Original subtitles

[Fate Chooses You]

[Episode 33]

[Xutuo City]

[Caiyuan Inn]

Could Zigai Mountain

be the immortal sect

in the Central Plains

that Qinghong Sect colludes with?

For what reason?

For lack of money.

It doesn't seem like it, though.

I don't think they would dare to offend

Lingji Mountain and Tianyuan Sect at the same time.

What if it's Tianyuan Sect?

Impossible.

Tianyuan Sect is the leader of the righteous path

and the head of immortal sects.

Besides the reclusive

Youhu Clan,

it is the most powerful sect.

Plus, what

would they get out of colluding

with Qinghong Sect?

Alright.

Take care, miss, sir.

You get in the carriage first.

Who asked you to follow us?

I suppose you are well aware

that you won't be able to escape

once we have you in the palm of our hands.

Their faces were covered.

All they asked us to do was spy on you

and inform them of any happenings.

We waited for you

for nearly 6 months in the desert.

Senior,

what should we do?

Go after them separately.

Don't let anyone get away.

-Yes! -Yes!

So you've lured everyone away from the city.

This could only

stall them for a while.

We still have to hurry up.

We won't be safe until we reach the capital.

Who are you lot?

Where is Lu Qianqiao?

We don't know who Lu Qianqiao is.

A man

paid us to drive

the carriage to random places.

That's right.

Exactly.

This is a trap.

Hey, Miss Sheng,

you've spent nearly an hour

washing your face.

How big is it? Why is the wash taking so long?

It's none of your business.

What is...

going on with me?

They're right ahead.

Go after them!

You don't look well.

Care for a rest in the carriage?

We should keep moving

and rest only when we deliver the book.

Tianyuan Sect is after us.

We can't get rid of them if we stick together.

Let's split up.

You take the book.

I'll distract them while driving the carriage.

What are you doing?

How can I let you

be the hero?

Just watch me

play those fools.

[Sun Gang, Wushuang Society]

General,

here she comes.

Miss Sheng,

I am Qin Yan.

By command of Wushuang Society, I'm here to receive you.

I've brought back the Unparalleled Secret Magic.

Our deepest gratitude to you, Miss Sheng.

Your favor will benefit all humans for generations to come.

Thank you so much.

My fellows and I

rushed back in two groups.

My senior sister, Xin Mei, teamed up

with a man

named Lu Qianqiao.

Have you seen them?

They arrived before you did

and have gone to meet the master.

Don't worry, miss.

This is Sun Gang.

He's familiar with the route.

Follow him, and you will

get to the capital safely.

I can't leave yet.

Those from immortal sects are coming.

We need to set up traps in advance,

or it'll be hard to hold them off.

It's not a problem.

All you need to do is escort the book

to the capital.

As for the rest,

leave it to us.

You are not cultivators?

No, we're not.

We're all humans.

You won't be able to fight them off.

But we don't fear death.

As long as the Unparalleled Secret Magic

safely returns to the capital,

all the sacrifices today

will be worthwhile.

Miss,

it's time you set out.

With you people around,

humanity will never fall.

Thank you for your kind words.

Hero, heroine, you must be tired from the journey.

I've prepared some guest rooms.

Please take a rest

and eat something.

We already ate when we entered the city.

I suggest we bring them

to meet the master now.

Has the master gone to bed already?

He went to bed a long time ago.

Yet upon hearing about the return of the book,

he got up immediately.

He still has

the candles on till now.

Pardon us for not

walking you to his chamber.

This way, please.

Thanks.

Lord Zhi?

Miss Xin,

I didn't expect to see you again so soon.

Take a seat, please.

Here.

Are you surprised?

Yes, a little.

The Lord Zhi before me

doesn't quite match

my memory

of the eloquent Lord Zhi I met

in Chongling Valley.

One must fulfill the duties of his position.

Today, I am

the master of Wushuang Society.

On behalf of Wushuang Society

and all the people,

I extend my sincere thanks to you both.

Sir,

no need for this.

You might not know how important

this book is to the Human Race.

But in 10 years,

or even 100 years,

just you watch—

the world will be completely changed

by this book.

Along the way,

I interacted quite a lot

with Wushuang Society.

I thought I already

knew plenty about you people.

But it didn't occur to me

until I met you, sir,

that I probably doesn't know enough.

What do you mean?

I am very curious

about who exactly

is behind you.

Above heaven, earth, sovereign,

parents, and mentors, stands I.

"I"?

I mean

every individual.

You can take it

as the common people

and all living souls.

That is to say,

you're not backed

by the dynasty

or the Emperor?

Of course not.

The Emperor is over 100 years old.

He is obsessed with immortality,

maintaining his rule,

and enjoying prosperity forever.

Perhaps in this world, no one is more eager

for immortal sects to produce

Immortality Pills than he is.

