Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[Episode 9]

If it weren't for...

Big Sword Wang Wu,

I, Sha Lang,

and my brothers here...

would've already been killed.

When I heard Brother Wang Wu...

led an uprising to take down the westerners in the capital,

I rushed over immediately.

Unfortunately, news traveled slowly in Shisanli Mound.

It was too late when I made it there.

Brother Wang Wu, betrayed by imperial thugs,

had died in western hands.

I was devastated.

Then I heard that you've gallantly retrieved his head...

and gave him a proper burial.

I admire you deeply.

I wanted to meet you in Tianjin.

But once again, I was too late.

Misfortune had fallen upon Master Huo's family...

and you were missing.

At that time,

I, Sha Lang, swore that...

if I could meet Master Huo one day,

I would treat you like I treated my saviour Big Sword Wang Wu.

I didn't expect...

I would meet you today.

My saviour,

here's to you.

Good.

Since you were Brother Wang Wu's friend,

I'll drink this wine.

Though I dare not accept...

your praises.

Brother Wang Wu and I were sworn brothers.

Collecting his body was only the right thing to do.

Well said.

Master Huo,

you have my respect.

Liu Zhen Sheng, Gao Qi,

my brother is proposing a toast.

You two are looking so uneasy.

Don't you appreciate his kindness?

Sister,

they are worried about their consignment.

Look, my brothers in Shisanli Mound are well-disciplined.

All your goods are here.

Without my order,

no one would open the boxes.

All the seals are untouched.

I'll return everything to you intact.

Chief, do you really mean it?

I'm a bandit, not a hero.

But I'm a man of my word,

if not your sake, great hero.

Mr. Qiu.

-Yes. -Where are Master Huo's porters?

I locked them in the cave under the mountain.

Our men have sent them food and water.

Release them now.

Bring 20 men of ours...

to escort Master Huo out of the mountain with me.

Sure.

[Zhen Yuan Security Agency]

When you visit Shisanli Mound again,

we must drink wine for three whole days.

It's a deal then.

Liu Zhen Sheng,

about that...

Your master...

looks young.

Although he's my master,

he's just a year older than me.

Then is he married yet?

He is.

Mrs. Huo is very beautiful.

She is going to have a baby boy soon.

Lady Sha Yan,

I'm not married yet.

Brother Zhen Sheng, what were you and Sha Yan talking about?

Nothing much.

This girl is so pretty.

I like her.

What?

Brother Zhen Sheng,

don't steal her from me.

Don't you have a fiance waiting for you in your hometown?

After this job,

ask Master for a leave...

and get married.

What are you blabbering about? What marriage?

I've asked the matchmaker to cancel my engagement.

Lady Sha,

I saw it when you were...

fighting my master.

Your fighting skills are so bad.

It was fancy but impractical.

What did you say?

You don't believe me? Try punching me, then.

-You... -Honestly,

among all pupils,

I'm the best fighter.

If you want to learn real fighting,

-you should come to me. -No way!

I was just messing around.

If I hit you for real, your nose would've been broken.

Taking up pupils at such a young age.

I'd rather learn from Master Huo.

Young age?

I'm old enough to get married.

Brother Gao Qi,

look how happy you are.

I noticed that you've become naughty.

How dare you make a joke on me?

Ah Fa,

she's quite a catch, huh?

Don't you think we could make a great couple?

I don't think so.

Ah Fa, why aren't you speaking the truth too?

Halt.

Master Huo, this is where I leave you.

We might alert the authorities if we walk any farther.

People might think bandits are coming to the city to rebel.

Thank you for escorting us here, Chief.

Don't call me chief.

Just call me Brother Sha.

Brother Sha, take care.

Master Huo, I'll see you again.

Lady Sha, what are you doing?

My sister is mischievous.

Let's see what she's up to.

[Zhen Yuan Security Agency]

Master Huo,

I've defeated Liu Zhen Sheng.

