Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Episode 19 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Recap
Xue Huan cried out to Lu Lingfeng, saying he had seen a ghost. Lu Lingfeng rushed outside but found only a few cats on the roof. He dismissed Xue Huan’s claim as a hallucination from their tiring journey. However, seeing Xue Huan’s fear, Lu Lingfeng offered to let him share his room that night. He mentioned he needed to review case files, including a particularly gruesome dismembered body case from forty years prior.
Xue Huan gladly agreed, even offering to stay awake with Lu Lingfeng to “boost his courage” during the terrifying read. They discussed a past victim of the dismemberment case, Guan Zijun. That same night, A Cui, the daughter of a wealthy merchant in Ju County, was looking into a mirror when she unexpectedly saw a red-robed, white-haired ghost.
Her maid had warned her not to look in the mirror at night, but A Cui had scoffed at the idea of ghosts. The next day, A Cui was found dead in her room, her head severed. Lu Lingfeng and his team were called to the scene. An examination revealed A Cui had been raped and murdered before her head was cut off, a method identical to eleven previous cases, indicating a single perpetrator.
A Cui’s distraught father furiously chastised Lu Lingfeng and Xue Huan, calling them “losers” for the string of unsolved murders. Lu Lingfeng, who had just arrived in Ju County, explained his recent appointment and boldly promised to solve the case within seven days. He proposed a wager: if he failed, he would swallow a stone engraved with the word "loser," but if he succeeded, the merchant would have to do so. The merchant agreed to this unusual wager.
A Cui’s maid described the killer as a red-robed, white-haired ghost. Xue Huan immediately noted this matched what he had seen in the Hall of Life courtyard the previous night, but Lu Lingfeng sternly dismissed his account as a hallucination. The County Magistrate, upon hearing of Lu Lingfeng's seven-day promise to the merchant, sought confirmation. Lu Lingfeng affirmed his commitment, stating he would resign if he failed, much to the Magistrate's delight.
The Magistrate then invited Lu Lingfeng to a feast, ambiguously for either celebration or a farewell. Lu Lingfeng devised a plan. He ordered notices to be posted, falsely announcing the capture of the murderer. He then disguised himself as the killer and was paraded through the streets in a prisoner's cart. As expected, a suspicious man was observed among the crowd. Lu Lingfeng broke free and pursued him.
With Xue Huan’s assistance, they chased the suspect through the crowded streets, causing some public commotion and injuries. Despite the pursuit, he ultimately managed to escape due to the dense crowd and the fact that Xue Huan’s sword was not sharpened. Lu Lingfeng quickly ordered the city gates sealed and dispatched the Old Officer and Xue Huan with teams to search door-to-door. He reiterated to Xue Huan that the assailant was a human, not a ghost.
Xue Huan, regretting the escape, pleaded with Lu Lingfeng to allow him to sharpen his sword, but Lu Lingfeng refused, fearing it would corrupt his young disciple with a "killing aura." Later, Lu Lingfeng reflected on the dire conditions in Ju County, observing the severe miasma, widespread headaches, and the impoverished state of most citizens.
He realized the vast suffering of the common people was far beyond his previous imagination and felt a heavy responsibility as a sheriff to do more for them. They attempted to draw a new wanted poster, but Lu Lingfeng noted the lack of artistic skill, expressing that Pei Xijun would have done much better. He then ordered another comprehensive city-wide search after dark, unafraid of startling the culprit, knowing he was trapped within the city.
The County Magistrate, determined to obstruct Lu Lingfeng, assigned him a barrage of trivial administrative tasks, including tax collection, dam repairs, and canal excavation. Lu Lingfeng initially protested, arguing his focus was on the murder case, but the Magistrate insisted these were his duties and threatened charges of dereliction if neglected. Realizing the Magistrate's intent to make him fail, Lu Lingfeng accepted.
Xue Huan worried about the impending seven-day deadline, but Lu Lingfeng assured him that with the Old Officer and Xue Huan’s diligent efforts, the murderer would be apprehended. Meanwhile, Pei Xijun inquired about Lu Lingfeng’s well-being with Su Wuming, who confirmed Lu Lingfeng was overwhelmed and suffering from headaches, a common ailment in Ju County. Pretending to suffer from a headache, Lu Lingfeng visited Zhai Liang’s clinic.
