The Mystic Nine Episode 27 Recap
> The Mystic Nine Recap
Lu Jianxun led his soldiers to search Er Yuehong's mansion. Upon finding a secret chamber, Lu Jianxun entered and thoroughly searched, but the room appeared to have been recently burned, containing only broken items with nothing valuable. An officer reported that Er Yuehong had pawned all his valuable possessions earlier to save his wife, which Lu Jianxun noted as a sign of devoted love.
Despite the destruction, Lu Jianxun meticulously sifted through the remnants and discovered a partially burnt piece of paper with "Hatoyama Report" written on it. Zhang Qishan, dressed in casual clothes to avoid detection, met with Qi Tiezui. Zhang Qishan revealed that the intelligence officer, Lu Jianxun, was constantly monitoring him and had even sent people to follow him.
He expressed concern for Er Yuehong, who had been imprisoned for too long, stating that while Lu Jianxun promised to release Er Yuehong, he suspected it was a delay tactic. Zhang Qishan believed Lu Jianxun was using Er Yuehong as leverage to gain access to the ancient tomb.
Zhang Qishan asked Qi Tiezui if he had any ideas, and Qi Tiezui presented two plans: either prevent Lu Jianxun from finding any evidence, thereby forcing Er Yuehong's release, or, as a last resort, a risky alternative. Lu Jianxun later paid a visit to Zhang Qishan, questioning him about his recent whereabouts, as he had been incommunicado. Zhang Qishan feigned illness, claiming he had traveled to Beiping for medical treatment and then recuperated near the mining mountain.
Lu Jianxun, finding this explanation suspicious, decided to investigate. He went to the mining mountain and questioned the local villagers, but they had already been bribed by Qi Tiezui and falsely praised Zhang Qishan, making Lu Jianxun's inquiry fruitless. Undeterred, Lu Jianxun turned his attention to a money house where Zhang Qishan and Er Yuehong had previously pawned items to raise funds.
Despite the manager's initial reluctance to reveal client secrets, Lu Jianxun, through intimidation and bribery, first by offering to pawn his own treasures then by threatening him with a gun, coerced the manager into admitting that Zhang Qishan and Er Yuehong had indeed pawned a vast amount of antiques to save Er Yuehong's wife. Lu Jianxun then instructed the manager to claim that these valuable antiques were actually pawned by the Japanese for Er Yuehong.
The manager, under duress, agreed to create this false testimony and was rewarded by Lu Jianxun. Huo Sanniang visited Er Yuehong in prison. She asked him about the "Hatoyama Report" and the search of his house. She stated that Zhang Qishan had trespassed on Huo family territory, making Lu Jianxun's search reasonable, and clarified that she was targeting Zhang Qishan, who had broken the Mystic Nine rules, not Er Yuehong.
She expressed her heartbreak over his suffering and urged him to cooperate with Lu Jianxun to secure his release. However, Er Yuehong dismissed her as a mere lobbyist and refused to betray his secrets, stating his decision was final. Huo Sanniang then confessed her long-standing affection for him, reminding him of her given name, Jinxi, and a cherished handkerchief he had given her in their youth.
She lamented that even with his wife Ya Tou gone, he offered her no hope, vowing to abandon everything, including the Huo family, for him. Er Yuehong, unmoved, reiterated that Ya Tou was the only one in his heart and asked Huo Sanniang to leave. As she departed, Huo Sanniang tragically mused that her most sincere words had gone unheeded.
Lu Jianxun, still needing Er Yuehong's confession statement to fully control Zhang Qishan, intended to frame Er Yuehong for collaborating with Japanese agents and send him to his superiors for execution. Despite being subjected to a "thorough interrogation" by Lu Jianxun, Er Yuehong steadfastly refused to confess, maintaining that the accusations of him being a Japanese spy were slander.
Faced with Er Yuehong's unwavering resolve, Lu Jianxun resorted to coercing him into imprinting his fingerprint on a false confession document, thereby fabricating undeniable evidence of his "collusion with the Japanese." Lu Jianxun decided to keep Er Yuehong alive, using him as leverage against Zhang Qishan. The next day, Lu Jianxun triumphantly visited Zhang Qishan, who was feeling unwell but still chose to meet him, sensing hostile intentions.
