The Wanted Detective Episode 35 Recap
> The Wanted Detective Recap
Xiao Beiming, Feng Qingzhuo, and their companions arrived at Chessboard Alley, a quiet and mysterious place known as the residential area for Ministry of Works officials. Feng Qingzhuo was curious why they were there instead of the Ministry of Justice for their investigation. Xiao Beiming explained that some matters were beyond the Ministry of Justice's scope but could be handled by the Ministry of Works.
Their destination was the home of Feng Bamao, a peculiar clerk from the Office of Rodents and Insects, a small department under the Ministry of Works responsible for all snake, insect, rat, and ant problems in the capital. Xiao Beiming had previously dealt with Feng Bamao before the Fengbo Lake case. Despite the unappealing nature of his work, Feng Bamao loved it and spent his days surrounded by insects, a field in which he had no equal.
Feng Qingzhuo noted the strangeness of Feng Bamao's obsession with bugs, while Xiao Beiming added that Zhuge Kongyun and Huo Dairong had opted out of this visit, likely due to Zhuge Kongyun's cleanliness obsession and Huo Dairong's previous traumatic experience in the underground tomb. As Xiao Beiming opened the old door to Feng Bamao's house, Feng Qingzhuo shivered, hit by an odd smell of soil and insects.
The room was filled with containers of all shapes and sizes, holding various creepy crawlies. Feng Bamao himself was on the floor, intently studying a tiny insect, seemingly oblivious to their presence. He was searching for a rare black silkworm from the Kingdom of Mulberry, explaining that its skin changed color to blend with its surroundings, making it extremely elusive.
Xiao Beiming, offering a practical suggestion, proposed tying a red thread around its head, as the thread wouldn't change color, making it easier to track. After retrieving his silkworm, Feng Bamao, recognizing Xiao Beiming, expressed his gratitude for the help. Xiao Beiming then presented the strange, spirally arranged dead insects found at the three crime scenes to Feng Bamao, seeking his expertise.
Upon examining the insects, Feng Bamao immediately noticed signs of molting, indicating they had been "extremely agitated" or "excited themselves to death" before dying. He clarified that just as people could die from extreme excitement, so too could insects. These insects must have come into contact with a specific substance. Xiao Beiming inferred they were poisoned. Feng Bamao confirmed that the insects were likely collateral damage from someone using certain drugs, emphasizing it wasn't a pesticide.
Though he couldn't identify the exact drug, he felt he had seen insects die in the same manner before. He asked Feng Qingzhuo to help him search through his extensive records of insect specimens, which detailed how, where, and in what condition each insect had died. Feng Qingzhuo asked how Xiao Beiming knew Feng Bamao. Xiao Beiming explained that Feng Bamao had helped him investigate a palace collapse years ago.
Feng Bamao had correctly attributed the collapse to termite damage, even when the Ministry of Justice had blamed human error, and had selflessly helped clear the name of the supervisor, despite their previous conflicts. After a thorough search, Feng Bamao finally found a similar case recorded at Yunji Palace, the residence of Taoist Yunji. Taoist Yunji was a sorcerer from a foreign land, renowned for his mastery of illusions. During festivals, nobles frequently invited him to perform.
Feng Qingzhuo recalled that Xiao Beiming had once invited him to such a performance but he couldn't attend due to official duties. Taoist Yunji was famous for his "Thousand Miles Landscape" illusion, where he would create a magnificent, realistic scene of rivers, mountains, and stars, accompanied by faint Buddhist chants, in front of the Emperor and officials.
Xiao Beiming noted the striking similarity between Taoist Yunji's "Thousand Miles Landscape" and Yesha's "Demonized Four Symbols," hoping that finding Taoist Yunji would unlock the mystery. Following this lead, Xiao Beiming and his group arrived at Yunji Palace. Feng Qingzhuo was surprised to find it was a humble, small house, contrary to his expectation of a grand palace. Xiao Beiming pointed out that Taoist Yunji was more of a "mechanical sorcerer" than a conventional palace resident.
Zhuge Kongyun, who had joined them, admitted he was better at capturing people than finding bugs. They entered the seemingly empty house, observing dust and clear signs of a struggle, indicating Taoist Yunji had been taken, not left willingly. Xiao Beiming deduced that Yesha had abducted Taoist Yunji to exploit his illusion skills for the "Demonized Four Symbols" case, fearing they were already too late.
However, he believed Yesha might not have taken everything, so they split up to search for clues. Inside, Xiao Beiming and Zhuge Kongyun simultaneously discovered a hidden secret room. Meanwhile, Feng Qingzhuo found scattered petals and seeds of Bosuo Flowers in the courtyard, although the blooms themselves had been removed. Zhong Xueman was unfamiliar with the Bosuo Flower. Xiao Beiming explained that it was a foreign plant whose refined powder acted as a sedative.
While non-toxic to humans, causing temporary dullness of consciousness and numbing of the five senses that was hard to detect, it was instantly fatal to insects. He was certain that large amounts of Bosuo Flower pollen were present at the crime scenes and were crucial to the illusion technique. Feng Qingzhuo added that the pollen merely aided in making viewers more immersed in the illusion, not creating it itself. They collected all the materials to investigate further.
Analyzing the situation, Xiao Beiming reasoned that the few Bosuo Flowers at Yunji Palace wouldn't suffice to induce widespread numbing of senses. Since Qi Kingdom didn't grow this plant, large quantities would have to be imported from the Western Regions. He suggested checking trading houses like Xilaigui and Liluxi in the capital, which specialized in Western goods. Zhong Xueman suggested searching the Ghost Market as well.
