When Zhao Xiaoyi passes the entrance exam to enroll as an art student, it’s more to her than a chance to pursue her creative dreams. After years of close supervision at home, it also means freedom and independence. Away at school at last, a lonelier Zhao finds there may be more to miss at home than there is to discover on her own. Meanwhile, things are not all well with her mom, as career troubles and domestic problems collide to overwhelm her.

A serious murder took place in Tang Dynasty’s capital city Chang'an. Ambassador of the Salo Kingdom was killed in a brothel. The case is investigated by Detective Dee and Hong Yun, but they are ambushed by the culprits, and Hong Yun's best friend is killed by a man named Tian Sha, who takes away the chrysalis of the evil Moth of Nirvana as a tribute. As a result of his unfavorable handling of the case, Dee was dismissed by Empress Wu Zetian and investigated. As a result, Yuan Feng, the commander of the Jingo Guard, summoned Di Renjie to the capital to investigate the case.