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[Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty III:
To Chang'an]

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[Episode 34]

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Zhong Shizai,

4
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what other crimes have you committed?

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Confess truthfully!

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I haven't!

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Mr. Geng already anticipated

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you would say that.

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When I first saw him back then,

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he was covered in blood,

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with multiple wounds on his body.

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It was clear that these injuries

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resulted from violent fights with others.

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[Speak and Seek Truth]

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My wife passed away many years ago...

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and left me with no children.

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Zhong Shizai was the first disciple

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I ever took in.

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I treated him

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like my own son,

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caring for him and teaching him.

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But eventually, I discovered

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he wasn't suited to be a coroner.

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It's because he killed people
when he was young.

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In our line of work,

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we constantly deal with corpses

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and murder weapons.

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What we see and perceive

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can also stir up

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the desire to kill within us.

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Now you understand

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why Mr. Geng had to

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expel you from his tutelage, right?

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Zhong Shizai's skills as a coroner

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may rank

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[Speak and Seek Truth]

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among the top in Chang'an,

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but he's far from securing

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a top-three position.

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He is extremely shrewd

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and excels at using others' strengths
against them.

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[Speak and Seek Truth]

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He's even better at
employing deceitful schemes.

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Therefore,

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when I discovered that Dong Yue's death

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wasn't as simple as it appeared,

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I began to suspect him.

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He thought

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that by eliminating
Coroners Dong and Zheng with one scheme,

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he could ensure

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his place among the top three.

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I lied and said

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that I'd participate in
the Coroners' Contest myself,

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and I wrote this in advance...

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waiting for him to come.

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"If I'm murdered,

57
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the killer is Zhong Shizai."

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You anticipated everything beforehand.

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I taught him myself.

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I'm deeply ashamed.

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I was once a servant,

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but was fortunate enough

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to study and practice martial arts
alongside my young master.

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The young master was dull-witted,

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or rather, he was a fool.

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Whether it was reading and writing

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or horsemanship and combat skills,

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he was inferior to me!

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The master became angry because of this

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and often beat and scolded me
to vent his frustration.

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I could only endure it

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in order to continue my studies.

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But my endurance

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did not earn me kind treatment.

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The master became increasingly cruel

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and nearly beat me to death several times!

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I couldn't bear it anymore,

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so I killed all three members
of that family

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and disguised it as a night raid
by bandits!

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I wounded myself as well

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to deceive the constables

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and escape.

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That is how I've survived until today.

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My mentor was right.

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I've long been weary of

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being a coroner.

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Because every time I see a corpse,

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a murder weapon,

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or a murder scene,

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I'm reminded of

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who I once was.

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Sheriff Su!

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Sheriff Su!

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There's been a beheading case.

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The victim is a young woman—

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head and body separated!

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Is an autopsy necessary?

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Coroner Zhong Shizai is here!

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Shame...

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I won't have a chance

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to perform an autopsy again.

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Fortunately, we didn't ask Xijun to come.

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Sheriff Su,

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there are no more coroners available.

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Go invite Mr. Geng.

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Tell him I sent you.

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Yes, sir.

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Sheriff Su has just taken office.

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Please do him this favor.

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It's not that I don't want to help,

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but as you can see, I'm old and sick.

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I really can't leave home anymore.

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Well...

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Suchan,

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go with Captain Xu.

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Tell them you'll examine the body
on my behalf,

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and ask Sheriff Su if he would permit it.

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What?

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Haven't you always wanted

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to become a coroner yourself?

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But I'm a woman.

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Can I really be a coroner?

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A woman examining a female corpse

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is more convenient than a man doing so.

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Besides,

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Su Wuming is Master Di's disciple,

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so he won't be bound
by outdated conventions.

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Perhaps this is your chance.

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Take my autopsy kit

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and go.

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Go.

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I...

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I've never examined a corpse before.

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There's a first time for everyone.

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Please proceed.

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Sheriff Su, you're really allowing me
to examine the body?

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Since Mr. Geng sent you here,

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you must have learned his skills well.

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Also,

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Yingtao can keep a record for you.

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In that case, thank you for your help.

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[Soap pod] [Musk]

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Record:

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[Autopsy Record]

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The skin below the neck is contracted.

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Both sides
of the cervical vertebrae protrude.

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There are spatter-pattern bloodstains
in the surrounding area.

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These indicate that the victim was hacked
while still alive.

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[Autopsy Record]

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The head lies four feet
to the right of the shoulders.

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[Autopsy Record]

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The severed surface of the head is clean

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and can be aligned with the body.

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Therefore, I deduce

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it was likely

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cut off by a sharp weapon
such as a sword or knife,

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and the killing was accomplished
with a single strike.

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We should immediately find the relatives

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and ensure the head

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and body belong to the same person.

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The time of death.

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Judging from the wound,
it should be around 9-11 PM,

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no later than midnight.

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Sheriff Su,

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I don't know

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what else needs to be examined.

167
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You've examined it thoroughly,

168
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with clear reasoning

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and accurate judgment.

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You will surely be able to inherit

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Mr. Geng's legacy as an excellent coroner.

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Captain Xu.

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Yes, sir.

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As the coroner suggested,

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find the deceased's relatives immediately.

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Today, Coroner Suchan

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shall receive the highest autopsy fee.

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Furthermore,

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in the future, the county office

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may call upon Suchan

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whenever a coroner is needed.

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Yes, sir.

183
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Suchan, well done.

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Your examination was just as thorough

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as Sheriff Su's.

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Congratulations on becoming
a female coroner.

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Actually, you're not the first.

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We've met more than

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one female coroner before

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in Shiyang County.

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So, you're not alone.

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You've seen the body now.

193
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Can you confirm the identity?

194
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It's my daughter!

195
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She was fine yesterday.

196
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It's all your fault.

197
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When our daughter picked up
that cursed money,

198
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you should have thrown it away!

199
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But you!

200
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You thought it was a blessing!

201
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Found some money?

