"CHINA, 665AD" "The mighty Tang Dynasty..." "The motherland whose security is my deepest concern" "Luoyang..." "My soul, my dreams are rooted here" "In the year when I turned thirty..." "I left my hometown and travelled more than 1,000 li to Luoyang" "At that time, the court  was ruled by the emperor under the supervision of Empress Wu" "They were know as "The Two Saints"" "Empress Wu completely controlled the emperor" "The nobles considered her power an affront" "They often admonished the emperor" "Then  when the Fuyu Kingdom challenged our border  as a precaution, Empress Wu  despatched a huge naval force from the capital  to counter the enemy" "Her first thought was to wrong-foot those against in court" "Little did she know  that a weird crime  would have its origin here" "Admiral!" "Moving our troops by night  may disturb the spirits" "We have better placate them with prayers" "Prayers when a great battle is looming?" "No more of this effeminate superstition!" "Yes, Sir!" "Report!" "On the sea  a half-li away, there are movements" "Alert the main warship!" "Yes, Sir!" "Alert the main warship!" "Our patrol ship  has sent us a warning" "All ships on full alert!" "Order all our sentinels ... to scan the sea for movements" "On guard and full alert!" "All sentinels!" "Watch for movements on the sea!" "Report all sightings immediately!" "It seems the enemy is out there..." "And getting closer!" "The ship is about to capsize!" "Quick, grab it!" "Steer away from the ship to starboard!" "Quick!" "Quick, grab it!" "On our right side, our Horse Ship is being attacked!" "Call for reinforcemens!" "Yes, Sir!" "Call for reinforcemens!" "Yes, Sir!" "Rescue them from the water!" "Guard against further attacks!" "Yes, Sir!" "Quick!" "Order all ships afloat  to rescue the admiral!" "Yes, Sir!" "It's coming towards us!" "Young Detective Dee" "Rise of the Sea Dragon" "The attack on the navy  was blamed on a "Sea Dragon"  supposedly disturbed by the warships" "This rumor  made the city's anxious common people  panic even more" "They pay handsomely for prayer rituals" "The commoners put their own lives first" "They don't care who else lives or dies" "To placate the "Sea Dragon"  they've chosen a young woman for the rites" "The streets are thronged with onlookers" "The roads are blocked" "I, Dee  have just come to  this strange and turbulent city of the gods" "I must report for duty at the Da Lisi" "They're not only blocking my way  but also that of an official from the Da Lisi" "It looks as if he's on his way to investigate something" "This young man in court robes of the Third Rank  will become my adversary" "Both foe and friend" "Notify Lord Yang..." "Her Majesty will visit the dock  to investigate what happened" "We must not make the slightest mistake" "Our heads are at risk!" "You go to the Naval Department..." "Commandeer five metal ships" "And 200 naval ratings" "Deploy them before dusk." "Search for clues on the spot!" "Yes, Sir!" "Come over here!" "As you can see..." "This is Luoyang, city of the gods" "The place has no security" "It'll be easy to kidnap the girl" "But don't harm a hair on her head!" "When we re-sell her  we'll get the best price" "What does that fellow want?" "Should we get rid of him?" "Don't complicate things" "Move!" "Reporting to Your Majesty" "The facts are these" "Commoners dedicate rites to the Sea Dragon  because the city's merchants call for them" "They wish to make quick money from selling joss sticks" "So they urge the people to perform rites do you know whose idea it was  to organize this kind of rite?" "Yes, the Ritual Department follows  the "turtle divination"... to choose a courtesan  to be disciplined in the Sea Dragon Temple for 3 years" "A courtesan?" "This girl has been chosen as the "Courtesan of Luoyang"" "She's Yin Ruiji" "It's said that Yin Ruiji refused  all clients after being chosen" "This has offended many officials and wealthy patrons" "She was chosen to be sent to the temple ... because those men wanted to teach her a lesson" "Absurd!" "One courtesan causes so much commotion in the city!" "You are the Chief Minister at the Da Lisi" "Why haven't you intervened?" "Your Majesty" "The Da Lisi is charged with investigations and arrests" "Controlling such rites is not one of my duties" "A poor excuse!" "Then tell me  what you've discovered  about the sunken battleships?" "These two ships were less damaged, they've been hauled back to dock" "The other ships couldn't be saved and are lost" "Don't tell me what I know already!" "I am still investigating" "And what's your line of enquiry?" "If there really is a Sea Dragon  our Tang Dynasty may as well give up the fight" "Yuchi" "Your Da Lisi is famous for quick results" "This case is extremely urgent" "We cannot allow villains to unleash such chaos" "Tell me, how many days do you need?" "The country is in peril" "So I will set you a deadline" "Ten days" "If you can't solve the case in ten days  I'll have your head" "Yes, your Majesty" "Using a 'flower girl' to stir things up..." "These old court nobles  must be up to something" "Sir" "I've come from Bing County, reporting for duty at Da Lisi" "DA LISI (JUSTICE DEPARTMENT)" "Dee" "You were a bailiff in Bing County" "And you've been  in jail as well" "Yes, Sir" "Official Yan recommends you and sent you here on your release from jail" "Since you've been in jail  you should know exactly how things are done" "CHENG AN, RECEPTION OFFICER" "Where's your courtesy payment?" "Why look so blank?" "You're reporting as an official of the 7th rank" "Your courtesy money should be  5 taels of silver, at least" "I'm talking to you" "Don't complicate things" "Focus on kidnapping that girl." "Get moving!" "SEA DRAGON TEMPLE" "The place has no security" "It'll be easy to kidnap the girl" "Dee!" "Are you day-dreaming?" "Send men to the Sea Dragon Temple, quickly!" "The're kidnapping the courtesan!" "What?" "You're