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Five years ago,
The Drowning Ghost
made its first kill.
Rumors then spread of "a hungry beast"...
..."a watery wraith"...
...or a...
..."spirit that feasts on heads."
But... all the details remain vague.
Yet one thing is agreed upon.
That this evil is growing more vicious.
To date, eight have been killed.
And all were headless.
Their remains
are charmed and buried afar.
Detective Kien,
I write to ask you to take on my case.
My District was terrified, when my niece, named Nga,
suddenly vanished.
This slipper is Nga's.
So I was right! Yet you doubt me!
None would dare find Nga. They think the Ghost has taken her.
But until now, her body has yet to surface.
I pray she can still be found.
Her life is on the line.
I'm calling for your aid.
DETECTIVE KIEN The Headless Horror
No, sir!
Don't touch her.
"SEEKING LOST RELATIVE CONTACT MISS MOON"
Moon's been searching for her niece.
Closed her stall since!
You want her?
Try the District Chief's home.
She should still be there.
Yesterday he was "busy,"
today he is "away."
You know too well those are excuses!
If the District Chief won't help, then who?
That was his order.
All your queries, bring them tomorrow.
Had it been your relative,
could you wait until tomorrow?
Don't be stubborn, ma'am.
Chief Liem!
I know you're in there!
Nga has gone for five days!
Why aren't you sending more men?!
I alone can't search the whole District!
Mister Kien?
Greetings, Madam Moon.
Just "Miss" is fine.
"Madam" ages me so.
Miss Moon.
I wrote to you on a prayer. But then, you're here.
She's only a woman.
No need for violence.
The Chief is away today...
Correct, you two?
We'll return later, then.
Right when my niece vanished, I came to the Chief.
But he kept saying... the culprit was the Drowning Ghost.
So he refused to task his men to find Nga.
Everyone thinks it's the Ghost...
...but not you, Miss?
Since the dawn of time,
those killed by the Ghost, their bodies will surface!
But as for Nga? All I have is her slipper!
Nga lives here with her father.
I am Kien. Detective of the Judge.
Miss Moon?
How did you know Mister Kien?
My past husband...
Kien arrested him for corruption.
Well, now... You detained Governor Duc Trong?
Most admirable!
You're too kind.
I was doing my duty.
I know only Mister Kien can recover Nga.
I wonder when... was the last time you two saw Nga?
About five days ago.
That morning, she greeted me. Then she went to the market.
In recent days,
did she behave strangely?
No, good sir.
Nga is of age to settle.
Surely, she has a suitor?
Why is that your query?
I've had cases where...
lovers flee together.
Whatever else you need,
seek out Moon here.
I've matters to tend to.
Pardon me.
As you've said...
Nga is a thing of beauty.
She must have pursuers?
Nga has none at all!
How about enemies?
She is as soft as a saint!
In quarrels, she stays quiet.
No way can she make enemies.
Oh, wait.
Two weeks ago,
someone broke into her room!
Broke into?
Save me! A thief!
Home's occupied, yet still intruded.
Thieves here sure are bold.
Besides jewel boxes and ceramics,
is anything else lost?
Only those things.
Room's furnishings reveal Nga as modest.
So why would she spend
on these knick-knacks?
I also think they're absurd.
But I didn't mind...
As long as she's happy.
No signs of plundering in her wardrobe.
I don't think Nga ran away.
May I see Nga's slipper?
It's still at the lake.
Hm?
I'll guide you there. It'll make sense.
I thank you,
but I'll go alone.
Meaning?
"Unless bound, love unfound."
Us walking together might fuel rumors.
I was about to cast my line
and I saw the slipper on the water!
No amulet on you, sir?
Amulet?
Stay here then.
Xanthium fruit.
The Drowning Ghost's victims
were found by this lake, sir?
Yes.
Folks believe where there is water,
there the Ghost be. In rivers, in lakes.
None would go near.
Pardon my rudeness.
Leave it to me?
I'd call a proper shaman!
Another detective won't solve anything!
"Another"?
District Chief Liem already hired a detective.
And after two days, he left!
I heard that
the Ghost had haunted him!
Mother's here. Calm down! Calm!
Calm down. I'm here!
Drowning...
What now?
The Ghost was taking me!
It was about to, Mother!
Move her outside now.
Don't let ghosts roam here!
All right, love!
I'll handle it.
Don't just stand there!
Fetch new clothes for Miss Tuyet, quick!
Yes...
I've asked it many times.
"Kill".
It wants only carnage, and demands nothing else.
This evil is most powerful.
But my incense and amulet can protect you.
Matters of the Living and the Dead... have none in common.
There are things beyond perception.
May you be safe.
