Original subtitles

You gods and Buddhas of clay and wood!

You've feasted on the mortal world's offerings,

yet you still dare to take

the child I raised with my very soul!

What a lousy place!

My legs are cramping from searching for it.

Too many eyes and ears in the village.

How long has she been dead?

Ten days.

Xiao Zhou!

Quit dawdling!

Your eyes are practically falling out.

Hurry in and get to work.

Xiao Zhou!

Xiao Zhou's features...

She looks just like my daughter.

Same old routine.

Prepare the thick and thin gold threads.

Bless the five fingers,

guide the corpse, stabilize the soul.

You gather your tears

Let her pass peacefully.

I'll take care of this side.

Don't worry.

I'll make sure your daughter has a proper burial.

Rest easy.

She was a good girl.

She helped beggars by the river,

even those frozen stiff at the alley entrance.

Master! Master!

This looks good.

So vibrant and alive.

Just like when she was with us.

You're busy.

Go about your work.

I won't bother you.

Truly, I won't.

Finished stitching yet?

Get up, damn you!

Spare me, sir!

Where am I?

How did I get here?

You bastard must have tricked me!

Speak!

What's your motive?

I am Yang Zhizhi, Vice Minister of Revenue.

I was resting in my mansion last night.

How...

How did I wake up here?

Who kidnapped me?

Show yourself!

Do you know who I am?

Let me go at once!

Otherwise,

I'll tear down this lousy temple!

Come out!

Stop your shouting.

If you're in such a hurry to die,

don't drag others down with you.

Who's there?

Show yourself!

Did you

imprison us here?

Calm down, both of you.

Before you woke up,

I've been awake for quite some time.

And we're all unharmed so far.

Whoever did this must have a motive.

General Tian!

Am I right?

You know me?

A year ago, when the natural disaster first struck,

the Divine Strategy Army did much for Huazhou.

Of course I recognize you,

General Tian Jinxiao.

Magistrate of Huazhou,

Chen Weishan.

Magistrate Chen!

It really is you, Magistrate Chen!

Mr. Chen

General Tian!

What on earth is going on here?

Last night, Ruzhou fell.

The rebels there

are spreading rumors that Maitreya has descended.

I was about to order my men to flog the ringleaders,

when suddenly the world spun around me.

When I opened my eyes again,

I found myself abducted here by traitors.

Both of you,

do you remember

what happened right before you fainted?

Perhaps

we can find some clues from that.

Could it be...

Am I hallucinating?

Last night, your subordinate

seemed to see something strange.

Who are you?

Wu Shuang.

I was just wondering

if my eyes were deceiving me.

Suddenly, everything went black,

and I lost consciousness.

When I woke up,

I was already in this desolate temple.

Minister Yang, you weren't hallucinating.

Because

I encountered that woman too.

Last night, at the third watch,

I had just led my elite troops

to secretly arrest the rebel leader in Yongping Fang.

You all return to the camp to report.

I'll go report to the Right Army myself.

Yes, sir!

Who's there?

I am Tian Jinxiao, Protector of the Divine Strategy Army.

Her name was clearly written

on the back of that warrant.

Wu Shuang.

That's exactly the name.

Absurd!

Utterly absurd!

Impossible!

That witch Wu Shuang

was executed under my supervision

in Huazhou a year ago.

Beheaded with a ghost headed saber,

her body displayed on the city wall for three days.

In the end, her corpse was burned to ashes.

How could she

come back to life?

Witch!

Magistrate Chen!

Don't scare me like this!

A year ago...

That was

when the strange illness first broke out.

That strange illness...

Everyone said it was caused by evil spirits.

Magistrate Chen,

you're the Magistrate of Huazhou.

What's really going on here?

You never imagined,

a year ago,

the source of Huazhou's natural disaster

wasn't some evil spirit.

It was that witch, even more sinister than any evil spirit.

Old Zhou!

What's wrong with you, Old Zhou?

Get up!

What's wrong, Old Zhou?

Old Man Zhou!

You're now in Huazhou's government office.

No one dares to harm you.

Tell the truth quickly.

What really happened?

Your Honor!

There are ghosts haunting the neighborhood!

Nonsense!

Ridiculous!

I dare not lie, Your Honor!

If that wasn't a ghost,

then what on earth

is that thing

in my neighborhood?

Enough!

Just tell the whole truth in detail.

If you dare to hide anything,

I'll not spare you!

It all started yesterday,

at the ninth hour of the night.

What terrible weather!

The beans ground tomorrow

won't be any good.

The previous emperor just suppressed Buddhism,

and now this young emperor wants to promote it again.

Who knows,

he might destroy it again soon.

Boss,

what's the point of copying these Buddhist scriptures?

