The stubborn, young rich miss finally joins the party and already she knows what she wants. She is bright and chirpy, everything that Qi Shan is not and I can’t wait for them to finally interact. She’s a girl with a crush and mission and you just know there’s no way something as measly as a forged identity will get in her way of getting her man.

The Mystic Nine Episode 8 RECAP:

Jiu Ye turns Officer Lu down, downplaying the strength of his family and the Old Nine Gates. He insists they’re just a loose coalition and returns the gift of chess when Officer Lu leaves. It turns out Fu Guan is there all along. Jiu Ye tells him that it’s not up to an outsider to break the bond Old Nine Gates has made for generations.

Outside another manor, Officer Lu waits. His man comes out running and clutching his bloody hand. He tells him that vicious hounds are everywhere in the manor. Officer Lu calls him useless but I notice he doesn’t go in himself either, lol.

Officer Lu’s plans are foiled at every corner. The man he sent to the 2nd, Ban Jie Li’s manor, doesn’t even make it back. Ryoko hears from her spy and informs Mr Qiu. She’s not sure he’s useful but Mr Qiu thinks he can be. Either way, they can just kill him if he’s not.

Ba Ye returns from his trip and confirms that there might really be an ancient tomb in the mine. He tells Qi Shan about the graveyard shaped in a “human” form – if it’s a “dead human” form, then they’ll have a hard time deciphering the tomb.

Qi Shan learns about the Japanese and say they must go before the Japanese do. It’s too bad Er Ye wouldn’t come or their chances are higher. Ba Ye says that Er Ye’s love is too deep. He thinks of the time Er Ye saves her like a knight in shining armour.

Flashback. Ya Tou is paraded through the streets and a group of men clamour over her. Er Ye, who is also there, sees this and saves her (they’ve known each other as kids). The merchant demand an exorbitant sum of money for her and he tells them to come claim the money later.

He takes her home and promises that no one will dare bully her from that day onwards. When the merchant comes for the money, he doesn’t have enough. But the merchant’s boss still leaves happy. It turns out that Er Ye broke their family rule and raided a three-month-old tomb for a treasure.

Hearing this, Qi Shan grins and says it sounds like Er Ye’s way of doing things. They wait for Jiu Ye to arrive and think of a plan to convince Er Ye to return to the business. Jiu Ye thinks that Ya Tou is the key and they visit her.

Worried for Er Ye’s life, Ya Tou is clearly unhappy with their request. Even when Qi Shan vows to protect Er Ye, she makes it clear that the both of them wants nothing to do with the tomb. She gets so agitated that she starts coughing. They learn about the new medicine Ya Tou has been taking. At first, it’s good for a few days but not so much anymore. Jiu Ye is immediately suspicious and asks who prescribed the medicine.

They return to Qi Shan’s manor. They’re at a loss seeing Ya Tou’s condition. It’s unlikely Er Ye would go tomb-raiding with them, knowing the dangers. He might even kill himself after Ya Tou dies.

Jiu Ye tells them that the medicine Ya Tou has been using is no medicine at all. It’s morphine. It only numbs the pain and might even get Ya Tou addicted. In Changsha, only the Japanese has access to morphine. They conclude that to get Er Ye to help, the only way is to cure his wife.

Apparently a famed doctor once saw Ya Tou and prescribed a medicine that couldn’t be made due to the lack of a single ingredient, Lu Huo Grass. The grass is incredibly scarce and seems to have almost magical properties. Later Jiu Ye comes back with the news that Xin Yue Hotel in Beijing has the item they want on auction.

Qi Shan tells Er Ye about the morphine his wife has been taking as medicine. He tells him that it’s outlawed in China due to its addictive properties and only the Japanese has them. He plans to see Chen Pi as well. He also informs Er Ye of the Lu Huo Grass that is going on auction three days later.

But it’s not easy to get into the secretive Xin Yue Hotel. The auctions are invitation only. They will leave tomorrow and think about it on the way. Before Qi Shan leaves, Er Ye does stop him and asks him to be considerate of Chen Pi. Even though he’s angry, he knows Chen Pi will not harm Ya Tou.

Chen Pi is out buying snacks for Ya Tou but before he can leave, Fu Guan is there to intercept him. He refuses and a fight ensues, but Fu Guan pulls out a gun and quells all argument. He hauls him away.

Back home, Ya Tou worries over Chen Pi who is taking too long but Fu Guan assures her he’ll be fine. When she hears that he’s leaving for Beijing for the ingredient, she convinces him to let her come along.

The Mystic Nine Episode 9 RECAP:

Qi Shan explains that Xin Yue Hotel is Beijing’s biggest auction house and the owner is someone even the Japanese have to give face to. Jiu Ye tells them that his men has found out about a wealthy businessman who has an invitation and is on his way to the hotel.

