Original subtitles

[Fate Chooses You]

[Episode 16]

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.

The next step is blood renewal.

We found a clue.

There is a magical artifact

called Sunblock.

It was created by a reclusive North Xiang Master—

Master Sanju.

This Sunblock

feeds on essence blood.

It was refined in a blood pool

for 81 days

before it was completed.

The day it was refined,

it drained all

of Master Sanju's blood.

Speaking of which,

Grandmaster

has also seen Sunblock.

Back in the capital,

the heretical cultivator who fought Miss Xin,

Mr. Gui,

also used this evil artifact.

I didn't expect Sunblock

would be so useful.

If I had known, I would have snatched it back

in the capital.

Do you remember

the woman we met

at Safe Haven Inn?

Both beauties

were pretty.

Which one are you talking about?

The one named Zuo Yingying.

She is from the Qinghong Sect

and belongs to the same lineage as Mr. Gui.

Now that Mr. Gui is dead,

Sunblock

is probably in her hands.

Then let's go to North Xiang.

When do we leave?

Don't come

with me this time.

No way.

Blood renewal is extremely risky.

Qinghong Sect is powerful

and rooted in North Xiang too.

Snatching Sunblock back from them

won't be

that easy.

So what if the Qinghong Sect

is powerful?

It's not like I don't have

helpers in North Xiang.

Master has been in seclusion at Liubo Temple for years.

She must have broken through

to the Great Completion stage by now.

But even with her help,

I still have to accompany you.

I created you.

After I renewed my bones,

my cultivation dropped,

and you weakened along with me.

You can't maintain human form for long.

You should find a place

to rest and recover for now.

But I...

Our powers are connected.

If I am in any danger,

you can sense it

and come to help me,

right?

Don't worry.

[Suwen Hall]

Dr. Zhu Yu is not here today.

Senior Chen is seeing patients instead.

Why are they all away?

Only Dr. Zhu Yu

can treat my illness.

Exactly.

I wouldn't feel at ease

having someone else treat me.

He has some personal business.

Doctors are humans too—

they have their own affairs.

It just so happened.

Senior Chen is just as good.

Is Dr. Xu around then?

Dr. Xu will be here tomorrow.

If it's not too urgent,

you can stay in the valley for a day

and come back tomorrow.

I heard that

the Medicine God, Su Taiyi,

tried to make the Immortality Pill

but failed.

The medicine furnace exploded,

and he died of anger.

He died of anger?

How come I heard

he hung himself?

Stop talking nonsense.

He died of old age.

A person who makes Immortality Pills

can die of old age?

They all said the furnace exploded.

If you ask me,

there is no such thing

as immortality in this world.

It's all a lie.

Now that the heavenly path is broken,

no one can become a god.

It's better to just live a down-to-earth life.

Is the medical skill in Chongling Valley

any good even?

It seems

quite unreliable to me.

You come for immortality?

Aren't you here to treat hemorrhoids?

You are the one with hemorrhoids!

Not hemorrhoids?

Then is it a venereal disease?

Shut up!

I just have a stomachache.

Sirs,

which doctor are you looking for?

Do you have a token?

-No. -No.

I have them.

Follow me.

Come on.

-Let's go. -Let's go.

Let's go.

H-Hey.

How could they go ahead?

That's cutting the queue.

There's a queue.

[Chongling Valley]

Xin.

Let's talk.

Are you returning to the sect?

A few days ago,

a major case occurred in the capital.

To clear her late husband's name, a woman from an immortal sect

killed 4 court officials one after another.

This caused the 12 immortal sects

to issue several arrest warrants,

causing a huge uproar.

In the end,

she managed to overturn this old case

and clear the grievance.

You have told me all this before,

and I have given you my answer.

All right then.

People took revenge on you for no reason,

and you almost died after being attacked by the Spell of Utterance—

have you thought why?

What are you trying to say?

Just be direct.

What I want to say is...

Have you ever thought

that you were cursed?

Because there is a magic

that can erase people's memories.

