Original subtitles

♪ This day dawns ♪

♪ A fated day of fortune ♪

♪ Nothing stands forbidden ♪

♪ Then let me strike up a tale ♪

♪ Where the world is turned on its head ♪

♪ And even the dead take brides ♪

[Qingshi Town]

♪ Can they take wives? ♪

[Legend of Qingshi Town]

♪ The suona wails ♪

♪ A coffin bears the bride away ♪

♪ Crimson paper floods the path ♪

♪ Gold flakes drift through the air ♪

♪ Frost chills the grave road ♪

♪ A pale light spreads ♪

♪ A cluster of white lanterns ♪

♪ Mourning rends the heart ♪

Fish perch on branches.

Deities crouch beneath the walls.

Mourning dress drapes over bridal red.

Seven steps, yet home lies beyond.

Let go of me!

Hands off! Help!

Fish perch on branches. Deities crouch beneath the walls.

Mourning dress drapes over bridal red.

Qinglan.

Qinglan.

Qinglan.

Qinglan.

It's time to put an end

to all the grudges and feuds.

Xiuyun, if you're up there watching,

please bless me and our daughter.

Fish perch on branches. Deities crouch beneath the walls.

Lower the bridal palanquin!

Fish perch on branches. Deities crouch beneath the walls.

♪ Why does the door stand sealed? ♪

♪ A handful of earth is laid down ♪

♪ Three incense flames guard the spirit ♪

You're awake.

Father.

I dreamed of Qingshi Town again.

So boring. It never changes.

That same song again?

Mm.

"Fish perch on branches. Deities crouch beneath the walls.

Mourning dress drapes over bridal red.

Seven steps, yet home lies beyond."

Then they forced me to marry a dead man.

Qinglan,

sorry you have to go through that.

I have no idea

which lowlife that I crossed

trapped you in this spirit-ensnaring array.

It's okay.

Just a bad dream.

There's no array.

We have no idea who he is,

nor what he's after.

Everything remains uncertain.

Father,

don't worry yourself.

Whoever it is,

if he doesn't even dare face me, why should I be afraid?

Besides, nowadays, it's all about science.

Once I'm cured,

I'll go to France.

What's the point of going so far?

To study science.

Why stay here otherwise?

You're the only one I've got left.

If you go as well, I...

Just because Mother

and Honglian are gone

doesn't mean I'm stuck with you,

watching you drink all day

till your eyes fail.

Help!

Help!

Father,

who's calling out?

Don't be afraid.

I'll go check.

Help!

Somebody help!

Please help me!

Is anyone there?

Help!

Please!

Thank you for saving me, Mr. Yuan.

What kind of power

did you use just now?

It was nothing.

Just a little Feng Shui trick.

It's destiny.

I've admired Feng Shui masters since I was a child.

So, what line of work are you in?

And where are you heading?

Me?

Nothing special.

I'm Kun from the Bund Dock,

doing pickups and deliveries.

So you're from Shanghai, Mr. Kun.

Just call me Kun.

I'm heading to Qingshi Town for business.

And you two?

We're going

to Qingshi Town, too,

for treatment.

I'll take you there.

Consider it my way of repaying you.

[Qingshi Town]

Mr. Yuan.

This place reeks of bad luck.

Feng shui must be all wrong.

Not at all.

On the contrary,

it's actually very well set up.

Fortune gathers here, like a phoenix nesting.

But now, it has been broken.

It's said

three months ago, villagers in Qingshi Town began to vanish

and lost all contact with the outside world.

It's dangerous.

Be very careful.

Okay.

Qinglan.

Did you feel the formation?

Qinglan.

Mr. Yuan.

Mr. Yuan, are you alright?

Go after Qinglan.

Okay.

Qinglan!

Qinglan!

Qinglan!

♪ In dreams, the orioles sing once more ♪

♪ I stand alone in the secluded courtyard ♪

♪ The incense has burned to ashes ♪

♪ Leftover threads of embroidery drift to the ground ♪

I didn't expect

you'd have such insight into opera, sir.

If a true listener would understand me,

I'd sing through every lofty tune.

Excuse me,

the banquet is about to begin.

Alright.

Qinglan.

Who were you talking to?

The man standing...

Father.

Was I sleepwalking?

I literally just saw...

Why are you still here?

The banquet is about to begin.

Ms. Ma?

Qinglan.

You know her?

She's the one I just dreamed of.

This is the center of the formation.

Don't be afraid.

