Original subtitles

[Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty]

[Episode 17]

M...Master!

Ghost!

Ghost!

Where is the ghost?

Xue Huan.

Are you still my disciple?

No.

I

really saw a fierce ghost

with white hair

floating towards me.

Nonsense!

Go away!

Xue Huan.

If you're really scared,

you can move to my room tonight.

But I have to

finish reading the files tonight,

especially the corpse-chopping case

40 years ago.

So,

I'm afraid I'll disturb your sleep.

I'm not afraid.

But watching the corpse-chopping case alone

is so scary.

Let me accompany you.

Okay, you accompany me.

You can boost my courage.

Guan Zijun.

[Guan Zijun]

Not bad.

You know all three characters

and read them correctly.

What do

these three characters mean?

This is

the name of the woman which her body was

dismembered 40 years ago.

I see.

This case is terrifying.

The murderer's killing method was extremely cruel.

Forty years have passed,

the murderer

must have died long ago.

Yes.

I hope there is no such tragedy in the world again.

My Lady,

don't look in the mirror at night.

You brat.

It's none of your business.

How dare I?

I just heard that

looking in the mirror at night...

Tell me.

What？

Will there be ghosts in the mirror?

[ Rich Merchant of Ju County]

Which bastard

killed my only daughter?

How can I live without her?

I...

I will die with her.

Let go!

Let go!

Let go of me!

Since last winter,

how many cases of this kind

have been reported in this county?

You!

You are all losers!

Who are you calling losers?

You, little loser.

And you, you are a big loser.

Even if you kill me today,

I'll call you losers, too

This is the new sheriff, Sheriff Lu.

As an imperial official,

you receive the salary of the imperial court,

but yet you were just watching these women in Ju County

dying in the hands of a lecher.

If you're not a loser,

then who is?

How is it?

She was raped and killed,

and then her head was cut off.

The killing method

is the same

as that of the eleven previous cases.

I understand your feelings

when something like this happens.

But I just took office yesterday.

You shouldn't call me a loser.

If you can catch the murderer,

I won't call you a loser.

Otherwise,

I'll keep chasing you around calling you a loser.

Seven days.

What do you think?

Okay.

If I can catch the murderer.

I will give you a grand kowtow and apologize.

No need.

Carve the word "loser"

on a stone

and swallow it.

Okay.

What if you can't catch the murderer?

I'll swallow

the stone with the word "loser" instead.

It's a deal.

He's a white-haired ghost.

He was in red

and waved at me.

Then I fainted.

My lady was killed by him.

Some people said

they had seen this white-haired ghost before.

The former Sheriff is right.

We really can't catch this ghost.

The promise of seven days you said,

that's too hasty.

What?

Seven days?

That's right.

If he can't catch the ghost, he'll eat a stone.

Eat a stone?

So boring!

Why doesn't he resign and go back to Nanzhou?

If he eats a stone in public,

will he stay in Ju County

without resigning?

You're right.

Is this

a good thing or a bad thing?

Of course it is a good thing.

If he can solve the case in seven days,

he is just a worker,

of course the contribution belongs to you.

If he can't solve the case in seven days,

he will leave.

If a new sheriff comes,

he must obey the rules

and be at your disposal.

It means

we won't lose anything.

Yes.

Okay.

Follow me to the Western Office

confirm the seven-day agreement with him.

Are you afraid?

Then go back to Nanzhou.

No, Master.

The white-haired ghost in red

that maid said

was the one I saw

in the yard of the Hall of Life last night.

You had a long journey yesterday.

You were in a trance

and had hallucinations.

It was not a hallucination.

I really saw it.

Shut up!

If you say that again,

you'll be beaten.

I heard that Sheriff Lu promised the people

to close the case in seven days.

Don't take it too seriously.

At most, you'll just break your promise and lose the people's trust.

Of course not.

No?

Never!

It is not easy to handle.

If you can't catch the murderer

in seven days,

I can only report to a higher body truthfully.

No need.

I will resign.

Don't bother.

OK

Then I will prepare

a feast.

We'll celebrate if you solve the case.

If the case is still unsolved,

take it as a farewell.

Brother Lu.

Seven days.

See you in seven days.

Master.

If it's really a ghost,

where can we catch him?

