Original subtitles

[A Moment But Forever]

[Episode 18]

Here.

This wine is really good.

We have wine and meat here.

What's the special occasion today?

Of course, it's the day we're starting to renovate the house.

No.

Today is the day of our engagement.

So, the date is set?

Yes.

Today,

I went to Liu the Blind for a fortune-telling.

The 9th of next month is an auspicious day.

So I plan to

marry Yunniang on that day.

That's wonderful!

Isn't it just a few days away?

That's right.

Yes.

Just a few days.

Before we start,

I'd like to say something.

I have no father, no mother,

and my foster father, my only family, has passed away.

Yunniang's family is also gone.

Although you've only just arrived recently,

and we had

some misunderstandings when we first met,

over these past few days,

we've gotten along like long-time friends.

Since everyone's here today,

I'd like to ask you to be my witnesses.

Okay!

Yunniang.

Yunniang.

From now on,

we'll be living together.

Thank you for not minding my poverty.

I know

I have

all sorts of flaws.

But I have

a true heart that

I'm not afraid to show you.

I won't say much about the future.

You'll see for yourself.

I will definitely work hard to protect you,

to stay by your side,

and take care of you for the rest of my life.

Yunniang,

if you have any requests for me,

just say them.

I'm sure I can fulfill them.

I don't have any requests for you.

It's just that the last time,

when I married that unlucky guy,

he passed away before I even

stepped into his house.

Really disappointing.

He left me a widow for no reason.

So,

I only have one request for you.

Pei Jiu,

you must live a long life

and stay with me through this lifetime.

Okay.

Let's all have a drink together!

Come on.

Wish you a long life and a happy marriage.

May you have children soon.

May you stay safe.

Thank you, everyone.

Cool!

It's really good!

Jiu,

today, you should have

invited your master.

Where is Mr. Yuan?

Yuanzhong has already eaten,

so he's not coming.

How about I make a new set of furniture

as a gift for you two?

Tables, chairs,

and baby beds—

just tell me anything you like,

and I can make it

for you.

That's wonderful! Thank you.

Come on, come on.

Let's have a drink!

If I don't drink you under the table today,

I won't call myself Kai Shan anymore.

Congratulations.

If you put it that way,

do you think you can outdrink me?

Mr. Tanghua, have you ever been to Yandu?

Never.

This is my first time seeing

such a big, bustling city of the human race.

Yandu...

seems like a city that appeared out of nowhere.

Appeared out of nowhere?

That's right.

When it first appeared in the history books of the human race,

it was already a city.

According to my people's historical records,

this place was originally surrounded by steep mountains,

with dangerous terrain,

and was a desolate area.

But one day,

a passing merchant caravan

suddenly discovered

that a city had appeared here.

The news of this city's appearance

quickly spread.

While the world was shocked,

everyone wanted to claim it for themselves.

Back then,

Chenshang Kingdom and Qiong Kingdom

fought a long and drawn-out war

over the ownership

of Yandu,

but neither side could claim victory.

It wasn't until the war between gods and demons,

when the flames of war from the Divine Realm spread to the Mortal Realm,

that it came to an end.

After the Battle of Pinghu,

the human race finally realized

the importance of unity.

Although people are still divided into different countries,

there is little conflict now,

and Yandu has become completely independent,

turning into

the bustling city of trade it is today.

The Scholar's Wall,

tool shops, and the Craftsmanship Museum

are all unique features of Yandu.

You really know a lot

about Yandu.

I was born here, so naturally, I know.

Are you here in Yandu on business?

No, just sightseeing.

I heard that since the Craftsmanship Museum

came under the management of the Merchant Association,

they've started charging an entrance fee.

I was thinking of

going there in the next few days to take a look.

How much is the entrance fee?

I don't know about that.

These

are usually handled by Jiuguang and others.

Right.

Sir, you have a noble background

and refined taste.

How could you care about such trivial matters?

I heard that you are fond of poetry and calligraphy.