In troubled times, you have to believe in something.

Old man!

Can you let me stay here for the night?

Young lady,

who are you?

It's the middle of the night, and it just finished raining.

How did you get here all alone?

I...

My name is Wu Shuang.

I'm from Wujia Gou.

I'm looking for my elder brother Wu Ling.

He works in the city.

I've been searching for him for a long time,

but I can't find him.

I'm cold

and scared.

Young lady,

hurry, come inside!

There's firewood in the stove.

Warm up your clothes first.

Boss!

Are you crazy?

How could a lone young woman

travel hundreds of miles unharmed in these times?

What are you doing? What are you doing?

Look at her clothes!

They're too clean!

Curfew is about to start.

If we let

a woman with unknown origins stay here,

and the patrol guards find out later,

we'll be in big trouble!

It's going to rain again.

Let her stay for the night.

Old man,

if it's too much trouble for you,

I'll look for another place.

Young lady,

it's no trouble, no trouble!

Just stay here for the night, okay?

Young lady,

eat this while it's hot.

Uncle Zhou,

thank you.

Young lady,

go ahead and eat.

Uncle Zhou,

have you really never heard of Wu Ling?

He's my own brother.

He promised to come home to find my father and me.

If you really can't find him,

I'll ask someone to send you back.

No!

I can't go back!

Everyone will die if I go back!

Stop pretending to be pitiful!

I don't believe you're really here to find your brother.

You scouted this place out and plan to steal something!

I'm talking to you!

Are you mute?

Demon! Demon!

My brother's name is Wu Ling!

He works in the city!

He even sent a letter last year

saying he got a promotion!

Bullshit!

Wu Ling...

He's been dead for a long time!

You're lying!

My brother can't be dead!

He's dead!

Young lady?

How is it you?

Where's Zhu Wu?

How could he let you do such rough work?

Uncle Zhou,

I want to grind some soybean milk

to take back for my brother.

It's his favorite.

Uncle Zhou,

my hand seems stuck.

Can you help me

please?

Uncle Zhou,

look!

This way, the soybean milk is extra fresh

and delicious!

Why aren't you asleep?

Boss,

don't you think something's wrong?

I heard movement

from the woodshed.

It's the middle of the night.

We have to grind tofu tomorrow.

Maybe it's just the wind.

It's not the wind.

I just peeked over at the woodshed.

Through the crack in the window,

I saw a dark shadow moving.

Where is she?

The wall... the wall is soft!

Nonsense!

It's... it's all hair!

Are you

looking for me?

Demon! Demon! Demon!

Y-Y-Y-Your

Y-Y-Your Honor!

I woke up at the first rooster crow,

and the

woodshed was empty!

That W-W-Wu woman was gone!

All I saw was Zhu Wu standing there,

staring blankly,

foam at the mouth,

like he was possessed by an evil spirit!

I tried my best

to drag him to the government office.

But when we got to the street corner,

he just

disappeared

into thin air!

Out of nowhere!

He was just gone!

Do you know that lying to this official

is punishable by forty lashes?

Your Honor! Your Honor!

I dare not lie, Your Honor!

I've run this tofu shop for ten years!

I've never even taken

a single bean from my neighbors!

How dare I make up lies to you, Your Honor?

The case is unclear.

Take this old man into custody for now.

We'll investigate further.

Captain Tang!

Here, Your Honor!

Take two men to the tofu shop on West Street.

Verify the truth.

Hurry back!

Yes, sir!

Let's go!

Your Honor!

Captain Tang found this at the tofu shop.

Zhu Wu's body was discovered there

and has been moved to the mortuary.

Coroner Li was just about to examine it.

Your Honor!

Look, Your Honor!

As soon as the steel needle went in three inches,

it turned like this!

From the initial examination,

all the blood in the deceased's body has dried up,

turned black,

and is extremely thick.

His skin is stiff,

and blood is oozing from his eyes.

His entire body decomposed within an hour of death!

I've never seen such a strange sight in my life!

To determine the exact cause and time of death,

further autopsy is needed.

Captain Tang said

the woodshed at the tofu shop is covered in hair,

wrapped around the beams like living things!

As for that Miss Wu Shuang,

there's no trace of her anywhere.

Your Honor,

what's happening

is really bizarre!

That old man Zhou

was so scared he wet his pants!

How much of what he said can we believe?

But Captain Tang saw it with his own eyes too

that hair!

And there's something even stranger.

People in the city have been saying

it's not a strange illness at all.

It's a celestial change!

The refugees are talking about

"Maitreya descending and the White Sun Calamity."

Have you heard of it, Your Honor?

"The Red Sun Calamity ends,

the White Sun rises."

It's just an excuse for rebels to incite rebellion!

