Original subtitles

(Guardians of the Dafeng)

(Episode 33)

So, that man in black wants the Fortune in my body.

So, let me give you a piece of advice.

Do not leave Dafeng until Shen Shu has been reborn.

I'm telling you,

Chief Advisor Wang actually

seems pretty easy to talk to.

- Really. - Really?

Yes!

What are you doing with that sword?

Practicing my sword technique.

Did we really talk for that long?

It's already mealtime.

Let's go eat.

How did talking to you make my arm so sore?

Frozen shoulder.

Senior Brother,

are we really just leaving like this?

Imperial Astronomer is right.

Staying by his side

is the best fate for Shen Shu.

Foster Father,

the night wind is strong.

You should rest early.

It's getting late.

You should get some rest too.

Xu Qi An has something that belongs to me.

You can take Shen Shu,

but Xu Qi An

is mine.

He's been targeting me for a while now.

But when?

I'm just a lowly Night Guardian.

If he wanted to take me away,

he's had plenty of chances.

During the tax money case,

I was set to be exiled to Yunzhou.

Do you want to sign first and then take the punishment,

or take the punishment first and then sign?

Could it be that everything from the tax money case

to Zhou Li's case

was orchestrated to convict me

and secretly evict me to Yunzhou?

Master, I have failed.

I couldn't take Xu Qi An out of Dafeng.

- Please punish me. - Never mind.

With the Imperial Astronomer protecting him in the capital,

even the two Saints of the Celestial Realm couldn't do anything.

There's no need to blame yourself.

Master,

what about our plan?

When the time is right,

he will come on his own.

Yes, Master.

But I've been to Yunzhou.

I even recovered the tax money.

The black-robed man didn't take me then.

He only placed Shen Shu inside me.

Why? What's his real purpose?

That black-robed man is highly skilled in cultivation.

The only thing we can confirm

is that he's a Soul Wizard from the Wizard God Sect.

He revealed the matter of Shen Shu to us

because he wanted to go to war with Imperial Astronomer

and create an opportunity to take you out of Dafeng.

Imperial Astronomer.

The black-robed man fears him.

The only explanation is that after the Zhou Li case,

the black-robed man realized

the Imperial Astronomer was keeping an eye on me,

and he couldn't take me away under his watchful eye.

That's why he implanted Shen Shu in me,

to use others to do his dirty work.

If so,

everything makes sense.

The black-robed man wants to take me,

but the Imperial Astronomer has been secretly protecting me.

They've been maneuvering in the shadows,

their schemes stretching over time.

They have clashed repeatedly without my knowledge.

And it all revolves around

the strange Fortune within me,

a Fortune tied to the palace's secret treasure.

I don't know

where those few thieves from 19 years ago

disappeared to.

Xu Qi An.

What are you doing in the archive in the middle of the night?

Did Lord Wei assign you some major case behind our backs?

No.

What's that behind you?

The tax money case, right?

Yes, but these cases were closed.

What's the mystery then?

Why has Foster Father been reviewing them these past few days as well?

Lord Wei?

He's been looking into these old cases too?

Not just that.

He even had me retrieve everything related to these files

from the Jingzhao Prefecture.

He said someone would come to review them.

I didn't expect it to be you.

Come out.

You have something to tell me?

Yes.

Wine?

Spit it.

Lord Wei,

back in my hometown... No, I mean,

when I was working as a runner in Changli County,

I learned a drinking game from a street rogue.

We roll dice,

and whoever gets the lower score has to either answer a question

or drink a glass of wine.

I'd like to play this game with you, My Lord.

If you don't want to drink,

you must answer my question truthfully.

If you're not interested,

I'll leave right now.

You're serious about this?

(Four, five, nine)

(Nine, nine, nine)

I'll start with a question.

Lord Wei,

what is

your relationship with the Empress?

You're quite well-informed, aren't you?

I might

tell you that one day,

but for now, it has nothing to do with what you're concerned about.

(Five, six, eleven)

(Nine, nine, nine)

Do you remember

what happened in the palace

during the year of the Battle of Linyuan Pass?

