Original subtitles

[The Wanted Detective]

Little White Dragon?

What are you doing here?

We've got a new assignment.

[The Wanted Detective]

[Episode 13]

Am I going blind?

Don't worry.

Once I apply these eye drops,

you'll feel better right away.

Xueman.

I can see again.

You were in serious danger this time.

If Tong Shuang

hadn't found that book about the Ghost Market

when he went to see Feng Qingzhuo,

I wouldn't have known

where to go to save you guys.

But your condition...

I'm completely recovered now.

If you don't believe me,

feel for yourself.

My temperature isn't much different

from that of a normal person, right?

Although we failed to get the Fire Cicada,

at least we know

who has it now.

Once we get the Fire Cicada,

we'll have a chance to detoxify.

By the way, Coroner Feng,

do you know the old man

we met in the Ghost Market?

I don't.

Then why did he target us?

He...

The Ghost Market

is full of desperate criminals

and outlaws.

Evil is second nature to them,

so nothing they do

should come as a surprise.

That's right.

He came straight in asking for

one of your eyes.

Clearly not a good person.

Xueman...

You crazy woman.

Trading your eye?

Have you lost your mind?

He did ask,

but it's not like

he really wanted my eye.

Coroner Feng,

are you absolutely sure you don't know him?

I truly don't.

It's just I saw he was hiding poison

in his hand,

so I wanted to stop him.

But my martial skills are too weak,

so I failed to stop him.

Fortunately, you arrived just in time.

Otherwise, today, we would've...

It's all my fault.

I shouldn't have taken you to the Ghost Market.

I was the one who insisted on going.

It's not your fault.

[Huo Mansion]

[December 14th: Received 2,347 taels from Guangsha Villa]

[May 21st: Received 2,740 taels from Guangsha Villa]

My Lady, it's late now.

You should rest.

What's wrong, My Lady?

Qing Ying.

First thing tomorrow morning,

go find Zhong Xueman for me.

Yes.

You know that person from the Ghost Market, don't you?

Nothing gets past you.

Is he from your Poison Valley?

He is Old Bug,

my master's fellow disciple,

the very person who killed my master.

No wonder you fought so desperately last night.

Old Bug

is connected to our case.

What do you mean?

I wanted to tell you

before the poison knocked you out that

the person who sold the hallucinogenic drug to Madam Feng

might be Old Bug.

How do you prove it?

The reason

why I know about the existence of red crystal

is that I clearly remember

its documentation in the Yin-Yang Book.

The Yin-Yang Book?

My grand-master's lifetime knowledge

was all recorded in the Yin-Yang Book,

which he gave to my master before he died.

Master.

Master.

[Yin-Yang Book]

When will you teach me the Yin-Yang Book?

This acupoint causes slight pain.

Got it?

The reason why he killed my master

was to steal the Yin-Yang Book.

But my Master

had already given

that book to me,

so Old Bug failed to get it.

So you're saying

the red crystal is connected to the Poison Valley?

Since we found red crystal

in Huo Zongyao’s body,

I've been suspecting it was related to Poison Valley.

But the process of refining red crystal

is extremely complex,

achievable only by supreme experts.

Even I can't pull it off.

And in Poison Valley,

nowadays, only

Old Bug

can refine it.

So Old Bug is very likely

connected to Yesha.

Old Bug is completely rotten,

capable of any evil deed.

It's a pity that

he got away last night.

As long as he's still in the capital,

we have a chance to find him.

About your identity,

don't you plan to let them know?

Someone from Poison Valley

can't possibly be a good person.

Aren't you a good person yourself?

Not everyone

thinks like you do.

Trust between people

is naturally hard to establish

but easy to dissipate.

I don't want them to misunderstand.

As a friend,

I respect your decision.

But

you can't keep a secret forever.

If one day,

they discover your true identity,

the misunderstanding could be even worse.

Let me think about it some more.

Miss Huo, what's this about?

