The Mystic Nine Episode 37 Recap
> The Mystic Nine Recap
After Er Yue Hong, distraught by the message "The dead are the living," rushed out of Qingwuzi's tomb, Zhang Qishan, Qi Tiezui, and Lieutenant Zhang quickly followed, finding themselves inadvertently in a version of Changsha City. Lieutenant Zhang immediately sensed the abnormality, observing that the cave entrance was different from before and all traces of past explosions had vanished. He concluded that this was not their world.
Qi Tiezui speculated that the Copper Meteorite had served as a key, bringing them here, and warned that if they could exit, then whatever lay within could also escape, suggesting the Fengshui Array they saw earlier was meant to contain it. Meanwhile, Er Yue Hong had already made his way back to his mansion, where he was overwhelmed to find Ya Tou alive.
He embraced her tightly, pleading with her never to leave him again, while she affectionately reciprocated his feelings. Zhang Qishan, noticing that familiar street signs were missing, questioned if this was indeed the Changsha he knew. He decided to return home to investigate, and Qi Tiezui followed suit. Lieutenant Zhang was instructed to remain in the city, searching for other familiar faces, with Zhang Qishan's house as their meeting point.
Upon arriving at his own home, Zhang Qishan was confronted by his deceased father and other Zhang family elders. His father accused him of causing their meaningless deaths, explaining that they had painstakingly left their ancestral home in the Northeast to escape the Zhang family's grim destiny. He asserted that Zhang Qishan's recent actions had dragged them back into an inescapable fate, causing the deaths of many family members and children along the way. Zhang Qishan, however, stood firm.
He reminded his father that he had personally buried him and that true Zhang family members were not so timid. He argued that his father had taught him to care for the common people, and his tomb explorations were to thwart Japanese schemes. As Zhang Qishan confronted the apparitions, demanding to know what they truly were, they dissipated like smoke, solidifying his conviction that this world was a mere illusion.
Qi Tiezui, returning to an empty home, also felt a growing unease. He noticed his two pet turtles were gone. More startlingly, the moon, which had been waxing when they entered the tomb, was now waning, a clear sign of distorted reality or a significant passage of time. Alarmed, he immediately sought out Zhang Qishan. Lieutenant Zhang soon joined them.
Sharing their unsettling experiences—Qi Tiezui's observations of the moon and missing pets, and Zhang Qishan's encounter with his "dead" family—the three confirmed their suspicion that this Changsha was a perilous illusion. They resolved to find Er Yue Hong and compel him to return to reality. Er Yue Hong, however, remained lost in the joy of his reunion with Ya Tou. He lovingly prepared noodles for her, expressing his deep affection and promising her eternal protection.
Er Yue Hong, though noticing the dull, lifeless expressions of passersby and realizing the world was strange, was nonetheless unmoved, prioritizing Ya Tou's presence above all else. The trio eventually found Er Yue Hong and Ya Tou. Visibly shocked, Qi Tiezui blurted out that Ya Tou was clearly a ghost. Zhang Qishan took Er Yue Hong aside, sharing his own unsettling encounter with his deceased father to help him understand.
He urged Er Yue Hong to accept that the dead cannot be brought back and that they must leave this illusory world. But Er Yue Hong remained unyielding, declaring that to him, any place with Ya Tou was real. He dismissed Zhang Qishan's concerns about reality, stating it no longer mattered.
Er Yue Hong claimed he had fulfilled his duties to the Mystic Nine and his ancestors through his exploration of the tomb's secrets for Zhang Qishan's grand endeavor, and now wished only to dedicate his remaining time to Ya Tou. Despite Zhang Qishan's continued pleas that everything, including Ya Tou, was an illusion, Er Yue Hong insisted on her reality, pointing to their physical interactions and conversations.
Seeing his friend's unwavering resolve, Zhang Qishan, desperate to save him, proposed a difficult compromise: they would take Ya Tou with them. He warned Er Yue Hong that if they stayed, he too would perish in this dangerous place, and acknowledged the heartbreaking possibility that Ya Tou might "die again" or simply vanish upon returning to the real world. When Er Yue Hong asked Ya Tou if she was willing to leave, she tearfully agreed to follow him anywhere.
With Ya Tou by their side, the group began their return journey toward the Copper Meteorite. As they drew closer, Ya Tou's physical condition visibly deteriorated. Lieutenant Zhang alerted Zhang Qishan to Chen Pi's sudden reappearance, and they prepared for a confrontation. Chen Pi emerged, accusing them of abandoning him in the tomb and demanding to join them. Zhang Qishan sharply refused, deeming Chen Pi unworthy of their company. A fierce battle ensued.
In the midst of the chaos, Chen Pi inadvertently stumbled upon Ya Tou, who was resting nearby. He stared in disbelief, seeing his beloved Madam alive and breathing. Overjoyed and disoriented by her presence, Chen Pi became oblivious to the ongoing fight, muttering joyfully about how he knew she hadn't truly died. Seizing the opportune moment, Zhang Qishan struck Chen Pi from behind, knocking him unconscious. The group then swiftly escaped with Ya Tou through the exit.
At the exit, Master Baylor was waiting, astonished to see not only Zhang Qishan and the others but also Ya Tou, now seemingly alive. Zhang Qishan confessed he had no immediate explanation for Ya Tou's reappearance, only that the situation was complex and the entire mine was incredibly dangerous. He promptly instructed Master Baylor to arrange a vehicle to take everyone to rest.
