A League of Nobleman Episode 9 Recap
> A League of Nobleman Recap
Zhang Ping offered to help a beggar push a cart carrying a body to the graveyard. He asked to see the beggar's face, feeling a sense of familiarity, and the beggar told Zhang Ping he had been looking for him for a long time. Wang Yan and Lan Jue arrived at the cemetery with their men, where they found the embalmer's cart and the body that had been left there.
They also discovered Zhang Ping's pepper powder bottle on the cart, indicating he had been present. Realizing the killer, who worked as an embalmer and buried bodies in this forest, likely had his lair nearby, they split up their men to search the area. Zhang Ping woke up in the killer's lair, tied up. He saw statues made from dead bodies, representing the six great sages, and found Gong Yuzhen also present, whom the killer identified as Ronakin the Musician-sage.
The killer asked why Zhang Ping had helped him push the cart and come with him. Zhang Ping explained that he had recognized the killer during their brief encounter. He described how the killer's eyes, specifically the dull, empty left eye which he deduced was artificial, had struck him. Zhang Ping noted that the killer's left-leaning gait, compensating for his vision, explained the strange footprints in the underdrain.
He also pointed out flea bite marks on the killer, matching marks found on the victims' bodies, and the red powder leaking from a bag on the killer's waist, all confirming his identity as the murderer. The killer praised Zhang Ping's deductive skills and revealed that Zhang Ping was the Warden-sage, Uyu, whom he had been searching for.
He confessed that the puzzles in Dr. Sun's book and on Chu Qi'er's lotus flower were tests he designed to select Uyu, and Zhang Ping was the one who solved them. The killer revealed he had waited under the Wuming Pavilion, expecting someone to follow the clues, and Zhang Ping had arrived as predicted.
He explained he had left the gavel as a clue to mislead investigators into thinking Judge Tao of the Court of Judicial Review was his intended Warden-sage, ensuring Zhang Ping would not be alerted and could be lured in. Zhang Ping then asked about the origin of the Scarlet Mist Spray poison the killer used.
The killer claimed to have made it himself, vaguely admitting to using it for many "evil things," but didn't confirm whether it was used in Moluo Village twenty years prior when Zhang Ping specifically asked. The killer then revealed his greater purpose: to offer the six great sages, formed by the bodies, to the god of creation, Injeeten.
He believed this would create a new world and transport him and his friends, Hu and Shi Nu, to a Pure Land free from suffering, where they would be reborn. Believing the time was right, the killer declared that Zhang Ping, as Uyu, and Gong Yuzhen, as Ronakin, must take their places in the ritual formation. Zhang Ping broke free of his restraints and threw lime powder at the killer, blinding him temporarily.
Seizing the moment, Zhang Ping cast the Water Illusion technique. The killer fell under the illusion, believing he had successfully gathered the six great sages and was about to enter the Pure Land with his friends Hu and Shi Nu. However, instead of the Pure Land, he found himself back in the horrifying Drug Mound. Confused and distressed by the failure, he couldn't understand why he was there.
Zhang Ping, speaking from within the illusion, prompted the killer to tell the story of his past, promising to help him understand and prove he had fulfilled his promise if he did. The killer confessed his history. Thirty-five years ago, a plague swept through the Yong Kingdom, and his parents died, leaving him orphaned and wandering in the capital city.
He was deceived by a doctor who lured him to the Drug Mound, which was secretly where the doctor, who ran the Hui'an Pharmacy, manufactured and sold poisons. The killer and many other orphans were kept there as drug testers, enduring agonizing suffering. He met Hu and Shi Nu there, and they depended on each other for survival, which gave him a reason to live. One time, Hu and Shi Nu helped him escape, risking their lives.
He hid for months, but when he finally gathered the courage to return to the Drug Mound, it was too late; Hu and Shi Nu were dead. Filled with hatred, he dedicated years to developing a powerful poison, the Scarlet Mist Spray, the poison of poisons. He tracked down the deceptive doctor's home, Hui'an Pharmacy, and used the Scarlet Mist to kill the entire family, avenging Hu and Shi Nu. Yet, completing this revenge brought him no relief.
He became a wandering ghost, feeling empty, until a "master" approached him. This master told him about the legend of Injeeten and taught him a magic formation, telling him that using the Scarlet Mist to gather the six sages would fulfill his wish of reuniting with Hu and Shi Nu in the Pure Land. Zhang Ping revealed the truth that the Injeeten legend contained no mention of a magic formation, and the "master" must have lied to him.
The killer was devastated by the realization that his plan was built on a lie and had failed. He initially blamed Zhang Ping's survival for the ritual's failure and became determined to kill him, believing this was the only way he could still succeed despite the revealed lie. His mental state became unstable, and he began to break free from the Water Illusion.
Zhang Ping noted that the arrangement of tombs in the area formed a star chart of the Seven Mansions belonging to the Azure Dragon, connecting it to Injeeten, who was said to be the incarnation of the Erina Star (the Mo people's name for the star of fire in the Seven Mansions). Lan Jue arrived, having located Zhang Ping's position. As the killer fully awoke from the illusion, he saw Lan Jue and recognized him as Lan Lin's son.
He asked if Lan Jue was responsible for the "divine retribution" case in Moluo Village twenty years ago and how much Lan Jue knew about his father. The killer told Lan Jue he would never know the truth. He then broke completely free of his restraints and activated a mechanism on the altar. Scarlet Mist erupted, and the killer died instantly. Lan Jue quickly rescued the dazed Zhang Ping and Gong Yuzhen and got them away from the mist.
Later, Wang Yan's men investigated the killer's lair, finding only bottles of poison and no other significant clues. Lan Jue informed Wang Yan that the killer knew his father and likely held inside information about the Moluo Village case, but they were unable to question him before he died.
Zhang Ping offered to help Lan Jue investigate his father's case and the truth behind the Moluo Village incident, and Lan Jue accepted, stating they still had time to figure things out. At court, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager inquired about the recent major case in the Capital City. Wang Yan reported that he had successfully identified the killer but was unable to apprehend him before the criminal committed suicide.
He clarified that rumors of "soul depriving" were groundless, and the strange deaths were caused by drugs, confirming he had destroyed the killer's lair and found no remaining poison. Wang Yan also reported on the involvement of Gong Yuzhen, Minister Gong's granddaughter, and requested leniency for her due to Minister Gong's dedicated service and Gong Yuzhen's youth and ignorance.
Her Majesty granted that Gong Yuzhen would be spared the death penalty but instructed the Ministry of Justice to determine the rest of her punishment, acknowledging Minister Chu's grief over losing his daughter. Lan Jue was also asked about his involvement; he humbly stated he only contributed a little and that Wang Yan had done most of the effective investigation. Her Majesty criticized the Court of Judicial Review, implying they did little despite the public nature of the case.
Lan Jue defended Judge Tao, citing his dedication to his work, including writing the "Brochure of Persuasion for Goodness" and leading his subordinates in educating criminals. Her Majesty directed Judge Tao to figure out how to restore the Court of Judicial Review's reputation. Following this, Xuan Ji, the Chief of Imperial Astronomy, presented his report. He stated that the construction of the Hunxiang Instrument was underway, but the design for the top was undecided until recently.
He revealed that he had found two large rubies under a plum tree on Zilang Mountain, which he considered providentially rare. Using hundreds of skilled craftsmen, he had woven an auspicious treasure with gold thread using these rubies to be placed atop the instrument and presented it for Her Majesty's inspection. The Emperor was not present for the session, having felt ill after hunting the previous day.
