Resumen del episodio 17 de Treasure at Dawn
> Resúmenes de Treasure at Dawn
The Three Heroes of Xichuan, fearing for their lives due to recent prophecies, chose to hide in a secluded area outside the city with several women, believing themselves safe with their carefully selected food. Physician Fu Sheng and Wen Jue, worried about the heroes' safety, eventually located them and arrived to offer protection. However, the leader of the Three Heroes deliberately drove them away, concerned that their close ties would implicate Fu Sheng and his companions if tragedy struck.
He feigned indifference, boasting about their extensive precautions and plans to party through the night. Wen Jue, angered by their apparent recklessness, left with Fu Sheng, though Fu Sheng urged her not to be impulsive. Once Fu Sheng and Wen Jue were gone, the leader confided in his comrades that his intention was to distance them from the clinic. The next morning, the women awoke to the horrifying sight of the Three Heroes hanging dead from a tree.
News of the Three Heroes' gruesome deaths quickly spread, igniting widespread panic and speculation among the townsfolk. People connected the killings to the "three poisons" (greed, food, and sex) mentioned in a popular ballad. They linked previous victims—Hua Lei to greed for money, Lei Juekun to greed for food (due to his burst stomach), and Xubu Huai to greed for sex (attributed to his weak kidneys)—to this pattern. They also mentioned the five poisons: greed, anger, stupidity, arrogance, and suspicion.
Fear gripped the city, leaving the tea house empty as Fang Zhiyuan prepared for his storytelling session. Suddenly, authorities arrived and arrested Fang Zhiyuan, who was enraged and confused, questioning who was framing him and why the characters from his stories were meeting such grim fates. Wen Jue confronted her father, Wen Yu, accusing him of arresting an innocent Fang Zhiyuan, whom she deemed too old and weak to be the real killer.
Wen Yu explained his "way of balance," using the metaphor of fish in a pond. He argued that with four murders and six deaths already, involving various factions like the Ma Gang, the Chamber of Commerce, wealthy merchants, and bandits, Fang Zhiyuan's storytelling had become a catalyst for chaos. By arresting him, Wen Yu intended to eliminate the "source of chaos" and prevent further conflict to protect the innocent.
Wen Jue challenged his logic, asserting that merely removing Fang Zhiyuan wouldn't end the strife, as a new "reason to fight" could always be created. As the designated next City Lord, she felt a duty to protect Fang Zhiyuan. Impressed by her conviction, Wen Yu granted her seven days to solve the case, but warned that if she failed, he would execute Fang Zhiyuan with "swift and decisive action" to "warn the people."
Meanwhile, Fu Sheng began a meticulous examination of the Three Heroes' bodies by the lake. Tuoba Ruo discovered knockout drops in their wine, tracing it to a maid named Cui. Cui fled into the bustling crowd, employing accomplices to impersonate her, making pursuit difficult. During the chaotic chase, Tuoba Ruo was struck and wounded by a mysterious assailant. Fu Sheng treated her injuries, noting that she would be unable to wield weapons for several days.
Discussing the case, Fu Sheng and Gu Tian realized their initial assumption that such a "big crime" could only be committed by an extraordinary individual was flawed; "anyone could have done it." Gu Tian stressed that they could not afford to be continuously "led by the nose" by the killer. In search of more clues, Gu Tian revisited the warehouse where Lei Juekun had previously traded. Gu Tian confronted the owner, expressing his disdain for those who exploit the weak.
Under pressure, the owner confessed that a "gold-rimmed crystal mirror" that started the warehouse fire was stolen and sold for a mere 800 coins, which was suspiciously low. The owner admitted he suspected it was "stashed away" by Night Owl's apprentice, who was then fired after the fire. Gu Tian realized that the mirror had been deliberately positioned to reflect sunlight, causing the warehouse fire.
He instructed a subordinate to inform Fu Sheng and another to find Wen Jue, confirming that Fu Sheng's suspicions were correct. Simultaneously, Wen Jue returned to the Lei residence, suspecting that Lei Juekun's death was not accidental. She questioned the chef about preparing green bean soup, which required extensive preparation, just before Lei Juekun returned from the fire. The chef revealed that assistant Dou had prepared it, claiming it was for Lei Juekun, who was trapped near a fire.
