day, a carriage slowly arrived.

Driving the carriage was Shangguan Lan, the wealthiest man in the capital. Everyone was curious about the person inside—turns out, it was Pan Yue, the eldest son born of a concubine in Lord Pan’s family and Pan Hui’s older brother. Just last month, Pan Yue was promoted to Censor and was now one of the most admired gentlemen in the capital.

Pan Yue respectfully greeted Liu Qing and apologized for being late but expressed his willingness to join the painting despite the limited time. Liu Qing was full of praise after seeing Pan Yue’s painting, and he rightfully became the day’s painting winner.

The Pan family had planned to arrange a marriage between Pan Hui and Liu Qing, but Pan Yue’s interference that day disrupted the plan, angering Pan Hui so much that he went home and complained to his father, Pan Jin. Pan Yue, however, remained composed—he was merely after the whereabouts of one person. Pan Jin decided to tell Pan Yue that person’s location, but from that day on, Pan Yue would sever ties with the Pan family.

The woman Pan Yue had longed for over the past ten years was named Yang Caiwei, a corpse collector at a charity mortuary. Yang Caiwei specialized in arranging final resting places for the deceased with no one to claim them. In life, however, people avoided her, fearing bad luck. She was shunned for the long scar on her face, even cursed as a freak by children.

Yang Caiwei’s master was Old Jiang, formerly a coroner at the county office, obsessed for years with uncovering causes of death and finding murderers. One day, Yang Caiwei was summoned to collect corpses at the Li residence in the east of the city. She rushed there only to find the mansion bleak and filled with a dozen corpses in the courtyard.

Yang Caiwei initially believed it to be a case of massacre, but to her surprise, they had all died by suicide. She could see from their expressions how painfully they died—what could have caused such anguish? There had long been rumors in Heyang about ghostly hauntings involving a traveling merchant’s rattle drum.

The county office intended to label it a ghost case, but since the owner of the house was also the head of Yin Yu Tower, even if ghosts were involved, they had to find the ghost responsible. Yang Caiwei, hiding in a corner, suddenly heard the sound of a rattle drum, which frightened the county officials.

She insisted they died by suicide, but the officials, eager to close the case, tried to force her to sign a confession, using torture when she refused. She was just a madman’s apprentice—nobody cared whether she lived or died. Just then, Pan Yue appeared like a deity, saving Yang Caiwei and taking her to his home. Yang Caiwei recognized Pan Yue as her childhood playmate but dared not acknowledge him, even discarding the jade pendant he presented to her.

Denying her identity, she left behind money for medicine and departed. However, Yang Caiwei couldn’t ignore the tragedy at the Li residence, and that night, she secretly returned to the scene. Yang Caiwei discovered they had indeed been poisoned. But what kind of poison could drive them all to simultaneous suicide? She examined the food and found no toxins. As someone approached, she hid. It was Pan Yue, who had come to help with the investigation.

But when she cut open a corpse’s stomach, Pan Yue couldn’t bear the sight and ran out. Yang Caiwei found beef in the stomach that wasn’t on the dining table. The rattle drum sounded again—there was a local legend that the sound of the merchant’s drum foretold death. But Pan Yue split open a beam and discovered only a hamster causing the noise. Clearly, the setup was deliberate. Soon after, black-clad men broke in to kill them.

Pan Yue protected Yang Caiwei and fled the Li residence. He urged her to leave quickly, but she refused to bear the false charge of murder. Pan Yue agreed to protect her on one condition—she must retrieve the jade pendant she threw away. Yang Caiwei searched the pond all night and finally found it. Only then did Pan Yue take her along to continue the investigation.

Pan Yue’s arrival in Heyang caused quite a stir, and Yang Caiwei, seated beside him, became the subject of gossip. Feeling unworthy, she said someone like her shouldn't sit beside someone like him. But Pan Yue replied that beauty and status are not judged by appearance—that was what Yang Caiwei herself once said as a child.

Pan Yue brought Yang Caiwei to the Li residence. Seeing them, members of Yin Yu Tower raised their knives, ready to kill Yang Caiwei, but didn’t act with Pan Yue shielding her. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei played a clever trick, claiming the murderer was among those present. Sun Zhen, the hall master of Yin Yu Tower, arrived, and Pan Yue revealed his true purpose—to investigate the Li family massacre. Sun Zhen allowed him to proceed freely.

Yang Caiwei dissected the bodies again and found that one victim’s stomach lacked beef. Still, she confirmed the cause of death: the murderer had laced the beef with Xia Zhong grass. After consumption, it caused excruciating pain as if the organs were being burned, eventually driving the victims mad and leading them to suicide. The killer placed a rattle drum and a mouse in the beam to stage a haunting.

Pan Yue initially suspected an enemy of Yin Yu Tower, but the assassin from the previous night had a Yin Yu Tower token. The one with a conflict of interest with Master Li was Chief Chen. Chief Chen was enraged by the accusation. Yang Caiwei said that hands contaminated with Xia Zhong grass would turn black when exposed to water. She invited Chief Chen to try. He submerged his hands, but nothing happened.

Yang Caiwei then asked about the scratch marks on his arm. The water-blackening story was a lie—what she really wanted was someone with scratched arms. During the autopsy, she found one maid had no beef in her stomach but blood under her nails. It turned out Chief Chen bribed the maid to poison the food and later killed her to silence her, strangling her when she resisted.

Exposed, Chief Chen flew into a rage and tried to attack Yang Caiwei but was killed by Pan Yue’s subordinate. At the Li family’s funeral, Yang Caiwei stood in sorrow. She had seen many corpses abandoned in mass graves—once glorious in life, pitiful in death. She said if she ever knew her own death date, she would choose a secluded paradise as her final resting place.

Pointing to a peach blossom grove on the hillside, she said it would be perfect. Pan Yue smiled—she still loved peach blossoms as she did before. Yang Caiwei agreed, then hesitated. Pan Yue told her to stop pretending—he had already investigated everything. Ten years ago, Yang Caiwei’s father was convicted and exiled, and both parents were killed by robbers. She was left wandering in Heyang and taken in by Old Jiang.

As his condition worsened, she became a corpse collector to support him. Pan Yue came to find her so she could reclaim her true identity. His second condition was to marry her. Shangguan Zhi, the daughter of the Shangguan family, was in love with Pan Yue. Her obsession with slim beauty had damaged her health, yet she was willing to endure anything for Pan Yue.

Pan Yue had been missing for two days, and Shangguan Zhi grew anxious, seeking help from her brother Shangguan Lan. When Shangguan Lan received word that Pan Yue intended to marry Yang Caiwei, Shangguan Zhi was so furious she tore the letter apart and stormed back to her room. After Yang Caiwei’s parents died, she once sought help from the Pan family but was turned away by servants.

Pan Yue even had someone deliver a message that she was now the daughter of a criminal and had nothing to do with the Pan family. Heartbroken, Yang Caiwei left. Ten years ago, it was Pan Yue who had cut ties—why now speak of reviving a marriage promise? Pan Yue brought Yang Caiwei to a residence, saying he intended to marry her there. She repeatedly refused and tried to break off the engagement.

To her, Pan Yue was just a childhood acquaintance; there were no feelings between them. Pan Yue disagreed—the wedding date they set long ago was only five days away, and he was determined to get her consent before then. As Old Jiang’s illness worsened, Yang Caiwei decided to go to the ghost market to find a special medicine. On the road, she encountered Pan Yue again, who claimed it was a coincidence.

The ghost market forbade nobles and officials, so Pan Yue had to disguise himself to enter. The market sold rare items, and Yang Caiwei, familiar with the place, moved around comfortably. She stopped at a blind vendor’s stall and, out of pity, asked Pan Yue to help. Pan Yue gave some silver. Though blind, the vendor was adept at bone-reading and immediately recognized that they both had rare, beautiful bone structures.

He painted a portrait of them and remarked that one had a scar on her face, the other a wound in his heart—they were a perfect match, and yet, what a pity. Bai Xiaosheng, Yang Caiwei’s friend, led them to find a snake catcher. While they were in the ghost market, Shangguan Zhi arrived at Pan Yue’s residence. Seeing the festive decorations, her anger grew.

Yang Caiwei was trying to buy a Xianban spirit snake, priced at fifty strings of coins. Unable to pay and refusing Pan Yue’s money, Yang Caiwei hesitated. Pan Yue’s identity was exposed, and the ghost market dwellers tried to drive him out, releasing the snake. Seeing Yang Caiwei anxious, Pan Yue jumped into a pool filled with blades to retrieve it. When he didn’t surface for a while, Yang Caiwei’s heart clenched.

Suddenly, Pan Yue emerged from the water holding the snake. Yang Caiwei was moved, but once again distanced herself. Pan Yue explained that he never knew Yang Caiwei had come looking for him—that message was from his father. All these years, he had been searching for news about her. He thought fulfilling the marriage promise would make things right, but he ignored her feelings. Still, Pan Yue truly wished to protect Yang Caiwei.

On their wedding day, he would be there waiting. Back home, Pan Yue heard a commotion—Shangguan Zhi was throwing things. She asked if he truly intended to marry that ugly woman, and if so, what was she to him? Shangguan Zhi even offered to become his concubine. She had endured much pain to perfect her figure, but what she valued—her beauty—was never what Pan Yue cared about. To him, Shangguan Zhi was merely Shangguan Lan’s sister.

Yang Caiwei wore the wedding dress Pan Yue sent and clumsily adorned herself with hairpins. Suddenly, someone knocked. Outside was a coffin. Inside the sedan, Shangguan Zhi tied Yang Caiwei up. She had given so much for Pan Yue, yet he wanted to marry this “ugly freak”! Yang Caiwei recognized Shangguan Zhi—she never imagined the chubby girl who once trailed behind them as a child would become like this.

Yang Caiwei pleaded for mercy, but Shangguan Zhi intended to take her face and replace her as Pan’s bride, leaving Yang Caiwei to die for love—the coffin was already prepared. Yang Caiwei secretly freed herself, grabbed a knife, and held Shangguan Zhi hostage to escape. Five days later, on Pan Yue’s wedding day, the auspicious hour was almost over, but Pan Yue still waited anxiously. Yang Caiwei arrived in her wedding dress, saying she had finally figured things out.

Looks and status didn’t matter—she had feelings for Pan Yue. The two completed the wedding ceremony together, though a faint scar remained visible on Yang Caiwei’s chin.

When Yang Caiwei woke up again, her whole body ached. She was at the bottom of the cliff, with one of Shangguan Zhi's men—who had kidnapped her the day before—lying beside her. Yang Caiwei realized her face had been changed into Shangguan Zhi’s; she had used her face to attend the wedding! In a hurry to stop all of this, Yang Caiwei picked up her jade pendant and stumbled forward.

On the wedding night, Shangguan Zhi, wearing Yang Caiwei’s face, sat solemnly in the bridal chamber. Although she was disgusted by this body, she was willing to endure it for Pan Yue. While drinking at the wedding feast, Shangguan Lan received a note prearranged by Shangguan Zhi. It contained words expressing despair and a loss of will to live. Upon reading it, Shangguan Lan immediately ordered people to find his sister.

Limping, Yang Caiwei arrived at the Pan residence, only to find the wedding already over. Through the window, she saw a man and woman arguing in the bridal chamber. Pan Yue then left the room, and right after, she saw her own body fall from the upper floor. Shocked, Yang Caiwei fled, instinctively hiding her jade pendant in a tree hollow by the roadside before collapsing from exhaustion. In her dreams, Yang Caiwei saw Pan Yue personally killing her.

When she woke again, it was a month later in the Shangguan residence. Shangguan Lan asked with concern if she was feeling better. Yang Caiwei hurried to check her face in the mirror and panicked again, insisting she was not Shangguan Zhi, and then pleaded to be left alone. Her heart could not calm down. If it weren’t for Shangguan Zhi forcibly swapping faces with her, she would have been the one to die. What exactly happened that night?

The truth remained unclear, and Yang Caiwei couldn't reveal her identity easily, but she had to escape soon. At night, as the maid helped Yang Caiwei wash up, she learned Pan Yue had returned to the capital a month ago. Shangguan Zhi was known for her bad temper, and any movement Yang Caiwei made scared the maids.

One of them said the county office later concluded the body showed no abnormalities, and Pan Yue hurriedly buried it—further confirming in Yang Caiwei’s mind that he wanted to hide the evidence. Shangguan Zhi used to drink placenta daily, which horrified Yang Caiwei, and she quickly ordered it removed. She couldn’t keep pretending like this forever—it was only a matter of time before she got exposed. And what about Old Jiangtou?

If he thought she had died, he’d surely be heartbroken. The next day, anxious to find Old Jiangtou, Yang Caiwei was intercepted by Shangguan Lan, who showed concern and insisted on taking her back to the capital to recover. Unable to refuse, she boarded the carriage. On the road, she feigned a stomachache, got off the carriage, and slipped away from the maid to return to the mortuary.

But the place where she had lived with Old Jiangtou was now deserted and in ruins. Seeing the student records on the ground, Yang Caiwei suspected her master had also been harmed. That day, the new magistrate took office. Yang Caiwei watched the people of Heyang welcome him from the roadside but was shocked to see that the new magistrate was Pan Yue.

A month ago, Pan Yue had been impeached due to Shangguan Zhi's jump, but it was rumored he had cozied up to a princess, so he was sent to Heyang as a figurehead. In a few years, he might return to the capital as the new royal son-in-law. Doubts filled Yang Caiwei's mind. Did he marry her just to climb the ranks? When Shangguan Lan and the maids found Yang Caiwei, she was crying alone.

She insisted on staying, and Shangguan Lan agreed. Yang Caiwei had no choice but to assume Shangguan Zhi’s identity. She would make the real culprit pay and let the real Shangguan Zhi rest in peace. After learning Shangguan Zhi’s habits, Yang Caiwei quickly imitated her flawlessly. She sought out Bai Xiaosheng and quietly revealed her true identity, asking for help in gathering information and giving her ten times the usual pay.

Pan Yue had a mission to complete in Heyang, but he didn’t tell Shangguan Lan. Yang Caiwei approached the two and said surviving death made her rethink many things. She wanted to sincerely apologize to Pan Yue and even wrote a blood letter as a pledge, asking for a chance. She believed that even a stone-cold heart would be moved—but Pan Yue exposed her act on the spot.

Unwilling to give up, Yang Caiwei chased after him and accused him of keeping his distance only to marry the princess. She lamented the death of the real Yang Caiwei, saying that though Pan Yue seemed refined on the outside, he was rotten to the core. Enraged, Pan Yue warned her to return to the capital immediately and not test his patience. A falling lantern hit Yang Caiwei’s head, and Shangguan Lan, seeing this, stormed off to confront Pan Yue.

After Yang Caiwei left, Pan Yue found her fallen pouch and mistakenly believed the current Shangguan Zhi had killed Yang Caiwei.

Shangguan Lan returned to the capital early the next morning, leaving Yang Caiwei a large sum of money and a maid hired overnight. The kindness made Yang Caiwei feel guilty—how would she explain the truth to Shangguan Lan one day? Shangguan Lan moved out of the inn to the county office and told Pan Yue he would be sleeping on the streets. Pan Yue agreed but secretly wanted to force him away.

Though not officially in office until tomorrow, Pan Yue went to the county office that day. The constables, who were gambling, were startled by his arrival. One of them had beaten Yang Caiwei before. He told Pan Yue there was a protectorate in Heyang, where facts didn’t matter—whatever benefited the four great families was the truth. Pan Yue ignored his words and had him taken away as a warning.

Yang Caiwei had been watching a play when Pan Yue ordered her to punish someone. Carrying the wooden board, she used all her strength to carry out the beating. Pan Yue was making an example and told Yang Caiwei to find him the next day. Ling Er helped Yang Caiwei tidy her room, which was right next to Pan Yue’s. Thinking Pan Yue had taken the bait, Ling Er found Yang Caiwei a patched outfit to catch his attention.

When Pan Yue asked what happened to her on their wedding day, Yang Caiwei made up a few lines. Pan Yue assigned her to assist the registrar and forbade her from leaving his side without permission. Being around him, Yang Caiwei felt more like she was under surveillance. Yang Caiwei accompanied Pan Yue on an inspection. Suddenly, a woman stopped the carriage in the street and publicly cursed Pan Yue as a corrupt official.

