【Multi | FULL】EP32 A woman who can change her appearance appears | 唐朝诡事录之西行 | iQIYI
[English subtitles are available] [Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West] [Episode 32] Send Heitou’s confession to Hanzhou and Shazhou immediately and ask for their cooperative investigation. Yes. Go to the place Heitou mentioned to search for the goods. Yes. Sheriff Lu. I didn’t expect that you accidentally caught such a heinous criminal. Congratulations. This is a great achievement. I haven’t even figured out the cause of Li Yun’s death. What’s there to congratulate me on? Just now, in front of Fed, I already admitted I am an incompetent person. If you’re still angry, tonight, in front of Xijun, Yingtao, and Fed, I will shout three more times that Su Wuming is an incompetent person. What do you think? Don’t think I’m trying to get back at you. I’m not that petty. It’s just that… this case is truly bizarre. Indeed. There are too many suspects. But it doesn’t matter. As long as we find them one by one, I believe we can definitely solve this case. Su Wuming. Lu Lingfeng. You finished drawing? So soon? They are just rough sketches. I hope they can be helpful. They will be. When Ms. Yin saw them, she said the portraits are so vivid. She thought Xijun was a goddess. Actually, I’m thinking if more constables in prefectures and counties can have a painter to work with them, that would be great. Are you making a suggestion to the court or praising yourself? Both, I guess. The portrait I drew was approved by the person depicted. Can I… be proud of myself? Of course you should be proud. I think your suggestion is very good. Someday in the future, it might really become reality. Then we should ask more people to enjoy the works of the future best painter of Tang. This guy. I think I saw him on the street two days ago. How certain are you? I can’t be completely certain. Paste this portrait on the wall at the street corner now. If the person in the portrait is still in Yunding, don’t let him leave the county. Yes. I’ve seen this person. That day… They look alike. They look very much alike. At first, I didn’t pay attention. Later, I noticed… At that time, I thought rich men indeed know how to have fun. They came outside instead of enjoying dances in brothels. And that woman just let these two men look at her from afar. I wonder how much money she asked them for. Have you seen this kind of scene before on the street of Yunding? No. It was the first time. What about you guys? -No.
-No. When did this happen? Not long ago. Three days ago? No. The day before yesterday. Two days ago? Mudan. You know her? Yes. It really is Mudan. The portrait is so vivid. It’s just that… the girl in the portrait is more beautiful than she really is. Mudan is very beautiful. The portrait doesn’t capture how coquettish she is in real life. Stop arguing. Which of you is close to her? Go bring her here. You thief, villain, murderer! [Mudan] You lied to me by saying you were a descendant of a noble family and became a kiln worker after coming down in the world. I didn’t expect that you killed so many people! What bad luck! Stop! I asked you to bring her here. Why didn’t you keep your mouth shut? Don’t blame him. We’re old acquaintances. Of course he’d tell me what’s going on. Besides, if he didn’t say it clearly, I wouldn’t have come here. It’s my fault. I was blinded by him. He looks strong. I thought he was an honest man. I didn’t expect that he would kill and rob someone! It really scares me. Sheriff Lu, we found these in the stove in the house where Heitou lives. You’re this wealthy? Then why did you use my money? You heartless bastard! Except this silver ingot, the rest of these were obtained by killing and robbing others. If you use them, won’t you be scared? Luckily, I’ve never spent a penny of his. Mudan, let me ask you. When did he arrive at Biluo Inn yesterday? He’s a drunkard. He drank until midnight every day. I think… he arrived at my place at 11:00 p.m. Right? Yes. Look. What I said is true. Shut up! What time did he leave your room in the morning? When he left… I think… it was just after dawn. Before that, had Heitou ever left your room? Absolutely not! If he left halfway, what good is my charm? What Mudan said matches Heitou’s confession. Li Yun died sometime between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. The time doesn’t match up. Put Heitou in Yunding Prison! -Yes!
