The Wanted Detective Episode 9 Recap
> The Wanted Detective Recap
At the Huo Mansion, Zhuge Kongyun announced that he and Zhong Xueman were jointly investigating General Huo's death. The coroner, Feng Qingzhuo, then presented his findings, reporting that the General did not die of illness and that the circumstances were suspicious. In response, Huo Dairong, the General's daughter, requested that both the Elite Constabulary Unit and the Secret Investigation Unit thoroughly investigate her father's potential murder.
Feng Qingzhuo revealed that the General's neck bore hidden strangulation marks, which had been concealed with a specific cosmetic powder. The physical evidence, including a swollen tongue and eye hemorrhaging, confirmed death by asphyxiation—he had been strangled. While the Huo family was distraught, a disciple challenged the investigators, demanding that Zhong Xueman's crime of stealing the body not be overlooked.
Zhuge Kongyun intervened, promising that he and Zhong Xueman would solve the case by the General's seventh-day memorial or they would accept punishment. After the confrontation, Mo Chong met with Zhong Xueman, expressing frustration that trouble always seemed to find her. He acknowledged that her cooperation with Zhuge Kongyun was a personal decision, driven by her desire to apprehend Yesha quickly. Elsewhere in the mansion, Huo Dairong gently informed Feng, the General's concubine, that he had been murdered.
Feng was distraught, but Huo Dairong consoled her, noting that with his death, her mother would no longer have to endure his abuse or make tea for him. Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming recounted his narrow escape from the mansion through a back window, worrying that Zhuge Kongyun remained suspicious. Zhong Xueman agreed that the case was strange, as the entire Huo family seemed to be hiding something.
She recalled suspicious details from her investigation: the disciple's quarters were run with brutal military strictness, evidenced by a training ground with old bloodstains and torture devices, suggesting a motive for revenge. Mrs. Huo’s back was covered in scars from abuse, yet her vibrant attire and calm demeanor during the mourning period suggested she was celebrating his death. Furthermore, the disciple Xue Qianshan had suggested burning down the mortuary, a clear attempt to destroy evidence.
Even Huo Dairong was an enigma, having instantly seen through Zhong Xueman's disguise and later attempting to curry favor, revealing a shrewdness that contradicted her gentle appearance. Reminded of their master's teachings on humility and public duty, Xiao Beiming affirmed that, regardless of its connection to Yesha, they had a responsibility to solve the murder. The next day, believing he had missed a key detail, Xiao Beiming roused Feng Qingzhuo and rushed to the morgue to re-examine the General's body.
Concurrently, Zhong Xueman and Zhuge Kongyun questioned the disciple Li Xiao at the Huo Mansion. Zhong Xueman deduced that the powder covering the strangulation marks must have been applied by the family, as it would have worn off otherwise. Cornered, Li Xiao confessed that he, Xue Qianshan, Mrs. Huo, Huo Dairong, and two maids had all been present when the General died.
He claimed the General suffered a violent delusion, believing he was fighting off avengers, and ended up strangling himself. Back at the morgue, Feng Qingzhuo examined the General’s calloused hands and the marks on his neck, theorizing that he did indeed strangle himself while under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug like the banned Five-Mineral Powder. Just as they reached this conclusion, Zhuge Kongyun arrived.
To avoid him, Xiao Beiming had Zhong Xueman feign an aversion to autopsies as an excuse to leave. Zhuge instructed Feng to proceed with the autopsy, offering him a "Taste-Blocking Pill" to help with the smell. Outside, Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman finalized their new plan: he would aid her investigation by posing as another constable, Tong Shuang.
Returning to the Huo Mansion, Zhong Xueman, accompanied by Xiao Beiming disguised as Constable Tong Shuang, found that Xue Qianshan was away and Mrs. Huo was too unwell to see them. They questioned Li Xiao in his quarters, where Zhong Xueman noted his nervousness, especially regarding a sharp dagger by his bed that he claimed was a family keepsake.
At the same time, Feng Qingzhuo's autopsy confirmed that the General's brain showed damage consistent with long-term consumption of hallucinogenic drugs over several months. Just then, Li Xiao reported that Zhuge Kongyun had arrived to inspect the General's pharmacy. To avoid being discovered, Zhong Xueman and the disguised Xiao Beiming proceeded to the East Courtyard to question Huo Dairong. Upon meeting them, Huo Dairong stared intently at Xiao Beiming, remarking that he strongly resembled a dear old friend.
She readily admitted to being present at her father's death and helping to cover the marks but confessed that she also had doubts. Stating that "seeing is not always believing," she questioned why her father, a man with no apparent worries, would kill himself, implying that the truth was more complex. She claimed her previous deception was for self-preservation, as she held little power in the household, and thanked them for pursuing the real story behind her father’s death.
