Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Episode 10 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Recap
Lu Lingfeng and his companions rushed to the Ghost Market, where a constable reported a gruesome discovery: a female corpse with its entire face peeled off, leaving a bloody and tragic sight. Upon seeing the body, Auntie Chi Ying immediately recognized a remaining piece of fabric from the clothing as belonging to her daughter, Wu Yang.
Overcome with grief, Chi Ying attempted to take her own life by rushing towards a stone pillar, but Xue Huan bravely intercepted her, sustaining a serious injury and spitting blood. Despite his pain, Xue Huan managed to assure her that they would capture the true culprit. Su Wuming intervened, gently counseling Chi Ying. He pointed out that despite his large build, Xue Huan was actually two years younger than Wu Yang and had selflessly protected her.
Su Wuming urged Chi Ying to honor the boy's sincerity and promise. Slowly, Chi Ying's emotions calmed, and Pei Xijun and Chu Yingtao stayed by her side to prevent further attempts at self-harm. Despite the well murder case being solved, Wu Yang's disappearance ending in tragedy weighed heavily on Lu Lingfeng, making him feel he had failed the residents of Shengye District.
Su Wuming, however, maintained a sense of unease, believing there were still unanswered questions, though he couldn't articulate why. Once Xue Huan's injuries had mended, Lu Lingfeng took him back to the Ghost Market, determined to apprehend the Ever-changing Master. Meanwhile, Master Chicken Fei, finding himself with free time, invited Su Wuming for a drink under the eaves of a face cream shop. They encountered A Mu, a sanitation worker, returning from his duties.
Su Wuming, sensing an opportunity, engaged A Mu in conversation. He learned that A Mu had willingly allowed himself to be scammed by Auntie Ling into a ritual to summon his deceased father's spirit, viewing it as his only way to show filial piety on his father's birthday. A Mu then mentioned Physician Bai, who regularly delivered herbs to Auntie Chi Ying and often cast strange glances at Wu Yang.
Following this lead, Su Wuming and Master Chicken Fei set off for Physician Bai's residence. In the Ghost Market, Lu Lingfeng led Xue Huan directly to a dimly lit shop named "Huangquan Tavern." The two entered and deliberately caused a commotion, overturning tables and shattering cups, intending to provoke the owner, Hell's Pursued. Before long, Hell's Pursued appeared, flanked by two men dressed in women's clothing.
Despite their martial skills, Hell's Pursued's followers were quickly subdued by Xue Huan, while Lu Lingfeng incapacitated Hell's Pursued himself within a few moves. Lu Lingfeng, revealing himself as the Yongzhou Judicial Official, former General of the Imperial Guard, and Master Di's disciple, offered Hell's Pursued a chance for redemption. Though Hell's Pursued had a notorious past, he had committed no recent major crimes, so Lu Lingfeng tasked him with locating the Ever-changing Master in exchange for his life.
Su Wuming and Master Chicken Fei found Physician Bai's secluded, remote cottage in Yongyang District, next to the Earth God Temple. As they approached, they heard a haunting "Night-Wandering Ladies" wail emanating from within and outside the courtyard walls, which abruptly ceased when a lamp was lit inside. Upon entering, Su Wuming, through keen observation of Physician Bai's words and actions, swiftly realized that the man was actually the Ever-changing Master in disguise.
The Ever-changing Master was prepared, however, and instantly released a cloud of sleeping gas, binding Su Wuming and Master Chicken Fei to the floor. As he brandished a knife, preparing to flay their faces, Su Wuming urgently questioned him about Wu Yang's fate. The Ever-changing Master denied killing her. He recounted how Shen Kong, a householder from Chengfo Temple, had been holding Wu Yang, intending to kill her due to her striking resemblance to Empress Wu Zetian in her youth.
The Ever-changing Master then overpowered Shen Kong and took Wu Yang, hoping to profit from her face. However, he was ambushed by another party on his way out of Chengfo Temple, who then kidnapped Wu Yang from him, even hitting him in the butt with an armor-piercing awl.
Infuriated by this setback, the Ever-changing Master found another young woman of similar age and appearance, brutally peeled off her face to vent his rage, and dumped the body in the Ghost Market to mislead the authorities. As the Ever-changing Master raised his knife to attack Su Wuming, Su Wuming, in a desperate struggle, kicked him. The Ever-changing Master stumbled and fell, fatally impaling himself on an armor-piercing awl placed in the corner of the room.
Just then, Lu Lingfeng and Xue Huan arrived. The four then proceeded to the prison to interrogate Li Fengjie, who the Ever-changing Master's wound implicated as the one who took Wu Yang from him. Li Fengjie, with a triumphant smirk, confessed to ambushing the Ever-changing Master and seizing Wu Yang.
He proudly declared that he had submerged Wu Yang, whom he believed to be the "demon empress" reincarnated, in a wooden cage in the Qu River, ensuring she would never be reborn. Without remorse, he stated that he was atoning for past sins, all because of a woman he had never met. Lu Lingfeng immediately dove into the river to search for Wu Yang. He eventually retrieved an empty wooden cage.
The ropes securing the cage had smooth, clean cuts, indicating they had been severed by a sharp weapon. The discovery led everyone to believe that Wu Yang might have been rescued and was still alive, having been abducted yet again. News of Wu Yang's disappearance, coupled with rumors of Empress Wu Zetian's reincarnation, spread throughout the capital, causing widespread unrest.
The reigning Empress, observing the situation, lamented the public's conflicting attitudes towards her late mother and the inherent difficulties women faced in governance. Fearing that public opinion would spiral out of control, Chief Administrator Du sternly ordered Su Wuming to close the case swiftly. Lu Lingfeng, however, insisted on a thorough investigation to uncover the complete truth, opposing any hasty conclusions. Su Wuming found himself mediating between their conflicting demands.
Chief Administrator Du further revealed that whispers circulating among the populace claimed Shen Yu was not Empress Wu Zetian's former lover but a demon raised by Abbot Guangxiao. There were also rumors that the painter Qin Xiaobai had been possessed while creating the murals in Chengfo Temple, which explained the abundance of demonic figures, and that Abbot Guangxiao was the true mastermind behind these events.
Overwhelmed by the mounting pressure and accusations, Abbot Guangxiao decided to embark on a hunger strike, seeking death to prove his innocence. Upon receiving this news, Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming immediately departed for Chengfo Temple.