A well-dressed man came to apologize, but the woman continued to rant. Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue noticed wounds under her sleeve and realized she was crying for help. Yang Caiwei urged Pan Yue to punish the offender. Instead, Pan Yue told Sun Wancai to take full responsibility for his wife’s behavior. When the woman cursed again, Yang Caiwei recited the law and had Sun Wancai take the punishment on her behalf.

Someone reminded Pan Yue that this man belonged to one of the four great families, but Pan Yue still had him arrested, winning praise from the citizens. Shortly after arriving in Heyang, Pan Yue received many gifts and hosted several friends. Yang Caiwei hurried to the archives to investigate Pan Yue’s crimes, searching for Shangguan Zhi’s case file, only to be told Pan Yue had taken it the day he arrived.

She sneaked into Pan Yue’s room, thinking she was well hidden, but he had already noticed her. In Jishantang, Gu Yong, the head of the hall, along with Cai Sheng of the Life and Death Lane and Qing Di of the Hundred Flowers Palace, discussed serious matters—except for representatives from Yinyu Tower. With Sun Wancai arrested, they decided it was time to teach someone a lesson. Yang Caiwei, needing to get a key, went out alone.

After realizing she was being followed, she hid and had someone distract the follower so she could escape. She asked Bai Xiaosheng to get her a strong wine and received news about Old Jiangtou. Back at the county office, she found members of the four families delivering gifts to curry favor. Overhearing, she learned Pan Yue was negotiating a price to release Sun Wancai. Yang Caiwei hosted a banquet to get everyone in the county office closer to Pan Yue.

Ling Er took the chance to get A Ze drunk. Once everyone passed out, Yang Caiwei snuck off to Pan Yue’s room, retrieved a key from him, and opened his chest. Inside were a portrait of her with Old Jiangtou and the case file, which noted unexplained water stains near the corpse. After Yang Caiwei left, Pan Yue, who had been pretending to be drunk, woke up. The water stains were indeed strange.

The next day, Pan Yue asked Yang Caiwei out, bringing up her sending him back to his room the night before. She didn’t know where he was taking her. He said he had found the bandit who injured her a month ago and wanted her to identify him. Her original story was that she met bandits after leaving by carriage, but with the evidence piling up, it no longer held water.

Pan Yue grew tired of the lies and pressed Yang Caiwei to reveal what really happened that day. Realizing he might have discovered that Shangguan Zhi had kidnapped her, Yang Caiwei admitted it but then fled. Pan Yue wasn’t willing to let it go—he had found Shangguan Zhi’s pouch on Yang Caiwei’s corpse and believed she was the murderer. He didn’t realize the real Yang Caiwei stood before him. Forcing herself to stay calm, Yang Caiwei faced his relentless questioning.

If she didn’t speak the truth, he wouldn’t let her live. He wanted her to pay with her life. Infuriated, Yang Caiwei tried to jump off a cliff, but Pan Yue stopped her. At the cliffside, Yang Caiwei pointed to the bodies and said they were her trusted aides. They were meant to scare her, but a group of bandits arrived, stole everything, and pushed them off.

After Yang Caiwei saved her, she heard their story and let go of her obsession. Speaking as Shangguan Zhi, Yang Caiwei shared her heartfelt story: how she went to see Pan Yue and was turned away, ridiculed for her facial scars. She thought that was the end, but ten years later, Pan Yue found her, and everything turned out to be a misunderstanding. She truly wanted to marry Pan Yue.

Zhuo Lanjiang, the young master of Yinyu Tower, returned to Heyang and informed the other three families they would ruin Pan Yue’s reputation and drive him out. Late at night, Yang Caiwei secretly followed Bai Xiaosheng to find Old Jiangtou. Seeing her master, Yang Caiwei cried uncontrollably. On the wedding day, someone had tried to kill Old Jiangtou. He hadn’t seen the attacker’s face but noticed he wore the groom’s wedding robe.

Old Jiangtou gave Yang Caiwei a forensic kit and urged her to be cautious. She retrieved her jade pendant and resolved to reclaim her identity. The next morning, someone filed a complaint—again from Yinyu Tower. Constable Liu panicked as Sun Zhen accused Pan Yue of killing his wife. Yang Caiwei wanted to fan the flames. Pan Yue, unfazed, promised to give everyone an answer within seven days.

Unable to read his intentions, Yang Caiwei suggested they publicly examine Yang Caiwei’s corpse. Pan Yue declined, saying he had his own plan. Yang Caiwei kept a close watch and saw him burn a letter that mentioned the Hundred Flowers Palace. She disguised herself as a courtesan and snuck into the palace’s private room. Qing Di told Pan Yue he wouldn’t stand a chance against Zhuo Lanjiang—three years ago, Jingshui Tower was destroyed by Yinyu Tower.

Qing Di had arranged the meeting to propose an alliance, stating that taking down the four major clans would be the greatest achievement. Tired of being last, he had long resented the other three. Pan Yue agreed. Watching from behind, Yang Caiwei cursed him silently. Distracted, she hit the wrong note on her instrument. Pan Yue used the moment to take her away. In the carriage, Yang Caiwei lowered her head guiltily.

Pan Yue warned her not to cause more trouble. Since Shangguan Lan left her here, he would protect her. She agreed, but her actions told otherwise. As he was leaving, he stopped her. Yang Caiwei overheard people gossiping about whether Pan Yue or Zhuo Lanjiang would win. She pretended to be mysterious and placed a bet on Zhuo Lanjiang, claiming to have insider info—that he had found the burial place of Pan Yue’s wife.

Her aim was to get Pan Yue to lead her to the body. Leaving the gambling house, Yang Caiwei ran into A Jiang, whom she had once saved at a mass grave. She had told him to come back alive to see her, but now she was gone. He and Bai Xiaosheng were her only friends in Heyang.

Seeing A Jiang, drunk and being thrown out, Yang Caiwei rushed to him, more determined than ever to uncover the truth and end it all. Pan Yue had to go out, so Yang Caiwei ordered someone to sprinkle powdered Hu Gua flowers on his horse’s back. That night, she followed the trail. Pan Yue arrived at a peach blossom grove—the place she once said she wanted to be buried. After he left, Yang Caiwei discovered he. . .

Yang Caiwei saw her own corpse preserved in a crystal ice coffin. While lamenting the death of Shangguan Zhi, who had died for her, she deftly took out tools for autopsy. After examining the body without finding any wounds, she finally discovered a small injury on the scalp and then pulled a silver needle from her brain. Yang Caiwei suspected that it might have been Pan Yue who killed her on their wedding night.

At that moment, Pan Yue returned, and Yang Caiwei quickly put her things away. Pan Yue had come to wait in ambush, but unexpectedly encountered her instead. Yang Caiwei claimed she was there to help investigate the case. Despite Pan Yue repeatedly insisting her death was an accident, Yang Caiwei believed that if it had truly been an accident, he wouldn’t have falsely accused her, suggesting there must be a hidden truth behind it.

She didn’t reveal her findings to Pan Yue and secretly wondered why he went to such lengths to preserve her body. The princess sent a message to correspond with Pan Yue, which made Yang Caiwei increasingly displeased with him. She paid out of her own pocket to treat everyone to a meal, but her real intention was to gather clues about the gold needle murder. Yang Caiwei heard about a goldsmith’s shop and dressed splendidly to visit.

Ah Jiang woke up to find an orchid knot tied to his arm, identical to Yang Caiwei’s, and immediately went looking for someone. Yang Caiwei went to the gold shop to look for clues, but Pan Yue quietly followed. She had to pretend to be picking out jewelry. Pan Yue picked up a unique crabapple hairpin and pinned it in her hair, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.

Pan Yue knew she was here for leads on the golden hairpin, so she had to show the evidence. Yang Caiwei decided to investigate all the gold shops in Heyang and told Pan Yue to wait at the restaurant. Ah Jiang found the waiter from yesterday and asked who had brought him back. He learned it was a young lady from the capital.

Yang Caiwei issued a reward notice with a hefty sum, and soon gold shops brought their finest items before them. By chance, they learned of the best goldsmith in Heyang, Liu Lang, who had passed away just last month. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei went to Liu Lang’s home, where only his visually impaired grandmother remained. Yang Caiwei helped fix a lamp Liu Lang left behind and asked about the day he died.

Liu Lang died the day before Pan Yue's wedding. The grandmother said he had taken a large sum of money and never returned after leaving. It was all too suspicious. Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue went to Liu Lang’s grave, but the grandmother seemed hostile toward Pan Yue. Pan Yue went to find a coroner, while Yang Caiwei comforted the grieving grandmother. She whispered to Yang Caiwei that Liu Lang’s new client had been to the house.

Although her eyes were poor, she clearly heard his voice—it was exactly like Pan Yue’s. Shocked, Yang Caiwei quickly dug up the grave to examine the body, but Pan Yue returned halfway through. Seeing the fear on her face, Pan Yue confronted her, and Yang Caiwei bluntly voiced her suspicion—she believed he was the murderer. But Pan Yue countered that if he were the killer, he would never have preserved her body.

He had brought a coroner from the capital, but the man had been poisoned upon arriving in Heyang. Opening Liu Lang’s grave and performing the autopsy, they found a large amount of silver in the body, suggesting he had been forced to swallow silver and died. Liu Lang had died with resentment and left a clue pointing to the killer—a gambling token from the Life and Death House.

Ah Jiang found Yang Caiwei, but wondered how a young lady from the capital could help him, and only Yang Caiwei would tie an orchid knot.

Two months earlier. After Yang Caiwei’s death, Pan Yue’s hair turned white overnight. He returned to the Pan residence to question his father about what he knew. Ten years ago, Yang’s father was a Court of Justice official and Pan’s father his deputy. One day, Yang’s father received an anonymous tip-off about a hidden rebel force in the court, with clues pointing to Heyang. After investigating secretly, he was falsely accused and exiled upon returning.

Pan’s father, who succeeded his post, pretended to know nothing and never let Pan Yue search for Yang Caiwei. In the end, if Pan Yue hadn’t found Yang Caiwei, she wouldn’t have died. He blamed himself deeply. Upon learning that Pan Yue went to the Life and Death House, the mastermind decided to use others to kill him in Heyang. Pan Yue went alone, only to find Yang Caiwei already there.

He told her to leave quickly as he couldn’t protect her if anything happened. But Yang Caiwei clung to him, refusing to leave. The two kidnapped a man and a woman, dressed in their clothes, and infiltrated the inner court. Yang Caiwei presented Madam Chen’s name card, and they successfully entered and saw the area where tokens were exchanged. Yang Caiwei posed as Madam Chen, while Pan Yue pretended to be her delicate companion.

In a private room, someone soon beat drums, and six beauties entered the stage for a battle against wolves. Yang Caiwei gritted her teeth and cursed, as a ferocious wolf was released. Strangely, she felt her whole body burning and aroused like the others. Pan Yue noticed her odd behavior and reminded her of their purpose. Yang Caiwei took a half token to exchange, and Pan Yue mingled with the crowd to support her.

To avoid complications after achieving their goal, Pan Yue quickly dragged her away. However, Yang Caiwei began hallucinating, seeing butterflies and claiming she wasn’t Shangguan Zhi. Pan Yue was alarmed and realized there was something wrong with the tea. He gave her the antidote. After regaining clarity, she remembered she might have kissed Pan Yue and hid in a room to compose herself, only to be chased. The assailant, seeing her token, pressed her for answers.

She accidentally fell onto the wolf fighting stage. To save her, Pan Yue was wounded on the back by the wolf and killed it before escaping with her and the attacker. Pan Yue recognized the man as someone who had disguised as a musician a month ago, sneaked into the wedding room in bridal attire, and killed Yang Caiwei. His reaction confirmed Pan Yue’s suspicion. In a rage, Pan Yue tried to kill him but was stopped by Yang Caiwei.

Pan Yue believed the man had been ordered to kill her, but he refused to confess and poisoned himself. After they left, someone used Pan Yue’s wolf-killing dagger to murder the brothel master’s concubine. Zhuo Lanjiang, realizing they were being framed, tipped them off to flee, but Yang Caiwei insisted on performing an autopsy. Watching her examine the corpse, Pan Yue recalled how she used to be. Yet before him was Shangguan Zhi’s dead face.

Yang Caiwei found a ripple-patterned token on the body—could the deaths of Shangguan Zhi and her parents be linked to the Ripple Organization? Surrounded and with arrows flying from the Life and Death House, Yang Caiwei was shot in the abdomen.

Pan Yue was extremely worried to see Yang Caiwei shot, but fortunately, the token on her abdomen protected her from injury. Pan Yue spoke to Cai Sheng, suspecting someone was using others to kill and decided to gamble on Cai Sheng not being one of them. Cai Sheng said he would bet his own life. If Pan Yue lost, his life was Cai Sheng’s; if he won, the Life and Death House must stop using lives as gambling stakes.

After making the bet, Pan Yue pulled out a map of the Life and Death House and told Yang Caiwei to escape quietly later. An hour later, Cai Sheng sent men to kill Pan Yue, but he defeated them all. When Cai Sheng learned Yang Caiwei had vanished, he quietly ordered a search. Pan Yue grew anxious. Yang Caiwei was carefully looking for evidence when Pan Yue arrived to help.

Together they found the place where the Five Stone Powder was made. Cai Sheng quickly broke the door down, but Pan Yue managed to concoct explosives and blew it up, escaping with Yang Caiwei by jumping off the boat. Cai Sheng didn’t chase. According to the rules of the Life and Death House, a win was a win—he admitted defeat. Pan Yue was not the murderer; Yang Caiwei had misunderstood him, which left her feeling guilty.

But who exactly was Pan Yue? Yang Caiwei felt she couldn’t see through him, and Pan Yue thought she had changed a lot too. Looking at Shangguan Zhi, Pan Yue saw Yang Caiwei. Yang Caiwei wondered whether she could trust him enough to reveal her identity. The mastermind decided to use county office informants to monitor Pan Yue’s every move. The next morning, Yang Caiwei awoke aching all over.

Her parents had been killed ten years ago by the Ripple Organization due to the report they received, and now, ten years later, Shangguan Zhi was mistakenly killed as they tried to eliminate witnesses. So perhaps she no longer needed to hide her identity? Pan Yue’s back wound was festering. Yang Caiwei remembered that Shangguan Zhi’s rouge contained a healing powder and hurried to his room.

Pan Yue, bare-chested, thought it was Ah Ze and asked for help applying the medicine. Yang Caiwei silently helped him. Realizing it was her, Pan Yue hastily dressed and stumbled in shock. Yang Caiwei wanted so badly to tell him the truth. But Ah Ze soon arrived, saying the princess had sent a letter. Disappointed, Yang Caiwei left, overhearing Ah Ze and Ling Er discussing Pan Yue’s engagement. He had even broken ties with the Pan family to fulfill it.

Yang Caiwei was stunned and didn’t want to trouble her friends, so she buried her jade pendant, deciding to end things once and for all. Pan Yue dreamt of Shangguan Zhi, always confusing Yang Caiwei with her, leaving him distracted. Overhearing Ling Er and Ah Ze argue, he mistakenly thought she was imitating Yang Caiwei to manipulate him. Both Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue came to their own realizations and felt more at ease.

Yang Caiwei inquired everywhere about the Ripple gang, and Pan Yue also searched for clues. Ah Jiang, seeing Yang Caiwei with Bai Xiaosheng, was confused and privately questioned Bai Xiaosheng about Shangguan Zhi. Bai Xiaosheng said it was Yang Caiwei who taught her the orchid knot and had tied one on Ah Jiang that day to help cover for her.

Pan Yue’s seven-day agreement with Silver Rain Pavilion was approaching, and everyone at the county office was deeply worried, wishing they could run away. The four major clans soon arrived, demanding answers. Pan Yue remained calm and ordered the killer to be brought forward. The culprit was an aide to Chief Chen, who said he killed her because Yang Caiwei was responsible for Chen’s death. At that moment, Silver Rain Pavilion’s young master Zhuo Lanjiang arrived. Yang Caiwei was shocked—Ah Jiang was the young master of Silver Rain Pavilion?

A-Jiang is actually Zhuo Lanjiang, the legendary young master of Silver Rain Tower. Zhuo Lanjiang repeatedly pressed if he was the one who killed Yang Caiwei. He knew full well that this person was being blackmailed. Seeing this, Qingdi quickly stepped forward, saying she was worried the matter would escalate and affect the Four Great Clans; she was thinking for their sake. Zhuo Lanjiang ignored her and said he had some personal matters to discuss with Pan Yue.