He's a mediocre fighter.

He's not worthy of being your first pupil.

Why don't you get rid of him...

and make me your first pupil.

I'll assist you on the job, and learn from you.

I won't let you down.

Good idea, good idea.

Master, why don't you take up a female pupil?

So that during our journey, we won't be...

I'm flattered, Lady Sha.

But I don't accept female pupils.

Besides, I'm escorting official goods this time.

That's right.

If anyone finds out that you're my sister,

you would get Master Huo into trouble.

Are you my brother?

Not only did you not persuade Master Huo to take me up,

you...

I'm not talking to you anymore.

It's okay. Let her alone.

She'll be fine.

Master Huo,

hurry up and depart now.

Thank you, Brother Sha.

Thank you, everyone.

Have a safe journey.

Chief Qi, Chief Xiao,

what brings you here to Shisanli Mound?

Something evil.

Lao Qi, why do you sound sarcastic?

Sha Lang,

we heard you just made a new friend.

That's right.

He's a special friend.

Guess who it is.

It's only Huo Yuan Jia.

What do you mean by "only"?

Huo Yuan Jia is an incredible hero.

-Two years ago... -Just drop it.

Two years ago?

What matters is the present.

Is he escorting goods?

Yes.

Where are the goods?

I took it and returned it.

I even guided them out of the mountain,

making sure they're on the main road to Shouyang before I return.

Look at my sister here,

she's still sulky.

She wants to learn martial arts from Master Huo,

but she didn't have her way.

Do you have any idea what he's escorting?

He told me it's official goods.

Chiefs,

there may be many bad apples in the government,

but it is Huo Yuan Jia who is escorting the goods.

I don't care for the government,

but I should respect Master Huo,

don't you think?

Lao Qi, what are you doing?

Little girl, don't blame Lao Qi for being mad.

Sha Lang has made a big mistake this time!

[Shouyang County]

[Upright and honest]

[Shouyang County]

Very well.

[Ledger]

[Receipt]

[Long Yu Grocery Store]

[Piao Xiang Restaurant]

What a nifty pair of tiger head shoes.

What size for a newborn baby?

-I'll take one pair. -Sure.

[Xiang Ming Tea Shop]

[Long Qing Xiang Clothing Shop]

Mr. Proprietor,

how much fabric do you need to make cloth for a girl?

That depends on the girl's body size.

She is neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin.

Da You,

this is girls' stuff.

What are you doing?

Nothing, I'm just looking.

Hurry up, don't lose Master and others.

Go ahead. I'll catch up with you later.

Madam, how much does this hairpin cost?

Master.

They've all left to buy stuff. Why didn't you go too?

I...

Ah Fa,

you've traveled the world by ferry and by train.

You've seen it all.

You must find this small town boring.

Master, it's not that.

I've bought what I needed.

Look, Master.

Earrings?

Did you buy them for a girl?

I bought it for Xiao Lian.

Xiao Lian is intelligent and kind.

She looks...

You like Xiao Lian?

Master, I...

You are a young master. She is a maid.

Will your parents approve of her?

If I tell them in a letter, they definitely won't approve.

So I'm thinking...

if you're agreeable,

once I finish my studies,

I'll bring Xiao Lian to Nanyang with me.

Xiao Lian is a cute girl.

Once my parents see her,

they'll surely approve of us.

That's true.

Is that a yes, Master?

I have no say in this.

Xiao Lian is my wife's maid.

You need to ask her for permission.

Alright then, I'll ask Mrs. Huo when we go back.

[Yue Lai Inn]

Brother Sha, what are you...

I'm not your brother.

Die!

What have I done to offend you?

Please tell me, Brother Sha.

You imposter!

I'm Huo Yuan Jia. Why did you call me an imposter?

Impossible. Huo Yuan Jia is a righteous man.

He would never help the government sell opium.

Sell opium?

Don't play dumb.

