Many Mysteries Of Miao Village Finally Unfold

Joined
Jul 27, 2018
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After the recent Game Jam beta of Shenmue II got released, the very first thing I did was look to see if OSY had any dialog still intact. For those who don't know, OSY is what we've always known the unused character from Miao Village by. OSY is his file name, which was still present in the final release. Guess what? He does! All Japanese of course, but Google Translate and a hint of Japanese knowledge will fix you up good and nice for the most part. So we now can see everything OSY was going to say in-game. Big, right? No, huge! And not only that, but other NPCs have dialog that also refer to Miao Village and that stage in the game. There have been many theories over the years, but we now know why Ryo was going to go to Miao Village, where Miao Village is, and when we were going to go there. Sadly, the village itself is not on the discs, nor are any cutscenes related to it, but we can still piece together the story from in-game dialog. So, let's get started! Here are all of OSY's interactions with Ryo in-game, with translation. Oh, wait, let's refer to him as his real name now. Yunhai. He is a Buddhist Priest in Miao Guang Temple. Ryo only refers to him directly as Osho-san, which is basically the word for priest/monk. But we later find out from a Miao resident that the osho's name is Yunhai.

But first! For reference, Rakousei is the person Ryo goes to Miao Village looking for. His name is Luo Kongzheng in Chinese. Seiya, his son is Luo Zhengye in Chinese. I'll be using everyone's Chinese names as we'd see in the English version.

Now, we already know from the Miao Village pictures released on Shenmue.com in 2001, Ryo is seen holding a book in the photo above. In that photo, Yunhai is saying, "Come to think of it, this might be what the gang that attacked Luo Kongzheng was after." That book is the Wulinshu. This in confirmed a bit later on. But for now, we know Ryo travels to Miao Village looking for Luo Kongzheng, who holds the Wulinshu. I don't know how Ryo knows, but he knows.

Ryo: すいません。 (Excuse me/sorry...)
Yunhai: 何かご用かの。 (What is it?)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんの家ってどっちですか? (Which way is it to Luo Kongzheng's house?)
Yunhai: ここを下りてまっすぐ行った所じゃ。(It's straight down that way.)
Ryo: ありがとうございます。(Thank you very much.)
Yunhai: おぬし、なにゆえに羅孔征の家を? (Why are you looking for Luo Kongzheng's house?)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんに会って、聞きたいことがあるんです。(I have something to ask him.)
Yunhai: それは無理じゃな。 (That's impossible.)
Ryo: えっ? (What?)
Yunhai: もうおらんよ。2週間ほど前に他界しておる。 (He's no longer here. He passed away two weeks ago.)
Ryo: 本当ですか? (Really?)
Yunhai: 拙僧はウソなどつかぬ。 (I'm a priest. I don't lie.)
Yunhai: 疑うなら、あやつの家に行ってみるがよい。(If you're in doubt, go to his house.)
Ryo: わかりました。行ってみます。 (Understood. I'll try going.)


Ryo: あの… 羅孔征さんの家は… (Umm... about Luo Kongzheng's house...)
Yunhai: 寺を下りて、まっすぐじゃ。(Go straight, by the temple.)
Yunhai: 下のほうで聞くとよかろう。(You might want to ask down there.)
Yunhai: 花をたむけておる家がそうじゃ。(It's the house with all the flowers.)
Ryo: わかりました。 (I understand.)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんの家に入るにはどうすれば… (How should I get into Mr. Kongzheng's house...)
Ryo: どうしても調べたいことがあるんです。(I really want to find out what's in there.)
Yunhai: 何か事情がありそうじゃな。 (There seems to be something wrong.)
Ryo: ええ。 (Yes.)
Yunhai: まあ、悪い人には見えんし、教えてもよかろう。 (Well, you don't look like a bad person, so I'll tell you.)
Yunhai: 羅孔征の家の鍵は村長があずかっておるはずじゃ。(The village mayor should have the key to Mr. Kongzheng's house.)
Ryo: 村長さんですね。ありがとうございます。 (The village mayor. Thank you very much.)

Ryo: 村長さんの家へは… (About the village mayor's house...)
Yunhai: 寺を下りて、左に行きなされ。 (Go down to the temple, and turn left.)
Ryo: 村長さんの家はどっちですか? (Which is the village mayor's house?)
Yunhai: 馬長老の家なら、寺を下りて左に行きなされ。(At Elder Ma's house, go down to the temple and take a left.)
Ryo: わかりました。ありがとうございます。 (I understand. Thank you very much.)

By this point, Ryo has already gotten the key from the village mayor and went to Luo Kongzheng's house in search of clues. He apparently doesn't find the Wulinshu, but finds a photo of a boy. That boy is Luo Zhengye, who is selling ducks in the White Dynasty Qr.

Ryo: この子について何か知りませんか? (Do you know anything about this child? *shows photo*)
Yunhai: これは征耶の写真… (This is a picture of Luo Zhengye.)
Ryo: 征耶? (Luo Zhengye?)
Yunhai: 孔征のひとり息子じゃ。(That's the only son of Luo Kongzheng.)
Ryo: この子は今どこに? (Where is this child now?)
Yunhai: なぜ、征耶を探しておる? (Why are you looking for Zhengye?)
Ryo: どうしても聞きたいことがあるんです。 (I have something I really want to ask.)
Yunhai: …込み入った事情がありそうじゃの。 (I'm sure it's complicated.)
Ryo: ええ。征耶君は今どこに? (Yes. Where is Luo Zhengye now?)
Yunhai: ワンチャイの親戚に引き取られての。白秦街にいると聞いておる。(He was taken in by a relative in Wan Chai. I heard he's in the White Dynasty Qr.)
Ryo: 白秦街ですね。ありがとうございます。 (White Dynasty Qr. Thank you very much.)

Ryo: 征耶君のことなんですが… (It's about Luo Zhengye...)
Yunhai: 今は白秦街におるはずじゃ。白秦街でたずねてみるといいじゃろう。(He should be in the White Dynasty Qr. now. You should ask in the White Dynasty Qr.)

After this point, he only gives generic responses when there is no event occurring. At this point, Ryo has already gotten the Wulinshu. In the Shenmue.com photos, YunHai is seen asking if Ryo knows Tao Lishao. Clearly, they discuss her when Ryo discloses why he's after the Wulinshu. You can see him telling Ryo to say hi to Tao Lishao at this point in their in-game conversations, so that cutscene has already taken place.

Yunhai: ならば4つの武徳も存じているはず。 (Do you know of the four wude?)
Ryo: はい。 (Yes.)
Yunhai: お聞かせ願おうかの。 (Do you mind telling me?)
Ryo: 1つは功です。常に怠ることなく、日々、修練を積み重ねること。 (One is GON. To practice everyday without neglect.)
Yunhai: ふむ、では残りの武徳は? (Hmm, what about the remaining wude?)
Ryo: 胆です。常にあわてることなく、肝をすえて、冷静に正しく判断すること。 (Dan. Don't panic. Stay calm and make the right decisions.)
Yunhai: その通りじゃ。で、残りの武徳は? (That's right. So what about the rest of the wude?)
Ryo: 戒です。おごり高ぶることなく己を律し、むやみに拳法を使わず、みだりに技を見せず。(Jie. Don't be proud, be disciplined and don't use martial arts unnecessarily, and don't show your skills unnecessarily.)
Yunhai: まあ、よかろう。桃李少老師の門下の者と信じよう。 (Well, that's fine. I believe that you are a student of Lishao Tao.)
Yunhai: だが、武徳はつねに心にとどめておくのじゃぞ。(However, always keep the wude in mind.)


This conversation here is interesting. He just asks Ryo to recite the wude, and all of Ryo's answers are wrong. What's funny to me is, and hopefully I can say this much without getting into trouble... There are seven wude in the original script set for Shenmue II. Some of them are the ones Ryo mentions here. Perhaps this would have been a cute inside nod to the original Legend of Akira script.

Ryo: 和尚さん。(Osho-san.)
Yunhai: なんじゃ、武徳を思い出したのか? (Do you still remember the wude?)
Ryo: もう1度お願いします。(I'd like to try again.)
Yunhai: よかろう。聞かせてもらおうかの。(Good luck. I'd like to hear it.)
Ryo: 1つは忠です。 (One is Zhong.)
Yunhai: ほう。して意味は? (What does that mean?)
Ryo: 師匠を尊敬し、尽くすことです。(Respect your master and do your best.)
Yunhai: ふむ。それは大切だが、武徳ではないのう。(Hmm. That's important, but it's not one of the wude.)
Yunhai: 出直してまいれ。(What did you say again?)
Ryo: 1つは仁です。そ、それは… (One is Ren. Well, that's...)
Yunhai: どうした? (What's wrong?)
Ryo: 1つは厳です。(One is Yan.)
Ryo: 1つは信です。他人を裏切らず、人から信頼されることです。(One is Xin. Don't betray others, and be trusted by others.)
Ryo: 1つは孝です。(One is Xiao.)
Ryo: 1つは礼です。(One is Li.)
Ryo: 目上の人を敬い、礼儀正しく接することです。(Treat your superiors with respect and courtesy.)
Ryo: …すいません。思い出せません… (...Excuse me. I can't remember...)



