Heroes Recap, Plot, Synopsis
Heroes Synopsis
In the late Qing Dynasty, amidst social turmoil, within the depths of the imperial palace, the secret map stored in the Wenyuan Pavilion is stolen, sparking a frenzy among various factions vying for the treasure that could alter the course of history. In response, Men Sandao, a former imperial guard, is dispatched by the Imperial Household Department to retrieve the map and uncover the forces behind the theft.
Simultaneously, in Dagukou County, Tianjin, a sudden massacre occurs in an inn where nine travelers returning from Japan are brutally murdered. Wang Dibao, a constable from the county office who abandoned his scholarly pursuits to enlist in the military, arrives at the scene. Utilizing his extensive knowledge, he deduces that the crime is the work of the Rongtianling Sect from the western region. Despite opposition from the county office, Wang Dibao embarks on a solitary pursuit of the culprit.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Rongtianling Sect, Zhuo Bufan, receives news that the nine travelers have been killed and obtains the crucial information needed for their operation. It is revealed that the location of the secret map is a long-standing mystery to the court, and the current Prince Qi intends to access the treasure concealed by Tan Xian, a prominent figure. With the prince seeking funds for his reforms and Zhuo Bufan aiming to establish a central temple for his martial arts sect, both parties agree to join forces and seize the treasure.
Driven by their respective goals, Zhuo Bufan rushes to Shanghai to locate Tan Xian, while Men Sandao, loyal to the court, deduces that Zhuo Bufan is the prime suspect and heads to Shanghai to recover the stolen map. Simultaneously, Wang Dibao, committed to apprehending the killer, sets out on a journey to pursue the culprit. Unbeknownst to them, as these three individuals with simple yet steadfast objectives step into the foreign domain of Shanghai, they are unwittingly drawn into the grand currents of history.
Heroes Recap
Episode 1 Recap
On September 21, 1898, Empress Dowager Cixi and others launched the Wuxu Coup, Emperor Guangxu was imprisoned, and the Wuxu Reform failed, lasting a total of 103 days, historically known as the "Hundred Days' Reform. " On November 14, 1908, Emperor Guangxu passed away at the age of thirty-eight, the day before Empress Dowager Cixi's death.
Twelve years after the failure of the Wuxu Reform, on the twenty-sixth day of the third month of the third year of Xuantong, a stone tablet was washed out of the Yongding River and landed outside Zhengyangmen. The characters on the tablet were copied, and the text was in ancient seal script, reading "Dragon Shakes from Nine, Time Warps Heaven and Earth. " This event caused a sensation when it spread.
The literal interpretation meant that the world was about to change hands, which was undoubtedly a prelude to rebellion. As the Head Eunuch, Cun Qing could not sit still. He speculated that someone might start an uprising on the day of Mangzhong, so he immediately sent people to investigate. He learned that this was a rumor being spread by someone, but the person behind it could not be found.
After careful consideration, Cun Qing concluded that someone was preparing for a rebellion. He immediately dispatched people to broaden the investigation. Since Mangzhong ranks ninth among the twenty-four solar terms, he ordered people to investigate everything related to the number nine. Nine people died tragically in an inn in Daguzhen, Tianjin. Upon hearing the news, Constable Wang Jialuo immediately rushed to the scene to investigate. He discovered that most of the deceased had been poisoned.
In the wardrobe, he found a survivor, Lin Anjing. She said the deceased were her uncle, aunt, and cousin's family. She was studying in Japan and had just returned by ship from Japan with them yesterday. Today, they met with misfortune. This morning, she was changing clothes when she heard her cousin scream outside and her aunt shout to run. In her panic, she hid in the wardrobe and narrowly escaped death.
Wang Jialuo, analyzing the information, concluded that the perpetrators were skilled in using poison and wore foreign attire, so they must be those from Lengxi. He immediately decided to pursue the murderers, determined not to let them escape from his grasp. Soon after, he caught up with the culprits, who were indeed from the Lengxi Rongtian Sword Sect.
These people did not take Wang Jialuo seriously, but unexpectedly, Wang Jialuo took down one of them with his first move, which made them pay attention. After a fight, Wang Jialuo, outnumbered, saw the unfavorable situation and had to feign death by lying in the river to escape the pursuit. Head Eunuch Cun Qing spent his days listening to information gathered from various places, most of which was useless and gave him a headache.
So he thought of someone, known as "Three Blades of the Gate," Irgen Gioro Mu Qing (played by Qin Junjie). He was the former Imperial Guard of Emperor Guangxu and was implicated in the Wuxu Reform. Cun Qing knew his detective skills well and used freedom and the restoration of his official position as incentives to ask him for help in solving the case. Mu Qing decided to seize this opportunity to see the light of day again.
Inside a casino, Chen Wu lost everything. In desperation, he took out a pawn ticket hoping to exchange it for three hundred taels of silver notes, but was mocked by others because the pawned item was just a dog fur hat. However, someone actually paid to buy it. This person was the new leader of the Rongtian Sword Sect, Zhuo Bufan (played by Liu Yuning).
And the leader who killed the nine people returning from Japan was Zhuo Bufan's senior disciple, Yu Huanjie. Their use of the sect's techniques to kill angered Zhuo Bufan somewhat. Yu Huanjie claimed that extracting the information was the most important thing. The nine people returning from Japan were supposed to meet someone who had rushed back from overseas in the Shanghai French Concession on the third day of the fourth lunar month. This person was named Tan Xian.
As the senior disciple, Yu Huanjie resented Zhuo Bufan for not inheriting the leadership position. Zhuo Bufan constantly tolerated him to avoid causing conflict within the Rongtian Sword Sect, but the Master's wife felt he should not give in so much. Cun Qing talked with Mu Qing about the Net Altar Secret Treasure.
During the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, there was a man named Wang Zhi, known as the "Five Peaks Ship Lord," who had been involved in smuggling with the Japanese for many years. It was no exaggeration to say he was as rich as a country. Legend has it that towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, the wealth left by Wang Zhi was found by a lay disciple of the Southern Shaolin Temple.
However, it was a time of chaos, so the Southern Shaolin Temple sealed the secret treasure. Later, this wealth was referred to by posterity as the "Net Altar Secret Treasure. " After Cun Qing took office as Head Eunuch, due to the empty state coffers, he had considered the Net Altar Secret Treasure but found nothing. Just after the rumor of "Dragon Shakes from Nine" appeared, the treasure map unexpectedly disappeared. He asked Mu Qing to investigate this matter.
Episode 2 Recap
Carrying his injuries, Wang Jialuo arrived at an inn, intending to continue pursuing the murderers. However, the inn staff, unwilling to attract trouble, refused his stay on the grounds of having no rooms. Unexpectedly, Lin Anjing suddenly appeared and took him in. Wang Jialuo wanted to find more clues from Lin Anjing, but she was completely unaware of the whereabouts of her uncle and aunt.
After learning what had happened during his twelve years in prison, Mu Qing was filled with indignation at the Qing government's cession of land and payment of reparations. The next morning, Guard Getai arrived, wanting to gloat over Mu Qing. However, Mu Qing hadn't just spent the night learning about the events of the past years; he had also circled the suspect who stole the treasure map, the palace maid Wanhe.
The detail that cracked the case was that Wanhe had changed her route from her residence to the palace where she was on duty. Getai was greatly impressed upon hearing this. Mu Qing inquired with Getai about Yuan Shikai, stating that it was he who had informed Empress Dowager Cixi back then, otherwise the Great Qing would be in a different state today.
Cun Qing urgently summoned Mu Qing, mentioning the nine people killed at the inn in Daguzhen, Tianjin, suspecting it was related to the omen rumor. Mu Qing suggested transporting the nine people back to the capital for examination. While sending someone to interrogate Wanhe, Mu Qing also checked the palace exit records. He suddenly got up and went to the Imperial Kitchen to find Old Jiang. Unexpectedly, Old Jiang, having gotten wind of the situation, was preparing to escape.
After being apprehended, Old Jiang swallowed a Western-made ring. Mu Qing immediately went with Getai to a general store at Dengshikou, because that place specialized in selling Western items, and judging by the route, Old Jiang was heading there. Getai was puzzled, but Mu Qing explained that since palace maids couldn't leave the palace, there must be an insider, and Old Jiang leaving half an hour earlier was certainly suspicious. His hasty escape today confirmed his deduction.
The general store attendant told Mu Qing that Old Jiang had given him a dog fur hat, saying it was for a relative. Someone came that day, taking the hat using the nine copper coins Old Jiang had mentioned. The person had a tattoo on his hand. Mu Qing drew the design of the tattoo. He had already guessed the person's identity: a guard from the Qilin Formation back then. After the reform failed, these people were also implicated.
Subsequently, Mu Qing changed his route and went with Getai to the Gongyuan in the eastern suburbs. Zhuo Bufan's Master's wife retrieved that hat from the pawnshop using nine copper coins. Shortly after she left, she was ambushed and the hat was stolen. Zhuo Bufan had anticipated that someone would make a move. He intervened, repelled the attackers, and recovered the hat. He then found the treasure map inside the hat.
However, the treasure map was only a rough drawing, making the specific location difficult to guess. Zhuo Bufan felt the clues on the map were incomplete. The people who returned from Japan were supposed to meet the person who held the treasure clues. Tan Xian should know the secret of the treasure. Mu Qing reported his investigation to Cun Qing. First, the nine copper coins were used as a signal for a meeting.
Second, someone had buried gunpowder in the Gongyuan in the eastern suburbs, which was likely for the uprising. Mu Qing exposed Guard Hanhe as the insider on the spot. Cun Qing praised Mu Qing but also expressed deep regret, because he had known about this for a while and revealing it too early would prevent him from passing the information he wanted to convey to the mastermind behind Hanhe. Mu Qing apologized for his haste.
Cun Qing already had a suspect, Prince Qi, but without concrete evidence, he could do nothing about him. He asked Mu Qing to continue investigating the treasure map matter, emphasizing the need for concrete evidence. Meanwhile, Prince Qi was also preparing for the uprising, with the time set for the day of Mangzhong. His son-in-law, Zhong Haichao, was the main person he relied upon.
Mu Qing investigated and discovered that the person who took the hat was Chen Wu, the guard from the Qilin Formation back then. Wang Jialuo also unexpectedly learned this news. He first found Chen Wu at a casino, hoping to find clues about the murderers on him. After a fight, Chen Wu was defeated and fell to the ground. Just then, Mu Qing arrived with his men. He ruthlessly interrogated Chen Wu, forcing him to confess that Hanhe was the mastermind, and that the person who took the pawn ticket was dressed like a Lengxi person.
Episode 3 Recap
Mu Qing prepared to take Chen Wu back to the inner yamen for detention. Chen Wu's face turned pale with fear. He seized the opportunity, broke free from the guards, and smashed his head against the corner of a table, killing himself. He knew that entering the inner yamen would be a fate worse than death, so he chose to end his own life. Mu Qing left with his men and was stopped by Wang Jialuo.
Wang Jialuo accused Mu Qing of killing the subject of his investigation. Mu Qing said dismissively that the laws of the Great Qing were only made for common people like them, and then left with his men. Wang Jialuo was very helpless. He discovered that someone was following him, and it turned out to be Lin Anjing. She insisted on following Wang Jialuo to pursue the murderers together. After thinking it over, Wang Jialuo took her to Tianjin.
Back in the inner yamen, Mu Qing examined the nine people who were killed. Based on his experience, he quickly concluded that these people had been whipped and strangled by hand, which was clearly a method of extracting confessions. The nine victims knew some martial arts, and the person who killed them must be highly skilled, good at using poison, and dressed in a Lengxi style. Mu Qing first thought of the Rongtian Sword Sect and Zhuo Bufan.
However, Zhuo Bufan was a chivalrous swordsman in the jianghu (martial world) and should not be involved in worldly disputes, which made him somewhat puzzled. Cun Qing interrogated the undercover guard Hanhe. Hanhe revealed the secret that the treasure map was incomplete. On the other side, Jiang Hen came to see Prince Qi. It was he who informed Prince Qi of the whole story of the Jingtan secret treasure, giving Prince Qi the confidence to rebel.
Jiang Hen's evaluation of Zhuo Bufan was that he was a once-in-a-century genius swordsman. He worried that the Rongtian Sword Sect might lose control if they encountered such a treasure. Prince Qi was not worried about this. Zhuo Bufan only wanted a main headquarters and the condition of being named the foremost sword sect in the world. This was not difficult for him, and Zhuo Bufan had become his pawn.
Zhuo Bufan asked Yu Huanjie to keep this secret; only the two of them and his Master's wife knew. The Rongtian Sword Sect divided into four groups and headed separately to Shanghai, preparing to pose as Tongmenghui (Alliance Society) members to meet with Tan Xian and obtain clues to the treasure. Cun Qing told Getai that Prince Qi was sending people to look for Tan Xian because Tan Xian held the secret of the treasure map.
His rebellion was already a certainty, and they must find the treasure map clues before him. Cun Qing ordered Getai to immediately rush to Tianjin to rendezvous with Mu Qing and do everything possible to find the treasure map clues. Getai's task, besides assisting, was also to keep a close eye on Mu Qing and execute him immediately if he showed any disloyalty.
On the other side, Prince Qi also talked to Jiang Hen about Cun Qing, saying that in order to find the treasure map clues, he had even brought out Men Sandao, who had a rebellious nature, from prison. Jiang Hen said he would immediately rush over to lend Zhuo Bufan a hand. Prince Qi stated that they must not only help but also be wary. Wang Jialuo also arrived in Tianjin.
He went to the pawnshop to look for clues and learned that Mu Qing had been there, and that the old fur hat had been taken by a woman dressed in Lengxi style. Mu Qing discovered Jiang Hen. Jiang Hen led him to a secluded spot. The two exchanged blows, neither gaining the upper hand. Jiang Hen revealed Mu Qing's identity, then turned and left. The warning was clear. Mu Qing wanted to pursue, but Jiang Hen had disappeared.
Getai told Mu Qing the secret of the treasure map and explained Cun Qing's order to prevent Prince Qi from seizing the treasure map clues. Mu Qing sorted out the complicated situation and decided to go to Shanghai tomorrow. At this moment, a special scent on the waiter who was serving dishes attracted Mu Qing. After asking, he learned that a female guest upstairs had rewarded him with a silver coin.
Mu Qing immediately went upstairs to the female guest's room. The person inside was the one he had been thinking about, Princess Ulan Shan, Prince Qi's daughter. Ulan Shan was somewhat surprised by Mu Qing's arrival. She hadn't expected the two of them to meet under such circumstances. They had once had a beautiful romance, but time had passed, Mu Qing had been imprisoned, and she had already married. Now, meeting again, they could only accept this reality by hiding their inner feelings.
Episode 4 Recap
Mu Qing led his men straight to Shanghai, preparing to find the treasure clues before Zhuo Bufan. However, he got off the boat mid-journey to rest. Getai felt confused. It wasn't until several Japanese followed him there that he understood Mu Qing's intention. After dealing with these followers, they continued rushing to Shanghai. Meanwhile, the Rongtian Sword Sect group also discovered they were being followed on the way.
Zhuo Bufan easily dealt with several masked men and found that they were also Japanese. They had been following them since they left Tianjin. It seemed the Japanese had never relaxed their surveillance on them. Tang Yu and others changed into student clothes and went to Shanghai. His subordinate asked Tang Yu about the content on the newspaper. Tang Yu patiently explained to them what revolution was and what democracy was. By the end, he was also full of ambition.
He felt he was doing something earth-shattering, a righteous action to save the common people. Suddenly feeling emotional, he wanted to fully commit to this cause. Unfortunately, their whereabouts had already been tracked by Mu Qing. Mu Qing found out the whereabouts of Tang Yu and his group on the way. He guessed the address where they would stay overnight. So he surrounded them overnight. Then he ordered his men to fight them.
After a fight, except for Tang Yu who escaped, one person was killed, and the other two were captured alive. Seeing Tang Yu fleeing in a panic, Mu Qing followed behind him with an umbrella. He had already locked onto Tang Yu. He just didn't expect Tang Yu to be stopped by Wang Jialuo, who had been chasing him all the way, during his escape. Wang Jialuo also had some skills.
He fought hard to kill Tang Yu and found a notebook in his pocket. Mu Qing didn't expect Wang Jialuo to suddenly appear mid-way. Wang Jialuo was just a small constable, yet he had chased all the way here for a case in his jurisdiction. This made Mu Qing admire him and feel a desire to recruit talent. He advised Wang Jialuo to return to Tianjin and not get involved in this matter anymore.
But Wang Jialuo refused no matter what he said. He even cited the laws of the Great Qing, leaving Mu Qing speechless. Seeing his worn clothes, Mu Qing handed him ten taels of silver. Wang Jialuo, short on money, reached out and took it. However, he took out his house key, indicating he would definitely return it someday. But he would continue investigating this case. In the capital, Zhong Haichao mentioned Mu Qing's reappearance intentionally or unintentionally during dinner.
Ulan Shan's expression changed slightly; she said she didn't know about it. But Zhong Haichao seemed to attach great importance to this matter. Because Ulan Shan and Mu Qing almost got married back then, and the late emperor was very supportive of it, this had been a thorn in Zhong Haichao's heart for many years. On their wedding night, Zhong Haichao, full of joy, only discovered after having intercourse that Ulan Shan was not a virgin.
He became enraged and asked who Ulan Shan's first time was with, pointing directly at Mu Qing. Ulan Shan was worried that he would harm Mu Qing. So she tearfully pleaded with him to spare Mu Qing. She said she would be obedient to him from now on, even allowing him to marry more wives or take concubines. Only then did Zhong Haichao stop.
However, his anger had not subsided, and he went to a brothel to find a virgin prostitute to temporarily relieve the hatred in his heart. After Mu Qing left, Wang Jialuo took out Tang Yu's small notebook to look for clues. Learning that the Rongtian Sword Sect was preparing to go to Shanghai, he immediately set off. Halfway there, he discovered that Lin Anjing was following him. She said she had nowhere else to go.
Wang Jialuo had no choice but to take her with him to Shanghai. The captured Rongtian Sword Sect disciple had confessed. He said they were going to Shanghai to meet a person named Tan Xian. Mu Qing immediately understood Zhuo Bufan's plan. It was to pretend to be members of the Tongmenghui (Alliance Society) to meet Tan Xian and find the treasure clues. Wang Jialuo and Lin Anjing arrived in Shanghai.
After he arranged for Lin Anjing to check into a hotel, he himself wanted to find a place to rest. Unexpectedly, he was surrounded by Japanese. Because his actions had affected the Japanese plan to seize the treasure. Now they had no choice but to eliminate him. After a fight, Wang Jialuo was forced to the edge of a cliff. Only by jumping off the cliff was there a slim chance of survival. Wang Jialuo didn't hesitate, turned around, and jumped down.
Episode 5 Recap
Getai told Mu Qing the information he knew about the treasure. The two of them focused on the inheritor of Southern Shaolin. They guessed Tan Xian might be a descendant of another Southern Shaolin inheritor. Now the treasure map was in Zhuo Bufan's hands. If they combined it with the secrets Tan Xian held, they might really find the Net Altar treasure. However, they must first find Tan Xian to further understand the clues about the treasure.
Mu Qing ordered Getai to arrange manpower, ensuring Tan Xian could not escape. Shanghai, Magi Road, was the agreed meeting place with Tan Xian. Mu Qing and Getai arrived first to scout the location. After looking around, Mu Qing felt that if they deployed tightly, their manpower would be sufficient. Getai took the order and began arranging the setup. The Japanese woman Qing Yi also arrived at Magi Road. She asked her subordinate if they had dealt with Wang Jialuo.
The subordinate replied that Wang Jialuo had jumped off the cliff and fallen to his death. Qing Yi asked if she had gone to the bottom of the cliff to confirm. The subordinate shook her head. Qing Yi had a bad feeling; she didn't think Wang Jialuo would die so easily. Indeed, when Wang Jialuo opened his eyes again, he saw a person dressed like a monk sitting not far away.
It turned out that Wang Jialuo had been saved by Jiang Hen. Jiang Hen was also very curious why a small constable like him had chased a killer all the way to Shanghai over a thousand li. However, Wang Jialuo's words and the resilient spirit he showed made Jiang Hen look at him with new respect. He felt that with time, Wang Jialuo would definitely accomplish great things.