Aren't you carrying opium in those boxes?

Of course not.

Before we departed,

Mr. Xue of Dong'guang...

personally handed over an officially stamped bill to me.

It's written clearly on the bill.

Valuable medicinal herbs.

The government is afraid of the westerners.

They've renamed opium as medicinal herbs.

The Treaty of Tianjin was a humiliation to our country.

After the anti-opium movement,

the westerners colluded with the comprador,

infecting our nation with opium.

But Mr. Xue of Dong'guang District...

is an imperial official,

an honest official.

How can you be sure he's honest?

-Well... -Lu Si Ying, who killed Brother Wang Wu,

was also an imperial official.

He has a higher rank than Dong'guang's magistrate.

Because of you,

I've become a joke in the martial world.

I've lost my credibility!

Only your death will quell the hatred in my heart!

Brother Sha, wait.

How do you know...

it's opium in those boxes?

I saw it with my own eyes.

Lady Sha.

Are you really Huo Yuan Jia?

Of course.

Huo Yuan Jia had brought...

death upon his father and brother,

and suffering upon his own family...

who remain unavenged to this day.

He's a joke.

Why would I pretend to be him?

Those goods have been inspected and received by Clerk Hou of Shouyang.

We checked the seals during the inspection.

Every seal on the boxes...

were intact.

Lady Sha said you saw it with your own eyes.

May I know where did you see it?

And how did you see it?

We jumped through the roof...

and picked the lock of course.

How dare you...

break into the court's storehouse.

Don't try to frighten my sister.

Nothing fazes a bandit.

Brother Wang Wu hated the westerners for ruining our people with opium.

Don't you know that?

Huo Yuan Jia,

I want to know,

why are you selling opium?

For money?

Is your mother starving?

This is nonsense.

For decades,

opium has brought suffering to China.

Just like Brother Wang Wu,

I detest opium.

I may be poor,

but even if I were to starve to death with my mother,

I would never sell opium.

Big talk.

Think about it.

If I hadn't seen the evidence,

would I, Sha Lang, have come here to kill you?

Unless I see it with my own eyes,

I'll never believe that...

I'm risking my life to transport opium.

That's easy.

You're a skilled fighter.

Jumping through roofs shouldn't be a problem for you, right?

Follow me.

[Treasury]

See it for yourself.

[PATNA OPIUM]

[The government, fearing the west, wouldn't ban opium.]

[But we bandits are not afraid of them.]

[Since I became the ruler of Shisanli Mound,]

[I've made a rule.]

[If opium was found in...]

[any vehicles that passed by the mound,]

[we'll confiscate it and burn it.]

[I've killed crooked merchant and profiteers that I caught.]

[No one was spared.]

[That's how I, Sha Lang got my reputation.]

[Every mountain village within 50 km respect me.]

[And because of me,]

[the cost of opium delivery doubled up.]

[To tell you the truth,]

[the government said we're bandits,]

[but the people...]

[are calling us heroes.]

[Several districts around Shouyang,]

[are only accessible through mountain trails.]

[Since I secured Shisanli Mound,]

[opium has been eliminated almost completely.]

[I didn't expect that...]

[profiteers would bribe the government and escort it as official goods.]

[They even hired you, Huo Yuan Jia, as the bodyguard.]

[Mr. Xue couldn't possibly sell opium.]

[He must be deceived.]

[He didn't know what were in these boxes.]

[He must've known.]

[He's afraid of being exposed,]

[of losing his opium...]

[and making a loss.]

[That's why he lied to you.]

[That's impossible.]

[Mr. Xue is a righteous man.]

[He'd never do that.]

[I don't care about him.]

[I'm going to burn all this opium right now.]

-[You can't.] -[Why can't I?]

[You want to start a fire?]

[What if the fire spreads...]

-[and hurt the innocent?] -[They deserve it.]

[No one here in the magistrate's court is innocent.]

[Why didn't you dodge?]

