The second young master of the Jun family visits the prime minister to present gifts, hoping to show off his status. However, the prime minister, having seen countless people, immediately sees through his intentions. The prime minister tells him that if he wants to become the head of the merchant guild, he must achieve the same level of success as Jun Feifan. Only then will he have a chance at the position.
Meanwhile, Xuan Lie and the others remain trapped in the dense forest. Jun Qiluo expresses her hope that Xuan Lie will become the Wolf Lord and shares her idea of establishing a trading market in the neutral zone. This would reduce conflicts and facilitate exchanges between people from different regions. This was Jun Feifan’s vision, and Jun Qiluo wants to help her brother realize it. Xuan Lie agrees to Jun Qiluo’s proposal, promising to work towards stabilizing the region and reducing warfare.
To make it to the hunting competition on time, Xuan Lie and the group attempt to leave the forest quickly. However, they are being watched, and every time they near the exit, they are ambushed by masked assassins. This time, the assassins are ruthless, and Xuan Lie is injured. Jun Qiluo takes him to an abandoned house and, to protect him, runs out to distract the assassins.
The assassins chase Jun Qiluo until she is cornered. Unable to find Xuan Lie, they tie her up and hang her from a tree, believing that Xuan Lie will come to rescue her. As expected, Xuan Lie appears and saves Jun Qiluo. Fortunately, Luo Qi arrives with reinforcements just in time, scaring off the assassins.
Qingkou and Qimin are separated from Xuan Lie and Jun Qiluo, trapped in another part of the forest. Qingkou, hungry and tired, refuses to move further and orders Qimin to hunt a rabbit for her. Qimin reluctantly complies, and Qingkou is pleased, believing that Qimin still cares for her. During this time, Qingkou confesses her feelings for Qimin, stating that she likes him because he is the only one who dares to be honest with her. She promises to arrange for Jun Qiluo’s safe return to Yanan if Qimin stays by her side and follows her wishes. Qimin agrees, and Qingkou gives him a whistle, instructing him to appear before her whenever she blows it.
Xuan Lie and Jun Qiluo take a water route out of the forest, while Luo Qi escorts Qingkou and Qimin back on horseback.
Luo Zhizhou, who had orchestrated Xuan Lie’s entrapment in the forest to eliminate him as a competitor for the Wolf Lord position, is surprised when Xuan Lie returns. The king questions Xuan Lie about the situation, and Xuan Lie explains that someone tried to prevent him from becoming the Wolf Lord by sending assassins. The king urges Xuan Lie to focus on winning the Wolf Lord position, as it is the only way to settle both old and new grudges. The queen dowager, who is from the Xi clan, protects Xi Changkun, making it difficult to deal with him.
Xuan Lie, with his striking appearance and exceptional martial skills, attracts the admiration of women from various tribes. The Xi clan’s princess is particularly fond of him and boldly approaches him, much to the displeasure of her brother, the Xi clan’s young master. Despite the longstanding enmity between their clans, the princess believes that only Xuan Lie is worthy of her and ignores her brother’s objections.
Jun Qiluo takes the initiative to discuss business with the Xi clan’s young master, expressing her desire to purchase their Xuantie crystals. She explains that while the crystals are mere stones to them, they hold great value in her hands. The young master initially thinks Jun Qiluo is targeting him because he is easier to manipulate, but she clarifies that she wants to establish a long-term business relationship with the Xi clan. As the future clan leader, he is the natural person to negotiate with. The young master is intrigued by her proposal and begins to reconsider his stance.
