Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[White Cat Legend]

[Episode 4]

[Mingjing Hall]

Eat up.

Guys, eat up.

No matter what happens,

we should

fill our stomachs first.

Eat up.

To be honest,

this meal looks like…

Like what?

Like the last meal we'll ever have.

Do you have to be such a buzzkill?

Can't you just let me

enjoy the food?

I have no appetite at all.

We should focus on cracking the case instead of wasting time here.

Crack the case?

Is the case so easy to crack?

How about this?

You guys

can leave now.

After I

finish the meal,

I'll fire you all.

I'll take responsibility

for this matter alone.

Don't look at me like that.

As the judicial commissioner

of the Court of Judicial Review, I have no choice.

I'll enjoy the food now.

Don't say anything annoying again.

I'm still growing.

Eat.

Where do you think

Chen Shi is now?

Mr. Yuan said

he was taken away by someone

from the Court of Judicial Review.

I wonder that too.

Where is Chen Shi?

Could it be that Vice Minister Shangguan

has hidden him

as a backup plan?

Although Vice Minister Shangguan is…

She's not a hypocrite

who'd hide her true motives.

It doesn't make sense.

Go.

Thank you.

Coming.

Mr. Yuan.

Why are you here?

Do I need a reason?

Come in, please.

Thank you.

-Thank you. -Please.

Hello, Mr. Yuan.

Sorry to bother you.

Sorry to bother you.

Sorry to bother you.

You...

Mr. Sun.

If you have trouble solving a case,

you can ask me to perform a ritual for you.

Right?

Yes.

Abracadabra.

You searched and searched

in a sea of people.

The person in the painting

appeared.

The Court of Judicial Review is in charge of all the criminal cases in the country.

Its minister

holds immense power

and is very important.

Having one or two vice ministers play that role

is just a makeshift solution.

This position can't be open forever.

Now that the new seal has been forged,

someone should be selected to hold it.

The standard is still the same.

The position should be given to someone competent.

Qingzhi.

You understand what I mean, don't you?

Yes.

I understand.

Good.

How is the Demon Cat Case going?

It's still

under investigation.

No matter who the murderer is,

he must be up to no good.

Now,

the Harvest Ceremony is coming.

And that case happened

above the Zhuque Gate.

The demon cat…

I'm afraid

someone meant

to mess with me.

I'll definitely find a way

to ease your mind.

Good.

I'll count on you.

I'll take my leave.

[Mingjing Hall]

This

is the situation.

Well,

have you all taken a close look at it?

Yes.

Is this true?

Yes.

I'm relieved then.

Guys,

think about it carefully.

Think about it carefully.

What do you mean?

What do you think

I mean?

It's written on the arrest warrant

that whoever offers clues will be rewarded.

Your superior promised that.

You can't let me come here for nothing.

My pocket is empty, Mr. Yuan.

You can't be serious.

Mine is empty too.

Here.

It's not much.

From the South Sea in the south

and the East Sea in the east,

to the desert in the north

and the Western Regions in the west,

you

are the most handsome guy.

I

am just here to tip you off.

I don't know anything else.

Do you mind?

No.

Not at all. Not at all.

No. No.

Take it.

Go ahead.

You're stepping on me.

Sorry, Mr. Yuan.

You…

Here.

Take the chopsticks.

Here.

You're so considerate.

The top position at the Court of Judicial Review

will soon be yours.

Thank you.

-Thank you. -Thank you.

Let me see you out.

See Mr. Yuan out.

I can see myself out.

It's okay. Let me see you out.

Careful.

I can see myself out.

-Look at you. -Just stop here.

It's okay.

Stop here. Stop here.

-Okay. -Enjoy it while it's hot.

See you. See you.

Where are you going?

We're going to perform a ritual

to catch the demon cat.

Don't follow us.

Perform a ritual?

Catch the demon cat?

I don't believe it.

[The Court of Judicial Review]

[The Court of Judicial Review]

Who's it?

Let go of me!

Stop! Stop!

My face!

Let's go.

Who was it?

Who hit me?

I'll report it to the vice minister.

[Li Residence]

It should be here.

Let's go.

Mr. Li. Mr. Li.

They're here.

You came?

Did you bring what I asked for?

Yes.

I'll put it here.

You need to ask me something?

Yuan Buer said

you're from the Court of Judicial Review,

and you have Chen Shi.