You see your savior standing right here

and don't even say hello?

Do we know each other?

How could you?

If it weren't for me last time,

would you even still be alive?

Last time?

It's me,

who, with one strike...

killed that centipede demon

and saved your life.

You forgot?

Senior Bai,

you waited here just to tell me this?

Yes.

Why?

I think you should know.

Then where should I go to find the answer?

Wei County,

perhaps.

Thank you.

Farewell.

The creeping woodsorrel on Tianyuan Mountain have bloomed.

If you happen to pass by,

you can come back and take a look.

Miss.

You're awake.

How do you feel?

Do you feel discomfort anywhere?

Ma'am,

where is this?

This is my home.

The doctor from Chongling Valley sent you here

and asked me

to take care of you all for a few days.

Chongling Valley?

"You all"?

Yes.

There is a man

who came with you.

He is brewing medicine for you in the yard.

Miss,

slow down!

You just recovered!

Si?

This is great!

You are not dead.

It's okay now...

It's okay.

What happened exactly?

Weren't you killed

in the formation that day?

Divine Doctor Su saved my life.

He set up a cenotaph for me

and healed me in the basement.

For the past few days,

I've been out of it.

It was only recently

that I dared to get out of bed.

I originally wanted to find you,

but the doctor from Chongling Valley

knocked me out and took me out of the valley.

Fortunately...

Fortunately you are here too.

But

why did Su Taiyi

save us?

Divine Doctor Su is kind-hearted.

Also, besides him,

who else has

the ability to bring the dead back to life?

But it's a pity.

A person this kind

actually died.

Died?

When did that happen?

Just 2 days ago.

Ma'am,

did you hear it wrong?

It can't be wrong.

Many commoners went to pay their respects to him.

I saw it with my own eyes.

I’m sure of it.

Then

what about the Immortality Pills?

Divine Doctor Su is dead.

Who else could make them?

Besides,

if he could really make them,

how could he die?

[Pingxiang Town]

Sir, you've worked tirelessly

for leading us to build irrigation canals.

You saved our village’s herb fields

and our livelihood.

Now that the Immortality Tax is abolished,

our lives

will only get better from here on.

Sir,

these are

a little token of appreciation

from all of us.

Please accept them.

Yes,

please accept them.

No need for gifts.

I appreciate

the gesture.

Please go back.

We just want

to thank you properly.

Yes.

Please accept them.

Please accept them.

No need to thank me.

This is what the immortal sects

owe you.

Good-bye.

Sir!

Don't go, sir!

He's gone, look.

We just wanted to say thanks.

At least take our gifts.

Yes.

[North Xiang Territory]

Careful.

The sand here is too soft.

Careful.

Be gentle.

D-Don't drop it.

That way.

Hold it up.

Slowly.

Put it down slowly.

Don't bump it.

Gentle.

[Lu Zhanying]

Tang You.

Hero Rust-Sword.

Don't call me.

Just pretend I'm dead, alright?

But that coffin

is a bit heavy.

What does that

have to do with me?

You hired me

to keep you safe,

not to do manual labor.

Yes.

But the coffin sank in.

we can't lift it out.

And we can’t hit the road.

Hit the road?

Why not send me

to the underworld?

I...

I was a bounty guard,

and just because I failed one case,

I got fired.

I thought I

still had my martial arts skills,

so I could be an escort

and make a living.

Who would have thought

I'd meet you, you debt collector.

You said you wanted me to escort you

to North Xiang.

You haven’t paid me anything along the way,

and I have to help you move things

to earn travel money.

I’m the Lord of Rust-Sword,

ranked second on the List of Top Martial Artists.

But I don't even have

a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

Even my hair-splitting

divine sword

has to suffer along with me.

You call that "hair-splitting"?

It didn’t break.

I'll go get busy.

Master, what's wrong?

This...

Use this.

I told you

to stop following me.

You are a demon.

I will not accept a demon

as a disciple.

Why, Master?

We met before

in a remote inn in the mountains

of Wei County,

and we even fought the centipede demon together.