Stay close to me.

Why did you only arrive now?

You know us too?

Not too late.

As long as you're here.

We've been waiting for you to join the banquet.

Come on, take a seat.

Please wait for a moment.

I'll go make the preparations.

We'll drink later.

Mr. Yuan.

Are you alright?

Mm.

Didn't I tell you to follow Qinglan?

Why did you come here to drink instead?

Mr. Yuan, I did follow her.

Isn't she right here?

And let me tell you.

These villagers are incredibly warm-hearted.

People have always treated wedding and funeral customs

with great care and seriousness.

Yet the arrangement of this courtyard

and the behavior of the people are quite peculiar.

What's peculiar about it?

It's just an ordinary wedding banquet.

A wedding banquet?

Then where's the groom?

Where are the elders? The parents?

Aren't they right here?

Upon entering,

there are four square tables,

and the main one stands empty.

The groom

should be here by now to welcome the guests.

And also,

the ritual requires a man to burn the firewood

to draw upon masculine energy.

Yet just now I saw

a woman doing the work.

Serving tea and setting the table

is the work of a gentle woman from a happy home.

But that old lady

clearly has been widowed for many years.

A widow

occasionally needs to put on her bridal gown from long ago

to show her longing for her late husband.

In addition,

that man was winding red fabric balls,

which makes it even stranger.

And the shape of those fabric balls

is the kind used only in funerals.

Mr. Yuan.

They could all just be coincidences.

It's normal for a wedding banquet to be messy.

Surely

the liquor is not fake?

Mr. Yuan.

Go ahead and try it. I have to excuse myself.

Be careful.

Okay.

Who the heck are you?

That scar of yours

was from a hairpin, right?

You remember it, huh?

It is fine. It healed long ago.

I could even redo the embroidery you left.

This liquor is quite good.

Have you tasted it?

This liquor's off-limits.

Why's that?

Another sip, and I'll get drunk.

True. Too much hurts the body.

It is getting late.

Time to get changed with me.

Change into what?

Today is your big day.

- Congratulations. - Congratulations.

Qinglan.

Father.

I'll be right back.

She's getting into her wedding robe.

But as her father,

I haven't even met her in-laws yet.

You are right.

Let's go meet them.

Qinglan!

Qinglan!

It's alright, Father. I'll be back soon.

Mr. Yuan!

Hurry.

They took Qinglan away.

Go after her.

The local custom

is that when the bride and groom bow at the ceremony,

- Kun. - All the guests at the banquet

must leap over this brazier

to burn away misfortune for the newlyweds.

Come on.

Hurry.

- Kun - Jump.

Kun!

- Jump. - Jump.

- Over you go. - Jump across.

- Make the leap. - Go ahead.

- Take the jump. - Now, jump.

- Leap. - Come on.

- Hurry up. - Just jump.

- Go ahead. - Come on.

- Jump. - Leap.

- Over you go. - Jump across.

[Mourning]

[Wedding]

[Mourning]

Mr. Yuan.

Help, Mr. Yuan.

Mr. Yuan.

Kun, I can't see.

Kun.

Mr. Yuan.

- Kun - I'm here.

Mr. Yuan, easy.

Kun,

what did you see just now?

Dead bodies.

The well was full of corpses.

The well was overflowing with the dead.

What else?

Coffins.

Six coffins standing upright.

Six coffins, upright?

Over here, feel for yourself.

Upon each of the six coffins

rests a pair of shoes and a crimson dot, right?

Yes, Mr. Yuan.

You can see now?

Kun.

The red shoes on the coffins

are meant

to ward off evil.

The red dots,

called Yanghuo Lacquer,

are used to seal the bodies and drive away spirits.

Standing coffins

are used to hold those who died unnaturally

to prevent the dead from rising.

A corpse has risen!

Sir, don't shoot!

I am not the dead rising. I am alive.

For real?

What are you doing in this coffin?

I am alive, but if you shoot, I will end up dead!

The moment he cracked the whip, I blacked out.

I don't even know how I got in here.

Then what are you doing among this heap of corpses?

I'm a reporter from the Tianming Gazette.

I came here to write a news story.

News? You're dead.

What news could you possibly write? Drop the nonsense!

Kun.

Enough. He's alive.

All of this is nothing but a trick of the eye.

The smoke just now made us hallucinate.

Someone set this up

to get rid of us.

We shouldn't stay here any longer.

Let's go and find Qinglan.

Careful.

Wait.

