Original subtitles

[Fifty years ago]

[Spirit Tablet of the Late Madam Zhang, Wife of Li]

[Li Shan]

I hired you to read our Four Pillars of Destiny.

You said my wife and I would be together for a long time,

[Teenage Sect Master Zhou Xingsi]

[Former Sect Master Shen Yunhe]

and that it was a match made in heaven.

Yet not even a year later...

You still claim you're not a fraud?

I paid you so much money.

You must pay me back double

and kneel before my late wife's spirit tablet

for 3 days.

Kneel!

Kneel before Madam!

Kneel!

Men!

Pull out their tongues!

Let's see if they dare to scam anyone again!

Do it!

Honey.

Honey!

Honey!

When I read the Four Pillars of Destiny of you and your wife back then,

I did say that

once you were married,

your family would prosper.

But I...

never said both of you

had to be alive.

You and your wife are a rare case of Yin and Yang clashing

yet generating each other,

with a hidden heavenly secret.

When she was alive, it was a doomed bond,

but now that she's dead,

it has become

a good match.

She's already dead.

How can it still be a good match?

Your wife's fate blueprint is an unusual one.

As long as you keep her soul trapped in your household,

it will turn into a twin lotus

and send your family soaring.

Your descendants

will enjoy endless

wealth and glory.

Mentor,

we made it through this crisis just like that?

Pull out their tongues!

Let's see if they dare to scam anyone again!

In our Tianxiang Sect,

there is a scam called the "double-sided scam,"

which involves a surface scheme and a hidden one.

A scam has two sides,

and so do people.

You must remember,

what people believe

isn't a matter of truth or falsehood,

but of which way the scale in their own hearts

tips.

This scam will run for decades,

and one day it will become

your scam.

[A Prophet]

[Episode 20]

Jiang Feiyan saved Li Ling,

and Master Zhang found out.

Feiyan blew the scam.

She and the Second Batou must be locked up at the Zhang residence by now.

And now the Zhang family has called in the Salt Gang.

The Salt Gang is not to be trifled with.

Even I show them some respect.

If we can't make up for the missing girl,

how do you think the Salt Gang will deal with Feiyan?

After thinking it over for a long time,

I believe there's only one way now.

You find that girl and kill her,

and then the matter will be settled.

Between Li Ling and Feiyan,

you can only save one.

Think it over yourself.

Let's go?

What are you doing?

Zhang Yinhua discovered that she'd escaped and detained Jiang Feiyan.

You have to come back with me to save her.

She can't go back with you!

If she doesn't go back, Jiang Feiyan will die!

If she goes, she will die!

Jiang Feiyan saved her life!

Li Ling must come with me.

No!

She can't go with you!

Let go!

Let go of her!

She can't go with you!

My friend won't hurt you!

She's not going!

Aunt.

I'll go with you.

Li Ling!

Aunt,

Miss Jiang got into trouble because of me.

I can't just leave her to die.

But...

Let's go.

I'll go with you!

If we die, we die together!

Ma'am,

I'm also trying to figure out a way.

So don't make things harder.

You've seen the Sect Master, haven't you?

You're caving just like that?

Are you really going to listen to him?

Are you really going to send my niece to her death like this?

Aunt,

saving her is dangerous,

but that doesn't mean I'll die.

Stay out of it.

Let me tell you,

you don't have half the courage your mother had.

When your mother saved me back then,

she fought the Sect Master with her life on the line.

You know my mother?

Over 20 years ago,

the Zhang family wanted to kill me and trap my soul too.

It was your mother who saved me.

She even wrote to me 3 months ago.

Are you mistaken?

Eight years ago, his mother, Shangguan Hong was...

Liang.

What did my mother say to you?

She said she'd come to Yucheng to visit me in a few days.

At that time, I was so worried

about my niece's marriage to the Zhang family's son

that I couldn't sleep for days.

So I asked your mother to help me think of a way.

Your mother told me

to go directly to Yunhe Temple and ask for you.

May you have infinite blessings.

Then why didn't you

just tell me directly at that time?

Your mother told me you're warm-hearted

and would definitely help me.

Besides,

didn't you fall out with your mother

over joining the Tianxiang Sect?

