Original subtitles

[A Moment But Forever]

[Episode 3]

That's right.

Hypocrisy, obsession,

ignorance, jealousy, and cruelty.

All the evils of the world

stem from these sins.

No one is free from their grasp.

Not even you.

Only by sealing away the divine artifacts,

seeking the wisdom of the heavens through mortal flesh,

and comprehending the Five Sins,

can one glimpse the path to godhood.

The foolish are stubborn.

The ignorant are clouded at heart.

Trapped in ignorance, their thoughts remain unclear.

These are sins.

Mortals may be ignorant,

may be obsessed,

may be jealous, hypocritical,

even cruel.

But gods may not.

You may not.

Gods may not.

That's right, High Priest.

You may not.

High Priest,

you can definitely become a god.

We all believe in you.

Yes.

You must become a god.

You must become a god.

You must become a god.

You must become a god.

You can definitely become a god.

Did he believe it?

He believed it.

He possessed great power,

but in the end,

he was merely a child.

With voices whispering in his ears,

how could he not believe it?

Farewell, High Priest.

Farewell, High Priest.

The golden hoop sealed him away.

For forty years, he remained imprisoned.

I don't understand.

He was your High Priest.

He led you to victory

against the War Demon.

Why did you treat him that way?

Because

of fear.

Fear?

What are you afraid of?

We killed his parents and loved ones.

Long ago, our clan stumbled upon

the Divine Left Hand.

To find one who could wield it,

we tested our young warriors

one by one.

But none could control its power.

None.

Their families,

upon hearing the news,

united in protest.

They ascended Tianqu Peak,

demanding their children be returned.

Let my son go!

Please, have mercy!

Let my son go!

I beg you, elders, have mercy!

Let our sons go!

Please, release my son, Yuanzhong!

One spark

and war ignited.

Many perished that day.

In desperation,

we wove a lie.

We told him his family

had been slain by the War Demon.

But wars ended.

Lies unraveled.

You feared him,

so you wanted to destroy him.

The War Demon was gone.

The gods and demons were no more.

Thus, the Divine Left Hand

was no longer needed.

It was no longer necessary.

Oh no!

The power is devouring me!

I am not!

I am not!

I am not!

I am not!

I am not!

I am not!

You are.

You crave admiration

and bask in the illusion of heroism.

Yet you have no power of your own.

All of your strength

comes from the Divine Left Hand.

A power that was never yours

to begin with.

You relied on what was never yours,

gaining the highest praise

and glory.

But tell me,

does that not make you a hypocrite?

No, I'm not!

You are.

You are stubborn,

unyielding, and arrogant.

Whenever the world defies your will,

you glare and argue,

bound by the chains of your own desire.

Year by year, your ears grow deaf

to voices beyond your own.

You see yourself as the only one who is right,

hold no one else in esteem,

and trust no one but yourself.

But do you truly know everything?

Aren't you the one

who's obsessed?

Nonsense!

Yet to you,

isn't everyone else just talking nonsense?

You left home young,

spent years in the army,

and never had much schooling.

Naturally, you wouldn't understand

the ways of the world.

The foolish are stubborn.

The ignorant are clouded at heart.

You shut your eyes, deaf to the world,

uneducated and unskilled,

yet still complacent,

thinking you're different from others.

Isn't this stupid?

Isn't this ignorant?

And now you dream of becoming a god?

No...

No,

I don't.

I don't want to become a god.

You don't want to become a god?

Shut up!

Are you seeking divinity for yourself?

It was the Divine Left Hand that chose you,

which means the Six Realms chose you.

Upon your shoulders rests the fate

of the Youhu Clan, the mortal realm,

and the burden of the Six Realms.

This world must have a god.

You must become a god.

If you choose to give up,

it means you abandon the mortal world,

abandon the Six Realms.

How cruel of you.

Don't listen to them.

You just want to

be an ordinary person.

Who wouldn't want to be an ordinary person?

Like Tanghua,

loved by many,

never criticized,

never blamed.

Unlike you,

losing a hand,

defeating the War Demon,

yet still unable

to meet their expectations.

No.

You're jealous of him, aren't you?

Why does he get to live

such a life

while you cannot?

You're jealous of him, aren't you?

You're jealous of him, aren't you?

No.

No.

I'm not.

You must rid yourself of the Five Sins.

You must transcend the sea of worldly desires.

Yuanzhong!

Obsession!

Only by calming your mind can you walk out of here.

Otherwise, you will be trapped here forever.

Yuanzhong!

Ji Tanyin.

♫A slight ripple in my gaze♫

Why are you here?

