Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[White Cat Legend]

[Episode 13]

[Dragon King Temple]

Why does the corpse

look so odd?

Because it was

originally hidden in the Dragon King statue.

Sir, please.

[Dragon King Temple]

Hurry. We're almost there.

I know. I know.

This is the place,

isn't it?

This morning from seven to nine,

some boatmen came to worship the Dragon King.

Come on. Worship the Dragon King.

Sure. Sure.

I'm telling you guys,

those fellas had better

not show up in front me again.

Who do they think they are?

If I see them again,

I'll teach them a lesson!

I told you not to drink so much.

Look,

it's so bright outside,

but you're still groggy!

Just leave him alone.

In a year, the number of the days when he's sober

is smaller than ten!

Hurry up. Let's worship the god.

We are on the same boat.

The least you can do is get up

and worship the god.

Should an accident happen,

who's gonna take the blame?

Don't talk nonsense!

Let's worship the Dragon King.

Dragon King, bless us.

Dragon King, bless us.

Dragon King, bless us.

Why is there rain leaking from the roof of this broken temple?

It's blood!

The Dragon King is bleeding!

The Dragon King is bleeding!

The Dragon King...

The Dragon King is bleeding!

Those boatmen

were badly frightened.

They immediately reported it to the government office.

Then,

the corpse was found.

This temple looks shabby.

Incense is seldom seen here.

Why would anyone come to worship the god here?

It's true that in the past there wasn't much incense here.

But for the past six months,

since the downstream waterway has silted up,

ships can't make their way up here,

so this area has suffered a huge loss of business.

Worse still,

some wells have even dried up.

It makes people realize that they should worship the Dragon King.

The state of the corpse suggests

that the victim died two or three days ago.

As for the cause of death,

the victim died from blunt force trauma to the head.

The murder weapon is right here.

Such a rod

is used to unload goods at the wharf.

It can be seen everywhere.

A clue like this

can hardly lead us to the murderer.

What's the victim's identity?

The victim's name is Liu Fu.

He was a watchman at the wharf,

and also a night guard.

It's been two to three years since he came here.

During that period of time,

he had been looking after the wharf.

No one has heard about

his family.

His dead body was first

found on the back of the Dragon King statue.

You...

This case seems peculiar,

but there are some clues about it, right?

It's no wonder

that people call you

Yao Bing, Vice Minister Li.

Sir, over these years,

Jinwu Guards have been

poking their noses where they don't belong, haven't they?

They even meddle with the cases

that the Ministry of Justice handles.

Now, Sir, you're back to the Court of Judicial Review.

Why don't we team up to knock

Jinwu Guards down to size?

It'll make us both happy, won't it?

Sir, if you take an interest in my idea,

then this case

will be handed over to you.

Alright!

It's all settled,

The case is yours now, Vice Minister Li.

We have taken over

this case now.

What are your opinions?

The boatmen were here to worship the god.

Maybe

someone tried to sabotage their plans,

and decided to make an offering out of the victim.

Hiding the corpse in the statue

was a way to complete

some sort of evil

and unspeakable ritual.

The killer...

Who are you?

He thinks he's superior to everyone else,

[Hiss]

that he's the incarnation of the Grim Reaper,

[Bang]

that he's an emissary from hell,

and that he's a demon who draws the souls and spirits out of people!

Sounds wrong.

What's wrong?

If the murderer had meant to draw the soul and spirit out of the victim,

he wouldn't have bludgeoned the victim to death, right?

Wouldn't he have used a hook or something?

That's right.

Now that you've said it,

I'm also feeling a bit confused.

What?

Isn't it a splendid theory?

It's not splendid at all.

You're just making up a story.

Hold on, Alibaba.

When it comes to telling horror stories,

why are you able to use phrases correctly?

You've heard such stories from other people, right?

Recently, apart from studying for the Mandarin Level 8 Exam,

I've been reading some novels.

Your idea is actually

quite special.

However,

imagination and reasoning

are two different things.

The victim worked in the goods yard

as a watchman and a night guard

who had the duty to patrol and keep the goods safe.

It's very possible that

he found something unusual,

and began fighting an invader,

which led to his tragic death.

As Vice Minister Li pointed out,

this is a deserted temple.

Except those who are rather familiar

with the goods yard,

no one would think of this temple as a place to hide a corpse.

So I think

the murderer is probably a habitual thief.

After he stole something,

he was spotted by a new guard.

In the heat of the moment,

the thief killed the guard,

and hid his body here.

Plus, a wooden rod

is not a handy weapon.

So I don't think the murderer prepared this rod for the crime.

In the goods yard, such a rod

is used to unload goods.

