Original subtitles

[Fate Chooses You]

[Episode 22]

How about

we treat Master Lu to a meal?

I'm afraid not. That's too much trouble.

But we insist.

A real gentleman knows

when to return a favor.

Please wait a moment, Master Lu.

Food will be ready soon.

Let's go!

Sure.

Go then.

Move!

Quick.

Let's go.

Go.

Is it all?

Nothing more?

You insisted on treating him to a meal

after he declined to be paid.

How can we afford food

and wine for him now?

I acted on impulse.

This is all my fault.

What should we do now?

I'll go make money

by writing letters for people.

I can do that too.

I can even write poems.

Me too.

-I can also do that. -So can I.

Count me in as well.

But is there enough time?

I...

Then what do you suggest?

Master Rust-Sword!

Are you crazy or what,

for targeting me?

-Master Rust-Sword. -Master Rust-Sword!

Sorry for the rudeness.

What are you doing?

Are you robbing me in broad daylight?

Just lend us some money!

Stop it now, or I'll fight back.

Consider it a loan to us!

Yes, yes, just a loan.

My arm...

My arm is broken!

Are you alright?

Faking an injury, huh?

Get up now.

D-Don't make me slap you.

Lord of Rust-Sword, this is an emergency.

We'll pay you back later.

Let go of my master!

I'll beat you up!

This is adults' business. Stay out of it, kiddo.

I'm not a kid.

Just don't butt in.

Let go of me!

It's here! Here!

Quick!

Hurry!

Pull harder!

We will surely pay you back later.

No!

My money!

We'll definitely pay you back!

My money...

You bunch of robbers,

I'm going to kill you!

You'll all be dead meat!

My money...

What's going on outside?

Nothing.

They're just horsing around.

My money!

Come on.

Have some tea.

This is mint tea.

It reduces internal heat.

Try it, please.

Did I put in enough salt?

What you put in was sugar.

Make the fire bigger.

Got it.

Stop nibbling on that carrot.

G-Go fetch some firewood.

Zhanying.

Master Rust-Sword,

come drink with us later.

What a feast today.

There's wine, meat,

and vegetables.

Master Lu,

Immortal Xin,

don't stand on ceremony.

Be the first ones to eat.

Please.

Don't rabbits only eat plants?

But I've become a rabbit demon now.

Why can't I have meat?

Alright!

Let's eat!

Come on.

One piece for each of you.

No fighting needed.

Thank you.

We bought this

from Li's Smoked Chicken,

a century-old shop in the Phoenix City.

The taste is amazing.

Nonsense, old man.

You've never tasted it.

Little demon,

how do you know I've never tasted it?

You can't afford it, can you?

To prove yourself,

why not tell us if the drumsticks are salty or spicy?

Salty, of course.

Mr. Lu,

try one.

Let's see if this old man is correct.

I'm not hungry now.

An,

taste it for me.

Thanks.

You should eat it, Master.

Way to read the room.

I'll take this drumstick,

but not you as a disciple.

An,

you can have mine.

Thank you.

Everyone, eat up.

The food's getting cold.

-Hurry! -Dig in!

Thank you for your aid

along the journey, Master Lu, Immortal Xin.

If it hadn't been for your help,

we would probably

have failed to make it

to the Phoenix City alive.

You even gave us two precious paintings

as gifts.

We doubt if we will ever be able

to repay such kindness.

Come on, everyone.

Let's propose a toast

to them both.

A toast to you both.

Cheers.

Come on, let's eat.

I also protected you along the way.

Why only toast them and not me?

Because we hired your service.

You hired my service?

Then give me my pay.

The journey was a bitter experience for me.

Instead of making money,

I even lost quite a sum.

Not bitter at all.

There's sugar in the food. It tastes sweet.

Still, I paid for...

Lord of Rust-Sword, as a single man,

you seem quite eager to make money.

Are you trying to get a wife?

I have no family, so you don't

need to offer any betrothal gifts.

Do you think I'd make a good wife for you?

No, I don't think so.

I don't plan to get married.

Besides,

I'm not interested in those older than me.

But you're of age. Why not start a family?

I just haven't met anyone I love.

What a coincidence.

Neither have I.

An!

Have a drink with Zhanying now.

Zhanying,

come on.