It is said that

when Master Xu passed by the Scholar's Wall,

he also left an inscription on it.

Have you seen it?

There are so many inscriptions on the Scholar's Wall.

I didn't notice it.

Sir, why do you seem so guarded around me?

Could it be...

I just don't understand

why I didn't notice a girl like you

when you were interested in me.

Your heart wasn't with me,

so of course, you didn't see me.

Now I've noticed you,

but your heart is no longer with me.

Before you came,

I had already visited that restaurant for 7 consecutive days.

I joked with Jiuguang,

saying I was fishing.

During those 7 days,

I thought of several possibilities.

I even thought that the one coming

could be a War Demon

or some kind of warlock from the martial world.

But I never expected

that it would be you—

Young Mistress Dai of Yandu City.

How...

How did I know?

You hide your identity but not your name,

so it's easy to inquire about you.

In Yandu City,

your name is well known

even to children.

I'm not your enemy.

You are not?

I don't think so.

Back then, when the war first broke out,

my people charged into battle,

while the human race sat back and watched from the sidelines.

I can never forget this grudge.

If it weren't for the War Demons later

launching a massive invasion of human cities,

burning and killing fiercely

the human race wouldn't have sought an alliance with my people.

But our two races

did ally in the end.

So what?

If the roles were reversed now,

and the War Demons were the ones

hiding and barely surviving,

what choice would the human race make?

Don't you believe

in moderation and balance the most?

Humans are truly strange.

Though weak,

you still persist and thrive.

When there's no external enemy,

you fight among yourselves,

destroying the peace and prosperity with your own hands.

But when an enemy appears,

you can immediately unite

and create extraordinary miracles.

Over the past 60 years,

while the War Demons vanished without a trace,

who has been

holding you together?

Humans are always wavering.

Now that the War Demons are returning,

you are wavering again,

aren't you?

So?

You suspect my people have colluded

with the remnants of the War Demons, don't you?

Shouldn't I?

If you want to disassociate yourselves from it,

just provide solid proof.

What's the deal with Lyu Yao?

And what about the Green Garden Trading House?

And the Wushuang Society?

Can you disassociate yourselves from all of them?

I can.

Trust me.

Trust you?

The Young Mistress of Yandu City,

with such noble status,

second only to the emperor,

is undoubtedly

the cream of the crop.

Yet this noble person

willingly went to Fangwai Mountain

and became a humble handmaiden,

remaining so for 10 years.

And it was actually

because of me.

Listen to yourself.

Which of these words is believable?

How do you expect me to believe that?

I'm such a fool,

to come here full of guilt

over something like this.

It's truly laughable.

You can suspect

that my people are involved in this matter,

but you cannot doubt

my feelings for you

over the past few decades,

even though they no longer exist now.

You're right.

We are indeed good at clever planning.

Of course,

in your eyes,

it might just be scheming and trickery.

In my ten years on the mountain,

I've seen enough of your people

fighting to the death over conflicts,

and I've also seen

how you've struggled

and strived

in difficult situations.

Tanghua,

with how well I know you and how much attention I've paid to you,

if I wanted to harm you,

you would have been dead long ago.

This wine is really good.

I'll drink this again next time.

Of course.

Let me tell you,

I like you this way.

I like you too.

You're different from Master and Zi Fei.

They seem to be full of tricks,

you know?

Alright, alright, alright.

Jiu, Jiu,

look at me.

I've arrived at my place. Go home now.

I'll listen to you.

Okay.

Let go of me.

I won't see you off.

I won't see you off.

Go back.

I won't see you off.

I'll go home.

Where's my home again?

It must be the way back.

Over there.

Are you totally wasted?

I've been having a bad memory lately.

Oh, my brain.

I even forgot what the Governor looked like

when I went to the government office earlier today.

I told you your brain's not working well.

Your brain's not working well!

I'm leaving.

Okay.

I won't see you off.

Take care.

Alright.

Be careful on your way.