Ryo: 羅孔征さんって、どんな方だったんですか? (What kind of person was Luo Kongzheng?)
Yunhai: 拳徳をもって立ち、徳無ければ拳も虚し。 ("Stand with a fist of virtue. If there is no virtue, then the fist is empty." )
Yunhai: それが口癖じゃった。(That was his saying.)
Ryo: 立派な拳法家だったんですね… (He was a good martial artist...)
Yunhai: いや、大バカ者じゃよ。(No, he was a big idiot.)
Yunhai: こんな老いぼれより先に逝ってしまいおって… (He passed away before such an old man...)
Yunhai: 朋友の契りを忘れたか… (He's forgotten the bond of friendship...)


Ryo: 羅孔征さんはなぜ、襲われたんですか? (Why was Luo Kongzheng attacked?)
Yunhai: さっぱりわからんのう。(I have no idea.)
Yunhai: わしに言えば、助太刀してやったものを。(If he'd have told me, I'd have been able to help him out.)


Yunhai: 迷惑をかけまいとしおって… (Don't bother me...)


Ryo: 羅孔征さんのことなんですが… (It's about Luo Kongzheng...)
Yunhai: 曲がったことの嫌いな頑固者じゃったよ。義にあつい、好漢じゃったよ。 (He was a stubborn person who didn't give in. But he was a good man with a passion for righteousness.
Yunhai: 惜しい男を亡くしたもんじゃよ… (It's regrettable we lost such a man...)

Yunhai: どうじゃ、精進しとるかの? (Are you devoting yourself?)
Ryo: おかげさまで。 (Thanks to you.)
Yunhai: 桃李少老師によろしくのう。 (Say hello to Lishao Tao.)
Yunhai: 日々、精進を忘れんようにな。(Don't forget to devote yourself everyday.)
Yunhai: いつでも遊びにくるといい。(Come and visit us anytime.)
Yunhai: 今、急ぎの用があってのう。(I'm in a hurry right now.)
Yunhai: ちと行く所があってのう。(I have some place to be.)


So, now we know why Miao Village existed and that the Wulinshu was held by Luo Kongzheng there. But, where WAS Miao Village? There've been lots of theories over the years, but now through various NPC dialog in this beta, it's 100% confirmed that Miao Village was located through the South Carmain Qr. An AM2 developer, Morio Ashizuka, had previously confirmed on Twitter that the dead end road in the South Carmain Qr. "didn't extend towards Wise Men's Quarter, but rather it went straight down. You would borrow the bicycle to travel along a road through a grassy plain." (credit to Switch for that information) That grassy plain led to Miao Village. Here are some conversation with NPCs during the event searching for Luo Kongzheng and his son...


rong.jpg

BCKpic.jpg


First, we have BCK (Rong Meizhu, owner of a fruit and vegetable stand in the White Dynasty Qr where Luo Kongzheng's son, Luo Zhengye is now located selling ducks. Subtitles are listed in the order in which they occur in the game. All subtitle codes starting with A are Ryo. You can see shortly before Ryo starts asking about Miao Village, he's asking about the Wulinshu.

When asking her about Miao Village, she responds with 紅南街のずーっと南よー。(It's all the way south of South Carmain Qr.) and 紅南街からしか行けないわよー。 (You can only go from the South Carmain Qr.) 紅南街のはずれから道が続いてるわよー。 (From the outskirts of the South Carmain Qr. The road continues.)




no29_pic_02.jpg


Next in the subtitle files, he starts asking Meizhu about Sunny Capital Pharmacy. NPCs point Ryo into the direction of the pharmacy, as it's in the direction of Miao Village. Former Shenmue developer Morio Ashizuka also said on Twitter: "There was going to be an event where you put the girl at the pharmacy on your bike and run an errand. [...] It was along the lines of the pharmacy owner having a bad leg, so Ryo goes for him by bicycle with the girl guiding the way. Ryo wasn't able to ride around freely though - it was a movie scene of him riding" (credit to Switch for this information)

This was Ryo's method of transportation to Miao Village.

The next thing Ryo is able to ask her is about Luo Zhengye, which Meizhu replies, あっちで物売りしてるわよー。 (He's selling things over there.) She's only a few feet from Luo Zhengye's stand in the White Dynasty Qr., so she would be right in line to point at him.

zhengye.jpg



In the files, Luo Zhengye has another model wearing the Miao style clothing, but that model file contained no subtitle data. His final game model doesn't seem to reference anything related to this Wulinshu storyline. So I have no way of knowing what goes down in the White Dynasty Qr. with the boy. Interestingly, there is a scene of the Yellow Head terrorizing this very kid in the final version. Maybe that same scene played out, albeit a bit different?


BNE_.PKF_PVR#06.png

BNE_.PKF_PVR#03.png



Next, we have Ma Wenyuan. In the final version, he's the street fighter at the Dragon Garden in the Stand Quarter who uses Passive Raid Style. However, under a different filename and different clothing, he is a resident of Miao Village.

Ryo: 羅孔征さんを探してるんですが… (I'm looking for Luo Kongzheng...)
Wenyuan: 羅さんなら亡くなったよ。2週間ほど前に。 (Luo died. About two weeks ago.)
Ryo: 亡くなった… (He passed away...)
Wenyuan: まだ、若かったんじゃがな… (He was still young...)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんが亡くなった理由は? (What happened to Luo Kongzheng?)
Wenyuan: あんた、どこから来たのかね? (Where did you come from?)
Ryo: ワンチャイの文武廟から。(From Wan Chai's Man Mo Temple.)
Wenyuan: 文武廟…。桃李少老師の門弟かね? (Man Mo Temple... Are you a disciple of Tao Lishao?)
Ryo: え、ええ…そうです。 (Y, yeah... That's right.)
Wenyuan: ふむ。ならば信用しても… (Hmm. Then I guess I can trust...)

Ryo: 羅孔征さんのことで何か知ってるんですか? (About Mr. Luo. Do you know anything?)
Wenyuan: あまり大きな声では言えぬが… (I can't say very loudly...)
Wenyuan: 羅さんは殺されたんじゃ。(Luo was killed.)
Ryo: 殺された…。いったい誰に? (Killed... Who on Earth?)
Wenyuan: さぁ。そこまではわしも… (Well, up till that point...)
Wenyuan: 羅さんを倒したとなれば、よほどの手練れと思うが… (I thought it would be difficult to defeat Mr. Luo, but...)

Ryo: 羅孔征さんのことなんですが… (About Mr. Luo...)
Wenyuan: じつに惜しい男をなくしたのう。 (We've lost a good man.)
Wenyuan: 立派な拳法家だったんじゃが。 (He was a good martial artist.)
Ryo: そうですか。(I see.)

Ryo: 羅孔征が亡くなった時のことを聞きたいんですが… (I'd like to ask, when Mr. Luo died...)
Wenyuan" あいにくじゃが、わしもその場にいたわけではないからのう。 (Unfortunately, I wasn't there when it happened.)
Ryo: 誰か知ってそうな人は? (Who would know?)
Wenyuan: 征耶なら、あるいは… (Luo Zhengye, or...)
Ryo: 征耶? (Luo Zhengye?)
Wenyuan: 羅さんのひとり息子じゃ。 (Luo's only son.)
Ryo: その人は今、どこに? (Where is he now?)
Wenyuan: 親戚に引き取られて、白秦街にいると聞いたが… (Taken by relatives, I heard he was in the White Dynasty Qr.)
Ryo: "白秦街…" (White Dynasty Qr...)
Wenyuan: 白秦街で征耶を尋ねてみなされ。 (Ask for Zhengye in the White Dynasty Qr.)


The next time you're able to talk to Wenyuan, Ryo asks about Miao Guang Temple. My first thought was the boy told Ryo where to find the Wulinshu, but perhaps not, since Ryo is still asking.

Ryo: 苗光寺ってどっちですか? (Which way is Miao Guang Temple?)
Wenyuan: 苗光寺ならあっちじゃ。 (Miao Guang Temple is over there.)


Ryo:
じつは、ある本をお借りしたかったんです。 (Actually, there's a book I wanted to borrow.)
Wenyuan: 本…? (Book...?)
Ryo: 武術のことが書かれている本です。心当たりありませんか? (This book is about Martial Arts. Do you have any idea?)
Wenyuan: さぁ。わしは知らんが… (Well. I don't know...)
Ryo: そうですか… (I see...)