If what you're really asking about

is the theft of the palace's secret treasure,

yes, I know about it.

The thief timed it perfectly and stole the treasure.

By the time we realized,

they had

already escaped Dafeng.

What exactly was that treasure?

I believe

what was stolen

was Dafeng's National Fortune.

Want to keep playing?

Yes.

(Nine, nine, nine)

(Nine, nine, nine)

This doesn't happen often.

We each get to ask one question.

Alright.

What exactly is

the National Fortune?

Among the major systems,

those most closely tied to Fortune are

the Astronomical Bureau and the Academy.

The Mortal Clan only partially connects to it.

But independent of these,

representing the very foundation of the nation,

is Dafeng's National Fortune.

Whenever war breaks out,

it shakes the National Fortune.

Victory

strengthens it,

while defeat

weakens it.

The larger the scale of the battle,

the more violently the Fortune is shaken.

In the 17th year of Yuanjing reign, during the Battle of Linyuan Pass,

several nations were embroiled in the war,

with over a million troops deployed in total.

Such a massive scale of warfare

is rare in history,

and the tremors to the National Fortune

were unprecedented.

The thief

took advantage of that turmoil

and stole the National Fortune.

In the 20 years since,

Dafeng has been in constant turmoil,

plagued by wars and natural disasters.

His Majesty has sent people to investigate several times,

but the thief's movements are shrouded in mystery.

To this day, they remain elusive.

What would happen if the National Fortune is recovered?

Everything would go well,

the nation would thrive, and the people would prosper.

Dafeng would reign supreme,

unmatched by any.

And if it's never recovered?

Enemies surround us,

and Dafeng

faces ruin.

My turn to ask.

Dafeng's National Fortune

is inside you, isn't it?

And not just that,

the sealed thing beneath Sangbo

is in you too, isn't it?

In the case,

I will assign Xu Qi An the role

as you all suggest.

You are wise, Your Majesty!

Carry on.

No need to roll the dice anymore.

Lord Wei.

When I was in Yunzhou,

that demonic creature entered my body.

He's from the Celestial Realm

and goes by the name Shen Shu.

However, he's lost all memories of his past

and knows nothing of what happened before.

It was only through fragmented remnants

that I discovered a black-robed man

had deliberately placed him inside me.

- Then... - Then, you started investigating the identity of this person.

Eventually, you came to me

to inquire about the Battle of Linyuan Pass.

Using the pretense of investigating a case with Li Miao Zhen,

you went to the Ministry of Personnel,

where you discovered that a treasure was stolen from the palace.

And you deduced that it was connected

to the creature inside you, didn't you?

On top of that,

whatever the Saints from the Celestial Realm said to you

made you fear that the black-robed man

might come after you again.

So you rushed to the archive

to trace everything back to its source,

re-examining the tax money and Zhou Li cases.

In doing so, you realized

I seemed to already know everything about the situation.

So, what could you do?

You couldn't hide or run from it.

So, you decided to take a bold step,

disguising it as a game

to probe my intentions.

Xu Qi An,

well played.

Lord Wei,

you know everything.

You are a talent I value.

I thoroughly examine

anyone I choose to nurture.

Your extraordinary cultivation speed,

the Imperial Astronomer favor,

the Spirit Dragon's attitude toward you,

the appearance of the Saint Ya's Sword during the duel,

and today's repeated rolls of perfect dice,

all of this,

combined with

certain secrets I'm privy to,

made it easy for me to piece things together.

Before the duel, you came to ask me

why the Imperial Astronomer had chosen you for the battle.

I remember I asked you

if there was anything you wanted to tell me.

I had hoped you'd be honest with me,

but you chose to keep things from me.

Xu Qi An,

do you really trust that the Imperial Astronomer won't harm you?

That the creature won't kill you?

You trust everyone,

but the one person you don't trust

is me.

What are you doing?

- Get up! - How could I not trust you?

Let me hold onto your leg for a while.

Get off me.