Look at those six upright coffins.

What kind of pattern

are they arranged in?

Pattern?

What pattern?

They're just placed at random.

Sir.

I know.

Sir.

All their centers

point the same way.

From a bird's-eye view,

they'd form a perfect hexagon,

like

a beehive.

This is Hive Channeling Qi.

It's not a spirit-ensnaring array,

so

The array Qinglan got trapped in isn't here.

Tell me. In which part

of Qingshi Town is this mansion located?

It should be due north.

Due north.

The Kan position.

This isn't Hive Channeling Qi

but Qi Converged into Yang.

That is a grand formation.

It can't be limited to a single Yang site.

It must be Loong Upheld by Triple Yang.

Young man,

let's head three li southeast from here.

Come on.

Take my compass and lead me.

Let's go.

- Tell Kun to come along. - Help.

Save me.

What's wrong again?

You're unbelievable.

You dared to steal from the dead?

Lyu Zhen!

Who are you calling?

He's Lyu Zhen, a reporter from the Tianming Gazette.

What on earth happened?

My senior disappeared three months ago.

We have to leave now.

I need to find Qinglan.

If we don't go, my daughter will vanish too.

What did you see?

Just a ruined temple.

That's exactly it.

Mr. Yuan.

I came to Qingshi Town

to investigate the supernatural events here

and to uncover the truth behind Senior Lyu Zhen's disappearance.

Three months ago,

Qingshi Town lost all contact with the outside world.

Hey, can I take a look at that badge?

Two reporters from Tianming Gazette

[Tianming Gazette] came here one after another,

and both vanished.

That man just now was Lyu Zhen

and is already dead.

There's another, named Lin Guangze.

Mr. Yuan.

May I join you in the investigation?

Kun,

check what's inside this ruined temple.

There's a goddess statue.

What else?

Looks pretty ugly.

Stop joking.

See if there are any patterns

or runes, anything like that.

Mr. Yuan.

There are murals on this wall.

The dust is too thick to see clearly.

Sweep the dust.

Mr. Yuan.

The goddess statue has manifested!

Where?

Right there.

Forgive me.

I am the ugly one.

What is this?

What did you see?

Strange.

How could it be here?

Mr. Yuan.

A dead black chicken.

Its death is grotesque,

almost like poisoning.

Black chicken.

A secret rite.

They're using poisoned animals as sacrifices to an evil deity.

Keep sweeping and find out exactly what they're worshiping.

Oh,

a luxury watch.

What a coincidence,

I've got one too.

Fake.

A fake? It's an Omega.

You're the one wearing a fake.

Enough bickering. Get back to dusting.

Fake, huh?

Tell me.

What's on the murals?

Did you get a good look?

Looks like it's telling a story.

Goddess Seven Steps.

Mr. Yuan, can you see?

On and off, I guess.

Oh.

Long ago,

there was a legend.

It said that when the town's bloodline

withered and no heirs remained,

they would seek out an unmarried woman from outside

and shape her into a living goddess.

- A living goddess? - A living goddess?

The so-called "living goddess"

was made through human sacrifice.

The victim was sealed in clay inside the statue.

Legend has it

that the woman, transformed into a goddess,

took seven steps toward her hometown.

The goddess took seven steps.

Seven steps?

A living goddess?

Goddess Seven Steps.

An unmarried woman from outside.

When did your daughter's troubles start?

Three months ago.

Exactly. Qingshi Town lost contact with the outside world

three months ago too.

That was the supernatural case my seniors came to investigate.

So three months ago,

they needed a goddess again.

They're planning to sacrifice Qinglan alive.

The Feng Shui layout

marks the town's archway as the focal point.

That's where the sacrifice begins.

- Let's move. - Okay.

Kun, what are you doing?

It's just an evil spirit. I'm smashing it.

We barely know anything yet.

You can't act recklessly.

Mr. Yuan.

It's empty.

Kun.

The dangers ahead will only grow.

We need to set a signal.

Wait for my signal before you act.

Good idea.

So what signal will you use?

That's easy.

Mr. Yuan.

I had a senior too.

He said it means keeping your head down

and staying low-key. What do you think?

Let's move.

Mr. Yuan.

How long has your daughter been taken?

Not even two hours.

Then there's still time.

Mr. Reporter.

Killing doesn't take two hours.

The compass needle keeps jumping.

Let me read the directions.

The Li position.

The Kan position.

The Zhen position.

The Temple.

The Altar.

