Original subtitles

[Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty]

[Episode 21]

Why hasn't Chicken Fed come back yet?

He's still smelling that cloth.

He's determined to help you win the bet

so that he can drink for three days.

Hey, how's it going?

I talked to two people today.

One of them met an old man,

and the other an old woman.

Unfortunately,

neither of them saw clearly

the face of the suspect.

But it's okay.

The old officer said that he would bring another two people

to meet me tomorrow.

What about you?

Why didn't you report to me

the progress you've made on the case?

No progress so far.

That's all?

Give me some details.

I had a clue.

Lady Hui's mother told me Lady Hui had a headache

and went to the Hall of Life for acupuncture.

But there wasn't her information

in the medical journal.

Besides,

that Dr. Zhai and his assistant

behaved strangely.

Is the medical journal in the front hall?

Take me there.

Follow me.

The records of the day before the Winter Solstice

were written later.

At least later than the Winter Solstice.

Are you sure?

I can tell when something was written from the color of the ink since I was three.

I'm certain of it.

I'll confess!

Lady Hui came here.

The medical journal

was rewritten by Dr. Zhai.

I didn't tell you

because I was too embarrassed.

Lady Hui came to see me because of headache

a few months ago.

She came here every four days for acupuncture.

The day before the Winter Solstice…

Hey.

We have many patients today.

There are about four patients before you.

I'm afraid you need to wait for a while.

But the headache is killing me.

If you don't treat me now,

this may be the last time you saw me.

Stop staring.

Idiot.

Go inside to attend the patients.

Why don't we go to the storeroom

in the backyard as we did last time?

I'll go meet you there

after I treat the waiting patients.

The archway is not locked.

Here is the key to the storeroom.

You often took her

to the storeroom in the backyard?

Yes.

I was bewitched by her beauty.

I was wrong.

What happened that day?

That day, I...

Lady Hui.

I'm here.

Lady Hui.

Lady Hui.

I thought

she must have found the tomb

and ran away.

I was thinking about telling her

to keep it a secret for me

when she came next time.

But soon I heard

that human remains were found in the Radiance Temple.

Rumors had it

that Lady Hui's body was chopped up.

I was afraid of being suspected.

Moreover,

my affair with her

was too embarrassing.

Therefore,

I rewrote the medical journal.

But at that time,

the thug hiding in the attic,

Liang Sanqi,

had been found by Sheriff Lu

and died.

I don't think Lady Hui was murdered

in the Hall of Life.

Maybe it happened after she ran out.

How long did you stay

in the backyard that day?

Not long.

I was about to perform acupuncture on a patient

when Dr. Zhai came back

and did it himself.

What about that evening?

Did Dr. Zhai go home on time?

Yes.

He came back for dinner

and I washed his feet after it.

Fed,

have you found anything?

Go away.

Fed.

Good for you, Lu Lingfeng.

How dare you trick me?

That cloth has the scents of eight kinds of herbs

which are all strong ones.

No one dares drink the liquor

mixed with all of them.

Be honest with me.

What was that cloth used for?

It was used to wrap body parts.

Body parts?

Fed!

You're no good either!

Those eight herbs

can't be added to the liquor together.

Then what's the respective effects of them?

They can all help with the flow of blood and vital energy.

They can be used to cure headaches,

but no one

uses them together at the same time.

Maybe Old Weirdo Meng

would have the guts to do that.

You mean Meng Donglao?

Yes.

So what?

Didn't you say he died long ago?

Lu Lingfeng,

why did you choose

to live in this place?

It's creepy here.

You must have stayed in the Ghost Market for so long

that everywhere else becomes creepy in your eyes.

The Ghost Market is different.

I felt cozy there.

But this place

gave me goosebumps

once I walked through the gate.

Let's go.

Let's find a place to drink.

I'd rather lie on the street

in a drunken stupor.

Let's go.

Move!

Turn around!

Step forward!

Raise your leg!

Miss Xijun.

Master Fed didn't come back last night?

He wouldn't come back no matter what,

so I arranged him to sleep

in the county government for the night.

Did he tell you

his relationship with Meng Donglao?

No.

He wouldn't talk about it.

I was surprised

to know Master Fed had an old acquaintance

in Ju County of Nanzhou.

Unfortunately, that man passed away.