[You two are too strong.]

[I couldn't dodge your attack.]

[Last time we fought,]

[you're untouchable despite blindfolded.]

[You lost on purpose today.]

[Think as you like.]

[What are you doing?]

[I was the one...]

[who escorted the goods.]

[It was my fault.]

[I'm willing to pay with my blood.]

[Huo Yuan Jia, I can see that you were deceived.]

[So help me burn down the vile goods.]

[No.]

[We'll only burn the evidence if we act rashly.]

[The truth will be lost forever.]

[Then...]

[I'll never be able to clear my name.]

[What do you want, then?]

[Tomorrow,]

[I'll bang the drum of grievance at Shouyang Magistrate's Court...]

[and demand the government to investigate this matter.]

[Shouyang County]

He is beating the drum, he must have suffered injustice.

Must be a great injustice.

You there!

Come with us.

Stop there.

Sir, we came together.

He's our master.

-Stay back. -Please let us enter.

We're here to seek justice.

Stay back!

What's going on?

What's your relationship with that man?

That is my master.

Why is he beating the drum?

Someone tricked my master into making a delivery.

Medicinal herbs, they said.

Guess what?

It turned out to be opium.

Rest assured, everyone.

My master will ask the magistrate...

to find out the truth.

Smuggling opium?

It's unbelievable.

Yes.

Who are you?

Let me ask you,

are you aware of the rules of beating the drum?

I am.

Good.

If you file a false accusation,

you'll be punished.

Give me your name.

I am Huo Yuan Jia from Tianjin.

Who?

Tell me your name again.

Huo Yuan Jia.

If memory serves, he's a wanted criminal.

Check and see.

That's right.

In Gengzi year,

I, Huo Yuan Jia was involved in a trial.

But I understand that...

the imperial government has retracted my arrest.

Sir, it's been retracted.

Why did you beat the drum today?

Half a month ago,

I was hired by the magistrate of Dong'guang District,

Hejian Prefecture, Mr. Xue Xue...

to escort a batch of medicinal herbs to your district.

But it turns out...

it is not medicinal herbs...

in the boxes with official seals.

What is it then?

Opium.

Smuggling opium as official goods?

That's right.

Opium is the bane of our nation.

Everyone knows that.

As a martial arts practitioner,

I was tricked into escorting the vile commodity.

It's a great insult to me.

My lord, I beg you to investigate the matter and clear my name.

The batch of goods you mentioned,

where is it now?

In the storehouse at the magistrate's court's backyard.

Is this true?

Who received the goods?

It was the clerk.

His surname is Hou.

Guards, summon Clerk Hou.

Yes, sir.

My lord, you summoned me?

Do you know him?

Isn't this Liu Zhen Sheng, the escort?

Mr. Liu?

His surname is Huo.

No way.

He told me yesterday. His surname is Liu.

Huo Yuan Jia,

what's going on?

My lord,

I have told Mr. Xue of Dong'guang...

that I'm still haunted by...

my trial in Gengzi year.

That's why I used my first pupil, Liu Zhen Sheng's name.

Clerk Hou,

I didn't intend to hide my real name.

Please forgive me.

It's okay.

Clerk Hou,

did you receive the goods he delivered yesterday?

I did.

Where are the goods?

They're in the storehouse.

Bring me there.

Yes, sir.

[Treasury]

Huo Yuan Jia, you...

Come in with me.

Look at this.

Look at this.

There are only medicinal herbs in these boxes.

Where is the opium?

That's impossible.

Someone must have swapped the opium.

My lord,

when I opened the storehouse's door, I noticed...

the lock had been picked.

-Guards. -Here.

Huo Yuan Jia is a thief.

-Arrest him now. -Yes, sir.

I had wanted to ask,

for what cause did you beat the drum of grievance?

Even if there were opium in those boxes,

you were the escort,

which makes you an accomplice to opium trade.

Lucky for you.