He's drunk.

[Yesterday's Inn]

The wine from Lu Chen was really good.

I told you those two

couldn't drink that much.

Wake up.

Is there a person over there?

What person?

Mr. Yuan, are you taking a walk to help with digestion?

Ji Tanyin.

Where did you go?

I'm going back to my room to sleep.

I'm asking you where you went just now.

Where did I go just now?

My memory hasn't been good lately.

Why don't you go ask Zi Fei?

Come with me.

It's dark

and cold here,

and there's no one around.

Why are we here?

I always feel that something's off here.

What's off?

Lately, I've been constantly feeling

tightness in my chest.

I suspect

it's related to the strange sensation I felt

when I transferred my power to Lu Chen that day.

You stay here and keep watch for me,

and I'll go down to investigate.

Did you hear me, Ji Tanyin?

♫Too many old dreams♫

♫Where did the snow fall to?♫

The landlady said

it's not appropriate to enter

a man's home barefoot.

♫Going to face a catastrophe♫

♫No one is irrelevant♫

You're not barefoot.

You have your shoes on.

The landlady said

♫A slight ripple in my gaze♫

it's not appropriate to enter

a man's home barefoot.

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

I remembered that.

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

How many men did you drink with to get this drunk?

♫I'll return what's left of my life♫

It was the landlady who told me to remember that.

Do you know the landlady?

♫Falling into the mortal world♫

♫Wandering through the clouds and rivers♫

Ji Tanyin,

I'm going to drop you,

♫Being by your side is like finding the shore♫

you know?

I know it.

You definitely don't know her.

♫If between oaths♫

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

♫Unwilling to bid farewell for good♫

The landlady is getting married.

She's quite busy.

♫Tears grow cold in a single cup♫

♫Longing fades in half♫

She needs to renovate a house

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

and then make furniture.

Once the furniture is done,

there will be a lot of things to do.

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

Yuanzhong,

let's build a house too.

Yuanzhong,

let's build a house too.

Ji Tanyin.

Ji Tanyin!

So noisy.

Ji Tanyin, wake up.

Wake up.

I'm telling you,

I will never

build a house with you.

Do you understand?

You're just a handmaiden.

I can discard you at any time.

Do you understand?

[Yesterday's Inn]

Yuanzhong,

let's build a house too.

Madam,

could you pick a necklace for me?

I want to give it as a gift.

This one.

Your wife will definitely like it.

This one?

Look, look at its quality.

Madam, how much is this bracelet?

how much is this bracelet?

Please wait a moment.

Captain.

Lyu Yao

still isn't here yet?

She always makes us wait

for hours.

So arrogant.

[Qing Yu] [War Demon]

Once we return to the battlefield,

both she and that Wushuang Society

will have to die.

Things are different now.

Qian Lin's whereabouts are unknown,

and we are the ones who need her.

We'd better not be so impatient.

Sir, please enjoy.

Let me know if you need anything.

Young Master.

We found traces of the War Demons.

Jiuguang has already gone after them.

The stinking fox's scent has disappeared.

Who are you calling a stinking fox?

Young Master.

This way.

I'll ask you one more time.

How did you escape from the prison?

And what is your relationship with Wushuang Society?

I'll answer you one more time.

I have nothing to tell you.

Don't tell me

you're still holding onto some hope.

Let me make it clear.

If you don't confess everything today,

you won't be leaving this place.

Why waste words?

Are these henchmen of yours just for show?

Just torture me already.

You think we don't dare to do anything to you?

Stop.

I know you're not afraid of death,

but I advise you

to think it through.

I...

will only give you one chance.

Do you know why

I haven't made a move on you yet?

Because right now,

it's me standing in front of you.

If it were someone else,

you'd already be facing

godlike methods by now.

It's the War Demons.

How is it?

They're all inside.

Have you scouted it out thoroughly?

We can take action at any time.

Let's go.

It looks like

they're going to harm the people in the temple.

It might be a trap.