Let's drink.

Chen Fen,

I've always been curious.

Why were you given

such a jinxed name as "Fen"?

I'm from the Chen clan in Qinling—

a long line of tomb raiders.

My family have been raiding tombs

for generations.

About 300 years ago,

South Xiang King, Li Xiang, was dying of a severe illness.

He took the advice of a ghost cultivator

and decided to build a grand mausoleum

for himself and set up a Feng Shui Formation,

attempting in vain to be revived in 500 years

following the Path of Ghosts.

After the mausoleum was completed,

in order to keep

its location secret,

Li Xiang had his personal guards

kill all the craftsmen who helped build it.

Unexpectedly,

on the guards' way back,

they were trapped by a heavy downpour.

Residents of the Chen Village

kindly helped them.

However, Li Xiang, the unscrupulous ruler,

had the Chen Village

nearly annihilated afterwards,

just in order to conceal

everything about the mausoleum.

My great-great-grandfather

was a child at that time.

He luckily survived.

Later, he focused on the study of tomb-raiding arts,

with the determination to avenge the Chen Village.

Then why did you come to the Phoenix City

instead of searching for the mausoleum?

I did find that place.

But the traps inside work with rather

complex mechanisms.

I couldn't gain access.

So,

I came here for the Unparalleled Secret Magic

that might give me a solution.

It's very tenacious of you.

But what if you can't find a solution this time?

If that happens, my sons

will carry on the mission.

And if my sons fail, my grandsons will continue.

No matter what,

my resolution to dig up

that vile old man's tomb and hold him back

from immortality will not waver!

Why are you all giving me this look?

You've heard this story before, haven't you?

I am shocked every time

I hear about this king's atrocities.

At this very moment,

I'd like to recite a poem.

Enjoy the meal, scholar.

Great scholar,

back in Wei County,

didn't you say

you'd take the imperial exam?

Don't get me started.

I did reach the capital.

But I found that among the exam takers,

half were from families connected to immortal sects,

and four out of ten

were rich kids with strings to pull.

Young lads from poor families like me

amounted to only a few.

That day,

the person in front of me

was cheating with the immortal art of observation.

I reported him,

but the invigilator

kicked me out instead.

In a fit of anger,

I left the capital.

None of those from immortal sects are good.

Immortal Xin,

his comment is not directed at you.

Have I said it wrong?

Those from immortal sects

once set up a formation in Dahuang Valley to draw

spiritual energy from the earth veins

for their cultivation,

which only ended up exploding the earth veins

and causing half the valley to collapse.

As a county constable at that time,

I was transferred there to handle the aftermath,

along with over ten fellows

who had been through life-and-death moments with me.

The spiritual energy there was just bizzarre.

Like poisonous fog,

it found a way into our bodies.

Shortly after,

all my fellows died.

I was the only one

who survived.

Look at me now—

all messed up and miserable!

I'm entitled to hatred, aren't I?

Although I came to North Xiang

with Wushuang Society members,

my thoughts are different

from theirs.

They have too big an ambition.

I don't quite understand.

But I was told

that as long as I came here,

I would be given a sword,

which could

help me pierce the hearts of immortals.

Which immortal sect set up that formation?

Who assigned you to handle

the aftermath?

It was the Holy Fire Sect that set up the formation.

The one who assigned me to that task

was Song Qingsong, the magistrate of Xuzhou County.

The Holy Fire Sect is one of the Twelve Immortal Sects.

It's managed by Master Yuntuzi,

a superior cultivator at the Void Stage.

He's a hundred years old now.

In the Battle of Pinghu,

he fought off dozens

of War Demons on his own

and saved the people of an entire city.

He had 31 direct disciples,

all of whom died protecting Xuzhou,

except two—

they lost arms or legs

and were incapacitated.

Almost all the core disciples

of the Holy Fire Sect

died in that battle.

Yuntuzi was the only one left

with the ability to support the sect.

He was already old at that time.

Before his final hour arrived,

he had to absorb spiritual energy

and sacrifice his own body

to set up a protective formation

so as to secure the lives of Xuzhou people

and to maintain the prestige of the Holy Fire Sect

for it to last for generations.

How was it wrong?

So what if the story you told

is true?

I was indeed injured, wasn't I?

