Original subtitles

=Parallel World= (Adapted from Wei Yu's novel "Parallel World")

=Episode 9= (This story is a work of fiction.)

What is this?

It looks like an eye.

The sand is falling in a line.

So it's the sand that buried Hui Ba and the others' bodies.

It reminds me of sardines.

Look, the tail looks like sand,

though it doesn't sway with the wind.

They're gathered as one,

yet they're all distinct from one another.

When the entire thing moves,

it's like a school of sardines.

If it's alive,

it means it can be killed.

Be careful.

Go over there.

Ye Liuxi.

Hurry!

Hurry.

Quickly go to the back.

What were you going to cut with the knife just now?

It's to save you.

I know you're trying to save me.

Let me ask you.

Were you trying to cut my leg

or the sand?

It depends on the situation.

Liuxi, let's make it clear right now.

If we encounter a similar situation again, please

try your best to keep my body parts intact.

You shouldn't make decisions about my arms, legs,

or any other part of my body unless I ask for it myself.

Is that clear?

Alright. I understand.

Yumen Pass

seems to have disappeared.

Let's go take a look.

The earthen platform for the shadow coffin is gone.

So, ghost fire,

shadow coffin, and the Abnormal Sand

only exist in another world.

Once Yumen Pass closes or disappears,

everything will return to normal.

Look, the aerial footage we took earlier.

Could it be that the end of Sima Road is Yumen Pass?

Have you heard of the Land of Peach Blossoms?

Are you trying to say that Yumen Pass is a similar place?

The question is, where are the people?

If these two times are counted as entering the gate,

why haven't we seen a single person?

And who were those supplies for?

Our supplies are running out.

Let's go back to Ying City to rest.

Now that we have experienced,

we'll come better prepared next time.

Fatty Tang, send the head cook back later.

And don't forget to report to the police.

Three people died.

We should give an account.

(Understood, Dong. I'll report it.)

Coming.

Excuse me, did Mr. Dong from Room 513

ask for a kettle?

You're a staff?

Part-time. I'll be in charge of all the rooms on this floor tomorrow.

I brought you a kettle.

There's a shared laundry room downstairs if you need to do laundry.

We have all kinds of laundry detergent.

But you'll have to operate it yourself.

Alright.

I'll leave now.

Wishing you a pleasant stay.

(Fatty Tang)

(Hey, Fatty Tang.)

Dong, I've brought him to the mahjong center.

What an interesting name it has.

Mahjong Heaven.

(Mahjong Heaven)

(Ying City Hotel)

You put your clothes in with mine?

It's to save time, electricity, water, and money.

I don't want to wait too long.

I've set it for a 15 minutes quick wash. Is that okay?

Sure.

Is Fatty Tang not back yet?

He probably made a lot of money and went somewhere to enjoy himself.

What are you thinking about?

I'm thinking, why is it me?

Why is it the both of us?

We're clearly from two different worlds.

Why are we connected?

What exactly is the connection between us?

Sounds disgusting.

Are you drunk?

I'm getting goosebumps.

I have no idea what connection I have with you.

But if I have to be

connected to someone in this world,

and if you're that person,

I guess I can accept it.

Let's run another cycle. It'll be cleaner.

Housekeeping.

You really know how to do housekeeping?

What's so hard about it?

An old housekeeper took me to service a couple of rooms. It's easy.

I even tried a few rooms myself.

I also asked the guests if they were satisfied.

They all said they were satisfied.

Some even asked for my phone number,

saying it's a pity for me to do this and they offered me a better job.

Talented people really shine wherever they go.

Well then, Miss Talent, please come in.

Chang Dong.

Do you know how a civilized hotel guest is supposed to behave?

When I knock on their door and ask

if they need room service, they would say, "No, I don't."

I'm not one of those hotel guests, so I need room cleaning service.

When are we going back to Seadragon Heap?

I haven't decided yet.

Then please hurry.

I want to find out where I came from as soon as possible.

(Fatty Tang)

Hey, Fatty Tang.

(Is Chang Dong speaking?)

Who are you?

(My surname is Liu.)

(Liu Qi.)

What is your relationship with Hui Ba?

(Coming straight to the point, huh?)

(Hui Ba and I are from the same town.)

If anything happens, I've got his back.

If he strikes it rich, I'll get a piece of the pie.

So, what do you want with me?

(Don't overthink it, pal.)

I just want to chat with you and ask some questions.

(Hui Ba's men)

(are mostly useless.)

(They failed to bring back his dead body.)

(They also made up a bunch of lies.)

(I don't like that.)

(So, I want to ask someone with a sound mind.)

Didn't you give my friend a hard time?

(No, we didn't.)

(We kindly invited him over,)

but he got a little agitated.

He got hurt, but it's not our fault.

Where can we meet?

(Dadongguan.)

There's a mahjong center nearby called Mahjong Heaven.

I'll be here all afternoon today.