Thanks, Shaman.
You'd be well-versed in herbs...
I wonder where do... xanthium fruits grow here?
I'd find them by the falls.
So many ghosts around!
One underwater.
One behind trees.
I've told you before!
Nga wasn't taken by the Drowning Ghost!
So why see Shaman Tinh, then?
Do you trust me?
Then let me find her with my methods.
So why bar me from coming with you?
I know your character well.
Heart on both sleeves.
Forward to a fault.
That is me... when I was a Governor's Madam.
- Nowadays, I am-- - The very same!
How about...
I'll tuck my heart in.
Better?
Fine then!
You have your methods, I have mine!
Hold on.
I'm going to Vu Thien Falls.
You must know the way?
Not only do I know,
I also have a faster way.
Blood!
Could it be--?
- Heavens! - Miss Moon...
This might be someone else's. Or an animal's.
Don't jump to conclusions.
If Nga is hurt, we must find her!
Stay calm.
At any cost, I'll return Nga to you.
But now we must be collected. Be clear.
You hear me?
To find a person,
I must really know who they are.
And I've told you everything.
I haven't been told about Nga's mother.
Your elder sister, she ran away, yes?
How do you know?
No spirit tablet on the altar. That means she's alive.
And when I said Nga ran away...
...Sir Vinh reacted oddly.
When Nga was a few months old,
her mother left with her lover.
And folks sure had cruel tongues.
Some said with certainty...
...Nga wasn't related to Sir Vinh.
No one knew the facts.
But the sight of Nga... was her father's shame.
My sister's actions, I can't vouch for them.
But I couldn't abandon her child.
For the longest time, we were thick as thieves.
No child here would play with her.
They talked among themselves...
...that since Nga is a bastard child, both her parents left her.
Nga?
Do you know what this is?
It's a treasure. It will always empowers you.
Granny gave this bangle to me.
And now
it shall be yours.
Auntie, won't you be sad, giving it to me?
No way.
I'll be happy, in fact. Do you know why?
Because you love me most.
Do you know why I love you most?
Because you are my mother.
I'll make arrangements to visit Nga.
In case I can't,
I'll write letters.
Or send gifts to cheer her up.
I'd rather you had cut Nga off like a spare thread!
Then it's done!
She's your thread, not a thread!
Keep your venom in your mouth, please.
Your sister, its mother, even ran from it!
Your father needed you to be a wife, so go be one!
Did anyone force you... to be a moral preacher?!
Stop being nosy!
At the Market's gates, whether rain or shine,
she'd wait for me.
Despite what folks said, Nga wouldn't believe I had left.
Years kept on passing, and Nga kept on blooming.
The thing was, she was still looked at
with unkind eyes.
Meal before your herbs, father.
I've prepared them in the kitchen.
I'll... go to our fabric stall now.
When I left her,
she was a baby.
But when I lost it all,
I searched for her.
Nga?
I don't deserve a child like Nga.
I left her without a word.
Yet she forgave me, still.
This towel...
Has it been washed? I find it...
...muddy?
Don't worry!
I bought it new.
True shade of schmaltz. Not mud.
It's as I thought. Nga met trouble at the falls.
She lost her slipper.
It then followed the creek and got to the lake.
Should we return to the falls, Mister Kien?
Miss Moon.
We've trailed the creek the whole day.
And there's no sign of Nga.
Come morning, we find another lead.
As you command, Judge's Detective.
Hear ye, hear ye!
The night has peaked
Folks near and far
Join locks, close doors
Don't let the Ghost
Break and enter!
"Hiet."
You told Miss Moon... on that day Nga left earlier than usual?
Do you know the cause?
No, sir! I only saw her going south.
Closing up early, Nga?
South is where the falls are.
On that day, was Nga acting strangely?
I'm not so sure.
But there was this...
I was setting up my stall. Saw Nga with a patron.
But... they seemed to be quarreling.
Do you recognize that patron?
Miss Tuyet, the Chief's daughter.
Greetings, great District Chief.
I am Kien. Detective of the Judge.
I visited you prior, but was told you were busy.
You've traveled far.
What is your matter here?
I've come to investigate Miss Nga's disappearance.
Whatever you need, do let me know.
I'll support you in full.
I only ask for an audience with Tuyet,
the Young Lady of the house.
A witness said you met Nga
on the day she vanished.
There might have... been a quarrel?
Yes.
It was trivial.
I ordered some brocade, but Nga got the wrong color.
How did you two resolve it?
I'd only pay for the right color.
But Nga refused?
She was furious.
Also said she'd get money from Thac if I didn't pay up.
Thac?
He's my fiance.
I know not where my son's gone to.
