Episode Summary
In this episode, Zhong Shizai confesses to his past crimes and is arrested. Geng Wushang's daughter, Su Chan, becomes the new county coroner. A new series of murders begins, linked to a dark magic ritual involving "choking qi bags." In a shocking twist, the killer is revealed to be Yin Yao, who Geng Wushang discovers just before he himself is found dead.
Spoiler Alert
The First Killer's Confession
Geng Wushang Knew All Along
So, the big reveal isn't that Zhong Shizai is the killer. The real shocker is that his master, Geng Wushang, suspected him from the start. I mean, from the very first day they met.
Geng Wushang explains it all. He first saw Zhong Shizai covered in blood and scars. He knew the kid had been through a brutal fight. Geng had no children of his own, so he took Zhong in as his first disciple. He treated him like a son and taught him everything.
But he started to notice something was off. Zhong was not suited to be a coroner. He had killed before. A coroner's job means being around bodies and murder weapons all day. For someone like Zhong, that environment could easily trigger his violent side. This is why Zhong, despite his skill, never won any top prizes in competitions. He was also too good at scheming.
So when Dong Yue died under weird circumstances, Geng's suspicion immediately fell on Zhong. He pretended to enter the coroner competition himself. It was all a trap. He even left a letter. The letter said if anything happened to him, Zhong Shizai was the one who did it.
Zhong Shizai's Backstory
With the truth out, Zhong Shizai doesn't deny it. He confesses to everything. He tells them his story. He was born a slave. He was smarter and a better horseman than his young master. This made the master's family hate him. They beat him constantly.
Zhong endured it for years just so he could keep reading books. But the abuse never stopped. They almost killed him several times. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He murdered the master and his family, all three of them. He faked a robbery and even injured himself to fool the officials.
Just as Geng said, Zhong was tired of being a coroner. Every corpse and weapon just reminded him of what he did. His ambition is useless now. He's on a path he can't turn back from. As they're cuffing him, a report of a new murder comes in. Zhong's first instinct is to go investigate. Then he remembers. He's a prisoner now. He can't even touch a corpse.
A New Coroner and a New Case
Geng Wushang's Daughter Steps Up
With Zhong out of the picture, Su Wuming needs a coroner for the new case. He sends for Geng Wushang. But Geng says he's too old and sick. Instead, he sends his young daughter, Su Chan.
And let me tell you, she is brilliant. Su Chan learned everything from her father. She examines the body with incredible skill and figures things out instantly. Su Wuming is seriously impressed. He tells her that from now on, she can be the coroner for any cases in Wannian County. Just like that, Su Chan becomes the county's first female coroner.
The Mortuary Cosmetologist
The new case involves a dead woman. Her parents say she recently found a red money pouch on the street. Su Wuming investigates, but nobody recognizes the pouch.
Su Chan goes to visit Yin Yao. She tells him about her new job and tries to convince him to become a coroner again. She believes he has the talent to win the big competition.
Yin Yao isn't interested. He's decided to be a mortuary cosmetologist. He politely turns her down. He gets hired to prepare the dead woman's body for her funeral. He performs a ritual dance and carefully applies makeup. When Su Wuming arrives, he sees the dead woman looks peaceful and beautiful. Yin Yao only charged 50 coins for the work. Seeing this, Su Wuming understands how important Yin Yao's new job is. He decides to stop trying to convince him to go back to being a coroner.
The Choking Qi Bags
A Dark Magic Ritual
The case is stalled. Su Wuming keeps looking at the red pouch. He asks Master Fei to check it out. Master Fei recognizes it immediately. It's a "choking qi bag." It comes from the Ghost Market and is used for a dark magic ritual to borrow life.
Here's how it works. The family of a dying person leaves these bags full of money in random places. If someone picks up the bag, their lifespan is supposedly transferred to the sick person. But there's a more brutal version. If you kill the person who picks up the bag, you steal their life force. Master Fei says even in the Ghost Market, this is considered an extremely vicious and rare practice.
Pei Xijun looks at a note inside the bag. She says the handwriting is very crude. The person who wrote it is probably illiterate.
The Murders Escalate
That night, Dong Yue's apprentice is burning paper offerings for his dead master. He sees one of the red pouches on the road and picks it up. The next day, he's found dead in his shop with a sword through his chest.
The local official, Xu Qichang, calls it a suicide. Su Wuming immediately argues with him. He points out another choking qi bag on the counter. Inside is a piece of paper with the number "three" and 49 copper coins. Su Chan is called to examine the body. She confirms it's murder. The blood spatter pattern is strange, and she needs more time to figure it out.
The Final Twist
Geng Wushang's Secret
Su Chan tells her father about the case. She notices he has nux vomica seeds by his bed. This is a poison used to manage extreme pain. She realizes he is very, very sick.
Despite his illness, Geng Wushang visits Su Wuming. He wants to see the two choking qi bags. He says a similar case happened twenty years ago. When he sees the handwriting on the notes, his face changes completely.
Later, Geng invites Yin Yao to his house for a meal. He tells Yin Yao he has spent three years writing a book on everything he knows about examining corpses. He wants Yin Yao to write the final chapter. He offers to list them as co-authors. Yin Yao is stunned. Geng then explains why he pushed Zhong Shizai toward a high-level job. It was because he wanted to keep Yin Yao, his most gifted student, by his side to finish this book. Yin Yao breaks down in tears. He realizes he completely misunderstood his master's intentions for years.
The Killer Revealed
Geng Wushang pulls out a document to officially expel Zhong Shizai from his school. He says all his disciples need to sign it. Yin Yao signs his name and the date.
His handwriting is a perfect match for the notes in the choking qi bags.
Geng Wushang finally understands.
That night, another body is found. It's a beggar on the street. Next to him is a choking qi bag with the number "six" written on the note inside. The killing isn't over.
Su Chan comes home after examining the beggar's body. She finds her father, Geng Wushang. He's dead.
