Jun Qiluo and Winter Silver encountered Xi Mo in the forest, where Xi Mo emphasized that the Xi Tribe could not afford to lose the upcoming competitions. He insisted Jun Qiluo assist them, promising to fulfill his end of the deal. Jun Qiluo subtly suggested setting up traps in advance, leaving Winter Silver shocked at how far Jun Qiluo was willing to go. When Zhao Min saw Jun Qiluo siding with Xi Mo, she confronted her, only to find Jun Qiluo focused solely on her deal with Xi Mo, disregarding their past friendship. Furious, Zhao Min decided she could no longer be friends with someone like Jun Qiluo.
Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager visited Qing Kou’s tent, planning to eliminate Qi Min under the guise of having him fetch wine. However, Qi Min turned out to be a formidable opponent, killing all the men sent after him and escaping unscathed. In the forest, Winter Silver attempted to kill Jun Qiluo but got caught in a bear trap. Seeing her injured, Jun Qiluo pried the trap open and carried her back to safety, personally tending to her wound. Touched by Jun Qiluo’s kindness, Winter Silver was deeply moved, having never been treated with such care.
Qi Min took the opportunity to flee, leaving Qing Kou heartbroken. Since childhood, Qing Kou had witnessed her mother killing anyone she cared about, leaving her with emotional scars. Distressed by Qi Min’s departure, Qing Kou locked herself away. The Empress Dowager summoned Xuan Lie, who promised Qing Kou that he would help bring Qi Min back.
Li Fei and Luo Zhizhou were once lovers, but when Li Fei was forced to marry the king, they planned to elope. However, Luo Zhizhou fell ill mid-escape, and Li Fei, concerned for him, decided not to run away. Now, Luo Zhizhou’s ambition to become the Wolf King is partly driven by his desire to protect Li Fei’s child and give her freedom. During a secret meeting, Li Fei slipped Luo Zhizhou a protective item, reminding him to take care of himself and avoid worsening his old injuries during the competition.
Jun Qiluo arranged for Qi Min to monitor the Xi Tribe’s transport of black iron crystals. Later, Xuan Lie secretly visited Jun Qiluo, revealing that their apparent rivalry was just a façade. He was there to learn Qi Min’s whereabouts and hoped Qi Min would finish Jun Qiluo’s assigned task before returning to Qing Kou. Xuan Lie shared that Qing Kou’s trauma stemmed from witnessing her mother order the execution of all her attendants after a childhood fever, leaving her distrustful and emotionally isolated. Hearing this, Jun Qiluo sympathized with Qing Kou, realizing she was also a victim of circumstance.
Jun Qiluo successfully gained Xi Mo’s trust, but Xi Changkun remained cautious and decided to test her loyalty. During a meal with Jun Qiluo, Xi Changkun handed her the deadliest poison in Beixuan and asked her to kill Xuan Lie. He arranged for Xuan Lie to meet him and instructed Jun Qiluo to serve the poisoned wine. With no time to warn Xuan Lie, Jun Qiluo subtly conveyed a message while handing him the wine, saying, “Whether you drink this or not, there’s no going back for us.” Xuan Lie seemed to understand her hint and avoided drinking.
At this tense moment, Xi Mo and Xiu’er burst in. Xiu’er had stolen her father’s seal, intending to transfer the mine rights to Xuan Lie, unaware that her stolen seal was useless. Xi Mo’s document, stamped with the official seal, was valid, leaving him disappointed in Xiu’er. Feeling guilty for failing Xuan Lie, Xiu’er offered to drink the wine herself. Fortunately, Xi Changkun swiftly knocked the cup away, exposing the wine as poisoned. Xuan Lie seized the moment, holding a knife to Xi Changkun’s throat—not with the intent to kill but to take his waist token, which could prove vital for future plans.
