Original subtitles

The last ingredient

is the Soul-Severing Ginseng.

The veins of it

perfectly match the lines on my palm.

If your hand slips even slightly when you cut it,

the ginseng's poison will kill you first.

Back then, when I was in Jianghuai,

I set up a simple scam.

But I never expected

the knockout drug I used

to be switched for poison.

What do you mean?

That's how your whole family

was wrongfully accused and suffered.

I remember I told you

who set it up.

What is it again?

Zhang Dancheng.

Right,

Zhang Dancheng.

I am Zhang Dancheng.

Your last enemy.

Mentor,

are you kidding?

I'm just telling you the truth.

You can't be soft-hearted

when dealing with the Tianxiang Sect.

Being soft-hearted

will get you killed.

So you found me

and taught me

just to use me

to kill the Sect Master to avenge yourself?

Exactly.

Exactly.

When we met

8 years ago,

this day was bound to come.

When I'm gone,

you must remember

how to walk

the road ahead.

Zhang Dancheng.

After I kill the Sect Master,

I'll come back for your life.

OK.

OK.

Your training is complete.

It's time to set out.

But remember,

there's only one thing

that never changes.

The people closest to you

are

the most...

the most dangerous.

The knife is in my hand.

I know how to use it.

Mentor.

[A Prophet]

[Episode 6]

How should I address you?

You don't remember me?

That makes sense.

You've seen plenty of people like me.

It's normal that you don't remember me.

I definitely remember those

who perform with me on stage.

But there are so many people

in the audience,

so how could I possibly remember them all?

My

surname is Lyu.

Lyu Ruhui.

Lyu Ruhui?

Miss Jiang remembers me now?

Hui—when darkness reaches its deepest, light is born.

That's a good name.

Judging by your outfit,

what line

of work are you in?

Corpse Driving.

If you've mastered corpse-driving,

surely you can

read fortunes too, Mr. Lyu.

I know a thing or two.

Then could I trouble you

to read

my palm?

Miss Jiang, you're blessed with good fortune.

Your financial luck is good,

and your romantic luck is strong, too.

But you have too many crossroads ahead.

I'm afraid you won't live much longer.

Are you serious,

Mr. Lyu?

Absolutely.

There are so many people outside.

I advise you

not to be impulsive.

What?

Do you think my fortune-telling is inaccurate?

No, you got it right.

But in my opinion,

Mr. Lyu,

you missed one thing.

What did I miss?

I bring luck to my husband.

Bringing luck to your husband?

You must be joking, Miss Jiang.

Are you sure you're not a jinx to your husband?

If I were a jinx,

sir,

how are you still sitting here safe and sound?

You even have the army at your disposal.

Miss Jiang,

it's been 8 years,

and you've certainly risen in the world.

Whether I've risen or not doesn't matter.

What matters is, you've fallen

so low that

even a dog can take a bite out of you now.

Then please tell me,

is this dog

blind

or not?

I think you're the blind one.

You don't even know whose corpses you're transporting.

Corpse Driving is just a cover.

It's actually opium inside.

Commander Feng

has always hated opium like the plague.

If he finds out

you're using his fallen soldiers' bodies to smuggle opium,

what do you think he'll do?

Now you finally know

why Blind Du

let you drive the corpses, right?

If you don't want to be his scapegoat,

just play along

with me in this act.

You'd better think this through, Miss Jiang.

When this act is over,

if I'm still alive,

you will be dead.

Let's see if you can survive first.

Why are you helping me?

You're

accusing my regiment colonel and adjutant

of using my fallen soldiers' corpses to transport opium.

If it were anyone else, they'd already be dead.

But why are you still alive?

Please see clearly, Commander Feng.

What's your relationship with Jiang Feiyan?

She's just an old friend of mine.

You don't want to tell me?

What happened today

is bound to put them on their guard.

If I can't catch them red-handed,

I won't be able to answer to the Commander.

Rest assured, Commander Feng.

I can make sure you catch them all,

leaving no loose ends.

Tell me about it.

Kill me.

Being able to wipe out these scumbags

so thoroughly this time,

I really have to thank you

and that old friend of yours.

Old friend?

He told you that?

He's not really an old friend, is he?