This whole week, he's a rare sight.
Some nights he'd return, gather tools, and out again!
Does Thac work with ceramics?
Not "work." "Fidget" is more like it.
He has a pottery in the bamboo grove.
In your home now,
do we have Thac's works?
Yes. I'll get you one.
How did you link Thac with ceramics?
The character "hiet."
Please explain?
A character before "hiet" is missing.
Think about it.
What if it was "thach"?
And when you write "thach" with "hiet"...
We'll get "thac".
This pottery village? Before, it was lively.
But later on, the ceramists were touched by evil.
They were terrified, so they all left!
Don't worry!
Rat snake. Not venomous.
But it has teeth, there!
If it bites, I might faint!
I must say, Thac's a brave one!
- Picking a creepy place to work. - Easy to see why.
It's deserted. Hidden from view.
If I'm up to no good, this place is rather ideal.
"Up to no good"?
A beauty such as Nga
will draw many towards her.
And not all
host goodness in them.
This whole week, Thac is rarely home.
Around this time, Nga is also lost.
Do you see the coincidence?
Wait out here, Miss.
Let me go in and check.
Oh? No, no, no, no, no, no!
Danger might be inside. If there is, just let me handle it.
Nga?
Mister Kien! Kien! This is Thac.
You all right, Miss?
I... Thac startled me, is all.
Why are you intruding?
We're searching for Miss Moon's niece... Nga.
And you are?
Detective of the Judge.
Whose body is it up there?!
Speak!
This "body," you ask?
Why search for Nga here?
Nowhere in this region sells your ceramics.
Yet they are found in Nga's room.
There must be a reason?
About that...
- It's complicated. - That's fine.
I'm familiar with complications.
Nga and I... We are outcasts.
As us, finding company is tough,
let alone a better half.
When I first saw Nga,
I kept thinking of her visage.
How serene it is.
But also desolate.
Miss Fabric...
Mister Thac.
Pardon me, for freely using your likeness.
You're saying... that is me?
Not much resemblance, yes?
There's a lot!
Except for the face.
Won't you sit down, then?
When you were here for the breeze...
I could only see glimpses.
Miss Nga!
If I can't see you in detail, then how can I make it resemble you?
- Mister Thac? - Hm?
Has anyone told you, you are of the Heavens?
It would be fitting.
You're the son of a wealthy house.
Everything is within reach.
Yet you find joy in messing with clay!
It's more than "messing with clay."
Before, this was soil.
Now, it's a bowl.
But to me?
This is devotion.
Too much devotion though? None will buy it!
I believe someone will, ultimately.
Nga...
I've something to share with you.
I'm engaged.
When I was young,
I'd been arranged to be with Tuyet.
But because she...
...has a different element...
She must wait until now to be wed.
I am sorry.
When will you take her hand?
At the year's end.
People keep on leaving me.
That has to be my fate.
I was only a young boy.
I didn't know of these arrangements.
Before, I didn't even know...
...what is love.
Until I met you.
How could you know
if it was love?
Because after I first met you,
you had occupied all of my thoughts.
Just as you now are.
I only want to greet you daily.
You are whom I wish to wed.
You, and none other.
I'm so touched I'm tipsy!
Nga is only a target to you.
Hence the secrecy and privacy!
Aunt Moon, you haven't known me well.
Don't judge yet.
This pottery seems inactive.
Why are you the only one here?
This whole week, I've searched for Nga.
I've closed up so my staff can help.
Your love is deep,
yet it must stay hidden?
We only treat each day we meet...
...as the only time we get to have.
Can this Aunt chime in?
All your sorrow artist act is just a way to lure girls.
You see Nga alone so you strike, yes?!
Miss Moon's heated since she loves Nga.
Forgive her word choices.
Her tongue is sharp, but her heart is soft.
Correct, Miss Moon?
True...
...my bond with Nga lacks clarity.
But never do I think it's temporary.
Dearest Chief,
our house will manage all this dowry.
A happy end to our marriage challenge.
My Chief. My Lady.
I have a request to make.
I request to take Nga, Sir Vinh's daughter,
as my Second Madam.
The Chief's house respects all rules and rites.
We can't host a broken member like Nga.
My Lady, her broken house speaks not for her character.
- Although Nga-- - If you want Tuyet,
you can't have Nga as your Second!
You may shun me, father,
but I must end this arrangement!
How dare you refuse me?
You have no right!
You have arranged my marriage.
Now whom I choose,
or what I do, I must seek your approval first?!
I am not a puppet!
As Thac said, your marriage with him folded
- because of Nga. - How so?
An outrageous thought!
Clear it up for them, mother!
We forgave Thac for his insane request.