My mother was accused of a crime,

so her body was supposed to be held for investigation.

Being able to bury her before the investigation

was all thanks to the Elite Constabulary Unit's help.

Constable Zhong, if you refuse this meal,

I would feel terribly guilty.

The deceased deserve respect.

Miss Huo, you're too kind.

But I believe you didn't ask me

to come today

simply for a meal, right?

If there's something you want to say, please go ahead.

There is something

I'd like you to take a look at, Constable Zhong.

The Huo household's ledger?

This ledger

was previously managed by Mrs. Huo

and Li Xiao.

I've just taken over,

and while reviewing the accounts,

I discovered some peculiarities.

If there are issues with the Huo household's accounts,

why come to me?

Every six months,

there's a large sum of money transferred into the Huo household's account.

The money has been transferred

from Guangsha Villa in the suburbs.

But I've checked

all our family businesses,

and the Huo household and Guangsha Villa

have never had any

business dealings.

Guangsha Villa has no reason

to regularly give money to our household.

So I traced it back to the source

and examined years of our household's accounts.

I found that the first transfer

was actually made 23 years ago.

23 years ago?

My mother told me before she died

that I was

brought back by my father from the frontier that year.

Also, my mother once told me that

Chu Guangsha, the owner of Guangsha Villa,

was once my father's personal guard.

Miss Huo.

Why are you telling me

all this?

My father is dead,

and so is my mother.

I want to uncover the truth about my origins.

This is the only lead

I've been able to find so far.

Perhaps

Mr. Chu

can provide me with some answers.

But I don't know Mr. Chu,

and I know nothing about Guangsha Villa.

If I go there unannounced,

he might get suspicious of me.

Therefore,

I would like to ask you, Constable Zhong,

to help me uncover

my true identity as soon as possible.

[May 22nd: Procurement of sacrificial offerings.]

[Training ground arena repairs. Expense: 348 taels]

Two buns.

No problem.

Here you go.

Thanks a lot

for saving me yesterday.

I never thought

someone as timid and weak as you

would actually dare to go to a place

like the Ghost Market.

I promised Beiming I would save him.

What I promised,

I'd accomplish even if it might cost my life.

Do you think that crazy woman,

I mean, Zhong Xueman,

would really be willing to give up her eye

for the Fire Cicada?

That's a chance to save Beiming.

She surely won't give it up.

After everything

she did to Beiming before?

No ordinary people could understand

their relationship.

Let alone an eye,

even if it cost her life,

I don't think

she'd even hesitate.

Coroner Feng.

Well,

I pushed you that day

and lost my temper with you.

Hit me back,

and we'll be even, okay?

If I hit you,

wouldn't I be the one in pain?

With all that

thick skin of yours,

how could I even hurt you?

Then use a knife.

No way.

You brute.

Stick with calling me Madman, will you?

I'm not used to

being called Coroner Feng.

Madman.

That sounds much better.

I've checked the ledger carefully,

and the payments from Guangsha Villa to the Huo household

indeed

started 23 years ago.

That year, General Huo Zongyao

had just returned from Haiya.

If Chu Guangsha

really was General Huo's personal guard,

then he must have been to Haiya too,

and would have just returned from there as well.

But you don't know

Huo Dairong's intentions.

When we were investigating the Huo Mansion case,

she deliberately led us to

Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao,

and also intentionally revealed

such an important clue.

Was all that really just

to uncover the truth about her origins?

Whatever her purpose might be,

since it concerns Haiya,

we must get to the bottom of it.

I'll go with her.

You stay here

and wait for our news.

She knows your identity,

and if she intends to harm you...

Even if she wants to harm me,

I can't escape it anyway,

so I might as well face it head-on.

Perhaps

we can find a weakness in her plan.

[Qi]

Beiming. Constable Zhong.

I've asked around.

Chu Guangsha did serve in the military,

then he retired to civilian life

and somehow got

a large sum of money

to establish Guangsha Villa.

