Original subtitles

[The Wanted Detective]

[Two months ago]

Hurry up.

[Hu Mansion, Capital]

Hurry up.

You're so slow.

Move it.

Go.

Hurry up.

Come on, keep moving!

Quickly.

Move inside.

You,

keep up. Hurry.

Get inside.

Hurry,

move it. Stop dawdling!

Quick,

quick.

Behave and keep quiet.

Move.

[The Wanted Detective]

[Episode 5]

[Nanren Lane]

Someone's following us.

Don't look back. Keep moving.

Okay.

Young Master.

Where are they?

They went that way.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

What are you doing?

Why is a grown man like you wearing a bamboo hat?

I just found it.

Mind your own business.

They must be hiding in the crowd.

Young Master,

should we seal off this area?

This is the Nanyue people's territory.

How can we seal it off?

Don't worry, I have my ways.

Sorry about this.

This sedative is harmless.

You'll wake up

in just four hours.

Bear with it.

Come.

Zhuge Kongyun has discovered you.

He's probably

not certain of my presence

and is afraid of alerting us,

so he's been

tracking us secretly.

Good thing I got rid of the bamboo hat earlier.

Once this case is closed,

I'll settle scores with him.

Let's focus on the investigation first.

Thank you.

The one in the middle must be Sada.

Zhong Xueman.

Marquis Jingshan?

The crippled marquis.

The crippled marquis?

After Nanyue was destroyed,

a member of the royal family

fled with his family

to the Qi Kingdom.

He was hunted down on the way.

To protect his family,

he drew the pursuers away

and was pushed off a cliff.

How come he didn't die?

He survived,

but his legs were severely injured, leaving him disabled.

His Majesty was merciful.

After hearing about this,

he not only took them in,

but even granted him a mansion and a title.

He also followed the marquis's suggestion

and gave him land

to shelter Nanyue refugees.

That became what was known as Nanren Lane.

So this marquis seems to be

a man of honor and loyalty.

How come he believes in these things too?

The Saintesses have appeared.

Follow my lead.

Should we go rescue them?

Acting now would alert the enemy.

Let's wait a bit longer.

We might be able to find

clues about the corpse-sewing case from them.

We'll play it by ear.

Blue Heaven has manifested!

Blue Heaven has manifested!

Blue Heaven has manifested!

Blue Heaven has manifested!

[Hu Mansion]

Who are you people?

Do you know who I am?

Release me at once!

Of course I know who you are.

We met earlier.

Sada from Blossom Skies.

Since you know that,

how dare you manhandle me?

Be careful or I'll have Blue Heaven

take you away.

Take us away?

I dare you.

Who are you people?

What do you want?

Elite Constabulary Unit on duty.

Where have you hidden

the Saintesses from the altar?

Tell us the truth.

The Saintesses were chosen by Blue Heaven

to be his companion.

How could people vanish into thin air?

You clearly pulled a trick.

Speak.

If you don't tell us,

I'll send you to the heavens right now.

This is luminous stone powder, isn't it?

You used fireworks

to distract everyone's attention.

Then you took the opportunity to

scatter the luminous stone powder

hidden in your sleeve into the fire basin on stage.

When luminous stone powder met fire,

it produced

an extremely dazzling light.

People closed their eyes

against the bright light.

And that was when you

made those Saintesses disappear.

Easy for you to say.

Even if I could make everyone close their eyes,

how could I possibly make

five people vanish in an instant?

It's simple.

The altar is hollow underneath.

Once the holy light appeared

and everyone closed their eyes,

you activated the mechanism to open the trapdoor,

making the Saintesses fall beneath the altar.

This way,

you created

the illusion that the Saintesses

vanished with the holy light before everyone's eyes.

You've been using this

cheap old trick

to swindle money.

Nonsense!

Who are you people?

Don't try to frame me!

Frame you?

Then what's behind here?

We're from the Elite Constabulary Unit.