Zhai Liang explained that the headaches plaguing the local populace were caused by miasma, with only about three out of ten patients fully recovering, another three maintaining their health through continuous treatment, and the remainder being incurable. Zhai Liang spoke highly of his late uncle, Meng, a renowned physician whose "Book of Bones" was widely respected. Meng had pioneered the acupuncture treatment for Ju County’s headaches but sadly passed away last year before completing his book on the subject.
Lu Lingfeng requested to visit the attic in the Hall of Life backyard, which Zhai Liang had previously mentioned as Meng’s study and alchemy lab, to pay his respects. Zhai Liang, however, again refused, citing Lu Lingfeng's busy official duties as an excuse. That night, after Xue Huan had fallen asleep, Lu Lingfeng stealthily entered the Hall of Life's attic.
He noticed that despite appearing to have two floors, there were no visible stairs in what was supposed to be a medicine storage area. Further investigation led him to a hidden room, where he discovered the tomb of Meng Donglao. The sight, coupled with fleeting shadows, unnerved him, causing him to leap from a window in fright, spending a restless night.
The next morning, visibly shaken, Lu Lingfeng confessed to Xue Huan that he had "seen a ghost" and been terrified. Yet, after an entire night of contemplation, he realized that "ghosts" were merely manifestations of human fear in the face of the unknown, leading to a loss of rational judgment. He admitted his own fear, despite his extensive martial arts training and former high rank in the Imperial Guards. With the seven-day deadline upon them, Lu Lingfeng gathered his team.
He commended their tireless efforts, confirming that strict city gate surveillance and continuous patrols meant the killer was trapped within Ju County. He then declared the murderer was hidden in the Hall of Life’s backyard. The officers expressed apprehension about confronting a "ghost," but Lu Lingfeng reassured them, explaining that the high "Yang" energy at noon would render any ghost powerless. Arriving at the Hall of Life, Lu Lingfeng's team announced their official presence and ordered the public to disperse.
Zhai Liang attempted to block their entry, but Lu Lingfeng swiftly ordered his arrest to prevent him from alerting the killer. Inside the attic, they initially found no one. Lu Lingfeng revealed the presence of a secret passage, explaining why he had apprehended Zhai Liang. He commanded his men to break through a hidden door, behind which they discovered Meng Donglao's tomb—confirming the "ghost" was a deception. Still, the inner chamber was empty.
Lu Lingfeng then pointed to the window, announcing the killer was outside. The "white-haired ghost" was apprehended outside the attic. Upon removing his white wig and mask, Zhai Liang recognized him as Liang Sanqi, a notorious thief whose broken bones his uncle, Meng, had once healed. Zhai Liang angrily denounced Liang Sanqi as an ungrateful wretch who had used his uncle’s former workspace to feign a haunting and commit crimes.
Lu Lingfeng realized Zhai Liang was not an accomplice but had tried to prevent them from entering to conceal his uncle's tomb. He mockingly asked Liang Sanqi if he wasn't afraid of Meng's ghost, with the tomb so close. Liang Sanqi confessed to the murder of twelve women but defiantly refused to disclose the location of their severed heads. He also vowed he would never be paraded through the streets.
With a sudden burst of strength, he broke free from his bonds and committed suicide by impaling himself on a sword. Relatives of the victims, witnessing the events, rushed forward to vent their grief and rage upon Liang Sanqi's corpse. The rich merchant, holding the stone inscribed with "loser," stepped forward, ready to swallow it as per his agreement. Lu Lingfeng stopped him, calling their bet a mere jest.
However, the merchant insisted, stating that his honor and reputation in Ju County depended on him fulfilling the wager, and he sincerely apologized for insulting an imperial official. Lu Lingfeng humbly responded that the merchant's challenge had actually spurred him to solve the case faster. He then revealed his shame that the victims' heads remained undiscovered.
Taking the "loser" stone, Lu Lingfeng declared he would keep it as a personal reminder to never be a "loser" and to always strive to be an upright official. He promised to find the missing heads as quickly as possible. Moved by his integrity, the grateful citizens, including the victims' families, knelt and praised Lu Lingfeng, calling him a blessing for Ju County.