Over these years, Chu Guangsha has been devoted to spiritual pursuits,

regularly associating with the Immortal Masters

from Qingtai Mountain.

It's said he seeks immortality,

to cultivate and ascend.

Immortality?

Seems like he truly has attained everything he wants.

Chu Guangsha was just a soldier,

yet he suddenly acquired such a large fortune.

That money is highly suspicious,

definitely from questionable sources.

Whether he's man or ghost, we'll know at a glance.

Let's go.

Beiming.

Aren't you going to wear a bamboo hat?

It's alright.

We're far from the capital now.

No one will recognize me.

Honored guests,

please come in.

May I ask, Sir,

what happy occasion

is Guangsha Villa celebrating today?

Don't you know?

The master is hosting a grand banquet for his birthday.

Word is the Immortal Masters from Qingtai Mountain

have developed

a rejuvenating immortality pill

and have personally brought it here

as a birthday gift for the master.

And the master

will take

this immortality pill himself during the banquet.

We are also

just here to join the fun.

I won't say more.

I'm going in ahead.

Thank you.

Rejuvenation?

Let's go in and see for ourselves.

Honored guests, please come in.

Not even asking who we are?

Master has instructed

that today, no matter who it is,

anyone who passes through this gate

is an honored guest.

Your master is quite generous.

Aren't you worried

we're just here for free food?

You jest.

This is Guangsha Villa after all, originating from the line

"If I had thousands of spacious houses,

I'd shelter all the poor scholars under heaven, making them smile with joy."

Your master

truly is a warm-hearted person.

I've always told you to read more books.

What, feeling embarrassed now?

Guests,

please.

That's the young Immortal Master from Qingtai Mountain

who came to deliver the pill to our master.

Won't he stay for the banquet?

Well, these Immortal Masters

never stay long in mortal residences.

Being contaminated by worldly stuff

would affect their spiritual cultivation.

Guests,

please follow me.

This setup is no joke.

What is this thing?

This is the Celestial Staircase Cloud Terrace.

-Senior. -This is called the Ascension Terrace.

I have a feeling

something's off here.

Let's stay alert.

Honored guests, please be seated.

Help yourselves to the celestial fruits on the table.

Have a seat.

Since we're already here,

we might as well enjoy the show.

Let's sit.

Miss Huo.

Please sit here.

Thank you.

Please enjoy.

Thanks.

[Chu Guangsha, Master of Guangsha Villa]

[Longevity]

Quite a turnout today.

When will the master

finally make an appearance?

Be patient.

There are too many people at this banquet.

We can't risk alerting him.

Later,

we'll pay a private visit to Mr. Chu.

I'm actually quite interested in

this immortality pill of his.

Medical books have never documented

any formula for rejuvenation.

If you really buy that,

you're truly a fool.

Talking about rejuvenation.

I think

that Immortal Master is just putting on airs.

Only a rich sucker

like Chu Guangsha

would believe him.

Master is here!

Master has arrived.

-Master is here. -Master is coming.

[Phoenix Melody, Crane's Message]

I really want to see this.

Thank you all, my dear guests and friends,

for taking time to attend

my birthday banquet.

I was blessed to receive

an immortality pill from the Immortal Master.

But I dare not enjoy it alone,

so today,

I've invited all my family and friends here

to witness this moment together,

and to help spread the Immortal Master's reputation.

Great!

Ladies and gentlemen, behold.

This is the immortality pill bestowed by the Immortal Master.

Soon,

I shall ascend the Cloud Terrace

and take this pill with warm wine.

The effect of the pill

can be seen

within an hour or two.

Master,

how do you feel?

Beyond words, of course.

Stay back!

Don't come any closer!

I'll kill you if you come closer!

Stay away!

Back off!

What is he doing?

Don't come any closer!

All of you, stay back!

Keep away!

Don't come near me!

Master...

What's happening?

What's this about?

