Original subtitles

[Fate Chooses You]

[Episode 15]

Back then, the War Demon

planted the sacred seed

of the divine tree to repair the heavenly ladder,

vainly attempting to sacrifice half the mortal population

to awaken it.

Once the people found out,

they rose up in rebellion,

sparking countless wars

with millions dead or injured.

Even so,

many villages and ancient towns

still managed to endure.

But it's strange.

The world has been peaceful in recent years,

yet things are worse than before.

Is it only when a great war strikes

and the Human Race faces the danger of extinction

that the immortal sects will remember

that we and the people

are of the same origin?

What I originally wanted to ask you is,

if you were a commoner,

would you stay home and pay taxes,

or abandon your land to become a refugee?

It seems

that you

cannot give me an answer.

The question you just asked

was meant to put us on the spot?

Senior Uncle Gong Yu,

why did you say that?

We dedicate ourselves to cultivation

with no distractions,

and we have lived in the mountains for a long time,

keeping ourselves removed from worldly affairs.

Today is the first time I've heard of

the Immortality Tax you mentioned.

You also said your Dao heart is unstable,

and your realm has fallen 3 times.

This is enough to show

that you have too many distracting thoughts.

Yet you

not only never restrain them,

but even allow them to grow!

I am slow-witted.

Please enlighten me, Senior Uncle.

How can I rid myself of these distracting thoughts?

Do you know

the origin of the Sun Moon Cavern?

I heard that the Sun Moon Cavern

practices the Way of Great Unity,

emphasizing non-contention and non-seeking,

no desire and no delusion,

unity of heaven and man,

and the great unity of all things.

It shares similar merits with Tianyin Mountain's

forgetting of both self and world,

and the impartiality of the Great Way.

No, no.

Our sect advocates that the world is for all

and that all things are treated as the true foundation.

If all beings are equal,

how then do we distinguish magnitude or importance?

The infinitely great has no exterior.

The infinitely small has no interior.

One is the infinite; The infinite is one.

The two words you mentioned

are inherently one.

Is there no distinction of size,

no sense of priority or urgency?

Are humans no different

from birds, beasts,

flowers, fish, and insects?

All living beings are equal.

All things are the same.

Then, once you

exchange the five Gongshan Jade Tablets

for the Immortal Pills,

how will they be distributed?

Since all living beings are equal,

Senior Uncle,

are you willing to distribute them to the disciples behind you?

How about it?

All beings are equal,

yet humans are divided into high and low, noble and base,

and many different ranks.

Is this the Way of Great Unity

you pursue?

Xin...

Extremely arrogant!

You are extremely arrogant!

When disciples enter the immortal sect,

they must swear by their Dao heart.

The first vow

is not to use immortal arts

to interfere in mortal affairs.

Then I want to ask,

does the existence of the Immortality Pill and Immortality Tax

count as immortals interfering in mortal affairs?

I am not a cultivator.

I don't know enough about the immortal sect's vows.

Moreover,

I also often have

similar confusions.

I have been an official in the court for 10 years.

Because of my position,

I am considered one of the Human Race

who has more contact with the immortal sect.

I have seen with my own eyes

that some cultivators hold fast to their Dao heart

and behave uprightly,

yet merely using a bit of immortal magic

causes their cultivation to be greatly damaged

and their realm to fall.

Meanwhile, some cultivators

act recklessly in the mortal world,

killing and committing sins,

yet their Dao heart is not seen to be damaged.

So, as for your question, Miss,

if I must give an answer,

I can only guess

that these vows

are not rigid like the laws of the mortal world,

constrained by others.

It is more like...

belief.

It all depends on self-discipline.

If one's own belief is shallow,

it cannot serve as a true guiding principle.

You are a human official.

Then what is your position?

I'm Zhi Bocheng,

Jingzhou Transport and Communications Envoy.

You said you have been an official for ten years.

You must have seen all aspects of life

and the suffering of the world.

But you still traveled thousands of miles

across mountains and rivers to come here.