We're here to rescue you.

Speak!

Where did these women come from?

They're all from Nanyue.

Some were sold by their families.

Others

were abducted by Blossom Skies.

You brought them here

so that Hu Shisan

could sell them?

After each sacrifice,

I bring them here

and give them to Hu Shisan

for money.

Where is Hu Shisan now?

I don't know.

He usually waits for me

here every time.

It's strange that you all

showed up this time

instead of him.

Do you have records

of the women you've sold?

Yes, there are records.

Hu Shisan keeps records.

They're in...

Watch out!

Save him first!

Careful!

[Wealth Like the Rising Sun]

Your foot injury hasn't healed.

You can't match their skills.

So we just let him get away like this?

Sada just admitted

that Hu Shisan keeps records.

They must be hidden in this room.

Constable Zhong,

take these girls back to the Elite Constabulary Unit first

and report the case details.

Coroner Feng and I

will look for clues here.

See you back at the cave.

I think perhaps

I should take them back instead.

You don't know martial arts.

If they're intercepted on the way, we'll be in trouble.

I'd better go.

Keep an eye on him for me.

[Elite Constabulary Unit]

To think that such things are happening

right under the Emperor's nose.

They're all witnesses.

The Blossom Skies case is significant.

I think we should

report this matter

to Chief Fang.

Senior,

I have one more favor to ask.

Xueman,

there's no need for formalities

between us.

Just say it and I'll do it.

They're all refugees from Nanyue.

After being trafficked,

they've suffered unimaginable torment.

After taking their statements,

please make arrangements.

If they still have family,

personally escort them home,

and if they have nowhere to go,

please

find them a way to survive.

Don't worry.

What are they doing?

If I'm not mistaken,

this is a Nanyue ritual

to give blessings to you

in gratitude.

We've searched everywhere

without finding anything.

Did Sada lie to us?

Thank you.

For what?

If it weren't for you

blocking that strike for me,

I would've died by that man's sword.

Thanks for saving my life, of course.

We're in this together now.

If you died,

it would affect the investigation.

Hey, you...

Never mind.

I'll definitely repay you.

How do you plan to repay me?

I haven't figured it out yet,

but I will eventually.

I don't want to owe you.

Thanks, Little White Dragon.

Listen, I'm telling you,

don't call me that name

in public.

Weird.

I've noticed

that you're becoming

more and more like a decent person.

Could it be

that you were actually framed?

What do you think?

Though you're a coroner,

you're also a registered constable in the Elite Constabulary Unit.

You should learn more from Constable Zhong

to remain skeptical

about everything

and not trust anyone easily.

What if everything

I've been doing

was just to manipulate you?

Manipulate me?

Thinking about all that is tiring.

I only know

you saved my life,

so even if you're using me, it's worth it.

Besides,

I don't think Constable Zhong

distrusts you as much as you think.

What do you mean?

Look.

Just as you said,

she's suspicious

of everything.

She's afraid of losing sight of you,

so she keeps you chained up

for fear you might escape.

But that day when she found out

you took the wrong medicine and collapsed,

the way she panicked...

didn't look like someone

dealing with her father's killer.

Maybe she just feared that if I died,

the case would remain unsolved.

Just like how

a corpse can't lie,

a living person

also can't fool themselves.

If she truly

doesn't believe in your innocence,

she would be doing everything

to find evidence

to lock you up in the Heavenly Prison,

instead of searching for

Hu Shisan

or Sada while carrying the charge

of harboring

a wanted criminal.

It's like she's grabbing onto a lifeline.

She's trying so hard to prove something.

What is she trying to prove?

You know better than I do, don't you?

About Sada's matter,

I still have questions.

I need you to help me

develop a medicine.

Why are you here?

Constable Zhong, I've been waiting for you for a long time.

What do you want?

I'm here for someone.

Who are you looking for?

Are you still trying to hide it at this point?

