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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 18
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KJ2025 They survive the whirlpool to run into the 5th oddity, the water creature pozhe. Head of a shark, wings of a bat, claws like a crab and tentacles like an octopus. The poor mule was cut up to be pozhe feed. After rescuing the ‘jade emperor’, his senses returned to him. They made it to shore and started to prosecute the ferrymen. Turned out the creature was raised by the father. They found out they were part of the Taiyin sect plotting a rebellion. The flyer carried the censor seven miles to bring back reinforcements. The censor came back with an order allowing Lu to oversee any case as he saw fit from where they were to Yunding. His trust was great as his life was the insurance. The flyer was now the aide of the censor and would be responsible for leading his horse. When he had worked off his debt he would be free and in the interim well treated by the official. Lu goes to the temple to give the other half of tongue gem to witness the governor and lead monk having a disagreement about where their half should be held. The governor feared it would be stolen and used by the Taiyin sect for men and weaponry. I’m with the monk thinking it more about a greedy politician rather than a protector of a relic. It was unfortunately timed.however, because Lu had arrived to give completing piece. The monk was annoyed and going into isolation for a week. I am sure he would have opted to see Lu had he known why he was there. While dining, an official came in checking shoulders for rhino tattoo. One thought he was going to tear down Lu’s clothes and got a surprise grip. Su sweet talked the situation down and Lu showed them his shoulders under his terms but that has set a tone for our guys and the officials from here. Lu and Su know something’s up because they were the officials checking for rhino tattoos just the day prior. There has also been a sighting of a great three horned beast.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 17
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Our crew gets to the dock and finds there is a wait for a ferry to take them across. They must also get rid of their horses and mule before they can go. The poor mule was sold for meat so not happy with this. They go to a noodle place and bargain for some wine. This turns out to be a misstep because it was drugged. They save the imperial censor from getting killed but now they have to face the whirlpool because all the ship crew went overboard and swam back to shore. Su found baskets of meat so it was meant to draw attention of predators once capsized. No one was supposed to survive. The assassins think they have achieved their goal. The flyer with feet of wings is also along for the ride. He has shown himself to be swift of foot and fortunately he has sailing skills. He climbed up the mast and got the sail back up and tied down. He tells everybody to go below and row for their lives to escape the whirlpool. They actually make it. But found out they were drugged a second time. Fortunately Fei had the counter for it. This guy calls himself the jade emperor. He plans on taking the boat to sea and riding the Milky Way up to heaven. Now that our crew has interfered with his plan, he is going to be a problem.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 16
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I love YingTao’s character. She is awesome. Again she is right on time to take care of archer and save the heroes. There is quite a battle. The landlady sees her brother in the hermit and he is why so many were allowed to stay. She was devastated to hear he was a sheriff. But ironically the brother she lost wanted to be one. Like the fake sheriff they had a tragic story. But in this case the father committed the crime that caused the harsh sentence. Her weapon was a sword that worked like a boomerang. What puzzled me is once they had it…why keep throwing back at her to use again.? The battle was a good one to include a boar like beast called a fushu. Swords and bodies flying everywhere. The other half of the tongue gem was found and sherif from Shen has commissioned sheriff Lu to return it to proper temple on his way to new job. The battle was fierce with swords and bodies flying everywhere. They did an excellent job. Once the tongue gem revealed, the swordsman killed the old man and declared himself new leader. He ‘graciously’ was going to let all the sheriffs heal up and go home. This plan changed when landlady used her boomerang blades to kill him. After confessing where the 34 worker bodies were buried she jumped into a chasm. They return to let fake sheriff heal. Fei lets him go before he can be arrested. He is also given the old man’s donkey. Poor beast is now going to have to tote him everywhere. Fei also ends up with the pearl that he obtained ‘accidentally’ while examining the jeweler’s body. Right when things calmed down the scholar and merchant took out daggers to stab Lu. The east palace has put a bounty on Lu. Lu had a point. If the Prince wanted him dead, he should have just decreed it directly. This was a fast moving arc that kept you guessing and was very entertaining. I would have liked one more episode to explore the underground maze and hear more from Shen sheriff. But the writer made this case too quick and the last case too slow😝our crew is heading west even as two more assassins are ready to find them.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 15