My friends lost their lives,

didn't they?

I'm not denying your suffering.

I just have one question.

Are immortal sects

really completely evil in your eyes?

You keep saying

how immortal sects try to kill you

and persecute you.

But have you forgotten?

It was these immortal sects that courageously

fought the War Demons.

It was also these immortal sects

that protected the people.

Mortals outnumber immortals

by a hundredfold, even a thousandfold.

But in the Battle of Pinghu,

the number of casualties in immortal sects

was almost the same as that of mortals.

Immortal sects bore the brunt at war.

Now that peace has been restored,

you're accusing immortal sects

of oppressing and persecuting you.

Shouldn't the contribution

of immortal sects be remembered?

Immortal Xin,

please don't be mad.

He was just drunk and rambling.

That day, you asked me

if I could guarantee that all disciples of immortal sects

thought the same way I did.

Right now, I'd like

to ask you a question too.

Can you guarantee

that every human has a good nature?

Oppressing the people,

slaughtering mortals,

and committing murder—

humans and authorities are engaged

in these crimes as well, aren't they?

I really don't understand

why the immortal sects that have shed blood and sacrificed

are described

as completely evil by you lot!

Those from immortal sects haven't gone far.

You could be easily spotted

by rushing out like this.

Sheng, where on earth are you going?

Was I being too harsh just now?

Did I scare them all?

Arguments are inevitable

among people holding different stances.

In fact, I know

why you went livid.

For one thing, you were trying to defend immortal sects.

For another,

part of you felt what those people said

was correct.

I once saw a tower ship

in the desert.

It was a huge vessel.

There was no water around.

It must've flown there.

I couldn't think of

any other way for it to reach North Xiang.

So, I'm sure what they said

is partly right,

and definitely partly wrong.

But actually,

the problem is not about

whether immortal sects are good or bad.

Nor is it about whether the Human Race is good or bad.

Craftsmanship has brought hope to humans,

and an opportunity

for them to possess power

so as not to rely on others anymore.

However, immortal sects

have always

provided protection for the Human Race.

They naturally need the latter's support.

Therefore, immortal sects

will not allow humans to slip from their control

and step on a different path.

Consider it this way:

immortal sects and humans

are in a tug of war

over the control of this world.

Does this thought

make you feel better?

No.

I believe there's a right and wrong to everything.

Right, wrong, good, and evil must exist.

People are just

whitewashing or glossing over them

with certain things.

However, now,

I still can't see anything through

or figure anything out.

I've always been confused since I joined an immortal sect.

Look,

if we're banned from interfering with mundane matters,

then what is

the point of cultivation at all?

Back in Chongling Valley,

I was already baffled

about how things went so bad

between immortal sects and humans.

What's going on now

puzzles me even more.

Just like you said,

maybe we should wait and observe.

Keep moving forward,

and time will give you an answer.

Anything wrong?

Such weak breath support.

Is he playing a funeral march?

He is, after all,

Father's most favored son.

Old Crip,

show him some respect.

Most favored son?

He knows nothing but cliché tunes.

With that little talent of his,

he shows off all the time in front of Father.

You...

You have no shame!

Show off how?

Elaborate on it.

Oh, I get it.

He stays by the Soul Lamp all day long

and plays the flute non-stop.

Even the deaf could hear him.

Bah! You're spewing filth!

You'd better stop slandering my brother.

Little Cicada,

I'm a brother of yours too.

Why do you never defend me like that?

Do you...

actually

enjoy this tune?

You're here yet you won't show up.

Why?

Do you plan to stay hidden forever?

What's the rush?

I caught two naughty kids

last night.

It took me nearly a whole night

to snap their heads off.

Xingye,

you asked me to come here.

It had better be for something important.

Is everyone here now?

Brother,

Wei hasn't arrived yet.

He offended me on the way,

so I killed him.

Impressive.

You had the gall to kill him.

Aren't you afraid that Father will blame you?

Wei blinded one of my eyes last year!

Father said

that if he dared to mess with me again,

I had the right to kill him!

Alright, cut the crap.

Why did you

require my presence here?

I got a message from Father,

saying that Gui's killer was found.

That person is in the Phoenix City now.

Father wants all of us to go there,

catch her,

and bring her back to Qianyan Cave.