They decided to split up, with Xiao Beiming and Feng Qingzhuo continuing to investigate the illusion techniques, while the others pursued leads in the markets. Subsequently, the owners of two trading houses confessed that someone had recently purchased a large quantity of Bosuo Flowers from them at an extremely high price. The buyer had been very cautious, never showing their face, and the payment method was anonymous, with boxes of gold and silver mysteriously appearing.
The instructions in the boxes directed them to deliver the flowers to a courtyard in the north of the city. Zhuge Kongyun arrived at the courtyard but was too late; the place was empty, leaving only a few Bosuo Flower leaves, confirming the trading house owners' accounts and the buyer's foresight. Meanwhile, Zhong Xueman's investigation at the Ghost Market revealed that large quantities of Bosuo Flowers had recently been transported there.
Feng Qingzhuo realized this was likely for refining the powder, as the process of refining such a large quantity would attract numerous insects, making it easily detectable if done openly. The Ghost Market pharmacies, designed for refining forbidden substances and adhering to strict rules of anonymity regarding source and purpose, provided the safest and most secure location. The pharmacy staff there reported that the person who collected the powders had a bandaged and impaired left hand.
Xiao Beiming believed this individual was one of Yesha's subordinates, acknowledging that while the clue was broad, it was still valuable. Xiao Beiming, reflecting on the three crime scenes of the Four Symbols case, realized the intricate effects of the Bosuo Flower on both humans and insects. He deduced that Yesha would inevitably use this method for the final Black Tortoise case.
He also noted that the Emperor's sudden decision to hold the Heaven Worship Ceremony tomorrow at the Heaven Worship Altar, aimed at calming public unrest, was perfectly aligned with Yesha's grand scheme. Yesha's objective was to make the Emperor and high-ranking officials take the Swift Wind Pill during the ceremony, transforming them into monsters before the terrified populace. This would fulfill the ominous rumors and allow Yesha to seize control of Qi Kingdom under the guise of divine intervention.
It was too late to cancel the imperial edict without further alarming the public. To counter the threat, Feng Qingzhuo distributed specially treated bamboo sticks that would turn black upon contact with the Swift Wind Pill, offering a means to test food and water. He urged the palace staff and officials to use these sticks diligently. The Heaven Worship Ceremony commenced. As predicted, colorful clouds appeared in the sky, accompanied by voices proclaiming the Emperor's injustice and Heaven's abandonment.
Suddenly, the voices ceased. Xiao Beiming and his group had found and neutralized the source of the illusion. Taoist Yunji confessed that he had been coerced by Yesha after being captured. Xiao Beiming instructed him to dispel the illusion. Simultaneously, Zhuge Kongyun loudly declared that the demons had been vanquished and Yesha destroyed, restoring calm and confidence among the kneeling populace.
Xiao Beiming revealed that the colorful clouds were an elaborate deception created using celestial stone powder and sugar, mixed with pigments to produce colored smoke. Adding crystal powder allowed the clouds to reflect light and shadow. Crucially, they contained a large amount of Bosuo Flower pollen, which, upon drifting down, numbed the senses of onlookers, making them more susceptible to believing the illusions before them. This entire setup required deployment from a high vantage point.
Both the White Tiger and Azure Dragon crime scenes were near watchtowers, which Xiao Beiming believed Yesha's men had used as their hiding spots. He further explained that the injuries on Wu Zhui and Wu Lie's bodies were fabricated, made with wild beast fangs, and Wu Zhui's corpse lacked any signs of a genuine tiger attack. He instructed Feng Qingzhuo to re-examine the bodies.
Regarding Yesha's escape from execution, Xiao Beiming revealed that the executioner from that day had gone missing, likely bribed or killed. The execution blade itself was fake. During the chaotic smoke and the distraction caused by the Azure Dragon illusion in the sky, Yesha had quickly changed clothes, left his shackles, and melted into the crowd. Xiao Beiming then explained that the Vermilion Bird case was different from the previous two.
It involved Taoist Yunji's other unique skill: "Mind Control," a form of hypnotism from the Western Regions that allowed control over a person's consciousness and selectively implanted memories. The Bosuo Flower was integral to this. Zhong Xueman, Tiangang, Disha, and Wu Lie had all fallen victim to this technique. The Heavenly Prison's narrow vents, unnoticed by most, allowed Bosuo Flower pollen to reach the lower levels, causing not just sensory numbness but blurred consciousness.
The repeated actions and sounds of "Mind Control" subtly trapped them. Zhong Xueman's vivid memory of the fire phoenix, Xiao Beiming concluded, was entirely fabricated; her clean shoes, lack of smoke smell, and unsinged hair proved she had never entered the burning hall. Her becoming the sole witness was Yesha's specific objective. Xiao Beiming declared that the "Demonized Four Symbols" was nothing more than an elaborate illusion created through unorthodox means.
Having deciphered all of Yesha's methods, they were now confident they could prevent the final Black Tortoise case. Just then, Xiao Beiming confronted Gong Fu, the man with the bandaged left hand who had purchased the Bosuo Flower powder at the Ghost Market. Xiao Beiming recognized him as the supervisor who had been wrongfully imprisoned and tortured during the palace collapse investigation, the same incident Feng Bamao had helped with.
Gong Fu confirmed his identity and revealed he was also an orphan from Haiya, who had almost been castrated after being sold into the palace, only to end up in the Ministry of Works. He expressed bitterness over the injustice that cost him his left hand due to "termites" – a metaphorical reference to the minor causes blamed for larger problems – and how he had found his "Master" (Yesha) in that difficult time.
Refusing to betray Yesha, Gong Fu defiantly stated that solving the Four Symbols case would not prevent the fall of Qi Kingdom. Before he could do more, Zhong Xueman intervened. As Gong Fu was apprehended, he revealed that he might know Yesha's current hiding place: the very place where he himself had once been imprisoned.
