Episode 22 recap: Song Ci unravels the truth behind the series of deaths.
With only seven days remaining, they must resolve this matter. Bai Xue Yan has found a white powder, and Li Zi Fang is eager to uncover the truth, especially since his father is still imprisoned and time is running out. Song Ci believes the priority is to determine how the suspect entered the warehouse. All the cases are currently confined to closed rooms, and through careful analysis, Song Ci has gathered some subtle clues.
Song Ci arrives at the crime scene, where they discover several bodies near the wooden house. Zhao Xiao Liu joins them to analyze how these people were killed. Song Ci examines each body and notices that they all have varying degrees of finger amputations. Suddenly, Song Ci recalls something and heads towards the jungle. They find many chopped tree trunks, which others consider normal, but Song Ci finds it highly suspicious.
Returning to the wooden house, Shen Xi Yue shares her knowledge of the Wind Catcher. She believes he would never live in such a rudimentary place. This revelation triggers an epiphany for Song Ci, who now believes that the Wind Catcher's death was not accidental but a murder. Song Ci also mentions wanting to examine the body of Mr. Huang, surprising everyone present.
If their deaths were not accidents, then the Death Kingdom must be manipulating people's minds to facilitate the killings. Zhao Xiao Liu agrees that examining the Wind Catcher's body is reasonable, but Mr. Huang has already been buried. If they investigate without finding anything significant, it will likely bring trouble. At this moment, Zhao Xiao Liu notices a token nearby, suggesting they can use it discreetly.
Shen Lingxiu tells her eldest daughter that the priority now is to expedite Shen Xi Yue's marriage to Prince Rui. Only then can they ensure her safety. Indeed, Song Ci discovers something peculiar about Mr. Huang. Although he had wounds, they were not fatal. Unexpectedly, Song Ci finds a needle in his head, which was the lethal injury.
Next, they examine the Wind Catcher's body. Li Zi Fang is concerned that if Song Ci gets closer to the truth, they might become more endangered. Song Ci discovers that the Wind Catcher was forcibly suffocated by having a jujube seed lodged in his throat. On the other hand, Mr. Huang was killed by a poisonous needle inserted into the back of his head. The methods of their deaths are entirely different. Shen Xi Yue is curious about how the culprit created a closed-room scenario.
Song Ci provides an explanation. The culprit intentionally had a carpenter reconstruct the wooden house after killing the Wind Catcher. The carpenter's hands also show varying degrees of finger amputations, and nearby tree branches were chopped off. From this, it can be deduced that the wooden house was newly built, and the killer wanted to create a closed room for the murders. Furthermore, to prevent the carpenters from divulging the truth, they were silenced.
Zhao Xiao Liu immediately ordered the county magistrate to inform everyone that Mr. Huang and the Wind Catcher were killed by the so-called Death Kingdom and not from natural causes. Song Ci also mentioned that tonight is the day when Lü Zhuangzhu, the master of Baihu Manor, takes on a concubine, so Song Ci doesn't plan to go and see what happens.
Shen Lingxiu tells her daughter to marry Prince Rui five days later, but Shen Xi Yue naturally refuses, as she has feelings for Song Ci. As Song Ci watches the performers, they suddenly recall the secret room in the granary, where one person can pass through a small iron ring, and another person can create smoke and fire. These are the keys to turning the granary into a closed room.
Lü Zhuangzhu staggers back to his room and collapses before reaching the bride, causing the bride to scream in fright. While Song Ci and the others are still watching, they suddenly hear their subordinate say that something happened to Lü Zhuangzhu. Song Ci quickly goes to investigate and learns that the bride was the first to discover that something was wrong with Lü Zhuangzhu, but at this moment, the bride is hiding nearby.
After Song Ci approaches, the bride keeps her back turned, and Song Ci hears a voice that sounds very familiar. When they turn around, they are shocked to see their older sister. Now, Song Ci's sister is directly involved in the first crime scene, so the county magistrate tells her not to move around freely for now. Song Ci suspects that Lü Zhuangzhu was poisoned at the wedding banquet, and they assure the adults that they will quickly find out the truth.
Song Ci and Li Zi Fang go to Lü Zhuangzhu's room, and Song Ci asks Bai Xue Yan to investigate the backgrounds of the three performers. Indeed, they find the symbol of the Death Kingdom in the room, indicating that these three cases are also related. At that moment, Yin Qiao unexpectedly arrives, still worried about Li Zi Fang.
Song Ci and Li Zi Fang find the three performers, who were doing magic tricks. However, as soon as they reach the entrance, they smell a strong scent of blood. When they enter, they find that the three individuals have already been killed. But Song Ci feels warmth when touching one of the bodies, indicating that the culprit is still nearby. Before they can react, a black-clothed person suddenly rushes out and confronts them.
Comments(Episode 22)