After thanking Jiang Hen for saving his life, Wang Jialuo immediately rushed to Shanghai. When he was asking a shopkeeper for information, he was looked down upon. Kind words didn't work, so Wang Jialuo revealed his weapon and showed his attitude. The shopkeeper's face immediately changed, and he answered every question. The next day, Mu Qing came to Magi Road again.
He was very dissatisfied with his subordinates' attire and behavior, as an observant person could see through their identities at a glance. At the same time, Mu Qing noticed that the Rongtian Sword Sect group had eleven people, and Zhuo Bufan and two others just happened to be sitting at the same table where they ate yesterday. Their target was the cafe across the street.
Mu Qing judged that today's critical point was the cafe, and presumed Tan Xian would appear there. Not long after, the main character appeared. Tan Xian and a woman walked into the cafe. Seeing this scene, the three parties stirred into action. The Rongtian Sword Sect group was the first to seize advantageous positions. Mu Qing and his men immediately took action. Seeing the situation, the Japanese also dropped their disguise and surrounded them. The three parties faced off.
Liu Lin saw that the situation was not right; there were dangers lurking both inside and outside the cafe. She stood up and made the contact gesture, but no one responded, indicating that the contact person was not inside the cafe. She immediately returned and suggested to Tan Xian that they should withdraw. Tan Xian was worried that missing the contact time would affect the next step of their plan, but preserving themselves was the best strategy now.
He had no choice but to agree to Liu Lin's idea and prepare to leave. Zhuo Bufan knew that the Imperial Guards and the Japanese also targeted Tan Xian. He decided to strike first, so he sent Qin Tuo inside to control Tan Xian. Mu Qing and Qing Yi were also about to take action. At this moment, Wang Jialuo suddenly appeared. He loudly declared that he was there to apprehend the murderers Yu Huanjie and Qin Tuo.
As the sect leader, Zhuo Bufan could not shirk responsibility either, and he wanted to take them all back for questioning. This scene shocked everyone.
Episode 6 Recap
Wang Jialuo's appearance surprised everyone. The people from Rongtian Ridge were disdainful towards him, initially thinking that sending one person would be enough to deal with Wang Jialuo. However, Wang Jialuo was not someone to be trifled with. Yu Huanjie and Qin Tuo attacked together, but with only two fists, Wang Jialuo found it difficult to fight four hands.
Seeing he was about to die at the hands of the Rongtian Sword Sect, Mu Qing saw the situation and issued an order to protect Wang Jialuo at all costs, while he himself rushed forward to confront Zhuo Bufan. The two fought dozens of rounds with no clear winner, developing a sense of heroes appreciating each other. With the intervention of the Japanese, the three-party melee officially began.
Seeing this chaotic situation, Liu Lin decided to take Tan Xian and escape during the confusion. However, they were stopped by Nogami Kan and his men. In desperation, Liu Lin used Tan Xian as a hostage. She pointed her gun at Tan Xian, stating that if the people surrounding and capturing them didn't retreat, she would kill Tan Xian first, preventing him from falling into others' hands.
The Japanese were hesitant to act, fearing the consequences for Tan Xian, and did not dare to make a rash move. At this moment, a large number of patrolmen swarmed in, completely surrounding the three forces. The detective from the French Concession Police Station came forward and took Tan Xian and Liu Lin away. Mu Qing was helpless. The Japanese and the people from Rongtian Ridge had no choice but to retreat first.
The next day, Mu Qing and Getai went to the French Concession with the local patrolmen to demand their release but were refused entry. The French Concession detective received orders to arrange Tan Xian and Liu Lin in a hotel within the French Concession and assigned special personnel to protect them. He said there would be a ship from Shanghai to Hong Kong early the next morning and urged them to leave quickly.
Tan Xian was worried that an accident could happen to him at any moment, and since his bodyguard Liu Lin was also a member of the Tongmenghui (Alliance), he decided to tell Liu Lin the secret he carried. Liu Lin did not agree at first, but after repeated consideration, she finally consented. Twelve years ago, in the year of the Hundred Days' Reform, Tan Xian's father had an old friend named Tan Sitong.
He followed Tan Sitong in the reform and modernization movement. After the reform failed, Tan Sitong was arrested, and Tan Xian's father was also pursued. Their group hid in the southern suburbs and were discovered by experts from the Imperial Palace, leading to a siege. Just at the critical moment, Cheng Yu suddenly appeared and saved everyone. With Cheng Yu's help, they escaped to Nanyang (Southeast Asia).
Later, Tan's father learned that Cheng Yu was a direct descendant of Southern Shaolin, the third-generation head successor of the Bodhi Courtyard. Six years ago, Tan's father received a letter stating that Cheng Yu had passed away. He told Tan's father a shocking secret. Twelve years prior, Emperor Kangxi led troops to attack Southern Shaolin and burned it to the ground specifically to search for the Net Altar treasure. Cheng Yu was one of the inheritors guarding the treasure.
In the letter, he wanted to entrust the treasure to someone who could rebuild the country. Sun Wen of the Tongmenghui was a person suitable for entrusting the treasure. The treasure clue was left in one of his burial sites, and he asked Tan's father to go find it. This treasure was enough to overthrow feudal rule. This was something that both the Qing government and Japan did not want to see, and even Jianghu forces were eager to act.
The letter recorded the location of Cheng Yu's burial site and contained a password that Cheng Yu repeatedly emphasized the importance of and told Liu Lin to remember firmly, as it would definitely be useful someday, although he didn't know when. Yu Huanjie questioned Zhuo Bufan why he gave up on Tan Xian so easily, but Zhuo Bufan was calm and indifferent.
This was because Huo Qin had already left a mark on Tan Xian, and they could find him by following this clue. On the other side, Qing Yi questioned Nogami Kan why Wang Jialuo had disrupted things again, wasn't she confident that Wang Jialuo was already dead? Nogami Kan lowered his head and was speechless. Following the clue provided by Huo Qin, the people from Rongtian Ridge quickly found Tan Xian.
He was staying at the Wandefu Hotel in the French Concession. All three forces wanted to capture Tan Xian, but none wanted to expose themselves. As a result, they all had the same idea: disguise themselves as others to make them take the blame. Liu Lin saw the situation was critical, so she changed into Tan Xian's clothes and left first to attract attention, and then Tan Xian would escape during the confusion.
Tan Xian heard someone knocking to deliver food, but he hadn't ordered any. He didn't open the door. After the person left, Tan Xian took out a note from under the food. It said "downstairs phone booth at 1 AM tonight". Tan Xian guessed that this was someone from the Tongmenghui trying to make contact with him.
Episode 7 Recap
Zhuo Bufan saw through Tan Xian's and Liu Lin's plan, so he ordered Huo Qin to sneak into the hotel to force out Tan Xian's secret. Zhuo Bufan, meanwhile, intercepted Mu Qing on the street. The two met and exchanged blows. Zhuo Bufan praised Mu Qing's saber as being fast, ruthless, and steady enough, but within sixty moves, neither could gain the upper hand.
However, he claimed that at most a hundred moves, Mu Qing would surely lose to his sword. Mu Qing believed Zhuo Bufan might not necessarily defeat him because he would fight with his life. Inside the hotel, Huo Qin found Tan Xian in the room and used poison to force him to reveal what he had handed over to the Tongmenghui. Tan Xian resisted the pressure from Huo Qin's poison, deliberately distracting Huo Qin's attention and burning the secret document.
Seeing the secret document completely gone, Tan Xian also committed suicide by taking poison. Huo Qin hurried to find Zhuo Bufan to inform him of Tan Xian's suicide by poison and said that the secret document left for the Tongmenghui had been burned, so now the clue was gone. Tan Xian was dead, so Zhuo Bufan did not want to continue fighting, and moreover, he did not want to be an enemy of the imperial court.
Mu Qing believed Zhuo Bufan had stolen the Wen Yuan Ge secret treasures and was also suspected of participating in a rebellion, stating that these were all capital offenses. Zhuo Bufan did not want to continue the fight, so he seized the opportunity to leave with Huo Qin. Mu Qing rushed to the hotel and was extremely angry upon seeing the letter burned to ashes and the dead Tan Xian.
After Huo Qin and Zhuo Bufan left, Huo Qin found an opportunity to tell Zhuo Bufan the reason she let Tan Xian commit suicide was because she saw the words "The item is hidden in the tomb, Fenzhou Prefecture" when the letter was burning. Zhuo Bufan believed the secret of the Net Altar treasure was in Fenzhou Prefecture, and the tomb was the tomb of the Southern Shaolin successor.
Mu Qing accused the detective from the patrol office of inadequate surveillance. He learned that the order to guard Tan Xian came from the concession's municipal council boss, and the real order was sent back from overseas. Mu Qing advised the patrol office detective, advising him to create the appearance of transferring Tan Xian away, and as a condition for exchange, he hoped to search Tan Xian's room and floor.
Mu Qing searched Tan Xian's room and found a meal tray in the room that had been delivered but not touched. He then discovered the note that was originally hidden in the meal tray on Tan Xian's body, knowing that someone would call Tan Xian at night, and this person was likely the real contact person. Mu Qing answered the phone, but the other party sensed something was wrong and decisively hung up.
Mu Qing had no leads in the case. He thought all night and still felt there was something wrong with Zhuo Bufan's Rongtian Ridge. Last night, it was Huo Qin who went to the hotel and met Tan Xian first. He was unsure whether the Tan Xian that Huo Qin saw was alive or dead. He was unsure whether Huo Qin read the secret letter and killed Tan Xian.
Now he could only track Zhuo Bufan and his group first and have Getai send people to search the major stations. Wang Jialuo woke up and learned that Getai had saved him, proactively thanking him for saving his life. Mu Qing wanted to give Wang Jialuo a reward, asking him to return to Dagukou and stating that the Imperial Household Department would continue to investigate the case.
Wang Jialuo learned that the Imperial Household Department had not caught Zhuo Bufan and insisted on staying to continue tracking Zhuo Bufan. Although Prince Qi had been searching for the Net Altar treasure for less than a month, he had already made extraordinary progress. Now he wanted to use Mu Qing to confront Zhuo Bufan to reduce his own risk of exposure. Zhuo Bufan planned to stay in Shanghai for another day. The senior disciple brother asked for the reason.
Zhuo Bufan explained that they had already found the item and it was now in Shanxi, but he learned that Prince Qi had come to Shanghai and intended to meet him before leaving. Zhuo Bufan brought his senior disciple brother Yu Huanjie to visit Prince Qi, but Prince Qi did not meet them immediately. Although the butler arranged lunch for the two, Zhuo Bufan did not have the patience to wait, but Yu Huanjie told him to wait patiently.
Ulan Shan learned that Mu Qing and Getai were also handling a case in Shanghai and ordered her maid to help deliver a letter. Liu Lin waited a long time at the station but did not see Tan Xian. She returned to the hotel. Zhuo Bufan finally waited for Prince Qi. He told the Prince the news that the place to complete the treasure map's secret was in Fenzhou Prefecture, Shanxi.
The Prince promised that after finding the treasure, the martial arts classics within it would belong to the Rongtian Sect and would also confer upon the Rongtian Sect the title of the foremost sect in the world in the name of the imperial court. The Prince told Zhuo Bufan that the Bodhi successor died six years ago, hoping this news would help Zhuo Bufan find the treasure. Learning that Zhuo Bufan was being watched by Mu Qing, Prince Qi also promised to help Zhuo Bufan resolve this trouble tonight.
Episode 8 Recap
Ulan Shan invited Mu Qing for a chat. After many years, Ulan Shan gave Mu Qing a necklace, saying this was to repay the necklace she owed him before. Back then, Ulan Shan was riding her bicycle freely in the palace, but accidentally bumped into Mu Qing and broke his bracelet. Their connection began from then. Liu Lin did not find Tan Xian in the hotel room, but unexpectedly met Lin Haohan, who was promoting jewelry.
Liu Lin called her superiors and told them that they had encountered different people on Mǎiqí Road, including Japanese, people from the Imperial Household Department, and a Jianghu force. Now she has lost contact with Tan Xian and is worried that he has fallen into the hands of these people. Currently, she cannot find her contact person.
Tan Xian once told her the clue was in Shanxi, so she decided to go to Shanxi first to get the clue before others. Zhuo Bufan gave more than half of the money given by Prince Qi to Yu Huanjie. As soon as Yu Huanjie got the money, he took his fellow disciples out to eat, drink, and have fun.
After learning this, Huo Qin was angry that Zhuo Bufan always yielded to Yu Huanjie, but what did he ultimately get? Although Zhuo Bufan knew that the fellow disciples were now displaced, having everyone together was what made a sword sect.
Everything he is doing now is to bring the Rongtian Sect back to its peak, but Huo Qin is still dissatisfied with Zhuo Bufan's attitude, and feels even more wronged that Zhuo Bufan even gave her up to their master. Zhuo Bufan knew that Huo Qin had lived a very hard life these past years, but he asked Huo Qin to believe him, and he would surely bring an end to such days soon.
Prince Qi took Zhuo Bufan to meet the Jianghu killer Qian Qi and hired him to kill Mu Qing. Prince Qi told Zhuo Bufan that Qian Qi was a killing machine trained by the Imperial Household Department. In the seventh year of Guangxu, Empress Dowager Ci'an, who ruled alongside Empress Dowager Cixi, suddenly died. The mystery of her death. . .
In that year, Qian Qi escaped from the Imperial Household Department, and three years later, the killer Qian Qi appeared in Jianghu. Previously, Qian Qi's wife and children were killed by enemies, and all the money Qian Qi earned from killing people would be burned for his wife and children. Prince Qi did not expect Qian Qi to be able to kill Mu Qing; he only hoped that he could intervene to impede Mu Qing's pursuit of Zhuo Bufan.
Yu Huanjie came seeking pleasure but unexpectedly fell into Qing Yi Xinfeng's trap. She was aware of the past of Rongtian Ridge and also stated that once Rongtian Ridge prospered, Zhuo Bufan would be a master of his generation, and even if the sect declined, Zhuo Bufan would be the last sect leader. From beginning to end, only Zhuo Bufan would be remembered.
Qing Yi Xinfeng persuaded Yu Huanjie to cooperate with her, so that with the support of the powerful Japanese Empire, she could help Yu Huanjie ascend to the position of sect leader. Qing Yi Xinfeng gave Yu Huanjie time to consider and also stated that before the Net Altar treasure appeared, her promise would always be valid. Zhuo Bufan waited for Yu Huanjie's return.
Although he was dissatisfied with Yu Huanjie taking the fellow disciples out to eat, drink, and have fun, Yu Huanjie, in his capacity as the senior disciple brother, reprimanded Zhuo Bufan. Zhuo Bufan could only persuade Yu Huanjie to pack his luggage quickly and set off for Shanxi.
Mu Qing told Getai not to send people to follow Zhuo Bufan and his group, and instructed him to immediately issue letters to the yamen in Jiangsu, Henan, Shanxi, and other prefectures to pay close attention. Mu Qing asked Wang Jialuo about his experiences tracking Zhuo Bufan and found that his observation was thorough and his sense of smell was acute, concluding that his ability in solving cases was comparable to that of experts from the Six Fan Gates.
He asked Wang Jialuo to stay and work with him, and when they returned to the capital, he would transfer Wang Jialuo to work in the Imperial Household Department. Although Wang Jialuo was tempted by this, he still refused this promotion opportunity. He insisted on continuing to track Zhuo Bufan, so that the person who should be brought to justice could be brought to justice.
Mu Qing didn't understand why Wang Jialuo was so persistent, but he really had no way to deal with him. Wang Jialuo came to the hotel and found Lin Anjing. He suspected that Lin Anjing was a member of the Tongmenghui and pressed her, asking why she happened to appear at the Mǎiqí Road coffee shop.
Lin Anjing stated that she went there simply to meet someone from the Tongmenghui, and she just wanted to know why her family had suffered such a cruel fate. Wang Jialuo tested Lin Anjing multiple times and ultimately chose to believe her. Seeing that Wang Jialuo was not going to kill her, Lin Anjing decided to continue following him.
Wang Jialuo initially refused on the grounds that men and women should not touch each other, but unexpectedly, Lin Anjing took the initiative to kiss Wang Jialuo, which caused Wang Jialuo to flee in panic. After Wang Jialuo left, Qing Yi Xinfeng appeared in the room. Qing Yi Xinfeng highly praised what Lin Anjing had just done, believing that as long as Lin Anjing followed Wang Jialuo, she would surely gain important clues.
Episode 9 Recap
Wang Jialuo wanted to know the whereabouts of Zhuo Bufan and the Rongtian Ridge group, but Mu Qing was unwilling to tell him. Wang Jialuo stubbornly insisted on bringing the six perpetrators of the nine murders at Dagū Inn to justice. Currently, four people have died due to resistance during arrest, leaving only Yu Huanjie and Qin Tuo. As the sect leader, Zhuo Bufan could not escape responsibility, and his target was to track these three.
Mu Qing didn't want Wang Jialuo to continue pursuing the Rongtian Ridge group, fearing that he might face retaliation alone, but Wang Jialuo didn't appreciate his kindness. He was not afraid of offending Mu Qing, knowing that he was a gentleman. While Mu Qing was arguing with Wang Jialuo, he was assassinated by Qian Qi. Mu Qing and Wang Jialuo teamed up to fight Qian Qi.
After a fierce battle, just as Qian Qi was wounded and defeated, Jiang Hen suddenly appeared and rescued him. However, at this point, Qian Qi was beyond help. Jiang Hen knew what he was thinking and used a hidden weapon to send him to meet his early deceased wife and children. Wang Jialuo's wound reopened because he helped Mu Qing. The doctor helped him re-bandage the wound.
Wang Jialuo secretly overheard Mu Qing and others discussing the case progression in the adjacent room. Hearing that Zhuo Bufan and his group had reached the Jiangsu area, Wang Jialuo immediately set off in pursuit. However, what Wang Jialuo didn't know was that this was a message deliberately revealed to him by Mu Qing, intended to use Wang Jialuo's keen tracking ability to find Zhuo Bufan faster.
Wang Jialuo told Lin Anjing the information he obtained, and Lin Anjing decisively asked to follow him. On the way, Huo Qin noticed they were being followed. Zhuo Bufan and Qin Tuo turned back and killed the followers. They found that the followers were Japanese. Zhuo Bufan decided to temporarily stay at an inn to rest, making the messenger believe that their group was continuing forward, thus shaking off the followers.
Liu Lin couldn't buy a ticket to Shanxi and could only ask the innkeeper to help her arrange a ticket to Shanxi. While eating crabs, Mu Qing burned his finger and unexpectedly thought of the wound on Tan Xian's hand. He sensed there was a problem and decided to go back to the hotel with Getai to investigate again. Unexpectedly, they found Lin Haohan in the room.
Mu Qing questioned Lin Haohan for a bit and did not find anything unusual about him. When Lin Haohan learned that a murder had occurred in the room he was staying in, he felt it was unlucky and wanted to move to another hotel. Mu Qing voluntarily offered to pay for him to change hotels, but warned him not to talk carelessly and not to cause trouble for the hotel. After Lin Haohan left, Mu Qing began searching the room.
He thought the wound on Tan Xian's finger was too regular and wanted to see if Tan Xian had left any clues in the room. After searching for a while, they indeed found Tan Xian's handwriting behind the mirror: "Pingyao Mass Graves, Bodhi Descendant". Mu Qing analyzed that the treasure must be in the tomb of the Bodhi Descendant. Seeing that Zhuo Bufan and his group were heading west, they must be going to Pingyao, Shanxi.
Lin Haohan went to the train station and found a restaurant to eat. Unexpectedly, he encountered Liu Lin, whom he had seen before. The naturally friendly Lin Haohan initiated a conversation with Liu Lin. Liu Lin was surprised to learn that Lin Haohan was going to Fenzhou Prefecture, Shanxi, the next day. She tried to contact him with gestures, but Lin Haohan didn't understand them at all.
Liu Lin wanted to exchange train tickets with Lin Haohan to depart for Shanxi tomorrow, but unexpectedly, Lin Haohan directly suggested that Liu Lin simply leave with him, which perfectly matched Liu Lin's needs. On the other side, Mu Qing actually also suspected that Lin Haohan was the contact person, so he deliberately offered to pay for Lin Haohan to change hotels. As long as he used the money, Mu Qing would know where the other party appeared.
Wang Jialuo took Lin Anjing along a small path to track Zhuo Bufan. Soon, Wang Jialuo discovered traces of a fire along the way, guessing that Zhuo Bufan and his group had left the place more than half a day ago, and that there was a woman riding in a carriage among their group.
