The Wanted Detective Episode 19 Recap
> The Wanted Detective Recap
People began to gather at the imposing gates of a mysterious rich merchant's residence, each hoping to be chosen as an adopted son. Feng Qingzhuo, despite his nervousness, successfully passed the rigorous preliminary assessments. The peculiar recruitment process involved both a test of strength and literary knowledge, specifically reciting the "Twenty-four Filial Exemplars." After the screening, Feng Qingzhuo was among those selected to stay. Meanwhile, Huo Dairong chose to remain outside with Tong Shuang to monitor the guild.
She instructed Zhong Xueman to return home and care for Xiao Beiming, reassuring her that Feng Qingzhuo would be safe and that Tong Shuang, who was both clever and strong, would protect her. Later that evening, Zhong Xueman gently fed Xiao Beiming his medicine.
They reminisced about their childhood days at the Elite Constabulary Unit, recalling humorous incidents like Xiao Beiming throwing firecrackers into his comrades' room and his father's subsequent punishment, or his father accidentally eating a dumpling filled with spices during the Spring Festival. As they talked, the past felt vividly present, yet the thought of their impending separation filled them with sorrow. Xiao Beiming looked at Zhong Xueman, noting how much she had grown.
He believed she had become brave and strong enough to care for herself, even if she were alone, and urged her not to fear what hadn't happened yet. Simultaneously, outside the Salt Business Guild, Huo Dairong and Tong Shuang waited, perplexed by the unusual quietness within. Suspecting something amiss, they decided Tong Shuang would create a diversion to get inside and find Feng Qingzhuo. Inside, the ever-alert Feng Qingzhuo discovered a sedative in his food and discreetly consumed an antidote.
Later that night, he slipped out of his room and found a room with a suspicious aura. When a guard spotted him, Feng Qingzhuo quickly feigned a severe case of sleepwalking, rambling nonsensically until the confused guard sent him back to his room. At the same time, Tong Shuang executed his plan, creating a ruckus with the guard dogs that drew personnel to the east courtyard.
Seizing the opportunity, Tong Shuang entered the unguarded west courtyard and rendezvoused with Feng Qingzhuo. Feng Qingzhuo shared his findings: the guild primarily sought strong men, the literary test was a facade, and they were constantly fed "blood-nourishing" food. Most disturbingly, he had detected a strong, lingering scent of blood in a hidden room, suspecting the guild was extracting human blood. Feng Qingzhuo proposed that Tong Shuang return the next morning with the Weizhou Garrison to raid the guild.
Before they parted, he urged Tong Shuang to ensure Huo Dairong's safety. The next morning, a firewood cart departed the Salt Business Guild. Soon after, Wang Feihu arrived with Weizhou Garrison soldiers to search the guild based on a report. The guild director feigned cooperation, claiming his establishment was merely a charitable intermediary. Inside, Tong Shuang investigated the suspicious room and found discernible bloodstains, but the director explained it was the former kitchen where livestock were slaughtered.
Tong Shuang then asked to see the adopted sons. They all appeared, attesting to the excellent treatment they received, but Feng Qingzhuo was conspicuously absent. The director claimed Feng Qingzhuo had changed his mind and left just before the raid. Xiao Beiming, having insisted on joining, arrived at the scene. Learning of Feng Qingzhuo's disappearance and recalling the firewood cart Tong Shuang had seen leaving, he immediately suspected Feng Qingzhuo was on board.
He instructed Zhong Xueman to ensure the director revealed the truth using "special measures." Meanwhile, Feng Qingzhuo regained consciousness, bound inside the moving cart with another captive. Realizing their peril, he cut his own finger, leaving a trail of blood drops as a signal. Under duress, the guild director confessed that Feng Qingzhuo had been taken away in a firewood cart, though he only knew the general direction.
With this information, Xiao Beiming and his group mounted their horses to pursue the cart toward the back hills. Feng Qingzhuo and his companion were taken into a dark cave by their captors, who intended to extract their blood. Despite his weakening state, Feng Qingzhuo remained composed, using clever pretexts to stall for time. As a coroner, he questioned the cleanliness of the dagger, explaining that impure tools would spoil the blood and render it useless for refining elixirs.
He then brazenly confronted the leader, having deduced his identity as Huang Wuchang, the "Holy Master" of the Yellow Heaven, by a mole on his face. Feng Qingzhuo condemned their actions, exposing the Yellow Heaven's fraudulent promises of immortality and declaring that they would face consequences for their deeds. Amused by his defiance, Huang Wuchang acknowledged his name and noted Feng Qingzhuo was a particularly "interesting offering."
Simultaneously, Xiao Beiming and his group, following the blood trail, discovered wooden barrels that had contained blood and corpse oil, confirming Feng Qingzhuo was nearby and alive, fueling their desperate rush to save him.