The Imperial Astronomer is practically a god.

I don't trust him,

I just don't dare cross him.

And as for that Shen Shu,

he made me promise to keep his secret.

You have no idea how powerful he is.

I didn't even dare to defy him.

Why didn't you tell me?

I've told you before,

as my Night Guardian, as long as you don't break the law,

no matter what happens,

I'll protect you.

Lord Wei, I'm sorry.

Please don't be mad.

Calm down, calm down.

Getting angry isn't good for your health.

Lord Wei...

Lord Wei...

Lord Wei...

Lord Wei.

I have one last question.

The name in the blank space

was erased using a spell,

so no one can remember it.

I've looked into the person's identity,

but I've found nothing yet.

But the spell is called Heaven's Secret.

Only a Rank 2 sorcerer or higher can cast it.

It's an extremely dangerous spell.

To achieve it,

countless lives must be sacrificed,

The caster refines endless resentment

into a Soul Elixir.

Using the elixir as the array's core,

the spell becomes possible.

A Rank 2 sorcerer?

The Astronomical Bureau...

Lord Wei,

could this have something to do with the Imperial Astronomer?

Feeling scared?

Lord Wei...

You don't have to doubt the Imperial Astronomer.

He has great plans for you.

For now, he won't harm you.

Besides, his long-standing battle of wits

with the black-robed man

has nothing to do with you.

But what if His Majesty finds out

that the National Fortune resides in me?

What would he do then?

Caught between three powerful players,

you're unsure of your next move, aren't you?

That's why you asked

about my relationship with the Empress.

You want to see

if I would disregard her safety

and turn against His Majesty for your sake,

don't you?

So...

Would you?

If it ever came to that,

I would kill you.

My Lord, have some tea and calm down.

Not drinking wine anymore?

No, no.

Don't overthink it.

Just stay on the path the Imperial Astronomer has laid out for you.

In the meantime,

build your strength

and rise through the ranks.

One day,

you'll no longer be just a pawn.

Understand?

Don't worry, I'll help you.

I knew you were the best.

Don't be mad anymore.

I've learned my lesson now.

Foster Father.

An imperial edict has arrived.

Greetings, Lord Wei.

Greetings, Eunuch.

Lord Xu, you're here as well?

Perfect,

you can hear the edict together.

Silver Guardian Xu Qi An,

has demonstrated exceptional valor in slaying the Wrath of Vajra

and protecting the nation,

bringing glory to Dafeng.

As a reward, he is granted the title of Viscount.

Additionally,

upon the recommendation of the Three Bureaus,

Silver Guardian Xu Qi An

has shown literary skill and decisive judgment,

possessing talent and virtue in equal measure.

He is hereby appointed

as the chief investigator

to lead officials from the three bureaus

to Chuzhou to investigate

the holocaust case.

Departure is set for seven days later.

By imperial decree.

I humbly accept the decree.

Lord Wei,

I shall take my leave.

Please take care.

Your Highness, His Majesty has decreed that you are to

accompany the investigation team to Chuzhou seven days later.

Please make the necessary preparations in advance.

(Lady of the North)

Anything else?

If not, get out.

It has finally come to this.

Master,

we've received word from the capital

that Emperor Yuanjing has dispatched a delegation

to investigate the holocaust case.

The chief investigator is

Xu Qi An.

Are you certain it's Xu Qi An?

Absolutely.

I believe

Emperor Yuanjing has begun to suspect where the National Fortune resides,

but he's wary of the factions protecting it.

Thus, he's using this as an opportunity to eliminate him.

What should

our next move be, Master?

(Three days later)

The great river flows east,

washing away heroes of the ages.

With bamboo staff and straw sandals, I triumph over the horse.

Who fears a life of mist and rain under a single raincoat?

These lines are my heartfelt creation.

It will bring me great joy

if you like them.

I've spent days perfecting this wild cursive script.

I wonder if you like them.

I do like it,

but the thing is,

you used this poem months ago

during the opening lecture.

And don't forget,

you traded that one line for several pages of my spellbook.

