Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Episode 3 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Recap
Lu Lingfeng returned with a somber expression, leading Su Wuming to understand his mood without needing to ask. Su Wuming then focused his attention on a bird feather. He identified it as belonging to a "Flame Crow," a fierce bird from the mythical Crow's Cry Kingdom, said to exist between the human and netherworlds.
According to legend, a massive tree, hundreds of li in circumference, stands at the kingdom's center, home to millions of fierce birds, with the Flame Crow as their leader. Lu Lingfeng dismissed the legend as superstitious, but Su Wuming clarified that the Flame Crow is a real bird, the national bird of Amono, a Western Region country destroyed during Emperor Gaozong's reign.
He explained that these birds have an exceptionally keen sense of smell, prefer sweet foods, and despite their fierce appearance, there are no records of them eating humans. From his sickbed, Fei Ji Shi interjected, asking if Liu XVII's face had truly been peeled off, which Chu Yingtao confirmed. Chu Yingtao condemned these "yin-yang merchants" as despicable individuals who trade in human hair, skin, and bones, deserving "death by a thousand cuts."
Fei Ji Shi's eyes narrowed, suggesting he knew more about her past. Lu Lingfeng suspected the Flame Crow's owner was hiding near Weicheng Station and that the masked assailant who ambushed Su Wuming, wielding a rare phoenix-winged gold halberd, needed to be identified. He declared his intention to investigate personally.
Su Wuming, however, urged him to return to his assigned duty of protecting Lu Tong at the Grand General's Mansion, arguing that Lu Lingfeng was risking entanglement in court politics, a dangerous taboo. Su Wuming insisted he would handle the case, emphasizing that only by uncovering the truth could the misunderstanding between the Emperor and the Princess be resolved, and Lu Lingfeng's reputation cleared. Lu Lingfeng countered that as a commoner, Su Wuming lacked the authority to investigate.
Su Wuming argued that Lu Lingfeng's own involvement would only deepen the Emperor's suspicion, reiterating his plea for him to stay out of the case. Unable to officially investigate as a commoner, Su Wuming first sought out Du Ming, Yongzhou's Chief Administrator. Su Wuming hinted that Du Ming's perceived loyalty to the Retired Emperor, due to his past service in Prince Xiang's Mansion, put him in a precarious position with the current Emperor.
Du Ming, however, refused to cooperate, expressing reluctance to offend either the Emperor or the Princess. He also suggested that the case was too transparent, pointing out that Cen Zhi died outside the Princess's Mansion after eating the golden peach, while those who stayed inside were unharmed, and the raptor never attacked Lu Lingfeng at Weicheng Station.
He questioned whether he should investigate the Princess or Lu Lingfeng, believing the Emperor already knew everything and dismissed Su Wuming, telling him not to cause more trouble. Undeterred, Su Wuming went directly to the Princess, who complained about the Emperor's decision to assign Lu Lingfeng to guard a blind man, viewing it as a slight against her.
Su Wuming then presented his case: Cen Zhi, her subordinate, was killed by the raptor after eating the golden peach and leaving her mansion, yet the Princess showed no concern, which reflected poorly on her. The Princess, initially dismissing it, mentioned Cen Zhi's loyalty and her failed attempts to find his family for compensation. She offered Su Wuming a golden peach, which he refused, fearing a similar fate to Cen Zhi.
He emphasized that if he died, no one would be left to clear Lu Lingfeng's name. Su Wuming connected the golden peaches, which Lu Lingfeng escorted from the Kang Kingdom, to the Western Region raptor. He argued that Lu Lingfeng's swift action in reporting the danger and protecting the Princess, contrasted with her prolonged banquets and continued safety, made him a prime suspect in the Emperor's eyes.
Su Wuming warned that Lu Lingfeng's life was on the line and he would be framed unless the truth was uncovered. Angered, the Princess initially offered him the high position of Chief Justice. Su Wuming declined the lofty post, citing the procedural delays it would entail, which would jeopardize the urgent investigation. He highlighted Yongzhou Prefecture's lack of progress, implicitly criticizing Du Ming's competence.
Convinced, the Princess appointed Su Wuming as the Criminal Investigation Scholar of Yongzhou Prefecture, a new, special position to oversee the raptor attacks, promising to inform the Retired Emperor. Now with official status, Su Wuming immediately asked the Princess if the raptor was "truly not raised by you," implying a connection to her mansion, given Chancellor Cui's safety after eating the peach there. The Princess again demanded he kneel. Upon receiving the Princess's official decree, Du Ming grudgingly complied.
He declared Su Wuming's new role a "temporary acting virtual position" and refused to provide a salary, explaining this was his "stance for those higher-up to see." He then summoned Judicial Official Wu Wenbin to report on current leads. Wu Wenbin, familiar with Su Wuming's reputation as Master Di's disciple, pledged full cooperation. Su Wuming inquired about recent cases of missing persons or faces being peeled off.
