Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[Warm on a Cold Night]

[Episode 1]

This figure.

Do you like it?

Girls of the Qi race

are no different from ordinary women.

Women of Qian

don't have

the same lithe figures.

Look.

Does everyone know

Qi nursery rhymes?

Yes!

Yes!

♫ The full, full moon sparkles and shines ♫

♫ Long ago, there was a beauty entranced ♫

♫ Scholars and officials asked for her hand ♫

♫ But all of them she did decline ♫

♫ The beauty laughed till she fainted ♫

♫ Sharp teeth bit into the beauty’s neck ♫

♫ Red blood flowed and flowed ♫

Why is she leaving?

It's fine.

We'll sing by ourselves.

♫ Sharp teeth bit into the beauty’s neck ♫

♫ Red blood flowed and flowed ♫

♫ Severed in one bite, the beauty’s hand ♫

♫ Severed in one bite, the beauty’s hand ♫

♫ Spat it out in the Bai River, the stinky ditch ♫

♫ Severed in one bite, the ladies’s feet ♫

Drink.

♫ Spat it out in the outskirts, at the Goddess Shrine ♫

Come on, let's continue.

Where are they?

♫ At one go, ripped out the beauty's heart ♫

♫ Spat it out at the lush Flower and Willow Park ♫

♫ Taken off in one bite, the beauty’s crown ♫

Where are they?

♫ Threw it out at hell’s gate beneath the moon ♫

Are they hiding from me?

[Inspection Bureau]

[Qian, Patrolman, Su Jiu’er]

Who is it,

running around the roof

in the middle of the night?

I want to sleep!

My name is Su Jiu'er.

[Su Jiu’er]

I'm a patrolman in the Inspection Bureau

of Jiuxiao City in the state of Qian.

Although I want to

be a good patrolman...

Kneel there.

Yes.

Because I am sickly by nature,

I gradually lost my five senses.

When I was young,

I contracted a strange disease.

Often,

I would suddenly feel cold

and get dizzy.

So at work,

most of the time,

I am cutting watermelons,

making tea,

and cleaning up for my colleagues.

-That is what I do. -Jiu’er.

Go ask the kitchen to hurry.

Why isn't lunch ready yet?

Okay.

That's why

Commander thinks

I'm useless.

This stresses me out.

Look at her.

Look at her.

She's useless but got here through her connections.

She's an embarrassment to the Inspection Bureau.

That's why a good sleep

is the only thing

that helps me forget my worries everyday.

Don't let me catch you.

Causing trouble in the middle of the night.

Be careful that you don't end up in the Inspection Bureau tomorrow!

This person is so noisy.

So annoying.

I can't even sleep.

[Inspection Bureau]

Sober up, quickly.

Godfather! Godfather!

You shouldn't drink anymore.

You drink every day.

The higher-ups are working us to the bone!

[Qian, Patrolman, Hu Badao]

How can I take it

if I don't drink to relax?

Four officials

went missing

but we've only found two bodies.

If we still can't find any leads,

the other two officials

will be done for.

I think the culprit

[Qi, Patrolman, Wang Tianyun]

must be a Qi.

What's wrong with the Qi?

You're scared

because the culprit is a Qi?

I recently learned

a Qi nursery rhyme.

I'll sing it for you all.

Godfather.

Don't—

Listen carefully.

This is a Qi nursery rhyme.

♫ Severed in one bite, the beauty's hand ♫

♫ Spat it out in the Bai River, in the stinky ditch ♫

♫ Severed in one bite, the beauty's feet ♫

♫ Spat it out in the outskirts, at the Goddess Shrine ♫

The Goddess Shrine!

The Goddess Shrine?

Isn't it nice?

The beauty's hand.

The stinky ditch.

The beauty's feet.

The Goddess Shrine.

Godfather.

Sing the nursery rhyme

again.

This move?

Godfather.

Get up.

Sing for me again.

Get up. Hurry.

Commander Yan is here.

[Qian, Patrolman, Yue Daren]

[Qian, Commander, Yan Kuan]

[Qian, Patrolman, Chen Li]

Hu Badao.

Wake him up.

Which bastard?

Which bastard?

Yan Kuan.

Alright.

You piece of work.

Hu Badao!