mad!" "Come back!" "Don't leave!" "My badge!" "Guards!" "The new arrival is mad!" "Guards!" "Come quickly!" "Urgent command!" "Stand back!" "I am Ruiyun, a Taoist priest" "I am ordered to help Lady Ruiji to fast" "Thank you" "I heard that you excel in the tea ceremony" "Before you fast  please take this famous Fragrant Rain tea" "Priest, you are kind" "Madam, please teach me" "On Da Lisi duty!" "Make way!" "On Da Lisi duty!" "Make way!" "Make way!" "Stay away!" "Quick!" "That's the young man we just saw, isn't it?" "Why does he have a Da Lisi badge?" "What?" "You're not allowed in here" "On Da Lisi duty!" "Stay back!" "Stop!" "Make way!" "You can't go in!" "Boss!" "Why haven't you left?" "You've got the girl, let's go!" "Quick!" "A spirit of the Sea Dragon!" "Sir!" "A spirit of the Sea Dragon!" "Sir!" "They all say it was a spirit of the Sea Dragon!" "A spirit of the Sea Dragon!" "A spirit of the Sea Dragon!" ""Don't let this get out"" ""Arrest all of them!"" "The creature is loose outside" "It's pointless to arrest anyone here" "So you can read lips" "What else do you know?" "These kidnappers and the creature are not in league" "The kidnappers are mere criminals" "I saw them on the street during the parade" "I read their lips  and deduced they were kidnapping the courtesan" "Who are you?" "What are you doing here?" "My name is Dee" "Here on Minister Yan's recommendation" "Working for the Da Lisi" "I sensed something bad at Sea Dragon Temple" "So I rushed here to stop it" "How did you sense something would happen here?" "Furthermore..." "Why do you wear a Da Lisi badge?" "I snatched it from somebody there" "So the horse isn't yours either" "I just borrowed it" "Arrest him  and treat him as a suspect too!" "Prepare a severe punishment!" "Yes, Sir!" "Send Lady Yin back to Swallow House and have her sen by a doctor" "Now  start looking for that creature!" "SWALLOW HOUSE" "These men are Lady Yin Ruiji's patrons" "Yes, Sir!" "Send them all away!" "I am from the Da Lisi" "Who are you?" "What do you want?" "Why are you here?" "I am Yuchi  Chief Minister of the Da Lisi" "You were endangered at the temple today" "Luckily I got there just in time  to fight off the villains" "You inhaled poison gas  which has left you dizzy" "But your health wil recover" "If convenient..." "I would like to question you" "Please forgive me, Sir!" "My mind is still in a fog" "Can we do it another day?" "Another day?" "We will be outside to protect you" "I will return tomorrow" "You have so much calligraphy and painting" "It seems that you are fond of poetry" "Any findings in the Naval Department search?" "Kuang hasn't reported yet" "Sir" "Our sacred city has now seen two dragons" "One in the sea" "One at the temple" "The attack on our warships  and the creature at the temple  are different matters" "We'll start with  what happened at the temple" "If the case isn't cracked within ten days  you'll have my place and rank" "I want Swallow House sealed!" "Yes, Sir!" "Prepare pen and ink" "I want to write poems" "Write poems?" "Just for self-appeasement" "Yes, Sir!" "DA LISI" "You're a demon!" "Don't touch my wounds!" "You bastard!" "Idiot!" "Don't... don't touch!" "You animal!" "Hands off!" "Get your hands off!" "SHATUO, PRISON MEDICAL HELPER" "Shatuo" "Fate plays strange tricks" "It brings us together here" "Keep quiet!" "Have we met?" "You're a Uighur from the Huihe tribe" "You lost your family in the "Battle of Black Mountain"" "You serve Imperial Doctor Wang Pu" "Tell me, do I know you or not?" "Who are you?" "I have no idea who you are" "You came to the capital less than half a year ago" "Studied in the Imperial Doctor's Department" "Unluckily, you were made a medical helper  responsible for criminals" "You admired the girl next door" "But when you saw her, you were too shy  to speak to her" "What do you want from me?" "I matter a lot to you" "Your fate will change because of me" "I know all about your history." "And your future is in my hands" "I can help change your fate" "But you have to do one thing for me" "He's sick!" "I need to examine him" "Tell me" "Do you have Cat's-paw herbs?" "This is the letter recommending Dee" "Recommendation letter..." "Recommended by Public Court Minister Yan..." "Even if the Emperor himself had written this  Dee won't get past me!" "Sir..." "What's going on?" "What's this sudden problem?" "Keep your distance!" "This prisoner  has a contagious disease" "He must be isolated in the doctor's room" "If not  this whole prison will be infected" "What kind of sickness is it?" "Sir..." "This is poisonous measles" "Untreated, it causes blindness and paralysis" "We can contain it by isolating him now" "If we fail to act  everyone in he Da Lisi  will be infected" "Quick!" "Sir!" "Aren't you staying to guard him?" "No way!" "Sit up" "No more acting" "How did you know?" "Cat's-paw causes a rash on the skin" "You've studied medicine?" "I've been allergic to cat's-paw since I was young" "It always gives me a rash" "It goes away soon enough" "How did you get the keys?" "I stole them from the guard" "You know..." "That powder of yours works very well" "It melts in the mouth" "You're a crafty man" "Tell me..." "We two have never met before" "How did you know so much about me?" "And you weren't even polite to me!" "But I kept on talking to you!" "Well..." "You see..." "I saw your name-plate on the duty board" "Shatuo is a common Uighur surname in Huihe" "Not may from Huihe  work as government doctors" "Seeing your age  I guessed that nine years ago  you were one of the "Black Mountain" orphans  saved by the army" "But how did you know... , that my master is Imperial Doctor Wang Pu?" "Before I arrived  I read the records of the Da Lisi for recent years" "I found there  a note that this prison lacks doctors" "So they intended to ask Wang Pu  for eight medical helpers to be assigned here" "Your name wasn't on the list" "I