He also agreed to leave Nga for Tuyet.
And he turned on us, still?!
I shall set it right with his family!
From this point on,
none from the Chief's house, or the Ho Dac's, can interact.
Please keep that in mind.
Between you and Nga...
There was more than a business dispute.
Demanding for pay was just Nga's excuse to fight me.
She was adamant that Thac marry her because...
...she's been carrying his baby.
What now?
Are you all mad?!
How can Nga have my baby?
We want to stay pure until we're official.
I want her to regain her status!
If she can't be Thac's mistress...
...Nga will spread news of the baby.
Such a schemer.
Oh?!
What scheme now?
Don't use your snobby tongue to accuse others!
You watch your tongue!
You're addressing members of the Chief's house!
Don't speak emptily.
I used to live with a Governor.
No stranger to your oppressive tone!
Everyone,
be calm now.
Your beloved niece is a bastard child.
No proper upbringing!
No wonder she's disobedient!
Can't reason so you're rude now, huh?!
But that's fine!
No Chief's home... has ever been civil!
Your man has no wealth, or status,
and also a life in prison!
All because he chose a poor wife!
And to have chosen you,
I pray Chief Liem won't crack soon!
- You-- - Hush, hush, hush!
Stop baring your claws.
Or else take it outside!
Heavens!
Thac has a temper.
If Nga uses the baby to pressure him...
Damn it!
Those scumbags!
Why must I be branded with such lies?!
Mister Kien...
Could Nga have... gone to the falls to meet Thac?
And if they had fought, then...
I must say, Nga's case is a tough one.
Many troubling knots.
Many shady faces.
The houses of Thac and the Chief
have their reasons to harm Nga.
Assuming Nga's baby is real
and it's been made public...
Whom, then
will see the most losses?
Thac... and his house, Ho Dac.
They will lose face, and also standing.
Mister Kien?
Could they have just risked it and killed Nga?
That's a question for...
he who intruded Nga's room.
You're saying...
...the thief
wasn't just thieving?
Yes.
If Thac wanted to hide,
or to deny his link with Nga,
he would need to destroy his ceramics.
They are the only thing
binding their ties.
And the thief... was hired by Thac to ruin the goods.
Nga stabbed the intruder's hand.
It wouldn't have healed yet.
Miss Moon?
I have this idea... to search for the one with a scarred hand.
I'm in.
Hear ye, hear ye!
To mark her stall's opening anniversary,
the marvelous Miss Moon shall host a competition...
...so named...
...knife-throwing!
The one who wins
shall be given a precious jade bracelet!
Greetings, all!
Line up neatly and wait for your turn!
Grandpa!
Hey! Can't you see?!
The target's here, man!
Dong here used to work in the Chief's home.
Until he was accused of thievery.
Details weren't clear. All I knew was
Chief Liem ordered guards to beat him out in the market.
Let's find some cover.
See how Dong behaves,
and then we...
Are you thieving from a thief?
Ceramics, Mister Kien. With Thac's name.
You two...
I'm the Judge's Detective.
Dong! Stop now!
Dong!
Hold it!
I've told you many times!
I only wanted to steal.
That, or you were hired...
...to destroy the ceramics.
To what end, huh, sir?
All I stole are in the kitchen. Under the firewood!
Just retrieve them!
I do know stealing is wrong.
But if I don't...
I'll starve.
Back then...
...Chief Liem had framed me.
I was whipped.
Cursed at.
Shamed, by the whole District.
Since I was marked as a thief,
no one would ever hire me.
Sir, find it in your heart...
Please spare me this time!
It's Nga's jewel box.
If Dong was hired to ruin the ceramics,
why are they still intact here?
I don't think he's linked to Nga's case.
Mister Dong?
You've committed thievery. Punishment will be severe.
- I shall speak with Chief Liem-- - Heavens!
Please don't hand me to him!
- He despised me! - Let me finish...
He'll find cause to chop my hands!
Please don't, sir!
I know nothing about Miss Nga!
If you must arrest...
...then arrest Lady Vuong!
Why must we arrest the Chief's wife?
When Miss Nga spotted me that night...
...I ran outside...
...and I saw Lady Vuong, panicked and all,
leaving Sir Vinh's place.
Sir Vinh?
Lady Vuong?
A late meeting... It's an affair.
I think Miss Nga knows.
So if she's killed, it stays a secret.
Should this be known,
you and Lady Vuong
will face the Chief's wrath!
Your affair with the Chief's wife?
I do not care.
But it involves Nga.
If you won't explain
then I will make you!
It isn't what you think.
My daughter Tuyet
is arranged to marry Thac, the Ho Dac's house's son.