Yehuan House.

Loong Upheld by Triple Yang

requires the Li, Zhen, and Kan positions as the Yang sites,

which channel Qi into the central place of worship.

The center of these three points marks the altar's position.

I've got the answer.

Father.

You even stole a gun?

Impressive.

You can snatch a weapon right off a man.

Nonsense.

Ever seen a straight piece of steel?

A German make. I bought it myself.

At Yangpu Wharf.

You should ask around.

All who meet me bow and call me Mr. Kun.

Goldfinch

was swept away by my heroic charm.

Goldfinch?

The top courtesan in Xile Alley.

Smart of you to catch on.

Once she's got

her hands on me, it's like glue.

I just can't shake her off.

So, sounds like you've got money to burn.

Absolutely.

I'm not just bragging...

A wealthy boss

would never waste his time in a place like this.

I...

I... You don't get it at all.

I'm here for the big deal.

Dawei.

Mr. Dawei.

Mr. Dawei, where are you?

Dawei.

Mr. Dawei.

Mr. Dawei, where are you?

Mr. Dawei, we've found you at last.

Mr. Dawei.

You returned from your studies abroad

and made such great contributions to the people.

A true hero of our time, without question.

Without question.

Mr. Dawei, please say a few words

and show everyone the way forward.

Knowledge is power.

Unity makes humanity strong.

- Sweep away all ignorance! - Great!

- Ahead lies hope! - Well said!

Father.

I was lost.

Why didn't you come for me?

I've been searching for you all along.

Where did you go?

Father.

Why didn't you treat your eyes?

I promised your mother

I would take good care of you.

But instead, I lost you.

This is retribution.

It cannot be cured.

Father, come find me.

Father, come now, or it will be too late.

Father, think carefully.

How long have I been missing?

♪ To realize great ambitions ♪

♪ By the strength of my own hands ♪

♪ With burning passion ♪

♪ Coursing through my veins ♪

Father!

Father!

♪ A worthy man ♪

♪ His only concern ♪

♪ Is the realm and its people ♪

♪ Long lost in ignorance ♪

Mr. Dawei.

Wishing the Tianming Gazette great success in sales.

♪ On the stage ♪

♪ Sincere and noble in style ♪

♪ Beneath the stage ♪

♪ A borrowed cigarette, a drink on credit ♪

♪ One disaster strikes ♪

♪ Crying out to heaven brings no help ♪

I think I saw a young lady.

I...

I saw Goldfinch too.

Mr. Yuan, what did you see?

An illusion.

All of it is just an illusion.

Mr. Yuan.

Are we truly at a dead end?

Before the smoke took hold,

I had found the altar's position.

[Prosperity for Generations]

Mr. Yuan.

This is the place where Miss Qinglan is to be sacrificed alive?

The compass

points exactly here.

But this is clearly someone's home.

But you said it was an altar.

Knock at the door.

Sir,

may I ask whom you're looking for?

We...

Sir,

we've come from out of town.

My daughter accidentally went missing in the town.

I wonder

if you've seen her.

I am the town magistrate here.

Please, come inside. Let's sit down and talk it over.

I'll help you search.

Much obliged.

Please.

Today, the God of Happiness rests in the south.

Everyone,

please sit facing south.

Why are the pastries placed underfoot?

It's to symbolize rising step by step.

Just for good fortune.

Sir, you clearly know the ways of Feng Shui.

Please tell me your daughter's features.

I am Yuan Shihao,

a practitioner of Feng Shui.

My daughter is 19 years old.

When she went missing, she was wearing a pale top and a long skirt.

Very well, I shall ask my servants at once.

Kun.

Take a walk through this residence

and see if there are any traces of Qinglan.

All right.

The servants said they haven't seen your daughter.

But I've set them searching.

Qingshi Town is not large.

I believe we'll have an answer soon.

Mm.

Thank you, sir.

May I ask your name?

You're too kind. My name is Duan.

Where is that young man?

He needed to use the restroom.

Sir,

how should I address you?

I'm a reporter from the Tianming Gazette.

Just call me Dawei.

We haven't had guests here for quite a while.

I hope my welcome does not disappoint.

Mr. Duan.

Are all of these your family?

Yes.

No one's seen them for ages.

They've all gathered dust.

I've been neglectful.

This is my wife.

She has passed away.

And this is my son.

He's gone to the West.

I am left all alone.

A joyful occasion draws near.

Yet the plague deity descends.