read those records about half a year ago" "So I guessed that  you'd been in the Da Lisi for less than half a year" "You're saying that  you read the Da Lisi records  and memorized them all?" "The first rule of investigation is  forget nothing!" "But the official records won't show  that I was unlucky" "Medical helper is the lowest rank" "It's unworthy of your curative skills" "Would you say you've been lucky?" "As for admiring the girl next door..." "You want to ask how I knew?" "I just guessed" "What?" "It wasn't a wild guess" "The second rule for investigation  is to observe closely" "You're the introspective type" "If there were a girl next door  you might well love her unrequitedly" "You're somewhat nervous" "Faced by a girl  you'd surely be hesitant" "I know this" "It can't be..." "Where do you actually come from?" "Minister Yan of the Public Works Department is from my village" "He recommended me to work in the Da Lisi" "I reported for duty today" "You're here to work" "So why were you imprisoned?" "That's a long story" "The Da Lisi is too bureaucratic" "Minister Yan recommended me for the post" "He thought I could bring some new energy to the place" "You have to help me  to get out and investigate the case" "Where to?" "There's an infectious disease in the prison" "The officials want us  to consult the Imperial Doctor" "Do you need to check my specimen box?" "Inside it are specimens  of vomit from infected prisoners and their hair as well" "Fine, fine..." "On your way." "Open the gate!" "Madam" "I'll go to prepare the medicine" "My jade hairpin..." "What's your business?" "I am government doctor Shatuo" "I am ordered to take up shift duty here" "Who is he?" "My assistant" "Dumb Wu" "Why are you wearing hats?" "Take off your hats!" "Go!" "Stay back!" "Stay back!" "How could you know  that I hid Mr Yuan's love letters there?" "What have you done to Mr Yuan?" "YUAN ZHEN" "You're not Mr Yuan, are you?" "You're  the Courtesan of Luoyang" "Admired by thousands of people" "While I, Yuan Zhen, don't even have an official post" "Yet you've chosen me as your "First Patron"" "I've always loved literature" "I've read your poem, Mr Yuan" "The famous "Four Melancholy Verses"" "I adore it" ""Flute merged in the scented smoke"" ""accompanies dances of youthful years"" ""Lovers are to bring earth to heaven"" ""Even trading life for advent of passion"" "Dear Mr Yuan!" "How could you have changed like this?" "Who harmed you like this?" "Was it because of me?" "Did they harm you like this because of me?" "Madam" "The medicine is ready" "Madam" "They are guards from the Da Lisi" "Something must be going on here" "Someone's coming!" "That must be Ruiji's room she took the medicine to" "Mr Yuan..." "What are you trying to tell me?" "Light on" "Light off" "On" "Off" "On" "Off" "(East Island language Dondo) Something's wrong!" "(Dondo) Retreat!" "Hide Lady Ruiji at once" "What's taking so long?" "Hide inside this trunk" "Don't come out unless we call you" "Quick!" "Give it to me!" "It's you again?" "How is he?" "He's been poisoned by bee-stings" "I have a panacea for him" "I'll check upstairs" "Why did you get out?" "I was afraid you wouldn't come back" "So I let myself out" "You weren't afraid I wouldn't come back" "You're afraid that I have come back" "I don't know you" "Of course I'm afraid" "You're not telling the truth" "Nonsense!" "When a person lies..." "Their eyes betray them and even turn into  a lethal stare" "Leave at once!" "You're on the same side!" "Stop it!" "If you don't go  you can watch me die" "Don't go!" "It's dangerous for you outside" "It would be safest to come with me to the Da Lisi" "Making him go puts him in danger" "He probably won't survive" "What?" "You're hurt!" "It wasn't her!" "That creature did it" "What are you doing up here?" "Where's Yuchi?" "That official is very safe, don't worry" "I thought you could predict everything?" "How come you still got hurt?" "The third rule of investigations is  to keep your head down, not rush in like a fool!" "(Dondo) Chief!" "(Dondo) Chief!" "(Dondo) Alongside Yuchi... (Dondo) ... there's another strong fighter in the Da Lisi" "(Dondo) We feared our identity would be uncovered, so we had to retreat" "(Dondo) No-one..." "(Dondo) ... no matter how strong... (Dondo) ... will save Yuan Zhen!" "(Dondo) Keep watching the woman" "(Dondo) Yuan Zhen is sure to come back for her." "Yes, Sir!" "(Dondo) Clear away the corpse!" "Your Excellency" "Fine, fine, on your way!" "Dee!" "Don't you have a contagious disease?" "Why have you come in here?" "Shatuo!" "Isn't Shatuo guarding him?" "Sir, your blade..." "What is it?" "Your Excellency" "Arrange a place for Madam Yin Ruiji to rest at once" "Also..." "Register Dee for work immediately" "Come on." "Move!" "TRANQUILLITY TEAHOUSE" "Boss..." "Boss..." "Minister Wang wants the young boss to discuss poetry" "Minister Wang" "Please accept our small gift of Bird's Tongue tea" "May you have vitality and a clear mind" "May your wishes be fulfilled" "Your young boss left here so suddenly" "When will he return?" "In reply, Your Excellency..." "Our young boss  has been away on travels for over half a year" "No news reaches us" "We don't know when he'll be back" "Then I'll chat with him again when he returns" "His Excellency is leaving!" "Goodbye, Sir!" "Sir" "This man was imprisoned in Bing County" "Shouldn't we check up on him?" "Find out what he's after in the Da Lisi" "Assign men to watch him closely" "If he does anything unusual, report it to me!" "I forced Mr Yuan to flee" "Was that really wrong of me?" "I beg you, Sir, to save his life" "Mr Yuan  is your friend" "Can you tell me  who is he?" "His name is Yuan Zhen" "Everyone in Luoyang knows the Tranquillity Teahouse, where he's the young boss" "Renowned in Luoyang..." "The Tranquillity Teahouse" "Yes, Your Excellency" "Tranquillity Teahouse" "They make special tea for nobles and