Original subtitles

[Fate Chooses You]

[Episode 14]

Too much blood

has been shed over these jade tablets.

It really is...

It really is...

The outcome is hard to change.

Hopefully, one day in the future,

there will be a perfect solution.

I never thought about outcomes

or the future.

I just kept thinking—

I've never seen anyone achieve immortality,

but I have seen a lot of dead people.

That definitely can't be anything good.

True.

But then again,

Mr. Lu,

can Divine Doctor Su really make

the Immortality Pills?

And can the pills

truly make people immortal?

Didn't you say you don't want them?

Well, I'm still curious.

I don't know.

But isn't Divine Doctor Su

your disciple?

He didn't even tell you?

Go ask him yourself if you don't believe me.

He wouldn't tell me.

There are six jade tablets in total.

One for me,

one for Li Si,

one for Cai En,

and four for Lin Muhan...

Did you take one fewer,

Mr. Lu?

Go back and check for yourself

if you don't believe me.

How am I supposed to go back and check at this point?

But then again,

does immortality

mean truly undying and indestructible,

or just extending one's lifespan?

Can it make humans like the War Demons,

living for thousands of years?

Then what would the world even look like

after thousands of years?

Divine Doctor Su,

why are you all here?

Master,

it's time.

[Jiujue Cave]

Prepare to light the incense

to start timing.

-Yes. -Yes.

It'll take at least six hours

for the Dragon Burning Sand to dissolve his bones.

To maintain the medicinal potency the entire time,

we must continuously add fresh ingredients.

Xu Changshou,

oversee the sand pool yourself.

If the potency weakens even slightly,

add more medicine immediately.

No delays.

Yes.

Fang Liang,

is the Long Jade ready?

It's long been prepared.

The Long Jade

is similar in hardness to his bones.

You stay here.

If the Long Jade in the sand pool

stops melting,

or if anything unusual happens,

inform me immediately.

Yes, Master.

The stone marrow in War Demon bones

is best at suppressing pain.

Now that all the bones in his body have been shattered,

the stone marrow will dissolve,

and he will start to feel the pain.

The pain will keep building.

Watch carefully for the right moment,

then gag him

so he doesn't bite off his tongue.

Yes.

Please don't worry, Master.

I've already prepared ample supplies

of Anesthesia Brew and clematis roots—

ready to relieve the Grandmaster's pain at any moment.

Not nearly enough. Not even close!

This is the pain of having every bone crushed.

Have you ever experienced it?

Compared to this,

poison that burns through the intestines, flesh flayed from bone,

teeth pulled, and tendons stripped

is nothing more than a scratch—

not even worth mentioning!

He's lived his entire life

never having known what pain feels like.

Experiencing such agony for the very first time,

he definitely won't be able to endure it.

The Grandmaster's bones

have completely dissolved.

We've used a leather strap

to gag him

to prevent him from biting off his tongue.

How can he still scream?

Was his head

not submerged in the sand pool?

Is the skull not a bone?

Or does it not need to be dissolved?

Got it.

Lu Qianqiao, endure it.

Don't think being human is any easier.

Add more medicine.

-Yes. -Yes.

Miss Xin,

why are you still here?

Are you sick?

Why do you look so pale?

I'm fine.

Why hasn't Mr. Lu come out yet?

What exactly did you

bring him here for?

The Grandmaster is...

is receiving treatment.

Rest assured.

The finest physicians in Chongling Valley

are all inside,

and my master is personally watching over him.

Nothing will go wrong.

Go back, Miss Xin.

In two days,

the Pill-Tasting Conference will begin.

You should go back and prepare.

Go back.

Miss Lyu,

you were looking for me?

You're leaving?

Dr. Zhu Yu's prescription

has been working very well.

I've mostly recovered.

As long as I keep taking it, I should make a full recovery.

That's wonderful.

So when

are you planning to leave?

Tomorrow.

So I came to say goodbye.

You're leaving tomorrow?

Take it.

Take it.

Your medicine has cost you far too much already.

And you can keep it for emergencies.

Take it.

I want to see Divine Doctor Su.

He and the others cured my illness.

I want to thank him.

Okay.

I'll ask for you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

[Chongling Valley]

Don't be nervous.

You didn't sleep well?

I'm fine.

Don't worry about me.

Miss Xin,

my master has agreed.

Divine Doctor Su is waiting for you inside.

Go ahead.

Please go in.

No need for formalities.

Go on in.