-Yes! Wait. I have something to say. Be honest. Mudan, I said I will marry you. I meant it. [Yunding County Office] Sheriff Lu, you’re walking me out. No need for this. Madam. Who are you calling Madam? I’m a young lady. Miss Mudan, you are unmarried, but… But what? As long as it’s not something forbidden by the Tang Code, I can do it. I didn’t say you violated the law. But you can’t continue to muddle along. It’s too dangerous to associate with someone like Heitou. Moreover, you are an appealing girl. You deserve a decent life and a bright future. Live up to your name. You… I… You said I’m an appealing girl? How come I don’t feel that way myself? I’m sorry, Sheriff Lu. I didn’t speak properly just now. Sheriff Lu, I’m very grateful for your pearls of wisdom. I will keep that in mind. Do you have a proper livelihood? Yes. I run a shop. That’s good. I wish your business prosperity. I believe in you. In the future, you will find someone perfect for you. Sheriff, thank you. Now, we are acquaintances, right? If I see you when I drink at the night market in the future, I will make a toast to you with three cups of wine. Sheriff Lu, when you investigate a case, you don’t just focus on the case itself. You do whatever you can to cure and save people. I really admire you. Stop flattering me. I still don’t know what to do next. I know I was wrong. I really shouldn’t have laughed. Yingtao and I are going back to cook now as a punishment. You laughed in the court. Indeed, you should be punished. But… you finished drawing the portraits. That can be counted as a contribution. Your fault can be offset by your contribution. No need to cook tonight. Let’s go eat at the night market. My treat. Great. I just received my monthly salary today. Ask Fed to have a hearty meal with us. You guys decide what we eat tonight. Girls, this is a rare opportunity. So take full advantage of it. We should go to a restaurant with the most delicious food to put him to a lot of expense. It doesn’t matter if the food is delicious or not. The point is we should order something expensive. That’s right. Who asked him to always glare at us to scare us? Hunting the suspect. They even put a bounty on him. [Li Men] Li Men? I don’t know him. Who is he? Stop right there! I have no idea. Bounty? Your qinggong is impressive. I don’t know how to use qinggong at all. If you don’t know how to use qinggong, why are you so skilled at climbing over walls? Climb over the wall. Climb over the wall. Get out. Go back. Get out. Go back. Get out. Speak! I am from Hanzhou. I no longer have a means of making a living in my hometown. So I want to try my luck in Shazhou. I arrived in Yunding early in the morning the day before yesterday. I didn’t have much money left. I was worried I would starve to death on my way west. So I thought of my cousin, Li Yun. So you wrote him a letter. Letter? What letter? You didn’t write a letter to Li Yun to tell him you came to Yunding? What’s the point of writing a letter to him? A few years ago, when I passed through Yunding, I stopped by his house. But he didn’t let me stay at his place. I had to stay in an inn. When he came to see me, he only brought two pepper buns. Why would I write him a letter? I just wanted to go to his fabric shop at night. You wanted to steal from him? I did think about it. But before I went there, he came to Biluo Inn. Cousin? Li Men? You didn’t write a letter to Li Yun. So when you saw him in Biluo Inn, you were quite surprised. Yes. I even asked him, “How did you know I live here?” I’m very close to the soldiers at the city gate. They told me you came to Yunding. But how would the soldiers at the city gate know who I am? When we were drinking, I told them I have a cousin. So you care so much about me. I misunderstood. Your room is dark and damp. The smell is really unpleasant. I’m going back. Cousin. You didn’t come all the way to Shangxian Lane just to see me, right? I did. I already saw you. I’m leaving. Well… No need to walk me out. Don’t leave this room. Cousin. To be honest with you, I said I was just passing through Yunding. But the truth is I have nowhere else to go. Could you please help me? I asked him to lend me some money. But he said he was obsessed with cockfighting. He said he lost a lot of money and wouldn’t lend me a penny. After he left, I thought he definitely didn’t come to see me. At that time, I heard footsteps going upstairs. When I checked in, I already knew men and women in this county would often go to this kind of family inn for trysts. So I wanted to find out who he went to meet and then go to his house to tell his wife. Honey. You followed me here. You came here to have a tryst with a strange woman. I’m going to tell Shen Ping. Don’t. You want me to keep it