Everyone saw it too.

Those are medicinal herbs in the boxes.

And you said there was opium.

I bet you were just dreaming.

I wasn't dreaming.

I, Huo Yuan Jia, am a noble man.

I'd never raise a grievance heedlessly.

Tell me then.

How did you enter the court last night?

How did you enter the storehouse?

-I... -You weren't alone, were you?

I...

Banditry has been rampant around our district.

Are you in league with the bandits?

It seems I've struck a nerve.

Huo Yuan Jia,

you claim to be a noble man,

yet you associate yourself with bandits.

Don't you know...

they're a bunch of criminals bent on destroying the government?

They must've used a confounding spell to entice you...

to beat the drum of grievance.

Their motive...

is weaken my people's faith in me...

and benefit from the mayhem.

-Guards. -Yes, sir.

Close the city gate immediately.

All guards, patrol the streets now.

Search for the bandits.

Yes, sir.

Reporting in!

-My lord. -What is it?

Huo Yuan Jia's pupils are spreading rumours outside.

They said the government has smuggled opium into Shouyang.

The people are on the verge of rioting.

Huo Yuan Jia,

did you hear that?

Look at the trouble you've caused me.

It wasn't me.

My lord, there is something fishy about this.

Please investigate, my lord.

There were only herbs in those boxes.

You saw it too.

-Guards. -Yes, sir.

Bring the boxes to the front door.

Everyone look.

These are all herbs.

Quality herbs. Nothing else.

That's right. These are all quality herbs.

Right.

These are all herbs.

There is no opium.

It was Huo Yuan Jia who beat the drum today.

He's quite well-known.

Huo Yuan Jia?

Sounds familiar.

The martial artist.

I've heard of him.

He's quite well-known.

Huo Yuan Jia came to Shouyang...

out of the blue.

He started to spread rumours and cause trouble.

He must be punished.

But I think he might be suffering from some kind of madness.

Since he's sick,

he'll not be executed.

Neither will he be jailed.

Still, he's made a false accusation.

The punishment of twenty strokes of the stick is inescapable.

Guards,

bring Huo Yua Jia here.

[Shouyang County]

-Bend over. -Bend over.

Don't you beat my master!

Da You.

Are you trying to rebel?

-Take him down. -Yes, sir.

Behave yourself...

in front of the magistrate.

-Master... -Master.

Liu Zhen Sheng,

ask your brothers to back off.

-Master... -I've made a mistake,

I'll accept the punishment.

Da You, Ah Fa, Gao Qi,

listen to Master.

Back off.

Hit him!

-Master! -Master!

Master,

you're badly injured, you should be lying down.

Gao Qi,

I noticed that you like to show off.

That is your flaw.

Yes, Master.

I thought everybody is against opium,

and you beating the drum of grievance would garner their support.

I didn't expect...

It's all my fault.

I should be punished instead of you.

I'm glad you acknowledge your mistake, and are willing to change.

Go on.

Yes, Master.

Here, Master.

Master, you mustn't sit.

Zhen Sheng had just treated your wound.

Da You,

you are a great fighter.

But always think before you act.

Acting rashly might cost you your life.

Yes, Master.

I shouldn't act arrogantly...

in the court today.

Master,

one thing puzzles me.

That opium you saw last night,

where did it go?

You said I saw it,

but have you seen it with your own eyes?

-I... -Ah Fa,

next time, don't believe everything you hear...

unless you've seen it with your own eyes.

Not even my words.

Zhen Sheng,

if you hear a disturbance tonight,

just ignore it.

Do not come into my room.

Master, you...

Alright.

Open the window for me.

Bring your brothers back to their room.

Sha Lang,

what have I ever done to you?

Why did you frame me?

Even now,

you're still pretending.

Don't worry.

I won't smash your head just yet.

Get up.

Let's have a fight.

I'll let you know why you deserve to die.

I'm not in the mood to fight you.