Don't worry, Miss Xin.

The Grandmaster's condition

has already improved.

In a few more days,

he'll be able to come out of seclusion.

I was just asking.

The Grandmaster is

currently being sustained entirely

by herbal decoctions.

He hasn't been able to take liquid food these past few days,

let alone the basket full of

nourishing ingredients that you brought.

And that cloak—

he won't be needing it either.

Chongling Valley

is very warm.

Besides, there are robes and bedding

in the Jiujue Cave.

Miss Xin,

you really don't need to worry.

You didn't sleep well last night, did you?

In a bit,

I'll prescribe something calming for you

to drink before bed.

No need.

I'll just rest early.

Why...

Why are you apologizing to me?

What?

Doesn't this mean "sorry"?

What does this mean?

Thank you.

"Hooves thunder with mournful neighs;

banners fly, and drums shake the sky.

Charge forward with a sharp blade in hand;

urgent military dispatches come rushing in.

This life is not mine to cherish;

I'd hasten to serve my nation in its hour of peril.

Charge deep into enemy ranks;

even death is a worthy price."

Did you write this?

Mr. Li wrote it.

Could someone who writes such poetry

be a bad person?

Would he truly seek immortality?

I want to see Divine Doctor Su.

He and the others cured my illness.

I want to thank him.

Why?

You shouldn't have come back.

Tell me,

why?

Step aside.

I don't want to hurt you.

Move!

Don't take her life!

[Peace and Harmony]

I'm sorry.

I lied to you.

You're not Lyu Jing's daughter.

Who are you, really?

Xing.

That's my name.

Xing...

I heard that the fourth-ranked swordsman

on the List of Top Martial Artists

is actually two people.

One uses a short sword in his left hand—

their technique light, nimble,

and swift as a shooting star.

The other wields a heavy sword with his right hand—

striking like thunder, overwhelming in force.

Together,

they possess both speed and strength—

nearly flawless in combat.

If I'm not mistaken,

you and Li Si are

the Star-and-Thunder Twin Swords.

So you came to Chongling Valley

for the Immortality Pills too?

Who would want

something like that?

If not for the Immortality Pills,

then it's for Divine Doctor Su.

Yes.

Xing,

can you tell me why?

Mei,

how old are you?

I joined the immortal sect at 12

and have been cultivating for decades.

By

human standards,

I suppose

I would be

a white-haired old woman by now.

Then you really are quite long-lived.

My mother

died when I was six.

There was a locust plague that year,

and the harvest was less than 20 percent of normal,

yet the authorities pressed hard for taxes.

Even the last bit of grain

we'd kept for winter

was taken away.

My mother

and brother

both starved to death that year.

When I was 10,

my father died too.

The three of them together

might not even have lived as long as you.

The tax they levied was called the Immortality Tax.

They collected it in spring during plowing,

in autumn during the harvest,

and even on holidays.

The emperor's dynasty endures forever,

and the immortal sects pursue eternal life—

yet only our lives

become cheaper.

I know Divine Doctor Su is a good person.

He heals the sick

and gives out medicine freely,

saving many people.

But as long as he's still alive,

your immortal sects will keep dreaming

of living forever.

Then we common folks

will have no way to survive.

Actually, he's nearly succeeded.

That's even more terrifying.

Mei,

you're a cultivator.

You stand high up in the clouds.

You probably can't understand

how desperate life is for people like us

at the bottom.

Right now, you're

different from everyone else in the valley.

There's kindness in your heart.

You're still willing

to reach out a hand

to people like us,

rotting in the mud.

But I don't believe

that everyone who can get their hands on the Immortality Pills

would be like you.

Why are you giving me this?

If the Immortality Pills

must one day come into the world,

I would rather

they be in your hands.

They're yours.

I can't take them.

They're useless to me anyway.

Giving them to you

might make you think more carefully.

Think about what?

About immortality.

When something is beyond reach,

people will pursue it with everything they have.

Only when it's firmly

within your grasp

will you begin to question

whether it's truly a blessing or a curse.

Master,

a letter came from Chongling Valley.

It says the Immortality Pills are about to be completed.

Master, there's hope for you now!

We're not going.

Why?

Master, don't you want to live forever?

We're just not going, anyway!

Miss Xin,

what are you doing?

Divine Doctor Su.

Please have a seat.

My favorite.

That's good.

You're just leaving them out on the table like this?

Aren't you afraid someone will take them?

Only one of these is mine.