It’s Peng San Pian, an infamous man with a bloody history. It won’t be easy to snatch the invitation from him. The only way is to steal it. Jiu Ye has a plan. Ba Ye will find out where he keeps the invitation, Er Ye will steal it, and Qi Shan will be there to kill Peng San Pian if and when he is alerted.

In prison, Fu Guan ends up fighting Chen Pi but he stops when Fu Guan mentions Ya Tou. Ah, so he knows that it’s not actually medicine but at least it numbs her pain. Chen Pi says that he doesn’t know the name of the man who gave him the morphine but he knows where he stays.

The next day, they put Jiu Ye’s plan into motion and it all goes well until Peng San Pian’s men comes in. Another fight ensues. Having temporarily defeated their enemies, Qi Shan and Er Ye runs – and jumps into the opposing train. Ba Ye follows, after a lot of pep talk, heh.

Fu Guan sneaks into the USA Chamber of Commerce and finally finds Mr Qiu. He tells Fu Guan that Ya Tou’s illness is incurable and the morphine will let her die painlessly. He shamelessly notes that he hasn’t committed any crime. The phone rings and he makes Fu Guan answer it.

It’s Qi Shan’s superior Song Yu Ming and he chides Fu Guan for daring to enter foreign territory. When he says he’s here to investigate an illegal substance case, Song Yu Ming tells him that he’s the one who gave Mr Qiu the morphine. Mr Qiu clearly has good backing in the Chinese government.

Fu Guan doesn’t leave immediately though. He knocks a guard unconscious and confirms that it’s really a Japanese. In a corner, he sets fire to a convenient stack of hay. When Mr Qiu and Ryoko escapes, Fu Guan is outside with his men. He “invites” them to Qi Shan’s manor.

There, Fu Guan and Mr Qiu exchange barbs. But he’s a pleasant host in place of Qi Shan and tells his men to send them on their way after they finish their meal. When his men tell him that the guards are indeed Japanese, Fu Guan says he doesn’t want to see them in Changsha anymore.

Cut to Beijing train station. A young woman in male get-up is surrounded by adoring maids who clamour to feed her. Ah, it’s Li Ying! She’s here to wait for Peng San Pian and swears that she’ll never let him enter Xin Yue Hotel.

The Mystic Nine Episode 10 RECAP:

The young miss is Yin Xin Yue (Zhao Li Ying) and she chides her men for coming in their work outfits. They look like they’re obviously from Xin Yue Hotel and she has a little trick up her sleeve. We learn that Xin Yue is waiting to see Peng San Pian, whom her father promises her hand to.

Xin Yue’s maids tell her what they’ve heard about Peng San Pian. But she’s concerned about his looks and clearly, rough-looking and buff men are not her type, lol. One maid asks if they should kill him. Xin Yue: “I’m not one to easily hurt people. But if you force me to marry someone I don’t like, I’ll have no choice but to beg for forgiveness later.”

The train arrives and Qi Shan and Ba Ye unboards. Qi Shan smartly deduces from the sign Xin Yue’s servant is holding that it’s for him. It’s a poem that implies reunification. Xin Yue and her maids all hide to take a closer look at Qi Shan. One maid marvels at his good looks.

Xin Yue looks like she’s completely fallen for Qi Shan, ha. The maids ask her for her order to kidnap him. But she changes her mind. What if they hurt him too badly? Xin Yue: “Besides he doesn’t look as evil as they say in the rumours…” Girl, you’re heads over heels. I don’t blame you.

Outside the station, Xin Yue acts as their chauffeur. She’s exceptionally friendly and tries to learn more about them. But they think she’s suspicious of them and Ba Ye shuts her up with money. Xin Yue sends them in and she wonders why she’s grinning.

Qi Shan and Ba Ye settles in their room. We learn that Xin Yue Hotel has a hundred year history and has survived the change of time well. Elsewhere, Er Ye and his wife settle in another hotel.

Officer Lu learns Chen Pi’s imprisonment and marvels that Qi Shan actually captured one of his own people. He meets him, angering him with his words. But he gives Chen Pi a chance to save his skin, if he answers his questions. Chen Pi refuses and Officer Lu orders his men to take him away.

Qi Shan and Ba Ye checks out the guests at the hotel and many are famous folks. They wander into the casino room, where a bored Xin Yue is winning at every game she plays. She wins every time thanks to her servants’ sharp hearing, which Qi Shan notes. They decide to start using Changsha dialect instead.

Qi Shan has a plan using a particularly noisy opera play. He tells Ba Ye to make sure everyone in the hotel picks the play, which he does. Qi Shan focuses on listening to the play, jotting down the lapses and the high-pitch moments.

-ENDS-

Ryu: She’s here! I was so excited about Li Ying’s appearance that I forgot they are on a mission to save Ya Tou, opps. We don’t know much about Xin Yue here yet but it’s safe to say from the trailer scenes that she will collide with Qi Shan’s world in a big way. The best part is watching how, and lucky for us, the fun has already started.