She said that if I mentioned her,

you definitely wouldn't come.

Such a serious matter—

why didn't you tell me?

What was I supposed to say?

That Zhang boy was all you

could see and think about.

Would telling you have changed anything?

That letter was written by the Sect Master.

My mother died 8 years ago.

But the Sect Master went to such great lengths

to involve you in this scam...

What exactly does he want?

He has something to say to me.

Ma'am, tell me

what exactly happened back then.

Back then,

your mother told me everything

about the soul-trapping.

To explain all this,

we have to start with my brother's death.

[Thirty years ago]

[Young Sect Master Zhou Xingsi]

[Shangguan Hong]

This is not good.

Master,

what do you mean?

After the soul-trapping ritual was performed,

your son's career soared,

and he rose to a high office.

But as the saying goes,

"It's bitterly cold at the top."

Master, you mean

my son is in danger?

Your son now holds a high position and is respected by all,

but danger lurks everywhere.

Although I've replaced the soul-suppressing nail for you,

Madam Zhang's help

has been weakening.

I'm afraid she can no longer help sustain

your family's fortune.

You must find a new subject for another soul-trapping ritual

as soon as possible.

Master Li,

the higher the position,

the deeper the nail must be driven.

You fraud!

I've never forgotten what you did to my mother.

[Li Yingfu]

And you still dare to show your faces?

Yingfu,

absolutely not!

Without Master's protection,

how could you have the wealth and status you enjoy today?

Father,

I got to where I am today

by putting my life on the line

and fighting for it myself!

Yingfu,

calm down.

Master,

my son is still young.

Please don't take offense.

It's fine.

Your son is just consumed by a surge of evil fire.

Just find

a Xuanwu statue blessed at a pure water ritual altar,

and it will protect his fortune.

Fooling the people

with your sham supernatural tricks!

Yingfu!

You unfilial son,

everyone believes it

except you.

If you keep this up,

you'll be the ruin of the whole Li family!

You'll be the one to blame!

Don't go!

You fraud!

How dare you touch me?

That slap of yours

has cost you some of your own lifespan.

And your family will also suffer a great disaster because of this.

Three days from now, at a quarter to six in the evening,

7 leaves will fall from the old osmanthus tree in the southeast corner of your house.

When the 7th leaf falls,

you'll know what a great disaster is.

You're facing a great disaster right now.

Take them away!

Yes, sir!

Yingfu! Yingfu,

you mustn't, Yingfu!

Yingfu!

Master.

Master.

[Young Zhang Yinhua]

I'm sorry.

Yingfu!

Yingfu!

Hong,

what's wrong with you today?

Are you not feeling well?

Are you still planning to perform the soul-trapping ritual for the Li family?

That will lead to murder.

When you mentioned

-those 7 falling leaves today... -I can't...

let that slap go unanswered.

Can you spare Li Yingfu's life?

Okay.

Can you hear me?

Blink if you can.

How dare you hit our grandmaster?

Boss,

should we stab him from the mouth down

or from the bottom up?

Let's bet on it.

The winner drinks for free tonight.

Heads or tails?

Tails.

Heads.

Tails.

Tails.

Flip him over.

Alright.

Terrible news!

Something happened to Young Master!

Somebody come, quickly!

[Young Li Yingjuan]

There are no visible injuries on his body.

Take the body back and examine it.

This guy was on bad terms with our boss.

Did you forget?

Taking him back will just get us scolded.

Officers.

Thank you for your trouble.

Let's go!

Go.

Burn him quickly.

Yes, Master.

Wait!

Father.

He was your own son.

You can't do this.

Enough.

Look.

Ever since the day he caused trouble,

the pond in the north has dried up.

Crows fly over our yard every day,

and our livestock are all listless.

Such a sinful wretch,

and you still want him buried in the ancestral grave?

Even if you won't bury him in the ancestral grave,

you must leave his body intact!

No.

Absolutely not.

We must burn this sinful wretch to ashes.

If we keep the body intact,

he might come back to harm the family.

Take the body away!

Yes!

It's okay.

I'm here.

You two can go now.

Thank you, officers.

Taoist Priestess,

Master,

you two have suffered.

Li Yingfu sent you?

Li Yingfu had no reverence for Heaven,

provoking the wrath of Heaven and men.

