Candle in the Tomb: the Weasel Grave
(the entire story is fiction, any resemblance to real life events is purely coincidental)
Episode 3
Furnace here! Let's warm ourselves, Yanzi.
Hurry up!
I'm freezing!
Hurry, why are you in a daze?
Yanzi, go get some water.
Old man, is comrade Huamei here? She's on night watch.
What could possibly happen in the mountain at midnight?
The night is long with many dreams, and things too.
I heard there was a wild-man in the mountain some years ago.
He often stole kids from the village after midnight to eat!
Which mountain, wanna show me some day?
Wild willow, white gray and yellow.
The mountains are full of spirited beasts.
Wild willow, white gray and yellow?
"Wild" is fox, "willow" is snake.
"White" is hedgehog, "gray" is rat. "Yellow" is "yellow fur" or weasel.
The older generations call them "5 spirits of the northeast".
Fatty...
Old man, where is your toilet?
Fatty, let's go!
I'm going too! - To take a shit?
You even take shit together, closer than a couple!
Our revolutionary friendship is deeper than the sea!
Old Hu,
this old fart, is abnormal.
You feel it too?
Not only does he talk eccentrically.
As a forest ranger, he acts mysteriously.
Huamei too, acting just like him!
Also that ax, there's still blood on it,
like he just chopped someone!
But, your vigilance has improved!
Eating while shitting, how dirty you are!
Do you think he might be a foreign spy?
Infiltrated into the village, ready to sabotage the development of socialist revolution!
This ground is full of thorns.
Let's leave as soon as possible!
Don't!
If he were a foreign spy, the two of us catch him!
That way...
Instead of candy,
we get medal of honors!
He has guns!
Wise men know when to retreat!
He has guns, we have people!
3 experienced young revolutionaries fear a half-died old man?
Forget it.
You just wanna wait for Huamei, no?
It's called "kill 2 birds with 1 stone", I get both done!
I suggest you give it up already. This girl...
Is edgy!
Here, Hu Bayi!
Meal time!
Yanzi, thank you!
Go fetch yourself!
"Go fetch yourself", who cares?
Old Hu, help me!
Old man!
We can talk, you don't need to do this!
If I don't do this, you won't respect the rules!
No no no no...
Uncle Qiao Shan!
The village treats them like treasure, don't hurt him!
I don't care, they need lecturing!
Don't!
Old man, if you don't release, then I will!
3!
2!
1!
You alright?
I'm fine...
You alright?
I'm fine.
The weasel got away!
Run!
I...
Run after it!
Where is it?
Fatty, do you smell anything?
Smells like pee...
That sly weasel must be scared shitless!
Hu Bayi...
Yanzi...
Wang Kaixuan... Wang Kaixuan!
We traversed between the sky and the earth,
fighting demons and false gods!
We almost demolished that grave!
We went into the weasel grave, and saw the weasel goddess' coffin!
Do you know it's full of traps?
Bro made his move and took them all!
The weasel found white phosphorous from who-knows-where.
Lighted up the weasel goddess' coffin,
almost killed us!
You went into the grave? Of course!
How would we know these things otherwise?
You are capable, coming back alive.
Bro instinctively took out the compass,
and saw the room is a octagon.
Based on Ba-gua triangulation,
bro deduced using geomancy,
and found...
found...
Yin-direction, gate of life. - Yes, yin-direction, gate of life! And then?
Then, I tell you, then bro used his quick wits...
and got us out!
You really are capable!
Without diamond drill, don't try to work with porcelain! (Chinese proverb)
You full?
Take some rest in the side room.
Uncle Qiao Shan,
is the weasel becoming a spiritual being,
taking up human shape?
The beast has toxic urine,
whoever smelled it will hallucinate.
People died before.
You got lucky today! Old man,
thank you for saving us!
We offended you before,
and I hereby apologize! Exactly, about what happened this morning...
Please forgive us, you are open-minded like the world!
I apologize too!
No need.
I wanted to save Yanzi.
Not you two.
How dare you to cry?
I just wanna question you.
Tell the truth!
How many chicken did you steal from the people?