There's no need for seven days.

I've already caught him.

What?

He has caught the ghost?

No way.

We just came back from the Western Office.

Is Lu Lingfeng a god?

You're right.

The government office has posted a notice.

But we haven't seen the murderer yet.

This...

[Notice]

No way.

The murderer who killed twelve people

has been caught.

Why not?

It's written

clearly.

The new sheriff is capable.

Twelve lives.

Can they really catch a ghost?

At three in the afternoon afternoon,

the murderer will be paraded in front of the crowd.

There are two hours left.

I want to see

what that murderer looks like.

Yes.

Let's see what does he look like.

The murderer has been arrested

and will be paraded in front of the crowd!

Finally he is caught.

The murderer has been arrested and will be paraded in front of the crowd!

We must eat him alive.

He's a real jerk.

The murderer has been arrested and will be paraded in front of the crowd!

Beat him up! Beat him up!

Murderers

will be punished by the law.

No lynching.

Go away!

Don't stop me.

I'll swallow him alive!

Calm down!

Kill this beast!

Kill him!

Kill him!

Bastard!

Beat him!

Kill him! Kill him!

Beat him!

Beat him!

Bastard!

How did he come out?

Sword!

What are you doing?

My vegetables.

What's going on?

Watch out!

What are they doing?

Watch out!

Be careful. You scared me.

What are they doing?

Get away! Hurry!

Xue Huan.

Save him!

Yes.

He disappeared here.

He can't escape from Ju County.

We have people guarding the city gate

according to your order.

Master.

I've asked someone

to send the victim to see the doctor.

Okay.

Officer.

Xue Huan.

Each of you take four men.

We'll split into three groups

to search door to door.

-Yes, sir. -Yes.

Xue Huan.

When I fought with that man just now,

he is a human, not a ghost.

This is the time for my disciple to make contributions.

Don't worry, Master.

Did anyone enter your house?

No one came in.

Lock the door.

Muderer!

Stop escaping!

Master.

I'm incompetent.

That murderer has ran away.

I heard about it.

If the sword has a blade,

he won't be able to escape.

Get up.

Master.

Please allow me to sharpen the blade.

No way.

You're still young and not mature enough.

Once the blade is sharpened,

you will be infected by the aura of death.

That's bad.

Get up.

Master.

Alright.

You are very brave today.

I'm glad.

The oranges are fresh.

Sheriff Lu.

Hi.

Sheriff Lu.

Hello.

Have a look and buy some.

Master.

Although we've failed to catch the murderer today,

the people in Ju County

seemed to think differently about you.

Actually, since I came to Nanzhou,

especially when I came to Ju County this time,

I found that the world

was different from what I thought.

I used to think

the country was in peace,

and the people lived in prosperity.

Actually,

I didn't know the suffering of the people at all.

I said

I cared about the country.

What a joke.

Take Ju County as an example.

The miasma is severe.

The head disease is spreading.

People's lives are declining.

Nine out of ten people are poor.

The people live a hard life.

Although sheriff isn't a high-ranking official,

it has important responsibilities.

We should really

do more for the people.

It's my luck

to have a master like you.

[Ju County]

Take a look.

Go in.

Okay.

What's in your bag?

Sheriff Lu.

Let him go.

[Wanted]

Okay, next.

Master, are you thinking

that if my lady was here,

the portrait would've been much better?

Yes.

I'll send a letter

and ask her to come to Ju County to help you.

Don't be so nosy.

Sheriff.

Although this portrait does not look alike as the murderer,

there are at least eight or nine brothers

who have seen him.

He won't be able to escape from Ju County even if he can fly.

Thank you, brothers.

Search the whole city again

after dark.

Don't be afraid to alert him.

Yes, sheriff.

Sheriff Lu.

Why are you here?

Zhai Liang.

Why are you here?

There are many people with headache recently.

I just finished my work.

I went to the medicine warehouse

to check the herbs.

Check the herbs?

Without your staff

or a lantern?

M-My staff left earlier.

I held the light in the medicine warehouse,

and I put it off when I left.

The moon is bright tonight,

so the lantern isn't needed.

Did I disturb you?

Your backyard is not small.

The attic is not small, either.

There's no one else living here

except for the purpose as a medicine warehouse?

