{ "id": "ep0mb032nh", "slug": "the-mystic-nine-ii", "title": "The Mystic Nine II (九门)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-my-to-so", "label": "Titles My to So", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-my-to-so" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "China · 2021 and later: East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021", "label": "China · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "The Mystic Nine II (九门, Jiu Men) is a 2026 Youku Republican-era adventure drama, sequel to The Mystic Nine (2016), directed by Bai Shan, written by Nanpai Sanshu, starring William Chan, Joseph Zeng, and Chen Yao, set in 1935 Changsha around the 401 unit disappearance and the Tower Beyond Worlds.", "snippet": "The Mystic Nine II (九门, Jiu Men) is a 2026 Youku Republican-era adventure drama, sequel to The Mystic Nine (2016), directed by Bai Shan, written by Nanpai Sanshu, starring William Chan, Joseph Zeng, and Chen Yao, set in 1935 Changsha around the 401 unit disappearance and the Tower Beyond Worlds.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-my-to-so", "markdown": "# The Mystic Nine II (九门)\n\n**The Mystic Nine II** (九门, also known as *The Mystic Nine Against the Coming Storm* and *Lao Jiu Men 2*) is a 2026 Chinese Republican-era suspense adventure drama directed by Bai Shan (柏杉), written by Nanpai Sanshu (南派三叔), and starring [William Chan](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-chan) (陈伟霆), Joseph Zeng (曾舜晞), and Chen Yao (陈瑶). It is the sequel to *The Mystic Nine* (2016) and streams exclusively on Youku, where all 30 episodes premiered beginning July 30, 2026.[1](https://en.taicike.com/tv/47982978/) • [2](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34128695)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original title | 九门 (Jiu Men, \"Nine Gates\"); other titles 老九门2 / The Mystic Nine Season 2[3](https://www.cpophome.com/mystic-nine-william-chan-joseph-zeng/) |\n| Premiere | July 30, 2026, 12:00 pm, Youku exclusive; 30 episodes of about 45 minutes[2](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34128695) • [4](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mystic-nine) |\n| Setting | Changsha in 1935, before the nine families rose to fame; the disappearance of the 401 unit leads into the trap-filled Tower Beyond Worlds (隔世楼)[5](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_32194176) • [6](https://yule.360.com/detail/5130107) |\n| Lead cast | William Chan as Zhang Qishan, Joseph Zeng as Wu Laogou, Chen Yao as Huo Xiangu[2](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34128695) |\n| Production | Filed December 2024; filmed May 31 to September 28, 2025 at Hengdian; distribution license obtained July 20, 2026[7](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B9%9D%E9%97%A8/64883150) |\n| Audience score | Douban 6.7/10 from 43,715 raters as of September 6, 2026[8](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E4%B9%9D%E9%97%A8/64883150?fromModule=lemma_inlink) |\n| Commercial performance | Youku heat broke 10,000 within 50 hours, a 2026 platform record; Yunhe market share rose from 14.3% on day one to about 30%[9](https://ent.sina.cn/2026-08-13/detail-ininavxa5057766.d.html?vt=4) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and cast\n\nThe story opens in 1935, when a hundred soldiers of the Zhang family's 401 unit vanish mysteriously inside a military hospital in Changsha. The garrison commander Zhang Qishan (Zhang Da Foye, \"the Great Buddha Lord\") investigates, discovers an underground cave system behind a brick wall, and is told the mechanism can be opened only by Wu Laogou, the fifth master of the Nine Gates, with whom he has an old grudge. Zhang, Wu, and Huo Xiangu then lead the nine family heads into the Geshi Lou (隔世楼, Tower Beyond Worlds), an ancient tomb of shifting time and space tied to the legend of the Geshi Ancestor, who can supposedly reverse fate.