In a shocking turn of events, Longhu Jushi committed suicide in prison, leaving everyone puzzled. When He Chun’er arrived to investigate, Long He explained that the deceased bit his tongue to end his life, seemingly out of guilt. However, He Chun’er didn’t believe this explanation. Upon closer inspection, a jade pendant was discovered on Longhu Jushi’s body. When Zhou Shaoming saw the pendant, he identified Zhai Keqin as the culprit.
The connection? Years ago, Master Zhai took in a child who was the offspring of a Taoist priest—this child was Zhai Keqin. The Taoist priest turned out to be Longhu Jushi himself. To protect his daughter, Longhu Jushi confessed to all the crimes and staged his suicide in prison to create the illusion of guilt. Zhou Shaoliang was confident in his deduction, feeling triumphant over Guo Zijie. They managed to capture Zhai Keqin, who was fleeing, and brought her back to the county office. Sun Weiyan and He Chun’er quickly informed Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanyuan about the entire case.
At the county office, Zhou Shaoliang wasted no time interrogating Zhai Keqin. Sun Weiyan and He Chun’er were also present. Zhai Keqin admitted she had planned to avenge her mother but insisted she never carried out the plan and denied being the killer. Despite her claims, Zhou Shaoming believed the evidence was overwhelming and sent her to the prison. As Zhai Keqin was being taken away, she learned that Longhu Jushi was her father and requested to see him. However, since Longhu Jushi had already committed suicide in prison, her request couldn’t be fulfilled, leaving everyone with a heavy sense of guilt.
He Chun’er conducted a thorough re-examination of Longhu Jushi’s corpse and noticed an inconsistency: the rate of decay in his limbs and head didn’t match. Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanyuan deduced that the real killer had used this as an alibi. Moreover, Guo Zijie recalled that Zhai Keqin had hemophobia (a fear of blood), further suggesting she wasn’t the killer. With Zhou Shaoliang scheduled to present the case in the capital the next day, time was running out. If the case were closed, Zhai Keqin would be wrongly condemned. The group scrambled for answers, and He Chun’er discovered an unidentified object in Longhu Jushi’s mouth.
Meanwhile, Zhou Shaoliang continued interrogating Zhai Keqin, but she remained firm in her denial. Zhou Shaoliang, confident in his evidence, prepared to execute her. At the last moment, Guo Zijie intervened and recounted the true sequence of events. The killer had dismembered Master Zhai’s body and disposed of the parts in different locations, creating the illusion of separate decomposition rates. Additionally, the so-called mystical techniques previously investigated were deliberate distractions by the real killer.
Guo Zijie proposed bringing all members of the Zhai family back for further questioning. Zhou Shaoliang agreed, and during the second interrogation, Ouyang Mingyue confessed to the murder. She had impersonated Zhai Keqin to approach Longhu Jushi, claiming to be his daughter. Longhu Jushi mistakenly believed her and, upon learning of her crime, attempted to cover for her by redirecting all suspicion onto himself. However, Cao Xuanyuan remained skeptical. Ouyang Mingyue had claimed to witness Master Zhai murdering her parents, but Cao Xuanyuan insisted this was impossible.
While the group decided to celebrate the apparent resolution of the case, Cao Xuanyuan couldn’t shake her doubts. The next day, Guo Zijie gathered everyone again, and Ouyang Mingyue reiterated her account of witnessing the murder while hiding outside a window. She claimed neither Master Zhai nor Longhu Jushi noticed her presence. However, further evidence proved she wasn’t at the scene. It was revealed that Ouyang Mingyue’s fragmented memories had been manipulated—someone had implanted false memories to deceive her.
