Deadful Melody

Xuemei's peaceful upbringing is shattered when six master martial artists attack her family. Her father grabs the magical lyre and orders a flee, sacrificing safety to save the heirloom. Xuemei escapes through chaos, surviving the massacre by a waterfall while clutching the lyre.

In the present, Lun Lin is being groomed to lead the Tianhu Escort Agency and accepts a risky mission to deliver the magical lyre to Hou Xeng. His master arrives late and warns that the lyre carries a trail of deaths for those who pursue it. He steels himself to face the danger on the road.

Ghost and the Hard-Hearted Witch hold a private discussion about the lyre, but Tong Fong Pak remains uninterested and uncommitted. The plan to retrieve the lyre remains unformed as the underworld players stay cautious and divided. The lyre's danger is acknowledged but not acted upon.

Lun Lin and Teng Lin are ambushed by Hou Xeng's son at a rest stop. Xuemei, disguised as a man, kills Hou Xeng's son to keep the lyre’s route open and maintain her cover. The deadly pursuit tightens around them as they press onward.

The Hard-Hearted Witch ambushes Lun Lin and Teng Lin again, seeking the lyre's power. Xuemei intervenes, turning the encounter aside and preventing the Witch from claiming the lyre. The pursuit continues with increased tension.

At a rest inn, Yuehua, dressed as a male innkeeper, tries to steal the lyre behind Lun Lin's back. She ends up saving Lun Lin from a robbers’ assault, and Lun Lin catches her theft. Xuemei helps them escape from the surrounding danger to keep the group moving.

Grateful for Lun Lin's rescue, Yuehua decides not to take the lyre and lets Lun Lin deliver it to Hou Xeng. She steps aside, and the mission continues with Lun Lin carrying the fragile prize.

When the lyre is delivered to Hou Xeng, the container holds only the corpse of Hou Xeng's son. The absence of the instrument’s prize heightens the danger and suggests hidden costs to the lyre’s power. The orbit of those chasing the lyre tightens further.

Fire and Yuehua press toward Mo Yee Mountain to join the other masters, but Lun Lin confronts them and accuses Yuehua of theft. In retaliation, Fire binds Lun Lin to a tree, stalling his pursuit and shifting the balance of power.

The masters convene and Teng Lin is blamed for the deaths surrounding the lyre. Xuemei reveals her identity, and Teng Lin recognizes her; Lun Lin's arrival comes too late as Teng Lin dies, leaving Xuemei's motives murky and the conflict unresolved.

Lun Lin's master arrives and hints that Lun Lin may be the sole survivor of his family. Lun Lin buries his father and sinks into despair, then Xuemei visits and shares fragments of their shared past, stirring thoughts of vengeance.

Ghost, Fire, and the Witch regroup and seek to confront Xuemei, while Lun Lin and Xuemei pursue Ghost. Lun Lin urges Xuemei to abandon vengeance, but she remains resolved to pursue her path regardless of his pleas.

Lun Lin and Xuemei join the onslaught against Tong Fong Pak; Xuemei decapitates Tong Fong Pak and delivers the head to Fire, the Witch, and Ghost. She then claims the lyre for herself as their enemies fall back.

A fierce battle unfolds as Xuemei faces Ghost and Fire's forces; the Witch launches a desperate counterattack with a drum, injuring Xuemei with the lyre. Lun Lin is hurt by improper lyre use, while the Witch detonates in a bitter finale and Yuehua pleads to spare Fire.

Xuemei retreats to the waterfall where she first fell and plays the lyre again, marking a possible closure to her vengeance arc. Lun Lin returns to the Tianhu Escort Agency, carrying the lyre's burden as the story ends with the duo moving on separately.