202
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Mother, look.

203
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-Who lost it?
-Well...

204
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Who...

205
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Who dropped this pouch?

206
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Not mine.

207
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That's not mine.

208
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Quick, count them.

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[One]

210
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[One]

211
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Have you seen a money pouch?

212
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About this big

213
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and red in color.

214
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Haven't seen it.

215
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Never seen it.

216
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We haven't been to

217
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the crossroads today.

218
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Right, haven't been there lately.

219
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Sheriff Su,

220
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we've asked around all the nearby streets.

221
00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:02,790
Nothing like this
has ever happened before.

222
00:11:02,790 --> 00:11:04,360
I've heard of people losing money,

223
00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:06,660
but I've never heard of anyone
admitting they found it.

224
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If such good fortune really happened,

225
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no one would speak of it openly.

226
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-Yeah.
-Right.

227
00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:13,030
Have any of you seen this pouch before?

228
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Everyone, come and take a look!

229
00:11:17,790 --> 00:11:19,270
Have you seen this red pouch?

230
00:11:19,270 --> 00:11:20,200
-No.
-No.

231
00:11:20,220 --> 00:11:21,150
Haven't seen it.

232
00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:41,270
Senior Yin!

233
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You were scared, right?

234
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It's made of wood.

235
00:11:55,430 --> 00:11:56,480
When I have free time,

236
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I practice my makeup skills on it.

237
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Look at this place.

238
00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:02,470
It hardly looks like a home anymore.

239
00:12:02,470 --> 00:12:03,970
You can admit it now.

240
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You stopped being a coroner

241
00:12:05,030 --> 00:12:06,430
and moved out of the house

242
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because you were jealous

243
00:12:07,290 --> 00:12:09,240
that Father treated Senior Shizai
better than you.

244
00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:10,630
Back then, both the Ministry of Justice

245
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and the Court of Judicial Review
asked Father for a coroner.

246
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:13,510
Father recommended Senior Shizai,

247
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not you.

248
00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:17,290
Are you still angry at Father for that?

249
00:12:17,290 --> 00:12:18,420
It's all in the past.

250
00:12:19,270 --> 00:12:20,600
Come have a bowl of soup.

251
00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:21,790
The Three-Fruit Bone Broth

252
00:12:21,790 --> 00:12:23,050
that I made myself.

253
00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:25,600
Isn't that the famous broth
from the West Market?

254
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The one that nobles drink?

255
00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:28,600
You can actually make it at home?

256
00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:29,840
What's so difficult about that?

257
00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:31,150
You just need to boil juice from Terminalia chebula,

258
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Phyllanthus emblica,

259
00:12:31,750 --> 00:12:33,390
and Terminalia bellirica,

260
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and then cook it with pork bones.

261
00:12:38,150 --> 00:12:39,150
Then I must try it.

262
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Here.

263
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It's really good.

264
00:12:50,670 --> 00:12:51,670
I have some good news

265
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to tell you.

266
00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:54,120
Early this morning, I heard

267
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that Senior Shizai was arrested
by the county office.

268
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I feel terrible about it.

269
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What good news could there possibly be?

270
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Indeed.

271
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Compared to
what happened to Senior Shizai,

272
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:04,390
whether I become a coroner or not

273
00:13:04,390 --> 00:13:06,250
doesn't seem important anymore.

274
00:13:07,630 --> 00:13:09,230
You're going to be a coroner?

275
00:13:09,290 --> 00:13:10,810
Sheriff Su permitted it.

276
00:13:11,150 --> 00:13:11,750
I examined

277
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a decapitated female corpse.

278
00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:20,310
I don't know

279
00:13:20,790 --> 00:13:22,570
whether I should be happy for you or...

280
00:13:22,570 --> 00:13:24,370
Why wouldn't you be happy for me?

281
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The work of a coroner is steeped in death.

282
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You're a young woman.

283
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It's not suitable.

284
00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:30,410
But I've been waiting for this day

285
00:13:30,410 --> 00:13:31,590
for so long.

286
00:13:31,790 --> 00:13:33,270
Senior Yin, you don't know.

287
00:13:33,270 --> 00:13:34,400
Since you moved out,

288
00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:35,480
Father has been teaching me

289
00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,280
the autopsy formulas every day.

290
00:13:38,390 --> 00:13:39,870
You've been studying autopsy
for three years now?

291
00:13:39,870 --> 00:13:40,440
Yeah.

292
00:13:40,670 --> 00:13:42,550
Although I've studied for three years,

293
00:13:42,550 --> 00:13:44,480
Father often scolds me for being stupid.

294
00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:45,720
Because in his heart,

295
00:13:45,790 --> 00:13:48,050
the most talented one is you, Senior Yin.

296
00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,060
I can see

297
00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:52,550
how deeply saddened Father is

298
00:13:52,550 --> 00:13:53,840
over Senior Shizai.

299
00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:57,700
So I came today

300
00:13:57,840 --> 00:13:59,000
to ask you

301
00:13:59,030 --> 00:14:00,550
to return to the coroner's trade.

302
00:14:00,550 --> 00:14:01,360
Isn't there going to be

303
00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:02,390
a Coroners' Contest?

304
00:14:02,390 --> 00:14:03,750
You're the best, Senior Yin.

305
00:14:03,750 --> 00:14:05,440
You'll definitely win first place.

306
00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:05,970
That way,

307
00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:07,600
you can serve in the county office,

308
00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:09,360
and Father will surely be proud of you.

309
00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:10,420
I'll become

310
00:14:10,550 --> 00:14:11,080
the best mortician

311
00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:12,340
in all of Chang'an too.

312
00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:14,960
I'll visit our mentor often.

313
00:14:15,540 --> 00:14:17,770
May he live a long and healthy life.

314
00:14:21,510 --> 00:14:23,320
Well, I must go now.

315
00:14:23,670 --> 00:14:24,320
Before you came,

316
00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:25,840
someone just asked for my services

317
00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:27,750
to apply makeup to a deceased person.