Why does he look

like he's possessed?

Could it be the immortality pill hasn't taken effect yet?

How is that possible?

I've become an immortal.

I am now immortal!

What can you do to me?

He's bleeding from all seven orifices!

What can you possibly do to me!

Master!

Oh no.

-Elite Constabulary Unit on duty! Step back! -Back off. Back off.

Elite Constabulary Unit on duty!

Step back!

He's dead.

He...

What's wrong, Miss Huo?

His manner of death is very similar to my father's.

Mr. Chu!

[Longevity]

Mr. Chu?

The Elite Constabulary Unit is here.

We request everyone's cooperation.

Everyone must stay in the villa.

Until the case is solved,

no one is allowed to leave the premises.

Feng Qingzhuo,

take the body with Tong Shuang

to the morgue for examination quickly.

Xueman,

the three of us

will search the villa

for clues.

[Morgue]

[Morgue]

[July 1st: Expense: 1,950 taels to Weizhou]

[August 21st: Expense: 2,420 taels to Weizhou]

[May 7th: Received 90 taels and 8 qian from south-city Liu for 57 material orders]

Give me the knife.

Where are you going?

I'll go keep watch for you.

Just do your work. Don't worry about me.

Are you scared?

Are you joking?

I'm not afraid of anything.

Why would I fear him?

If you're not scared, come here

and help me.

You're like a carved carrying pole,

pretty to look at but useless in practice.

Do you admit that?

I admit it.

Alright, off you go.

Madman.

Don't tell them

about this, please.

How did the autopsy go?

Madman is really good,

spotted the issue immediately.

I found a large amount of red crystal

in the remnants of the pill

in Chu Guangsha's stomach.

I suspect that so-called immortality pill

is the source of the poison.

But Chu Guangsha's poisoning

differs from Huo Zongyao's

in several ways.

What's different?

Huo Zongyao's red crystal

was administered in

his health-preserving tea

in small amounts, which was difficult to detect.

He consumed it for half a year,

resulting in chronic poisoning eventually.

But Chu Guangsha's situation is different.

His brain tissue

isn't riddled with holes

like Huo Zongyao's.

And his eyes, ears, and nose

contain large amounts of black blood.

This proves

he consumed a large amount

of red crystal in a short time,

ultimately dying from brain tissue rupture.

So you're saying

someone wanted him dead today?

That's right.

We just tracked it down to Chu Guangsha,

and he died.

This can't be a coincidence.

But Madam Feng is already dead.

Who else could possibly know that

red crystal can cause hallucination and get people killed?

Who else would have such poison?

That limping physician,

and also...

Huo Dairong.

Miss Huo?

How is that possible?

Even if she wanted to poison him,

s-she should have

avoided you all.

Why would she lead us there?

Wasn't that...

Wasn't that walking right into a trap?

Besides,

you said

she's an intelligent woman.

Would she do something so stupid?

It definitely wasn't Miss Huo.

Lust leads to destruction.

A beautiful woman can be deadly.

Think about it carefully.

[Huo Mansion]

The cause of Chu Guangsha's death

has been determined.

How did he die?

Just like your father,

he died from hallucinogenic poison.

How can it be such a coincidence?

I'll have to ask you about this, Miss Huo.

You suspect me?

That's fine.

After all, I'm aware of

the existence of this poison,

so it's natural for you to suspect me.

So what now?

Are you taking me to the Elite Constabulary Unit for questioning?

Miss Huo, you're overthinking this.

Everyone who knows about this hallucinogenic poison

is a suspect.

We need to investigate each one of them

until we find the real culprit.

So,

where do you plan to start your investigation?

We have a plan,

but we'll need you

to stay with us at all times, Miss Huo.

This will be more convenient

for everyone involved.

Miss Huo, you're a smart person,

so I don't think I need to explain further, do I?

[Qingtai Mountain]

[Baiyun Temple]

Who are you?