Dou, however, disappeared after Lei Juekun's death. Wen Jue suspected these "coincidences are man-made." At the prison, Fu Sheng discovered that Ye Shiliu had been kidnapped, with guards incapacitated by drugged food. He concluded that someone was actively obstructing his investigation to conceal the truth. With seemingly all leads severed, Fu Sheng resolved to revisit the alley where Hua Lei died. The next day, Hulu accidentally knocked over valuable medicinal herbs.
Fu Sheng reprimanded him severely, emphasizing the herbs' life-saving potential and their worth. Hulu, in tears, angrily retorted that despite his long service, Fu Sheng had never taught him any medical skills, only relegating him to chores. Feigning greater anger in front of a patient, Fu Sheng dramatically dismissed Hulu from the clinic. The patient, observing this, later approached a bewildered Hulu, offering sympathy. He led Hulu to a desolate temple, attempting to recruit him into a clandestine organization.
He explained their shared plight of being "ignored, discriminated against, abused, and stepped on," likening them to "insignificant stones." He declared their goal was to avenge themselves against the "rich merchants" who had usurped Xichuan from the common people, striving to reclaim their "dignity." Hulu expressed reservations about their secrecy, but the patient promised he would learn their identities upon passing a test, provocatively asking, "Do you find it interesting that an investigator becomes a murderer?"
Fu Sheng and Gu Tian returned to the alley where Hua Lei died, recreating the events. They determined that a mirror in a nearby building had reflected light, startling Hua Lei's horse. This mirror was part of a "sword formation" allegedly set up by a fortune teller to dispel evil spirits after the local bell tower began to ring inexplicably. Upon apprehending the fortune teller, they discovered he too was a pawn.
Fu Sheng found that a key section of the fortune teller's ancestral bamboo scroll, detailing "evil breaking," had been replaced with a newer piece, and its binding rope was new. The fortune teller blamed his apprentice, who had vanished after replacing the rope and had first informed him of the bell tower's mysterious ringing. Fu Sheng recognized a pattern: this apprentice, like assistant Dou and Cui, was another "bullied underling" being exploited.
Back at the clinic, pandemonium erupted as patients suffered severe diarrhea after their medication was secretly replaced with laxatives. They identified Hulu as the pharmacist responsible. Hulu, however, had vanished. An enraged mob of citizens, fueled by rumors that Fu Sheng was a killer and a quack, besieged the clinic, accusing him and the Lord's Mansion of conspiring against them.
A Ma Gang member defended Fu Sheng, stating that if he were a quack, the Ma Gang would have already destroyed the clinic. Fu Sheng realized this was a "premeditated attack" by the unseen masterminds, an act of desperation. He promptly issued a bounty for Hulu's capture. Fu Sheng then visited Steward Sun of the Chamber of Commerce, inquiring about Hua Lei's death.
He explained that Night Owl was merely a tool, and the alley had been sabotaged to cause Hua Lei's fatal fall. He also asked about the attack on the Ma Gang's West Side branch on the day Lei Juekun died. Steward Sun confirmed the Chamber of Commerce acted on intelligence about weapons stored there, which came from "bottom-level people" connected to the Ma Gang, but these informants were now untraceable.
Fu Sheng requested to be informed if they were ever found. At the abandoned temple, the leader of the mysterious organization confronted Hulu for only using laxatives instead of poison and for carelessly exposing himself. Hulu tearfully confessed he could not bring himself to harm his neighbors.
The leader rebuked him for his "useless kindness," asserting that they, as "weak" individuals who had been "ignored, discriminated against, abused, and stepped on," must "get their hands dirty" for the "greater good" and seize every opportunity. He reminded Hulu of Fu Sheng's past indifference towards him and offered Hulu a final chance: to "lure Fu Sheng here and eliminate him yourself." Another member questioned the morality of their actions, fearing they were becoming no different from the "bad guys." However, the leader sternly dismissed such doubts, insisting that "pain and sacrifice" were unavoidable for change, and declared, "The revolution has begun."