Mr. Duan,

did your son injure his leg

around the time of his wedding?

What makes you say that?

Since fate has brought us together,

I will speak plainly.

The Feng Shui of your household is far from ordinary.

Please, go ahead.

The essence of Feng Shui

lies in the relationship between man and nature.

Good Feng Shui refreshes one's spirit

and brings prosperity.

Otherwise, the heart grows heavy, and fate turns ill.

The two pomelo trees in the courtyard

once grew in full vigor.

Yet they are set in Kun,

which makes them pillars that harm the mother.

And the well on the other side

was supposed to bring wealth with flowing water.

But it stands in Xun.

In Feng Shui, this is called the "Falling Corner."

Such a structure is said

to bring ruin to one's wife and children.

In truth,

it is most harmful to one's children.

My wife has already passed away,

as I mentioned just now.

But my son, though far away in the West,

sends a letter home each month.

Thanks to his being abroad,

otherwise, he would have been harmed at the least,

or lost his life at the worst.

Mr. Duan,

I wish to ask you something.

The Yehuan House in town is said to be haunted.

Are you aware of this?

I have never heard of it.

Then, is there

a Temple of the Goddess Seven Steps in this town?

Indeed, there is.

Do you know

Loong Upheld by Triple Yang?

In Qingshi Town,

[Yehuan House] Yehuan House

is at the Kan position.

We've been waiting for you to join the banquet.

The Temple is at the Zhen position.

- Just a ruined temple. - Qinglan!

The Archway

[Qingshi Town] is at the Li position.

Feng shui must be all wrong.

These three sites form the Triple Yang.

If an altar were placed at the center,

it would bless the land with prosperity.

But unfortunately,

your residence was built here.

But this is clearly someone's home.

It took the altar's place.

Thus, with Yang in excess, Yin inevitably prevails.

My son's injury is related to this?

Yes, because that could

sever the line of heirs.

So you already have a way to break it?

A way to break it?

Yes.

Go three li west

and raise an altar.

That will restore the balance of Yin and Yang.

It will transform the formation from Loong Upheld by Triple Yang

to Moon Cradled by Four Stars.

Then unceasing and abundant Qi

will gather here.

That is

truly of great fortune.

Mr. Yuan,

it's getting late.

As you're anxious to find your daughter,

you'd best be on your way.

I'll fetch a few lanterns

for you all.

Mr. Yuan,

I didn't find Miss Qinglan.

There's something wrong with Mr. Duan.

- Then I'll go seize him. - No, there's no time.

We must leave at once.

Kun.

Has something shown up ahead of us?

Not just a few.

A lot.

Don't act rashly.

Let's move out slowly.

They're all fake.

Kun, don't be afraid. It's all an illusion.

Maybe not.

Mr. Yuan.

Kun!

Mr. Yuan!

Mr. Yuan!

Mr. Yuan!

Mr. Yuan.

Wake up.

The restless spirits linger on.

The returning curse claims lives!

Let's go.

You're trying to save them?

Go!

Mr. Yuan, you're awake.

How did we end up here?

Mr. Yuan.

- Careful - Sorry.

The Goddess of Seven Steps appeared

and saved us.

Qinglan is in danger.

I've already deduced the altar's location.

Let's go.

- Qinglan! - Qinglan!

- Miss Qinglan! - Qinglan!

- Miss Qinglan! - Miss Qinglan!

Miss Qinglan!

Qinglan!

Mr. Yuan, Goddess Seven Steps.

She has revealed herself again.

Goddess,

please receive my obeisance.

The Spirit-ensnaring Ring.

So, you too

deal in Yin and Yang.

May I ask if my daughter is here?

Qinglan is not.

Honglian is here.

They look identical.

Honglian?

Impossible.

I saw with my own eyes Honglian swept away by the mountain flood.

She is there.

Goddess Seven Steps,

please bless the Duan lineage with lasting prosperity

and grant Qingshi Town peace with each passing year

and flourishing for generations to come.

Let the ritual begin.

Bring her forward.

Wicked woman.

You killed Mr. Duan Jr.

Today, marrying him is a blessing for you!

Stop!

Mr. Duan,

you promised not to harm this young lady,

only to let her perform the wedding rites.

I did say that.

But that would be too easy for her.

After the ceremony,

she will be buried with my son.

No!

This is sheer wickedness.

She is still alive.

But my son is dead!

I will not

perform this ritual.

Honglian!

Xianniang.

Let go of me!

Fine.

