Episode Summary
In this episode, a seemingly open-and-shut murder case is blown wide open. Du Yu's quick "confession" from the Shi brothers is proven false by Su Wuming, who discovers Ma Kui was killed by someone else. This leads them to a new victim, He Qian, and a strange clue involving a mythical creature. The investigation now points toward the powerful leaders of the Zoroastrian community and the city's elite families.
Spoiler Alert
The New Guys in Town
Meet Du Yu, the Showman
So, Su Wuming gives Lu Lingfeng the basic layout of the capital. Chang'an is split into two districts. You have Wannian County in the east and Chang'an County in the west. Each has its own top cop.
In Wannian, we meet a guy named Du Yu. He and his counterpart in Chang'an, Wei Tao, are big deals. They both come from powerful, old-money families. People call them the "Twin Stars" because they're both sharp and got their jobs through family connections. Their family mansions are right next to the Imperial Palace. There's even a saying about them. "The Wei and Du families in the south are only a foot and a half from heaven." It basically means they're as connected as you can get.
Su Wuming wants to see this Du Yu in action. Lu Lingfeng is game, so they head over to the county office to watch him work the case.
Du Yu starts grilling the six suspects from the festival. We learn something interesting right away. The "Seven Sacred Blades" ritual was supposed to have a set list of participants. But the victim, Ma Kui, bribed the head priest, Shi Qiansui, to get a spot. He basically paid to cut in line and replace someone else.
The Shi brothers, Shi Qian and Shi Wan, swear they were just Ma Kui's business partners in the pepper trade. They claim they were good friends. Du Yu doesn't buy a word of it. He tells them to draw a map of where everyone was standing during the ritual. He's looking for inconsistencies.
During the whole interrogation, Du Yu acts like he's putting on a show. He even points at a random bystander and pretends he's the killer. Su Wuming watches all this. He thinks Du Yu looks like he's just messing around, but he can tell there's a method to the madness.
Later that night, the Shi brothers pack their bags and try to skip town. Du Yu was waiting for them. He steps out of the shadows and blocks their path. The brothers drop the act and decide to fight their way out. They're tough, but Du Yu is a skilled fighter. One brother throws a punch at Du Yu's face. The other makes a run for it down a dark alley. That was a bad move. Lu Lingfeng was there and takes him down instantly.
The Case Isn't Closed
A Second Look at the Body
With the Shi brothers in custody, Du Yu lays out the whole story. The brothers started out as loan sharks in the East Market. They lent money to Ma Kui to get his business started. But Ma Kui turned out to be a natural. He became the biggest pepper merchant in the market, leaving the Shi brothers in the dust.
They regretted just giving him a loan. So, they converted the rest of his debt into a share of his company. But Shi Qian got greedy. He wanted an even bigger stake. Ma Kui told him no. That's when the brothers decided to kill him. They used the festival as the perfect cover.
The coroner, on Du Yu's signal, announces the fatal wound was a slash to the throat. The Shi brothers confess to everything. Case closed. Or so it seems.
Su Wuming feels like something is wrong. He asks to see the body again. He finds not one, but two different stab wounds. One is much deeper than the other. He realizes the Shi brothers didn't kill Ma Kui. They stabbed him, yes. But someone else delivered the fatal blow. The real killer is still out there.
Du Yu is stunned. He completely missed it. He humbly asks Lu Lingfeng for help. He then goes straight to the home of He Bi, one of the other ritual participants. He learns something huge. The person Ma Kui bribed his way past was He Bi's own brother, He Qian.
Another Murder, Another Dead End
Just as they figure this out, a killer is already on the move. The assassin sneaks into He Qian's study. The killer covers his face with a wet piece of paper, suffocating him. Then, the killer smashes his face with a heavy object.
By the time Lu Lingfeng and the others break into the room, He Qian is dead. The killer vanished without a trace. Su Wuming notices a single drop of liquid on some calligraphy paper on the desk. He leans in and smells it. The scent is familiar, but he can't place it.
Suddenly, Wei Tao, the head of Chang'an County, storms in. He's furious that Du Yu is working a case in his jurisdiction. He starts yelling for everyone to get out. To calm him down, Su Wuming quickly shows him the new autopsy report on Ma Kui. It proves this is a much bigger case now.
Chasing Down New Leads
A Weird Clue and a Visit to the Temple
Back at the sushan shop, they show the stained paper to Master Fei. He immediately identifies the liquid. It's urine from a "wind raccoon," a mythical beast. Legend says its urine can cure severe headaches.
The conversation turns to Shi Qiansui. He's not just the head priest. He's also the leader of the Sogdian community and the biggest spice merchant in the city. The Sogdian merchants mostly follow Zoroastrianism, a fire-worshipping religion. The government set up a special office to manage them. Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming decide they need to pay this guy a visit.
Pei Xijun and Chu Yingtao want to help. They decide to go check out the Zoroastrian temple themselves. They promise to bring Master Fei a roast chicken when they get back to keep him happy.
At the temple, Shi Qiansui is calm and collected. He explains to Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming that the Seven Sacred Blades ceremony is for influential Zoroastrians. He admits that people complained about Ma Kui. They said he wasn't a true believer and was just using the religion to make money. But Shi Qiansui let him join anyway. Ma Kui's recent success in business made him too important to ignore.
High Society and Ancient Lore
Later, Wei Tao bumps into his relative, He Bi, at the temple. You can tell they aren't close. Wei Tao mentions he recently dug up some old family records. He invites Lu Lingfeng to a banquet to celebrate. Since Pei Xijun is also from a high-ranking family, she gets an invitation too.
Su Wuming's social status isn't high enough, so he's left out. He's not bothered. He takes Chu Yingtao to the library to research the wind raccoon. They read about an ancient legend involving a "wind raccoon staff." While they're there, they meet a young boy named Yan Zhenqing. He's just a kid, but he's incredibly ambitious and articulate. Su Wuming is seriously impressed by him.
