Original subtitles

♪Through dust and storms, I press on alone♪

♪Winds arise, sands stretch far and wide♪

♪Trials of the world test my resolve♪

♪Forged in fire, I chase the light beyond♪

♪Facing challenges, fate ever shifts♪

♪A journey through the wilderness of time♪

♪Fearless like armor, through thorns I grow♪

♪Breaking through darkness, my name will shine♪

♪Never in vain♪

♪Guarding my fleeting light, tempered to shine bright♪

♪Cherished past♪

♪A lifetime treasured, through a thousand waves we ride♪

♪To fight with fury, to love with passion♪

♪True to my faith♪

♪I greet the frost and the prize with pride♪

=Love and Sword=

(Adapted from Shen Cangmei's novel Sleeping Beside Yan Shao)

=Episode 24=

Leader Chu. Master Lin.

No doubt Jiang Ruhai is guilty of countless crimes.

But he's my man,

and now that his legs are crippled,

he's no longer a threat to the martial world.

- Chanyi... - Could you spare his life

for my sake?

Chanyi.

Believe me.

I will never betray you in this life.

Once you obtain the treasure,

the entire martial world will be at your command, Chanyi!

Don't you understand?

My sister sacrificed her reputation

and everything she had to protect you.

And yet all you do is use her and manipulate her!

She gave you her heart in vain!

Alliance Leader Tang.

You may take him away.

But if he ever shows his face in the martial world again,

the Six Great Sects may not show him mercy.

Thank you for understanding, Leader Chu.

I am unfit

to lead the martial world after all.

I fear that responsibility will have to fall upon Master Lin.

Does that sound acceptable?

Many thanks to everyone.

I will not fail you.

Young Lady Lin.

I apologize for summoning you so abruptly,

but it is better for you to be here

for what is about to happen.

Before everyone arrived at Mount Moye,

Jiang Ruhai incited Head Tang

to compete for the position of alliance leader,

allied with Madam Xing,

and then went to Seven-Star Hall

to murder his own uncle, Chief Jiang.

Moreover, the supposed antidote

for the Head of the Yu family was actually Heart Devourer,

a highly addictive poison that erodes the mind.

You and Mr. Jiang

were behind all of these, right, Young Lady Lin?

Wanci.

Is what Leader Chu said true?

Head Tang had already revealed to me

the schemes of Young Lady Lin and Mr. Jiang.

Wanci.

How could you do such things?

And why shouldn't I?

In the eyes of all, Young Lady Lin

is nothing more

than a frail, sickly girl.

And yet, this very same girl has done so many wicked things.

Isn't that amusing?

Leave none alive. Kill them!

The Ghost Valley Sect is attacking us.

Take our people to intercept them.

Yes.

Disciples of Tiangang, to battle!

Leader Chu, what is happening?

Everyone, remain calm.

Since there is no further dispute,

I will now destroy the treasure keys

in front of all the sects,

so the martial world may know peace from this day forward.

The Fuxian treasure was left behind by the Fang family.

Its fate should be decided by the Fang family's descendants.

Wouldn't you agree, Shukuang?

Young Lady Rong Shukuang of Yuchi Manor,

was a Fang by birth.

She is the sole surviving heir of the Fang family.

She and I have discussed this matter.

We have already made our decision.

I disagree with destroying the keys.

There is something in the treasure that I must obtain.

The keys cannot be destroyed.

You promised me

that we would never keep secrets from each other.

Only by unlocking the treasure vault

can the cure for Crimson Lotus Heart be found.

That is the only way

to save Yan Shao.

Think carefully.

Leader Chu, Shukuang wants to open the treasure vault

for the one she cares about the most.

You are a broad-minded man.

Surely, you wouldn't mind?

Young Lady Lin.

Mind your tongue.

My wife's reputation is not for you

to slander!

Shukuang's heart was never yours.

Shukuang, am I wrong?

No.

You are mistaken.

Tianyao...

Yan Shao!

Chu Tianyao is Yan Shao!

I knew I was right.

They are the same person.

Shukuang wouldn't have agreed to marry him so willingly otherwise.

So,

the man you were meant to marry is Yan Shao!

Yes.

Yan Shao

is Chu Tianyao.

The only way to save your life

is by finding the elixir among the treasure!

Enough, Wanci!