Isn't it your wish too?

It certainly is not.

Time, by its nature,

is the fairest thing in the world.

He who attempts

to break the barrier of time

is our enemy.

For every living soul in this world,

there are only two paths to choose from.

They either strive to go upwards,

or maintain the status quo.

The broken heavenly ladder

is blocking cultivators' way to divinity.

So, to defend the status

they hold now,

cultivators must not complacently

stick to the old patterns.

Instead, they need to befriend nobles and high officials

by offering secret magic related to immortality.

Given that, immortal sect, prominent mortal families,

and royal members are a whole

with shared destiny.

They depend on each other

and are deeply intertwined.

Everyone else but them

is just

an ordinary commoner.

The privileged have the means to recruit only their own kind,

appoint cronies,

weed out those who oppose them,

and abuse power for personal gain.

They hope for nothing but keeping all benefits

and advantages to themselves.

That's just it.

Your enemies

sound rather powerful.

Yes, they are.

But we have no other option.

We have to

either fight

or perish.

That said, fortunately,

some people of insight in this world

will always step forward in times of crisis.

For example, Lu Zhanying.

For another example,

the two of you.

We were born with no immortal perception.

So we have no choice.

You're endowed with immortal perception and power,

yet you still choose to stand with us, the weak.

What a fine zither.

You have a good eye, hero.

The strings and the body of the zither

are made of exquisite materials.

The music from it is as crisp as cracking jade

and tender as a dew-drenched lotus.

The traveler longs for the road ahead.

What can comfort a lonely heart like mine?

♪ A joyous meeting is hard to find again ♪

♪ Three years feel like a thousand autumns ♪

All I have is a brimming cup of wine,

with which I hope to seal our bond for life.

My apologies.

Li Si and Lyu Yunsu are also

members of Wushuang Society then.

So it was you

who sent them to kill

Divine Doctor Su?

Yes.

You sent that zither player with medical skills

to Chongling Valley as well?

Su Taiyi already stopped treating

ordinary people 10 years ago.

It would be hard to kill him

if he didn't show up.

Therefore,

we sent that zither player over.

You are Su Taiyi's master.

You should understand what immortal sects don't.

That is, in this world, not just knives

can kill people.

If Su Taiyi had managed to survive,

what would you do?

I was there to help.

I carried Thunder Bombs with me.

On the day the furnace was opened,

those cultivators and Su Taiyi

might survive the explosion,

but at least, that batch

of Immortal Pills would destroyed.

After devising so many schemes,

I assume you had learned something

about Su Taiyi.

He was already feeling remorse.

It was also he who offered

the Mind-Awakening Pills

that Tai Shiqian and others ate.

He did do us many favors.

However, you still

insisted on killing him.

He held a different stance than ours.

It left us no other choice.

At this point,

all I can say to you is sorry.

Wushuang Society is indebted to you.

If you want to avenge Su Taiyi,

then come at me.

Whether you kill me or torture me,

I will have no complaints.

[Zhi's Residence]

Aren't you going to kill me?

Su Taiyi was smart.

The zither player was undercover beside him for years.

How would he not know?

He gave you his recognition.

But you people

never believed him.

Those Immortality Pills mattered a lot.

I could not stake humanity's future

on his genuine heart.

Let's go.

If you people succeed,

can you guarantee

that you'll do better than immortal sect?

Will the Emperor,

officials,

you, and your fellows

all be fair and just?

Are you sure

there will be no such thing as the Immortality Tax

in the world anymore?

Perhaps.

But that's about the future.

Our current priority

is to enter the game.

Sheng.

Senior Sister.

♪ The vault of heaven is shaking, on the verge of collapse ♪

Are we going to fight our way out?

♪ Yet I refuse to yield or make amends ♪

♪ Rather than linger in fleeting winds and moonlight ♪

♪ I would choose to stand between all beings and fate itself ♪

♪ Walking the edge of a blade, I cast aside life and death ♪

♪ Vowing to speak out against injustice ♪

♪ If my cultivation turns to ash and smoke ♪

♪ I still want to see this world ♪

♪ Brightened by the people ♪

♪ Not afraid of having my eyes clouded by mist ♪

♪ I'm determined to fight for peace ♪

♪ Do you hear the raging tides of fury ♪

♪ How many sorrows have finally been laid to rest ♪

♪ How many stand without bias or tilt ♪

♪ Pointing to the sky, questioning the moon ♪

♪ I'd rather be a wandering immortal in the mortal world ♪

♪ And experience it all for myself ♪

♪ Right and wrong, justice and evil ♪

♪ In all the world, I choose first the people ♪

♪ How could the powerful lie drunk in golden halls ♪

♪ Illusions of heaven and memory entwined ♪

♪ I will still break into this mortal realm ♪

♪ To demand a rightful ending ♪

♪ I lash the darkness with a furious strike ♪

♪ Fall into the abyss, then awaken once more ♪

♪ If you refuse injustice, then open your eyes ♪

♪ To save this world of mortal fire and smoke ♪

What's wrong?