Listen up.

I am the Commander of the patrolmen now.

You've been drinking while on duty.

I caught you this time.

Caught me?

When I caught you those years ago,

-you weren’t so arrogant. -Hu Badao!

C- Commander Yan.

Godfather is still drunk,

so he spoke out of line.

Please forgive him.

That’s Commander Yan.

But

my godfather got drunk

because he went to the tavern

to investigate.

Investigate?

I want to know

what he found.

Hu.

This morning, didn't you tell me

you went to the tavern to investigate

the cannibalistic Qi nursery rhyme?

Didn't you find that the lyrics

match up perfectly with

the conditions of the two victims?

The locations where the bodies were discovered

match up too.

The beauty's hands.

The stinky ditch.

The beauty's feet.

The Goddess Shrine.

Commander Yan.

His Excellency Li from the Inspection Service

died in a ditch.

He lost his right arm.

His Excellency Liu of the Grain Transport Bureau

died at the Goddess Shrine.

He lost his left leg.

All of them match up with

the Qi nursery rhyme!

They are very similar.

So—

So my godfather means to say is that

this could be

a premeditated murder case.

If we want to know

the whereabouts of the other two officials,

we have to look to the nursery rhyme

for leads.

But

you two are not to meddle

in this matter anymore.

-Why? -Why?

Because Yue Daren

has already caught him.

This-

In the 33rd year of Dingkun,

on the 24th day of the 3rd month,

or the 7th day of the missing persons case,

the body of Li Zhinian, the Chief of the Inspection Service,

was found in the canal in the south of the city.

When we arrived at the scene,

it had not been contaminated.

However, the body was not complete.

His right hand was missing,

and there were traces of biting and ripping on the wound.

It looked like it was caused not by an ordinary beast,

but a shapeshifted Qi.

Seven days later,

The body of Li Jingting, the Adjutant of the District Office

was found at the Goddess Shrine in the suburbs.

His left leg was missing.

Similarly, the wound bore traces

of biting and tearing.

Earlier, Liu had discovered a Qi man

in the Zhang Residence

with three scars on his face.

His actions were suspicious,

and he seemed to have been eavesdropping

on the details of the incident.

According to many witnesses,

this Qi man

frequented the locations where the bodies were found.

He is is our prime suspect.

This morning, my informant

found him at the market.

I immediately gathered my men

and after a battle,

we finally

arrested this Qi man.

It's just that

we have no conclusive evidence right now.

We need to

make him confess as soon as possible

and reveal the whereabouts

of the other two officials.

Does anyone want to take the initiative

to interrogate the Qi man?

Commander,

I really want

to share your burden.

Good!

My waist–

The fight was too fierce this morning.

It's made my chronic pain act up.

[Shameless]

You- You know about this.

I-

Commander.

I am the same.

To this day,

my wound hasn't recovered.

[Fake]

Commander,

I want to share your burden.

[Qian, Patrolman, Uncle Liu]

But time hasn't spared me.

I'm unable to help.

Wang Tianyun.

My- My throat.

I-

The Qi man has been tied up.

Look how scared

you all are of him!

Hu Badao!

Su Jiu'er!

Godfather, look at my eyes.

Hu Badao! Su Jiu'er!

You two go.

Us?

Open the door!

Let's play it how we usually do.

I'll be bad cop, you'll be good cop.

I've got it.

Hu.

It's okay.

Put your foot down!

Are you trying to make me feel bad,

getting a woman who's shaking all over

to interrogate me?

I-

I'm just cold.

It's summer.

How could you be cold?

Audacious!

Why do you talk so much?

Fine.

From now on,

I won't talk.

Unless

you beg me.

I-

He's so arrogant.

He dares to threaten me?

Let me tell you.

You should know your place.

Now that you've ended up

on our turf,

I—

You must keep your promise.

Mr. Qi,

I'm begging you.

I beg of you.

Just answer

our questions honestly.

Take it as

we're doing each other a favor.

Doing each other a favor?

This girl is rather interesting.

Hu, ask him now.

I've heard that

the Qi people always keep their word.

They always deliver on their promises.

He won't lie to us.

Listen up.