Ryo: 武術の本について、話を聞いたことないですか? (About martial arts books. Do you know any?
Wenyuan: いや。だったら苗光寺に行ってみるとよかろう。 (No. You should go to the Miao Guang Temple.)
Wenyuan: 雲海和尚に聞けば、なんぞ分かるかも… (If you ask Master Yunhai, he might know.)
Wenyuan: 羅さんとも親しかったし。 (He was close to Luo Kongzheng.)
Ryo: わかりました。どうも。 (I understand. Thank you.)

Ryo: 聞きたいことが… (I want to ask you...)
Wenyuan: 和尚なら何か知っとるかも… (Osho might know something.)


From here, all his replies are things like, "I'm in a hurry right now.




In summary:

There you have the general story behind Miao Village. Originally, Ryo would seek out a Luo Kongzheng to borrow the Wulinshu from him. He finds out Kongzheng is in Miao Village, which he gets to from South Carmain Qr. Once there, he searches for him, only to find out he was killed two weeks ago. Ryo is told that the village mayor would have the key to Kongzheng's house, so Ryo gets the key and looks around for clues. He finds a photo of Kongzheng's son, Zhengye, and seeks the boy, who's now in the White Dynasty Qr. with relatives, for further information. It gets a bit hazy here, as I'd think the boy told Ryo about the Wulinshu. Maybe he does, but Ryo is clearly still asking Miao villagers about the Wulinshu and gets pointed to the direction of the Miao Guang Temple, where "OSY" YunHai is the priest. From here, we reference the shenmue.com photos of Ryo with Yunhai holding the Wulinshu, assuming Yunhai gives it to Ryo.
 
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After the recent Game Jam beta of Shenmue II got released, the very first thing I did was look to see if OSY had any dialog still intact. For those who don't know, OSY is what we've always known the unused character from Miao Village by. OSY is his file name, which was still present in the final release. Guess what? He does! All Japanese of course, but Google Translate and a hint of Japanese knowledge will fix you up good and nice for the most part. So we now can see everything OSY was going to say in-game. Big, right? No, huge! And not only that, but other NPCs have dialog that also refer to Miao Village and that stage in the game. There have been many theories over the years, but we now know why Ryo was going to go to Miao Village, where Miao Village is, and when we were going to go there. Sadly, the village itself is not on the discs, nor are any cutscenes related to it, but we can still piece together the story from in-game dialog. So, let's get started! Here are all of OSY's interactions with Ryo in-game, with translation. Oh, wait, let's refer to him as his real name now. Yun Haihe. He is a Buddhist Priest in Miao Guang Temple. Ryo only refers to him directly as Osho-san, which is basically the word for priest/monk. But we later find out from a Miao resident that the osho's name is Yun Haihe.

But first! For reference, Rakousei is the person Ryo goes to Miao Village looking for. His name is Luo Kongzheng in Chinese. Seiya, his son is Luo Zhengye in Chinese. I'll be using everyone's Chinese names as we'd see in the English version.

Now, we already know from the Miao Village pictures released on Shenmue.com in 2001, Ryo is seen holding a book in the photo above. In that photo, Yun is saying, "Come to think of it, this might be what the gang that attacked Luo Kongzheng was after." That book is the Wulinshu. This in confirmed a bit later on. But for now, we know Ryo travels to Miao Village looking for Luo Kongzheng, who holds the Wulinshu. I don't know how Ryo knows, but he knows.

Ryo: すいませび。 (Excuse me/sorry...)
Haihe: 何かご用かの。 (What is it?)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんの家ってどっちですか? (Which way is it to Luo Kongzheng's house?)
Haihe: ここを下りてまっすぐ行った所じゃ。(It's straight down that way.)
Ryo: ありがとうございます。(Thank you very much.)
Haihe: おぬし、なにゆえに羅孔征の家を? (Why are you looking for Luo Kongzheng's house?)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんに会って、聞きたいことがあるんです。(I have something to ask him.)
Haihe: それは無理じゃな。 (That's impossible.)
Ryo: えっ? (What?)
Haihe: もうおらんよ。2週間ほど前に他界しておる。 (He's no longer here. He passed away two weeks ago.)
Ryo: 本当ですか? (Really?)
Haihe: 拙僧はウソなどつかぬ。 (I'm a priest. I don't lie.)
Haihe: 疑うなら、あやつの家に行ってみるがよい。(If you're in doubt, go to his house.)
Ryo: わかりました。行ってみます。 (Understood. I'll try going.)


Ryo: あの… 羅孔征さんの家は… (Umm... about Luo Kongzheng's house...)
Haihe: 寺を下りて、まっすぐじゃ。(Go straight, by the temple.)
Haihe: 下のほうで聞くとよかろう。(You might want to ask down there.)
Haihe: 花をたむけておる家がそうじゃ。(It's the house with all the flowers.)
Ryo: わかりました。 (I understand.)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんの家に入るにはどうすれば… (How should I get into Mr. Kongzheng's house...)
Ryo: どうしても調べたいことがあるんです。(I really want to find out what's in there.)
Haihe: 何か事情がありそうじゃな。 (There seems to be something wrong.)
Ryo: ええ。 (Yes.)
Haihe: まあ、悪い人には見えんし、教えてもよかろう。 (Well, you don't look like a bad person, so I'll tell you.)
Haihe: 羅孔征の家の鍵は村長があずかっておるはずじゃ。(The village mayor should have the key to Mr. Kongzheng's house.)
Ryo: 村長さんですね。ありがとうございます。 (The village mayor. Thank you very much.)

Ryo: 村長さんの家へは… (About the village mayor's house...)
Haihe: 寺を下りて、左に行きなされ。 (Go down to the temple, and turn left.)
Ryo: 村長さんの家はどっちですか? (Which is the village mayor's house?)
Haihe: 馬長老の家なら、寺を下りて左に行きなされ。(At Elder Ma's house, go down to the temple and take a left.)
Ryo: わかりました。ありがとうございます。 (I understand. Thank you very much.)

By this point, Ryo has already gotten the key from the village mayor and went to Luo Kongzheng's house in search of clues. He apparently doesn't find the Wulinshu, but finds a photo of a boy. That boy is Luo Zhengye, who is selling ducks in the White Dynasty Qr.

Ryo: この子について何か知りませんか? (Do you know anything about this child? *shows photo*)
Haihe: これは征耶の写真… (This is a picture of Luo Zhengye.)
Ryo: 征耶? (Luo Zhengye?)
Haihe: 孔征のひとり息子じゃ。(That's the only son of Luo Kongzheng.)
Ryo: この子は今どこに? (Where is this child now?)
Haihe: なぜ、征耶を探しておる? (Why are you looking for Zhengye?)
Ryo: どうしても聞きたいことがあるんです。 (I have something I really want to ask.)
Haihe: …込み入った事情がありそうじゃの。 (I'm sure it's complicated.)
Ryo: ええ。征耶君は今どこに? (Yes. Where is Luo Zhengye now?)
Haihe: ワンチャイの親戚に引き取られての。白秦街にいると聞いておる。(He was taken in by a relative in Wan Chai. I heard he's in the White Dynasty Qr.)
Ryo: 白秦街ですね。ありがとうございます。 (White Dynasty Qr. Thank you very much.)

Ryo: 征耶君のことなんですが… (It's about Luo Zhengye...)
Haihe: 今は白秦街におるはずじゃ。白秦街でたずねてみるといいじゃろう。(He should be in the White Dynasty Qr. now. You should ask in the White Dynasty Qr.)

After this point, he only gives generic responses when there is no event occurring. At this point, Ryo has already gotten the Wulinshu. In the Shenmue.com photos, Yun Haihe is seen asking if Ryo knows Tao Lishao. Clearly, they discuss her when Ryo discloses why he's after the Wulinshu. You can see him telling Ryo to say hi to Tao Lishao at this point in their in-game conversations, so that cutscene has already taken place.

Haihe: ならば4つの武徳も存じているはず。 (Do you know of the four wude?)
Ryo: はい。 (Yes.)
Haihe: お聞かせ願おうかの。 (Do you mind telling me?)
Ryo: 1つは功です。常に怠ることなく、日々、修練を積み重ねること。 (One is GON. To practice everyday without neglect.)
Haihe: ふむ、では残りの武徳は? (Hmm, what about the remaining wude?)
Ryo: 胆です。常にあわてることなく、肝をすえて、冷静に正しく判断すること。 (Dan. Don't panic. Stay calm and make the right decisions.)
Haihe: その通りじゃ。で、残りの武徳は? (That's right. So what about the rest of the wude?)
Ryo: 戒です。おごり高ぶることなく己を律し、むやみに拳法を使わず、みだりに技を見せず。(Jie. Don't be proud, be disciplined and don't use martial arts unnecessarily, and don't show your skills unnecessarily.)
Haihe: まあ、よかろう。桃李少老師の門下の者と信じよう。 (Well, that's fine. I believe that you are a student of Lishao Tao.)
Haihe: だが、武徳はつねに心にとどめておくのじゃぞ。(However, always keep the wude in mind.)