Heavenly match. Bless you.
But there's a wrinkle.
Your Nga is ruining it all.
Thac would rather leave.
He still chooses Nga.
I get it.
You'd like me to separate them, yes?
I only seek a neat resolution.
True!
It is as before.
Always the neatest and quickest with you, yes?
Had I not married the Chief,
you'd never be a fabric merchant.
Have I ever undermined you?
You're drowning in debt.
This sum here should cover it.
And so...
...Thac speaks only truth.
For Nga, he broke the arrangement.
Why not tell us sooner?
Or did you need Nga to die first?
But she has always loved you.
The deal between the Lady and Sir Vinh made it clear,
that you,
Miss Tuyet!
You've lied about your marriage
to make Thac the prime suspect.
Even Nga's unborn baby
is also your fabrication. Correct?
It's clear as day then!
This union primes Nga's vanishing!
You came to the fabric stall to frighten Nga.
The wrong order was simply a ruse.
You told me then "red."
How could I know you wanted "betel red"?
Forgetting specifics, that was on you.
Don't you dare snatch what is mine!
Cunning slut.
Please don't insult me!
Men are aplenty here!
Why target the one meant for me?!
The two of you then planned to meet that evening...
...at a place few dare to cross.
Vu Thien Falls.
A clue on Nga's slipper
has led me there.
You and Nga talked, argued and then fought.
I found a lot of blood at the falls.
It has to be Nga's.
- It could also b-- - Don't cut in!
Miss Tuyet,
I have enough proof to state
that you hurt Nga at the falls.
I...
The falls...
I... I don't...
"Don't" what?!
That evening, a person saw you going to the falls!
Your hands are full of Nga's blood! Why bother lying?!
It is all her fault! Her fault!
I truly don't mean to ruin your marriage.
I know my place well
Thac only requests I be his second.
But Thac is mine.
I forbid your presence!
Saving your marriage... I think there's still a way.
To your fucking mother, your way!
I needn't bond with your unruly class.
Best back off, or else I'll get father to ruin your life.
You stop right there!
Wild whore!
Like mother, like daughter!
Am I not right?
How sad for your father.
Parent to a parasite!
Enough!
Tuyet...!
You all right, Tuyet?
Tuyet?
I did not mean to...
I didn't mean to, truly.
And right after? You disposed of Nga's body?
No!
There was so much blood.
I was scared. So I ran.
Tuyet!
At the falls, there's just blood. There's no Nga.
What else can I say?!
- That's the truth-- - Truth?
After all of your lies, how can I believe you?
I swear. This time, I'm honest.
Your swear means squat to me!
What did you do to Nga?! Where is she?!
Miss Moon!
Be calm!
Calm down.
My daughter has confessed. Where's her need to lie?
I know...
There's water there...
It has taken Nga...
The Drowning Ghost.
Let go! Let me go...!
- Daughter! - Let go!
Tuyet will be jailed for assault.
If you resist, you're defying the Judge.
My daughter's no murderer!
Mother, save me!
Why? Why must you kill Nga?
Where did she offend? What wrong did she do?
If you must kill, kill me! Why Nga?!
It was an accident! There was no murder!
You shut up! You are all devious!
The Chief's house is full of evildoers!
- Thac! - Watch your tongue!
Accusing the Emperor's men is a crime!
When did I accuse? Huh?!
You are a tyrant! But I'm not afraid!
Get him out! Beat him!
And jail him!
Chief Liem! Pay Nga her life!
Chief Liem!
Thac was blasphemous. I can't intervene.
- Tuyet! - Mother...!
Mother! Ah! Let go!
Miss Moon?
"A person" saw Tuyet going to the falls...
You made that up, correct?
Well, I...
I was only rattling her cage.
Tuyet confessed anyway.
What if the Judge asked to see this witness?
Tuyet will go free!
Then it's fine!
I just want Nga found! I don't care!
Everything has its rules! Investigations follow procedures!
If not... how can this case be solved?
In your eyes...
...Nga is only a case.
But she is my child!
You're too emotional.
That's why... I never wanted you to join me.
Nga is still in danger!
As if she can wait for rules and procedures!
Miss Moon.
- Did I disturb you? - Ah, no.
Thought you were someone else.
Someone else...
I'm waiting for Dinh. My deputy.
He'll bring me texts from the Judge's.
Deputy...
About Nga...
Only you are helping out,
and yet I scolded you.
Old habits die hard!
When I get angry,
I explode.
Do forgive me, yes?
I brought you some food here.
Thank you, Miss.
- I... - And I...
You were saying...?
I...
...will get back to work.
Good night.
Kien! Kien! It's me.