Episode 10 Recap
Cun Qing captured a group of rebellious individuals, and under severe torture, learned that the rebellion started on the night of April 29th, with a total of nine routes of insurgent armies launching the attack, and they were also acting on the orders of the Tongmenghui. Cun Qing was ordered to go to the disaster relief area.
Mu Qing met Cun Qing and learned from him that Prince Qi's visit to Shanghai for a relative's wedding was just an excuse, and his main purpose was to secretly meet with the plotters. Cun Qing and Mu Qing analyzed the current situation. All signs indicated that the rebels' uprising was fake, deliberately orchestrated by the plotters to disrupt the Internal Affairs Bureau's actions.
Cun Qing analyzed that the person behind this did not want Mu Qing to continue investigating the Jingtan treasure, and Zhuo Bufan was also working for the plotters. It was obvious that the person orchestrating things behind the scenes was Prince Qi. The urgent task was to quickly find the Jingtan hidden treasure to help the Great Qing rise again.
Cun Qing told Mu Qing to focus on the treasure hunt and not tell anyone about this, as the court being short of money was not something glorious. Zhuo Bufan originally wanted to travel overnight, but considering Huo Qin's discomfort, he decided to stay at an inn for the night. Wang Jialuo discovered the restaurant Zhuo Bufan and others had visited through investigation and quickly got a lead on their whereabouts.
To avoid affecting the operation, Wang Jialuo asked Lin Anjing to rest temporarily at the restaurant while he went to track Zhuo Bufan alone. After resting, Huo Qin felt her body was fine. Zhuo Bufan woke up his fellow disciples overnight to continue traveling. Wang Jialuo caught up with Zhuo Bufan and his group alone, intending to apprehend them, but his strength was no match for Zhuo Bufan's, and he was quickly knocked down by one move from Zhuo Bufan.
The people from the Internal Affairs Bureau tracking Wang Jialuo quickly found him. Mistaking him for dead, they feared exposing their whereabouts and didn't bother with his body, which greatly angered Mu Qing. Lin Anjing, following on horseback, also discovered Wang Jialuo, but she only helped tidy his clothes and then left without hesitation. In the end, Jiang Hen found Wang Jialuo and took him away.
Qingyi Xinfeng learned the news sent by Lin Anjing, finding out that Zhuo Bufan and his group had reached Fenzhou Prefecture in Shanxi. She decided to personally lead people to Fenzhou Prefecture in Shanxi. Wang Jialuo was placed on a small boat by Jiang Hen, and he drifted downstream and was rescued.
The person who saved him admired Wang Jialuo's loyalty to the emperor, but also told him that officials in the world are divided into three types: Confucian ministers, capable ministers, and ministers who assist a king. In chaotic times, only ministers who assist a king can accomplish something. This person commented that Wang Jialuo might be a minister who assists a king and could achieve great things in the future.
Learning that Wang Jialuo still intended to pursue the culprit in Shanxi, the person who saved him gave him a letter. With the letter, he could find Longchi in the 43rd Brigade of the Beiyang Army. With this letter, he could become a brigade commander and lead troops to continue the capture of Zhuo Bufan.
Episode 11 Recap
Wang Jialuo returned to the inn to look for Lin Anjing. He learned that Lin Anjing had already left after he did, so he could only first figure out how to hurry to Fenzhou Prefecture in Shanxi. Liu Lin followed Lin Haohan and came to Fenzhou Prefecture in Shanxi together. In order to get closer to the beauty, Lin Haohan deliberately bribed the innkeeper and told Liu Lin that the inn only had one guest room left.
Liu Lin had no choice but to continue sharing a room with Lin Haohan. After resting for a night at the inn, Liu Lin quickly left. She decided to hurry to Pingyao first. Mu Qing and his group arrived at Fenzhou Prefecture. Getai unexpectedly encountered Lin Haohan, who was looking for Liu Lin, on the street, and simply took him away.
Because Lin Haohan was too glib but also seemed very cunning, Mu Qing did not believe what he said, nor did he believe that he was just a simple antique dealer. Because the time and place of every encounter were too suspicious, Mu Qing decided to keep Lin Haohan by his side. This way, he could not only keep an eye on him at all times but also utilize Lin Haohan's expertise as an antique dealer for his own purposes.
Lin Anjing secretly met with Qingyi Xinfeng. Ye Shanghan was not convinced by Lin Anjing's ability and made a move to test her, but was instead pinned down by Lin Anjing. Only at this point did Ye Shanghan believe that Lin Anjing was the most excellent subordinate that Qingyi Xinfeng spoke of. Qingyi Xinfeng believed that it was most beneficial for them if no one obtained the Jingtan hidden treasure.
So she gave Lin Anjing her mission objective – to disrupt and interfere, making it impossible for all parties to find the Jingtan hidden treasure. Mu Qing and Getai checked the Pingyao County Annals, but they had absolutely no clue about the tomb of the Bodhi successor. They could only mobilize everyone from the Fenzhou Prefecture county office to check grave by grave.
Meanwhile, Zhuo Bufan and others were also troubled about how to find the tomb of the Bodhi successor. Now they could only split up with Yu Huanjie and others to search for the Bodhi successor's cemetery. Yu Huanjie discovered the figure of Ye Shanghan. Afterwards, he privately met with Qingyi Xinfeng. Qingyi Xinfeng knew that the Rongtian Ling group was working for Prince Qi.
She continued to instigate conflict between Yu Huanjie and Zhuo Bufan, and also wanted Yu Huanjie to work for them. She also promised that if she found the treasure, she would agree to give Yu Huanjie ten percent of the wealth. Even if he couldn't find the treasure, Qingyi Xinfeng also offered enough money to tempt Yu Huanjie. The condition was for him to inform her of Zhuo Bufan's actions one by one. Yu Huanjie finally agreed to cooperate.
He also told Qingyi Xinfeng that Huo Qin, the wife of the master of their Rongtian Ling, was skilled at raising venomous insects. Once Qingyi Xinfeng and others got close to him, they would be discovered, so he needed to take the initiative to contact and inform her with information. Getai found a constable who had helped the Internal Affairs Bureau handle cases forty-four years ago while inquiring at the yamen.
Mu Qing came to find Constable Qin to ask about clues regarding the "Shovel". Constable Qin told him that the "Shovel" was not a gang but a person. He recounted the matters of cooperating with the Internal Affairs Bureau on the case back then one by one. Mu Qing then asked about the scar on Constable Qin's face. He learned that it was cut by a knife while pursuing mountain bandits back then. Mu Qing realized Constable Qin was lying. He exposed the other party's lie and also guessed that Constable Qin had seen the "Shovel" back then.
Episode 12 Recap
Constable Qin told Mu Qing that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had finally found the "Shovel" after two months of searching in Fenzhou Prefecture. Seeing that torture and coercion yielded no clues, the Ministry of Internal Affairs captured the "Shovel"'s wife and children to threaten him. At the critical moment, a martial arts swordsman arrived here and killed all the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Constable Qin, in a moment of crisis, used the "Shovel"'s young son as a shield, and his face was ultimately slashed by the expert. Although the expert spared Constable Qin's life, he also threatened him to keep the "Shovel"'s whereabouts a secret. That's why Constable Qin has kept silent about this matter for nearly forty years. Constable Qin told Mu Qing that the "Shovel" is now dead.
His home back then was in a village in Jiexiu County, Fenzhou Prefecture, and his descendants have also completely lost contact. Wang Jialuo arrived in Fenzhou Prefecture in rags. After several twists and turns, he finally found the Beiyang Army garrison.
He wanted to meet with General Longchi in person to deliver a letter, but he didn't expect the soldiers to look down on Wang Jialuo's appearance and even sneer at his identity as a constable from the Dagukou County Office, dismissing him like a beggar. Wang Jialuo had no choice but to ask them to forward the letter to General Longchi. Unexpectedly, General Longchi was shocked after seeing the letter and immediately ordered Wang Jialuo to be found.
Prince Qi returned to the capital. From the butler, he learned that Cun Qing had sent an early manuscript of Ouyang Xun. From this, Prince Qi saw that Cun Qing wanted to tell him, using the words of Zhuangzi, that Prince Qi's plan to 'slay the dragon' could not be carried out.
Prince Qi asked the butler to send a carved feather fan made of huanghuali wood from the study to Cun Qing, hoping that Cun Qing would understand how to adapt to circumstances. This time, Prince Qi had contact with the consuls of Britain and France in Shanghai, and they expressed full support for his coup d'état. He told Zhong Haichao this good news. Wang Jialuo was found and brought back by the soldiers sent by Longchi.
Longchi hosted a banquet for Wang Jialuo and appointed him as a Colonel in the allied army, commanding thirty soldiers, strongly assisting him in investigating the case. He also assigned Ding Yu as Wang Jialuo's adjutant to assist him in handling the case. Wang Jialuo told Ding Yu the information about Zhuo Bufan and his group whom he was looking for. Ding Yu immediately dispatched soldiers to track their whereabouts.
Mu Qing and Getai went to check the household registration in Jiexiu Village. Neither of them knew the "Shovel"'s real name, so they had no way to start the investigation. Haichao found Ulan Shan who had returned from Shanghai and tested whether she had met Mu Qing. Seeing Ulan Shan's evasive attitude, Zhong Haichao's jealousy grew, and he became angry with her.
Twelve years ago, Ulan Shan and Mu Qing were mutually attracted, but unexpectedly, they were not fated to be together and ultimately could not be with each other. Longchi privately told Ding Yu that on the surface, he was assisting Wang Jialuo in tracking down the murderer, but in reality, he was keeping a close eye on the whereabouts of the Jingtan hidden treasure.
The reason why the important people above let the 43rd Regiment assist Wang Jialuo was also to monitor the people from all walks of life who came looking for the treasure. In any case, this batch of treasure must not fall into the hands of others. After Ding Yu learned the news, he said that he would definitely do his best to carry out the task.
Late at night, Zhuo Bufan took Huo Qin and Qin Tuo and hurried to Zezhou. Their purpose for this trip was to rescue someone. Zhuo Bufan broke into the Zezhou Prison alone and successfully rescued his Martial Uncle Mo Kun, who was imprisoned there. The next day, Zhuo Bufan brought the Rongtian Ling faction to respectfully welcome his Martial Uncle. When Yu Huanjie saw that Zhuo Bufan had rescued his Martial Uncle, he proactively thanked Zhuo Bufan.
It turned out that Yu Huanjie was originally an abandoned infant who was picked up by his Martial Uncle Mo Kun, and therefore their relationship was like that of father and son. Back then, after Martial Uncle Mo Kun went to the Central Plains, he made many people aware of the Rongtian Sword Sect. His disappearance was because he had helped the reformists during the Wuxu Reforms, and after the reform failed, he was arrested as a rebel. The reason why Zhuo Bufan rescued his Martial Uncle Mo Kun was also considering that with Martial Uncle Mo Kun present, Yu Huanjie would be more restrained.
Episode 13 Recap
Mu Qing and Getai brought people to Jiexiu County Village, but after searching around the village, no one knew about this person called "Shovel". Mu Qing ate breakfast in the village and was surprised to find that one breakfast in the village cost thirteen copper coins, but the county yamen's tax records showed that the village was not wealthy, yet the prices in the village were not low.
Judging from the situation at the breakfast stall, few people came for breakfast during the day, but there were many bowls and chopsticks waiting to be washed. Mu Qing guessed that many villagers worked at night, which showed they had found the right place. Under Mu Qing's instructions, Lin Haohan went to the village to investigate under the guise of buying antiques.
Qin Tuo learned that some fellow disciples had discovered the female bodyguard who was once with Tan Xian in Pingyao. Zhuo Bufan guessed that the tomb of the Bodhi successor was in Pingyao and decided to take everyone there. After Yu Huanjie learned of this news, he found a way to inform the Japanese. Lin Haohan walked around the village and collected many valuable antiques. He believed there was great mystery in the village.
Mu Qing ordered someone to call the village head. He clearly stated that he would not interfere with the villagers' grave robbing activities, only needing to know the whereabouts of the grave robber "Shovel" and his descendants. The village head found people in the village who knew about "Shovel" to report. Mu Qing learned that "Shovel"'s real name might be Su Yunzhi, known as Master Su, and his grave was in the mass grave site west of Zhaozhuang.
Upon learning the exact location, Mu Qing quickly led his men to the mass grave site west of Zhaozhuang. Liu Lin came alone to the mass grave site west of Zhaozhuang. Zhuo Bufan also brought people to follow. He questioned Liu Lin which grave mound was the tomb of the Bodhi successor. Before Liu Lin could answer, Mu Qing and others had already arrived. At the same time, Qingyi Xinfeng also brought people and waited in the dark.
Seeing that Mu Qing and Zhuo Bufan's two sides were confronting each other, neither willing to yield, Lin Haohan simply suggested searching for the Bodhi successor's tomb first. When asked about the burial time of the Bodhi successor, Zhuo Bufan said it was about six years ago. Soon, Lin Haohan used his own judgment to pinpoint the Bodhi successor's grave.
He personally started digging the grave, and with the target right in front of them, Mu Qing and Zhuo Bufan also began to fight. The coffin in the grave only contained a porcelain jar. Mu Qing and Zhuo Bufan wrestled with each other for it. Soon, Zhuo Bufan snatched the porcelain jar, and the Rongtian faction also brought the Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel and others under control.
Zhuo Bufan did not want to kill Mu Qing, only wanting to leave with the item, but unexpectedly, Wang Jialuo brought soldiers and surrounded them. Facing the threat of the Beiyang Army's guns, Zhuo Bufan knew they were powerless to resist. He used the porcelain jar in his hand to force Wang Jialuo to let Huo Qin and her group leave, while he temporarily remained with the porcelain jar.
Seeing Huo Qin and her group leave safely, Zhuo Bufan surprisingly struck and directly destroyed the porcelain jar, then quickly escaped. Mu Qing instructed his subordinates to collect all the fragments of the porcelain jar. Wang Jialuo already knew the secret of the Jingtan hidden treasure.
Now, the reason he brought people to arrest the Rongtianling group was not only for the Dagukou County murder case, but also because he did not want the Rongtianling group to steal the Great Qing treasure. Mu Qing was very grateful for Wang Jialuo's assistance today, and the two agreed to meet at a tavern in the evening for a chat.
Mu Qing believed that there must be important information on the porcelain jar, and instructed his subordinates to piece the jar together and restore it as much as possible. Lin Haohan took advantage of the chaos to leave with Liu Lin. Mu Qing noticed Lin Haohan was missing and immediately sent people to search for him. Qingyi Xinfeng believed that Wang Jialuo should not be underestimated and instructed Lin Anjing to find an opportunity to return to Wang Jialuo's side.
Zhong Haichao came to see Mr. Xie. Mr. Xie told him that the whereabouts of the Rongtianling group were secretive and that they had been searching for the Jingtan hidden treasure. They were hired by someone, and it was speculated that the mastermind behind them was likely Zhong Haichao's father-in-law, Prince Qi. Zhong Haichao stated that he absolutely did not know about this matter. Mr.
Xie said that previously, the Beiyang Army and Prince Qi had an agreement to assist him in a coup d'état and form a cabinet, but the Beiyang Army must also hold absolute control within it. Now, Prince Qi's search for the treasure clearly indicated he had other motives, raising concerns that he might try to control the Beiyang Army. Zhong Haichao stated that although he was Prince Qi's son-in-law, he would not forget his origins and would certainly not hide anything from the Beiyang Army.
Episode 14 Recap
Zhong Haichao specifically bought jewelry and returned to the mansion to make amends with Ulan Shan, and also took the opportunity to ask Ulan Shan if Prince Qi had any interactions with people from the martial arts world. Ulan Shan did not know about Prince Qi's affairs, so Zhong Haichao did not get any useful leads. Liu Lin and Lin Haohan were being followed by personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Lin Haohan told Liu Lin to find a way to leave the city first, and the two would meet separately at the city gate, but unexpectedly, both of them were stopped by the Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel. Lin Haohan saw Mu Qing and used eloquent words to explain his reason for escaping, also stating that he and Liu Lin had just met by chance. Mu Qing handed the porcelain jar fragments to Lin Haohan for examination.
Lin Haohan said that this was a container used for the ashes of an enlightened monk, and now that it was shattered, he could not determine its origin. Mu Qing simply asked Lin Haohan to piece the fragments together directly. Mu Qing knew that Liu Lin was a member of the Tongmenghui. He interrogated Liu Lin but did not get any useful leads, so he simply had her detained.
Since there were no other rooms in the inn, Getai locked Liu Lin in Lin Haohan's room. Late at night, Mu Qing and Wang Jialuo met at a tavern. Wang Jialuo returned the money he had borrowed before, and Mu Qing also returned Wang Jialuo's key. Wang Jialuo said that although Beiyang had given him guns and men, he was still the constable of Dagukou County and still served the court.
Mu Qing and Wang Jialuo slowly sorted through the events of the past few days and realized that Jiang Hen frequently appeared where they were acting and had helped them multiple times. Mu Qing was puzzled as to why this person kept guiding them toward the truth, as this person was not from the court.
Mu Qing analyzed that this person was certainly not part of the same group as the Japanese or Zhuo Bufan, and since he had helped him and Wang Jialuo, he guessed that this person would at least not be an enemy of the court. Among those currently pursuing the Jingtan hidden treasure, only Mu Qing and Wang Jialuo served the court.
Mu Qing and Wang Jialuo agreed to be honest with each other and cooperate fully to jointly pursue Zhuo Bufan and search for the Jingtan hidden treasure together. Mu Qing took Wang Jialuo back to the inn. At this time, Lin Haohan had put all his effort into piecing the porcelain jar together, but the bottom of the jar was too severely damaged.
Mu Qing guessed that Zhuo Bufan must have discovered a secret at the bottom of the jar, which is why he damaged it so severely. Mu Qing saw ancient seal script on the body of the porcelain jar and learned from Lin Haohan that it was a Buddhist scripture: "吾建超世志，必至无上道，斯愿不满足，誓不成等觉" (I shall establish a transcendental aspiration, to surely reach the ultimate path. If this vow is not fulfilled, I swear not to attain perfect enlightenment).
Wang Jialuo believed that the Bodhi successor's ash urn should normally be kept in a temple, and their next step was to investigate temples. On the other side, Zhuo Bufan told Huo Qin that he deliberately destroyed the porcelain jar because it had the words "Da Chan An Hui Temple" at the bottom, and he destroyed the jar because he did not want Mu Qing and Wang Jialuo to continue their investigation.
Late at night, Mu Qing came to the mass grave site west of Zhaozhuang. From the clothes in the coffin of the grave, he recognized that the Bodhi successor was his master who had taught him martial arts. Back then, Mu Qing had also relied on the martial arts taught by his master to become a first-class guard. Before his master parted ways that year, he had told him a Buddhist scripture. At that time, Mu Qing did not understand.
Before his master parted, he also instructed Mu Qing that from then on, he had no master. Now, seeing his master's old clothes again, master and disciple were separated by life and death. Mu Qing reburied his master's old clothes and wondered if the Bodhi successor he was pursuing was a fellow disciple. He was even more puzzled, could his master's transcendental aspiration be to overthrow the dynasty and bury the Great Qing? For all these years, he had never thought that his master might be an enemy of the Great Qing.
Episode 15 Recap
Wang Jialuo was pulled out to eat by Ding Yu, but unexpectedly saw Lin Anjing disguised as a new prostitute kidnapped by a brothel. Wang Jialuo could not bear it and decided to save Lin Anjing. Lin Haohan actually recognized the origin of the porcelain jar at a glance. The reason he didn't say anything was to gain convenience from it.
He knew that the Ministry of Internal Affairs, martial arts sects, and the Japanese were naturally looking for a batch of treasure, and he wanted to take the opportunity to make a fortune from it.
He wanted to take the opportunity to ask Liu Lin what Mu Qing and others were looking for, but the clever and intelligent Liu Lin directly told Lin Haohan that she was a member of the Tongmenghui and had come to Shanxi to search for the treasure. Lin Haohan guessed based on experience that the treasure was not in Shanxi, and that Shanxi was just a clue.
Liu Lin hoped that Lin Haohan would tell her the secret on the porcelain jar, and that Mr. Sun would naturally give him a huge sum of wealth in the future. Lin Haohan did not trust Liu Lin, so naturally he was unwilling to tell Liu Lin the secret of the porcelain jar. Liu Lin set up a plan to leave the inn, but unexpectedly, she was caught by Mu Qing as soon as she left.