Alright. Should I go there alone, or can I bring someone with me?

It's up to you.

You can bring as many people as you like.

(Mahjong Heaven)

Qi, they're here.

Dong.

Sit down.

Have a seat.

Liuxi.

(Liu Qi) Look at you, you're so useless.

Next time, if you get chased by a dog,

you should first assess the situation.

Fight only if you can.

If you can't, pretend to be helpless and put on a smile.

Once it lets its guard down,

smash it with a brick

as hard as you can. Understand?

Got it.

You're really embarrassing me.

Sorry for the trouble.

Sit down.

You must be Miss Ye, right?

I've not been in this business for years.

There are people who got on the list,

and I didn't care much about it.

But over these past couple of days,

I've asked around about your background.

Hurry up. It's your turn.

I heard that you'd been robbed three times

while driving a Dongfeng van.

But you got out of them unscathed.

You even boasted

that there's no pass that you,

Ye Liuxi, can't go through.

You talk pretty big.

It's a no man's land, after all.

You, a lone woman with a van,

are bound to come across all sorts of things.

It would've been inconvenient without something to defend yourself.

Otherwise, you wouldn't have made the list.

But this is the city,

and we must follow the rules when doing business.

Yeah.

You're right.

So, Qi, would you mind lending us a first aid kit?

Otherwise, if we go outside and someone sees us,

they might think we got beaten up in here.

It'll affect your business.

I'll hold this tile.

Whose turn is it?

Whose turn is it now?

Let me do it.

Hui Ba's men and my friend

should have clarified the situation.

So, what do you want with us this time?

Huo Ya told me

that Hui Ba got killed by a flying iron shovel.

When I asked

why they didn't bring back his dead body,

he said the body was gone. Can you believe that?

So, Qi, what do you think happened?

In my opinion,

they must have dug up something valuable.

I have experienced

this kind of thing many times before.

When people get greedy, they do bad things.

Qi.

But that doesn't make sense.

Huo Ya could have easily

fabricated a more plausible story.

Now that both of you

are here with the same story,

my conclusion is

that this

is true.

Since it's true,

we may leave now, right?

Don't go yet. I'm almost winning the game.

Miss Ye, there's no hurry in finishing this game.

Don't you have to treat Fatty Tang's wounds?

Let me tell you all a story.

It happened

nearly 30 years ago.

(30 years ago)

(I was preparing to leave the desert)

(and return to Ying City that day.)

(On my way back,)

(I came across several trucks.)

(They were loaded with goods that were shining with gold.)

(Just when I was about to take a closer look...)

Let's continue our game.

It's been so many years since then,

but I can never forget

the shadow puppet driving the truck.

I wanted to go back there to take a look,

but I didn't have the courage.

I remember there were nine trucks in total.

Huo Ya told me

that when the shadow coffin was opened,

you counted the shadow puppets, and there were nine of them as well.

You see,

it turns out that I already have something to do with this.

How about this?

Let's be frank with each other.

Qi, what do you want?

Tell me your purpose,

and I'll weigh the pros and cons.

If it can be done, we'll be friends.

If it can't be done,

we'll follow the rules.

Either we make peace over dinner

or mark our respective territories. What do you think?

Hui Ba's dead body has to be collected.

I have to honor my friendship with him.

Qi.

That's not very nice of you.

Sorry for this.

It's a habit of mine to probe into people's secrets.

That being said,

it taught both of you a lesson, didn't it?

One should be careful when doing things.

Don't give others any opportunity to take advantage of you.

You searched my room, too?

Miss Ye, your stuff

is quite interesting.

Both of you are capable people,

and working with capable people requires sincerity.

So, here's my suggestion.

Let's see if it's feasible.

I provide the capital, and you provide the effort.

I don't have high demands.

One.

Retrieve Hui Ba's body.

Two.

Help me unravel the mystery of the shadow puppet troupe.

If you can do that,

everything on the vehicle belongs to me.

Qi.

Actually...

I win.

- This matter... - Sure.

I like taking other people's money

to do my own thing.

Since it's settled,

we need to open up our hearts

to build rapport.

Eating and drinking

are essential.

It's not troublesome.

Let's eat here.

Later,

I'll introduce two friends to you.

Do you really plan to take his money?

Why not?

We can't miss out on free money.

Some money can't just be taken.

Don't just look at the immediate gain. What if it's illegal?

Then it's on his poor judgment for investing in the wrong stocks.

What does that have to do with me?

Where are your manners?

I'm hungry.

Let me introduce you.

This is my goddaughter.

(Ding Liu) Ding Liu.

(Ding Liu) Liu.

(Gao Shen) This is Gao Shen.

(Gao Shen)

He works for me.

This is what I'm thinking.

We just met,

and we don't trust each other much.

If I invest my money,

and you guys create chaos

but then come back telling me,

"Qi, we didn't find anything",

I'll feel

uneasy about it.

So,

I'm sending two people as well.