a secret for you? Give me five silver ingots. I want to go to Shazhou to explore a cave. After that, I can definitely support myself and I’ll never come back to you again. Five silver ingots? Are you crazy? What’s wrong with that? Your father-in-law left you the biggest fabric shop in Yunding. Just five silver ingots. Is it a lot? You won’t give it to me, right? If you won’t, I’ll make you lose all your reputation! How dare you! How dare you blackmail me! How dare you blackmail me! How dare you! You bastard. You’re a good-for-nothing who can’t even afford a meal. How dare you blackmail me! I am blackmailing you! If you don’t give me the money today, I’ll make sure everyone in this county knows about this! Chu Bin! A ghost! What’s wrong? You look so scared. Did you see a ghost? Chu Bin? Yes. She died ten years ago. When she was alive, was she very close to you? She was Li Yun’s former wife. No. They never had a formal wedding ceremony. But when Chu Bin was alive, she loved wearing a veil. What I saw last night really is a female ghost. She looked exactly the same as Chu Bin when she was alive. Li Men, get up. Come. Get up. My legs are numb. Tell us everything you know. Thank you. At that time, my parents were still alive. My family was rich. So I often came to Yunding to have fun. Cousin? Li Men? Cousin, this is… Are you married? Why didn’t you write a letter to my father to tell us about it? Her name is Chu Bin. She came to Yunding from Dongdu with me. Marriage is significant and requires careful consideration. If we really plan to get married, I will write a letter to your father and invite him to officiate at our wedding in Yunding. That’s more like it. Chu Bin. My future sister-in-law. I’m Li Men. Greetings. Nice to meet you, Mr. Li. Come, Cousin. Chu Bin is such a good cook. You’re lucky. Apart from cooking, she knows how to write too. Really? Come. By copying books for the bookstore, she can make a lot of money each month. Have a seat, Mr. Li. You finally have a chance to meet each other. You should drink and chat all night. I won’t disturb you. She is such a beautiful and virtuous woman. Cousin, you’re really something. One year later, namely ten years ago, I remember it was also this season. That day was the Cold Food Festival. I came to Yunding again. Cousin. Cousin, you’re here. Whose coffin is this? Chu Bin’s. Do you know how Chu Bin died? Li Yun said she died of a sudden acute illness. But Chu Bin was so young. What acute illness could she have? I think she died because Li Yun had a new lover. What a pity. Chu Bin was a graceful and virtuous lady. She was also talented. She was born in Dongdu, but died in Yunding. Right, why did you arrest me? What crime did I commit? If you’re innocent, why were you running? You pasted my portrait on the street. I… I felt nervous. You felt nervous because you killed Li Yun! You… What? Li Yun is dead? It must be Chu Bin’s ghost that took his life. This further proves my speculation. Then tell us about your speculation. Your Honor, ten years ago, I already felt Chu Bin’s death was very suspicious. Now that I think about it, I think Li Yun killed Chu Bin in order to marry Shen Ping successfully. You can’t make a wild guess at this kind of thing. It’s not a wild guess. After they returned to Yunding, Li Yun met Shen Ping when he was learning the craft of tailoring. Then he grew tired of Chu Bin and fell in love with Shen Ping. Chu Bin wrote me a letter to tell me about this. I could feel how heartbroken she was from each word she wrote. It’s been ten years since this happened. But the letter is still in my bag. Where is my bag? Mr. Li Men, I apologize for writing a letter to you suddenly. Let me explain. Li Yun is about to let me down. I hope you have time to hear my story now. Recently, Li Yun has been learning the craft of tailoring in a fabric shop. He met the shop owner’s daughter, Shen Ping. So he has become more distant from me. But I also know we need money to live our lives. It’ll be difficult if we don’t have a skill to making a living. So I can’t stop him from learning the craft. If I don’t stop him, Li Yun and Shen Ping will become a couple. Then I’ll be alone. It’ll be a challenge to me too. You know I love Li Yun very much. I don’t want to let him go. Could you please help me persuade Li Yun to change his mind? Thank you. Thank you again. Chu Bin. This letter does look like something from ten years ago. [Qiongquan Alley] [Biluo Inn] Sheriff Lu, Mr. Su, Li Men doesn’t know martial arts. I’ve seen him climb over walls myself. If he wants to climb down from here, to him, it wouldn’t be difficult. If he had to climb down from this height, unless he encountered a ghost and got scared… You two, please make way. Sir, did you encounter someone