Mu Qing warned Liu Lin not to act rashly. If she could tell him all the secrets of the treasure, he would naturally let her leave. Liu Lin was locked back into the room. She told Lin Haohan that the Tongmenghui was to rescue the tens of millions of compatriots oppressed by the Qing court, and to establish a powerful democratic country, threatening him not to reveal the secret of the porcelain jar to the court's lackeys.
After Wang Jialuo rescued Lin Anjing, Lin Anjing explained that she had followed Wang Jialuo all the way because she had been kidnapped alone by human traffickers and sold to Fenzhou, Shanxi. Although Wang Jialuo was suspicious, he still softened his heart and kept her by his side. Lin Anjing knew that Wang Jialuo did not believe her. She also explicitly stated that she was also looking for the treasure.
She wanted to know why those who were looking for the treasure had killed her family. Although she herself had no ability, she knew that Wang Jialuo did. Martial Uncle Mo Kun learned about the purpose of Zhuo Bufan and his group from Yu Huanjie.
Zhuo Bufan also told Mo Kun that based on the information at the bottom of the porcelain jar, he guessed that the treasure was very likely in Anhui Temple, and Anhui Temple was far away in Shandong. Zhuo Bufan knew that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Japanese were keeping a close eye on him.
He could take a part of the people and leave first to distract them, and then the senior disciple and Qin Tuo would lead a group of disciples to escort Martial Uncle to Shandong. Mo Kun agreed to Zhuo Bufan's suggestion, but he also told Zhuo Bufan that the Jingtan hidden treasure was not in Anhui Temple. Southern Shaolin was also called Linquanyuan, and the Jingtan hidden treasure used to be called Linquan hidden treasure.
And the treasure map was not two copies, but three. In the fortieth year of Kangxi, three thousand Imperial Guards surrounded and suppressed Southern Shaolin. The abbot at the time perished along with the temple. Before he passed away, he entrusted the map hiding the secret treasure and martial arts classics guarded by Southern Shaolin to the three first seats of the Bodhidharma Hall, the Vinaya Hall, and the Bodhi Hall, and instructed them to escape in different directions.
And even if Zhuo Bufan found the three treasure maps, without the mantra of the Prajna Hall, it would be in vain. Mo Kun tested Zhuo Bufan's sword technique and found that Zhuo Bufan was much stronger than his two junior brothers, so it was understandable for him to be the sect leader. Although Zhuo Bufan lost the test, he also saw that the martial uncle was not using the Fusion Heaven Sword Technique just now.
Mo Kun told Zhuo Bufan that he was using the Three Dharma Seals Sword of the Bodhi Hall of Southern Shaolin. That year, he met Cheng Yu and discovered that the Fusion Heaven Sword Technique had no chance of winning against the Three Dharma Seals Sword. Cheng Yu told Mo Kun that year that if he only cared about Rongtian Ridge or the sword sect, then his heart was too small, and his swordsmanship could only stop there.
From then on, Mo Kun realized that a weak sect could not be revitalized by one or two people. Those ancient sects relied on orderly inheritance. Mo Kun told Zhuo Bufan and others that Cheng Yu had introduced him to many people that year, including the chief eunuch of the inner court at the time.
That year, Mo Kun and Cheng Yu jointly assisted in the failed reform, and one of them went far away to Shanxi, while the other went far away to the frontier. Cheng Yu told Mo Kun that year that the swords in their hands could kill people, but they could not change people's hearts. Those weak scholars, though they had no swords in their hands, could change the world. There is no greater act of chivalry than saving the country.
He told these words to Zhuo Bufan, also hoping that Zhuo Bufan, who was cooperating with Prince Qi, could understand some principles. If the country is weak, the people are helpless. Swordsmanship and sword sects cannot strengthen the country. Only reform can change the nation's destiny. As of today, the Qing court is corrupt, and only by overthrowing and rebuilding can the country prosper.
Mo Kun believed that if Zhuo Bufan found the treasure and presented it to the princes, it would not benefit the people. Only by handing it over to those who could truly revitalize the country would it be beneficial to everyone. Mu Qing and Wang Jialuo reunited after tracking Zhuo Bufan. Mu Qing said that Zhuo Bufan and Huo Qin's group went west, but Yu Huanjie and Qin Tuo were not among them.
He suspected that the Rongtian Ridge group had split into two routes, one feigned and one real. Mu Qing could not determine who the real treasure seeker was for the time being, and planned to wait and see.
Episode 16 Recap
Mu Qing learned that Zhuo Bufan and his group changed their route and headed north. He and Wang Jialuo set off to pursue Yu Huanjie and his group. Zhuo Bufan learned from Huo Qin that they were being followed by seven or eight people. He decided to take action to deal with these people. Mo Kun stopped midway and let Yu Huanjie and Qin Tuo take the disciples south. From the beginning, he decided to be the bait.
It was he who forced Zhuo Bufan to make everyone believe that Anhui Temple in Shandong was the real destination. Zhuo Bufan pretended to lure the enemy precisely to make the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Beiyang people misjudge. Mo Kun told Yu Huanjie and Qin Tuo that there is indeed an Anhui Temple in Shandong, but it is not their destination. Zhuo Bufan's real destination is Anhui Temple in Fujian.
Mo Kun admired Zhuo Bufan's potential to achieve great things and approved of the choices he made. Yu Huanjie was furious after learning the truth, but Mo Kun ordered him not to resent Zhuo Bufan, and even less to seek revenge on him. Mo Kun told Yu Huanjie and Qin Tuo to quickly head south with the disciples, while he alone would face Mu Qing to cover Yu Huanjie and the others' escape from Shanxi.
Soon, Mu Qing caught up with Mo Kun. Mo Kun did not hide that he was Zhuo Bufan's Martial Uncle from Rongtian Ridge. That year, Mu Qing was appreciated and promoted by Lord Cha Tai, while Mo Kun was also entrusted by Cha Tai to protect the reformists but unfortunately was imprisoned for twelve years. That year, Mu Qing lost his freedom because of reform and modernization, but now he has become a lackey of the court.
Mo Kun believed that Mu Qing had betrayed his faith of twelve years, but Mu Qing stated that obeying the imperial decree was his only mission. Qin Tuo and Yu Huanjie knew they could not avoid Wang Jialuo's tracking. Qin Tuo could understand Mu Qing's actions and also hoped that the senior disciple would not blame Zhuo Bufan for today's events, because everything Zhuo Bufan did was to revitalize the Rongtian Sword Sect.
He told Yu Huanjie to take the people and leave, while he and a few junior disciples would stay behind to cover the retreat. Wang Jialuo caught up with Qin Tuo and promised to arrest only him, allowing the other disciples to leave. Qin Tuo quickly told the disciples to leave quickly. Qin Tuo preferred death to surrender.
Wang Jialuo knew that arresting Qin Tuo was his duty, so he ordered Ding Yu to take his men and leave, while he stayed alone to arrest Qin Tuo. Wang Jialuo only wanted to arrest Qin Tuo and bring him to justice; he did not want to kill him. However, Qin Tuo chose to commit suicide rather than be captured. Seeing that the two sides were hostile, Mo Kun accepted Mu Qing's challenge.
Mo Kun, no longer in his prime, did not seek victory and was soon defeated in the duel, also being stabbed by Mu Qing. Although Mu Qing's swordsmanship was exquisite, Mo Kun asserted that Mu Qing could not defeat Zhuo Bufan within a hundred moves, let alone compare to Cheng Yu. Mo Kun sighed that Cheng Yu had spent his entire life striving to help ambitious individuals who could overthrow imperial rule and establish a new world.
It was regrettable that he had a disciple who was willing to be a court lackey. Mu Qing originally wanted to ask about his master, but Mo Kun had already passed away peacefully. Ding Yu led his men and killed the three Rongtian Ridge disciples who were leaving. Although Wang Jialuo was dissatisfied with Ding Yu's actions, he did not comment further. Zhuo Bufan used the lives of his sect members to buy himself time to escape.
Now, his whereabouts would naturally not be easily revealed. Mu Qing also knew that Mo Kun was willing to be the bait. Now, with five lives from Rongtian Ridge exchanged for Zhuo Bufan's escape, Mu Qing lamented that Zhuo Bufan was indeed ruthless enough. Mu Qing returned to the inn and threatened Lin Haohan with Liu Lin's life.
Lin Haohan could not bear to see Liu Lin die tragically before his eyes, so he revealed that the porcelain jar was a ritual object from Anhui Temple in Fujian. Mu Qing quickly told Lin Haohan to pack up and follow him to Fujian. Prince Qi learned that Zhuo Bufan had obtained a clue and was heading to Fujian. At the same time, he also learned that Beiyang was involved in the treasure hunt.
Zhong Haichao told Prince Qi the news that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Jianghu sects had attracted the attention of the Beiyang Army. Prince Qi had to explain that the Rongtian Ridge group was entrusted by him to search for the Jingtan hidden treasure, and that he was searching for the Jingtan hidden treasure because he did not want it to fall into the hands of the Tongmenghui. And his action was also to avoid attracting Beiyang's attention.
As long as they had the Jingtan hidden treasure, they would have leverage against Beiyang. Zhong Haichao was dissatisfied that Prince Qi did not trust him and also harbored thoughts of defection.
Episode 17 Recap
The jurisdiction of the 40th Brigade is in Shanxi. Leaving Shanxi is considered exceeding authority. General Longchi is away on official duty and not with the army, so Ding Yu needs to wait for permission before leading troops to Fujian. Wang Jialuo followed Mu Qing to Fujian alone. Mu Qing saw Wang Jialuo bringing Lin Anjing. He learned that Lin Anjing was the victim in the Dagukou case. He also saw that Mu Qing liked Lin Anjing.
Mu Qing did not arrange for anyone to watch Liu Lin on the train. He guessed that Liu Lin knew some secrets they didn't, but he also knew the other party would not tell him. He knew Liu Lin would not jump out the window, but he also knew that these Tongmenghui members were truly willing to sacrifice their lives for righteousness.
Just as Mu Qing and Liu Lin were talking, someone was eavesdropping on their conversation on the train roof. Mu Qing noticed the movement and went to check, but he did not find the eavesdropper. Qingyi Xinfeng received a letter left by Yu Huanjie, learning that they were heading to Anhui Temple in Shandong. The next clue was there.
However, a letter from Lin Anjing told Qingyi Xinfeng that Zhuo Bufan and his group had already rushed to Anhui Temple in Fujian. That was the real destination. Wang Jialuo and Lin Anjing talked about the past. Lin Anjing learned that Wang Jialuo had originally planned to take the imperial examination, but after his parents passed away and the mourning period was over, the imperial examination system had been abolished.
To make a living, he went to the county office to apply for a clerk position, but unexpectedly became a constable. Wang Jialuo hated the reforms that abolished the imperial examination the most in his life. This made him lose the opportunity to take the examination, but the most important thing was that the reform and modernization endangered the court and were harmful to the country.
He believed that strengthening the country did not require reform; what needed to change was not the court's system, but the people. He spared no effort to pursue criminals over a thousand miles, not just to uphold the court's law and discipline, but also to establish his heart and aspirations. Wang Jialuo insisted that why would strengthening the country need reform? What was important was mobilizing people's hearts, each doing their duty, and sharing the country's burdens.
This naive and innocent view made Lin Anjing feel both amused and touched. --- Mu Qing came to Jiangnan but found that there were displaced people everywhere. He inquired and learned that over a dozen counties here had suffered from floods. The money from the court for building river dikes was embezzled layer by layer, leading to the dikes being built with poor quality materials and workmanship. They couldn't hold up even before the river water rose significantly.
Officials reported the dereliction of duty in dike construction but could only conceal the disaster situation. The yamen had no money, so they could only force merchants to pre-pay rents and taxes. They had already paid taxes decades in advance. Mu Qing and Getai felt sorry for the victims. They deliberately had local officials prepare a lavish feast. Getai even bought all the steamed buns from a restaurant to help the victims.
Liu Lin saw the displaced victims and angrily denounced that the court was completely rotten. Such a court could not be saved; only by overthrowing and rebuilding could it rise again. Mu Qing understood in his heart, but also warned Liu Lin not to say such things in front of him again. Cun Qing came to Jiangnan for disaster relief. Mu Qing came to pay his respects.
Mu Qing asked Cun Qing if he had confirmed that the rebel was Prince Qi. Although Cun Qing was sure that this person was Prince Qi, once Prince Qi was captured, he didn't know how to deal with the aftermath. Cun Qing had previously warned Prince Qi not to 'slaughter the dragon'. But Prince Qi was ambitious and brilliant. He quickly sent Cun Qing a fan with sculpted feathers, reminding him to be realistic.
Cun Qing knew that the Great Qing was now a mess. No matter who it was, only finding the Jingtan hidden treasure could save the Great Qing. Cun Qing hoped the cabinet could obtain this treasure to save the court, but he also didn't want Prince Qi to lose. After all, the court also needed Prince Qi to serve it. Mu Qing asked Cun Qing why he hadn't opened the granaries yet.
Cun Qing replied that the time was not right. If the granaries were opened now, the common people would only complain about the court. They would only be grateful to the court when tens of millions of them had died. Mu Qing personally witnessed a displaced person, He Fugui, begging the court for four taels of silver to get through the difficult time. But Cun Qing directly refused outright.
He Fugui accused the court of 'officials forcing people to rebel' and was instead ordered to be taken away. Cun Qing told Mu Qing to quickly go about his duties. Wherever Mu Qing went, starving displaced people could be seen everywhere. What surprised him even more was seeing He Fugui's corpse. Mu Qing took out four taels of silver and told his subordinate to give it to He Fugui's family.
Liu Lin believed that Mu Qing's four taels of silver could not save He Fugui, let alone the beggars filling the city. Four taels of silver could save He Fugui's child, but could not save tens of millions of children. The Qing court was already terminally ill. Only by rooting it out completely could both the symptoms and the root cause be treated.
Liu Lin knew that Mu Qing was a personal witness to the reforms and also knew the power of the reforms. Previous reforms had all failed, but Mr. Sun was committed to building a brand new world. This world would be composed of Nationalism, Democracy, and the People's Livelihood. Mr. Sun's ideal was to end thousands of years of feudal monarchy. Liu Lin knew that Mu Qing could understand their actions. She could not guarantee whether Mr.
Sun could achieve his ideal, but she could promise that they would move towards this goal. Mu Qing said he did not think reforming the system and making changes were treasonous acts. After all, he had also been imprisoned for twelve years because of it. Therefore, even though Liu Lin was a major criminal guilty of treason, Mu Qing could not bear to harm her and never tortured her. However, the words about the revolutionary republican ideal that Liu Lin spoke today should never be mentioned again in front of him in the future, not a single word.
Episode 18 Recap
Zhong Haichao told Mr. Xie about Prince Qi sending martial arts experts to search for the Jingtan hidden treasure. He did not want Prince Qi to find the treasure. Firstly, he knew that Prince Qi valued him for the purpose of using his Beiyang identity. Secondly, it was Beiyang, not Prince Qi, that had brought him to this point today.
Zhong Haichao believed that Beiyang was the force that would decide the fate of the Great Qing, and he also knew clearly what his correct choice was. Mr. Xie appreciated Zhong Haichao's remarks and also believed he had a promising future. Zhong Haichao asked Ulan Shan how she felt when Mu Qing was imprisoned for the reforms back then, and how she would feel if he himself ended up in such a situation one day.
However, Ulan Shan believed that Zhong Haichao was a Beiyang general and Prince Qi's son-in-law, so he would not fall into such a situation. Although Ulan Shan did not tell Zhong Haichao how she felt back then, she had gone to her father to plead for Mu Qing, but Prince Qi told her to give up on Mu Qing directly.
After all, even Emperor Guangxu couldn't help himself back then, so how could Mu Qing, a bodyguard with a saber, be acquitted? Ulan Shan was utterly helpless back then, but in the end, she could only calmly accept the arrangements of fate. Zhuo Bufan and his group arrived in Quanzhou, Fujian. After inquiring for a long time, they did not hear any news about Anhui Temple. Zhuo Bufan unexpectedly ran into Jiang Hen inquiring about the matter.
Jiang Hen told him that Anhui Temple was now called Futu Temple and was located near the sea in eastern Fujian. Mu Qing and his group arrived in Fujian. Getai had local officials investigate and learned that Anhui Temple was located in a deserted mountain near the sea hundreds of miles to the east. Forty years ago, a mountain torrent erupted.
The abbot of Anhui Temple, for the safety of the people, blasted the mountain upstream to divert water, causing the entire temple to be submerged. Later, the flood receded, but the temple remained submerged. It gradually declined and was renamed Futu Temple. Mu Qing believed that the reason Anhui Temple was renamed and declined might be rooted in the Jingtan hidden treasure. Zhuo Bufan was short on funds.
Huo Qin wanted to take out her silver money to use, but Zhuo Bufan refused. Huo Qin also wanted to get Zhuo Bufan a new sword, but Zhuo Bufan said that although his current sword was cheap, it could still defeat famous swords. Huo Qin originally thought that since Yu Huanjie and others were no longer around, the remaining disciples would all obey Zhuo Bufan's orders, and wondered if she could be Zhuo Bufan's junior sister instead of stepmother.
However, Zhuo Bufan still refused Huo Qin. Wang Jialuo unexpectedly saw Yu Huanjie on the streets of Fujian. He quickly chased after him but could no longer find their whereabouts. Ding Yu was ordered to come to Fujian to reinforce Wang Jialuo. General Longchi also smoothed things over, allowing him to lead the Beiyang army to provide support.
Yu Huanjie found Zhuo Bufan and angrily denounced him as faithless and unjust, claiming he had used the lives of his martial uncle and martial brothers to pave his own way. Zhuo Bufan admitted that he had deceived them in Shanxi, but also stated that it was a forced action. However, after thinking it over, he did not feel that what he did was wrong, as everything he did was for the sword sect.
Yu Huanjie knew that his martial uncle had planned from the start to use himself as bait to help the sect succeed, and even told him at the end not to hate Zhuo Bufan. Yu Huanjie warned Zhuo Bufan to remember today, as this was an opportunity obtained by sacrificing the lives of his martial uncle, Qin Tuo, and their martial brothers.
Yu Huanjie also stated that on the day the hidden treasure is found, he will personally kill Zhuo Bufan to avenge his martial uncle and martial brothers. The next day, Zhuo Bufan led the Rongtianling group to Futu Temple. He told Master Due at the temple that he had come to retrieve an item under the command of the Successor of Bodhi, but Zhuo Bufan did not know the passphrase. Naturally, Due ignored their group.
At the same time, Mu Qing also arrived with his people. The two sides met and fought again. Mu Qing was nearly injured while fighting Zhuo Bufan. At the critical moment, Due intervened and saved Mu Qing. Although Zhuo Bufan's sword skills were excellent, he was no match for Due and was defeated in a few moves.
Mu Qing was invited into the temple by the abbot of Futu Temple, but the abbot had Due intercept Zhuo Bufan and his group outside. The abbot asked Mu Qing to enter alone for a meeting, but Liu Lin stepped forward to stop them, stating that the Successor of Bodhi was supposed to hand the item over to the Tongmenghui. She then directly recited the passphrase that Tan Xian had instructed her to remember firmly.
Episode 19 Recap
Zhuo Bufan challenged Master Due again but suffered a crushing defeat. Master Due also said that he was only being lenient to Zhuo Bufan out of respect for Mu Qing. The sword technique of Rongtianling is to the Three Dharma Seal Sword of Southern Shaolin like a frog in a well trying to speak of the ocean. Liu Lin recited the passphrase, and the Abbot allowed both Mu Qing and Liu Lin to enter together.
The Abbot revealed Mu Qing's identity and handed him the letter left by Cheng Yu back then for him to read. In his letter, Cheng Yu stated that he had hidden the Bodhi Seal in Futu Temple back then and that the person coming to retrieve it should present the passphrase as verification. He also believed that the person entrusted with this task would surely live up to his trust.
Liu Lin did not understand why Mu Qing could enter when the Abbot clearly knew that only someone with the passphrase could enter here. Mu Qing frankly stated that he knew in Pingyao, Shanxi, that the Head of the Bodhi Hall of Southern Shaolin was his master, Cheng Yu, and that Mu Qing was also Cheng Yu's true successor. Although the Abbot had never met Mu Qing before, he recognized his identity from the tattoos on his back.