This is not the Secret Investigation Unit.

This is not a place where you can

act however you please.

Do you know the punishment for harboring

a wanted criminal?

I never would have imagined

that you would hide him

right by your side.

What nonsense are you talking about?

Still not coming out?

Do you want to watch me die here?

Long time no see.

It's been three years.

I still won.

You—

Who are you?

I was about to ask you that!

Why'd you steal my hat?

Do you not have any at home?

You—

This is the new constable from the Elite Constabulary Unit,

Tong Shuang.

And this is the son of the Chief of the Secret Investigation Unit,

the top investigator of Qi Kingdom.

I just didn't expect

you'd be so interested

in his hat.

Playing tricks on me, are you?

Then what about these bloodstains

on the floor?

Has there been a murder here?

You'd better explain yourself clearly.

Mr. Zhuge, you have sharp eyes.

This is animal blood.

Recently,

I've developed

a new type of medicine

that can nourish the kidneys.

However,

it requires a lot of animal blood

to produce

and it smells terrible.

Only Constable Zhong

-allows me to produce it, so... -Do you think I’ll believe

that story?

This is clearly human blood!

What are you doing?

Young Master!

Are you alright, Young Master?

Mr. Zhuge indeed has sharp eyes.

This is human blood.

However,

it's Constable Tong's blood.

A few days ago, Constable Tong was feeling unwell,

so I gave him

this medicine,

which expelled some bad blood.

Seems like Young Master's health is poor.

Coroner Feng,

you should give him a few more pills.

This time is just a warning.

Next time you trespass into my home,

you won't just be

coughing up blood.

Slowly.

Be careful.

That guy looks so effeminate,

wearing red clothes at night

like some kind of ghost.

What a hypocrite,

putting on such airs.

Where is Xiao Beiming?

♪ If there's no solution ♪

♪ Then say no more ♪

♪ Burn half of my life's passion, don't ask about tomorrow ♪

♪ A journey of pain, a journey away ♪

♪ Don't look back, don't leave regrets ♪

♪ Breaking through the light, what is there to fear of obstacles? ♪

[Happiness]

♪ No regrets, no resentment ♪

♪ Love and hatred are one obsession ♪

♪ If by the abyss ♪

♪ Take a glimpse with this body ♪

♪ For the blood of sincerity ♪

♪ For the brave decision ♪

♪ For the wish made ♪

♪ Even if I die from exhausted ♪

♪ For the destined fate ♪

♪ For the endless thoughts ♪

♪ Drink to this farewell ♪

♪ From daybreak ♪

♪ The sun and moon in my heart ♪

How did you think of

this place?

After that incident,

this place became known to be cursed

and lost all its business.

The owner later fell ill and died

and this loft was sold cheaply,

so I had Tong Shuang buy it.

I sealed the main entrance

and created a secret passage for easy access.

In the entire capital,

there's probably no place

safer than this one.

Take a look at this first.

This is the name list

found at Hu Shisan's house.

Hurry!

It records in detail

when those Saintesses were sold

and to which brothels

[Liu Cai sold to Siyuan Hall's manager for 265 taels] [Tian Fang sold to Zuichun Brothel for 250 taels]

or wealthy merchants' homes.

Beasts!

[Wen Xuan sold to Huichun Hall's manager for 283 taels] [Zhong Yue sold to Hongxiu Brothel for 275 taels]

This dirty money

was earned with the blood and tears

of countless women.

Look at the last page.

Only this Hibiscus

[Hibiscus]

has no destination recorded.

There were five in total.

Four women

were all sold by Hu Shisan

and then redeemed later.

Then all four became victims of the sewing murder.

Only Hibiscus wasn't sold.

This Hibiscus could very well be

the key to solving

the corpse-sewing case.

Hibiscus is obviously an alias.

There's not even a portrait of her.

How can we find her among the masses?

There's a place.

Officers,

are you letting me go?

My lady, why are you here?