Zhu Wu decomposed like that

less than an hour after death.

What if... what if...

No "what ifs."

I govern Huazhou.

The imperial law reigns here!

Any calamity or evil spirit

daring to cause trouble

will be executed without mercy!

Your Honor, your subordinate has fulfilled his mission!

We've captured the woman and brought her before you.

Please issue your orders.

Excellent!

Captain Tang, you're truly brave!

Once this case is closed,

I'll recommend you for a promotion

to the higher authorities.

Thank you, Your Honor!

Let me go!

Let me go!

Let me go!

What is she saying?

Captain Tang!

Captain Tang!

Tang...

Your Honor!

Help me!

Wh-wh-wh-wh-what...

Sh-she's a d-demon! A witch!

She's a d-demon! A witch!

Your Honor!

Y-Y-Your

Honor!

Your Honor!

Coroner Li!

Coroner Li!

He's dead!

Wh-wh-wh...

Let me go!

Summon the executioner at once!

Chop off this thing's head with the ghost-headed saber!

Let me go!

Shouldn't we interrogate her first?

Such an evil creature

no need for interrogation!

Let me go!

I'm from Wujia Gou!

I'm here to find my brother Wu Ling!

Let me go!

I'm here to find my brother Wu Ling!

Please let me go!

Still spouting nonsense!

Execute her immediately!

Hurry!

Gouge out this witch's eyes!

I thought after beheading this witch,

everything would return to normal.

But who would have thought,

an even greater disaster followed.

The strange illness spread throughout Huazhou,

and even doctors were helpless.

Later, after careful investigation,

we discovered that everyone who fell ill

had come into contact with this witch in some way.

I was afraid this matter would

displease His Majesty,

so I gathered all the sick people

and imprisoned them outside the city.

I also strictly prohibited anyone

from spreading news about this witch.

I saw it with my own eyes

the witch was beheaded with a ghost-headed saber.

There's no way she could have revived.

But given our current situation,

this must be malicious revenge.

I can roughly guess

who's behind this.

It must be Wu Ling

the man the witch kept mentioning.

Magistrate Chen,

you just said the witch

came to find her brother

a man named Wu Ling?

Yes.

Impossible! Impossible!

It can't be Wu Ling

taking revenge on us.

I know Wu Ling.

What?

Then

where is he now?

He's dead.

Wu Ling

he was my personal soldier, trained by me.

Skilled in swordsmanship and horsemanship,

and he could even read a few characters.

He was a raw gem worth polishing.

Every time I dined with Lieutenant General,

I'd take him along.

First,

I wanted him to see the world,

to taste Xinfeng wine.

Second,

I hoped the Lieutenant would promote him.

He's fierce

this boy's original name was Wu Ling.

I took a liking to him,

so I renamed him Tian Bai

he's like my adopted son.

General Tian personally renamed him?

That's quite an honor.

He carries himself well.

Your subordinate Tian Bai pays homage to Lieutenant General!

It's my duty

to serve you, my lords.

Rise.

Thank you, my lord.

The east is restless these days.

We need men as capable as you.

If you truly have talent,

you'll earn military merits

when you march to war later.

Thank you, my lord!

Fill his cup.

Lieutenant General,

please.

Big... big... big...

Big! Small! Big! Small! Big! Small!

Come, come, come!

Who would've thought

Huazhou's strange illness struck so suddenly?

Even with strict military discipline,

many soldiers fell ill.

So I sent Wu Ling with a prescription

to buy medicine.

Shopkeeper!

Stock up on more licorice and Chinese angelica

two bundles each.

The brothers in the camp

have been coughing badly lately.

These two herbs work.

Right away, Lord Wu!

Fortune-telling!

Predict your future!

Watch where you're going!

You blind fool!

Teach him a lesson!

Stop!

Show some respect!

Yes, yes!

Thank you for your kindness, military lord.

This old man is fine.

Take it all.

Natural disasters keep coming

when will it end?

Fortune-telling!

Predict your future!

As the strange illness raged,

many people died in the city every day.

The Imperial Bodyguards handled corpses in the east city,

while

we Divine Strategy Army soldiers took charge of the west.

Corpses

were usually transported outside the city and burned.

But wealthy families

they refused to be burned with commoners.

Master Cai!

The military has rules,

and the Lieutenant has orders:

Corpses of plague victims

shall not be privately buried.

I'm in a position

watched by the Lieutenant above

and my brothers below.

I can't afford a single mistake.

Please understand, General!

This old lady did good deeds all her life

how could she carry plague?

This small gift

please use it to buy wine for your brothers to warm up.

Your kindness will earn you blessings,

and good fortune will come to you!

Fine.

For the sake of your filial piety,

Tian Bai!