318
00:14:27,750 --> 00:14:28,790
They said it was a violent death.

319
00:14:28,790 --> 00:14:29,920
The head was cut off.

320
00:14:30,550 --> 00:14:31,360
I wonder

321
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,530
if it's the same body you examined.

322
00:14:34,550 --> 00:14:35,180
Suchan,

323
00:14:35,670 --> 00:14:36,930
thank you for the soup.

324
00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:38,170
It's delicious.

325
00:14:38,950 --> 00:14:43,560
[Funeral]

326
00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:41,780
You're the mortician, right?

327
00:14:43,030 --> 00:14:44,790
The passing ceremony,

328
00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:46,880
soul-calling ceremony,

329
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:47,720
bathing,

330
00:14:48,150 --> 00:14:49,750
and changing of clothes for my daughter

331
00:14:49,750 --> 00:14:51,150
have all been completed.

332
00:14:51,670 --> 00:14:53,240
Once you apply her makeup,

333
00:14:53,630 --> 00:14:55,720
she can be placed in the coffin.

334
00:14:57,790 --> 00:14:58,320
No rush.

335
00:14:59,180 --> 00:15:01,480
"Through solemn rites,
we mourn the nation's sorrows;

336
00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,440
through funeral rites, we mourn death."

337
00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,390
Nothing in funeral rituals
should be omitted.

338
00:15:05,390 --> 00:15:06,910
Before applying the final makeup,

339
00:15:06,910 --> 00:15:09,000
our morticians have certain rituals
to perform.

340
00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,720
The tradition of burial camphorwood dolls
began with Yu Qing,

341
00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:12,520
burial garments with Zuo Botao,

342
00:15:12,630 --> 00:15:14,840
and funeral songs
with the rope-pullers' chants.

343
00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:16,500
The ritual of mortuary makeup

344
00:15:16,990 --> 00:15:19,260
shall begin with me, Yin Yao.

345
00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:42,130
♪ I bind cassia branches
as I gaze into the distance ♪

346
00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:48,610
♪ My longing swells
until I can't bear it ♪

347
00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:53,880
♪ What power does worry hold in the end? ♪

348
00:15:54,510 --> 00:16:01,300
♪ I wish things could remain
as they are today, untouched by loss ♪

349
00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:05,460
♪ Yet every life follows
its appointed course ♪

350
00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:16,470
♪ Who can control meeting or parting? ♪

351
00:16:13,630 --> 00:16:17,630
[Funeral]

352
00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,200
Less than 20 zhang

353
00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:31,440
out the back door

354
00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:33,080
is where the crime occurred.

355
00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:34,960
Given that the deceased's chamber

356
00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:37,690
is next to her parents',

357
00:16:37,870 --> 00:16:39,410
that they

358
00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,430
heard no sounds,

359
00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:42,750
and that there are no signs

360
00:16:42,750 --> 00:16:44,790
of struggle or scratches
on the deceased's body,

361
00:16:44,790 --> 00:16:45,790
we can conclude

362
00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,800
she was not forced out by any intruder;

363
00:16:48,870 --> 00:16:50,120
rather, she

364
00:16:50,630 --> 00:16:51,690
left voluntarily.

365
00:16:54,150 --> 00:16:55,560
What exactly did she see?

366
00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:57,270
They say the courtyard
where the deceased was found

367
00:16:57,270 --> 00:16:59,200
has been abandoned for many years.

368
00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:00,440
It's rumored to be haunted.

369
00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:02,030
Neighbors never go there.

370
00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:04,550
Going there in the dead of night—

371
00:17:04,550 --> 00:17:06,280
wasn't she asking for trouble?

372
00:17:06,550 --> 00:17:08,950
Respect the dead. Don't speak carelessly.

373
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,440
My daughter!

374
00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:13,109
Stop crying!

375
00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,829
Let our daughter rest in peace.

376
00:17:20,550 --> 00:17:21,480
Don't be like this.

377
00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,010
Please, don't be like this!

378
00:17:23,030 --> 00:17:24,440
Quickly pull her back!

379
00:17:26,030 --> 00:17:26,960
My daughter!

380
00:17:27,030 --> 00:17:27,589
You've

381
00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:29,800
made my daughter look so beautiful.

382
00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,310
How can I ever thank you enough?

383
00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:35,810
It's simply my duty as a mortician.

384
00:17:36,070 --> 00:17:37,130
No need to thank me.

385
00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:38,570
And your payment...

386
00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:40,690
I remember you mentioned

387
00:17:40,790 --> 00:17:41,590
50 coins.

388
00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:43,610
You think... that's too much?

389
00:17:43,610 --> 00:17:44,310
No, no.

390
00:17:44,830 --> 00:17:46,940
I think it's too little.

391
00:17:47,310 --> 00:17:49,640
This is the proper price
for funeral services?

392
00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:50,590
This is the price.

393
00:17:50,590 --> 00:17:52,240
Giving the deceased
a beautiful appearance,

394
00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:53,070
allowing them to depart

395
00:17:53,070 --> 00:17:54,400
with dignity and peace,

396
00:17:54,510 --> 00:17:55,970
is itself a virtuous deed.

397
00:17:56,350 --> 00:17:57,510
Charging you 50 coins

398
00:17:57,510 --> 00:17:58,640
is just to cover the cost of rouge,

399
00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:00,680
white lead powder, and other materials.

400
00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:01,440
In that case,

401
00:18:02,110 --> 00:18:05,260
I bow to you on behalf of my daughter!

402
00:18:17,070 --> 00:18:18,800
The makeup is truly wonderful.

403
00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,000
I didn't expect to

404
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:29,720
run into you here again, Sheriff Su.

405
00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:31,250
The case remains unsolved.

406
00:18:31,510 --> 00:18:33,640
I'm here for a routine investigation.

407
00:18:35,750 --> 00:18:37,000
Have you found any leads?

408
00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:38,110
Not yet.