Yang Caiwei had once saved his life—Zhuo Lanjiang demanded that Pan Yue give him an explanation. If he didn’t kill him with his own hands, how could he resolve the hatred in his heart? Seeing things getting out of control, Yang Caiwei hurried to stop him, saying the same words she had before. As expected, Zhuo Lanjiang recognized her and sheathed his sword without taking action. The seven-day duel was thus called off. The Four Great Clans left.

Yang Caiwei, worried Pan Yue would find her meddlesome after what just happened, decided to take the initiative, saying it was her duty. However, Pan Yue still scolded her and warned that if she risked herself again, he would send her back to the Shangguan family. Pan Yue privately arranged for someone to keep an eye on Yang Caiwei. Since she had openly confronted the young master of Silver Rain Tower, he couldn’t let anything happen to her.

The kitchen procurement guy ran off with the money, and at mealtime everyone was left hungry. Ling Er, afraid Yang Caiwei would go hungry, rushed to the kitchen and cooked a full table of dishes for everyone. Today was the sixth day of the month—the day Yang Caiwei and Zhuo Lanjiang had agreed to get drunk together every month. Thinking he might already be waiting at the restaurant, she quietly snuck out. Zhuo Lanjiang was indeed already at the restaurant.

They were drinking buddies. At that time, Yang Caiwei still didn’t know his true identity and guessed he might have come to Heyang to make a living after a tragic past. Zhuo Lanjiang laughed heartily at that, but Yang Caiwei did say one thing right: the martial world is perilous, and he truly had no one to rely on. With trouble stirred up by people from the Four Great Clans, Zhuo Lanjiang had to go handle the matter.

He told the waiter to keep the wine ready—someone would come to drink it later. Zhuo Lanjiang met with the Four Great Clans. They were worried Pan Yue would make things difficult for them. Zhuo Lanjiang said he would guard the county office the next day. Qingdi teased him about flirting with Yang Caiwei, saying even heroes can’t resist beautiful women. Pan Yue suspected the mastermind was someone from the Four Great Clans and eventually narrowed it down to Jishantang.

Yang Caiwei didn’t rest for a moment either, and the two met again while investigating the case. In the archive room, they examined case files together, and Yang Caiwei was reminded of their childhood. Back then, they had sneaked some mooncakes from the palace. When the emperor arrived suddenly, they each stepped forward, claiming responsibility to protect the other. The emperor laughed and betrothed them, forming the union of the Pan and Yang families.

Zhuo Lanjiang had someone prepare a few things—he wanted to ensure Yang Caiwei could never disappear from his world. Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue found a case related to the Lantern Festival—a long-unsolved mystery in Heyang. Pan Yue summoned those involved in the original investigation for questioning. Zhuo Lanjiang arrived at the county office with numerous gifts—not to see Pan Yue, but to propose marriage to Yang Caiwei. She was stunned. Pan Yue watched with amusement.

Yang Caiwei had no choice but to say they should get to know each other better first. Zhuo Lanjiang hoped to help Yang Caiwei find the real culprit. The two of them spoke in riddles in front of Pan Yue. Before leaving, he asked Yang Caiwei to reconsider his sincere intentions. The summer solstice was just half a month away. Heyang used to hold a Lantern Festival every year, but the event was canceled after a case five years ago.

Pan Yue wanted to reopen the investigation and give the people closure. Every year during the festival, someone died. In the third year, three people died. The townsfolk believed it was not the work of humans but a bloodthirsty evil flood dragon. Pan Yue dismissed such nonsense and ordered a thorough investigation. Yang Caiwei went to see the daughter of the first victim. Zhuo Lanjiang had a carriage arranged for her. On the way, Yang Caiwei told him about switching faces with Shangguan Zhi.

Yang Caiwei asked Zhuo Lanjiang why he had pretended to be a street punk for three years. Zhuo Lanjiang seemed helpless—three years ago, after his father was ambushed, he had to return and take over Silver Rain Tower. To secure it, he became a cold and ruthless young master. Then he was injured and met Yang Caiwei, who saved him. Even though she thought he was just a brawler, they became close friends who shared everything.

Yang Caiwei became his most important friend. Zhuo Lanjiang and Yang Caiwei went to find the daughter of the deceased, but the head of Silver Rain Street had already cleared the place and gathered a group to welcome them, even addressing Yang Caiwei as Lady of Silver Rain Tower. Zhao, the head, knew Zhuo Lanjiang was coming to investigate, so he had all the street vendors detained. Zhuo Lanjiang, speechless, quickly told him to release everyone.

Yang Caiwei found a young woman selling iced drinks, followed by her timid younger sister. Yang Caiwei asked about Uncle Qiang’s death, hoping she could recall any details. But the woman said there was nothing unusual. As for the body, she said there wasn’t one—only animal corpses with the same wounds appeared near her father's grave. She reported it to the county office, but they ignored her.

Later, the county office even ordered the corpse to be dug up and used as a sacrifice. Meanwhile, Pan Yue was also investigating the case. He found Tian Hua’s former colleagues and lover and learned Tian Hua had a violent temper and wasn’t kind, so everyone thought his death was karma. Where there’s abnormality, there’s mystery. Yang Caiwei and Zhuo Lanjiang found things strange.

Bai Xiaosheng suddenly came over to find Yang Caiwei, and the three of them went drinking together. Pan Yue went to the crime scene. It was remote—there was no reason for the victim to be there. Suddenly, a monster appeared in the river. People on the boat were frightened. Pan Yue chased it but found nothing. Bai Xiaosheng thought Zhuo Lanjiang was not a good person and warned Yang Caiwei to be careful. That night, Yang Caiwei hadn’t returned yet.

Pan Yue was unhappy but didn’t send anyone to look for her. He couldn’t help going himself. A-Ze told Pan Yue that Yang Caiwei had gone to the riverside after nightfall. Soon after, a corpse was found near the river—killed in the same way as in the Lantern Festival case. Pan Yue rushed to find her, only to see her return joking and laughing with Zhuo Lanjiang. His expression turned grim.

Ling Er told Yang Caiwei that Pan Yue had planned to gather people to search for her, and his shoulder wound had reopened because of her. Rumors of the evil flood dragon started circulating again. When Yang Caiwei noticed Pan Yue’s wound had worsened, she grabbed pen and paper to help him write. The people, fearing the evil dragon’s wrath, knelt and begged Pan Yue to stop investigating. Chen San’s autopsy results were unreliable.

After reviewing them, Yang Caiwei determined the corpse had been faked—someone had lost their patience. People in the county office also began worshipping gods and asked Pan Yue to stop, fearing the evil dragon. Pan Yue played along, saying they’d let fate decide. He asked Yang Caiwei to toss 100 coins—if all landed face-up, they would proceed. Yang Caiwei did so and found all coins faced up—fate had spoken. Everyone started speculating about the killer’s motive.

Maybe the summer solstice had special meaning for the murderer. A-Ze helped Ling Er in the kitchen. There were many people to feed today, so the two were busy. Ling Er now looked at A-Ze differently. During the meal, Yang Caiwei saw Pan Yue struggling to pick up food due to his shoulder injury. She gave him a big helping. Everyone felt something between them had changed.

Previously, because street vendors had been detained, the young woman had been displeased. Zhuo Lanjiang personally apologized. Seeing her iced drinks weren’t selling, he bought them all and brought them to the county office as a treat. He even prepared a special one for Yang Caiwei, with extra honey. Yang Caiwei quickly brought a bowl to Pan Yue. Seeing this, Zhuo Lanjiang was displeased and exchanged sharp words with Pan Yue.

Zhuo Lanjiang said since Pan Yue planned to reinvestigate the Lantern Festival case, Silver Rain Tower would offer full support. Pan Yue didn’t agree, but Zhuo Lanjiang only informed him—he would be involved regardless. As he left, Yang Caiwei saw him off. Pan Yue asked the young woman how business had been. She said there had been none since the Lantern Festival case, and they hoped he would solve it soon.

Pan Yue asked again about her relationship with her father. She said they were just like any other ordinary father and daughter. But Pan Yue noticed she had completely erased Uncle Qiang’s name from her stall—how much hatred must she hold? Miss Su then admitted the truth. Her sister Shuangshuang quickly stood in front of her. It turned out the young woman was a drifter from another town, adopted by Uncle Qiang to do hard labor.

He drank often and beat Shuangshuang after drinking. So, more than a father, Shuangshuang preferred her sister. After she left, Pan Yue seemed to have found a common thread—all the victims had been abusers. Another case involved Master Ba, who forced child beggars to beg. Pan Yue ordered those children to be found. Zhuo Lanjiang also mobilized Silver Rain Tower to investigate the case thoroughly. Pan Yue located some of Ba's child beggars and learned where Ba’s body was.

Yang Caiwei followed them to the mass grave. The situation felt very familiar to her—everything was off, making Pan Yue even more suspicious. Yang Caiwei had changed a lot in a short time, which only deepened his doubts. When the rain stopped, the carriage was repaired on the road. Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue went for a walk. She picked some bitter-then-sweet berries and shared them with Pan Yue. They turned and saw a rainbow.

Pan Yue sighed—it had been a long time since he had enjoyed such a view. Late at night, Yang Caiwei went to examine Ba’s corpse. Though he wasn’t a good person, he didn’t deserve to die without clarity. She went to startle Chen San and reminded him of the clues about the body. The next day, Chen San told Pan Yue that the murder weapon was a strange blade.

Pan Yue had Yang Caiwei sketch it, then took her to the prison. Many there were martial artists—someone might recognize the weapon. It turned out the weapon was called the Blood Sword. Pan Yue knew who used it—it was Gu Yong, the head of Jishantang. Pan Yue even obtained Gu Yong’s procurement list and decided to meet him. Zhuo Lanjiang also found clues leading to Jishantang. Pan Yue and Zhuo Lanjiang both went to Jishantang separately.

Yang Caiwei went to see Head Constable Sun, who told her that someone had once risked everything to steal a command token. Zhuo Lanjiang and Pan Yue, both in disguise, arrived at the Jishantang market—unknowingly at the same time.

Zhuo Lanjiang and Pan Yue disguised themselves and went to Jishantang. Upon seeing Gu Yong, they immediately said they wanted to buy Pan Yue's life. Although Gu Yong felt the two looked familiar, he didn't think much of it. Zhuo Lanjiang directly took out five hundred taels of silver. Pan Yue continued speaking, saying that Jishantang could even kill in the method they desired. Gu Yong responded that would cost extra. Zhuo Lanjiang produced another five hundred taels.

Pan Yue stepped forward, requesting for the victim to die in the same way as the Lantern Festival case victims. Gu Yong's expression immediately changed. Pan Yue took the opportunity to tear off his disguise—turns out, this Gu Yong was an imposter. Because all purchases by Jishantang, from clothes to shoes, were done in pairs. The fake Gu Yong, enraged, summoned many people to surround them.

Pan Yue and Zhuo Lanjiang tore off each other's disguises, finally meeting the real Gu Yong. Gu Yong claimed the Lantern Festival case had nothing to do with him. Pan Yue asked to see the Blood Sword, which Gu Yong had someone bring out. Gu Yong insisted he had no connection to the Lantern Festival or the Evil Jiao. He had his tendons severed over a decade ago and had never used a sword since.

The Gu family only had his son, Gu Shan Hui, who died five years ago. Pan Yue and Zhuo Lanjiang decided to leave but were stopped by Gu Yong. Jishantang killed according to its own rules. Gu Yong pointed the Blood Sword at Pan Yue but was blocked by Zhuo Lanjiang. Gu Yong spoke flawlessly, clearly prepared in advance.

As the two were in the courtyard, they suddenly saw Madam Gu running out in a frenzy, claiming Gu Yong was the killer. The servant said she'd gone mad since their son died. The two returned to the county office. Gu Yong’s right hand was disabled, and the murderer used the right hand to kill, temporarily clearing him of suspicion. Yang Caiwei and Zhuo Lanjiang behaved intimately, making Pan Yue feel uneasy.

A Ze thought Pan Yue cared a lot about Yang Caiwei, suspecting he really liked her. If Yang Caiwei agreed to become Zhuo Lanjiang’s gang wife, things might change. Yang Caiwei wanted to meet Madam Gu, but since their earlier actions had alerted the enemy, sneaking in wouldn’t be easy. However, Zhuo Lanjiang saw a back door today that might be usable. Pan Yue asked Zhuo Lanjiang to protect Yang Caiwei's life and, most importantly, stall Gu Yong.

Zhuo Lanjiang was the best candidate, meaning Pan Yue would have to take Yang Caiwei in. That night, Zhuo Lanjiang and Yang Caiwei split from Pan Yue. A dog suddenly emerged from a dog hole, startling Yang Caiwei. Zhuo Lanjiang stalled Gu Yong while Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue discovered that Madam Gu was being force-fed medicine by Gu Yong and was pretending to cook, acting oddly.

Zhuo Lanjiang apologized for the incident, claiming ties to the four major families and offering his private wine as an apology. Madam Gu went to the back garden but was dragged back by servants—it was Gu Yong who never let her go there. Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue found a mechanism in the garden and opened a secret door. It looked like a dungeon, and as soon as they entered, the door closed behind them.

The marks on the wall matched the wounds on the Lantern Festival case victims exactly, and there were broken chains on the ground. Gu Yong warned Zhuo Lanjiang not to get entangled with the county office or face future trouble. Zhuo Lanjiang probed for deeper secrets within Jishantang, but Gu Yong denied everything. Yang Caiwei noticed blood-stained handprints on the ground, indicating someone alive had been imprisoned here.

Seeing this, Pan Yue was reminded of unpleasant childhood memories and was suddenly overwhelmed by a severe headache. Yang Caiwei recalled how Pan Yue was often mocked as a bastard when young and once nearly strangled another noble’s son. Pan’s father had tied him up in the dungeon in anger. Perhaps the current scene triggered his deepest fears. Back then, it was Yang Caiwei who had broken in and saved him. She now sang the childhood nursery rhyme to awaken Pan Yue’s consciousness.

Yang Caiwei continued singing the childhood nursery rhyme, and Pan Yue gradually regained clarity. Zhuo Lanjiang, trying to buy time, asked about the relations between the families. Hearing that Jishantang was close to Yinyulou but rarely interacted with them, Gu Yong seemed uncomfortable and simply said Zhuo Lanjiang’s father must have had his reasons for not telling him. Zhuo Lanjiang stalled as much as possible, guessing that Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei were almost done, then left.

At the agreed time, when Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue decided to leave the dungeon, they found someone coming. They quickly hid. It was Madam Gu, apparently bringing food to the imprisoned person, calling out her son’s name and urging him to admit his wrongs to Gu Yong. After dealing with Zhuo Lanjiang, Gu Yong found Madam Gu missing and noticed signs of intrusion in the dungeon, realizing Pan Yue suspected him.

He decided to trap him since he had come anyway. Zhuo Lanjiang and Bai Xiaosheng went to attend Yang Caiwei’s banquet. She hadn’t arrived yet, and the two bantered constantly. Bai Xiaosheng noticed Zhuo Lanjiang seemed to really like Yang Caiwei, even remembering all her favorite dishes. Bai Xiaosheng said she grew up with Yang Caiwei and knew everything she liked, so she wanted to partner with him on a business deal—or she’d start badmouthing him.

Zhuo Lanjiang agreed, and Bai Xiaosheng asked for the sword in his hand. Madam Gu, still mentally unstable, was taken away, and Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue were relieved. The one imprisoned here was Gu Shan, likely the real killer. But what had he done to warrant such punishment from Gu Yong? As they tried to leave, they found the door locked and the dungeon filled with strange gas. Clearly, Gu Yong had no intention of letting them live.

Zhuo Lanjiang and Bai Xiaosheng, noticing Yang Caiwei hadn’t arrived, decided to check the county office. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei grew weaker. Pan Yue regretted coming to Heyang—perhaps Yang Caiwei wouldn’t have had to die if they hadn’t. Yang Caiwei wanted to reveal her identity, but Pan Yue found a vent, broke it open with his fists, and carried the unconscious Yang Caiwei out. Back at the county office, Yang Caiwei was still weak.