Cheng Yu, the Head of the Bodhi Hall, taught eleven people throughout his life, but he never passed down his mantle and couldn't determine who would be the fourth-generation successor to the Head of the Bodhi Hall. Cheng Yu passed away at Futu Temple. Before his passing, he designated his successor. Su Yunzhi was Cheng Yu's eldest disciple, but he died tragically at the hands of Qing soldiers after the Hundred Days' Reform.
And Mu Qing had extremely high talent and grand aspirations. Ultimately, Cheng Yu passed on the position of Head of the Bodhi Hall to Mu Qing, also entrusting this heavy responsibility and hardship to him. Mu Qing did not expect that the Bodhi successor he had been desperately searching for was actually himself.
The Abbot handed the secret manual of the Three Dharma Seal Sword of the Bodhi Hall to Mu Qing, and this set of sword techniques could only be received by the successor. The Abbot handed the Bodhi Seal to Mu Qing. Mu Qing opened it and found it empty. The Abbot explained that many years ago, the successor of the Head of the Discipline Hall rebelled and defected to the court, offering the Discipline Hall Seal.
After this incident, Cheng Yu worried that the Bodhi Hall Seal would fall into the hands of others, so he personally destroyed the Bodhi Seal and used another method to pass down the secret clues. And the clues for this inheritance were recorded in the last letter left by Cheng Yu. Since Mu Qing was unable to recite the passphrase, the Abbot handed this letter to Liu Lin.
After Liu Lin had memorized the contents of the letter, the Abbot burned the letter. Wang Jialuo arrived with the Beiyang army in formation. Wang Jialuo wanted to enter the temple to continue investigating the Jingtan hidden treasure. Master Due intercepted their group. Although the Beiyang army Wang Jialuo brought had guns, they still could not threaten Master Due. Seeing that he could not enter the temple today, Zhuo Bufan simply led the Rongtianling group and quickly withdrew.
Mu Qing inquired with the Abbot about the memorial tablet of his master, Cheng Yu. He went to pay his respects. After leaving Futu Temple, Mu Qing told Wang Jialuo that he had not obtained any information and also concealed his own identity.
Mu Qing stated that the clue found in Futu Temple was also a treasure map for the Jingtan hidden treasure, and the other half was the other document stolen from the palace, while the Discipline Hall Seal was in Zhuo Bufan's hands. Therefore, Zhuo Bufan could not be killed for now. However, Wang Jialuo was stubbornly focused only on arresting people and completely disregarded the matter of searching for the Jingtan hidden treasure.
Wang Jialuo asked Mu Qing why he was able to enter the temple. Mu Qing explained that Liu Lin could enter because she had the passphrase, and the third-generation successor of the Bodhi Hall they were looking for had passed away in the temple. The reason the Abbot allowed him to enter was also to make the people from the Imperial Household Department give up. Wang Jialuo did not raise any objections to Mu Qing's explanation.
After Wang Jialuo left, Mu Qing told Getai that the Bodhi Seal had indeed been destroyed, but Zhuo Bufan would surely believe that this seal was in his hands and would keep an eye on him. Given that only Liu Lin knew the secret, Mu Qing had to keep her by his side. Zhuo Bufan was greatly affected by his defeat by Due. Huo Qin noticed Zhuo Bufan's dejection and came to comfort him.
Zhuo Bufan knew that Mu Qing had let him learn about the Three Dharma Seal Sword, and now Due had shown him the inheritance of Southern Shaolin. Now he only wanted to quickly find the Jingtan hidden treasure and obtain the martial arts manuals within it. He wanted to make the Rongtian Sword Technique famous throughout the world. Yu Huanjie secretly met Qing Yi Xinfeng. Qing Yi Xinfeng learned from him that Liu Lin had valuable clues in her possession.
Zhuo Bufan's next step was to go to Shuntian Mansion to report back to Prince Qi. Mu Qing would also return to the capital to report back. Zhuo Bufan also wanted to snatch the seal in Mu Qing's hands. Mu Qing met with Liu Lin privately.
Liu Lin knew that Mu Qing had not told anyone that she was the one who held the secret of the Bodhi Seal, and she also promised to keep the secret that Mu Qing was the successor of the Bodhi Hall. The two reached a gentleman's agreement to keep each other's identity and the treasure's secret. Wang Jialuo knew that Mu Qing was concealing something about the treasure hunt, but he understood Mu Qing's choice.
Wang Jialuo knew that Beiyang was also after the treasure. He could only find Zhuo Bufan as soon as possible to understand the Dagu murder case. Wang Jialuo guessed that Zhuo Bufan had more clues in his hands, and even if he didn't get the clues from Futu Temple, he would continue searching. Lin Haohan guessed that only Liu Lin had obtained the treasure's secret from Futu Temple.
He came to inquire about the news from Liu Lin and was even willing to join the Tongmenghui for money. As long as Liu Lin told him the secret, he would help her search for the treasure.
Episode 20 Recap
Mu Qing gave Lin Haohan a portion of payment for his efforts and indicated that they would part ways here, and that Lin Haohan would not need to continue following them after this. Lin Haohan coveted the treasure and wanted to continue searching for it with Mu Qing, but he was flatly refused by Mu Qing.
On the return train, Liu Lin asked Mu Qing why he kept the secret of knowing about the Bodhi Seal from others, even concealing it from Wang Jialuo. Mu Qing explained that one reason he kept it from Wang Jialuo was because he only cared about arresting Zhuo Bufan and didn't care about the treasure; another reason was that Mu Qing detested Beiyang.
The failure of the Hundred Days' Reform that year had a great deal to do with Yuan Shikai's betrayal, which is why Mu Qing detested Yuan Shikai. Liu Lin stated that even if Yuan Shikai had not been treacherous that year, the Hundred Days' Reform was also doomed to fail.
Firstly, the conservative faction's power was strong and the reformists had no real power; secondly, the reformists lacked correct theoretical guidance; thirdly, the reformists lacked strong organizational leadership, relying only on a powerless emperor and a very small number of officials; fourthly, the implementation of the reform was overly hasty; and fifthly, the reform methods were singular. Mu Qing objected to this one by one, believing that the Tongmenghui to which Liu Lin belonged was even worse than the reformists.
These refutations left Liu Lin speechless. Lin Anjing told Qing Yi Xinfeng that Wang Jialuo was not fixated on finding the treasure, only on arresting Zhuo Bufan. Qing Yi Xinfeng stated that Zhuo Bufan's next stop was going to the capital and told Lin Anjing to find an opportunity to reveal this to Wang Jialuo. As long as Wang Jialuo kept a close eye on Zhuo Bufan, they would always be able to find clues to the Jingtan hidden treasure.
Lin Anjing pretended to be sick and told Wang Jialuo to help her get medicine. Wang Jialuo went to the pharmacy to get medicine and unexpectedly overheard that a group of people wearing Fengtian attire had bought medicine yesterday but were in a hurry to rush to the capital. Subsequently, Wang Jialuo quickly reorganized the Beiyang army and rushed to the capital. Liu Lin found Mu Qing again.
She stated that the reformists and the Tongmenghui had similar ideas in terms of objectives. Mu Qing brought up that Liu Lin should have been born into a wealthy family, and her parents should have expected her to live a fulfilling life. Now Liu Lin has instead gone to engage in revolution, simply because she hasn't seen death.
Liu Lin instead told Mu Qing that her parents and older brother all died because of the reform, and the former emperor Mu Qing served and his master also died because of the reform. So would Mu Qing be afraid of reform? Liu Lin's words made Mu Qing fall into deep thought. At Prince Qi's residence, Prince Qi angrily reprimanded Zhuo Bufan for his ineffective work.
However, Zhuo Bufan analyzed the situation of that year towards Prince Qi neither obsequiously nor arrogantly. He said that since they started searching for the treasure, every step of their plan had not fallen behind the Imperial Household Department. At the same time, they also obtained an important clue: opening the treasure required a total of three treasure maps and one passphrase, none of which could be missing. Now he and Mu Qing had equal leverage in their hands.
As long as the Imperial Household Department didn't give up on seizing the treasure, he would have the opportunity to seize the treasure map from Mu Qing. Now his disciples had suffered heavy losses, and searching for the treasure was harder than imagined. Zhuo Bufan hoped that Prince Qi could raise the reward. Although dissatisfied, Prince Qi also agreed to Zhuo Bufan's request. Prince Qi individually summoned Yu Huanjie and asked him about Zhuo Bufan's confidence in finding the treasure.
Yu Huanjie believed that Zhuo Bufan had the ability and the ideas to find the treasure, and that Zhuo Bufan yearned for the martial arts manuals within the treasure. Prince Qi tempted Yu Huanjie with fame and profit to report Zhuo Bufan's every move at any time, and rewarded him with three hundred taels of silver in advance. Yu Huanjie fantasized about his future life of gaining both fame and profit.
After returning, he cut off his hair and also told Zhuo Bufan that his Qing dynasty attire like this was also to help everyone gather information, and that after things were accomplished in the future, he would naturally revert to Fengtian attire. After returning to the capital, Mu Qing arranged for Liu Lin to stay in a residence. He reported to Cun Qing that this trip did not yield any results.
He planned to investigate the origin of the hidden compartment where the Bodhi Seal was stored. This hidden compartment was made of Agarwood Camphor, produced in Fujian. Although not precious, it was not very common. Lin Haohan opened a shop in the capital. For this, he specifically invited Ulan Shan and Mu Qing to come and support him. Mu Qing originally intended to refuse, but upon learning that Ulan Shan would be going, he simply accepted the invitation. Mu Qing handed the two sections of the hidden compartment he had to Lin Haohan to examine, telling Lin Haohan to find out exactly how many of this type of hidden compartment there were and where it specifically originated from, and he would then give Lin Haohan a commission of one thousand taels.
Episode 21 Recap
Mu Qing studied the three-seal sword manual left by his master. In his daily study and practice, his swordsmanship became more refined. Getai was anxious to find the Jingtan hidden treasure, but Mu Qing didn't know. He knew that Zhuo Bufan was even more anxious than them. Currently, Zhuo Bufan's leverage was still the discipline seal from before, but now there was more than one seal. Now he also kept Liu Lin by his side.
If they couldn't get clues, others wouldn't get more clues either. Mu Qing guessed that the person behind Zhuo Bufan would definitely look for clues. It was the best option for them to wait at leisure for the fatigued enemy. Prince Qi summoned Jiang Hen to inquire about more clues regarding the Jingtan hidden treasure. Jiang Hen revealed that more than forty years ago, a Bodhidharma successor escaped under the encirclement of the inner yamen.
On that day, the Bodhidharma successor personally killed the renegade head of the Disciplinary Hall. After a fierce battle between the two sides, four imperial guards died, and the Bodhidharma successor was ultimately struck by nineteen blades, fell into the river, and was washed away by the water. His body was not found back then, and he might still be alive in the world now.
Prince Qi told Zhuo Bufan the clues he had obtained and also told him that the Bodhidharma successor's surname was Zhang and that he was probably sixty or seventy years old. Prince Qi also found out that a similar martial arts expert had appeared in Tianjin. Zhuo Bufan immediately rushed to Tianjin to search for the whereabouts of the third treasure map. Wang Jialuo and Ding Yu and others arrived in the capital. Wang Jialuo unexpectedly saw Jiang Hen.
He thanked Jiang Hen for saving his life twice. Now that the case had reached an impasse, he asked Jiang Hen if there were any clues to reveal about the next step. Jiang Hen told Wang Jialuo that the person he was looking for had gone to Dagukou. Prince Qi arranged for Zhong Haichao to go south.
One reason was for Zhong Haichao to avoid suspicion when the uprising started, and another was to have Zhong Haichao command the imperial guards to provide support in the south. Prince Qi also revealed that there were three treasure maps for the Jingtan hidden treasure, and the third one might be in Tianjin Wei.
Beiyang had already started making moves regarding the treasure, so it would be best for Zhong Haichao to pretend to be unaware so as not to attract attention. Zhong Haichao quickly informed Mr. Xie of this news. Mr. Xie learned that Zhuo Bufan had gone to Tianjin, said he would send people to follow up on this matter, and did not let Zhong Haichao intervene in this matter.
Qing Yi Xinfeng believed that Mu Qing keeping Liu Lin by his side indicated that Liu Lin still held important information. Qing Yi Xinfeng decided to abduct Liu Lin and use their hallucinogen to question her about her secrets. Late at night, Liu Lin was abducted by Qing Yi Xinfeng and Nogami Kan. Mu Qing discovered it in time and used the newly learned Bodhi Monastery three-seal sword technique to repel the Japanese and rescue Liu Lin.
Mu Qing suffered minor injuries. Taking the treatment of the injury as a metaphor, Liu Lin continued to discuss with him the significance of revolutionaries advancing wave upon wave. Liu Lin also said that although she couldn't sway Mu Qing for now, she would definitely succeed one day. Mu Qing stated that he would surely support the court's constitutional reform, but he would absolutely not allow outsiders to overthrow the court.
Nogami Kan brought fifteen people but still couldn't defeat Mu Qing. Qing Yi Xinfeng thus saw that Mu Qing's strength exceeded their imagination. Wang Jialuo took Lin Anjing back to his home in Dagukou. The two chatted about the past. Lin Anjing asked Wang Jialuo about his master's lineage.
Wang Jialuo didn't know his master's name; he only knew that his master had been injured in the head before and was insane, to the point that he didn't even know who he was. Lin Anjing inquired about Wang Jialuo's master's school, but Wang Jialuo didn't know which school he came from. During dinner in the evening, Lin Anjing drowned her sorrows with alcohol.
She told Wang Jialuo that she was very sad, sad that what she wanted to do and what she was currently doing were not the same thing. Wang Jialuo drank with her to help her relieve her sadness. Under the influence of alcohol, Lin Anjing kissed Wang Jialuo, completely trapping him in a web of love.
Episode 22 Recap
Mu Qing, after the incident where Liu Lin was abducted, decided to find her a more secure and safe place to stay. Lin Anjing and Wang Jialuo spent a night together. The next morning, she faked a virginity break, and at the same time, she distractedly recalled how six years ago, she had used a honey trap to steal information but was exposed and cruelly tortured by the other party.
Although Lin Anjing still completed her first mission and finally obtained the desired information. Finally, Qing Yi Xinfeng handed that man over to Lin Anjing, allowing her to dispose of him as she wished, and Lin Anjing ultimately chose to kill the other party. Since then, Lin Anjing knew deeply that this world did not allow her to show emotion, nor was there a moment of freedom; everything she did was just for survival.
Mu Qing sent Liu Lin to Ulan Shan, introducing her as a distant relative of his, hoping she would help temporarily accommodate her. Although Ulan Shan didn't believe Liu Lin was Mu Qing's distant relative, she still agreed to help. Mu Qing instructed Liu Lin to claim she was a classmate of Ulan Shan Gege who studied abroad when she went to Ulan Shan's place, and not to mention him to anyone.
Mu Qing brought Liu Lin, shaking off their trackers, to meet Ulan Shan. Ulan Shan told Mu Qing that Zhong Haichao was going to take up his post in Fujian recently, and she had not yet agreed to go with him. Ulan Shan said goodbye to Mu Qing and took Liu Lin back to her residence to settle her in. Zhuo Bufan, after much searching in Tianjin, found Zhang Sanfeng.
Seeing Zhang Sanfeng was acting insane, Zhuo Bufan planned to apprehend him first. Although this person possessed exceptional martial arts skills and was a successor of the Shaolin Bodhidharma Monastery, Zhuo Bufan ultimately stabbed and captured him. However, Zhuo Bufan was also injured in the process. Yu Huanjie tortured Zhang Sanfeng, hoping to extract clues, but gained nothing. After learning of Zhuo Bufan's whereabouts, Wang Jialuo rushed to the dilapidated temple with Ding Yu and others.
It turned out that the master Wang Jialuo had followed since childhood to practice martial arts was precisely Zhang Sanfeng. After Zhuo Bufan learned about the relationship between Wang Jialuo and Zhang Sanfeng, he pointed his sword at Wang Jialuo, identifying him as a Bodhidharma successor. Wang Jialuo was confused.
Zhuo Bufan threatened Wang Jialuo with Zhang Sanfeng's life, and Wang Jialuo could only order the Beiyang soldiers to lay down their weapons and let Zhuo Bufan and his group leave. Wang Jialuo originally intended to take his master to seek medical treatment. As Zhang Sanfeng was dying, he struggled to point to the same tattoo on his scapula as Wang Jialuo's and spoke, "Xinhai Year, May sixth, Baohe Inn, the thirty-year appointment.
" After saying these words, Zhang Sanfeng passed away due to his severe injuries. Wang Jialuo was heartbroken, buried his master, and swore he would capture Zhuo Bufan to avenge his master. Wang Jialuo hadn't expected that he was actually a Bodhidharma successor. When he met his master, the latter was already insane, and he didn't know about the Jingtan hidden treasure.
Lin Anjing believed that what Zhang Sanfeng said before his death might be a clue, and the identical tattoo on Wang Jialuo's scapula as his master's might also be a symbol of their lineage. Although Wang Jialuo didn't know what his master had experienced in his life, since he was his master's successor, he decided to carry on his master's legacy. Now, with old grievances and new hatred intertwined with Zhuo Bufan, he had no choice but to settle the score with Zhuo Bufan.
Episode 23 Recap
Based on the grain and texture of the wood, Lin Haohan could determine that the charred wooden box given by Mu Qing should be one of four, and the one in his hand happened to be one end and the other. The age of the wood could be traced back to the Kangxi period.
Its special feature was that the box had been painted with two layers of lacquer, decades apart, so the second layer of lacquer was certainly to conceal some information. With Mu Qing's permission, Lin Haohan removed the second layer of lacquer and, as expected, found writing on the box. Lin Haohan guessed that the box was related to the Jingtan hidden treasure.
He stated that he did not want a reward, but only wanted to follow Mu Qing to search for the treasure. Late at night, Mu Qing informed Cun Qing about the sealed information in the four parts. Although the Internal Affairs Department had not yet obtained one of them, Mu Qing was confident that they had not yet reached the point of admitting defeat.
Wang Jialuo came to find Mu Qing, wanting to join forces with him to search for the Jingtan hidden treasure. He also told Mu Qing that these past few days Zhuo Bufan had gone to Tianjin to track down the successor of the Bodhidharma Abott. Zhuo Bufan had killed the Bodhidharma successor, and the seal was now in his hand.
Mu Qing also told Wang Jialuo that there were four parts to the seal, and the fourth part currently had no clues. Mu Qing showed the box in his hand to Wang Jialuo, stating that he hadn't figured out the writing on it, but Wang Jialuo said he knew the meaning of these words. He then told Mu Qing the words of the Bodhidharma Abott before his death: "Baohe Inn, May sixth, the thirty-year appointment.
" Mu Qing speculated that this time was the meeting time and place for the seal's successors, and based on the time, this year was the thirtieth year. Mu Qing and Wang Jialuo could appear at the inn as successors, and Zhuo Bufan would definitely show up. This left the successor of the fourth seal. Wang Jialuo did not know the location of Baohe Inn.
The two agreed to search for information about the inn separately and share findings with each other. Yu Huanjie secretly met with Prince Qi and reported that their trip had yielded no results. Prince Qi had already known they would return empty-handed and couldn't understand why Zhuo Bufan hadn't come to report. Yu Huanjie explained that perhaps Zhuo Bufan was looking for an excuse.
Ulan Shan learned about Liu Lin's overseas experience and thought it was similar to Sun Wen's overseas experience. Liu Lin had to explain that she was not familiar with Sun Wen. Zhong Haichao returned home and saw Liu Lin. Upon learning that Liu Lin was Ulan Shan's classmate from abroad, he did not suspect her. Ulan Shan gave Liu Lin some Western clothes she had stored. Liu Lin was very grateful.
Ulan Shan repeatedly inquired about Liu Lin's identity as Mu Qing's cousin, feeling some doubt about Liu Lin's identity in her heart. Wang Jialuo did not have a seal in his hand, so he felt uneasy about deceiving Mu Qing, and even more afraid that Mu Qing would resent him after finding out. Liu Lin and Ulan Shan dined together. Liu Lin noticed that Zhong Haichao was often not home, but saw that Ulan Shan did not care about this.
