Tientsin Mystic Episode 10 Recap
> Tientsin Mystic Recap
Guo Deyou sits in the Dragon King Temple, lost in thought, holding the pipe his master left behind. Gu Ying, feeling bored, plays with Feng Erma's son, Xiaohai. Suddenly, the main door is violently pushed open and Ding Mao storms in. He pushes people aside, puts on his gear, and takes out a dissection knife, intending to perform an autopsy immediately. Gu Ying tries to stop him, pointing out that Xiaohai is right there and it's inappropriate.
She asks Ding Mao to curb his "young master's temper" as this is not the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation. Xiaohai also cries nearby. Ding Mao, however, asserts his authority as the new chairman of the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation, stating that Feng Erma's life belonged to the Chamber, and he threatens to make anyone who interferes lie down with Feng Erma. Understanding Ding Mao's urgency, Guo Deyou gestures for Gu Ying to take Xiaohai out.
It is established that the Senior Tientsin Mystic's disappearance is connected to the Demonic Cult, and therefore, Feng Erma's death must also be related. Ding Mao theorizes that the Demonic Cult uses sorcery to manipulate corpses, transforming them into "mindless beasts."
Guo Deyou, questioning Ding Mao's belief in "sorcery" after his usual reliance on science, asks how he can prove if the wound was inflicted by an actual beast or a human behaving like one, and if the tooth can offer such proof. Ding Mao then finds a human tooth in Feng Erma's neck wound. Ding Mao uncovers Feng Erma's sleeve, revealing distinct finger marks and bruises on his arm, indicating he was forcefully grabbed.
He notices that one of the finger marks on Feng Erma's right arm is missing, leading him to conclude that the killer is missing a ring finger from their left hand. Before Ding Mao can continue his deductions, Guo Deyou, after some hesitation, lights his master's pipe. Inhaling the smoke, he enters the "analysis by lighting cigarette" trance.
Holding the blackened tooth, Guo Deyou cycles through various possibilities for its origin: a cook, a waiter, a pregnant woman, an old person, a butcher, a sick person, a scholar, or an official. He also considers if the wound was faked by someone knowledgeable in medicine to frame an innocent party, or if it belonged to a rich wife involved in adultery.
Dismissing all these, he finally concludes in his trance that the tooth belongs to a "drifter" or "dead body." He then emerges from the trance, confirming that the tooth is from a "dead man," meaning a dead man bit Feng Erma to death. Meanwhile, Gu Ying brings Xiaohai to Ding Mao's room in the Dragon King Temple, trying to cheer him up.
She encourages him to make himself at home, telling him he can take anything he likes and sleep wherever he wants, as the items belong to the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. While exploring the room, Xiaohai unexpectedly discovers a skull. This triggers a traumatic memory for the boy, reminding him of his father being pulled into the river by a River Demon. Gu Ying quickly reassures him that everything is fine.
Ding Mao sends Yu Si to The Door of Life to investigate if anyone there is missing a ring finger on their left hand. Yu Si returns, informing Ding Mao that while he doesn't know about anyone fitting that description in The Door of Life, the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation once had such a person. This was Sun Laoqi, a Red Badge Guard and close friend of Tianming, who had teamed up with Tianming to protect the docks.
However, Sun Laoqi was killed several years ago during a battle to defend the docks alongside Tianming, seemingly bringing the Feng Erma case to a complete standstill. Guo Deyou, processing the gravity of the situation, questions Ding Mao about the implications of his father and Supervisor Hu's elaborate plan.
He asks if they truly orchestrated their sacrifices to expose the Demonic Cult, leaving Ding Mao to lead the Chamber, and if such a high cost is justifiable for the cult's resurgence. Ding Mao emphasizes the urgent need to inform the public that the Demonic Cult, thought to be eradicated two decades ago, has returned. Gu Ying expresses her skepticism about the entire situation, especially her Master's unexplained disappearance related to the cult.
Guo Deyou reiterates that Feng Erma was indeed bitten by a dead person, and the only remaining clue is to investigate Sun Laoqi, the dead person with a missing finger, even if it means digging up his grave to confirm the corpse came to life. Ding Mao, Guo Deyou, and Gu Ying head to the cemetery to excavate Sun Laoqi's tomb.
The cemetery is shrouded in mist, with countless tombstones creating a desolate atmosphere that terrifies Gu Ying, despite her self-proclaimed status as a "fairy." Gu Ying is clearly frightened, complaining that such an act is "unscientific" and will bring retribution. Ding Mao, undeterred, declares he will bear all consequences himself.
Gu Ying, asserting her role as a "fairy" raised by a shaman, offers to serve as an expert to "check it out," though Guo Deyou playfully reminds her of her childhood fear of ghosts and bed-wetting. Guo Deyou guides them through the dark, advising them to "see trees not roads" to avoid getting lost.
Ding Mao insists on following traditional rules for grave digging, such as "Gold-touchers don't choose the time in the morning," even though they are not grave robbers themselves. Gu Ying eventually agrees to stand guard for them. After much effort, the three excavate the grave and open the wooden coffin. Guo Deyou immediately notes that the coffin has been tampered with because the coffin nails are not hammered back into place, a specific sign among grave robbers in Tianjin.
He explains that grave robbers typically leave the nails in the coffin to signal to others that it has already been disturbed. Indeed, the coffin is empty. Prominent marks from a "San Chi Pry," a specialized tool used by grave robbers, are visible on the coffin lid. Guo Deyou deduces that this implies grave robbers have been here. He further clarifies that if it were an empty cenotaph, one coffin nail would typically be removed.
However, since all seven nails are present, it confirms something was taken from inside. He also dismisses the idea of an empty cenotaph or grave robbers only taking clothes, as Sun Laoqi, while a Red Badge Guard, was not exceptionally wealthy, and clothes are the least valuable items for grave robbers to take. Guo Deyou spots some grave robbers and, deducing their destination, leads Ding Mao and Gu Ying to the ghost market.
It's Ding Mao's first time visiting this place, and he finds it disorienting. Guo Deyou explains that the ghost market operates under the cover of darkness, where both the goods and the people are "not under the light." It's a place where one can find anything unavailable elsewhere, and it serves as the lair of grave robbers.
As they venture deeper into the ghost market, which serves as the grave robbers' hub, Ding Mao attempts to gather information from a vendor. He tries to pay for news, but the vendor dismisses his initial offer, deriding the jade as merely a "stone" and accusing Ding Mao of not understanding the unwritten rules of their trade. Gu Ying interjects, brandishing her "Ghost Chasing Whip" and threatening the grave robbers, highlighting their weakened state from their "wicked business."
She is supported by Guo Deyou and Ding Mao. Ding Mao then asserts his identity as the newly appointed chairman of the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation, an identity the grave robber leader eventually recognizes from a newspaper. Respectfully, the leader admits they had indeed opened Sun Laoqi's coffin. He clarifies that it wasn't a robbery but a service requested by a "benefactor" from the Chamber of Commerce.
This individual, described as a "subordinate with a white badge," paid them to exhume Sun Laoqi's body. The leader explains their task was to remove the corpse and nothing else, but they couldn't resist taking some valuable items like "silver wine pots" and "silk handkerchiefs." He recalls the client specifically wanted the body removed and reburied elsewhere. Ding Mao is visibly surprised, having no knowledge of this arrangement. The grave robber leader describes the client as a fisherman, identifiable by his "waders."