Even if you refuse,

I will carry on.

Come with me.

My son!

My poor son.

My child.

My son.

Does it hurt?

Are you in pain?

Don't be afraid. I'm here with you.

I kept you breathing.

Yet

you will never stay loyal.

Duan Shouren, what are you doing?

Honglian!

Xianniang!

Xianniang!

Xianniang, are you out of your mind?

Honglian!

Honglian.

Honglian.

Honglian.

Mr. Duan.

Please don't kill me.

I'm begging you.

My father will come to save me.

I have

a younger sister.

Please,

- Mr. Duan, don't kill me. - Die!

Everyone.

This wicked woman

has finally met her retribution.

From now on, Qingshi Town

will prosper

in every way!

Fish perch on branches.

Deities crouch beneath the walls.

Mourning dress drapes over bridal red.

Mourning dress drapes over bridal red.

Seven steps,

yet home lies beyond.

Seven steps, yet home lies beyond.

Fish perch on branches.

Deities crouch beneath the walls.

Mourning dress drapes

over bridal red.

Seven steps,

yet home lies beyond.

I don't believe it.

I don't believe it!

Where is Qinglan?

Give her back to me!

Where exactly is Qinglan?

Return my daughter to me!

The time has come.

It must end here.

Your daughter

is lying in her coffin.

Duan Shouren, I'm going to kill you!

Pull the trigger!

For three months,

you've been feigning madness.

What right do you have

to stand with Mr. Yuan?

The Sacred Tree, the Feng Shui array, the ghost marriage,

which of these was not your design?

Right? I've long been the walking dead.

We are the same!

What now?

Father.

Mr. Yuan!

Mr. Yuan!

Father!

Mr. Yuan!

Let go of me!

Mr. Yuan!

Father, don't worry yourself.

Just a bad dream.

Just because Mother

and Honglian are gone

doesn't mean I'm stuck with you,

watching you drink all day

till your eyes fail.

Father, come now, or it will be too late.

Let me go!

Mr. Yuan.

I never meant to kill you.

Those times I released the smoke,

I only hoped you would turn back.

But who could have thought

you would track me to my very home?

And you,

the reporter,

heir to the Tianming Gazette.

You know what?

I had some ties

with your father.

My father

would never have a friend like you.

The moment you came to me, I recognized you.

I held back

only for the sake of that bond.

But now,

you will stay here.

Cut their legs off.

Tear their hearts out.

Offer them to the Sacred Tree.

And the rest of them...

Hang them up.

Stop!

Let him through.

Hurry up!

All of you, back off.

Mr. Yuan, we can't escape.

It's wilderness all around.

Killing him won't help. We won't get far.

Then we won't run.

We'll die here together with Duan Shouren.

Mr. Yuan!

Qinglan isn't dead.

The Sacred Tree demands a living sacrifice.

She's inside the coffin.

Open it now. There may still be time!

- Don't lie to me! - I'm not lying!

Dawei.

Check the coffin

and see if Qinglan is still alive. Hurry!

Miss Qinglan.

Miss Qinglan.

It's Mr. Yuan.

Mr. Yuan sent me.

Qinglan.

Qinglan.

Kun, let's go.

Let's head for the Archway and get out of this town.

Move!

Don't follow us. Don't you move!

Mr. Yuan, hurry!

Kun.

Pull the trigger!

That gun is broken.

Dawei.

Take Qinglan and go after Duan Shouren.

There's no path here. Go through the well. Move!

Mr. Yuan, forgive me. Go!

Go, now!

Mr. Yuan.

Mr. Yuan.

Mr. Yuan, are you alright?

Where is the goddess?

Don't cut my feet!

Help!

Don't cut me!

They're dead. All dead!

I can't die.

I can't die!

Mr. Yuan.

Mr. Yuan!

Mr. Yuan, save me!

Can't you do the reading?

Come on. Do it now!

Please, Mr. Yuan!

Mr. Yuan!

Cut it out. Who doesn't want to get out alive?

I want to go back to Shanghai

and marry Goldfinch.

Kun.

Enough.

Brat.

Never seen the world, have you?

You're the brat.

Kun, you...

Come on, don't mess with me.

Mr. Yuan.

What's wrong?

Mr. Yuan.

This wound hurts so much that I can't breathe.

Kun.

Your wound

looks just like the groom's wounds in the wedding photo.

This is clearly a sign of poisoning.

Mr. Yuan.

Where did you get this gem?

