Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Episode 8 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Recap
Chi Ying revealed her background, sharing that she hailed from Leshou, Yingzhou, and had traveled extensively with her father’s lion dance troupe since childhood. Her husband, a native of Chang'an and her father's most talented disciple, was also her childhood sweetheart. Together, they were an unbeatable duo, once triumphing over the Chancellor's lion dance team to claim the top prize at the Divine Capital's Lion Dance Competition. However, this victory enraged the Chancellor, who was Empress Wu Zetian's nephew.
Petty and vindictive, he accused them of using the lion dance as a cover for assassination. To protect his family, Chi Ying's father took sole responsibility and tragically died unjustly in prison. Devastated, Chi Ying had contemplated following him in death, but discovered she was pregnant at 37 for the first time. Her husband arranged for her to move to Chang'an, promising to follow after settling his father-in-law's affairs.
Shortly after her arrival, news reached her that a lion dancer in the Divine Capital had publicly assassinated the Chancellor and been cut down. Chi Ying knew instantly it was her husband, avenging her father. She later received his last letter, which, while urging her to move on and allow their unborn child to take another surname if she remarried, only further fueled her fury. She confessed that she had only continued living for the sake of Wu Yang.
Driven by her tragic past, Chi Ying became fiercely protective of her daughter. She admitted that her initial story about visiting Baifeng House to "drown her sorrows" was a fabrication. In reality, she had met Xia Sheng, a struggling lion dance troupe leader, and helped his team win a crucial competition. Afterwards, she got drunk and returned home late.
She had kept her past a secret, fearing that revealing her family's history—especially her husband's assassination of a powerful official—would endanger Wu Yang, as some individuals had already shown "unfriendly" interest in her daughter. Chi Ying recounted an incident where a white-haired hermit had encountered Wu Yang and remarked on her striking resemblance to his former lover. This had enraged Chi Ying, who immediately brought her daughter home.
Pei Xijun, based on Chi Ying’s description, drew a portrait of the man, which matched the white-haired hermit seen earlier at the restaurant. While Pei Xijun noted his handsome features despite his advanced age, Chi Ying scornfully denounced him as a "fiend," likening him to the grotesque "demons and monsters" depicted in the "Subjugation of Devils" mural at Chengfo Temple. She worried that one of these "demons" might have emerged from the mural and kidnapped her daughter.
Pei Xijun, a passionate admirer of art and the mural's painter, Qin Xiaobai, was deeply offended by Chi Ying's derogatory remarks. Upset, she stormed out. Lu Lingfeng followed, comforting her and assuring her that her anger was justified given her respect for the artist's masterpiece.
Pei Xijun decided to visit Chengfo Temple herself to clean the dust and cobwebs from the "Subjugation of Devils" mural, viewing it as a personal way to pay homage to Master Qin Xiaobai, whose disciple she had always wished to be. Meanwhile, Lu Lingfeng observed A Mu, a sanitation worker, frequently glancing his way. He approached A Mu, who knew Lu Lingfeng's name and title. A Mu confirmed he often saw Wu Yang.
He also provided details about the night Kuai Wu fell into the well. A Mu described Kuai Wu as being heavily intoxicated and argumentative. He then recalled hearing a woman curse Kuai Wu, yelling that he deserved to drown for groping her. A Mu had initially dismissed it, but later connected it to Kuai Wu's death. Following up on a lead, Lu Lingfeng and his team located Ling Yi, a woman who posed as a "spirit medium."
She offered to connect them with deceased loved ones for a fee. Su Wuming challenged her by asking her to contact his late mentor, Di Renjie. Ling Yi faltered, admitting she could not contact a spirit of such renown, exposing her as a fraud. Su Wuming sternly ordered her to wash off her theatrical makeup. Ling Yi denied any involvement in Kuai Wu's death, claiming her curses were merely words and she lacked the strength to push him.
She defended her actions, saying she only took twenty coins from A Mu to help him contact his father, believing she was doing him a favor. Chu Yingtao secretly followed Ling Yi (whose real name was A Ling) to her home, where A Ling's hostile mother-in-law berated her, demanding she earn 10,000 coins to leave the household.
Chu Yingtao reported her findings: A Ling, widowed and abused by her mother-in-law, had been given the night watch job by the sympathetic district head. Six months prior, she began her fraudulent "spirit medium" trade, hoping to amass the 10,000 coins needed to buy her freedom. Su Wuming, though displeased by her deception, sympathized with A Ling's plight and vowed to confront her abusive mother-in-law once the current case concluded. Xue Huan offered to accompany him.