Here!

Wealthy people are really privileged

they even want a nice plot when dead.

Tian Bai,

when you make it big by General Tian's side,

If becomes developed in the future

don't forget to share the benefits with us brothers!

Rest assured.

You'll all get your share!

Digging's almost done.

Let's go up and carry the coffin.

Alright!

Let's do it!

Set it steady!

Bury it firmly!

The old lady hates noise

don't let wild dogs dig it up.

Buried this deep,

not even dogs

not even mice can get in!

Enough chattering!

Finish burying and leave quickly.

No one can afford mistakes here!

He should've never buried the body here

the biggest mistake of his life!

Didn't he see

the century-old locust tree behind the grave?

Its shade covered half the pit.

It's like

inviting the dead to be possessed by spirits!

Water...

Thirsty...

Y-you're not dead?

Thief!

Daring to steal my belongings!

Can't even rest in peace!

Beast!

That's mine!

Who's there?

Military lord, your forehead is dark,

and evil energy clings to you.

Could it be that you've touched something unclean?

Do you remember this old man, military lord?

Old sir!

You mean I'm possessed by a vengeful ghost?

This old man smells

the resentment of someone newly deceased on you!

Such a thing doesn't attach to the living

for no reason.

What on earth is going on?

The "Book of Residence" says:

"Locust trees are where ghosts dwell."

Those who die violently are already haunted by yin energy.

Burying them beside a ghost tree

is like pouring oil on fire!

Yin energy gathers at the grave,

and malicious energy arises in three days.

But such a vengeful ghost

without a personal artifact to guide it,

it could never find a living person.

You must have left something in the grave!

It must be my military tag that fell into the pit!

That's it!

There's only one way to break this curse:

Tonight at the Chou hour (1-3 AM),

when the Big Dipper points to yin,

it will be the peak of yin energy.

The old locust tree at the grave

it has absorbed thirty years of grave yin energy.

The bark reeks of corpse fluid!

Take this old woodcutter's knife

and cut three inches of bark from it.

When the bark breaks,

red liquid will flow out.

Don't let it touch your hands

otherwise, it will rot to the bone!

Then dig three feet deeper into the grave

and pour in these earth dragons (earthworms).

These are white-necked earthworms

I searched for forty-nine days in the mountains.

They feed on decaying soil

and are skilled at burrowing.

Cover the pit quickly after pouring them in

they're extremely sensitive to movement.

The slightest disturbance will make them flee!

When the earth dragons enter the grave,

the earth's energy will surge instantly.

Don't step back

otherwise, the yin energy will follow your scent

all the way home!

At the first rooster crow,

open the coffin!

Old hag! That's my military tag!

Stuff this black donkey's hoof

into the dead person's mouth!

It's an extremely yang object

it can suppress the ghost's three souls!

Old hag!

Dare you cause trouble again?

Swallow it!

Big... big... big...

Three... four... five!

Big... big... big!

Come on, keep going!

Big... big... big!

Wait!

I'm betting everything on this!

Dare you accept?

Dare you? Dare you?

I'll follow! I'll follow!

Big... big... big!

It's three of a kind!

Three of a kind!

The fortune-teller was right

after surviving a great disaster,

I'll have great fortune!

Three of a kind! Small!

Small! Small! Small!

Three of a kind! Small!

Three of a kind!

Yes!

General Fan!

Your things!

This general's surname is Wu!

Your life is only worth this little money?

Go to hell!

No! No!

Wu Ling's body

it was our Divine Strategy Army brothers

who found it in Madame Cai's grave.

So that means

the witch

the reason she could never find Wu Ling

is because

in the military, everyone called him Tian Bai!

What's wrong with you?

It all connects! It all connects!

What connects?

We're dealing with a family!

A family!

What are you saying?

Minister Yang, speak quickly!

At the height of the strange illness,

I was sent by the Ministry of Revenue

to investigate the situation in Huazhou.

But that very night,

I fled back in panic.

That's because

outside the city,

I saw something even more bizarre!

I never imagined

as soon as I reached the suburbs,

I realized

the countryside was scarier than the city!

I walked exhausted on the official road.

Every village I passed was silent

not a single soul in sight.

Even with silver in my pocket,

I had nowhere to spend it!

Old man!

What are you doing sitting here?

Waiting for my Ling'er and Shuang'er.

Do you have any food?

Yes.

I have food!

I came from the city

haven't eaten all the way.

If you have food, old man,

please spare me some.

How much silver do you want?

Any amount.

No need.

No need.

I do have food.

Everyone in the village is gone.

Just me left I can't finish it all.

Old man,

what's your surname?

Surname Wu.

Everyone in this village

dead... all dead.

