Episode 10 (The Mystic Nine)

**Episode 10 (The Mystic Nine)** is the tenth episode of the television series The Mystic Nine.

## Synopsis

Ba Ye and Fo Ye try to navigate the Xin Yue Hotel. Lu Jianxun believes he can use Chen Pi Ah Si to solve his Nine Clans problem.

## Story

Yin Xinyue was sitting on a bench in the Beiping train station waiting for Peng Sanbian to arrive. She had a sign with the name Qu Ru Mei on it so that Peng Sanbian would recognize it when he arrived. Her father had intended for her to marry Peng Sanbian, a man she had never met. Her plan was to run Peng Sanbian out of town and just accept whatever punishment from her father. Fo Ye came off the train and recognized the sign with the name Qu Ru Mei on it because it was a play on words in relation to the Xin Yue Hotel. Yin Xinyue's changed her plans once she saw how handsome Fo Ye, posing as Peng Sanbian, was. Fo Ye and Ba Ye were escorted by employees of the Xin Yue Hotel and led to a car where Yin Xinyue was pretending to be their driver. They spoke during the car ride and Yin Xinyue asked them questions about Northwest China (where they should be from) and about themselves. Fo Ye avoided her questions and thought she was suspicious.

They arrived at the hotel where Fo Ye and Ba Ye were directed towards their room. They talked about the hotel which had been around for over a hundred years but its origin and backstory was a mystery. Even the change in government did not affect the hotel and only made it more stable. Fo Ye wanted Ba Ye to go around and investigate before the auction was to start.

Ya Tou and Er Ye were staying at the Jin Tai Hotel nearby. Er Ye thought back to what Fo Ye told him on the train. Fo Ye wanted him to rest while he took care of the auction at the Xin Yue Hotel. Ya Tou asked Er Ye to comb her hair. While doing so, he combed out many strands of hair and became worried. He suggested Ya Tou to cut her hair short like the modern women in Beiping and she thought it was a good idea.

Lu Jianxun was in his office when a subordinate reported that Fo Ye hadn't left his house for two days. He was also turning away all guests. Lu Jianxun thought it was odd since Fo Ye loved to show off to guests. The subordinate also reported on the fact that Chen Pi Ah Si was arrested by Fo Ye just a few days ago for collaborating with the Japanese. Lu Jianxun wanted to meet Chen Pi and ordered his subordinate to make preparations. Later, Lu Jianxun went to the jail cell where Chen Pi was being held and discussed the reason why he was there. He tried to get under the other's skin by suggesting he was a pawn that was being thrown away by Er Ye. Although it worked, Chen Pi wouldn't cooperate with whatever plan Lu Jianxun had in mind. Lu Jianxun resorted to taking Chen Pi away.

At the Xin Yue Hotel, Ba Ye recognized the famous Taoist priest Duan Shou Li who supposedly knew heaven's intentions and spoke with gods and deities. He was a favorite among the rich and famous. Ba Ye also pointed out the Hua twins, also known as Bing Di (two flowers growing side by side on the same stem), who had skills in seducing rich men that could ensnare their souls. Since there were a lot of famous people at the auction, the auction goods were likely valuable. Fo Ye pointed out that the real big players haven't appeared yet. Peng Sanbian wasn't a big player and also wasn't a person that people would recognize so their identities were safe. Yin Xinyue was gambling at the tables nearby and winning every time she placed a bet. The other men surrounding her would scramble to place the same bets as her. Fo Ye realized that one of the servants had exceptional hearing because she had a unique ear lobe and was helping Yin Xinyue win. However, once Fo Ye said this the other servants reacted to his words and seemed to be able to hear what everyone there was saying. All of the speech and movement in the hotel had been under their control. Ba Ye thought that they could bypass their security by speaking in a Changsha dialect. He shouted "idiot" in the dialect and none of them seemed to react to his words, so they thought this was a safe method. Fo Ye and Ba Ye began checking out the hotel's security. The security guards had batons that had poisonous spikes on the ends so anyone that would get hit would die. They also surmised that the treasure room was on the top floor.

They went back to their hotel room and discussed the opera group that was set to perform at the Xin Yue Hotel. Ba Ye thought they could get Er Ye in since the audience could pick the performance on the last day. A guest can name the act they want but the highest bidder wins as a warm up for the auction. In a dining area, Ba Ye was persuading other guests to pay for the last performance of the day.

## Characters

* Yin Xinyue
* Fo Ye
* Ba Ye
* Er Ye
* Ya Tou
* Lu Jianxun
* Chen Pi Ah Si
* Peng Sanbian (mentioned)

## Location

* Beiping Train Station
* Xin Yue Hotel
* Jin Tai Hotel
* Lu Jianxun's office