Episode 1 recap: Yun Chao Yan wants to stay by Ren Shi Que's side.
Yun Chao Yan returned to her hometown of Qingzhou alone after being away for ten years to offer sacrifices to her ancestors. Qingzhou has a centuries-old tradition that every Mid-Autumn Festival, the children who have left home return to gather at the Wan Garden, holding osmanthus branches and praying to the Moon Goddess for blessings. Ten years ago, Yun Chao Yan made a wish under the moonlight, and her wish came true - her blind eyes regained their sight. However, after her eyes were restored, many evil spirits started to surround her, tormenting her greatly.
These evil spirits were originally celestial beings who were stripped of their divine essence as punishment. Since they still had unfulfilled wishes on Earth, they enlisted Yun Chao Yan's help. The evil spirits cannot speak and have terrifying appearances, and only Yun Chao Yan can see them. One of them, named Dao Huang, asked Yun Chao Yan to deliver an old wedding dress to the young mistress of the Chai family. When the Chai family patriarch saw the red dress, he considered it inauspicious and expelled Yun Chao Yan from the manor.
After leaving the Chai family, Yun Chao Yan saw the spirit lamp lit, realizing it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. She hurried to the Wan Garden to offer sacrifices to the Moon. The city of Qingzhou had not seen the moon in ten years, and a shaman was performing blessings on the stage. Yun Chao Yan recalled praying to the Moon Goddess with her mother ten years ago, when she was still blind, hoping the Goddess would restore her sight. Her parents later passed away, and she was taken in by kind people. During a great fire, a high-level cultivator saved her, allowing her to regain her vision.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Inspector Ren Shi Que, accompanied by his attendant Xiao Gui Gui, was patrolling Qingzhou at night. Seeing the shaman performing rituals and the people below consuming drugs, Ren Shi Que dismissed it as nonsense and disrupted the moon worship ceremony, earning him the moniker "Night Watchman." Yun Chao Yan immediately recognized that Ren Shi Que was also blind.
Ren Shi Que boarded a boat to return home, and he thanked Yun Chao Yan for helping him fulfill his long-cherished wish. He then pushed her onto the bow of his boat, and Yun Chao Yan pleaded with Ren Shi Que to take her along for the journey. Although reluctant, Ren Shi Que eventually agreed due to Yun Chao Yan's persistent pestering.
When Yun Chao Yan joined Ren Shi Que on the boat, a demonic immortal frightened her, causing her to seek refuge in Ren Shi Que's embrace. Surprisingly, the demonic immortal vanished as soon as it saw Ren Shi Que. Realizing this, Yun Chao Yan decided to stay close to Ren Shi Que to avoid further encounters with such demonic beings.
Seeing the Imperial Censor's decree on Ren Shi Que's person, Yun Chao Yan revealed that she was once a young lady from the Imperial Censor's office. However, Ren Shi Que showed no interest in her past and, finding her too clingy, abandoned her on the shore and departed on his own.
Returning to her long-abandoned home, Yun Chao Yan discovered that her family's property had been transformed into a funeral home. The caretaker, a dragon lady, advised Yun Chao Yan to leave, but seeing her plight, the dragon lady allowed her to stay. Yun Chao Yan slept in a coffin, only to be awakened by a nightmare and the discovery of a safflower handkerchief beside her.
During the day, Ren Shi Que dared not venture out, as he could not bear the glaring sunlight, and so he covered his eyes with a black scarf. The Lord Mayor visited the Imperial Censor's office, scolding Ren Shi Que for dismantling the altar, causing widespread discontent in the city, but Ren Shi Que remained unperturbed.
Xiao Gui Gui reported to Ren Shi Que that Lu Qingchi, the top scholar, had returned to his hometown to perform ancestral rites. The Lu family had attempted to remove the withered safflower flowers from their home, but no matter how they tried, the leaves remained intact, and fresh red sap oozed from the cut stems. Rumors were rampant in the city, and Ren Shi Que suspected something amiss. That night, he visited the Lu residence and used his magic to remove the safflower flowers.
The next morning, Ren Shi Que returned home, where Yun Chao Yan had been waiting for him. She pleaded with Ren Shi Que to keep her by his side, so she could escape the demonic immortals' torment. However, the aloof Ren Shi Que simply stared at her intensely, and Yun Chao Yan realized that he was the one who had restored her sight.
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