officials" "So, a famous teahouse..." "What happened to its young boss  to change him like that?" "This all began half a year ago" "At that time  I joined the New Year "Hundred Flowers" pageant" "I was named "Courtesan of Luoyang"" "I became famous overnight" "Once I had that title  the elite of the city all wanted to meet me" "Each wanted to be my first patron" "But their eminence didn't move me" "Nor did their wealth" "I was working in a flower house" "I knew what to expect from life there" "Only the young boss of Tranquillity Teahouse, Yuan Zhen  touched me with his love poems" "I got around all the flower-house rules" "I paid them no heed" "And I met him in secret" "Young boss..." "Madam Yin of Swallow House is here" "Later..." "I gave him my jade peacock hairpin  as a token of my love" "We wanted to read each other's mind" "We were very close" "After that..." "I wrote love poems and sent them to Mr Yuan" "He responded very promptly" "But he stopped visiting me" "In a poem, he mentioned contracting an illness" "That made me worried" "And then..." "I was chosen to fast for the Sea Dragon" "I told him about it in a poem  but he never replied" "Only yesterday  when he came to see me with my hairpin  did I realize  did I realize that he'd become..." "This haipin looks so precious..." "Its color is faded?" "Not really..." "I think..." "In Mr Yuan's care, it must have been tainted by something" "Please lend me the hairpin for a while" "They..." "They arrested someone  and they are questioning him" "I think..." "You should go and see for yourself" "Master Dee..." "Mr Yuan left this yesterday" "I can't understand it" "Very good" "Oh yes..." "I am Dee  a pleasure to meet you, Madam Ruiji" "Talk!" "Will you talk?" "Will you talk?" "I'll make you talk!" "What are you doing here?" "Let's continue..." "Talk now!" "The villains lost their masks at the Swallow House" "These craftsmen make masks in Luoyang" "I am questioning him" "Those without duties here..." "Leave!" "Beat him!" "Your eyes see nothing!" "This mask is made from tree extracts" "The raw materials come from Aizhou" "The craftsmanship is typical of Eastern lands" "It wasn't made by locals here" "Furthermore... the masked villains spoke the Dondo language" "(Dondo) Something's wrong, retreat!" "Dondo language?" "They were definitely Dondoers" "What kind of place is Dondo?" "Dondo..." "It lies in the ocean between Great Tang and Japan" "The Islanders have been coming here for years" "They live mainly by fishing" "They're very good in the water" "No wonder  they can stay underwater for so long" "I found this at the crime scene" "What kind of clue is this?" "What?" ""Bird's Tongue"" "It's Bird's Tongue tea" "Bird's Tongue tea  is a secret recipe at Tranquillity Teahouse" "They give the tea to the Imperial court as a tribute" "This tea..." "Common people never have a chance to taste it" "But how does Bird's Tongue tea relate to the case?" "Judging by the writing  the man who wrote this was in a hurry" "Where did you get this?" "From the one who tried to kidnap Madam Ruiji" "The Sea Dragon seen at the temple!" "Why was it in Swallow House last night?" "That's not all" "I've concluded that the masked Dondoers  and the villains at the temple are two separate groups" "They raided Swallow House" "But they weren't trying to kidnap Ruiji" "They were there for the creature" "The monster wrote this  to leave a clue" "To help you solve the mystery, Sir" "If you can catch him" "The case will soon be cracked" "Doubtful!" "To Tranquillity Teahouse." "Prepare the horses" "Yes, Sir!" "Stay back!" "On Da Lisi duty!" "Quick!" "Quick!" "Sir..." "There's not a single person in the teahouse" "So quickly!" "They left in a hurry" "They made a quick getaway" "Someone must have alerted them" "Who could that have been?" "Shatuo..." "If I don't come back with the other court officials  get Lady Ruiji out of the Da Lisi at once" "Follow me" "So, Dee..." "What have you found out?" "I've brought Madam Yin Ruiji... to see you too" "Master Dee, why did you want me here?" "There's a hidden traitor in the Da Lisi." "What?" "Everyone in Tranquillity Teahouse  had left before we got there" "So the Da Lisi is not a safe refuge for Lady Ruiji" "What about the task I set you?" "What substance stained the jade hairpin?" "It's a dye made with pine oil" "It's called "Shaxi"" "Very few dyeing houses use it" "Is there one near Swallow House?" "It seems there's one in the south of the city" "It's called "The Monk's Bowl"" "The dye on the jade hairpin  can only be from Mr Yuan" "He accidentally tainted it  with the dye while in hiding" "So he might be hiding there" "Madam Yin..." "Only you can make him show himself" "I count on you" "Mr Yuan" "Mr Yuan" "Mr Yuan" "Great detective..." "Looks like we've got the wrong place" "Mr Yuan" "Dragon!" "The Sea Dragon!" "Shatuo" "Hit the "Tianchi" and "Yunmen" points on his body" ""Tianchi", "Yunmen"" "Yes!" "Mr Yuan, he..." "What happened to him?" "Mr Yuan's appearance has changed radically" "His human character has changed too" "I doubt it's a sickness" "My guess is that he was deliberately exposed to parasites" "What kind of parasite?" "My teacher taught me how to cure parasite infestations" "But this case  is like nothing I've seen" "What are parasites?" "parasites are very tiny insects" "Almost invisible to the eye" "If they penetrate your body  they'll take control of it" "Different types of parasite  cause different changes in a human body" "Can he be cured?" "To cure this infestation" "I need to consult my master" "Imperial Doctor Wang Pu" "Watch out!" "Mr Yuan, don't you..." "I've waited so long to be with you" "Your Ruiji will be with you forever" "No matter how you look  you're always my Mr Yuan" "But you must not harm innocent people" "Please" "They are here to help me" "(Dondo) Look!" "(Dondo) The "Sea God" should rest now" "(Dondo) Let it return to the island