How could you not remember?

Lately, I've been feeling uninspired,

I've been unwell, and my creativity has dried up.

But don't worry.

When I've cracked the Chuzhou case,

on my way back,

I'll dedicate myself to creating something new for you both.

Then what are you waiting for?

- Get going. - Yes.

We need to practice our chess skills,

so we won't see you off.

Just get moving.

Hang on.

Master Li, Master Zhang,

I've used up most of the spellbooks you gifted me,

so...

I've been feeling uninspired.

- So... - I've been feeling unwell,

and my creativity has dried up.

Don't worry.

When you return from Chuzhou,

we'll give you the rest of the spellbooks to make up for it.

- Come on, don't be like this. - You're here.

Greetings, Dean.

Greetings, Dean.

Come with me.

I heard you're going to Chuzhou.

For a case.

Aren't you afraid of offending the Lord of the North?

Of course I am.

So, it's something you have no choice but to do.

As you know,

after I cut through The Wrath of Vajra by imperial order,

His Majesty granted me a title of nobility.

Why is it still me going to Chuzhou?

The viscount title isn't given for nothing.

You were originally just a low-ranking Silver Guardian,

unqualified to be the chief investigator.

With this title,

you now have the standing for the role.

An imperial decree cannot be disobeyed,

but this mission is fraught with danger.

One misstep,

and I fear...

Lord Wei told me the same.

The reason this case has been delayed for so long

is that His Majesty doesn't want to send a proper provincial governor

to confront the Lord of the North.

But now that a Silver Guardian has been named as the lead investigator,

those concerns don't exist.

But the Lord of the North wields his own army in Chuzhou.

As the lead investigator,

if you uncover something,

it will be like walking into a tiger's den,

a mission with almost no chance of survival.

But if I uncover nothing,

the Night Guardians will be accused of slandering His Lordship,

sowing discord within the army,

and destabilizing the nation.

That would give all factions

the excuse they need to publicly attack me.

It's too late to back out now.

Does Lord Wei

have a strategy to handle this?

Humble yourself

and investigate in secret.

When you reach Chuzhou, you must not clash with the Lord's subordinates.

Appearing weak will not only protect you

but also lull the enemy into lowering their guard.

When you find the evidence,

quietly bring it back to the capital.

Lord Wei has really

planned meticulously for you,

sparing no effort.

I assume your visit today

is also at his behest?

Lord Wei said

that you have something I desperately need.

And what might that be?

He didn't say,

but he did say

that you would help me.

This is the status of Saint Ya.

"With righteousness and loyalty, repay the sovereign's grace.

Leave behind a legacy for the ages.

Chen Hui."

200 years ago, Cheng Hui left the academy

to join the Imperial Academy.

He welcomed scholars from beyond Yunlu Academy

and inscribed these words here.

Embarrassingly,

to this day,

no one has been able to decipher its full meaning.

Saint Ya's Sword.

When you

return safely from Chuzhou,

bring it back to me personally.

Thank you, Dean.

(The Lost Records of Da Huang)

All these books were gifts from the Dean?

Yes.

Why would he give you so many books?

Alright, stop being so jealous.

Help me look at this one.

Have you heard of it?

What's so special about it?

(The Lost Records of Da Huang)

I don't know.

I've never had the privilege

or opportunity to access

the Saint Ya's Hall to read its collection.

But I've read the academy's history

and know the origins of this book.

What's so special about it?

This book was sent by the Astronomical Bureau 20 years ago.

Ever since, it's been kept in the Saint Ya's Hall

and hasn't been returned.

The Astronomical Bureau.

It's the Astronomical Bureau again.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

I just can't figure out

why the Dean gave you so many books.

Are you really going to read them all here?

Aren't you hungry?

Stop nagging.

Ci Jiu.

Let's go home?

How do you read this character?

- I don't know. - Aren't you a scholar?

I don't know.

Let's go.

Let's have lamb.

Catch!

Pass it to me.

Now me. Hurry.

- Hurry. - You serve the ball.

