Waiter, serve the food.
- Coming. - Get your things done first.
Let me serve them.
All right.
Madam, what would you like to order?
My useless husband drove me mad for the whole night.
I feel bitter in my mouth early.
Give me a bowl of collocalia bird's nest to rinse my mouth.
Madam, it's more nourishing to take bird's nest at night.
For a pretty lady like you,
you should have almond porridge in the morning,
paired with some freshly baked sesame cakes.
As for the lord,
you can have a bowl of Zhaixing Mansion's famous mutton slice soup.
All right.
I've observed madam yesterday.
You have a beautiful white skin.
I knew you're not a local.
You're from the south?
Good observation.
My husband and I are from the south, Chang Le.
- We're heading to the Capital. - Madam holds a sword.
I presume that you know martial arts.
Yes.
Not many in Chang Le can beat my swordsmanship.
Even my husband...
I got married to him through martial arts competition.
How is it, shopkeeper?
- Should I show you some moves? - No, there's no need to.
I can tell that you're highly skilled in martial arts.
Ordinary people like me is incomparable to you.
This shop is too much.
How can you mistreat your customers?
You've been sneakily questioning me last night.
Today, you're sneaking into my room to search.
Where's your lady boss? Get her here.
Who is it? You smashed the stool in the broad daylight.
Is there still a law?
Madam.
I see that your husband is injured.
I will help you to get him back to the room first.
No way.
- I need to reason things out with her. - Madam.
Madam, you aren't aware.
The one who threw the stool,
is Miss Tang Rou from Tang Clan of the West Shu Region.
I dare not provoke her.
All right.
Out of respect for you,
I'll forgive her this time.
Waiter.
Hurry. Hurry.
Help the lord back to the room.
This is the herbal plaster that the shopkeeper asked me to send to you.
I heard that it works wonder.
You can apply it now and before going to bed.
You'll surely recover tomorrow morning.
Thank the shopkeeper on my behalf.
Master, do you remember two men who looked inconspicuous,
at both sides of the counter?
Yes, they dressed up as waiters.
A man dressing in white was drinking soup at the door.
There was an old man eating cake at the window.
Moreover, when the stool was thrown down,
there was a man in brown shirt at the door.
They know martial arts.
The man in brown shirt should be their leader.
His inner strength is no less than mine.
I can't tell his movement in martial arts yet.
When we came here yesterday,
it wasn't so heavily-guarded.
I observed it when I came upstairs.
There are people positioned on every floor.
Four men on each floor.
The situation on the ninth floor is still unclear.
But it should be no less than four.
As for martial arts...
they should be no better than the leader.
I can win going against two on my own.
How about going against four?
I won't necessarily lose.
But I can barely win.
It seems like the prince is right.
There are spies from Gui Hua City.
This news should be delivered here yesterday night.
Ruan Niang knows someone is going to assassinate her.
Prince.
Chui Xing House has indeed sent the message to Yue Qing Ya.
Even Wan Mei's name and distinctive feature were disclosed.
They want Wan Mei dead.
I've intercepted the message and changed it.
The grand tutor only knows people from Gui Hua City,
went to assassinate Ruan Niang.
But he doesn't know who.
That's good.
I've got the Poison Gu from Xuan Ji Hall.
So long as Wan Mei can bring the route map back this time,
I can uproot Bloody Lotus Cult in a swoop.
It's not that easy to take advantage on Ruan Niang.
After all, she deals with people every day.
She gathers martial world and imperial court's information for Yue Qing Ya.
She's Yue Qing Ya's right-hand man.
No matter how highly regarded she is,
he's only using her.
But I heard that Yue Qing Ya treats Ruan Niang differently.
He even sent skilled people from Bloody Lotus Cult to protect her.
Anyhow...
Yue Qing Ya will surely not be sincere.
Ruan Niang helped him to collect those secrets.
They should still be in Zhaixing Mansion now.
For Yue Qing Ya, these things...
are far more important than Ruan Niang's life.
So, our problem now is...
First, we couldn't meet Ruan Niang.
Second.
We can't find the route map under such heavily-guarded circumstances.