Otherwise,

we could ask him

what Master Fed was like

when he was young.

Fed.

You're awake?

You drank so much last night.

I thought

you must be snoring in sound sleep at this moment.

Lu Lingfeng,

can you tell me

where Meng Donglao's tomb is?

I wanna go pay him a visit.

He keeps showing up in my dreams.

I'm too scared to fall asleep.

No way.

You haven't told me

your relationship with him.

Fine.

I'll tell you.

He was my elder fellow.

Happy now?

If I hadn't come to Ju County,

I wouldn't bother with that.

But now that I'm here,

and have visited his Hall of Life,

it'll be utterly improper

if I don't go pay him my respects.

Fed,

Meng Donglao

was buried far away.

You have to travel dozens of miles to get there.

How about

we take you there

after finding the ripper?

No.

It's decided.

Xue Huan's suggestion is good.

Fed,

I promised the magistrate to find

the ripper within a week.

You don't want to see me

lose my position, right?

No.

It's not like you have to go with me.

I can go by myself.

Just tell me where his tomb is.

It's in the northwest of Ju County.

There's a Shou Mountain forty miles away from here.

Meng Donglao was a famous local doctor.

Go and ask around.

Everyone knows him.

Great.

Xue Huan,

you lied without a blush.

Then do you want to me get him back

and tell him the truth?

No.

Miss Xijun lives in the Hall of Life.

If she knows

the tomb is in the attic,

she'll be scared.

[Radiance Temple]

[Destiny Temple]

[Greenery Temple]

Sheriff Lu,

you're back at the right time.

I was looking for you.

What's wrong?

Miss Pei is a genius.

She drew the portraits?

Can't believe the murderer

had so many accomplices.

I thought so at first,

but after I compared these four paintings

with each other,

I found these people had many things in common.

They are all thin and hunchbacked.

How do you know?

Mr. Lu found more people

who met the suspects.

He suspects that it was one man

who dressed up differently

and put four bags of body parts

in four temples.

That's also my guess.

So I picked out

the features

these four people have in common

and drew a new portrait.

He looks familiar to me.

I seem to have met him before.

I find this guy

familiar too,

but I can't remember who he is.

Bastard!

Stop there!

You have no idea

where Old Weirdo Meng's tomb is.

I'll teach his cold-hearted nephew

a lesson for him!

Fed.

Fed!

Why are you beating me?

Why?

I'm beating you

because you're a little rat

who tricked me into traveling dozens of miles of hilly roads.

I couldn't even feel my legs!

I'll beat you to a pulp!

Enough, Fed.

It was my idea.

Your idea?

Let's talk inside.

You…

Fed.

How could you do this to me?

I understand. Calm down.

Have some water.

I prefer liquor.

What's wrong, Fed?

Xijun,

did you draw this?

Yes.

You know

I miss my elder fellow very much

and drew his portrait

for me?

What did you say?

The man in the painting

is Meng Donglao?

Yes.

Although we haven't met for decades,

I'm sure Old Weirdo Meng

would look like this

if he were still alive.

I remember him now.

I found him familiar

because he looks like old Dr. Meng.

Exactly!

After catching the bad guy that day,

I went into the attic too.

He looks just like the man

in the portrait behind the tomb!

Tomb?

Where is Old Weirdo Meng's tomb?

[The Grave of Meng Donglao]

Elder fellow,

your tomb is here!

No wonder you came to my dreams.

I'm Handsome Fed.

I came to pay you my respects.

Master.

How could you, Meng Donglao?

You were indeed a weirdo!

A weirdo!

A weirdo!

Fed.

He was an asshole.

He made our master here to keep vigil for him.

That…

That's the figurine of Sun Simiao, the King of Medicine?

Exactly.

You were Sun Simiao's disciple?

Yeah.

Mr. Sun accepted 13 disciples

before he died.

My nickname is Fed Thirteen

not because

I'm the thirteenth child in my family,

but because I'm the youngest

among all the 13 disciples.

His original name was not Meng Donglao,

but Meng Dongxiao.

He had gray hair at a very young age,

so we called him

Donglao, which means old, for fun.

He had used that name since then.

But I

only called him Old Weirdo Meng.

He was so talented,

but he was weird too.

How?

We helped Mr. Sun collect all kinds of medicinal materials.

