Episode 30 recap: Di Ren Jie, who was seriously ill, checked into the Chaoyun Academy.
Di Ren Jie and Cao An, looking weary and dusty, checked into the Tongfu Inn. By then, the weather had turned bad. It was only September, but it was already bitterly cold. Di Ren Jie had planned to have a bowl of mutton soup in the inn before going to his room. However, at that moment, a crazy old woman was going around asking everyone about her grandson, Wei Xiaobao. The innkeeper chased her away.
Di Ren Jie decided to rest in his room first. Afterwards, he and Cao An looked in the direction of the Crescent Spring and found that the mist was so thick that they couldn't see anything. Cao An thought that since they were already there, they should make a wish. Di Ren Jie decided to go as well. The two of them rode in a carriage and braved the wind and snow along the way. Cao An was fine sitting inside the carriage, but Di Ren Jie, who was driving the horse from the carriage frame, was covered in white snow. They came across common people who had survived the collapsed houses due to the blizzard. Di Ren Jie felt pity for them and helped those whose carriage wheels had fallen into a pit and couldn't get out. In the process, he accidentally injured himself and blood started to flow.
Cao An quickly bandaged Di Ren Jie's wound and advised him to return to Lanfang. After all, the snow was too heavy, and going forward would increase the danger and cause anxiety. However, Di Ren Jie didn't hesitate and continued driving the carriage forward. As they proceeded, Di Ren Jie remembered that he had killed his own brother with his own hands and fell into confusion and despair. The memory of Di Zhixun's death made his body unable to hold on any longer. The accumulated fatigue from the past burst forth, and he fell off the carriage. Fortunately, the horse neighed, and Cao An noticed something was wrong and quickly helped Di Ren Jie back onto the carriage.
Cao An noticed that the wound on Di Ren Jie's hand had turned black, so he urged the horse to continue moving even in the dark. Seeing that she couldn't bear the cold any longer, they finally arrived at the Chaoyun Academy. Cao An hurriedly knocked on the door, but Zhou Li, who opened the door, said that Cui Haoran had been ordered to write a book and had instructed not to receive any visitors. However, Di Ren Jie's identity was special, and he was now too sick to get up. Zhou Li had no choice but to report the situation. Zhou Miao, who understood some medical knowledge, saw that Di Ren Jie was seriously ill and had him carried into the academy. Di Ren Jie insisted on dragging his sick body to see Cui Haoran. He noticed a strong sandalwood fragrance in Cui Haoran's room, and Zhou Miao explained that it was to help him concentrate. Di Ren Jie took out the aloeswood from Yunsu Mountain and asked Zhou Miao to bring it in.
Di Ren Jie continued to observe Cui Haoran and Zhou Miao through the window paper. He saw Zhou Miao place the aloeswood down and suddenly felt the urge to sneeze, so he quickly turned away. After Zhou Miao came out of the room, she instinctively smelled her hand. Zhou Miao led Di Ren Jie and Cao An through the complex corridors of the Chaoyun Academy and advised them not to leave easily. If they needed anything, they could call on the students for help. At that moment, they unexpectedly encountered Zhou Li, who appeared somewhat flustered. Zhou Miao immediately stopped him and asked why he was there. Zhou Li said he wanted to get firewood, but the woodshed was not there. Zhou Miao sarcastically commented that Zhou Li had been at the academy for so long and still couldn't remember where the woodshed was, and she told him to go in another direction.
Cao An settled Di Ren Jie before going with Zhou Miao to get medicine. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and Di Ren Jie couldn't lie still due to the cold. He struggled to get up and closed the door. At that moment, he saw a figure rushing under a tree in the snow. He wanted to get a clear view, but as he walked out, he stumbled down the steps. He tried to crawl forward to get a better look but failed to catch up.
When Cao An returned with the medicine, he found Di Ren Jie lying in the snow. He and Zhou Miao quickly lifted him back onto the bed. Di Ren Jie mentioned seeing a child in white clothes, but Zhou Miao explained that there were only disciples serving Cui Haoran in the mansion, and there were no children. She believed that Di Ren Jie was experiencing hallucinations due to a fever.
While Cao An was preparing the medicine, he heard some commotion outside. He immediately grabbed a lantern and went to investigate. He followed the footprints and witnessed Zhou Li biting his finger and writing the word "ghost" on his hand while standing on the roof. Zhou Li then jumped down from the roof and died. As he fell, the snowflakes flew up in the air. This shocking sight left Cao An unsettled. He was puzzled by Zhou Li's strange behavior before his death. Cao An opened Zhou Li's hand and indeed found the word written in blood. He asked Zhou Miao to accompany him to Zhou Li's room to investigate further. They discovered a red ghost drawing made by Zhou Li, depicting trees and forests. Zhou Miao confirmed that Zhou Li was familiar with the depicted trees. She mentioned that Zhou Li had been acting strangely lately.
Cao An inquired about Zhou Li's background and when he joined the mansion. Zhou Miao explained that Zhou Li was from a nearby village and joined the mansion in October. At that time, Cui Haoran had already closed the mountain gate, and he had no authority to take in new disciples. However, seeing Zhou Li's strong desire to learn and his poor family background, Cui Haoran allowed him to join as a laborer to pay for his tuition. But Zhou Li often seemed distracted during his studies, and he claimed to have opened the "heavenly eye" and could see ghosts and monsters.
Cao An decided to report everything to Di Ren Jie and await his conclusions after examining the body. Qiao Tai and Ma Rong had been worried about Di Ren Jie since they saw the refugees from the south at the county yamen. They rode fast horses and searched for him in the south. However, they found themselves going in circles in a certain area. Ma Rong suspected they had encountered a ghost, but Qiao Tai didn't believe in such superstitions and urged Ma Rong to continue.
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