Sub by iQiyi & Ripped by skysoultan ♔ Follow @skysoultan on Instagram ♔
Luoyang
Episode 24
Kang Jin,
after I kill you,
Kang Jin, Merchant from the Ke Tribe
I will kill that promiscuous woman
so that you can be together in hell!
Gong Yan, Disciple of Four Season Divine
Keep him safe!
Siyue!
What about Lord of Spring?
What's his job?
According to what Hua Qingzhi said,
he's not in charge of anything.
He only does research
on the elixir of life in books.
The elixir of life?
Hua Qingzhi doesn't know what it is exactly.
Anyway,
it's something related to alchemy and medicine.
After we arrested Lord Freeman,
the two Services
have interrogated him several times.
He didn't mention
anything about alchemy.
Hua Qingzhi said that
Lord of Spring and Lady of Autumn disagree with each other a lot.
Lord of Spring once said that
what Lady of Autumn does
is unimportant,
but he aims for the bigger picture.
The bigger picture?
Hua Qingzhi worked for Lady of Autumn.
He despised Lord of Spring,
but I think
Lord of Spring can't be this simple.
He is a lord in Four Season Divine.
He can't be someone
who only cares about
alchemy or immortality.
It seems that Four Season Divine is way more complicated
than I imagined.
By the way,
a middleman has located Kang Jin's house.
I informed Madam Wu about this.
I guess she's already arrived there.
What's wrong with you?
What happened?
Move!
What's going on?
Move!
What happened?
Move!
See you next time.
See you.
Take care.
Help!
Someone got hurt!
Move!
Master!
Are you alright?
Move!
Master!
Master, are you alright?
Master!
Go find a doctor!
Okay! I'll go now!
Master!
Lie him down.
Press on the wound.
Okay.
Careful!
Excuse me!
Siyue.
She got away.
Are you injured?
No, it's not my blood.
Are you Kang Jin?
Kang Jin?
This caravan traveled four times a year
between the Ke Tribe and Luoyang
in the past three years.
It's a long journey between these two places.
A round trip takes at least three months.
Four times a year!
They rarely had any rest.
We can be sure that
their buyer
has something to do with Four Season Divine.
Kang Jin?
Kang Jin!
He died.
How could it be possible?
He was alright just now.
Didn't I tell you to keep him safe?
I never left here.
You were still outside.
I was worried. So I waited by the door.
I didn't know he was...
Bring him back to the Services.
Examine the body carefully!
Yes.
Hongyi.
Hongyi,
Siyue sent
this letter to you.
What are you doing?
Nothing.
Let me have a look.
Give me the letter.
Hongyi, are you leaving home?
Yes, I'll be back soon.
One!
We have to write a report on his death.
You need to explain
everything in detail.
I know. It was my fault.
I'm ready to be questioned.
One!
Madam.
How did Kang Jin die?
We don't know.
Let's talk inside.
What's wrong?
Did you find anything?
I think I somehow know this smell.
Guanglin Inn
Right, it's the same smell.
When I was in Guanglin Inn,
I smelled this as well.
Give me some time.
I'll figure it out.
Baili Mansion
Make sure they look nice.
I prepared so much food.
I wonder if Hongyi will like it or not.
He will.
I'm sure.
My lady, Lord Hongyi is back.
Get prepared.
Hongyi, you're back.
My lord,
Lady Liu Ran has been waiting here for a long time.
Are you busy now?
Thanks for preparing for Valentine's Day,
but I have some work to do.
Okay, do what you need to do first.
Yunzhi and I can celebrate together.
That's not true.
You just made a wish
-on celebrating the festival together. -Hush.
I didn't.
Today, we will celebrate Valentine's Day
and the Luoyang Lantern Show.
The best dancer in Luoyang,
Yuwen Peipei,
will give us a performance
on this beautiful boat along the Luo River.
Brava!
Look at me!
Here, Peipei.
Peipei!
Brava!