To prevent any tricks,

let's hold our position for now.

Yes.

Who are you?

Leave the woman.

As for the others,

kill them!

Zhi Dai?

Young Master.

It's not about being early but being timely.

Since you're insisting on throwing your life away,

then don't blame me.

You knew something was off,

so why did you come in?

You've protected me for many years.

It's time for me to repay you.

Master and servant saving each other, huh?

What a cheesy scene.

Kill them now!

Youhu people?

Die!

Anyone who stands in my way will die!

Young Master!

No!

Mr. Tanghua!

Young Master!

Young Master!

Tanghua!

Retreat!

Young Master!

Tanghua!

Young Master.

Jiuguang...

chase them. Chase them!

Dying like this

isn't too bad.

You're talking nonsense!

Mr. Tanghua.

You won't die!

I won't let you die!

Shen Ying, quick!

Take my horse and find a cart

to bring him back to the mansion for treatment.

Yes.

Tanghua.

Tanghua.

Yuanzhong, over here.

What's going on

this early in the morning?

Si.

Why are you so flustered too?

That guy woke up,

but he's just staring blankly and not speaking.

I'm afraid he might have injured his brain.

I need to find a doctor.

You don't even know where you live.

Do you remember who your parents are?

Have you gone dumb?

You remember me, right?

We met once on the tower ship.

You came to ask me for directions.

Do you remember?

Did you get injured on the tower ship?

Where are your companions?

What's your name?

He's probably mute.

My name is Qian Lin.

My name is Ji Tanyin.

This is San.

And there's another one called Si.

They're the ones who saved you and brought you back.

She's the one who paid for your room.

Otherwise,

you would've been thrown out already.

Look, how kind she is.

She even made you a straw mat.

She was afraid that if you lay there all the time,

your back would rot.

It's nothing.

How are you feeling now?

You feel better, right?

My things are missing.

Have you seen them?

They're with our landlady.

When she comes back,

you can ask her for them yourself.

Who is it?

Master?

It's so early in the morning.

What brings you here?

I heard you renovated your house.

Well, I'm about to get married.

So I thought

I'd renovate this old house of mine.

Master, look.

That porch, those windows,

and the roof—

they're all things I've recently renovated.

Master, let's go inside and have a seat.

Alright.

Master, please come in.

Once the new furniture is in place,

this house will look brand new.

Master, please have a seat.

How do you like it?

Not bad.

What's this?

Well, this house

just got renovated.

A new house should have a god's image hung up.

This is the image of the Mute Lady of Wu Mountain

I invited here.

Master,

since you're here,

could you help me

figure out

where to hang this image?

This Mute Lady of Wu Mountain

has a lot of things with her.

Master.

These are the Mute Goddess's

three magical treasures—

a divine whip that cannot be destroyed,

a phoenix that soars in the sky,

and

a treasure bag that can carry all things.

Is this the thing you were in a hurry

to get back?

Exactly.

Thank you, Madam.

So sharp.

You tried my dagger?

I meant your eyes.

When you were lying down,

you looked so gentle and harmless.

But now that you've woken up, your eyes are like a drawn sword.

Young people,

showing your sharpness and aggressiveness

isn't always a good thing.

Thank you for your advice, Madam.

And thank you for taking care of me these days.

Looking after you is not quite right.

After all, I was paid for it.

If you really want to thank me,

leave here as soon as possible.

I've been in business for a long time,

so I've developed a keen eye for people.

I'm never wrong about people.

Once you're healed, leave quickly

and don't bring trouble

to my inn.

Tanyin.

What are you carrying?

It's some food for the patient.

Patient?

We don't have any patients here.

It's for the person inside.

That guy has woken up,

so he's no longer a patient.

Aren't you busy today?

It's alright.

Then I'll send...

I've told you there's no need to check on him.

You're a young girl,

and it's not appropriate for you

to keep running to his room.

He's recovered now.

Let me see what you've brought.

It's all my favorite food.