I've gotten a taste of Mr. Qiu's potion of enticement in Shisanli Mound.

But I couldn't figure out how you managed to...

cast a confounding spell on me.

Confounding spell?

You're the one confounding us with your fake martyrdom.

You burned the evidence to hide the truth.

You pretended to raise a grievance by beating the drum.

Once you beat the drum,

the guards at the backyard began to swap the opium out.

It wasn't until hours later that the trial was held.

How cunning and deceptive you are.

Swapped the opium out?

Wasn't that you and that evil magistrate's plan?

You even took 20 strokes just for show.

Did you think you're Huang Gai?

Sha Lang,

you are confusing me.

Yet it all makes sense to me.

Yesterday, I thought you were deceived.

Now that I think of it,

you are the mastermind behind it all.

There's so much opium.

How much ill-gotten money have you earned?

Don't insult me.

Did you think you're home free...

once the opium was swapped and kept intact?

Did you forget...

my sister Sha Yan,

who can move as light as a swallow?

Did you think she wouldn't see through your tricks?

So...

the opium was swapped,

and Sha Yan was there?

That's right.

That opium...

would've fallen into our hands...

one way or the other.

Good.

Take me there.

There you go.

Everything's in order.

I shall leave now.

I won't see you off, lest someone sees us...

and starts to talk.

Of course.

I'm just a servant.

It'd be inappropriate for you to walk me out.

-After you. -After you.

[Ma Residence]

-After you. -After you.

[Ma Residence]

Good day.

Goodbye.

[Dong'guang Magistrate's Court]

[Hu Liu,]

[Mr. Liu hasn't examined the goods yet,]

[why did you seal them up?]

[My lord,]

[didn't you examine it this morning?]

[Never mind.]

[Since Mr. Xue has already examined it,]

[I won't go through it again.]

[Alright then.]

[Hu Liu,]

[hand me the document.]

[License.]

[Safe journey, Brother Jun Qing.]

[I'll welcome your return with a grand celebration.]

I've seen him before. His name is Hu Liu.

He works for Mr. Xue of Dong'guang.

What is he doing here?

The opium is still there. Someone left.

We saw it, too.

He knows that man.

I couldn't hear it clearly.

But the one who left should be the seller.

He said he had suffered losses from the previous two batches.

The current batch didn't come easily.

He doubled the price.

There were two batches of opium before,

but we intercepted it and burned it.

The crooked merchant...

gave five gold bars to Clerk Hou.

He even hired two women to pamper him.

Let him have his fun.

I'm going to burn him to death.

Huo Yuan Jia,

don't you want to see that opium?

Let's go.

What do you have to say?

Could I really have been used by a crooked merchant...

and made an enabler to opium trade?

Those in the martial world praise me as a hero.

I teach my students about the martial spirit.

Yet...

today,

I've brought shame...

upon every martial artist in China.

Sha Lang,

smash my head with your mace now.

So that no one could recognize...

my body as Huo Yuan Jia's.

Take it.

Huo Yuan Jia,

my brother and I...

believe you were deceived.

Take my dagger,

kill that crooked merchant and Clerk Hou,

and we'll call it even.

We'll testify to your innocence.

The blame for selling opium...

shall not fall upon you.

What are you waiting for?

Those people committed a heinous act.

You're one of them if you can't bring yourself to do it.

-Well, well. -There you go, my lord.

Show Clerk Hou a good time.

Yes, sir.

Have a drink.

-Drink up. -Here you go.

My lord.

Sweetheart, give me a kiss.

[Here.]

[My lord.]

[Alright, I'll drink!]

[Drink more.]

Have another cup.

Please take good care of him.

Oh no!

-Fire! -Fire!

Fire!

There's a fire!

Fire!

Where is the fire?

Backyard! The storehouse in the backyard!

-The backyard! -This can't be!

Hurry up, put out the fire!

Put out the fire!

Put out the fire!