Xiaotian
Don't be afraid
It'll be over quickly
I'll pull on three
One
Where's the tooth?
Xiaotian, you tricked me!
I want to keep my tooth
Hull
You tricked me!
I'll get you
Father
What is it, son?
My tooth hurts
Your tooth hurts
Let me have a look
Which one hurts?
Open wider.
This one?
Show me
Zhigen's wife visited the paper mill yesterday
to chastise the people who didn't go
to the celebration for her newborn
I was busy with an order
so I ran
Really?
Judging from her body, she's pregnant again
She is?
Mother
When will you have another child?
Why do you ask?
He talks too much
Let's replace him
No
Yes, we will
No
Yes
No
Jinxi
Would you like some
five spice stew
That's alright
I already ate
Oh, that's right
I almost forgot, you're a vegetarian
This village has prospered
since the paper mill opened
More and more visitors come here to buy paper
Welcome, gentlemen
You sell wine?
You're lucky
We make our own wine, "Thousand Springs"
It may be rustic
But it is as good as old wine
Give me four pints
Yes sir.
Wait!
Give me eight
Eight pints of "Thousand Springs"
Are you martial artists?
On your way to the county town?
I must tell you
A few months ago
a father and daughter duo of your trade
passed through here
They sold me some "Mighty Pills"
I can attest that
they were very potent!
Sir, your wine
This wine
is also called "Fragrant Bottle"
or "Drop at the Door"
It tastes horrible
Waiter
Does this village have a general store?
Yes
It's across that way
We're here for money
Are you here to buy paper?
We're here for money
Do you have a letter of credit?
We're here
for the money
Understood?
Where's the money?
Where's the money?
You out me, idiot
Help
Father!
Father!
Father!
Father!
Father!
Father!
Father, are you alright?
Toes, no fatal wound
Chest, no fatal wound
Lower back, no fatal wound
Genitals, no fatal wound
Shoulders, no fatal wound
Fangzheng!
Watch your child ren
Knees, no fatal wound
Palms, no fatal wound
Soles, no fatal wound
These herbs will kill the smell
Ankles, no fatal wound
insteps, no fatal wound
"Robbery convict - Yan Dongsheng"
Your honor
Your honor
Xu, you seem flustered
What's the matter?
I discovered that
one of the dead men
is the top ten wanted criminal
Yan Dongsheng
Your honor must remember
Yan was the mastermind
behind countless heinous crimes
We brought him to justice
After being held for three days
he overpowered us
and escaped
You're saying that this Liu Jinxi
accidentally captured Yan Dongsheng?
Yes
Not only captured
but killed the criminal
Yes
It means the case was solved
in "My" jurisdiction
Good. Excellent!
Make arrangements for me to meet this hero
Not only meet
but also thank him on behalf of the people
and the county government
Let's go
Who is Liu Jinxi?
Here, sir. Coming
Countryman
We've solved the case
The dead man is
Yan Dongsheng
He's the notorious criminal
responsible for countless murders
Thanks to our hero
Liu Jinxi
Yan was brought to justice
This is a blessing
Jinxi wants to eat pears
To the market he hurries
here and there
Time to core and pare the pears
Quickly Jinxi, eat the pears
He fights the thief, and peels his skin
Ayu can't believe what she sees
Tonight she will reward Jinxi
Reward Jinxi
July 1917, the 11th fortnight
I was sent to Liu Village
Crime Scene: General Store
People involved: a paper maker, two fugitives
How could an unarmed paper maker
defeat a trained killer like Yan Dongsheng?
Do you know Liu Jinxi?
Everyone knows everyone in this village
Has he always lived here?
Well, no
No
He moved here when he married Ayu
he adopted the clan name, Liu
His real family name was Gong
Gong?
Fangzheng was only a few years old
When his father left
Ayu married Jinxi and gave birth to Xiaotian
I once asked Jinxi
Where are you from?
He said, Gong Village
He said he came from a family of butchers
Butchers?