Peipei!
Yuwen Peipei, Dancer in Red Silk House
Peipei is the best dancer in Luoyang!
We finally see you!
You deserve this title!
Brava!
Liu Feng, Son of the Liu Family
Brava!
Here!
Peipei!
Look at me!
Peipei!
Look at me!
Peipei, here!
Here!
Peipei!
Look at me!
Peipei, look at me!
Peipei!
Peipei, here!
Here!
Chunhe?
Peipei, look at me!
The candle.
What is this?
Watch out.
Did you
hear anything?
I didn't.
Did you smell anything?
What smell?
Did they light the flame stick?
Not the same smell.
What are they doing?
How would I know?
Why do you know nothing?
If I know what's going on, why am I here?
Useless!
Why is the smoke purple?
Bring me some water.
Here you are.
What is this for?
It should be a type of niter.
Isn't this for
making the flame stick?
Why are you studying this?
Don't!
This thing is weird.
It could be poisonous.
Don't touch it.
It's fine. It's not poisonous.
Where did the ice come from?
Hongyi?
Hongyi.
Hongyi, what are you looking for?
New Herbal Classic with Notes
You found it?
There it is!
Xuanwu's Pearl
Bitter smell.
It turns water into ice.
Purple smoke rises
when burned with fire.
That's what we saw exactly.
Xuanwu's Pearl.
What is that?
Xuanwu's Pearl
Xuanwu's Pearl is an old name for niter.
Xuanwu's Pearls of high purity
are very precious,
among which the Ke Tribe's are the best.
Isn't niter a medicinal material?
Why are you
working on this today?
I need time to think.
Liu Ran,
go back and have a rest.
Hongyi,
how about I stay here and help you?
Don't stay up too late.
Liu Ran.
What?
What is this?
A gift.
Don't open it here.
Good night.
Cultivation and Reading are Family Heirlooms
I have contacted other spies
in all departments.
They all complained about how hard to take action recently.
The Intelligence Services
responded to every move we took.
I'm afraid
they knew that Hua Qingzhi is one of us.
Nothing happened to him
in more than ten years.
The greater good will be achieved soon.
We need people now.
How could our plan
be detected?
Ruo'an, Disciple of Four Season Divine
My lady,
what should we do with Chen Chao?
Hua Qingzhi was exposed.
His son is useless now.
Kill him.
Yes.
In case
others find out those past events
and our location as well.
Those who get in the way of our plan...
I know what to do.
I know.
Madam.
Any results?
He died of wasp venom.
Wasp venom?
It's a common poison.
There are no visible changes
to the victims' appearances,
but they will die
because of laryngeal edema.
The wound is on the left of his head.
It's too small to be detected.
A needle?
That's right.
Fan Changling, Interior Guard
Madam, Sir Wu wants to see you.
Okay.
Kang Jin was killed by wasp venom.
It's a common poison.
We can't trace it back,
but I'm sure
the killer was from Four Season Divine.
So I think...
He died
under Li Beiqi's watch.
He was worried about me.
So he changed his shift
and followed me.
He is an interior guard.
He changed his shift without notice
because he was worried about you
and went to a place where he shouldn't be.
Does this sound okay to you?
I asked him
to write a report
and explain everything in detail.
No explanation is needed.
It only makes it sounds worse.
Leave.
My lord,
Hua Qingzhi's son,
Chen Chao, is here.
What's next?
Keep him safe.
Hua Qingzhi was exposed.
Four Season Divine
will kill Chen Chao.
Yes.
What?
Hua Qingzhi killed Agent Han.
You repay evil with good.
Then how to repay virtue?
What's your idea?
What should I do?
An eye
for an eye.
Agent Han was killed by Four Season Divine.
Chen Chao was not involved.
We don't punish
innocent people for others' faults.
This is how we do things here.
I don't get it.
Hua Qingzhi killed Agent Han.
I want him dead as well.