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This episode took an interesting twist. The sheriff that arrived was not a sheriff and the hermit is. Stories are exchanged and the sheriff the bandit admires turns out to be the hermit. They find interesting clues and more footprints than missing people. Everybody took a leap back when the vat is opened and no one inside. Brave YingTao goes inside and finds an escape hatch underneath. There is a path that leads behind the counter. So they know landlady and old man hiding. The pearl is missing from the god and an escape route is found above and below the god of treasure hunters. The Shen sheriff was looking for a dozen missing construction workers and adding this murder case along with it. This episode has many shrewd minds working together to investigate surroundings. It is decided that because of the number of bowls seen that all the men should assist the sheriffs in finding them. They have just headed down when they find the door locked and the old man poised with a fire tipped arrow. The stairs have been coated in copper oil so if ignited the men below will definitely not survive the fire. I am very glad I don’t have to wait to see next episode. I enjoyed the fight scenes. They were well choreographed. The interaction between all the ‘sheriffs’ was also fun to watch. I like the idea of an underground maze and hope they get to live long enough to find it.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 14
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Everyone is stunned when the knife blade extends and kills the landlady. They are trying to process her death when an official shows up at the gate. Su goes to greet them pretending to be inn owner while the others hid her body in a wine vat. They tie it up and try to look nonchalant at the tables. They have agreed that they have to keep up the charade because whether or not they participated, everybody viewed and outlawed game. None would be innocent. The official turns out to be a new sheriff headed to Chang’an. He wants wine and to leave. Fei gets to pretend to be servant and the others make excuse to go upstairs. They almost get the sheriff ready to go when the jewel merchant comes in hollering for landlady and that he wants a drink. This starts a whole new round of questioning but they make excuse about Su’s wife and he is handed naan and wine and heads back to the god memorial. Things have calmed down and the sheriff is again getting ready to depart when the other merchant shows up with blood in his hands. The jeweler that was in outer building is now dead and his travel bag is gone. The sheriff decides it is his job to investigate. He makes the men all take turns sitting on the vat with the body inside. Lu goes first and changes his name to WuMing.🤣 He tells a tale of him and wife on a trip to keep promise. XiJun takes it in stride and goes with the story. Su changes his name to LingFeng.😂The women can only roll the eyes at their men taking shots at each other even while being investigated.🙄🤣 Everybody passes the interrogation and all are excused except scholar and swordsman. He tells his deputies to check their rooms. A bag of jewelry is found under the scholar’s bed. He swears up and down he is innocent and framed. Su is impressed with the sheriff’s rendering of the footprint size Now to see what the sheriff does next.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 13
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The two couples are traveling and reach a crossroads trying to decide which way to go. A monument has Su choosing path. They find an inn rather than outpost and Lu doesn’t want to stay. Fei has already been there and cheating on paying for chickens. This lets the three that wanted to stay override Lu’s vote. They are greeted by landlady who says they must show a unique talent to get in. Even Su passes as long as the doc sleeps in woodshed. Su and Lu find something off about the place similar to haunted post, so use this as chance to investigate. There is an interesting group of people there along with our crew. A couple of merchants, a scholar, a hermit and a swordsman. Lu hears a noise outside and the door is opened to reveal an unknown god. A merchant requests to stay the night and is allowed. I think he is most interested in the pearl the god is holding. The old man is most likely a retired soldier. So…who has he signaled with the red strand on the post? Fei is often annoying. Both to watch and to other characters in the scene.😂 He is shut up with the challenge of a knife game. One gem triggers the blade. The handle rotates and selects one. The player holds handle to chest and pushes top button on handle. The blade is released…or not. It is Russian roulette with a knife.🫣😬 The scholar accepts the challenge and survives. He spins the handle and hands back to land lady for her turn.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 12
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I called it with the seal and wife statue. 😁 I am glad the wife accepted the coroner training. This will give her penance for her extramarital affairs. She is not guiltless because it takes two. She realized with the divorce decree that she had married the best man. I wanted this case closed, but I sure would have liked to see the autopsy on crooked govt worker. His actions caused much harm. He is a loathsome human being.😝The naan seller deserved his name cleared. It was a long time coming but at least is proven so clearly no more doubts to his name. The night watchman was in a tough spot. He was wrong to point to the wrong man, but considering, for justice, it was the right man. I think Dugu the coroner will be ok with that. The treasure businessman deserves more punishment, but I guess is equitable that he will get neither seal nor girl. Here again I think Coroner Dugu will smile. I have mixed feelings about the magistrate and ChunTiao. These two are fated, but we have already seen his jealousy with first wife….how can we suppose such a weak character will have a good ending when paired with a beauty coveted by many? Maybe if they have children right away? However, these two, I am fearful how their progeny will turn out. Intelligent and psycho? There is no telling where their story will extend next season….hopefully without the magistrate choking somebody.😝 The new emperor seems to want our guys to have ‘accidents’ while they are away from Chang’an. This will keep their senses sharp to stay safe. Su is resigned that YingTao is along. Lu said she was definitely going. Su is the one they’re not sure about.😂 1/10th wages was not appealing to Su. Funny how he was unaware that Lu got no wages.😂The adventure west continues and now to see what happens with Lu’s new appointment.🫣