Yes.

He's an old friend.

Why aren't you drinking, Commander Feng?

Something's on your mind again?

What's on my mind?

There are too many scumbags

like Lei San in this world. That weighs on me.

And the higher-ups deliberately won't let me wipe out

those damn swindlers in Longxuya.

That weighs on me, too.

Commander Feng, you care deeply about your country,

and you have lofty ambitions.

It's just

that the time is not right yet.

If you trust me,

I hope I can help you

realize your ambitions.

Aren't you afraid I poisoned it?

Death is death. No matter

who kills me or how.

At least I'll die on a full stomach.

It's not a bad deal.

You really take death in stride.

Kid,

since you brought me this meal,

I'll read your fortune one more time.

By the Nanxi River,

against the current, the corpses go.

Kid,

from the first day you came looking for me at Longxuya,

I knew who you were.

You haven't

changed much in 8 years.

If you recognized me,

why didn't you kill me?

Killing you would be too easy.

I kept you alive

to draw out the person behind you.

Three Yin converge to summon misfortune.

Time to close the net.

Zhang Dancheng,

I know you're there.

We were once fellow disciples.

Let me tell you something.

About what happened with the Wang family back then,

you thought I had set you up.

It was the Sect Master

who had the Qian family replace the knockout drops with poison.

He wanted you to be the one to kill.

Didn't you live by the rules

and refuse to break them even if it meant death?

So he used your own rules to destroy you.

To put it bluntly,

neither of us

can escape the Sect Master's grasp.

We're both pawns he discarded.

This wine

tastes like the drug the Qian family used back then.

It's quite bitter.

Fine.

Kid,

for this wine,

I'll read your Mentor's fortune one more time.

Kan means danger.

The Lake over Water—hardship.

The fourth line is changing.

Your fate is trapped by stone,

and your soul clings to moss.

Zhang Dancheng,

your fate is worse than mine.

You'll die a worse death than I will!

You've read fortunes all your life.

Did you foresee dying here today?

I read life, not death.

I read other people's fates, not my own.

I've pretended to be blind my whole life.

Now I really can't see.

I came from the mortal realm to practice physiognomy.

Everything in the mortal world is already in the past.

Thunder may strike, and fire may burn, but the wind cannot be driven away.

In life and death, it's all within the art of physiognomy.

Nobody moves!

Nobody moves!

[Longxuya]

I joined the army at sixteen.

I've fought my way through piles of corpses to get where I am today.

I don't believe in fate.

I only believe in my gun.

Commander,

the remnants of Longxuya

have all been arrested.

Those who dared to resist

were shot on the spot.

You stay here.

Yes, sir.

Blind Du died last night.

I heard

you two met before that.

If the higher-ups come asking,

I'll need an answer.

I might have to borrow your life for that.

Commander Feng

never leaves a root behind.

But you should know,

I'm not the root

of this.

Killing me won't help.

Then where is the root?

Spare me, sir!

We're all

in the same business.

What happened?

Liang,

I toast to you.

Come on.

Fill it up.

Come on.

Liang,

thanks for taking care of me lately.

Take this money.

We're parting ways.

What?

You said something?

We're not parting ways.

The road I'm taking next is very dangerous.

It'll only make things harder if I take you with me.

If it's dangerous,

then you need me with you even more.

Don't you know what I'm capable of?

They call me

Tongbei

Little Spinning Top.

Alright.

Liang,

I know you're capable.

Sit down.

Now you know, right?

Sit.

You saw what happened to the people in Longxuya.

Liang,

being a swindler can get you killed.

I don't want you to die.

But my parents

weren't swindlers.

Why did they both die?

Anyway, in this world,

just staying alive

isn't easy.

If it's not easy,

shouldn't we try to live well?

Listen to me,

leave the Tianxiang Sect.

Their people

never end up well.

Aren't we both from the Tianxiang Sect?

Then look at what they've done to us.

What did they do?

They made us scapegoats.

That's exactly

why I have to follow you!

You're capable,

and you won't use me as a scapegoat.

I'm telling you, bro,

whatever you do from now on,

I'm coming with you.

What if I wanted to kill the Sect Master?

Don't talk nonsense.

Ruhui.