[Elite Constabulary Unit]

I'm Constable Zhong Xueman from the Elite Constabulary Unit.

These three are my colleagues.

We're here to visit

regarding the Guangsha Villa case.

Master is inside the temple.

Please follow me, Officers.

[Baiyun Temple]

Nonsense!

Mr. Chu had deep ties with our Qingtai Mountain

with profound blessings.

Every immortality pill he took

was personally made by me.

For the past six months, every month on the 15th,

I'd have my disciples

deliver the prepared immortality pills

personally into Mr. Chu's hands.

There's never been any mistake.

You claim that Mr. Chu

had poison in the pill in his stomach,

and you suspect his death

is connected to our Qingtai Mountain?

Do you have any evidence?

Immortal Master,

we're not suspecting you,

just eliminating possibilities.

It's merely routine.

Do you have any remaining

immortality pills left?

I have some knowledge

about immortality pills myself.

This immortality pill

is the finest from the immortal realm.

It's nothing like what you'd find

in ordinary pharmacies in the mortal world.

Moreover, this pill was obtained by me

sacrificing my own lifespan and spiritual power,

requested from the immortal realm.

Therefore, once a pill is created,

the user

must take it within one day,

or it loses all efficacy.

So how could there be any

remaining pills?

What about the formula then?

Do you have the formula?

That would work too.

The formula?

The formula has always been kept alone by

one Immortal Master of each generation.

How could I possibly let outsiders see it?

This is purely absurd.

Immortal Master.

Respected Immortal Master.

We're just investigating a case,

which is the duty of the Elite Constabulary Unit.

So please cooperate with us.

Respected Immortal Master.

The pill did come from here.

If you cannot prove

that the poison in Mr. Chu's body

has nothing to do with you,

then we must ask you

to come with us.

Are you trying to arrest me?

Fine.

I'll go with you.

I'd like to see

how your Elite Constabulary Unit

manages to

twist the truth

and frame innocent people.

Respected Immortal Master.

Please don't be upset.

That's not what we meant.

Please sit down.

Chu Guangsha took the pill

and died on the spot.

This matter has significant implications.

Respected Immortal Master, I believe you

wouldn't want rumors spreading out there,

claiming that Mr. Chu's death

is related to the pills from Qingtai Mountain, right?

What this officer says

does make some sense.

However, as for the formula,

I still cannot let you have it.

Respected Immortal Master, you...

Constable Zhong.

Respected Immortal Master.

However, I do have

a few defective pills in my possession.

Defective pills?

Yes.

You may not know that

in fact,

the pill-making process

doesn't always go

smoothly.

If the heat, climate,

or the proportion of ingredients

is slightly off,

it will affect

the final efficacy of the pill.

Some poorly made immortality pills

become defective pills.

Given how profound our spiritual bond

with Mr. Chu was,

how could we possibly give

those defective pills to him?

Respected Immortal Master.

Actually, we just need to take a look at

the ingredients of the pill.

The quality doesn't matter.

Then

sorry to trouble you, Respected Immortal Master.

Jiu.

No matter what the officers ask you,

you must answer truthfully.

No hiding. Understand?

Yes, Master.

Thank you, Respected Immortal Master.

[Jiu, Disciple of Qingtai Mountain]

You've always been the one delivering the immortality pills, right?

Or has anyone else handled them?

No.

After each immortality pill is made,

to preserve its immortal essence,

Master would put it

in a jade box

and then hand it to me.

After that, I'd deliver it to Guangsha Villa.

I've always delivered the pills alone.

Absolutely no one else

has ever touched the pills.

And the person who received the pills,

was it Chu Guangsha himself,

or someone else from Guangsha Villa?

Of course it was Mr. Chu himself.

The immortality pills cannot be tainted by mundane energy.

If ordinary people touch it,

the pills will be contaminated.

So it's always been

Mr. Chu who personally received it.

So you're saying

the only people who have touched

the immortality pills are the Immortal Master,

you, and Chu Guangsha?

