Original subtitles

[Shadow Punisher]

[Divine Constable Tally]

[Episode 25]

Take him back to the county jail

and deal with him according to the law.

-Yes. -Yes.

Move!

Could he be...

Child,

these are the kind people

who sought justice for your parents.

Quick, kowtow to them.

Thank you, officers,

for bringing justice for my parents.

Alright, child.

Get up.

This child was lucky.

Back then, when I came forward

to claim the bodies

of him and his mother,

I was astonished to find

there was still a breath of life

left in his tiny body.

Perhaps it was all

predestined by Heaven.

He has no interest in cuju or riding and archery—

he only likes tinkering with shadow puppets.

The art of shadow puppetry in Gutan

has someone to carry it on.

Go.

Everyone,

what do you think?

We've investigated everything

and managed to clear up

the old case from 6 years ago,

but it's of no help

to the case at hand.

According to Du Zhongtao's statement,

Sui Bing must've died

before the shadow puppets ran amok during the lunar eclipse.

Deputy General Ji Xun said

the eclipse began

an hour after Sui Bing left,

so he must have been murdered

within that hour.

If we can find out

where he went,

what he did,

and whom he met

during that hour,

the mystery

should unravel.

I remember

that last night,

Sui Bing was the only one on duty

who could move about freely.

He could indeed have gone up to the Yunding Pavilion

without arousing suspicion.

Perhaps he did something,

or perhaps...

He discovered

a secret that could never be revealed to outsiders.

And so he was silenced?

Exactly.

Looks like

we must go to the Yunding Pavilion.

Wait.

I'll go with you.

We'd better

investigate this discreetly.

The more of us go,

the more likely we are to be exposed.

Then we'll go back to the county office first

and examine Sui Bing's body.

Alright.

Qingyang,

be very careful.

Don't worry.

The side window is tucked away.

If I were Sui Bing,

I'd definitely choose

this spot to spy from.

Third Brother?

Are you okay?

I'm fine.

The blessing ceremony

concerns the fate of the nation.

It's my duty,

and I dare not be careless.

Your Highness,

please forgive my offense.

Who's there?

Hurry!

Greetings, Your Highness.

May I ask

what happened just now, Your Highness?

Commander,

[Divine Constable Tally]

I am Divine Constable Li Qingyang

of the Divine Constable Bureau.

Just now,

I came here to investigate,

and His Highness mistook me for an assassin.

It was all a misunderstanding.

Divine Constable Li,

the Yunding Pavilion is a forbidden area.

Even I

cannot enter at will.

Still,

thankfully it was a misunderstanding.

We, too, have failed in our duty to guard this place.

Fortunately, Your Highness intervened.

Then step aside.

Yes.

Let's go.

Are you okay?

Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.

I'm fine.

Thank you for saving me just now.

Who was that old man?

Master Yun Hai,

the abbot of the Golden Dragon Pavilion.

Isn't he supposed to be in seclusion?

His seclusion is just a cover.

I've

fought him before.

His martial arts skills

are unfathomable.

-You snuck into the pavilion tonight... -You snuck into the pavilion tonight...

It seems the two of us

are thinking along the same lines again.

Did Your Highness find anything?

I saw Ye.

The rite of beseeching heaven requires

kneeling for 24 hours.

Yet, despite his young age, he's still holding on.

He's very filial to his grandfather.

He's a good child.

Indeed,

a good child.

All the old palace attendants who have seen him

say in private

that his appearance

somewhat resembles Yan.

Your Highness.

What are you doing?

Today would've been my late fourth brother's birthday.

Every year on this day,

I weave him

a katydid cage.

Third Brother!

Third Brother!

-Third Brother. -Your Highness the Fourth Prince.

Shouldn't you be studying

instead of running around?

Be careful. If Father sees you,

he'll scold you again.

Father would never have the heart to scold me.

Look what I've got.

Father wove this for me.

Is it pretty?

It is.

Here.

Later, I'll ask Father

to weave one for you too.

Yan.

Would you like

a little house for your katydid?

I know how to weave.

I'll make one for you, okay?

Really?

Third Brother, you're amazing!

My katydid's going to have a house!

My katydid's going to have a house!

That's great!

My katydid's going to have a house!

So,

you've remembered that all along.