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 11
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Su continues to be in and out of consciousness. He wakes up long enough to divulge another clue and goes back to sleep. Lady coroner performed first autopsy well but collapsed during second one. Yingtao is waking up and knows the sign language of mute girl. This lets XiJun draw very accurate rendition of the brother’s activities prior to death. Su is up and asking for court records. When he learns coroner out, he does a method with water and shade to see evidence of broken ribs. The coroner is home making plum cakes. This does not seem to go along with the job, but in fact does. There is a light paper place on corpse’s chest area and the flat cakes placed on top. Once removed, the internal bruising of rib area is expose showing where specific breaks are in rib cage. She is soundly praised by all around her. This is probably first time the coroner’s work has been appreciated. She is offered a higher salary but she just wants justice for her son. Su and Lu get the 4 suspects lined up to do a public hearing so mother can hear. By letting the slime government worker go, they found him trying to flee city with large bag of jewelry. He confesses he does not have the seal and at this point thinks it is pure myth. The naan seller is asked to give his testimony first. Here we find the silver teals are for apprenticeship not a bribe. They are up to the death of executioner and Lu tells him choking someone to death is a capital crime and episode ends….I really want them to clear up this case soon. Hopefully next episode finishes it up. I want to know more about the imperial guards acting as assassins.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 10
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In a flashback Su WuMing overhears an official discussing three names in Shiyang. They decide to look for the coroner named Dugu and he is reading from the book of life and death. This is why Su just happened to be at the right place at the right time for Dugu events. He and magistrate Dugu head for shop to see which suspect lied. When Su opens the door he said a surprised ‘he is the one that lied?’ And then assassins start firing at them. This is broken up by Lu and YingTao. After a brief reacquaintance Lu introduces himself to the group and lets them know he will be an obstacle. The challenge is accepted. Yingtao takes a dart for Su and Su takes a dart after that. Dugu was grazed but they don’t find that out til poison starts working on him. Imperial guards are in the mix,but it is unknown who used the poison weapons. Fei once again shows up just in time to take care of them all. We see the dreams of the wounded and once again the manic maneuvers of Dugu with his ‘wife’.😝 Su has figured out a body is hid in porcelain so Fei and XiJun head to shop to tell Lu. Lu has already figured this out and sets off traps to check out the statues. Two bodies are found. One the son of a coroner and the other the brother of the grave robber. The mother coroner is called to begin autopsies on the bodies. Fei is chuckling from sidelines speculating that Su and Lu are competing to solve case first. I am not liking this step backwards for them or the choice to have Dugu be involved in all three seasons. This is one arc choice that boggles me.😝
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 9
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Everybody wants the Dugu multifaceted seal. The wife that holds her lover in contempt for wanting it so badly is equally guilty of wanting it sold. I really don’t care for the new magistrate character.😝 He was weird last season and just as inept now. He still strikes me as Peewee Herman figure that should do comedy. His manic swaps get tiresome, tho I will admit his questioning of the antiquity dealer has been the best scene of his possible capabilities in a more serious role. Yingtao once again rescues her man and he cruelly dismisses her a second time. He does not want her in the city but won’t explain himself. The two scholars trying to arrest the young burglar 😝😂 The old woman coroner had more sense of how to handle things. Su is making himself look bad working with this Dugu magistrate. I will be glad when this case is over, because frankly, I don’t find myself caring about it. This whole town is filled with gamblers and grave robbers with poor people stuck there to render services to house and feed them.😝 I am guessing the coroner passed his seal to the Dugu minister in the porcelain doll that looks like both of their wives. So far all suspects have come clean. The night watchman I’m not as sure about, but no clear cut murderer has shown up yet. I am still not sure if all the pieces in place. That constable trying to kill off witnesses, he is a waste of space and should not be an official in any capacity. The story of the covetous men over this shallow woman and family seal is wearing thin. I am hoping next episode ends this and I hope no return of these characters in season three. One season of manic and pretty face was enough. 😝 I am disappointed. I checked cast and they are bringing back manic for season 3. Why?!😝😝😝His wife is the better character between the two. And I don’t really like either of them compared to the others available. These two are getting way too much screen time. 😝🙄
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 8
