S01E18 — The Purple Jade Golden Sunflower Goes Missing

Sun Ruo Shui recalls witnessing Nie Zhe secretly taking orders from a mysterious masked figure years ago. After Nie Zhe is imprisoned, Cai Zhao waits for the hidden mastermind to make a move, but the Purple Jade Golden Sunflower is discovered missing from the treasury. With no clear suspect, Mu Qing Yan gives Song Yu Zhi a substitute treasure to ease his condition, while insisting Cai Zhao remain at the Li Sect for her safety. As Mu Qing Yan’s illness worsens, Cai Zhao stays behind to care for him, only to discover he has been faking his condition to draw out the masked figure. When the real culprit rescues Nie Zhe and kills Sun Ruo Shui during the chaos, Cai Zhao is forced to leave with Song Yu Zhi. Back at Qingque Sect, she is torn between her loyalty to her master and her unresolved feelings for Mu Qing Yan, determined to uncover the truth behind the masked figure while protecting him from afar.