Unless...
She takes it out herself.
This is something that Yue Qing Ya entrusted to her.
Under what circumstances will she take it out?
When Yue Qing Ya betrays her.
But, we have no chance to drive a wedge between them.
I know.
If Yue Qing Ya is in danger,
Ruan Niang will surely destroy all his secrets.
Or she might transfer them.
Keep them as her life-saving chips.
Someone came to Zhaixing Mansion to assassinate her.
This is the first danger alert.
Right.
But she should still be at the stage of taking strict precautions.
So, we'll create another crisis for her.
Yue Qing Ya is mainly relying on the imperial court now.
In other words...
his biggest crisis comes from His Majesty.
I've figured it out.
We'll send a message to Ruan Niang.
We'll say that Yue Qing Ya has lost his freedom,
and being held in Grand Tutor Manor.
His situation is unknown.
The Capital is only a hundred miles away.
They can easily figure out if it's a fake message.
We'll use their way of passing message then.
Isn't Zhaixing Mansion the place where Yue Qing Ya passes the messages?
We just need to find the way they pass the messages.
Everything is solved then.
"Heming Tea House"
What kind of tea do you want to buy?
Do you have Beiyuan's scented wax tablets here?
Both of you are wise.
This tribute tea is not available in every tea house.
As for the price...
Yes. Yes.
Please follow me.
I will brew a pot for you.
Thank you, boss.
Miss Tang from Tang Clan of the West Shu Region...
always likes to show off and bossy.
How dare you provoked her?
I think that Miss Tang is young and pretty.
She stayed behind closed doors.
Also, she carries a parasol.
Other than Miss Tang...
there are no other suspicious people in this building?
A young and pretty lady who knows martial arts.
- There's no one else. - There's one more person.
She stays in Silver Fox Suite on the east side of the eighth floor.
When she got up in the morning for breakfast,
she was almost hit by the stool thrown by Miss Tang.
Wu Fu and Chen Lao Liu went to investigate.
They didn't find anything unusual.
I think with her lousy martial arts,
if she's here to assassinate you,
I'm afraid that would be a joke.
Have you exchanged blows with her?
No.
- What are you waiting for? - Yes.
Over here.
Quickly sweep it.
Hurry and move the table over here.
- Jeez. - Chen Lao Liu.
The fierce lady this morning...
Tell me once more and be clear.
Her husband rushed over and blocked the stool for her.
She chopped the table in a fit of anger.
- Where's the table? - It's over there.
This woman has inner strength.
Her inner strength is quite powerful.
They left half an hour ago.
Before they left, they asked about the location of Heming Tea House.
They said they're going to buy the best Beiyuan's scented wax tablets.
Si Xi. Ba Bao. Get the others.
- Follow me. - Yes.
This is the finest Beiyuan tribute tea.
- Madam, give it a try. - Boss.
Your scented wax tablets seem to be quite old.
- This... - Boss.
This doesn't taste right.
Let me take a whiff.
Transport them out of the city along the waterway.
Tie them up and release them after three days. That's all.
Bring the money back home, buy a few acres of land and live well.
- All right. - Have you prepared what I asked for?
Yes. This is the pig's blood.
It has just been killed this morning.
Chang An.
If the tea house's owner knows that Yue Qing Ya loses ground,
where would he be hiding it?
Usually, where business is carried out,
the best way to pass messages is through business transaction.
If it was me...
I would hide the messages in the tea bag.
Wait for the person who retrieves messages to buy it.
But the tea is well-compressed.
How do you put the paper into it?
When customers buy tea,
the store's owner would usually take a dried reed.
Put the message in through that.
It's easy to take away.
Look.
This pen is so fine.
It's usually used for copying scriptures.
So, I presume that this pen must be used to pass messages.
We have the shop owner's handwriting.
Can you imitate the handwriting?
I've practised for a few days.
If it is on the paper, it might expose our trick.
But if it's written on the veined leaves,
there shouldn't be a problem.
We need to leave some drag marks,
on the path behind the house to the river.
Go and get it done.
They will find this place soon.
You're getting bolder.