You don't have what it takes.

Liang,

my real name isn't Lyu Ruhui.

My name is Shangguan Chengming.

I'm not the root of this.

Killing me won't help.

Then where is the root?

The true root

is the buyer behind it all—

[Mingcao Hall]

the Qian family

of Mingcao Hall.

Sir,

what herbs are you looking for?

I'm just browsing.

I hear this mountain has plenty of fine herbs.

Sir,

you must be from out of town.

Most of the purple dendrobium

you see on the market comes from us.

Purple dendrobium

is worth its weight in gold these days.

You have it in stock?

Just a moment.

Please take a look.

It's indeed excellent.

How much are you looking for?

How much do you have?

We have

about 100 jins in stock.

Can you take it all?

I came from Nanyang.

I'm planning

to buy a batch of good medicinal herbs to take back.

If your herbs are good enough,

we can establish a long-term partnership

and do business together regularly.

Let's talk somewhere else.

Bro,

a thousand cups of wine are never enough with a true friend.

I really feel a connection with you.

I wonder

if these three gold bars

can make up for some of the goodwill

you have earned with your wife.

Bro,

let me tell you the truth.

Three gold bars

are indeed

a lot of money to me.

But

to my wife's family,

it's just a drop

in the bucket.

I traveled all the way from Nanyang to your place,

not for

a small deal of a few gold bars.

What I want

is the bucket.

And what exactly is this "bucket"

you're talking about, Chengming?

The Qian family's Bashen Powder.

My friend,

don't joke around.

The Qian family

has been practicing medicine

and dealing in herbs for generations.

We've never had anything to do

with the stuff you mentioned.

I heard

the Qian family's supply routes have run into some trouble.

You can't get the raw materials in

and can't get the goods out.

I can

not only keep supplying the Qian family with opium,

but also sell Bashen Powder in Nanyang.

With goods coming in and going out,

you'll solve the Qian family's immediate problem.

And you'll definitely be able to stand tall

in front of your wife.

You came prepared.

Of course.

Wenxin, you always keep your word

and never shortchange anyone.

Liuwei Dihuang pills have honey in them.

When they come into contact with water, their surface becomes sticky.

But the surface of your pills is dry and hard.

These are pills made with white sugar, right?

The prescriptions passed down from our ancestors

must be followed exactly.

The Qian family's reputation over the years

has been built up bit by bit by you, Wenxin.

I came all this way to do business.

If I didn't come to you,

wouldn't I be going out of my way?

It's nothing worth mentioning.

Looking at your face,

you have a broad forehead

and a prominent nose bridge.

It's clearly a face of great fortune.

If I'm not mistaken,

Wenxin,

you are the real source of the Qian family's wealth.

My friend, you really know how to read people.

My wife believes in this deeply.

She has hired many masters to read my face.

They all said

that I would bring wealth

to the Qian family.

And now I'm here, bringing you more wealth.

If we join forces,

once Bashen Powder starts selling in Nanyang,

you won't

have to answer to the Qian family anymore.

Bashen Powder

isn't mine to decide.

Whether it's honey or white sugar,

it's only a minor ingredient.

It won't affect the efficacy.

You changed the prescription without authorization.

How do you know it won't affect the medicine?

The Second Master approved this.

It seems

the son-in-law is still an outsider.

Bashen Powder

isn't mine to decide alone.

We have guests in our house.

Liang.

No one could pull off this outfit but you.

From now on,

you are Master Chang Youliang,

the 13th-generation successor

of Zijin Temple on Mount Heyun.

Boundless Heavenly Honor.

You really nailed the tone and vibe.

With my acting skills,

I could make a living on stage for real.

Where are we working today?

The Qian family.

The Qian family?

What's their business?

Do you remember

whose opium we were smuggling

when we drove those corpses?

Then they are no ordinary family.

Then they're no ordinary marks.

So,

you must promise me one thing.

If I sense danger,

I'll yell "dumb mark" at you.

When that happens,

just run

and leave me behind.

Wait,

we're usually the ones who con the marks.

Aren't you just insulting me?

Pick another word.

Sometimes,

it's hard to tell

who's the prey.

Master Chang,

this is my husband, Zhou Wenxin.

