In Episode 9, Hattori's master is shocked to hear that the bounty hunters have been completely wiped out, especially since those hunters were top-tier experts...After investigating the scene, Hattori deduces that they did not die at the hands of Xiang Kunlun, who returned to the Hall of Heroes alone, with Cao Yan Bing nowhere to be found Notably, Zhao Xin, known as "Silver Gun Young Master," is also missing from the corpses, leading Hattori to speculate that he may have escaped
Meanwhile, Xia Ling and Cao Yan Bing sit across from each other in the human realm, with a tense atmosphere hanging over them. Xia Ling hopes Cao Yan Bing will speak, but he mistakenly believes she is a deserter and refuses to communicate. Xia Ling quickly clarifies that the actions were instigated by the Ghost Symbol’s three movements and have nothing to do with her.
Upon hearing this, Cao Yan Bing announces the disbandment of the team and tells Xia Ling to return to her normal life and prepare for her academic defense. Unwilling to accept this, Xia Ling tries to chase after him, but in frustration, she picks up a brick and throws it at him, prompting his anger. Just as Cao Yan Bing is about to erase Xia Ling's memories, Li Xuan Yuan arrives just in time. Although his powers are limited in the human realm, he is still able to intimidate Xu Chu.
However, he can only stay briefly before leaving in a hurry. Xia Ling feels angry at Cao Yan Bing’s arrogance and distrust, storming off. Meanwhile, Cao Yan Bing reflects on the time he spent with Xia Ling, lost in thought.
Xia Ling retreats to the Spirit Gathering Space, where she thanks Li Xuan Yuan and expresses her doubts about Cao Yan Bing's abilities. As her guardian spirit, Li Xuan Yuan doesn’t understand why Xia Ling doubts that Cao Yan Bing can reclaim the Spirit Huai Branch, but he promises to support her fully. He explains that due to his unique physique, he cannot stay in the human realm for long, or he will fall into hibernation. Xia Ling firmly insists that Li Xuan Yuan should not question her determination.
Thanks to Li Xuan Yuan's intervention, Cao Yan Bing is forced to bring Xia Ling along on their journey. During their travels, he discovers that the map is missing and feels helpless about Li Xuan Yuan's "thief" behavior disguised under a facade of "justice." Soon, Li Xuan Yuan detects unusual movements nearby and suspects that a spirit gatherer is approaching. Although Xia Ling is reluctant to get involved, her curiosity drives her to investigate, and she soon discovers a fierce battle between Cao Yan Bing and Zhao Xin.
Li Xuan Yuan joins the fight but has to retreat quickly due to exhaustion, leaving Cao Yan Bing to face Zhao Xin alone. Using Xu Chu's strength, Cao Yan Bing subdues Zhao Xin and interrogates him about who is behind the attack and the whereabouts of the Spirit Huai Branch. Zhao Xin admits that he is just a bounty hunter and knows nothing about the Spirit Huai Branch; he only came for the reward. Upon learning that the Ghost Symbol’s three movements might still be alive, Xia Ling is thrilled. Although Cao Yan Bing harbors intentions to kill, he refrains from acting on them due to Xia Ling's intervention and simply loosens the ropes binding Zhao Xin.
At the same time, within Huang Fu Long Dou's faction, some admire Cao Yan Bing's growth, believing he has mastered crucial powers. Huang Fu Long Dou, however, cryptically states that his expectations of Cao Yan Bing go beyond mere assistance; he hopes that Cao Yan Bing will create even greater waves in the future. He likens his influence to throwing stones into the ocean, acknowledging that he cannot control what kind of ripples or storms will arise from them, but that is precisely what he desires.
Comments(Episode 9)