Original subtitles

[Fate Chooses You]

[Episode 7]

Sweet, right?

Sour as hell.

It's sweet.

It's because there's bitterness in your heart.

Everything tastes sour to you.

Tell me.

How did you and Lu meet?

Wanna hear?

Twenty taels.

Here's 50.

Keep the change.

I meant gold.

Fine.

It's a slow day anyway,

and I have nothing pressing.

I'll tell you about it.

He and I...

met 11 years ago.

That was the first time we ever saw each other.

Thank you for sending me home, Mr. Fu.

You're too polite, sir.

It's an honor for the Li household

to have you personally instruct

our young master in painting.

That day,

I wore my

prettiest dress.

Unfortunately, I fell.

My dress got dirty, and my face got smudged.

I must've looked awful.

Are you okay?

But...

he didn't mind,

and he even escorted me home.

Only later did I learn

he was my new neighbor.

He was a painter

with excellent skills.

People said

he was a man of great learning—

no ordinary person.

He hardly ate—

sometimes not even a single meal in two days.

He was so thin you could see his bones sticking out.

Seeing that,

I would often bring him food.

But as time passed,

my feelings

for him slowly faded,

and I saw him less and less.

That was the sensible thing to do.

But half a year later,

a catastrophe

fell upon our escort agency.

An escort agency deals in trade and transport.

so paying taxes to the government

is only natural.

But that year,

the taxes had become outrageously high.

My father said

it was the Immortality Tax.

Those in power sought eternal life,

and naturally, that required resources.

But they seized

those resources from the hands

of common people like us.

At first,

the Immortality Tax

was only collected in Dongxiang.

But the cost must've been too great.

The tax was extended to other regions.

And our escort agency

was drawn into its reach.

For a living, my father

planned to move the whole family back to our hometown.

But they...

wouldn't let us go.

Father!

I thought I was done for,

but he appeared.

I've practiced martial arts since I was young.

I started practicing with a sword

as soon as I could walk.

Yet he killed those men

in a single move—men I couldn't beat

even with everything I had.

I didn't even see

how he did it.

From that moment on, I knew

he was no mortal.

And then what happened?

Then...

he left.

And never came back.

Those masked men died.

But I knew

my enemy was still out there—

the county magistrate.

He had embezzled tax money

and couldn't cover the shortfall,

so he turned to plundering the common people's wealth.

He had his men disguise themselves as bandits

and rob people of their money and property.

After that night,

all that remained of my household

was me, a young attendant,

and a stable hand.

They're the attendant and the cook now.

Fearing our enemy would come after us again,

we left.

Then,

we found

a secluded valley

and devoted ourselves to martial arts.

We trained

for five years.

Five years later,

we came back after mastering the skills.

We tracked down our enemy and had our revenge.

After that, we left for good.

Then you came here

and opened the Safe Haven Inn?

[Safe Haven Inn: Your Safety is Guaranteed.

Got to make a living, right?

Actually,

I never thought I'd see him again.

I know

he's no ordinary man.

He might be a cultivator,

or perhaps an immortal of the Youhu Clan.

Or maybe...

It doesn't matter anymore.

I know we belong to different worlds.

We were never meant to be.

The girl upstairs in the room

is the one he loves, isn't she?

What makes you say that?

When he carried her in just now,

he looked so tense.

In his eyes,

there was tenderness

and heartache.

We were acquainted.

Everyone at the escort agency was

quite kind to him as a neighbor.

But even when my whole family was slaughtered,

I never saw that look in his eyes.

Perhaps.

He probably does like her.

It's a pity

they're also not meant to be.

She's drunk.

She wanted to drink it herself.

I didn't force her.

She didn't even drink that much.

Who knew she'd end up like this?

The attendant's gone to make her some hangover soup.

Once we get it into her,

she should wake up.

But it's understandable.

Years of buried heartbreak crashing down all at once—

that's no joke.

Did you know

she hasn't married all these years

because she still carries you in her heart?

Look at you.

See how much damage you've caused.

Oh, right,

how is Xin upstairs?

I've already fed her the blood.

She'll be fine soon.

Your blood

is a divine remedy for healing.

But have you thought about this?

What are you going to do

when she wakes up?

She thought you were dead

and risked her life to save you.

Now here you are, perfectly fine.

Even a fool

would know something's off.

Not to mention,

she saw your face last night.

Why don't you just run away?

Run away?

Yes!

Run.

Clean and simple.

No one will ever find you.

Please, enjoy, sirs.

-I'll take her back first. -You ungrateful thing...

Okay, okay.

You heartless wretch...

They say a good drink can wash away all sorrow.