What bad luck!

Such terrible luck!

Locust plague earlier this year,

then this strange illness.

When the locusts came

they covered the sky and earth!

Seedlings in the fields,

vegetables in the courtyards,

straw on the roof beams

they ate everything clean!

Luckily, my Ling'er

he works in the city.

I asked the old scholar in the village

to write a letter

to tell the authorities

about the famine in the village.

Write:

Shuang'er is starving and can't get up.

Ask him to borrow half a bag of bran first

to save our lives!

Before long,

Ling'er wrote back.

Father!

Brother wrote back!

He said grain will arrive next month!

And he said

he'll bring me a piece of candy!

Finally, we have hope!

Hope at last!

We waited and waited

There's no left waiting either

There's no right waiting either

My daughter

she wanted to go to the city to find her brother.

I told her to wait

Ling'er has a hard job.

I didn't want others to gossip about him.

But seeing the villagers starving to death,

I couldn't bear to see my daughter suffer.

So I went to the Plague God Temple.

By the wall there

growing there was a plant

called "Evil Tai Sui" (a mythical creature).

It looked like a human brain

slimy and sticky.

Old folks said

it's an earth spirit!

An earth spirit!

You can't eat it!

Eating it will incur heavenly punishment!

But Shuang'er was starving to death

what's heavenly punishment compared to starvation?

Earth spirit! Earth spirit!

Please save Shuang'er's life!

Whatever retribution there is

let it fall on me!

Shuang'er!

Hurry and eat it while it's hot!

Father, you eat first.

Father was so hungry earlier

I ate a piece in the kitchen.

You eat.

Eat well and wait for your brother.

Okay.

Father!

Look，this is meat!

So fragrant!

Shuang'er

it's better than tree bark!

Right after that,

Erzhu, who talked to Shuang'er,

started coughing up blood.

Erzhu!

And Third Aunt

she borrowed half a steamed bun from Shuang'er.

She collapsed too!

Third Aunt!

I knew it

it was the Evil Tai Sui's fault!

Shuang'er became the catalyst!

Shuang'er!

Shuang'er!

Shuang'er!

Walk slowly!

Find your brother

hurry back!

Father will wait for you at home!

I'll wait in the village

wait for the relief grain from the city!

But it never came!

The villagers

one by one, they died of illness.

Only I survived.

What a sin!

Strange illness everywhere!

This old man

I'm not going anywhere!

I have to wait for my Ling'er and Shuang'er!

I'll get you food!

It's all meat left by the Mountain God!

I thought

no grain left,

where did the meat come from?

Come

Warm yourself by the fire.

I'll roast meat for you!

This is

fox meat!

Fox meat is delicious!

Our village

it's full of foxes!

No people left,

foxes run wild everywhere!

Later, I'll take you to the side hall

I caught many foxes there.

Enough to eat!

Enough!

No relief grain

it's okay.

This old man will eat fox meat!

This fox meat has it been left out too long?

The weather is cold.

This meat

it won't go bad easily.

Roast it well

still edible!

Fox meat!

All this is fox meat!

These

What are these things?

This is Old Cheng's whole family.

This is Gouqi's mother.

This is Old Lame and his brother.

I have to survive.

I have to wait for my Ling'er and Shuang'er!

There's nothing left to eat in the village.

Only fox meat remains!

You're crazy!

You're the one who's crazy!

Only fox meat is left!

Didn't you want to eat fox meat?

As soon as I fled back to Chang'an,

I told the Minister

about this terrible incident.

But in Chang'an,

refugees from Huazhou had already arrived.

The city was already in chaos.

No one cared at all.

So that means

Old Man Wu is dead too?

All gone.

The whole family is wiped out.

Then what on earth is

haunting us in the middle of the night?

Lord Chen,

do you think

it could be Wu Shuang turned evil spirit?

Now Huang Chao's army has reached Tongguan.

The world is filled with hostility.

It's not impossible

for the dead to return to life!

General Tian and I both saw it.

Can it be that both of us were hallucinating?

No.

No.

Something's wrong with the air.

My whole body feels weak,

like my bones have been pulled out.

It's like

someone drugged me with muscle-relaxing powder.

It must be Wu Shuang's ghost come to avenge you!

She died wrongfully.

What's that got to do with me?

Shut up!

How dare the spirit of a dead prisoner

cause trouble in front of me?

She was beheaded with a ghost-headed saber.

How could she return to life?

Who says beheaded people can't come back?

What kind of creature are you?

Daring to kidnap Lord Tian?

Do you know who my adoptive father is?

My adoptive father is Eunuch Tian Zhengyi!

Let me go at once!

Otherwise,

I'll have you

chopped into pieces!

Immortal Master, spare me!