Take your sister away. Now!

- Rong Shukuang! - Wanci!

Do you believe Yan Shao genuinely loves you?

Maybe he has other motives!

Young Master Lin.

Let Young Lady Lin speak her mind.

Let go of me!

Rong Shukuang.

Why do you think your adoptive father, who doted on you for years,

saved you back then?

If he hadn't wronged the Fang family,

why would he try to atone for his sins

by taking you back to Yuchi Manor and raising you?

Father has raised me for years

and treated me as his own daughter.

You are slandering him.

He did that because he was guilty!

Father,

can you really say

you had no hidden motives when you saved her back then?

Misty Moon Village was isolated

from the outside world for years.

How did the Ghost Valley Sect

suddenly discover its location,

and why was it suddenly attacked?

Only those who were there

knew what really happened.

If there was any misunderstanding,

now is the time to clear it up.

Father...

I heard everything Mother told you

before she died.

I wronged Shiyu and the Fang family.

I should never have betrayed Misty Moon Village

to get the medicine to save Wanci.

It led to their tragic fate.

After you sent out the message

and retrieved the cure for Wanci,

I immediately informed Martial Brother Chu,

and rushed to Misty Moon Village.

But I was too late.

Thankfully,

I found Shukuang.

I leave Shukuang

in your care.

Treat her as your own.

Do not neglect her.

At last, I can go see Shiyu

and beg for her forgiveness.

Inside that treasure vault

lies what the martial world fights over.

Perhaps wealth that rivals kingdoms,

perhaps peerless martial arts techniques,

perhaps miraculous elixirs...

It is enough to stir greed in hearts.

If the other half of the key is found,

then destroy them all.

All right.

Li.

Li!

My mother suffered in torment

and worry,

and in the end, she passed away from her illness.

But you...

You couldn't bear to give up your position as Master of Yuchi Manor.

To appease your own conscience,

you brought Rong Shukuang back to Yuchi Manor.

Rong Shukuang.

Do you really think

your father loves you?

Never!

He has only ever cared about Yuchi Manor

and his position as Master!

Nonsense!

Wanci, you've lost your mind!

And your so-called brother.

He publicly rejected your engagement,

humiliating you before the martial world and making a mockery of you.

Now that you've given your heart to someone else,

he suddenly acts like he loves you

but cannot have you.

He never truly loved you.

He just can't stand the thought

of a woman who once loved him

belonging to another man!

Shut up!

Now, look at Yan Shao.

You think he goes

to the ends of the world for you?

Yet he still hides things from you!

He is now the Leader of Tiangang.

He changed his name to stay by your side.

Tell me.

Does he want the treasure,

or does he want you?

Rong Shukuang.

Open your eyes.

Your so-called family and friends

have only ever used you.

These so-called righteous sects

are nothing but hypocrites

who covet the treasure and spout empty words to justify their greed.

Do you still trust them?

I know

you are filled with hatred right now.

You want to kill. You want to draw blood.

Do it.

Get your revenge. Kill them!

Rong Shukuang.

You have been a victim all your life.

Orphaned as a child,

raised in someone else's home, always alone, always struggling.

No matter what you do,

it is what they owe you!

Lin Wanci.

I don't know whether they wronged me.

But I know for certain

that you did.

You're the one I should kill the most,

aren't you?

Fine.

Then kill me. Do it.

Kill me, Rong Shukuang!

You don't have the guts to do it.

The world says you walk with frost on your lips and tread on snow,

you stand as a noble presence with peerless blades.

What gives you such a reputation?

Why do they love you, respect you,

follow you, and trust you?

You should be like me.

Cruel and merciless, drowning in blood.

Harboring only hatred in your heart!

Kill me, Rong Shukuang.

Crimson Lotus Heart poison I gave you

was originally created by your mother.

Before my mother died,

she passed down the prescription to me.

You'll only be free

from your hatred if you kill me.

Kill me!

Lin Wanci.

I will not live my life as you have,

consumed by jealousy and hatred.

She wove her own web of pain,

and now she wants to drag you into it,

trapping you in a life of hatred.

Lin Wanci,

you know nothing.

You have no idea

who Rong Shukuang truly is.

From the start,

everything you've done has been a mistake.

You have ruined the reputation of Yuchi Manor

and yourself.

I am to blame

for Wanci's misdoings.