Meng Donglao

was in charge of

catching scorpions and centipedes.

It was strange

that those poisonous insects

all went still

at the sight of him.

He was a loner,

reticent all the time.

No one liked him,

but he was relatively close to me,

the youngest disciple.

Meng Donglao must have been downhearted

to return to so remote a place

like Ju County.

He had no other choices.

He was expelled by Mr. Sun.

Why?

What he did

piqued Mr. Sun.

What did he do?

He was my elder fellow.

I shouldn't speak ill of him.

You must tell us.

It's very important.

In order to understand human meridians,

he...

he...

he stole bodies from graves.

That's a felony

in every dynasty.

Mr. Sun was mercy enough

to not report him

to the government.

I tipped Mr. Sun off about that,

so Meng Donglao had hated me since then.

I planned

to find him before I die

and make peace with him.

But unexpectedly,

he died long ago.

He loved cats?

Yes.

He was always

cold and unapproachable,

but he was very attentive

to his cats.

Did you notice

the cats by the tomb just now?

What colors were they?

There was a black one,

maybe a yellow one too.

One was yellow and white.

One was all white.

During the autopsy,

I found five kinds of cat hair.

Three yellow, one black, and one white.

This place is indeed creepy.

You can't stay here any longer.

You guys move to the county government.

Why?

I'm not afraid.

Pack up and move out now!

Xue Huan.

Protect her.

Stay with her round the clock.

Yes.

Sir,

Miss Xijun brought you food.

You didn't let us stay here,

but you stayed here all night.

Why?

I figured out

something last night.

Liang Sanqi committed suicide

in order to keep someone's secret.

And that someone

should be Meng Donglao.

I've decided

to open the tomb.

What?

A tomb in the house?

How is that possible?

You must be mistaken.

I know it's unbelievable,

but that's the truth.

Magistrate, opening the tomb is a serious matter,

so I came to ask for your permission.

And I suspect

that Meng Donglao is still alive,

and that he's very likely

to be the ripper.

Very likely?

Then he's also unlikely to be the ripper.

You must think twice

before you do something

so unconventional and unscrupulous.

Besides,

the street where the Hall of Life is located

is the most prosperous in Ju County.

If people know

there is a tomb in one of the buildings there,

that street will be deserted

in a blink of an eye.

If the word gets spread,

my reputation will be ruined.

That's right.

Lu Lingfeng,

my friend,

I beg you.

If I really give you the permission to do that,

I'm afraid I'll lose my job.

If there's nothing unusual about Meng Donglao's tomb,

I, Lu Lingfeng,

will take full responsibility.

No.

If you don't change your mind,

I'll have to

take you to meet the prefectural governor of Nanzhou.

You...

Fine. Don't scare civilians.

Please,

keep it quiet.

Sheriff Lu,

you need to come up with a perfect plan.

[Hall of Life]

The Hall of Life is haunted by cat demons.

The government will come to snare them

and burn them to ashes at noon.

To prevent evil spirits from spreading,

no one should stay around.

I doubt there are really cat demons,

but there are indeed many cats in the Hall of Life.

Yeah.

I saw a dozen of them

chasing one another on the wall every day.

The new Sheriff Lu

is really brave.

He has the courage to catch cat demons.

Officials prior to him

didn't even dare walk into that house.

That's right.

No.

No!

Sheriff Lu,

my uncle saved numerous people

when he was alive.

Please leave him rest in peace.

Move!

The magistrate has given his approval.

Get out of my way,

or I'll have to draw my sword.

Sheriff Lu.

-Sir. -Magistrate Lei!

-Sir. -Sheriff Lu!

You can't do that!

Let's go, master.

No! No!

Open!

Lu Lingfeng.

If my uncle is inside,

I will sue you until you are utterly discredited.

Maybe you should think twice.

Old Weirdo Meng was indeed strange.

But perhaps...

he really died.

Handsome Fed.

What are you calling me?

You can't shake our morale now.

Lu Lingfeng,

trust yourself.

Sheriff Lu, the cat demon has been killed.

What did you burn just now?

Magistrate.

It was a huge cat-shaped thing

made of straw.

There was a lot of smoke.

Okay.

Open the coffin.

Uncle.

I'm sorry.

I failed to protect your grave.