It's Dinh. Deputy. You're fine. Kien.
You're fine.
You are fine.
Slow down, chief. Slow down.
All is well.
Kien, it's fine. All is well.
What's wrong, chief?
I saw the Drowning Ghost.
It wanted to kill me, right in this room!
Your sword isn't blessed, why pull it out?
Lily-livered!
Glad you arrived on time.
What does the Ghost look like?
Prettier than you.
So then...
Do you have what I ask for?
I do!
The criminal cases in this District.
All had decapitations. Or missing heads.
That many, huh?
I've read through them all! All are distinct...
Save for one.
Thirty years ago, a family of 14 were beheaded.
They were traitors, charged with anarchy.
The text was clear.
Preying on the famine and frustrations then,
this family convinced locals to take up arms.
Luckily, there were informers. So they were caught.
Research these informers for me.
Yes, sir!
The evil roaming here is one most terrifying!
The root of the Ghost's anger...
Does it relate to the family beheaded 30 years ago?
That tale is old.
Details are lost.
Only the dead know the answers.
Sir Kien?
What you should do
is to leave this District, as soon as you can!
This is a mortregal candle.
Its flame will flicker...
...when evil's nearby.
Right when you entered, the flame went out.
Those in less danger than you, they would have fled.
My case is still open...
For a case, you'd forsake your life.
Is it worth it?
I can still save Nga.
A life for a life.
It's worthwhile.
You're not only bold,
but also just.
I pray you safety
so you can aid others.
Things have gone beyond saving
Count me out of them.
But I beg you, dear.
She, too, is your child!
Save her, please.
Then who will save us?!
If that detective uncovers anything else,
I'll tell him that you forced me to lie!
If you're falling, fall alone.
Do not take me with you!
My dear, please. I beg you!
I went out to buy some herbs...
He blocked my way again.
Speak quickly.
He still has Nga with him.
What now?
How is she still alive?!
I've paid him in full, haven't I?
Miss Tuyet's arrest... He knows it, too.
And so?
He said...
He knows how... to clear Miss Tuyet's murder charge.
He'll chop Nga's head...
...then toss her body into the lake.
He'll pretend to be the Ghost...
What's his price?
Well,100 more coins.
When you're done, the Lady will pay the rest.
Anyone on your tail?
Great work, my sweet.
ONE WEEK AGO
Men are aplenty here!
Why target the one meant for me?!
Hour of the Monkey...
...see me at Vu Thien Falls.
My work's done, Miss! Where you off to? I'll follow.
I'll manage.
- But Lady said-- - You're talking back?
Are you all right, Tuyet?
Tuyet?
You sure Nga is still alive?
I see she's still breathing!
I'll fetch the healer.
Wait.
Lucky her skull isn't broken.
What are you thinking?
Blackmailing the Chief, what else?
Heavens, no!
You can't do that!
Why can't I?
I fear... if things go wrong--
What's to fear?!
Look at Chief Liem.
He fears nothing!
And he's above us all!
It's past this slope, mother...
Dong? Someone's here.
Over there, mother. There!
- We're close. - Yes.
How can that be? Where's Nga, mother?
If you don't know, how can I?
Are you sure she was here?
Blood!
How can she be gone?!
Mother, what do I do...?
Sun's almost down...
Too late to split up and search. And if we're seen, we're doomed.
So seal your lips, you hear?
- Let's ask father... - Are you mad?!
We must not!
Go!
Dear Lady...?
Someone saw Miss Tuyet grabbed a rock,
took a swing, and killed Nga of Sir Vinh's house.
Whoever talks like that, I'll slap their teeth away!
I went out to fix your slipper,
there was a masked man...
He blocked my way
and put a knife to my neck.
Then he told me about Miss Tuyet.
Who dares accuse us?
The masked man, dear Lady.
My query was rhetorical.
Why must you answer?
"Rhetorical"... What's that?
Rhetorical means...
Idiot!
Continue!
A masked man said he has Nga's body.
You give him 400 coins, he'll keep quiet
and dispose of her body for you!
Four hundred?!
Does he think coins grow on trees?!
How the hell can I trust him?!
You don't trust him? You'll know at the lake tomorrow.
What did you say?
I didn't say that. Masked man did.
This is Nga's slipper.
PRESENT DAY
Dong.
Don't kill Nga, please?
Then how will I take the rest from Lady Vuong?
But you're about to take a life.
We also have plenty money.
Let's just leave?
Don't be greedy.
You lecturing me now?!
Please, sir...
Please don't kill me.
Don't worry.
One strike, then done.
No pain at all.
Miss!
Save me. Save me, please.
Miss...
Time for the Ghost to kill.