409
00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,030
However, having witnessed it today,

410
00:18:41,070 --> 00:18:42,930
I now have a deeper understanding

411
00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,400
of the significance of your work.

412
00:18:45,830 --> 00:18:47,390
Earlier, I was thinking

413
00:18:47,830 --> 00:18:50,110
of persuading you to go back
to being a coroner.

414
00:18:50,110 --> 00:18:51,030
But now I see

415
00:18:51,070 --> 00:18:52,670
that's no longer necessary.

416
00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:55,460
Thank you, Sheriff Su.

417
00:19:02,340 --> 00:19:05,430
[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

418
00:19:16,310 --> 00:19:18,200
Business at Sushan Shop
has been good lately.

419
00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:20,480
By the end of the month,
we can divide the profits again.

420
00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:21,150
Really?

421
00:19:21,510 --> 00:19:22,370
But I haven't been

422
00:19:22,370 --> 00:19:23,880
helping at the shop lately.

423
00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:24,720
How could I

424
00:19:24,740 --> 00:19:26,200
shamelessly take a share?

425
00:19:26,270 --> 00:19:27,000
Besides,

426
00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,070
the salary from Yongzhou Prefecture
is quite generous.

427
00:19:29,070 --> 00:19:30,350
I can't even spend it all.

428
00:19:30,350 --> 00:19:31,480
Just count me out.

429
00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:33,510
You all divide it among yourselves.

430
00:19:33,510 --> 00:19:34,680
Well now, Su Wuming!

431
00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:36,700
Look at you, all dejected.

432
00:19:37,110 --> 00:19:37,640
What?

433
00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,320
Without my help,

434
00:19:40,510 --> 00:19:41,710
being county sheriff

435
00:19:41,750 --> 00:19:43,070
is too much for you, huh?

436
00:19:43,070 --> 00:19:44,480
Stop teasing me.

437
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:45,790
By the way,

438
00:19:45,790 --> 00:19:47,070
you've lived among the common folk
for a long time

439
00:19:47,070 --> 00:19:48,130
and know a lot.

440
00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:48,730
Come here

441
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:50,620
and help me take a look at this.

442
00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:52,790
What is it?

443
00:20:02,510 --> 00:20:03,550
[One]

444
00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:09,640
Whose is this?

445
00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:11,890
It belonged to a beheading victim.

446
00:20:13,550 --> 00:20:16,020
Did the murdered person

447
00:20:16,070 --> 00:20:17,530
pick it up at a crossroads?

448
00:20:18,750 --> 00:20:20,530
Mr. Fei, how did you know?

449
00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,200
This is a life-borrowing pouch
that someone left behind.

450
00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,240
It's used for
borrowing someone else's lifespan.

451
00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:26,240
Borrow lifespan?

452
00:20:27,610 --> 00:20:30,140
[Dong's Coffin Shop]

453
00:20:29,590 --> 00:20:30,200
Master,

454
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:32,720
your kindness to me
was as great as a mountain,

455
00:20:31,450 --> 00:20:39,970
[Dong's Coffin Shop]

456
00:20:32,790 --> 00:20:34,920
and I never got the chance to repay you.

457
00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:36,720
If I could choose,

458
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,920
I'd gladly give my life to you.

459
00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:41,590
Master.

460
00:20:43,050 --> 00:20:45,550
[Dong's Coffin Shop]

461
00:20:46,610 --> 00:20:47,220
Master!

462
00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:49,310
Is your spirit here

463
00:20:49,350 --> 00:20:50,550
to collect money?

464
00:20:51,070 --> 00:20:51,970
Master!

465
00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:54,250
May you rest in peace!

466
00:21:13,790 --> 00:21:15,550
Whose money pouch is this?

467
00:21:18,750 --> 00:21:21,570
This happens often in the Ghost Market.

468
00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:23,430
When someone is about to die

469
00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,140
and their loved ones desperately

470
00:21:27,030 --> 00:21:28,690
want to make them live longer,

471
00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,170
they put money in life-borrowing pouches

472
00:21:31,350 --> 00:21:33,260
and leave them at various crossroads.

473
00:21:33,260 --> 00:21:34,720
If someone picks up the money,

474
00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,990
it's as if they've lent their lifespan

475
00:21:37,050 --> 00:21:39,030
to the dying person.

476
00:21:39,830 --> 00:21:42,510
But killing the person
who picks up the money—

477
00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:44,720
that's not borrowing lifespan.

478
00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:46,270
That's stealing lifespan.

479
00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,720
Even in the Ghost Market,
such acts are extremely rare.

480
00:21:52,110 --> 00:21:54,510
So, this character "one" means

481
00:21:54,590 --> 00:21:56,480
borrowing one year of life?

482
00:21:58,590 --> 00:22:00,610
That depends on how seriously ill

483
00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,320
the dying person is.

484
00:22:02,590 --> 00:22:03,990
If the illness is severe,

485
00:22:04,030 --> 00:22:05,070
it might mean

486
00:22:05,090 --> 00:22:06,420
borrowing only one day.

487
00:22:06,830 --> 00:22:09,290
Killing one person
to borrow one day of life?

488
00:22:09,310 --> 00:22:10,480
That's too cruel.

489
00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:13,790
The person who wrote this character

490
00:22:13,790 --> 00:22:15,450
may be skilled with the brush,

491
00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,860
but... the character is
written rather poorly.

492
00:22:21,550 --> 00:22:22,360
Wuming, look.

493
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,000
The final stroke is pressed too heavily.

494
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,800
You can tell
the person was never formally taught.

495
00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:40,000
[Dong's Coffin Shop]

496
00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:41,400
Sheriff Su.

497
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:43,550
The young assistant at the coffin shop—

498
00:22:43,550 --> 00:22:44,750
Dong Yue's disciple—

499
00:22:44,790 --> 00:22:47,520
committed suicide
in front of his master's body.

500
00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:08,790
This sword

501
00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:10,270
usually hung there.

