Original subtitles

♪The Upper Three hold the seals♪

♪A valiant general, an opera star, and a ruthless cripple♪

♪The Middle Three stir the clouds♪

♪A fiend, a wandering hero, and a master of the blade♪

♪The Lower Three deal in gold♪

♪A beauty, a seer, and a scholar♪

♪The Upper, Middle, and Lower Three♪

♪Represent the nine houses of old Changsha♪

♪Together, they are known♪

♪As the Mystic Nine♪

[Mystic Nine] [Adapted from the novel of Kennedy Xu]

[Episode 8] [This story is purely fictional]

If I were writing this play,

the shadow would be this man,

Yin Changsheng himself.

He probably took one of his own pills

and became neither human nor ghost.

Quite a show

has unfolded in this tower.

Squire Wang donated 300 liang of silver.

Squire Zhang donated a pair of ruyi scepters.

I don't believe it.

There must be

some plot we haven't noticed.

What other plot could there be?

So many things have happened here

that don't make sense.

My men have vanished,

and you can't catch up with yours.

We closed our eyes,

and we all ended up in another space.

Once you admit

Yin Changsheng's tricks really work,

everything makes sense.

What other answer

could there possibly be?

I don't believe any of it.

Tiezui, how I miss you!

Master Zhang?

Laogou?

Stinky Yu?

Eighth Master.

Stinky Yu, am I glad to see you!

Let's find the others.

All right.

Let's go.

They really made it down here!

What happened?

The hair on that mural was poisonous.

It shouldn't be too serious.

I've survived Blood Corpse poison before.

Let's hurry and meet up with them.

The poisoning isn't severe,

but your pulse is too fast.

Rest here.

I'll go find Tiezui.

Don't move until I return.

Runty.

Runty.

An illusion...

This is an illusion.

Enough of these tricks.

Yin Changsheng, what do you want?

Laogou.

Laogou!

I'm coming.

I'm coming to you.

Xiaoyu.

- Master! - Master Zhang!

My dear Master Zhang!

Master Zhang, I've missed you so much!

My dear Master Zhang,

we've searched everywhere for you.

Are you all right?

Are you hurt?

I'm fine.

Thank goodness.

Where's Laogou?

He's been poisoned,

but he's out of danger.

He's resting elsewhere for now.

Good.

By the way,

just now,

we got a message from Laogou's bird, Tu.

So it really is some kind of visual trick.

Otherwise,

Tu couldn't have flown from where you were

and made it back to us.

If it's a trick,

that makes things easier.

It doesn't, Master Zhang.

We've searched all this way,

but still haven't figured out how the mechanism works.

Isn't that Laogou's whistle?

Didn't you say he was resting?

He always does as he pleases.

Xiaojin.

Yes.

Tell Fifth Master to meet us at the stage.

The rest of you, follow me.

Yes.

Hurry.

This is where the Three Worms were hiding.

"Madam Wang's Lecture"?

This play isn't that old.

It was originally a story in Li Yu's "Silent Dramas"

and wasn't adapted for the stage until the 15th year of Guangxu.

Then that means

this place was built in the Qing dynasty.

Yin Changsheng built it.

Yin Changsheng?

Master Zhang,

then this...

this stage is no ordinary one.

Follow me.

Miss Huo.

Let's go.

- Master! - Master!

Heifeng.

Juanlian.

Are you all right?

We're fine.

Xiangu.

Xiangu!

Laogou,

what happened to you?

I heard your whistles,

so I came to meet you.

It's dangerous here.

This place is dangerous!

Where's Zhang Qishan?

We got separated.

I got separated from him.

Master,

you seem a little...

Poison.

There's poison here.

Don't touch anything.

Master,

why don't you rest for a while?

I'll get you out.

I have to get you out.

I'm really worried.

What's happened here?

Yes...

I need to get you out.

Your lives matter more than mine.

I'll get you out.

I'll get you out.

Where's the exit?

Where's the exit?

Miss Huo,

what's...

what's wrong with Master?

He is acting rather strangely.

Tiezui,

is that man up there Yin Changsheng?

That tall hat

and the entire abode built on a great ghost...

It really is Yin Changsheng, Master Zhang.

No wonder this place is so strange.

It was built

in the image of Fengdu.

If it really is him,

we're in serious trouble!

Stop being mysterious. Speak plainly.