He said if we want to solve the Demon Cat Case, we have to come to you.

Who on earth are you?

I have a few questions

for you as well.

Answer me first.

Questions for us?

Sun Bao.

Stay where you are.

Don't move!

Don't move. Don't move.

He's holding a sword to my throat.

He's holding a sword to my throat.

That's really Chen Shi.

Guys, he's holding a sword to my throat.

What do you want?

Who is in charge of the Court of Judicial Review now?

Vice Minister Shangguan Qin.

Don't you even know that?

The position of Minister of Judicial Review

is open?

Yes.

It makes sense now.

Are you here for the Demon Cat Case

or for Chen Shi?

Is there a difference?

Of course there is.

The arrest warrant

has made him

the suspect in this case.

Maybe you want to make him the scapegoat

instead of solving the case.

Those are obviously two different things.

We're here to solve the case.

But is Chen Shi okay?

I'm fine.

No.

Don't move, guys!

I'm not okay.

My life is in danger.

Don't move.

You think this case

has nothing to do with Chen Shi?

We can't say it has nothing to do with him,

but he indeed doesn't have much to do with it.

Then what do you think is the truth

about the Demon Cat Case?

Who on earth are you?

My buddies and I will have to take the fall

for the Court of Judicial Review.

We don't have time

for your endless questions.

What do you want to achieve

by holding Chen Shi hostage?

Just be honest with us.

You're dealing with

such an important case.

Instead of figuring out a way to crack it,

you're trying to shift the blame.

You're from Mingjing Hall.

You should be too ashamed to yell at me.

What do you know?

This case is complicated,

and there are limits to what we can do.

Under pressure from different fronts,

we're up a stump.

You must have held Chen Shi hostage

and invited us here

for a good reason.

Please enlighten us.

Like you,

I'm also from Mingjing Hall.

Are you…

Mingjing Hall used to

be the head of the Court of Judicial Review.

The Court of Judicial Review

can't close any case

by claiming the culprit is a demon.

You know it all?

The only thing you need to do now

is prove that this case

has nothing to do with demons.

That can get you some wiggle room.

This case is tricky and mysterious

because

the murderer is reportedly a demon cat.

But that's the trick the murderer used

to cover himself up.

As long as you figure out how that trick worked,

the case can be solved.

So that's a smokescreen.

Shut up.

Chen Shi!

Chen Shi! Chen Shi!

General.

What's it?

General.

I noticed something weird.

Today, a case was reported

in the South Market.

A murder happened in a restaurant.

Its owner was killed

by his wife and her lover.

They ruined his body to cover their tracks.

What's the problem?

The person who reported the murder

was a waiter at the restaurant.

According to him,

it was two guests who noticed that something was off.

One of them is the suspect

in the Demon Cat Case.

A fortune teller said the other

is an official at the Court of Judicial Review.

As far as I know,

the Court of Judicial Review

hasn't arrested the suspect.

And according to the waiter,

the purported official of the Court of Judicial Review

found out the whole crime

just by tasting

the dishes.

That's unbelievable.

So I'm wondering

since when

the Court of Judicial Review

has had such a capable official.

[Mingjing Hall]

Madam.

They're back.

Stop!

Where are you going?

Where did you go?

Madam.

We went to perform a ritual

to catch the demon cat.

A ritual?

How dare you lie through your teeth?

What kind of ritual was it that you had to perform secretly?

[Mingjing Hall]

Madam.

They also beat me with a sack over my head.

You were beaten, Mr. Hu?

That is too bad.

You can't accuse us of doing it.

Do you have evidence?

Where on earth did you go?

Madam.

Didn't you say you'd give us your full support

and take full responsibility?

Then just let us carry out our plan.

And please tell Mr. Hu

to stop watching us.

We won't run away.

[Mingjing Hall]

I…

How dare you beat me!

You beat me.

You guys are dead.

Madam.

Tell us.

What happened to Mingjing Hall?

Who could that guy be?

I can't believe

you know nothing about it.

Tell us now.

Mingjing Hall

was established

by the Minister of Judicial Review.

It solved countless major and strange cases.

It played a pivotal role

in upholding the laws.

Really?

The son of the Minister of Judicial Review,

Mr. Li Bing,

was a rare genius.

It's said that

he often helped solve cases

in Mingjing Hall.

Then how did Mingjing Hall

end up like this?

Three years ago,

the Minister of Judicial Review died.