The Services was established by officials who were in favor of torture.
The only aim was to carry out surveillance
and then frame people up.
So when I took charge of the Services,
I made a rule.
We don't take things personally
or get innocent people involved.
This is the difference
between us and those cruel officials.
Yes.
Are you sure it's Xuanwu's Pearl?
Absolutely sure.
The Xuanwu's Pearl from the Ke Tribe
is a tribute to the Court.
It's a contraband item.
Private trading is prohibited.
Four Season Divine spent their money,
sacrificed their spies,
and risked revealing their location
only for this.
The greater good they talked about
must have something to do with this.
Niter is needed when making ice,
medicine, flame sticks,
as well as elixirs.
If it's for ice,
mirabilite also works.
They don't need such high purity.
So,
the other three items
are all possible.
This means that
what Four Season Divine needs
is one of them.
We have to narrow it down.
That's why you are here.
We need to go through them one by one.
Recently,
an old Taoist master came to Luoyang.
He gives lectures on Taoism
every day at Liubai Building.
It is said that
he is a professional in alchemy.
You also know him.
Me?
Who is he?
Lord Liu.
Liu Ran's father.
We'll leave this to you.
I'll check the pharmacies.
I'll work on flame sticks.
See you later.
Don't forget. He is at Liubai Building.
Liu Ran.
Can you go to Liubai Building with me?
Of course.
The weather is great.
It's a nice day for a walk.
Hongyi,
what are we going to do there?
I want to meet your father.
My father?
I spent all of my money
on all these precious ingredients
and finally made this Origin Elixir.
I'm not bragging about this,
but this elixir
is priceless.
If the only focus
is the quality of ingredients,
you won't achieve much in alchemy.
Liu Shi, Master of the Liu Family
The heating process
-is more important when making elixirs. -Father.
Liu Ran.
My lord.
Liu Ran,
I asked the cook
to prepare some desserts you like.
Have some later and see if you like them.
Thank you, father.
I'm here today
for some advice.
My daughter, how's it going recently?
Don't worry.
Hongyi is taking care of me.
Everything is alright.
My lord,
I'm here
for advice on alchemy.
Although Lord Liu has been practicing Taoism for years,
he knows little about alchemy.
I have no idea what alchemy is.
I remember that since I was little,
all the noble people in Luoyang
have been craving elixirs made by the Liu family.
Your father just said that
timing and temperature
are more important than ingredients.
If other people hear this,
they will laugh at him.
What Lord Liu said
makes sense to me.
As far as I know,
there are hundreds of
existing formulas.
The ingredients are more or less the same,
such as lead, mercury, sulfur,
and cinnabar.
With the same ingredients,
people still make
different elixirs.
Because
the timing and temperature are different.
This is what
my assistants need to care about.
I know nothing about alchemy,
but I guess it's similar
to cooking.
An excellent cook
can make
great food
using low-quality ingredients.
With the wrong temperature or timing,
even the best ingredients
will turn into trash.
Well said!
Who are you?
This is my son-in-law,
the second son of the Baili Family,
Baili Hongyi.
How can an outsider tell me what to do?
My lord,
thanks for inviting me today.
I'm afraid I have to leave now.
It is Xuanwu's Pearl, indeed.
Ordinary people
won't have access
to any Xuanwu's Pearl this pure!
It should be a tribute to the Court.
Where else
can you find it
apart from the Court?
Many elixirs need Xuanwu's Pearl to enhance their efficacy,
including Nine Turns Golden Elixir,
Lead-mercury Immortality Elixir,
and Golden Cinnabar Elixir.
Give me some time.
They kept a close eye
on their goods.
Apart from exchanging food or medicine,
they hardly
did business with others.
It seemed that they need to arrive
before a certain date.
So they had set off
before the storm ended.
Not long ago,
a caravan came to Luoyang
and smuggled this.
Maybe they heard something.
During my stay in Luoyang,
I visited some friends and heard that
the Taoist Tiantong in Yuncui Temple
was making the elixir of life.