Something in your eye?

No.

Maybe I'm just tired from the journey.

I've been feeling a bit unwell these days.

I don't see anything wrong with your eye.

When we get back to Xin Xie Manor,

let's ask Master to check on it.

Why didn't Lord of Rust-Sword

come back with you?

We were being chased

by Tianyuan Sect.

He drove the carriage

away to distract the pursuers.

I don't know where he is now.

But we made a pact.

If we survived,

we would meet at the Safe Haven Inn.

Got it.

Then let's wait for him

at the Safe Haven Inn.

What is this sound?

The death knell from the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Zong Ding

has passed away.

[Central Palace Gate]

But now,

as I truly sit upon this throne,

all I can see

are these square courtyards,

and the ministers coming and going.

I long to go out to see the world.

But I am afraid of losing this throne.

This throne—

you carried me

on your back,

trudging through wind and snow,

through dark alleys,

through countless schemes,

blood, and filth to seize it for me.

If I lose it,

there will never be anyone else

to carry me

and win it back again.

Let's go.

[In Perfect Safety]

In the blink of an eye,

I drew out the Rust Sword,

swung it left and right,

and almost struck Sima Randeng down

right under his mount.

Thousands of cultivators were there,

yet they were too scared to step forward.

You even managed to injure a Nascent Soul cultivator?

Don't interrupt.

Where was I?

They hounded me into a mountain.

I had no choice but to abandon

the carriage and hide.

Then, they used

tracking spells

to search for me inch by inch.

Did they find you?

Of course not!

I stayed hidden.

Where did you hide?

Right behind them.

I hung upside down on a vine

and then

sneaked to their rear.

Swish! Just like that,

I slayed 10 men with blood-stained hands.

Swoosh! And like that,

I slayed another 10 men with fierce appearances.

At last,

swish!

I pierced

right through the center of the crowd

with my sword, where the first-grade disciple of Tianyuan Sect,

Sima Randeng, was.

Impressive.

I'd rather keep a low profile.

Sorry.

Go on with your bragging.

Keep talking.

You should believe it.

I used a set of sword skills

and made them flee in panic.

That was supreme swordsmanship

and my own creation—

Shijue Rust Swordsmanship.

Why did you name it "Shijue"?

Lu Qianqiao uses Jiujue Sword.

Since I'm a bit stronger than him,

my swordsmanship should sound better than his.

Amazing.

They are back.

You are back.

I have to say,

you walked so slowly.

We must have

a proper celebration tonight.

As the saying goes,

he who escapes death will have good fortune.

It should be, "he who survives a disaster will have good fortune."

Close enough.

You have no idea.

I was literally

crawled out from a bloodbath

and a hell of blades.

At that time,

thousands of cultivators

put me under siege.

I...

Why aren't you listening?

To what, your bragging?

How is it bragging?

Thousands of cultivators?

I'm a cultivator myself.

Fight me if you have a problem with me.

Fine.

Finger-guessing game or Pai Gow?

Ding,

you already won.

Relax.

Get a good night's sleep.

You haven't said a word

since I saw you just now.

Are you alright?

I don't know why,

but I keep thinking about Ding

and the days we supported each other

in the Imperial Palace.

No matter how he treated me later,

our friendship back then

was real.

I've also been wondering

if a long life

really is a gift from heaven.

What do you think it is then?

It's more like a punishment,

for the one who makes it to the end.

This person has to watch their friends

and family depart one by one,

and finally be left alone in this world.

Suddenly glancing back,

this person finds his life has nowhere to trace back to,

and nowhere to go.

That was before.

Things are different now.

You have friends

and family.

When you finish the last step

and transform your heart,

you'll be an ordinary human.

Are you going back to Chongling Valley?

I got a letter from Zhu Yu,

saying that all the preparation is done.

I'll go with you then.

Lord of Rust-Sword will go with me.

That's enough.

No way.

Heart transformation is utterly dangerous.

I must stay by your side

for such a serious matter.

Chongling Valley is safe.

Previously, you saw how I renewed my flesh,

bones, and blood.

Nothing happened.

Besides,

I might be distracted

by your presence.

But...

Don't worry.

I will return safely.

Senior, you seem to be full of strength today,

for filling the vats so soon.

-Right. -Yes.

Now, Senior Brother Bai

is no different from a mortal.

Exactly.

No need to fear him, right?

Right.

I agree.

What are you doing?

Is it him?

Senior Brother Bai?

Why are you here?

Senior, taste it now.

It's still warm.

How did you get this drumstick?

I helped that old master

at the mountaintop wipe the bell there.

So he gave this to me.