In the 33rd year of Dingkun,

on the 17th day of the 3rd month,

four officials of the state of Qian

invited Qi entertainers

to the banquet hall

in the Zhang Residence.

According to our investigation,

the officials were just curious

and wanted to see the forbidden dance of the Qi

after shapeshifting.

You people can shapeshift into beasts, right?

Let us have a look?

Don't make fun of me, Your Excellency.

In Jiuxiao City,

the Qi are forbidden from shapeshifting.

Otherwise,

we could be expelled from the state of Qian.

Recently, Qi nursery rhymes

have been spreading amongst the people.

Do you all know how to sing them?

Yes.

♫ The full, full, moon sparkles and shines ♫

♫ Long ago, there was a beauty entranced ♫

This nursery rhyme

is about how you Qi people

eat humans.

Yeah.

Go ahead. Sing.

They're not singing.

We'll sing it ourselves.

♫ Sharp teeth bit into the beauty's neck ♫

After the dancers left,

the four officials were killed.

Two mutilated bodies were found.

The other two are missing.

Did you do it?

Why do you suspect

I was the one who did it?

We have evidence.

The mutilated bodies

of the two victims

bore the bitemarks

of a shapeshifted Qi.

The culprit must have been a Qi!

Besides,

you

appeared frequently at the scene.

Who else could it be?

Are you going to say

you were merely passing by?

It's true, I just happened to pass by.

You're taking me for a fool?

You—

Hu.

If you interrogate him like this,

isn't it akin to telling him that

we don't have any conclusive evidence?

You should—

I heard everything.

So you

have no conclusive evidence.

Gosh.

How could I forget?

Their five senses

are much sharper than ours.

You know a lot about the Qi race.

Tell me.

What else do you know?

The Qi people's five senses are sharp,

and their bodies are strong.

Although you live together,

you prefer to be alone.

You're afraid of heat and fire.

You like-

like to eat internal organs.

You're wrong.

We prefer to eat

human meat.

Did you eat

the two officials' meat?

Boring.

Who would want the tough meat

from the arms and legs of a man?

The internal organs of the officials

were indeed still intact.

That means they werent killed

to be cannibalized.

But tender and delicate girls

are a different story.

Prey that tremble before you

have an excellent mouthfeel.

You know?

How dare you!

Stop talking nonsense-

nonsense about eating human flesh.

Who are you bluffing?

I think

you're just making use of

that horrible nursery rhyme to commit crimes.

You killed people

and dumped their bodies.

This is clearly

premeditated murder.

Answer me!

Where are the other two

missing officials?

Since you said

I'm imitating the nursery rhyme,

wouldn't you get your answer

by humming it?

♫ Severed in one bite, the beauty's hand ♫

♫ Spat it out in the Bai River, in the stinky ditch ♫

♫ Severed in one bite, the beauty's feet ♫

♫ Spat it out in the outskirts, at the Goddess Shrine ♫

♫ At one go, ripped out the beauty's heart ♫

♫ Spat it out at the lush Flower and Willow Park ♫

After- After biting off the legs,

you're going to rip out the heart?

Are you going to spit it out at the Flower and Willow Park?

This Qi man

is a little strange.

Take a guess.

Will this be

my next step?

He seems to be even more eager

to find out the truth than we are.

He doesn't look like a criminal.

This must be a trap.

Audacious!

Am I interrogating you

or are you interrogating me?

I—

Godfather.

Don't- Don't-

Don't be angry.

Mr. Qi,

don't be angry either.

Sit down.

Calm down, everyone.

Don't get mad.

Have some water.

Don't get mad.

Mr. Qi, this is how

interrogations always go.

You must be thirsty

after talking so much.

Have some water.

I don't want anything from the Qian people.

What's on his face?

Mr. Qi.

Have a sip.

I've got you.

You liar!

Hu!

The scars are fake.

Look.

The three scars on his face were drawn on.

How dare you!

I noticed it just now.

You weren't answering

any of our questions.

Instead, you made up stories

based on what Hu said.

This must be

what you're after.

You're smarter than I thought you were.

Of course.

You can't trick me.

Do you think you are

very clever,

and can see through me?

You?

Of course.

What are you doing? Put me down!

Godfather! Godfather!

What are you doing?

Mr. Qi, don't eat me!

