The Mystic Nine Episode 9 Recap
> The Mystic Nine Recap
Zhang Qishan, Er Yue Hong, Qi Tiezui, and Jie Jiuye gathered at Zhang Qishan's mansion to devise a plan to acquire an invitation to the Xinyue Hotel, known as Beiping's largest and most exclusive auction house. Jie Jiuye informed them that a wealthy businessman from Shanxi, Peng Sanbian, famous for his formidable whipping skills and ruthless subordinates, would be traveling by train to Xinyue Hotel, passing through Changsha, and was likely to possess an invitation.
Together, Zhang Qishan, Er Yue Hong, and Qi Tiezui, with Jie Jiuye's assistance, formulated a comprehensive strategy for acquiring the invitation and ensuring their escape, as Zhang Qishan deemed forceful seizure unwise. Jie Jiuye outlined their plan. First, Qi Tiezui, disguised as a fortune teller, would board the train and try to gain Peng Sanbian's attention to ascertain the invitation's exact location. Once confirmed, Er Yue Hong, renowned for his agility, would retrieve the invitation.
He would act during the train's passage through the fifth and longest mountain cave near Wuchang, where the darkness would provide cover. Qi Tiezui expressed concern about such a bold move, but Jie Jiuye assured him of the timing.
Er Yue Hong questioned what would happen if he failed, but Jie Jiuye then elaborated on a more sophisticated escape: utilizing the precise moment two trains passed each other to jump to the opposing train, a tactic he called "like a cicada casting off its skin." This, he explained, was the second principle for their success. The most critical, he added with a hint of irony, was good luck.
Following Zhang Qishan's earlier discovery of Ya Tou receiving morphine injections, which exposed Chen Pi's collusion with the Japanese, Lieutenant Zhang apprehended Chen Pi for questioning. In custody, Chen Pi was defiant, refusing to cooperate and challenging Lieutenant Zhang's authority, insisting that only Zhang Qishan himself was fit to interrogate him. A fight ensued, ending in a stalemate as both displayed comparable martial arts skills.
Lieutenant Zhang then appealed to Chen Pi, reminding him of Ya Tou's significance and revealing that the Japanese medicine was merely a pain reliever, not a cure, and that Chen Pi was being exploited. Distraught, Chen Pi admitted his desperation to alleviate Ya Tou's suffering had led him to this path, believing her illness was incurable and the Japanese medicine provided at least some relief.
Lieutenant Zhang, understanding Chen Pi's good intentions, then shared the hopeful news: Ya Tou's illness was curable, and Er Yue Hong and Fo Ye were already en route to acquire the necessary medicine. He further explained that Er Yue Hong understood Chen Pi's filial piety but still considered his actions a mistake, hence his temporary detention. Lieutenant Zhang then pressed Chen Pi for the identity of the person who provided the morphine.
Chen Pi confessed he didn't know the individual's name but could reveal their whereabouts. Zhang Qishan, Er Yue Hong, and Qi Tiezui boarded the train to Beiping as ordinary passengers. Qi Tiezui, disguised as a fortune teller, roamed the train, ostensibly seeking customers but in reality scouting Peng Sanbian's location. He eventually located Peng Sanbian in the first carriage, second cabin, guarded by nine men with knives.
Qi Tiezui audaciously approached Peng Sanbian, offering a fortune reading to draw him out. Though initially dismissed as a charlatan, Qi Tiezui persisted, leading to a scuffle where he was pushed away by a bodyguard and ordered to "get lost" by Peng Sanbian, which allowed him to confirm the invitation's location on Peng Sanbian's chest. Returning to Zhang Qishan and Er Yue Hong, Qi Tiezui relayed the details through discreet hand gestures.
As the train entered a long mountain cave, plunging the carriage into darkness, Er Yue Hong made his move according to their plan. He successfully touched the invitation on Peng Sanbian's chest, but Peng Sanbian, an astute fighter, quickly reacted and restrained him. Peng Sanbian's bodyguards then entered the cabin, where Peng Sanbian, feigning cordiality, offered Er Yue Hong a drink. Sensing the precarious situation, Zhang Qishan immediately intervened, openly asserting his intention to take Er Yue Hong away.
A fierce battle erupted. Just as the chaos intensified, another train rapidly passed by. Seizing the opportune moment, Zhang Qishan, Er Yue Hong, and Qi Tiezui executed their pre-arranged escape, leaping onto the passing train. They secured the invitation and retreated safely, leaving a furious Peng Sanbian to realize he had been outwitted and that his targets were now undoubtedly headed for Xinyue Hotel. Lieutenant Zhang went to the American Chamber of Commerce, intending to conduct a discreet investigation.
Instead, he encountered Jude Kao directly. Despite a guard's warning that the premises were American territory, Lieutenant Zhang proceeded to confront Jude Kao, accusing him of supplying morphine to Ya Tou. Jude Kao, without remorse, argued that Ya Tou was already terminally ill and that morphine merely allowed her to depart peacefully, asserting his innocence and claiming Chen Pi had sought the drug from him.
Lieutenant Zhang then pressed him on the origin of the morphine, a restricted substance only available to the army in Changsha. At that moment, Jude Kao received a phone call and motioned for Lieutenant Zhang to answer. It was Song Yuming, who sternly reprimanded Lieutenant Zhang for his unauthorized intrusion into the American Chamber of Commerce, emphasizing Jude Kao's status as a valued friend of the KMT and an envoy for peaceful US-China relations.
Song Yuming warned of dire consequences for diplomatic ties and ordered Lieutenant Zhang to immediately withdraw. Lieutenant Zhang, understanding the political implications, courteously departed the building. However, instead of leaving the compound entirely, he incapacitated a guard in the courtyard, confirming the guard was Japanese. This confirmed Jude Kao's powerful Japanese connections and intricate backing. Lieutenant Zhang then set the courtyard ablaze.
As the fire spread, he returned with a contingent of his men, feigning a rescue operation to "evacuate" Jude Kao and Tanaka Ryoko to Zhang Qishan's mansion for refuge. There, Lieutenant Zhang "entertained" them with a meal of Hunan cuisines and Bordeaux wine, subtly issuing a warning about respecting Chinese ways and boundaries.
He ensured they finished their meal before instructing his subordinates to escort them back, explaining that since Jude Kao and his associates had exposed their intentions, they were unlikely to cause further immediate trouble, thus avoiding any potential criticism for Zhang Qishan. Lieutenant Zhang also ordered the Japanese guards who had been captured to be removed from Changsha. Observing Zhang Qishan's absence from his mansion, Jude Kao suspected he had left Changsha and instructed Tanaka Ryoko to discreetly investigate Zhang Qishan's whereabouts.
