Original subtitles

(Zhan Zhao Adventures)

(Episode 33)

I'm not good at comforting people.

Yesterday, we managed to save your life,

- but... - The medicine is bitter enough.

No need for harsh words.

Don't worry.

I'll be more careful with my life from now on.

I want to ask you for a favor.

When Ming Zhu Er comes back,

don't ask about what happened last night.

And never bring up

that I used to be a Yaksha.

Zhan.

Last time we talked about Zhao Yue An,

we noticed

you didn't want Ming Zhu Er to know.

Why is that?

The person who showed up at the yamen last night

was Zhou Ji Liang.

He was also a Yaksha.

You weren't the only Yaksha?

Back then, I was obsessed with being a Yaksha.

I thought I was carrying out justice for heaven.

I was addicted to the praise from the people for Yaksha.

My actions

became more reckless.

Until one day,

I found a brothel hideout.

There,

I ran into Zhou Ji Liang.

You showed up late.

I beat you to it this time.

So, you are pretending to be me.

Don't get mad.

I'm basically you.

I'm also a Yaksha.

We're not enemies.

In the town below the mountain,

the scamming fortune teller

and the cloth thief.

Did you kill all of them?

That's right. I did all of it.

Bad people should get what they deserve.

That's how Yaksha does things.

Are you out of your mind? They didn't deserve to die for that.

What you and I did was already outside the law.

Are we supposed to rank bad people by degrees?

Honestly, you should hand over the Yaksha name to me.

I'm more fit to be Yaksha than you.

- Help! - Help!

Don't be scared.

I'm here to help you.

What's your name?

Where do you live?

My name's Yue Er.

I live in Ming Village.

This girl, Yue Er,

is Ming Zhu Er's older sister.

Later, I took those girls back to their homes.

But Zhou Ji Liang either believed rumors

or made excuses for his killings to justify himself.

He claimed those girls

were all sold by their parents

to the brothel hideout.

He found the girls' families

and slaughtered them.

Then, Ming Zhu Er's family was also killed by Zhou Ji Liang.

Mom...

Dad...

Mom...

I just hope

he never remembers what happened back then.

Just let him believe Yaksha was a bad guy.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Young master, you're awake.

Young master.

I heard you cried all night.

My cries woke you up.

That was worth it.

Young master, I've figured it out.

Zhou Ji Liang was trying to stir things up between us.

I shouldn't have listened to his nonsense and then pressured you.

Young master. Look, what do you think this is?

While the yamen was empty, Zhao Zhi Er and I snuck this out.

Nobody was there?

How could the yamen be empty?

Something unexpected happened last night.

I wrote everything down.

I think what happened ten years ago is nothing as we thought.

Get the message out as soon as you can.

Remember, make it fast.

Sect Leader Tang, you're out gathering herbs this early?

I'm heading back to Tang Sect.

Before I leave, I'll prepare some herbs for Zhan.

Tang, thanks for saving my life last night.

No need to thank me.

Compared to Doctor Bai,

what I did last night was nothing but a minor trick.

Once I get back to Tang Sect, I'll look for a new solution

to cure the At First Sight poison.

If there's any progress, I'll definitely write to let you all know.

All right. Doctor Tang.

We'll see you out of the city.

No need to trouble yourselves.

I'm afraid you still have important things to do.

Go check out the excitement outside.

Lord Hu is putting on a show again.

I promised everyone

to explain the two previous murder cases

and give everyone an answer.

Now,

the Xiuluo Sect leader is seriously injured.

The two killers have also been captured.

As the magistrate of Wanshan County,

I have kept my word.

I've kept the peace in our county.

According to the laws of the Song Dynasty,

a murderer must pay with their life.

Today, I will execute these two killers right here and now.

First, to bring justice for the victims.

Secondly, to warn those who dare threaten Wanshan County.

Anyone who crosses Wanshan County

will pay for their crimes with blood.

Blood for blood!

Blood for blood!

Blood for blood!

Blood for blood!

He finally played

the last move of this game.

Lord Hu.

What an impressive show of authority.

It's been ages since I've seen such a huge performance.

You act better than any performer.

Good thing you're fine.

Last night, I was really afraid you wouldn't make it.

You've been planning this for so long,

all for me, right?

