Episode 9 (The Mystic Nine)

**Episode 9 (The Mystic Nine)** is the ninth episode of the television series The Mystic Nine.

## Synopsis

Fo Ye, Er Ye, and Ba Ye enact a plan to get an invitation to the Xin Yue Hotel. Chen Pi Ah Si bares the consequences of working with Tanaka Ryoko. Lieutenant Zhang tries to outsmart Hendry Cox.

## Story

Jiu Ye, Fo Ye, Er Ye, and Ba Ye were discussing the Xin Yue Hotel. The hotel held the largest precious gems auction in Beiping (Beijing was formerly called Beiping). The owner had a very rich history and even the Japanese needed to show a lot of respect when meeting them. An invitation was needed to enter the hotel. Jiu Ye relayed information from his subordinates that a wealthy businessman was going to the hotel and that he should have an invitation on him. The name of the businessman was Peng Sanbian and was good at using a whip. Fo Ye recognized the name and knew he created a sandy soil business in Yinchuan. A lot of Peng Sanbian's subordinates were fugitives. Ba Ye also recognized him for his formidable reputation and worried about taking an invitation from him. Jiu Ye came up with the idea that they should obtain the invitation by outsmarting him. The plan was that Ba Ye would offer predictions on the train and attract the attention of Peng Sanbian. Once Ba Ye was close enough he would verify the location of the invitation. Er Ye would then use his great light martial arts skills to obtain the invitation while the train was cloaked in darkness from a cave tunnel. If Er Ye failed, then Fo Ye would kill Peng Sanbian. Once they retrieved the item they would escape onto one of the passing trains.

Chen Pi Ah Si was waiting in a jail cell when Lt. Zhang came in to talk with him. Lt. Zhang asked if he knew why he was arrested and Chen Pi responded that it was because in Changsha, Fo Ye was able to arrest anyone he wanted. Lt. Zhang wanted to know his relationship with the Japanese and challenged him to a fight where he finally told Chen Pi what he was arrested for. He also wanted to know whether Chen Pi would risk Ya Tou's life to hide the information on the Japanese from them. Chen Pi thought it was worth it if the medicine could delay or lessen her pain because they had exhausted so many options already. Lt. Zhang told him about the medicine that Fo Ye and Er Ye were getting. Even though Chen Pi only worked with the Japanese to help Ya Tou, he still committed a mistake and had to stay in jail until they came back. Chen Pi promised to tell them where he got the medicine from.

Er Ye and Fo Ye were holding deadly weapons in preparation of their trip. The next day, at Changsha Railway Station, Fo Ye, Ba Ye, and Er Ye were waiting on the platform for the train. Peng Sanbian was waiting on the train and drinking while listening to an opera song. The three of them boarded and pretended not to know each other. Er Ye and Fo Ye sat across from each other while Ba Ye roamed the train reciting Taoist teachings dressed as a fortune teller. He was able to find Peng Sanbian and tried to tell him his fortune but the other did not believe in deities or ghosts. Peng Sanbian became upset thinking Ba Ye was trying to swindle him out of money but in a struggle Ba Ye was able to check his chest for the invitation. He got out of the carriage unscathed and relayed the information to Er Ye and Fo Ye using a code so as to not attract attention. Er Ye got up and headed towards Peng Sanbian. He came down from the opening in the ceiling and managed to get the invitation out of Peng Sanbian's pocket while he was asleep. However, the other woke up and his subordinates came to the door of the carriage worried. Er Ye had a knife pointed towards Peng Sanbian that was out of sight so the other pretended to be cordial. Fo Ye & Ba Ye came to the carriage and Er Ye tried to leave but Peng Sanbian insisted he stay for a drink. The subordinates eyed each other seemingly tipped off from his statement and reached for their weapons. A fight ensued and as another train passed by, Ba Ye, Er Ye, and Fo Ye were able to escape by boarding it. Once on the other train, they found Ya Tou and settled into a carriage. They discussed what they would need to prepare to go to the Xin Yue Hotel.

Lt. Zhang and many soldiers arrived at the entrance to the Changsha Chamber's Commerce of USA where they were denied entry. So, Lt. Zhang broke in and looked around but was caught by Hendry Cox who invited him to eat some snacks and drink some wine. Lt. Zhang asked Hendry Cox if he knew about morphine he gave to Ya Tou. Hendry Cox put the blame on Chen Pi and said it was he who actively approached him and begged for it. While interrogating him, a man name Song Yu Ming called and Hendry Cox gestured for Lt. Zhang to answer it. It was the lieutenant's superior who scolded him for trespassing onto the American Chamber of Commerce. Lt. Zhang tried to explain that he was interrogating Hendry Cox for illegally having morphine thinking he had the upper hand. However, Song Yu Ming angrily told him that he was the one who gave the morphine to Cox and asked whether Lt. Zhang wanted to drag him in too. Cox was a friend of the communist party and the envoy for a good U.S.-China relationship and Song Yu Ming further emphasized that the party did not give Lt. Zhang permission to enter the property of the U.S. embassy. Lt. Zhang was on his way out but knocked someone out that worked there and examined that person's foot to determine whether they were a Japanese spy. That person was wearing tabi socks which were usually worn with traditional Japanese wooden sandals. Lt. Zhang then went somewhere nearby and started a fire.

The people at the American Changsha Chamber of Commerce were busy putting out the fire with buckets of water. Lt. Zhang looked on from the roof and jumped down to talk to the soldiers on the streets. He reported to them that they have a backer but Fo Ye said that if they were unable to proceed with the investigation, then wipe them out. Hendry Cox and Tanaka Ryoko came out onto the streets where Lt. Zhang and the soldiers were waiting for them. Lt. Zhang faked pleasantries and invited Mr. Cox to rest at Fo Ye's manor. Once they were at the manor, Lt. Zhang fed them food that was particularly spicy and ordered the soldiers to take them back once they've finished the food. One of the soldiers reported that all of the people that worked there were Japanese, Lt. Zhang didn't want to see them again in Changsha. On the way back to the embassy, Hendry Cox and Tanaka Ryoko discussed what they would do now that all of Tanaka Ryoko's men disappeared. Hendry Cox wanted Tanaka to report to her superior and tell him if they wanted to continue working together then he needed more time and she needed more people. Hendry Cox also noticed that Fo Ye was not at the manor and wanted Tanaka to find out where he had gone.

Yin Xinyue was waiting for Peng Sanbian at Beiping's Train Station. She was adamant at not letting him enter her hotel as it did not matter whether he had an invitation or not.

## Characters

* Fo Ye
* Er Ye
* Ba Ye
* Jiu Ye
* Chen Pi Ah Si
* Lieutenant Zhang
* Ya Tou
* Hendry Cox
* Tanaka Ryoko
* Yin Xinyue (briefly)
* Peng Sanbian

## Locations

* Xin Yue Hotel (mentioned)
* Fo Ye's Home
* The Changsha Chamber's Commerce of USA
* Beiping Train Station

## References

1. ↑ One of the most well-known ways to distinguish Japanese spies in this era was to look at their feet to see if they had been wearing Geta (traditional Japanese wooden sandal clogs). See *The Mystic Nine*, Chapter 4