Li Bing escorted his father's coffin back to their hometown,

and no one heard from him again.

Since then,

Mingjing Hall has been on the wane.

Then that mysterious man…

I'm afraid he once worked

at Mingjing Hall.

Then it makes sense

that he secretly took away Chen Shi

and tried to solve the Demon Cat Case himself.

Mingjing Hall has lost

its former glory.

He feels bad about it.

It's understandable.

Now,

let's sum it up.

He is on our side.

I feel that

we've been looked down on.

He's just given us pointers as a senior.

It's like a wake-up call.

That's a great metaphor.

No matter how tricky a case is,

there will be clues to crack it.

As that senior said,

as long as we can find out

how the so-called demon cat killed people,

we don't have to take the blame.

Since Mingjing Hall

was very powerful in the past,

we can't

chicken out!

It's just a smokescreen.

I can conjure a demon cat too.

[The Demon Cat Case]

It's so late.

Where did you get the food?

The moon is bright tonight.

I can see things clearly.

In the yard, there are gumbos,

some wild greens, and mushrooms.

I picked some

and made porridge.

I also put bird eggs in it.

Mr. Li.

Eat it while it's hot.

Thank you.

No problem.

Why don't you eat?

I'm fine.

I'm just a little distraught.

I came to Shendu

to look for my brother.

Unexpectedly,

I somehow was involved

in the Demon Cat Case,

and my name was on the notice that the Court of Judicial Review posted.

And the demon cat was made up

by the Court of Judicial Review.

I'm really sorry.

Don't be.

Don't get me wrong, Mr. Li.

It's okay.

I'm from the Court of Judicial Review.

Since it has done something wrong,

I should apologize.

Chen Shi.

I swear I'll get justice for you,

Xiaohuan,

and those victims

three years ago.

I know, Mr. Li.

You know?

Then let's eat.

Mr. Li.

I…

I have another question for you.

Go ahead.

You told me

you had taken over

my case from them.

But it appeared

that you

didn't know them,

and they didn't seem to know you either.

If you didn't know them,

how did you get me out of the prison

of the Court of Judicial Review?

Can you tell me?

I didn't expect you

to wise up to that.

What?

I mean,

I did lie to you.

I lied

because I have a secret.

And that secret

is the reason

why I left Shendu

three years ago

and why I came back

three years later.

As for why I left Shendu

three years ago

and why I came back to Shendu

three years later,

it's…

Mr. Li. Mr. Li.

You're confusing me.

Have some porridge.

Chen Shi, is there any more porridge?

Yes.

You can eat mine.

It's a little cold.

I'll go get some for you.

Wait for me.

Okay.

Go.

[Li Residence]

Search.

-Yes. -Yes.

Stop!

Where is the person who was with you?

I don't know.

I'll give you one last chance.

Where is the person

who was with you?

I don't know!

Take him away.

Yes.

Get up.

Move.

Mr. Li.

Mr. Li.

Li Bing?

Don't shout so loudly

every time you wake up.

I'm here.

Mr. Li.

Mr. Li.

Mr. Li.

Last night,

a group of people with swords

wanted to catch me.

And you…

Your

eyes…

What's wrong with my eyes?

Nothing.

By the way,

the man last night

was the general you met

on the bridge.

I know.

Then why…

Why did he...

I told you this before.

He and I are acquainted.

He has issues with me.

Now, it seems

that he's on the opposite side

of the Court of Judicial Review.

I'm afraid he came

for the Demon Cat Case too.

He came for the Demon Cat Case as well?

Then…

That's all

I can think of now.

If he

is going against us,

it will be more difficult for us

to solve the case.

We have to hurry up.

Mr. Li.

Without you,

I'd have been taken away by them last night.

You said a lot

when we had porridge.

Although I didn't completely get it,

I understood some of it.

You've got plans of your own,

and I'm wanted again.

Why don't you just leave me behind?

This way,

you can carry out your plans.

I trust you.

Sooner or later,

you'll solve

my case.

What's wrong?

You don't want to investigate the case anymore?

Of course I do.

I just don't want to be your burden.

What does the whole thing have to do with you?

You saw it yesterday.

Those people came at me.

The Demon Cat Case,

I'll crack it.

So don't think of yourself

as a burden.

Do you mean it?

But

don't let me hear you say

anything like that again.

Eat.

Okay.