Don't worry.

They can be of help.

They won't be a burden.

Liu is very capable.

When she takes care of the business for me, no one causes trouble.

Qi.

You know what happened to Hui Ba.

So it's understandable if you want to keep an eye on us.

But sending your goddaughter

is too much, isn't it?

I'm getting old.

In the past two years, I've been hesitating

whether or not to hand over my current affairs to Liu.

She lacks experience.

A jade needs to be polished to become valuable.

If she succeeds, it's her own achievement.

If she fails outside,

then I'll accept it.

After all, she's not my biological daughter.

Alright, both of them can come.

But there's one thing.

They need to know who's in charge.

We can have assistance,

but we don't need leaders.

That's for sure.

You guys do everything you want.

As for this buddy here,

I can take care of him for you.

Qi...

Chang Dong, pass me a lamb chop.

A big one. I can't reach it.

Liuxi.

What are you calling me for?

You decide what you want to do,

and you speak for yourself.

You're not even speaking up yourself.

Why should others rush?

I can't stay here.

Speak louder. I can't hear you.

I won't stay here.

I don't need your supervision.

Qi.

Indeed, Fatty Tang is not suitable to stay here.

You see, he was born in Li City, from a family of antique enthusiasts.

Those bronzes and pottery, he can casually take a look,

weigh them,

and know which dynasty they belong to,

whether they are valuable or not.

Oh, Fatty Tang, you told me

you are a member

of that Antique Appraisal and Evaluation Committee, right?

You're a member of it, right?

That's right.

I joined last year.

That's why, Qi.

Aren't you looking for the shadow puppet troupe?

If we don't have any experts on this trip,

we might return without any results.

Don't get angry by then.

Alright, let's drink.

Consider it settled.

Starting tomorrow,

Gao Shen and Ding Liu will follow

the two of you.

Come, let's drink.

Do you think those two are difficult to handle?

Qi said that both of them are formidable players.

So, we need to be careful.

Don't act recklessly.

Chang Dong and that girl

are a couple.

Is that so?

I couldn't tell.

Only a blockhead like you couldn't see it.

So what if they are a couple?

Then it's easy to handle.

It's too easy to make a couple turn against each other.

Go and take a look.

♪As the tempestuous winds assail, let time stand still♪

♪Steal a glimpse of a future untold♪

♪Awaiting desert's bloom in arid cold♪

♪A chance to start anew♪

Why didn't you go down and say hello?

I'm Iazy.

♪As the tempestuous winds assail♪

♪Let time stand still♪

♪Steal a glimpse of a future untold♪

♪Awaiting desert's bloom in arid cold♪

♪A chance to start anew♪

Later,

I'll go and meet Chang Dong.

Actually, when I carefully thought about everything,

perhaps entering the Sima Road

doesn't count as entering the pass.

Then, what is the Sima Road?

This Sima Road,

perhaps, it's the necessary path to enter the pass.

But all of this is related to you.

Let's assume,

that every time you enter the pass,

you have to go through blood, sandstorms, and the Sima Road.

But in the sandstorm, it's hard for people to see the main road clearly.

People lose their partners, vehicles,

and direction.

These

seem more like a defensive protection mechanism,

driving away those who mistakenly enter this place.

They'd run away out of fear

and even spread the word,

reminding future generations to stay away from this place.

Fatty Tang is an example.

He was so scared

that he couldn't even find his way back the next day.

As of now,

we still haven't found where entrance of the pass is.

But we can be certain

that this Sima Road has become an important area.

Shadow coffin. Strange eye.

Only I was attacked, not you.

Perhaps that is because I'm from inside the pass.

So, whether it's the sand or the eye,

they all tend to be lenient toward me.

And that song,

"One step out of the pass, and one's blood shall run dry".

Up to now,

we can only be sure

that the shadow puppets come from inside the pass.

If you really are from inside the pass,

then you're not just an ordinary person from inside.

(Observe desert rules. No trespassing nature reserves.)

♪Hidden dreams slumber♪

♪Quietly setting the hidden stage♪

♪The twilight of destiny♪

♪Turns into the fortress of truth for love♪

♪When sealed memories♪

♪Slumber with the winds and sands♪

♪When choosing to continue the journey♪

♪With unwavering determination♪

♪When the enigmatic world and the parallel reality contradict♪

♪Let the other side bring a colorful end♪

♪Ambiguity between truth and falsehood♪

♪Intoxicated between reality and fantasy♪

♪All beings are but for love♪

♪Spin in endless circles♪

♪Swear to enter the dangerous pass♪

♪Even if the future is filled with swirling snow♪

♪Only to have a clear conscience♪

♪Ambiguity between truth and falsehood♪

♪Intoxicated between reality and fantasy♪

♪All beings are but for love♪

♪Spin in endless circles♪

♪Swear to enter the dangerous pass♪

♪Even if the future is filled with swirling snow♪

♪Only to have a clear conscience♪