I've long known that all living beings in this world

♫Who knows the warmth and cold of my fleeting life?♫

suffer in their own ways.

Why aren't you speaking?

But you...

♫If staying together is difficult, it's not worth it♫

♫I'll return what's left of my life♫

♫Falling into the mortal world♫

♫Wandering through the clouds and rivers♫

♫Being by your side is like finding the shore♫

♫If between oaths♫

♫I hold onto the longing for just one more glance♫

♫Unwilling to bid farewell for good♫

♫Tears grow cold in a single cup♫

♫Longing fades in half♫

♫Like flowers in a mirror, or the moon in the water♫

♫A thousand years of long nights, yearning from dawn to dusk♫

You embraced him.

She embraced you. Why?

I know.

She probably admires you.

I felt sorry for him.

He was deceived by them.

They told him that

if he abandoned his desires

and cast off the Five Sins,

he could attain divinity.

Wasn't that just a lie?

Must gods truly be

emotionless stones and tiles?

Must they sever all ties and abandon love?

Look,

take you, Mr. Loong, for example.

You're no different,

greedy for food, fond of wine,

cowardly, and lazy,

yet you became a god.

That just proves

they were completely wrong.

Just talk about him.

Why bring me into this?

What I mean is,

Yuanzhong was deceived.

Under the pretense of helping him cultivate,

they sealed him away

and imprisoned him atop Tianqu Peak

forty years before they let him go.

Those wicked deeds

were most likely done by them

in his name.

So?

So I think he is pitiful,

and I couldn't help but embrace him

to comfort him.

Tanyin,

I think there's something off

about you.

What's wrong with me?

We've known each other for over a thousand years, haven't we?

You are kind,

but you are not someone who is overly emotional.

Why is it that, this time in particular,

you are so concerned

about the High Priest of the Youhu Clan?

I asked you to investigate her before.

How did it go?

Her identity and background are clear,

nothing suspicious.

Why are you looking at me like that?

How did you investigate?

I asked the human official

who brought them here.

Where are you going?

I won't ask too much about your affairs.

But, Tanyin,

your descent to the mortal realm to search for the Divine Hand

is known throughout the Divine Realm.

Even the Preceptors of Discipline

from the Thunder Division are already aware.

Have you thought about it?

What will happen

if you fail to bring the Divine Left Hand

back to the Heavenly Realm?

Moreover, the Divine Left Hand

is of great significance to the divine race.

Even if, as you say,

that High Priest of the Youhu Clan

is a good person.

Compared to Taihe

and the Six Realms,

which is more important?

You can't compare them like that.

Why can't I compare them like that?

Ji Tanyin.

He's calling me.

I have to go now.

I haven't finished speaking yet.

Ji Tanyin.

High Priest.

Are you busy with something?

Then come with me.

High Priest,

you wield the Divine Left Hand

and bear a demigod's form.

Illness should never touch you.

Yet the golden hoop binds you,

stripping your magical power

and rendering you no different from a mortal,

vulnerable to exhaustion and sickness.

So?

So you shouldn't put it on.

-High Priest. -High Priest.

They fear you greatly.

They say you are cruel,

unpredictable, and volatile in temper.

They say you live in extravagant indulgence,

lost in endless debauchery.

You are not only ruthless and lustful

but also greedy and excessive.

You drink a hundred jars of wine a day,

and at the slightest displeasure,

you take lives without hesitation.

A hundred jars?

That's quite a capacity.

Aren't you angry?

Why would I be angry?

They misunderstand you.

They even slander you.

Greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt

lead to misdeeds

and hinder the cultivation.

Seeking enlightenment and refining the heart

has always been my lesson.

What they say about me

has nothing to do with me.

Why do you care so much about me?

Zi Fei said

you admire me.

Admire?

Thinking about it carefully,

it seems like from the very beginning,

you knew who I was.

That day, at the selection for handmaidens,

when you saw me appear,

you weren't surprised in the slightest.

I've heard that many human women

adore Tanghua,

going to great lengths

to enter his Jinxia Palace.

I never thought

I'd experience this myself.

Don't overthink it.

I'm not like them.

Alright.

You're leaving just like that?

I haven't even finished speaking.

Give it to me.

I'll take it in for you.

No need.

Does he have to read

so many books every day?

It's part of his studies,

which aids in his cultivation.

Do you believe that too?

You're here.

I still have some things to write down.

I'll speak with you later.

You're from the immortal race.

Does reading so many books help you?

Of course.

Books are like medicine.

Reading them can dispel ignorance.

So ignorance is a sin too.

Is that so?

That's exactly right.

Ignorance is also a sin.

Young Master,

the Council of Elders has increased patrols

in the clan,

and the mountain's protective formation has been activated.

