Tientsin Mystic Episode 22 Recap
> Tientsin Mystic Recap
Guo Deyou arrived at the opera house alone, searching among the bustling crowd for the person who had invited him. On stage, a performance concluded to resounding applause from the audience. A young attendant approached Guo Deyou, seeking a tip, but suddenly, everyone present froze in place, evidently hypnotized. Guo Deyou confronted Little Immortal, immediately seeing through his "western hypnotism" and the trick he played.
Little Immortal acknowledged Guo Deyou's sharp senses, explaining that the sound of the dual clapper served as the signal for the hypnotism, with the hypnotic messages embedded in the drum performance. He then began discussing the play, "The Han Dynasty was dying, and the martial talent failed to deploy forces," musing on how Zhuge Liang, despite his extraordinary talent, could not defy his fate. Guo Deyou dismissed it as mere magic effective only on the unguarded, asserting he remained unaffected.
Little Immortal provocatively challenged his claim. Guo Deyou demanded to know Gu Ying's whereabouts. Little Immortal calmly stated she was "where she's supposed to be," adding that her staying in "this filthy place" would be a waste. He then began a story, recounting a great flood that devastated Tianjin twenty years prior, leaving countless victims. The receding waters brought a strange disease, causing veins to bulge and immense suffering. Opium offered temporary relief but no cure.
These desperate individuals, seeking a radical solution, formed the original Demonic Cult. Little Immortal claimed that faith brought them hope, as a newborn within the cult was found to be immune to the disease, and its blood possessed healing properties. This child was revered as the Holy Child. To save their many suffering members, the Demonic Cult then sought other Holy Children. Guo Deyou vehemently denounced this as "killing children to save themselves."
Little Immortal rationalized it as "small sacrifice for massive liberation," arguing that without the Demonic Cult, Tianjin would have become a "ghost town." Guo Deyou retorted that it was the Demonic Cult that "turned Tianjin into a ghost town" through their rampant abductions of children. Little Immortal insisted their methods were necessary to identify Holy Children, revealing that three children had ultimately survived the ordeal, one of whom was the true Holy Child.
He noted that Ding Yiqiu, Hu Haijiang, and Guo Chun "appeared just at the perfect time." He then directly challenged Guo Deyou, asking, "Guo Chun took one of them. Guess who he took?" Little Immortal concluded by reciting a cryptic poem: "The water floods over the metal bucket, A centipede curls its tail to form a golden hook. The beauty is sleeping soundly. Weal or woe depends on human effort." With that, he vanished.
Left stunned and dazed, Guo Deyou wandered the streets. Ding Mao and Xiao Lanlan soon found him. Ding Mao tried to relay his suspicions about Xiao San and inform Guo Deyou that Little Immortal was still alive. Guo Deyou interrupted, confirming he already knew and had just encountered Little Immortal, whom he described as extremely dangerous. He stressed the need to formulate a plan.
Guo Deyou then plunged into the Hai River to calm his turbulent thoughts, the implications of Little Immortal's words – especially the possibility that he himself might be one of the Holy Children – still echoing in his mind. Meanwhile, Lian Huaqing confronted Xiao San, reminding him that in exchange for finding the Preacher, who would then lead them to the Holy Child, he had promised to remove the parasitic worms from Xiao San's body.
Lian proceeded to extract some of the worms but then declared that for Xiao San's extensive help to the Demonic Cult, he must now be "officially recognized." Despite Xiao San's desperate protests, Lian Huaqing cut his own hand and injected Demonic Cult blood into Xiao San, forcibly inducting him into the cult.
Lian chillingly stated that he had only promised to remove "some" worms, not all, and was eager to witness the "evolution" that would occur as Demonic Cult blood mingled with the remaining parasites in a living host. Guo Deyou sought out Shen Po, who initially reacted with anger, demanding to know where he had hidden Gu Ying. Guo Deyou clarified that Little Immortal was alive and holding Gu Ying captive.
He then recited the cryptic poem Little Immortal had told him. Shen Po immediately recognized it as referring to the "Jin Gou Yin Hua Fengshui Map," a map found during the extermination of the Demonic Cult, created by their Fengshui Masters with "evil purposes" to pinpoint the "origin of Evil Water." She explained that "Jin Gou Yin Hua" was the map's name, and "A centipede curls its tail" likely described a method to decipher its mysteries.