Look,

North Xiang is so big,

and we still bumped into each other.

It must be fate.

Who fought the centipede demon with you?

You were obviously

in league with that monster.

I was also a victim.

I was forced to do it.

Didn't that female cultivator say

I'm a good demon

and not with them?

Master,

let's go.

Go?

Go where?

They haven't paid me yet.

Look,

do they look like they have money?

Master,

North Xiang is so big,

we can just find a place to stay.

You teach me swordsmanship,

and I'll steal to support you.

You're so young and already going down the wrong path.

If you dare to steal again,

I'll chop off your hands.

And,

I'll say it again.

I am not your master.

Don't call me Master anymore.

You may not want to be my master today,

but maybe you will tomorrow.

From now on,

I'll call you Master every day.

Maybe one day,

you'll agree.

Go.

What is it, Zhanying?

Are you a man or not?

Come help.

I won't go.

An.

Help me.

I...

Okay.

She won't help you, either.

Okay.

Let's go.

Let's go, Master.

You stinky rabbit.

Hurry.

How dare you push me?

Get up.

[Tianyuan Sect]

[Tianyuan Sect, Sima Randeng]

[Tianyuan Sect, Han Yuanqi]

Senior Brother Bai is back.

Senior Brother Bai is back.

Senior Uncle.

Senior Brother Bai.

Master.

Senior.

Senior Sima.

Please leave your swords here, seniors.

The Sect Leader is waiting in the hall.

Everyone,

please follow me.

The way of nature is stillness,

so all things are born.

The way of heaven and earth is subtle and pervasive,

so yin and yang prevail.

[Tianyuan Sect, Li Mofu]

Yin and yang interact, and changes follow naturally.

Greetings, Senior Brother Sect Leader.

Master.

You're back.

I failed to complete the task

and let down your trust.

I am willing to be punished.

This matter is extremely tricky.

Even you, as our sect's Heavenly Talent disciple,

could not accomplish it.

If it were anyone else,

I'm afraid the result would be even worse.

Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Just go back and get some good rest.

What?

Do you still have something to say?

On this trip,

I have one thing I don't understand.

During this trip to Chongling Valley,

I used the Gongshan Jade Tablet

in exchange for the Immortality Pill.

Back when the Immortality Pills were first created,

each immortal sect had to provide Chongling Valley

with manpower and resources,

and jade tablets were distributed according to the contribution ratio.

But this time,

I found

that the distribution of the jade tablets

is neither fair

nor just.

You may get up now.

Tell me in detail.

There are 30 Gongshan Jade Tablets in total,

distributed only to the great immortal sects

and royal families.

Yet, the labor and resources

mostly come from the commoners.

They gave everything they had,

yet could not get even half a jade tablet.

This is unfair.

Under the heavy Immortality Tax,

the people suffer beyond words.

They can...

barely survive.

How could they possibly dream of immortality?

It is clear that

everything the people have paid

for the Immortality Pill

was out of coercion.

This is unrighteous.

Unfairness,

unjustice,

and unrighteousness...

if an elixir that defies heaven

and brings disaster to the people is born,

is it right or wrong?

Su Taiyi's failed in refining the pill,

is it a blessing

or a curse?

Everything is debatable,

why debate when there's nothing to debate?

The Immortality Pill

failed to be refined.

This is something that hasn't happened.

Naturally, we cannot judge

if it's good or bad

before seeing how it unfolds.

How can you be so certain

that the result must be bad?

But now,

the harm is already visible.

If there were flaws in heaven and earth,

what would you do?

Will you destroy them all at once?

You are still young.

You do not yet know that

the world is not simply black and white.

Everything has pros and cons.

We must strive to preserve the benefit while eliminating the harm.

A blade is bad

if it harms the innocent.

But it's good if it suppresses violence and brings peace.

To the blade itself, there is no difference.

Tools have no right or wrong.

It depends on how they are used

and by whom.

Some may choke to death on rice,

yet we can't forbid the world from eating.