To play this game with you,

I have to stay alive.

Now, I finally understand

how the peace under your rule really came to be, Lord Hu.

If you want a reputation for swift justice and solving cases like a god,

the easiest way is to commit the crime and solve it yourself.

I bet when you first took office,

the Xiuluo Sect was making poison in the county and holding cult rituals

was all your doing, wasn't it?

Later, you staged arrests.

That's how your reputation as Justice Hu spread throughout the county.

We're both officials here.

You should know that I'm not the only one who used this method.

If I don't establish authority, who would listen to a mere scholar like me?

Lord Zhan,

we may not be friends anymore,

but we still share the bond of classmates, at least.

Take my advice and leave Wanshan County.

That's the only way to protect yourself

and the people you care about.

What happened between us shouldn't have involved Ming Zhu Er.

I didn't want to drag him into this either.

But I had no choice.

Since you didn't care about your own life,

I had no choice but to go after the people you care about.

That's the only way to force you to leave.

I've said all I can.

Looks like you're still going to do things your way, Lord Zhan.

Fine. If you want to stay, then stay.

I want to see how much longer you'll manage to stay in my Wanshan County.

Why wouldn't we be able to stay?

I'm pretty comfortable in that house.

Next time, get me a bigger one.

I'll bring my sworn brother over too.

I'll just retire here with you.

Lord Hu!

Sir, you should go take a look. Up in the mountains...

The bodies on the mountains.

Lord Zhan, this is a Wanshan County case.

You don't need to get involved.

My rank may not be as high as yours,

but I'm still the head of this county, at least.

As long as I'm in office,

any case in Wanshan County has to go through me first.

We're still going to investigate.

What can you do?

Your lackeys aren't even with you.

You think you can take us on?

Hurry.

Buried here are the remains of our loved ones.

No one reported it to the authorities.

What case do you think you're solving?

Lord Zhan,

you wouldn't turn your blade on the people, would you?

Has everyone in the county heard the news?

Yes, sir. Rest assured.

The pelvic bones are narrow, so they're all male.

The skulls and ribs are broken.

It's the same way the young man died before.

The key to this case must be the cause of death.

Otherwise, Hu Xiao Chen, wouldn't be so nervous.

He and the coroner were working together before and almost fooled us all.

Let's go find Wang Qing and Liu Er Lang's bodies.

If we're any later, it'll be too late.

Wait.

I'm afraid Hu Xiao Chen has already beaten us to it.

Then, let's just go back and grab a body.

We can't just let them destroy the evidence.

If we take the body by force,

we'll definitely clash with the people.

That's exactly what Hu Xiao Chen wants.

Do you remember where we found the lead on Zhao Yue An?

Gucheng County?

So you mean we should look for the body of Jin Niang's husband?

That day,

Hu Xiao Chen asked us what we found in Gucheng County?

We never mentioned that we've already found Duan Shi Lang's body.

That's right. He doesn't know about this.

He'd never think to destroy Duan Shi Lang's body.

Take Ming Zhu Er and Zhao Zhi Er to Gucheng County first.

Ling Long and I will stay in Wanshan County for now.

We'll meet up with you later.

You're worried Hu Xiao Chen will catch on

so you're buying me time.

That's part of it.

But more importantly, I want to ask Lord Hu

to clear up something for me.

Come on, thanks for your hard work.

Whatever Lord Hu asked us to do,

we must do it right, don't we?

He's here.

Sir.

Sir, all the bodies from the pit are here.

The village has people watching over all the young people

who've died in the county these years.

Rest assured, sir.

Thank you all for your hard work.

Sir, don't mention it.

We're just doing our part for the county.

It's what we should do.

Wang Qing and Liu Er Lang's bodies are here too.

Wang Qing and Liu Er Lang's families were all killed by the Xiuluo Sect.

No one's watching over their bodies.

We were worried Zhan Zhao would take advantage,

so we just took care of the matter ourselves before your orders.

Any news on Zhan Zhao?

Has anyone seen him?

We saw him at Wang Qing's grave.

He and that girl went into the mountains.

He said he wanted to search for the bodies

according to Zhu Ming Yan's list.

Let them search all they want.

This time, they'll be searching for a while.

Only Zhan Zhao and Huo Ling Long are looking?