Now that Father knows where she is,

why must he make us go there

instead of taking action himself?

Isn't it too much trouble?

How dare you question Father's orders!

Still bickering, huh?

The killer is said to be

a female cultivator from the Central Plains.

What is her cultivation level?

The Foundation Establishment Stage.

The female cultivator they are talking about

must be my senior sister.

Does it mean I am not

the one who that old man is after?

How is a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator

worthy of

the joint efforts of all of us?

It is pointed out in Father's message

that despite her mediocre cultivation strength,

this woman is accompanied

by a Nascent Soul master

with amazing powers

and smart strategies.

In case of accidents,

Father would like us to work as a team.

A Nascent Soul cultivator?

I can't take on this task then.

Seeing how weak I am,

they might capture me

and try to hurt me.

I won't be able to fight back in that case.

Little Cicada,

you can't go either.

You...

According to Father's message,

all of us must go there.

Whoever kills that female cultivator

will be rewarded

by Father.

Fine.

That being the case,

we'd better not waste any more time.

Let's set off!

Go!

The female cultivator they are looking for

is your senior sister.

Will you go save her?

There are six of them.

Two are at the Golden Core Stage, and four at the Nascent Soul Stage.

They're all stronger than you and me.

Sheng,

you need my help.

Think it through.

I was born with bad luck.

Misfortune falls on

everyone close to me.

Are you sure you'll stick with me?

Yes.

Then keep your mouth shut

and follow me.

They are back.

Hurry.

Look sincere. Stand straight.

No problem.

Immortal Xin, please be seated.

Thanks.

Master Lu,

Immortal Xin,

on behalf of my fellows in Wushuang Society,

I'd like to apologize to you for the previous remarks.

Have this drink,

and we'll still be friends.

Did anything happen just now?

No.

Nothing happened at all.

Right?

Right.

Nothing happened.

-Right! -Nothing happened.

Everyone, sit down.

Let's have a drink together.

Sure.

Come on.

Of course.

Cheers!

Cheers!

What's the fun in just drinking?

Rust-Sword, little buddy.

How about I sing you a song?

It's a folk song from my hometown.

Men sing it when they propose marriage.

Women sing it when they meet the men they're into.

-Great! -Go ahead!

No, no, please don't.

Men at 18 are like blooms.

Zhanying,

please show some mercy

and try not to destroy a bloom.

You...

You can sing for him!

Or if you have to,

sing for Lu!

He's older than me.

As it happens,

I'm only into you!

-Lord of Rust-Sword, don't run away! -Don't go!

Freeze!

Stop running!

An, An!

Still running, huh?

Zhanying,

l-let me

propose a toast to you.

Alright.

Everyone, if you don't mind,

let me sing for you.

Great!

Go ahead.

♪ Peerless Goddess Wushuang, unmatched in all the world ♪

♪ Exquisite tower ships soar across the heavens ♪

♪ Within her wondrous halls, thousands find their place ♪

♪ Cannons and blades alike— unrivaled in battle ♪

-Bravo! -Bravo!

Come on.

Drink up.

Hold still.

Go!

Move.

Keep up with me.

What is this place?

The Purgatory,

where I grew up.

Wait!

I owe you a favor now.

This is it.

It's cooler outside.

You drank so much wine

in that stuff room.

You'd certainly feel hot in there.

That said, this place is still much cooler

than Xutuo City.

This is the Chill Street.

Of course it's cooler here.

What's the story behind the name?

This used to be a wasteland.

Passing merchants

liked to rest and cool off here.

So it developed into

what it is today.

Ahead is Xilian Range,

consisting of high hills

that stretch for thousands of miles

and block most of the heat.

Due to that,

this area is much cooler

than any other place.

Over time,

people started calling it

the Chill Street.

There are perks to living a long life.

You get to see everything.

Is that a compliment?

It certainly is.

Have you been

here before?

Yes, once.

But it was

a long time ago.

We have nothing to do tonight anyway.

Why don't you tell me about it?

Sure.

Let me take you to a place.

This is it.

[Market Quarter Scenes]

Did you paint all of this?

When I was in the Phoenix City before,

I used to drink in this very tavern.

At that time,

under the influence of wine,

I drew this, the Market Quarter Scenes.