Bloodshot eyes
indicate a brain hemorrhage
Yan received a heavy blow to the temple
below which the vagus
nerve serves a key function
it regulates the heartbeat
Traumatizing it can stop the heart
To damage the Vagus Nerve...
with a single blow to the temple
requires extraordinary skills
Only three fugitives killers are capable
of such a thing:
Fang Rishou
He was once a war hero
but was later discharged for violent behavior
Became a gambling addict
he squandered his fortune
He set fire to the gambling den
Dozens were killed
He vanished afterwards
Zhao Yiguang, also known as The Eye Collector
He ambushed the Tai Fen Convoy
The victims had their eyes gouged...
and tongues removed
It took them three days to die
Bu yuan
a psychopath famous for his knife skills
He slit his victims veins
and drained their blood
He even threw their heads
into boiling soup pots
One afternoon
he came to the tavern
Wine, please
Yes, sir
Sir, what are these?
What?
You don't know?
They're amulets
On the first day of spring
men wear them on the left arm
and women wear them on the right
to ward off ghosts
He claimed that
his village didn't practice the same ritual
His home village was in Lianzhou
It left a deep impression on me
Lianzhou
Lianzhou have amulets too
They do
I hope there's not a problem
Jinxi is a good man
Leave it
I don't like the smell of fish bladder
Mrs. Tung said there's a potion
I can take to prevent pregnancy
It's mercury; it's poison
It will harm your body
What if I get pregnant?
Then we'll have another baby
You
seem upset?
No, I was just thinking
about the two men that died
But they were bad men
Officials said they were going
to rob a supply convoy nearby
They were just passing through
So
Jinxi, you did good
The detective may be a bit eccentric
but he doesn't accept bribes
so he must be a good man
We should offer him a meal on the house
Men are just sacks of stinking fluids
with no redeeming qualities
A good man?
Good or bad, it's determined by our physiology
The Ren-ying meridian controls hunger
His Ren-ying appears to be overdeveloped
The short man was a born glutton
Give me four pints
Wait... Give me eight
Wine impaired his Qi,
A contributing factor to his cardiac arrest
He died because his Ren-ying
meridian betrayed him
As for me
my weakness is my Shanzhong meridian
It controls emotions and gives us empathy
My Shanzhong meridian is overdeveloped
It makes me too empathetic;
it almost cost me my life once
I caught a young man
who stole from his adoptive parents
But I send him home
I put humanity above the law
I never imagined that he would poison our food
Both his parents died
I sustained internal injuries
That's why I use two needles
one in the Shanzhong
to suppress my empathy
the other in the Tientu
to control the poison
I treat my body
and my personality flaws at the same time
Since then
"He" follows me around
He says:
you can't trust humanity
Only physiology and the law don't lie
It's you
There's no door
No need for doors here
Looking for Jinxi?
He's not home
No
I've come to see you
I'll make you congee for your cough
Please don't bother
It's no trouble at all
No trouble at all
Last night, the tavern keeper told me that
Jinxi only joined the clan a few years ago
His last name
wasn't Liu originally?
It was five years ago
At that time
I was pregnant with Xiaotian
I asked for his name to be added
in the clan records
That's all
Well then
how did you two meet?
It was a long time ago. I can barely remember
On that day he was just passing through
He told me he had a fight with his family
And he'd run away
He never talks about his family
Unresolved conflicts?
They can be resolved
Did Jinxi know your former husband?
No
Did I...
Say something wrong?
That man abandoned us
just like that
He said, "I'll see you tonight"
It turned out
he'd been planning to leave
He even took his favourite pillow with him
He abandoned his wife and child
Jinxi doesn't need to know
such a man
Sometimes
Jinxi says to me
I'll see you tonight
I tell him not to use those words
Not to say them
On the subject of his family
I'm afraid if I asked
he might just disappear too
First interrogation of the suspect
July, 12th fortnight
Describe your fight with Yan Dongsheng
I think
it was like this
I grabbed him like this
Continue
I held onto him
I refused to let go
then he spun me around
You used leverage
against Yan's brutal force
No wonder Yan couldn't shake you
How did Yan lose his ear?