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Su WuMing finds himself helping the magistrate do his job. Dugu is better with books than people. When questioning he starts shrieking and tossing things down to make loud noises to intimidate. He has no clue how to really be in charge of an interrogation and should only be the minister of a library. His actions are manic and he really should not be an official that has to respond on the fly to general public. This just really does not seem his skill set. The wife is called in for questioning. Even Su is taken aback at the doppleganger wife of dead coroner. She truly is a dead ringer for the young woman he performed autopsy on, QingHong. It is just eerie that she looks so similar and married someone with same name. They have caught a tomb robber and now trying to find the younger brother who is very suspect as Dugu’s murderer. Chicken Fei is getting into trouble. He talks first and then thinks later. His mouth had him offering Lu’s spear in a gambling game with antiquities. Fortunately for him XiJun And Lu proved the one item a fake and that all items and monies should be returned to owners. Chicken Fei blames it on insufficient food and poor quality wine. Su and Dugu pay a visit to coroner’s mom. She looks haggard and borderline catatonic and nothing like the professional that showed up for autopsy. She is convinced that the tomb traps had nothing to do with her son’s death and wanted them to find killer. Chun Tiao is acting crazy according to mother. The one outed tomb robber has been kicked out of the group he was aligned with. There is also a food seller who is shunned because his parents were executed for the crime of tomb robbing. The amusing part of this episode was the sheriff fill in bragging about all the work he had done with the famous Su WuMing, all while looking down and being snide to the actual man.😝 I am curious if Su is going to stick it out here til end of case, or run outa Dodge while he can.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 7
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I did not give nerdy crown prince credit for such hateful deceit. He had been planning Lu LingFeng’s death and was very angry when Su WuMing messed up his plans. Here I just thought aunty Princess a psycho, and while that is indeed true, it seems she was right to suspect nephew to the degree she did. Now that the emperor has abdicated and the crown prince has taken the thrown, the gloves are off between him and Princess. He realizes he has the position, but she has the power. She has always made sure to have hold of the power whether or not she had throne. She wants Lu promoted and nephew wants him dead. As usual, Su WuMing well ahead of the politics and takes on the royals. He presents himself to the crown prince after forcing his way in for a meeting. He wants the active removed from his position and then demands to be head of Supreme Court. The room is outraged that he would step on Lu for a position and kicks him out of Chang’an. Yingtao already knows something is up but he directly tells her his ambitions and forces her to leave him. I am hoping she sneaks from behind and is there for him later. Lu is demoted for temple incident. He is made sheriff of some western province and he bribes Fel with promise of good wine. He tell XiJun what has happened and that XueHuan would be invited along but he is completing school. As Su treks along on his lonesome he is met secretly by the princess. She is surprised at his efforts to protect her son and reminded him the cost for this stunt was his career. He accepts that fate if Lu is spared and continues his travels. The scholar Dugu from last season has graduated and is a new magistrate. He bumps into the coroner and the learn have same name so become sworn brothers. The magistrate was invited to his home after receiving a doll that looked very much like his wife. When he arrives at the coroner’s home, the wife answers the gate and with only a mole difference , is the exact picture of his late wife. Here the magistrate tries to force a hug on her because he is convinced she is his wife, QingHong. He is seen by one of the constables and is called into the shop. The new friend he just made was sitting dead in a chair. Apparently stabbed by one of his own creations. The porcelain automaton is very like the eerie guardians at the tomb that stabbed or blew darts at the tomb robbers. Su shows up in town and the magistrate calls him to inspect the body. The locals don’t buy it and want a different coroner. An older lady shows up and does a decent job but gets very emotional at the end. Turns out she was the coroner’s mother. As the dead body is removed from the building one is commenting that the coroner promised something and should not be dead yet. The strange has returned with a location change. I just do not like our group all split up. At least the poor scholar has a friend that knows him. He is still a bit odd, but he is not the crazy person from loss of sleep he was last season.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 6
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Turns out the temple is the least peaceful place to be. The artist’s sidekick goes postal. He practically worshiped a man that barely gave him the time of day. When he could not complete the eyes, the assistant snapped and vowed they would be finished with the flying light paint. Here for once I agreed with the artist and was horrified at the thought. Ironically his crazed look gave the painter his inspired vision of demon eyes and he completed the mural with one exception. By letting the darkness take hold he had sacrificed the light that would have finished the Buddha. By not finishing, it did more pointedly show the separation of good and evil. This is clarified by the Buddha being unable to witness the evil around him. He could stay in holy defiance against the sea of evil trying to overtake him. This was also some slick talking by XiJun to see from a different perspective. The fake monks are detained and can’t arrive to be reinforcements and the fake wall show the others that had taken root in the Ghost Market. The biggest irony is that the one most responsible for instigating the mess was the same administrator whispering in the emperor’s ear at the magic show. He was the annoying voice whispering from behind the scenes pitting