The Mystic Nine Episode 45 Recap
> The Mystic Nine Recap
As dusk settled, Zhang Qishan and Lieutenant Zhang observed the villagers emerging from their homes, lighting a path with incense sticks, and setting up an altar adorned with fruit offerings. Soon, a group of people, including Dr. Mo, rushed from the shadows to grab and consume the offerings. Dr. Mo spotted Zhang Qishan and Lieutenant Zhang, immediately dropping the offerings and fleeing, startling the others who then scattered. Zhang Qishan quickly caught the distressed Dr. Mo and calmed her.
Dr. Mo tearfully explained that she had received a suspicious report from a Changsha hospital about a man covered in parasites. Driven by concern, she came to investigate the village herself, but the villagers, fearing she would expose their strange illness, infected and trapped her. She also recounted how a fortune teller named Master Qiao appeared after many villagers fell ill, claiming the disease was caused by Black Qiao deities descending to the mortal world.
This Master Qiao then misguided the villagers into believing they should sustain those who were sick with offerings. Zhang Qishan's suspicions were confirmed; he believed the Black Qiao were colluding with the Japanese, and the illness was likely part of a larger conspiracy. He assured Dr. Mo that they would find a cure.
As they attempted to leave, villagers tried to block their path, claiming Dr. Mo's departure would lead to their village's downfall and invoking Master Qiao's warnings about the Black Qiao deities' wrath. Zhang Qishan dismissed these claims as rubbish and asserted their intention to find a cure for everyone. Dr. Mo, still weak, asked them to leave her, but Zhang Qishan refused, promising Xinyue he would bring her back safely.
Meanwhile, Chen Pi's men informed Miss Meng that Chen Pi, fearing Japanese reprisal, wanted her to leave Changsha immediately and go as far away as possible. Miss Meng, refusing to leave without seeing Chen Pi, was then told that Chen Pi had someone else in his heart before her, to whom he had pledged his life. He was now fulfilling that promise and didn't want her to wait or be implicated.
Realizing Chen Pi's loyalty, Miss Meng agreed to leave but asked them to relay a message: she would wait for him until he returned after fulfilling his promise. Later, Chen Pi, alone in his room, looked at an altered jacket, remembering Miss Meng’s promise to make him a new one when he gained weight. He whispered a wish for her to live long and safe, hoping it would lessen his suffering in the afterlife.
Back in Changsha, Zhang Qishan brought Dr. Mo to Qi Tiezui, who, after examining her and learning about the Black Qiao connection, boldly suggested using dog's gallstones, found in Wu Ye's dog, as a cure. He also explained that the parasites would eventually disfigure Dr. Mo's face. Qi Tiezui gave Dr. Mo a sedative to help her sleep and promised a solution. Er Yue Hong and Xinyue arrived to check on Dr. Mo.
Xinyue reproached Er Yue Hong for his apparent indifference to Dr. Mo's disappearance. Er Yue Hong clarified that he cared for Dr. Mo deeply but only saw her as a younger sister. Zhang Qishan then instructed Er Yue Hong to prepare hot water for the upcoming procedure and promised to find the antidote with Qi Tiezui. To obtain the gallstones, Zhang Qishan and Qi Tiezui visited Wu Ye.
Zhang Qishan employed a diversion tactic, inviting Wu Ye to the military camp to help select military dogs. Wu Ye was initially hesitant, claiming his dogs might not obey others, but Zhang Qishan insisted. Qi Tiezui feigned a severe stomachache, requested to use the toilet, and later dismissed Wu Ye's servants, telling them he would wait for the others.
Left alone with the dog, Qi Tiezui gently explained the dire situation to the animal, highlighting that removing its gallstones would also save its life, as they were the cause of its emaciation. He then took the dog and left, telling a servant to inform Zhang Qishan and Wu Ye that he felt unwell and had gone home. Back at the mansion, Qi Tiezui, Zhang Qishan, and Dr. Mo prepared for the procedure.
Qi Tiezui explained that dog's gallstones, though a common medicine, were specifically effective as an antidote for Dr. Mo's illness. Dr. Mo, a skilled doctor, confirmed she could perform the surgery. Xinyue was then informed of the plan: extract the gallstones, place them in a bathtub, and Dr. Mo would soak for half an hour to remove the poison. Dr. Mo successfully performed the surgery on the dog and then immersed herself in the bathtub containing the gallstones.
During the detoxification, she experienced intense pain, groaning and screaming. Er Yue Hong, hearing her anguish from outside, became deeply concerned. When the screams suddenly stopped, Er Yue Hong frantically inquired, and Xinyue reported that Dr. Mo had fainted from the ordeal. Qi Tiezui reassured everyone that she was fine, merely exhausted from the detoxification and now asleep. Er Yue Hong volunteered to stay and care for her. Zhang Qishan then instructed Qi Tiezui to return the dog.
Qi Tiezui reluctantly took the dog back to Wu Ye's mansion, attempting to quickly hand it over and leave through a back entrance. However, Wu Ye, also entering through the back, surprised him. Wu Ye playfully scolded his dog for wandering off and getting "stolen" by a "scumbag" thief, lamenting its weight loss and vowing revenge. Qi Tiezui tried to play along, claiming he found the dog and, as brothers, was simply returning it.
Wu Ye, however, exposed Qi Tiezui’s deceit by asking the dog to bark if Qi Tiezui "hadn't" stolen him; the dog remained silent, confirming Qi Tiezui's guilt. Cornered, Qi Tiezui admitted to taking the dog but blamed Zhang Qishan for the idea, framing himself as an accomplice. Wu Ye rejected the excuse, accusing Qi Tiezui of stealing the dog out of revenge for their recent quarrel.
Qi Tiezui offered to apologize to Wu Ye, but Wu Ye insisted he apologize to the dog. Qi Tiezui reluctantly offered a heartfelt apology to the dog, explaining he had acted for "Fo Ye's sister-in-law" (Dr. Mo). Wu Ye then chastised Qi Tiezui for mentioning Dr. Mo and for performing surgery on his dog without permission, leaving the animal out in the cold.
Later, Lieutenant Zhang reported to Fo Ye that the first person to fall ill was a fishmonger who had returned from Dongting Lake. Fo Ye realized this location was not far from the Black Qiao Village. Qi Tiezui then arrived, excitedly announcing he had found a clue about the third Copper Meteorite's location. He assured Fo Ye that Dr. Mo was fine under Er Ye's care.
Qi Tiezui revealed that the ancient text in the hospital report Dr. Mo brought back was, in fact, ancient Qiao language. This discovery confirmed that the third Copper Meteorite was in the Black Qiao Village. Combined with the Japanese military's recent activity near the Black Qiao Village and Dr. Mo's poisoning, it became clear that the Japanese were targeting the Copper Meteorite, using the Black Qiao's poisonous methods, reminiscent of their previous secret experiments with the military train 076. Fo Ye expressed grave concern, realizing that if this plot succeeded, the citizens of Changsha would suffer immensely.