From what standpoint do you act,

and who are you getting the elixir for?

I receive the king's salary and share his worries.

I am His Majesty's subject

and an envoy of the court.

I have my own duties.

This is my stance.

Not for the many, but for a single man.

So it's not just the immortal sect.

You are all no different.

You've answered all my questions.

These two jade tablets are yours.

Thank you, Miss.

But His Majesty

only asked me to bring back 6 Immortality Pills.

I already have them.

Thank you, Miss Xin,

for speaking up for the people.

Junior Sister.

I have asked all my questions.

I have no more questions.

Senior Uncle.

Senior.

Senior.

The Immortality Pill is about to be completed.

I hope you

can give Chongling Valley some face.

Do not stir up trouble here

and affect my master's mood.

Don't let me see you again.

[Healing the World]

Senior Sister.

Sheng.

Senior Sister.

I was late.

How did you find me?

The mockingbird tracked you down.

Senior Sister.

Were you wronged here?

How could I be?

You don't know

how good I felt speaking my mind today.

They were all left speechless.

Here,

no one will wrong me.

That's good.

But you,

you just ran out like this.

Master must be furious.

I'm not afraid of him.

The Immortality Pill is about to be completed.

Divine Doctor Su.

Long time no see.

Well,

you may step down first.

Get out.

My master said

he doesn't want to see you later.

Didn't you decide not to come?

I want to see it with my own eyes.

You are not the only one

who understands those truths

or the only one who is clear-headed.

I'm not truly clear-headed.

I just started to understand a little.

Go back.

All the immortal sects have been waiting for decades.

It's not just about immortality.

It may well be the only way forward for the immortal sects.

Senior Sister,

don't not waste words on him.

Young Sect Master Lin.

You haven't left yet?

Whether I leave or not,

what does it have to do with you?

You don't even have a Gongshan Jade Tablet.

What are you doing here?

Mr. Bai Yun.

I'm not in a good mood today.

Before you

with your speak.

Where is Bai Zongying?

Those few

are also not here.

Do you still believe

the Crazy Taoist's prophecy?

He said that among the Heavenly Talents born

on September 9th,

there will be the savior of the world.

I really used to believe

that person would be you.

Is this how you prepare

to be the savior of the world?

Stoke the fire.

Yes.

Grandmaster.

You're awake.

These are not animal bones.

Whose bones were these replaced with?

Grandmaster,

things have come to this point.

Where is Su Taiyi?

This...

What is going on?

They've started the alchemy.

Why are they beating drums?

Healers worship Shennong.

Legend has it that in his early years,

to taste hundreds of herbs,

Shennong traveled through the forests.

He carried a hand drum with him

to scare away wild beasts.

Later, to commemorate him,

healers in the world

composed music with drumbeats.

There are melodies for thanking gods,

sacrificial melodies,

send-off melodies,

victory melodies, and parting melodies.

Today, these 28 drums

playing together

signify that this furnace-opening ceremony

is of unprecedented grandeur.

That's not right.

What's not right?

This is clearly a joyous occasion.

Why use the tune of parting?

♪ A joyous meeting is hard to find again ♪

♪ Three years feel like a thousand autumns ♪

♪ Washing my long tassels by the river ♪

♪ My thoughts of you are deep and mournful ♪

Master and the others are at Jiujue Cave.

The Immortality Elixir is produced today.

Master has something to tell you.

From a low-born entertainer

who pleased others with songs

to

a world-renowned Divine Doctor,

it is all because I was fortunate enough to meet him.

So I thought

I must cherish this

hard-won opportunity.

Since I inherited these medical skills,

I must achieve something great.

I thought about it over and over.

In this world,

what else

could be greater than granting immortality?

So I disobeyed him

and built this Chongling Valley.

I stubbornly went my own way

until today.

Although the Immortality Pills are good,

they came at the wrong time

and became a disaster instead.

Look

at the kind of people

who come to Chongling Valley to exchange medicine.

What good would it do the world

to give them

the Immortal Pills?

