Original subtitles

(This story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental.)

“Legend has it that in ancient times, demons roamed freely, hiding among mortals.”

“On nights of the full moon, as darkness falls, they shed their human skins.”

“They feed on blood and use children’s souls as vessels.”

“When reborn, they give birth to demon offspring and rule the world.”

“Those who nourish them will be rewarded with wealth.”

“But such glory and riches must always be repaid in blood.”

“When humans walk alongside demons, the world becomes a living hell.”

[Bride of the Covenant]

The groom’s family offers this gift with sincerity.

We kneel and pray for the Wood God’s protection.

First bow.

Wood God above, holy spirit eternal, we humbly beg for your blessing.

I, Ruan Mo, kneel before the Wu family’s guardian altar.

I ask the Wood God to bear witness that I remain pure.

From this day onward,

I vow to become the Wu family’s daughter-in-law and honor this marriage.

To bear descendants and continue the family line.

I offer my body to the Wood God. This vow shall never be broken.

I beg for mercy. Bless the Wu family with eternal glory.

So declared.

Young Mistress, please proceed with the ritual.

The Old Madam is gravely ill.

It may be contagious.

So only I am permitted to care for her.

Even the young masters

dare only pay their respects at the doorway.

Mother, it’s Mo’er.

As your daughter-in-law, I have come to greet you.

May you enjoy health and long life,

and watch over us.

The Old Madam heard you.

She has instructions.

Now that you have entered the Wu family,

you must obey our household rules.

First:

Without the master’s permission,

you are forbidden from entering the ancestral hall.

Second:

On nights of the full moon,

after the first watch, you must not leave your room.

This is a strict household rule.

Third:

Without my permission,

you may not enter the Old Madam’s chambers.

Those who disobey

will be punished without mercy.

I swear I will obey all household rules.

From today onward,

A-Mei will be your personal maid.

Young Mistress, this is the eldest sister-in-law.

Madam Yan.

Greetings, Sister-in-law.

This is Madam Chaozhou,

betrothed to Third Young Master Shi Jiang.

She will be our future sister-in-law.

Greetings, Sister-in-law.

This is the Sacred Wood. It will help ensure a safe delivery.

By tradition, it should be bestowed by the mother-in-law.

But she is ill,

so I will give it to you in her place.

Take it.

From now on, we sisters stand together.

We shall manage this household as one.

This is the young master and young mistress’s bedchamber.

From now on, you are forbidden to step any further.

You are about to leave on a long journey.

I prepared a few things for you.

Husband, have a safe journey.

Tonight is the full moon.

You must stay in your room.

I will come serve you in the morning.

A-Mei.

A-Mei.

A-Mei.

A-Mei.

The wife’s heart remains faithful.

But the husband’s heart has changed.

The concubine’s love is true.

Yet the lord’s intentions are false.

Young Mistress.

Young Mistress.

Please, spare me. I beg you!

Please, spare me!

Please!

Young Mistress, save me!

Please don’t punish her.

Punish me instead.

I was the one who broke the rules.

Young Mistress.

I act under the master’s orders.

House rules must be enforced without mercy.

Young Mistress, save me!

If she swims ashore, break her legs.

Young Mistress!

Young Mistress!

Light four sticks of incense.

Pray with sincerity.

Present the offerings.

We humbly ask the Wood God and our ancestors to accept them.

We pray the Wu family may be blessed with a healthy male heir.

May the Wu household prosper and endure forever.

May every wish be granted, every prayer fulfilled.

We humbly beg the Wood God to grant our plea.

So declared.

Give me a grandson. I don’t want a girl.

One son is worth more than a dozen daughters.

Yes, Father.

Don’t worry.

You’re only in early pregnancy. Your body needs time to adjust.

This medicinal soup will ease your morning sickness.

Before I came here,

my mother warned me

to respect my husband’s family customs.

But I still find it hard to get used to them.

I know it’s difficult leaving your home behind.

The rules here differ from the south. You’ll adapt in time.

Though our family has three daughters-in-law,

only you can change our fate.

My husband, Shi Gong,

died young.

As for Chaozhou, she bears the title of wife,

but not the reality of one.

On the day she married into this family,

Third Brother Shi Jiang left home and never returned.

Shi Jiang is an illegitimate child.

He was brought back only at the age of ten.

He has harbored resentment ever since,

blaming Father

for causing his mother’s death.