Don't eat me! Please!

No one has ever

poured water on my face.

It hurts so much.

I'll be gentle next time.

Next time?

Hu, he wants the case file.

Take it away.

Hu, run!

Open the door!

Hurry up!

Why are you so stupid?

Hurry up.

Hu.

I can't take it anymore.

I can't.

Let go!

It hurts. Are you okay?

Boss, are you okay?

What are you waiting for?

Go save Jiu'er!

Save Jiu'er!

Save Jiu'er.

I can't get up.

My waist...

Save Jiu'er.

Save Jiu'er.

Don't-

Don't come here.

Don't come any closer.

Do you hear me?

Don't come near me.

Qian people really are cunning.

Listen up.

Don't try to steal the file from me.

Damn it.

Help!

Guards!

Guards!

That Qi man is inside.

Get him!

Guards!

Thank goodness.

I protected you.

Whose is it?

Mine.

I-

Don't tell me

this case is related to the nursery rhyme.

You don't know that for certain!

However, the Qi man who escaped

because of you two

is definitely involved in the case,

even if he isn't the murderer!

You have two choices.

First.

Arrest him, get the case file back,

and find out who he is.

Second.

Pack your things

and scram.

Flower and willow park, flower and willow axis,

flower and willow elbow, flower and willow curse.

Keha.

Do you understand?

Your Highness.

I've been studying the Qian language

really hard recently,

[Qi, Guard, Keha]

so I know a little.

But there's only half of it here!

You're holding it upside down.

Put it down.

For- For me?

This ice is so expensive.

You're giving it to me?

Your Highness.

I knew it, you don't look like it,

but you're soft-hearted.

I want to eat.

I- I'll go over there.

Your Highness.

It's just that land is limited

in Northern Shuo.

Otherwise, I would never disturb you

while you're eating.

Don't you think that

you've been becoming a chatterbox

since you came to Qian?

You're right!

I think so too.

I think

the Qian are rubbing off on me.

I've been investigating these past few days.

I've even made it into the Qi circle

in Jiuxiao City.

What did you find out?

It's impressive!

Your question

is the key.

I heard that

their attitude towards the Qi

was pretty good in the past.

Since those officials

were killed,

it has become hard on the Qi people

in Jiuxiao City.

Your Highness.

Do you think this case

was committed by

the long lost Young Master of the Xuanqi tribe, Mu Yan?

I don't know.

But I can't think of any other Qi

with three scars

on the right side of his face.

The Xuanqi tribe has never wanted

the Qi and the Qian to be on good terms with each other.

I think they were the ones who did it.

I'm just curious.

Mu Yan has been missing for ten years,

and that defeated general had so many sons.

Why him?

The masters of the Xue, Cang, Chi, and Xuan tribes

are all looking for him.

It's strange.

By the way, Your Highness.

If all the masters from the four tribes are here,

we can head back to Northern Shuo first.

I've said this before.

If I can't find him,

I won't go back,

no matter what.

Why, Your Highness?

Are you here in person

to stay ahead of the

masters of the four tribes?

I've also heard that you and Mu Yan

have been good friends since you were kids.

If you keep asking,

I'll send you back to Northern Shuo.

I- I won't ask anymore.

But I've been with you

for more than 20 years.

All along, I had no way of helping you.

This time, you finally

brought me out.

I won't let you down.

Well...

Your Highness, didn't you say

the next place you're going to

is the Flower and Willow Park?

I’ll help you ask around.

Stop.

Your Highness, I know I was in the wrong.

Don't chase me away.

It's raining outside.

I knew Your Highness

is kind-hearted.

You're only stern on the outside.

I'm sorry, Godfather.

He's a Qi.

I...

I can only choose the second option.

It's not that I don't want to arrest him,

but you know

my condition.

It's hard for me even to cut a watermelon.

You're in charge of skiving off

in the Inspection Bureau.

It's just a job.

You're only in it the salary.

Aren't you going to retire

next year?

I just wanted to help you

climb up the ladder a little.

Maybe you could even draw a pension

in the future.

Don't underestimate me.

Without you holding me back,

maybe I can even solve this big case

all by myself,

and help both of us

keep our jobs.

Hu.

You made me promise

to protect myself and never take risks.