It is time to wake up

from this dream of immortality.

Master.

Your intentions were good.

You shouldn't be blamed for this.

Grandmaster is also in the valley now.

We can tell him

about this matter.

He will definitely have a way.

I'm not young anymore.

I can't keep causing trouble

and leave everything

for Master to clean up.

My whole life

has been full of sin,

and my hands are soaked in blood.

I've lived in confusion all my life,

but at least my backbone is still firm.

Even in front of the Emperor,

I always kept my head high.

If I give these bones to Master,

he won't be at a loss.

♪ Gazing afar, a mournful wind arrives ♪

♪ Facing the wine, I cannot raise a toast ♪

♪ A joyous meeting is hard to find again ♪

♪ Three years feel like a thousand autumns ♪

♪ Washing my long tassels by the river ♪

Fine lyrics,

fine melody,

and a fine song!

Good!

♪ Gazing afar, a mournful wind arrives ♪

♪ Facing the wine, I cannot raise a toast ♪

Master!

Master.

Divine Doctor Su.

Master.

Master!

Master.

Please tell him

to grant me this wish.

Take my bones

and walk the path

of the mortal world once more.

It exploded.

Before Master passed away,

he instructed

that these are all for you, Grandmaster.

The items in this box

are all emergency medicines.

There are painkillers,

medicine for stopping bleeding,

and tonics to strengthen the body.

He asked you

to use them as you see fit.

And this...

Master

bought you some property.

He said

you can have a place to stay

wherever you go.

Look.

There's one in the capital,

one in Wei County,

one in Nanyang,

and one in Jiuzhou.

I have

marked all the locations

and left a butler there.

When you go,

just give your name.

This one

is even more impressive.

These are the delicacies

I've noted down from across the country

over the years.

I thought that now that you have a sense of taste

after the blood renewal,

you could go and try them.

The Six-Shrimp Noodles of Longshang,

Kunlun Braised Abalone,

Glazed Fish Bone,

the Scholar Noodles from Jiangnan,

Crab Roe Tofu,

Xingdou Dian Yue,

Yangtian Sandie,

and Jiuzhen Jiucang from Dantu Town—

all of them are supreme delicacies of the mortal world.

Moreover,

we have properties

in all these places.

How carefree.

There is no need

to say more about this one.

A War Demon can live without money,

but as a human,

you can't lack money.

Bring more money with you

when you go out.

Don't mistreat yourself.

Master also said

that he has settled everything

according to your instructions.

This golden liquid doesn't just taste

like the Yangyuan Pill,

but its effects are also similar to it.

However,

it's much more potent than the Yangyuan Pill.

As long as you drink it,

it instantly boosts your power

and heals your wounds.

It even

prolongs life

and elevates your realm.

It's a pity

we can't find out

how it's made.

What else did he say?

He also said

your path as a human isn't easy.

Your power will weaken over time.

When you're out,

you must be extra careful.

He really is getting old.

He was about to die,

yet still so nagging.

He also said

he should customarily

kowtow to you before the end,

but you were asleep.

Let him

skip it.

♪ What do you think is ♪

♪ The most clumsy farewell ♪

♪ The endless slaughter and massacres ♪

♪ Do not wait until that thin snow on the eaves ♪

♪ Turns a young man's hair white before you regret it ♪

Don't cry.

You won't look pretty if you keep crying.

♪ When do you think ♪

♪ The bloody strife will come to an end? ♪

Who looks pretty when crying?

You're not allowed to dislike me.

♪ End these everlasting battles ♪

Let's go

♪ Holding the morning glow in hand, I paint the world ♪

♪ Someone's got to clean up this mess ♪

What's that sound outside?

Master's coffin

is in Longevity Hall.

The sound

must be coming from there.

Senior Sister,

are you hungry?

I'll go cook something for you.

I'm not hungry.

Senior, are you going to the Longevity Hall?

Yes.

Let's go together.

Master practiced medicine all his life

and saved countless lives.

Over the years,

he refined so many pills for

the immortal sects.