Your Highness,

is there...

something on my face?

I just think you

remind me very much

of someone I once knew.

Doesn't match.

Magistrate Du, what brings you here?

My Lady,

I noticed you've been working

on the case late into the night.

You must be very tired.

So I thought I'd come by and ask

if you'd like some tea and refreshments.

No need.

Forgive my poor timing.

Have you found anything

about General Sui's death, Divine Constable?

Not yet.

Not even a single lead?

Magistrate Du,

could it be

that you have a clever idea

to guide us

out of our confusion?

I'm hardly capable of that.

Get out.

Where are you going?

I'm still a bit worried about Li Si.

I'll go check on him.

Look at him.

Our Little Ice Cube

is

melting.

Zhenzhu,

take a look at this.

Found under Sui Bing's boot sole.

It's moss.

Moss?

Blue moss?

Send a message back to the Bureau

to ask if there are

any records of blue moss.

[Great Virtue Bears All Things]

Sui Bing...

Dragon Saliva Crystal?

Sui Bing,

you won't be needing it anyway.

I'll keep it safe for you.

It's mine.

It's mine.

Your Highness's heartfelt gesture

will surely reach the Fourth Prince.

Tomorrow is the blessing ceremony,

yet we still haven't made any progress

on the case of the shadow puppet ghost.

Now, we also have Sui Bing's death to contend with.

What do you plan to do?

Actually,

before I came to Gutan this time,

Chief Xuanyuan already suspected

that Liluo was behind all this.

Sure enough.

How could those bandits miss

such an important opportunity?

How despicable.

Please rest assured, Your Highness.

I will spare no effort

to root out the Liluo remnants completely.

Since Liluo has come prepared this time,

we must keep a strict watch.

I'll go back now.

Divine Constable Li,

you're an outstanding investigator.

Having a capable official like you is a blessing

for the people of Great Shi.

Third Brother,

having a prince like you...

is the true blessing for them.

I've run out of the Demon-Suppressing Pills.

What am I to do from now on?

It's blood.

Why is there blood here?

And dripped right on top of lotus leaves.

It flew right over my head!

Blood was raining down from the sky!

Are you okay?

Meng Rui,

I know the truth

about how Sui Bing died.

Let's go.

Come with me to the Department of Food Affairs.

This lowly servant deserves to die!

I was blind and foolish

not to recognize you, Divine Constable.

I just...

lost my head over the money.

Otherwise,

even if I'd had 10 lives,

I wouldn't have dared

to take your money, Divine Constable!

Please show mercy, Divine Constable!

Xiaoshan, there's no need for this.

Get up first.

I've already given you the money.

Just keep it.

However,

you must answer my questions

truthfully.

Yes.

Please ask, Divine Constable.

If I utter a single lie,

may Heaven strike me down!

Last night,

when the shadow puppets caused trouble,

what exactly did you see?

Last night,

after delivering the food,

I was passing by the Langyue Studio

when the sky suddenly darkened.

That shadow flew by really fast.

At that time, I thought

I'd run into Yin Jie's ghost.

[Langyue Studio]

So,

I plucked up my courage

and tried to sneak into the Langyue Studio

to see what was going on.

When I climbed upstairs,

I saw

General Sui lying dead on the terrace,

covered in blood.

So much blood!

I swear to Heaven,

I had absolutely nothing

to do with it!

It... It was Yin Jie's vengeful spirit.

I saw it with my own eyes!

The spirit flew right across the sky!

The one flying across the sky

wasn't Yin Jie's vengeful spirit,

but Sui Bing.

Sui Bing?

Xiaoshan,

go back and get some rest.

Yes.

Meng Rui,

I found something

on the lotus leaves at Tinghe Pond.

Of the 4 main buildings at the Golden Dragon Pavilion,

the principal one, the Tongtian Pavilion,

stands 6 stories tall,

about 18 chi high.

This creates

a height difference between the Tongtian Pavilion

and the other 3.

After killing Sui Bing,

the murderer took advantage of this height difference

to move the body from the Tongtian Pavilion

to the Langyue Studio.

This ingenious move not only concealed

the traces of the crime

but also neatly

shifted suspicion

onto the shadow puppets

that had run amok that night.

This explains

why Sui Bing's body

was not strung up like the others.