Zhuo Lanjiang glared fiercely at Pan Yue. Pan Yue recalled how Yang Caiwei had saved him in the dungeon and thought of two months ago when, grieving in the dungeon, the Princess visited him, suggesting cooperation. She found Yang’s father’s death suspicious and didn’t believe Pan Yue killed Yang Caiwei. She, too, was investigating those building power in the court.

Pan Yue had vowed to find the real killer, but now, with his late wife’s case still unsolved, he found himself caring about Shangguan Zhi—making him feel deeply guilty. Bai Xiaosheng disguised herself as Zhuo Lanjiang and flaunted his arrows at the black market. Pan Yue’s feelings toward Yang Caiwei were changing, and he felt awkward around her.

Since finding Gu Shan would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, he decided to lure him out by restarting the Lantern Festival and staging a violent incident, believing Gu Shan wouldn’t be able to resist. Zhuo Lanjiang rushed in and proposed holding the festival jointly with the county office. However, the townspeople were wary of the Lantern Festival. Yang Caiwei came up with an idea: have Zhuo Lanjiang join the parade.

Seeing Pan Yue object, Yang Caiwei pretended to agree Zhuo Lanjiang was unsuitable—but then reminded everyone Pan Yue hated public appearances. Pan Yue fell into the trap again, and Yang Caiwei was secretly pleased—he had always fallen for this trick since they were children. Zhuo Lanjiang heard someone was impersonating him at the black market and tracked down Bai Xiaosheng. But Bai Xiaosheng claimed everything was hers and had been taken from her previously. Suddenly, they heard people approaching.

Bai Xiaosheng tried to flee but was too late. Group after group of black-clad men appeared, but fortunately, someone arrived just in time to help them escape.

A Ze suddenly chased after Ling Er but was stopped by Yang Caiwei. She originally wanted them to stage a scene to lure out the killer, but A Ze and Ling Er couldn’t pull off the act. Yang Caiwei grew anxious and made everyone laugh. Her eyes lit up as she decided to recruit the ruthless Constable Liu for the role. After offering him several silver pieces, he finally agreed. Bai Xiaosheng and Zhuo Lanjiang, under pursuit, hid temporarily.

They soon discovered their attackers were from the Jinshui Gang and found a note on them. After reading it, Zhuo Lanjiang concluded there was a traitor within Yinyulou. The Yinyulou members begged Zhuo Lanjiang to stay hidden there temporarily. Their previous leader had been betrayed three years ago. Zhuo Lanjiang agreed. Bai Xiaosheng had intended to flee but was blocked. Only Zhuo Lanjiang truly trusted her and was willing to let her go.

Pan Yue became restless at the thought of Yang Caiwei and avoided meeting her. Yang Caiwei noticed his strange behavior and assumed he was preparing for the parade. Zhuo Lanjiang sent a message saying he was busy with official duties and asked Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue to handle the festival. Bai Xiaosheng, fearing Yinyulou’s pursuit, decided staying with Zhuo Lanjiang was safest. She asked about the massacre of the Jinshui Gang, wondering if Zhuo Lanjiang really killed so many.

His eyes filled with anger as he recalled that night, when he slaughtered the gang to avenge his father, yet it left him with lasting sorrow. The Jinshui Gang had emerged two months ago—the same time Yang Caiwei had her incident. On the festival day, Pan Yue paraded through the streets. Zhuo Lanjiang, realizing it had started, took Bai Xiaosheng to shake off Yinyulou's men. But soon they saw many Jinshui Gang members.

Unexpectedly, it was all part of Zhuo Lanjiang's plan. Fighting broke out. Bai Xiaosheng hid in a corner to watch but was taken hostage by an assassin. Zhuo Lanjiang pretended not to care, then turned around and caught the attacker. Sun Zhen arrived hurriedly—this man was the traitor in Yinyulou. After swiftly handling the situation, Zhuo Lanjiang rushed to help Yang Caiwei. As the ceremony began, Constable Liu suddenly had stomach troubles.

Pan Yue threw tokens from the bridge, while Gu Yong watched silently from the opposite side. Someone who caught a token came to light a lantern with Pan Yue, but Yang Caiwei suddenly appeared with a sword. Realizing Constable Liu was unreliable, she had taken matters into her own hands, acting like a fierce villainess and causing a scene before leaving. When she reached a deserted spot, someone attacked—Gu Shan. Zhuo Lanjiang arrived just in time to protect her.

Yang Caiwei was shaken and still thinking about apologizing to the girl from earlier. With the killer caught, the tension eased. Everyone went to enjoy the lanterns, but seeing Yang Caiwei and Zhuo Lanjiang close together, Pan Yue left first. Zhuo Lanjiang said he was going to confess his love tonight, and Yang Caiwei, surprised, scolded him for not telling her about his beloved.

Pan Yue and Zhuo Lanjiang both left. Yang Caiwei and Bai Xiaosheng walked along the lively streets of Heyang, recalling how they used to attend lantern festivals as children. They once wrote messages for their secret crushes on lanterns and hung them on the bridge, imitating the grown-ups. Back then, Yang Caiwei's wish was that, apart from Pan Yue, it didn't matter who it was.

Bai Xiaosheng seemed to have found someone she liked, but she wasn't in Zhuo Lanjiang's heart. The two of them ran into Third Miss and Shuangshuang, who were having cold drinks and even gave some to a passing group of young beggars. Seeing the satisfied smiles on the children’s faces, Yang Caiwei felt deeply moved.

When they arrived at the bridge Zhuo Lanjiang had mentioned, Yang Caiwei intended to take a look, but Bai Xiaosheng, knowing Zhuo Lanjiang liked Yang Caiwei, made an excuse not to go. Pan Yue also released a lantern into the sky, without writing or drawing anything on it. Seeing this, Yang Caiwei turned away from the bridge and walked toward Pan Yue.

Bai Xiaosheng, seeing Yang Caiwei leave, quickly went to look at the lantern Zhuo Lanjiang had hung—sure enough, the woman in the lantern was none other than Yang Caiwei. Yang Caiwei had been chasing for quite a while when she was suddenly struck with stomach pain. Meanwhile, Pan Yue went to check on Gu Shan, who had regained consciousness but responded vaguely. Through probing, Pan Yue realized this was a fake Gu Shan, released by Gu Yong to confuse them.

At the same time, Pan Yue became aware that Yang Caiwei was in danger. Yang Caiwei, alone, had gone to a secluded place. Her instincts told her something was wrong, and soon enough, the appearance of a man in black and Third Miss confirmed her suspicions. Third Miss used the Blood Sword to kill the man in black, and Yang Caiwei suddenly realized—she was Gu Shan! Gu Shan was not Gu Yong’s son but his daughter.

When she had seen Yang Caiwei on stage earlier, Third Miss clenched her fists silently—she wanted to kill Yang Caiwei. Pan Yue searched everywhere for Yang Caiwei and even asked Zhuo Lanjiang to gather people to help. Realizing that her only hope was to stall for time, Yang Caiwei pretended they had already uncovered Third Miss’s identity and that Pan Yue was nearby and would arrive any moment.

Passing by a cold drink stall, Pan Yue noticed Third Miss was not there. Connecting it to the bluish-purple wounds on the victims, he quickly deduced the weapon was made of ice. Yang Caiwei kept stalling, saying Third Miss was no different from Gu Yong. She guessed Gu Yong had forced her to disguise herself as a man because he only had a daughter who couldn't inherit the family business.

That touched a nerve—he didn’t like pretending to be a man. She had liked the same things as ordinary girls, and what she was forced to become was never what she wanted. Gu Yong had locked Third Miss in a dungeon, and after escaping, she saw Shuangshuang being abused by their father, prompting her to kill Uncle Qiang. There was one thing Yang Caiwei couldn’t figure out—why had Third Miss taken Gu Yong’s rippling-pattern token? Third Miss didn’t answer.

Yang Caiwei cut off the ropes behind her while angering Third Miss. As a lantern fell and triggered a fire, Yang Caiwei ran with all her might. Just as Third Miss caught her, Pan Yue appeared and saved her. Before losing consciousness, Yang Caiwei only saw his robe. When Yang Caiwei woke up again, she was in Zhuo Lanjiang’s arms, with no sign of Pan Yue.

Ling Er came in, complaining that such a serious thing had happened to Yang Caiwei, yet Pan Yue didn’t even come to see her. Zhuo Lanjiang said he would escort Third Miss back. Upon learning that Gu Shan had been captured, Gu Yong decided to proceed with his original plan and not let Third Miss leave alive. On the way to escort Third Miss, Gu Yong came alone, saying he wanted to see his daughter.

He took out the Blood Sword—Third Miss knew he was afraid she’d reveal the secret behind the token. Just as she was about to speak, Zhuo Lanjiang brought Lady Gu to force her hand. Seeing her deranged and pitiful mother, Third Miss finally agreed. But at that moment, Lady Gu suddenly regained her senses and told her daughter she couldn't always be controlled by him—otherwise, what difference was there between being alive and dead?

Lady Gu slit her own throat, and in a fit of rage, Third Miss broke free and fought Gu Yong. The father and daughter stabbed each other in the throat and chest with the Blood Sword. Third Miss died on the spot and handed the token to Yang Caiwei with her last breath. After spotting a shadow on the roof beam, Pan Yue gave chase but found nothing.

Zhuo Lanjiang also discovered a new lead—the appearance of the Jinshui Gang wasn’t a coincidence; they were connected to the Ripple Pattern organization.

Zhuo Lanjiang was convinced there was still a traitor within the gang and ordered a secret investigation without alerting anyone. When Yang Caiwei heard that something had happened to Shuangshuang, she rushed over. Pan Yue also arrived upon hearing the news. It turned out people thought Shuangshuang was the killer’s sister and wanted to throw her out with Third Miss’s corpse.

But Pan Yue lit incense for Third Miss and announced that from now on, this shop would supply cold drinks exclusively for the county office. Anyone causing trouble would be dealt with according to the law. The crowd dispersed. Looking at Third Miss’s corpse, Yang Caiwei felt sorrow—sometimes, she really wished the culprits they caught were truly irredeemable. Pan Yue asked Yang Caiwei to stay with Shuangshuang while he left.

Shuangshuang cried non-stop, so Yang Caiwei taught her a nursery rhyme, which even the little beggars passing by quickly picked up. Pan Yue went to the prison to see Gu Yong, who had previously obstructed their investigation. Pan Yue asked, did he not feel any fatherly affection for Third Miss? Gu Yong showed no remorse. Pan Yue questioned whether Gu Yong was responsible for the death of Yang’s family ten years ago—Gu Yong admitted it.

But when asked if he tried to kill Yang Caiwei, Gu Yong vehemently denied it. The token Gu Yong carried bore the character “Four,” implying there were three people above him. Who were they? Gu Yong didn’t say, believing Pan Yue couldn’t protect him anyway. The Ripple Pattern organization ordered Gu Yong's death. Suddenly, Gu Yong requested to see Pan Yue, on the condition that he be safely taken out of Heyang—only then would he talk.

Pan Yue decided to take Gu Yong to the capital and have the Princess send protection. He sent Gu Yong’s double to prison and was about to escort the real Gu Yong away when Gu Yong suddenly succumbed to poison. Before dying, he uttered only one word: “Yang. ”Zhuo Lanjiang visited his father, who kept urging him to get married, saying it would make him less stubborn.

Now that Zhuo Lanjiang had found someone he liked, he promised to bring her home someday. It was the seal paste used for fingerprints that caused Gu Yong’s poisoning. Pan Yue suspected there was a mole within the county office. Yang Caiwei accidentally discovered that it was Pan Yue who had saved her that day and quickly went to confirm. Pan Yue calmly admitted it but said it was merely his duty.

He wanted Yang Caiwei to go to the capital—he didn’t want her to stay in Heyang. If what happened before were to happen again, he wouldn't be able to protect her. Yang Caiwei was heartbroken. In her eyes, he just wanted to drive her away. At that moment, Zhuo Lanjiang came to take her away, and in frustration, Yang Caiwei left the county office. Before leaving, Aze rushed over and gave Ling Er some of her favorite fruits.

Yang Caiwei was a bit disappointed, thinking it had been Pan Yue who sent him. Yang Caiwei didn’t go to Zhuo Lanjiang’s place but instead returned to her old residence. She drank with Zhuo Lanjiang to vent her sorrow. Her heart was breaking—she knew Pan Yue had the Princess, and her name and identity were both fake.

But what hurt the most was that she had no right to hate Pan Yue and couldn’t even tell him she was just a thief living in someone else’s body. Aze reported to Pan Yue about Yang Caiwei, but Pan Yue coldly dismissed him. The new cook made a few dishes, but Pan Yue had no appetite and was clearly in a bad mood. It was the day of Third Miss’s burial.

Pan Yue also came and saw Zhuo Lanjiang and Yang Caiwei. Yang Caiwei lowered her eyes in mourning and didn’t acknowledge Pan Yue. Shuangshuang cried bitterly at the grave—she had no more family. Yang Caiwei brushed past Pan Yue without even looking at him.

Yang Caiwei remembered that Shangguan Lan had a few shops in Heyang, so she asked Ling Er to notify the managers to look out for any ripple-pattern symbols. Someone came with news—Bai Xiaosheng had been detained at the dock. Yang Caiwei rushed over and found out that Bai Xiaosheng had been caught smuggling goods by the Silver Rain Tower. Bai Xiaosheng said she was friends with Zhuo Lanjiang, but it was no use. Unexpectedly, Zhuo Lanjiang arrived the next second.

But the hall master insisted that rules couldn't be broken for outsiders. Then Zhuo Lanjiang took Yang Caiwei’s hand and declared that she would be the future mistress—she wasn’t an outsider. Bai Xiaosheng was rescued, but seeing Zhuo Lanjiang being affectionate with Yang Caiwei, she wasn’t happy. Zhuo Lanjiang wanted to take them for drinks, but Bai Xiaosheng declined, saying she would look for Yang Caiwei later. Bai Xiaosheng had been acting strange lately.

Yang Caiwei asked Zhuo Lanjiang not to call her the mistress again. But Zhuo Lanjiang was serious. He used to think of Yang Caiwei only as a friend, but when she went missing, he realized his feelings. As long as she was willing, he would marry her anytime. Yang Caiwei firmly rejected him—she had always seen him as a friend and didn’t want to give him false hope.

Pan Yue didn’t rule out the four major clans just because Gu Yong was dead. He believed the Ripple Pattern organization still had influence among them. Aze advised him to take a break and go horseback riding—being anxious wouldn’t help. Seeing Pan Yue struggling with the investigation, the Green Emperor decided to give him a push. The shopkeeper brought all the ripple-pattern items, but none were what Yang Caiwei wanted.

They even invited many dancers to try to please her, leaving her speechless. Passing by, Pan Yue heard the music from the residence and became visibly upset. Aze tried to persuade him to go in, but he refused. Back at the county office, Pan Yue was informed there had been a fire, but it didn’t cause major damage. He quickly realized someone had deliberately set it. That night, Pan Yue went to search for case files.

It wasn’t until he was apart from Yang Caiwei that he realized finding the documents wouldn’t be easy. Pan Yue found the case file for the Ghost Fire incident. At Heyang’s Xinzheng Academy, there were rumors of hauntings in the back mountain. A year ago, four classmates from Xinzheng Academy went to the Ghost Forest to test their courage. Shen Ci mysteriously disappeared—he was believed to be dead. But soon after, he reappeared, though blind.

Everyone thought the incident was over, but strange things continued. The other three classmates also went blind one after another, fueling rumors of ghost hauntings. One night, a student saw the three, with white, lifeless eyes, walking into the forest like sleepwalkers before falling off a cliff. Later, people found only their corpses. Chen Fu’s father, the academy head, arrested Shen Ci in anger. Shen Ci claimed their deaths had nothing to do with him.

Pan Yue went to the prison to see Shen Ci. Constable Liu kept warning him about how strange this man was. But Pan Yue wasn’t afraid—he even asked Liu to unlock Shen Ci’s shackles. Pan Yue hoped Shen Ci would tell him the meaning of the ripple-pattern symbol on the wall. Shen Ci replied that he would speak once the case was solved. Meanwhile, Yang Caiwei was bored at home.