- What about Bai Yu Tang? - He left the city.

When my wife brought me lunch, she saw him at the city gate.

I guess he couldn't find anything in the city,

so he just went outside to look for the bodies.

Left the city to search for bodies?

The missing youth case in Gucheng County back then

was connected to Zhao Yue An.

Ten years ago, he killed Jin Niang to silence her.

Why was he so sure Jin Niang was killed to keep her quiet?

What did Jin Niang find out back then?

Did she find her husband, Duan Shi Lang?

But if they already found Duan Shi Lang's body,

why didn't he go to Gucheng County with Bai Yu Tang?

He told everyone he was heading into the mountains to search for bodies.

Was it just to buy Bai Yu Tang time?

Or maybe,

he wanted to cover up his real reason for going into the mountains.

Come out, Lord Zhan.

Thank you for leading the way, Lord Hu.

Lord Zhan, you really are clever.

But even if you dig up the Lin residence,

what good will it do?

- Come out. - Come out.

If Lord Zhan insists on entering the Lin residence, go ahead and try.

You'll have to step over me and these people.

Huo Ling Long.

Did you not listen to a word of what Shao Ji Zu said that day?

I suggest you really think about what he said.

Once you figure it out, just go back to the Huo family.

He's just bluffing.

Let's go.

Ma'am, in order to solve the case,

we had no choice but to disturb Shi Lang's peace in the afterlife.

Thank you for understanding.

If the case can be solved,

Shi Lang and his wife can finally rest in peace.

They won't blame you.

I'll go visit my eldest son's house on Front Street.

You can go ahead with the examination.

She said

the young men who worked with Shi Lang back then

had no one to claim their bodies after they died.

So, the authorities buried them all in the mass grave.

So, I went there myself and brought back two bodies.

I noticed something strange.

I examined all the bodies in the mass grave.

All the tooth roots of every single body were blackened.

That can't be a coincidence.

But it doesn't look like they died from poisoning.

The rest of their bodies showed no signs of poisoning.

I've worked cases with the prince and seen coroners examine bodies.

People who die from poisoning

always have black marks on their ribs.

Yes. But these people only had a small black spot on their teeth.

Even if it was poison, it wasn't anything deadly.

What else could it be?

Could it be from making elixirs?

I've heard people say

those desperate to become immortals

often burn cinnabar to make elixirs.

Burning cinnabar releases mercury.

Mercury evaporates easily.

These people breathed it in.

Over time,

their teeth would loosen,

and in severe cases, the roots would turn black.

But that can't be right.

If they were making elixirs,

why would they die from being crushed or falling?

Mercury isn't just used for elixirs.

It's also used to refine metals.

The amalgamation process requires a lot of mercury.

Even with safety measures,

miners still show signs of mild mercury poisoning.

Miners?

That's right. All the victims were young and strong.

Mining often leads to landslides and cave-ins.

Every time there's an accident, a bunch of people die at once.

How do we prove our theory?

Test their hair.

It's gold.

There's gold dust on this corpse's hair, too.

No wonder these people are so willing to risk their lives for Hu Xiao Chen.

Turns out the mountain behind Wanshan County is hiding a gold mine.

No wonder in just two years, Wanshan County has changed so much.

These people can easily come up with hundreds of taels of silver

just to arrange a ghost marriage for their relatives.

Ling Long,

you've actually misunderstood something all along.

You thought our families' marriage alliance

was because I wanted the Huo family's Linglong Eye.

But that's not the case.

I'm not the only one with an agenda.

I, the prince,

and the Huo family.

All three of us are just getting what we want.

But you're a Huo family member.

So, you and Zhan Zhao are destined to walk different paths.

I've tried to talk you out of investigating with Zhan Zhao so many times,

but you wouldn't listen.

You put yourself in this impossible situation.

You pushed the Huo family to the edge.

Brother.

Ling Long.

The matter of identifying people had already been leaked.

Shao Ji Zu purposely lured me here.

He also misled you with his words

and made you think I was Zhao Yue An.

Don't let what he said get to you.

You don't even trust your brother now?

Of course, I trust that you're not Zhao Yue An.

But what Shao Ji Zu said

wasn't just about proving you're Zhao Yue An.

He said all three sides are just getting what they want from...