I tell you, when we are well-rested,
we send you to the Supply & Marketing bureau,
and turn you into a scarf!
You dumb?
Does wasting your breath on a beast, improve its ideological level? Hurry up and sleep.
Who was that,
who spoke so enthusiastically with Huamei in the woods?!
That was long ago!
Besides we were sharing revolutionary experiences,
it's different!
Yeah sure.
Going after girls, and talking bigly about it!
Huamei is no ordinary girl.
I kindly suggest you,
don't get any ideas about her.
Since you put it that way,
now I want to know her even more!
Fatty!
Wake up!
What do you want?
Gold!
You dumb? Putting everything into your mouth!
It might be poisonous! - Where did you find it?
There was a knock on the door, I went but nobody was there. A broken bowl was on the ground, with this inside.
Hu Bayi, what's the smell?
Smells rotten.
Like it's just taken from a grave.
Most likely a burial item.
Do you think the weasels,
want to ransom her with these gold nuggets?
These beasts are getting spirited!
Even knows to ransom life with gold! In my opinion,
we take the gold and release the female weasel!
Even weasels know this trickery,
using sugar-coated bombs to corrupt our iron will!
They can dream on!
As I see it,
we confiscate the gold. But the female weasel,
we keep her!
Fatty is right.
This beast almost got us killed.
Trying to ransom with some gold nuggets,
they miscalculate! We should strike the iron when it's hot,
use it as bait and catch more weasels!
Don't do that!
If the weasel decides to possess you,
nobody can get away!
Comrade Yanzi,
weasels are weasels.
Even if dressed in human skin, they aren't spiritual beings!
Understood?
Huamei!
Huamei wake up!
Huamei!
Let's check out!
Huamei, huamei!
Wake up!
What's going on?
Huamei! - Uncle Qiao Shan! What's happening?!
Don't know!
She was alright just now.
But suddenly fell like this!
Why... why is she shaking?
Is she possessed? Huamei?
Yanzi, Yanzi!
You gotta figure out something!
I don't know either!
That's why you gotta figure out!
I'll go ask the blind granny! Hurry up and go!
Huamei, huamei wake up!
Mamma mia! - Yanzi!
Where have you been, I waited for you the whole day!
Speak or fart, quickly!
I can speak, but not fart! I don't wanna smoke you.
Get lost, as far as you can! Don't annoy me!
Fine, I'll go when I'm done talking, alright? Speak!
How come I heard from sister Ma,
that you don't wanna marry me,
because you got someone else on your mind?
Does it concern you?
How can it not concern me?
You see we grew up together,
since we wore baby-pants, right?
What's that saying again...
children who grow up together know each other best, right?
But now you say you got someone else on your mind,
my heart feels bitterly cold!
I don't get it!
You don't get it, then take your time to think!
Fine, I can take my time to think. But you must tell me,
who is that guy?
Why should I tell you?
Why?
You can ask around the neighboring villages,
which guy is better and more capable than me?
What can you do?
Only 2 things, "nothing this", "nothing that", with sores on your head and ginger in your hand!
This?
These are not sores, but "ghost cutting off hair".
If I apply ginger, the hair grows back.
You see the hair is popping out...
Get lost!
Fine!
If you don't tell me who that guy is today,
I won't leave! I sit down and hunger-strike! Acting like a rascal now?
You think I won't chop you? Chop me and kill me!
If I can't be your man, let me be your ghost!
Xu Erhei!
Men need face like trees need bark! (Chinese proverb)
How can you be so shameless?
Before you tell me who that guy is today,
I'm not gonna leave!
Fine, I tell you so you can give up already!
The man I like is...
Hu Bayi!
Who?
That little white-face is up to no good!
But...
other than drinking sour ink and fooling you with glib-tongue,
how is he better than me? He knows everything from astronomy, geography to loyality!
He's worlds ahead of you!
Call him here, so I can duel him!
I'll toss him and trash him!
Huamei is sick, I'm getting blind granny to treat her.
I got no time for you!
Now you are done you punk! Get lost!
What was that, you spooked me!
Feet!
Feet...
Feet, feet!
What's going on?