to resume its training" "(Dondo) It must be taught to obey all our commands!" "(Dondo) Yes!" "(Dondo) Our tribe's masterplan will soon be brought to fruition!" "(Dondo) The mainland will be ours, we will rule for a thousand years!" "This is my teacher's home" "Senior apprentice!" "Senior apprentice..." "Master's testing poisons on you again" "Save me!" "Don't cry, it'll be fine" "I'll prepare some medicine for you" "Master is much worse recently" "All of us have met disasters!" "It'll be fine" "First apprentice!" "Master  I'm back" "Since the ape which gave me an arm has fled  I let you go to the Da Lisi so that you could find me a good arm!" "It's been half a year already." "So where's my arm?" "Didn't you promise?" "I can't transplant without an arm!" "Lately  nobody's been sentenced to death" "So there've been no suitable arms!" "Master..." "I have something... which needs your urgent help" "Shut up!" "Our master-disciple relationship is over!" "This is a good arm, let me have it!" "Imperial Doctor" "We're not here to provide an arm" "We're seeking medical help" "Master" "Who is this?" "Master..." "Who is this?" "Let me see" "Mr Yuan, stop it!" "Mr Yuan!" "Mr Yuan!" "Mr Yuan  stop it" "No..." "No..." "They're here to help cure you" "What is he?" "C'mon!" "Get the blades ready" "Put him on the table!" "Chop open his head for me!" "C'mon!" "Sir, why do you think  Dee is here?" "Shatuo led the way" "They 're in Luoyang, where else would they go?" "Sir, should we wait for the others  before we go in to arrest them?" "Wait?" "And risk another information leak?" "Who are you?" "I?" "Who are you?" "Making such a mess in my clinic!" "Your clinic?" "You're Imperial Doctor Wang Pu?" "I am head of the Da Lisi" "Has Dee been here?" "Dee who?" "Never heard of him" "Kuang, watch out!" "Something's going on in Wang Pu's clinic" "Quick!" "Quick!" "HONEY" "Stay back!" "Ku?" "ng, stay back!" "Sir..." "These Dondoers..." "What are they doing here?" "I've been wondering  if these Dondoers are looking for him too" "Why would they look for Dee?" "This Dee  seems always one step ahead" "Maybe he's hiding now and wants to frame me" "If I miss the deadline... .. for solving the case  You'll be executed" "Post notices everywhere  to arrest him as a Dondo spy" "He should turn himself in" "Yes, Sir!" "Why have we come here?" "Who are we hiding from?" "This is where the Fire-worshippers slaughter animals" "There are so many foreigners in Luoyang" "Even if the traitor could track us here  it would take him too long" "The traitor..." "Master Dee..." "Does the Imperial Docctor really need to cut open Mr Yuan?" "It was just his educated way of speaking" "Miss, don't take it literally" "Master!" "Are you really going to cut open his head?" "Certainly!" "This incision  makes me the first man to operate on a brain" "Even the famous Huatuo didn't do this!" "Yin Ruiji..." "I want to ask you a question" "Your family did not originate in the Middle Kingdom" "Could you tell me  where are the Yins from originally?" "The Fuyu Kingdom" "Your answer confirms my fears" "Our Great Tang is now at war with Fuyu" "The situation is critical" "You're from Fuyu  and you're caught up in this case" "The Imperial Court won't hesitate to sacrifice you" "To be safe..." "As soon as Mr Yuan is cured  you two had better leave the capital" "Master Dee..." "You know everything" "Can you tell me..." "What exactly happened to Mr Yuan?" "The root of this was the "Bird's Tongue" tea" "Dee" "I have curbed the effect of the parasites" "Any question?" "Cook some food  and buy some wine!" "Go at once!" "This has taken so long, I'm dying of hunger!" "Mr Yuan..." "Why are the Dondoers after you?" "Half year ago..." "I received some visitors." "They said they were tea merchants from the Eastern lands" "They offered me a fortune for the secret recipe of "Bird's Tongue" tea" "But this tea  is exclusive to the imperial court" "For a century, the recipe  has been a Yuan family secret" "So I refused their request..." "And they left unhappy" "A few days later..." "Scales began to appear on my skin" "No medicine helped" "And then..." "I received a letter from a man named Huo Yi..." "He said I'd been infested by parasites" "Apparently  during our tea tasting  Huo Yi put parasites in my cup" "I was so scared" "I dared not to tell anyone" "I had to leave the teahouse" "Little did I guess  that he wouldn't provide a cure..." "Instead he trapped me on an island  and forced me to make "Bird's Tongue" tea for him every day" ""Bird's Tongue" tea..." "Since "Bird's Tongue" tea is exclusive to the imperial court  solely for the pleasure of the high-born  Huo Yi wanted to put parasites in the tea, didn't he?" "Eunuch Lao from the Palace came to me for treatment" "He gave me a half-catty!" "Fetch it!" "Let's take a close look at it!" "IMPERIAL TRIBUTE TEA" "There are parasites in the tea!" "I'll check what kind they are" "It's a type of dung beetle!" "The rarest and weirdest of parasites!" "When the tea enters the body  the first effect is to boost strength" "The person will feel very energetic" "But when infestation sets in  death is certain" "Good parasites!" "Good parasites!" "This is an Imperial Tribute" "If all the nobles are taking this tea  the imperial court is doomed!" "Even worse  the Emperor!" "The Empress's deadline  was already three days ago" "But the case  remains unsolved" "BIRD'S TONGUE" ""The situation is grave"" ""A national disaster looms"" ""To keep this secret..."" ""... please meet me at the back door"" ""Dee"" "Dee!" "I'll see just how clever you are!" " Sovle it?" " I have the clues to solve the case" "We face the death penalty!" "What's there to solve?" "I can convince Her Majesty" "Let me go to the Palace to see Her Majesty" "I'm sure I can get the deadline extended" "How could you convince her?" "Reporting to Your Majesty..." "The head of the Da Lisi  Yuchi  he wants to