That...

That guy got what he deserved.

I came here today specifically to get you two out,

and I also have a favor to ask.

I'm getting married soon.

You want us to pray for your marriage?

I'm going to marry the Li family's daughter,

Li Yingjuan.

I've heard that the more deeply the woman you marry loves you,

the more fortune

her trapped soul brings your family.

The soul-trapping ritual doesn't work on just anyone!

This ritual is very important to me.

I have a friend in Lindi

who has asked me to arrange canal transport

to smuggle some salt.

You know, smuggling salt is...

If I can pull this deal off,

I'll be set for life.

So you must watch over me

and ensure this deal goes smoothly and safely.

Sir...

Sir,

the soul-trapping ritual costs lives

and will drain my cultivation greatly.

Exactly so.

If you two find it too difficult,

I shall not impose upon you.

I'll just...

find another Taoist master.

Hong.

I know you don't want me to kill anyone.

How about this? I promise you,

I won't get involved in matters

concerning the Zhang or Li families again.

Okay?

Sir.

Sir,

please give me your Four Pillars of Destiny and your bride's.

Thank you, Taoist Priestess.

You're a fraud.

I am a fraud.

This soul-trapping ritual is a scam,

but not everyone can pull it off.

I saw what Li Yingfu would go on to accomplish.

Anyone who joins Lord Yuan's New Army these days

is sure to rise through the ranks.

I merely went with the flow.

You clearly said you wouldn't kill him.

Li Yingfu believed we'd scammed his whole family.

He'd already flipped the table.

If I hadn't killed him,

our bodies would be floating

in the Jialing River by tomorrow morning.

Then we could've just not done the ritual

and walked away.

This is the scam handed to us personally by the old Sect Master.

Back then, when he ran a scam on the Elder Brothers Society,

he personally threw

his nephew into the furnace to keep the scam from being exposed.

He set the rule—

whoever ruins the sect's business

must take the fall for the sect.

Right now, we're choosing a new Sect Master.

The other Batous are all watching.

If I mess up this scam,

I'll never be able to turn things around.

When another Batou becomes the Sect Master,

they'll definitely kill me.

And once I die, you're next.

I'm a fraud.

You're right not to trust me.

But don't forget

why Zhang Yinhua came to you.

You're the one who brought out the darkness in him,

and that's why he wants a soul-trapping ritual.

You think a few words could tempt him?

Li Yingfu's success made him jealous.

Even if you don't do it, someone else will.

I'm very good at reading people.

Zhang Yinhua is a ruthless man.

Now his canal transport business

has everything going for it.

All he wants is some reassurance.

By then, if he finds someone at random to perform the ritual

and then makes a fortune,

he'll come to believe in it completely

and keep having it performed.

Seal the soul.

[Li Yingjuan]

Come out first.

It's alright now.

It's alright now.

Let me take the nail out of your head.

It's okay now.

Let's go.

Don't be afraid. It's me.

I brought you some food.

There are some dry clothes inside.

Come on, let's leave quickly.

Search everywhere!

This way.

-This way! -Be careful.

Hurry!

Don't let her escape!

Find her!

Search everywhere!

Is my family here looking for me?

Those are people from the Tianxiang Sect.

You go quickly.

This way!

Go.

What about you?

I'll go stall them.

Otherwise, neither of us

will make it through tonight.

Go.

Go!

Grandmaster.

Take her away.

-Yes. -Yes.

Grandmaster.

Where is Shangguan Hong?

We couldn't stop her. She went down the mountain.

Should we chase her?

Back to the sect.

Yes.

She knows you and Shangguan Hong are in this together.

If she tells people how Li Yingfu really died,

then our scam will be

completely blown.

Shangguan Hong has betrayed our Tianxiang Sect.

Her life...

no longer belongs to her.

I've issued an order to hunt her down.

We should keep

our troubles

behind closed doors.

I know you and Shangguan Hong are quite close.

So I'm saving your face.

But you can't make me lose mine.

Master,

Li Yingjuan can't die.

As long as she lives,

your reputation remains intact.

Li Yingfu's body has already been burned.

Even if the government want to investigate, they won't find anything.

And you taught me yourself:

fear is the best way to make money.