Ulan Shan learned from Liu Lin that Mu Qing often bought pastries to bring home, and felt a bit jealous. Getai ordered his men to search for information about Baohe Inn, but found nothing. Lin Haohan wanted to find Prince Qi as a backer in the capital, so he used Ulan Shan's desire to give a gift to Prince Qi as an opportunity. Ulan Shan invited Liu Lin to choose jewelry and ornaments brought by Lin Haohan together.
Upon learning that the visitor was Lin Haohan, Liu Lin worried about her identity being exposed and could only escape by pretending to have a stomachache. Qing Yi Xinfeng learned that Mu Qing had sent Liu Lin to Prince Qi's mansion and also heard from his subordinate that Ulan Shan and Mu Qing had old feelings for each other.
Nogami Han believed that the security at Prince Qi's mansion would not be stringent and planned to find an opportunity to abduct Liu Lin. On the other side, Mu Qing also learned that someone had hired over a dozen people and were preparing to act. He guessed that the Japanese planned to abduct someone from the mansion. After changing into plain clothes with Getai, he went to the vicinity of Prince Qi's mansion to investigate.
The two checked around and found seventeen people ambushed outside the mansion, preparing to act in the evening. Zhuo Bufan came to Prince Qi's mansion to report. His trip had yielded nothing, but he learned from Prince Qi that Mu Qing had recently been investigating Baohe Inn. Zhuo Bufan frankly stated that perhaps the Internal Affairs Department's information was earlier than Prince Qi's.
Prince Qi, in anger, threw the paperweight given by Lin Haohan, but accidentally discovered a secret letter within it. It recorded that the four hall leaders of the Southern Shaolin held seals and would gather at Baohe Inn every thirty years. Zhuo Bufan determined that Mu Qing's search for Baohe Inn was to attend the thirty-year appointment. Now, there were only a few days until May sixth. Prince Qi told Zhuo Bufan to prepare for the appointment.
Episode 24 Recap
After leaving Prince Qi's mansion, Zhuo Bufan unexpectedly encountered Mu Qing. Mu Qing intended to test his Three Dharma Seal Sword and actively engaged him in a duel. After a few moves, Zhuo Bufan was surprised at how much Mu Qing's martial arts had improved; he was already at a disadvantage in the fight. Ultimately, it was the hidden Huo Qin who intervened to assist, allowing Zhuo Bufan to take the opportunity to leave.
After this battle, Zhuo Bufan guessed that Mu Qing had received the inheritance of the Bodhi Academy at Futu Temple. Zhuo Bufan praised Shaolin martial arts and became even more determined to find the Jingtan hidden treasure and read all the martial arts manuals within it. Prince Qi ordered an investigation into Lin Haohan and found that he was just an ordinary businessman, so they could only attribute the matter of the secret letter to coincidence.
Although Wang Jialuo and Lin Anjing were sharing a room, he had always kept his distance. He felt very guilty about his drunken misconduct before and promised that once the case was concluded, he would formally marry Lin Anjing. Lin Anjing said she believed Wang Jialuo and was waiting for him to marry her. Lin Haohan accidentally met Wang Jialuo on the street.
He gave Wang Jialuo two red envelopes and invited him to come support the antique shop opening tomorrow. The red envelopes were also considered a congratulatory gift he had prepared for himself in advance. Liu Lin unexpectedly discovered books belonging to the Tongmenghui in Ulan Shan's room. Seeing her identity exposed, Ulan Shan pointed a gun at Liu Lin and demanded her identity.
Liu Lin admitted her identity as a member of the Tongmenghui, and what surprised her was that Ulan Shan was also a member of the Tongmenghui. Ulan Shan had originally intended to ask Liu Lin if Mu Qing had joined the Tongmenghui, but learned that Mu Qing brought Liu Lin with him because Liu Lin knew information about Futu Temple. Ulan Shan had originally wanted to secretly send Liu Lin away, but Liu Lin was unwilling to leave.
She did not want the treasure to fall into anyone's hands, so she would not leave Mu Qing's side until the treasure was found. Liu Lin wanted to persuade Mu Qing to join the revolution, but Ulan Shan stated that Mu Qing is a Qiren, and persuading him to join the revolution would be very difficult.
Lin Anjing told Qing Yi Xinfeng that Wang Jialuo is a Bodhidharma successor and stated that the sixth day of the fifth lunar month next month is the day when the four successors will meet at Baohe Inn. Lin Anjing believed that the tattoo on Wang Jialuo might be a sect inheritance or related to the hidden treasure seal. She asked Qing Yi Xinfeng for a camera to photograph the seal and find someone to analyze it.
Although no clues could be extracted from the kidnappers, Mu Qing knew that Qing Yi Xinfeng had hired them. He requested to see Cun Qing, wanting to volunteer to assassinate Qing Yi Xinfeng, but Cun Qing believed that killing a Japanese person would cause too much trouble afterwards and that they still needed to continue enduring. Mu Qing unilaterally trespassed into a foreign legation. Although Qing Yi Xinfeng confronted him face to face, Mu Qing was not afraid at all.
He pointed out that Qing Yi Xinfeng hired others to lie in ambush outside the prince's mansion, intending to assassinate Prince Qi, which was a serious crime with irrefutable evidence. He forcefully slapped Nogami Han and warned Qing Yi Xinfeng, telling the Japanese not to appear sneakingly behind him again in the future, or else next time wouldn't just be a simple slap on the face.
Ulan Shan believed that perhaps her father transferred Zhong Haichao to Fujian for the hidden treasure. She also admitted that her marriage to Zhong Haichao was arranged. Ulan Shan told Liu Lin that she and Mu Qing were first loves. That year, the late emperor was originally going to arrange a marriage for the two of them, but because the Hundred Days' Reform failed, Mu Qing was imprisoned, and she was also arranged a marriage by Prince Qi.
What Mu Qing hated most was Yuan Shikai and the Beiyang clique, yet Ulan Shan happened to marry a Beiyang officer. Fate plays tricks on people, which is frustrating. Ulan Shan knew her background was something she couldn't choose in this life, but joining the Tongmenghui was indeed her first real choice. She could try to persuade Mu Qing.
Episode 25 Recap
Lin Haohan's antique shop "Hancanhui" opened. Mu Qing and Wang Jialuo were both invited to celebrate. The two met in the shop. Mu Qing said he had dispatched people to look up information from the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Commerce during the Kangxi era, but because there were too many documents, although he had added more staff, they had not found any useful clues yet.
Ulan Shan came with a congratulatory gift to celebrate Lin Haohan's new shop opening. She also saw Mu Qing in the shop. She told Mu Qing that her husband, Zhong Haichao, was about to go to Fujian for his new appointment, but she did not plan to accompany him. Afterwards, Ulan Shan implied through her words that the Qing Dynasty was corrupt and needed reform. Mu Qing was quite surprised but also fell into thought.
Lin Haohan successfully held the opening ceremony. Wang Jialuo wanted to choose a gift for Lin Anjing. He asked Lin Haohan to help him choose. Lin Haohan learned that the person he wanted to give the gift to was the one he intended to marry, so he chose a ring for him and also told him that Westerners also give rings when proposing marriage.
Wang Jialuo was originally worried the ring would be expensive, but Lin Haohan magnanimously gave the ring directly to Wang Jialuo. Wang Jialuo returned to the inn and gave the ring to Lin Anjing. He formally proposed, preparing to take Lin Anjing back to Dagukou to hold the wedding. Lin Anjing happily agreed. Yu Huanjie inquired about how Zhuo Bufan planned to investigate the hidden treasure next. Zhuo Bufan intended to start by investigating the Seal of the Vinaya Hall.
He believed that the matter of the thirty-year agreement was more important than the seal, and he planned to look for new clues from the successor of the Vinaya Hall. Late at night, Lin Haohan came to find Mu Qing and told him about his findings. Mu Qing asked him if he knew about Baohe Inn.
Lin Haohan told Mu Qing that during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a large business house in Fujian called Baohezai, and this Baohe Inn might be part of Baohezai's property. However, Lin Haohan did not know where Baohe Inn was located. Mu Qing decided to go to Fujian again to check it out. Lin Haohan, upon learning that he could get a ten percent profit share, also decided to follow Mu Qing to Fujian.
Wang Jialuo returned to Dagukou County with Lin Anjing. He introduced Lin Anjing to the County Magistrate and the secretary, among others, and stated that he had returned this time to marry Lin Anjing. The two held a simple wedding ceremony under the witness of the County Magistrate and others. Afterwards, he took Lin Anjing to pay respects to his parents.
The two agreed that after Deputy Wang apprehended Zhuo Bufan and brought him to justice, securing the treasure for the imperial court, they would return to Dagukou to live a simple and stable life. Qing Yi Xinfeng brought Yu Huanjie to question him about clues, but Yu Huanjie said he didn't have many clues.
Faced with Qing Yi Xinfeng's threat, Yu Huanjie then revealed that the successor of Southern Shaolin would go to Baohe Inn on the sixth day of next month for the thirty-year agreement, information he had obtained from the successor. Qing Yi Xinfeng asked about Zhuo Bufan's current actions. Yu Huanjie said that Zhuo Bufan had not found any useful clues either and was currently looking into information about the successor of the Vinaya Hall.
Qing Yi Xinfeng noticed Yu Huanjie's unusual attitude and guessed that someone had offered Yu Huanjie greater benefits. Prince Qi summoned Jiang Hen and asked about the location of Baohe Inn. He knew that Jiang Hen's previous request for leave to worship ancestors was to attend the thirty-year agreement. He had long since investigated Jiang Hen's background and found that no one in his family needed to be commemorated in May. Prince Qi secretly poisoned Jiang Hen's tea, and Jiang Hen was now poisoned.
Episode 26 Recap
Prince Qi believed that he had treated Jiang Hen well over the years, but he never expected Jiang Hen to betray him in the end. This time, when he let Zhuo Bufan investigate the Hidden Treasure, Prince Qi sensed that Jiang Hen was hiding something from him and did not even help Zhuo Bufan at the critical moment. Jiang Hen knew he had let Prince Qi down, but he was also determined to be loyal to someone trustworthy.
Although he had been poisoned and was desperate, he fought his way through the guards of Prince Qi's mansion and left injured. Lin Haohan collected a pile of antique items from Baohezai. He introduced the information he currently knew about Baohezai to Mu Qing. At the same time, Jiang Hen escaped from Prince Qi's mansion and unexpectedly came to Mu Qing's residence.
Now, poisoned and with the poison attacking his heart, he told Mu Qing that his name was Jiang Hen, that he worked for Prince Qi, and that he was currently helping Zhuo Bufan find the Hidden Treasure. He told Mu Qing three things. The first thing was that he was the Imperial Bodyguard who left the palace thirty years ago to investigate the Hidden Treasure. He captured Su Yunzhi in Shanxi but was later defeated by Cheng Yu.
However, Cheng Yu did not kill him; instead, the two became good brothers. Cheng Yu told him many things about the Hidden Treasure. What he needed to do for Cheng Yu was to have the four seals gathered again this year. The second thing was that the Hidden Treasure had been passed down and guarded by the head of the Luohan Hall leading the Eighteen Arhats through generations.
To open it, the seals from the four heads of the Discipline Hall, Bodhidharma Hall, Prajna Hall, and Bodhi Hall must be gathered to know the location. In the previous Thirty-Year Agreement, neither the Discipline Hall nor the Bodhidharma Hall had a successor attend.
Cheng Yu investigated for many years and only learned that the successor of the Discipline Hall had defected to the imperial court and brought people from the Internal Affairs Department to hunt down the head of the Bodhidharma Hall, causing him to go missing. Jiang Hen had been pushing Mu Qing, Wang Jialuo, and Zhuo Bufan to investigate the clues to the treasure.
Jiang Hen told Mu Qing that Baohe Inn was just a code word; the guest house near the original site of Southern Shaolin in Fujian was called Zezheju. The third thing, Jiang Hen told Mu Qing that his master, Cheng Yu, was a great person. For the future of the country and the nation, he left behind clues to the treasure.
His wish was to hand it over to someone who could truly change the future of the country and the nation. That person was not Xuantong but the Revolution. Before he died, Jiang Hen hoped that Mu Qing would not hand the treasure over to the imperial court. The conversation between Jiang Hen and Mu Qing was overheard by Zhuo Bufan, whom Prince Qi had arranged to follow.
Zhuo Bufan reported back to Prince Qi, recounting everything Jiang Hen had planned for the Thirty-Year Agreement. Zhuo Bufan planned to first go to Jiangnan to visit the successor of the Discipline Hall, and then go to the Baohe Agreement. Prince Qi did not trust Zhuo Bufan and told Zhong Haichao, who was about to take up his new post in Fujian, to pay close attention to him.
He also told him that he could get Zhuo Bufan's movements from Yu Huanjie. Prince Qi instructed Zhong Haichao to keep an eye on Mu Qing. Ulan Shan overheard the conversation between her father and Zhong Haichao. She told Liu Lin about this and then decided to go to Fujian with Zhong Haichao to gather more intelligence.
At the same time, Ulan Shan thought that Men Sandao and Liu Lin would also go to Fujian because of the Hidden Treasure, so she could then pass on the information she got from Zhong Haichao to Liu Lin to assist their actions. Mu Qing told Wang Jialuo the information he had learned from Jiang Hen. Both wanted to see each other's seals, but since neither had the real seal, they could only find excuses to refuse each other.
Yu Huanjie came to meet Zhong Haichao. Faced with Zhong Haichao's offer of benefits, Yu Huanjie quickly changed his allegiance and decided to report all future information to Beiyang instead of Prince Qi. Ulan Shan and Liu Lin secretly arranged a method for transmitting messages in Fujian. Lin Anjing and Qing Yi Xinfeng discussed their subsequent actions.
Although Lin Anjing said that the clues Mu Qing knew would definitely be told to Wang Jialuo, Qing Yi Xinfeng said that Wang Jialuo also needed to pay more attention to Zhuo Bufan's side. Lin Anjing then told Wang Jialuo about encountering the Rongtianling group on her way to buy rouge.
Because of this, Wang Jialuo learned that Zhuo Bufan and his party were about to head to Jiangnan, and he also decided to take Lin Anjing to Jiangnan to gather more clues. When Zhong Haichao learned that Ulan Shan had decided to follow him to Fujian, he originally tried to dissuade her by saying the conditions would be tough, but Prince Qi approved of Ulan Shan accompanying him for the appointment. Zhong Haichao could only agree.
Ulan Shan entrusted Liu Lin to Mu Qing and told him that she was preparing to go to Fujian. Mu Qing did not say goodbye but indicated that he would also be going to Fujian in the coming days. Liu Lin worried about encountering misfortune in Fujian, so she privately told Ulan Shan the secret she had obtained from Futu Temple.
Episode 27 Recap
Ulan Shan did not want Mu Qing to call her Gege. If the reform had succeeded back then, Mu Qing would not be calling her Gege today. She asked Mu Qing what he was still protecting for this failed dynasty and what the dynasty had given him besides pain. Ulan Shan's words shocked Mu Qing. After Ulan Shan left, Mu Qing pressured Liu Lin, questioning her if she had talked about the revolution with Ulan Shan at the Prince's mansion.
But Liu Lin denied discussing the revolution with Ulan Shan, stating that Ulan Shan was jealous of their relationship and told Liu Lin about her and Mu Qing's past as first loves, which was how they gradually became familiar. Liu Lin also said that Ulan Shan was very happy when Mu Qing suggested going to Fujian because Ulan Shan still had Mu Qing in her heart and did not care about her current husband.
Mu Qing chose to believe Liu Lin and warned her not to tell anyone about their relationship. Mu Qing paid respects to his master Cheng Yu. Thinking about the words of Jiang Hen, Mo Kun, and Ulan Shan, he fell into confusion about the future. He went to Emperor Guangxu's tomb in the rain.
He didn't know if the imperial power he had tried his best to protect was guarding the peace of the Great Qing, nor did he understand if Cun Qing's tireless search for the Hidden Treasure was for the prosperity of the country. Cheng Yu had always helped the reformists back then, but now he was treated as an enemy by the court. He didn't know if his master had gone astray, or if he himself was still lost.
He now completely didn't know what to do and could only weep here. Mu Qing's weeping attracted an old man from the cemetery. Mu Qing followed the old man into the house to dry his clothes. When leaving, he unexpectedly discovered the old man's identity was unusual; he actually held the waist token of Luan Yi, a first-class Imperial Bodyguard of the Internal Affairs Department.
Mu Qing asked and learned that this person was a Blue Feather Imperial Guard of the Internal Affairs Department back then. The Internal Affairs Department had dispatched two teams from the palace to investigate the Pure Altar Hidden Treasure: one went to Shanxi and was almost completely wiped out, and one went to Fujian. Luan Yi was the leader of that team.
Back then, Luan Yi discovered that a Fragrant Flower Monk named Wu Shuangbao had a problem and led people to investigate. At that time, he and another Imperial Guard had a different task. When they returned, they found no trace of Luan Yi and his group, only Luan Yi's waist token was found in the inn.
Mu Qing asked the old man where he found Luan Yi's waist token and learned it was at the Tulou Inn west of Quanzhou city. Mu Qing guessed that someone had intentionally placed the waist token in the inn, and the handwriting on the token was not Luan Yi's.
Mu Qing told the old man that he would be going to Fujian to investigate the Hidden Treasure soon and would return to inform him after finding out who put the waist token in the inn. Lin Haohan came to find Mu Qing, asking when the two of them would depart. He also reminded Mu Qing to keep his promise and give him ten percent of the treasure when it is found.
Zhuo Bufan found the descendant of the Discipline successor from back then and forced him for clues about the Pure Altar Hidden Treasure. Back then, this person's grandfather accidentally learned about the Pure Altar Hidden Treasure from his master. Greed arose in his heart, and he killed his eldest senior brother who was supposed to inherit the mantle. However, after getting the treasure map, he couldn't understand it at all and couldn't find the treasure.
Later, to curry favor with the officials, he presented this map to the county magistrate. Afterward, the Internal Affairs Department had his grandfather open a martial arts school, hoping to attract a Southern Shaolin successor. In the seventh year of Tongzhi, the fourth-generation successor of the Bodhidharma Hall came seeking it.
The grandfather secretly sent a message to the Internal Affairs Department, and at the same time, the Bodhidharma successor also probed that the grandfather did not know the Hidden Treasure password. When the people from the Internal Affairs Department arrived, he severely injured the grandfather and left. Zhuo Bufan discovered Wang Jialuo eavesdropping at the Xu family's place.
Now that the Xu family found nothing, although Zhuo Bufan pointed out Wang Jialuo's location, he did not make a move against him, only leaving with the Rongtianling group. Mu Qing told Liu Lin about Luan Yi. Now he wants to first investigate Luan Yi's whereabouts and decided to take Liu Lin to Fujian. Wang Jialuo knew that the Xu family had caused his master to be half-mad for half his life.
Although he hated the Xu family, he also knew they were meritorious officials of the court, and he felt very conflicted internally. Wang Jialuo ultimately decided that the Rongtianling group was the murderer of his master. Lin Anjing believed that Wang Jialuo should find the treasure, which would leave Rongtianling with nothing, serve the court, and make Zhuo Bufan desperate. This, she said, was true revenge.
Qing Yi Xinfeng learned that the latest clue was at Zezheju, which is in Quanzhou, Fujian. Since it was inconvenient for them to deploy people, she believed they could cooperate with Zhong Haichao.
Episode 28 Recap
Cun Qing hoped that Prince Qi could endure for the sake of the country, the people, and the state, but Prince Qi believed that if he endured further, the foundation of the Great Qing dynasty would be in jeopardy. Cun Qing believed that when saving the Great Qing from distress, why care about that chair (the throne)?
He persuaded Prince Qi not to act stubbornly or disregard the three-hundred-year foundation of the Great Qing for his own selfish interests, but Prince Qi ignored Cun Qing's advice. Cun Qing was disheartened. After much contemplation along the way, he decided to secretly assassinate Prince Qi. He knew this mission was fraught with peril, so before Men Sandao departed for Fujian, he entrusted his golden waist token to him, which could be used to directly petition Regent Zaifeng.
He also instructed him not to reveal the secretly hidden information to anyone except the Regent. After bidding farewell to Mu Qing, Cun Qing drank heavily with Getai. He left his years of savings to Getai, telling him that if the mission failed today, Getai should find a way to escape.
That night, Getai led people to assassinate Prince Qi, but unexpectedly, Prince Qi had anticipated this and was a step ahead, easily trapping the Imperial Bodyguards of the Internal Affairs Department like turtles in a jar. Prince Qi captured the Imperial Bodyguards but did not immediately kill them, instead offering them two heartfelt choices.