Lu Jianxun sarcastically stated he had "found the truth" but would not release Er Yuehong, claiming he had confessed to colluding with Japanese agents and was therefore unpardonable. Zhang Qishan, realizing Lu Jianxun's elaborate scheme, demanded to know what had been done to Er Yuehong and where he was. Lu Jianxun calmly explained that Er Yuehong had been interrogated "according to procedure" and was already en route in a prisoner's vehicle to be handed over to higher authorities.
Lu Jianxun then revealed his ultimate demand: for Zhang Qishan to confess to entering the tomb and taking treasures, and sign a statement to resolve the matter. He gave Zhang Qishan thirty minutes, warning that Er Yuehong's life was at stake once he reached the superior authorities. To save Er Yuehong, Zhang Qishan agreed to take all the blame, stating that he alone had entered the tomb and planned everything, and that Er Yuehong had no involvement.
He also warned Lu Jianxun that the tomb was dangerous, revealing he had bombed its entrance due to suspected Japanese secret experiments and denying any knowledge of treasures. Dismissing Zhang Qishan's explanations, Lu Jianxun merely insisted he admit to entering the tomb and explain the rest to his superiors, as long as Er Yuehong's safety was guaranteed.
After Zhang Qishan completed the confession, Lu Jianxun gloated about his victory, then took Zhang Qishan's military insignia, informing him that his dismissal would soon follow, effectively stripping him of his power. Meanwhile, Lu Jianxun's assistant reported that Hendry was trying to contact him. Lu Jianxun dismissed Hendry's congratulations on his success against Zhang Qishan, seeing them as an attempt to claim a share of the "earth-shaking" treasures in the tomb.
He confidently asserted that anything found in the tomb would not belong to a foreigner, and that Hendry, though anxious about being bypassed, was merely a "clown" who knew better than to openly challenge him. However, Hendry and Tanaka Ryoko were discussing Lu Jianxun's refusal to meet, which Tanaka Ryoko found arrogant, perceiving Lu Jianxun as acting like Changsha's "local emperor."
Hendry, unfazed, stated that "sitting and waiting to be killed" was not an option for him, and that his strategy was to "remain unchanged so as to deal with numerous changes," believing Lu Jianxun's power base was unstable. Tanaka Ryoko inquired about Chen Pi, fearing he might collude with Lu Jianxun. Hendry dismissed this, describing Chen Pi as too cunning to be subordinate to anyone, preferring to watch from the shadows while others "fight amongst themselves."
Hendry reiterated that Chen Pi's true enemy was Zhang Qishan, and as long as Chen Pi didn't ally with Lu Jianxun, their situation was manageable. He advised Tanaka Ryoko to "calm down" and "observe and act accordingly," inferring that Lu Jianxun had not yet extracted useful information from Er Yuehong. Later, Tanaka Ryoko, acting impatiently without Hendry's permission, secretly entered the prison to seek out Er Yuehong.
Er Yuehong immediately deduced her true purpose, identifying Lu Jianxun as the source of Hendry's troubles. He surprised her further by accurately guessing she was there without Hendry's approval, calling her method "stupid." Tanaka Ryoko ignored the insult and offered Er Yuehong a deal: information about the tomb in exchange for his freedom. Er Yuehong, however, warned her to worry about her own safety, pointing out how easily she had entered.
At that moment, Chen Pi appeared, revealing that he and Lu Jianxun had set a trap for her. Chen Pi mocked Tanaka for trying to negotiate with his master, Er Yuehong, without first acknowledging him, the disciple, before ordering her removal. Upon receiving a phone call, a visibly concerned Hendry immediately ordered his assistant to prepare the car and drive to Dexing Teahouse, despite the late hour. There, he met Lu Jianxun.
Lu Jianxun, feigning politeness, apologized for his prior unavailability and for Tanaka Ryoko's inconvenience. He then initiated a conversation about Chinese proverbs and history, referencing "Dismissing Military Power Using Cups of Wine" and "The dog is boiled after catching the rabbit. The bow is stored away once all birds have been killed." Hendry understood the implied threat of being discarded after serving his purpose.
Lu Jianxun emphasized that while "Dismissing Military Power Using Cups of Wine" was benevolent, subjects should know when to relinquish power to save their lives. He advised Hendry to be "clear-eyed," to which Hendry retorted, "You are going too far." Lu Jianxun then offered Tanaka Ryoko a cup of tea, asking her to forgive his "offense," to which she defiantly replied that the tea was "too bitter."