It was chaos
I think
the short man came at me
from behind with a sword
I ducked of course
then I heard a scream
I didn't know what was happening
Are you saying
Yes!
They out one another
Just like that
How odd
How did the short man die?
I know!
I saw it
He ran from here to there
He flew up there and BANG - he fell
Then he died
You let him throw you
You used your hands to bounce back up
then summoned Qi energy
You were ready to kill
You hit his Yunmen meridian
It caused a blood clot
blocking the blood flow
to the coronary arteries
resulting in cardiac arrest
The tall man broke the door?
And dragged me out here
He pushed me into the pond
and tried to drown me
I fought for my life
I fought for my life
But I couldn't breathe underwater
How did Yan die?
It was you who dragged him into the pond
Water resistance
blunted the force of Yan's blows
A direct blow to the Vagus Nerves
would either kill the victim
or leave him paralyzed for life
It was a vicious blow
you must have wanted Yan dead
Liu Jinxi
What kind of man are you?
I was lucky
Thank you for everything
I'll see you tomorrow
Tomorrow?
You have more questions?
I'll know very soon
In recognition of Jinxi's heroism
and contribution to the village
the village has decided to
sponsor Fangzheng's college studies
and county examination fees
If he does well in the examination
we'll host a celebration ceremony
and make all the arrangements
Ayu
Will Fangzheng be an adult this year?
Yes, he's twelve
After the rites
he will receive new clothes
and be considered an adult
You and your husband have worked hard
to raise your children
When they grow up and succeed
you will be proud parents
It's the dream of all parents
Thank you
The House of Jinxi is surrounded
by a water of jade
I foresee a man of prominence
Impossible!
You're breathing more heavily than me
For a martial artist like you
each breath should last at least ten counts
How else could you collect Qi
in your body's core?
Two counts
This can't be
Let me help you
it's heavy, sir!
No need, really
It's alright
It's heavy, sir
Help!
Jinxi, hang on! Don't move!
Help!
Help!
Given his weight and the height he fell
the branches should have broken
by the force of the impact
Density could also be a factor
If he could counter
the momentum of the fall
with an equal upward force
he might stop the fall
But his body is 800 times denser than air
Unless he can shift his body density at will?
He defied gravity with "Qinggong"
Are you alright?
If you hadn't come today
I wouldn't have fallen
It's karma
It was an accident
No
What I mean to say is
the fabric of existence
is composed of a myriad of karmic threads
Nothing exists in and of itself
everything is connected
For example
if I hadn't come to this village
I wouldn't have met Ayu
If her husband hadn't left
I wouldnt have married her?
If I hadn't gone to the store
I wouldn't have seen the criminals
and they wouldn't have died
Then you wouldn't have come here
No one truly has free will
When one man sins
we all share his sin
We are all accomplices
Are you saying that a killer
doesn't have free will when he kills?
He was conditioned to the act
And when he kills
Because we're all part of that sin
we're all accomplices?
I wasn't thinking of killers
I found no proof
Then leave him alone
He's a reformed man
We're not here to reform criminals
Then what's our purpose?
To serve the law
If the law doesn't help reform people
What good is it?
A true martial artist can control
the flow of his Qi and his mental state
He may appear to be a good man
but he's still a killer
Go to Lianzhou and dig around
Once you get the information
report back to me
Baijiu
Take care of yourself
Don't forget your condition
You can't actually fight
What are you saying?
He might be a trained killer
you said so yourself
You think
he's going to silence me?
Just be careful
Have some more
Where're your manners? We have a guest
Have some more
Have more
Xu Baijiu
Where are you from?
Fuoheng, Chaozhou
It's not far
I hear your hometown is in Lianzhou?
It's so far away
What brought you out here?
You either love it here
or hate where you come from
Yes, I like it here
Fuoheng is close
You must go home often?
I hear the weather there is nice
Well
Since my father died
and my mother remarried
I seldom visit
But I sometimes get homesick
I heard that you left home ten years ago
Don't you ever miss it?