What are we going to investigate?

We'll go find Xiaohuan.

Xiaohuan?

To be exact,

we'll go find Xiaohuan's father.

To make the demon cat kill someone,

the culprit

must have precise timing.

Any minute earlier or later

would affect the effect of the trick.

So the coachman was very important.

Only he could control

the speed of the carriage

and signal his accomplices to do the trick.

That senior military officer was on an errand.

He had to drive the carriage to the destination

before the curfew

so that the victim

couldn't return.

After the incident,

Gu disappeared without a reason.

People at the carriage shop said

he was killed by the demon cat.

But it's not mentioned

in the scrolls

from Mingjing Hall.

It looks like this case is not that simple.

Where are Wang Qi and the others?

They stayed up all night

and cleared

the whole backyard

this morning.

Then they moved a lot of stuff into it.

The door is locked.

I don't know what they're doing.

Vice Minister.

Vice Minister.

Vice Minister.

Bad news!

What happened?

Something bad happened.

Come.

This way.

What have you been doing?

The ritual failed,

but it was worth it.

What?

What are you talking about?

Where is this place?

Please.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

Young Miss.

Young Miss.

Alibaba!

Young Miss.

Alibaba!

Alibaba!

Young Miss.

Alibaba!

Seal the smoke.

Wang Qi,

let me down now!

Young Miss.

Let go of her.

Sorry, Vice Minister.

Young Miss.

Are you alright?

What do you want?

What on earth do you want?

Answer me.

The demon cat murder case, Vice Minister.

The demon cat

killed people.

This is how the murderer

in the Demon Cat Case killed people?

It's basically so,

Madam.

How did you figure it out?

Magic tricks are used a lot in circuses.

They all originate in the Western Regions.

In ancient times,

Indian performers

could do magic tricks to cut off their limbs

and pull out their insides.

Such performances have a long history.

There are lots of records about them.

Those tricks are not rare.

Alibaba made a contribution too.

In my hometown,

I saw many magic tricks.

Vice Minister,

I'm happy to be of help.

Madam.

Lime generates steam on contact with water.

The murderer used the steam for cover.

But the river in the moat

is flowing.

That's simple.

He could use a barrier

to block most of the water

and then pour lots of lime into it.

Then his goal could be achieved.

But

there was nothing above the moat.

How could he hang someone there?

Besides,

how did the body appear

above the Zhuque Gate?

How did the body…

It…

Kongming lantern.

But

no one saw any light that night.

How big did the Kongming lantern have to be

to lift someone into the air?

That's impossible.

Nothing is impossible.

We just need to understand

how the trick worked.

Then how do you explain

the cuts on the body

that were left by some beast?

I was in the army for many years.

Other than real beasts,

iron claws and steel clips

can cause the same wound.

Madam.

Have you noticed this?

What we are discussing now

is not how to catch the demon,

but how the murderer killed the victims.

The murder reportedly committed by the demon cat

was actually committed by a human.

As long as the murderer is a human,

there must be traces.

In Shendu,

there are only a handful of theaters

where magic shows are performed.

As long as I look into them hard enough,

I'll definitely find something.

But…

But

you're worried about

the Demon Cat Case three years ago.

The Court of Judicial Review

closed that case

and confirmed that there were demons.

It's very hard to crack this case.

Therefore,

you

made my buddies and me

take the fall.

Madam.

Now that we're sure

that the murderer is a human,

if this case can't be cracked,

we won't be the ones

to blame.

You

will be

the one to blame.

You…

Madam.

Are we going to

look into this case

or not?

Vice Minister.

They've put you on the spot.

Should we investigate this case

or not?

Where are you going?

I'm going to meet the minister.

What for?

The key to this matter

doesn't lie in the Court of Judicial Review.

The minister is the key.

That case was ruled a demon crime

three years ago

because of the minister's testimony.

Testimony?

Madam.

[The Court of Judicial Review]

Lai Zhongshu?

What are you doing here?

Vice Minister.

I'm here on an errand for General Qiu.

Come in.

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

Great.

It feels so great.

Our conspiracy worked.

Whether this case is investigated or not,

the pressure is not on us.

We should thank that senior

for his advice.

I wonder if he and Chen Shi

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

have found anything.

It doesn't matter.

He's on our side anyway.

Even if they can't find anything,

we still have a backup plan.

Wang Qi.

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

Vice Minister.