Then what about Chaozhou?

Her father was our family’s close friend and partner.

So Father and Mother treated her as their own.

Perhaps out of guilt.

You must give birth to a son.

Only then can the Wu family line continue.

To my parents, children are blessings regardless of gender.

As long as they grow with love and virtue.

Whether my child is a boy or a girl,

my love will never change.

But your position is different now.

This is not something to take lightly.

Don’t worry.

I believe this child will bring rebirth to this family.

(Wealth)

(Fortune)

Young Mistress.

Why are you here?

You…

Do you know who that was?

I couldn’t see her face clearly.

It might have been Madam Li Duan.

Let’s go, Young Mistress.

The wife’s heart remains faithful,

yet the husband’s heart has changed.

A-Mei.

Young Mistress, why did you come out?

Please go back inside.

Young Mistress! Young Mistress!

I’m so scared.

A-Mei.

A-Mei, where are you?

A-Mei!

A-Mei!

A-Mei!

A-Mei!

Who are you?

Who are you?

My child…

Where are you taking my child?

Give my child back to me!

Give my child back!

With deepest sorrow,

may my wife, Li Duan,

and our children,

Wu Fu and Wu Gui,

rest in peace.

You violated family rules and endangered the Wu bloodline.

By Mother’s command, you are confined to reflect on your actions.

Father and Mother fear

the children’s spirits will curse you, leaving you barren.

So their bodies were buried deep in the forest.

Then what should I do?

I once struggled with this as well.

Perhaps only by giving birth to a son can you escape this place.

But first, you must regain your strength.

I know of an ancient remedy for postpartum women.

It helps restore the body

and replenish vitality.

With it, you may soon conceive again.

Second Young Master Ding, greetings.

Today, Miss Huaiqiu will keep you company.

Such beauty,

rarely seen in this world.

Enchanted by her grace,

I stumble into love’s snare.

Spring returns, yet sorrow remains.

This prescription is made from parasites found in submerged riverwood.

A refined gentleman,

tormented by longing.

Tossing and turning,

bound by a single vow of faith.

A single vow of faith—

to whom can it be spoken?

My heart has already been given.

This love shall never change.

Li Duan.

She just took her medicine.

She needs to rest quietly.

Seize this opportunity.

Change your fate.

I offer you this drink.

I, Wu Shi Ding,

vow to be bound to you for a lifetime.

Li Duan.

I hope you will bear many children for me.

Never leave me.

I will bear many children for you.

I swear to give you heirs

and continue the Wu family bloodline.

I will give you many children.

Young Mistress.

From today onward,

A-Jin will be your personal maid.

I, Ruan Mo,

born in the Year of the Ox, at the Rat hour on a full-moon night,

kneel before the Buddha, offering incense, flowers, and gold.

May the Buddha guide me toward goodness

and grant me joy.

Grant me a noble son to continue the Wu family line.

Namo Repentance Bodhisattva.

Forgive my bluntness, benefactress,

but Puyan Temple does not accept offerings from the Wu family.

Sister…

How do you know these offerings come from the Wu family?

Namo Repentance Bodhisattva.

I have heard your prayer.

May the Buddha show mercy

and protect this child.

On you…

I sense…

the same aura as Madam Feng.

She was once a great beauty, red lips and rosy cheeks,

yet carried the stench of blood.

Are you saying my mother-in-law…

I urge you to be careful.

That thing is a demon incarnate, often inhabiting human bodies.

Ever since I married into the Wu family,

a faceless woman has haunted me.

It has been a long time since I last saw

a demon so brazen in taking human form.

How can I find peace?

You must remember—

even a tiger will not devour its own cub.

This is the second young master’s concubine.

From today on, she will live here.

You must leave this place.

Immediately.

Whichever wife bears a son

will be rewarded with land and wealth.

Her natal family will share in the glory.

I will definitely bear a son.

Husband, you must host a grand celebration for his first month.

Is there any medicine

that can help me conceive a son?

Yes.

I once sought it myself.

But after my husband Shi Gong passed away,

I no longer had use for it.

However, one crucial ingredient is still missing.

What is it?

Agarwood shavings.

From wood over a hundred years old, submerged in a riverbed.

Do we have such wood?

It’s the Sacred Wood enshrined in the ancestral hall.

The key to the hall is kept in Mother’s room.