I, too, bear responsibility

for betraying Misty Moon Village.

My wife, Rong Li, and Shukuang's mother

were once martial sisters.

When Wanci was born, she was weak and frail,

barely clinging to life.

The Ghost Valley Sect offered a miracle elixir in exchange.

In desperation to save our daughter,

Rong Li revealed the location

of Misty Moon Village.

That is what led to its massacre,

to Shiyu's tragic death.

And Rong Li...

overcome with guilt, soon followed.

Father...

I owe this debt,

and I'll have to settle it eventually.

Now,

I've lost all dignity and honor.

Shaoci.

You have never let me down.

I entrust Yuchi Manor

to you.

Shukuang.

The Lin family owes you

far too much.

Stop him!

Father!

Father!

- Father! - Master!

Father!

- Father! - Master!

Father!

Shukuang...

Father.

You...

Father.

Father!

Father!

Leader Chu!

They've made their way up the mountain!

We are outnumbered.

We cannot hold them back!

Yan Shao.

No.

Yan Shao won't last much longer.

We must get to the Fuxian treasure

and find a way to save him.

Take Yan Shao and leave first.

- I'll stay behind and stall them. - Shukuang!

Shukuang!

Shukuang, we'll handle this.

Go!

Come on, Yan Shao!

Let's go!

Come on!

Pure Sword Sect, prepare for battle!

Leader Shen.

Rong Shukuang's carriage headed

in that direction.

You're quick to arrive.

You left signs and a carriage along the way.

Wasn't that for me to join you?

This is no longer your concern.

Young Lady Lin, take care of yourself.

Let's go.

Without the trap mechanism map,

do you really think

you can enter safely, Leader Shen?

Where is the map?

If I hand over the map,

you wouldn't

let me live, would you?

Where is it?

Speak!

I burned it.

But I have memorized it all.

Help Young Lady Lin into the carriage.

We have no time to lose.

Shaokuangtian Mansion.

So fate truly comes full circle.

Before Father died,

he told me

the treasure was hidden in a cave 20 kilometers

east of Misty Moon Village, behind the mountains.

Who'd have thought it was here all along?

Shen Zuitian schemed endlessly,

yet he never realized how close we all had been

to the treasure.

The path ends here.

Be careful.

There used to be

snakes here.

Don't be afraid.

The snake nest?

Over there!

It might be in that direction.

Interesting.

What is it?

I've been here before.

Be careful.

Take this.

Careful.

Don't waste your effort. It's Wain.

Tianshu.

Tianxuan.

Tianji.

Tianquan.

Yuheng.

Kaiyang.

Yaoguang.

Can you keep going?

This way.

I stayed in this cave for a long time.

I never discovered any mechanisms.

How do we use this?

So that's the key.

I'll lead.

Come on.

These are records of mining, ceramics,

transportation by boat and cart, and the art of painting and crafts.

The so-called treasure is actually

a collection of lost knowledge.

No wonder Master Lin, on his deathbed,

entrusted you with protecting the treasure

for the greater good.

Sadly,

even if these texts have been preserved,

many will still struggle to grasp their meaning,

even after a lifetime of study.

Having learned the truth by morning, one can die content in the evening.

Those who dream of controlling this treasure,

thinking it will make them richer than nations,

or help them dominate

the martial world,

will be sorely disappointed.

They cannot comprehend

that the true treasures of the ages

are these books,

which hold the wisdom of the ancients.

Feng Ming.

Find the cure first.

Got it.

Hang in there.

There's a passageway here.

So this is where it was.

This place is filled with traps.

The path ahead won't be easy.

You go first.

Don't worry. I have the map memorized.

After you, Young Lady Lin.

Even now,

you remain as cautious as ever, Leader Shen.

As you wish, then.

Come check this out!

Look.

This is the second half of Senior Helian's cultivation technique.

Show yourself, Rong Shukuang!

Focus on practicing it.

I'll deal with them.

Feng Ming,

watch over him.

Got it.

You and Yan Shao are truly remarkable.

You actually managed to unlock the treasure vault.

Rong Shukuang, where is the treasure?

The treasure you have been desperately seeking

is right before your eyes.

Pottery? Transportation? Grain refining? Salt production?

This is no treasure!

Rong Shukuang, do you take me for a child?

