Original subtitles

ALL STORYLINES AND IMAGES IN THIS WORK ARE FICTITIOUS.

ANY SIMILARITIES ARE COINCIDENTAL.

Do you know who I am?

ADAPTED FROM THE PERIOD HORROR NOVEL BY THAO TRANG

IN THE LAST EPISODE

Don't leave me, my darling!

-Calm down, Mr. Tam! -I must kill him!

-Mr. Tam. -You scum.

These past few days, my skin has grown red.

It's prickly all day, unbearably so.

Wait up, I'll be back now.

The dead aren't scary.

The living are.

What's all the fucking staring for?

Because…

What the hell else should my eyes do?

Day in day out, you are drunk.

Then you come home to beat me up.

You torture me.

It's not like my staring could do a damn thing!

If you…

know that…

then why the fuck are you ranting?

Why do I rant?

Because I'm at my fucking limit!

You look…

My belly already sticks out past my face.

And yet everything in this house,

I'm still the only one tending to it!

As for you?

You only sell a few pigs.

And then go get wasted, get silly with your friends.

Who, by the way, are losers and assholes!

Shut up!

What my friends are like

is their damn business.

Speak one more word,

I'll smack your teeth out.

No need to roar at this bitch.

It's already a daily thing that you hurt or abuse me.

Your threats…

Keep them coming, I'm not afraid.

You slut!

Today…

I'll kill you!

Do it if you think you can.

Go ahead. Kill your kid too.

Here, your kid. Stab right here!

You. You're daring me?

-Everyone, help! -You!

-Tu… My husband is killing me! -Stop now!

Where are you off to?

-Tu! Tu is killing me! -I will kill you! Screw you.

Help! Save me!

I will kill you!

Everyone! Congee Tu killed a person!

Everyone!

Oh, good god!

He's horrifying!

-Tu just committed murder! -Murder!

Do the officials know yet?

Poor Mrs. Tu.

Two lives at once.

Was he drunk or something?

-How could he be so evil? -She was expecting.

-Killed his own wife. -Yes.

His own wife. So scary!

Unacceptable.

Prison for life for sure.

-So horrific! -His own wife and child.

-Look at his face. -Absolutely unacceptable.

A man like him turns out to be killer.

Not a single emotion! Scary.

Have you ever heard of…

something called Skull Wine?

What…

What did you say?

Skull Wine.

It is no ordinary wine.

It is actually…

dark magic.

Skull Wine is

a thing you'll hear about and wish to have.

But then most refuse to practice it.

If you can brew this supernatural spirit,

you can almost do whatever you want.

Converse with the dead.

Command a hell squad.

Or even…

Claim the life of another.

Helper ghouls. Spirit tigers.

Even they are afraid of this magic.

I said that most refuse to practice this because…

this liquor, it becomes more potent when there are more skulls.

Especially the skulls of the living,

or the recently deceased.

The liquor must be brewed in clay with dark energies,

some hundred miles away from the Capital,

that of late is almost gone.

But then…

But what?

To brew Skull Wine,

is to bargain with the demon that guards it.

The practitioner

must keep their body clean.

As in…

they must not marry and make a family.

The most crucial thing is to not commit adultery.

If they do, if they violate the bargain,

they will pay the price with their lives.

Oh, Tu!

Aboard!

This Skull Wine thing…

how the fuck does it involve my wife and Congee Tu?

Does Mr. Tam not see

that Congee Tu was lonely,

and collected fresh blood daily?

But Congee Tu

was a man of means.

He also had no wife or kids.

How could the liquor serve his needs here?

I know why.

Congee Tu

wanted to conjure his wife.

Conjure?

Despite the severe murder charge,

thanks to bribery,

Congee Tu's time in prison was short.

Once freed,

he returned to Dau Village.

Only the residents' disdain awaited him.

But he vowed to cling to this place,

for there was a thing he couldn't let go.

Since the day he returned to that cursed house,

no one would dare to come visit.

Only I, out of curiosity,

passed by.

That day,

Congee Tu's aura was so odd.

Mr. Tu?

Mr. Tam!

Did you know…?

That bitch wife of mine,

remains a bitch even in death?

What do you mean?

She thought I was dumb.

When she was still around,

I knew she had gold.

Hidden from me.

Sneaking around this bit of the garden.

Now that I'm out,

I've been searching everywhere.

I've turned up the whole garden, but nothing.

But I will…

I will find it.

Even if I have to conjure her.

Uproot her resting place.

I will find her hidden gold at any cost.

From then on…

I saw he'd always search for fortune tellers

to conjure Mrs. Tu.

I've always known

Congee Tu was a brute, a menace.

But I had no idea

he had collected such bad karma.

Mr. Tam!

Mr. Tam!

So then,

what does my wife have to do with Congee Tu,

to also be hanged on the lilac tree like him?

So you have no idea

your wife was fooling around with Tu.

Why did you go to the market?

You speak lies.

Don't make things up to accuse my wife.

I know that forging stories about the dead is sinful.

But then I saw it with my own two eyes.

Plenty of times,

Tu would lead your wife into his stall on late nights.

I didn't want to believe it either.

But there is an immutable rule.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery."

But Mr. Tu here

broke that very rule.

And so,

to pay with his life, was an inevitable thing.

But here's what I don't get.

If the two of them,

committed to their affair at the same time.

Why did Mrs. Tam die much later?

Tu was gone many years ago.

That's also something I'm wondering about.

But perhaps…

Congee Tu made Skull Wine

with skulls that were still fresh.

And so,

the accrued anger…

could sustain the guardian demons for some years.

But since it ran low recently,

they were hungry for one more life.