This conversation here is interesting. He just asks Ryo to recite the wude, and all of Ryo's answers are wrong. What's funny to me is, and hopefully I can say this much without getting into trouble... There are seven wude in the original script set for Shenmue II. Some of them are the ones Ryo mentions here. Perhaps this would have been a cute inside nod to the original Legend of Akira script.

Ryo: 和尚さん。(Osho-san.)
Haihe: なんじゃ、武徳を思い出したのか? (Do you still remember the wude?)
Ryo: もう1度お願いします。(I'd like to try again.)
Haihe: よかろう。聞かせてもらおうかの。(Good luck. I'd like to hear it.)
Ryo: 1つは忠です。 (One is Zhong.)
Haihe: ほう。して意味は? (What does that mean?)
Ryo: 師匠を尊敬し、尽くすことです。(Respect your master and do your best.)
Haihe: ふむ。それは大切だが、武徳ではないのう。(Hmm. That's important, but it's not one of the wude.)
Haihe: 出直してまいれ。(What did you say again?)
Ryo: 1つは仁です。そ、それは… (One is Ren. Well, that's...)
Haihe: どうした? (What's wrong?)
Ryo: 1つは厳です。(One is Yan.)
Ryo: 1つは信です。他人を裏切らず、人から信頼されることです。(One is Xin. Don't betray others, and be trusted by others.)
Ryo: 1つは孝です。(One is Xiao.)
Ryo: 1つは礼です。(One is Li.)
Ryo: 目上の人を敬い、礼儀正しく接することです。(Treat your superiors with respect and courtesy.)
Ryo: …すいません。思い出せません… (...Excuse me. I can't remember...)



Ryo: 羅孔征さんって、どんな方だったんですか? (What kind of person was Luo Kongzheng?)
Haihe: 拳徳をもって立ち、徳無ければ拳も虚し。 ("Stand with a fist of virtue. If there is no virtue, then the fist is empty." )
Haihe: それが口癖じゃった。(That was his saying.)
Ryo: 立派な拳法家だったんですね… (He was a good martial artist...)
Haihe: いや、大バカ者じゃよ。(No, he was a big idiot.)
Haihe: こんな老いぼれより先に逝ってしまいおって… (He passed away before such an old man...)
Haihe: 朋友の契りを忘れたか… (He's forgotten the bond of friendship...)


Ryo: 羅孔征さんはなぜ、襲われたんですか? (Why was Luo Kongzheng attacked?)
Haihe: さっぱりわからんのう。(I have no idea.)
Haihe: わしに言えば、助太刀してやったものを。(If he'd have told me, I'd have been able to help him out.)


Haihe: 迷惑をかけまいとしおって… (Don't bother me...)


Ryo: 羅孔征さんのことなんですが… (It's about Luo Kongzheng...)
Haihe: 曲がったことの嫌いな頑固者じゃったよ。義にあつい、好漢じゃったよ。 (He was a stubborn person who didn't give in. But he was a good man with a passion for righteousness.
Haihe: 惜しい男を亡くしたもんじゃよ… (It's regrettable we lost such a man...)

Haihe: どうじゃ、精進しとるかの? (Are you devoting yourself?)
Ryo: おかげさまで。 (Thanks to you.)
Haihe: 桃李少老師によろしくのう。 (Say hello to Lishao Tao.)
Haihe: 日々、精進を忘れんようにな。(Don't forget to devote yourself everyday.)
Haihe: いつでも遊びにくるといい。(Come and visit us anytime.)
Haihe: 今、急ぎの用があってのう。(I'm in a hurry right now.)
Haihe: ちと行く所があってのう。(I have some place to be.)


So, now we know why Miao Village existed and that the Wulinshu was held by Luo Kongzheng there. But, where WAS Miao Village? There've been lots of theories over the years, but now through various NPC dialog in this beta, it's 100% confirmed that Miao Village was located through the South Carmain Qr. An AM2 developer, Morio Ashizuka, had previously confirmed on Twitter that the dead end road in the South Carmain Qr. "didn't extend towards Wise Men's Quarter, but rather it went straight down. You would borrow the bicycle to travel along a road through a grassy plain." (credit to Switch for that information) That grassy plain led to Miao Village. Here are some conversation with NPCs during the event searching for Luo Kongzheng and his son...


rong.jpg

BCKpic.jpg


First, we have BNK (Rong Meizhu, owner of a fruit and vegetable stand in the White Dynasty Qr where Luo Kongzheng's son, Luo Zhengye is now located selling ducks. Subtitles are listed in the order in which they occur in the game. All subtitle codes starting with A are Ryo. You can see shortly before Ryo starts asking about Miao Village, he's asking about the Wulinshu.

When asking her about Miao Village, she responds with 紅南街のずーっと南よー。(It's all the way south of South Carmain Qr.) and 紅南街からしか行けないわよー。 (You can only go from the South Carmain Qr.) 紅南街のはずれから道が続いてるわよー。 (From the outskirts of the South Carmain Qr. The road continues.)




no29_pic_02.jpg


Next in the subtitle files, he starts asking Meizhu about Sunny Capital Pharmacy. I'm not sure what leads to Ryo searching for the pharmacy, but this is how we get to Miao Village. Former Shenmue developer Morio Ashizuka also said on Twitter: "There was going to be an event where you put the girl at the pharmacy on your bike and run an errand. [...] It was along the lines of the pharmacy owner having a bad leg, so Ryo goes for him by bicycle with the girl guiding the way. Ryo wasn't able to ride around freely though - it was a movie scene of him riding" (credit to Switch for this information)

This was Ryo's method of transportation to Miao Village.

The next thing Ryo is able to ask her is about Luo Zhengye, which Meizhu replies, あっちで物売りしてるわよー。 (He's selling things over there.) She's only a few feet from Luo Zhengye's stand in the White Dynasty Qr., so she would be right in line to point at him.

zhengye.jpg



In the files, Luo Zhengye has another model wearing the Miao style clothing, but that model file contained no subtitle data. His final game model doesn't seem to reference anything related to this Wulinshu storyline. So I have no way of knowing what goes down in the White Dynasty Qr. with the boy. Interestingly, there is a scene of the Yellow Head terrorizing this very kid in the final version. Maybe that same scene played out, albeit a bit different?


BNE_.PKF_PVR#06.png

BNE_.PKF_PVR#03.png



Next, we have Ma Wenyuan. In the final version, he's the street fighter at the Dragon Garden in the Stand Quarter who uses Passive Raid Style. However, under a different filename and different clothing, he is a resident of Miao Village.

Ryo: 羅孔征さんを探してるんですが… (I'm looking for Luo Kongzheng...)
Wenyuan: 羅さんなら亡くなったよ。2週間ほど前に。 (Luo died. About two weeks ago.)
Ryo: 亡くなった… (He passed away...)
Wenyuan: まだ、若かったんじゃがな… (He was still young...)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんが亡くなった理由は? (What happened to Luo Kongzheng?)
Wenyuan: あんた、どこから来たのかね? (Where did you come from?)
Ryo: ワンチャイの文武廟から。(From Wan Chai's Man Mo Temple.)
Wenyuan: 文武廟…。桃李少老師の門弟かね? (Man Mo Temple... Are you a disciple of Tao Lishao?)
Ryo: え、ええ…そうです。 (Y, yeah... That's right.)
Wenyuan: ふむ。ならば信用しても… (Hmm. Then I guess I can trust...)

Ryo: 羅孔征さんのことで何か知ってるんですか? (About Mr. Luo. Do you know anything?)
Wenyuan: あまり大きな声では言えぬが… (I can't say very loudly...)
Wenyuan: 羅さんは殺されたんじゃ。(Luo was killed.)
Ryo: 殺された…。いったい誰に? (Killed... Who on Earth?)
Wenyuan: さぁ。そこまではわしも… (Well, up till that point...)
Wenyuan: 羅さんを倒したとなれば、よほどの手練れと思うが… (I thought it would be difficult to defeat Mr. Luo, but...)

Ryo: 羅孔征さんのことなんですが… (About Mr. Luo...)
Wenyuan: じつに惜しい男をなくしたのう。 (We've lost a good man.)
Wenyuan: 立派な拳法家だったんじゃが。 (He was a good martial artist.)
Ryo: そうですか。(I see.)