If Shao Ji Zu is doing everything he can

to trick you into coming back for the wedding,

he'll use any dirty trick he can think of.

If you keep overthinking his words,

you're just falling right into his trap.

At the banquet earlier, I was worried he'd set up an ambush.

So to keep him calm,

I said the Huo family agreed to the marriage.

Don't take it seriously.

Father asked me to tell you something.

He said,

even if the prince grants the marriage,

a Huo family daughter has the right and confidence to refuse.

If you don't want to get married, don't come back to the Huo family.

As for Shao Ji Zu, Father can explain it to him.

Why did Father suddenly change his mind?

You know how he is.

Every time you throw a tantrum,

he always gives in to you.

He always acts tough but is soft-hearted.

He cares about you more than anyone.

Zhan.

Now that the secret of Wanshan County has finally been revealed,

what's the next step?

Bones and gold dust alone

aren't enough to tie Hu Xiao Chen to the gold mine.

We need hard evidence

or a miner willing to testify.

But the miners probably won't come forward.

As for physical evidence,

we have to find the gold mine itself.

Wanshan County is surrounded by mountains.

Trying to find a gold mine in those endless mountains won't be easy.

Those endless mountains...

The Lin estate.

If I'm not mistaken, that's probably where Hu Xiao Chen is hiding the gold.

A secluded mansion hidden in the mountains.

It couldn't be a more perfect spot for hiding gold.

The gold from Wanshan County

keeps flowing straight to the Prince of Xiangyang.

It's funding his rebellion.

There must be a set transport route.

If we follow the Lin estate,

we should be able to find the Prince of Xiangyang's secret base.

I'll personally transport this batch of gold.

You just follow from a distance.

Once you meet up with Feng Shao,

pull back.

Then, go contact Zhou Ji Liang for me.

Dong Jun has failed Your Highness's trust.

I'm here to admit my guilt.

I'm not someone who forgets a loyal person.

Of the four Great Lords,

you and the Mountain Ghost clan have contributed the most.

Why would I erase all your past achievements

over a single mistake?

Come, sit down.

Here's the inventory for this batch of gold.

Please take a look, Your Highness.

You personally escorted this shipment of gold here

to admit your fault

and also to ask for help.

Your Highness, I have a good plan

to get rid of Zhan Zhao for good.

But...

I'll need someone from your manor to help.

The name Zhan Zhao

is one I've grown truly sick of hearing.

He Bo and Siming both claimed

they had ways to deal with him.

And what happened?

I created the four Great Lords

to help me achieve greatness,

not to waste time

fighting Zhan Zhao.

I'm working on a foolproof plan

to take a different approach

and get around this obstacle named Zhan Zhao.

May I ask what you mean, Your Highness?

The time isn't right yet.

When the time comes,

I'll let you know for sure.

All the gold in this building,

plus what you've brought this time,

still isn't nearly enough to pave the way for our cause.

Once I return to Wanshan County,

I'll have the miners work through the night.

There's no time.

Within three days,

you need to double the amount.

Three days?

That...

How is that even possible?

Maybe we can use what's already in the county for now.

Your Highness...

All the gold in the county has already been moved here.

Are you talking about...

Your Highness.

Forgive me for being blunt,

the people's share

was earned by every family risking their lives.

Asking them to give up their hard-earned money

isn't something we can do.

Sit down.

Don't forget.

Without my gold mine,

Wanshan County would still be full of starving people.

How could they risk their lives otherwise?

Have some tea.

There are some things others can't do,

but you always find a way.

Everyone answers your call in Wanshan County, Lord Hu.

How about this?

Consider this money a loan from your Wanshan County.

What do you think?

I can write up an IOU right now.

You must be joking, Your Highness.

But...

If Wanshan County helps you raise this money,

then Your Highness

needs to solve the county's current troubles first.

I can give you the person you want.

But I don't know what you need this person for.

Is it to negotiate with Zhan Zhao?

I doubt Zhan Zhao

would agree to your terms.

Your Highness...

There's no deal that can't be made in this world.

It all depends on whether we hit Zhan Zhao right where it hurts.

A few days ago,

when I put Zhou Ji Liang to use,

didn't I mention an old story about Zhan Zhao?