I'm already locked up here,

and you still won't leave me alone.

My lady, I know I was wrong.

Please spare me just this once.

Do you know a woman

named Hibiscus?

I don't know her.

Never heard of her.

Two months ago,

five women from Nanyue

were brought

to your boss Hu Shisan,

but only four of them were sold.

The remaining one was called Hibiscus.

Ring any bells now?

The boss said

we must get her back.

Otherwise,

all of us

will die.

I remember now.

There was one

who escaped at that time.

I led people to chase after her.

Where did she go after you caught her?

I handed her over to our boss, of course.

As for what our boss

did with her,

I have no idea.

Are you sure

Hibiscus wasn't among those women?

Yes.

We were the ones

who delivered those women

to the brothels.

Hibiscus definitely wasn't there.

Each sacrifice

has five Saintesses.

If the women who died

in the corpse-sewing case

were the Saintesses

sacrificed two months ago,

then could the remaining one

be the Tailor's

next target?

The Tailor uses the Four Devils Formation

and red clothes to curse the dead.

If he wanted to kill five people,

the Four Devils Formation wouldn't make sense.

Either way,

we need to find out

that woman's identity.

We might find clues about Hu Shisan.

Tell me the address

of where you caught Hibiscus.

This is the place

the trafficker mentioned.

The house is so clean.

Someone must be living here.

There's a backyard.

[Dingfeng Pavilion]

Is the poison taking effect?

What's wrong with him?

Thanks to Coroner Feng's acupuncture,

I feel much better.

I think that Blood-freezing Frost

won't dare to harm me.

Did you find Hibiscus?

Hibiscus is already dead.

This must be a fresh grave.

Strange.

Who would put a grave

in their own backyard?

Look!

Hu Shisan was also sewn and murdered?

That's right.

The body was sent to the Elite Constabulary Unit,

and the trafficker confirmed

it was Hu Shisan.

So there weren't just four victims of sewing murder

but five.

What about Hibiscus?

How do you know she's dead?

That grave.

There were hibiscus flowers planted in front of the grave.

Hibiscus flowers don't grow in Nanyue,

yet she called herself Hibiscus.

The hibiscus must have carried

a special significance for her.

So I deduce that

the hibiscus flowers are Hibiscus's tombstone.

You dug open the grave?

There was a female corpse

that had been dead for at least two months.

The body wasn't completely decomposed,

and the trafficker confirmed

the body was Hibiscus's.

The body showed

signs of beatings.

The cause of death was a fractured skull

from blunt force trauma.

The coroner's examination revealed

she was pregnant when she died.

These are the clothes she never finished making.

What else did the trafficker say?

Two months ago,

after the sacrifice,

the five Saintesses

were sent to Hu Shisan's home.

Hibiscus once tried to escape.

How did Hibiscus escape?

And how did you

catch her again?

She just ran away secretly.

At first, we didn't know

where to look for her.

It was the other four girls

who told us where she went.

But the remaining four Saintesses

betrayed her whereabouts.

The traffickers went to Hibiscus's home

and took her back.

No one knows what happened

after that.

I believe that afterward,

Hu Shisan, in a fit of rage,

beat Hibiscus to death.

Then we're done for.

The trail has gone cold again.

Those responsible for Hibiscus's death

aren't just the four courtesans and Hu Shisan,

but others as well.

Sada.

Sada?

Then we should have

gone after him

when we discovered him.

I know where he is.

Do you remember

what weapons those two men in black

who kidnapped Sada used?

One used a mace. The other used a sword.

Their techniques were brutal, their skills profound.

They're definitely not nobodies.

They're the guards from Marquis Jingshan's Mansion.

Marquis Jingshan is also from Nanyue,

so his worship of Blossom Skies

is quite understandable.

But the fact that he sent

his two personal bodyguards

to rescue Sada

indicates their relationship

is far from ordinary.