see you urgently" "Ridiculous!" "Where did this man come from?" "He is  from the Da Lisi" "A new recruit" "The imperial court of Luoyang  numbers more than 1,200 people" "Almost eveyone drinks "Bird's Tongue"" "If  everyone is infested by parasites  then the plotters aim  to murder the Imperial family and end our Great Tang Dynasty" "Your humble servant guesses  that is indeed their intention" "Your humble servant  also considers this guess to be absurd  and incredible" "This is just talk!" "Even if your words are true  the person of the Emperor  is not available to the likes of you!" "He must be treated by the Imperial Doctor" "Your Majesty..." "Our nation faces disaster..." "If you hold to such formalities   nothing can save us" "What?" "Your humble servant has medicine to curb the parasites" "Please summon any official who drinks "Bird's Tongue" tea" "A test will be the proof" "Chief of Administration..." "Why am I summoned to the Palace in such haste?" "Has someone been examining my records?" "Father..." "Mother..." "Your son will finally fulfill your expectations!" "I will live up my name Yuanda: "Far and Wide"!" "Rise..." "Thank you, Your Majesty" "We summon you in the still of the starry night  to ask whether or not  you often drink "Bird's Tongue" tea" "I do!" "It strengthens the qi and the body" "I drink a pot every morning and evening" "Noble Sir..." "Please have this medicine soup for your health" "Medicinal soup for my health?" "What is it for?" "Minister Ding..." "Is it at every midnight  that your stomach is upset?" "So that you need to take this tea  to regain your strength?" "In response to Your Majesty..." "That is so" "But if I take more of the tea  I always feel very much stronger" "Then please take this soup at once" "It's a test for the Emperor's medicine" "Your humble servant understands" "This taste..." "Why is it so fishy?" "Noble Sir..." "This is the secret family prescription of the Imperial Doctor" "One bowl will extend your life for a year" "I'm grateful for Her Majesty's generosity!" "Does this soup really prolong life" "It was obtained from the Administration office" ""Virgin Male Urine"" "Eunuch's urine!" "Absurd!" "You give my officials urine?" "It's been tested by Imperial Doctor Wang Pu" "The dung beetle parasites produce 'hot' poisons" "The antidote is a 'cool' medicinal soup" "The effect will be felt within two hours" "Very well..." "Guards!" "Detain him..." "After two hours  if there's no effect on Minister Ding  Dee will be executed forthwith!" "We obey!" "As for you..." "You'd be better watch Minister Ding" "If Dee was lying  he will be punished" "And you will be imprisoned!" "Wang Pu..." "I devoutly wish that your remedy is effective!" "Minister Ding..." "Do you feel any change?" "Have a bowl of urine yourself" "Then you'll know what changes to expect!" "Your Majesty..." "The time is up" "Minister Ding reports no change" "Decapitate him!" "We obey!" "Withdraw the blade!" "I have Imperial Doctor Wang Pu's authority  to beg Her Majesty for clemency!" "Please spare the life for Dee!" "Stop the execution!" "Intruder on the execution ground!" "Immediate death penalty!" "I am the Imperial Doctor's apprentice" "Shatuo" "I have my master's authority to plead for clemency" "Please wait for another hour or two" "The medicine wil surely take effect" "Your Majesty, please spare his life" "Ruiji, you should not be here" "Dee dares to take this risk  because he wants to save the Emperor!" "It's the Courtesan of Luoyang" "It's the Courtesan of Luoyang" "Yin Ruiji" "Dee has found  the cure for the Emperor" "Just wait an hour or two!" "Execute him now!" "If anyone delays further... .. they will die too!" "Execute him now!" "Withdraw the blade!" "Don't execute him!" " No!" " Don't do it!" ""Raindrop drums"" "Your Majesty..." "Your Majesty, Yuchi is calling "Raindrop drums"!" "There's been a change in the Palace" "Your Majesty..." "Your Majesty..." "Stay the execution!" "Stay the execution at once!" "Ruiji..." "You shouldn't come to the Palace" "You can't stay here a minute longer!" "Leave at once!" "Shatuo, follow me inside!" "Step back!" "Step back!" "Her Majesty is here!" "Your Majesty" "Your Majesty, take care!" "Quick!" "Make way!" "Your Majesty..." "Dee is here" "Now the parasites have shown themselves  the first priority is to treat the Emperor" "The "Golden Soup"" "Prepare His Majesty's mouth!" "Please order the Interior Ministry  to provide more of the antidote" "Supply it to the Imperial family and the court" "In this way  the villains' evil plan  will be foiled" "Drink!" "Drink!" "Drink more!" "Drink it all!" "His Majesty generously provides  all of us officials  with this Imperial tonic" "Drink it!" "Your Majesty, thank you!" "(Dondo) Something's wrong!" "Dee..." "Your insights are matchless" "No one else can compare" "You dared to risk your own life  to save our country from this peril" "No wonder Minister Yan so highly recommended you" ""Brightest Pearl of a River"" ""Priceless Treasure of the East"" "Your Majesty..." "The villains behind this are still at large" "The danger is stil present" "Sir, please extend the deadline for concluding the case" "Your Majesty..." "What Dee says is true" "Your Majesty, please show indulgence" "We will do our utmost  to arrest the villains and mete out justice" "Dee, these are my orders" "I hereby appoint you as our Imperial Commissioner" "With absolute power over all other ranks" "Take charge of the Sea Dragon incident" "Your Majesy..." "Dee has been in the capital for only ten days" "He's not familiar with the place" "I'm afraid that  he is incapable of discharging this mission" "Yuchi, this is my order" "You command the Da Lisi  and our elite militia" "You are to follow the orders of Dee" "Work with him to solve the mystery" "I..." "I obey!" "Master Yuchi" "My congratulations, Master Yuchi!" "Mr Dee..." "You're such a hypocrite  to congratulate