Ryo: 羅孔征が亡くなった時のことを聞きたいんですが… (I'd like to ask, when Mr. Luo died...)
Wenyuan" あいにくじゃが、わしもその場にいたわけではないからのう。 (Unfortunately, I wasn't there when it happened.)
Ryo: 誰か知ってそうな人は? (Who would know?)
Wenyuan: 征耶なら、あるいは… (Luo Zhengye, or...)
Ryo: 征耶? (Luo Zhengye?)
Wenyuan: 羅さんのひとり息子じゃ。 (Luo's only son.)
Ryo: その人は今、どこに? (Where is he now?)
Wenyuan: 親戚に引き取られて、白秦街にいると聞いたが… (Taken by relatives, I heard he was in the White Dynasty Qr.)
Ryo: "白秦街…" (White Dynasty Qr...)
Wenyuan: 白秦街で征耶を尋ねてみなされ。 (Ask for Zhengye in the White Dynasty Qr.)


The next time you're able to talk to Wenyuan, Ryo asks about Miao Guang Temple. My first thought was the boy told Ryo where to find the Wulinshu, but perhaps not, since Ryo is still asking.

Ryo: 苗光寺ってどっちですか? (Which way is Miao Guang Temple?)
Wenyuan: 苗光寺ならあっちじゃ。 (Miao Guang Temple is over there.)


Ryo:
じつは、ある本をお借りしたかったんです。 (Actually, there's a book I wanted to borrow.)
Wenyuan: 本…? (Book...?)
Ryo: 武術のことが書かれている本です。心当たりありませんか? (This book is about Martial Arts. Do you have any idea?)
Wenyuan: さぁ。わしは知らんが… (Well. I don't know...)
Ryo: そうですか… (I see...)

Ryo: 武術の本について、話を聞いたことないですか? (About martial arts books. Do you know any?
Wenyuan: いや。だったら苗光寺に行ってみるとよかろう。 (No. You should go to the Miao Guang Temple.)
Wenyuan: 雲海和尚に聞けば、なんぞ分かるかも… (If you ask Yun Haihe, he might know.)
Wenyuan: 羅さんとも親しかったし。 (He was close to Luo Kongzheng.)
Ryo: わかりました。どうも。 (I understand. Thank you.)

Ryo: 聞きたいことが… (I want to ask you...)
Wenyuan: 和尚なら何か知っとるかも… (Osho might know something.)


From here, all his replies are things like, "I'm in a hurry right now.




In summary:

There you have the general story behind Miao Village. Originally, Ryo would seek out a Luo Kongzheng to borrow the Wulinshu from him. He finds out Kongzheng is in Miao Village, which he gets to from South Carmain Qr. Once there, he searches for him, only to find out he was killed two weeks ago. Ryo is told that the village mayor would have the key to Kongzheng's house, so Ryo gets the key and looks around for clues. He finds a photo of Kongzheng's son, Zhengye, and seeks the boy, who's now in the White Dynasty Qr. with relatives, for further information. It gets a bit hazy here, as I'd think the boy told Ryo about the Wulinshu. Maybe he does, but Ryo is clearly still asking Miao villagers about the Wulinshu and gets pointed to the direction of the Miao Guang Temple, where "OSY" Yun Haihe is the priest. From here, we reference the shenmue.com photos of Ryo with Yun Haihe holding the Wulinshu, assuming Haihe gives it to Ryo.
Amazing work.

I always thought Miao Villiage was in Guilin. How wrong was I lol.

It's nice to finally be able to put this location to rest.

Thanks for the insight LanDC
 
View attachment 15749

After the recent Game Jam beta of Shenmue II got released, the very first thing I did was look to see if OSY had any dialog still intact. For those who don't know, OSY is what we've always known the unused character from Miao Village by. OSY is his file name, which was still present in the final release. Guess what? He does! All Japanese of course, but Google Translate and a hint of Japanese knowledge will fix you up good and nice for the most part. So we now can see everything OSY was going to say in-game. Big, right? No, huge! And not only that, but other NPCs have dialog that also refer to Miao Village and that stage in the game. There have been many theories over the years, but we now know why Ryo was going to go to Miao Village, where Miao Village is, and when we were going to go there. Sadly, the village itself is not on the discs, nor are any cutscenes related to it, but we can still piece together the story from in-game dialog. So, let's get started! Here are all of OSY's interactions with Ryo in-game, with translation. Oh, wait, let's refer to him as his real name now. Yun Haihe. He is a Buddhist Priest in Miao Guang Temple. Ryo only refers to him directly as Osho-san, which is basically the word for priest/monk. But we later find out from a Miao resident that the osho's name is Yun Haihe.

But first! For reference, Rakousei is the person Ryo goes to Miao Village looking for. His name is Luo Kongzheng in Chinese. Seiya, his son is Luo Zhengye in Chinese. I'll be using everyone's Chinese names as we'd see in the English version.

Now, we already know from the Miao Village pictures released on Shenmue.com in 2001, Ryo is seen holding a book in the photo above. In that photo, Yun is saying, "Come to think of it, this might be what the gang that attacked Luo Kongzheng was after." That book is the Wulinshu. This in confirmed a bit later on. But for now, we know Ryo travels to Miao Village looking for Luo Kongzheng, who holds the Wulinshu. I don't know how Ryo knows, but he knows.

Ryo: すいませび。 (Excuse me/sorry...)
Haihe: 何かご用かの。 (What is it?)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんの家ってどっちですか? (Which way is it to Luo Kongzheng's house?)
Haihe: ここを下りてまっすぐ行った所じゃ。(It's straight down that way.)
Ryo: ありがとうございます。(Thank you very much.)
Haihe: おぬし、なにゆえに羅孔征の家を? (Why are you looking for Luo Kongzheng's house?)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんに会って、聞きたいことがあるんです。(I have something to ask him.)
Haihe: それは無理じゃな。 (That's impossible.)
Ryo: えっ? (What?)
Haihe: もうおらんよ。2週間ほど前に他界しておる。 (He's no longer here. He passed away two weeks ago.)
Ryo: 本当ですか? (Really?)
Haihe: 拙僧はウソなどつかぬ。 (I'm a priest. I don't lie.)
Haihe: 疑うなら、あやつの家に行ってみるがよい。(If you're in doubt, go to his house.)
Ryo: わかりました。行ってみます。 (Understood. I'll try going.)


Ryo: あの… 羅孔征さんの家は… (Umm... about Luo Kongzheng's house...)
Haihe: 寺を下りて、まっすぐじゃ。(Go straight, by the temple.)
Haihe: 下のほうで聞くとよかろう。(You might want to ask down there.)
Haihe: 花をたむけておる家がそうじゃ。(It's the house with all the flowers.)
Ryo: わかりました。 (I understand.)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんの家に入るにはどうすれば… (How should I get into Mr. Kongzheng's house...)
Ryo: どうしても調べたいことがあるんです。(I really want to find out what's in there.)
Haihe: 何か事情がありそうじゃな。 (There seems to be something wrong.)
Ryo: ええ。 (Yes.)
Haihe: まあ、悪い人には見えんし、教えてもよかろう。 (Well, you don't look like a bad person, so I'll tell you.)
Haihe: 羅孔征の家の鍵は村長があずかっておるはずじゃ。(The village mayor should have the key to Mr. Kongzheng's house.)
Ryo: 村長さんですね。ありがとうございます。 (The village mayor. Thank you very much.)

Ryo: 村長さんの家へは… (About the village mayor's house...)
Haihe: 寺を下りて、左に行きなされ。 (Go down to the temple, and turn left.)
Ryo: 村長さんの家はどっちですか? (Which is the village mayor's house?)
Haihe: 馬長老の家なら、寺を下りて左に行きなされ。(At Elder Ma's house, go down to the temple and take a left.)
Ryo: わかりました。ありがとうございます。 (I understand. Thank you very much.)

By this point, Ryo has already gotten the key from the village mayor and went to Luo Kongzheng's house in search of clues. He apparently doesn't find the Wulinshu, but finds a photo of a boy. That boy is Luo Zhengye, who is selling ducks in the White Dynasty Qr.

Ryo: この子について何か知りませんか? (Do you know anything about this child? *shows photo*)
Haihe: これは征耶の写真… (This is a picture of Luo Zhengye.)
Ryo: 征耶? (Luo Zhengye?)
Haihe: 孔征のひとり息子じゃ。(That's the only son of Luo Kongzheng.)
Ryo: この子は今どこに? (Where is this child now?)
Haihe: なぜ、征耶を探しておる? (Why are you looking for Zhengye?)
Ryo: どうしても聞きたいことがあるんです。 (I have something I really want to ask.)
Haihe: …込み入った事情がありそうじゃの。 (I'm sure it's complicated.)
Ryo: ええ。征耶君は今どこに? (Yes. Where is Luo Zhengye now?)
Haihe: ワンチャイの親戚に引き取られての。白秦街にいると聞いておる。(He was taken in by a relative in Wan Chai. I heard he's in the White Dynasty Qr.)
Ryo: 白秦街ですね。ありがとうございます。 (White Dynasty Qr. Thank you very much.)