She hasn’t left her room in a long time.

I can go see her.

I can no longer conceive. Her illness won’t cling to me.

I’ll fetch the key and check on Mother.

The Sacred Wood in the ancestral hall seems to have changed.

It has grown branches.

Its shape looks ominous.

A piece of wood that can grow—

this must be a good omen.

A sign our family will prosper.

This is the “Childbearing Wood.”

You will need it during childbirth.

Wood God above, holy spirit eternal, we beg for your blessing.

I, Chen Fangyan,

I, Li Duan,

I, Li Huaiqiu,

I, Ruan Mo,

kneel before the Wu family’s guardian altar.

We beg the Wood God to bear witness that we remain pure.

From this day forth, we offer ourselves to the Wu bloodline.

We shall honor our marriages.

To bear descendants and continue the family line.

We offer our bodies wholly to the Wood God.

This vow shall never be broken.

We beg for mercy. Bless the Wu family with glory for generations.

My child has been taken again.

This is already the fourth child to die in this household.

This is no coincidence.

There is something evil in this house.

This is fate.

Their deaths are meant to accomplish a greater purpose.

You remain unharmed,

which means our family is prospering.

Prospering?

Prosperity built on the sacrifice of my children?

Don’t forget—one wife is cheaper than a pig.

If one dies, buy another.

If one can’t give birth, another will.

I’ve had enough of this cursed place.

You will inherit my legacy.

Great ambitions leave no room for mercy.

The Wood God has revealed the truth to me.

From that divine light,

our wealth and power were born.

I will grant you what you seek.

All that you desire shall be yours.

O Wood God—

great Wood God, let the Wu family’s fortune bloom.

Whatever sacrifice you require, I will offer it.

He knows the desires in my heart.

Thus, I forged a blood pact with Him.

Cutting myself off from the mortal world forever.

Your mother cares only about children.

She only wanted a simple life.

A simple life?

She wanted us to live in poverty forever—

just as my fortune was within reach?

The Wood God guided me

to offer her flesh and soul

in exchange for wealth and power.

Power has never belonged to the virtuous.

It bows only to gold and silver.

O Wood God, grant me a son

to continue the family line.

You swore a blood pact

and sold one wife.

Every child she bears now belongs to me.

Where is my child?

Mother, please—don’t!

No! My child!

Shi Gong!

Shi Gong!

This blood pact will not end

until I find the perfect host.

If you dare defy it,

your entire family will pay with their lives.

My mother…

would never harm Shi Gong.

Why hurt the children?

They are our own flesh and blood!

Those children were sacrifices to the Wood God.

If you wish to live, continue honoring the blood pact.

All of this is your doing.

You are no longer human.

I will protect my wife and child at any cost.

Wealth and glory always demand a price.

If they hadn’t coveted our riches,

why would they have sold themselves?

So their children should naturally—

be used to fulfill the pact with the Wood God.

Brother, since you left home,

calamities have plagued us.

Demons have revealed themselves,

and panic has taken hold.

Some have gone mad, others lost.

Sleepless nights, restless days.

I struggle alone to hold this family together.

The situation grows dire.

Please return soon

and help shoulder the family burden.

Your brother writes this letter, hoping for your swift return.

Young Mistress.

There’s movement in the Old Madam’s room.

Young Master is not allowed inside.

Step aside.

Young Master, you may not enter.

So…

you’ve been here all along,

pretending to be my mother.

Young Master—

the Old Madam passed away two years ago.

I was ordered to take her place

to maintain order in the household.

So the demon is no longer inside her.

Then tell me—who is possessed?

Madam Yan.

The one who never appears during the day.

Sister-in-law,

is there any medicine

that can help me conceive a son?

The Wood God.

Go.

Young Master, you can’t take her out.

There’s a fire!

How dare you!

Do you know the fate of anyone who stands in my way?

You two—go now!

Move aside!

Close the door!

Young Mistress!

Young Mistress!

There’s another way out!

Go!

You traitor! Traitor!

Come here.

I won’t let you or the child be harmed.

We’ll find somewhere safe.

Her life will be the price you pay.

Husband!

I present the offering.

May the Wood God be pleased,

and bless the Wu family with eternal prosperity.

I’ve captured Mo’er.

Prepare the ritual. I will merge with her flesh.

Carve my form into the wood,

to be worshipped for all eternity.

What about my son?