Sister, what's wrong with my daughter?
What's wrong with my daughter?
6 senses in disarray.
Her spirit left her body.
The weasel spirit,
has found her!
Blind granny,
can we still save her?
To save this girl...
Yes.
There is a way.
Granny, please do tell.
Whatever you need, we'll go and buy!
Buy?
Lad...
You gotta ask if they sell!
What do you mean?
Bear, you know?
Man-bear!
You need to take the man-bear bladder,
and drink it with soup.
Then it's done.
Food stamp.
I told you to drink wth soup.
So how is man-bear different from black bear?
With a head of man?
My dad once ran into the man-bear when hunting.
It's huge!
It can kill a cow with a slap!
Much stronger than black bears! According to you,
this paw of man-bear must be worth even more!
You put money before your life?
Whenever the villagers hunt in winter,
they take detours to avoid the man-bear!
Uncle Qiao Shan,
you really wanna go by yourself?
It's too dangerous!
Don't try to convince me.
Huamei is my life-blood.
If anything happens to her...
Then what do I live for?
Old man!
Huamei lent us her gun.
You saved our lives.
Revolutionary bonds are higher than the sky, deeper than the sea!
To hunt the man-bear in the mountain,
I come with you!
With people comes strength!
Right!
Young revolutionaries are fearless!
We hunt man-bear like we hunt black bear!
Count me in!
I've seen my dad hunting in the mountains, I know the way.
3rd auntie who lives next door can take care of Huamei.
I'm coming too!
Forget it, you are dream-talking in broad daylight!
That's right, don't let the bear take you all!
Keep boasting, you young folks don't know better!
A real man, keeps his promises.
If we fool you, we are bastards! You wanna die or what?
The village secretary once told me,
man-bear likes to eat human, with 7-8 men per meal!
You talk about eating baozi!
Over-eating won't kill it?
I tell ya,
this time,
not only will we take the bear bladder, we'll bring back some bear paws too!
And give you an eye-opener!
I tell you, the few of you aren't even enough to feed the bear!
Yeah, keep boasting, it's enough.
Even the bronze wall is falling from your boasting!
Revolution is not hosting guests.
Not even the village hunters dare to take on man-bear. Don't play with fire! - That's right!
I heard that other than man-bear,
there are also wild-men who drink human blood!
That's even better!
We'll exterminate both pests for the people!
You just wait here for the news of our victory!
Mamma mia, you watch out! Don't let us collect your corpses! How can these youths be so boastful?
Don't give us villagers more troubles!
These youths... - You two, keep boasting!
Old man...
Take this gun tomorrow.
Get some sleep and we leave at dawn.
Old man, what tobacco are you smoking?
Smells sweet!
This is not tobacco,
but a herb.
It keeps your mind clear,
and your nose and eyes sharp.
I heard seasoned mountain hunters,
can bait the prey using herbal incense.
Mt. Tuan is huge, herbs are useless!
They must smell blood.
Sound logical, smells of blood travel far.
Even man-bear likes it!
But not this time.
Man-bear is hibernating, it won't come out anyway.
Once in the mountain, we need to find its cave first.
Alright.
I'll shoot wherever you point!
But one more thing,
what if we can't find?
You could find the doors to the weasel tomb,
but not a cave?
Please don't mention it, we got lucky!
Pure coincident!
You had good luck.
Tomorrow, we'll rely on you two!
Old man,
I still don't know your name.
Last name Qiao, first name Shan. (literal meaning: "knocking the mountain")
Knocking?
Does this last name even exist? Uncle Qiao,
did you come from the village?
No, from outside. Where's your hometown?
It's not important.
But your hometown is in the military.
Military?
You are wise! His old man is from PLA 3rd Field Army! - Fatty...
Lads, are you really dumb or acting dumb?
Old man, we are really dumb. Waiting for you to explain.
Get some sleep.
Tomorrow,
show us what you really got!
Is he getting high on herbal smoke?
What's that for?
Interesting.
He had things between his lines, but didn't clarify.
We gotta watch out.
Don't let him trick us!
Tomorrow, we look ahead before we take steps.