You're starting to instruct your master.
Move aside.
Hurry.
Chase after them. Over here. Move aside.
Hurry. Hurry.
Guest, would you like to buy tea?
You just had breakfast at Zhaixing Mansion with your wife.
You're looking after the store for others now?
Take him away.
- Yes. - Yes.
Let's go.
Take him to Zhaixing Mansion.
Let me ask you.
You would rather be killed like this,
and not willing to tell the truth.
What can I talk about with a small fry like you?
Leader.
Continue to beat him.
Beat him until he speaks.
Yes.
"The grand tutor is under house arrest. Quickly escape."
- It's impossible. - This is from Heming Tea House.
It can't be wrong.
It's such a huge news.
How can I not know anything about it?
Not knowing is the worst news.
Could it be...
something happened to the grand tutor?
The message you received yesterday...
Is it grand tutor's handwriting?
No way.
I need to send another letter to the grand tutor.
Where's the man you brought back?
How's the interrogation?
He's very stubborn.
He even said that...
He wants to see you.
See me?
Chang An.
Why are you here?
I'm here to save you.
I have not confessed.
Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.
I'm going to spread the news that Yue Qing Ya has lost ground.
But, you...
Don't worry.
When is the shadow of Gui Hua City afraid of being beaten?
Besides, he can't hold me back with this rope.
If I want to leave, I would have left long ago.
What you have to think about now is...
the way of returning to the eighth floor.
Zhaixing Mansion is in a chaos today.
There'll be some careless omissions.
Keep an eye on it.
Someone is coming. Quickly leave.
The person you want to meet is here.
Tell us everything that you know.
How would I know...
if this is the real person?
How ignorant.
Give us some valuable information.
Ruan Niang will surely meet you after hearing it.
All right. The people from Heming Tea House isn't dead.
He's just being locked up somewhere.
He will come back within three days.
What else?
The person who sent me...
paid me a high price to kill Ruan Niang.
Why?
She knows too many secrets.
They want to shut her mouth for good...
before the imperial personal guards get here.
Who are you working for?
Prince Yi?
General Qi?
Or Governor Ying?
Who are you?
From the looks of it, it should be Governor Ying.
Remove the screen.
Remove the screen!
Let me see who she is.
Don't leave!
Stop shouting.
You're driving people away!
- What is this? - There's an assassin here.
We're doing this for your sakes too.
That's why we would like you to stay elsewhere.
Don't worry.
We'll return the charges in double.
- Who cares about your money? - That's right. It's a small matter.
- Stay elsewhere. - It doesn't matter.
- How is it possible? - I'm really sorry.
I apologize once more.
Stay elsewhere.
I'm really sorry.
You don't have to come in.
Without my order, no one is allowed to come up.
Yes.
Did something really go wrong?
"Grand Tutor Manor"
Grand tutor.
What time is it?
It's almost three in the midnight.
Grand tutor.
There's something I don't understand.
This clearly shows that the situation has been stabilized.
Why is the Ministry of Works suddenly checking the old accounts?
I can't help feeling that someone is deliberately finding fault with you.
It's like they want you to be trapped in it.
Just now you said that...
there's a letter from Zhaixing Mansion?
She asked if I'm all right?
Yes, I've replied to her.
I told her that everything is all right and not to worry.
That's not right.
Something must be going on.
Zhaixing Mansion is only a hundred miles away from here.
Take a trip there overnight.
Well, this...
The Ministry of Works dares not kill me.
Yes.
A fine one you are.
You've got yourself a sword.
As for me?
I get nothing.
What's so great about a lousy sword?
Stop chattering.
Hurry up and get him up.
- Come. - Come.
Is your lady boss's surname Xie?
Everyone in the city knows that she is called Ruan Niang.
Where is she?
On the ninth floor.
No one in this world cares about me.
I care about you.
If I am not your master, will you still be so good to me?
I'm not the only one who care about you.
There'll be more in the future.
I'll not let you die.
I always keep to my word.
No matter what she did, it's all about me.
I'll bear it for her.
Ruan Niang.
What happened to your leg?
I'm all right.