This official is Yang Zhizhi, Vice Minister of Revenue.

I only calculate grain and silver in the ya men.

I've never harmed anyone!

You must have arrested the wrong person!

I've never had any dealings with the Wu family!

Your Excellency, if you want money,

this old man is willing to offer a thousand taels of gold!

I don't want money.

I want the lives of the three of you.

It's... it's this...

What are you yelling about?

It's not me who wants to kill you.

It's the death row prisoner you mentioned

who wants to settle blood debts.

Are you talking about that Wu Shuang?

But she

she clearly was already...

You chopped off her head,

but I stitched her body back together.

That day, Old Man Wu held her corpse

and knelt at my door, kowtowing until his head bled,

begging me to mend her body.

The evil things in this temple

turned her into a fierce ghost.

She forced me to use the three of your lives

to make three body vessels

to bring their whole family back from the underworld.

You mean

she turned into a fierce ghost?

Where is she?

Right here in this temple.

Immortal Master,

please spare me!

I have nothing to do with that witch!

She must have arrested the wrong person!

Don't worry.

Don't worry.

The body vessel ritual will start soon.

Your whole family

can return to the mortal world!

I...

I... I...

One talisman stabilizes the cosmos!

Spiritual altar,

rise!

Ghosts of Fengdu,

hear my command!

March forward!

Stay away! Stay away!

Immortal Master, save me!

I was wrong!

I didn't mean to kill him!

I really didn't mean to!

Your Excellency,

if you spare me,

this old man

is willing to add another five thousand taels!

Gold ingots hidden in Nanshan Grotto!

Five thousand taels?

Why should I believe you?

How about this?

Let me go alone to fetch it,

and leave these two as hostages.

How does that sound?

Chen Weishan!

You old scoundrel!

Trying to sell me out to save your own skin?

Do you think

I don't know about all your dirty deeds?

Since you've hidden so many gold ingots,

I get out,

I'll tell Eunuch Tian to seize your home first!

Tian Jinxiao!

You embezzled the border army's winter clothes,

causing hundreds of soldiers to freeze to death at Tongguan!

If this gets to the Lieutenant,

do you think your adoptive father can protect you?

Bullshit!

During the Huazhou locust plague, you reported to the court

that the people were living in peace and prosperity!

If this gets out,

do you think the Three Judicial Bodies will spare you?

General Tian,

watch your words! Watch your words!

Both you and Lord Chen, say less!

Bah, Yang!

Do you think I believe that

nonsense about the Tai Sui you made up?

You heartless beast!

It must be you

who embezzled the relief grain for Wujia Gou,

triggering the great plague in Huazhou!

Tian Jinxiao, stop pretending to be moral!

Wu Ling was your personal soldier,

obeying your every order.

Do you really think he dared

to steal money from the dead without your command?

At least I'm better than you!

You tried to seize Miss Wu Shuang,

assaulted her while drunk,

and when she fought back desperately,

you smashed her head with an ink slab!

Then you made the coroner alter the autopsy report,

calling her a witch!

Do you think I have no connections in Huazhou?

Stop arguing! Stop arguing!

We're all in the same boat.

None of us have clean hands!

This isn't the time to settle scores!

Someone else holds our weaknesses,

that's why none of us dared to expose it earlier!

Cut the hypocrisy!

Tian, you dared to investigate me behind my back,

scheme against me!

I'll never forgive you!

Enough!

You...

It looks like we don't need the ghost messengers to act.

You've already spilled all your crimes yourselves!

What trick are you playing?

I think someone

is watching the show in secret!

Wang Shao!

So it's you, this Jinwu Guard dog, who set the trap!

Bastard, let me go!

So that's it!

I thought so!

Why is it this lousy temple again?

You saw it all along,

this is the Plague God Temple

where you killed Old Man Wu!

But you didn't dare expose it,

not out of loyalty,

but because you were afraid

your own crimes would be exposed too!

Did you think hiding from each other

would let you survive in these troubled times?

You...

You're not dead?

Tian Jinxiao!

Do you think killing me

can cover up your gambling addiction,

embezzlement of military pay,

and theft of property from plague victims?

The relatives of those you ruined

have long submitted

their complaints to the Three Judicial Bodies!

You're not Old Man Wu.

You're that coffin maker!

Then the Wu Shuang we saw...

Shuang'er and Xiao Zhou look seventy percent alike.

It was perfect

to make you guilty officials

panic and mess up.

Every crime you accused each other of just now

was clearly heard by the Three Judicial officials outside!

It's all over!

Let me go! Let me go!

My adoptive father is Eunuch Tian!

How dare you touch me?

Lord Wu, spare me!

I... I'm willing to atone for my crimes!

All their corruption ledgers!