When she mumbled something, she realized Zhuo Lanjiang was behind it, trying to please her again. Pan Yue didn’t believe Shen Ci had used witchcraft to harm his classmates. Troubled, he took a walk. Shuangshuang asked him why he wasn’t with Yang Caiwei, saying she and Zhuo Lanjiang had been together all the time. Hearing this, Pan Yue became uneasy and left without touching his cold drink. He later heard Shuangshuang and the children singing a familiar nursery rhyme.

After some questioning, he learned it was Yang Caiwei who taught them. Suddenly, things about Yang Caiwei and the current Shangguan Zhi began to make more sense to Pan Yue.

After discovering Yang Caiwei’s true identity, Pan Yue rushed to her residence impatiently. Holding her shoulders, he wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words. However, he quickly realized that she was now Shangguan Zhi—if her identity were exposed, she could be in great danger. So Pan Yue held back the urge to reveal himself and stepped back. At that moment, Zhuo Lanjiang arrived and tried to drive him away.

Pan Yue said he had discovered that a case was connected to the Shuibowen organization and would inform Yang Caiwei if there were any progress. Late at night, Pan Yue went over everything again. Yang Caiwei now looked like Shangguan Zhi, so the one lying in the ice coffin must have been Shangguan Zhi. Shangguan Zhi had been assassinated by the Shuibowen organization. Everything was caused by that group.

Pan Yue silently vowed to expose the Shuibowen organization and bring justice to both Yang Caiwei and Shangguan Zhi. Pan Yue went to the room Yang Caiwei once lived in. Looking at the branches she had cut, he urged them to grow quickly—after all, Yang Caiwei was coming back soon. Yang Caiwei was conflicted about whether to return to the county office to live, thinking it might be humiliating.

Pan Yue dressed up early and waited for Yang Caiwei, worried that she wouldn’t come back. Unexpectedly, Yang Caiwei, willing to yield for the sake of the investigation, returned to the county office. Everyone was happy to see her. When Pan Yue heard Yang Caiwei had returned, he pretended to be serious but was actually flustered. Yang Caiwei addressed Pan Yue formally as "Sir," and this unfamiliar way of speaking made him feel gloomy.

As Yang Caiwei lowered her head to read the case files, Pan Yue’s heart stirred at the sight of a strand of her hair falling. Focused on the case, Yang Caiwei misunderstood Pan Yue’s genuine emotions as sarcasm. Noticing he occasionally chuckled, she thought he must be under a spell. Pan Yue decided to visit Xinzheng Academy. When Yang Caiwei heard, she insisted on going with him. On the carriage, Pan Yue’s behavior made Yang Caiwei feel even more uncomfortable.

At Xinzheng Academy, the dean had clearly made careful arrangements. Pan Yue delayed him and gave Yang Caiwei a look to investigate Shen Ci. However, everyone who heard Shen Ci’s name panicked and fled. There was a room covered in black cloth—that was Chen Fu’s room. The dean said that since his son lost his sight, he had trouble moving around and thus covered the windows.

Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei wanted to take a look, and Dean Chen didn’t stop them. As they left, both felt something was off and decided to head to the back mountain. Zhuo Lanjiang tracked down the escaped prisoner but found him dead. The killer had an abnormality on the right shoulder. Recalling Sun Zhen’s odd behavior, Zhuo Lanjiang suspected him and tested him.

Later, he ordered someone to closely monitor Sun Zhen to see what he was secretly up to. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei arrived at the eerie and terrifying back mountain. Pan Yue usually used Shangguan Lan as an excuse, but today he surprisingly agreed to take Yang Caiwei on this risky trip. Afraid of getting lost, Yang Caiwei marked trees with her knife. Pan Yue teased that her knife looked like a forensic knife used by Yang Caiwei.

Flustered, she quickly hid the knife and claimed he was mistaken. They wandered through the woods only to return to the same spot. Pan Yue wasn’t afraid; he was sure someone was playing tricks. Yang Caiwei nervously followed behind. Suddenly, a vine shot out and grabbed her. Pan Yue rushed forward and rescued her, holding her in relief. He soon discovered a mechanism—it wasn’t a haunted forest, just a mechanical trap.

Yang Caiwei noticed the soil in one spot was unusually fertile and suspected something was buried there. They dug it up and uncovered a complete skeleton, beside which lay an emblem of Xinzheng Academy. They brought the body back for autopsy, but the coroner wasn’t trustworthy. Yang Caiwei longed for an excuse to conduct the autopsy herself, and Pan Yue also wanted to give her the opportunity. The two were of one mind.

Once Yang Caiwei successfully completed the autopsy, Pan Yue finally relaxed and waited silently outside the room, even arranging a full table of good food. Fearing that Pan Yue might mistreat Yang Caiwei, Zhuo Lanjiang also brought a table of food, overshadowing what Pan Yue had prepared. After dinner, Zhuo Lanjiang carefully escorted Yang Caiwei home. Pan Yue grew even more frustrated seeing this. Zhuo Lanjiang asked if Yang Caiwei had been mistreated.

She denied it but remarked that he had been acting oddly that day. Pan Yue, reminiscing with items around him, was driven to jealousy by Zhuo Lanjiang. However, Zhuo Lanjiang believed Yang Caiwei already had Pan Yue in her heart. Seeing Pan Yue drinking alone, Bai Xiaosheng went out to buy him some sweet dumplings. On the way, she encountered a vile thug. Zhuo Lanjiang rushed in, choking the man.

Afraid Zhuo Lanjiang might kill him, Bai Xiaosheng just told the man to scram. Bai Xiaosheng’s mood was clearly off, but Zhuo Lanjiang didn’t ask. She began talking about her past—she lost her father young, and her mother was a gambler. One day, her mother said they were going to a cousin’s place where they wouldn’t worry about food or shelter. Bai Xiaosheng was happy, but upon arrival, she realized her mother had sold her for ten taels of silver.

She eventually escaped, begged on the streets, started a small business, and bought back her own indenture contract at ten times the original price. Her mother’s betrayal only strengthened her belief that only money doesn’t run away. Zhuo Lanjiang quietly listened and gave her a candy as comfort. The next day, with a clue from Yang Caiwei, the coroner revealed that the deceased had dental fillings that contained mercury.

Following the lead, Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue went to a dental shop and discovered that the corpse was actually Shen Ci! But if the corpse was Shen Ci, then who was the person in the prison?

Yang Caiwei went alone to visit Shen Ci in prison. Shen Ci could identify people by their footsteps and heartbeat and remained calm when questioned by Yang Caiwei. She believed that Shen Ci was unlike other Xinzheng scholars and definitely not the real Shen Ci. Since Pan Yue was a trustworthy person, Yang Caiwei hoped Shen Ci could cooperate with him.

Pan Yue decided to visit Nan County to investigate the identity of the prisoner, and also to have some alone time with Yang Caiwei. When he brought it up to her, she showed no interest and suggested they act separately. Pan Yue went ahead and made the decision himself. He investigated everyone in the county office, but no one raised suspicion. Pan Yue concluded the traitor was very well hidden.

Rumors spread that Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei were going on an outing, and a room was even booked at an inn. Pan Yue meticulously prepared, appearing ready for a picnic. He used the outing as a cover for covert investigations, and even brought pastries and fruits—if they were acting, it had to be convincing. Yang Caiwei stayed silent, reading a book she brought. Seeing her tired, Pan Yue helped her hold the book.

The Shuibowen organization received word that Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei went on an outing but had vanished en route. They immediately sent people to track them and eliminate potential threats. In Nan County, it was bustling. Yang Caiwei paused at the sight of sugar figurines—she remembered making them with Pan Yue as a child. Pan Yue noticed and bought one, blowing sugar figures with her like old times.

He still remembered how Yang Caiwei talked about it for months back then. As they were about to eat, Zhuo Lanjiang arrived, complaining they went out without him. Due to room shortages at the local inn, Pan Yue and Zhuo Lanjiang had to share a room. Back in the room, Pan Yue pointed his sword at Zhuo Lanjiang, questioning his intentions. He had discovered Zhuo Lanjiang had many men in hiding. Zhuo Lanjiang admitted someone was planning an ambush.

When Pan Yue questioned his relationship with the Shuibowen organization, Zhuo Lanjiang didn’t explain, only stating he wasn’t one of them. Hearing Zhuo Lanjiang had arrived, Sun Zhen realized he had been found out. Outside, it poured rain. Yang Caiwei accidentally burned herself with hot tea. Pan Yue and Zhuo Lanjiang burst in, thinking something had happened. Unable to sleep, the two prepared a table of dishes and drank, talking about their fathers.

Their views diverged, but when the topic turned to Yang Caiwei, tensions immediately rose. If not for falling for the same woman, they might have become good friends. Hearing the sound of horses outside, they became alert. A group of men in black attacked. Zhuo Lanjiang told Pan Yue to take Yang Caiwei and leave first. Pan Yue stayed back to cover her escape, wanting to protect her as soon as he shook them off.

Meanwhile, Zhuo Lanjiang was fiercely engaged with them. Yang Caiwei hid in a chest in the courtyard. As someone approached, she remembered her promise during the day and called out Pan Yue’s name. To her surprise, he really came. Zhuo Lanjiang tore off the attacker’s mask—it was Sun Zhen. Deeply disappointed, Zhuo Lanjiang heard Sun Zhen say that some things were better left unknown. The next day, Yang Caiwei developed a fever.

Unable to find any trace of Sun Zhen, Zhuo Lanjiang took his men back to Heyang. Pan Yue found a place to rest and sent A Ze to fetch medicine while he cared for Yang Caiwei himself. He watched over her the whole night. When Yang Caiwei woke the next morning, she saw Pan Yue resting with his eyes closed. When he awoke, she quickly shut her eyes again.

Pan Yue kissed her forehead, which left Yang Caiwei lost in thought for the whole day. However, Yang Caiwei felt conflicted—Pan Yue now liked Shangguan Zhi, and besides, he was already the princess’s consort. Seeing Yang Caiwei’s cold attitude, Pan Yue deliberately handed her the princess’s letter, telling her that his engagement to the princess was actually fake.

Back then, the Princess had feelings for Pan Yue, but he directly rejected her, saying he was already engaged. The Princess didn’t take it seriously—she thought that as long as she said the word, Pan Yue's engagement to Yang Caiwei would be void, especially since Yang Caiwei had been missing for ten years. But Pan Yue’s resolve was unwavering. Later, when Pan Yue was imprisoned, the Princess decided to help him, saying she would marry no one but him.

What Pan Yue wanted, however, was to uncover the truth and eliminate traitors for the country. Yang Caiwei let out a sigh of relief; she had no idea things had been so perilous since Pan Yue returned to the capital. But with Pan Yue explaining so much, could it be that he had truly fallen for Shangguan Zhi? Yang Caiwei became upset again.

From then on, all the gentleness and care Pan Yue showed her were drowned out by her jealousy, and even her temper worsened. The three of them heard about Shen Ci’s house and went to check it out, hearing that no one lived there anymore, and that the place was considered unlucky. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei went to investigate Shen Ci’s house, which was in ruins and clearly uninhabited for a long time.

Yang Caiwei noticed all the children's toys were in pairs—did Shen Ci have a twin brother? After asking around, they learned that Shen Ci did indeed have a twin named Shen Yan. But he had been strange since childhood—he was born blind, had a peculiar personality, and could attract strange bugs. Shen Yan lived alone in the woodshed and rarely interacted with others. One day, Shen Yan’s poisonous bugs killed their parents.

Since then, Shen Ci left Heyang and vowed never to return. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei speculated that Shen Yan had probably left with Shen Ci back then and took his place to seek revenge after Shen Ci was killed. Back at the county office, Shen Yan didn’t deny his identity, but he said their assumptions weren’t the truth.

He was willing to share what he knew about the Shuibowen organization, but his only condition was the death of Chen Fu. Yang Caiwei was focused entirely on solving the case. Pan Yue, seeing how she had been braving the elements these days, specially ordered a feast for her, but Yang Caiwei stormed off because of his attitude. Pan Yue was deeply frustrated.

After much thought, he realized that Yang Caiwei hadn't come to the wedding willingly—perhaps she even believed he was the one who killed her. Could it be that she truly hated him? Zhuo Lanjiang sent word that he would thoroughly investigate the matter of Yin Yulou, telling Yang Caiwei not to worry. He discovered that Sun Zhen's room had medicine that could regenerate skin and flesh, which seemed unusual.

He immediately sent someone to invite Bai Xiaosheng to meet by the river. Bai Xiaosheng, excited by the invitation, quickly closed her stall and rushed back home to dress up. She no longer dressed as a man but instead wore a gentle feminine outfit. When Zhuo Lanjiang saw her, a smile formed in his eyes. He asked her to keep watch on the jade toad at the ghost market and casually put his arm around her shoulder.

Realizing something was off, both became awkward. Yang Caiwei found records about the Illusion Bug and quickly went with Pan Yue to remove Chen Fu’s curse. While waiting, Yang Caiwei said she wanted to take a walk, leaving Pan Yue even more disheartened—was she really so unwilling to be with him? Yang Caiwei was knocked out and imprisoned. When she woke, she met students from Xinzheng Academy.

These poor students had long been bullied and abused by Chen Fu and his cronies. Protected by Dean Chen, no one dared speak out. Now that Yang Caiwei wanted to save Chen Fu, they feared returning to those dark days. Back in Chen Fu’s room, Yang Caiwei hesitated, unsure whether she should save him. Eventually, she applied acupuncture, restoring Chen Fu’s consciousness. The first thing he said upon waking was that Shen Ci had harmed him.

Later, Yang Caiwei told Pan Yue about this, never expecting that the man she worked so hard to save would be so cruel. On the day Shen Ci stood trial, Yang Caiwei tried to persuade the students to testify, but they didn’t want to get involved. At the court, Chen Fu accused Shen Yan.

Shen Yan didn’t defend himself, so Yang Caiwei stepped up to expose Chen Fu, bringing with her a booklet written by him that recorded all his deeds. There was no bravery test—it was Chen Fu and his two followers who dragged Shen Ci into the ghost forest, where he was strangled by vines. The Chen family denied everything, but unexpectedly, students from Xinzheng Academy came one after another to testify.

Chen Fu thought he was facing Shen Ci and was ready to pay some compensation, thinking the worst was over. But then Pan Yue had Shen Ci’s remains brought in, and they realized that the person they mistook for Shen Ci was actually his younger brother. Shen Ci had always cared deeply for his brother, but after a major incident, he left Heyang, and Shen Yan quietly followed. No one expected that such a kind-hearted brother would end up murdered.

So Shen Yan assumed Shen Ci’s identity, returned to the academy, and manipulated the blind to leap off a cliff. Chen Fu and his father were shocked. Pan Yue sentenced Chen Fu to exile and ordered Shen Yan to be executed after autumn. Shen Yan had no complaints—he had taken a life, and this was the price he had to pay. Everyone must face the consequences of their choices. Shen Yan chose revenge, and he would bear the cost.

Pan Yue had hesitated about whether to let Yang Caiwei go after the truth was uncovered, but how could he bear to part with such a Yang Caiwei? According to Shen Yan, A Ze had found Shen Ci’s diary, which included the ripple-shaped symbol of the Shuibowen organization.

Shen Ci’s diary recorded that a year ago, late at night, Miao Zhuang had returned to the dormitory in a panic after going to the bathroom. He told Shen Ci he had accidentally seen Dean Chen heading to the back mountain, carrying a lantern. On the mountain, several boats stood with ghostly figures on each, their lanterns glowing in unison, each bearing a ripple pattern. Miao Zhuang was terrified and died suddenly that same night.

Shen Ci found it suspicious but dared not speak out. He secretly invited a coroner to examine the body, only for Dean Chen to claim Miao Zhuang had the plague and had him burned. Shen Ci had a few words with Dean Chen and was then targeted by Chen Fu and others, who took pleasure in tormenting him.

Pan Yue speculated that the back mountain was likely a base for the Shuibowen organization, and Miao Zhuang was silenced after seeing their secret. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei remembered hearing water sounds during their previous visit to the back mountain and immediately returned, finding a cave entrance. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei descended into the cave, which indeed had water and signs of stored goods. It appeared their progress had already been noticed.

Yang Caiwei found a piece of cloth, possibly from a cargo bag, and they decided to take it back for study. Unexpectedly, Dean Chen had already discovered their whereabouts. He planned to kill them. As they fled through the mountains, they suddenly heard cries for help from a box. Pan Yue went to investigate and discovered it was Shen Yan’s Illusion Bug—he was bitten!