me" "Of course I should" "You're about to achieve a great success" "The traitor who's been hiding within the Da Lisi  will soon reveal his identity" "All men of the Da Lisi, these are my orders!" "Prepare your horses!" "Be ready to move!" "The cavalry guards will divide into eight teams" "Join the special force" "Searh for Dondoers in South City  and arrest them for questioning!" "Yes, Sir!" "Sir..." "Since Master Yuchi signed the order to move the troops  no one has seen him" "I know" "Make sure everyone is ready" "Yes, Sir!" "Sir!" "I've brought the joss stick you wanted" "Now, just wait and watch" "What's this all about?" "Choosing the moment to move out" "It's not the "right" moment yet" "We'll move out when the joss stick ends" "You believe in that stuff?" "The Da Lisi has sealed the city to seek out Dondoers" "The traitor needs to sneak out to warn them" "The joss stick  gives him just enough time  to try to do so" "BACKDOOR OF DA LISI" "So you're the traitor" "You guard the door every day" "So you know all our movements and activities" "But you've fallen into the trap I set for you" ""Luring a Snake from its Hole"" "I finally  lured you out!" "I've been in the imperial court for many years" "But I have no prospects here" "I come from a poor family" "The Dondoers promissed to make me a Duke" "So I agreed to be their spy in the Da Lisi" "It's my only chance of becoming a nobleman" "Yuchi's horse went to the west" "He must be going to the river pier" "Go quickly to the Da Lisi" "Tell them to move to the pier" "Yes, Sir!" "(Dondo) Quick, back off!" "(Dondo) The Da Lisi is coming!" "(Dondo) Quick, back off!" "So the supremely skilled Dee  is afraid of water!" "I'm not afraid of water" "I just can't swim" "That's the Sea Dragon which destroyed our warships" "What kind of monster is it?" "Sir" "Sir" "Are you all right?" "Throw in fish to lure the monster back" "Lure the monster back" "Yes, Sir!" "The monster has gone" "It seems to have gone with the Dondoers" "Judging by the direction they took  they must be hiding on an island" "But looking at where our ships were attacked  it could be any one of five small islands" "Which one is their hiding place?" "There's one more clue" "Mr Yuan" "You said that Huo Yi trapped you on an island" "Where was it?" "Where was it?" "I'm not sure" "They're raising a giant sea monster there" "One day..." "One of the guards was neglecting his duties" "So I opened the sluice gate  and released the monster" "In the chaos, I got away" "How long  did you swim for?" "The current flows east" "I followed it and swam as long as it takes a joss stick to burn" "When I saw a light ahead  I swam towards it" "That's the direction of the Fuyu Kingdom" "The light was from their battleships" "It makes sense!" "The 'Sea Dragon' which sank our ships  is the monster that Huo Yi raised" "Yuan Zhen set it free  and it happened to run into our navy" "The duration of a joss stick..." "Current flowing east..." "On this evidence  Huo Yi must be hiding on Bat Island" "The island is home to  thousands of bats" "There are whirlpools offshore  which wreck unwary ships" "A tiny population" "It's a natural fortress" "Just the hiding place for the Dondoers" "They have this monster" "If we head for Bat Island  how can we deal with the monster?" "Sir..." "Please order the navy to stand by" "And buy up every fish in the markets" "Dead or alive" "Small fish to catch the big fish?" "How will you catch it?" ""Peacock Gallbladder"" ""Strychnine Pellets"" "Plus "Peacock Gallbladder"" "Maybe a little "Monks-hood Root" too?" "Why do you think it's your turn to speak?" "What are they talking about?" "Poisons" "Let's not waste time" "I'll start preparing them now" "Why are you standing there?" "Get to work!" "You're not as clever as him, so work harder!" "Four hours from now  we'll meet at the shipyard" "Master Dee..." "Ruiji..." "Is she alright?" "Isn't she here?" "She went to find you at the execution ground  and didn't come back" "Damn!" "I should have guessed" "Ruiji is descended from our enemies" "The law says she must be arrested" "As a bailiff  you must value the law above your own life" "You won't beg for leniency, will you?" "Your Majesty, you're right" "I will not beg you to be lenient" "I am here to place a bet" "A bet?" "Where do you think you are?" "The Emperor suffered from the parasites  and so did many members of the Imperial court" "Great Tang was nearly toppled" "The conspiracy was led by Huo Yi" "We must arrest him" "Or there will be more chaos" "I swear that  I need just one day  to arrest Huo Yi" "I will bet my life on it  against Lady Ruiji's life" "One day..." "Aren't you a touch over-confident?" "If your humble servant fails..., ... you will receive his head" "But if the matter can be resolved in time..." "I beg Your Majesty  to release Lady Ruiji" "Your request is accepted" "But do not forget..." "In case of failure  you will forfeit your life" "And the courtesan's head  will also hang a top the city's walls" "Now  don't be scared" "Remember my "Hold Your Breath" technique" "Dee..." "This is famous "Kun Steed" from Aizhou" "Not fast on land  but matchless in water" "It can help you to fight" "Needless to say  from now on  you and I are even" "Set sail!" "To Bat Island!" "Let's see what's on Huo Yi's mind!" "Yes, Sir!" "Our distance from Bat Island  is now twenty li" "All ships..." "Stop moving!" "All ships..." "Stop moving!" "Sirs..." "No movement in the water" "It's so calm" "Weird, though..." "They must be on Bat Island" "So they can see our approach" "We can't risk disembarking now" "I think we should retreat first" "Really?" "Retreat!" "Order..." "All ships to  turn and withdraw" "All ships..." "Turn and withdraw!" "What's going on?" "Feint the east and attack the west" "You don't know that strategy?" "Dee bet his own life for yours" "What is your relationship with Dee?" "Circumstances made us