Tientsin Mystic Episode 1 Recap

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> Tientsin Mystic Recap

Nine rivers flow down to meet in Tianjin, a city characterized by three bridges and two passes. As many people relied on the water for their livelihood, many also died in it. To live by the water meant respecting the water, and in the hearts of Tianjin's residents, no event was more important than the annual River Worship Ceremony. The ceremony commenced with drums and gongs on the Qing River bank.

Groups of men, wearing fearsome, fanged masks, prepared to offer a yellow-robed infant to the River God. An elderly priestess, adorned in white, chanted invocations, calling upon the River God. The gathered villagers watched silently as a performance unfolded on a nearby wooden platform: A woman in red, later identified as Xiao Lanlan (also known as Miss Xiao), enacted a play depicting a battle with a river demon, its defeat drawing cheers from the crowd.

Chants, invoking protection from "The spirits in the mountains" and "The ghosts in the water," resonated through the air, culminating in an offering "to feed the god." Following the main ritual, a swimming competition was held where members of the Five Rivers Corpse Retrieval Team of the capital would dive to catch a released tortoise, hoping to apprentice under the Senior Tientsin Mystic. However, the swimmers quickly returned to shore in a panic.

The last one to emerge, Tieniu, urgently told the crowd to disperse. Xiao Lanlan, who was covering the event, initially thought he had caught the tortoise but became alarmed by his distressed state. The priestess, too, grew anxious. Tieniu then threw a dead child, whose back was covered in green hair, onto the bank, startling the villagers, who scattered. Tieniu declared that the Black Tortoise, a revered deity, had killed someone.

The priestess admonished him, forbidding him from insulting the sacred Black Tortoise, but Tieniu delivered an even more shocking revelation: "There's an adult underwater." Meanwhile, Xiao Lanlan, frantic about the situation at the ceremony, rushed to a dilapidated wooden dwelling, calling for "Mr. Guo." She found Guo Deyou, the Junior Tientsin Mystic and apprentice to Senior Tientsin Mystic Guo Chun, practicing breath-holding in a large wooden barrel.

She confronted him about his whereabouts the previous night, accusing him of carousing due to the distinct scents of expensive rouge on his clothes. Guo Deyou admitted to saving Ding Mao, the young master of the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation, from the river and being treated to a celebratory meal at the Cang Cui Tower, which Xiao Lanlan pointed out was a brothel, not just a restaurant.

Dismissing his excuses, Xiao Lanlan informed him that the larger body in the river could not be retrieved and requested his help. Unbeknownst to them, Ding Mao awoke disoriented in the Cang Cui Tower, quickly realizing he was in a brothel. He paid his bill with a signature, aware that his identity as the son of the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation was known, and hastily departed.

At the same time, Supervisor Hu of the Chamber of Commerce, desperate to find Ding Mao, visited the Senior Tientsin Mystic Guo Chun at his gambling house. He offered a substantial sum for Guo Chun's help in locating Ding Mao, who was presumed drowned. Guo Chun, an experienced body retriever, implied that his team primarily dealt with dead bodies and that retrieving a living person would command a higher price.

He hinted cryptically that Ding Mao might still be alive, advising Supervisor Hu to "smoke less." Guo Deyou, despite the priestess's warnings about angering the river god, prepared to dive. Ding Mao arrived at the riverbank, attempting to question Guo Deyou about the previous night, but Guo Deyou ignored him, leaping into the water.

Deep underwater, Guo Deyou discovered a previously unseen Black Tortoise statue, to which Ding Yiqiu, Ding Mao's father and the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation, was tightly bound. Guo Deyou managed to free and retrieve the body, presenting the devastating truth to Ding Mao. Grief-stricken and suspicious, Ding Mao, who had studied forensics in Germany, confronted Guo Deyou.

He found Guo Deyou's ability to remain underwater for so long, especially considering the effort required to untie a body, to be "unscientific." He accused Guo Deyou of having ulterior motives concerning the Chamber of Commerce, especially given his opportune presence at Ding Mao's own rescue the night before.

Overwhelmed, Ding Mao declared his intention to perform an autopsy on his father, but Supervisor Hu intervened, blocking him and appealing to his respect for customs, suggesting Ding Mao would have to cut him first. The Deputy Captain of the police then proposed that Senior Tientsin Mystic Guo Chun perform his renowned "analysis by lighting cigarette" to settle the dispute and determine the cause of death.

To settle the dispute and determine the cause of death, the Deputy Captain of the police requested Senior Tientsin Mystic Guo Chun to perform his renowned "analysis by lighting cigarette." Guo Chun reluctantly agreed, warning that the truth might not be what people desired. He sent Guo Deyou away, explaining his apprentice's sensitivity to smoke. During the ritual, Guo Chun recited enigmatic verses: "Filled with grievances, thy soul could revive through the smoke. Leave the deep water.

Enter the pure land later." When pressed for a clearer explanation, he offered only that it involved "deities and evil spirits" and that "the time was not right to reveal it." Later, in their wooden shack, Guo Deyou confronted Guo Chun, convinced his master had uncovered the truth about the two bodies but was deliberately withholding it. Guo Chun, however, refused to elaborate, instead sternly advising Guo Deyou never to call himself "Tientsin Mystic" again, even if the villagers did.

He emphasized that they were mere mortals, "not gods," and that such a title would "shorten our normal span of life." Frustrated and unable to shake his suspicions, Guo Deyou lay awake, tormented by the unresolved mystery. Meanwhile, at the Ding family's mourning hall, Ding Mao dismissed the servants. Gazing at his father's photograph, he reflected on their strained relationship, particularly his father’s insistent desire for him to lead the Chamber of Commerce despite Ding Mao's passion for forensics.

Overcome with regret and a burning need for answers, Ding Mao prepared to perform an autopsy on his father in private. Supervisor Hu arrived unexpectedly, but Ding Mao had already begun the procedure on his father, which Supervisor Hu did not seem to notice. Supervisor Hu expressed his sorrow, remarking on Ding Yiqiu’s lifelong dedication and his tragic, undignified end in the river, which had only amplified Ding Mao's determination to uncover the truth.

Driven by his need for answers, Guo Deyou decided to attempt his own "analysis by lighting cigarette." He retrieved his master's tools and, under the guise of offering condolences, managed to convince the Ding family servants to leave him alone with Ding Yiqiu's body. Despite his known aversion to smoke, Guo Deyou lit the cigarette, but the intense experience overwhelmed him, and he collapsed.

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