Yang Caiwei was frantic, and at that moment, a group of black-clad assassins appeared to kill them. Pan Yue, enduring the pain, struggled to fight back. As his vision failed, Yang Caiwei had to shout directions for him to fight, but in the chaos, she accidentally fell off a cliff. Pan Yue, panicked, jumped after her. Blind and hearing no response, he could only shout her name over and over.

When Yang Caiwei woke up, she realized he had always known her identity and had only ever cared for her. Touched, she hugged him tightly. Bai Xiaosheng found information about the jade toad for Zhuo Lanjiang. The two of them hid in a corner to observe and became awkward due to their close proximity. They followed the buyer all the way to the back mountain of Yin Yulou.

Worried for Bai Xiaosheng’s safety, Zhuo Lanjiang went alone, only to unexpectedly open his father’s tomb and enter a secret chamber. Zhuo Lanjiang followed and saw someone incredibly familiar. Yang Caiwei tried every method to treat Pan Yue’s eyes, but suddenly none of them worked, and his eyes even began to bleed. Distressed, she went to question Shen Yan in prison. Shen Yan said if there was no improvement in three days, he might lose his sight forever.

Trapped in darkness, Pan Yue was consumed again by childhood trauma. Desperately, he cried out for A Ze. Hearing this, Yang Caiwei rushed in and, seeing his embarrassment, brought up the time he stole a kiss from her in an abandoned temple, teasing that she should kiss him back. But Pan Yue took the initiative. While helping him clean up, Yang Caiwei saw the scar on his abdomen—left by the official who stabbed him after her supposed death.

Learning the truth, Yang Caiwei was even more guilt-ridden. Pan Yue had done so much for her, yet she had doubted him. Pan Yue knew his eyes might never recover, but even if he became a burden, he didn’t want to leave Yang Caiwei. Zhuo Lanjiang was imprisoned by his father. Upon seeing him again, Zhuo Lanjiang realized he had always been manipulated like a puppet.

Years ago, Zhuo's father and his sworn brother went to the capital, where the brother became a high-ranking official—only to be betrayed by Zhuo’s father using the Jinshui Gang. He had seen them as brothers, but was treated like a dog. To lull his enemies, he had Sun Zhen summon Zhuo Lanjiang back. It turned out he was also behind the deaths of Yang Caiwei’s father and her own.

Devastated, Zhuo Lanjiang repeatedly asked who the mastermind was, but his father still demanded loyalty, saying some paths, once taken, cannot be undone. Zhuo Lanjiang, disillusioned, told him to leave. Since childhood, he had believed his father was a hero of Yin Yulou, not a groveling guard dog wagging its tail. Yang Caiwei administered acupuncture to treat Pan Yue—it was a one-shot chance, but Pan Yue trusted her unconditionally. Fortunately, she succeeded, and Pan Yue regained his sight.

Zhuo Lanjiang had not been seen for several days. When Bai Xiaosheng asked Ah Fu, he was told Zhuo Lanjiang had some business to handle. Yang Caiwei suddenly realized that the goods stored in the back mountain were likely smuggled salt. Pan Yue organized a raid on Xinzheng Academy, but Dean Chen had already fled.

Bai Xiaosheng came to find Yang Caiwei, acting mysteriously and avoiding Pan Yue. Yang Caiwei quickly said there were no more secrets between them. Bai Xiaosheng suspected something had happened to Zhuo Lanjiang and told them what had occurred that day. The three of them went to the back mountain of Yinyu Tower and discovered that the character on the sack was "Zhuo. " This confirmed that Xinzheng Academy and Yinyu Tower were closely connected.

Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei quickly deduced the structure of the Shuibowen organization, but Bai Xiaosheng was anxious to save someone. When Yang Caiwei tried to stop her, warning her not to take such a risk, Bai Xiaosheng accused her of being unwilling to take risks for her. Yang Caiwei hurried to explain herself, and only then did Bai Xiaosheng calm down. Zhuo’s father, using Zhuo Lanjiang’s name, invited Pan Yue to a banquet at Yinyu Tower.

Pan Yue believed they intended to lay all their cards on the table and that he would definitely go. Zhuo Lanjiang was now refusing food and drink, but Zhuo’s father wasn’t considering his son at all—he was determined to kill Pan Yue, because if Pan Yue didn’t die, then they would. Bai Xiaosheng insisted on going to Yinyu Tower with Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue.

She never used to do such a losing trade, but Yang Caiwei noticed that Bai Xiaosheng liked Zhuo Lanjiang. For Bai Xiaosheng, however, it was a hopeless love. Yang Caiwei advised her to confess her feelings to Zhuo Lanjiang—it’s better to regret doing something than to regret missing the chance. On the day of the banquet at Yinyu Tower, Yang Caiwei was deeply worried. The trip was dangerous, and she feared something might happen to Pan Yue.

Pan Yue calmly went to the meeting alone. Yang Caiwei and Bai Xiaosheng split up, one to steal the key and the other to the kitchen. Zhuo’s father thought Pan Yue’s solitary attendance was disrespectful, but Pan Yue calmly exposed what he had been hiding. Afu tried to persuade Zhuo Lanjiang to eat, but Zhuo Lanjiang felt betrayed by everyone and was heartbroken. He noticed the food had been poked into a square shape—something Yang Caiwei had once mentioned.

Upon opening it, he found a prison key inside. Pan Yue speculated that Zhuo’s father was working for the person behind the scenes because of Zhuo Lanjiang. He had hoped they could talk, but Zhuo’s father planned to die with him. Zhuo Lanjiang escaped from the prison and joined Yang Caiwei and Bai Xiaosheng. They rushed to the main hall to stop Zhuo’s father.

Facing the great fire, Pan Yue remained unflustered, raised his glass in a toast, and then eloquently exposed Zhuo’s father's motivations—he had only wanted to protect Zhuo Lanjiang. But would Zhuo Lanjiang truly be happy if he knew the truth? The three arrived outside the hall. When Sun Zhen threatened them with a sword, Zhuo Lanjiang walked toward him without hesitation. Sun Zhen said everything Zhuo’s father did was for Zhuo Lanjiang.

The person behind the scenes had used Zhuo Lanjiang to control Zhuo’s father, who, knowing he couldn’t escape, chose to be a loyal guard dog. Pan Yue tried hard to persuade him and even brought out the princess’s pardon token. If they told the truth now, there was still time. Zhuo Lanjiang’s urgent shout further shook Zhuo’s father's resolve. He agreed not to oppose the local government anymore but refused to name the mastermind.

Would Pan Yue still protect Zhuo Lanjiang? Pan Yue said he had nothing to do with the matter, and besides, Zhuo Lanjiang was his friend. Pan Yue intended to take Zhuo’s father away, but unexpectedly, Zhuo’s father struck him out. Zhuo Lanjiang watched the flames engulf his father and wept. Zhuo’s father said people in the capital held deep grudges—only through his death could Zhuo Lanjiang be safe.

Zhuo’s father died amid Zhuo Lanjiang’s cries, and the fire destroyed all the evidence. After that day, Zhuo Lanjiang locked himself in his room, drinking all day and ignoring everyone. Seeing his despair, Pan Yue deliberately provoked him, saying Zhuo’s father had protected him all his life and would be furious if he saw him like this. Zhuo Lanjiang finally stopped drinking, though his eyes remained lifeless.

Bai Xiaosheng made soup for him, and seeing the scar on her hand, he drank it. Zhuo Lanjiang built a new memorial tomb for his father and invited Yang Caiwei there to apologize for what his father had done. He admitted he could never repay Yang Caiwei and did not expect her forgiveness. Yang Caiwei said she would never forget or forgive what Zhuo’s father had done, but since he was dead, she wouldn’t hold a grudge.

She advised Zhuo Lanjiang not to blame himself too much, but he said he carried the Zhuo family’s blood—how could he be unrelated? On the next day of their monthly meeting, Zhuo Lanjiang didn’t show up. Instead, he sent a jar of wine and something for Bai Xiaosheng. The two realized he was saying goodbye and rushed to find him. Bai Xiaosheng searched in the rain all day and finally saw his boat slowly drifting away from the shore.

Pan Yue came to find Yang Caiwei and said he believed that if Zhuo Lanjiang was given time, he would return. However, Bai Xiaosheng also left a letter saying she knew where Zhuo Lanjiang had gone. Pan Yue publicly sealed off Yinyu Tower—only in this way would the people in the capital feel at ease. Yang Caiwei spoke with Pan Yue about Gu Yong’s final word before dying—“Yang”—but they realized someone was eavesdropping. That person might be a new clue.

Pan Yue handed over Yinyu Tower to the Chamber of Commerce for management. That evening, he held a banquet to thank everyone, but it was actually a trap set by him and Yang Caiwei. Yang Caiwei pretended to be drunk, and Pan Yue took her back to her room, believing the spy would take action. However, Yang Caiwei was conflicted. After spending so much time together, could there really be a traitor among them?

After Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue left, the old registrar and Constable Liu each made excuses to leave. When the time came, Pan Yue led a search for the spy. Constable Liu looked very uneasy, and they found evidence on him. The old registrar asked to retire and return to his hometown. Pan Yue agreed. The old registrar then inquired about Constable Liu.

Pan Yue replied that just as the nation has its laws, families have their rules—if someone did wrong, they must be punished. The old registrar pretended to leave the county office weakly but soon went to the back mountain of Yinyu Tower and found the evidence Zhuo’s father had left behind. Pan Yue had Aze wait there in advance—he had long known the spy was the old registrar and set up the trap for him to fall into.

The old registrar didn’t confess and instead took poison. But Pan Yue found the letter Zhuo’s father had left behind. He suspected Zhuo’s father wanted to leave a way out for himself, so he didn’t give the letter to the mastermind. Yang Caiwei was deeply shaken after reading the letter. Their whole family’s fate had changed because of it, and now the letter was back in her hands.

Constable Liu realized that Pan Yue had arrested him as part of the plan. He had also suspected a spy in the office and admired Pan Yue even more for his strategy. Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue went to Wangyue Bridge and asked the shopkeepers there about someone from the capital ten years ago. But the shopkeeper’s wife interrupted, so Yang Caiwei had Pan Yue use his charm to distract her.

The shopkeeper said he had indeed seen a girl named Shang, and she was a beauty. However, during the Heavenly Master resurrection case nine years ago, she died and was one of the eight victims. Yang Caiwei was terrified upon hearing this. That incident occurred during her first year in Heyang. She had gone to the scene with her master and had been so frightened she didn’t dare go out alone for a long time.

Pan Yue didn’t expect it to be so strange, so the two of them investigated the records. The eight women who died in Heyang corresponded exactly to the eight trigrams. After their deaths, the people of Heyang were in a state of panic. Unexpectedly, the Shang girl was the one who had informed Yang Caiwei’s father. Rumor had it the killer was a disciple of Luoyun Sect.

The sect leader was named Xue Jianli and had a female disciple named Lu Aige. Both were respected by the people of Heyang. Later, soldiers searched the sect and found a secret manual describing a method to attain immortality by killing and sacrificing. However, Lu Aige had already died before the first victim appeared, which led to the legend of the Heavenly Master resurrecting to kill.

Yang Caiwei recalled her master was the coroner for the case and decided to go ask him. The two of them went together to Bai Xiaosheng’s home in the suburbs, but her master wasn’t there. While Yang Caiwei went to look for someone, the master suddenly appeared and started chasing and hitting Pan Yue. Yang Caiwei hurried to explain the misunderstanding. The master was very displeased with Pan Yue and deliberately sent him out to water the fields.

Even during dinner, he avoided talking about it. That night, the two stayed there, but Pan Yue was kept awake by the master’s loud snoring, so he secretly met Yang Caiwei in the courtyard. Yang Caiwei had specially prepared wine for him. She said the master was a good person who saw her as a daughter and was naturally concerned. Back then, she was falsely accused of theft, and it was her master who testified for her.

Afterward, she insisted on following him and became his disciple. Sun Zhen once told Zhuo Lanjiang that he had never seen the mastermind either—he had only delivered something to a pawnshop in the capital. Zhuo Lanjiang went there alone but didn’t meet that person. Bai Xiaosheng also followed him and bravely confessed her feelings. But Zhuo Lanjiang insisted she leave. Meanwhile, Pan Yue diverted Yang Caiwei, saying there were things he needed to speak with her master alone.

He understood the master’s concerns and promised to handle the matter with the princess well, also asking him to believe that he would take good care of Yang Caiwei. In the end, the master didn’t make things difficult for him.

The master told them about the Celestial Master's resurrection case. The deaths of the victims were all different, and although the master investigated thoroughly, it was not recorded in the official files. The magistrate at the time wanted to close the case hastily and did not believe the master's words. The eighth victim was Miss Shang, and she died in the most miserable and painful way. The master concluded that their deaths were related to Lu Aige.

He had secretly visited Lu Aige's grave and discovered the body, but that day he was discovered by Xue Jianli. Everything seemed to be connected to Xue Jianli, so Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei went to Luoyun Sect, where many people had gathered—Xue Jianli had many followers. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei had no choice but to pose as a married couple to gather information and took the opportunity to approach Xue Jianli.

Yang Caiwei found Xue Jianli to be eerie and felt that he carried a strange scent. The two settled temporarily in Luoyun Sect. Pan Yue, knowing that Yang Caiwei's body turned cold at night, skillfully massaged her acupoints. Suddenly, someone flashed past the door, warning that no one was allowed to go out at night in Luoyun Sect. Late at night, Pan Yue investigated Luoyun Sect and discovered a mind-controlling Dream Incense in Xue Jianli’s room.

There was also a secret chamber from which chanting could be heard. Zhuo Lanjiang was constantly startled awake by nightmares and would find Bai Xiaosheng beside him. She had rented the east wing of the courtyard, much to Zhuo Lanjiang’s helplessness. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei tried everything to get into Xue Jianli’s room. Yang Caiwei decided to distract Xue Jianli to give Pan Yue the chance to enter.

Xue Jianli initially didn’t want to speak much with Yang Caiwei until she said her elder sister was a victim of the Celestial Master case. Only then did he speak a bit more, but eventually handed Yang Caiwei over to his followers. Inside the secret chamber, Pan Yue saw a woman who called Xue Jianli "Master" and wished to die—she was Lu Aige. She had not died.

Pan Yue hid in a corner and saw Lu Aige viciously bite Xue Jianli. He then fed her a pill, after which she became docile like a puppet. Suddenly, someone shouted outside that there was a fire. Xue Jianli went to check, and Pan Yue used the chance to take Lu Aige away. By the time Xue Jianli noticed Lu Aige was missing, it was too late.

Lu Aige regained consciousness halfway and begged Pan Yue to take her away—she no longer wanted to be imprisoned. Pan Yue suspected that Xue Jianli and Lu Aige had more than a master-disciple relationship. Lu Aige confessed that he had once been the person she loved most. She had joined Luoyun Sect after a fleeting encounter, and their feelings gradually deepened. She even changed her name.

But when she confessed her feelings, Xue Jianli rejected her due to their master-disciple relationship. Lu Aige was undeterred and found a healing method for him, but the method involved murder and sacrificial offerings, which went against the natural order. They had agreed never to do such a thing. However, Xue Jianli staged her death and shifted all suspicion onto her. Lu Aige decided to live out her days in anonymity.

Yang Caiwei then asked Ling Er to take her away. However, after Lu Aige left, Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue noticed inconsistencies in her story. Xue Jianli had even warned her not to use methods against the natural order. Ling Er had already been tied up—Lu Aige intended to continue the sacrifices. Xue Jianli arrived in time to stop her. It had always been Lu Aige who committed the murders—all for Xue Jianli.

But when she realized he felt nothing for her, she only wanted to kill him. Unexpectedly, Xue Jianli willingly threw himself onto Lu Aige’s sword. If he truly had no feelings, why would he allow her to use that name? Xue Jianli died by Lu Aige's hand. Still obsessed with eternal life, Lu Aige staggered to draw talismans but, upon seeing Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei, realized there was no way out and committed suicide beside Xue Jianli.

Since the incident with Ling Er, Aze had been staying by her side, afraid something might happen. Lu Aige had only killed four people—the remaining four were killed by a copycat. Upon autopsy, Yang Caiwei found a coin in the victim's mouth, suggesting a link to Baihua Palace. The palace's songstresses all die with a coin in their mouths, hoping for a better next life. They went to Baihua Palace, asking Qing Di to reveal everything she knew.

