Original subtitles

- Stay still! - Let me go!

- Let me go! - You finally showed up.

You must be the other survivor of that slaughtered clan.

Today…

WEI QIANTING, HUBEN ARMY

…the circle is complete.

I am the other survivor.

Come on.

Why did that man come for me?

He is a man guilty of every evil.

You were just unlucky to cross his path.

It's all over now.

This one. Into the water?

Into the earth.

I told you, we met by chance.

I just saved you from being killed as I was passing by.

Finish this cake, then you may go.

Sir, I'm worried about you.

You saved me and killed someone.

I'm afraid you'll get into trouble.

Don't worry.

Even if I do, I can slip away.

They won't be able to kill me.

Can you promise that?

Of course I can.

Then will you write to me to tell me you're safe?

Wherever you go,

write to me every year,

so I know you're safe.

I'm going to a place called Huainan.

Once I'm settled there,

I'll write to you.

Pinky swear.

Thank you for saving her, sir.

- Thank you for saving her. - Thank you.

We'll take our leave.

- Wan, let's go home. - Thank you.

Come on.

I don't understand.

She's your sister, yet you let her join another family.

You've been a boatman here

for seven years, three li from her family,

just to protect her from afar.

How long can you keep this up?

I don't know.

I only hope

she never remembers her past.

GENERAL LIU ZIWEN

I thought you would never fall asleep in front of others.

I am a bit tired.

The sounds and the people here

make me feel

like I'm at home.

Back in Nanwei Trough,

it was like this too.

The sounds of Father chopping wood,

of Mother clattering at the stove,

and of my sister and me quarrelling.

Are they well?

They're very well.

All these years,

they've never forgotten

that you saved me.

Whenever your letters came,

I'd tell them whatever I could safely share.

As for how you

traveled alone to avenge your family,

I didn't dare tell them.

Right,

it would've frightened them.

No,

I was afraid they'd feel for you

yet have no way to help.

Huai'an,

in a family,

people care for one another.

From the moment you saved me,

we became family.

Why aren't you chopping wood?

Am I such an annoyance to you?

Or did I do something wrong?

We've fought side by side and risked our lives together,

yet when I show up,

you won't even open your eyes.

I know who she is.

When she was one month old,

that man brought her a protective charm.

I was there too.

And I know why you never told her the truth.

You did the right thing.

Don't worry. I won't say a word.

I mean it.

You're quick to read faces and flatter.

Growing up in the palace

does give one some sense.

Sense or no sense,

if I had a younger sister,

I wouldn't want her raised amid blood and turmoil either.

You did the right thing.

Thanks.

It's nothing.

Beautiful.

Shameless.

You aren't asleep?

You slipped into my home without a sound

and wrinkled the handkerchief I embroidered through the night.

I was going to sell it for ten wen.

Tell me if this

is worth ten wen.

- You did it? - Of course.

Are you sure he's dead?

Of course. His body was riddled like a hornet's nest.

Satisfied?

What's wrong?

I'm not sure I've read your face right.

Your enemy is dead. Shouldn't you be happy?

I hired you to kill for me,

yet you never took a single coin.

Still,

I work day and night,

weaving and embroidering nonstop.

Do you know why that is?

Because

you want to buy a house in Chang'an?

Because doing the same thing every day

keeps me from remembering the past.

Time passes a little faster that way.

IN MEMORY OF MADAM ZHU, HONORED WITH DEVOTION BY HER DAUGHTER ZHAOLU

Mother, did you hear that?

We got our revenge.

There.

Excellent.

Doing my hair like this is what I'm worst at.

Thank you, Miss Bai Wan.

Zhaolu's work is truly exceptional.

The work, the cut…

They even make me look dashing.

Yes, she has skill.

You even look human in them.

I'm seeing her later.

What gift should I bring?

She's a seamstress.

Give her a fine bolt of silk.

I'm sure she'll like it.

But a surprise shows more thought.

The clothes look good.

Of course.

You made them.

You aren't so bad either.

Of course not.