Ryo: 征耶君のことなんですが… (It's about Luo Zhengye...)
Haihe: 今は白秦街におるはずじゃ。白秦街でたずねてみるといいじゃろう。(He should be in the White Dynasty Qr. now. You should ask in the White Dynasty Qr.)

After this point, he only gives generic responses when there is no event occurring. At this point, Ryo has already gotten the Wulinshu. In the Shenmue.com photos, Yun Haihe is seen asking if Ryo knows Tao Lishao. Clearly, they discuss her when Ryo discloses why he's after the Wulinshu. You can see him telling Ryo to say hi to Tao Lishao at this point in their in-game conversations, so that cutscene has already taken place.

Haihe: ならば4つの武徳も存じているはず。 (Do you know of the four wude?)
Ryo: はい。 (Yes.)
Haihe: お聞かせ願おうかの。 (Do you mind telling me?)
Ryo: 1つは功です。常に怠ることなく、日々、修練を積み重ねること。 (One is GON. To practice everyday without neglect.)
Haihe: ふむ、では残りの武徳は? (Hmm, what about the remaining wude?)
Ryo: 胆です。常にあわてることなく、肝をすえて、冷静に正しく判断すること。 (Dan. Don't panic. Stay calm and make the right decisions.)
Haihe: その通りじゃ。で、残りの武徳は? (That's right. So what about the rest of the wude?)
Ryo: 戒です。おごり高ぶることなく己を律し、むやみに拳法を使わず、みだりに技を見せず。(Jie. Don't be proud, be disciplined and don't use martial arts unnecessarily, and don't show your skills unnecessarily.)
Haihe: まあ、よかろう。桃李少老師の門下の者と信じよう。 (Well, that's fine. I believe that you are a student of Lishao Tao.)
Haihe: だが、武徳はつねに心にとどめておくのじゃぞ。(However, always keep the wude in mind.)


This conversation here is interesting. He just asks Ryo to recite the wude, and all of Ryo's answers are wrong. What's funny to me is, and hopefully I can say this much without getting into trouble... There are seven wude in the original script set for Shenmue II. Some of them are the ones Ryo mentions here. Perhaps this would have been a cute inside nod to the original Legend of Akira script.

Ryo: 和尚さん。(Osho-san.)
Haihe: なんじゃ、武徳を思い出したのか? (Do you still remember the wude?)
Ryo: もう1度お願いします。(I'd like to try again.)
Haihe: よかろう。聞かせてもらおうかの。(Good luck. I'd like to hear it.)
Ryo: 1つは忠です。 (One is Zhong.)
Haihe: ほう。して意味は? (What does that mean?)
Ryo: 師匠を尊敬し、尽くすことです。(Respect your master and do your best.)
Haihe: ふむ。それは大切だが、武徳ではないのう。(Hmm. That's important, but it's not one of the wude.)
Haihe: 出直してまいれ。(What did you say again?)
Ryo: 1つは仁です。そ、それは… (One is Ren. Well, that's...)
Haihe: どうした? (What's wrong?)
Ryo: 1つは厳です。(One is Yan.)
Ryo: 1つは信です。他人を裏切らず、人から信頼されることです。(One is Xin. Don't betray others, and be trusted by others.)
Ryo: 1つは孝です。(One is Xiao.)
Ryo: 1つは礼です。(One is Li.)
Ryo: 目上の人を敬い、礼儀正しく接することです。(Treat your superiors with respect and courtesy.)
Ryo: …すいません。思い出せません… (...Excuse me. I can't remember...)



Ryo: 羅孔征さんって、どんな方だったんですか? (What kind of person was Luo Kongzheng?)
Haihe: 拳徳をもって立ち、徳無ければ拳も虚し。 ("Stand with a fist of virtue. If there is no virtue, then the fist is empty." )
Haihe: それが口癖じゃった。(That was his saying.)
Ryo: 立派な拳法家だったんですね… (He was a good martial artist...)
Haihe: いや、大バカ者じゃよ。(No, he was a big idiot.)
Haihe: こんな老いぼれより先に逝ってしまいおって… (He passed away before such an old man...)
Haihe: 朋友の契りを忘れたか… (He's forgotten the bond of friendship...)


Ryo: 羅孔征さんはなぜ、襲われたんですか? (Why was Luo Kongzheng attacked?)
Haihe: さっぱりわからんのう。(I have no idea.)
Haihe: わしに言えば、助太刀してやったものを。(If he'd have told me, I'd have been able to help him out.)


Haihe: 迷惑をかけまいとしおって… (Don't bother me...)


Ryo: 羅孔征さんのことなんですが… (It's about Luo Kongzheng...)
Haihe: 曲がったことの嫌いな頑固者じゃったよ。義にあつい、好漢じゃったよ。 (He was a stubborn person who didn't give in. But he was a good man with a passion for righteousness.
Haihe: 惜しい男を亡くしたもんじゃよ… (It's regrettable we lost such a man...)

Haihe: どうじゃ、精進しとるかの? (Are you devoting yourself?)
Ryo: おかげさまで。 (Thanks to you.)
Haihe: 桃李少老師によろしくのう。 (Say hello to Lishao Tao.)
Haihe: 日々、精進を忘れんようにな。(Don't forget to devote yourself everyday.)
Haihe: いつでも遊びにくるといい。(Come and visit us anytime.)
Haihe: 今、急ぎの用があってのう。(I'm in a hurry right now.)
Haihe: ちと行く所があってのう。(I have some place to be.)


So, now we know why Miao Village existed and that the Wulinshu was held by Luo Kongzheng there. But, where WAS Miao Village? There've been lots of theories over the years, but now through various NPC dialog in this beta, it's 100% confirmed that Miao Village was located through the South Carmain Qr. An AM2 developer, Morio Ashizuka, had previously confirmed on Twitter that the dead end road in the South Carmain Qr. "didn't extend towards Wise Men's Quarter, but rather it went straight down. You would borrow the bicycle to travel along a road through a grassy plain." (credit to Switch for that information) That grassy plain led to Miao Village. Here are some conversation with NPCs during the event searching for Luo Kongzheng and his son...


rong.jpg

BCKpic.jpg


First, we have BNK (Rong Meizhu, owner of a fruit and vegetable stand in the White Dynasty Qr where Luo Kongzheng's son, Luo Zhengye is now located selling ducks. Subtitles are listed in the order in which they occur in the game. All subtitle codes starting with A are Ryo. You can see shortly before Ryo starts asking about Miao Village, he's asking about the Wulinshu.

When asking her about Miao Village, she responds with 紅南街のずーっと南よー。(It's all the way south of South Carmain Qr.) and 紅南街からしか行けないわよー。 (You can only go from the South Carmain Qr.) 紅南街のはずれから道が続いてるわよー。 (From the outskirts of the South Carmain Qr. The road continues.)




no29_pic_02.jpg


Next in the subtitle files, he starts asking Meizhu about Sunny Capital Pharmacy. I'm not sure what leads to Ryo searching for the pharmacy, but this is how we get to Miao Village. Former Shenmue developer Morio Ashizuka also said on Twitter: "There was going to be an event where you put the girl at the pharmacy on your bike and run an errand. [...] It was along the lines of the pharmacy owner having a bad leg, so Ryo goes for him by bicycle with the girl guiding the way. Ryo wasn't able to ride around freely though - it was a movie scene of him riding" (credit to Switch for this information)

This was Ryo's method of transportation to Miao Village.

The next thing Ryo is able to ask her is about Luo Zhengye, which Meizhu replies, あっちで物売りしてるわよー。 (He's selling things over there.) She's only a few feet from Luo Zhengye's stand in the White Dynasty Qr., so she would be right in line to point at him.

zhengye.jpg



In the files, Luo Zhengye has another model wearing the Miao style clothing, but that model file contained no subtitle data. His final game model doesn't seem to reference anything related to this Wulinshu storyline. So I have no way of knowing what goes down in the White Dynasty Qr. with the boy. Interestingly, there is a scene of the Yellow Head terrorizing this very kid in the final version. Maybe that same scene played out, albeit a bit different?


BNE_.PKF_PVR#06.png

BNE_.PKF_PVR#03.png



Next, we have Ma Wenyuan. In the final version, he's the street fighter at the Dragon Garden in the Stand Quarter who uses Passive Raid Style. However, under a different filename and different clothing, he is a resident of Miao Village.

Ryo: 羅孔征さんを探してるんですが… (I'm looking for Luo Kongzheng...)
Wenyuan: 羅さんなら亡くなったよ。2週間ほど前に。 (Luo died. About two weeks ago.)
Ryo: 亡くなった… (He passed away...)
Wenyuan: まだ、若かったんじゃがな… (He was still young...)
Ryo: 羅孔征さんが亡くなった理由は? (What happened to Luo Kongzheng?)
Wenyuan: あんた、どこから来たのかね? (Where did you come from?)
Ryo: ワンチャイの文武廟から。(From Wan Chai's Man Mo Temple.)
Wenyuan: 文武廟…。桃李少老師の門弟かね? (Man Mo Temple... Are you a disciple of Tao Lishao?)
Ryo: え、ええ…そうです。 (Y, yeah... That's right.)
Wenyuan: ふむ。ならば信用しても… (Hmm. Then I guess I can trust...)