No, never.

Your uncle

left you this house,

and you practise medicine here.

Why don't you just live here?

I'm afraid that living here

will make me think of my uncle often.

So I'd rather rent it out

to save the trouble of recollecting my uncle.

Sheriff Lu.

If there's nothing else,

I'll take my leave.

Go ahead.

This house has been vacant for a long time.

Many stray cats

live here.

After a long time,

they have became more wild.

I hope they won't startle you.

What is this?

The assistant of county magistrate asked me to send it to you.

He said the tax payment needed to be called for recently.

Master.

Assisant Ye also said that

the Dragon King Temple was leaking.

He asked you to take someone to repair it.

He also said that the levee outside the city

needed to be reinforced,

and the canal for irrigating the farmland

needed to be excavated.

The rape and murder case hasn't been finished yet,

and the murderer is still at large,

how can I have time for these?

That's what I said too.

But Assistant Ye said

these are all your work.

The assistant of county magistrate also said that

the investigation was important,

but the tax collection

couldn't be delayed.

If you failed,

you are not qualified as the sheriff.

If you knew it but didn't do it,

it was a dereliction of duty.

Ask him to come and see me.

Sheriff Lu.

What a temper!

You don't have to call Assistant Ye.

I know very well

that Sheriff Lu is busy investigating the case.

But these

are the duty of the sheriff.

If you refuse,

then should I do these?

It's inappropriate.

You...

It's inappropriate.

I'll do it.

Sheriff Lu.

You've offended

the magistrate.

Why don't you go and apologize to him?

What did I do wrong?

Then

are you really going to do those things?

Aren't you going to catch the murderer?

Then,

are you going to eat the stone?

With officer here,

and my beloved disciple, Xue Huan,

how can we not catch the murderer?

How about this?

Here.

You're in charge...

[Qingyuan]

Sworn brother.

Sworn brother!

How is it?

Any news?

What news?

News from Ju County.

You asked me to inquire

about Lu Lingfeng in Ju County.

I got busy and forgot about it.

Sworn brother. You...

Sworn brother. Stop teasing me.

Tell me.

Lu Lingfeng has been

even busier than me recently.

He needs to repair the levee, excavate the canal,

and collect taxes.

Didn't you say a homicide took place

as soon as he took office?

As a sheriff,

doesn't he need to investigate the case?

Yes.

I don't know about the details.

Someone from Ju County said

Lu Lingfeng was so anxious that he had a headache.

But don't worry.

This headache

is very common in Ju County.

He should be fine.

Take three doses.

OK.

Dr. Zhai.

Take the medicine for three days

and then come to me for acupuncture.

-Thank you, Dr. Zhai. -Thank you.

Remember.

No matter how busy you are,

the medical practice log can't be left blank.

The log must clearly record

the patients who came here every day,

and patients' symptoms

and the prescription.

Yes.

Please.

Master,

Sheriff Lu is here.

Sheriff Lu.

Dr. Zhai,

I'm having a severe headache recently.

Please give me the acupuncture treatment.

Sheriff Lu,

there are still a few people waiting there.

Someone is still getting his acupuncture in the acupuncture room too.

This...

It really hurts.

Why don't you do it for me in my house?

It's inappropriate.

Why don't we go to

the attic in the backyard?

Isn't that your storehouse for you medicine?

I may recover faster with the scent of the medicine.

Come with me.

Everyone,

this is the new sheriff

of our county.

May I excuse myself?

I heard that you had a seven-day promise,

it was almost time for the seven days to end.

You may go first.

After your headache is treated, you can catch the murderer.

Yes.

Don't eat the stones.

The people of Ju County treat me so well.

Dr Zhai,

why did you use the acupuncture method on the others,

but trying to make a fool of me?

Don't you think I will pay you?

You're just heaty.

It's different from their headache.

But

if you stay in Ju County

for a few years more,

you might be

like them.

On the day I entered the city,

I saw someone moving out.

He said he was afraid of the headache.

Yes.

The people of Ju County are having headache

due to the miasma.

It's hard to remove the miasma,

so we can only try out with the treatment.

How many people can be cured?

Approximately 30 percent.

Another 30 percent of people's lives

can be maintained by taking medicine and acupuncture.