Moreover, the Tongtian Pavilion

and the Langyue Studio

are not far apart,

separated only by Tinghe Pond.

If the body

was really transferred through the air,

it must've crossed Tinghe Pond.

I found a few traces of blood

on the lotus leaves there.

That is enough to support my inference.

As for

the other bloodstains on the ground,

given the fierce battle that night,

we naturally assumed

they were left by wounded soldiers,

so

they didn't draw our attention.

But how exactly

did they

move the body?

There is a stealth weapon in the jianghu

called "Back and Forth."

This weapon is made of iron wire

that can be extended and reeled in.

If everything you've said is correct,

the murderer must've been inside the Tongtian Pavilion.

To successfully

move Sui Bing's body

under heavy guard,

the murderer would've needed someone

to create a diversion

to draw away the soldiers on duty that night.

But how could the murderer have known

that the Liluo people

would drive the shadow puppets

to cause trouble that night?

There's only one possibility.

The murderer is from Liluo.

Also,

the method used to kill Sui Bing

was clearly intended to imitate

the deaths of the previous 9 victims.

However, Zhenzhu's autopsy results

have never been made public.

So how did the murderer

know details

such as the bloody puncture wound in the neck?

The one who killed Sui Bing

and the killer of the 9 victims

are one and the same—

and that person is from Liluo.

Oh no,

the Grand Heir Apparent is in danger.

Meng Rui,

go to the Langyue Studio to verify our theory immediately.

I'll go find Prince Ping

and Lord Huo.

Okay.

[Langyue Studio]

[Prosperous Times and Favourable Fortune]

Lord Huo,

Prince Ping and Divine Constable Qingyang

have cleared everyone

out of the Tongtian Pavilion.

The guards are posted outside

and will keep watch all night.

Good.

Make sure security is airtight.

Yes, sir.

Apart from myself,

no one is permitted to come into contact

with His Highness the Grand Heir Apparent.

Understood.

This way,

it should be foolproof.

[Gutan County Government]

You're finally back.

We were worried about you.

We've made a new discovery

regarding Sui Bing's death.

We've found a new clue too.

Murder!

Murder!

Murder!

Why does

this little puppet look so familiar?

It's the Cowherd from "The Magpie Bridge Reunion."

Right.

Shopkeeper Huang performed that play the other day.

Could it belong to him?

This isn't the one

Shopkeeper Huang has.

This one is finer

and better crafted.

It's clearly no ordinary piece.

This is it.

We've found the murder weapon.

This matches

the wounds on Du Zhongtao's body

exactly.

To find the murder weapon

used in the 9-victim murder case,

Yan and I

collected every suspicious tool

we could find on the market in Gutan.

This was among them:

a carving knife used to make shadow puppets.

Du Zhongtao

was stabbed 81 times with it.

Eighty-one times?

As the saying goes,

"Slicing flesh with a small knife—

and if the wounds don't kill him,

the pain will."

It seems that this time it was

the real shadow puppet ghost who did it.

You mean

Yin Jie?

Yin Jie?

Is Yin Jie still alive?

According to official records,

Yin Jie fell off a cliff and died

while fleeing arrest.

The man who led the pursuit back then

was this very Magistrate Du.

As the local magistrate,

he failed to deliver justice for the wronged man

and instead

had him arrested as a criminal.

It's understandable that Yin Jie would

seek revenge for his personal grievances.

What's this?

What is it?

The Dragon Saliva Crystal.

Dragon Saliva?

Is this thing real?

Most people never get to see one.

Where did Du Zhongtao get it?

How do you know about this?

You've seen this before?

Just a guess.

Let me see it.

Is this something anyone can just look at?

If this really is

the Dragon Saliva Crystal,

then Du Zhongtao

must've lied about

at least one thing.

[Langyue Studio]

When he came to deliver the wine,

he

found

the crystal that had fallen

from Sui Bing's body.

That's the real reason

he chose not to

report the body

after finding it.

But if the killer

discovered that Sui Bing had stolen the crystal,

why didn't he search the body

after killing him

instead of leaving the crystal on it?

Good question.

Think about it.

After Sui Bing was killed,

the killer didn't search him.

But when Du Zhongtao was murdered,

the crystal was left in his mouth.

It seems the killer did this deliberately.

