Tientsin Mystic Episode 3 Recap

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> Tientsin Mystic Recap

Gu Ying stood on a bustling Tianjin street, ringing her spirit-calling bell and performing a ritual to summon the soul of a man who had long been away from home. She was filling in for her mother, who, according to Gu Ying, was often too drunk or lazy for such minor jobs. Gu Ying also promised Guo Deyou pork knuckles at Dengying Tower. Coincidentally, Guo Deyou, preoccupied with the mystery of the dead infant, stumbled upon her.

A plan forming in his mind, Guo Deyou decided to enlist Gu Ying's help to investigate how the notorious Black Witch of the ghost market handled children born out of wedlock. Guo Deyou coached Gu Ying on how to act, instructing her to appear tired, anxious, yet with a hint of excitement, like a mother who had just suffered a great loss.

He described the feeling as a profound separation of flesh and blood, akin to a hot sweet potato falling to the ground and being stepped on. Gu Ying, initially confused, struggled to embody the role, reminding Guo Deyou of his promise to treat her to pork knuckles and commenting that she only had a "jianbing guozi" in her stomach.

Guo Deyou then clarified, telling her to stuff her Daoist robe under her clothes to feign pregnancy, and warned her to be cautious in the ghost market as its merchants were not to be trifled with. They arrived at the ghost market, a dark and eerie place filled with strange figures, which unnerved Gu Ying. Gu Ying decided to scout ahead herself, stopping Guo Deyou from going further.

Before Gu Ying could enter the Black Witch's tent, a basin of blood water was splashed out. The Black Witch, with one eye obscured by a wooden stick and a husky voice, immediately saw through Gu Ying's disguise, stating that she was a virgin pretending to be pregnant and asking them to leave. Guo Deyou quickly interjected, explaining they were sent by a young lady from a wealthy mansion to discreetly inquire about the Black Witch's skills.

He requested information about her recent clients to verify her expertise. The Black Witch refused, citing a sacred vow that prevented her from revealing clients' identities, and told them to seek help elsewhere if they didn't trust her. Gu Ying then took the initiative, performing a ritual. She tore off a strand of Guo Deyou's hair, dipped it in red liquid, and drew frantically on a piece of paper, chanting a spell.

She dramatically claimed the drawing depicted the face of a male infant born a month ago, a "ferocious ghost" with an "evil water fate" that would cause widespread disaster if not appeased. The Black Witch, visibly shaken, confirmed a male infant was indeed born there a month prior. Unable to speak the names due to her vow, the Black Witch instead wrote down the names of three families who had received her services.

She then offered them a demon-suppressing runestone for protection, for which she demanded a silver dollar. Guo Deyou, quick to deflect, declared that Ding Mao would pay for it, arguing it was for his father's case. Meanwhile, Ding Mao was tirelessly researching recent missing persons cases, but his efforts yielded no clues.

Guo Deyou visited him, finding his room filled with scientific specimens, including a human brain, slugs (whose secretions could treat infections), and tuberculosis samples, which Guo Deyou found rather unsettling. Ding Mao explained their clinical value in his rigorous scientific pursuits. When Guo Deyou pressed him about his father's case and the dead infant, Ding Mao admitted he had no new leads.

Just then, Gu Ying arrived with crucial information: Miss Xue Yuanyuan of the Xue family, one of the families mentioned by the Black Witch, had drowned in the river a few days earlier. The Xue family was secretly arranging a funeral and had engaged Gu Ying's mother for the ritual, keeping the death quiet from the public. Guo Deyou immediately suspected a connection to the dead infant.

He suggested Ding Mao, as the Young Master of the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation, use his status to attend the funeral as a supposed friend of Miss Xue, a strategy he jokingly referred to as "making an inquiry." Ding Mao arrived at the Xue mansion, introducing himself as "Fu Mao," a friend of the deceased Xue Yuanyuan. Xue Qingyang, Yuanyuan's father, questioned how Ding Mao knew of her death, which had been kept private.

Xue Qingyang then unexpectedly asked Ding Mao to change into graveclothes, claiming it was to fulfill a "wish." Ding Mao, confused, realized he was being forced to serve as a sacrificial "adulterer" to be buried alive with Xue Yuanyuan, whom Xue Qingyang believed was his lover and the father of her child. Fortunately, Guo Deyou and Gu Ying arrived just as Ding Mao was about to be forced into the coffin.

Gu Ying swiftly intervened, claiming to be Witch Zhang’s daughter, sent to check on the corpse because her mother suspected issues with the ritual. Guo Deyou then loudly exposed Ding Mao's true identity as Ding Mao, the Young Master of the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation, recently returned from studying in Germany. Realizing his grave error, Xue Qingyang immediately apologized and ordered Ding Mao to be released.

In the guest room, Xue Qingyang attempted to bribe them into silence and keep the matter private. However, Ding Mao produced his temporary police badge, demanding a full account of the events or he would take Xue Qingyang to the police station. Under pressure, Xue Qingyang revealed his family's secret: Yuanyuan had disappeared for half a year after running away during a temple fair, only to return pregnant, having been deceived by a rich young man.

To preserve the family's reputation, Xue Qingyang confined her and arranged for a midwife to deliver the baby in secret. After the baby was a month old, Yuanyuan escaped with the infant. Later, her body was found floating in the river, but the baby was never found. Guo Deyou then confirmed that the dead infant found at the Dragon King Temple was indeed Xue Yuanyuan's child. Xue Qingyang then requested to retrieve the infant to be buried with its mother.

Ding Mao initially refused, wanting to investigate the cause of death. However, Xue Qingyang vehemently insisted, citing the need for family privacy and Tianjin's unofficial rule that authorities do not investigate unless a crime is reported. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Ding Mao offered to hire Guo Deyou to investigate, initially offering thirty silver dollars, eventually settling on fifty silver dollars. The next day, Xue Qingyang's butler, Uncle Gui, arrived at the Dragon King Temple to retrieve the infant.

Guo Deyou engaged Uncle Gui in conversation, asking about Xue Yuanyuan. Uncle Gui described her as a kind and naive girl, expressing doubt that she would willingly die as a new mother. He recounted the night of her disappearance: after a frantic search, Xue Qingyang and his staff found Yuanyuan's body floating in the river near their mansion.

Guo Deyou noted the peculiarity of this, questioning why the Corpse Retrieval team was not the first to discover a body in the river. Sensing a deeper mystery, Guo Deyou offered to accompany Uncle Gui back to the Xue mansion to ensure the proper rituals were observed, using the opportunity to further his investigation.

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