No, no, Miss Huo.

I only deliver them.

I've never touched the pills.

Immortal Jiu, you're also a cultivator.

When delivering the pills,

weren't you ever curious

about what this immortality pill

that can transform a mortal into an immortal

actually looks like?

I wouldn't dare.

After each pill is made,

Master would personally place it

in a jade box

and seal it with fire clay directly.

And he'd add his personal seal.

If I were to open it during delivery,

it would definitely be discovered.

No matter how curious I might be,

I wouldn't dare do anything.

The distance from Qingtai Mountain

to Guangsha Villa

isn't exactly short.

How did you deliver the pills, Immortal Jiu?

By foot.

By foot?

That's right.

What you guys may not know is that

hardship

is the foundation of our

immortal cultivation practice.

So all disciples of our Qingtai Mountain,

no matter where they go,

can only rely on their own feet.

This is also to

show the immortals

our sincere devotion.

On foot?

How long does that take?

Noon is when the yang energy

is at its peak,

and also the best time

for the immortality pill to be completed.

And Jiu must arrive by 7 PM,

before the sun sets

and when yin and yang start to shift,

to deliver the immortality pill

to the recipient.

So the round-trip journey

has become

a path of cultivation for our disciples.

It's a difficult journey.

Is there no place

to rest along the way?

The delivery of the pill was urgent.

I wouldn't dare rest along the way.

We have no further questions.

Thank you for your help, Respected Immortal Master and Immortal Jiu.

After we finish examining the defective pill,

we will provide you with an explanation.

What are you trying to do?

[Elite Constabulary Unit]

You're from the Elite Constabulary Unit?

What are you doing here in the Ghost Market?

Nothing special.

I just need to ask you something.

Tell me the truth.

You'd better not go looking for trouble

when things are fine.

Young Master.

Got news about Zhong Xueman's whereabouts?

There's been a murder at Guangsha Villa.

Zhong Xueman and several other

constables from the Elite Constabulary went there.

Guangsha Villa?

What murder?

I heard that the villa owner, Chu Guangsha,

dropped dead during his birthday banquet.

Young Master.

Chief has ordered that

all members of the Secret Investigation Unit

should focus entirely on investigating

leads about Yesha and Xiao Beiming

and ignore all other cases.

Besides, this case

is currently being handled by the Elite Constabulary Unit.

There's no need to inform Chief about this matter yet.

I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong.

I have the results.

What did you find?

All that talk about extending lifespan and spiritual power.

It's nothing but

ordinary tonics

mixed with mercury and yellow stone.

The one in Chu Guangsha's stomach

was at least made with red crystal,

but this one

doesn't contain any red crystal at all.

You mean

the pill developed by the Elder Immortal

and the one Chu Guangsha took are different?

Exactly.

Now here's the strange part.

That young Immortal claims

he carried the pill with him the entire time along the way,

and that he never

encountered anyone

or had contact with others.

If someone wanted to switch the pill,

how could they have done it?

That Immortal Jiu was lying.

Lying?

I noticed his expression

was indeed somewhat nervous,

but ordinary people

would naturally be nervous

facing interrogation from the Elite Constabulary Unit, right?

He had other subtle movements too.

You mean his buttocks?

Not just his buttocks,

but also his hips.

He was injured,

and quite recently too.

What could he have been doing

to injure his hips and buttocks?

Horseback riding?

I also noticed that the skin

between his thumb and index finger was swollen and inflamed,

suggesting he's not skilled at riding

and had been pulling on the reins for a long time.

So that young Immortal was indeed deceiving us.

He didn't follow

his master's instructions to travel on foot as hardship cultivation at all.

He delivered the pill on horseback.

Riding a horse

to Guangsha Villa takes

much less time than walking.

During this time,

he could have done all sorts of things.

We should hurry to Qingtai Mountain then.

It'll be trouble if he gets away.

Where's Constable Zhong?