[6](https://yule.360.com/detail/5130107) • [10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbmd1dv2G2g)\n\nWilliam Chan reprised his role as Zhang Qishan from the 2016 series, reportedly losing 15 jin to fit the older character. Joseph Zeng took over the role of Wu Laogou and Chen Yao played Huo Xiangu. The supporting cast includes Wang Jinsong, Li Naiwen, Shi Xiaolong, Xu Zhengxi, Ji Xiaobing, and Xuan Lu. Ying Haoming and Hu Yunhao returned from the 2016 series as Qi Tiezui and Chen Pi A'si.[2](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34128695) • [11](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_33741336)\n\n### Place in the franchise\n\nThe drama belongs to Nanpai Sanshu's *Grave Robbers' Chronicles* (盗墓笔记) universe. The 2016 *The Mystic Nine* was itself a prequel to the main series; the 2026 sequel continues that prequel line with a new story set a few years after the first, so the two seasons are independent in plot and can be watched without having seen the predecessor.[16](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_33773925) Alongside its Youku run, the series was distributed overseas on EYE TV in Taiwan, NOW TV in Hong Kong and Macau, Viki in North America, and through TVBI in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United Kingdom.[2](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34128695) In September 2026 it was shortlisted for Outstanding Long-Form Drama of the Year at the ninth Chuxin List awards.[7](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B9%9D%E9%97%A8/64883150)\n\n## Production\n\nThe project was filed with regulators in December 2024, began filming at [Hengdian World Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/hengdian-world-studios) on May 31, 2025, and wrapped on September 28, 2025; it received its distribution license on July 20, 2026.[7](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B9%9D%E9%97%A8/64883150) Nanpai Sanshu served as original creator, screenwriter, and chief producer; reports state that the script took shape seven years before broadcast and was rewritten annually to keep pace with changing tastes.[2](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34128695) • [12](https://k.sina.cn/article_7880068344_1d5b04cf806801aipg.html?vt=4)\n\n**Visual design.** Director Bai Shan, whose earlier work includes *Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty*, described his formula as \"Republican-era everyday life as the base, Chinese-style eeriness as the bones, hot-blooded jianghu as the soul.\" The production used a dual visual system: above ground, low-saturation warm yellow light for the street-level world of Changsha; underground, an extremely cold gray palette with side lighting, water-ripple light, and floating dust. Elements of western Hunan Nuo opera and Jiangnan mortise-and-tenon joinery were woven into the sets, and the core monster, the \"Zhai Niangniang\" (窄娘娘), went through multiple design drafts.[6](https://yule.360.com/detail/5130107) • [2](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34128695)\n\n## Reception and performance\n\nThe series was the most-watched headliner of the 2026 summer streaming season. Pre-release reservations on Youku exceeded 6 million; the platform heat score passed 10,000 within 50 hours of launch, the fastest of any 2026 Youku drama; first-day [Lighthouse](https://www.edgepedia.org/lighthouse) playback reached about 32.36 million, the platform's yearly best; and Yunhe effective-play market share climbed from 14.3% on day one to roughly 30%, leading the season by nearly a factor of two. The Douyin topic #九门# accumulated 12.59 billion views.[9](https://ent.sina.cn/2026-08-13/detail-ininavxa5057766.d.html?vt=4) • [13](https://kandian.sina.cn/article_5973732618_1640fed0a00101i9k6.html?from=ent&subch=film)\n\nCritical reception was sharply divided against this commercial record. Douban settled at 6.7/10 from 43,715 raters, while the Weibo score rose from 8.8 at opening to 9.1.[8](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E4%B9%9D%E9%97%A8/64883150?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [9](https://ent.sina.cn/2026-08-13/detail-ininavxa5057766.d.html?vt=4) Praise centered on the atmosphere of the underground sequences, William Chan's return, and Joseph Zeng's Wu Laogou, whom several commentators judged more fully realized than the passive Zhang Qishan of this installment.