Don’t worry. Once I take her body,

the blood pact will end.

You’ll still have that illegitimate son.

Father and son will enjoy wealth and glory for the rest of your lives.

Husband!

Husband!

Even if you take this body,

you will always be a starving ghost.

Forever dependent on borrowed flesh.

With your body, I can become a god.

The Wood God will rule the mortal world.

The human realm will become the new underworld.

Then why didn’t you take my body from the start?

I had to temper you—

so your soul could merge perfectly with the demon core.

I despise your schemes.

You’re not as naïve as you look.

If that weren’t the case,

how could you still be pregnant now?

Schemes may defeat schemes,

but they will never triumph over virtue.

My love for my husband is the sacred bond of our marriage.

I have never been ashamed of it.

The Wu family sees you only as a breeding tool.

Do you really think the child you carry is precious?

I devoured…

your first child.

His flesh was sweet.

And this one will help me complete my grand design.

My child’s life is my life.

You will never take my body or harm my child.

Do you think you’re still a pure mother?

The Sacred Wood you scraped into powder—

was the reincarnation of your first child.

These children will become demon spawn,

helping me conquer the world.

My husband…

Even if he becomes a vengeful spirit,

he will never spare you.

Demons like you have no place in this world.

When the time is right,

this shell will belong to me.

That’s not for you to decide.

You are forbidden to enter here.

You have abandoned this family.

You are no longer my son.

You never treated me as your child.

Nor have I ever called my mother’s killer family.

I returned to end this living hell.

You—

You must leave.

You have no right to interfere in our affairs.

Once the funeral rites are complete, I will leave.

If you want Chaozhou to live, get out.

If you dare touch Chaozhou,

I will never leave.

I will send you back to see your father as soon as possible.

You must write a letter of divorce.

Please, stop.

Since I married you, I will remain in this household,

by your side.

I obeyed everything you said,

enduring in silence.

But…

Master, please spare me.

I swear I will never break the rules again.

When I noticed the servants disappearing one by one,

I became suspicious.

That was when Aunt Lian locked me away.

Perhaps out of respect for our families’ ties,

she spared my life.

That was when I realized this bloodthirsty demon—

was the Xunmu Ghost,

a demon born from driftwood in riverbeds.

Which means—

every full moon, someone was sacrificed.

You can’t stay here any longer.

This karmic debt will one day fall upon my family.

I cannot drag you down with us.

I won’t let you suffer.

Your family, your karma—

is mine as well.

Please…

let me share this burden with you.

At noon, I will go see Second Sister-in-law.

You are…?

I am Shi Jiang.

Please save my child.

Don’t let him fall into the demon’s hands.

I would give my life to protect him.

But this child still needs a mother’s comfort.

Her soul has already been corroded by demonic energy.

Now the only thing keeping her alive

is the child in her womb.

But her consciousness remains clear.

It is the child stabilizing the mother’s soul.

Before the first watch ends, ensure all servants leave to visit family.

I’ve prepared mourning sashes.

Help escort them into the residence.

No matter what you see tonight, do not interfere.

I sincerely beg you.

Three bows.

Young Mistress, what are you doing here?

These are talismans to suppress evil spirits.

Don’t touch them, or you’ll lose your life.

I, Wu Shi Jiang,

hereby swear a blood oath with the Xunmu Ghost,

to bind it and return it to the abyss of hell.

Chaozhou.

I rise—you rise.

I fall—you fall.

May your soul scatter,

your spirit be destroyed,

never to return to the human realm.

This vow shall never be broken.

Shi Jiang, help me!

Just a little more—hold on, Mo’er!

Hold on, Mo’er!

Just a little more!

I see the baby!

Mo’er!

Where is your knife?

The child preserved her soul.

Her spirit is returning to its place.

(Lullaby)

Chaozhou.

Chaozhou.

I was wrong.

The soul inside that body

belonged to the Xunmu Ghost.

A mother tiger must devour her cub.

Only then

can the soul descend into utter yin and merge with this body.

Mo’er.

Mo’er.

Mo’er.

You dare sabotage my grand design!

I rise—you rise.

I fall—you fall.

No, Mo’er!

Mo’er!

Don’t worry.

I’ll take you to a doctor.

At last…

I’ve waited so long for your return.

Chaozhou.

Wood God, protect us.

Wood God, protect us.

Wood God, protect us.