Can they really deal with the War Demon

with just those formations and guards?

The Council of Elders believes they can.

Young Master, look.

How is the clan reacting now?

They are in a state of panic, seeing danger in every shadow.

The Council of Elders has urgently recalled

all members from outside

and is searching everywhere for traces of the War Demon.

Anyone suspicious

is to be captured first and questioned later.

They've even dispatched people among humans

to gather intelligence.

In any case,

they're already afraid.

Are they?

Good. That's enough.

Where are you going?

Today is the day to ascend Tianqu Peak

for spirit refinement.

Spirit refinement?

This is a snack,

freshly delivered from Xiaoxiang Peak.

I'll have it when I return.

Are you feeling unwell?

So this is the Liujiao Palace.

It's truly magnificent.

Tanyin.

Why are you here?

I've joined Yaoxiang Peak

and now follow Elder Xinyao.

I came to deliver medicine to the High Priest.

I heard the High Priest's in poor health

and must take Elder Xinyao's refined pills

every month.

I never thought that

even with a demigod's body,

he could still fall ill.

Oh, and inside,

there's also a flask of medicinal wine.

Elder Xinyao

specifically instructed the High Priest

to drink it before bed.

It helps with sleep.

Then I'll be going.

You want to kill Yuanzhong?

This poison may be potent,

but it won't be enough to kill him.

The Nailed Seven Arrows Curse

is indeed a formidable

cursing technique.

But sadly,

your method is flawed.

So it was you who took it.

If not for me,

you would have been captured that day.

What do you want?

I don't want anything.

But

you cannot kill him.

He is an evil spirit,

cruel and bloodthirsty, enslaving entire races.

Over the years,

how many humans have died under the oppression

of the Youhu Clan?

They see themselves as gods,

treating us like ants and livestock,

to be crushed

and slaughtered at will.

This is a method I learned

from ancient books.

As long as I stay

within 10 miles of my enemy,

silently recite their name,

bind grass into a human shape,

and bow three times a day

for 21 consecutive days,

I can scatter their three souls

and seven spirits.

Then, I will have my revenge.

I went through so much hardship

just to get here.

If not for you,

I would have already succeeded.

I told you,

your steps are incomplete.

Even if you bow until your back breaks,

you won't succeed.

And besides,

he is not a bad person.

What you speak of has nothing to do with him.

He should not be

the target of your hatred.

I will say this one last time.

If this happens again,

I will not cover for you.

Now leave.

You're human too.

Why are you defending our enemy?

Is he really an enemy?

Yes.

He is the High Priest of the Youhu Clan.

He possesses the Divine Left Hand,

wielding a force vast enough

to upheave the heavens and shatter the earth.

Why do you insist on protecting him?

Should someone be condemned simply for having power?

What's wrong with him?

It's nothing.

Madam Zhi Dai.

It's so late.

Where have you been?

I was sent by Elder Xinyao

to deliver medicine to the Liujiao Palace.

Madam Zhi Dai, I have things to do.

I'll take my leave.

What's really going on with him?

He's still not doing well.

Stay here and watch over him.

I'll go to Yaoxiang Peak

to invite Elder Xinyao over.

High Priest.

Why is your body so cold?

Are you ill?

It's my studies.

Is this part of your cultivation too?

High Priest!

High Priest.

High Priest.

Here she comes.

He's lost too much blood, and his pulse is weak.

The Divine Left Hand is saving him now.

Elder Dingxu has changed

the spirit refinement sessions from once every ten days

to once every five days.

That's too much for his body to endure.

Why didn't you

tell me earlier?

Yuanzhong said

it aids his cultivation

and forbade me from informing you.

You people...

Quick, help him out of the medicinal bath.

The potency of the medicine is too strong.

His body is too weak

to endure it.

Go on ahead.

Boil some more hot water in the kitchen.

[Liujiao Palace]

Is he feeling better?

What are you doing here?

Elder Xinyao is inside.

He'll be fine.

What is spirit refinement?

It is part of his studies.

It is a secret technique of our clan.

I cannot tell you.

You don't have to keep watch here the whole time.

Dingxu has changed the spirit refinement schedule.

Why didn't you tell me?

Well, now you know, don't you?

Do you really think

this training is useful to you?

Yes.

And it is of great use.

Humans have five sins:

cruelty,

obsession,

hypocrisy,

jealousy,

and ignorance.

Only through diligent cultivation,

aligning knowledge with action,

can one rid themselves of the Five Sins

and attain divinity.

My talent and insight

are quite remarkable.

And with the Divine Left Hand,

I believe

I will eventually find a way

to comprehend the Great Way.