I want to take her back,

so whenever people see this madwoman,

they'll think of you.

And they'll all

revere you

like a god.

You're awake.

The drug hasn't worn off yet.

You'll be fine in a couple of days.

Where... are you taking me?

Home.

[Li Residence]

Give her this bowl of talisman water.

Okay, okay.

The Zhang family has trapped her soul.

I performed rituals for 3 straight days

and only managed to bring back her 1 soul and 1 spirit.

The Zhangs...

I'll fight them to the death!

I've done a reading for you.

If you clash with the Zhangs again,

your family will face utter ruin.

After all, the Zhangs have the Salt Gang behind them.

I advise you

to let go of this grudge.

Over the next few days,

I'll continue to perform rituals for Li Yingjuan,

and her souls and spirits will naturally return.

But from now on, you must hide her well

and not let the Zhangs know she's still alive.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you, Master.

Go.

Leave.

If I'd acted as I normally would,

you would've been dead long ago.

But for Shangguan Hong's sake,

I'll spare you.

Now cooperate with me to finish the act.

At that time, I thought

the matter of the soul-trapping ritual had ended there.

Who would have thought that, only some years later,

Zhang Yinhua would want another soul-trapping ritual?

And the helper he found turned out to be the Sect Master again.

Zhang Yinhua's coughing up blood must also have been arranged by the Sect Master.

I even suspect that Li Ling's marriage,

and what you told me about him and my mother,

are all part of his calculations.

But I still have to thank you, Aunt,

for letting me pick up on something.

Wait.

Why didn't I pick up anything from that?

I just think that the Sect Master is a good person.

He didn't want to kill anyone either.

He was forced into it.

That's right.

That's exactly what he wanted to tell me.

Now you've stopped believing in him, haven't you?

His son

must know what his father is up to.

A car has been following us the whole time.

It looks like the Sixth Batou's car.

Then why don't we...

play along and beat them at their own game?

[Zhang Residence]

Sleepy?

Our Salt Gang is short of everything but salt.

Go.

Wake him up.

Awake now?

Tell us!

Where did you take the woman from the vat?

I

have told you many times.

I've cooperated with the Zhang family for years

and never made a mistake.

This time, some expert must've come after the Zhang family.

Master Zhang wants us to get to the bottom of this today.

Priestess, I don't want to lay a hand on you.

But if you don't

give me an answer by the end of today,

I'll have to give you both a taste

of what we can do!

In the soul-trapping ritual,

we first have to break down the physical body,

then gather the 3 souls and 6 spirits.

Now look what happened.

We'd only just finished the first step

and hadn't gathered the souls yet.

And Master Zhang opened the vat!

How could Li Ling's soul not scatter?

You can't blame us for this.

Even if you beat him to death today, it won't help.

Understand?

What did she say?

Did you understand?

I know.

It's just like mining salt.

First, remove impurities from the brine,

then boil it down into salt.

Just like breaking it apart and regrouping it.

Boiling salt and soul-trapping are the same thing.

That makes sense.

Come with me to see Master Zhang.

I'm afraid I can't explain it clearly.

Alright, alright!

You did it, didn't you?

And that brat Shangguan Chengming.

I knew it. When you're with him,

you must be up to no good.

This...

has nothing to do with him.

Yanzi,

are you taking me for a fool?

How could he have nothing to do with this?

I must've owed you in a past life.

I just don't understand.

All these years,

we've been through thick and thin together, escorting goods and running scams.

I've taken the fall for you so many times,

and I've never once regretted it.

But...

what has Shangguan Chengming ever done for you?

Master,

the Zhang residence is just around the bend.

Looks like he has no choice.

In the end,

he still has to kill Li Ling for the soul-trapping ritual.

What...

What's wrong with her?

You know her?

Then I came to the right place.

Last night, I was wandering along the road to the underworld

and having a pleasant chat with Meng Po.

Suddenly, I saw a girl standing on the Bridge of Oblivion.

She just stood there, dazed, and wouldn't cross.

So I asked her,

"Are you lost?"

She said she couldn't leave

because her soul was trapped.

Then I asked her who had trapped her soul.

She then led me

to your residence.

Then is she a living person or a ghost?