I wounded one of those men in black

in the shoulder.

If we go to the marquis's mansion to verify the wound,

we can prove the identity of those men in black.

Then we can follow the trail to find Sada.

Where does a marquis in exile

[Marquis Jingshan's Mansion]

get all the money

to build such a grand mansion?

Marquis Jingshan must be connected

to Blossom Skies.

Did you find out about his household's situation?

Yes, I did.

Marquis Jingshan has an only son

named Ajia.

He's in his early twenties but is very mysterious.

They say he never leaves the mansion,

so very few people have seen him.

An only child, in his twenties,

rescued by personal guards...

This Ajia sounds a lot like Sada.

We'll find out once we investigate.

Let's make a stir.

This is all that Xueman

could find out.

Come on.

Hurry up, I'm starving.

Isn't Zhong Xueman investigating

the corpse-sewing case?

Why is it about

Blossom Skies

and the Nanyue people now?

Chief,

the men patrolling reported

that they saw Xueman

heading toward Marquis Jingshan's Mansion.

Quickly, prepare my horse.

There's about to be trouble.

Let's go!

-Quickly. -Let’s go.

Elite Constabulary Unit on duty.

I need to see the marquis.

Our lord is not home.

Please leave now.

[Elite Constabulary Unit]

This is a matter of life and death.

Please announce my arrival.

The lord isn't home. Who should I announce to?

Leave.

Constable Zhong, be careful!

[Abundant Auspicious Omens]

Who are you?

How dare you trespass into Marquis Jingshan's Mansion?

You've got some guts!

Don't you know

what place this is?

You two have such short memories.

We just fought last night.

[Abundant Auspicious Omens]

I don't know what you're talking about.

Trespassing into the Marquis's mansion is a capital offense.

Either surrender now

or you'll die here.

Come and get me if you can.

Stop!

Zhong Xueman,

what are you doing?

Do you know where you are?

Of course I do.

You know,

yet you still dare to cause trouble?

I'm just investigating a case.

You're investigating Blossom Skies.

But even if Blossom Skies

is connected to the Nanyue people,

you should realize

this is the marquis's mansion.

Blossom Skies uses sacrifices as a cover

to traffic Nanyue refugees.

The four victims in the corpse-sewing case

were all Saintesses chosen by Blossom Skies.

And among all the Nanyue people,

the only one with such power

is Marquis Jingshan,

so I suspect that Blossom Skies's leader

Sada

is hiding within this mansion.

You say Blossom Skies's leader

is hiding in Marquis Jingshan's Mansion?

Do you have any evidence?

I caught Sada last night,

but he was rescued by two men in black.

It's these two right here.

Is this true?

We are

Marquis Jingshan's personal guards.

We never leave his side for even a moment.

How could we possibly rescue this Sada?

Complete nonsense.

When you two fought with me the night before,

one of you

was wounded by my Bi'an Sword

on the shoulder.

We can verify the wound right now.

If there's no wound,

I'll admit my crime and accept punishment.

If there is a wound,

it proves I'm telling the truth.

Then please immediately tell me

where Sada is hiding.

This seems quite reasonable.

If you have nothing to hide,

why not remove your clothes and prove it?

Do you need

the Elite Constabulary Unit to do it for you?

Wait.

My Lord.

Greetings, Marquis Jingshan.

I find what you were just discussing

quite interesting.

Blossom Skies,

corpse-sewing case...

Though I don't understand it all,

since the Elite Constabulary Unit

suspects someone from my household

is involved with the criminals,

then I cannot

remain uninvolved.

Please forgive us, My Lord.

These are merely our subordinates' speculations.

It's fine.

My mansion

also values our reputation and dignity.

Since this female constable

wants to see evidence,

you two should remove your clothes

and let her see.

Yes.

You deliberately did this

to cover up evidence.

We practice martial arts daily

to improve our skills.

Injuries during sparring are inevitable,

so having some wounds

is perfectly normal.