Mrs. Tam's was it.

His wife just died.

Alone, serving offerings

and sending prayers.

The husband is sick, isn't he?

The crippled beggar?

He has the guts to be here?

Mr. Tam! Where is he?

Let me knock his lights out.

Everyone, calm down.

The death of Mrs. Tam here has nothing to do with him.

Do you have proof?

Or are you his accomplice?

Do not touch him.

But it was him…

The beggar did not do this.

The death of my wife,

I have found the cause.

It's completely unrelated to the beggar.

Even…

I have to thank the man,

for opening my eyes to things.

I also have to thank you all

for helping me out since yesterday.

It's time to send my wife off.

I bid you all

to spend some time with us on the field.

Right, then.

Don't grieve too long now!

Are you satisfied, my love?

I've been devoted

to you until the end.

While you…

The way you treated me…

I have never…

stopped loving you.

I never made you lonely,

left you wanting.

But then…

Mr. Tam.

Mr. Tam!

Sir! I have something to ask you.

Something about your dreams?

Indeed.

But everything about this matter,

haven't I relayed it to you?

Those dreams.

They're the purest form of omens.

No dream about snakes has ever been good.

But this,

snakes have thrice invaded your dreams.

It means Heaven is still looking out.

I think due to this,

you must be extremely careful.

If that's the case,

what sort of woe must I be careful of?

That is a question

I truly have no answer for.

Heaven's ways are hidden.

Even if one knows your fate inside out,

they won't dare let you know.

Revealing fates

is defying Heaven's will.

I can only let you know

that you will walk toward a rock.

But how it will appear to you

or how you should avoid it

that is entirely on you.

Forgive me.

Regardless, I thank you, sir.

As for now, I must get home.

Been lingering here for long enough.

Goodbye.

Sir Kham!

I'm bringing you some rice!

-Sure! Just place it on the table. -Yes.

Today, is the 20-what, my grandchild?

Yes. Today is the 21st, sir.

MRS. HACH

Joss papers, and Kitchen god's apparel,

I've bought them all for you, sir.

That's very considerate of you.

At this rate

I think you're ready to be married!

Sir.

But… who would marry me?

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Talk about…

the home deity is far from holy.

As in, this house has healed folks for generations…

But when it comes to my own grandchildren, no treatment is available.

But wait, sir!

Why you talking about this all of a sudden?

I haven't blamed you for anything.

I'm just blaming myself.

And also…

What, sir?

I feel…

these past few days

the air isn't bright.

Heaven and Earth are at odds.

No idea what might happen.

Sir! You're thinking wildly again.

Around Tet time,

the sky is always gloomy like this.

Let's stop. Eat up, sir.

I'll go and dine with my mother, sir!

You go ahead.

Be safe, child.

May!

Are you home? May!

Yes…

Wait for me.

Alright.

You're waiting for May, Hach?

That you, Mr. Duc?

MR. DUC

Did you just return from a hunt?

Yes! I caught a lot of birds today.

Ah, and one rabbit too.

A rabbit?

I've heard a lot about them.

But… I've never seen one before.

Maybe… you can show it to me?

Of course!

But…

they run really fast.

I've really tied it up.

If I let it out now, it may dash off.

Ah, right.

Maybe…

come nightfall, I'll cage it.

Come over again and see it?

Yes.

Stay and eat with me?

I can't.

I'm dining with grandfather and mother.

That's why I'm here for May.

That so.

What a coincidence!

Right, then.

I'll go inside and store the birds.

Hey!

This way.

Why, the house is on this side!

Look at you!

Planning to pick the whole thing clean?

Hey! So are the carps ready yet?

Yes. I've prepared everything.

I even asked Mr. Thap to descend and buy us joss papers.

Those from Tutor Lam look too tacky.

But,

Mr. Thap hasn't returned since yesterday.

I'm worried we might be late.

Never mind.

What's classiness for?

It's faithfulness that matters.

Hey! Tomorrow morning you'll go with me, yeah?

Sure. I know.

You go back now. Else you'll be late.

Right. I'm off!

Yes.

Go on.

Darling!

What's with you?

Nothing's wrong with me.

But… why were you gone for so long?

Something wrong down the mountain?

Yes.

Wait a bit and I'll tell you everything.

What's wrong with your hands?

-Let me see. -I'm fine.

-I'll go and make some rice for you. -Yes!

A band of little kids

A band of little kids

Oh, they swim, swim, downriver

Oh, they go search

Whom they

Long for

Women.

Women. Worse than cows, women.

Cows are dumb.

But they won't let you down.

Women are worse than cows.

Since they always let you down.

Down on you constantly.

Mr. Tam!

Mr. Tam!

Where are you off to at this late hour?

Women!

Women bear kids.

Damn it! Wrong house.

Pardon, Mrs. Tu!

I'll be off now!

Good night!

Look here.

Isn't my child pretty?

Pretty? Here.

Take it into your home!

Into your home.

Demon!

Little kids

A band of little kids

May!

Oh, May!

Come out here with me.

May!

-It's me! -Head this way, May!

-May. -Huh?

Come out here!

Hach!

Where are you?

I'm down here, dear May!

Hach!

May!

Down here, May!

-Oh, Hach! Where are you? -My love is a big drum

-Hach. -Fun when it beats

O joy on top of joy

May!

Come down and play with me.

My love is a big drum

Fun when it beats

O joy on top of joy

O joy on top of joy

A person in my village just died.

Everyone! Someone's dead!

-Oh, child! -My child!

My elder said catching a fish is a sin, sir.

The body is still supple, Thap!

Those in your village

will continue to die.