Master Zhang,

this immortal

was rather peculiar

and loved playing tricks.

And

look at the layout.

This seems to be his tomb.

Could he be

buried here?

This doesn't look like an ancient tomb.

It seems to be a place for studying magic.

Master Zhang,

that's where you're mistaken.

A mystic's tomb

and a place for studying magic

are often indistinguishable.

So was he a mystic or an immortal?

According to folklore,

he was certainly an immortal.

But

what the truth was

can no longer be verified.

Take a look

at these vats

and tell me what the symbols mean.

These symbols

are all suppression talismans.

There must be something evil sealed inside the vats.

These lids must never be opened.

That's it?

Well, I...

I'll go study the mural.

We've already done that.

You have?

So you and Laogou

have seen everything worth seeing?

Then let's leave.

If we find the mechanism and get out within two hours,

we can still make it back for dinner.

It seems you refuse to use your real skills.

Then it makes no difference whether you're here or not.

Spread the word:

Eighth Master looks down on me, Zhang Qishan.

Did everyone hear that?

Master Zhang...

Master Zhang,

look at me.

My eyes are practically glowing.

Rest assured.

I promise I'll find something useful.

Let me check the layout.

Master Zhang,

does the mural

show a stage?

The mechanism that leads us out

is hidden in the stage.

Military manual on the left, wooden sword on the right.

Have Madam Wang hand them over. Quick.

Master,

a door opened.

Continue.

Give the abacus to the son.

The ledger goes to Madam Wang.

Open it to a page,

as though she's teaching him bookkeeping.

Master, another door opened.

Two doors really did open.

Impressive, Eighth Master.

People

are so caught up in the classics,

yet they forget there are countless trades,

and every trade has its masters.

Master Zhang,

we now have two paths.

One is probably safe, the other deadly.

Which one do we take?

Which do you think we should take?

- I think we should... - This one, then.

Wait.

Master Zhang!

Master Zhang, aren't we waiting for Laogou?

Xiangu can look after him.

Leave him a sign.

[Nine]

- Zhang Qishan! - Master Zhang!

Master Zhang!

- Zhang Qishan! - Master Zhang!

Master Zhang!

Master Zhang!

We agreed to meet at the stage.

Where is everyone?

Laogou,

could Master Zhang and the others

have gone through these two openings?

Zhang Qishan left without me?

These two openings

weren't here before.

There's no other way out,

so let's go in first.

This way.

Master,

what happened earlier?

This place is deeply sinister.

As soon as we find a way out,

we'll leave.

Laogou.

Laogou.

Calm down.

There's something I need to tell you.

Master,

the hand

we saw in Liunian Hall...

Was it yours?

I don't know.

Then how do you explain

this button?

I really don't know.

But at the time you mentioned,

I was indeed with Zhang Qishan.

So where did this button come from?

And how could that have been my hand?

If someone vanished, we could blame it on spirits clouding our sight.

But how do you explain something

appearing out of nowhere?

We can't waste any more time.

This place is deeply sinister.

Find a way out, quickly.

Master,

that's Runty barking.

You think I can't recognize it?

Master,

that's definitely Runty.

You're all hearing it too, right?

It's Runty.

All right.

Then let's go take a look.

Everyone, stay alert.

Yes.

Let's go.

Stop there!

Tianpeng! Zhenyuan!

Is that you?

Fifth Master!

We're... we're trapped!

Master, it really is Tianpeng and Zhenyuan.

Tianpeng! Zhenyuan!

Don't be afraid.

We'll get you out right now!

Master, save me!

Please save us, Master!

Find the mechanism.

Come here.

Come here.

Master,

how does this mechanism work?

It's a yin-yang lock.

The yang catch is here.

The yin catch is somewhere else.

They must be operated simultaneously to unlock it.

You stay here.

I'll find the yin catch.

Stay alert and follow my whistle.

Once I find the yin catch,

I'll tell you what to do.

- Yes. - Yes.

I'll go with you.

You should stay here.

Runty and the others are still trapped by the mechanism.

The more I think about it, the stranger it seems.

I suspect that shadow is in there too.

Once we disable the mechanism

and the door opens,

I'll need you here to back me up.

Laogou,

be careful.

Zhang Qishan, are you nearby?

My men are trapped! I need your help!

Why is there no answer?

This is the yin catch.

In position. Get ready.

In position.

Three notches left.