The murderer

probably works in the goods yard.

But...

If it hadn't been for the purpose of stopping people from worshiping the god,

why would the murderer have hidden the corpse

in the Dragon King statue?

The murderer chose to hide the corpse.

To do that, he even dug a hole in the Dragon King statue.

Wasn't he trying too hard,

and going to extraordinary "widths" for that?

Chen Shi, you...

You...

What are you doing?

I-I-I am

just wondering

if something is missing

from the hands

of the Dragon King statue.

Maybe it's a board,

or a...

There should be a hu token.

The Dragon King writes on it to send a message

to heaven to ask for rain.

Here it is.

I guess it fell off when the Dragon King statue

-was moved. -Be careful, Sir.

There is indeed a thief in the goods yard.

The Dragon King statue

is where the stolen goods are stashed.

Look over here.

These are marks of dragging and pulling.

It takes months or years

for these marks to be formed.

Besides,

cloves and nutmeg

are expensive spices.

These are

highly valuable goods.

The murderer is indeed a habitual thief.

What a surprising coincidence it is

that my guess is the same as yours, Sir!

It's such an honor for me.

I promise I'll keep up the good work.

There isn't just one habitual thief.

It's probable that this person has accomplices.

There are thieves in the goods yard.

Liu Fu worked here for nearly three years.

How could he not know that?

It means Liu Fu stole the goods he was supposed to guard!

That makes sense.

But it hasn't been proven yet.

How about this?

You guys canvass the area

and see what you can find about this wharf.

-Yes. -Yes.

Mr. Li,

what's my task then?

You...

Since you joined the Court of Judicial Review,

this is officially the first case you've worked on, right?

I'll let you stay with me.

Okay!

What's wrong, Mr. Li?

[Liquor]

Come on! Chug it!

Wonderful!

Let's eat before getting back to work!

Come on! Let's drink!

-Hold on! -Make way!

Mr. Li,

what are we doing here?

The Dragon King Temple

reeked of alcohol.

Plus, taverns, hotels,

and brothels

tend to have a lot of information.

These are the places we often go to when we investigate cases.

You got it?

Excuse me!

Got it. Got it.

This way.

Wanna play?

Bring it on!

Come on. Drink it!

Sir,

may I ask you...

Get out of the way! Or this is gonna fall on you!

Go away!

Sir, I wonder...

Sir,

I wonder if I can

ask you some questions.

Guys, you're at work! Be careful!

I'm from the Court of Judicial Review!

It's the first time I've been given the cold shoulder

when I ask someone about a case!

We'll get back to work later.

Eat some more, guys!

Why are there so many people?

Try this!

Come on. Pour me some.

Let's go!

You need to pay!

Write it down with my other tabs.

Just write it down with my other tabs!

Be careful! Be careful!

Boss!

Mr. Li, watch out!

Hurry up! Mark down how much they owe us.

[Guanghua Tavern]

Nice and slow.

-Let's go that way. -Sure.

Hello.

Who are you?

Why are you

sneaking around?

Stop running!

Officer,

a customer left this drink unfinished.

If you want some liquor,

I can get you a new drink.

Mind your own business!

Record the clients' tabs!

Officer,

we're busy right now.

I'm sorry we can't offer you any service.

A murder happened in the Dragon King Temple.

Do you know that?

Yes, I do.

Someone died. No big deal.

Shendu is a big city.

People from all walks of life come and go.

Deaths are common here.

I'm just a businessman who sells liquor.

I don't know anything else.

He deserved it!

Zhao Huazi,

you haven't paid your tab yet.

I'll pay you next time.

No way. Pay it now.

Why must I pay it now?

Why do you allow everyone to pay later,

except me?

You...

Read the room!

Just let him go!

Officer!

Mr. Li!

Goodbye!

We've asked the people on every ship.

None of them said

they had lost anything.

It doesn't make sense.

Someone must have lied.

Why don't we ask a foreigner

instead?

Sounds reasonable.

You're a foreigner too.

Maybe you can get something out of another foreigner.

[Xintan Wharf]

Go over there.

What did he say?

We've just hit the "ball's" eye.

What on earth did he say?

He said among the ships in this goods yard,

since the river silted up

six months ago,

many have been stolen from.

The thieves especially targeted

the ships that carried highly valuable goods.

Nonetheless,

every time the theft happened, the loss was small.

All the ship owners just pretended not to know about it.

But recently,

the ships that carry valuable goods

would try to avoid coming to this wharf.

Is that so?

He also said,

on the night before last,

his blanket was damp with dew.

He couldn't have a good sleep,

so he got up and stayed outside for a while.

