Psych-Hunter Episode 26 Recap
> Psych-Hunter Recap
The investigation into the Dead Spirit mailbox deepens. Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng stake out the mailbox all night, but no one approaches it. The next morning, Jiang Shuo discovers the letters are gone. Soon after, Yuan Muqing and Lin Ying both receive replies, with Yuan Muqing's clearly not from her brother, while Lin Ying's seems accurate to her parents. Convinced a trick is at play, Qin Yiheng instructs Jiang Shuo to open the mailbox.
Jiang Shuo attempts, claiming he lacks a key, but Qin Yiheng uses Yuan Muqing's brooch to reveal a hidden compartment, which is empty. Qin Yiheng then leads them to a back alley behind the post office, where they discover suspicious marks on the wall. He deduces that the letters received by the fire victims' families and Lin Ying were convincing because the sender had sufficient information.
However, the error in Yuan Muqing's letter proved the sender was not a spirit and didn't know her intimately. Since Jiang Shuo guarded the mailbox all night without seeing anyone, but replies were still delivered, Qin Yiheng concludes there must be a mechanism behind it. They decide to "wait patiently" to catch the culprit. That night, their vigilance pays off as a young postman attempts to retrieve letters. The three of them give chase and apprehend him.
At the police station, the young postman is evasive, denying any involvement in the Lin family murders, the letters, or knowing Liu Zhi, claiming he was merely "passing by." Realizing they won't get answers easily, Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng enter his mind palace. Inside, they discover numerous letters, including those addressed to "daughter Lin Ying" from "Lin Zhi" and "little sister Yuan Muqing" from "Yuan Yi." They realize he is the one impersonating the dead.
Following the trail of letters within his mind palace, Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng witness emotional scenes where bereaved families receive comforting messages from their deceased loved ones, expressing gratitude. Qin Yiheng understands the young postman's benevolent intention: to provide solace and help the living feel their departed family members are still present. They also spot Su Quan, the post office chief, in the mind palace, raising Qin Yiheng's suspicion about his connection to Lin Ying.
Furthermore, they uncover old invitation letters addressed to Qin Yi, Chairman of the Qin Chamber of Commerce, and other individuals who disappeared with Qin Yiheng's father a year prior. Qin Yiheng realizes this explains the "No. 9 Post Office" stamp found in his father's mind palace. Upon waking, the young postman, seeing his secret exposed, confesses.
He recounts how four years ago, during the tavern fire, he was outside the door and witnessed people struggling and calling for help, but lacked the courage to move a beam blocking the exit. Haunted by their dying images, he was saved from suicide by the old postman, who suggested writing letters to the bereaved to help them.
A year ago, after delivering Liu Zhi's invitations, the old postman fell ill and, on his deathbed, instructed the young postman to wait for Liu Zhi's orders and keep all secrets. However, he maintains he has never received any directives from Liu Zhi and doesn't even know Liu Zhi's gender. He also claims not to know Su Quan, only having seen him with Lin Ying during letter deliveries.
Suddenly, a junior police officer remembers that Su Quan is Lin Ying's uncle and has been looking after her. Immediately, Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng find Lin Ying has checked out of her residence and head to Su Quan's house, only to find it being raided by a loan shark, who reveals Su Quan has fled to avoid debts. Among Su Quan's belongings, they discover a No. 9 Post Office stamp and a wig.
Recalling Lin Ying's account of "Wu Meng" emerging from the water during her parents' murder, Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng deduce that Su Quan is the true killer, motivated by the insurance money Lin Ying would inherit on her eighteenth birthday.
Anticipating Su Quan's attempt to escape and harm Lin Ying, Qin Yiheng dispatches a junior police officer, Xiao Hei, to fetch Sergeant Bai and Yuan Muqing, while he and Jiang Shuo covertly follow Su Quan and Lin Ying, leaving marks along the way. They intervene just as Su Quan prepares to attack Lin Ying in a remote area, rescuing her and apprehending Su Quan.
Back at the post office, the young postman is met with an outpouring of gratitude from the bereaved families. Having learned the full truth of the Dead Spirit mailbox from the police, they thank him for his years of comfort and urge him to forgive himself, acknowledging the fire was an accident and not his fault. Later that night, Jiang Shuo is restless.
Liu Zhi enters his mind palace again, mockingly telling him he was merely a pawn and that "more preys make this hunting game more interesting." Liu Zhi challenges him with a new test, promising clues to his whereabouts if Jiang Shuo succeeds, and reveals the next target: a woman named Qin Yan. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Qin Yi, haunted by Liu Zhi's warnings about the Yin River treasure and their contract, decides he must follow Liu Zhi's clues.
His eldest son brings him a newspaper, which Qin Yi studies intently, particularly a "Missing Person" notice for Qin Yan. Soon after, Sergeant Bai receives a report about Qin Yan's disappearance, prompting Jiang Shuo to rush out with Yuan Muqing to investigate. At the newspaper office, the editor informs them that Qin Yan, a non-local reporter who rarely contacted her family and espoused "new women" theories, was coordinating an advertisement for a cheongsam boutique.
The ad was subsequently pulled due to Qin Yan's disappearance, which cleared space for her missing person notice on page six. Yuan Muqing discovers an order from Lan Xin Cheongsam Boutique among Qin Yan's belongings, with customer names obscured by ink. The editor recalls Qin Yan had interviewed Zhou Lan, the owner of Lan Xin Cheongsam Boutique, previously. Upon returning to the police station, they learn of eight new missing persons cases, including Zhou Lan herself.
Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng head to Lan Xin Cheongsam Boutique, where an employee, Sun Zhi Liang, reports Zhou Lan missing, explaining she had gone home with the flu but vanished without a trace. He confirms that Qin Yan had only photographed the shop and its owner, not placed orders. Sun Zhi Liang identifies the cheongsams from a photo: Zhou Lan's personal orchid design, and three other unique creations he made for customers.
These customers are identified as Liu Yin Yin, a student from Jin Ling Female College; Chun Na, a showgirl from the Paramount; and Wang Gui Fang. These names align with some of the other missing persons. Speaking to a neighbor, they learn Zhou Lan was generally well-liked, but her beauty, diligence, and renowned craftsmanship attracted many male admirers, leading to jealousy from other women.
The neighbor also hints at an "unusual relationship" between Zhou Lan and Sun Zhi Liang, suggesting it's natural for a lonely man and woman to develop feelings when together. Despite the lack of direct leads, they decide to start the investigation with the three customers whose names (Liu Yin Yin, Chun Na, and Wang Gui Fang) were on the order found with Qin Yan and matched some of the other missing persons.