Ever thought about going back?
No, I haven't
Are you telling me that
Xiaotian's never met his grandfather
Eat up, the food is getting cold
Fangzheng said
that you owned a horse before
It's rare for most families to own horses
Don't you think?
What kind of horse?
Yes
I had a horse once
But my father killed it
My father saw that I loved my horse
so he killed it
and fed me its flesh
I ate it without knowing
Then he said
if I could stomach eating my horse
I could face anything
nothing could defeat me
Would you go back to a place like that?
Did it taste good?
Not at all
It's late
Yes, it's late
I could...
have a shower first
Am I sleeping upstairs?
I'll find my own way
Please continue
After years of killing
the murderer's face becomes pale
the eyes turn green
even the air around the body grows cold
Why aren't your eyes green?
Thirsty?
I'm thirsty
Sons of the clan
you've reached the age of adulthood
From this day forth
you must dress and conduct yourself as men
Protect and serve the emperor
Liu Kaitai
Liu Fangzheng
Liu Tianxiang
With these clothes, you become a man
Bow
And again
Offer incense
You looked quite moved
Were you?
I've always wondered
why you left home and changed your name
What happened ten years ago?
I needed a change
I caught a young thief once
I thought he would reform...
and let him go home
I never imagined that
he would poison his own parents
Tell me
If he had run away and changed his name
could he really have changed?
I don't think so
I was a convicted murderer
I was in Lianzhou prison for ten years
I was originally from Gong Village
My father was a butcher
another butcher borrowed money from us...
but never paid us back
My father said
men are no different from animals
But this man is lower than an animal
because he's greedy
My father handed me his cleaver
I hacked the man to death
I felt nothing
I suddenly froze
I heard the man's son crying
The child was still alive
He was staring at me
my father was wrong
Humans are not animals
A murder sentence should be
more than ten years
There was an amnesty ten years ago
I knew I had to change
I had to leave my hometown to live a new life
I needed to be Liu Jinxi
I almost succeeded
Father, the market is open
Please leave us alone
Please!
Father! We need to hurry!
Xu Baijiu, you should come too!
I'll be right there
Hurry!
Alright
Let's go
He's surrounded by an energy field?
He's radiating Qi energy
repelling even the flies
He lied to you
How could a common butcher develop
such powerful Qi?
Take this, I guarantee it won't out him
You told me it wouldn't out?
Pine trees are prickly
Whoever dares to bully Liu Jinxi?
Now you have to deal with me!
You frown when you've done wrong
Each new moon has two prongs
Xu Baijiu, go away!
No boat will ferry you along
Your letters will have no name
Have you no shame?
I've verified the facts
There's no Gong Village in Lianzhou
There were no butchers in Lianzhou
with a last name Gong
But ten years ago
a butcher's family was massacred
A butcher named Zhang
borrowed money but didn't repay the loan
Their flesh was used for savory bun filling
and distributed to unsuspecting villagers
The villagers said
they had never tasted anything so delicious
You must be familiar with the case
Are you alright?
I'm fine, Captain
You'll get used to it in time
Listen
The 72 Demons are the last surviving Tanguts
They used to be civilized, like us
But after the massacre of 800,000 Tanguts
The survivors became savages
They ate raw meat and left their dead unburied
Hunger for revenge
is what keeps them alive
I guess it's karma
After this killing
Tang Long, the second in command, went missing
Liu Jinxi has lived here
for exactly
ten years, hasn't he?
So he is Tang Long
You disappeared for 10 years
but you were never imprisoned
You Killed the butcher's family
You're not a butcher's son
You were the 72 Demons second in command
I must return to the county
to get a warrant for his arrest!
Xu Baijiu, where are you going?
Are you leaving?
Yes
I suppose your work here is done?
You healed quickly
The doctor said
you nearly cut a major artery
That would have killed me
You were lucky
Maybe you're lucky?
I know a shortcut
Let me lead the way
Otherwise, you won't make it
to Feng County by nightfall
That would be a shame
Few people know about this path
I came across it by accident
Will you close the case after you leave here?