That's when he saw a ship dock here.

However, that ship left

in less than one hour.

When we go back, we'll tell this to Vice Minister Li

and let him think about it.

It's easier to talk with a fellow countryman of yours, isn't it?

Let me get through!

Be careful! Be careful!

What?

Here's some money for you to pay your tabs.

I just want to ask you a few questions.

Officer, you're so generous.

Thanks.

Officer, I know what you want to ask about.

You wanna know how Liu Fu

died, right?

He's killed by thieves.

So this place does have thieves?

The thieves steal goods at the wharf.

Liu Fu was a lookout for them.

Everyone knows that.

Everyone knows that?

Yeah.

Then, who are

these thieves?

I don't know.

What if I offer you more money to buy liquor?

Officer,

even if you offer me

an entire tavern,

I still don't know who the thieves are.

But...

Officer,

I can say one thing for sure.

At this wharf, whoever you ask about this matter

will give you the same answer.

Everyone knows it,

but everyone denies knowing it.

Officer,

when you go to the place Liu Fu worked in,

and take a look,

you will understand.

It's right there, where the bell rings.

The waterway has silted up.

People are having a hard time.

There aren't enough resources for everyone.

Why not be a thief?

If it weren't for my limp,

I would become a thief too.

What's good about being a scavenger?

What's picked up on the streets

can't be as worthy as what's stolen, right?

Who painted all over these?

Whoever did this is wicked.

There must be something

recorded on these tokens.

The man who covered them with paint

must be the one who struck the bell just now

and distracted all the workers at the wharf.

Let me get through!

The Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice

are investigating around the Dragon King Temple.

It's understandable

that the murderer would become alert.

Mr. Li!

Who's there?

Mr. Li!

Mr. Li! Mr. Li!

Wait up, Mr. Li!

Make way!

Mr. Li! Mr. Li!

Jinwu Guards?

Why are they everywhere?

They're like flies

that people can't get rid of!

Let's go!

It's you?

She...

You're Li Bing, a Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Long time no see.

It seems you're also secretly investigating me.

What brought you here?

Don't move!

Sir!

You won't be able to get away.

Sir!

Jinwu Guards! Jin...

Vice Minister Li.

General Qiu.

What are you doing here?

I heard there was a murder at the wharf this morning.

Jinwu Guards are obligated to protect the safety of Shendu.

Of course I need to look into this case.

Soon after we arrived at the wharf,

we saw a warning signal

fired by the Court of Judicial Review.

Knowing that you're in trouble,

we Jinwu Guards would lend you a helping hand by all means.

Vice Minister Li, do you have a difficulty?

Thank you for your kindness, General Qiu.

The Court of Judicial Review

has its own duty to fulfill.

We don't need help from Jinwu Guards.

I remember telling you

not to poke your noses where they don't belong.

Let's go back to the Court of Judicial Review.

The Dragon King Temple

is where stolen goods are hidden.

There are thieves in the goods yard,

and they are habitual offenders.

The victim Liu Fu and these habitual thieves

were in collusion,

and he ended up being killed by them.

These are the obvious facts.

Liu Fu was a watchman in the goods yard.

He supervised the activities about ships docking at the wharf.

[Xintan Wharf]

So he clearly knew

which of the ships had valuable items.

Then he gave the information to the thieves

to yield benefits.

At the wharf, the plates

that have been covered with white paint

[Boat tokens The positions and arrival dates of the ships are recorded on these plates]

should be boat tokens.

Information about the arrivals and locations

of the ships should be written on them.

The merchants

wouldn't cooperate with us in our inquiries.

The moment they realized

we were officers,

they became very defensive.

So did the workers in the goods yard.

It's the first time

I've had such a thorny issue

when I ask someone about a case.

The people in the tavern behaved the same.

Then there's only one possibility.

They

are accomplices.

We'll get back to work later.

Eat some more, guys!

I've found that the liquor

sold by the tavern...

It should be the same kind of liquor

as that spilled on the ground of the Dragon King Temple.

It's impossible that a small tavern like that

would sell such expensive liquor.

How are the boatmen supposed to afford it?

Plus, judging from how hard

the tavern owner tried to avoid this matter,

there must be something wrong with the liquor.

Either it has been bought at a low price

from the thieves who stole it,

or it has been placed in the tavern's

storage facility by the thieves.

All the people at the wharf

are in cahoots.

The merchants

don't want to irritate them,

or talk about the problem.

The workers are hostile to us

because they've got benefits

from the thieves.

And this!

It must be the proof

of their collusion with the thieves.

That's why that beggar said,

"Everyone knows it,

but everyone denies knowing it."

The waterway has silted up.