Why don't you do it yourself?

I...

I'm all alone in this world.

You, on the other hand,

must stay safe and sound

at the Inspection Bureau.

That way, your life with your mother

will be more secure.

Are you cold?

Here.

Take this.

Darned rain.

Here, wrap yourself up.

Thank you, Godfather.

Let's go home.

Don't make your mother worry.

Godfather.

Tell me.

If my mother finds out

I've lost my job...

Are you afraid she'll be unhappy?

She won't.

She's not that snobbish.

She will be very happy.

[Qian, Qin Xiangyi]

Mother.

It's so hot in here.

Go out and take a rest.

We'll do the acupuncture later.

Rest for what?

You don't understand.

Acupuncture is the most effective

during a herbal bath.

Don't move.

If my needle is crooked,

I'll stab you into a fool.

What fool?

Mother.

Don't be too nervous, okay?

I'm fine.

Actually, this herbal bath...

Mother.

The herbs are so expensive.

Why don't we stop doing this?

Stop what?

We can't stop even for a day.

Our herbs

are out of supply.

Let's wait for two months.

Without this herbal bath,

your body

will get colder by the day.

Who knows, you might end up in the netherworld

with your father.

Su Jiu'er.

Your father promised

to be with me forever.

And then what?

He left, just like that.

You can't leave me.

I don't know what kind of strange disease

my daughter has contracted.

Her pulse is weak,

her body is as cold as ice,

and her five senses are deteriorating.

I'm really worried that she won't make it.

Please ask Physician Wang

to take a look, will you?

He will treat your daughter.

You only have to pay the fee.

It's five taels of silver.

I really don't have

that kind of money right now.

I'll give it to you when I do.

Physician Wang!

I'm also a physician.

But my medical skills are poor.

I can't treat my daughter's illness.

Please treat my daughter!

Get lost!

Take your daughter with you!

What are you doing?

Don't touch my daughter!

Jiu'er.

Don't worry.

I won't give up on you.

Hang in there.

Alright, Mother.

I was wrong. I was wrong.

Alright.

I will listen to you.

I will recuperate

and take good care of myself.

I will stay by your side

and never leave you.

Is Physician Qin here?

It's me, Bu.

This old Qi came

just in time.

He hasn't paid me for his consultation

from half a month ago.

Today,

I must get it from him!

I told you last time.

Your disease is in the bones.

You can't carry cargo at the wharf anymore.

[Qi, Bu]

Look at you.

Why don't you listen?

If I don't carry cargo,

my son and I

will starve.

Even in the past, the Qi in Jiuxiao City

could only do manual labor.

But a rumor has been going around recently,

saying that some high-ranking Qian officials

were killed by a Qi.

Our bosses' prejudice towards us

has deepened.

I'm lucky to still have a job.

Listen to me.

You

should find another job.

If you really become crippled,

what will your Kaka do?

Physician Qin,

what should I do?

I'll prescribe some medicine for you.

Apply the ointment three times a day.

Drink the medicine twice a day.

Thank you, Physician Qin.

This is all I have?

Forget it.

I'll just use it.

The medicine shop is barely staying afloat.

If I lose my job,

wouldn't I be making it worse?

I can't let mother suffer for me anymore.

Hu.

I've changed my mind.

What?

I'm going to arrest that Qi man

who pretended to be the suspect.

I will get the case file back

and keep our jobs.

No.

It's too dangerous.

I don't agree.

Fine.

You have the right to oppose.

I can arrest him alone.

Arrest what?

Look at you.

You have no strength in you.

You fainted suddenly

while interrogating the criminal yesterday.

How can you arrest anyone

with a body like that?

And a Qi at that.

Godfather.

I have a brain.

I've made up my mind.

Whether you agree or not,

I must arrest

that Qi.

Here comes the beancurd.

No!

Go away!

You brat.

Your brain was fine last night.

What's gotten into you today?

Why is your brain

not working?

Your hands are full of oil.

Sit down. Sit down.

Godfather,

Thanks to you,

I was able to

enter the Inspection Bureau.

Although the salary isn't high,

it's relatively stable.

Besides,

what if one day,

I die

all of a sudden.

Then my mother will get

a large sum of compensation.