T-This is my wife.

What are you waiting for?

You want me to serve you a cup of tea?

We're not drinking.

This way, please.

Here.

Master Chang,

this is my Four Pillars of Destiny.

Please take a look.

Has something happened at home?

I took a quick look.

Something is off about the courtyard's layout.

If I'm not mistaken,

the wealth position has been compromised.

For merchants,

a compromised wealth position can have varying consequences.

It could mean losing wealth,

or

even the destruction of your family.

The destruction of my family?

Master,

is there a solution to this?

Since ancient times, power and wealth have been inseparable.

A damaged wealth position

can only be resolved by someone

with military power.

Military power....

You mean someone in the military?

Where am I supposed to find

such a person?

Looking at your Four Pillars of Destiny,

you should have close ties to someone

of considerable rank and influence.

Pay

more attention to the people around you recently.

There should be

a benefactor who can help you.

Master,

could you give me

a few more hints?

When hardship ends, fortune will return in time.

A noble benefactor will soon cross your path.

When Dragon and Tiger clash in the mountains,

the reckless will eventually encounter the worthy.

The first half

means

a benefactor

will appear soon.

But the second half—

"When Dragon and Tiger clash in the mountains,

the reckless will eventually encounter the worthy" means...

The time isn't right yet.

Give it a few days,

and you'll see.

Honey,

I had some wine.

I won't keep you from resting.

I'll sleep in the side room.

Since when did you start drinking Western liquor?

A merchant from Nanyang

named Shangguan Chengming

wants to do business with us.

So I just had a couple of drinks with him.

From Nanyang?

What business could he possibly discuss with us?

Bashen Powder.

What did you say?

You told him about the Bashen Powder?

He brought it up.

How would he know if you didn't tell him?

I

had some wine,

and one thing led to another, so I...

I ended up admitting it.

You just ignore what I said,

don't you?

Blind Du's hideout

was just raided by Commander Feng.

If they keep investigating,

they'll be coming after us in a matter of days.

We should be keeping our heads down right now.

And you just had to

walk right into the line of fire!

Honey,

I think Chengming

is someone we can trust.

The roads are blocked right now,

and we can't get the goods out.

If we can really sell them

to Nanyang as he said,

it would be great for us.

Nanyang?

We can't even get the goods out of the province right now.

And have you thought about this?

If the Tianxiang Sect

finds out about the Bashen Powder,

do you think our family will make it out alive?

Isn't Blind Du from the Tianxiang Sect?

Zhou Wenxin, oh,

Zhou Wenxin.

Will you ever learn?

I've entrusted the family business to you for so many years.

Don't you know the rules of the underworld?

The Sect Master doesn't allow his men to touch drugs.

The Sect Master won't even make money when he could?

Can you use your brain?

Can the money from running scams

really compare to the profits from opium?

Isn't the Sect Master's real concern

that once his men get involved with opium,

they'll grow too powerful to control?

Madam,

I met Chengming today

just to feel him out.

He really has nothing to do with the Tianxiang Sect.

He came to us

with 10 gold bars in hand.

If we can really work together

and sell the Bashen Powder in Nanyang,

no one will be able to stop us.

And I think Chengming

has powerful connections in both the underworld and the government.

You think?

He has connections

on both sides?

How about this, Honey?

I'll ask him to come see you

in the next couple of days.

You should size him up, too.

Wait.

You forgot again.

Incense ash in the same cup;

fate on the same slip.

Is that what you said before?

Say the whole thing.

Don't worry, Honey.

Incense ash in the same cup;

fate on the same slip.

You'll sleep

in the shrine tonight.

Repent to the Buddha.

Let him see

whether you're truly sincere.

Seriously, what's your plan now?

She wants someone with military power.

Where am I

supposed to find someone like that?

"Master Chang" can't keep this up much longer.

You really are something, aren't you?

Too much mutton will give you too much heat.

Just tell me straight.

What are you really doing at the Qian family?

To pick something up.

What?

The ledger.

Are you really going to do business with them?

Keep it under control,

Master Chang.

Take care.

Second Master,

someone is here to see you.

A monk going to a Taoist priest?

Something's definitely up.

I want to make a deal with you.

There's no need for this between us.