Everyone is having a hard time.

So they have turned to work for the thieves.

They are supposed to be

getting along.

Liu Fu sided with the thieves.

I suppose on the day he was killed,

something happened,

and caused an internal conflict.

A fellow countryman of mine told me

that on the night before last, a ship

sneakily

stayed at the wharf for a while and left.

It's very suspicious.

That exactly proves my guess.

The ship probably contained

something highly valuable.

On the night before last,

the thieves stole that thing,

and then had an internal fight.

That means

the purpose of covering the boat tokens with paint

is not to conceal

the marks that the thieves have left,

but to conceal

the fact that this ship has been to the wharf.

Sir,

it means the person you were chasing today

is very likely the murderer.

The person who covered the boat tokens with paint

might also be her.

It's a strong possibility.

Besides, I've always had a hunch

that there is more than one criminal.

If our deductions are correct,

the whole thing

can't be pulled off by just one person.

Such a shame.

What a shame!

If we had caught that person,

we would've discovered the truth.

We were just one step away from the truth.

Just one tiny step!

Hey, Chen Shi,

what were the odds of you

being held by that person as hostage?

If it hadn't been for you...

Cui Bei,

have you written down what we've said?

Yes.

Good.

I need you to give the dossier of this case

to Vice Minister Shangguan.

Tell her that it's a request made by the Ministry of Justice,

so we need to give them an official notice.

This case

will be in the charge of Mingjing Hall.

Yes.

Since the motive for the murder

is relevant to a stolen item,

you should try figuring out

the item's whereabouts.

I'll have a background check on that ship.

Go and do it now.

Yes.

Anything wrong?

I'm sorry, Mr. Li.

It's all my fault.

If it hadn't been for me,

we might have caught that criminal.

Don't overthink it.

Everything happened out of a sudden.

Who would've seen that coming?

It's not that.

I'm just too stupid

to learn anything well.

Whatever I do would end up causing you trouble.

As long as you're willing to learn,

I'm sure you'll get the hang of everything.

Don't always belittle yourself.

Mr. Li,

I have work to do.

I should get going.

[Rank 7]

What happened today was such a shame!

If it hadn't been for Chen Shi, we would...

Forget it.

Chen Shi is a good person,

but he's not very smart.

Chen Shi

is indeed a good person,

but he's not very agile.

Chen Shi is a good person,

but he's not pushing himself hard enough.

Chen Shi is blessed with a good heart,

but not with a good ability to calculate.

Then why would Vice Minister Li

keep him around?

Just because he's a good person?

Maybe he has got used to Chen Shi being around.

When I was in the army,

a general

liked taking a particular assistant general

with him, who always came in handy.

This assistant general

might not be a martial master or a brilliant strategist,

but after all,

he had worked with the general for a long time.

Maybe it's destiny.

The general just found that person nice to be around.

Mister!

It's hard to believe a Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review

would break into someone else's room.

Weren't you afraid that when you turned around,

I would stab and kill you?

No. Because you invited me here.

You left this behind.

Given that you're injured,

you'd better not drink alcohol.

We foreigners

recover faster after we consume alcohol.

Did you kill Liu Fu?

No.

Then why would you

appear in the goods yard?

What's your thought, Vice Minister Li?

There is a group of thieves in the goods yard.

They've been stealing goods there for years.

Because of one stolen item,

an internal dispute happened among them,

and finally caused a death.

You foreigners have your own business.

You would by no means engage in

the business at the wharf.

That means your previous presence

was related to the stolen item.

On the boat tokens,

some details of a ship have been wiped off.

Is that ship yours?

No.

But the ship contained something I want.

That thing

was supposed to be brought by Liu Fu

to me.

But he didn't show up.

It was not until today did I find

that he had already died.

I went to the goods yard

just to see

if there were any clues left.

Liu Fu was a watchman in the goods yard.

He could help transport many things

that legal channels couldn't.

What did you lose?

Liu Fu was probably killed because of it.

Is it something valuable?

Your shoulder got injured

at the wharf today.

That means you ran into

the person who put paint on the boat tokens.

The one who injured you

is very likely the murderer.

They outnumbered me.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have

been injured by them.

Did you catch a clear look

at their faces?

No.

What on earth

was stolen from you?

You wouldn't want me to take you back

to the Court of Judicial Review

so I can treat you harshly as I interrogate you, would you?

If that was your plan,

you wouldn't come here alone.

Then at least tell me

if this thing

and the Jiazitou you're looking for,

namely Yi Zhi Hua,

are related in any way?

It's you who asked me to come here.

If you need my help, just let me know.

You're injured.

It's hard for you to find what you want on your own.