Now he has just passed away.

How can you be so insolent?

Insolent?

To support Su Taiyi

in refining the Immortality Pills,

we gave everything we had.

Without us,

Chongling Valley wouldn't exist today.

But now,

he simply closes his eyes

and dies so easily.

The mess he left behind,

who's going to clean it up?

There must be an explanation

for our sacrifices.

Where are the Immortality Pills?

He's already dead.

What else do you want?

Senior.

Master just passed away.

This is really not

the time to discuss this.

How about we

arrange Master's funeral first

before giving everyone an explanation?

No.

From now on,

the Chongling Valley is closed.

All the elixir recipes, herbs,

books,

and Su Taiyi's notes—

even every

discarded draft in the valley—

we are taking them all.

The third and fourth-generation disciples

will be detained for interrogation.

The second generation of disciples

and Su Taiyi's body

will return to Tianyuan Sect with me.

How dare you!

Why wouldn't we dare?

We only respected Chongling Valley before

because that old dog Su Taiyi

was still alive.

And we believed his lies

and thought

he could refine the immortality elixir.

Do you weak

and powerless mortals

think you can defy us?

♪ Sparks boil over, and demons run rampant ♪

♪ Heaven and earth are destroyed together ♪

♪ Deeply knowing that the common people ♪

♪ Are an untouchable weakness ♪

♪ Do not turn back to the pain of the past ♪

♪ Mindless killing must not be done ♪

Who are you?

♪ With a clear conscience, a grand spirit overpowers the majesty of heaven ♪

Who let you in?

♪ I ask the Nine Heavens: what is the purpose of this life? ♪

♪ With my spine as my monument, I shall never kneel ♪

♪ By my will, I shall bring back the sun and moon ♪

♪ And restore clear radiance to the mortal realm ♪

Who are you?

What is your relationship with Su Taiyi?

Tell the people behind you

that my name is Lu Qianqiao.

I am Su Taiyi's master.

You can come to me

for anything.

But if anyone

dares to scheme against Chongling Valley,

I will annihilate their entire sect,

leaving no one alive.

Get lost!

♪ I ask the Nine Heavens: what is the purpose of this life? ♪

Our...

Our paths will cross again.

♪ With my spine as my monument, I shall never kneel ♪

Let's wait and see.

♪ Rather than bowing my back to apologize to the Heavens ♪

♪ I would sooner rewrite this fated calamity ♪

♪ I demand the story follow my own desire ♪

♪ To serve as its final conclusion ♪

Mr. Lu,

are you alright?

Have something to eat.

No need.

I ran into Divine Doctor Su a few days ago.

What he said

had a profound impact on me.

Hello, Miss Xin.

Hello, Divine Doctor Su.

Hello to you too.

You look like you're in good spirits.

A happy occasion lifts the spirit.

Miss Xin,

why do you look so pale?

Are you sick?

What's going on?

Mr. Lu asked me

if the Immortality Pills are good or bad,

but I couldn't answer.

So what do you really think?

I think the Immortality Pills

can make people immortal,

which should be a good thing.

But for their sake,

many who should not have died

ended up losing their lives.

That's easy to explain.

Wine can boost Yang energy,

set the mood,

and excite people.

One drink can drown a thousand sorrows.

It should be a good thing, right?

But in years of famine,

when there isn't even enough food to eat,

if grain is still used to brew wine,

can that wine

be a good thing?

Mr. Lu,

I now think

the Immortality Pills are a good thing.

They're just

like the wine

brewed in a famine year.

They are simply ill-timed.

Whether it be the immortal sects

or the secular world,

including current laws, morality

and the situation of common people

are not enough to support their emergence.

But one day in the future,

I believe the Immortality Pills

will surely appear again.

And by then,

not only the immortal sect,

but ordinary people will also be able to use them.

They will benefit the world.

So Divine Doctor Su's lifelong dedication

has been worth it.

Do you believe

that day will come?

Yes.

When are you planning to leave?

Divine Doctor Su's funeral arrangements

are almost done.