[6](https://yule.360.com/detail/5130107) • [2](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34128695) [Criticism](https://www.edgepedia.org/criticism) focused on slow pacing in the early episodes, sets that some viewers found too bright and new for a suspense story, and above all advertising: the first four episodes carried 49 advertisements across 13 opening slots, a Youku record that became the show's most-cited flaw.[9](https://ent.sina.cn/2026-08-13/detail-ininavxa5057766.d.html?vt=4) • [14](https://yule.360.com/detail/5143804)\n\nThe recasting of roles such as Yin Xinyue and Er Yuehong, played in 2016 by [Zhao Liying](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhao-liying) and Zhang Yixing, also drew resistance from longtime fans, though some reviewers noted that the 1935 prequel storyline places Yin Xinyue outside the main plot.[11](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_33741336) • [15](https://post.smzdm.com/p/agg4z6lm/) A Guangming Online review highlighted the ensemble's portrayal of traditional xia (chivalric) values and the show's dual visual system as a new exploration within the domestic adventure genre.[8](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E4%B9%9D%E9%97%A8/64883150?fromModule=lemma_inlink)\n\n## References\n\n1. [The Mystic Nine 2 TV series plot introduction, Taicike](https://en.taicike.com/tv/47982978/)\n2. [《九门》：等了十年的一场重聚，和一场四十九个广告的生意, The Paper](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_34128695)\n3. [Mystic Nine, CPOP HOME](https://www.cpophome.com/mystic-nine-william-chan-joseph-zeng/)\n4. [九门, TheTVDB](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mystic-nine)\n5. [民国传奇剧《九门》杀青并定档2026, The Paper](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_32194176)\n6. [陈伟霆《九门》首播热度飙升第1，评价一针见血, 360娱乐](https://yule.360.com/detail/5130107)\n7. [九门（2026年柏杉执导的民国冒险剧）, 百度百科](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B9%9D%E9%97%A8/64883150)\n8. [九门（2026年柏杉执导的民国冒险剧）, 百度百科 (剧集评价)](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E4%B9%9D%E9%97%A8/64883150?fromModule=lemma_inlink)\n9. [《九门》热度凉了是错觉吗？, 新浪娱乐](https://ent.sina.cn/2026-08-13/detail-ininavxa5057766.d.html?vt=4)\n10. [MULTISUB【九门Mystic Nine】 💥乱世同行版预告：隔世楼中诡影生，旧怨燃锋不相让 | 陈伟霆 / 陈瑶 / 曾舜晞 | 剧情 冒险 | 优酷 YOUKU - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbmd1dv2G2g)\n11. [《九门》：陈伟霆再披军装，南派三叔\"情怀饭\"香不香？, The Paper](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_33741336)\n12. [《九门》与十年前的《老九门》相比到底差在哪？, 新浪娱乐](https://k.sina.cn/article_7880068344_1d5b04cf806801aipg.html?vt=4)\n13. [\"CP乱炖\"狂揽百亿播放，《九门》为何难以再向\"爆款\"一步？, 新浪看点](https://kandian.sina.cn/article_5973732618_1640fed0a00101i9k6.html?from=ent&subch=film)\n14. [《九门》：口碑与争议并存，演员表现各有千秋, 360娱乐](https://yule.360.com/detail/5143804)\n15. [《九门》收官复盘, 什么值得买](https://post.smzdm.com/p/agg4z6lm/)\n16. [十年经典IP归来，是回忆杀还是毁童年？, The Paper](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_33773925)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles My to So*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mystic-nine-ii", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mystic-nine-ii.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"The Mystic Nine II (九门)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mystic-nine-ii. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[The Mystic Nine II (九门)](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mystic-nine-ii)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mystic-nine-ii](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mystic-nine-ii). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"The Mystic Nine II (九门)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mystic-nine-ii. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "The Mystic Nine II is a 2026 Youku Republican-era adventure drama, sequel to The Mystic Nine, directed by Bai Shan, written by Nanpai Sanshu, starring William Chan, Joseph Zeng, and Chen Yao, set in 1935 Changsha around the 401 unit disappearance and the Tower Beyond Worlds." }