Some may have carriage accidents,

yet we can't forbid the world from riding.

Good and bad are not fixed.

Right and wrong have no fixed rules.

One must simply act according to

what is appropriate and refrain where it is not.

Yes, Sect Leader.

Yes, Sect Leader.

Yes, Sect Leader.

In my experience,

this should be the place.

We can also take this road.

Let me see.

This place.

Stop pointing randomly.

Listen to me.

Stop giving blind orders.

Look here.

You don't understand at all.

Just listen to me.

Dry flatbread again?

We're lucky to have something to eat.

We didn't bring enough rations.

We'll have to buy more when we return to the city.

Normally, we're n the same situation.

You were hired too.

And you're a cultivator.

And you are doing manual labor every day

and eating this stuff,

yet you're still in such a good mood?

What else can I do?

I'm already here.

I know them.

You'll see once you spend some time with them.

They're good people.

A bunch of paupers.

They're poorer than I am.

How good can they be?

Where is An?

Ghost!

Ghost!

Ghost!

Master.

Master.

Master.

Master.

That coffin...

there's a ghost in it!

What nonsense are you talking about in broad daylight?

There's a person in the coffin.

Of course!

What else would be in a coffin?

There's a living person in it!

[Wei Chi] [Chen Fen]

He kept moving

and banging on the lid.

Master,

kill him with your sword quickly!

There are no ghosts in this world.

Could it be that

you're trying to trick Hero Mei

into taking you as his disciple again?

It's true!

I really saw it with my own eyes!

Fine.

You saw it.

Come on.

Let's eat the flatbread.

[Lingji Mountain]

Ouch! Ouch!

Ouch!

Come in.

Master.

I called you here

to do something.

A few days ago,

a group of humans turned demonic

[Lingji Mountain, Lin An]

infiltrated our sect's Scripture Pavilion,

stole our classics,

and hurt our disciples.

The items stolen by those demonic cultivators

are of great importance.

I fear they have other motives.

These people are currently

fleeing to North Xiang.

Leave immediately,

meet up with the disciples of the Sun Moon Cavern,

and capture them together to retrieve the items.

Understood.

They stole from the Scripture Pavilion

and hurt people?

No, Dad.

I want to go too.

Don't cause trouble.

You're good for nothing

and only make things worse.

Have you already forgotten

why I punished you?

In the capital,

I-I wasn't running away.

It was an emergency then.

I had other important matters to handle.

Junior Jiang can testify for me.

It was true.

Other important matters?

Do you really think

I know nothing?

Ji.

You've made great progress in cultivation recently

and are close to the Golden Core stage.

You must not lower your guard

and ruin your cultivation.

Yes.

Dad.

Just stay at home

and reflect on your mistakes.

Junior sister.

Junior sister.

Junior Jiang, wait for me.

Junior Jiang.

You go to North Xiang first.

Wait for me at the pass.

I'll find you in a few days.

Didn't Master ask you

to reflect on your mistakes?

Then I will

sneak out.

The North Xiang Desert is hard to traverse

and treacherous.

How could I let you

go alone?

I can handle this alone.

Don't go and cause trouble.

What do you mean by causing trouble?

I'm going to help.

Senior, give it a rest.

Don't go running away at the last minute again.

None of you believes me

or respects me.

When I catch those demonic cultivators,

we'll see what you say.

Master.

Don't you think that coffin

has something wrong with it?

That coffin keeps making strange noises.

Maybe there is

something unclean inside.

I'm ranked second on the List of Top Martial Artists.

I even dare to kill demons.

You think I'm scared of this?

The worst that can happen is losing my life.

If you really scare me to death,

I will fight you as a ghost.

Come.

Don't pull me. What are you doing?

Look for yourself.

What's wrong?

Can't you see?

There's no one in the coffin.

He can't stay in there all the time.

Do you know what you are talking about?

He got tired of lying there,

so he went out for a walk.

Isn't that normal?

Master Blade?

Who are you?

Don't resist.

Don't scream.

It's you?

