Guardians of the Dafeng Episode 17 Recap, Plot

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> Guardians of the Dafeng Recap

When Zhu Jinluo heard that Xu Qi'an had been released from prison again, he angrily went to Wei Yuan to question him. Wei Yuan calmly reminded him that it was the emperor’s decision, and as watchmen, their duty was to fully obey the emperor's orders. With this explanation, Zhu Jinluo had nothing more to say. After being released from prison, Xu Qi'an was tasked by Wei Yuan to lead the Chunfeng Hall and Zhenxie Hall teams in investigating the case.

Wei Yuan appointed him as the chief examiner for the case. Upon reviewing the case files, the first question Xu Qi'an asked Wei Yuan was whether something was sealed beneath Sangbo. The National Guardian Sword held significant importance to Sangbo, but as it remained intact, it seemed there might be something else hidden within Sangbo. Xu Qi'an’s question directly hit the crux of the matter. Although Wei Yuan knew the secret, it was a grave matter.

He warned Xu Qi'an, "The emperor only ordered you to investigate who was behind the explosion at the mountain and temple. Do not concern yourself with anything else. "The teams from Jin Jun Hall, Chunfeng Hall, and Zhenxie Hall gathered completely under Xu Qi'an’s command. He methodically assigned investigation tasks to each squad, ensuring everyone was ready for action. Xu Qi'an personally went to Sangbo.

The lake’s surface appeared calm, but Xu Qi'an remembered hearing strange sounds from its depths before. Determined to uncover the truth, he dove into the lake. At the bottom, he found three stone pillars, numerous iron chains, and a massive engraved stone at the center, clearly part of a formation. Xu Qi'an carefully examined the characters on the stone tablet before surfacing to describe them to Li Yuchun.

Hearing Xu Qi'an’s account, Li Yuchun felt a chill, suspecting the matter was connected to the Directorate of Celestial Observations. As Xu Qi'an continued tracking clues, he discovered suspicious activities within the Ministry of Justice. He immediately led his team there, only to be blocked at the gate by the guards who showed disdain for them. Seeing the obstruction and pressed for time, Xu Qi'an resorted to his "one-strike" style, knocking down all the guards and barging into the Ministry.

The furious Ministry of Justice vice minister was about to act when a eunuch from the palace arrived just in time. The eunuch informed the officials that Xu Qi'an, though a Bronze Gong, had been appointed by the emperor as the chief examiner for the case. The Ministry of Justice struggled with the case. The explosion at Yongzhen Shanhe Temple required a significant amount of gunpowder, the primary ingredient of which was saltpeter.

This discovery linked the case to recent Miao tribe attacks in Dahuang Mountain. Xu Qi'an asked the Ministry of Justice vice minister who could have concealed such a large quantity of explosives. The vice minister replied that it would require the involvement of the Minister of Works and two deputy ministers. However, mobilizing the Minister of Works would cause a huge commotion, making it a difficult lead to follow. Xu Qi'an’s probing question sparked new insights for the vice minister.

On their way back, Chu Caiwei and Xu Qi'an speculated about potential suspects. Connecting this case to a previous incident in Jingzhao Prefecture, they identified Zhou Chixiong as the most likely culprit. They immediately went to find him, only to learn from his gatekeeper that Zhou Chixiong had taken leave several days ago to visit his relatives. Once again, the lead went cold, and Xu Qi'an regretted missing the opportunity.

Xu Qi'an recalled the gruesome state of the guards who had been stationed at Yongzhen Shanhe Temple on the night of the incident. All 312 guards had been drained of their blood essence, a horrifying act that could only be carried out by someone with immense cultivation and skill. Li Yuchun sighed, acknowledging that this investigation was far more challenging than expected. The complexity of the case, coupled with the strength of their opponent, made it an uphill battle.

That night, Xu Xinnian and Xu Qi'an sat on the rooftop discussing their next steps. Xu Xinnian, concerned about the difficulty of the case, suggested that Xu Qi'an take this opportunity to escape. He proposed fleeing to Yunzhou, a region rife with bandits and far from the emperor’s reach, where palace officials wouldn’t be able to pursue him. Xu Xinnian’s casual remark sparked a realization for Xu Qi'an: Zhou Chixiong might have fled to Yunzhou.

Meanwhile, Xu Pingzhi finally returned home, visibly thinner and limping. He had risked his life to break into Menghu Hall to save Xu Qi'an. Seeing Xu Qi'an standing unharmed before him, Xu Pingzhi was overwhelmed with emotion and broke into tears. Later, Xu Qi'an and Chu Caiwei went to the prison to interrogate the Taikang County Magistrate again. Accompanying them was Zhang Shen, the grand tutor from Yunlu Academy, who was highly confident in his ability to read auras.

However, when Zhang Shen cast his spell, there was no reaction. Xu Qi'an approached the Taikang County Magistrate only to find that he had already died.

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