Yes
I will
You don't believe me?
We part ways here
Keep going straight
After an hour
you'll reach the main road
Keep walking
and you'll find Feng County
What are you waiting for?
Goodbye, then
That road did lead to Feng County
Why didn't he kill me?
Xu Baijiu
You've worked for me
for ten years and still so naive?
Captain, it's different this time
I could lend you the men under my command
but they're just a bunch of cowards and bums
Hire some outlaws
but using criminals to stop a criminal
is playing with fire
Xu Baijiu
Just let it go
Tang Long is not a wanted criminal
why do you want a warrant?
The 72 Demons are notorious outlaws
And Tang Long is their second in command
Where's the proof?
Even if you bribe the judge for a warrant
you're risking your life
I'll report the judge!
Nonsense!
How much do you want?
20 taels of silver
What?
Where will I find that?
I only receive 4 taels a year!
Business hours are over
Come back to me
when you have the money
I never expected to need help
from this person:
My wife
I'll pay you back
Is business good?
I'll burn incense for your father
Don't bother
I'm afraid father wouldn't like it
Before he's passed away...
he made it clear?
What about you?
You still blame me?
Does it matter?
Father was wrong to sell fake medicine
But the medicine
didn't cost any lives
He got on his knees
and begged for your mercy
you wouldn't let go
What did it feel like?
It wasn't up to me
It's the law
He was only guilty of selling fake medicine
he didn't need to kill himself
I know
you said it before
You'll never forgive me
you still don't understand
Not forgiving
you'd have to still care
Is the law really more important
than humanity?
Captain
what has the world come to?
Whatever the world has become
you have no choice but to be part of it
Tsu Kun, where're you taking me?
Where's my reward?
Whatever you have to say, tell Master yourself
Are you saying
Tang Long is in the village
that you mentioned?
Yes
And
he has two sons?
Yes
One is his
One is from his wife's previous marriage
Are you telling me this
because you think I want information
about Tang Long?
Tsu Kun, what's going on?
Answer me
You didn't go to the 36 Constellations
You didn't go to the Black Dragon Gang
Instead, you came here
Because you know
we have a connection with Tang Long
True?
No
Master... it's not
It's not what you think
Tsu Kun, help me
Tsu Kun, help me
Tell him
who Tang Long is
Tang Long...
is the son of our Master
You came here with the information
so that I would kill my own son
You
How dare you!
Tell me
Should I kill Tang Long?
Well?
Should I kill him?
None of you can match him
None of you can match Tang Long!
Master wants to
bring Tang Long back!
Oma-miba-mihon
Did you ever work the land?
I did
What are they reciting?
They're praying for souls
to be released from purgatory
You see
when you till the earth
you can't avoid harming
the small creatures in it
Jinxi performed a brave deed
by killing two criminals
we make a record of Jinxi's great deed
Jinxi is a man of integrity
His bravery and kindness
are a blessing to us
and an example for our youth
We will remember
and be inspired
Go down on your knees
Kneel!
I am Liu Jinxi
Liu Jinxi?
I am Liu Jinxi
Tell the truth!
Father!
Who are you?
This is a family matter?
So shut up!
Shut up!
Be quiet!
You deny you're Tang Long
My house is on fire
Help!
I'm not going back
You know that "He" wants you back
He won't give up
You are Tang Long
You still are
I'll get you some water
The chief told us to shelter in the fortress
That's why I'm packing
I've already packed your belongings
Good
What do you mean?
I can't go with you
So we're not going either
We should
we should leave
it's useless
How can you say that?
Have some water
Don't say that
It's too late, do you understand
Thanks for letting me be Liu Jinxi
But I'm not Liu Jinxi
Jinxi
That day by the pond
if the woman you met hadn't been me
Would you have stayed?
Sir, spare my children
Kill me if you must! They're innocent
Sir, I beg you
Sir
Please don't
Sir
Sir
Sir
I'm sorry
What happened?
