• Aired:2024-02-23, Last updated: 2024-02-26 06:41

Episode 27 recap: The Black Flame posted a notice, causing everyone to feel endangered.

Cao An woke up and found that she couldn't move at all. The Black Flame bluntly stated that he had drugged her. Within two hours, Cao An wouldn't be able to move. Cao An saw Lin Fan lying on the ground with blood stains underneath, thinking that the Black Flame had killed him. However, the Black Flame didn't want to take Lin Fan's life; he just wanted to punish him. Cao An didn't understand why the Black Flame insisted on opposing Di Ren Jie. The Black Flame remembered the time when he was almost killed by Di Ren Jie's arrow at sea and held a grudge against him. At the same time, he caused chaos in Lan Fang to regain control over it.

Cao An's performance of "Bingzhou Xiaodiao" was taught by the Black Flame, and the Black Flame saved her several times. For a moment, she didn't know whether she should worry about Di Ren Jie or the Black Flame. Ma Rong and Qiao Tai heard the common people discussing how Di Ren Jie couldn't handle desires and emotions, and they were unhappy about it. Di Ren Jie also arrived at the teahouse and, through his interaction with Lin Fan, found him suspicious. He believed that Lin Fan had a reason to seek revenge on Chu Lei but no reason to kill Chen Laoliu and his wife.

Ma Rong thought about what the common people had said earlier and believed that several murder cases matched the theme of desire and hatred. When Di Ren Jie heard this, he bluntly stated that only enlightened monks could be free from desires, emotions, and hatred. Otherwise, shouldn't everyone deserve to die? Ma Rong brought back the meat that Lin Tiejian didn't want, which completed the word "greed." Di Ren Jie went to find Xiao Zhanggui again and asked about the changes since Chu Lei's return. Xiao Zhanggui remembered Chu Lei's previous visit to the Xiao family. Upon learning that Xiao Chunyu had already married someone, Chu Lei left without hesitation. Xiao Zhanggui regarded this behavior as weakness.

Ma Rong sensed something unusual after hearing this because Chu Lei was a decisive person and wouldn't easily give up. Di Ren Jie entered Chunyu's room to investigate and found a piece of paper on the table, which was a gift from Chunyu's in-laws from Tongkang Village. He was annoyed with himself for forgetting about Chunyu's in-laws and immediately rushed there with Qiao Tai and Ma Rong. When they arrived at Tongkang Village, they discovered that everyone in the village had already died, seemingly killed in a mutual massacre.

Di Ren Jie believed that the Black Flame could coerce Long Tu and Chen Laoliu and his wife to die, but it seemed impossible to coerce an entire village. At that moment, a crazy woman suddenly rushed out, attempting to kill Di Ren Jie, Qiao Tai, and Ma Rong. Di Ren Jie told Ma Rong not to take action and followed the insane woman to a tree. He listened to her repeatedly saying, "They are all mine, they are all mine." He cut the rope, and a clay jar fell from the tree, but it didn't contain what the woman wanted. She went crazy, continuously shouting, "They are all deceivers, they are all deceivers."

At that moment, the contents of the clay jar ignited, and a fire suddenly broke out. The fireworks bloomed, illuminating the gruesome scene of a village filled with corpses, leaving people both saddened and chilled to the bone.

Di Ren Jie arrived at the stonemason's shop and found the injured Lin Fan and Cao An, who had been knocked down by the Black Flame. He then learned that Cao An had known the Black Flame all along but had never mentioned it to him. Cao An explained that she had seen the Black Flame get shot and fall into the sea, and she thought he was dead, so she didn't bring it up. Later, she suspected Lin Fan, but now it was clear that he wasn't the culprit, so it made no difference whether she spoke up or not. Di Ren Jie was disappointed that Cao An didn't tell him anything, and Cao An could sense his mood, but the situation had already become complicated, and she didn't know how to explain anymore.

Di Ren Jie brought Lin Fan back to the county yamen to have his wounds treated and ensured his safety. He wanted Lin Fan to reveal the whereabouts of the Black Flame, but Lin Fan genuinely didn't know where the Black Flame was. He frankly stated that when he was confronted by Di Ren Jie, his life was already in the hands of both Di Ren Jie and the Black Flame, and he had no fear.

Madam Lang was locked up in a prison cell. Once she calmed down, Di Ren Jie inquired about what had happened in Tongkang Village. Madam Lang vividly remembered that one day, a notice was posted on the village well, warning that the water was poisoned. At first, everyone didn't pay much attention and continued with their normal lives. However, on the next day, someone died from poisoning. Then another notice was posted, stating that the antidote was in a clay jar on the big tree, but it was only enough for half the villagers to survive. In a desperate struggle for this chance of survival, the villagers fought each other and descended into a bloody massacre. Soon, all the villagers were dead, except for Madam Lang, who survived by chance.

Di Ren Jie had already concluded that Chu Lei was the Black Flame, and the reason he massacred the village was because Madam Lang's son had married Chunyu. Madam Lang thought of her family and the entire village being wiped out because of this, and she was filled with grief and couldn't understand why Chu Lei had become so heartless. The Black Flame posted a notice in the streets, stating that anyone who wasn't part of his gang would be killed in five days. Everyone felt endangered, and the people of Lan Fang were desperate to find any mark that would prove they were not associated with the Black Flame.