Your Highness, catch!

Your Highness, look at this lovely weather.

It's perfect for kicking the embroidered ball.

We've been kicking it for seven days.

Right.

Then...

How about I push you on the swing?

Really high this time.

Unless you can push me right out of the palace, don't bother.

Of course...

I can't.

Your Highness, just bear with it for a couple more days.

When Her Majesty sees how well-behaved you are,

she'll surely lift your confinement.

So annoying!

Where is Xu Qi An?

Why hasn't he come to see me?

Lord Xu

is probably tied up with official duties,

or maybe he's busy investigating a case

and can't get away.

Xuan Zi. Didn't I send you to find out?

Tell me.

Your Highness,

Lord Xu has been going to the Night Guardians' headquarters daily as usual.

A few days ago, he visited Yunlu Academy,

and yesterday he went to the Astronomical Bureau.

What was he doing at those places?

- What about today? - Today...

Today, he just...

He went to the theater to listen to music.

What?

He has time to go to the theater but not to visit me?

Unbelievable!

Your Highness,

perhaps his visit to the theater

is also part of his investigation.

Let's not overthink it.

How about we go back to kicking the embroidered ball?

Gang.

You've been in the palace since you were five.

It's been eleven years now.

In all these years,

we've spent every day together,

sharing the same heart and mind.

I know you well.

You start sweating when you're nervous.

Maybe

it's just the heat.

And your hands tremble when you lie!

Tell me the truth.

Where is Xu Qi An?

Hurry it up over there!

Yes, Lord Xu.

Check and make sure we've got everything.

Yes, sir!

Remember what I told you.

Once you're in Chuzhou, stick to the plan.

You're the Sparrow Heroine.

So, it shouldn't be too hard for you.

Got it.

But honestly, I volunteered for this.

Why are you making it sound like you're sending me on a mission?

If everything goes well,

you'll have done me a huge favor.

I owe you one.

How will I contact you once I'm in Chuzhou?

My brother gave me this.

- I'm going now. - Young Master Xu, don't take too long.

I'll be waiting for you there.

Safe travels.

This mission is about the greater good.

So, you don't owe me anything.

See you in Chuzhou then.

And stop calling me the Sparrow Heroine.

It's so stupid.

Are you leaving or not?

Let's go.

Don't drink too much on the way. Don't screw things up.

You're insufferably naggy.

Alright, guys, you should go home.

The ship's about to leave,

and I need to board as well.

Aunt, I'm not taking the pickled vegetables this time.

My stomach's been acting up lately.

I wouldn't be able to eat them anyway.

Uncle, I already have a sword,

and the ship is fully equipped with weapons.

Put it away, it's dangerous.

What is this, Ling Yue?

A charm?

Alright, I'll take it.

By the way, I'll buy you some Chuzhou specialties when I'm there,

like butter cookies.

Dou Ding,

I'm leaving now. Are you going to miss me?

Ning Yan, when are you coming back?

When you finish memorizing The Disciples' Guidance.

Ning Yan is never coming back!

Don't say such nonsense! Take it back!

Ning Yan,

be extra careful.

Don't let it be like the last time.

Your aunt didn't eat or drink,

crying her heart out all day,

and nearly passed out.

Who passed out?

That didn't happen. Impossible.

Still, it's a long journey, stay safe.

When you get there, write us a letter to let us know you're safe, got it?

Don't worry, Aunt.

And you,

I won't say much,

take good care of Si Mu.

Hurry it up, I'm looking forward to your wedding feast.

Ning Yan, that's improper.

How could I just...

Thank you, Ning Yan.

I wish you smooth travels

and a successful mission.

We'll be waiting for your triumphant return.

You hear that?

A girl's response is more composed than yours.

- That's right. - Stop teasing me.

Princess Lin An is still under house arrest in the palace.

Have you even bidden her farewell?

You talk too much.

Alright.

I'm off.

Bye!

Let's go!

Bye.

Let's go eat something nice.

Forget about the pickles.

Come on.

Dafeng is not worth it.