It's the same as the ones on the wall.

I found it at Yehuan House.

I came to Qingshi Town to trade

all for this.

That goddess forbade me from touching it

again and again.

I didn't understand then.

Could this be

the truth behind the disappearance of Qingshi Town's people?

Dawei.

We are directly beneath the Sacred Tree.

The Moon Cradled by Four Stars array

already has an endless flow of Qi.

But Duan Shouren

still drives it harder with secret arts.

He hangs the people here

to feed the Feng Shui array with living souls.

So many people were poisoned.

What massive works this must have been.

It's a natural cavern.

From your reaction,

even a touch would poison you.

Thanks to your timely rescue,

the young lady is unharmed.

Don't be afraid, miss.

This is Qingshi Town.

Today, while I was praying at the Sacred Tree,

I faintly heard cries for help.

Following the sound, I found an underground cavern

and you.

What kind of cavern?

It was filled with beautiful stones.

A young man discovered this cavern.

Honglian saw it.

When she

went missing three months ago,

she was killed by Duan Shouren.

The timing matches exactly.

The young man who appeared in your dreams

must have been Mr. Duan Jr.

Miss Qinglan,

what do you mean by "Honglian saw it"?

I saw

and heard it.

Telepathy.

It was telepathy.

The kind that only twins share.

Right.

There's no spirit-ensnaring array at all.

What Qinglan saw was Honglian's memory.

We must find a way out of here

and avenge Honglian.

But Father,

how do we get out?

Duan Shouren jumped down and vanished without a trace.

That means there's an exit here.

Do you all remember?

The deep well at Yehuan House,

the statue in the Temple,

and beneath the Sacred Tree where we stand.

Each of these three sites has a shaft connecting to the surface.

The well at Duan Residence

shouldn't be where it is,

but Duan Shouren placed it there on purpose.

That means there must be one spot

linked to the underground of Duan Residence.

That's the exit.

Let's split up and search.

- Okay. - Alright.

Mr. Yuan.

Mr. Yuan, what do you think this is?

It's called

the Feng Shui Lock of Infinite Stratagems.

That's it.

This is the exit.

Look, the dial shows zodiac signs, the Eight Trigrams,

and the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

All of it points to a place,

an event,

and a specific person.

Let me give it a try.

Ox.

Born in the Year of the Ox.

Qinglan.

What are you talking about?

I saw it.

The young man Honglian met in Qingshi Town

was born in the Year of the Ox.

Right.

Go on.

It's Zhun, meaning

difficulty at the beginning. That young man has passed away.

And then?

Father.

This is all I saw.

It's all right.

You've done enough.

Leave the rest to me.

Yehuan House, the Temple, Duan Residence,

the Archway, and the Sacred Tree.

These five sites together form

the Moon Cradled by Four Stars.

Then

the final turn of the dial should follow this order:

The Zhen position,

the Li position,

the Dui position,

the Kan position.

No reaction.

Patience please.

Sir.

Could you tell me where the exit is?

I've found you at last.

This time I'll strike it rich.

Kun, don't take it. It's toxic.

Have you ever worn a fake watch?

What does that matter?

Poverty is worse than death.

Don't stand in my way.

Move.

Who are you?

Hello.

What's your name?

Where do you live?

My name is Huan.

My home is just up there.

Not long ago, Mr. Duan told us

that the Goddess of Seven Steps had blessed this place with treasure.

If we dug it up, we could live a good life.

Where are your father and your mother?

Hanging.

As soon as we arrived,

Father began coughing up blood.

Once he was injured,

flesh fell off him in great chunks

like a rotten mushroom.

Later, Mother coughed up blood too.

They cried out in pain all day.

And I hurt as well.

Huan, don't worry.

I've seen your parents.

They'll be back soon.

Don't lie to me.

I know

hanging means death.

I want to die too.

This gem must carry strong radiation.

Exposure to it leads to poisoning.

Radiation? What is that?

In Feng Shui terms,

good Feng Shui is called a blessed land,

while bad Feng Shui is called a cursed force.

And something like this is a death-bringing evil.

Duan Shouren knew this stuff was worth a fortune.

But it was laced with deadly poison.

So

He used the Goddess Seven Steps to trick the villagers into mining it.

Huan, why didn't you run?

At first, they handed out money.

Later, we refused the money,

waiting instead for the sugar.

"Sugar"? What do you mean?

I can let you taste it yourself.

You petty thief.

You've got some skills, I'll give you that.