502
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:13,560
Supposedly to ward off evil.

503
00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,200
Speaking of which, Dong Yue

504
00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:17,680
worked as a coroner his whole life—

505
00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:19,410
there was something eerie about him.

506
00:23:19,410 --> 00:23:20,410
He died unjustly.

507
00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:21,970
That must have left him
with unresolved grievances.

508
00:23:21,970 --> 00:23:23,030
So he had to take his disciple

509
00:23:23,030 --> 00:23:24,490
to accompany him in death.

510
00:23:25,310 --> 00:23:26,230
Captain Xu.

511
00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,510
How can you be sure it was suicide?

512
00:23:32,510 --> 00:23:33,510
Isn't it obvious?

513
00:23:33,510 --> 00:23:34,510
He... He just...

514
00:23:35,110 --> 00:23:36,110
Summon a coroner.

515
00:23:38,590 --> 00:23:39,120
Yes, sir.

516
00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:44,800
Go to Coroner Geng's house
and request Suchan.

517
00:23:45,350 --> 00:23:45,720
Yes.

518
00:23:51,830 --> 00:23:53,510
That red pouch...

519
00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:55,070
Who put it there?

520
00:23:55,110 --> 00:23:55,510
Where?

521
00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:57,880
As soon as I received
the report this morning,

522
00:23:57,880 --> 00:23:58,720
I sealed off the coffin shop

523
00:23:58,720 --> 00:23:59,520
immediately.

524
00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:00,920
No one except us has entered since then.

525
00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:02,110
It must have been

526
00:24:02,310 --> 00:24:03,310
there all along.

527
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:08,970
Yingtao, come count these.

528
00:24:15,780 --> 00:24:18,170
[Three]

529
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:19,700
Seven times seven, 49.

530
00:24:21,310 --> 00:24:22,110
Three.

531
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:26,790
[Three]

532
00:24:31,350 --> 00:24:31,950
I observe

533
00:24:32,150 --> 00:24:34,610
that the deceased's mouth and eyes
are open.

534
00:24:34,750 --> 00:24:35,270
Note it.

535
00:24:39,830 --> 00:24:40,360
I observe

536
00:24:40,510 --> 00:24:43,570
that no wounds are found
on either hand of the deceased.

537
00:24:44,110 --> 00:24:46,170
That should be recorded separately.

538
00:24:46,990 --> 00:24:47,850
My mistake.

539
00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:48,830
I find

540
00:24:49,190 --> 00:24:51,020
no visible wounds
on the deceased's left hand.

541
00:24:51,020 --> 00:24:53,760
[Autopsy Record]

542
00:24:52,830 --> 00:24:53,310
Done.

543
00:24:54,310 --> 00:24:54,750
I find

544
00:24:54,770 --> 00:24:56,980
[Autopsy Record]

545
00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,820
no visible wounds
on the deceased's right hand.

546
00:25:01,750 --> 00:25:02,280
I observe

547
00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:04,810
that the wound is on the left chest,

548
00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,640
penetrating completely through.

549
00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:08,230
The sword is dull.

550
00:25:08,590 --> 00:25:09,400
Therefore, I deduce

551
00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:10,380
the assailant

552
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:11,690
must have had considerable arm strength,

553
00:25:11,580 --> 00:25:14,630
[Autopsy Record]

554
00:25:12,070 --> 00:25:13,720
and struck
when the victim wasn't paying attention,

555
00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:14,760
killing him with a single blow.

556
00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:16,680
How can you be sure there was a killer?

557
00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:18,030
Why couldn't he have been possessed

558
00:25:18,030 --> 00:25:19,360
and committed suicide?

559
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:21,220
If it were suicide,

560
00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:22,440
given the deceased's arm length,

561
00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:23,880
he couldn't possibly have
reached the hilt.

562
00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:24,830
If he had gripped the blade

563
00:25:24,830 --> 00:25:26,630
to stab and penetrate his chest,

564
00:25:26,790 --> 00:25:27,480
then his palms

565
00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:29,110
would certainly show wounds.

566
00:25:29,110 --> 00:25:30,750
Moreover, given how dull this sword is,

567
00:25:30,750 --> 00:25:32,480
suicide is simply impossible.

568
00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:39,200
Suchan,

569
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:41,310
have you noticed

570
00:25:41,350 --> 00:25:43,210
that the bloodstains on the floor

571
00:25:43,510 --> 00:25:44,920
are quite strange?

572
00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:47,300
I noticed that too.

573
00:25:47,830 --> 00:25:49,960
I was about to examine them carefully.

574
00:25:55,670 --> 00:25:56,240
Father,

575
00:25:56,510 --> 00:25:58,860
were there any mistakes in the autopsy

576
00:25:58,960 --> 00:25:59,890
I just reported?

577
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:01,590
No.

578
00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:03,000
If only you could

579
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:04,190
come with me.

580
00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:06,080
You could guide me in person.

581
00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:13,590
A pouch

582
00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:16,440
with a total of 49 coins?

583
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:17,270
Yes.

584
00:26:17,830 --> 00:26:20,160
The beheaded woman from earlier

585
00:26:20,270 --> 00:26:22,330
also found a pouch of coins like this.

586
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:28,580
Don't touch it.

587
00:26:29,070 --> 00:26:30,110
I'll do it myself.

588
00:26:30,860 --> 00:26:32,990
There's strychnine in this bag.

589
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:36,200
Strychnine?

590
00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:37,160
Father,

591
00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:38,350
why are you keeping

592
00:26:38,350 --> 00:26:40,010
something so poisonous here?

593
00:26:40,110 --> 00:26:41,510
Though highly poisonous,

594
00:26:41,510 --> 00:26:42,880
when used in proper doses,

595
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:44,540
it's simply a medicinal herb.

596
00:26:44,550 --> 00:26:46,160
It can reduce swelling, relieve pain,

597
00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:47,440
improve circulation, and purify blood.