friends" "Circumstances..." "A young woman who looks like you do  can never be just a 'friend' with a man" "You should know this very well" "Since the two countries are at war  the law says  you should be arrested and interrogated" "If you remain alive... you'll harm Great Tang" "Detain her!" "I'm waiting for Dee to fail" "When that happens  I'll see if your severed head  still draws thousands of admirers!" "(Dondo) Da Lisi has found our hiding place" "(Dondo) We have to retreat before dawn" "(Dondo) Burn them quickly!" "(Dondo) Burn all the herbs and flowers!" "(Dondo) Don't delay!" "(Dondo) Yes, Sir!" "(Dondo) Da Lisi... (Dondo) Their ships have pulled back" "(Dondo) It seems... (Dondo) ... the "Sea God" must have scared them off" "(Dondo) But we can't find the "Sea God" either" "(Dondo) What shall we do?" "(Dondo) Once we've retreated... (Dondo) ... send reinforvements... (Dondo) ... to search for the "Sea God"" "Don't waste your efforts!" "The Da Lisi has Bat Island surrounded" "We kept our distance in daylight  to make your defenses less alert" "You're so experienced  but we've outwitted you" "Shatuo!" "Snake herbs." "Wolf flowers" "The plants all secrete rare poisons" "(Dondo) The one with a mustache... (Dondo) ... is Dee" "So you're the universally loathed..." "Dee!" "Yuchi..." "When I last faced you  I saw your shortcomings" "It seems  Dee will soon have your post" "You blatant thief!" "What makes you so hate our Great Tang?" "What's behind your dirty tricks?" "Dee has godlike foresight" "You don't need to ask me" "Sir..." "The Fuyu Kingdom has long fought sea battles with Great Tang" "Dondo  sits between the two countries" "The islanders are fisherfolk" "The sea battles have affected them" "They've been driven into exile" "Huo Yi..." "Your country is vulnerable..." "You've been forced out of your home" "You came here for revenge" "Dee" "If only we weren't enemies!" "With your help  the world would be ours!" "But..." "Revenge was not my only motive" "The Middle Kingdom..." "You people are getting lazy" "If we pander to your desires  at the right time  we can take over your empire!" "I want to rule an empire!" "Dee!" "You're under poison flowers!" "Sir!" "Sir!" "We can't let Huo Yi escape" "There must be a hiding place down there" "I'll go down to look!" "Let go!" "Let go!" "What did you see?" "This is a nursery for parasites!" "They're using human bodies  to breed them" "So the parasites in the Imperial Tribute tea  were bred in human bodies!" "This is the true face of Huo Yi's master plan" "Sir!" "Dee..." "There's something I've wanted to ask you:" "When you were a bailiff in Bing County  why were you sent to prison?" "I reported corruption in Bing County" "My superior framed me and had me locked up" "I saw many crimes inside the prison" "I understood that truth must be fought for" "And that justice must be demanded" "So, why did you come to the Da Lisi?" "The Da Lisi maintains the Tang Dynasty's laws..." "That is the core of a just society" "If I'm set on defeating crime  and attacking privilege..." "This is the best place to do it" "So, I'll take that as praise" "Well said!" "Dee..." "Our mission is complete" "And Lady Ruiji has been saved" "Why do you still look  so worried?" "There's something in the water!" "Where are you going?" "Can't you see how strangely the sail moves?" "The sail..." "That monster  is right under our ship" "Archers of Ship Two!" "Be ready!" "Yes, Sir!" "Load the crossbows!" "Look-outs, use the signal flags!" "Ship Three!" "Follow the signals!" "Stand by with the poisoned fish!" "Yes, Sir!" "The monster is here!" "Be ready!" "The toxic bait won't work immediately" "This is a timer" "To the monster, the ship's crew... is more interesting than the fish" "We must release the toxic fish at the right moment  or all our efforts will come to nothing" "Prepare the toxic fish!" "It's quite a distance!" "Try to aim them accurately!" "All of you..." "Watch the signals  and don't act rashly" "Yes, Sir!" "The monster is starboard!" "We didn't see any signals!" "We can't aim the toxic fish!" "Over here!" "Aim at the red flag!" "Release them!" "Sir!" "Look!" "Release them!" "The poison will take effect in a while" "The top priority is to evade the monster" "Sir!" "Look!" "Ku?" "ng, Qian Zhang!" "See who needs to be rescued!" "Yes, Sir" "Dee..." "What did you discover this time?" "That I absolutely must learn how to swim!" "TO work in my Da Lisi  one must not be afaid of water" "Mandated by heaven  His Majesty decrees that  the Dondoers are in revolt" "Our brave and dutiful officials  will quell the rebellion" "Yin Ruiji's death sentence is waived" "But Great Tang and the Fuyu Kingdom  remain at war" "So she must be denied  contact with the outside world  and be confined to Swallowed House" "So be it!" "Report to the "Two Saints"" "Your divine mandate  swept away all the demons" "The Da Lisi has dealt with the villains" "Huo Yi and his Dondoers  have been brought to justice" "The "Sea Dragon" case  is now concluded" "Officer Dee" "This is the "Dragon Taming Mace"..." "It is cast from meteorite metals" "Harder than any other metal or stone" "I hereby bestow this mace  charging you with the elimination of all evils" "May you be the conscience of our nation" "And the upholder of law for the world" "Even I myself  and my Imperial family..." "If we fail our people in any way  this mace will admonish us" "Her Majesty is still watching you" "If you stay in Luoyang  your life will be in danger" "In the boxes you'll find money for travelling" "You and Mr Yuan must leave Luoyang at once" "Officer Dee..." "Your Majesty, thank you for your kindness" "This is the story of the "Sea Dragon" case" "This strange case  tied my own fate and that of Luoyang  closely together" "Some years later  the fate of the Tang Dynasty changed for the worse" "A complete reversal" "But..." "Those were all matters still to come"