It works for her.

And it'll work for you too.

His Majesty has decreed

Liang Wenjing, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review,

has abused his power for personal gain

and framed loyal officials.

The Liang family is hereby sentenced to confiscation of property and clan extermination.

His eldest son, Liang Quan, and second son, Liang Zhong,

have both been captured and put in the imperial prison.

Anyone who dares obstruct

will be punished as an accomplice!

My Lord,

we wouldn't dare! We wouldn't dare!

Search!

Please spare us!

[Foot of Tianyin Mountain]

Your face is injured.

Bandage it with that.

Something happened outside?

Likely to do with the Liang household.

It has nothing to do with us.

How are you feeling?

Do you still feel weak?

His palm strike was very powerful.

My Qihai has been damaged.

I'm afraid it will take some time to recover.

Senior Jin,

could you please fetch me

another Yangyuan Pill?

That master's techniques were extraordinary

and didn't look like

any of the Twelve Immortal Sects' arts.

Senior Jin, you've traveled the martial world—

have you ever heard of him?

All things come full circle.

However the road winds,

we are bound to meet again.

What's wrong?

It's the court's soldiers.

Who knows

what has come over Emperor Zong Din?

He suddenly wants to reverse the verdict

against that female cultivator's husband.

The entire Liang household has been arrested,

sentenced to extermination, and had all their property confiscated.

Reverse the verdict?

Yes.

They've also sent people to find us,

claiming that the female cultivator

was sent by them.

Killing those four officials

was also the Emperor's order.

They say it doesn't count as

the immortal sects interfering in mortal affairs.

and that we needn't concern ourselves further.

That day, it was they

who begged for our help.

Now they come up with this excuse.

We're left in a position

where neither side is pleased with us.

Someone is coming.

Senior Bai is coming.

Senior Bai.

Please forgive me.

[Bai Zongying, Tianyuan Sect]

I'm late.

You're awake.

You should've called for someone

if you wanted water.

How are you feeling now?

Are you hungry?

Would you like something to eat?

You don't need my help?

You two, talk it out calmly.

I'll be right here...

Xin.

Weren't you dead?

Apparently not dead enough.

Then let me finish the job!

Calm down!

Either you kill me today,

or I kill you!

This was all my fault.

Punish me however you like.

But let me explain first.

Explain it in hell!

That girl has just recovered from her injuries.

Go to hell!

Aren't you going to do something?

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't.

What kind of grudge is this, seriously?

Let them solve it themselves.

Still want to fight?

Fine.

Since I can't move,

I'll listen to your explanation.

The day I was executed—

death by 1,000 cuts—I didn't die.

That's not where you should start, is it,

Mr. Lu?

In the capital,

the one who saved me secretly time and again

was also you.

Since you have such abilities,

why did you allow yourself to be imprisoned?

Why did you submit to arrest without a fight

and suffer death by 1,000 cuts?

I...

have my reasons.

"Reasons"?

Fine.

Then answer me this—

you knew full well you wouldn't die,

so why did you marry me?

Why did you say those things to me—

to make me believe you would die,

to leave me carrying that burden,

to fill me with resentment on your behalf,

and even drive me to seek revenge for you?

I didn't expect that you'd go that far.

"Didn't expect?"

You possess extraordinary skills,

yet you allowed others to frame

and punish you,

subjected yourself to a cruel punishment,

and made onlookers pity your fate!

You knew you wouldn't die,

yet you still chose to marry me—

and asked me to burn incense

and make offerings for you after your death.

What exactly were you trying to do?

Were you toying with me?

You said you'd explain,

so explain it to me.

I really want to know:

when I risked my life—

using my meager magic

to seek justice for you

and avenge you—

what were you really thinking?

Did you find it laughable?

Or did you think I was a complete fool?

I was grateful.

Xin,

I'm truly grateful to you.

But I do have reasons

I cannot tell anyone.

They concern my life and safety.

But please believe me,

I never had any intention of harming you.

Get some good rest first.

If that resentment still hasn't faded,

come find me in the lobby.

Do not fight with anyone for the next few days.

Rest,

and you will recover.

Thank you, Senior Bai.

I thought the Tianyuan Sect

wasn't planning to send anyone this time.

All the major immortal sects

received letters from the court.

Why wouldn't our Tianyuan Sect come?

It's just that I

was delayed by some matters,

so I arrived late.

If you had arrived earlier,

we definitely could've detained that female cultivator,

and we wouldn't have

ended up looking so miserable.

With the cultivation levels of everyone present,

how could you fail to even detain

a female cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage?