The living and the dead belong to different realms.

She is caught somewhere in between—

neither human nor ghost,

both alive and dead.

May I ask, sir, who you really are?

I have walked through the Celestial Masters' Hall

and torn pages from the Book of Life and Death.

Now I conceal my deeds and fame

and live as a carefree hermit in the mountains.

Forgive my frankness,

old sir,

but there seem to be quite a few lost girls...

at your residence.

Where

are they?

Aren't they right here in your courtyard,

following you?

Master,

please don't joke with an old man like me.

Since I've delivered her,

I should take my leave.

But let me remind you:

she is now neither human nor ghost,

a creature of extreme Yin.

Whoever touches her dies.

Let's go.

Master,

please wait.

I'm old,

and I'd like your help finding a way

to lay this girl's wandering soul to rest.

Whoever started the trouble should end it.

You have to tell me honestly

how she died,

and only then can I help you find

a way to resolve it.

She died suddenly

on the wedding night.

A young maiden,

with no illness or health problems,

just dropped dead?

That is indeed what happened.

Her death is so mysterious,

and her resentment won't fade anytime soon.

I have to take her away,

lock her up at my master's retreat deep in the mountains,

and seal her with a soul-suppressing rite.

That way, Li Ling's soul can pass into its next life?

Not necessarily.

This ritual will take at least a week.

During that time,

she can leave her physical body and roam freely.

You and your family must be extremely careful,

lest she possess one of you

and bring ruin upon you all.

The eyes are both the entrance and the exit.

Everyone in your household who has seen Miss Li Ling

must drink water with these talismans

to stay safe.

Old sir,

always let

compassion guide you.

I can sense

that there are cultivators staying in your residence.

I hope you treat them well,

lest you damage your own karmic virtue

and give the wandering souls following you

an opening.

Wait,

why have they brought her out?

Keep a close eye on them.

G-Got it, Master.

Master.

Shangguan Chengming

took Li Ling to the Zhang residence

but then brought her back out.

Interesting.

When do you think the fish will take the bait?

Master Zhang has ordered:

finish the talisman water,

not a drop left!

Let's go.

Aunt, wait for us in the car.

Be careful.

Looks like they've all drunk the talisman water.

You guys go move Zhang Yuanfan out.

I'll go find Jiang Feiyan.

Okay.

Let's go.

He won't wake up suddenly, will he?

Watch.

He won't wake up.

This brat clearly knows about the soul-trapping ritual.

He just wanted to harm you.

Why don't you hit him a few times to vent your anger?

Come on.

Enough, enough.

No...

Don't do it like that.

What are you doing?

Didn't you say he wouldn't wake up?

This would be way too painful. You'll wake him.

Second Master, what are you doing?

I know that brat is here.

The moment he shows up,

I'll kill him.

Second Master.

As long as that kid is around,

he'll get you killed sooner or later.

Second Master.

Second Master!

Feiyan.

Watch out!

Second Master,

look closely, it's me!

You little brat,

you screw me over every single time.

You're exactly the one I want to chop!

Second Master, put the knife down now!

If you really kill him,

how will you explain it to the Sect Master?

It's fine!

I'll kill him

and then let the Sect Master kill me.

Second Master,

think carefully.

Who benefits most if this scam falls apart?

Second Master, neither of us wants to ruin this scam.

If no one had found out about the vat,

you'd have made the money,

I'd have saved that girl and left,

and we'd have stayed out of each other's way.

Think about it.

Why is it that right after we took Li Ling away,

Zhang Yinhua discovered our secret?

It's obvious someone is trying to set you up.

Second Master,

you're being used as someone's pawn!

Someone has been watching us in this scam the whole time,

afraid that you might pull it off perfectly.

The closer you get to the Sect Master,

whose position do you threaten the most?

Sixth Master,

looks like it's about time.

Sixth Master,

you've been watching the show at the door.

You must be tired.

[In the next episode]

You're here.

Master,

I was wrong.

I shouldn't have saved Li Ling.

Looks like she wasn't the only one you saved, right?

Shatter their souls,

and you can return to the world of the living.

I'm your stepmom,

Xijiao.

All of you, die!

No!

Didn't we agree not to kill?

To make money,

blood must be shed.