Original subtitles

[Strange Chronicles of Tang]

[Episode 3]

Tell us.

So the 3 of us

don't have to suspect each other.

Otherwise...

Don't! Don't! Don't!

I know nothing about any blood letter.

When did I ever write a blood letter?

You messed with us and then tried to leave?

If we hadn't locked you up here,

you would have run away long ago.

You wrote a blood letter asking for help,

and now you don't dare to admit it.

Then I have no choice.

Though I hate to do it,

I'll have to

kill you.

Get off the horse.

Don't make any noise.

I...

I did think about

renting a place somewhere else.

But now I don't want to leave.

You three

have treated me well,

taking turns keeping me company.

This is even better

than having multiple wives.

Living such a pleasurable life,

who would want to leave?

And also,

when I wanted mushrooms for my birthday,

you three

gathered mushrooms to make soup for me.

How could I possibly think of leaving?

Did you really not write a blood letter?

No, I didn't.

Look.

If you don't believe me,

see for yourselves.

Where are the wounds

on my 10 fingers?

Where have they ever bled?

Could it be that Lu Lingfeng

has deceived us?

Manniang,

you don't need to be so vigilant.

He must have made a mistake.

We've lived in the Xiuzhen District

for several years.

Surely nothing will happen.

It's still your fault.

Manniang told you to talk less,

but you just wouldn't listen.

Who put him in the cage?

I did.

Let him out.

If he's locked up too long and gets sick,

how will he relieve our woes?

Manniang,

you make it sound like

you're the only one who cares about him.

Thank you, ladies.

Woe-Reliever.

Since it wasn't

you who wrote that blood letter for help,

you might as well stay here.

Better than having you go elsewhere

and flirt with other women.

You don't need to take the palace examination anymore.

We will take good care of you.

For the rest of your life,

this is how it'll be.

Someone else is here!

Ladies, protect me!

Someone has finally come to rescue me.

These 3 female bandits

are extremely vicious.

I've been imprisoned here in darkness,

forced all day long

to relieve their woes.

Jerk!

Didn't you just say

it's a pleasurable life living with the 3 of us?

This forest is called Ascension Forest.

I pulled the robe off the tree

3 days ago in the morning.

According to local custom,

whenever someone dies,

their family applies a little sheep fat

to the clothes or accessories

they last wore

and hangs them on branches in Ascension Forest.

This robe

belonged to someone who died?

Hanging up the deceased's clothes

is supposedly to summon their soul,

but actually, it serves to appease ghosts.

This way, the spirits of the dead

won't linger

in the family home.

So, isn't it the truth that once someone dies,

their family just wants to get rid of them?

Why?

Did I say something wrong?

Not at all.

It's just that nobody else thinks of it that way,

but now that you mention it,

I think you make a good point.

Why is there a green bird over there?

Indeed.

It's bright green.

Madam Master of Rain,

do you come here often?

Every morning.

Because, besides being a Master of Rain,

I have another identity.

I'm a dew collector.

You collect morning dew?

Exactly.

A Master of Rain, much like a coroner,

is passed down through generations in the family.

My generation has no male heirs.

I was 10 years old then.

And somehow, I became

Chang'an's first female Master of Rain.

I can't say I hate it,

nor do I particularly like it.

But I always wanted to choose something

for myself,

so I became a dew collector.

What's the dew used for?

For years, Xiuzhen District has been accepting

cultivators from other districts

and even from other prefectures.

There are nearly 1,000 of them now.

They believe

that if they continuously consume morning dew,

they'll eventually ascend to immortality.

That's quite a business with no investment.

That morning,

as usual,

I came to Ascension Forest to collect dew.

It was my first time

taking a robe from Ascension Forest.

I really liked the color

and thought I'd wear it during rain prayers.

But when I tried it on at home,

for some reason,

a bone-chilling cold came over me.

It was terrifying.

Just then, someone came collecting old items,

so I sold it.

I know I was wrong,

but the robe was hung for the dead,

so it's not really stealing, is it?

I suppose not.

I just want to know

where exactly

this robe was hanging.

Right here.

On that branch?

Anything else?

If not,

I need to go back and cook for my husband.

Thank you for your trouble.

Today,

thanks to your timely arrival,

that scoundrel didn't succeed.

Thank you.

D-Don't mention it.

If it weren't for Madam Yingtao,

I would have been done for.

Then I should thank you too.

No need.

I didn't come to save you anyway.

Well, you're still a good girl.

Mr. Su is quite fortunate.

I... I really am a good girl.

You're not bad either.

Well,

how did this turn into a mutual admiration session?

You two should not

stay here too long.

Though this place is called Ascension Forest,

the yin energy is very strong here.

Thanks for the reminder.

We'll just look around and leave.

That woman is strange.

Is she?

She just complimented you.

She's right, though.

I am a good girl.

Yes,

yes, you are.

Can a good girl

climb trees?

Of course.

Yingtao!

Are you okay?

I'm fine.

Why were there so many birds in this tree?

And they're all green.

According to legend,

after death but before burial,

a type of bird flies out from the coffin,

called Sha.

The "Sha" that means "kill"?

Yes, yes,

that's the word.

It has emerald green feathers,

transformed from human ghosts.

It shouldn't be called Sha.

Might as well just call it Ghost Bird.

Its common name is indeed Ghost Bird.

These birds are strange.

I didn't see any outside.

They must

only live in this forest.

So,

it's not the birds that are strange;

it's this forest.

Can you climb up again?

Yes.

Have you found any clues up there?

No.

There's not even a thread

on these branches.

Could Ruiqiu have lied to us?

Here, catch this.

Hang it there.

What are you doing?

Quickly, search carefully.

If the robe had knot buttons before,

they must have been torn off

when Ruiqiu pulled it down.

Hurry, look for it.

Su Wuming.

Is this it?

This should be it.

The fabric is ordinary,

but this knot button

is made of turquoise.

The robe

has quite a history.

Run now!

Guys.

You must be wanderers of the martial world.

Who sent you

to assassinate us?

Not gonna say anything?

Fine,

I'll tell you something.

The man behind me

is under my protection.

If you dare take his life

or harm him in any way,

I will fight you to the death.

Until

I shed my last drop of blood!

Thankfully, you've been

by my side, protecting me.

Otherwise,

I would've died twice.

Quick, help rub my back.

What's wrong?

When I was saving you,

I pulled my back.

Good thing I've scared

those 2 assassins away.

Otherwise, we'd both be dead.