last night who climbed down from above? Yes, indeed. He looked flustered, as if he had just seen a ghost. Ms. Yin sells joss paper and runs this private inn. All the wandering ghosts and spirits should be fighting to stay here. Take a look. Is it this the person? That’s him. Do you remember what time it was? It was just getting dark. As for me, I don’t set up my stall at night. I had just packed up and was heading back. Around 7 to 9 p.m.? Yes. It was at about 7 p.m.. Alright. Thank you very much. I wish you a prosperous business. When Li Men climbed down from above, it was at about 7 p.m.. We also happened to run into a witness. But Li Yun died within 9 to 11 p.m.. The timing doesn’t match. Well, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Li Men came back to commit the murder. As Li Men was evasive with his words, it indeed raises more suspicion. Let’s go back and interrogate him further. Li Men. After escaping from Biluo Inn, where did you go? I didn’t go anywhere. Suo Long. Mr. Li doesn’t want to confess the truth. According to the county government’s rules, what should we do? Drag him out and give him 20 lashes first. No, no, no. I’ll tell you. I went to Tianyi Fabric Shop. You’ve already caught Li Yun’s weakness, so you went to blackmail him? Dear customer, we are closed. If you want to make clothes, please come back tomorrow. Yes, young man. It’s too dark to see clearly. It would be no good if you make a mistake when choosing your fabric. With how poor I look, do I look like I can afford new clothes? I want to see Shen Ping. Mr. Li. Madam had just gone to bed. She’s asleep? So early? It doesn’t bother her that her husband is still out? For the past year, my madam’s health has been very frail. Even eating a meal exhausts her. But she won’t be asleep for long. She’ll wake up in two hours at most. But… I dare not wake her up now. If she gets startled, it would be a sin. Two hours. Fine, I’ll wait for her. I am Li Yun’s cousin. Aren’t you guys going to prepare some food and drinks for me? Don’t make me wait with an empty stomach. I ate and drank my fill and waited. I waited until 12 midnight. It’s really my cousin. Sister-in-law. It’s only been a few years. How did you become so ill? After turning 30, I’ve been getting worse day by day. Brother, sorry to keep you waiting. Didn’t Li Yun went to find you? You two brothers didn’t meet each other? Li Yun had no intention to look for me at all. It seems you guys had a fight. No matter how much you argue or fight, you’re still family. Don’t hold grudges, okay? He really didn’t come looking for me. There was a letter from you. Master only left after reading your letter. If he hadn’t looked for you, then who was he looking for? I never wrote any letter. Was it my handwriting on the letter? I can’t read. Did you read the letter, sister-in-law? Your cousin didn’t show it to me. Well, there you have it. He has a guilty conscience. Of course he wouldn’t show it to you. I did indeed run into him at the inn I was staying at. But he… Sister-in-law, please have your servant leave first. After all, he is my cousin. For the sake of my uncle’s dignity, I can’t let him disgrace himself in front of the servants. But my cousin-in-law Shen Ping, she… Brother. It’s not that I want to reprimand you. You and my husband bear the same surname. How could you not be on his side? What do you mean? You shouldn’t have said what you said just now. You definitely shouldn’t have said it in front of me. You’re poor and you wanted my family to help you. Your cousin felt exasperated towards you. He was mad at you, so he didn’t give you any money. No, I… It’s also my fault. When I went out, I only gave him a small silver ingot. Wait here. Take these two silver ingots and leave. I considered you a relative. But you said such awful things about my husband. Don’t ever come to our house again. Sister-in-law. I… Mr. Li. It’s time to leave. That was given to me by Shen Ping. Whether I can turn the remaining of my life around, depends on these two silver ingots. You guys must not take them away. Are you referring to these two ingots? Yes, yes. Bring out the stolen goods from Heitou’s place for comparison. [Tianyi Fabric Shop] These silver ingots were left to me by my father. All of them aren’t big. It’s just for the fabric shop’s convenience. Today at the county government, why didn’t you mention the matter of Li Men getting blackmailed? That’s not exactly blackmail, is it? When you have such poor relatives, it’s inevitable to lose a bit of fortune. It’s also a way to share my husband’s burden. Besides, one mustn’t air dirty laundry in public. Madam, you are virtuous, but perhaps a little too virtuous. At what time did Li Men leave? Around 11 p.m.. When I sent him out, I