Chief Fang, what do you think?

My Lord,

the wounds on their bodies

indeed don't count as evidence.

Wait.

Does this constable have any other thoughts?

I want to search Marquis Jingshan's Mansion.

I don't want to trouble you

over a small misunderstanding.

After all, rumors can be damaging

and you care so much about your reputation.

If you have nothing to hide

and is certain this case has nothing to do with your household,

why not let us conduct a search?

Then if there are any rumors,

the Elite Constabulary Unit

can also testify to your innocence.

How dare you!

Do you think my mansion

can be searched at your whim?

It's not just the Elite Constabulary Unit.

Without His Majesty's imperial decree,

even the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review

cannot act so recklessly.

Zhong Xueman,

stand down!

My Lord, if that's the case,

let me be clear.

If this were just about Blossom Skies,

we certainly wouldn't dare to trespass on your mansion.

But this matter has far-reaching implications

and may be connected to

the Yesha case from three years ago.

The Yesha case is of great importance

to His Majesty.

If the culprits escaped

because of your deliberate obstruction,

you wouldn't be able to handle

His Majesty's wrath easily

even if you were from the royal family,

let alone as a foreigner.

I urge you to reconsider.

Report!

My Lord,

terrible news, terrible news,

the Young Master...

What's the panic about?

I wonder if the Elite Constabulary Unit

might be able to help

the marquis now?

Is Ajia

in trouble again?

The Young Master has gone missing,

and there's blood in the courtyard.

What?

Yitie,

take men to investigate the back courtyard immediately.

Yes.

Hurry!

[Gentle Breeze Arrives]

Who was the last person to see the Young Master?

It was me.

I was the last to see the Young Master last night.

At that time, he was with several maids,

enjoying himself in the pavilion,

and wouldn't let us in.

This morning when I came

to serve the Young Master his meal,

I saw blood all over the floor

as soon as I entered,

and the Young Master was gone.

Bunch of useless fools!

Weren't you supposed to watch over him?

Go find him now!

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

My Lord.

The criminals must have injured

the Young Master before taking him away.

The Elite Constabulary Unit needs to seal off

the entire Marquis Jingshan's Mansion

to see if we can find

any clues about his disappearance.

Fine, I'll listen to you.

Whatever methods the Elite Constabulary Unit uses,

I don't care.

I just hope you'll do everything possible

to rescue my son.

Rest assured, My Lord.

Seal off Marquis Jingshan's Mansion!

Yes.

-Yes. -Yes.

Search thoroughly.

Don't miss any corner.

Report immediately if you find anything.

Yes, sir.

[Gentle Breeze Arrives]

I've already made inquiries.

Young Master Ajia likes to spend time here

to indulge in pleasure,

and he also enjoys

playing hide-and-seek

with the maids here.

Where are the maids?

They were all drugged unconscious.

There were no other findings.

Judging from the blood trail,

Ajia must have been taken

from here.

Not much blood. Likely non-fatal.

I found something!

What did you find?

I discovered this piece of coarse cloth

on these thorny bushes.

I suspect it was torn from the culprit's

pant cuff when they were abducting

Young Master Ajia and got caught

on these sharp thorns.

It has a rusty smell.

It also smells of salt.

Therefore, I suspect

the culprit frequently visits a place

where large amounts

of salt and iron are stored.

But ordinary households

all have salt and iron.

These thorns are so low.

The cloth must have been torn

from the culprit's pant cuff.

Who would leave salt containers and iron tools

scattered on the ground?

It's more likely a warehouse storing salt and iron.

In Qi Kingdom, salt and iron are state-controlled.

There's only one place in the capital

that would have a warehouse

storing such large quantities of salt and iron.

The Western Salt and Iron Works.

Elite Constabulary Unit, assemble!

To the Salt and Iron Works!

Have our men follow them.

Yes, sir.

Hurry, quick!

Coroner Feng.