Pursuit of Jade Episode 23

🐷 The Northwest Pig Butcher Squad

First Impression
This episode had such a fun mix of humour, reunions, and darker character moments.

Episode Thoughts
The episode starts with the FL and the thug boys successfully completing their mission to stop the scouts. In the process they accidentally set off the flare, which ends up being unintentionally hilarious. Proud of themselves, they loudly declare they are the “Northwest Pig Butcher Squad!” and return to the Old Man (Grand Tutor) absolutely delighted with their success. Even better, the FL is now openly calling the Old Man Master, which feels like a meaningful step in their relationship.

Then we get a series of emotional reunions. The FL sees Mr Zhao again and is completely overwhelmed with happiness. What’s even funnier is how childish the Grand Tutor becomes watching their interaction. His jealousy leads to a ridiculous situation where both he and Mr Zhao end up in the infirmary.

The reunions keep coming when Captain Li arrives. He’s clearly thrilled to find the FL and it’s becoming increasingly obvious that he has a huge crush on her. And he’s not the only one paying attention — Mr Jin (one of the thug boys) seems a little jealous and suspicious of Captain Li’s intentions.

Meanwhile, the strategic situation worsens as the ML appears trapped on the mountain with no food, making the opposing side extremely smug. Someone needs to deliver food and medicine to him. The FL immediately volunteers, but Mr Zhao refuses, pointing out that she is no longer the same Butcher Girl she once was. Around the same time she finally learns that her little sister is safe, which may also be why she is willing to risk herself in such a dangerous situation. Her natural instinct to help others really shines here.

On the darker side of the episode, we dive deeper into Qin Min’s backstory. The drama attempts to explain how he became the person he is, but even with the trauma he has experienced, he still comes across as completely irredeemable. Although he rescued Manager Yu from the flood, the situation only existed because he had chained her up in the first place. He consistently refuses to take responsibility for his actions.

Before dying, the nanny remarks that Qin Min is behaving foolishly because of love for a woman. But honestly, what he feels toward Manager Yu doesn’t look like love — it feels like obsession. When he learns that Manager Yu wants him dead, it hardly feels surprising considering everything he has done to her and her child.

Character Notes
Female Lead:
Her compassion continues to define her character. Even after learning her sister is safe, she still volunteers to risk herself for the greater good.

Male Lead:
Currently stuck in a dangerous situation on the mountain, which raises the stakes for the coming episodes.

Grand Tutor:
His dynamic with the FL is growing stronger, and his childish jealousy during the reunion scene adds some great humour.

Captain Li:
Completely smitten with the FL and not even trying to hide it anymore.

Qin Min:
The episode tries to explain him, but nothing about his behaviour makes him sympathetic. His obsession with Manager Yu is deeply disturbing.

Final Thoughts
This episode balances comedy, character moments, and darker storylines really well. The “Northwest Pig Butcher Squad” moment alone made the episode unforgettable.

Favourite Moment
The thug boys proudly announcing themselves as the Northwest Pig Butcher Squad after accidentally setting off the flare.

Trope Check
• Found family
• Jealous mentor
• Secret crush
• Mission success celebration
• Villain tragic backstory
• Hero volunteering for a dangerous mission

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Dam Good Episode

Episode 23 kicks off with a bang, literally. The dam explodes and the rushing flood that traps the Sui Army is filmed so beautifully that for a moment it feels like you are standing right there watching chaos unfold. The water crashing through the battlefield looks intense and surprisingly real, making the opening scene a very strong start. On the emotional side, we finally get the reunion I have been waiting for as Chang Ning is rescued and brought back to camp with Xie Zheng. Seeing these brother and sister in law together again feels warm and comforting, and I realized how much I missed seeing Xie Zheng interact with kids. The way he treats Chang Ning is incredibly sweet, especially when he gives her the candy Chang Yu made. Their interactions feel natural and grounded, not overly dramatic but not distant either, just the right balance that makes their relationship believable. That said, this episode is also the first time I noticed a bit of a flaw in the cinematography. When the flood hits the Sui Mansion, the CGI looks noticeably off. The people caught in the water especially look strange, with faces that appear blurred and almost AI-like. It pulled me out of the moment a little, which is a shame because everything else about the scene was so good. Still, aside from that hiccup, the episode continues to deliver. We learn more about Qi Min, including his past and the tragedy surrounding his family, and while the backstory explains a lot, it still does not make his current actions any easier to accept. He remains a walking red flag and, for me, an irredeemable character. I honestly questioned Yu Qian Qian’s decision when she hesitated to stab him in the neck while he was giving her air underwater. The whole moment where she stops and he ends up taking the dagger to free her feels symbolic, but it is not a symbolism I particularly enjoy. Meanwhile, I finally understood that Nanny Lan was trying to bring Bao Er to Marquis Wu’an for protection, which says a lot about how much trust people place in him. It is actually interesting how both commoners and enemies view Marquis Wu’an as a strategic genius. Sadly, the chase ends tragically when Qi Min kills Nanny Lan after she desperately tries to stab him. What surprised me though is that he tells his guards to bury her properly. Considering she betrayed him, I expected him to leave her there without a second thought, but the fact that he still shows respect to the nanny who raised him reveals a small, unexpected soft side. The second half of the episode switches gears completely and becomes pure comedy gold. Uncle Zhao and Grand Tutor Tao competing for Chang Yu’s attention is hilarious. Grand Tutor Tao keeps trying so hard and keeps failing, while Uncle Zhao somehow gets her attention without even trying, and I could not stop laughing at their little rivalry. We also get a reunion between Chang Yu and Li Huai An that is honestly heart fluttering. Li Huai An clearly likes her and tries to close the distance by asking her to call him by his courtesy name, Wenkan. Chang Yu, being mindful of social status and propriety, still calls him Commandant Li, which somehow makes the moment even sweeter. The Pig Butcher Squad brothers watching this interaction and getting visibly annoyed at Li Huai An is peak protective brothers energy and it is absolutely adorable. I also loved the small moment where the falcon successfully finds Chang Yu and she whistles to call it down, receiving Xie Zheng’s message. Seeing her finally learn that Chang Ning and Yan Zheng are safe brought such a sense of relief. Overall, this episode flew by so quickly that I barely noticed the time passing. Between intense action, emotional reunions, tragic losses, and laugh out loud comedy, Episode 23 feels like a full course meal. Now I am just sitting here impatiently waiting for the next episode like someone who finished dessert but still wants another slice.

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