Lu Lingfeng,

you are damned!

Sheriff Lu.

Didn't you say there's no one inside?

Elder fellow.

It is shocking

that after we parted in Luoyang,

we are now separated by life and death.

Uncle.

No.

This...

This is not Old Weirdo Meng.

Fed.

What do you mean?

This is just

a skeleton.

The dead turned into bones.

How could it be like this?

Besides,

this is clearly

the skeleton of a tall female.

You

studied medicine with Old Weirdo Meng for years.

Can't you tell that?

This... This...

It's indeed a female.

Xue Huan.

There seems to be a cave

in this house abandoned for years.

It's ahead of us over there.

Right here.

[Underground Secret Room of the Hall of Life]

[Hall of Life]

Lady Hui.

I won't betray you, either.

Who is so audacious?

Sheriff of Ju County.

Lu Lingfeng.

Finally, you're here.

I knew you would come.

I just didn't expect you to come so early

and so quickly.

Old Weirdo Meng,

are you really alive?

Fed Thirteen?

You came to see me, too?

Have you forgotten

why our master expelled you

back then?

It's been so many years.

Why are you still

so stubborn?

You did me wrong decades ago.

Now that you're in Ju County,

you still want to lecture me?

Shouldn't you kneel

and apologize to me, your elder fellow?

What elder fellow?

You're a murderer.

You have no right to lecture others.

Chicken Fed, ignore him.

He...

Meng Donglao.

These skulls

must have been sent here

by Liang Sanqi, right?

Liang Sanqi?

I thought

he was tired of serving me for a year

so he ran away.

It happened that you got him.

Master,

you are indeed a prophet.

There is really another secret passage.

This secret passage

was used by Liang Sanqi to send you food, drinks,

and skulls, right?

You're right.

A doctor is as respectable as one's parents.

I saved Liang Sanqi's life,

so he was loyal to me.

You don't deserve to be a doctor.

A doctor

should be benevolent enough

to save people's lives.

But you

killed the innocent.

How cruel!

You'll be damned to hell.

Little girl.

Don't you think my secret room

is already hell?

In order to save millions of people,

I put myself in hell first.

You are crazy.

Crazy.

How would our master teach

such an ungrateful person like you!

You are crazy!

Meng Donglao.

Forty years ago,

the 17-year-old Guan Zijun

was also murdered by you, right?

Yes.

That girl was so beautiful.

Why did you dismember her?

I wanted to have a complete skeleton

to carry out medical research

and write the Book of Bones

so that I could cure a lot of people.

It's been 40 years.

I've been burning incense for her every day.

Now, I put her

in my coffin

to thank her on behalf of all.

Six months ago,

to cure headaches,

I took medicine made by myself.

It could temporarily shut my breath.

And I would be resurrected in seven days.

My nephew is quite filial.

He really buried me

in this attic.

Then the skeleton in front of you

should belong to Lady Hui, right?

Yes.

Liang Sanqi

was the only one who knew the truth.

But he was a pervert.

He only chased after

beautiful women.

I wanted people with headaches.

I was not satisfied with

anyone he found for me.

Fortunately,

here she came.

I was starving that day.

I went up through the passage

and sneaked back to the Hall of Life.

I decided to stay in the storeroom until dusk.

After that, I would go out for food.

I didn't expect that...

I believe that through her,

I will find a way

to cure headaches.

I will complete my Book of Curing Headaches

and let it pass on forever.

You abandoned her body parts in the temples

to seek comfort in your heart.

You two officers.

I'll give you an opportunity

to benefit the people.

I will be executed after autumn, right?

You just turn this place

into a prison,

and give me some food every day.

Next autumn,

I'll finish the Book of Curing Headaches.

By then,

build a temple

for me,

and put a plaque saying "Reincarnation of Hua Tuo".

What?

Don't you think I deserve a temple?

Let me tell you.

A thousand years later,

people will enjoy and appreciate

my work.

No one will care about the fact

that I was once a murderer.

You've committed a heinous crime.

I'm afraid you won't be able to live that long.

Master,

Meng Donglao has been executed for his felony.

Everyone in Ju County applauds for this.

Meng Donglao was buried by Zhai Liang.

It was me

who reported that Meng Donglao had committed a heinous crime

in the official document to the government,

and suggested that he should be executed right away.