One was brought

by Li Si and Xing.

The rest

were given to me by Mr. Lu.

What's this for?

I misjudged them this time.

I brought Li Si and Xing into the valley

and almost got you killed.

Why bring that up all of a sudden?

If it hadn't been them,

it would've been someone else.

As long as I live

and the Immortality Pills exist in the world,

assassination attempts like this

are inevitable.

Come on.

Divine Doctor Su,

can you stop?

Miss Xin,

not everyone

has a way

back.

You have no way back,

but I do.

Divine Doctor Su,

I'd like to leave now.

I originally came here

hoping to obtain an Immortality Pill

to prolong my master's life.

But he

didn't want that.

I didn't understand before,

but now,

I think I do, somewhat.

My master once said,

"All things must come to an end—

only when the sun sets does the moon rise."

Living forever

in this world

might not be a good thing after all.

So, Divine Doctor Su,

I'm leaving.

I won't wait for Mr. Lu anymore.

Thank you all

for taking care of me during this time.

When I have the chance in the future,

I will thank

Mr. Lu in person as well.

Alright then.

It's getting late.

I still have matters to attend to,

so I won't be seeing you off.

Divine Doctor Su,

these jade tablets...

Miss Xin,

does your master's saying

have a second half?

"All things must come to an end—

only when the sun sets does the moon rise.

As I descend the mountain path,

others will still rise to climb it."

"As I descend the mountain path,

others will still rise to climb it."

Good.

Very good!

Master.

Master,

everything is ready.

Well prepared.

We can start now.

[Xieyun Cottage]

[Suwen Hall]

Where are you going?

Back to my sect.

Isn't today the day that all immortal sects

gather at Longevity Hall

to carve up the spoils—

I mean, the pills?

You know how to get out of the valley, right?

When I came here,

I took Zhang Dahu's boat.

Good heavens!

He's a scammer!

Aren't you a disciple from the immortal sect?

How could you be fooled by him?

Did he say

he's one of us?

Yeah.

Yeah, my foot!

He's not even a distant relative

of an apprentice here.

He just hangs around here,

scalping queue numbers!

He occasionally runs errands,

delivers messages,

or ferries people across

to earn some extra cash.

Although he doesn't charge much,

he's still not reliable.

No way...

I'm free today.

I'll escort you out of the valley.

Okay then.

Thank you.

But speaking of which,

you just reminded me.

I don't think

I've seen

Zhang Dahu for several days now.

Could he have

made enough money and left?

Is scalping queue numbers

that profitable?

How could this have happened?

What happened?

Let me see.

Yeah.

He's dead.

What happened?

Who is it?

What's going on there?

Well...

Wasn't he a physician from Chongling Valley?

What physician?

He was just a scammer.

A scammer?

He got killed just for cheating someone out of a bit of money?

Fair point.

Maybe he accidentally

fell into the river and drowned.

Looks more like he was killed.

He probably drowned.

I didn't earn the title "White Streak in the Waves"

for nothing.

No matter who falls into the water,

I can fish them out.

He drowned on his own.

This is not a Gongshan Jade Tablet.

How is it not?

The material is the same, isn't it?

Besides, everyone knows

you have one.

Even though you show up with the fake one,

no one will suspect a thing.

It's not as simple as you think.

You've been wandering around Chongling Valley all this time.

You should know

that people have died over this.

You're a mortal

without any cultivation,

yet you carry something of great value.

It's bound to attract covetous eyes lurking in the shadows.

Be careful, or you might

lose your life instead of gaining any money.

You certainly took your time.

Acting like you own the place.

What?

You killed someone so ruthlessly

and couldn't even be bothered to

dispose of the body?

[Cang Fengzi, Tianyuan Sect]

Now you come here non-stop,

stealing right under my nose.

Your sect truly is rotten

through and through—

none of you are clean.

I don't have

your jade tablets.

You don't have them?

Before,

I thought you were just

a despicable, shameless scoundrel.

Turns out you're a coward too—

bold enough to act, but not to own up to it.

That's fine.

I'll find out once I search you.

I

won't repeat myself.

So there's no rule

against stealing here?

Oh, right.

Where is Su Taiyi?

He didn't show up last time,

and now he's not coming at all?

I lost my jade tablets

in your Chongling Valley,

yet everyone present remains silent.

You should at least offer me compensation, don't you think?

Thirty Immortality Pills

for thirty Gongshan Jade Tablets—

not one pill more.