You're so audacious.

You colluded with the suspect

and lied to your superior.

Did you bring these dossiers

of the Court of Judicial Review out?

M-Madam.

We didn't collude with the suspect.

A senior

from the Court of Judicial Review

asked to meet us.

He gave us advice

on h-how to solve the Demon Cat Case.

Don't stutter.

You told me

you went to perform a ritual.

Why are you changing your story now?

For selfish reasons,

we planned to report it to you

after we made some progress.

But…

You still lied.

But Madam,

no matter what,

we didn't collude with the suspect.

Chen Shi is not a suspect.

And the senior from the Court of Judicial Review

is a real person.

If you don't believe us,

you can summon Yuan Buer for confirmation.

He's under the big tree

on the North Street of the South Market.

He can be our witness.

Yes.

Witness?

I'm afraid he's your accomplice.

Madam.

That's a wild accusation.

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

Guys,

we're in the same boat.

We shouldn't be quarreling.

The arrest warrant

was issued by the Court of Judicial Review.

The Court of Judicial Review decided that Chen Shi was a suspect.

It can't be a mistake, can it?

I think in the Court of Judicial Review,

we should listen to Vice Minister Shangguan.

I believe Vice Minister Shangguan

knows what to do.

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

By the way, Vice Minister,

General Qiu asked me to tell you

that Jinwu Guards

will solve the Demon Cat Case.

You guys don't need to bother with it anymore.

Goodbye.

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

Madam.

You guys are suspended.

Reflect on your mistakes.

Ma…

Madam.

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

This case can be solved,

but you just want to shift the blame

and have little regard for the Court of Judicial Review's reputation.

Don't you think it's unfair?

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

I do!

Candied haws!

Take a look.

Candied haws!

Take a look.

Why did you look at me?

The…

The Demon Cat Case.

What did you see

before you passed out?

N-Nothing.

You've been looking at my face

since you got up this morning.

Why?

I…

I saw your eyes turn into those of a cat.

Did you?

But

it must have been an illusion.

I've been thinking about the demon cat lately,

which must have messed with my mind.

It must have been an illusion.

Were the cat's eyes you saw

scary?

Not really.

They looked ethereal.

Speaking of which,

they looked like the eyes of a wild cat.

I mean it.

They're almost the same.

Mr. Li.

Do you have more gum?

What happened here?

Where is Xiaohuan's father?

Where is Xiaohuan?

Stay here.

I'll go take a look.

Okay out.

We have two choices.

One, get fired after getting suspended.

Two, keep investigating.

We have only one choice.

Okay.

Have you all made up your minds?

It's our duty.

The Meng Chun ritual will be performed tomorrow.

The master said

today is auspicious.

Let's go.

Let's go.

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

You…

Easier said than done.

But how should we investigate it?

Where should we start?

After all,

we only have a general idea

of how the demon cat's trick

worked.

What should we do next?

That senior is so ungenerous.

He only gave us one piece of advice.

Why couldn't he

give us more advice?

It'd be better if he could

send the murderer to us.

Are you mocking me?

Enough.

[Integrity; Prudence; Diligence]

Stop arguing.

The murderer is so cruel.

He must be hard to deal with.

We have to work on this together.

Yes.

We're as smart as weasels.

When we're in cahoots,

we can achieve anything.

I thought

with the clue on the magic trick,

we could look into the troupes in Shendu

that can do that trick.

But in our current situation,

how are we going to check household registration?

Troupe?

Three years ago,

a troupe in Shendu disappeared.

You mean

the troupe that disappeared three years ago

has turned into vengeful ghosts and come back to kill people?

He's just kidding. He's just kidding.

He's just kidding.

Bravo. Bravo.

Bravo!

Bravo! Bravo!

Sir.

You're with him,

aren't you?

Why are you here?

With this talisman on you,

the demon cat won't dare to approach you.

You wizard!

Stop spreading false rumors!

How could you hit him?

Are you from the Court of Judicial Review?

I am.

He's not.

I've seen the arrest warrant.

What brought you here?

I'm here to find the murderer

to dispense justice and reveal the truth.

From the looks of it,

you're the murderer.

I expected the Court of Judicial Review

to come after me,

but I didn't anticipate

this situation.

You people are good at slander.

Dispensing justice

doesn't sound like something you'd do.

Since you're here to catch me,

things are easy.

[The Court of Judicial Review]