What bell?

The Infinity Bell

on Qingtian Peak.

That bell is the key

to activating the Mountain-Guarding Formation.

Non-core disciples cannot approach it.

Why would they send you on the task?

That huge bell is mute.

Only Nascent Soul cultivators can ring it.

I'm just a Qi Refining cultivator.

Who would guard against me?

By the way, Senior Brother Bai,

what were you looking for just now?

I bumped into someone

who looked familiar.

I think I was mistaken.

Just now,

only Elder Mo Guan passed by.

Mo Guan?

Which elder is that?

I've never seen him in the sect.

That's normal.

Elder Mo Guan either stays in seclusion

or leaves the mountain for procurement.

Let alone you, Senior Brother Bai,

even I, can't often

see him though I stay

in the sect all day long.

If you see him again,

be mindful and gather

information for me.

No problem.

Consider it done.

Thanks.

Come on.

Senior Brother Bai,

it seems you have changed.

How have I changed?

You're just different from before.

I can't name any specifics,

but you're more like a human now than before.

I...

I don't mean anything offensive.

You're right.

I am a human by nature.

[Fulai Inn]

I'm back!

You're finally back.

I'm starving.

What are we eating?

Bean soup and buns.

Buns again?

What's wrong with buns?

They contain vegetables and meat and fill the stomach.

But we can't just have buns every day.

He doesn't do much all day,

yet he whines a lot.

Next time, you go buy food.

Fine. I'll do it.

Look,

we've been watching

this place for over a month.

There isn't a sound from inside.

When will these days end?

Whether a cultivator can reach a new stage

depends most on chance.

When one gets an opportunity,

it's common for him to stay

in seclusion for 3 to 5 years.

Anyway, it's a good thing.

Let's just wait and observe.

Dig in.

The ultimate Dao ties to nothing.

A void appears in Lingtai acupoint.

I have reached...

the Void Stage.

I've formed a Golden Core.

This feels great.

How about you?

Thanks to your help, Mr. Lin,

I've advanced to the Void Stage.

Thank you.

You're very welcome.

It was no trouble.

Besides,

on this matter,

I actually benefited from you.

I'd like to ask you something.

What exactly

happened to your arm?

Just an accident.

Luckily, out of misfortune came good.

It's all in the past.

Let's go

have a celebration.

I'll arrange it.

I'm afraid not.

I just made an achievement.

I'd like to officially enter the mountain.

Sure.

I've been out for so long.

It's high time I went home

to visit my father.

Look,

let's have drinks next time

I'm in Tianyin Mountain.

It'll be your treat.

Absolutely.

Goodbye.

I've formed a Golden Core.

It calls for a celebration.

Had better prepare a few feasts.

Elder Mo Guan?

Elder Mo Guan!

Elder.

Elder?

Elder!

A Qinghong Sect uniform?

Senior,

anything wrong?

Yuanqi didn't come back last night.

Juniors,

do you know where he is?

No.

I haven't seen him either.

But over the past few days, he did mention

he'd like to visit home.

Maybe he has left the mountain by now.

Why don't you go ask about him at Xiejian Pool?

The disciples there keep a log of access and exit.

Thanks.

Senior Brother Bai!

Bad news!

Senior Brother Bai!

Senior Brother Bai!

Bad news, Senior Brother Bai!

Senior Brother Bai!

Yuanqi!

Yuanqi! Yuanqi!

What happened?

We found him in the back mountain.

We have no idea

who hurt him so badly.

Senior Bai,

what should we do?

Mo... Mo...

Yuanqi.

Mo...

What?

-What? -Mo...

Mo...

Yuanqi.

Yuanqi!

Yuanqi!

Senior Bai.

I need to see Master.

Yuanqi's heart meridians are ruptured.

Only the sect leader's primordial energy

can save him.

The sect leader is having a meeting in the hall.

Nobody is allowed in

without permission.

But this is urgent.

Senior Brother Bai!

I am only acting on orders.

Please don't give me a hard time.

This humble disciple, Bai Zongying,

requests an audience with Sect Master!

Sect Master, I beg you

to save Yuanqi's life!

This humble disciple, Bai Zongying,

requests an audience with Sect Master!

Sect Master, I beg you

to save Yuanqi's life!

[Guiyuan Hall]

The sect master is discussing matters

in the hall with all the elders.

Senior, you're making a scene here.

What is it for?

Only the sect leader's primordial energy

can revive Yuanqi's heart meridians.

Bai Zongying,

did you lose your immortal perception

or your brain?

He's just an outer-circle disciple.

How is he worthy of being saved

by the sect master's

precious primordial energy?

That'll damage the master's cultivation.

If you still have your dignity,

leave immediately.

Junior Randeng.

Junior Randeng!

This humble disciple, Bai Zongying,

implores the sect master

to save Yuanqi's life!