You know me?

Answer the questions I ask you next

truthfully.

Okay.

[Lu Huai]

This person is called Lu Huai.

Can you draw a portrait?

I can.

Draw a portrait of Lu Huai.

Okay.

Senior Sister.

You knew it?

I went to the capital before I went to Chongling Valley.

I guessed something.

But I couldn't be sure at the time.

Why did he lie to me?

You'll have to ask Mr. Lu about that.

I bought this coffin

in the Central Plains.

I planned to bring it back to North Xiang,

so I could be buried in it after I pass away

and rest in peace.

But there's a rule in our hometown.

This coffin can't be empty on the way.

Otherwise,

unclean things might

move into it.

We must find someone

who has strong yang energy

to lie inside all the way.

How much did he pay you

for such a bad luck thing?

I'm not taking any money.

He doesn't give you money?

He gives me enough wine.

That's why they say Master Lu is benevolent.

He calls you Master Lu.

Your surname is Lu?

Yes.

My name is Lu Qianqiao.

Autumn Crimson Blade

is the name I go by in the martial arts world.

I'll call you Lu from now on.

As you wish.

Where is Chu Ying?

Why isn't he with you?

He is busy with something.

Lu,

I still can't figure it out.

You help him

without taking a fee,

just for the wine?

I was injured a while ago,

and my body hasn't completely recovered.

I also have urgent business in North Xiang.

I was planning to join a caravan heading to North Xiang.

But didn't expect to run into them.

Actually, this coffin is quite comfortable.

If you are tired,

why not come in and lie down?

Thanks for your concern,

but no thanks.

What about you?

Why did you come to North Xiang?

Me?

It's a long story.

The hardships I've suffered on this journey

are more than the sand on the ground.

These broke guys

not only did they not pay me,

but they also spent my money for meals on the way.

When the money was gone,

I had to work as a laborer to earn money.

To think that I, Lord of Rust-Sword,

was once a well-known figure

in the martial arts world.

To end up relying on physical labor to eat.

Look at their poor appearance.

They are as poor as church mice,

yet they hire guards.

I wonder who would want to rob them.

The Immortality Tax

is charged per person.

From newborn babies

who do nothing but cry

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

just to survive!

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...

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?

[Bai Zongying's inner mind]

Do you really believe

what Master said?

Things themselves are neither right nor wrong.

It just depends on how they are used

and who uses them.

I hold a sharp blade.

It can protect

or harm.

As long as it's used properly,

it shouldn't be destroyed.

Even if this blade

was forged from white bones

and soaked in the blood

of the people?

The emergence of anything

comes with sacrifice.

There are over 10,000 herbs in the world.

Shennong tasted them one by one

and inevitably ate poisonous ones.

Is that not a kind of sacrifice?

Does sacrifice

have to be measured by numbers?

Does it only count when there are many,

and not when there are few?

Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs

and sacrificed himself,

yet the benefit was left to all mankind.

When the Immortality Pills were refined,

who was sacrificed—

and who ultimately benefited?

Bai.

Bai.

It seems

you still haven't figured it out.

I ask Master

to enlighten me.

You have followed me in cultivation for many years.

Though you are a Heavenly Talent,

you are without arrogance

and are diligent and focused in your cultivation.

Yet precisely because

of this focus,

you are also most easily misled

by distorted arguments and false doctrines.

But what they said

was really wrong?

Refining the Immortality Pills

did indeed hurt the people.

Has immortal sects

not made contributions

and sacrifices?

Everything is mutual.

The commoners provide supplies for the immortal sects,

and when the War Demon comes,

the immortal sects fight bravely and protects them.

If we speak in truth,

the sacrifices made by immortal sects' disciples

are no less than anyone else's.

The imperial court uses silver

to support soldiers to defend the country.

Does that not cost money?

But we paid,

and we received.

Then, as you said,

if the Immortality Pills were given to the commoners,

what would be the result?

If a commoner took them,

at most one person would survive.

But if it fell into

the hands of our immortal sect,

one person's power

could protect a whole city.