heard the night watchman. [County] The testimonies from Li Men and the master and servant of Tianyi Fabric Shop indeed corroborate. As you deduced, Li Yun died between 9 to 11 p.m.. If so, Li Men didn’t have time to commit the crime. Yes. But I still need to detain Li Men at Yunding Prison until the truth is revealed. What for? Sheriff Lu. Li Men said he once hit Li Yun with a candlestick. It happened on the second floor, but in the room on the second floor, we couldn’t find this said candlestick. However, Xijun found it in the room on the first floor where Li Men lived. So, it’s possible that after the murderer killed the victim, he rearranged the crime scene. Sheriff Lu. You had investigated the murder scene so thoroughly. I am indeed impressed. Alright, stop praising me like this. You aren’t trying to ask me to give you your monthly salary as soon as possible, are you? I, Su Wuming, has this exact intention. Then why don’t you analyze this case at once? You think you get paid for nothing? Currently, there are two other suspects. One is that veiled woman, and the other is that ugly woman. Sheriff Lu! Sheriff Lu! The veiled woman has been found. Where? Anyuan Inn. [Anyuan Inn] Mr. Xu. How is it? It’s amazing. Amazing! She can really transform into my cousin. Moreover, it’s exactly how my cousin looked when I was 16 years old. After all these years, I finally get to see her again. I can die without regrets now. Then Mr. Xu, you can now rekindle your old flames, and renew your love affair. Despicable! Back then, my cousin and I were completely innocent. Then, you didn’t spend these few silver ingots in vain. Look at how petty you are. So vulgar. How unbearably vulgar! Gentlemen, this way. It’s this room. The person is inside. She claims to be seeing a client. Who is it? A client. How could you be a client when you didn’t make an appointment? Yunding County’s sheriff investigating a case. Open the door quickly. My name is Lin Bei. [Lin Bei] I live near Beimang Mountain in Dongdu. I came to Yunding exactly one month ago. As for what I came here to do, if you two had encountered Mr. Xu who just left, you should already know. That day, I went to the Biluo Inn. I heard fighting sounds coming from another room. So I took a lamp to take a look. It turned out to be two men. One of them saw me and said, “Chu Bin? A ghost!” He seemed to have really saw a ghost. He actually jumped out of the window and fled. As for the other guy… Chu Bin. It’s been ten years. We’ve been separated by death. How have you been? I know Chu Bin is also from Dongdu. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken this job. I disguised myself as Chu Bin to meet him, in order to relieve him from his longing. Unexpectedly, he didn’t come to see me after arriving at the inn. Instead, he got into a fight with a man in another room. How very annoying. I was displeased, so I left. In order to see you, an appointment needs to be made in advance. If so, how did Li Yun make an appointment? It was through another person. His friend. Peck it! Wang Chong! Peck! In one go! -Peck!
-Peck! -Peck!
-Peck! Peck it! Liu Heita! Peck it for me! -Peck!
-Peck! Peck it! Peck it! -Peck!
-Good! Don’t be scared just because -of its name!
-Peck it! Peck it! Peck it! My Liu Heita defeated Wang Chong. Pay up. You’re Fang Jiong? That’s me. Here to challenge me? Let’s see what kind of chicken you have first. Not just any opponent is worthy of fighting me, the great Mr. Liu. Who’s looking to fight chickens with you? This is our county’s Sheriff Lu. Defeating a group of demons with a single sword and eradicating the evil villains of Yunding Immortal Steps in one fell swoop. Your glorious reputation precedes you. [Yunding merchant: Fang Jiong] I’m Fang Jiong. Greetings, Sheriff Lu. Fang, you flatter me. I’ve heard you’re highly skilled in cockfighting. Let’s go find somewhere quiet to chat. [Yunding County Government Office] Do you know cockfighting is mostly related to gambling? I know. It’s against public order and morality. But it doesn’t violate the Tang Code. Don’t the royals also fight chickens often? If you think it’s inappropriate, I won’t do it anymore. I asked you to come today not because of cockfighting. Then it must be about Li Yun. Li Yun and I have been pals for many years. Shen Ping has already gone to identify the body. How could I not know about his death? A good friend has passed away, but you don’t seem sad at all. I was sad, but I can’t be sad all the time. That’d really hurt my health. After hearing the news, I had a good cry, then wiped my tears and went to fight chickens. Perhaps this is how celebrated scholars should be. Besides, life is about seizing the day and enjoying the present, right? If one day I end up like Li