Xuan Lie and Qingkou encounter an ambush in the forest, and Jun Qiluo and Qimin arrive just in time to help. However, they are outnumbered, and the four of them struggle to hold their ground. Both Xuan Lie and Qimin are injured during the fight, while Qingkou steps on a animal trap but is fortunately saved by Qimin. They retreat to a mountain stronghold, where Jun Qiluo, recognizing the bandits’ tattoos, lies and claims they are merchants seeking shelter. To lower the bandits’ guard, they pretend to be two couples.
Meanwhile, He Jiyao returns to the palace to report and encounters Luo Zhizhou and Luo Qi. Since the king is resting, Luo Zhizhou decides not to disturb him. Learning that Xuan Lie is in the northern forest, Luo Zhizhou resolves to lead a search party himself, urging He Jiyao and Luo Qi to focus on preparing for the hunting competition, as Xuan Lie is the top candidate for the position of Wolf Lord. Luo Zhizhou is confident he can bring Xuan Lie back.
Xuan Lie has long wanted to investigate this area for clues, believing the ambush was orchestrated by his longtime rival, Xi Changkun. Unexpectedly, this incident provides him with the perfect opportunity to enter the stronghold. Jun Qiluo, however, disagrees, as Xi Changkun is unaware of Qimin’s existence. Qimin had rushed into the forest after receiving a letter warning of danger, without thinking it through. Xuan Lie grows jealous of Qimin’s concern for Jun Qiluo. To ease tensions, Xuan Lie gifts Jun Qiluo a hairpin he crafted himself, as she had given hers to the bandits to secure their stay.
To extend their stay, Xuan Lie offers to teach the bandits how to identify medicinal herbs, saving them the trouble of trading game for medicine. The bandit leader agrees to this arrangement. Meanwhile, Luo Zhizhou’s search party fails to locate Xuan Lie and the others after a night of searching. He reports to the king that he has increased efforts to find the princess and Xuan Lie, but in reality, he is stalling to ensure Xuan Lie returns only after the hunting competition.
Qimin learns from Qingkou that the Xuantie crystal is in Xi Changkun’s territory, meaning Xuan Lie does not possess it. Qimin suspects Xuan Lie is deliberately keeping Jun Qiluo around to find Jun Feifan. He sees this as an opportunity to leave and suggests splitting up with Jun Qiluo, planning to meet later in a neutral zone. However, attending the merchant conference requires the Jun family’s trading token, which Jun Qiluo must retrieve.
Jun Qiluo confronts Xuan Lie, demanding he return the trading token so they can go their separate ways. Qimin appears behind Xuan Lie, holding a sword to his back and forcing him to hand over the token. To keep Jun Qiluo by his side, Xuan Lie deliberately steps into Qimin’s sword, claiming this repays the debt from their previous encounter in the neutral zone. From now on, Xuan Lie vows not to let Qimin take Jun Qiluo away. Jun Qiluo is heartbroken by Xuan Lie’s injury and stays by his side to care for him.
Xuan Lie’s injury is not serious, and he strikes a new agreement with Jun Qiluo: if she helps him find evidence of Xi Changkun’s illegal arms trade, he will help her locate the Xuantie crystal. When the bandits try to expel them, Xuan Lie reveals his identity as the leader of the Xuan clan and explains that the bandits were once soldiers framed and forced into banditry. He promises to help them regain their honor and stability. Xuan Lie also reveals that his father died investigating the arms smuggling case, and he is determined to avenge his father by uncovering the truth. The bandit leader agrees to cooperate, as their enemy is also Xi Changkun.