Where is the martial arts manual?

My father told me

our ancestor left a secret technique in the treasure.

Then you and your father have wasted your efforts.

Only she knows

where the true treasure is!

Oh, Lin Wanci.

I thought that, after scheming for so many years,

you'd be an exceptionally intelligent woman.

I overestimated you.

You have disappointed me.

The true treasure is right before your eyes,

yet you are too blinded by greed to recognize it.

If you do not hand over the martial arts manual,

you will die, and so will he.

Not as long

as I'm here.

Kill them!

Yan Shao!

The woman you love is on the verge of death!

Still won't come out?

Didn't you say the Crimson Lotus Heart poison

had already taken effect?

I saw it myself at Mount Moye!

He must have found

a martial arts secret technique

or an extremely rare elixir!

How else could he have recovered so fast?

Shen Zuitian!

Aren't you supposed to be powerful?

Kill him, you useless fool!

If it weren't for the treasure map,

I would have killed you long ago!

Is your poison cured?

It is.

All my life,

my duty has been to protect you.

To keep you safe.

I...

Has the Crimson Lotus Heart

truly been cured?

Completely.

Chu Tianyao!

Surrender the martial arts manual,

or you'll all be left unburied!

Shen Zuitian,

years ago, you spared our lives. I've given you multiple chances

to live because of it.

But you continue to hunt us down, refusing to let us be.

Now that you know the secrets of this place's mechanisms,

I won't let them fall into Ghost Valley Sect's hands.

I will not aid the wicked.

♪Guarding my fleeting light, tempered to shine bright♪

♪Cherished past♪

♪A lifetime treasured, through a thousand waves we ride♪

♪Drifting through the ebb and flow, my gaze stays firm♪

♪Blooming atop the cliff's edge♪

♪Offer me every sorrow that remains♪

♪I'll smile and say, "Well played"♪

♪Guarding my fleeting light, go illuminate the dark night♪

♪Winds and clouds change, I'm ready to take on the fight♪

♪To fight with fury, to love with passion♪

♪True to my faith♪

♪I greet the frost and the prize with pride♪

Wanci.

I'm sorry.

I've neglected you all this time.

Shaoci...

Save your breath.

I don't need anyone's pity.

After I die,

don't return my remains to Yuchi Manor.

Throw me into the river or the sea.

I don't care.

As long as I can be free.

The fortune teller was right.

In the end, it's all just an illusion.

Like the moon in a mirror, or flowers on the water.

In this life,

I never got anything

I truly wanted...

Yan Shao.

Rong Shukuang.

Yan Shao!

Yan Shao! What's wrong?

What's happening to you?

Didn't you say you were cured?

Didn't you say Crimson Lotus Heart poison was gone?

Why is this happening?

It's the Revival Acupuncture.

You lied to me!

Why did you lie to me?

You promised

we would never hide things

from each other again!

Why did you lie to me?

If I hadn't deceived Shen Zuitian,

then even if the two of us joined forces,

we still wouldn't have been a match for him.

Young Master Lin.

You heard Master Lin's

dying words,

didn't you?

Father wanted us to protect the treasure

and retrieve it

for the good of the world.

Good.

From now on,

this responsibility rests on your shoulders.

Leave it to me.

You are all here.

I can rest easy.

No...

Don't go, please...

Stay...

No!

You can't leave!

You can't...

Leader Chu and Miss Rong

were true heroes.

No...

Yan Shao?

Yan Shao!

Yan Shao!

Be quiet.

I'm tired.

I want to sleep.

Liar!

You lied to me!

You lied to me...

(Disciple Rong Shukuang humbly kneels in respect.)

(Please take me as your disciple.)

(I promised your mother)

(I would protect you for life.)

(Am I a burden to you?)

(Do you just want me)

(to disappear from your sight?)

(No.)

(You say one thing but mean another.)

(No.)

(I do it willingly.)

(What if the day comes that I can no longer protect you?)

(That's fine.)

(I won't need you to protect me.)

I'll be the one to protect you.

(Chu Tianyao)

Chu Tianyao...

Do you remember Rong Shukuang?

(Why are we back in the desert?)

(This is where Yan Shao and Rong Shukuang)

(first met.)

(Why do we have)

(their memories?)

(Because)

(they once did)

(something extraordinary.)