I know what you need most right now is money to pay your troops.

I can help you get it.

Please sit.

I'm going to the Qian family tomorrow.

This time, I'll be going

by Jiang Shuyi.

You're going there for him?

Of course not.

From now on,

if you need anything in Qianshan,

come to me.

I just don't understand.

If you help me get the military pay,

what can I give you?

Getting Commander Feng

to owe me such a big favor is one thing.

I'll have to think carefully

about how to collect on it someday.

Come.

Chengming.

Come on.

Have a drink.

I just like drinking with you.

Bro.

Didn't we agree to meet your wife today?

If we keep drinking like this,

we might not be in any shape to meet her.

Chengming,

there's a saying around here:

It's more important to judge the person than the money or the goods.

You're a straightforward man.

My wife asked me

to take good care of you.

She will come to meet you later.

Here.

Eat some food.

Try this.

Thank you.

Chengming,

listening to your accent,

you're not actually from Nanyang, are you?

I was born in Jianghuai

and went to Nanyang a few years ago.

Well,

it seems we are about the same age.

What year were you born?

Honey.

Master Chang,

this is a friend's Four Pillars of Destiny.

Please read it for me.

Chengming.

Mr. Chengming,

I'm sorry for keeping you waiting.

Third Madam Qian,

I've heard a great deal about you.

It's an honor

to meet you today.

We drank a bit too much last night.

Please don't take it to heart.

It's a small matter.

Don't worry about it.

Please sit down, and let's talk.

Sit.

Master Chang.

Wenxin, pour tea for the guests.

Who is this gentleman?

I forgot to introduce you.

This is Master Chang Youliang,

the 13th-generation real person

of Zijin Temple on Heyun Mountain.

I heard of Master Chang of Zijin Temple

on Heyun Mountain when I was in Nanyang.

It's truly an honor

to meet you today.

If there's a chance,

I hope you can give me some guidance.

You flatter me.

I won't hide it from you, sir.

We've had some trouble at home recently.

So I specially invited the Master down the mountain

to take a look for us.

May I ask what happened?

Is there anything I can help with?

Actually, it was a few days ago...

This is the finest Pu'er tea we've had this year.

Please try it.

Okay.

Master,

please try it, too.

Okay.

Wenxin told me

you had some ideas...

about our family business.

Why don't you tell me more about them?

Since you've gotten straight to the point,

I'll get straight to the point, too.

I run a shipping business in Nanyang,

and I have two shipping routes.

My cargo ships

make at least

9 round trips a week.

I'll handle the shipping both ways.

We'll split the profits

70-30.

What do you think,

Third Madam?

You call the shots at sea.

But...

we're nowhere near the coast.

Getting goods from the mountains to the docks

is a real ordeal.

I don't know if you

has what it takes.

Cats have their ways,

and dogs have theirs.

Since I came all the way here

to do business with you,

whatever you're worried about

is not

a problem for me.

I'm all ears.

It's so lively today.

Second Brother is back.

We have guests here.

Let me introduce you.

This is Master Chang Youliang

from Zijin Temple on Heyun Mountain.

He's from Nanyang...

My sister's believed in this sort of thing

since she was a child.

She considers herself a spiritual practitioner.

I think

she'll end up becoming a nun sooner or later.

Life itself

is a cultivation.

Well said, Master.

There's something

I'd like you to read for me.

Can you read

between the two of us

who calls the shots

in this family?

Second Brother.

Since Third Madam has family matters to deal with,

I'll come back another day.

Don't make it another day.

Since the Master won't read for me,

then

I'll read yours instead.

Young man,

you have a compound surname,

Shangguan.

You're Shangguan Chengming,

right?

Master,

was my reading accurate?

Do you know

how I read it out?

Come in.

You didn't expect this, did you?

I'm still alive.

[In the next episode]

Miss Shuyi.

Come in.

Sect Master asked you

when you would do it.

Today.

Second Madam Qian.

You didn't invite me to the wedding?

Let me introduce her.

This is

the woman I'm about to marry,

Jiang Shuyi.

I've only just met Mr. Chengming.

Why would I have invited you?

Whether you invited me or not, I'm here now.

I just wonder whether this marriage

is real or not.