It turned out that Miss Shang was once a songstress at Baihua Palace and had a sister-like bond with Qing Di. Every year, the palace would send a group of songstresses to the capital, and that year she was chosen. Full of hope for a better life, she didn't expect they would secretly return after discovering a letter showing a corrupt official's collusion with an enemy nation. They had to go into hiding.

Miss Shang had written a letter to Yang Caiwei’s father to expose them, hoping he could bring them down. But it led to the massacre of Yang Caiwei’s family, and the women could only continue to hide. One by one, the remaining three were killed. Miss Shang was terrified but didn’t want to implicate Qing Di. Since then, Qing Di sent songstresses to the capital every year to avoid suspicion. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei decided to go to the capital with her.

Today the Princess visited the Empress to arrange for Pan Yue’s return to the capital. Pan Yue needed to finish matters at the county office before meeting Qing Di in the capital. Soon, he received the imperial edict ordering his return, bringing joy to everyone, who quickly organized a banquet to bid farewell to Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei.

Chief Liu was especially grateful to Pan Yue—before his arrival, their days were muddled and aimless, but everything had changed since he came. Pan Yue expressed that Heyang was still their home and urged them to continue upholding justice. With everything behind them, Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei had found peace. Yang Caiwei even unearthed the jade pendant she had once buried, which matched Pan Yue's—now they formed a pair. Zhuo Lanjiang received word from Hongfu Restaurant and went there alone.

Bai Xiaosheng, worried about his safety, followed in secret but was discovered by Zhuo Lanjiang. He drew his sword to threaten her not to follow him again, but a crowd of onlookers rushed forward to scold him. Zhuo Lanjiang looked helpless as Bai Xiaosheng quickly explained they knew each other. Zhuo Lanjiang caused a scene at the pawnshop every day until he finally met the man his father had called a brother—but he wasn’t the real mastermind.

Zhuo Lanjiang wanted to understand who his father had truly served. The man told him to kill the person next to him, and then he would be allowed to meet the real boss. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei returned to the capital. Seeing the familiar yet unfamiliar roads, Yang Caiwei felt overwhelmed—it was the same path she had taken with her parents when they left the capital.

On the road, an official came to escort Pan Yue into the palace, so he asked Aze to take Yang Caiwei home first. Back at the Shangguan household, Shangguan Lan showed great concern for his sister, but Yang Caiwei felt uncomfortable. He brought back the dog once raised by Shangguan Zhi, which terrified Yang Caiwei, though Ling Er stepped in to ease the situation. Shangguan Lan asked how things were between her and Pan Yue.

Seeing his sister's happiness, he felt content—no matter what, he wanted her to be the happiest bride in the world. Yang Caiwei felt deeply guilty. If only he knew that his sister had already died, how heartbroken would he be? What could she do to make up for it? Pan Yue entered the palace to greet the Empress and the Princess. Unexpectedly, the Empress planned to arrange a marriage between him and the Princess.

Pan Yue had no time to object and was forced to agree. His father didn’t want him to keep investigating—the marriage would ensure a bright future. The Empress ordered the Ministry of Rites to prepare the wedding, filling the entire month with events. In Shangguan Zhi’s room, Yang Caiwei saw paintings of herself and Pan Yue everywhere and felt helpless. She realized that Ling Er had been helping her all along.

Ling Er admitted she had known Yang Caiwei wasn’t Shangguan Zhi ever since she awoke after the incident and started behaving differently, especially after discovering Yang Caiwei’s forensic tools. But she had never thought of telling anyone—after all, life under Shangguan Zhi had been full of fear, while this current lady was a good person. Touched, Yang Caiwei asked her to stop calling her "miss"—they would be sisters from now on.

Shangguan Lan arranged a lavish meal for Yang Caiwei, and she ate until her belly bulged. Still, there was no word from Pan Yue. Just then, he sent a message asking her to meet at Fengya Courtyard. Eager, she prepared to leave at once, but Ling Er stopped her, warning that being seen by acquaintances would invite trouble.

At Fengya Courtyard, Yang Caiwei ran into Shangguan Zhi’s archrival, Sima Xuan, who dragged her in to drink tea and deliberately revealed that Pan Yue and the Princess would marry on the fifteenth of next month. Yang Caiwei was shocked. Faced with Sima Xuan and others’ mocking, Yang Caiwei retorted without hesitation.

When Sima Xuan brought out flower pollen, Yang Caiwei saw through it immediately and pretended to spill it on Sima Xuan’s face, who ended up with a swollen bee-stung face. Just then, the Princess arrived. It turned out the meeting had been arranged by the Princess—not Pan Yue. He had even told the Princess Yang Caiwei’s true identity. The Princess admitted she had personal reasons for helping Pan Yue—she genuinely wanted him to be her husband. Now, if Yang Caiwei didn’t let go, she would have to drink the cup of poison before her.

Yang Caiwei's trust in Pan Yue gave her the courage to defy the Princess, but she didn't expect the Princess to actually poison the wine and demand she drink it to take a walk down to the underworld. Yang Caiwei grabbed the cup and drank it in one gulp. It was a test. The Princess, being a righteous person, would never truly poison someone. She laughed heartily.

She had always been curious about what kind of person could win Pan Yue’s favor. Now that she met Yang Caiwei, she even envied him for having her. After picking up Yang Caiwei, the Princess took her to see Pan Yue, using the opportunity to ditch Lord Sun from the Ministry of Rites. However, Bai Xiaosheng saw them getting into the carriage together, leading to a misunderstanding. Even one day apart felt like years to Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei.

The Princess teased them, and Pan Yue explained the songstress situation—they had to find the true mastermind quickly. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei met Qing Di at the location she had given them. The dancers were performing the Cloud Dance, and Qing Di arranged for Yun’er to coordinate with Pan Yue from the inside.

Yang Caiwei worried that being seen with Pan Yue would cause rumors, but he took her to a special place—the peach blossom grove they used to visit as children, their secret base. Yang Caiwei carved their names into a tree, claiming the grove as their own. Over the years, Pan Yue had tended to it, remembering their childhood promise. They didn’t want to deceive Shangguan Lan any longer. When Pan Yue took Yang Caiwei home, Shangguan Lan saw their closeness.

Seeing this, Yang Caiwei signaled Pan Yue with her eyes to let Shangguan Lan speak first. Shangguan Lan couldn’t hold it in and questioned why Pan Yue was entangled with Yang Caiwei while dreaming of being the Princess’s husband. Yang Caiwei hurried to say she had let go, but in Shangguan Lan’s eyes, she had sacrificed her happiness for Pan Yue. He forced Pan Yue to give Yang Caiwei an answer.

Pan Yue promised to break off the engagement with the Princess before the fifteenth and give Shangguan Lan a satisfactory explanation. Late at night, Zhuo Lanjiang killed the person he was told to and left behind only a young child. Bai Xiaosheng, worried when he didn’t return, went out to find him and saw him drinking alone. She sat beside him and ordered wine. Though Zhuo Lanjiang kept things bottled up, Bai Xiaosheng asked no questions—she simply stayed with him.

They drank a lot. Zhuo Lanjiang carried Bai Xiaosheng home on his back. She noticed a wound on his shoulder and quickly applied medicine. After drinking, the close proximity made their hearts race. Zhuo Lanjiang no longer held back and kissed Bai Xiaosheng. Only when she was with him did he feel human. The next morning, Zhuo Lanjiang awoke beside her and instinctively sat up, while Bai Xiaosheng pretended to still be asleep.

As soon as he stepped out, Zhuo Lanjiang was approached by a man who said the master agreed to meet him—he would be picked up by carriage in three days. Bai Xiaosheng saw this and warned Zhuo Lanjiang to be careful—the man didn’t seem trustworthy. Zhuo Lanjiang tried to explain what had happened between them, but Bai Xiaosheng dismissed it as mutual consent—nothing to worry about. Yet she still threw herself into his arms.

He was doing dangerous things, but no matter what, Bai Xiaosheng would stay by his side. Madam Wan came to select dancers but rejected Yun’er, which infuriated Qing Di. Qing Di could trust none of the others. Yang Caiwei decided to take the stage herself. Previously, at the morgue, she had thought of a trick to appear as if floating in mid-air to scare off grave robbers. She would use the same trick this time.

Pan Yue was worried about her safety, but in the end, he chose to respect her decision. In the following days, Yang Caiwei stayed with Qingdi to practice the dance, but she fell dozens of times in just one night. Since Yunshang's death, Qingdi had been unwilling to perform this dance again. The only reason she agreed to teach Yun'er was because of her resemblance to Yunshang in the eyes and brows. Determined to bring them justice, Yang Caiwei practiced even harder.

Three days later, Yang Caiwei was chosen by Madam Wan. Soon after, Yang Caiwei and the other girls had their eyes covered with black cloth and were taken away. Seeing this, Pan Yue hurriedly followed. Inside the carriage, Yang Caiwei quietly left behind clues along the way so Pan Yue and others could track her. She was brought to the Dill Courtyard.

Under the pretext of prohibiting personal belongings, the girls' items were all confiscated, and Yang Caiwei could only leave behind her face powder at the end. Pan Yue followed them to the residence but found it odd—it didn’t seem like a place for entertaining dignitaries. Yang Caiwei was taken deep into the Dill Courtyard. Madam Wan told them that as long as they obeyed, they would enjoy endless riches and glory.

Except for Yang Caiwei, the other dancers were dazzled by the silver. Pan Yue discovered a secret passage within the residence. Yang Caiwei watched the dancers rejoice in their beautiful clothes, thinking they were about to live a good life—just like Yun’er back then. No one could have imagined this place was a demonic lair that devours people.

Yang Caiwei tried to scout the terrain but was caught by Madam Wan, who warned her to only look at what she was supposed to—otherwise, she would end up like that blind and deaf old woman, living a miserable life. Soon, the dancers changed clothes and were taken to entertain guests under strict guard. Yang Caiwei had no way to send messages outside.

Madam Wan said that the guest in this room was the most honorable of all, and if anything happened, not even she could protect them. Inside the room were Lord He and the master of the Dill Courtyard, Master Zuo, who managed the courtyard but had someone else pulling the strings behind the scenes. Yang Caiwei cautiously spied through the curtain and guessed that the Dill Courtyard was used to collude with court officials.

Lord He specifically requested Yang Caiwei to serve him alone, and without hesitation, Madam Wan shoved her in. Pan Yue told the Princess he wanted to act immediately. Although she was worried, she agreed. Lord He was lustful, so Yang Caiwei delayed by playing drinking games and used warming the wine as an excuse to leave. Fearing for her safety, Pan Yue led soldiers to search house by house. Yang Caiwei secretly drugged Lord He’s wine.

After drinking, he became unruly, and Yang Caiwei used the chaos to go to Master Zuo. She found that the emblem wasn’t a wave pattern but a horned totem. Someone entered, so Yang Caiwei quickly hid in the corner, where she heard the person chant some incantations but couldn’t see their face. The Dill Courtyard realized Yang Caiwei was suspicious and ordered a thorough search to silence her.

Pan Yue noticed something wrong with the slop cart and followed the trail to the true hideout of the Dill Courtyard. However, Yang Caiwei wasn’t there. Instead, he learned that a carriage had just left from the backyard—and it was a Pan family carriage. Pan Yue returned to the Pan residence with his sword and questioned his father. Pan’s father already knew Yang Caiwei’s identity.

That day, he heard Pan Yue call her by name and realized the real Yang Caiwei was still alive and had disguised herself as Shangguan Zhi. He took Yang Caiwei away to avoid implicating the Pan family, but what he truly cared about was Pan Yue’s engagement to the Princess—breaking it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor. Pan Yue said they had already severed ties months ago, and neither imperial kinship nor the crime concerned him anymore.

Father Pan let Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue go. Yang Caiwei shared her hairstyle with Pan Yue. The Shuibo Pattern organization learned that Father Pan had also been at the Dill Courtyard and suspected him of involvement in that night’s events.

Bai Xiaosheng cooked a full table of dishes for Zhuo Lanjiang, even stewing a chicken for soup. She said she was confident she could win over his stomach. Zhuo Lanjiang asked why she liked him. Bai Xiaosheng replied that it was because he was handsome. Everyone said Pan Yue was good-looking, but to her, Zhuo Lanjiang was the best. Perhaps love really is blind. Zhuo Lanjiang smiled but felt troubled inside.

Since Bai Xiaosheng came, she had spent her days cooking and doing laundry, with no place she wanted to visit. Zhuo Lanjiang decided to take her out for a stroll. Bai Xiaosheng was initially uninterested, but hearing he’d accompany her all day, she quickly went to change. Bai Xiaosheng took a liking to a jade piece costing fifty taels but didn’t buy it due to the high price.

They walked to the Matchmaking Tree, which legend says ensures lovers will stay together if they hang name tags on it. Bai Xiaosheng shyly lowered her head. Seeing this, Zhuo Lanjiang offered to make a wish. They hung their name tags under the tree. Bai Xiaosheng silently wished not for eternal happiness but to be by Zhuo Lanjiang’s side no matter how rough his future path. But when she opened her eyes, Zhuo Lanjiang had already left without a word.

The Green Emperor was convinced that Master Zuo was the one who had hunted Yunshang and begged Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei to help no matter what. Bai Xiaosheng found them and said Zhuo Lanjiang had left again, and she was truly worried for his safety. Yang Caiwei smelled a fragrance in Bai Xiaosheng’s home that was identical to that of the mastermind. Bai Xiaosheng said it was purchased from a Jiang merchant.

Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei hurried to visit the shopkeeper and learned that the horned emblem was a Jiang symbol. It all began to make sense—our dynasty had long been at war with the Jiang clan, many of whom settled in Luoxi. The mastermind must be among them, using the horned cloud emblem to cultivate influence in court. Officials from Luoxi had no chance of promotion, so it was possible the mastermind had secretly changed their place of origin.

Pan Yue planned to have A Ze investigate first before taking further action. Lady Jia, the Princess's sister and wife of the Grand Commandant, was busy preparing for the Princess's wedding. Miss Sima came to complain, saying she saw Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei behaving intimately. But Lady Jia scolded her for gossiping. Zhuo Lanjiang was taken to meet the mastermind, claiming Pan Yue drove his father to death, making them sworn enemies.

Lady Jia hosted a banquet and invited Pan Yue. Though puzzled, he still went. The Princess said it had all happened suddenly and she had only just learned about it. The banquet was also a chance for Lady Jia to question Pan Yue and warn him to keep only the Princess in his heart. After the meal, the Grand Commandant took Pan Yue for a walk in the courtyard and gave advice on being a royal son-in-law.

Zhuo Lanjiang, hiding by the wall, suddenly attacked Pan Yue and fled. Upon hearing of the assassination attempt, Yang Caiwei was extremely anxious. Fortunately, Pan Yue was only slightly injured. Yang Caiwei, unable to rest easy, secretly went to the Commandant’s residence. A Ze delivered news that Pan Yue was safe, but getting her inside was still difficult. The Princess helped them reunite.

Pan Yue told Yang Caiwei that the attacker was Zhuo Lanjiang, but since he didn’t go for a fatal strike, he might be undercover beside the mastermind. Zhuo Lanjiang had joined the Shuibo Pattern organization. The place was heavily guarded, and Lord Chen was also hiding there. The mastermind had yet to fully trust Zhuo Lanjiang, who was waiting for the right moment to strike. Pan Yue found an excuse to leave after a few days at the Commandant’s residence.

A Ze investigated the border records and found that before the twelfth year of Jingchang, household registration was loosely managed and self-reported—thus, any changes to one’s household origin likely occurred before then. Yang Caiwei carefully tended to Pan Yue, preparing ginseng soup daily. Even though it tasted bitter, he drank it every day. A Ze reported his findings and news of turmoil at the border. Lady Jia was worried the assassin would strike during the wedding.

The Grand Commandant assured her of strict security. With the Jiang clan invading, the Emperor summoned the Commandant to the palace. Pan Hui, while drinking with Lord Sun, mentioned Pan Yue’s marriage and, feeling sour, secretly revealed that Shangguan Zhi was actually Yang Caiwei. The mastermind, upon learning Yang Caiwei was still alive, immediately ordered an investigation. If true, they planned to kill both her and Pan Yue.