(Those books on mining,)

(metallurgy, shipbuilding, and pottery)

(shouldn't be hoarded for personal gain)

(nor should they be buried beneath the sands.)

(Perhaps)

(that white jade wanted)

(to share their story with us.)

Are you sure this is our wedding photo?

No, it's Yan Shao and Rong Shukuang's.

I can't. My back is sore.

My hands hurt.

Let's take a break.

Come.

Hold still!

Just a little longer.

♪Spinning through my heart, my dreams, the endless Jianghu♪

What's wrong?

I got sand in my eye.

Which side?

This one.

♪Ah, such a blissful tide♪

Don't move.

Hold on a little longer.

♪Blades in chaos, the world in turmoil, tangled ties♪

A mirage!

♪A fleeting warmth to shield me from the ice♪

♪Ah, as spring awakens love's delight♪

♪One single glance, my heart takes flight♪

I might as well keep watching that mirage.

♪And the first sight of starry rain in desert brings a profound heartache♪

♪But I don't know, I don't know, how long this moment will abide♪

♪Yet here and now, for this one soul, I stand beside♪

♪I understand, love and longing, how much truth, how many lies♪

♪Yet my swift blade cannot sever, cannot sever these endless ties♪

♪I have known, the lonely journeys, wandering years without goodbyes♪

♪Yet this moment stirs the ache inside♪

♪One turn through this dream of Jianghu, one heartbeat lost in time♪

Yan Shao.

What do you think defines the martial world?

Blades, wine, loyalty, and righteousness.

So, where is the martial world?

In the heart

of every person.

Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly.

Was it Zhuang Zhou dreaming of the butterfly?

Or was it all just a butterfly's dream?

Did Fang Yi dream of

becoming Rong Shukuang?

Or did Rong Shukuang dream of Fang Yi?

Perhaps we will never

know the answer.

It doesn't matter.

As long as there's you and me,

and love and loyalty,

then even a dream is worth it.

♪Just once, to fall into your arms, not lost, nor torn, nor bound to strife♪

♪Amidst the storm of masters' might, hidden deep, a love so bright♪

♪Standing apart from all the fight, only one embrace so right♪

♪A dream of Jianghu's light♪

♪Spinning through my heart, my dreams, the endless Jianghu♪

♪A fateful turn, where love and hearts collide♪

♪Ah, such a blissful tide♪

♪A journey long, yet life is but one ride♪

♪Blades in chaos, the world in turmoil, tangled ties♪

♪A fleeting warmth to shield me from the ice♪

♪Ah, as spring awakens love's delight♪

♪One single glance, my heart takes flight♪

♪I've heard tales of love and vengeance, left forgotten in the tide♪

♪And whispers of desert stars and rain, where love at first sight fades to cries♪

♪But I don't know, I don't know, how long this moment will abide♪

♪Yet here and now, for this one soul, I stand beside♪

♪I understand, love and longing, how much truth, how many lies♪

♪Yet my swift blade cannot sever, cannot sever these endless ties♪

♪I have known, the lonely journeys, wandering years without goodbyes♪

♪Yet this moment stirs the ache inside♪

♪One turn through this dream of Jianghu, one heartbeat lost in time♪

♪No dream compares to a fateful meeting so divine♪

♪Love needs no hero, only a foolish mind♪

♪Trapped in Jianghu's ruthless tides, once, let me defy♪

♪A single touch, a fleeting smile, is enough to shake the sky♪

♪Stirring the stillness, where the winds rise high♪

♪Though fate may part our paths, we walk the same road♪

♪A crescent moon, a crimson glow, a love untold♪

♪Like passing winds, like aching souls, never to meet once more♪

♪Then what is fate even for♪

♪Just once, to fall into your arms, not lost, nor torn, nor bound to strife♪

♪Amidst the storm of masters' might, hidden deep, a love so bright♪

♪Standing apart from all the fight, only one embrace so right♪

♪A dream of Jianghu's light♪

♪One turn through this dream of Jianghu, one heartbeat lost in time♪

♪No dream compares to a fateful meeting so divine♪

♪Love needs no hero, only a foolish mind♪

♪Trapped in Jianghu's ruthless tides, once, let me defy♪

♪A single touch, a fleeting smile, is enough to shake the sky♪

♪Stirring the stillness, where the winds rise high♪