Guo Deyou pressed her for the map's location, and Shen Po, after a moment of thought, surmised that given his character, Secretary-general Xiao was likely safeguarding it. At a deserted shipyard, Gu Ying, still under hypnosis, had locked herself within a water dungeon. She awoke disoriented, realizing her predicament as the water level steadily rose around her. She struggled, questioning her location and purpose. Little Immortal was present, explaining that such questions were typical for those newly awakened from hypnosis.
He then pondered aloud whether the person coming to rescue her would be the Holy Child, and recited the same cryptic poem as the water continued its relentless ascent. Gu Ying then realized Little Immortal was affiliated with the Demonic Cult. Little Immortal informed her that the Demonic Cult's future hinged on the Holy Child, and potentially her own as well, finding the connection "interesting."
He declared it would become "even more interesting" upon the Holy Child's arrival before abandoning her in the rising water. That night, Guo Deyou and Shen Po visited Secretary-general Xiao. Guo Deyou introduced himself, acknowledging his connection to Guo Chun. Shen Po, impatient, immediately demanded the map. Secretary-general Xiao asserted he would readily provide the map if it could save his daughter, but questioned what "the Junior Tientsin Mystic can do for it."
Guo Deyou stated he had no interest in Xiao's past dealings with the Demonic Cult, but warned that if the Demonic Cult achieved its goals, Secretary-general Xiao's position would be "endangered." He explained that Gu Ying's abduction was clearly a move targeting him. He appealed to Xiao's self-interest, noting that even if Xiao disliked him, he surely disliked the Demonic Cult more, invoking the proverb, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Guo Deyou offered himself as "bait" since no one else could gather intelligence on the Demonic Cult. Shen Po, in a panic, protested Guo Deyou's offer, reminding Xiao that Gu Ying's life now depended entirely on him. Ultimately, Secretary-general Xiao retrieved the map he had meticulously preserved for two decades, confident it would one day be useful.
Guo Deyou then gave strict instructions: Xiao's men were to follow discreetly, but "no action is allowed until Gu Ying escapes unscathed," threatening to make Xiao "pay the price" if Gu Ying suffered any harm. He argued that the eradication of the Demonic Cult would benefit everyone, including himself, his master, Xiao, and all of Tianjin. Using the Jin Gou Yin Hua Fengshui Map and the cryptic poem, Shen Po began to decipher Gu Ying's location.
She recited: "There're two elements of the nature, Yin and Yang. When they flow, they become wind; when they rise to the sky, they become clouds. And when they fall down, they become rain. Tigers always keep themselves away from water, snakes would escape from the spring thunder, toads have been staying on the moon, and a centipede curls its tail."
She explained that "worms with hundreds of feet die without showing any rigor mortis," and "a centipede curls its tail" described the specific shape of a road. Combining these clues, she pinpointed Gu Ying's precise location at a spot that resembled a "centipede with hundreds of feet curling its tail." Guo Deyou proceeded to the deserted shipyard alone. Secretary-general Xiao's army, despite Guo Deyou's explicit orders not to act without his command, aggressively stormed the vast factory, searching indiscriminately.
Suddenly, a strange knocking sound resonated, and the soldiers became instantly hypnotized, forming ranks and tragically turning their weapons on each other. Guo Deyou found Gu Ying in the water dungeon, the water now dangerously high, reaching her shoulders. He desperately tried to open the impenetrable iron door. Little Immortal materialized behind him. Guo Deyou, already under hypnotism upon arrival, raised what he perceived to be his gun; the weapon in his hand had transformed into a mere tree branch.
Gu Ying frantically called out his name, but Guo Deyou remained unresponsive. Little Immortal began to speak, explaining that for the Demonic Cult, the Holy Child was a key to "a brand new world." However, the immediate priority was not to use this key to save the Demonic Cult, but to "open the door of the Holy Child's heart" and compel him to embrace this new world.
He demanded the "key" from Guo Deyou, stating that if his "judgment is right," his mission would be complete, and he would "leave the rest to Lian Huaqing." He sought to confirm if Guo Deyou was indeed the Holy Child. Little Immortal gazed at him, and with clear, terrifying eyes, hypnotized Guo Deyou again. Still unresponsive, Guo Deyou then jumped into the rising waters of the dungeon with Gu Ying, submerging his head. Gu Ying screamed his name in terror, but he remained utterly oblivious as the water enveloped them both.