Prince Qi believed that both he and Cun Qing wanted the Great Qing to be strong; Cun Qing put the royal family first, while he wanted to weaken imperial power. Prince Qi let Getai and his men choose to follow him or Cun Qing, stating that choosing to follow Cun Qing was equivalent to choosing death. Prince Qi led officers and soldiers to surround and capture Cun Qing.
Cun Qing still believed at this point that maintaining imperial power as a minister of the Internal Affairs Department was his sole responsibility and mission. Now learning that the Imperial Bodyguards sent by him had been subdued by Prince Qi, Cun Qing also hoped that Prince Qi could treat them well. Prince Qi promised not to execute Cun Qing's nine familial generations today, nor anyone else besides Cun Qing. He would leave Cun Qing a complete body.
Cun Qing's final plea was that Prince Qi, should his mutiny succeed in the future, would do his utmost to rebuild the prestige of the Great Qing. However, Prince Qi told Cun Qing that Regent Zaifeng had once told him that reform was too slow, that chaos required a sharp edge to be cut, and that turbulent times required the hand of a hero. Cun Qing was completely disheartened, his belief shattered.
Wang Jialuo saw someone buying and selling children on the street. He intervened to save the child and sent the human traffickers to the yamen. However, the yamen was not managing affairs and did not want to search for the child's family, as perhaps in this era, parents truly sold their children. Wang Jialuo believed that even a tiger does not eat its cubs and verbally pressured the constables to search for the child's family.
That night, based on the information he received, Wang Jialuo returned the child to her birth mother. However, the child's mother was herself a prostitute and could not raise her daughter, having sold her to an opera troupe. Now, she was also ill and could not be cured; sending her to the opera troupe might allow the child to survive and grow up. Lin Anjing confirmed the child's name was Shen Linglong and took the child away.
Afterwards, she and Wang Jialuo sent the child to the opera troupe. Before leaving, Lin Anjing told Shen Linglong that no one could help her, she could only rely on herself, and only by becoming stronger could no one bully her. Tears only make people weak; whenever she wanted to cry in the future, she should remember what she said today.
Episode 29 Recap
Lin Anjing thought of herself because of the little girl's background. She wished the person she had met back then had been Wang Jialuo. Lin Anjing, who was still a beggar back then, was met by Qing Yi Xinfeng. Qing Yi Xinfeng saw Lin Anjing, a girl, snatch a roasted chicken from ten boy beggars. Although she was injured, Lin Anjing did not cry. At that time, Qing Yi Xinfeng was impressed by Lin Anjing's ruthlessness.
And in order to survive better, the young Lin Anjing chose to leave with Qing Yi Xinfeng. In Quanzhou, Fujian, Ulan Shan came to Zhong Haichao's military camp. She inquired Zhong Haichao about his transfer to Fujian and also speculated that her husband and father, Prince Qi, must be plotting something. Zhong Haichao refused to tell Ulan Shan, citing the importance of the matter.
Seeing that she could not find any useful clues, Ulan Shan could only bid farewell to Zhong Haichao and return to live in the city. Zhong Haichao was annoyed that Ulan Shan had followed him to Fujian. Returning to his room, he saw his lover Haitang was bored, so he simply took her to watch a puppet show together. While watching the play, Haitang and Zhong Haichao inadvertently talked about the revolutionary books she had read.
Her heart was inspired by them. Zhong Haichao believed that those who agreed with these books could go and revolt. He believed the Great Qing was too weak, so weak that other countries could arbitrarily bully it. Zhong Haichao very much wanted to change the current state of the country's weakness, and Beiyang was the path he currently believed could best achieve this. If Beiyang failed one day, perhaps he would choose revolution.
And with Zhong Haichao's permission, Haitang's mind was enlightened by reading "forbidden books," and she decided to follow him all the way. Mu Qing did not find any useful clues at the Zezeju Inn. In his view, the waist token left by Luan Yi back then was more like a farewell letter. The waist token was something Imperial Bodyguards never parted with; taking off the waist token meant either death or disappearance.
He speculated that Luan Yi had not died forty-three years ago but had merely left his identity as an Imperial Bodyguard. Mu Qing stated that the Imperial Household Department used bank notes with a special mark for their investigations. Once these bank notes were used, the banks would definitely have records. Mu Qing believed that if Luan Yi lived without using bank notes, he would naturally sell the things around him.
And the things around him were quite valuable items from the palace. Therefore, this was also the reason Mu Qing brought Lin Haohan to Fujian on this trip. Lin Haohan searched for suspicious items as instructed by Mu Qing. He found a pendant at a pawnshop. The gem on the pendant and the chain were extremely mismatched, and the gem was an accessory for Imperial Household Department guards.
Afterwards, Mu Qing found that this chain had been pawned by a brothel madam ten years ago. Mu Qing did not want to take Lin Haohan to the brothel to investigate this matter and arranged for him to go to the ghost market to continue searching for suspicious items. Mu Qing went to the brothel alone.
He inquired about the acquaintances of Madam Qing, the madam who had died of illness ten years ago, but did not find any useful clues. He searched around the brothel and found the sweeping servant Lao Lin suspicious. Afterwards, he ordered someone to test him and found that Lao Lin indeed possessed martial arts skills. Mu Qing revealed his identity from the Imperial Household Department.
Lao Lin also admitted that forty-three years ago he was indeed an Imperial Guard with a saber, but he was not Luan Yi, only Luan Yi's deputy. Lao Lin told Mu Qing that Luan Yi's methods for handling cases back then were extremely brutal. Luan Yi believed that the Xianghua monks appearing near Fujian had an inseparable relationship with the Southern Shaolin, so he forced and interrogated everyone who had contact with the Xianghua monks.
The Xianghua monk Luan Yi was looking for was named Wu Shuangbao. Later, it was found that this person was at Futu Temple. However, many people contracted malaria and died on the way when Luan Yi took people there. Luan Yi and the remaining people also reached Futu Temple on their last breath, and Wu Shuangbao and the abbot of Futu Temple spared their lives.
After escaping death, they were enlightened and abandoned the mission of tracking Wu Shuangbao, but Luan Yi did not give up and even brutally killed his subordinates. And he was fortunately saved by Wu Shuangbao.
Episode 30 Recap
Wu Shuangbao trapped Luan Yi at Futu Temple, while Lao Lin was released after his injuries healed. He knelt and thanked Wu Shuangbao for saving his life twice and decided to retire from then on. Luan Yi's waist token was also sent to the inn by him at Wu Shuangbao's request, so that the Imperial Guards who searched for Luan Yi later could see it.
Lao Lin originally wanted to go to the South Seas to live in seclusion, but because his malaria had not fully recovered and his injuries recurred, he could only wander the streets. Fortunately, he was saved by Sister Qing, and later he came to the brothel to do odd jobs. Luan Yi was imprisoned at Futu Temple for three years, and one day he was finally enlightened by the Buddha's light, shaved his head, and converted.
Mu Qing confirmed with Lao Lin that Luan Yi's Buddhist name was Du E, and Wu Shuangbao was the third-generation Head of the Prajna Hall at Southern Shaolin. The reason Wu Shuangbao told Lao Lin these things was that after subduing Luan Yi, he feared the secret would be hard to keep, so he quietly left. Mu Qing told Lao Lin that he found him hiding here because of Sister Qing.
He did not understand why Lao Lin had not left after Sister Qing passed away. Lao Lin said that here he had happy memories. He served the court for the first half of his life, and spent the second half in the brothel, seeing all kinds of people and life. He also realized that what people want is a bit of freedom, and the time spent with Sister Qing was his freedom.
Lao Lin had one regret in his life: back then he had made a chain for Sister Qing as a token of love. When Sister Qing was seriously ill, he pawned the chain at a pawnshop. His wish now is to redeem the chain during his lifetime. Mu Qing handed the chain he had retrieved back to Lao Lin. Lao Lin learned that Mu Qing was searching for the Jingtan Secret Treasure because the court needed it.
He told Mu Qing that the Jingtan Secret Treasure might make the current court's life a bit better, but it would not turn the court into the court the people needed. Wealth must be given to those who can free the populace from suffering. Lao Lin saw that Mu Qing was as confused as he was in his youth, but Mu Qing stated that he was, after all, a Manchu.
Lao Lin told Mu Qing that his real surname was Hesheli, which greatly surprised Mu Qing. Mu Qing and Liu Lin bid farewell to Lao Lin. Mu Qing believed that the Prajna successor had been untraceable for forty-three years, perhaps this person had already gone east across the sea. Now that it was confirmed that Wu Shuangbao was safe and sound forty-three years ago, his successor must also know about the thirty-year agreement.
At the Beiyang military base, Ulan Shan suddenly came to the camp and caught Zhong Haichao in bed with someone. She feigned anger and secretly went to Zhong Haichao's office to look through documents and secret letters. After finding useful information, Ulan Shan scolded Zhong Haichao thoroughly and left in a rage. The next day, Ulan Shan disguised herself as someone delivering food to the inn and came to secretly meet Liu Lin.
She told Liu Lin that Beiyang was also coveting the treasure and was very likely to use extreme measures to seize it. Liu Lin told Ulan Shan that Mu Qing's thinking was currently in a state of extreme contradiction and that he was very likely to change. Ulan Shan was willing to trust Mu Qing, as Mu Qing had joined the revolution even earlier than them. As Ulan Shan was leaving, she was stopped by the perceptive Mu Qing.
Mu Qing had known earlier that Ulan Shan would definitely look for Liu Lin in Fujian, so he did not even leave guards at the door of Liu Lin's room, just waiting for Ulan Shan to come. Mu Qing guessed that Ulan Shan was helping Liu Lin, and Liu Lin was a member of the Tongmenghui, an organization dedicated to overthrowing the Great Qing.
Ulan Shan's choice to help Liu Lin could only mean that she was also a member of the Tongmenghui. Mu Qing believed that Liu Lin alone, or even the Tongmenghui, could not possibly get the Jingtan Secret Treasure. Mu Qing answered Ulan Shan's question about being in the capital.
He did not want to call Ulan Shan 'Gege', because although this dynasty had given him nothing, he was born in it, and this dynasty had taught him that change was difficult, even for the emperor. Twelve years later, he discovered that the court wanted to change, so he was willing to come and search for clues about the Jingtan Secret Treasure, but as of today, he found hope was slim.
Ulan Shan believed that Tan Sitong was the idol of all rationalists. Tan Sitong shed his blood back then while Mu Qing was imprisoned. In Ulan Shan's heart, Mu Qing was already a revolutionary. Mu Qing had once believed in two things: one was to change the world, and the other was to marry Ulan Shan. But both failed.
He had thought that Ulan Shan should be happy after twelve years, but he had never seen the smile on Ulan Shan's face from when the Emperor agreed to be their matchmaker. Mu Qing knew Ulan Shan was not happy; she did not like Zhong Haichao at all, and her identity as a Prince's daughter had become a shackles for Ulan Shan, preventing her from choosing. Mu Qing knew that Ulan Shan had studied abroad and had an open mind.
Her daring to love him and cross forbidden boundaries twelve years ago proved that Ulan Shan dared to rebel. Mu Qing sent Liu Lin to the Prince's mansion specifically to confirm if Ulan Shan was a revolutionary. Now that the woman he loved was a revolutionary, he had no more ties. As long as he could obtain the Jingtan Secret Treasure, he would offer it to the revolution.
Mu Qing instructed Ulan Shan not to tell Liu Lin about this, and not to come see Liu Lin again, as it was too dangerous here. Mu Qing and Ulan Shan said goodbye here. Even though they were unsure if this time would succeed, both of them firmly believed there was always hope for the future.
Episode 31 Recap
Mu Qing arranged for Lin Haohan to go search for ancient coins from the Qianlong era. His real intention was to let Lin Haohan avoid these few days around the thirty-year agreement. After all, in Mu Qing's view, Lin Haohan was not a bad person, and he did not want to implicate Lin Haohan.
Mu Qing arrived at Zezhe Ju in advance with the Imperial Household Department guards to make arrangements, so that Treasure Rongtianling and Wang Jialuo's group could observe each other's movements after they arrived at the inn. Qingyi Xinfeng and Yeshang Han arrived in Quanzhou, Fujian. Yeshang Han reported on the movements of Mu Qing's group and stated that the Imperial Household Department had made proper arrangements at Zezhe Ju.
Qingyi Xinfeng had Yeshang Han arrange for people to enter the inn, and also arrange for another part of the people to monitor the surroundings of the inn. Mu Qing brought Liu Lin to stay at Zezhe Ju Inn. Liu Lin told Mu Qing to be careful of Beiyang. Mu Qing believed that Wang Jialuo was not someone who would break his word.
He knew that the person Liu Lin was warning him about was Zhong Haichao, but he also said that there was nothing he could do if Zhong Haichao openly dealt with him. Mu Qing, accompanied by the Imperial Household Department guards, ate and drank lavishly at the inn. It was the most leisure day he had had since getting out of prison. Now, being at the inn with Liu Lin, he was just waiting for the thirty-year agreement to arrive.
The two of them ate and drank at the inn, and during that time, they had a big argument again over the stances of the Tongmenghui and the court. Neither of them gave in. Afterwards, Wang Jialuo brought the Beiyang army to the inn, and the two groups gathered together for a hearty drink. Qingyi Xinfeng was surprised to learn from Lin Anjing about Mu Qing's unrestrained behavior.
Qingyi Xinfeng handed the gun in her hand to Lin Anjing, instructing her that she could use it if necessary. Now that Zhong Haichao had been transferred to Fujian, she believed this must be Prince Qi's arrangement, so Zhuo Bufan had the strong backing of Zhong Haichao. Because there were no clues about the Prajna successor yet, Qingyi Xinfeng also did not have a specific plan. The Rongtianling group arrived at Zezhe Ju, and several forces were itching for action.
Yu Huanjie observed in secret, reporting everything he saw and heard to Zhong Haichao. He also stated that in front of Mu Qing, if Zhuo Bufan did his best, Mu Qing would have no chance at all. As for Wang Jialuo, although he was persistent, his strength was not worth mentioning in front of Zhong Haichao.
As long as all the seals appeared on the day of the thirty-year agreement, Yu Huanjie believed that Zhuo Bufan would definitely be able to take them all down. Zhong Haichao asked if there were any unexpected situations regarding this matter. Yu Huanjie admitted that there would be unexpected situations, because the Jingtan Secret Treasure was not as important to Zhuo Bufan as others thought.
Zhuo Bufan only cared about the martial arts classics within the secret treasure, which Prince Qi had promised to give directly to Zhuo Bufan. And regardless of whether it was Beiyang or the Imperial Household Department, as long as they promised to give him the martial arts classics, Zhuo Bufan could potentially change his mind temporarily. Mr. Xie and Zhong Haichao analyzed the situation.
Zhong Haichao believed that it would be more secure to put this matter into his own hands and have Beiyang personally control it. Mr. Xie did not fully trust Zhong Haichao, but Zhong Haichao also stated that his primary identity would always be a Beiyang person. He also said that whether the secret treasure fell into Zhuo Bufan's hands or Wang Jialuo's hands, it would ultimately be in Beiyang's hands.
If it fell into Mu Qing's hands, that would be Mu Qing's death sentence. Qingyi Xinfeng came to visit Zhong Haichao. Ulan Shan happened to be having dinner with Zhong Haichao at the military camp and took the opportunity to eavesdrop on their conversation. Qingyi Xinfeng came to the military camp to inform Zhong Haichao that there was an agreement between Prince Qi and them.
Prince Qi would launch a coup, and the Japanese side would help Prince Qi establish and consolidate his leadership position after the coup. In return, the Japanese side would obtain transportation, commercial, and mining rights in the Northeast. Under the enticement of Qingyi Xinfeng's interests, Zhong Haichao finally agreed to cooperate with the Japanese, promising to immediately kill Men Sandao, Wang Dibao, and Zhuo Bufan as soon as the four seals were gathered.
At that time, Zhong Haichao would keep two seals, and the Japanese side would hold the other two, thus becoming allies and plotting new cooperation together. Men Sandao and Liu Lin analyzed the current situation. He said that what the Japanese most hoped for was that no one would get the secret treasure. Therefore, their action on this trip would be to stir up trouble.
At the same time, he also noticed Lin Anjing's abnormality and speculated that she might be related to the Japanese. Men Sandao predicted that Qingyi Xinfeng would choose to make a deal with Zhong Haichao due to lack of strength. If the Japanese checked into the inn near Zezhe Ju tomorrow night, it would mean that the two sides had formed an alliance.
Episode 32 Recap
Lin Haohan arrived at Zezhe Ju late at night. Mu Qing threatened Lin Haohan with a knife, asking who he really was. He knew how dangerous the sixth day of the month would be, so why did he risk coming back? Lin Haohan said that as someone who loves money, he was naturally there for the treasure.
But Mu Qing said that now Beiyang, Rongtianling, and the Imperial Household Department were all waiting for the Prajna successor, and he suspected that Lin Haohan was the Prajna successor. Seeing Lin Haohan explaining with a greedy expression, Mu Qing said that he didn't want Lin Haohan to die in Zezhe Ju and hoped he could leave as soon as possible. Even if he found the treasure, Lin Haohan's promised share would still be there.
Qingyi Xinfeng knew that Zhong Haichao would not be completely honest with them. Even if Zhong Haichao ultimately found the Prajna successor, he would not share the results with them. Qingyi Xinfeng told Yeshang Han not to take it lightly. On the sixth day of the fifth month, inside and outside Zezhe Ju, a chilling atmosphere surged. All parties were poised and ready, waiting in full battle array.
Men Sandao told Liu Lin that from this moment on, she was no longer his prisoner. Men Sandao let Liu Lin go. Now he could only withdraw the Imperial Household Department's people. Wang Jialuo, Zhuo Bufan, Zhong Haichao, and even the Japanese were all holding firm outside the inn. Liu Lin could sneak out from behind Zezhe Ju after dark.
After making sure she had shaken off any pursuers, she should go to a Huangji butcher shop in the western suburbs, where someone would meet her. Men Sandao had long guessed that Liu Lin stayed by his side because she knew the Bodhi Seal was related to him. And he let Liu Lin go for the safety of both Liu Lin and the Bodhi Seal. Mu Qing went to the courtyard to find Zhuo Bufan.
Although the two had been rivals many times, they could now wait calmly for the Prajna successor at the inn. Mu Qing took out the dark box containing the Precept Seal and Bodhi Seal for Zhuo Bufan to see. He had the Precept Seal from Zhuo Bufan's hand placed into the dark box. The two sounded each other out. At the same time, Wang Jialuo also rushed to the courtyard to join them.
Zhuo Bufan learned that Wang Jialuo was the Bodhidharma successor, but did not believe that the Bodhidharma Seal was in Wang Jialuo's hands. Wang Jialuo, however, stated that there were now only two suspects left in the Dagu murder case, and five people had already died by his hand. Zhuo Bufan believed that even if Wang Jialuo and Mu Qing joined forces to kill him, he would not necessarily lose.
Zhuo Bufan had also noticed Mu Qing's improvement in swordsmanship before. He confirmed with Mu Qing that he had accepted the Bodhi inheritance and learned the Three Dharma Seal Sword. Zhuo Bufan wanted to witness the Three Dharma Seal Sword. After several probes, he found that Mu Qing's swordsmanship was indeed admirable.
Facing Mu Qing's questions, Zhuo Bufan publicly stated that the killing of the nine people in the Dagu murder case was related to him, but killing them was not his original intention. The person who led the team was Senior Brother Yu Huanjie. His methods of interrogation and torture were cruel, but none of this was his original intention. Mu Qing said these nine people were from the Tongmenghui, and to the court, they were rebellious traitors.
What Zhuo Bufan did was a service to the court, and he should be thanked. But Wang Jialuo believed that Rongtianling could not turn their crime into merit just because they killed members of the Tongmenghui. Mu Qing said he had investigated these nine people; they had indeed lived in Nanyang (Southeast Asia), but there was no family among them. There was indeed one person among them surnamed Lin, who had a niece named Lin Anjing studying in Japan.
But among the nine people who boarded the ship from Japan, Lin Anjing was not present. Mu Qing raised doubts about Lin Anjing's identity, pointing out that there were other hidden circumstances in the Dagu bloody case. Now the most important matter was the Jingtan Secret Treasure. He hoped that Wang Jialuo, as a person of the court, would guard the secret treasure for the court, which was the most important thing.