Unfortunately,

my flesh hadn't been replaced by then,

so I couldn't identify colors

or depict

the entirety of the mortal world.

When I was learning to paint,

my tutors at the painting hall

always compared life to a scroll.

They often described life

to be

"colorful"

or "vibrantly colored."

Since I couldn't tell colors apart,

I was never able to draw

a complete drawing.

But your ink wash painting is already

masterful and beyond compare.

This is not enough.

It's far from enough.

Not only do I yearn to see the world as it is,

I also want to enjoy everything it has to offer.

I'd hate for my life to be incomplete

like this painting is.

I hope to fill my life with warmth

and colors.

I wish

I could live a fulfilled life

like a mortal.

I hate to get hysterical and thirsty for blood again.

I want to learn etiquette

and to tell right from wrong.

I long to see

the myriad colors in this world.

I also crave

to experience every feeling

that ties me to this world,

be it pain,

agony,

resentment,

or sorrow.

I want to have a sense of taste as well.

I wish I could taste every delicacy

in this world.

If that day really comes,

I'd like to hire

the most expensive restaurant in the capital

to serve me the best cuisine

and the strongest wine,

so I can get drunk

and have a good sleep.

♪ Let strong wine carry me into drunken nights till midnight ♪

♪ Let my soul blaze in brilliant colors ♪

♪ Let the agony of a thousand cuts ♪

♪ Stand as proof that I have lived ♪

♪ Let me taste a life of flesh and blood in full ♪

♪ Let me savor the many flavors of the mortal world ♪

♪ Let me face the world's warmth and cold alike ♪

♪ To live and perish with it, daring to go mad, daring to dream ♪

♪ Let strong wine carry me into drunken nights till midnight ♪

♪ Let my soul blaze in brilliant colors ♪

♪ Let the agony of a thousand cuts ♪

♪ Stand as proof that I have lived ♪

After so many years,

this painting

is finally complete.

♪ Let me taste a life of flesh and blood in full ♪

Your life will also

become complete little by little.

♪ Let me savor the many flavors of the mortal world ♪

♪ Let me face the world's warmth and cold alike ♪

♪ To live and perish with it, daring to go mad, daring to dream ♪

♪ Don't live in vain, have a pleasant journey of life ♪

That painting

was made by Master Buquan!

You must pay for damaging it.

Guards, take them down!

Run!

Stop there!

Stop!

Freeze!

Don't you have

any questions for me?

Many, actually.

But I think

you will tell me everything

when you feel like doing so.

If you don't,

it's of no use to ask.

I have to say you're brilliant.

I've learned a lesson or two

after spending so much time with you.

That day, you asked me

if I felt pain from injuries.

I am not made of wood or stones.

Of course I feel pain when I'm injured.

But compared with the suffering

I experienced in Qianyan Cave,

a sword wound through the chest

could barely amount to anything.

Were you attacked

by those people in the woods?

What exactly

do they have to do with you?

Stop running!

Freeze!

Halt!

There they are!

-Stop running! -Catch up with them!

They've gone far.

Oh right.

In your opinion,

to get rid of the Punishment of the Five Deficiencies

why would the War Demons choose

to plant Jianmu Tree and attempt to ascend to heaven,

over the solution you proposed?

Power is like poison.

One can't live without it when one has it.

I think maybe

I just see things

differently than my fellows.

In their eyes,

reincarnating as humans

is a process of losing power.

But in my eyes,

it is a critical part

of completing my life.

Actually,

I am of mixed ancestry.

My mother was a War Demon.

But my father

was a human.

How did a War Demon and a human

end up a couple?

They met each other

when all gods disappeared,

and the human world was struck by ceaseless war.

My mother fell in love with my father.

For him,

she ran away from home,

abandoned her responsibility,

retreated to the wilderness,

and gave birth to me.

I suppose your mother

must have loved you

and your father a lot.

She did, originally.

But unfortunately,

my father was a spy for the Human Race.

He approached my mother

just to gather intelligence

about War Demons.

As my mother found out the truth, she got furious

and killed my father and his fellows.

Then,

she left me in blazing flames.

That fire

almost burned off

all my skin.

The silver lining was, I got new skin

and finally some good sleep.

