Tientsin Mystic Episode 9 Recap

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> Tientsin Mystic Recap

Guo Deyou arrived at Gu Ying's home, where she was drawing talismans and chanting a Buddhist incantation. He was searching frantically for his master, Senior Tientsin Mystic, who had disappeared, leaving no trace behind. Guo Deyou questioned Gu Ying and her mother, but neither had seen him. Gu Ying then conducted a divination using turtle shells and coins, which landed in a pattern indicating "extreme bad luck" and "Yin omen."

She declared that something terrible was about to happen in the river. Meanwhile, Ding Mao visited Supervisor Hu's home, where he expressed his sorrow over the recent events involving Supervisor Hu, who had willingly sought punishment to prove Ding Mao's innocence. Seeing a portrait of Hu Tianming, Supervisor Hu's late son and Ding Mao's childhood friend, brought back memories.

Ding Mao recalled Tianming's boastful confidence as a Red Badge Guard, telling Ding Mao to pursue his studies abroad while he handled the Chamber of Commerce, assuring him no one could challenge him in Tianjin. Supervisor Hu's wife, still grieving, revealed Tianming had died brutally while serving the Chamber of Commerce, his body "hacked all over" upon return.

She confessed to Ding Mao that she harbored resentment towards Supervisor Hu, not for his sacrifices as a manager, but as a father who lost their son, saying she had stopped having decent conversations with her husband because he reminded her of Tianming. She even suggested that Ding Mao seemed more like Supervisor Hu's biological son, before reflecting on life's fleeting joys and lasting sorrows.

Just then, an associate from the Chamber of Commerce pulled Ding Mao aside, informing him that one of their men had run into trouble on The Door of Life's territory. The trouble concerned the body of Feng Erma, an employee of the Chamber of Commerce, which was recovered by Tieniu of the Fifth River Corpse Retrieval Team at The Door of Life's wharf. Feng Erma's body was severely bloated, and the flesh from two wounds on his neck was missing.

Both Madman Cui, leader of The Door of Life, and Yu Si, representing the Chamber of Commerce, arrived with their respective entourages. Yu Si immediately accused The Door of Life of murder and threatened to tear down the wharf if no explanation was given. Madman Cui retaliated, disclaiming responsibility and accusing the Chamber of Commerce of bringing trouble to his territory, citing their recent internal issues and blaming them for angering the River Demon.

Ding Mao, now stepping up as the new leader of the Chamber, asserted that the Chamber and its people were his responsibility. He demanded the killer reveal themselves to face legal procedures, promising justice. Madman Cui challenged him to produce evidence, threatening consequences if Ding Mao caused trouble without proof. Police Captain Fu arrived, breaking up the escalating tension.

After initial confusion and arguments over jurisdiction and proposed autopsy (which Madman Cui vehemently rejected, accusing Ding Mao of trying to frame them), Guo Deyou, also present, intervened. He pointed out the disrespect shown to the deceased and his young son and suggested that the Corpse Retrieval Team take the body to Dragon King Temple as per custom. Madman Cui initially agreed but then grew suspicious of Guo Deyou and Ding Mao's sworn brotherhood, hinting at collusion.

A frustrated Guo Deyou then sarcastically suggested the two factions fight it out, which Yu Si readily accepted. Captain Fu, however, put an end to the brawl. Ding Mao then addressed Madman Cui directly, admitting no immediate proof but questioning his defensiveness, given the death occurred on his territory. Madman Cui then proposed a "reasoning competition" in one week at the Chamber of Commerce's Nangu Wharf, stating that the loser, regardless of the case's resolution, would bear all the blame.

Ding Mao accepted, and Captain Fu declared the matter temporarily settled. Following the confrontation, Gu Ying led Feng Erma's son to Dragon King Temple, where Feng Erma's body was also taken for temporary keeping. With a multitude of unanswered questions regarding the Demonic Cult and its alleged connection to Supervisor Hu, Ding Mao visited Supervisor Hu in prison, seeking a full explanation.

Supervisor Hu, appearing weary but composed, offered to reveal everything if Ding Mao promised one condition: to protect the Chamber of Commerce and prevent its collapse. Ding Mao readily agreed. Supervisor Hu began his astonishing confession by explaining the history of the Demonic Cult, tracing back over two decades.

He recounted a severe flood that had devastated Tianjin, particularly Qiming Village, leaving survivors afflicted with a mysterious illness characterized by protuberant blood vessels and festering skin, which they only found relief from through opium. This crisis led to the rise of the Demonic Cult, whose followers believed in a "holy child," an incarnation of a River Demon, capable of warding off natural disasters and diseases.