598
00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:48,630
More importantly,

599
00:26:48,750 --> 00:26:51,030
it alleviates suffering from sores.

600
00:26:58,550 --> 00:26:59,320
So,

601
00:26:59,550 --> 00:27:02,280
Father, you've been using it
to treat your sores.

602
00:27:02,790 --> 00:27:03,440
Just to

603
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,280
ease the pain a little.

604
00:27:05,170 --> 00:27:07,100
[Fair and Impartial]

605
00:27:11,750 --> 00:27:12,410
Sheriff Su,

606
00:27:12,750 --> 00:27:13,950
Geng Wushang is here.

607
00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,720
Sheriff Su, you've given my daughter
the opportunity

608
00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:19,270
to perform autopsies twice in succession,

609
00:27:19,270 --> 00:27:20,870
making her a proper coroner.

610
00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:23,720
I, Geng Wushang, have come specially
to thank you.

611
00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:26,270
Mr. Geng,

612
00:27:26,790 --> 00:27:28,510
you personally trained

613
00:27:28,590 --> 00:27:30,070
such an excellent coroner.

614
00:27:30,070 --> 00:27:32,410
It should be I who thanks you

615
00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:34,790
on behalf of the county office.

616
00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,030
You're too kind. You're too kind.

617
00:27:37,810 --> 00:27:46,210
[Integrity and Harmony]

618
00:27:42,310 --> 00:27:43,640
Mr. Geng, please enjoy.

619
00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:45,900
Sheriff Su.

620
00:27:46,830 --> 00:27:48,070
So,

621
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:50,590
Mr. Geng, you want to see

622
00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:52,640
those two life-borrowing pouches?

623
00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:53,240
Of course,

624
00:27:53,790 --> 00:27:55,550
I have no such authority.

625
00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:57,250
But as a coroner

626
00:27:57,790 --> 00:28:00,400
who has worked alongside constables
for decades,

627
00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:03,560
I naturally care about the case

628
00:28:03,590 --> 00:28:05,950
and am somewhat curious.

629
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:07,140
So...

630
00:28:08,310 --> 00:28:10,180
This is exactly what I want.

631
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,550
I was hoping you would take a look.

632
00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:15,940
Yingtao, bring them here.

633
00:28:25,510 --> 00:28:25,960
Father.

634
00:28:25,650 --> 00:28:28,980
[Integrity and Harmony]

635
00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,000
Seven times seven, 49.

636
00:28:32,110 --> 00:28:34,110
It's a number of extreme yin energy.

637
00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:37,110
Perfect for suppressing
the souls of the dead.

638
00:28:37,110 --> 00:28:38,400
Killing to borrow life

639
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,200
is not unprecedented.

640
00:28:40,550 --> 00:28:41,960
Twenty years ago in Chang'an,

641
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:43,800
there was a similar case.

642
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,470
A merchant, instigated by a sorcerer,

643
00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:48,830
killed four people in a row

644
00:28:49,030 --> 00:28:50,440
to extend his father's life.

645
00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:52,480
He put the characters "one,"
"three," "six,"

646
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,000
and "nine"
in those life-borrowing pouches.

647
00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:56,510
I remember Yao

648
00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:58,640
was less than 10 years old then

649
00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:00,790
and had just become my disciple.

650
00:29:00,790 --> 00:29:02,850
When he helped me with the autopsies,

651
00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,350
he was so frightened
that he couldn't stop crying.

652
00:29:04,350 --> 00:29:06,640
The county sheriff at that time,
Du Shenyan,

653
00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,270
based on the autopsy findings
from the county office,

654
00:29:09,270 --> 00:29:11,130
quickly found the murder weapon,

655
00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:12,600
identified the suspect,

656
00:29:12,830 --> 00:29:14,090
and caught the killer.

657
00:29:14,310 --> 00:29:16,760
In the end, both the killer
and the sorcerer

658
00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:20,080
were sentenced to waist-cutting execution
by the court.

659
00:29:20,790 --> 00:29:22,450
This life-borrowing sorcery

660
00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:23,640
is nothing but a trick

661
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,970
for the wealthy and powerful to buy lives.

662
00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:28,270
Now that we've found characters
"one" and "three,"

663
00:29:28,270 --> 00:29:29,830
characters "six" and "nine"
will surely appear.

664
00:29:29,830 --> 00:29:30,830
Doesn't that mean

665
00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:32,730
two more people will be killed?

666
00:29:32,790 --> 00:29:34,350
There are numbers in the pouches too?

667
00:29:34,350 --> 00:29:35,830
Yes, right here with me.

668
00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:37,530
Please take a look, sir.

669
00:29:39,130 --> 00:29:41,710
[One] [Three]

670
00:29:54,070 --> 00:29:55,530
Father, are you all right?

671
00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:57,070
I'm fine.

672
00:30:02,260 --> 00:30:04,050
Go find Yao.

673
00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:05,920
Tell him

674
00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,790
I'm inviting him over for a meal.

675
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:15,060
[Geng Residence]

676
00:30:21,550 --> 00:30:22,440
I'm old now.

677
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:25,640
I've been a coroner all my life.

678
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:27,790
Yet in the end,

679
00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:29,200
I'm about to break

680
00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,070
the rules of our profession.

681
00:30:32,510 --> 00:30:34,880
Master, what do you mean?

682
00:30:35,510 --> 00:30:38,440
The coroner's art is passed down orally

683
00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:40,350
and never written in books.

684
00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:42,350
Do you know why?

685
00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:43,920
I've heard you explain this before.

686
00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:44,550
Because since ancient times,

687
00:30:44,550 --> 00:30:46,240
damaging corpses has been a grave taboo.

688
00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:47,270
Once written down,

689
00:30:47,270 --> 00:30:48,310
people might follow the book

690
00:30:48,310 --> 00:30:49,710
and practice on corpses.

691
00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,000
This could lead to corpse desecration.

692
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:52,660
Therefore,

693
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:54,070
coroners never document their methods—

694
00:30:54,070 --> 00:30:55,680
this has been a tradition
for thousands of years.