Mu Qing promised Wang Jialuo that after the matter of the secret treasure was settled, he would allow him to reinvestigate the Dagu bloody case. Ultimately, the stubborn Wang Jialuo agreed to this proposal. Mu Qing persuaded the two to temporarily put aside their differences and discuss cooperation. Mu Qing believed that the court could satisfy the request to make Rongtianling the greatest sword sect in the world. He also promised to give the martial arts classics to Zhuo Bufan.
Zhuo Bufan naturally agreed to such cooperation. Now the three of them carefully assessed the situation, knowing in their hearts that Zhong Haichao's Beiyang army was secretly watching like a tiger stalking its prey. At this time, Zezhe Ju was already a net from heaven and earth, so the Prajna successor likely wouldn't appear.
At Mu Qing's suggestion, they had all the Beiyang army, Rongtianling, and Imperial Household Department people outside the inn withdraw, and the three of them waited alone in Zezhe Ju for the Prajna successor. To welcome the Prajna successor, the three of them even specifically wrote a welcome banner to greet the Prajna successor. But Mu Qing also believed that the Prajna successor should not appear.
After all, facing such a daunting task and everyone watching, Zezhe Ju was not a suitable meeting place. Now they could only change the time and place to reunite with the Prajna successor. To mislead the Japanese and Beiyang, the three of them started a game of chess. After one night, the Prajna successor did not appear. Mu Qing and Zhuo Bufan talked about sword sects.
Although Zhuo Bufan was titled the greatest sword in the world, he thought Rongtian Sword was indeed powerful when he was young. Only later did he realize that it was just his swordsmanship that was powerful. In the past ten years, he had refined his swordsmanship but found that so far, Mu Qing was the only person he wanted to fight.
He once again proposed a battle with Mu Qing's Three Dharma Seal Sword, not for victory or defeat, but just for the challenge. Mu Qing sighed that if the two of them were not in opposing camps, they might have become friends. The two agreed upon a gentleman's battle. Zhuo Bufan just wanted to get a good look at the Three Dharma sword techniques.
Episode 33 Recap
穆青 and Zhuo Bufan had a match. At this point, Zhuo Bufan could only barely fight Men Sandao, who had mastered the Southern Shaolin Three Dharma Seal Sword, to a draw. The two developed a feeling of mutual appreciation. Mu Qing stated that what suppressed Zhuo Bufan today was not himself, but the hundred-year heritage of Southern Shaolin.
Zhuo Bufan also believed that if Mu Qing fully mastered the Three Dharma Seal Sword, he would certainly not be a match, but he also looked forward to sparring with Mu Qing again after he had mastered the complete sword techniques. Mu Qing suggested to Zhuo Bufan and Wang Jialuo that they draw a line as a marker to inform the Prajna successor to meet at Futu Temple.
Mu Qing had previously investigated and learned that Wu Shuangbao was the Prajna successor, but both Du'e and the young abbot of Futu Temple knew Prajna Hall's martial arts, so the true Prajna successor must also know that drawing a line signifies Futu Temple. The three of them decided that after the sixth day of the fifth month, they would disperse separately to avoid pursuit and gather at Futu Temple.
Late at night, seeing that the day was about to pass, Qingyi Xinfeng brought samurai to Zezhe Ju. Mu Qing, Zhuo Bufan, and Wang Jialuo originally thought they were nothing to fear, but unexpectedly, the three of them had already been poisoned by Qingyi Xinfeng. What surprised Zhuo Bufan even more was that the poison was actually administered by Dai Si from Rongtianling. Qingyi Xinfeng gave the order for the samurai to kill all three.
At this moment, Lin Haohan appeared and saved the three of them. He revealed his identity as the Prajna successor and also told Mu Qing and the others to leave through the back door. Mu Qing took Zhuo Bufan to the back door. At this time, Liu Lin was driving a car to take them away. It turned out that Mu Qing had guessed Lin Haohan's identity before.
Before persuading Lin Haohan to leave, Mu Qing had told him that he was the Bodhi Institute successor and was willing to hand over the treasure to the Tongmenghui after finding it. It was through multiple tests at that time that he got Lin Haohan to admit his identity as the Prajna successor. Zhuo Bufan prepared to go back and find his disciples. He was now worried about their safety.
Before leaving, he handed the Precept Seal to Mu Qing and stated that if he did not arrive at Futu Temple tomorrow night, then the Precept Seal would belong to Mu Qing. After Zhuo Bufan took his leave, Wang Jialuo told Mu Qing that he did not have the Bodhidharma Seal on him and knew nothing about the seal or the inheritance.
Although he did not have the seal in his hand, Wang Jialuo also stated that he would still go to Futu Temple tomorrow night, as he still needed to resolve the Dagu bloody case. Wang Jialuo bid farewell to Mu Qing and also rushed back to the inn to look for Lin Anjing. Liu Lin took Mu Qing to a small courtyard, where Mu Qing reunited with Ulan Shan.
Zhuo Bufan returned to Zezhe Ju and rescued Huo Qin, who was tied up. Zhuo Bufan told Huo Qin that Dai Si had been bribed by the Japanese and betrayed Rongtianling. Yu Huanjie returned to the inn and told Zhuo Bufan that Zhong Haichao from Beiyang wanted to see him. Wang Jialuo did not find Lin Anjing at the inn. He followed the bloodstains in the inn to look for clues.
Lin Haohan came to the small courtyard to meet with Mu Qing and the others. Lin Haohan told Mu Qing that this rescue operation was planned by Ulan Shan after she overheard a conversation between Zhong Haichao and Qingyi Xinfeng and sensed that Mu Qing was in danger. Mu Qing asked Lin Haohan why he was the second contact person.
Mu Qing guessed that the person Tan Xian contacted by phone initially and the person who overheard on the train to Fujian were both Lin Haohan, but he did not understand why Wu Shuangbao and Lin Haohan were both overseas, and Tan Xian was also overseas, yet they did not contact each other overseas. Lin Haohan admitted that everything was a setup, and this plan was proposed by Cheng Yu.
Many people participated in this plan, but the most important person was Mu Qing. Wu Shuangbao and Cheng Yu both knew that this year's thirty-year agreement must succeed, otherwise the Jingtan Secret Treasure would never see the light of day. To complete the thirty-year agreement, the four successors must be gathered. Mu Qing was imprisoned, so the theft from Wenyuan Pavilion was needed to induce the Imperial Household Department to release Mu Qing.
Zhuo Bufan was chosen because of his senior martial brother, Mo Kun. Then Jiang Hen introduced Zhuo Bufan to become Prince Qi's mercenary, so the information about the first contact person was deliberately given to Prince Qi. Mu Qing did not understand why Lin Haohan and the others did not go directly to Futu Temple to search for the Bodhi Seal. Then he realized that the seal might be on him.
And the information Liu Lin received at Futu Temple back then was that the Jingtan Secret Treasure's seal was a tattoo on the Southern Shaolin successor. The only uncertain thing in the entire plan was that they didn't know if Wang Jialuo had a tattoo on him. Mu Qing worried that Wang Jialuo, who had gone back to look for Lin Anjing, was in danger, so he and Lin Haohan went back to Zezhe Ju together to look for Wang Jialuo.
Episode 34 Recap
Qingyi Xinfeng told Lin Anjing to continue staying with Wang Jialuo. At least in her view, Wang Jialuo was still their most valuable card. Although Wang Jialuo did not have the seal, others did not know that Wang Jialuo did not have the seal. Perhaps Lin Haohan knew the location of the real seal. Wang Jialuo followed the bloodstains and found Qingyi Xinfeng's location. He saw Lin Anjing walk out from there with his own eyes.
Wang Jialuo stood opposite Lin Anjing. Looking at Lin Anjing in the rain, Wang Jialuo fell into extreme conflict and pain. Mu Qing had previously reminded Wang Jialuo that Lin Anjing's identity was questionable. He didn't believe it in his heart, but now his investigation proved that what Mu Qing said was correct. Lin Anjing admitted that she had lied to Wang Jialuo.
Her approaching him was to steal intelligence, but her loving him and being willing to marry him was also true. She was willing to leave with Wang Jialuo and live whatever kind of life he chose. But Wang Jialuo could no longer trust Lin Anjing. As a court constable who cared about the safety of the court until death, Lin Anjing allied with foreign enemies to covet the court's treasure. In his eyes, Lin Anjing was unforgivable.
Wang Jialuo decisively drew his sword and ended the life of Lin Anjing, who had betrayed him and the Great Qing. Before she died, Lin Anjing told him she couldn't remember her real name, but she liked the name Lin Anjing. Lin Anjing hoped Wang Jialuo could take her back to Dagu, wanting to go home with him. Afterwards, Wang Jialuo held Lin Anjing's body in the rain and wept bitterly.
--- Yu Huanjie brought Zhong Haichao to meet Zhuo Bufan. Seeing that Zhuo Bufan had gained nothing today, Zhong Haichao told Zhuo Bufan to hand over the seal to him. At the same time, Yu Huanjie brought men intending to kill Zhuo Bufan. It was then that Zhuo Bufan realized his senior martial brother had long since betrayed Rongtianling. Zhuo Bufan was caught off guard and injured by Yu Huanjie.
Only with Huo Qin's help were the two able to successfully escape. Early morning, Mu Qing and Lin Haohan returned to Zezhe Ju. Mu Qing sensed something was wrong and asked Lin Haohan to wait outside while he went in. Upon entering, he discovered that Prince Qi had already arrived at Zezhe Ju. Prince Qi told Mu Qing that Master Cun Qing had passed away at this time.
Prince Qi tried to win Mu Qing over, stating that there were only four days left until Mangzhong, the day set for the rebellion. If Mu Qing surrendered, he could not only obtain the official position of a first-rank high official but also rekindle his relationship with Ulan Shan. Prince Qi frankly admitted that Regent Zaifeng had always known about his rebellion plan and even secretly promoted it.
Prince Qi believed Mu Qing was a pillar of the new dynasty and told him to think carefully about this matter. Zhuo Bufan was injured. He wanted Huo Qin to leave him behind and escape by herself, but Huo Qin said that as long as she had a breath left, she wouldn't abandon Zhuo Bufan. Zhuo Bufan agreed to roam the world with Huo Qin, but the two were then surrounded by Yu Huanjie and his men.
Yu Huanjie immediately slandered Zhuo Bufan and Huo Qin, accusing them of colluding, betraying the sect, and stating that he was here today with his disciples to clean up the sect. But Zhuo Bufan was already heavily injured, and he and Huo Qin were simply no match for Yu Huanjie and the others.
Zhuo Bufan originally thought he would surely die at Yu Huanjie's hands today, but unexpectedly, Mu Qing arrived at this time with Lin Haohan and saved Zhuo Bufan. Mu Qing and Lin Haohan injured Yu Huanjie and the others and quickly took Zhuo Bufan and Huo Qin away. Lin Haohan took Mu Qing to a butcher shop. The two announced their identities but found that the other party ignored them. Yu Huanjie brought his disciples and chased them here.
Mu Qing and Lin Haohan could only engage in a fight with them again. Seeing that the few of them were unable to fight off the enemies, Mu Qing stated a password, which made the people in the butcher shop step forward to help. And Lin Haohan also unexpectedly learned during the fight that this was the location of the true Southern Shaolin.
Episode 35 Recap
The people in the butcher shop were all senior brothers from the Luohan Hall. They also followed their master's command: as long as the person who came spoke the password, they would help desperately. Lin Haohan repeatedly questioned the senior brothers of the Luohan Hall, confirming that they had guarded this place for generations but did not know that what they were guarding was a treasure.
Zhuo Bufan looked at his dead senior and junior brothers, sighing that the Rongtian Sword Sect was ultimately ruined in his hands. Now the entire sect was left with only him and Huo Qin. He threw away the sword in his hand, wishing only to spend the rest of his life hand in hand with Huo Qin.
Zhuo Bufan told Mu Qing that he had decided to withdraw from the Jianghu (martial world), but Mu Qing still promised that when the treasure was found, Zhuo Bufan's wealth and martial arts manuals would still belong to him. Zhuo Bufan apologized that he couldn't make it to the appointment at Futu Temple today. He planned to take Huo Qin to live in Meixun. After Zhuo Bufan and Huo Qin said goodbye to Mu Qing, they left.
Huo Qin planned to return to Meixun with Zhuo Bufan first to recuperate from their injuries, and return later to help Mu Qing fulfill his wish, considering it repaying today's kindness. However, what Zhuo Bufan didn't expect was that they encountered Wang Jialuo on the way. Wang Jialuo led the Forty-third Regiment to surround Zhuo Bufan and Huo Qin, wanting to settle the Dagu blood case with Zhuo Bufan. But the current Wang Jialuo was already obsessed and unyielding.
Even though Zhuo Bufan and Huo Qin pleaded bitterly, they couldn't change Wang Jialuo's mind. In the end, Wang Jialuo still ordered his subordinates to shoot and kill the two. Mu Qing rushed over upon hearing the news and learned that Wang Jialuo had killed Zhuo Bufan and Huo Qin. He was furious.
Upon learning that Wang Jialuo had already executed Lin Anjing, who was a Japanese spy, on the spot, Mu Qing rebuked Wang Jialuo for his stubbornness and ruthlessness. Wang Jialuo tightly held the ring he had given to Lin Anjing and stated that he must obey the laws of the Great Qing. From ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to reconcile, and so are love and law.
The two parted on bad terms, but Wang Jialuo still said he would rush to Futu Temple tonight to settle all matters. Zhong Haichao said that Wang Jialuo's matter was settled and ordered Ding Yu to take the Forty-third Regiment out of Fujian, also telling Wang Jialuo to return the clothes on his body to the Beiyang (Northern Sea). To avoid making things difficult for Ding Yu, Wang Jialuo let Ding Yu leave with his troops.
Zhong Haichao met with Qingyi Xinfeng again. Prince Qi was here now for the ownership of the Jingtan Secret Treasure. It was best for both Beiyang and the Japanese side to make the few people holding the seals completely disappear. Wang Jialuo did not have the seal, and Zhuo Bufan's Discipline Seal might be in Mu Qing's hands. The current plan was just to kill Mu Qing and the others. Zhong Haichao brought people to find the butcher shop.
Mu Qing told the senior brothers of the Luohan Hall to leave first. Zhong Haichao asked Mu Qing to hand over the seal in his hand. Lin Haohan appeared holding the seal. Taking the opportunity of handing the seal to Zhong Haichao, he took him hostage to threaten the Beiyang Army. Zhong Haichao ordered his soldiers to put down their guns.
Liu Lin rushed here to pick up the two and leave, but Lin Haohan unfortunately died under Qingyi Xinfeng's hidden gun. Liu Lin immediately drove Mu Qing away. Liu Lin was shot before leaving. She insisted on taking Mu Qing to Futu Temple. Ulan Shan was heartbroken upon learning that Lin Haohan had died. In an instant, Liu Lin, due to excessive bleeding from the gunshot wound, died in her arms.
Because countless compatriots had died for the seal, Mu Qing and Ulan Shan became even more determined to change this country and bring hope to more people. That night, Wang Jialuo arrived at Futu Temple. Mu Qing told Wang Jialuo that he was a descendant of Bodhidharma, and he himself was a descendant of Bodhi. The two were considered fellow disciples. He wanted to persuade Wang Jialuo to obey his master's command.
But Wang Jialuo believed that the sect was family, but the nation came first. Seeing that he couldn't persuade the stubborn Wang Jialuo, he told him directly that Southern Shaolin was the owner of the Jingtan Secret Treasure, and the masters were unwilling to hand the secret treasure to the court, hoping to give the treasure to the people it should be given to. Mu Qing stated frankly that he wanted to give the secret treasure to the revolutionaries. Now that Wang Jialuo was obsessed and unyielding, the two had no choice but to fight.
Episode 36 (Ending) Recap
The seriously injured Wang Jialuo was no match for Mu Qing at all, but Mu Qing was not planning to kill Wang Jialuo, as he still needed to obtain the seal. However, Wang Jialuo believed that he did not have the seal on him. Mu Qing told Wang Jialuo that he himself was the seal. Mu Qing tied Wang Jialuo up in Futu Temple, and then took Ulan Shan to bid farewell to Liu Lin.
Ulan Shan told Liu Lin to leave in peace, and that when she returned, this country would definitely be better than she imagined, and the nation would certainly be strong by then. After cremating and burying Liu Lin, Ulan Shan took Mu Qing away from Futu Temple. Ulan Shan planned to go to the Beiyang garrison to send a telegram, and Mu Qing also had something he needed to settle.
Previously, Lin Haohan had given Ulan Shan a telegram address, instructing her to send a telegram to Hong Kong if something happened to him. At that time, his master would know what to do upon receiving the news. Ulan Shan came to the Beiyang garrison now precisely to fulfill Lin Haohan's past instructions. Mu Qing went alone to the Japanese garrison, where he used the Japanese side's firearms to kill Nogami Han and Qingyi Xinfeng to avenge Lin Haohan.
Prince Qi brought Imperial Household Department officers to the Beiyang garrison. The Beiyang army temporarily changed their minds about supporting Prince Qi's coup. Prince Qi knew that Zhong Haichao had ultimately chosen the Beiyang. In recent years, Prince Qi had single-handedly promoted Zhong Haichao to a position with real power, and now Zhong Haichao had actually betrayed him.
Zhong Haichao believed that Prince Qi chose him as his son-in-law back then because he saw his intellect and ability, but how could a truly capable person be willing to be controlled by others? For years, Prince Qi had been guarding against him, which made both him and the Beiyang feel hopeless. Zhong Haichao believed that the Great Qing's adherence to old ways and self-degradation were the reasons it was bullied by numerous foreign powers.
These words angered Prince Qi, who ordered his men to directly execute Zhong Haichao. Prince Qi originally intended to kill Haitang as well, but Ulan Shan appeared and persuaded Prince Qi to spare Haitang, hoping Haitang could see the world in the future.
Ulan Shan told Prince Qi that she hated him not because he forced her to marry someone she didn't love, but because her father was clearly forcing her, yet still put on a facade of doing it for her own good. And all of this was not for her benefit, but for his own desires. Prince Qi knew his daughter still had feelings for Mu Qing.
Now he agreed to the marriage between Mu Qing and Ulan Shan, but Ulan Shan stated that their marriage would not require Prince Qi's permission in the future. Mu Qing and Ulan Shan waited for the Banyuan Successor with the unconscious Wang Jialuo. After Wang Jialuo woke up, he found himself on a boat. Mu Qing told him that the Bodhidharma seal had always been on Wang Jialuo, specifically the tattoo on his back.
Afterwards, the Luohan Hall senior brothers came with the Banyuan Hall successor. Mu Qing told Wang Jialuo that the tattoo on his body had long been imprinted, and urged Wang Jialuo to join the revolution and change the country together. However, Wang Jialuo was still blindly loyal and preferred death to joining the revolution and defying the Qing court. He slit his throat and fell into the sea. Mu Qing and Ulan Shan collected all four seals.
Lin Haohan had previously told Ulan Shan how to interpret the seals. They gathered the four tattoos, analyzed the pattern content, and pieced the locations together in order. The intersection point was the location of the secret treasure. Subsequently, Mu Qing led the Luohan Hall senior brothers according to the diagram to the location and successfully retrieved the secret treasure, which he dedicated to the revolution.
Mu Qing and Ulan Shan erected a monument for the unnamed people who died searching for the Jingtan Secret Treasure. Afterwards, Ulan Shan planned to go to Hong Kong first. Lin Haohan's senior and junior brothers were now transporting the treasures from the secret藏 (zàng), and she was responsible for supervising the inventory. Ulan Shan told Mu Qing to go to Wuchang first, and the two agreed to meet again in Wuchang later.
On December 30, 1911, Ulan Shan spoke to Mu Qing on the phone in Hong Kong. The Wuchang Uprising had now succeeded. Mu Qing said that this was just the beginning. He hoped that more people would come to change the world, and he was willing to believe that everyone could see it through. Now that the world was changing, he saw hope. He also saw hope in marrying Ulan Shan.
The two, who had agreed to reunite, hung up the phone and rushed into the revolution. On August 29, 1913, Mu Qing was killed in action in Nanjing during the Second Revolution. On October 10, 1926, Ulan Shan was hit by a stray bullet during the final assault on Wuchang with the Northern Expedition's Fourth Army, and she passed away in Guangzhou a year later. After they parted ways in Fujian, they never saw each other again in this life.
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