Was I

right in doing that?

You doubt you did something wrong?

I'm thinking

what Su Wuming

would do

if he were here.

I've heard that you're leaving.

It's time to leave.

I've been here for over a month.

My sworn brother is alone in Nanzhou.

Chicken Fed and Xue Huan

can't go back.

So I am the one to go back.

Why can't Fed...

There is neither good wine

nor delicacies

here in Ju County.

You don't know

what Master Fed has been busy with

in the past month?

[Hall of Life]

Much better.

You can't stop taking medicine for three days.

And you need to take acupuncture

every two days.

Wait in the next room.

I'll give you acupuncture later.

Thank you, doctor.

Doctor Fed.

Doctor Fed.

Doctor Fed.

Why are you here?

Where is Carver Hu?

My father has recovered completely.

He butchered three pigs in a row today.

I'm on my way to invite you to the feast.

Have a drink?

Why didn't he invite me?

I'm here to invite you.

The one who treated us

also suffered from headaches, but you have also cured him.

And this.

My father asked me to give it to you.

It's fresh.

Please enjoy the feast later.

I will.

Master, enjoy yourself.

Xiaoqi and I

will pick you up tonight.

Okay.

-Let's go. -Not bad.

They are sending a plaque.

Yes.

He's really an awesome doctor.

Thank you.

[Reincarnation of Hua Tuo]

Thank you, Dr. Fed.

You're welcome.

[Reincarnation of Hua Tuo]

It's not worth mentioning.

It's not appropriate

to have this plaque here.

The headache tortured us two

for years.

You cured us in half a month.

You are surely the reincarnation of Hua Tuo.

Yes.

Dr. Handsome Fed.

Please accept the plaque.

Take it.

Take it, master.

Take it.

Take it.

This...

Handsome Fed?

This name sounds awkward.

I can imagine

that when Master Fed was young,

he definitely deserved

this name.

I didn't expect

that Master Fed, who idled around in the Ghost Market of Chang'an,

was a disciple of the King of Medicine.

I also didn't expect

he would go south with me

and cure

headaches for the people of Ju County.

The relationships in this world

are predestined.

It seems that you are not

only accompanied by Master Fed alone.

The fate is indeed wonderful.

It won't happen again if you miss it.

For example,

today.

Today?

Why are you so frightened?

Today is my birthday.

♫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♫

♫It's only for justice♫

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

We're almost on the border of Ju County.

I...

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

You can only send me here.

The official road is ahead.

Recently, we've been trying hard to clean out the devils,

and we've held justice for the public.

♫The people are in peace♫

Miss.

♫Carving right and wrong into a clear heart♫

You will be safe and sound.

I have General with me.

♫The truth♫

I will be safe and sound for sure.

♫Will reinterpret this justice♫

I just wanted to say

I could only see you off here.

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

Yes, you can only see me off here physically.

♫What I am afraid of is the unrighted wrong♫

But if

we can be together spiritually,

I'll also be safe.

♫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♫

Sheriff Lu is back.

Magistrate was looking for you.

It seems urgent.

Magistrate Lei, Assistant Magistrate Ye.

What's the urgent matter?

Sheriff Lu,

you'd better take a look yourself.

Why am I dismissed?

It's clear.

You bewitched people with the heresy of cat demons.

Who framed me?

In the letter,

Prefectural Governor Xiong didn't make it clear.

But it seems that

no one framed you.

Rather,

it is a decision by the imperial court.

Chang'an.

Have a safe journey.

Sheriff Lu.

Have a safe journey.

Sheriff Lu.

Safe and sound.

Be safe!

Sheriff Lu, take care.

Take care, Sheriff Lu.

Have a safe journey.

Safe and sound.

Have a safe trip, Sheriff Lu.

Brother,

I've learned a lot

in the past two months.

I sincerely admire you.

I will try my best to serve people

as long as I am a government official.

Brother Lu,

you are upright and selfless.

You are brave and intelligent.

Although you were dismissed,

there will be a bright future ahead.

Sheriff Lu,

farewell.

Farewell.

We are indebted to you, Sheriff Lu.

We bid farewell to you.

Sheriff Lu.

Have a safe journey.

To all the people in Ju County,

there is a long way ahead,

we may meet each other again in the future!

Farewell!

♫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♫