During the sacrificial ceremony, armored soldiers stand guard in full readiness, surrounding the entire event with elite troops. Zhou Qin walks alone down a red carpet to the already constructed stage. However, upon reaching the stage and turning around, the citizens begin to verbally abuse Zhou Qin, calling him a corrupt official. Incensed, Zhou Qin forcibly brings out the bound Prince and Cao Xuanxuan, among others, intending to use the Prince’s head as a sacrificial offering. As the executioners are about to execute Zhou Shaoliang, his guard Long He sacrifices himself to protect him, ultimately being killed.
Zhou Qin arrogantly boasts about his actions, while Cao Xuanxuan declares that someone as irredeemably evil as Zhou Qin would have no willing followers. To humiliate the crowd, Zhou Qin decides to execute individuals one by one, first targeting He Chun’er. Upon hearing this, Sun Weiyan becomes extremely nervous, prompting Guo Zijie to step forward and volunteer, claiming responsibility for the situation and offering to take He Chun’er’s place. Zhou Qin agrees to execute Guo Zijie first but refuses to involve the executioners, as Guo Zijie has shown kindness to their families.
At this moment, the citizens in the crowd rise up in rebellion, refusing to let Zhou Qin execute Guo Zijie. As the crowd and soldiers struggle, hidden rescuers seize the opportunity to attempt to abduct some of the captives. However, Zhou Qin indiscriminately kills innocent people of all ages and orders his soldiers to massacre all the citizens. Witnessing the brutal killings deeply saddens Guo Zijie and the others.
Just as Zhou Qin revels in his apparent victory, a sudden barrage of arrows—reinforcements sent by Su Wang—descends upon the scene. Seeing the reinforcements arrive, Zhou Qin orders his men to take Su Wang away. Guo Zijie and the others set out to find Su Wang and discover that Zhou Qin has hidden a large quantity of gunpowder, raising concerns about potential dangers. Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanxuan suggest that the others return home, leaving only Guo Zijie, Cao Xuanxuan, Sun Weiyan, and He Chun’er to proceed together. After traveling for some time, Cao Xuanxuan insists that the other three return, believing that Zhou Qin is specifically targeting her. Although Cao Xuanxuan wishes to confront Zhou Qin alone, the others refuse to let her take the risk and join her.
They locate where Su Wang is being held, only to find him unconscious and bound with chains connected to gunpowder devices. Zhou Qin informs them that to rescue Su Wang, they must find three keys hidden in a nearby cave; all three keys are needed to unlock the chains binding Su Wang. The four begin searching for the keys: Sun Weiyan finds one, He Chun’er discovers another, and Cao Xuanxuan deduces that the third key must be inside Su Wang’s mouth. After thoroughly searching, they find the third key in Su Wang’s mouth.
With two locks opened, they realize Guo Zijie is missing. Suspecting something is wrong, Cao Xuanxuan opens Su Wang’s mouth and retrieves the final key. They disable the mechanism by extinguishing the fuse, freeing Su Wang. Zhou Qin reveals that they have all fallen into his trap. Suddenly, a circle of straw men equipped with explosives appears around them. Cao Xuanxuan quickly deduces that the explosives are connected in a specific sequence; any mistake in the order of deactivation would result in immediate detonation. Zhou Qin confirms that Cao Xuanxuan’s deduction is correct and explains that the explosives attached to the straw men are not only intended to kill them but to obliterate the entire city of Yancheng. Years ago, Zhou Qin had planted these explosives with the intent to destroy Yancheng. Cao Xuanxuan recalls the sequence of the explosives from her memories and attempts to disarm them.
As the group begins to deactivate the explosives, Zhou Qin questions why Cao Xuanxuan discovered the numerical sequence. She explains that Zhou Qin harbors a deep hatred for her because her book had replaced his, allowing her to claim all the prize money and leaving Zhou Qin unable to afford his grandmother’s medical treatment. The group tries to capture Zhou Qin, but he is strapped with explosives himself; any attempt to approach him would detonate the bombs, resulting in mutual destruction. Determined, Cao Xuanxuan charges toward Zhou Qin, but Guo Zijie blocks her path and rushes forward instead. Zhou Qin detonates the explosives, causing everyone to lose consciousness.
Cao Xuanxuan awakens back in the present day, lying in her bed. She inquires about the whereabouts of the Yancheng diary and clutches it tightly before falling asleep again. When she wakes up once more, Guo Zijie is there, gently wiping her face. Upon seeing Guo Zijie, Cao Xuanxuan is overcome with emotion, her eyes welling up with tears.