Wu Wenbin confirmed a recent murder matching the latter description and led Su Wuming and Chu Yingtao to inspect the dancer's body. Su Wuming meticulously noted that the skin above the neck and below the scalp had been peeled off cleanly, suggesting it was done while the victim was still alive, indicating an experienced perpetrator. Wu Wenbin, however, dismissed the victim as a "frivolous and loose woman," suggesting a crime of passion, despite her two known lovers having alibis.
His casual attitude infuriated Chu Yingtao, who, disguised as Su Wuming's attendant, chastised him for disrespecting a Tang citizen. Su Wuming intervened, agreeing with Yingtao, asserting that all victims, regardless of their background, deserve equal investigative effort for justice to prevail. Su Wuming proceeded to the dancer's secluded residence in Pingkang District. Pei Xijun, summoned to the scene, skillfully sketched the dancer's likeness based on witness descriptions, with a neighbor confirming its striking accuracy, especially her seductive gaze.
Suddenly, Wu Wenbin spotted three suspicious figures outside, gave chase, and apprehended them. As he prepared to strike, Su Wuming intervened, identifying the men as his old acquaintances and the renowned "Three Great Constables of Chang'an County: Jia, Luo, and Liu." Wu Wenbin, unfamiliar with them due to his recent transfer, was told by Su Wuming about their past heroic contributions to major cases.
The constables explained they were in plain clothes because they were visiting Su Wuming in an area outside Chang'an's jurisdiction, and given Su Wuming's history of offending powerful people, caution was necessary. After the misunderstanding was cleared, Wu Wenbin departed. The constables expressed their joy at Su Wuming's new official post, and he entrusted them with the task of finding anyone resembling the dancer's portrait.
Soon after, the three constables' informants discovered unusual activity at the residence of a merchant named Qu. His wife, previously known for her unsightly appearance and reclusiveness, had recently been hosting lavish banquets, charming guests with her newfound beauty, singing, and dancing, whom neighbors remarked looked identical to the dancer in the portrait. Concealed in the rafters, Chu Yingtao overheard a conversation between Qu and his wife.
The wife complained of discomfort from her face and wanted to remove it, but Qu implored her not to, revealing he had purchased it for three gold cakes. She questioned if he loved her or the face itself, which he dismissed, preferring to "enjoy ourselves." At that moment, the constables burst in, apprehending Qu, who, mistaking them for robbers, offered them money. They identified themselves and revealed his wife had confessed.
Qu denied the murder, claiming he bought the face from an unnamed "yin-yang merchant" and had seen his face. Su Wuming ordered Qu's transfer to Yongzhou Prison and instructed Xijun to create a portrait of the merchant based on Qu's description. Meanwhile, the yin-yang merchant presented several face masks to an individual referred to as the "bird man," urging him to replace his current face, which was Liu XVII's.
The "bird man" adamantly refused, declaring his affection for the current face and his refusal to be "anyone's slave" and to "master my own fate." The yin-yang merchant tried to persuade him, mentioning the "financial backer" who commissioned him. Pei Xijun completed the yin-yang merchant's portrait, noting that while he possessed many faces, the one drawn was his primary guise.
After showing the portrait around without success, Su Wuming correctly deduced that such a person likely resided in the Ghost Market. He then took the portrait to Fei Ji Shi, who instantly recognized the man as "the Ever-changing Gentleman," a notorious figure in the Ghost Market's dark trade, whose face Fei Ji Shi would "never forget." Su Wuming, Chu Yingtao (disguised as his niece), and Wu Wenbin planned their operation.
Wu Wenbin, already familiar with the Ghost Market, confirmed the Ever-changing Gentleman's hideout was behind Yin Mountain, next to the Earth God Temple, and that informants reported he had not left. Wu Wenbin inquired if the yin-yang merchant was connected to the Emperor's attack at Weicheng Station, to which Su Wuming responded, "it is hard to say right now."
Arriving at the Earth God Temple, Su Wuming proposed a "diplomacy before force" approach, with him and Chu Yingtao entering first, disguised as an uncle and niece seeking a new face for the "niece" after a fire, offering three gold cakes. Wu Wenbin was to wait outside as backup. Inside, the Ever-changing Gentleman displayed his collection of human skin masks.
When Chu Yingtao expressed disgust, mentioning rumors of faces peeled from the dead, the Ever-changing Gentleman casually admitted that the high price was because the faces were "skinned alive," which was "no easy task." Enraged, Chu Yingtao lost her composure, called him a "beast" and lunged, but Su Wuming restrained her. Su Wuming questioned the Ever-changing Gentleman about selling the dancer's face, but he claimed to have handled "too many to remember."
As Wu Wenbin and his men moved in to apprehend him, the Flame Crow suddenly descended, snatching Su Wuming and flying away. In the ensuing chaos, the Ever-changing Gentleman escaped. Lu Lingfeng, learning of Su Wuming's abduction from Pei Xijun, immediately rushed to Yongzhou Prefecture. Finding all leads gone, he decided to launch his own investigation, starting directly from the Ghost Market. He instructed Xijun to stay and care for Fei Ji Shi while he led the others to the Ghost Market.