No, Miss Moon!
Shaman Tinh must do his ritual before you can get Nga!
I love Thac truly, father.
All these years, you've thought little of my choices.
So why interfere now?
Unruly, like your mother!
Thac's a bad seed, yet you still want him!
I am your father!
What I say, you obey!
Have you ever...
...loved me as your own?!
In your eyes...
...Nga is only a case.
But she is my child!
Nga is still in danger!
As if she can wait for rules and procedures!
You've thought it through? The Judge must approve first...
It's procedure.
I do not care.
Please ask for consent of the folks here.
I just learned something!
You look like you're dying.
Let me brew some tea.
I'm fine! Hear me out first.
Nga wasn't killed by the Ghost.
Huh?
When I inspected Nga's body by the lake,
I found oddities.
For victims who drowned,
the skin on their hands and feet will wrinkle.
The result of being in water at length.
Shaman Tinh also concurred
the last eight victims all had wrinkly skin.
But... Nga's hands and feet are smooth.
Which means
her body was only recently dumped into the water.
Those very details
prompted me to exhume some victims' graves.
And I found out
the cuts on their heads were haphazard.
As if many slices were made
before decapitation.
The cut on Nga's head is different.
The blade was sharp.
One slice, and done.
But Nga's body has surfaced, Mother!
Clearly...
...the Ghost did it!
So why am I still here?
You still have the assault charge.
We must wait for the Judge's verdict.
What do you mean, Mother?!
You said you could acquit me!
It's been hard for me, child!
We're in the Judge's hands now.
And I'm no miracle worker!
I trusted you.
Didn't spill a thing about you!
Yet, you're abandoning me.
Had you not confessed,
you'd be fine!
But the detective had proof!
A person saw me going to the falls!
I thought I was done for then!
But did they ever name that "person"?
Clearly, that was to bait you.
The falls are isolated.
No one could know you'd go there!
Heavens...
What?
One person knew...
Tuyet has told me everything.
You knew she was going to the falls to meet Nga.
So you followed her, correct?
There was no masked man.
There was only you!
My Lady... it was...
It was Dong, he told me to do it.
Dong, the thief, you mean?
You wretch! Have I ever mistreated you, huh?!
I... I beg you, my Lady...
I can't stand it any longer!
What the hell is he to you?!
That you'd risk it for him?!
Fortunately,
you haven't ruined everything.
Folks are still blaming the Ghost!
To blame the Ghost
was a scheme to distract us.
I'd say, there's still more to come.
What more is there?
Miss Moon.
Nga's slipper, found by the lake. May I see it?
What's been done to Nga...
...consider it done.
Done how, my Lady?
Dong planned to extort you more!
But he has nothing else to pressure me!
Doesn't fit.
No wonder... I found "Nga" here peculiar!
I only thought the water had altered her.
This body is still fresh.
No signs of rot or swelling.
If these feet are normal,
then why didn't the slipper fit?
Mister Kien...
I think this body here...
...it is not Nga's at all.
What did you say?
It's a body Dong found...
He decapitated a girl who just died.
And what of Nga then?
She is still alive.
If this isn't Nga,
then where is she now?
Is she at the Chief's home?
This was a distraction to save Tuyet.
I'm unsure.
Had they captured Nga...
...she would've been long dead.
Why bother with a false corpse?
So who's keeping Nga?
She's still in the caves.
Nga and Dong...
They both must be killed.
Maid Mui!
Don't look at me like that!
You know well...
If either Nga or Dong spills to the detective?
You and I will be in deep trouble.
I get you.
What my Lady asks, I'll do it.
Get me to where Nga is.
She is... behind a secured door.
It needs a key
that Dong always brings along.
Then we'll meet him to get the key.
Dong.
Heavens...
So I was right!
Mister Kien?
I gifted Nga this when she was young.
She'd always wear it.
In bed, in the shower. I swear it!
It's Nga's jewel box.
We found it in Dong's house.
He is the one holding Nga!
That's why he has Nga's bangle!
Marvelous, Miss Moon!
Maid Mui!
At least three drops, you hear?
Yes.
Calm down.
It's just the two of us.
Lady wants to meet you and talk.
Please sit, I'll fetch some water.
What has she told you?
Enough to know
that you're sharp. And can be reasoned with.
I'm having the upper hand.
What I say, you listen.
No need for reasoning.
If guards barge in, you sure can run,
but you'll live in hiding forever.
I've risked everything
to get what I have.
When I am cornered,
I'll be defiant, too.
No one likes to lose it all.
And so reasoning seems right.
What do you want?
You haven't killed Nga
to keep blackmailing me, yes?
This is double of what you asked last time.