Three notches left.

Two notches right.

Two notches right.

One notch left.

Juanlian, I'm... I'm so scared!

Tianpeng, Zhenyuan,

we're about to open the door.

Hang in there!

Good! Hurry!

Two notches left.

Three notches right.

What's going on?

That's not what I whistled.

Wrong. Two notches left.

Three notches right?

Wait. That whistle sounded wrong.

Don't turn it, Juanlian!

Don't! It's deceiving you!

Juanlian, don't turn it!

That whistle is wrong!

Heifeng.

Heifeng.

♪See the moon, indelible as ink...♪

Aolie.

Aolie!

♪Who turns back with a troubled frown?♪

Juanlian!

♪If I could take one bright thread from memory...♪

Xiangu.

Xiangu?

Xiangu.

Xiangu.

♪A true heart has no cause for shame...♪

Xiangu...

Xiangu.

♪I drink a cup of rough wine♪

♪Right and wrong pass with the changing seasons♪

♪My heart unchanged, I have no regrets♪

♪However the past may have twisted and turned, I regret nothing with you♪

♪When a thousand sails ride wind and waves home, I'll sail with you again♪

♪When flowers fall and you return, I wish time could turn back♪

♪I'll share with you the lingering taste of new wine♪

♪However the past may have twisted and turned, I regret nothing with you...♪

Tianpeng. Tianpeng!

Zhenyuan.

Zhenyuan!

♪Before the night grows cold, old tales replay a thousand times♪

♪I'll return with you♪

♪I'll share with you the lingering taste of new wine♪

♪And get drunk with you♪

You win.

Monster or immortal,

human or ghost,

you win.

But don't get too pleased with yourself.

You won't keep winning forever.

Let's die together!

Burning candles to prolong life.

Why do the two people in this mural look identical?

What do you mean, identical?

This is called "A Miracle Cure."

Burn Candles to Prolong Life.

Ascend to Heaven.

Peer into the Future.

These are the three tricks.

The three tricks.

The trick for ascending to Heaven

is the one we already used.

That's why we ended up in this Underworld.

You showed me this

to remind me

they aren't dead yet, didn't you?

You want to force me to use this trick to save them?

Why?

Why?

What do you want?

What do you want?

Answer me.

This is the second time.

I'm warning you.

This is the second time!

Answer me!

Answer me!

You want me

to try all three tricks,

don't you?

Fine.

This round,

you win.

I'll do it.

Don't be afraid,

Xiangu.

I'll make you well again.

The rest of you too.

None of you are leaving me.

Even if it costs me my life today,

I'll pull you back from the brink of death.

Burning candles to prolong life

requires 49 candles.

The candles contain medicinal herbs.

Combined with other ingredients, they can save lives.

I'll light these candles,

but my people

must all be returned to me.

Otherwise,

you and I will be buried with them!

Which step did I get wrong?

How could this happen?

I've burned the hair

and lit the candles.

Why isn't it working?

Why isn't it working?

Aren't you supposed to heal them?

Where are my people?

Where are my people?

It worked.

I did it.

I did it.

♪The past fades like smoke♪

♪A choice is made in silence♪

♪In this labyrinthine puzzle♪

♪Who can reach the shore?♪

♪Just an ordinary farewell♪

♪The sun seems to shine bright over our heads♪

♪But this could be our last trip together♪

♪The spring breeze continues outside♪

♪Who was it who left in such haste?♪

♪Caught in the game, the raging waves fall silent♪

♪Who believes in fate?♪

♪For my home and my country, the years pass like a dream♪

♪When the song ends, who will still be waiting?♪

♪With a nod, we bid farewell and set out again♪

♪Take care♪

♪We once raced♪

♪For the dawn♪

♪Ever-lasting bond, a satisfying vindication♪

♪In the web of fate♪

♪No one can escape♪

♪Life and death cut like a blade♪

♪We too were young once♪

♪Fortunate to brave the raging waves together♪

♪Keep the ember lit♪

♪To illuminate the journey ahead♪

♪The spring breeze continues outside♪

♪Who was it who left in such haste?♪

♪Caught in the game, the raging waves fall silent♪

♪Who believes in fate?♪

♪For my home and my country, the years pass like a dream♪

♪When the song ends, who will still be waiting?♪

♪With a nod, we bid farewell and set out again♪

♪Please, do take care of yourself♪