Yun, suffering a death that’s not clarified and leaving behind many regrets, wouldn’t that be a wasted life? Fang, you are so carefree. Now that Li Yun’s dead, how’d he have regrets? Actually, I think he’d already resolved his regrets. What do you mean by that? These days, he often mentioned to me about Chu Bin’s sudden death from illness ten years ago. As he got older, his longing for Chu Bin got more and more intense. He thought about her day and night, all day every day. He said if he could see Chu Bin again even just once to be intimate with her, he’d die without regret. And now… he really died. It seems he went to the underworld to reunite with Chu Bin. So you mean you know a lot about Chu Bin and Li Yun’s story? Li Yun and I studied together for a while. We were classmates. Unfortunately, neither of us studied hard. So we didn’t pass the imperial exams. We agreed to leave Yunding and make a living in Chang’an. But the cost of living in Chang’an was high. How could people like us survive there? So I returned to Yunding, while he went to Dongdu. Two years later, he brought Chu Bin back. As expected of a woman from Dongdu. What beautiful handwriting! Not only can she write, but she can also play the qin. How did Chu Bin died? They said she died of illness. That year, I was doing some small business, traveling between Hanzhou and Shazhou. I rarely returned to Yunding. By the time I came back, I learned that Chu Bin had already passed, and Li Yun was already discussing marriage with Shen Ping. In the past two years, I noticed myself getting old. I didn’t want to travel around anymore, so I settled down in Yunding. I got hooked on cockfighting. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. I’m just in it for fun. I brought Li Yun along a few times, and he got hooked too. Cockfighting is sure fun. But he rarely won and lost often. Did you introduce the woman in the veil named Lin Bei to him? Yes. He kept telling me how much he missed Chu Bin. To relieve his lovesickness, I went to find Lin Bei. But this woman is truly extraordinary. If you clearly describe to her the appearance of the woman you miss, within a few days, she can transform into that woman, with exactly the same appearance and charm. I have been learning miscellaneous skills from my master since I was young. The so-called miscellaneous skills are the various techniques that women in the world are good at, all combined together. Of course, my master would also ask me to imitate passersby on the streets. Be it their gait, their voice, every single movement or facial expression, I’ve to learn to imitate them precisely. This woman has been in Yunding for a month. She’s only done three to five business deals. It is said that her clients were all very satisfied with her. I put down a deposit ten days ago. Two days ago… Alike. So alike. Alike, yeah? During the first meeting, you can’t get too close. This is her rule. She is exactly the Chu Bin I want. I want to hold her in my arms. Why can’t I? Are you crazy? In broad daylight. where’d there be a female ghost? I want to meet her. Embrace her all night long. That’s tough. It depends if she is willing or not. Step aside. I told Lin Bei about Li Yun’s desire to meet her. He’s really interesting. I’ll meet him. As for when and where to meet, I will write to him myself. The letter was written by me. I personally delivered it to the entrance of Tianyi Fabric Shop. The owner of Tianyi Fabric Shop said she saw Li Yun put this letter in his chest pocket and then go out to Biluo Inn. But up until now, we haven’t found this letter on Li Yun’s body. Because it wasn’t on him. Chu Bin. It’s been ten years. We’ve been separated by death. How have you been? Where’s the letter? I didn’t think he deserved to see Chu Bin again at all. So I took the letter and left. Where is the letter then? There. In order to imitate Chu Bin’s handwriting, I practiced for several days. If I didn’t burn it to ashes, I’m afraid the ghost would really come to possess my body. Ms. Lin, could I ask you to write another letter? I’m sorry. For me, this business deal is already over. I can no longer write in Chu Bin’s handwriting. Before the case is closed, you cannot leave Yunding. If you want to move inns, you need to inform the government office in advance. I’m not in a hurry to leave either. [Yunding County Government Office] Sheriff Lu, please go back. If there’s anything, I, Fang, will be at your service anytime. Also, I wonder if I have the honor to invite you to my humble abode for a drink? Okay. Thank you. After cracking this case, let’s find a time. It’s settled then. I, Fang, shall take my leave. What this Fang Jiong said checks out with what Lin Bei said. It’s more than that. It’s practically a perfect fit.