Enough for you and Mui to live in abundance.
You sold me out, huh?
Consider your share gone, then.
Fine that she died.
Fewer loose ends.
You should go with her, too.
I wrote a letter before coming here.
Should I fail to return,
it will reach Detective Kien.
How smart!
But he won't arrive in time.
Your money isn't here, though.
I want to see...
...Nga die by your hand.
Satisfied?
- Nga... - Miss Moon!
Calm down.
We wait for a window.
When Nga's safe, only then we strike!
Why the wait? Just do it.
Pay me, then I'll do it.
I've hidden the money near your home.
Get out front.
I hate being shadowed.
Get the money.
Don't just stand there.
- You turned on me once. Why wou-- - It's simple.
You pay me...
...I kill her.
Keep on stalling...
...and I'll kill you, too!
Mister Kien...
I'm fine.
Give me the money. Quick!
It seems
this crime has two criminals.
To really go free
we must kill them all.
Surrender!
You go after Nga.
I'll deal with him.
Last time, I gave you an out.
But then you dug yourself deeper.
So now...
...I can bury your bones!
Nga!
Hold it!
Stop running, Nga!
It's Auntie Moon! It's me. It's auntie!
Nga!
Found you, my child. Oh, Nga!
I won't ever leave you again.
Promise!
It's dangerous here. Let's move.
Surprised, I see?
None at all, really.
Those were the moves of the Mountain Bandits.
A detective and a scholar.
You know everything...
Auntie Moon!
Lady Vuong!
You must stop this!
Must you really do this?!
What the fuck do you know?!
But I do!
You're doing this for your child!
Thanks to that brat, I'm now in tatters!
For my rank and my right,
you all must die!
Nga! Run, child!
Run and find help!
You freaking hag. I can take you!
Saved myself time
hunting you down!
This witch tries anything, hit her like so for me!
Mister Kien!
Nga...?
She's all well.
Mister Kien!
Please don't die! Mister Kien?
Mister Kien!
Kien!
Don't wish death upon me.
I just need a break.
Ah, don't.
Nga!
This morning, guards led Lady Vuong and Tuyet away.
Seeing them like that,
I feel quite sorry for them.
With crime, come punishment.
It's the way things go.
Some treats from Nga and I. Your journey's long, so they'll help.
I know not how to thank you, truly.
Finding Nga was my duty.
You didn't just find her. You also saved her.
This great debt,
it will take lifetimes to pay.
These treats will do.
My thanks, Miss Moon.
Here's your towel, too.
Keep it, Miss Moon.
I've washed and washed it. All my scent is gone, so stop wishing!
I mean, stop worrying.
No wishing from me.
You keep it. Consider it a memento.
If the winds of fate steer you back here...
...then... I'm sure you know... where to...
...find food that's fresh... and also...
...warm.
I will soon return.
I knew it! You love m--
Love my food, don't you?
I mean...
...the Drowning Ghost is still a mystery.
Can't break from here yet.
Until then, rely on Shaman Tinh's amulet and incense.
I'll be honest with you. I can't use his incense.
My immunity's sensitive.
Its smoke clogs my airways.
But luckily, the Ghost hasn't haunted me!
You don't use his incense...
And you don't see the Ghost?
While resting at the healer's here
no incense was used.
And during that time,
I didn't see the Ghost.
Miss Moon!
Please write to the Judge.
I need to see a Physician.
This incense is made from the manqida plant. A toxin.
It causes hallucinations, amplifies fears.
Gentle tempers will see things.
Hardened ones will go mad.
A bleeding nose means you're resisting the toxin.
Judge has placed the guards where you asked them.
I've looked through past cases and found something.
About the family of traitors.
There were a total of 15 members.
But only 14 were caught and beheaded.
We've been framed! We don't conspire to rebel!
The sole survivor... was a 10-year-old boy.
After the execution, he disappeared.
If my guess is true,
this boy is now Shaman Tinh's age.
Not long after he came to this District,
the Drowning Ghost struck.
An odd coincidence!
His incense is the spell that kept folks weary.
A scheme in a scheme. He kills, he scares.
He's both the Ghost... and the shaman.
While you were poisoned, and most confused,
what did you see, Detective Kien?
As for me?
For the past 30 years,
I'd see my entire family.
None of them were traitors.
Chief Liem and his men had framed my family.
It all came back to their hunger for power.
Those who remain, their time shall come.
As long as I draw breath,
the Ghost... will haunt them still.
Drowning Ghost!
It is killing again!
Grudges conjure ghosts...
Evil...
...can't be solved with evil.
This grim cycle must end!
He fled, and with a winter coat.
He's off to the cold regions.
We're riding north!