Hot pink Qi soldiers bar the Beggars Village inhabitants from leaving as brush is piled up around the perimeter. Chang Gong, what part of "Heroes don't burn innocent people alive" are you not getting?
When the guys notice Xue Wu is in the village, Chang Gong gives her (and only her) a chance to leave before the fires are lit. Xue Wu won't abandon the villagers. She falls to the ground and begs Chang Gong to rescind his order. Silent Guy/Weirdo/Missing King and Xiao Dong look on. Chang Gong relents a little bit by giving Xue Wu seven days to clean up the village and stop the epidemic or else everyone will get a hot time in the old town tonight.
Night falls. Outside of the village An De has a soldier play a mouth harp. The weird sound is supposed to be a coded message that Zhou spies use. Chang Gong is wanting to lure Silent Guy out. When Xue Wu finds Weirdo missing she goes looking for him. He tries to get away from her but he's weak with fever. During their struggle they somehow find the biggest hole in China and journey to the center of the earth. Seriously, where'd that hole come from? How could they not see it before falling into it?
Anyway, after killing a big snake, Xue Wu finds some fresh water. Using her ceremonial belt (remember, Chang Gong gave it back to her), she soaks it in the water to use as a cool compress on Silent Guy's feverish head. The next morning Silent Guy is measurably better. Xue Wu figures it must be due to the much cleaner water he was drinking down in the hole. Up above, Xiao Dong and his search party find the missing pair. No one notices Silent Guy tucking away Xue Wu's belt.
Back in the village Xue Wu instructs the populace on how to filter their filthy water. (She takes me back to my Epidemiology class.) Next she teaches them how to disinfect their hovels. Better living through chemistry. Xue Wu goes on to invent soap and finally washes all that muck off of Silent Guy's face. Now that Silent Guy is clean and healthier, he starts coming out of his shell and helping out around the village, although he still hasn't uttered a word.
Silent Guy and some of the villagers go to the river to collect some water. While no one is looking, Silent Guy releases some material into the river which flows into Zhou. The scraps of cloth are gathered by Yuchi Jiong and he shows them to Queen Axina. She recognizes them as being part of a Zhou uniform. These scraps have been found for three days straight. She concludes it must be her missing husband sending them a message. Yuchi sets out with his army for the border.
The seven day deadline is up. Chang Gong and his men storm the village. While he doesn't burn the place down, Chang Gong does order all the strangers in the village to be rounded up. Surprisingly there's a couple of other guys besides Silent Guy who are put in the line up. The Qi have also been finding the telltale scraps of cloth in the river so they know the guy they're looking for is in Beggars Village.
Chang Gong starts to suspect Silent Guy as a Zhou spy. Xue Wu and Xiao Dong come to Weirdo's defense, talking about how Silent Guy has been so helpful cleaning up and repairing the village. Xue Wu chastises Chang Gong for picking on Silent Guy. This infuriates Yang Shi Shen and he pulls out his sword. Silent Guy puts himself protectively in front of Xue Wu and finally speaks.
Chang Gong takes Weirdo prisoner and straps the guy to a cross. They sure like crucifixion in this show. When questioned, Weirdo cleverly insinuates that he and Xue Wu have been more than just friends. A jealous Chang Gong isn't made any easier when he discovers Xue Wu's belt in Weirdo's possession.
Xue Wu comes to beg for Weirdo's life. An angry Chang Gong says he'll organize a competition for tomorrow. If Weirdo wins, then he'll be released.
Chang Gong's idea of a competition is to have Weirdo and a ferocious tiger chained to the same post. Weirdo is wrestling bare handed with the beast. Xue Wu grabs a nearby soldier's spear and races into the makeshift arena to attempt to save Weirdo. Instead she falls flat on her face. Now the tiger is heading for her. Chang Gong unsheathes his sword while Weirdo pulls out a ... I dunno, it looks like a stick or arrow shaft ... from his rags. Both men kill the tiger before it can harm Xue Wu.
The way Weirdo killed the tiger makes Xue Wu flash back to the stormy night at the inn when she found the dead innkeeper and henchman. She realizes now that Weirdo is the one who murdered them. Chang Gong calls Weirdo out as the missing King Yuwen Yong (played by Daniel Chan).
Just then the Zhou army rides up with their repeater crossbows. Oh no, Xiao Dong's granny gets an arrow in the back. Yuwen Yong is cut free of his chains. He orders his men to bring Xue Wu, the divine sorceress, along with them. Xue Wu refuses, especially now as Chang Gong has been hit by a poison arrow. Yuwen rides off without her and Shi Shen orders Xue Wu and the villagers to be locked up.
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