You are rare here. I'll make some tea,

and let's chat for a while.

-Let's go. -Wait...

Come on, come on.

You asked me to look into

Baitou Mountain, and I've got something.

Xie You is quite famous,

which matches what Ji Tanyin said.

He once trained two students

with high reputations.

One of them is Goddess Wushuang,

who has ascended and is now a god.

The other is the Mute Lady of Wu Mountain.

She hasn't ascended,

but her reputation among the human race is also quite high.

She's the one who took your blow

during the Battle of Pinghu.

These are the Mute Goddess's

three magical treasures—

a divine whip that cannot be destroyed,

a phoenix that soars in the sky,

and

a treasure bag that can carry all things.

Of course it's true.

The doctor said he's recovered.

Even if you don't trust me,

don't you trust the doctor?

Anyway, don't see him anymore.

Just listen to me.

Why can't I see him?

Anyway...

Mr. Yuan, you're back?

Where have you been?

Just wandered around.

That painting...

What about it?

I saw a similar one at Pei Jiu's house.

The portrait of the Mute Goddess

was also invited here by me,

to pray for Pei Jiu's safety.

It seems that the people in this town

all believe in the Mute Lady of Wu Mountain.

Of course.

When you entered the town,

didn't you see the stone at the entrance?

What?

This big,

and this tall.

Maybe even taller.

It's right at the entrance, with the words "Turn Back" written on it.

Did you not see the Evil-abandoning Tree

in the east of the town as well?

Does it have words written on it too?

Well, no.

Anyway,

it's a very large tree.

It's said that, back then,

37 people sat under that tree,

and none of them

were outside the shade.

Can you imagine how big the tree is?

Madam, what exactly are you trying to say?

I won't keep you guessing.

What I'm telling you is not just the history of this town,

but also its connection

to the Mute Lady of Wu Mountain.

Originally,

this place was a bandit den,

called Black Water Stronghold.

As you know, bandits are notorious

for doing all kinds of evil

and wreaking havoc everywhere.

The surrounding villagers

had suffered from them for many years.

But these bandits

were highly skilled.

Each of the chiefs

possessed extraordinary abilities

and was ruthless.

For a time,

even the authorities had no idea how to deal with them.

And then?

Then, the Mute Goddess of Wu Mountain

stepped in.

Upon learning about the bandit problem here,

she came without hesitation

to enlighten them.

Enlighten?

There are two kinds of enlightenment—

one through kindness, and the other through force.

Kindness

works on good people,

but when facing

evil people who refuse to listen,

it all comes down to

whose fist is stronger.

So that's what you call enlightening through force.

Exactly. It's said that

the Goddess beat them terribly back then.

Not only that,

but she dragged them under the tree and lectured them

for three days and three nights

until all 36 chiefs

were fully convinced.

She didn't just defeat them physically—she broke their spirits too?

The Mute Goddess

is truly ruthless.

How else

can you deal with evildoers without being ruthless?

After that,

the Black Water Stronghold disbanded—

some left,

while some stayed.

But

no one committed crimes anymore.

They settled down, married,

and lived peaceful lives ever after.

To remember this event

and serve as a warning to future generations,

they erected the Turning Back Stone

at the town entrance,

symbolizing that it's never too late

for a lost soul to turn back.

This event happened hundreds of years ago.

People come and go in this town,

and the name "Black Water Stronghold"

is almost forgotten by everyone.

Only that stone remains,

standing there without budging.

Isn't that a clear testament

to the Goddess' achievements?

It certainly is,

and it's very obvious.

Even I didn't notice it.

That's why it's only natural

that we honor the Goddess.

You've only seen a few households.

If you're curious,

you can go from house to house,

and you can see that every family worships the Goddess.

Is that so?

Looks like the Mute Goddess

is truly a celestial being who descended to the world

to save all beings.

Ji Tanyin,

what do you think?

Since that's the case,

we absolutely must not

be disrespectful.

Madam,

could you sell me some incense?