I'll hand over

Shut up, bastard!

None of you three officials are good!

Do you know

who those rebels outside Tongguan are now?

They're the border soldiers you exploited,

and the starving refugees from Huazhou!

If you officials hadn't

pushed the common people to this point,

would they have rebelled and become rebels?

Just now,

what Tian Jinxiao said

is all true.

You seized Shuang'er,

killed her,

and framed her!

Please, for the sake of

this old man

having served the court for thirty years...

Served the court for thirty years?

You've tormented the people for thirty years!

Now,

I want you to tell the truth

in front of everyone,

exactly as it happened!

Give my sister justice!

Shopkeeper,

do you happen to know an official named Wu Ling?

Wu Ling?

Never heard of him.

Never heard of him.

Young Master, greetings.

This humble girl Wu Shuang

is looking for my elder brother Wu Ling.

He works in the city,

but this is my first time here.

I don't know where he is.

Young lady, try somewhere else.

This is from kind people.

Eat quickly.

We've been looking for three days and found nothing.

Do you think your brother really abandoned you?

No!

My brother would never forget me!

He's the best brother in the world!

He said

he'd bring us relief grain

and told Father and me to wait.

I know I'll wait for him!

A prosperous people make a strong nation.

A nation is the state,

and the people are us common folk!

Good!

Here you go.

Noodles are ready!

You must be starving.

Today's your birthday.

You should eat two.

Today, I feel

like an emperor!

This year,

we'll surely have a good harvest!

Brother!

Father and I are waiting for you!

My brother's name is Wu Ling.

He works in the city.

Do you know where he is?

Go straight ahead.

The prefecture ya men is around the corner.

Ask there.

Thank you, Uncle.

Calm down, my lord.

A common girl is asking to see you,

saying she's looking for her brother who works here.

I didn't dare let her in without permission,

so I told her to wait in the corridor.

With the plague rampant these days,

how dare you bring just anyone into the ya men?

Your Honor!

Your Honor!

Please have mercy!

Help me find my brother Wu Ling!

If he knows,

he'll surely repay your great kindness!

Bring her in.

You seem quite engrossed, young lady.

Thank you, Your Honor, for the clothes and soup.

By the way,

you said

your brother's name is Wu Ling.

Where does he work?

Your Honor,

I only know it's in Huazhou.

I don't know the exact camp.

This humble girl doesn't know.

You don't know which camp?

What does your brother look like exactly?

Come, tell me in detail.

Maybe

I've seen him somewhere.

My brother...

Sit on my lap

and speak slowly.

Your Honor,

please show some respect!

I'm honoring you by letting you sit here!

Don't you appreciate it?

Why?

Don't you want to see your brother anymore?

Come here!

Come here!

Presumptuous!

Rebellious!

You're rebellious!

Your Honor!

This woman

has the plague!

She must be a disaster star reincarnated!

She tried to harm me!

You're lying!

You're shameless!

You tried to molest me!

You...

How dare you frame this official?

Your brother must be a traitor too!

Go!

Track down Wu Ling's whereabouts!

Arrest him and behead him too!

Don't touch my brother!

I beg you!

Kill me or torture me just let him go!

I'll apologize to you!

Do you think begging will help?

Your brother Wu Ling is indeed a traitor!

You won't live either!

Go arrest Wu Ling!

Hurry!

Chen Weishan!

If you dare touch a hair on my brother's head,

even if I become a ghost,

I'll drag you to hell with me!

You...

Witch!

How dare you threaten this official?

Hurry!

Chen Weishan!

I'll skin you alive,

pull out your tendons,

and make you suffer worse than death!

Witch!

Witch!

Witch!

Even if I become a ghost,

I'll never let you go!

The Tang Dynasty still has laws!

Someone!

Here!

This woman is the source of chaos!

Behead her immediately!

Throw her in the mass grave!

Yes, sir!

Your Honor!

According to the law, she should be tried first!

Such an evil spirit

doesn't deserve legal procedures!

Behead her!

You harmful officials!

None of you will die a good death!

My brother will avenge me!

Everything you just said

is it all true?

It...

It... It's true!

Speak louder!

Let all the people hear it!

It's true!

It's true!

It's true!

Please, for the sake of

this old man also serving the Tang Dynasty...

I...

I...

The three of them

one embezzled relief grain,

triggering the plague;

One stole military pay,

killing soldiers;

One disregarded human life,

murdering a common girl!

I clearly threw you into the fire and burned you to death!

How can you still be alive?

Thanks to you,

Yama temporarily lent me this life.

Do you want to know how I survived?

This time, the border army's military pay

was diverted to our Divine Strategy Army.

After building the barracks,

there was still plenty left.