You picked me.

So mushy.

He said he'd bring her something. Look at those empty hands.

He already did.

Goodbye.

This is for you.

Is this the gift you prepared for my departure?

I don't know what you like.

Anyway, the world is wide.

In the days ahead, take care of yourself.

Don't let hatred bind you anymore.

I'll remember that.

All these years in Chang'an,

meeting you

has been my greatest fortune.

Mine as well.

I came to see off my friend.

It's fine that you came along,

but why is he here?

Yes.

If no one keeps an eye on him and he slips away,

he'll be a corpse when we find him again.

You really can't say a single kind word.

I thought you were going to propose,

so I came to back you up.

Who knew you'd just send her away?

Why do you all think I came to propose?

Do I look like someone who is sentimental?

I'm a swordsman.

A swordsman! My life hangs by a thread every day.

A man like me can love many women.

Fine, I admit it.

I do like her.

But she came to Chang'an alone

for revenge and nothing else.

How much room could she possibly have in her heart for me?

Besides,

I don't want her following me into danger after danger.

It's better

to let go.

The world is wide.

If fate allows, we'll meet again.

Come on.

Besides Xiaoqing,

do you have any other friends in Chang'an?

When I was a student, I had a few classmates I could talk to.

But most of them took up official positions,

and we gradually lost touch.

Xiaoqing is your messenger,

but we get along well.

Having one or two people

you truly connect with is already enough.

Aside from painting,

what else

do you do?

I like the bustle of the marketplace.

Watching folks

choose their vegetables,

their meat,

and their clothes is amusement enough for me.

Sometimes, I run into an old man

playing the flute on the street.

When I do, I sit beside him

and listen from dusk

until night falls.

Before Mr. Yang's death,

the Chang'an I saw

was ordinary

and real.

I came to Chang'an by chance.

After what happened in the reed marsh,

my parents sought help everywhere

and finally sent me here to study.

It was, in truth,

to shield me from danger.

As I grew older,

they finally felt safe letting me live here alone.

Your family

must miss you very much.

Yes.

We haven't met for a year or two.

I miss them.

I should go home and see them.

Having family

and people you care about

is a fortunate thing.

If you hadn't kept in touch with me,

those trying to kill me

would never have found you.

Seven years ago, in the reed marsh,

your parents

nearly lost their daughter.

I understand

what you're saying.

But I'm a simple person.

If I choose to leave,

it's because I want to leave.

It has nothing to do with whether Chang'an is safe.

And if I want to stay,

no one can drive me away.

Wan,

you're as stubborn

as when you were a child.

But this time,

I truly must go.

With my teacher gone,

my parents and sister are surely worried about me.

I have to go home

so they know I'm safe.

From when we met seven years ago

until our reunion now,

your life has been filled with blood and danger.

This painting of you

represents my wish for you.

I hope you can tend flowers,

keep a cat,

nap on the porch,

and live a peaceful life,

even for just one day.

I don't have the time to live like this

for a full day,

but even half a day would be something.

Mutton!

What would you like?

Fresh mutton!

Sesame seed cakes!

Hot sesame seed cakes!

All fresh out of the oven!

- Sesame seed cakes! - Sir, how much for the cakes?

Two wen each.

- I'll take two. - All right.

- Here are your cakes. - Thank you.

Here you are, miss.

- Here you go. - Thank you.

- All right. - Here.

All right. Come again.

Come on.

The dishes are ready.

Coming!

This courtyard hasn't been this lively in a long time. Thank you.

Not true.

When he was injured here last time,

the place was crawling with Imperial Guards. It was…

Now,

Bai Wan is leaving tomorrow.

Let's have a proper gathering tonight before she leaves.

Cheers.

Things had just started getting better for me…

Drink your wine. Why so much nonsense?

Complete your missions,

and your good days will come.

Eat.

I'm relieved to hear you say that.

In your letters, you always wrote that you were alone.

Now you have friends around you.

I'll see you off tomorrow.

So will I. I…

I'm at your command.

I'm glad you'll see me off.