After that,

I started roaming the streets.

I couldn't turn to my mother

at the War Demons' place.

Humans saw me as enemy.

At that time, I was all alone.

There was no room

for me in this vast world.

So I had to conceal my identity

and look for my father.

What happened then?

Then, I met my master.

You had a master?

Her name was Duan Xianyin.

She had been in seclusion at Liubo Temple for years.

Very few people knew about her.

She took me in as a disciple,

taught me to read and write,

and instructed me on magic techniques.

After that,

I began wandering in the human world.

Because my lifespan

is longer than mortals',

and my appearance doesn't age easily,

I had to frequently

change my name and identity.

At first, I worked in the Imperial Palace

where I met Su Taiyi.

Later on,

being deprived of power,

I took Su Taiyi away with me from the palace.

Then, I met Mrs. Li.

The Landlady of the Safe Haven Inn?

Yes.

After that, I got very bored,

so I decided to be a hero in the martial world.

The many years of adventuring in it opened my eyes

to the fun and the tight interpersonal connection

in this community.

That made my desire to live as a mortal

become stronger and stronger.

Then I joined the army

and worked as a magistrate.

What next?

Next,

I met you

and died a death by 1,000 cuts.

You know all about

what happened after that.

But I've lost those memories.

I can't recall anything.

When I see Chu Ying,

I will definitely have him

restore your memories right away.

I grew up in Qianyan Cave.

I was a slave and servant

living a worse life than an animal's.

The people here often

tested drugs on me.

The master of Qianyan Cave is Xia Xuanzi.

With that pretty face of his,

he looks like a young man.

But he is

the most vicious of all.

You've heard about

the Crazy Taoist's prophecies, right?

Yes.

A destructive disaster will befall the world.

Those who are born on September 9th

will be saviors of the world.

Actually,

he left three prophecies back then.

The first two are for the people.

The third one

is for Xia Xuanzi.

Those two prophecies of yours

have caused quite a stir in the martial world.

Everyone says you have a brilliant mind

that enables you to see the will of heaven.

In fact, I'm curious.

Did you figure out

why I caught you today?

You are just wondering

when you will leap to a higher level

and become a divinity

after being stuck at the Void Stage for many years.

You will never become a divinity.

Trouble follows careless words.

Immortal Master, watch your tongue.

Xia Xuanzi of Qianyan Cave,

I know what you're capable of.

That day when my spirit roamed the heaven,

I got a glimpse of three future happenings.

I already told the world

about the first two.

The third one was left unsaid on purpose,

because I was waiting for you.

Waiting for me?

The third prophecy

concerns you.

[Crazy Taoist, from Dongting Mountain]

That is, one of your decendents

will become a divinity.

Perhaps obsessed about becoming a divinity,

Xia Xuanzi started

having children like crazy.

He believed

that only males could be divinities.

So he used his power to make women give birth

to boys only.

He then discarded the mothers and kept the babies.

He would even place Gu bugs

in our bodies

so he could manipulate us.

That Gu is called the Bonding Curse.

The cursed ones will share

the same fate and feelings.

I fell victim to it too.

He connected our lives

with the Gu bugs

and tortured us all day long whenever he felt displeased.

I was hurt by needles, fire,

and boiling oil.

He would even tear off our limbs

and pull out our tendons.

Yet he would keep us alive

so as to make us do his bidding

and to torture us repeatedly.

But even under such conditions,

no one in Qianyan Cave dared to fight back.

What was more hilarious

was that those sons of his

all grew up to be just like him.

I had no idea

you once lived

such a miserable life.

Luckily,

I managed to escape.

I crossed the desert alone

and reached the Central Plains.

Then, I met my senior sister.

That was how I survived.

Now, Xia Xuanzi

attempts to kill her.

I did fear him in the past,

but I don't anymore.

I will kill whoever tries

to hurt my senior sister.

Be careful.

Won't it be a shame

to destroy

these two beautiful faces?

You really are good-looking.

If it weren't for my father's order to kill you,

I really couldn't bring myself to do so.

Your father?

What is your relationship with Xia Xuanzi?

How dare you call my father by his name!

You must have a death wish!

Brother,

you go catch that girl.

Just let me deal with

this tough nut to crack.

Old Crip,

are you just going to watch?