The remaining

were uncured.

So many people couldn't be cured.

If my uncle

didn't creat this acupuncture therapy,

there would be more people

dying from this headache.

Talking about old Dr. Meng,

he was really a great doctor.

When I was young,

I broke my leg when I was cutting wood in the mountain.

Thanks to him, my leg was well treated.

Otherwise, how could I still walk

here with my legs?

The Book of Bones written by my uncle

was held a copy for every physician

in Nanzhou.

I heard that it was famous

in Luo Yang and Chang'an too.

Unfortunately,

the book for acupuncture therapy for the headache

had not finished yet.

He had passed away

last year.

Great.

Dr. Zhai,

the attic of backyard you mentioned that day

was where Mr. Meng

wrote his books and made his medicine.

Can you bring me there

to pay respect to him?

No way.

Sheriff Lu is busy,

I don't dare to trouble you.

Master,

do you still have a headache?

Dr. Zhai's acupuncture is really good.

I'm not having headache now.

Then go to bed earlier.

I can't sleep.

I want to read

this file again.

You may go to sleep first.

Wait.

There are apparently two floors here,

but there are no stairs in the storehouse of the medicine.

The theory of the secret door and trap, and secret passage.

[Tomb of Meng Donglao]

Master.

Master!

Is it dawn yet?

Master, what's wrong?

I saw a ghost last night,

I was terrified.

There's really a ghost here?

Master, did you see it?

I thought about it all night.

I finally understand why there were ghosts.

That's because people

are afraid when they are facing the unknown.

Fear,

will make you lose your mind.

I'm ashamed.

Although I've practised martial arts since young,

and once a general of the Imperial Guards.

I'm still getting afraid

in a certain situation.

That's what happened last night.

What happened?

Seven days have passed.

Follow me to catch the ghost.

These days,

I've been busy inside and outside the city,

but all of you are busy too.

I would like to thank you all.

Officer,

is the city gate well guarded?

Yes.

As long as it's an adult man,

they would not get passed.

Those brothers

who fought with bandits

are taking shifts.

Along with the portrait,

I don't think he dares to go near the city gate.

Has the patrolling

in the city stopped?

No.

Officer and I

each were leading a team

to patrol the whole city

for several times,

and has never stopped.

In that case,

the murderer has been caught in my trap.

Where is he?

The backyard of the Hall of Life.

This...

Sheriff Lu,

are you taking us

to the Hall of Life to catch ghost?

Sheriff.

We dare to catch human,

but for ghost?

We dare not catch them.

I live in the Hall of Life.

If there is really a ferocious ghost,

why are my disciple and I

still alive?

It's almost noon.

That will be the time with the strongest Yangqi

in one day.

Under the scorching sun,

ordinary ghosts

will be

burnt into ashes.

Xue Huan.

Where is your bureaucracy?

The government is catching thieves! Please stay away!

The government is catching thieves! Please stand aside!

The government is catching thieves! Please stand aside!

The government is catching thieves! Please stand aside!

The government is catching thieves! Please stand aside!

The government is catching thieves! Please stand aside!

What are you doing?

Sheriff Lu,

what are you doing?

Arrest Dr. Zhai first.

Don't let him scream to

tip the murderer off.

Yes.

You can knock the gong,

but you don't let me scream.

What are you doing?

Let go!

Let go of me!

You can't go in.

You can't go in!

You can't go in!

There's no one here.

Calm down.

There's a secret passage in the storehouse.

It's especially convenient for the offender.

That is why I arrested Zhai Liang.

Did you hear that?

The secret passage is right behind here.

Break through the secret door!

Yes.

This...

Sheriff.

This...

Why is Meng Donglao's grave

here?

That's why someone used it

to play tricks.

Search!

No one is here.

The offender is outside the window!

The offender is outside the window!

The offender is outside the window!

The offender is outside the window!

The offender is outside the window!

Let Dr. Zhai speak.

Bastard!

It's you!

You bastard!

Bastard?

Do you know him?

This bastard,

even if his skin was taken off,

I will still recognize him.

His name is Liang Sanqi,

and he is a thief.

He broke his waist, leg and ankle

when he was stealing.

My uncle treated him.

Now,

you pretended to be a ghost and committed crimes here,

and made people think the Hall of Life was haunted.