But I still feel reluctant to leave and somewhat regretful.

Nanwei Trough isn't far.

It's not like you can't come back.

My regret

is that I didn't find my family in Chang'an.

But I've come to understand now

that in a city this vast,

I may never find him

in this lifetime.

I've been carrying a secret

that only my parents and sister know.

I was not born to my parents.

They took me in.

When I was very young,

in a bitter winter,

a man brought me to the reed marsh.

I can no longer remember his face, his age,

or whether he was my father,

uncle,

or brother.

I only remember

that he told me he was going to get a bowl of hot soup,

so we

wouldn't starve to death.

It was so cold

and so late.

I waited a long time.

Brother, I'm so hungry.

Come on.

Hold on a little longer.

We're almost there.

Then I will find you something to eat,

all right?

Sister. Hey.

Listen.

Stay here and wait for me.

I'll go look for some hot soup and something to eat.

Once you're full, you won't feel cold,

YOUNG BAI WAN

and we can keep going.

If someone comes, hide in the reeds.

Don't make a sound,

and don't run away.

I'll be back soon.

Do you understand?

Wrap yourself well. Now get inside.

I saw a light in the distance.

It was so far away,

yet somehow I felt

it could warm me.

So I walked toward the house

where that light was shining.

That is my earliest memory.

From then on,

I became the younger daughter of that family.

They told me the truth about my origins,

yet still treated me as their own.

My sister

treated me with great kindness.

But I know

and remember

that I was the one who left him behind.

I chose to leave.

And the price was

losing my only family member,

forgetting my origins,

my surname,

and my given name,

and never knowing

whether the family who lost their daughter

would go on

to live a good life.

That is my regret.

My life began with a wrong parting.

Life

is not built only on mistakes.

Sometimes just staying alive

is a kind of fortune.

I'm fine. Years have passed.

When I was unconscious,

I vaguely heard

that you've carried this charm

for as long as you can remember.

Perhaps

it is your only link to your original family.

You are about to travel far.

Take it back.

Keep it with you,

as if your family is still by your side.

Why do you all look so downcast?

Come on.

Raise your cups.

Bai Wan leaves tomorrow.

May she go safely and fare well,

and may everything go her way.

Sister! Sister!

Look what I brought…

Sister?

Sister!

Sister!

Sister!

You must be starving. Eat this first.

I'll heat a bowl of noodle soup for you.

Here.

- Eat. - Let's what your hands first.

Stay with us.

- We'll look for your family. - Your hands are ice cold.

- If we can't find them, - Here.

- then you'll be our child. - Wash your hands.

- Try one. - Here.

Slow down.

- Have another bite. - Your face is burning red.

Slow down…

Don't choke.

Huai'an,

I'm an outsider, and even I can't stand it.

Are you really not going to tell Bai Wan you're her brother?

Turns out she's been carrying this regret all this time.

Why don't you just tell her

you've been guarding her in secret all these years?

Let's go.

My sister is returning.

Eliminate the remnant.

This one. Into the water?

Into the earth.

How is your mood today?

Do I get cooked food or raw?

Back then,

you wouldn't even spare a little girl.

These years underground are the punishment her brother gave you.

It ends today.

It's been seven years.

I can finally die.

Your family gave me so much care all those years.

Now at last I've repaid the debt.

Aside from painting,

what else do you do?

I like the hustle and bustle of the marketplace.

Watching people buy vegetables,

buy meat,

and choose clothes

is interesting enough to me.

Sometimes, I run into an old man playing the flute on the street.

When I do,

I sit beside him

and listen from dusk until night falls.

Bai Wan,

write to me once you get home.

Xie Huai'an is unbelievable.

I can put up with his odd temper, but how could he not come to see her off?

Huai'an doesn't like saying goodbye in person.

But don't worry. He'll always keep you in his thoughts.

You don't need to comfort me.

I know what he's like.

He struggles with parting too.

All right then, I'm going.

Take care of yourself.

TASK COMPLETE. ALL IS WELL.