Besides,

we're only responsible for researching medicines and refining pills—

nothing beyond that.

That was the rule

you all set back then.

You certainly have

a sharp memory for minor matters.

Young Sect Master Lin, don't be angry.

Even though you won't get anything from this batch,

there will be some for you in the next.

Easy for you to say.

How about I take this batch,

and you wait for the next one?

You...

Is this conference even going to start or not?

There are still some who haven't arrived.

But it's time.

Let's count what we have here first.

Lingxu Sect,

two tablets!

Mr. Bai Yun,

only these two tablets are valid.

For the other three,

though made of the same material,

the sizes

don't match.

Dr. Zhu, you really have a sharp eye.

I bought

these three from someone else.

I felt sorry for the seller,

so I bought them.

But I didn't expect him to be a fraud,

selling me fakes.

Daoist Master Gong Yu.

Look carefully.

Sun Moon Cavern,

five!

The Imperial Family,

six!

Lingji Mountain Sect.

None.

My tablets...

Ask him for them.

Tianyuan Sect.

Seven.

Tianyuan Sect,

seven.

Didn't you have 20?

Why are there only seven left?

What happened to the other 13?

Why not bring them out to show everyone?

Senior,

there are already 20 here.

Everyone,

there are now 20 jade tablets in total.

Fellow Cultivator Wang,

where is yours?

Xin Mei?

I'm Xin Mei, a disciple of

Xin Xie Manor.

It's been a long time.

I didn't expect you to still remember me, Senior.

Are all the ones in your hand

genuine Gongshan Jade Tablets?

Yes.

How did you come to have so many?

If I remember correctly,

your master, Xin Xiong,

only got one tablet back then.

You remember correctly, Senior.

Our sect only had one.

But do all the seniors here

still have the same number of Gongshan Jade Tablets

they were originally

given?

I, for one, do not.

And there are far fewer people here today.

Senior, why don't you ask them one by one

whether the number of

Gongshan Jade Tablets they have

matches what they were originally given,

and where any extras came from?

Your master is of mediocre skill,

but you have quite the audacity.

Gongshan Jade Tablets

belong to the strong.

Insolent.

You weren't there at the time.

Yet those are

the exact words your sect's people said to us.

Yet now that it applies to me,

why is it considered insolent

and offensive to you?

Even though you

have those Gongshan Jade Tablets,

you may not get the Immortality Pills later.

You're right, Senior.

This disciple, Xin Mei,

is a cultivator of Xin Xie Manor.

My master, Xin Xiong,

is a cultivator of the Great Completion Stage,

now over 200 years old.

I originally came here

with a Gongshan Jade Tablet

to exchange it for

an Immortality Pill for my master.

But my master has no wish to live forever

and has repeatedly advised me

not to come.

At first, I didn't understand.

But after staying here

for a while,

I suddenly realized it.

So I don't

want a single one of

these Gongshan Jade Tablets anymore!

Junior Xin,

my jade tablets have been stolen.

If you don't want yours,

you can sell them to me.

I'll pay whatever price you ask.

Senior Lin,

you want these Gongshan Jade Tablets?

Junior Xin,

Junior Xin.

Our sect also has seniors

nearing the end of their lifespans.

If you don't need these jade tablets,

could you

spare a few for me?

You want some too?

And me.

I was robbed recently,

and my only jade tablet was taken.

Miss, if you are willing

to part with one or two jade tablets,

the Wang family of Jinqiu

will definitely not forget

the great kindness of your sect.

All of you seniors present

are either

accomplished masters in the cultivation world

or

promising imperial officials.

You are people of great stature

who have seen much and accomplished much.

As for me,

I'm not particularly talented.

After years of cultivation,

I still cannot steady my Dao heart.

Three times I have advanced to the Golden Core Stage,

and three times I have fallen back.

To this day, I remain nothing more than

a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Junior Xin,

you're being too modest.

My master said my repeated setbacks

and unstable Dao heart

are due to

a question that has long lingered in my heart

without an answer.

So I came here this time

to seek someone

who could give me that answer.

If anyone can resolve the doubt in my heart,

I will naturally offer these jade tablets

with both hands!

I may fall short,

but I'm willing to devote everything I've learned in my life

to answering your question.

Junior Xin,

please ask.

Mr. Bai Yun,

I heard that your sect is proficient in mathematics,

especially in complex calculations.

I happen to have a

question about numbers.

Go ahead and ask.