Lord Hu really is

Zhan Zhao's old classmate.

You know exactly where to hit his weak spot.

But you should've told me sooner.

That way, I could've saved myself a lot of trouble.

Didn't you also keep Zhao Yue An's fake death from me, Your Highness?

That day,

Zhan Zhao really caught me completely off guard.

Since you already have a plan,

go to my manor and get the person you need.

Thank you, Your Highness.

I'll take my leave now.

What you're holding in your hands is my lifeline.

If you fail again,

I'll truly

have nowhere left to turn.

Rest assured, Your Highness.

Have a seat.

There are no outsiders here. No need to be so formal.

Sit down.

Just now,

you heard everything

I told Lord Dong.

Yes.

Hu Xiao Chen is getting more and more out of line.

He treats Wanshan County like his own little kingdom.

He doesn't respect you at all.

Your Highness, you've been so patient with him

just to buy yourself some extra time, right?

The silver from Wanshan County is just a drop in the bucket.

Your marriage

is the main event.

You need to hurry up.

Yes.

Since Lord Dong

already has a plan,

I'll add something extra to his scheme.

Let him take that person away

and deliver a message for me.

Have you made up your mind

to go all out?

I've already given enough face.

I'm done being generous.

Lord Dong wants to use an old case

against Zhan Zhao.

But if he acts alone,

he won't get very far.

You can help him behind the scenes

to give him a boost.

Let this fire

burn even hotter.

He just tried Blood-Sealing Poison.

Eat it, and you die instantly.

That's boring.

You try this one instead.

Hundred Dragons Entwined.

I heard Lord Hu was looking for me.

So, I came to wait for you.

Too bad you showed up a bit late, Lord Hu.

You missed seeing your men begging me for mercy.

What a shame.

Who gave you the guts to cause trouble in my county office?

Hu Xiao Chen.

I'm not Mo Dao from before.

I won't come running just because you call.

I won't play along with you unconditionally.

About you killing my men earlier,

if you don't give me an explanation today,

I'll wipe out everyone in your office.

They'll die with my men.

You think you're smarter than Mo Dao?

Just grabbing a few people to test the poison

and killing a few of my men is enough for you?

I've got something important for you to handle.

Don't you love killing people?

I'll give you a chance.

How many you kill

depends on your skills.

Fine.

Let's hear it.

Stop. Who goes there?

Why are you up so early?

I couldn't sleep anyway.

So, I got up to make medicine for the young master.

You've seemed really out of it these past couple of days.

Are you just tired?

Don't tell me you're still thinking about that night.

Honestly,

I don't think the young master has told me the truth.

When he saw Zhou Ji Liang was alive,

he wasn't surprised at all.

He even stayed at the yamen the whole time.

He clearly knew ahead of time that Zhou Ji Liang would look for me.

He doesn't want me to bring up the past anymore.

With his health like this,

I really can't ask him about it again.

If you say that,

aren't you basically believing everything Zhou Ji Liang said?

How could you trust anything he says?

Didn't you see the case file?

In the file, how was my family's case recorded?

Was there anything suspicious?

Nothing suspicious. Don't overthink it.

Yaksha is back!

Yaksha's back to punish the wicked!

Yaksha is back!

Ming Zhu Er!

Ming Zhu Er!

Lord Zhan!

Something's happened!

Was he really hanged by Lord Yaksha?

Someone saw it happen last night.

There's no doubt about it.

Who is this guy?

Who? Corrupt officials.

None of the people Yaksha punished is good.

He is wanted for a major crime but they never managed to catch him.

A clerk from Xiangzhou Prefecture.

Look, it's written clearly up there.

This guy really is rotten to the core.

The authorities are useless.

They've been after him forever and still can't catch him.

Only Lord Yaksha could handle it.

Now things are finally looking up.

After ten years, Lord Yaksha finally took action again.

He came to our county to uphold justice,

get rid of evil, and protect the innocent.

Only when Siming has been brought to justice

will your aunt and my brother's case

be put to rest.

Move aside!

Official business, clear the way.

Move aside!

Hurry up and go!

Move faster!

I am Zhan Zhao from the Kaifeng Tribunal.

I'm here in Xiangzhou by imperial order to investigate.

This person is closely tied to my case.

Let me ask him a few questions.