the princess against nephew and steering the emperor out of range to be useful in forging the family as a united front. The royals are stunned but they are the most to blame. The factions of bickering royals and Tang and Sui dynasties have it out before the mural. The general with Mo blade was determined to kill Lu the adulterer. If he only was aware how that was something Lu was obviously unable and unwilling to do except for pretense to get invited in. The general’s case will be opened and the truth clear him. The artist blinds himself to atone for the deaths his mural and chilling remarks had caused. The other was burying his assistant. He finally had some gratitude for the servant’s service albeit posthumously. He definitely saw demon eyes in the wretched end of the one person that had put up with his crap for 13 yrs. Xi Jun should thank him every day for intervening and ending any possibility of being the painter’s disciple. The princess has openly called Lu her son several times now. But, this is the first time Lu has acknowledged her as mother. We now have to hope nobody heard.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 5
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The search continues for buyers of flying light paint. The auction is about to take place. The newly promoted official decided to invite courtesans and got the three sisters from Ghost market. That cost him his life and his liver. Chicken Fei made the ghastly discovery that the last rare material in flying light paint was human liver. They know something is up with the horse so the general has to be around somewhere. I am also thinking he was the one that gifted his wife the rare black balm. I also think he is the one that took care of the musician for bedding his wife. Lu is sent by Su to try to find clues while pretending to seduce the wife. That sweet talker🤣😂 Words cannot describe his seductive technique in words and actions.😂 His tone and actions so opposite the words. It was like he was wearing the chastity belt.😂He brings the wife to the jailhouse where the old executioner scares her into talking. She fills them in on her affair with Sun Wang and the gift of the black balm he knew nothing about. The crown prince is irate about the officials he appointed being murdered yet he is part of the problem forbidding Lu to openly help work with the case. He is making them work with one hand behind back and then complaining the results are subpar. Here royals all three are just poor rulers. The dad is the sneaky one. He chose to hold Pei accountable for what his chamberlain said he wanted with that appointed official. He tends to sit back and let things go as they will. Crown prince doesn’t like ruffling feathers. He is kindhearted with the people, but comes across as indecisive because he doesn’t stand up to his aunt and prove he’s not her enemy. The princess is a time bomb waiting to go off.She goes scorched earth when offended and really doesn’t care for the people at all. They need to find the general and the maker of the paint. Then the rest of it should fall into place. The artist is pretty much asking his assistant to get him the flying light paint. I am hoping that either he doesn’t get it or the mural destroyed if it is used. I wish they would have wrapped this story up this episode because it is starting to become cumbersome with the circling around of same things with little to no progress. They did finally catch one of the Mara’s.
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West Episode 4
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The mural is still not complete. The artist refuses to let another complete it and yet cannot seem to find inspiration to complete. XiJun reminds him of the freedom of painting and how that was lost when he became famous. She encourages him to find his former self and he will easily complete the work. Let’s hope she has become his muse or heads will roll….literally. Lu LingFeng finds himself benched from the case by both royals. Fei is keeping him knocked out enough to heal. And Su has started investigating the buyers of the special flying light paint. Since he sprung his trap too early in Cloud Tower he is embedding himself with the masked buyers to see how the black market works. They have been put off for two days and highest bid gets the prize but now all 4 suspects can be followed prior to sale. The old man in the North building has steered Lu to two cases in particular his subordinates hid with the old cold cases. Lu learns this after arresting him and bringing him in and Su recognizing him as the one Di offered shelter. They have also learned that Dr Li was murdered. They found his body and realized he was paralyzed by needles in ears and then his liver was removed while he was alive. They are guessing him to be first victim. It seems most of the activity started around the time of the magic show and was hidden away by the activity and confusion after that. Lu did a search for the body first and was lead to a trap where he encountered the three new lady shop owners . The one he had spoken to the night his friend killed was poised to take his liver. She was in for a surprise but they escaped . There is a conspiracy amongst the monks with four people that hid amongst the monks but no longer there. A clue was given about fake monks and fake walls. The minister of last rights is devastated that his office was so misused and that the bodies did not get the respect they were supposed to. They are unraveling the conspiracies a bit at a time but it has been slow going with many variables. The one shop owner was just trying to survive with the competition of the bigger shop that more willingly deals with illegal items. The artist has til the princess arrives to consecrate his mural and time is counting down for gathering guilty parties of liver stealing campaign. The Princess’ underling is a danger to Lu and yet is a direct product of the Princess’ teachings and ideals. Quite the irony. 😝
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