To find this child, they forced Tianjin's children to drink infected blood, believing the one who survived was the true holy child. This horrific event prompted the government to order the cult's eradication. Ding Yiqiu, then a Chief General, Supervisor Hu, his deputy, and Senior Tientsin Mystic, led a combined force to suppress the cult in Qiming Village. However, their plans were leaked, and a cultist possessing "evil magic" turned their own soldiers against each other, causing heavy casualties.

Despite eventually succeeding, most of the abducted children perished in gruesome ways, a memory that still haunted Supervisor Hu. The government, embarrassed by the costly and brutal victory, suppressed all news of the incident. The cult's witchcraft master was imprisoned, Senior Tientsin Mystic resumed his corpse retrieval, and Ding Yiqiu and Supervisor Hu left the military to establish the Chamber of Commerce, which rapidly became Tianjin's largest business.

However, in recent years, Supervisor Hu revealed that the Demonic Cult had resurfaced, silently infiltrating the Chamber of Commerce. Ding Yiqiu discovered that the cult's new witchcraft was even more formidable; terminally ill members could sacrifice their bodies to the hierarch for extended life, albeit at the cost of their consciousness, transforming them into savage, beast-like figures. Supervisor Hu deduced that the cult had infiltrated the Chamber to control opium flow, using it to alleviate their members' suffering.

In response, Ding Yiqiu resorted to a drastic measure: secretly mixing poison into the opium to eliminate the cult members, believing it was the only way to save more lives. Only Ding Yiqiu, Supervisor Hu, and Shopkeeper Wang were aware of this plan. Qian Zixian's interference in the opium house, threatening to expose Wang, forced Wang to kill him with poisoned opium.

Ding Mao's subsequent investigation and arrest of Shopkeeper Wang then compelled Supervisor Hu to kill Wang in prison, drowning her, to prevent the entire operation from being exposed. Supervisor Hu then dropped another bombshell: the cult had learned from its past defeat and, instead of kidnapping, planned to "create" a holy child through the union of their interim hierarch and a virgin.

Ding Mao immediately deduced that Xue Yuanyuan was involved, and Supervisor Hu confirmed that Ding Yiqiu had "carried off the baby in advance" to prevent this. Ding Mao expressed concern for the child's innocence, to which Supervisor Hu conceded that Ding Yiqiu never intended to harm the baby, but sacrifices were deemed necessary to prevent the potentially catastrophic creation of a new holy child.

Ding Mao then surmised that his father was murdered by the cult in revenge, but Supervisor Hu revealed the shocking truth: "Chairman Ding. . . was killed by me." He recounted Ding Yiqiu's desperate plea for Supervisor Hu to kill him and dispose of his body in the Hai River.

Ding Yiqiu had rejected other options, viewing his death as "the ideal way," preferring not to become a monster or die at the hands of outsiders, despite having killed many for the greater good. Ding Yiqiu's elaborate plan involved tying his body to the Xuanwu statue (under which past cultists were executed) and drowning them together near Qiming Village, then releasing the body near the River Worship Ceremony.

This staged death would appear as Demonic Cult's revenge, a potent message to awaken the public and righteous individuals to the cult's resurgence. That's why Supervisor Hu had framed Shopkeeper Wang's death as a drowning, linking it to the "River Demon" to further implicate the Demonic Cult. Ding Yiqiu, Supervisor Hu concluded, sought to end all the past feuds with their generation and leave a "pure Chamber of Commerce" for Ding Mao.

He expressed his hope that their sacrifices would atone for any past wrongdoings by the Chamber and implored Ding Mao to safeguard its future. Supervisor Hu ended his confession with a philosophical reflection on the unpredictable course of a river's life, sometimes reaching the sea, other times drying up in a forgotten ravine. Back at Dragon King Temple, Tieniu informed Guo Deyou that Feng Erma's body had been placed there.

Guo Deyou calmly stated that the body would remain there until the "reasoning competition" between the Chamber of Commerce and The Door of Life was resolved. Tieniu, noticing the mysterious circumstances of Feng Erma's death, suggested Guo Deyou perform an autopsy or consult Senior Tientsin Mystic. Guo Deyou confirmed that his master was indeed missing, having left only his tobacco pipe, causing him great anxiety.

Given the unrest in Tianjin, Guo Deyou instructed Tieniu to send other members of the Corpse Retrieval Team to investigate Senior Tientsin Mystic's regular haunts and inquire about his recent contacts. He also told Tieniu to spread the word across Tianjin that Senior Tientsin Mystic was missing, promising a substantial reward from the Corpse Retrieval Team for any valuable information.

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