The Wanted Detective Episode 13 Recap
> The Wanted Detective Recap
An unknown individual arrived at the location of Old Bug, who was quietly recovering from injuries and cursing Feng Qingzhuo. The visitor informed Old Bug they had a new assignment. Meanwhile, Zhong Xueman, having regained her sight, expressed her suspicion to Feng Qingzhuo about the old man they encountered in the Ghost Market, questioning why he had attacked them. She asked if Feng Qingzhuo knew him, but he lied, denying any acquaintance.
Zhong Xueman felt that the man, who had immediately demanded her eye, was clearly not a good person. Feng Qingzhuo expressed concern over Zhong Xueman's willingness to sacrifice her eye, considering it a reckless act, but Zhong Xueman asserted that it was a chance to save Xiao Beiming. She also reassured Feng Qingzhuo that the man didn't truly want her eye.
Feng Qingzhuo then admitted he tried to stop the man because he saw him hiding poison, but his martial skills were insufficient. He blamed himself for taking Zhong Xueman to the Ghost Market, but she insisted it was her own choice. The following morning, Xiao Beiming confronted Feng Qingzhuo, asking about the identity of the old man who attacked them.
Seeing that Xiao Beiming had already guessed, Feng Qingzhuo confessed that the man from the Ghost Market was indeed Old Bug, his martial uncle from Poison Valley. He explained that Old Bug had killed his master in an attempt to steal the Yin-Yang Book, which contained all of their grand-master's knowledge. However, his master had already entrusted the book to Feng Qingzhuo, preventing Old Bug from succeeding.
Feng Qingzhuo also revealed that Old Bug was likely the one who sold the hallucinogenic drug to Madam Feng and was the only person capable of refining red crystal, leading to the suspicion that Old Bug might be connected to Yesha. He lamented Old Bug's escape but believed they could still find him in the capital.
Xiao Beiming questioned if Feng Qingzhuo intended to keep his identity a secret from others, to which Feng Qingzhuo expressed concern about people trusting someone from Poison Valley, despite Xiao Beiming's reassurances. He ultimately decided to think it over, understanding that trust is fragile. Later, Huo Dairong, while reviewing her family's ledgers, discovered a significant clue.
She quickly summoned Zhong Xueman, explaining that the ledger showed a large sum of money transferred every six months from Guangsha Villa, with the first transfer occurring 23 years ago. This piqued her interest, as her mother had told her she was brought back from the frontier that very year by her father, General Huo Zongyao. She also recalled her mother mentioning that Chu Guangsha, the owner of Guangsha Villa, was once her father's personal guard.
Eager to uncover her true origins, Huo Dairong shared all the details with Zhong Xueman, hoping for her assistance in investigating Chu Guangsha, who might hold answers. Zhong Xueman relayed the ledger's information to Xiao Beiming, suggesting that if Chu Guangsha was General Huo Zongyao's personal guard, he must have also been at Haiya when General Huo returned, implying a deep connection. However, Xiao Beiming suspected Huo Dairong might have ulterior motives for leading them to this clue.
He decided they should proceed cautiously, using the opportunity to investigate further. The next day, Xiao Beiming, Zhong Xueman, and Huo Dairong set off for Guangsha Villa. Upon their arrival, they found the villa bustling with guests, as Chu Guangsha was celebrating his birthday and was said to have successfully refined an immortality pill, which he planned to take publicly. Xiao Beiming and his companions gained entry under the guise of honored guests.
They observed the grand "Celestial Staircase Cloud Terrace" within the courtyard. Chu Guangsha proudly presented an immortality pill from a jade box, claiming it was a gift from the Immortal Master of Qingtai Mountain. He then ascended the Cloud Terrace and publicly consumed the pill with warm wine, proclaiming its instant effects. Moments later, Chu Guangsha began to hallucinate, reliving the horrific scene of the Haiya massacre.
He descended into a frenzied madness, bleeding from all seven orifices, before leaping from the high structure, dying instantly upon impact. Huo Dairong observed Chu Guangsha's corpse, noting that his death was eerily similar to her father's. Zhong Xueman immediately secured the scene and began searching for clues, while Feng Qingzhuo proceeded with the autopsy. That night, Feng Qingzhuo discovered a large amount of red crystal in Chu Guangsha's stomach, suggesting the "immortality pill" was the source of the poison.
He noted differences from General Huo Zongyao's case: while General Huo suffered chronic poisoning from small, prolonged doses of red crystal, Chu Guangsha's brain tissue was not riddled with holes, and large amounts of black blood in his eyes, ears, and nose indicated he had ingested a massive dose of red crystal in a short time, leading to acute brain tissue rupture and immediate death.
This led Xiao Beiming to suspect that someone intentionally murdered Chu Guangsha, and since they had just tracked the case to him, it could not be a coincidence. The group considered who else might possess such poison, suspecting the limping physician and even Huo Dairong, as she knew about the poison. Zhong Xueman pointed out that it would be foolish for Huo Dairong, an intelligent woman, to lead them directly into a trap if she were guilty.
Zhong Xueman instructed Huo Dairong to remain with them, given her significant suspicion. The group then traveled to Qingtai Mountain and informed the Immortal Master of Chu Guangsha's death. The Immortal Master vehemently denied that his immortality pills were problematic, explaining that each pill was personally made by him and delivered by his disciple, Immortal Jiu, every month.
When Feng Qingzhuo requested a sample of the pills for examination, the Immortal Master refused, stating that the pills were of celestial origin, required great sacrifice to make, and lost efficacy if not consumed within a day. He also refused to provide the pill formula, citing tradition. Xiao Beiming reasoned with him, emphasizing the widespread implications of Chu Guangsha's death and how rumors could harm the Immortal Master's reputation.
Eventually, the Immortal Master relented and provided some "defective pills," which his disciple, Immortal Jiu, personally escorted to them. Immortal Jiu explained that he delivered the pills on foot as a form of "hardship cultivation," and that the jade box containing the pills was sealed with fire clay and his master's private seal, preventing anyone from opening it mid-journey. He also stated that only Chu Guangsha himself was allowed to receive the pills directly to prevent contamination.
Xiao Beiming noticed Immortal Jiu's shoes and his unusual "piety" for such a long journey by foot, finding it suspicious. Feng Qingzhuo later examined the "defective pills," finding them to be merely ordinary tonics mixed with mercury and yellow stone, completely different from the red crystal found in Chu Guangsha. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming also concluded that Immortal Jiu had lied.
He observed injuries on Immortal Jiu's hips and buttocks, consistent with horseback riding, and his swollen hand indicated he was unaccustomed to holding reins for long periods. This confirmed Immortal Jiu had ridden a horse, not walked, to Guangsha Villa, giving him ample time to potentially swap the pills.
Simultaneously, a subordinate informed Xiao Beiming that Zhong Xueman was investigating a murder at Guangsha Villa, a detail he instructed his subordinate not to report to their chief, taking full responsibility himself.