We can

leave tomorrow.

Sheng.

Do you remember

the story our master

told us before?

Which one?

He said

there was a good person

who did many good deeds in their life

and had great merit.

Later, they were wronged and misunderstood.

Many years after they died,

people later found out

that they didn't actually die,

but

ascended to heaven as an immortal

to enjoy blessings.

I don't want to go to heaven,

nor do I want to be an immortal.

I just want to stay in Xin Xie Manor.

Master,

have a safe journey.

Drink less wine

down there.

[The Tomb of the Divine Doctor Su Taiyi]

In a few years,

I will go down

to serve you.

Master.

The zither player in the valley

passed away

from a sudden illness

last night.

You loved listening to her play while you were alive.

So, you won't be lonely

on the journey together.

Have you said enough?

If you're still angry,

then keep hitting me

until you calm down.

Couldn't you

pretend you didn't know about this?

In a few days,

the medicine will take effect,

and you can renew bones.

By then,

you'll be one step closer to being human.

Couldn't you just stay focused on

doing your own thing

and ignore everything else?

Look,

there are river lanterns.

The people knew Master passed away

and wanted to pay their respects.

I sent people stop them.

They know

Master's grave is by the river.

Some people have been

releasing lanterns since last night.

You're heading back?

We've been out for a long time.

Things here are settled.

It's time to go back.

What about you?

Mr. Lu,

what are your plans?

I'll go to North Xiang.

Mr. Lu,

will we meet again?

Of course.

Our Xin Xie Manor

is at the foot of Tianyuan Mountain,

near Yanzhou City,

and right next to Lake Boyang.

My master is well-known.

Just ask around nearby.

Everyone knows him.

Do you know

where Tianyuan Mountain is?

Yes.

If you come back from North Xiang

and have free time,

you can come find me.

There are countless mountains where I'm from.

The peaks rise one after another,

♪ Spending a lifetime, I ask myself what I first sought ♪

and the scenery is fantastic.

It's also unlike

Tianyuan Mountain, which is so dry.

In our Xin Xie Manor,

it's not severely cold in winter

♪ What is it my heart truly desires? ♪

or extremely hot in summer.

There is also a lot of good food.

My favorite is

the Rice Noodles with Lamb from Yanzhou City.

If you ever come,

♪ Step by step up the immortal stairway ♪

I will definitely take you to try it.

Okay.

♪ Paved with countless lost souls ♪

Then it's settled.

♪ Who would dare destroy the ladder to immortality and end the path? ♪

For sure.

Senior Sister,

get on the boat.

♪ The sun blazes over the earth ♪

Do you want to come along?

I still need to wait for someone.

♪ Yet it cannot warm every cold home below ♪

North Xiang is a long way off.

♪ I've heard cries that rend the heavens ♪

Senior,

take care on the way.

♪ I hear the shame of parting ♪

Take care.

♪ This immortal path admired by all ♪

♪ Can exist, or not exist ♪

♪ Once again I see the world's cold indifference ♪

♪ Bending what I've cherished all my life ♪

♪ Illusions and vanity blind the eyes, how could one still care ♪

♪ Having seen the widespread devastation ♪

♪ How could I look on and ignore it? ♪

♪ I do not fear returning to dust ♪

♪ I walk this path alone ♪

♪ So that all may share in ♪

♪ The road to immortality ♪

♪ I fear not defying immortal laws and sacred precepts ♪

Still looking?

She's already gone.

When did you get back?

Have you burned incense for Su?

I have.

I even poured two pots

of liquor I brought back from Fangwai Mountain on his grave.

If he knows in the underworld,

he must be very happy.

One piece of good news

and one piece of bad news.

Which do you want to hear first?

The bad one.

I went to Fangwai Mountain,

but I couldn't find

the magical artifact for blood renewal.

And the good news?

I came back safely.

That really is good news.

What's the plan now?

Do you want to stay in Chongling Valley

to rest for a while,

or continue looking

for a way to renew blood?

I've already found it.