As if

he wanted us to know something.

As events have unfolded—

the 9-victim murder case,

the shadow puppets running amok,

Sui Bing's death,

and Du Zhongtao's murder—

every clue and lead

seems to point to the shadow puppet ghost.

But if

all of this

is a smokescreen orchestrated by Liluo,

then

they must be

trying hard to cover up some truth.

So you're saying

we've been barking up the wrong tree all along?

The situation's already so critical.

Li Si,

what should we do now?

Perhaps

we should go back to the very beginning

of this whole case.

[Changlai Steamed Bun Shop]

Jiuying,

you go keep watch at the Golden Dragon Pavilion.

Okay.

Dear customers, please come in.

Please have a seat, everyone.

Enjoy some hot soup

to warm up.

Waiter,

how's business been

lately?

So-so, I suppose.

We hope you'll

come back and patronize

our little shop more often.

What would you like to eat?

On the 6th of this month,

4 diners

died in your shop.

Whatever they ordered,

bring us the same.

Well...

[Divine Constable Tally]

The Divine Constable Bureau is on a case.

Just do as you're told.

And call your boss

over here too.

Yes.

Boss.

Boss!

Nothing in this shop

looks suspicious.

Shopkeeper!

-Shopkeeper! -The wind's picking up.

It's freezing in here!

Why open the windows

on such a cold day?

Sorry, sorry!

Quick, close the windows!

Close them all!

Close them all.

Sorry.

It's just too cold.

Sorry, everyone.

Freshly steamed buns!

So delicious.

Officers,

what can I do for you?

Is there anything wrong with our service?

If there's anything you need...

What's going on?

Yan!

Yan!

Yan!

-Yan. -Hurry.

-Yan, come on. -Come on.

How is he?

It's Chiying bugs.

Yan!

Quick, hold him down!

How do you feel?

-Come on. -Come on.

Yan.

What happened to me?

If it weren't for Zhenzhu,

you would've died.

They're all dead.

So this was the cause of death.

No wonder there was no murder weapon.

No wonder all 9 victims died at the same time.

But when did the Chiying bugs

get inside

their bodies?

Yan,

were you

bitten by a Chiying bug before?

Or

did you eat anything

that the rest of us didn't?

No.

The Dragon Pond holy water.

The holy water of the Golden Dragon Pavilion's Dragon Pond!

Come on.

These two are fine.

Have either of you ever drunk

the Dragon Pond holy water from the Golden Dragon Pavilion?

Neither of us is from around here.

We were only hired 2 days ago.

We've never even been to the Golden Dragon Pavilion.

It's Liluo.

Liluo must have

tampered with the pond water.

The previous 9 victims

must have drunk it too.

The Golden Dragon Pavilion is always packed with worshippers.

Countless people go there every day

to take the holy water.

I wonder if the Grand Heir Apparent

has drunk any.

Quick, let's go back.

It's the bells from the Golden Dragon Pavilion.

The rite of beseeching heaven is over.

The blessing ceremony is about to begin.

It's time for the truth to come to light.

Everyone,

let's go.

[Golden Dragon Hall]

[A Tranquil Mind Perceives the Mysteries]

May the gods bless us

and keep Ye safe.

May the gods bless us

and keep Ye safe.

[Golden Dragon Pavilion]

Get out of the way!

Liluo is plotting something.

The blessing ceremony must not proceed!

Anyone who disrupts the ceremony

shall be executed on the spot!

The pond water has been poisoned!

The Grand Heir Apparent is in danger!

Back off!

Back off!

Back off!

Where is the Grand Heir Apparent?

In the Golden Dragon Hall,

at the blessing ceremony.

Meng Rui, Yan,

stay here and make sure

no one drinks the holy water again.

Zhenzhu, come with me.

Okay.

We'll hold our ground here.

If we have to, we'll break in.

Be careful.

Okay.

Let's go.

Zhenzhu.

Found beneath the prayer cushion.

Another Dragon Saliva Crystal.

But why would it appear

under the cushion where the Grand Heir Apparent knelt?

What exactly is

this so-called Dragon Saliva Crystal?

What's wrong?

I didn't notice it earlier at the county office,

but this

smells like a corpse.

The smell of a corpse?

Are you sure?

I can't be mistaken.