- The grand tutor is here. - Right on time.
I've thrown the assassin to Yong Yue Lake.
I'm going down now.
Right, the lady assassin's accomplice came up as well.
Did you see him?
He ran too fast. I couldn't catch him.
Bring people to search again.
Yes.
Hold on.
There's something important in the room.
You can't let anyone see it.
Seal off the ninth floor.
You can never let anyone come up.
Yes.
Young lady.
You have nowhere else to go.
You should surrender yourself.
She took Bloody Lotus Cult's route map.
I deserve to die.
Bring her back for interrogation.
Yes.
Bring her back.
"Zhaixing Mansion"
Grand tutor, I didn't find anything on this person.
Are you sure that she took the thing out?
I've been careless.
Please punish me.
Your palm...
Why is it so sweaty?
You're afraid of me?
Actually, you've just lost one thing.
It seems like that thing can't be sent out now.
Don't get so nervous.
Get up.
Thank you, grand tutor.
Grand tutor.
Why can't I be at peace for even a moment?
Get ready and return to the Capital with me.
Yes.
Grand tutor.
What happened?
His Majesty is urgently asking for me. It's a small matter.
But...
I still need to get back.
Grand tutor.
What should we do with her?
Why don't keep her here for me to interrogate her?
You should focus on imperial court's matter.
No.
I want to bring her back.
The things in the imperial court...
and this lady assassin...
are actually the same matter.
The things hidden on this young lady...
are more than just a map.
Take her away.
- Yes. - Yes.
So...
Wan Mei has failed.
That's right.
What a shame.
She's such a smart girl.
Convey my orders.
Don't put out Di Sha Court's lamps for seven days.
It symbolizes my heartache for the loss of talent.
Also, don't bring this out in the open just yet.
After all, Wan Mei...
is highly regarded by the prince.
The prince would surely be depressed if he knows.
Prince.
It's time to take the medicine.
What's the matter?
Where do you feel unwell?
I don't know why.
I felt heart palpitations in my chest.
It's all right. I will brew another bowl.
Is there any news from Wan Mei?
Prince.
What's the matter?
Reporting to the prince.
The grand tutor said there's an urgent matter.
He invites you over to his manor.
The prince is unwell.
It's quite a distance from here to the Capital.
Can't he talk about it after a few days?
Prince, the grand tutor has said it.
He knows that you're not in the manor.
He sent me here to get you to depart immediately.
I got it. You're dismissed.
Yes.
Yue Ying.
Help me get changed.
Master, don't worry.
I'm here for you.
I'll surely keep you safe.
I'll not let you die.
No matter what I say, I always keep to my word.
Anyhow, I'll never let you down.
Everything I say is true from my heart.
Xie Huan.
It's really you.
In 897 A.D.,
the swordsmith master, Xie Ting Yun,
and his family were exterminated by Gui Hua City's owner, Cha Luo.
Thirty six people were killed.
Only Miss Xie Ying and her groom, Xie Huan, managed to escape.
After Cha Luo left,
Xie Ying and Xie Huan used their hands to bury the bodies.
They parted and took on an arduous journey of revenge.
"Bloody Lotus Cult's route map"
- Where are you taking me? - Move.
Let me go!
Young lady.
All these years...
I rarely interrogate the prisoners in person.
But...
Before each interrogation,
I would burn the incense and take a bath.
This is a difficult task.
Digging things out of someone...
I don't like this feeling.
The grand tutor has a good mood.
Young lady, do you want to know?
Why is the lower half of your body numbed?
The one who beat you with a stick...
is the grandson of the martial arts master.
He's not so skilful.
But he could still take appropriate measures.
At least, he could make you unable to stand up for a few hours.
Many warriors come to me.
They've exhausted all heroic utterance.
They said...
they'd rather die standing than to kneel and beg for life.
This clearly can be solved with a stick.
But they were too naive.
They really thought that...
they could be the master of their own affairs.
I can be the master of my own affairs.
All right.
Grand tutor, the guest has arrived.
The guest that I invited is here.
Young lady.
Later...
Don't forget the things that you just said.