And earlier, the court

urgently

summoned us here,

yet now they claim that the female cultivator

is their operative.

What exactly is going on?

That's the full account of events.

You're saying

the magical artifact she used is similar to mine?

Yes.

She usually uses a crescent-shaped blade.

When controlled by spiritual energy,

it transforms into

something like concentrated moonlight—

exceptionally sharp.

The first time

we faced her,

her artifact emitted only one arc of light.

The second time,

there were two.

That means her cultivation has advanced.

She's broken through from the Qi Refining Stage

to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Mr. Bai, do you know the female cultivator?

I can't say for certain.

Whether you're certain or not hardly matters now.

The court has ordered us to stand down.

I'm heading back to the sect.

The Immortality Pill is about to be completed.

Is your sect not going to attend the event?

The elders of our sect will go.

Why am I even bothering to join?

What about you?

I still have some personal matters to attend to.

I'll head there afterward.

Our sect will not be involved in the event,

so I won't be going either.

All right.

I'll take my leave first.

The court

summoned us here to address this matter.

Since they've chosen not to pursue it,

there's no reason for us to keep pressing.

As for that female cultivator, she's nothing to fear.

But the male cultivator by her side

has unfathomable cultivation.

Provoking him rashly

might bring trouble.

Farewell.

I'll see you out.

You're heading back to your sect?

Where else?

We messed this up so badly,

and we don't even know their names.

We're just going to leave it at that?

What do you want?

Naturally, we can't simply leave it at that.

Senior Bai,

that night, I saw

Junior Jiang wound

that male cultivator with her sword,

but in the blink of an eye,

his wound healed completely.

Don't you find that a bit strange?

Healed in an instant?

That's what I saw.

But Junior Jiang's Chengying Sword

is no ordinary weapon.

Even a Nascent Soul cultivator

couldn't heal immediately

after being injured

by it.

What are you thinking?

Maybe I'm just ignorant,

but for a being with such regenerative ability,

I can only think of one possibility:

a War Demon.

A War Demon...

Come on, have some tea.

Xin,

-actually, I… -I've thought it through.

It was my fault.

When I joined the immortal sect,

my master made me swear

to never use magic

to interfere in mortal affairs.

I was too stupid.

I could never make sense of it.

I always thought that

since I was fortunate enough to learn the immortal magic,

I should put it to use.

Otherwise, it would be a waste.

But there is too much injustice in this world.

The court can't reach everywhere.

If I happen to encounter injustice

and have the power to intervene,

why shouldn't I?

So...

I made mistakes.

Many times over.

In the past,

I refused to repent.

I thought it was the rules that were wrong—

not me.

But this time,

I've finally understood.

In this world, there are immortals

and cultivators.

There are also countless

demons and monsters.

People are hard to read,

and life is unpredictable.

Magic can easily disguise the truth—

how can mortal eyes

tell what is real from what is false?

Act, and you risk making mistakes.

Do nothing, and you cannot err.

That's why my master

told me to stay within my bounds.

I didn't

think that through.

I didn't consider your feelings

and ended up hurting you.

We met by chance

and should've just helped each other and gone our separate ways.

I overstepped

and threw myself into it,

stirring things up even more.

Xin...

I know

you have your reasons.

I'm the one who meddled.

I broke the rules,

so I should pay the price.

Now I see it clearly.

Lu Huai.

I should just call you Lu Huai.

Thank you for teaching me this lesson.

I won't do it ever again.

It will never happen again.

♪ Spending a lifetime, I ask myself what I first sought ♪

Mr. Lu,

from now on,

we'll go our separate ways

♪ What is it my heart truly desires? ♪

and have nothing more to do with each other.

♪ Step by step up the immortal stairway ♪

♪ Paved with countless lost souls ♪

♪ Who would dare destroy the ladder to immortality and end the path? ♪

♪ The sun blazes over the earth ♪

♪ Yet it cannot warm every cold home below ♪

♪ I've heard cries that rend the heavens ♪

♪ I hear the shame of parting ♪

♪ This immortal path admired by all ♪

♪ Can exist, or not exist ♪

♪ Once again I see the world's cold indifference ♪

♪ Bending what I've cherished all my life ♪

She's very sad.

♪ I do not fear returning to dust ♪

All color has drained from her.

♪ I walk this path alone ♪

What?

♪ So that all may share in ♪

I did the wrong thing.

♪ The road to immortality ♪

You're only realizing that now?

♪ I fear not defying immortal laws and sacred precepts ♪

Go.

Me?

Go where?

Use your magic

to erase her memories of this time—

make her forget me.

Make it

as though none of this had ever happened.