You...

Elder Xinyao, don't worry.

These are all necessary steps.

I can handle it.

Then you should rest well.

I'll be going now.

Take care, Elder.

High Priest, are you hungry?

A little.

What would you like to eat?

Red Oil Cloud Strings.

W-What?

It's when you soak the cloud strings in water,

drain them after a while,

then cut red peppers into thin strips,

add salt, sugar, and other seasonings,

pour hot oil over it, and stir well.

What are cloud strings?

What about Kidney Bean Immortal Soup?

Grain Rain Tofu?

Never mind then.

Porridge?

Is porridge okay?

Sure.

Wait for me a moment.

High Priest,

have you ever thought

that everything they told you might be a lie?

Doubt

is also a form of obsession.

Obsession is a sin.

How have you been settling in at the Liujiao Palace?

It's been good.

What about the High Priest?

How does he treat you?

Not bad.

Did you come to see me today

because of something?

There is indeed something.

Do you remember

someone was performing curses

at Xiaoxiang Peak before?

I even searched your room back then.

At that moment, I found nothing.

But yesterday,

I ran into Lyu Yao on the road.

She looked panicked and terrified.

So I followed her.

Guess what I found?

She said

it was you covering for her.

Over the years,

we have had frequent clashes

with the Youhu Clan.

The Youhu people pride themselves on their status,

claiming to be saviors.

Our people

no longer wish to continue serving them.

Some of the more radical members

have made it their goal to take down the Youhu Clan

and kill the High Priest.

It's not the first time

they've sent assassins up the mountain.

Clearly,

Lyu Yao is one of those people.

But what I'm curious about is,

who are you?

I've investigated you.

Your background is clean,

and your family is well-regarded.

You seem like

a well-mannered young lady

who doesn't go out much.

But,

who taught you your craftsmanship?

In our human race, craftsmanship is highly esteemed.

Each province and county has a craft school,

and all craftsmen must be registered.

You never attended school,

nor did you apprentice.

So, where did

your extraordinary craftsmanship

come from?

Why are you smiling?

Madam Zhi Dai,

do you have a favor to ask of me?

If you're just suspicious of me,

you have Lyu Yao in your hands.

You could just expose me.

Why bother coming here to interrogate me?

What do you want?

Why don't you just say it?

Perhaps I can help.

But if you

keep beating around the bush,

I'll lose interest in listening.

I want to ask for your help

to unlock this Two-Form Immobilizing Bracelet.

You're awake.

Are you going to Tianqu Peak again?

Don't go.

You still look weak.

I'm much better now.

Is it a must?

Yes, it is.

Then I'll go with you.

I was right.

She really has taken a liking to you.

Sit up here, and I'll push you.

Lying down for a few days

has left my bones all stiff.

How does the spirit refinement at Tianqu Peak

differ from

your usual practice?

Spirit refinement tests my willpower.

Is it difficult?

It's manageable.

But that day,

you were already unconscious

and lay in the room for three days.

It's part of the test;

hardships are inevitable.

By the way,

when you came to Fangwai Mountain,

did you pass through Baisha Bay

and try the pricky fruit there?

What is that?

It's black in color,

only about the size of a fingernail.

It's sour and astringent at first,

but it has a sweet aftertaste.

It's really tasty.

What a shame, then.

High Priest,

you're late today.

I overslept.

Spirit refinement is crucial.

Elder Dingxu once emphasized

the importance of being punctual.

Wait for me here.

Can't I go in with you?

[No Trespassing] [Offenders Will Be Punished]

Please wait here, High Priest.

I'll go notify Elder Dingxu.

Let me out!

Let me out!

Let me out!

Let me out!

Let me out!

High Priest,

sorry to keep you waiting.

What's wrong?

How's your rest been

these past few days?

It's been good.

I heard that after you went back last time,

Elder Xinyao

went to the Liujiao Palace overnight.

Is there something wrong with your body?

You don't look well.

Do you need to rest for a few more days?

To refine the spirit and grasp the path to enlightenment,

every fleeting day of delay is a loss to me.

Congratulations, High Priest.

It seems like your enlightenment

has deepened again.

Let's begin.

Yes.

How is it now?

Does it hurt a lot?

It's already noon.

When will he come out?

Once the spirit refinement is finished,

he'll naturally come out.

Then when will it end?

It's hard to say.

It could be two or three hours,

but it could also take a whole day and night.

How many tests does he have to go through

before he can complete the spirit refinement?

His body is still very weak.

I'm afraid he won't last long.

Can it end earlier?

Master, it's enough.

Let's stop here for today.

Can't believe the Essence Nourishing Pill is actually...