Zhan Zhao Adventures - Episode 9 and 10 RECAP
EPISODE 9
When Zhan Zhao, Bai Yutang, and Huo Linglong arrived in Yicheng County, they made the decision to wait at the home of the late Constable Liu Hong Yi in the hopes that a victim connected to Liu's cases eventually show up. A shady salesman pacing the lane caught their attention. The man identified himself as Fan Zhongyu, a scholar in hiding, after confirming his identification with a jade pendant—a covert signal Liu had given him instructions to use.
Fan Zhongyu told a tragic story: two months earlier, Yu Lian, his sister, disappeared. Yu Lian had been selling her needlework to the Ruzhen Embroidery Shop in Xiangyang to cover his tuition. Fan was beaten and threatened by the local authorities when he tried to report her missing. The only person who had discreetly consented to assist was the recently appointed Liu Hong Yi, but he was killed soon after discovering a lead. To look into the Ruzhen Embroidery Shop, the group traveled to Xiangyang.
Bai Yutang pretended to be an extravagant, affluent lord, with Huo Linglong and Zhan Zhao serving as his servants. As Bai pretended to be interested in expensive silks and mentioned a courtesan by the name of "Qiu Chan," Huo Linglong and Zhan Zhao spotted a secret door behind the counter. They concluded that the store recruited young women with large salaries, then trafficked them via a hidden underground passage to a nearby brothel known as Fenglai Pavilion.
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That night, Bai Yutang visited Fenglai Pavilion alone. He specifically requested Qiu Chan, an older, faded courtesan who had been trapped in the brothel by debt. During his visit, Bai encountered the notorious "Flower Thief" Hua Chong. Bai easily intimidated the rogue, swiping his gold to pay for Qiu Chan’s redemption. He also noticed several martial artists being ushered into a secret area.
As Zhan Zhao and Huo Linglong explored the rear entrance of the embroidery shop and saw Shao Jizu meeting with Si Ming of the Hanshui Palace, Bai gave Hua Chong a pill he claimed would cause permanent impotence in order to gain leverage, telling the scared man to meet him the next morning for the "antidote." They heard Si Ming describe the political situation: Zhan Zhao had been purposefully permitted by the Emperor to "escape" the capital in order to look into the Lord of Xiangyang. Many kidnapped women were kept at this secret facility, which was only accessible to those with a special command token or a notable reputation in the martial arts community. The group came up with a plan after realizing that Yu Lian was probably incarcerated there. In order to enter the courtyard, Zhan Zhao chose to act as the scholar Shen Zhongyuan.
To secure an entry token, Bai Yutang set out to locate Shao Jizu, who was known to frequent the Baihua Tavern to drown his sorrows over his failing relationship with Huo Linglong.
EPISODE 10
Bai Yu Tang came up with a scheme to "borrow" a gold token from Shao Ji Zu as he knew that it was necessary to have one in order to access the Zhongxiao Pavilion. He followed the commander to the Baihua Tavern's second level, where Shao Ji Zu was consuming alcohol to vent his annoyance. Pretending to be an irate ally who had been wrongfully accused by Zhan Zhao's inflexible sense of duty, Bai Yu Tang approached him.
After witnessing Zhan Zhao's success in the government, he said he was sick of being wanted and that he desired to pursue an official position for himself and his brothers. Shao Ji Zu's guard dropped when he heard the compliments, proving that the trick was successful. Bai Yu Tang persisted, threatening to expose Zhan Zhao's secret investigative activities in exchange for Shao Ji Zu assisting the Five Rats in becoming official members.
Bai Yu Tang carried on with his play over drinks, calling Zhan Zhao a wandering hypocrite and even making fun of Shao Ji Zu for wasting his time on the "plain-looking" Huo Linglong. Huo Linglong and Zhan Zhao were relaxing at a tea establishment nearby. She heard every slur thanks to her extraordinary hearing, and when she became enraged, she dragged Zhan Zhao away. Eventually, evidently drunk, Shao Ji Zu gave up his gold token.
But his intoxicated drowsiness was a front; he was cooperating while discreetly informing Zhi Hua to set up an ambush at the Zhongxiao Pavilion. When Bai Yu Tang returned to his room after a short nap, the token was gone. Still furious at his remarks, Huo Linglong had accepted it.
In order to please her, Bai Yu Tang had to explain that his stories of Zhan Zhao's alleged maltreatment of maids and his engagement to the Ding family were total fabrications meant to deceive Shao Ji Zu. They got ready to move once her rage subsided. Zhan Zhao went in search of Hua Chong that evening while posing as the martial artist Shen Zhong Yuan. Hua Chong wanted an antidote because he was terrified of the "impotence pill" that Bai Yu Tang had made him swallow.
Zhan Zhao deceived him by claiming that the pill was just candy and that Bai Yu Tang's "Western evil technique" of blocking his meridians was the real reason of his physical distress. Convinced by the deception and desperate for a remedy, Hua Chong guided Zhan Zhao into the Zhongxiao Pavilion via hidden passageways. In the meantime, the two were able to reconcile inside an embroidery shop after Bai Yu Tang entered from the rear using the gold token.
Guests in red robes and demonic masks crowded the Zhongxiao Pavilion's grand hall, placing bids on women on display on a large platform. Zhan Zhao's gaze fell upon a limping guy whose walk resembled that of a clerk he had observed at Liu Hong Yi's residence. Bai Yu Tang went over to the man to ask questions and found out that there were three rounds to the auctions, but that any woman may be taken by visitors who possessed gold tokens.
Zhan Zhao became worried that they were being too noticeable and feared what would happen if the enemy found out. Zhan Zhao had little choice but to follow when an individual showed up before they could leave, claiming that their master had asked for a private meeting with "Master Shen." In the meantime, Bai Yu Tang placed a bid for a girl called Hui Dai using the token.
She revealed to them that Yu Lian, the missing girl, solely stayed with the mysterious owner, He Bo, and was not included in the normal auctions. In order to safeguard herself and the other women, Bai Yu Tang offered Hui Dai pills to sneak into the visitors' baths and urged her to hold onto hope. But the trap had already been laid. The genuine Shen Zhong Yuan had been turned into a mindless puppet by Zhi Hua's use of poison.
Bai Yu Tang was taken prisoner after the real Shen surprised him with a strong Pili Palm blow. Hallucinogenic candles in a private room almost put Zhan Zhao in a trance, but he was able to put them out in time. When the Moon Envoy saw Zhan Zhao's face, she discreetly helped him despite the fact that she had three assassins with her.
Zhan Zhao battled his way out and hit Zhi Hua after realizing that the "Shen Zhong Yuan" attacking him was a puppet. Bai Yu Tang was suspended in midair when Zhan Zhao hurried back to the main hall. A chilly arrow wounded Zhan Zhao's left arm as he jumped to save him. Together, the two battled against enormous opponents. Again, the Moon Envoy stepped in to stop a deadly arrow that was headed their way. Huo Linglong showed up to offer much-needed assistance just as the conflict was getting more intense.
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Posted May 18, 2026, 4:02 PM UTC