I want that one.

Attendant.

I'd like to ask you something.

Please go ahead, Miss.

A few days ago,

I heard a female cultivator had entered the capital and killed people,

causing a huge uproar.

Do you know how it all turned out?

That matter?

That matter has already been resolved.

His Majesty issued a decree

stating that the female cultivator's husband

had been wrongfully convicted,

so the case was dropped

and was no longer being pursued.

Several ministers involved

were also investigated.

Where is that female cultivator?

That I don't know.

Take care, Miss.

Go find Senior.

How did I break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage?

I should go to the back.

The cook might need me.

Stop right there. Don't move.

Excuse me,

where is this place?

Enjoy.

A few days ago,

there was heavy rain in the mountains.

When I was passing by,

I found you unconscious in the rain,

so I brought you back.

You've been sick

for more than 10 days,

delirious with fever.

It wasn't until today

that you finally woke up clear-headed.

Why would I have collapsed in the mountains?

I'm not so sure about that.

Why don't you try to think back carefully?

I remember I went down the mountain for some business

and visited my aunt on the way.

But my aunt passed away.

I arranged her funeral,

left Wei County,

and then continued my journey

to handle my business.

And then I passed through here.

I was overwhelmed with grief

and caught in the rain,

so I fell ill?

Right.

That must be it.

That's exactly what happened.

That's not right.

I was sick,

but why did my cultivation level improve?

I wouldn't know about that.

The affairs of you cultivators

are so mysterious.

I can't make sense of them.

Thank you for saving me.

You're welcome.

I'm glad you're alright.

That's all that matters.

Here, have some ginger and brown sugar water.

Come on, hurry up!

Hurry up and load the goods!

Sir,

once this job is done, you'll be rich, right?

When you get back, you'll finally be able to take a wife, eh?

Sure thing.

If you happen to know any suitable young ladies,

remember to introduce them to me.

Okay.

Father.

My bamboo dragonfly...

My bamboo dragonfly flew away.

Hold on. I'll get it.

Excuse me, please step aside.

You're standing on something of mine.

You need to go to the Central Plains

to find a woman

and pass along a message to her.

Yes.

The goods are all loaded.

We can depart anytime.

Okay.

Who is our boss talking to?

Judging by the clothes, looks like a big client.

Boss?

Sir!

Where are you going?

What are you heading off to do?

Boss!

What are your plans next?

The Immortality Pill is nearly ready.

I came down the mountain this time

to attend the Pill-Tasting Competition at Chongling Valley,

to request an Immortality Pill for my master.

It's probably for the best that she left.

You two were never on the same path anyway.

What a pity, though.

Such a good girl—

it would've been nice, even just to remain friends.

By the way,

news came from the capital.

The little Emperor has ordered

a thorough investigation into your case.

Many of the officials involved

have been dismissed and imprisoned.

He also said

Xin Mei was acting under the court's orders,

and the immortal sect no longer needs to interfere.

Looks like

he's going to clear your name.

Let's go.

Wait for me.

Officer,

your sword is completely rusted through.

It can't be sharpened at all.

Nonsense!

This is a divine sword!

It came to me through a rare stroke of fortune.

This sword, drawing on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth,

can slay gods and demons, feed on their blood,

and split mountains and seas.

It simply hasn't been used in a long time—

it's been resting and has gathered a bit of rust.

How can it not be sharpened?

Well...

You see it yourself.

I've been sharpening it for four hours,

and it's still like this.

That only means

you haven't sharpened it long enough.

Besides,

you were the one who boasted

that you could

sharpen any blade.

T-Then you'll have to pay extra.

Unfortunately,

those last two copper coins

you just pocketed were my very last ones.

You...

You even dare to trick a government official?

At worst, you can

throw me in jail.

I only charged you two coppers.

That's worth a day at most.

You...

Are you calling me?

Who else?

You see your savior standing right here

and don't even say hello?

Do we know each other?

You really are something.

If it weren't for me last time,

would you even still be alive?

Last time?

I was the one

who, with one strike...

killed that centipede demon

and saved your life.

You forgot?

What kind of look is that?

Don't go!

Pinwheels!

Get your pinwheels!

Wait for me!

What are you doing?

What's wrong with you?

Don't drink the water.

Don't drink the water.

Don't drink the water.

There's poison in the water.

Don't drink the water.

There's poison in the water.

Don't drink the water!

There's poison in the water.

There's poison in the water!

Don't... Don't drink the water!

There's poison in the water!

Why is this guy acting so weird?

The water is poisoned?

It can't really be poisoned, can it?

We should stay away from people like him.

Look, he fainted.