Perfect to offer as a tribute to you, my lord.

Please count it.

Was everything handled properly?

Old bastard!

You even want to cling to silver in the grave!

Open it! Open it! Open it!

Fool!

Your own personal guards

dare to sue you at the Censorate!

What kind of Central Protector are you?

It's that Wu Ling!

It must be him!

Later, go strip all the burial goods from that old woman!

Hairpins, jewelry, silver bracelets

leave nothing behind!

General!

That old woman died of the plague.

According to regulations, she should be buried deep.

Regulations? What regulations?

The body is wrapped in three layers of linen

and sprinkled with quicklime.

It's supposed to prevent the plague.

If we rummage like this,

what if

What if what?

My words are the regulations!

Hurry up!

Aren't you afraid of the stench?

Tomorrow, tell Hu Banxian to make some talisman water

for the brothers to wipe themselves with.

I treated him well!

Yet he bites me from behind!

If it weren't for Lord Tian sending a warning in advance,

You have already

eating steamed cornbread

in the Ministry of Justice's prison right now!

Get out of the way!

I told you

I told you not to sue the emperor!

Mind your own business!

Let me tell you this

in Huazhou,

I am the law!

Karma will catch up to you sooner or later!

Fine!

I'll wait!

Throw him into the broken temple!

Wait a minute!

Ling'er!

Father!

I thought I'd never see you again!

Father!

Ever since you went to Chang'an to serve,

nothing has gone right in the village!

Locusts ate all the seedlings in the fields!

I asked Old Scholar to write to you,

to ask the higher-ups

when the relief grain would arrive!

They said the court had allocated the relief grain,

but it never came!

The villagers are starving to death!

Then this strange illness from Huazhou hit,

and now barely anyone in the village is left alive!

Shuang'er couldn't bear it anymore,

so she went to the city to beg for your help!

Father!

Where is Shuang'er?

Is Shuang'er okay?

That old dog Chen Weishan!

When he saw Shuang'er wasn't infected,

he got lecherous thoughts!

That dog official Chen Weishan

falsely accused her of being the source of the plague ，

killed her!

And my father

as the only witness to Yang Zhizhi embezzling relief grain

and killing innocent people,

was also brutally silenced!

Why hasn't the court sent relief grain?

Why aren't you infected?

Why are you still alive?

You dog official!

Let go!

I'm going to the court to sue you!

I'm going to sue you!

This isn't over!

Father was lucky to survive.

When Father woke up,

I realized

all the coughing people in the city,

everyone infected with the illness,

was just like Father

locked up in this broken temple

by them, labeled as monsters!

That temple is outside the city, right?

Burn it down with everyone inside!

Leave no one alive!

Father!

No!

Shoot!

Father!

We have to break out!

Father!

Father!

Father!

Father!

Ling'er!

Father!

Live well!

Avenge Shuang'er,

avenge all the villagers who died!

Father!

You are awake!

Are you the Wu Ling

who broke into the Censorate to sue the emperor?

Where... where is my father?

Where is my father?

Your father has passed away.

When we arrived,

we only managed to pull you out of the fire.

Qiu Ran, Chief of Chang'an's Detective Bureau.

Why did you save me?

Although detectives operate in the dark,

hidden from the light of day,

but

specialize in righting wrongs that the world ignores.

Do you want to avenge your father,

avenge your sister,

and seek justice for the villagers burned to death?

Join us.

Let those corrupt officials know

that in the Great Tang,

justice still exists!

From that day on,

Wu Ling no longer existed.

Only Ye Xiao, the detective.

At that time, rumors of evil spirits ran rampant in Huazhou.

The Son of Heaven

personally ordered Wang Shao of the Imperial Bodyguards

and me to solve the mystery within seven days,

to clear my family's name.

Despicable!

You bunch of traitors currying favor with eunuchs

the path of justice is full of obstacles!

You've brought shame to the Divine Strategy Army!

We had no choice but to set this ghostly trap,

finally luring you to show your true colors.

Now, with the Three Judicial Bodies here,

the evidence against you is irrefutable.

There's no way to escape!

Although the strange illness was cured long ago,

the hearts of the people

have been stirred up by you perpetrators.

Today,

you are sentenced to death by beheading.

Right here, in front of the Plague God Temple,

under heaven and earth!

Execution immediately!

To warn others,

and to appease the public anger!

You three corrupt officials

do you have any last words?

Execute!

Behead!

Good! Good! Good!

Well beheaded! Well beheaded! Well beheaded!

Beheading these three traitors

to thank heaven,

and to comfort the dead!

Father!

Shuang'er!

Ling'er!

I've avenged you!

Father!

Brother said when the relief grain arrives,

we'll

plant half an acre of wheat!