Episode 12 (The Mystic Nine)

**Episode 12 (The Mystic Nine)** is the twelfth episode of the television series The Mystic Nine.

## Synopsis

Fo Ye runs into trouble during the auction. The real Peng Sanbian creates problems for Yin Xinyue.

## Story

Yin Xinyue thought it was interesting that there were two Peng Sanbians. She told the hearing servants to direct the actual Peng Sanbian to one of the receiving rooms. Peng Sanbian was upset because of the whole ordeal and explained to the guards and servants what happened to him on the train. Yin Xinyue came in to greet him dressed in a suit so as to disguise herself as a man. After meeting each other, Peng Sanbian wanted to meet the owner of the hotel thinking that Yin Xinyue was too young to be dealing with the matter. Yin Xinyue pretended to agree but secretly told the hearing servant to entertain him and don't tell the owner.

At the auction, Hendry Cox was the person behind the hidden blinds next to the Chairman. Various items were being auctioned off but the first part of the auction ended with another round to resume later. Fo Ye and Ba Ye were waiting anxiously and thought that the second auction round was the main attraction and would have double the price tags. Yin Xinyue arrived at the auction. The second round was about to begin but first the auctioneer made a special announcement. Three objects were to be auctioned off during the second round. The stipulation for this round was that if "Peng Sanbian" could obtain one of the three items being auctioned, then it would become the first betrothal gifts between the heir of Xin Yue hotel and himself. Fo Ye seemed unbothered and told a flustered Ba Ye to focus on the auction.

The three traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, Qilin Blood Clot, the Lu Huo Herb that was for Ya Tou, and blue snake gall, were being blindly auctioned off. A blind auction meant that whoever placed a bid had no idea which of the three items they were actually bidding for. Fo Ye wanted to do a testing bid to start off to understand the tactics of the other bidders. Other guests were discussing the auctioned items. The blue snake is poisonous and dark blue with golden eyes. It only grows in cold climates and is extremely rare but its gallbladder is used for medicine. Qilin Blood Clot was able to make a person immune to any poisons, insects/worm-like things, and evil spirits. Meanwhile the Chairman, a former royal family member, Hendry Cox, and Fo Ye were placing their bids.

The Chairman asked for his sky lantern to be lit. Lighting a sky lantern meant that that person had control of the whole bidding process. No matter what was being auctioned or how high the price became, the person that lit the lantern would be the one paying for it. Fo Ye also wanted their lantern to be lit. Now the highest bidder between them would win whatever is in the box. The two continued to bid against each other but the Chairman gave up seemingly on Hendry Cox's orders.

   The second item was being auctioned and Fo Ye and the Chairman entered into a bidding war. The Chairman eventually asked for his lantern to be lit again. Fo Ye thought getting the item from the Japanese would be difficult so he asked for his lantern to be lit as well. They continued to bid against each other but the Chairman again got a signal to stop and did so. Fo Ye now had both items. Before the third round starts Fo Ye was informed that he had reached the upper limit of the guaranteed amount he had with the hotel. If he couldn't increase it, he would not be able to bid in the next round. Fo Ye told Ba Ye to inform the people in Changsha that he still had items in his house and to continue raising money. Ba Ye didn't think they would be able to guarantee the money right now since the current amount was already guaranteed by four of the largest banks in Changsha. There was no way they'd be able to find another bank to guarantee the money. Fo Ye then asked Ba Ye to look for Xie Jiuye and to seek out the nine families for ideas. Once Ba Ye went on his way, Fo Ye asked the auctioneer to delay the auction for thirty minutes. She acquiesced.

The Chairman got up out of his seat to tell Fo Ye to give up and not waste away the rest of his assets. Fo Ye told him that he only wanted one item but was restricted by the blind auction rule and could only prepare to lose all of his family's assets. But Fo Ye wanted to know why the Chairman was so keen on out bidding him. The Chairman quoted a Chinese saying intending to insult Fo Ye. At the same time, it was made clear that he was not Chinese. The other guests at the auction figured out the Chairman was Japanese and became restless. Fo Ye schooled him on Chinese culture and that the Chairman didn't understand it. The other guests, including the royal, applauded thinking the Chairman was too arrogant.

Jiu Ye seemed to have gotten Ba Ye's message because he was upset that they were causing trouble even in another city. He rang someone up on the telephone and asked how much money he currently had available. Ba Ye informed Fo Ye that Jiu Ye found a bank willing to be their guarantor. However, it likely will still not be enough. Meanwhile, Jiu Ye was writing a letter to a person named "Jun Kinoshita" who was from the Japanese Commerce Inspection Board.

The thirty minutes was up and the third item was about to be auctioned. Fo Ye had still not gathered enough money to light the lantern. A man came over with a briefcase full of cash from the Prince of the Third Rank who was sitting nearby. Fo Ye announced to the auctioneer that he could continue much to the surprise of Hendry Cox. Fo Ye then asked for his lantern to be lit much to the surprise of the Chairman. Other guests were gossiping that two lanterns have never been lit consecutively before. The Chairman received a notice that informed him that the Japanese Chamber of Commerce had stopped their funding. Fo Ye won the last item to the dismay of Hendry Cox and the Chairman. Everyone at the auction congratulated Fo Ye while Yin Xinyue looked on smiling. The two exchanged glances and Fo Ye immediately told Ba Ye they needed to find Er Ye. They went to get the items but the staff informed them they could only retrieve them once they left the hotel.

The real Peng Sanbian interrupted and was upset that he was being ignored since he was waiting in another room the whole time. He used his whip to destroy a nearby table. Peng Sanbian insisted he was the real one while Fo Ye was the fake. Fo Ye accused the other of being a fake especially since he didn't have the invitation for the hotel. They tried to think of ways to identify the real Peng Sanbian and settled on fighting each other while blindfolded.

The two were blindfolded but Ba Ye made sure Fo Ye could still see through his blindfold. Ba Ye and Yin Xinyue also made distractions during the fight to confuse the real Peng Sanbian.

## Characters

* Yin Xinyue
* Peng Sanbian
* Hendry Cox
* Fo Ye
* Ba Ye
* Peng Sanbian
* Xie Jiuye