695
00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,080
For the past three years,

696
00:30:57,400 --> 00:30:59,260
I've poured my life's experience

697
00:30:59,830 --> 00:31:01,830
into my book, "The Autopsy Chronicles."

698
00:31:01,830 --> 00:31:02,680
Tell me,

699
00:31:03,030 --> 00:31:04,860
is this right or wrong?

700
00:31:05,070 --> 00:31:06,270
I believe it's right.

701
00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,380
If we don't document

702
00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:10,240
autopsy techniques in writing,

703
00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:12,300
some skills will be lost forever.

704
00:31:12,310 --> 00:31:14,400
How would that help
future generations seek truth

705
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:15,530
and uphold justice?

706
00:31:16,590 --> 00:31:20,400
It seems you both support me.

707
00:31:23,270 --> 00:31:24,200
However,

708
00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:26,300
I've run into a problem.

709
00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:28,790
In my vision,

710
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,470
"The Autopsy Chronicles" will
consist of 20 volumes,

711
00:31:33,070 --> 00:31:34,200
with 100,000 words.

712
00:31:34,830 --> 00:31:37,130
I've now written the last chapter

713
00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:38,330
of the final volume.

714
00:31:39,110 --> 00:31:41,270
But I can't decide what I should write

715
00:31:41,310 --> 00:31:42,890
to wrap up this book.

716
00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:47,960
Yao,

717
00:31:48,830 --> 00:31:51,150
give me some advice.

718
00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:53,580
Me?

719
00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:56,350
How could I offer advice to you, Mentor?

720
00:31:56,350 --> 00:31:57,720
You're being too modest.

721
00:31:57,720 --> 00:31:58,690
You came to me

722
00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:00,410
when you were just a child.

723
00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:02,100
Though you couldn't read,

724
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:04,040
you were extremely intelligent

725
00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:05,640
and had great potential.

726
00:32:05,830 --> 00:32:07,790
As for the ancient
Red Umbrella Autopsy Method

727
00:32:07,790 --> 00:32:10,680
and the Plum Cake Autopsy Method

728
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,580
recorded in the books,

729
00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:14,720
I completed them

730
00:32:14,750 --> 00:32:15,790
with your assistance.

731
00:32:15,790 --> 00:32:17,510
The Open-Pit Bone Steaming Method

732
00:32:17,510 --> 00:32:20,120
even originated from your suggestion.

733
00:32:20,750 --> 00:32:21,550
Not at all.

734
00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:23,440
That method was created by you, Mentor.

735
00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:24,700
My random suggestions

736
00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:26,140
didn't count for much.

737
00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,130
My only true original creation

738
00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,490
is the Nine Poisons Verification Method.

739
00:32:32,110 --> 00:32:33,310
Nine Poisons Verification?

740
00:32:33,310 --> 00:32:35,160
That is the method
I developed after you left,

741
00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:37,110
drawing on the teachings of the ancients

742
00:32:37,110 --> 00:32:39,070
and my own experience

743
00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:40,580
in examining corpses.

744
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,300
Yao, you want to learn it?

745
00:32:46,110 --> 00:32:48,070
I've already left the coroner profession,

746
00:32:48,070 --> 00:32:50,000
so I no longer have the right to read

747
00:32:50,110 --> 00:32:52,440
"The Autopsy Chronicles"
that you're writing.

748
00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:53,440
Not necessarily.

749
00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:54,750
What if I invite you

750
00:32:54,750 --> 00:32:56,660
to be a co-author of this book?

751
00:32:59,030 --> 00:33:00,960
Master, what did you say?

752
00:33:01,590 --> 00:33:03,680
I invited you to dinner today

753
00:33:03,790 --> 00:33:05,320
because I wanted to tell you

754
00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,270
that I want to list
"The Autopsy Chronicles"

755
00:33:08,270 --> 00:33:10,670
as co-authored by us, master and disciple.

756
00:33:11,890 --> 00:33:13,310
How could that be appropriate?

757
00:33:13,310 --> 00:33:14,400
That is your life's work.

758
00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:15,920
How could I claim part of the credit?

759
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:17,830
Senior Yin, please don't refuse.

760
00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:19,480
Father has had this intention
for a long time.

761
00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:21,160
Back then, when the Ministry of Justice
and the Court of Judicial Review

762
00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:22,400
asked Father for coroner recommendations,

763
00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,130
he recommended Senior Shizai.

764
00:33:24,270 --> 00:33:26,480
It wasn't because he
thought little of you,

765
00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:28,550
but because he treasured your talent.

766
00:33:28,550 --> 00:33:29,400
He wanted you

767
00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:31,030
to stay by his side for a few more years

768
00:33:31,030 --> 00:33:32,830
and help him complete this book.

769
00:33:37,750 --> 00:33:38,310
I see.

770
00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:42,550
I've wronged you, Mentor.

771
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:43,600
Father.

772
00:33:46,510 --> 00:33:49,070
I was going to persuade you
to go back to being a coroner,

773
00:33:49,070 --> 00:33:51,440
but recently I've heard
you're doing very well

774
00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:52,460
as a mortician.

775
00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:54,270
When I walk down the street,

776
00:33:54,270 --> 00:33:55,960
people come to thank me—

777
00:33:56,070 --> 00:33:57,790
because you, my beloved disciple,

778
00:33:57,790 --> 00:34:00,240
beautified the appearance
of their deceased relatives.

779
00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:02,840
I've gradually come to
understand something:

780
00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:06,330
giving the deceased
a beautiful appearance and dignity

781
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,300
and revealing the truth
behind their sudden death

782
00:34:09,550 --> 00:34:10,880
are equally important.

783
00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:12,770
Therefore, I've decided

784
00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:14,560
to respect your choice.

785
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:17,030
Whether you go back
to being a coroner or not

786
00:34:17,030 --> 00:34:18,190
doesn't matter,

787
00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:20,280
and it has nothing to do

788
00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:22,420
with being my co-author

789
00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:23,580
on the book.