I'd like to pay my respects too.

Oh, don't be silly.

I don't make money from just anything.

If you want to pay respects to the Goddess,

I can't possibly take your money.

Please, go ahead.

Mute Goddess,

I, a mere mortal, Yuanzhong,

am offering incense to you

and praying for your blessings.

Remember to pray for wealth.

Praying for wealth is very effective.

First, I pray for your protection over me,

to discern loyalty and treachery

when making friends,

and not to be deceived by false hypocrites.

Second, I pray for you to bless me

with a smooth path in life,

allowing me to come and go freely,

and to be free from the traps of hypocrisy and deceit.

Third, I pray for you to bless me

with good fortune,

to avoid disasters,

and to keep me safe from all my old and new enemies and foes

with honeyed words but evil intentions.

Goddess, may you show your divine power.

I am severely injured now

and definitely no match for them.

If I want to make it,

I need to wait for the right moment and use wisdom to win.

I, Li Chaoyang, Chief of the War Demons,

greet you, Goddess.

Let me ask you,

have the things I entrusted to you

been fully prepared?

Goddess,

everything has been prepared

according to your instructions,

without any mistakes.

Ji Tanyin is her real name.

Her birth date is on the paper.

Tomorrow is her birthday.

There must be no mistakes.

Yes.

Yuanzhong.

Yuanzhong?

I made noodles.

Come out and eat with me.

What's wrong?

I came to call Yuanzhong for noodles,

but he's not opening the door.

He must have gone out.

But I didn't see him leave.

Go and have some rest.

I'll go find him.

Yuanzhong, it's me.

I knew you were here.

Why didn't you open the door?

I have no appetite.

I'm not hungry.

Not hungry?

Is there a big secret

that you can only tell me?

From now on,

everything about me

is a secret,

especially to Ji Tanyin.

Why?

Haven't we already known

that something's wrong with her?

But hasn't she already...

She's the Mute Lady of Wu Mountain.

What?

How is that possible?

Are you shocked?

I was even more shocked than you are.

I originally thought she was just...

I knew there was something wrong with her.

I knew she had ulterior motives.

I knew her deliberately approaching

was certainly not with good intentions!

I should have realized it earlier.

I should have thought of it.

I should have awakened to it sooner!

Yuanzhong,

there's no need to be so agitated.

Am I agitated?

Which one of your eyes

saw me being agitated?

I'm happy.

I can't be happy enough.

Now that we've exposed her,

what should we do next?

Indeed,

I don't know why

Ji Tanyin appeared

by your side either,

but we've been with her for so long—

from Fangwai Mountain to the tower ship,

to Baitou Mountain,

and now to Orange Lake.

It's been quite a journey.

I don't think she has any ill intentions.

At least,

she's genuinely been protecting you.

However,

whether she's good or bad,

and no matter what her intentions are,

I feel that

she is no longer suitable

to stay by your side.

Because

she will disturb your mind,

or perhaps,

she already has.

Yuanzhong, this can't go on.

She will interfere

with what we need to do next.

Miss Ji.

Have your injuries healed?

Thank you for your concern.

It's no longer a problem.

What are you doing?

I'm making a cabinet.

The landlady is getting married.

It's a gift for her.

Miss, you're really kind.

We're friends, after all.

Friends?

I thought

you were just guests at the inn.

Can't a guest and the owner

be friends?

Of course they can.

It's just that most people come and go in a hurry,

just passing by,

making it hard to make true friends.

Miss Ji,

are you planning to stay here for a long time?

Why did you come here?

Are you here visiting family and friends...

or just traveling?

Miss, please don't get me wrong.

The reason I asked

is because you've covered

many of my expenses.

I don't have any money at the moment,

and I thought if you're planning to stay here for a long time,

it would be easier for me to pay you back.

Is that the reason?

It's fine. You don't need to pay me back.

How could I?

Yuanzhong is very wealthy.

Using his money to help you

would probably make him happy too.