I know the smell better than anyone.

It really is the smell of a corpse.

Li Si.

Yesterday, Yan found blue moss

on the sole of Sui Bing's boot.

This is the reply from the Bureau.

"The 'Notes on Rare Plants' state

that among mosses there is a rare variety

called Ice Soul Moss,

which resembles frost

and has an intense blue color.

There's also an insect

called the Frost Moth,

which feeds exclusively on this moss throughout its life

and is even rarer worldwide."

The scales found on the Grand Heir Apparent's chopsticks...

If Frost Moths

are raised inside the abdomen of a corpse,

the corpse can go

without decaying for years,

appearing exactly as it did in life.

Frost Moth scales

turned up, of all places,

on the chopsticks the Grand Heir Apparent used.

This was

never a Dragon Saliva Crystal.

It's corpse fluid,

crystallized by the Frost Moths.

Could it be that the Grand Heir Apparent...

is already dead?

[Yunding Pavilion]

You two truly have sharp eyes, Divine Constables.

You've uncovered

the mystery after all.

Master Yun Hai?

Master, you knew from the very beginning?

Could it be that...

you are the Liluo spy

hiding inside

the pavilion?

I am indeed.

Zhenzhu, you go first.

Leave this to me.

Okay.

Be careful.

You killed

Sui Bing and Du Zhongtao, didn't you?

Then why don't you suspect

that I killed the Grand Heir Apparent?

Huo Daozhang has stayed

by the Grand Heir Apparent day and night.

If anything had happened to Zhou Ye,

wouldn't he have known?

There is only one explanation.

The Grand Heir Apparent was already dead

before he came to the Golden Dragon Pavilion.

Huo Daozhang knew perfectly well

that he was escorting

a corpse.

And the one who ordered this

could only have been the Crown Prince.

But

why would the Crown Prince do this?

Why don't you tell me first

how Sui Bing and Du Zhongtao

were killed

and why?

Sui Bing was killed because he went

looking for the crystal on a sudden impulse.

Du Zhongtao was killed because he found the crystal.

That, too, wasn't planned.

Neither death

was part of

the original plan.

At first, I thought

Sui Bing was killed

because he had stolen the crystal.

But now it seems

he

must have witnessed something

he was never supposed to see that night.

That's why

he was silenced.

[Yunding Pavilion]

Your Highness?

Your Highness?

The... The...

The Grand Heir Apparent is dead.

Your Highness...

I have nothing to do with it.

I swear, I have nothing to do with it.

That's...

The... The Dragon Saliva Crystal?

It really is...

It really is hidden in the Golden Dragon Hall.

What...

Well... Well...

Master.

Lord Huo,

you've been rather careless.

Thank you for your help, Master.

I've been following the Crown Prince,

so I must do all I can for him.

This

is the weapon you used

to kill Sui Bing.

After that,

you cut out Sui Bing's heart and liver,

and took advantage of the lunar eclipse

and Liluo's attack

to send the body

through the air to the Langyue Studio.

[Yunding Pavilion]

You made it look as though

he'd been killed by the shadow puppet ghost.

Huo Daozhang must've detected

the stench of a corpse

-Du Zhongtao! -coming from Du Zhongtao.

He figured out

that the crystal

stolen by Sui Bing

had already fallen into Du's hands.

So,

he sent you to eliminate the loose ends.

Master,

although you killed Du Zhongtao,

you deliberately left the crystal

inside his mouth.

You did that

so we would discover

the truth that Zhou Ye was already dead.

Am I right?

Master Yun Hai,

as the abbot of the Golden Dragon Pavilion,

you feigned loyalty to the Crown Prince

while secretly

colluding with Liluo's Dark Night.

What exactly are you after?

Move!

-I said, move! -Stop!

Ms. Bai,

why are you forcing your way into the main hall?

Your Highness,

the Grand Heir Apparent is...

The Grand Heir Apparent is already dead.

You truly live up to your reputation.

But isn't it a bit too late

to know

the whole story now?

What's going on?

What happened?

What did you do?

What's going on?

Oh no.

Jiuying,

stay here and keep watch.

Meng Rui.

Look! What's happening?

What's going on over there?

Make way!

Ye.

The Dragon King has manifested!

The Golden Dragon King has manifested!