790
00:34:24,070 --> 00:34:26,100
Mentor, I...

791
00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:28,030
Get up first.

792
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:34,710
You don't need to rush to decide anything.

793
00:34:34,710 --> 00:34:36,570
After all, the Coroners' Contest

794
00:34:36,750 --> 00:34:39,679
will not close registration
for another three days.

795
00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:42,960
But there's something
that needs to be handled right now.

796
00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:44,280
I have already written

797
00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,290
the notice expelling Zhong Shizai
from my tutelage.

798
00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:48,760
The reason I'm doing this

799
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:49,690
is to prevent

800
00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:50,880
the soon-to-be-published

801
00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:53,139
coroners' manual from being disgraced.

802
00:34:53,550 --> 00:34:54,840
Do you understand?

803
00:34:55,670 --> 00:34:56,469
I understand.

804
00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:58,110
Zhong Shizai is impatient
in his pursuit of success

805
00:34:58,110 --> 00:34:58,970
and two-faced.

806
00:34:59,110 --> 00:35:01,240
You should have expelled him long ago.

807
00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:05,070
But according to the rules
of our profession,

808
00:35:05,070 --> 00:35:05,880
this notice

809
00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,320
must be signed by both of you,
my disciples.

810
00:35:08,550 --> 00:35:10,880
Yao, you couldn't read or write
as a child,

811
00:35:11,070 --> 00:35:12,380
but I've heard

812
00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:14,110
that you've learned now.

813
00:35:14,590 --> 00:35:15,190
Yes.

814
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:17,760
In the three years
since leaving the coroner profession,

815
00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:19,550
besides working as a mortician,

816
00:35:19,550 --> 00:35:20,640
I've been studying

817
00:35:20,670 --> 00:35:22,330
and practicing calligraphy.

818
00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:26,760
You're so diligent, Yao.

819
00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:28,710
I just hope that one day,

820
00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,440
when I inherit your legacy, Mentor,

821
00:35:31,590 --> 00:35:33,450
people won't say I'm illiterate.

822
00:35:34,630 --> 00:35:35,110
Good.

823
00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:37,840
Come with me then.

824
00:35:41,710 --> 00:35:44,220
[Notice of Expulsion for Zhong Shizai]

825
00:35:44,220 --> 00:35:46,520
[Witness: Suchan]

826
00:35:45,190 --> 00:35:45,800
Look.

827
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,440
[Mentor: Geng Wushang]

828
00:35:46,590 --> 00:35:47,960
I have already signed,

829
00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:49,950
and Suchan has signed too.

830
00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:52,010
Now we just need you.

831
00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,430
[Witnesses: Suchan; Yin Yao]

832
00:36:12,030 --> 00:36:13,160
Write down the date.

833
00:36:15,030 --> 00:36:16,400
June 23rd.

834
00:36:35,110 --> 00:36:35,710
Mentor,

835
00:36:36,890 --> 00:36:37,840
are you alright?

836
00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:43,710
I'm fine.

837
00:36:46,510 --> 00:36:47,370
I know.

838
00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:50,490
Senior Shizai has followed you
for many years, after all.

839
00:36:50,490 --> 00:36:52,150
But Master, you needn't be sad.

840
00:36:52,150 --> 00:36:53,440
It's not that you're heartless.

841
00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:54,630
It's Zhong Shizai himself—

842
00:36:54,630 --> 00:36:56,290
he brought this upon himself.

843
00:36:56,550 --> 00:36:57,630
I've already decided

844
00:36:57,630 --> 00:36:59,690
what to write for this final chapter.

845
00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:01,290
I'll write about

846
00:37:01,990 --> 00:37:04,530
why a coroner must not kill.

847
00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:07,190
Master,

848
00:37:07,710 --> 00:37:09,030
forgive my frankness,

849
00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:11,610
but isn't that rather obvious?

850
00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:13,540
No one may kill.

851
00:37:13,930 --> 00:37:15,060
Please reconsider.

852
00:37:15,230 --> 00:37:16,810
There must be a better topic

853
00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:18,840
to conclude "The Autopsy Chronicles."

854
00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:20,440
But my health...

855
00:37:20,550 --> 00:37:21,340
Don't worry.

856
00:37:21,710 --> 00:37:23,800
You still have many years ahead of you.

857
00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:24,960
How would you know?

858
00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:30,160
Although I've moved out,

859
00:37:30,670 --> 00:37:31,760
don't I visit you

860
00:37:31,780 --> 00:37:32,840
every three days?

861
00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:35,770
Actually, every three days,

862
00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:37,510
I also go to the temple

863
00:37:37,510 --> 00:37:38,840
to pray for your longevity.

864
00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:40,880
I was granted
a divine revelation long ago,

865
00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:42,480
foretelling that you still have
many years to live.

866
00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:44,140
Senior Yin, you're so filial.

867
00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:45,880
I, Suchan, don't measure up.

868
00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:13,010
Su Wuming!

869
00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:14,480
There's been another murder!

870
00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:15,310
A beggar

871
00:38:15,510 --> 00:38:17,710
also picked up a life-borrowing pouch!

872
00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:21,180
Summon Coroner Suchan.

873
00:38:22,030 --> 00:38:24,500
Coroner Suchan has come to
examine the body!

874
00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:26,420
All unrelated personnel,

875
00:38:26,510 --> 00:38:27,110
step back!

876
00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:49,040
[Six]

877
00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:31,400
Father, I'm back.

878
00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:35,950
Father!

879
00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:39,550
Father!

880
00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:42,670
Su Wuming!

881
00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:45,580
Didn't you say you wanted to eat sushan?

882
00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:47,360
I brought some for you!

883
00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:49,900
Quick, come with me
to Coroner Geng's house.

884
00:39:55,680 --> 00:40:00,100
[Geng]

885
00:40:02,090 --> 00:40:05,570
[Geng Residence]