Can't you tell

which is more important?

It is good if the pills fall

into the hands of the strong.

But what if this person

is not kind?

If they fall into evil hands,

just take them back.

Bai.

Most things in this world

are like this.

Where there is good,

there is evil.

Where there is light,

there is darkness.

We can't stop moving forward

just because we are

afraid of bad results.

Even if you don't understand it now,

there's no need to fret.

Work hard

and strengthen yourself.

Be the one

who can provide

protection for the weak.

Thank you for your teachings, Master.

I understand.

I didn't expect your sword will

to reach such a level.

Blending reality and illusion,

condensing qi within the body—

truly impressive.

Congratulations on advancing your cultivation

from Golden Core to the peak of Nascent Soul.

Why are you looking for me?

Sect Leader is waiting for you in Guiyuan Hall.

This time,

you are going to North Xiang

to capture a group of demonic cultivators.

Demonic cultivators?

After the God-Demon War,

the gods dissipated,

and demons should have been slaughtered entirely.

How can there be demons in the mortal realm?

Demons are born from the heart.

Greed, anger, ignorance, hatred, love, malice, and desire

all breed a demonic aura.

Human desires

cannot be severed.

This group of demonic cultivators

stole Lingji Mountain's

cultivation manuals

and murdered their disciples.

Now,

they have fled to North Xiang.

But they don't have immortal perception.

What's the use of stealing

the immortal sect's manuals?

They

founded an evil sect

called Wushuang Society.

They deeply hate the immortal sect.

They have also recruited

a large number of ignorant people,

spreading evil teachings

among the cities of the Human Race

to deceive the public.

They even adopted a large number of

children with immortal perception.

They stole immortal cultivation methods

for the children to practice,

acting as their helpers.

Over the years,

they have resisted the government

and secretly killed immortal sect disciples,

causing a lot of trouble.

They went to North Xiang this time

for a mantra.

That mantra is hidden in the Sihe Library

in Phoenix City.

It has the effect of confusing minds

and bewitching people.

If they get their hands on it,

I'm afraid it will cause a great disaster.

By then, the world will be full of demons,

and our immortal sect won't be able to kill them all

or wipe them out completely.

But this Sihe Library

was built by the Qinghong Sect.

They have great power in North Xiang.

It doesn't matter.

I have already written to the Qinghong Sect

to notify them.

Just go and do it.

I understand.

I will definitely stop these demonized people.

This time, I asked Randeng

to go with you.

He is about to advance to Nascent Soul

and has fought with the demonic cultivators many times.

He will definitely be of help to you.

Remember,

demonic cultivators are best at disguising themselves.

They like

to package themselves with a weak

and kind appearance.

Then they use words

to deceive people bit by bit.

You

must not be assimilated by them.

To prevent any accident,

once captured,

they are to be executed.

Yes.

[Safe Haven Inn: Your Safety is Guaranteed.

What do you want to know?

Who exactly is he?

What is his name?

And what is his purpose in approaching me?

Name?

This...

I really don't know.

I only know his surname is Lu.

So I don't know him

any better than you do.

But there is one thing

I can be sure of.

He bears absolutely

no ill will toward you.

That day, he brought you, who was severely injured,

back to the inn,

and took care of you day and night.

Miss Xin,

he is truly a very good person.

At least,

he is very good to you.

Senior Sister.

Senior Sister.

Eat it while it's hot.

That one is already burnt.

Don't eat it.

It's fine.

I like eating this kind.

Senior Sister.

I just went to a nearby village,

spent some money,

and had them draw a map of North Xiang.

There are 3 roads to North Xiang in total.

There is only one official road

for traveling merchants.

It's this road to the south.

But the distance is a bit far,

and we have to cross two mountain cliffs.

The north road is shorter,

but it's all sandy paths

that are not easy to travel on.

There is also a west road.

Its distance is longer than the north road,

but we can take half of the official road.

And it is relatively easy to travel.

Okay.

Then we‘ll head west.