The Emperor suspected General Lu of being a Jiang spy and summoned the Commandant to discuss it. Pan Yue, however, found it odd—General Lu couldn’t possibly be a traitor. He visited Lu in prison but was stopped by his father. Pan Yue explained it was the Princess’s order and wouldn’t involve the Pan family. His father didn’t object and instead gave him a bottle of medicine. Pan Yue brought food and wine.

General Lu, now labeled a traitor by the Emperor, was disheartened. Pan Yue expressed his belief that the real mastermind could be a Jiang person who had changed their household registration. Only then did General Lu open up. The Princess sneaked into the Commandant’s study to look for military rosters, saying a friend asked her to. The Commandant retrieved records from the past ten years for her. General Lu recounted the mutiny.

He had been dismissed, and Xun Jian was the biggest beneficiary. But General Lu didn’t believe Xun Jian was behind it—he was too old to accept such a post. General Lu had a habit of rolling up his sleeves when eating, common among Luoxi people unused to wide sleeves. Pan Yue realized the Grand Commandant shared this habit—it was him! Meanwhile, the Grand Commandant casually handed another roster to the Princess, who opened it cautiously—only to see his name inside.

The mastermind turned out to be the Grand Commandant. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei were shocked. Realizing the Princess was in danger, they split up to act. The Princess discovered the truth and tried to feign ignorance to leave, but the Commandant refused to let her go. He even used Lady Jia to threaten her. Twelve years ago, he had personally killed their parents and married Lady Jia as part of his scheme, posing for years as a devoted husband.

No one would suspect him if anything happened. Heartbroken and terrified, the Princess tried to stay calm for her sister’s sake—but the Commandant ordered her to kill someone. Yang Caiwei found the Princess, who was now holding a knife and standing coldly in the corner. Pan Yue went to the residence to find her. The Grand Commandant greeted him warmly. Pan Yue quickly made an excuse to leave.

Miss Sima, hearing sounds from a room, went to investigate and saw the Princess lying on the ground, with Yang Caiwei beside her, hands covered in blood. Yang Caiwei was accused of killing the Princess and thrown into prison to await execution. That day, when she entered the room, she didn’t understand what had happened. But the Princess, seeing Master Zuo spying on her, had no choice but to take her own life.

Her sister was being threatened—she had no way out. She only regretted dragging Yang Caiwei into this. Pan Yue begged his father to let him see Yang Caiwei, kneeling in the rain all day. Seeing this, Pan Hui ridiculed and insulted him. Father Pan couldn’t help scolding Pan Hui, but Pan Yue remained motionless, like a dead man. In prison, Yang Caiwei refused to eat or drink, just staring blankly against the wall.

In truth, when Pan Yue was born, Father Pan was fond of him—he was his first child, and he wished him a peaceful life. But soon, rumors spread that no one knew where Pan Yue came from, as he didn’t resemble Father Pan at all. His mother committed suicide due to the gossip. Since then, the father-son relationship deteriorated. In the end, Father Pan softened. Holding an umbrella, he came to Pan Yue and told him to stand up.

Pan Yue’s father allowed him to visit Yang Caiwei. Seeing how emaciated and frail she was, Pan Yue was heartbroken. Yang Caiwei asked how he got in, and Pan Yue lied, saying the prison warden owed him a favor. He brought her some food, but Yang Caiwei had no appetite. The princess had died right in front of her, and she was filled with guilt for not saving her.

Pan Yue comforted her, saying the princess did not die in vain and that the culprit would pay the price. Yang Caiwei believed that Pan Yue would definitely save her. When time was up, Pan Yue reluctantly let go of her hand and told her to wait for him. Zhuo Lanjiang was still worried upon learning that Yang Caiwei had been accused of murder. Grand Commandant Jia didn’t expose Yang Caiwei’s identity, fearing more complications.

He warned Pan Yue that if he dared to take risks, it would give them a legitimate excuse to execute him on the spot. Zhuo Lanjiang’s hatred for Grand Commandant Jia deepened. He had tried to strike in secret many times but failed. Zhuo Lanjiang said he and Yang Caiwei once loved each other, and he wished to see her one last time during the public trial. Grand Commandant Jia agreed.

For Yang Caiwei’s sake, Pan Yue sought help from many contacts, but none wanted to get involved. Shangguan Lan was very worried, but Pan Yue told him that Shangguan Zhi was already dead. Enraged, Shangguan Lan punched him, vowing to avenge his sister. Pan Yue didn’t retaliate because he owed Shangguan Lan. Shangguan Lan thought Pan Yue refused to rescue Shangguan Zhi, so Pan Yue had to tell him that she had died on his wedding day.

Shangguan Zhi had kidnapped Yang Caiwei and switched faces with her, but was accidentally killed. Yang Caiwei had to continue living as Shangguan Zhi. Shangguan Lan was shocked but refused to believe the truth. Shangguan Lan went to Shangguan Zhi’s room. He realized everything Pan Yue said was true and felt as if a knife had pierced his heart. Grand Commandant Jia brutally tortured Yang Caiwei and deliberately provoked Pan Yue.

He ordered Pan Yue to personally interrogate Yang Caiwei in court the next day to see if he could still speak so righteously. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei didn’t sleep all night and arrived at the court. Pan Yue’s father asked Yang Caiwei if she was afraid, but she said she wasn’t—because she trusted that Pan Yue had a plan. Grand Commandant Jia, Lady Jia, and Zhuo Lanjiang, who blended into the crowd, were all present.

Pan Yue looked grim, especially after seeing the bloodstains on Yang Caiwei’s clothes. A eunuch brought several questions from the Empress, and Pan Yue had to ask them in public. Yang Caiwei repeatedly stressed that the princess had committed suicide, but no one believed her. She suggested opening the coffin for an autopsy. At that moment, a man stood up claiming to be a witness. It was Shangguan Lan.

Along with Ling Er, he identified the woman before them as not Shangguan Zhi but Yang Caiwei. The real Shangguan Zhi had been killed long ago. Taking advantage of his questioning, Shangguan Lan stabbed Yang Caiwei in the abdomen. With her last breath, Yang Caiwei relayed the princess's final words to Lady Jia. Lady Jia wouldn’t let her die and urgently called for the imperial physician.

As she watched Yang Caiwei being taken away, Grand Commandant Jia finally realized that they were trying to rescue the prisoner. This was all part of a plan involving friends and Shangguan Lan. Eight hours earlier, Pan Yue had sent A Ze to gather highly skilled fighters. Shangguan Lan had already made preparations. He knew Grand Commandant Jia was the one who got Shangguan Zhi killed, and he was determined to seek revenge.

Yang Caiwei had regained consciousness and was hiding in the courtesan selection courtyard, cared for by Bai Xiaosheng and Ling Er. Shangguan Lan left the capital to avoid trouble, leaving Yang Caiwei feeling more guilty. Too many people had already been implicated.

Lady Jia kept recalling Yang Caiwei’s words, visibly disturbed. Grand Commandant Jia also heard those words and realized Lady Jia was beginning to doubt. Years ago, her parents were murdered in Luoxi, and her leg was left crippled. Lady Jia and the princess used to refer to Qixia Ridge in secret, and she had never told anyone about it. Lady Jia couldn’t understand how Yang Caiwei knew.

Grand Commandant Jia claimed that Pan Yue must have made it up to save Yang Caiwei. Since Zhuo Lanjiang had not acted unusually at the scene, he wasn’t suspected. Grand Commandant Jia ordered that Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei be executed on the spot if found. After a few days of recovery, Yang Caiwei was much better. Bai Xiaosheng returned to her small courtyard, worried that Zhuo Lanjiang would come looking for her.

Pan Yue said he thought he had seen Zhuo Lanjiang that day, leaving both of them uneasy. The Green Empress came to visit Yang Caiwei. Years ago, Yunshang’s letter had implicated the Yang family. The Green Empress hoped to help Yang Caiwei in some way. When the imperial guards searched nearby, the Green Empress told Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei to flee—she would handle it. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei hid to avoid the guards.

Zhuo Lanjiang suddenly appeared and helped them hide. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei urged him not to act recklessly—Bai Xiaosheng was still waiting for him. But Zhuo Lanjiang had never intended to return alive after coming to the capital. He secretly went to the courtyard, watching Bai Xiaosheng solemnly praying for him. Back in the courtyard, Yang Caiwei felt pain in her ankle. The Green Empress said prolonged practice of the Cloud Dance would cause swelling.

Yang Caiwei suddenly remembered that the four corpses bore no such marks, meaning Yunshang never died. Grand Commandant Jia had created a ruse to make everyone believe she was dead. The Green Empress insisted Yunshang, who was like a sister to her, would never deceive her. But Yang Caiwei questioned if she truly knew Yunshang. The truth was cruel. Yang Caiwei recalled the Green Empress saying that a man who admired Yunshang was present the last time she saw her.

The man Yang Caiwei had seen at the Dill Courtyard could be Yunshang. Master Zuo admired Yunshang and came up with a scheme to switch identities. Yunshang was the key witness to bringing down Grand Commandant Jia. Zhuo Lanjiang met with Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei, unaware that Master Zuo had a close female companion. He promised to carefully search for the account books that could take down Grand Commandant Jia.

The three agreed that once successful, they would return to Heyang with Bai Xiaosheng. A Ze had followed Master Zuo for days without discovering any close associates. Upon hearing Yunshang liked Southern Prefecture preserves, Yang Caiwei arranged to sell them along Master Zuo’s route. As expected, he bought some. A Ze and Ling Er then disguised themselves as a couple and entered a clinic. In the backyard, A Ze saw Yunshang. Yang Caiwei revealed her identity, but Yunshang kept pretending.

When the Green Empress appeared, Yunshang could no longer hide. Master Zuo had killed three girls who escaped with Yunshang to protect her and found a replacement for her. For years, the Green Empress had wanted revenge, not realizing Yunshang was complicit. Yang Caiwei asked Yunshang to help fulfill their unfulfilled promise. Yunshang agreed, though hesitantly. The Green Empress vowed to stay by her side. Zhuo Lanjiang sneaked into Grand Commandant Jia’s study to find the account books but was caught.

He made a desperate move but was defeated and captured. Grand Commandant Jia promised to spare him if he revealed Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei’s location. Zhuo Lanjiang spat at him and mocked him as nothing more than a Jiang clan dog pretending to be close with his father. Enraged, Grand Commandant Jia stabbed him several times in the abdomen but spared his life. Yunshang secretly drugged the Green Empress.

She knew she had betrayed her and decided to do so completely. Master Zuo, having just learned that Yunshang was missing, saw her return. They had to flee the capital immediately—if Grand Commandant Jia found them, they would surely die. Minister Chen saw Zhuo Lanjiang’s miserable state and urged him to confess. But Zhuo Lanjiang knew even if he did, he’d be killed. Master Zuo went missing that afternoon, and Grand Commandant Jia sent people to search.

Zhuo Lanjiang, unable to endure the torture, agreed to speak. Grand Commandant Jia was pleased. Zhuo Lanjiang attempted to assassinate him but was killed by Jia’s men, dying tragically. Master Zuo and Yunshang were discovered while fleeing. By the time Pan Yue arrived, he was already dead, and the carriage had been completely burned.

On the day Grand Commandant Jia was to be appointed Grand Marshal, Pan Yue’s father also attended. He had been suspended and investigated due to Pan Yue’s actions, and Jia had summoned him on purpose. As the ceremony was about to begin, Zhuo Lanjiang still hadn’t appeared, leaving Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei anxious. Just then, Bai Xiaosheng received a corpse—Zhuo Lanjiang’s last request was for his uncle to bring him back to her. Bai Xiaosheng was overwhelmed.

Even in death, Zhuo Lanjiang’s hand tightly clenched something. When she opened it, she found a piece of candy in his palm and burst into uncontrollable tears. As the Grand Marshal appointment ceremony began, Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue suddenly arrived with the princess’s memorial tablet to stop the proceedings. They declared that the princess’s death was connected to enemy spies. At this moment, Pan Yue’s father suddenly pleaded with the Empress to give Pan Yue a chance to explain.

The Empress summoned them forward. Lady Jia didn’t believe the princess had been forced to commit suicide. Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei claimed it was Grand Commandant Jia who drove her to it and revealed that he was a spy from the Jiang clan. Ten years ago, Yang’s father received a tip-off letter and was killed. Ten years later, a chain of events started from Pan Yue and Yang Caiwei’s wedding, which led them to uncover Grand Commandant Jia’s schemes.

Jia and Minister Sun were confident because they believed there was no proof—until Yang Caiwei presented Yunshang and Ling Er. Yunshang was alive. Ten years ago, she had picked up a letter proving Jia’s collusion with the enemy and wrote a tip-off letter to Yang’s father. But soon after, he was found dead. Yunshang presented the original secret letter to the Empress Dowager, but Jia denied everything.

Pan Yue suggested testing Jia on the spot, as the letter bore a fingerprint seal that couldn’t be forged. Jia removed his gloves, only to show his fingers were injured. The Empress explained that Jia had been injured protecting the young crown prince and rewarded him for his bravery. She refused to believe their accusations. At this critical moment, Bai Xiaosheng arrived with Zhuo Lanjiang’s body and presented vital evidence. Seeing his bruised body, Yang Caiwei was overcome with emotion.

The Empress was skeptical that a corpse could be evidence. Yang Caiwei proposed an autopsy, and several ministers who doubted Yang’s father’s death pleaded with the Empress for a chance. Though devastated, Yang Caiwei steeled herself to examine Zhuo Lanjiang’s body. Most injuries were from beatings and whips, but three stab wounds appeared self-inflicted—signaling the account book’s location. Pan Yue asked to lead a search. Lady Jia agreed, saying that if Jia was innocent, there was nothing to fear.

Time was almost up, but Pan Yue hadn’t returned, making Yang Caiwei anxious. Just as the hour struck, Pan Yue was escorted back. It turned out he had secretly passed a message to the Empress and personally captured Jia. However, Jia had his own backup plan with soldiers. Fortunately, Pan Yue had brought reinforcements. The Empress ordered Jia imprisoned in the Sky Prison. At that moment, Lady Jia killed her husband with her own hands.

The turmoil in the capital finally settled. The Green Empress left for Heyang. Yunshang apologized, but the Green Empress didn’t forgive her—she only asked her to live with a clear conscience. Pan Yue requested to return to Heyang as a county magistrate and went to bid farewell to his father. Though a gap remained between them, they were still father and son. Shangguan Lan came to see Yang Caiwei—really to see Shangguan Zhi one last time.

He acknowledged that Shangguan Zhi was at fault and didn’t blame Yang Caiwei. Perhaps seeing another version of Shangguan Zhi in this world was enough for him. Bai Xiaosheng built a grave for Zhuo Lanjiang. He once said that after taking down Jia, he would return to Heyang and drink for three days straight. Yang Caiwei brought osmanthus wine to toast her best friend. Bai Xiaosheng appeared calm, pretending to be fine.

She said she wanted to spend a little more time with Zhuo Lanjiang. Recalling every day and night they spent together, she had long since regarded him as her husband—married to him thousands of times in her heart. Yang Caiwei and Pan Yue looked at the now peaceful and beautiful Heyang, remembering the once sinful city it used to be. They never expected that clearing everyone's names would come at such a high cost. But now that the storm had passed, the two of them could finally stay together.

Pan's father found Grand Commandant Jia's token, but to his shock, it bore the number two. In that instant, a cold sweat broke out down his spine.

• In Blossom - Ju Jingyi, Liu Xueyi
• Chinese Dramas Like In Blossom
• What's Liu Xueyi And Zhang Yuxi's Relationship?
• Tiffany Tang and Liu Xueyi Deliver Unexpected Chemistry and High Drama in A Moment But Forever
• Who Is Zhang Zhehan's Girlfriend? Did He Get Married?
• Liu Xueyi, Zhang Yuxi Were Exposed To Be In A Relationship, Studio Denied It.
• Yang Zi Is Dating Liu Xueyi? Netizens: Boring
• Does Ju Jingyi Have A Boyfriend? What's Her Ideal Type?
• Ju Jingyi And Zheng Yecheng Are Dating Sweetly In “Love Under The Full Moon"
• Liu Xueyi Dramas, Movies, and TV Shows List
• Ju Jingyi Dramas, Movies, and TV Shows List