What he needed
was the purest Xuanwu's Pearl.
Yuncui Temple?
I've been there before.
It's in the east of Luoyang.
Liu Ran,
when are you going to tell me
things about Liu Feng?
Is he back now?
No.
Where did you hear this?
Have you heard of it?
I guess it's true then.
Father,
Liu Feng is still young.
He will figure it out one day.
Thank you, my lord.
Father.
I'll see you later.
Yuncui Temple
Keep this safe.
Hongyi,
look what the man is holding.
Could it be the elixir my father talked about?
Let's go inside first.
Thank you.
There are many pilgrims in Yuncui Temple.
Our elixir deals with curse sticks.
If you don't have enough money,
we also take loans.
Palace of Three Purities
Dear guests,
if you want to burn incense in the main palace,
please queue upstairs.
Thank you.
Hongyi,
I've heard that wishes made here
will come true.
I want to make a wish for a happy marriage
that lasts forever.
Palace of Three Purities
Hongyi, close your eyes.
Here.
Okay.
Your turn.
Would you like a fortune stick?
Twenty coins for one.
We'll have one.
Hongyi, anything wrong?
Why are you doing this?
Nothing, go on.
Curse Stick
It...
This way.
The curse stick can't be a good sign.
It possibly involves blood.
Are you pregnant?
I'm not.
That's nonsense.
You must be more careful then.
The ill omen
might happen to your family members.
What should I do?
Is there a way to avoid it?
A spiritual master
is currently visiting us.
He is experienced and powerful.
He made an elixir,
which can help people avoid bad fortune
and live longer.
The only problem is that it's quite expensive.
Money isn't a problem,
as long as it works.
It definitely helps. I can assure you.
I'll go get the elixir.
Sorry, it's my fault.
Let me help you.
No, it's fine.
Curse Stick
Just leave it to me.
I'll pick them up.
Let me help you.
No, thank you.
Hongyi,
did you see that?
Did you notice as well?
When you smelled the bucket,
did you notice
the smell of fresh paints?
The bucket is old,
but all the fortune sticks are new.
Curse Stick
No, it's fine.
Leave it to us.
Something is wrong here.
Sorry,
this place is not open to visitors.
You can get the elixir there.
Thank you.
Go.
This way.
What's wrong?
Don't talk.
We haven't got the elixir.
What happened?
Why are we in the queue now?
Hongyi?
Let's go.
Red Silk House
Sir.
Don't worry.
Welcome.
Come here.
Is Peipei here?
Not everyone
can see Peipei.
Sir,
what about me?
Peipei is the one I want to see!
Peipei!
Chun, Madam of the Red Silk House
I'll take care of it.
Sir,
how can I address you?
Peipei is not like
other girls.
It's not easy to see her.
Then tell her
the son of the Liu family is here.
She will see me.
Liu family?
Which Liu family?
There are at least
twenty or thirty men
named Liu in Luoyang.
Should Peipei meet every one of them?
Just tell me,
how much should I pay?
Everyone in Luoyang
knows how much it is.
A thousand taels if you want to see her.
Ten thousand taels
for her dance.
That's not a problem.
Wait. Wait a second.
Nobody can force her
to see anyone
she doesn't like.
If I can't see her today,
no one can.
The whole Red Silk House
is mine today.
I recognized him.
The Taoist priest in Yuncui Temple
is the person who attacked me
on my way back to Luoyang.
I found no trace of Xuanwu's Pearl
in pharmacies and the black market here.
So it can't be used
to make medicine.
I found no clues
on flame sticks.
A fake Taoist priest...
Fake elixirs...
Assassins from Four Season Divine...
Yuncui Temple it is!
The route to the front palace
is on this map.
These marked places
are guarded by them.
I didn't want to alert them.
So I didn't check the backyard.
This is not open to visitors.
You can get the elixir there.
I've got enough information.