You ungrateful bastard!

I...

Looks like you're not his accomplice.

What do you mean?

Sheriff Lu.

I...

I suspected you

for not bringing me to the backyard earlier.

Until I saw Meng Donglao's grave,

I realized that

you were just afraid of

me finding out

the grave in this attic.

Liang Sanqi.

Meng Donglao's grave is inside.

Aren't you afraid of his ghost

coming out from his grave

to revenge you?

At this point,

I have nothing to say.

Where are the heads

of the victims?

Well...

I can't tell you.

How dare you!

The 12 women

were indeed killed by me.

I admit it.

But

you want to parade me through the streets?

You can't do it.

Sheriff Lu.

I...

He asked for it.

No wonder.

Hurry up. I got it.

I got it! Hurry!

Look, what's wrong?

The murderer has been caught. He's inside.

It's him. They got him.

Look.

How is it?

I think they've caught the murderer.

He had been hiding

in the attic pretending as a ghost.

He's inside.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Hurry up.

Let's go and have a look.

Where is it?

Get out of the way!

Him?

It's him!

He was the one who put me to sleep

and killed my lady.

Bastard!

Bastard!

Give me my daughter back!

Give me my daughter back!

Trample him!

Sheriff Lu,

these are the relatives of the victims.

I'm afraid that we can't stop them.

You evil thing!

You heartless monster!

Master,

the bastard has killed

so many women.

If I were her family,

I would do the same.

That's too much.

Darn it.

Who ask you to scare me last time? You deserve it!

Who ask you to pretend as a ghost? You deserve to die!

Sheriff Lu,

look carefully.

What are you doing?

Didn't we have a deal?

Today is the seventh day.

The murderer has been executed.

Sheriff Lu,

you avenged my daughter.

I'm swallowing

this stone willingly.

I didn't mean it,

why did you take it seriously?

That won't do.

Everyone in the Ju County

knows our bet.

If I don't fulfill it,

how can I continue to live here in the future?

Besides,

on the day you took office,

I've said that you are useless.

You are an imperial official,

but I offended you.

I deserve this punishment.

How did you offend me?

If you hadn't provoked me,

I'm afraid that

I won't catch the murderer so soon.

Besides,

can you swallow

such a big stone?

The murderer has taken his own life.

But the victims' heads

are still missing.

I'm sorry.

This...

Please don't do this.

This...

I'll keep this stone.

I'll keep it with me

to motivate myself.

[Loser]

I'll never be a loser.

Although the murderer is dead,

we must not slack off.

We should find the victims' heads as soon as possible.

Yes.

Yes.

On behalf of my dead granddaughter,

I would like to thank you.

I thank you on behalf of my wife.

Thank you, Sheriff Lu.

It's a blessing for the people of Ju County

to have such a great sheriff.

♫The storm rises with no reason♫

♫In the night of illusions♫

♫I go into the maze♫

♫In a world of prosperity♫

♫A heart burns with obsession♫

♫With the darkness rising♫

♫I can't stop wandering through the night♫

♫With light in my heart, I'm not afraid of the storm♫

♫It's because of justice♫

♫That I seek a truth for this long, lonely night♫

♫The heaven and earth are held together by a strong will♫

♫The people are in peace♫

♫Carving right and wrong into a clear heart♫

♫The truth♫

♫Will reinterpret this justice♫

♫Even if there is fog♫

♫Even if there are invisible waves♫

♫I'll tell the story of the fate♫

♫Tell the love of the world♫

♫For the memory of grace♫

♫And the resentment is not yet over♫

♫The rivers and mountains are immortal, the clouds are overturned♫

♫To be consoled by the truth, even with thorns on my back♫

♫Only for justice♫

♫That I seek a truth for this long, lonely night♫

♫The heaven and earth are held together by a strong will♫

♫The people are in peace♫

♫Carving right and wrong into a clear heart♫

♫The truth♫

♫Will reinterpret this justice♫

♫Even if there are a thousand sails, it's not a waste of time♫

♫What I am afraid of is the unrighted wrong♫

♫What is the meaning of life and death?♫

♫I'll paint the sunshine into the landscape♫

♫The spirit of righteousness♫

♫Exists for the one I care♫