Touch wood.

What are you talking about?

Nonsense.

A little brat like you

will definitely live longer than I do.

Godfather.

Will you help me?

Let's catch that Qi man together.

Okay?

It's a deal!

From what that Qi man said,

he's only interested in one thing.

That is, the whereabouts

of the Qi man with three scars.

He baited you into singing

the next line in the nursery rhyme.

At one go, ripped out the beauty's heart.

Spat it out at the lush Flower and Willow Park.

That means

he must also think

the Qi man with three scars

will appear at the Flower and Willow Park.

Stop it.

I've been listening to you say

the same thing all day.

What's the use?

We still don't know

where this

Flower and Willow Park is.

We've made progress, Your Highness!

Your Highness!

Your—

Your Highness.

I've asked a dozen porters

in Jiuxiao City

to think carefully about

any places in the city

with a name related to the Flower and Willow Park.

I've listed them all here.

I'll leave it here.

Flower and Willow Alley.

Flower and Willow Hall.

Where are these places?

Where are you now?

It's not cool enough here.

Qi is already a cool place.

In the future,

if you go to Qian,

you'll feel so hot.

I'm not going to Qian.

[Qi, Mu Yan]

Why would I make life hard for myself?

I want to go and see it though.

Don't you hate the Qian?

Only by knowing your enemy

can you know how to defeat them.

It's been ten years.

Where are you?

Are you the Qi

with three scars?

If it really was you,

why did you do all this?

He's making Boss and Jiu'er

investigate

that irrelevant Qi man!

Can't you see?

Commander Yan

wants to kick them out.

Uncle Liu.

Are you going to Flower and WIllow Hall for a bath today?

We have no leads anyway.

Let's go relax.

Stop there!

You two…

What did you just say?

Flower and Willow Hall?

No.

It's a newly opened bathhouse in the south of the city.

Great!

Flower and Willow Hall.

Do you two

still see me as

the former Commander of the patrolmen?

Hu.

Don't stand on ceremony.

We're brothers.

We will share weal

and woe.

[Drunk]

Why is it so windy?

[Flower and Willow Hall]

Why isn't he here yet?

Hu is too unreliable.

Oh no.

I forgot my medicine bottle.

You want to kill me

with a wooden stick?

I came prepared.

Sir,

don't you think

it's a little hot in here?

You're cheating?

Aren't you afraid I'll eat you?

Come on.

Come on. Hit me.

Move.

You want to eat me?

Come on.

Try moving.

You can't move, can you?

You can't move, can you?

Aren't you very formidable?

Come and hit me!

Aren't you very arrogant?

Come here.

You're dead meat.

You-

Let go.

What is this?

It's a famous sedative powder.

You...

Why isn't...

What are you doing?

N- Nothing.

Nothing?

I saw it all.

You wanted to touch me?

Who touched you?

I just wanted to get

the half of the case file

you stole last time.

You tied me up

just to find the case file?

What if I told you

I didn't bring it with me?

Will you freak out?

I'll bring you back

to the Inspection Bureau first

and get it later.

What are you waiting for? Let's go.

I-

None of your business.

Looks like you haven't learned your lesson

from last time.

Do you really think

these chains

can restrain me?

Normally,

a few chains can't restrain you.

But I know

the Qi are afraid of the heat.

Now that you are here,

you must be feeling weak

and feverish.

Am I right?

I knew it.

Are you waiting

for your dunce of a Godfather?

How did you know?

You also think

he's a dunce, right?

You are the dunce.

You can tie me up

and sneak up on me.

But you could never

bring me back to the Inspection Bureau

all by yourself.

You're not stupid.

That said,

I'm not going to sit here doing nothing.

I'm going

to ask the Inspection Bureau to send men.

They will

haul you back, all tied up.

No way.

Why now?

What now?

Trying to trick me again?

What is happening to you?

Why are you suddenly fainting?

Untie me before you faint!

The fire is too strong.

I can't afford to dawdle any further.

Don't go.

Help me.

Help me.

Help me.

So comfortable.

So comfortable.

What's wrong with you?

Why are your hands so cold?

His body

is so warm.

He saved me.

Why do I feel

rejuvenated

when I touch him?

Get up.

Ouch!

This fire...