Ryo: 羅孔征さんのことで何か知ってるんですか? (About Mr. Luo. Do you know anything?)
Wenyuan: あまり大きな声では言えぬが… (I can't say very loudly...)
Wenyuan: 羅さんは殺されたんじゃ。(Luo was killed.)
Ryo: 殺された…。いったい誰に? (Killed... Who on Earth?)
Wenyuan: さぁ。そこまではわしも… (Well, up till that point...)
Wenyuan: 羅さんを倒したとなれば、よほどの手練れと思うが… (I thought it would be difficult to defeat Mr. Luo, but...)

Ryo: 羅孔征さんのことなんですが… (About Mr. Luo...)
Wenyuan: じつに惜しい男をなくしたのう。 (We've lost a good man.)
Wenyuan: 立派な拳法家だったんじゃが。 (He was a good martial artist.)
Ryo: そうですか。(I see.)

Ryo: 羅孔征が亡くなった時のことを聞きたいんですが… (I'd like to ask, when Mr. Luo died...)
Wenyuan" あいにくじゃが、わしもその場にいたわけではないからのう。 (Unfortunately, I wasn't there when it happened.)
Ryo: 誰か知ってそうな人は? (Who would know?)
Wenyuan: 征耶なら、あるいは… (Luo Zhengye, or...)
Ryo: 征耶? (Luo Zhengye?)
Wenyuan: 羅さんのひとり息子じゃ。 (Luo's only son.)
Ryo: その人は今、どこに? (Where is he now?)
Wenyuan: 親戚に引き取られて、白秦街にいると聞いたが… (Taken by relatives, I heard he was in the White Dynasty Qr.)
Ryo: "白秦街…" (White Dynasty Qr...)
Wenyuan: 白秦街で征耶を尋ねてみなされ。 (Ask for Zhengye in the White Dynasty Qr.)


The next time you're able to talk to Wenyuan, Ryo asks about Miao Guang Temple. My first thought was the boy told Ryo where to find the Wulinshu, but perhaps not, since Ryo is still asking.

Ryo: 苗光寺ってどっちですか? (Which way is Miao Guang Temple?)
Wenyuan: 苗光寺ならあっちじゃ。 (Miao Guang Temple is over there.)


Ryo:
じつは、ある本をお借りしたかったんです。 (Actually, there's a book I wanted to borrow.)
Wenyuan: 本…? (Book...?)
Ryo: 武術のことが書かれている本です。心当たりありませんか? (This book is about Martial Arts. Do you have any idea?)
Wenyuan: さぁ。わしは知らんが… (Well. I don't know...)
Ryo: そうですか… (I see...)

Ryo: 武術の本について、話を聞いたことないですか? (About martial arts books. Do you know any?
Wenyuan: いや。だったら苗光寺に行ってみるとよかろう。 (No. You should go to the Miao Guang Temple.)
Wenyuan: 雲海和尚に聞けば、なんぞ分かるかも… (If you ask Yun Haihe, he might know.)
Wenyuan: 羅さんとも親しかったし。 (He was close to Luo Kongzheng.)
Ryo: わかりました。どうも。 (I understand. Thank you.)

Ryo: 聞きたいことが… (I want to ask you...)
Wenyuan: 和尚なら何か知っとるかも… (Osho might know something.)


From here, all his replies are things like, "I'm in a hurry right now.




In summary:

There you have the general story behind Miao Village. Originally, Ryo would seek out a Luo Kongzheng to borrow the Wulinshu from him. He finds out Kongzheng is in Miao Village, which he gets to from South Carmain Qr. Once there, he searches for him, only to find out he was killed two weeks ago. Ryo is told that the village mayor would have the key to Kongzheng's house, so Ryo gets the key and looks around for clues. He finds a photo of Kongzheng's son, Zhengye, and seeks the boy, who's now in the White Dynasty Qr. with relatives, for further information. It gets a bit hazy here, as I'd think the boy told Ryo about the Wulinshu. Maybe he does, but Ryo is clearly still asking Miao villagers about the Wulinshu and gets pointed to the direction of the Miao Guang Temple, where "OSY" Yun Haihe is the priest. From here, we reference the shenmue.com photos of Ryo with Yun Haihe holding the Wulinshu, assuming Haihe gives it to Ryo.
Unfortunately we can't really confirm everything that's being speculated here, purely because we can't know for certain if this beta contains all of OSY's (and the rest's) subtitle data. We clearly have a significant amount of it, but it alone still raises a lot of questions. Elder Ma would probably be Elder Yeh, unless we're expecting that these are also 2 separate people? Also with the fact that now we're sure that Miao Village was in HK.. and yet the early screenshots of Miao Village look identical to Bailu, I guess that also brings up a lot of questions.
The translations are good! But are we sure we can confirm all of this about Miao Village in this way?
 
My man LanDC coming in hot with the goods!
Thanks for this, I also thought Miao Village was going to be located more near Bailu. Clearly I am out of the loop but this post was awesome!

🤘🤙
 
Unfortunately we can't really confirm everything that's being speculated here, purely because we can't know for certain if this beta contains all of OSY's (and the rest's) subtitle data. We clearly have a significant amount of it, but it alone still raises a lot of questions. Elder Ma would probably be Elder Yeh, unless we're expecting that these are also 2 separate people? Also with the fact that now we're sure that Miao Village was in HK.. and yet the early screenshots of Miao Village look identical to Bailu, I guess that also brings up a lot of questions.
The translations are good! But are we sure we can confirm all of this about Miao Village in this way?

What can't be confirmed? If there's additional information in here that fleshes it out, that would be cool. But I checked OSY's subtitle data on all discs and it was all the same. That's all of it. And no additional information would change anything that I've posted, just flesh it out more.

Rong Meizhu is just one of several NPCs that point Ryo to Miao Village being accessible through the South Carmain Qr. So, location is confirmed. One NPC saying that was enough, though more do say it. This post was long enough already.

The dialog is clear that Ryo is looking for Luo Kongzheng, and wants to borrow the Wulinshu from him. That already confirms Ryo's motive for being there in the first place, and can't be disputed.

Everyone says Zhengye is Kongzheng's son. Not speculation.

Wenyuan tells Ryo to seek osho-san (OSY/Haihe) at Miao Guang) for info on the Wulinshu. So that confirms OSY is the priest/monk at Miao Guang Temple, which OSY even calls himself a priest.

Again, there could be some additional bits and pieces here and there, but the main who, why, what, and where is right here. The only thing we don't really know is, why did Ryo seek out the pharmacy before going to Miao Village, and what did Zhengye tell Ryo? I'm going to say that someone suggested Ryo talk to the pharmacy owner about borrowing his bike. And regardless of what Zhengye tells Ryo, it doesn't change anything else.

I'm confused on what I've speculated? Developers have even said it was removed because it was out of place, being it's a rural village near the city. And having an elder in the village isn't uncommon.
 
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What can't be confirmed? If there's additional information in here that fleshes it out, that would be cool. But I checked OSY's subtitle data on all discs and it was all the same. That's all of it. And no additional information would change anything that I've posted, just flesh it out more.

Rong Meizhu is just one of several NPCs that point Ryo to Miao Village being accessible through the South Carmain Qr. So, location is confirmed. One NPC saying that was enough, though more do say it. This post was long enough already.

The dialog is clear that Ryo is looking for Luo Kongzheng, and wants to borrow the Wulinshu from him. That already confirms Ryo's motive for being there in the first place, and can't be disputed.

Everyone says Zhengye is Kongzheng's son. Not speculation.

Wenyuan tells Ryo to seek osho-san (OSY/Haihe) at Miao Guang) for info on the Wulinshu. So that confirms OSY is the priest/monk at Miao Guang Temple, which OSY even calls himself a priest.

I'm confused on what I've speculated? Again, there could be some additional bits and pieces here and there, but the main who, why, what, and where is right here. The only thing we don't really know is, why did Ryo seek out the pharmacy before going to Miao Village, and what did Zhengye tell Ryo? I'm going to say that someone suggested Ryo talk to the pharmacy owner about borrowing his bike. And regardless of what Zhengye tells Ryo, it doesn't change anything else.

I'm confused on what I've speculated?
Yes I agree with the literal translated subtitle data, but I'm just commenting on the idea that now we fully understand Miao Village's part in the story. Don't worry, everything you've said is true, I'm just not sure if we "fully understand" all of what is going on in Miao Village, I should have specified that 😅

Also, we cannot guarantee that all of OSY's subtitle data is present, and obviously Miao Village would have consisted of more than 2-3 NPCs..
 
