Strange Tales of Taiping Town (太平镇奇谈)

July Half-Moon.

Ghost Gates Open.

Little ghosts come to collect paper offerings.

[when masters arrange incense, candles, and spirit money, ]

[and performing rites to pray for blessings, ]

Go!

The third watch.

Heaven dry, objects parched.

Beware of fire and candles.

Heaven dry, objects parched.

Beware of fire and candles.

Past the hour of Zi,

when vengeful spirits come seeking life,

knocking will be heard.

Sir,

you're freaking me out!

You two are such cowards.

You'll never make it big.

What's the most important thing

in our pawn trade?

Huh?

Boldness!

A black heart!

Think back then…

Sir,

stop it!

Well.

It wasn't me knocking!

Who is it?

Dead of night,

everyone's resting!

What's all the knocking!

Shopkeeper.

We wish to pawn.

We're closed for the day.

No pawning.

Come back tomorrow.

Shopkeeper,

a family emergency.

We beg your understanding.

The front shutters are barred.

Use the back door.

Persistent, aren't they?

Thank you.

Sir.

That voice

is a little spooky.

Could it be a ghost?

What?

Speak of the devil!

Shopkeeper,

we're at the back door.

No, no, no.

They ran so fast!

Busan, Busi!

Grab your weapons, quick!

Go on!

Uh, right!

Hurry up!

Hurry!

Coming, coming!

Stop knocking!

Calling for souls?

Our master has passed from illness.

The family urgently needs money.

We've come specially to pawn

a precious item.

The books are already closed.

What do you want to pawn?

Come back tomorrow.

Go back!

Go back!

Oh!

Goodness.

Shopkeeper,

we're all in the underworld.

Show some flexibility.

Everyone has difficulties.

Fine, follow me in.

These two useless things!

Forgive the embarrassment.

May I ask

what treasure do you wish to pawn?

July 15th.

Vengeful spirits seek life.

What we wish to pawn

is your head.

Ghosts rob treasures and claim lives,

throwing all into panic and alarm.

Rumor has it that

Mr. Lai of the pawnshop

lacks virtue.

That's why he got into trouble.

So that's how it is.

Right.

Of course, Mr. Lai wouldn't admit it.

He posted a reward:

Anyone who retrieves the treasure

gets a ten percent cut.

Wow!

So much money.

10%.

They say it's a haunting,

no one dares get involved.

Exactly!

- Who would dare? - Too terrifying!

However, right at this moment,

a mysterious figure

arrived here,

Taiping Town.

Chief,

a robbery case like this,

leave it to us to handle.

Why trouble yourself?

This time it's different.

This Mr. Lai has connections at the Provincial Department.

The Director called me first thing,

demanding I solve the case within a deadline.

Look,

these are the items stolen from Mr. Lai.

Each is of immense value.

I heard this Mr. Lai

started his fortune by grave robbing.

Could it be he damaged his virtue,

inviting this haunting?

What?

It's no haunting.

It's someone using the guise of a haunting to commit evil.

Who are you?

Who let you in?

Throw him out!

All unauthorized personnel, out!

Don't interfere with police investigation!

My young master

is the famous psychic detective

from Peking,

Qin Mu!

Get out of the way!

I'm a psychic immortal!

Hey!

Hey, hey, hey!

Please, don't be mistaken.

I'm here to help you with the case.

Shut up!

One more word

and I'll shoot you!

Go ahead!

Wait.

You are the Peking detective, Qin Mu?

Indeed, that is I.

What brings you here?

You're very suspicious.

- You... - Chief Zhu!

Chief Zhu!

Qin is my friend.

He travels the land,

passed through Taiping Town,

and stumble onto this case.

Since he's your friend,

then he's one of us!

Come.

Let him go!

Boss,

are reporters all that powerful nowadays?

The Provincial Department's Secretary-General is also a Bai.

No wonder.

Since Detective Qin says it's not a haunting,

what have you discovered?

The Jiangnan Flying Thief,

Golden Swallow.

Golden Swallow?

Who is it?

She is the renowned Jiangnan Flying Thief.

No one has ever seen her true face.

Some say

she is not human,

but a spectral envoy,

able to walk the underworld, command spirits,

and carry out tasks for the living

that belong to the realm of the dead.

This opera mask

is a signature of Golden Swallow.

Rumor has it that

she excels at disguise

and well-versed in the mystic arts.

Playing the part of a haunting spirit

is no difficult task for her.

Then issue a warrant for Golden Swallow.

That should satisfy the Department.

Not so fast, Chief.

If we don't recover the stolen items,

we can't answer to the Provincial Department.

Sheesh.

Did you see a ghost?

It was a ghost!

A ghost!

A ghost killed the shopkeeper!

A ghost!

The ghost came to claim a life!

And this is?