Episode 8 recap: A hefty reward is offered for clues about the Lu family, and true identities are being exposed one after another.
Qu San Geng and Shi Cong were having a meal when they suddenly heard the county magistrate shouting. They saw the county magistrate pointing at something ahead, with a knife stuck in the ground beneath a piece of paper. A mysterious person was chasing a carriage in the forest, and after the carriage overturned, a bearded man inside rode away on a horse. Wang Youheng read a poem on a folding screen, written by General Tongtou. The acrostic poem said: "The old place where old friends meet at midnight."
Lord Zhong quietly closed the door and approached Zhang Gui with a knife. Thinking he was doomed, Zhang Gui was surprised to see Lord Zhong handing him the knife. Lord Zhong went to the door and killed Bao Sheng, while Zhang Gui used the knife to kill Zhao Liang. Both of their deaths were a result of involving Lu Zhi. Afterwards, Lord Zhong instructed Zhang Gui to put valuable items on their bodies, find another knife, and then throw the bodies out.
Lu Zhi understood the meaning and disguised the deaths as a result of theft and unequal distribution of spoils. After Wei Zhi Xian reported Cheng Yi Zhi's death to the authorities, Xia Bu Tou's attempt to frame the monkey demon was exposed. The authorities were furious, and everyone sought revenge on Xia Bu Tou for previously beating them. Qu San Geng stepped in, suggesting that it wasn't worth getting into a legal dispute over Xia Bu Tou and that he couldn't survive in his current state. To let off steam, Qu San Geng proposed that they beat him periodically, causing wounds that would never heal. Everyone agreed and left one by one.
Xia Bu Tou wanted to part ways with Lv San to avoid implicating him, but Lv San refused to abandon him. Qu San Geng wanted to reclaim Leng Bu Tou's waist token, and Xia Bu Tou claimed it was intentional, knowing that the killer would return. He lured the killer with the waist token to capture the monkey demon. Now that he had lost his power, Xia Bu Tou realized his mistake. Qu San Geng explained that the first time he came, he beat them to make the others fear him. But among the constables, it should be the criminals who fear them. Xia Bu Tou understood his error, and Qu San Geng suggested compensating the constables with silver to avoid being beaten. Xia Bu Tou agreed and thought of ways to obtain the silver. At this moment, his perception of Qu San Geng changed, but he couldn't determine whether he hated or thanked him.
Xia Bu Tou stated that from now on, he would adapt and be flexible to make a living. Seeing Xia Bu Tou's situation, Song Dianshi decided to keep them by his side, and Lv San was tasked with tracking someone. Feng Ke Zhui studied the note left by the killer and deduced that the killer was intelligent. Through analyzing a few sentences, he found the answer in Chapter 15 of the Analects, confidently stating that the killer was from Henan. Qu San Geng considered it baseless.
Leng Guier arrived at the scene. With Cheng Yi Zhi's death, everyone thought the clues had run out. She proposed that perhaps Chen Wang had died, and the other three survivors had changed their identities. She had a method to lure them out. Zhang Jizu told the mysterious person that someone had escaped. They were in the dark while the killer was in the light. The mysterious person stated that they were all in the dark, and only the bait was in the light.
The two were observed by Lv San when they met. Leng Guier suggested offering a substantial reward to find the person, which would uncover old stories. Leng Guier decided to disguise herself as a man to participate in the plan, but Qu San Geng and the other two still disagreed with her revealing herself. Finally, Qu San Geng proposed a plan where she would sit behind a folding screen and listen to the proceedings, while Feng Ke Zhui would question the informant in front.
Once the announcement was made, the elderly came forward one after another to provide clues. After a few words, an old man took his money and left, leaving everyone envious. Subsequently, the delighted old ladies and old men spread the news through the streets and alleys, and soon the entrance was crowded. Zhang Jizu went to the Kirin Tower to find the boss, but the boss had gone to the Cuihua Tower with food. Zhang Jizu's mother complained that the customers insisted on ordering dishes like steamed mullet with willow leaves and deboned duck with eight treasures, which only the Kirin Tower served. She recognized the person delivering the food as the boss and hurriedly apologized for her earlier words. She learned that he had come to find Lin Mama and was surprised.