When I was a child,

there were neither Immortality Pills

nor an Immortality Tax.

Let me ask this:

a typical family of five—

the husband goes out to work every day,

earning about 100 wen daily.

How much does his wage

amount to in silver per year?

One hundred wen a day—

that's 300 a month.

Twelve months in a year,

and that makes 36,000 wen.

After accounting for rest days during holidays and festivals,

by year's end,

that's about 30-some taels of silver.

The wife stays at home,

cooking for the whole family,

mending clothes, and weaving—

spending about 40 wen a day.

The children need schooling,

and the elderly person occasionally needs medication and doctor visits—

averaged out,

that's another 15 wen per day.

So altogether,

how much do they spend in a year?

Fifty-five wen a day,

which makes 19,000 wen a year—

about 20 taels of silver.

That leaves roughly 10 taels remaining.

Exactly.

So, if they want to use those savings

to buy a house

to leave to their descendants,

how many years would that take?

How much is this house worth?

One hundred taels.

Then it's simple.

It would take 10 years.

If times are bad,

with disasters or hardship,

12 or 13 years would still suffice.

And what about after the Immortality Tax is added?

The Immortality Tax

varies among the people.

Merchants pay the trade tax,

weavers pay the textile tax,

and farmers pay the land tax.

May I ask, Junior Xin—

which group are you referring to?

Let's take ordinary farmers as an example.

The husband still earns 100 wen a day.

But the wife has to start farming

to help support the household,

making over 10 wen a day.

And their children no longer need schooling,

and the elderly person no longer sees a doctor.

The family buys no new clothes all year

and only cooks simple meals

to survive.

So, how many years would it take them

to buy

that house I mentioned?

Food costs 30 wen a day,

so that's 10,800 wen a year,

which converts to 10 taels of silver.

The Immortality Tax

consists of a winter tax and a summer tax.

The winter tax takes 30% of the yield,

and the summer tax takes 40%.

After deducting food expenses...

I've calculated it.

About

1,380 years.

One thousand three hundred and eighty years...

No!

Mortals live no more than 100 years.

What mortal could possibly live for 1,380 years?

They simply

could never live to see that day!

Junior Xin,

you...

You're just throwing away the tablets like this?

Senior Lin,

do you still want these Gongshan Jade Tablets?

I'm not good at calculations,

nor do I know much about this Immortality Tax.

When I entered the valley,

I saw you outside.

You arrived in a carriage,

didn't you?

The journey from Lingji Mountain is long,

and many of us had come,

so we had to take a carriage.

Senior, you took

the Xudu–Wucheng route to get here.

Did you stop to rest along the way?

It was desolate all the way,

and inns were hard to find.

So we only stopped briefly in Xudu.

How many times

have you traveled that road, Senior?

Xudu is a necessary pass

on the way to Lingji Mountain.

From childhood until now,

I've traveled it countless times.

Then you must know, Senior,

that what I'm about to say

is no fabrication.

I visited Xudu in my early years.

Back then, Xudu was prosperous

and bustling,

with carriages and horses streaming ceaselessly.

There were hundreds of residential blocks in the city,

and the official roads outside branched out in all directions,

reaching as far as North Xiang.

Carriages and cargo ships

ran day and night without cease.

Even miles beyond the official roads,

one could still smell ripening grain

and see the gentle curls of cooking smoke.

Villages lined the outskirts of the city,

stretching on and on.

Does any of that

match what you saw

and heard

on your journey?

What caused this change?

The Immortality Tax.

It's counted by head.

From newborns

who know nothing but crying

to the elderly too frail and bleary-eyed

to care for themselves,

no one was exempt.

To evade the tax,

many families

stopped marrying and having children.

The elderly, unwilling to burden

their families,

took poison to end their lives one after another.

Others abandoned their homes and livelihoods,

choosing to become refugees

just to survive!

As a result,

not even one in ten villages along the way

survived.

Indeed.

Back then, the War Demons,

in order to repair the heavenly ladder,

planted the sacred seed of the divine tree,

vainly attempting to sacrifice half of all living beings in the mortal world

to awaken it.

When the humans learned of this,

they rose in revolt,

launching thousands of wars

that left millions dead and wounded.

Even so,

many villages and ancient towns

still managed to endure.

But strangely enough,

the world has been at peace in recent years,

yet things are far worse than before.

Must a great war break out

and the Human Race face extinction

before our immortal sects remember

that we were once

ordinary people?