I can help you find it,

and I promise to return it to you.

But

when that happens, you must tell me

why you're looking for Yi Zhi Hua.

Plus, I'm more curious about

the connection

between this thing and Yi Zhi Hua.

What do you think?

It all depends on

how good you are at your job, Vice Minister Li.

It's settled then.

Speaking of the direction,

it should be the north of your house, where there is stuff made of wood.

Mr. Yuan!

Look into the wooden boxes in the north of your house.

Just look into them. You'll find what you want.

I was just

looking for you.

Give me a moment.

Go home and check if the thing is in

one of the wooden boxes or clay pots.

Just look into them. I'm sure you'll find it.

If not, come back to me.

Okay.

Alright. Thank you.

I was just looking for you.

There's a letter for you.

What? What letter?

What are you eagerly looking for

and have asked me to help with?

I...

I'm looking for my older brother.

Is there a letter from my brother?

Just now,

someone came here for divination.

He tried to find a man named Chen Shi.

Then I asked him for more details.

It turned out that he wanted to give you a letter written by Chen Jiu.

Really?

[To my brother Shi]

I charged him 30 wen.

That wasn't too much, was it?

Really?

I've found my brother!

I've gotta tell Mr. Li about it!

It's great news!

Don't run so fast.

Mr. Li,

I've found my brother!

He looks so happy and excited.

How wonderful!

Come here for divination!

Mr. Li! Mr. Li!

What's up?

What happened?

My brother... My brother...

Have you found your brother?

Not yet.

[To my brother Shi]

He has written me a letter.

Someone went to Mr. Yuan

and gave him this letter, saying

that it's from my brother to me!

Would you read it for me?

What's written in it?

Shi,

I'm all fine.

Don't worry.

Chen Jiu.

Nothing else?

N-Nothing else.

I’ve asked Mr. Yuan.

He got this letter

from an ordinary man.

So I haven't paid much attention to that.

I thought

if I took this letter to you,

you would be able to find out

who delivered it.

He definitely knows where my brother lives.

When you find your brother,

what will you do?

It depends.

If my brother is leading a peaceful

and comfortable life,

I'll stay with him.

You'll leave the Court of Judicial Review then?

I'm too stupid.

Don't underestimate yourself anymore.

You're really a good fit for the Court of Judicial Review.

Mr. Li,

let's just play it by ear.

Can you find out

who delivered this letter?

[To my brother Shi]

It...

It truly is just an ordinary piece

of notepaper.

I don't see anything special about it.

Can I

take a leave?

Anyway, in this murder case,

I'm not being helpful at all.

Now that I've finally got a letter from my brother,

I want to...

if you insist,

then go.

Thank you, Mr. Li.

I'm leaving then.

Please let us get through.

Zhao Huazi!

Vice Minister Li,

[Chun Huai House]

someone found him here.

His death was caused by blunt force trauma.

This wound

and the one in Liu Fu's head,

which has been recorded by

the coroner of the Ministry of Justice,

are very similar.

I suspect

it's done by the same murderer.

Let's go.

We'll check out the place where he lived.

[Chun Huai House]

Get him out of here.

Thanks, Officers.

Why would the murderer kill a beggar?

Sun Bao!

Maybe because he revealed

the truth about the goods yard,

and said many things to Vice Minister Li,

the murderer killed him as revenge.

What a vicious

and heartless murderer!

However, he told me nothing

but just a fact that's known to everyone.

I guess the murderer killed him for a different reason.

He came here to look for something.

Look for something?

Guys, look.

The tiles

are stacked up neatly.

Also, there are obvious traces

indicating that they've been given a good wipe.

In the beginning, the house

wasn't as messy as it is now.

After someone broke in

and rummaged in here,

the house became a mess

that we're seeing now.

How did a beggar

get so much money?

I gave it

to him when I asked him questions yesterday.

Since the murderer didn't take a dime,

it means he didn't come here for money.

The beggar was a scavenger

with a limp.

It means he could only collect trash

within the perimeter of this area.

Scavengers usually collect trash

at midnight or in the early morning.

These are the exact

time slots when thieves go out to steal.

The waterway has silted up.

People are having a hard time.

There aren't enough resources for everyone.

Why not be a thief?

What's picked up on the streets can't be as worthy as what's stolen, right?

We might as well make a bold assumption.

Maybe the murderer

was looking for the item

that was stolen on that day.

Vice Minister Li is implying the item

that had caused an internal dispute among the thieves that night,

and led to Liu Fu's death,

went missing again,

and was picked up by this beggar.

What could that item be?

It has contributed to two crimes

and cost two human lives!

[Court of Judicial Review]