Shi Cong's father also came to provide clues, and Shi Cong couldn't stop him. Lao Gao mentioned knowing Chu Zi You Er, who was associated with the Lu family. Later, when the Lu family's house caught fire, You Er went missing. Lao Gao jokingly mentioned that six or seven years later, he went to the Kirin Tower to deliver meat, and everyone called that person the boss. That boss turned out to be You Er. He used to be fat but had become thin. However, Lao Gao suspected that You Er recognized him, as he never received any more orders for meat from him afterward. The Kirin Tower changed its name from the Lion Tower three or four years after the Lu family's fire.
Niu Bu Yan sought advice from Lin Si Niang about "Golden Jade Full House" because it was crab season, and customers were not satisfied with his cooking. He specifically came to seek guidance from the Cuihua Tower. After taking a bite of "Golden Jade Full House," Niu Bu Yan found it to be overly fishy. Lin Si Niang realized that he had ulterior motives and clarified that the big fire had nothing to do with her. She mentioned that if it weren't for someone tipping off the authorities, she wouldn't have been able to leave her house.
Niu Bu Yan mentioned that Lu Jin Xin had been drinking with him and returned home only after they were both drunk on the night of the big fire. He suspected that the next person to die might be the two of them. Song Dianshi arrived to examine the clues provided by the people and instructed Leng Gui Er to avoid it. However, Leng Gui Er refused to leave after investing money and insisted on joining him behind the folding screen to eavesdrop.
At this moment, Suan Ming Xian Sheng returned and asked how much the reward would be if someone provided information about anyone related to the Lu family, excluding the three suspects. Feng Ke Zhui straightforwardly stated it would be one thousand taels. The Taoist priest emphatically expressed his fear of being frightened to death if that person appeared. Niu Bu Yan mentioned that when Leng Bu Tou closed the case, the entire Lu family of four died. He always felt that the murderer had the surname Lu. He wondered if Leng Bu Tou had failed to disclose the details to her.
The old men providing information realized that Zhang Ji Zu was Zhang Gui, the guardian of the Lu family twenty years ago, and You Er was Niu Bu Yan. Lu Zhi might be Xue Ju Ren. You Er encountered Zhang Ji Zu at the back door, and Lv San followed them. The bearded man also noticed Lv San, while Suan Ming Xian Sheng on the roadside kept muttering if they truly didn't recognize him.
Lv San received orders to keep an eye on Niu Bu Yan, while Wei Zhi Xian pointed at a knife and shouted for everyone to go to the courtyard. They found a knife stuck in the ground with a piece of paper beneath it. Niu Bu Yan was taken to the county government office for questioning. He claimed that he personally went to the market to buy rare goods but intentionally took a roundabout route to ensure that no one knew. At that moment, someone appeared and cut off his horse's leg. The person wore a hat and had a big beard.
Qu San Geng deduced that Niu Bu Yan was not the murderer but the intended target, a bait. The two people in the carriage were the housekeeper and steward of Xue Ju Ren, and their true purpose was to kill the murderer. However, the murderer had already anticipated their plan and had prepared a way to escape using a musket. Zhang the housekeeper and the steward were both skilled fighters, and Lv San joined in later. Niu Bu Yan, in particular, was cunning and ruthless. He stabbed Lv San, proving that he had killed someone before.
Wei Zhi Xian pretended that Niu Bu Yan was a major suspect and required him to pay bail and stay at home without going outside. Qu San Geng analyzed that the murderer had planted the letter to trap Niu Bu Yan. After this incident, Xue Ju Ren, Zhang Ji Zu, Niu Bu Yan, and the four of them discussed their countermeasures, knowing that the murderer had become even more cautious.
Feng Ke Zhui discovered a clue in the acrostic poem, indicating that Suan Ming Xian Sheng was arranging to meet someone. He quietly laid in ambush nearby. On the other hand, Lin Si Niang had already been killed.
Comments(Episode 8)