It must be the 72 Demons
It doesn't look good
Even if we capture Tang Long
the Demons might still ambush us
Nothing will stop them
we should just let them kill each other
and return later
What for, if he's dead?
He'll receive a death sentence anyway
Xu Baijiu, what do you really want?
I must bring him to justice
You promised never to return?
Is this Tang Long?
Tang Long of the 72 Demons
They will come back
Let's wait nearby
let them kill each other
No, we should all stay
Stay if you want to
We're leaving
We'll return for the corpses
The other day in the forest
why didn't you kill me?
You promised never to return
And you believed me?
I did
Ayu told me something
She said:
Xu Baijiu is a good man
He just doesn't know it
There is no such thing
Good men don't exist
The human body is amazing, it can trick you
I want to use your body to trick them
Tang Long
You must die
There are three stages of death
the brink, the degeneration
and the final death
in the first stage, we appear dead
Most people will be fooled
I want you to enter this first stage
you'll be in a coma
Most people can't tell the difference
He's dead?
But to trick the 72 demons
you need to enter
the more dangerous second stage
When the demons arrive
I'll press the Vagus Nerve in your neck
to induce the degeneration stage
your breathing and pulse will stop
you'll show no signs of life
you'll lose all sensation
You can stay in this condition up
to 15 minutes
if I fail to revive you in time
you will truly be dead!
We're taking Tang Long's body to the court
Step aside!
You drove Tang Long to his death!
Duo-a...
nuo-zi-die
The dead will not return
come back
come back
The soul will return...
The soul will return...
Which one of you is Tang Long's son?
Tell me, which one of you is Tang Long's son?
His name is Xiaotian
He's four years old
Tang Long used this hand to kill
I'm returning this murderous arm to the clan
I'm done with the 72 Demons
You choose a woman and a child
over your own home?
Our brother Tang Long
is dead
Our brother Tang Long is dead!
Our brother Tang Long is dead!
You still need to tell the Master
He's waiting for you at home
Very nice
Sing again, grandfather loves it
Altogether, the thumb,
index and middle finger
sing an opera for the little sister
Grandfather loves to hear children sing
middle finger,
sing an opera for the little sister
Very nice
You should sing for grandfather every day
Father
What happened?
I'm no longer with the 72 Demons
Everyone has arrived
Everyone is here
When your father was little
he looked just like me
especially when he was angry
My splitting image
Even if he got lost
people would send him back to me
Don't you agree?
Why do you nod?
Look at him now
He doesn't look like me anymore
But my grandson does
much more than he ever did
The beans are good
Xiaotian
Have some beanie
Beanie beanie, yummy yummy
Eat beanie or be skinny
I didn't tell you to sing
Beanie beanie, yummy yummy
Eat beanie or be skinny
I didn't tell you to sing
Beanie beanie, yummy yummy
Eat beanie or be skinny
I didn't tell you to sing
I beg you, please
Please stop, I beg you
Stop
Children must do as they're told
When your father was little
he hated it when I was away
Once he stripped the leaves
from the tree in front of the house
I asked him what happened
He said
I once promised him
when all the leaves had fallen
I would return
That's why he stripped all the leaves off
Then he said
the leaves were long gone
but why were you still not back?
In the end, I burned the tree down
I hated it...
for disappointing my son
Bastard!
After that
Every time I go out
my son made me take him with me
He said
Now the tree is gone
how will you come home?
I've cut off my arm for you
We're not related anymore
I will let you go
I'm a fair man
When one leaves
another takes his place
Your blood is mine
His blood is mine too
Your blood
It is not the blood of a Tangut anymore!
Your blood is vile!
The world has abandoned us Tanguts
How could you forget?
How could you raise a family
like you're one of them?
You are a traitor?
There's a needle in his heel
We need another one!
You were given to me by God
But he let you betray me
Don't blame me
For killing you!
This investigation is now closed
October 1917, 18th fortnight
Xiaotian
More rice or more soup?
Soup
Eat slowly
Jinxi
I'll see you tonight