What can't be confirmed? If there's additional information in here that fleshes it out, that would be cool. But I checked OSY's subtitle data on all discs and it was all the same. That's all of it. And no additional information would change anything that I've posted, just flesh it out more.

Rong Meizhu is just one of several NPCs that point Ryo to Miao Village being accessible through the South Carmain Qr. So, location is confirmed. One NPC saying that was enough, though more do say it. This post was long enough already.

The dialog is clear that Ryo is looking for Luo Kongzheng, and wants to borrow the Wulinshu from him. That already confirms Ryo's motive for being there in the first place, and can't be disputed.

Everyone says Zhengye is Kongzheng's son. Not speculation.

Wenyuan tells Ryo to seek osho-san (OSY/Haihe) at Miao Guang) for info on the Wulinshu. So that confirms OSY is the priest/monk at Miao Guang Temple, which OSY even calls himself a priest.

I'm confused on what I've speculated? Again, there could be some additional bits and pieces here and there, but the main who, why, what, and where is right here. The only thing we don't really know is, why did Ryo seek out the pharmacy before going to Miao Village, and what did Zhengye tell Ryo? I'm going to say that someone suggested Ryo talk to the pharmacy owner about borrowing his bike. And regardless of what Zhengye tells Ryo, it doesn't change anything else.

I'm confused on what I've speculated?

Yes I agree with the literal translated subtitle data, but I'm just commenting on the idea that now we fully understand Miao Village's part in the story. Don't worry, everything you've said is true, I'm just not sure if we "fully understand" all of what is going on in Miao Village, I should have specified that 😅

Also, we cannot guarantee that all of OSY's subtitle data is present, and obviously Miao Village would have consisted of more than 2-3 NPCs..

Well, I mean... I looked through the sub data of OSY on all discs, just to be sure...

I get what you're saying. Of course the village consisted of more than 2-3 NPCs. But during this build, they've clearly already more than decided to omit it. They had already cleaned it up. I'm just saying there doesn't appear to be anymore to the Miao story aside from the Wulinshu. All the characters I've found say pretty much the same thing, and the content begins at looking for Kongzheng and ends after getting the Wulinshu. It's clear enough to me that 90% of the Miao story has been told. I mean, I'd be happy to eat my words though.
 
Well, I mean... I looked through the sub data of OSY on all discs, just to be sure...

I get what you're saying. Of course the village consisted of more than 2-3 NPCs. But during this build, they've clearly already more than decided to omit it. They had already cleaned it up. I'm just saying there doesn't appear to be anymore to the Miao story aside from the Wulinshu. All the characters I've found say pretty much the same thing, and the content begins at looking for Kongzheng and ends after getting the Wulinshu. It's clear enough to me that 90% of the Miao story has been told. I mean, I'd be happy to eat my words though.

They've decided to cut it yes, and so any leftover files are actually just remnants of the bigger story. Same way that some animation files for cutscenes that don't exist are sometimes left in various releases, but we don't know for sure how much more content there is that didn't "accidentally get left on the disc". So while we have a lot of OSY's subtitles, it's not guaranteed that it is everything that was ever created for him, which extends onto Miao Village in of itself. I'm just a little weary of considering the Miao Village mystery as fully solved, just because these are really only small bits which at the end of the day, were going to represent an entire area we've never fully seen or understood.. so even though we have some dialogue from it, it only really represents another piece to the puzzle, as opposed to completing the puzzle :p

Again, sorry I wasn't specific in my first reply, the translation is really good and as always it's nice to see you around!
 
Wow. Amazing! I always thought this mystical village was near Bailu village.

I remember an old CVG article that announced Shenmue for the first time that suggested that if you missed the chance to do something it would change the dynamic of the game. The example used was missing the chance to get a boat, meaning you had to wait two weeks for the next one. I wonder if this is an extension of this, so if you arrived two weeks earlier the man would not be killed and you can get the Wulinshu that way?

At any rate, this is fascinating stuff. I know nothing of file extraction or anything, so am grateful that there are folks like you to do this!
 
I always thought this mystical village was near Bailu village.
I personally think that now we know it was located in HK, what we got in the beginning of S3 basically contains bits of what was going to happen in Miao Village... hence the Elder Ma and Elder Yeh.

At any rate, this is fascinating stuff. I know nothing of file extraction or anything, so am grateful that there are folks like you to do this!
This data is actually really easily to peer into, thanks to the work of SHENTRAD all those years ago. Just open up the humans AFS located on the disc and then extract everything, then open the result with their other tool, Free Quest Subtitle Editor to take a look at the text :) it's nothing if you're not fluent in reading Japanese though in the case of this JP beta :D
 
Wow. Amazing! I always thought this mystical village was near Bailu village.

I remember an old CVG article that announced Shenmue for the first time that suggested that if you missed the chance to do something it would change the dynamic of the game. The example used was missing the chance to get a boat, meaning you had to wait two weeks for the next one. I wonder if this is an extension of this, so if you arrived two weeks earlier the man would not be killed and you can get the Wulinshu that way?

At any rate, this is fascinating stuff. I know nothing of file extraction or anything, so am grateful that there are folks like you to do this!
Love that idea of using a save from Shenmue 1 where you were earlier in date and time and he wasn't dead :D
 
Wow. Amazing! I always thought this mystical village was near Bailu village.

I remember an old CVG article that announced Shenmue for the first time that suggested that if you missed the chance to do something it would change the dynamic of the game. The example used was missing the chance to get a boat, meaning you had to wait two weeks for the next one. I wonder if this is an extension of this, so if you arrived two weeks earlier the man would not be killed and you can get the Wulinshu that way?

At any rate, this is fascinating stuff. I know nothing of file extraction or anything, so am grateful that there are folks like you to do this!
Could be!
 
In hindsight, i'm glad Suzuki cut Miao Villiage. If it were there, it would take away from the epicness of Guilin when you first step off that boat. They look similar.

I don't think anything will ever match the first time we experienced disk 4 of Shenmue 2. One of the greatest moments in all of gaming. I get chills just thinking about it
 
They've decided to cut it yes, and so any leftover files are actually just remnants of the bigger story. Same way that some animation files for cutscenes that don't exist are sometimes left in various releases, but we don't know for sure how much more content there is that didn't "accidentally get left on the disc". So while we have a lot of OSY's subtitles, it's not guaranteed that it is everything that was ever created for him, which extends onto Miao Village in of itself. I'm just a little weary of considering the Miao Village mystery as fully solved, just because these are really only small bits which at the end of the day, were going to represent an entire area we've never fully seen or understood.. so even though we have some dialogue from it, it only really represents another piece to the puzzle, as opposed to completing the puzzle :p

Again, sorry I wasn't specific in my first reply, the translation is really good and as always it's nice to see you around!

I don't know, I just don't see it that way. Thing is, they axed this area early on. And could you blame them? They're sitting here making an area that's perfect for Guilin in the middle of HK, and breaking up the flow of the game in a big way... They probably snapped to their senses and were like, "Wtf are we doing? Let's use this map where the story will actually be in a rural area!" I really don't feel like it went on long enough for there to have been much more to the area, or else they'd have been balls deep to the point where it couldn't have been removed. Would have been much more difficult to do so, at least.

From what I've found in this beta, there's nothing that would suggest anything else taking place after the Wulinshu segment. By the time you find the Wulinshu, it's not long till you meet Ren and go to Kowloon. Why would Ryo come all the way back there? Doesn't make sense to me. Doesn't mean there 100% wasn't other stuff, but I'm going to say not. At the very least, we now understand the context of the scenes that were shown on shenmue.com. That part of the puzzle is solved. Case closed.
 
I don't know, I just don't see it that way. Thing is, they axed this area early on. And could you blame them? They're sitting here making an area that's perfect for Guilin in the middle of HK, and breaking up the flow of the game in a big way... They probably snapped to their senses and were like, "Wtf are we doing? Let's use this map where the story will actually be in a rural area!" I really don't feel like it went on long enough for there to have been much more to the area, or else they'd have been balls deep to the point where it couldn't have been removed. Would have been much more difficult to do so, at least.
I mean you don't have to see it that way if you don't want to, but there is a lot of assets left on many of the builds which actually only represent small parts of something larger, be it pieces of dialogue like this... or cutscene data, or just simply animation data.

You cannot seriously or rationally base everything about Miao Village just from what we have. There is still a lot missing and as you even agreed with me, there would be more than just 2-3 NPCs, same way that there would be more of a reason for Ryo to be there, this is obvious.

At the very least, we now understand the context of the scenes that were shown on shenmue.com. That part of the puzzle is solved. Case closed.
Sure, but that's hardly anywhere near the entire story, lol, by definition.
 
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