But all you've managed is a broken gun that won't even fire.

And you think you can scare me with that?

Amusing.

You vile old man.

I'll drag every one of your filthy deeds into the light.

The others from the Tianming Gazette have already tried to bring me down.

Lyu Zhen came before you, and he's dead.

You saw his body, didn't you?

After I killed him,

I paid Chen Tianming a great fortune.

Stop spouting nonsense.

My father would never take your filthy money.

After Lyu Zhen, wasn't there a reporter

named Lin Guangze?

Your father told me about that after he took the bribe.

You miserable old wretch!

Look at me now.

Do you think I can still be saved?

You petty thief.

Once the decay takes hold,

you're done for!

Mr. Yuan.

Impressive.

You actually broke my Feng Shui lock.

The dial's turning direction

aligns with the Feng Shui layout of Qingshi Town.

That part is simple.

The true twist

is that it also aligns with the day your son died.

Duan Shouren.

You didn't even spare your own son.

Facing death, and you still babble nonsense?

I saw it.

Your son is dead. He never went to the West.

The wounds on his body

are the same as those on the miners.

All of them were poisoned by the ore.

You can fool anyone,

but can you fool yourself?

The Qi-converging ground has been shattered by your own hand.

So long as the loong lies dead, the heavenly spirit remains broken.

Your bloodline is cursed, with no heirs, no tomorrow.

Slaughter them all!

Seal the cavern and leave no one alive!

I'll give ten

to whoever kills them.

Fight back!

This is your chance!

Alive, you're nothing but pawns.

Dead, they'll throw you on the altar.

You're human, not livestock!

This is sugar!

Mr. Yuan.

Were these needles enchanted by Goddess Seven Steps?

Goddess Seven Steps is only a clay idol.

This is a poison, a fatal remedy.

It excites them, numbs pain, enslaves them with addiction,

and drives hallucinations.

The miners cannot leave because he uses it to control them.

Kun.

Dawei.

You two take Qinglan and get out.

I am going to kill Duan Shouren.

Father, let's go together.

Go?

You would never get away, not even if you could fly!

Qinglan!

Father!

Qinglan!

Kun.

Mr. Yuan.

Qinglan!

Get up!

Hurry!

- Please don't hit me! - Dawei.

Dawei.

It's me.

Guangze.

You are still alive, thank goodness.

- Are you alright? - I found you.

Are you alright?

Come with me.

Your wife and children are waiting for you.

I will not make it.

Go out and take care of them for me.

I will protect you on the way out.

The exits are all blocked now.

Only the hidden door can be used.

The key to the door is in Duan Shouren's hands.

Let's go.

Kun, that shrine is the only way out. Move!

Get up!

Lin!

Hurry!

Lin!

Mr. Yuan!

Go!

Mr. Yuan, hurry up!

Kun, go!

No escape left.

I'll entomb both your daughters with my son!

Father!

Father!

- Go! - Father!

- Father, let's go together! - Hurry.

Father!

Hurry and go.

- Father! - Go!

Come on, let's go.

Father!

- Father! - Go!

Kun. Go!

I'm staying. I have to save Mr. Yuan.

- Kun. - Go!

Father!

Go!

- Father! - Hurry up!

Father!

- Let go of me! - Miss Qinglan!

Father!

Mr. Yuan and Kun gave their lives to save us.

Calm down, will you?

Buddy, let me tell you a joke.

Truth is, I was never Goldfinch's lover.

I'm just a thug.

She doesn't even know who I am.

But I love her.

You're the only one I've got left.

If you go as well, I...

Just because Mother

and Honglian are gone

doesn't mean I'm stuck with you,

watching you drink all day

till your eyes fail.

Father.

I miss Honglian so much.

Kun!

I'm Kun from the Bund Dock.

Kun!

Duan Shouren, those workers and Kun

ended up like this

because they all took your medicine.

Yes. You're surprisingly clever.

You sacrificed your own son

for wealth!

No, I didn't.

I swear I didn't!

I just wanted to leave something behind for my descendants,

so they could

live in peace, free of worry.

But you have no descendants left.

All because of your daughter,

my son found this place.

Now he's gone. Only the ore remains.

His death can't be in vain!

It was your greed

that killed your son.

My father's gone.

So is Mr. Kun.

It was all my fault.

Qinglan.

Qinglan.

[The road runs on, yet restless hearts find no peace.]

[The ears stay shut, and all beings chant their sutras for relief.]