Pei Xijun ventured to the Great Buddha Hall alone and was deeply moved by the magnificent mural. There, she encountered Householder Chenkong, who was bleeding from a head wound. Chenkong claimed that two thieves had broken in the previous night, attempting to steal ritual objects, and he was injured while fighting them. He insisted he would not report the incident, believing the Buddha would deliver justice.
He then forbade Pei Xijun from cleaning the mural, saying it "must not be cleaned," and ordered her to leave the hall, which she found perplexing. Later, she discussed this with Buddhist Guangxiao, who reiterated that the mural should not be cleaned and the hall should not be entered lightly. At dinner, Pei Xijun was too distressed to eat, prompting the team to discuss the strange occurrences at Chengfo Temple.
Buddhist Guangxiao had previously mentioned that for two months, a woman's weeping had emanated from the Great Buddha Hall every night, causing the temple to lose its visitors. Su Wuming and Xue Huan voiced their suspicions, suggesting the temple was concealing something, particularly given their failure to report the bizarre events. Lu Lingfeng, seeing Pei Xijun's distress, proposed they go for a walk, secretly intending to revisit the Great Buddha Hall.
Under the cover of dusk, Lu Lingfeng and Pei Xijun entered the deserted Great Buddha Hall. As Pei Xijun began cleaning the mural, they heard faint weeping, which Lu Lingfeng reassured her was merely the wind. They then discovered an old man, Tao Bo, the charcoal seller, resting in a corner. Tao Bo, hard of hearing, claimed he could only sleep peacefully at the Buddha's feet and had sneaked in. When questioned, he denied hearing the crying or imitating it.
Moved by his solitary situation, Pei Xijun offered Tao Bo a spare room at her family's mansion, an act of kindness that earned Lu Lingfeng's approval. Having completed the cleaning, Pei Xijun expressed gratitude to Lu Lingfeng for his assistance in restoring the mural to its rightful glory. Suddenly, Buddhist Guangxiao and his monks arrived, furious. They angrily accused Lu Lingfeng and Pei Xijun of releasing demons and monsters by cleaning the mural.
Guangxiao claimed that the Buddha had appeared to Householder Chenkong in a dream, instructing them to cover the mural with dust and cobwebs to prevent evil from harming Chang'an. Su Wuming challenged this, asking why the weeping hadn't stopped even after the mural was "sealed." The monks confirmed that the crying had, in fact, intensified, sometimes sounding like multiple women. Xue Huan, taking a more assertive stance, questioned why such a strange phenomenon hadn't been reported to the authorities.
Su Wuming reminded them of past "demonic" incidents at the temple, where so-called demons were revealed to be human imposters, and highlighted his and Lu Lingfeng's own roles in "vanquishing" them. Facing their questions, Guangxiao looked panicked. To resolve the matter, Lu Lingfeng declared that he and his team of six would stay overnight in the Great Buddha Hall to confront these "demons." Guangxiao, though hesitant, eventually agreed, instructing his monks to retreat to their quarters and recite protective sutras.
Later that night, as the team kept vigil, Fei Jishi, with his keen senses, pointed out a small hole in the hall's structure, hinting at needed repairs. He then detected the distinct scent of Fairy Beauty Powder emanating from the mat where Tao Bo had rested. Pei Xijun confirmed she had used the powder, but denied touching the mat. Lu Lingfeng's suspicions immediately turned to Tao Bo. He instructed Chu Yingtao to discreetly investigate the old charcoal seller.
Chu Yingtao followed Tao Bo to an old house. Inside, Tao Bo lit incense before a spirit tablet dedicated to Duke Zhao. To his shock, he discovered a golden tablet missing from beneath the incense burner. " Who stole my golden tablet?" he cried out, attempting to rush outside. Chu Yingtao blocked his path, confronting him and accusing him of involvement in Wu Yang's disappearance. Tao Bo, calling her an "arrogant lady," resisted arrest, and a fierce fight ensued.
Two guards, dispatched by Su Wuming to assist Chu Yingtao, arrived to help. Tao Bo wielded a formidable "armor-piercing awl," but Chu Yingtao eventually disarmed him. With his life threatened, Tao Bo desperately pleaded with her, begging for help to recover the golden tablet, claiming it held significance for "the very fate of the Tang Empire."
