Original subtitles

[The Eternal Fragrance]

[Adapted from Shisilang's novel, The Eternal Fragrance]

[Episode 12]

I hate privileged connections most.

Wuyue Court won't take you.

[Wuyue Court]

Do you long for Wuyue Court that badly?

I never said your senior brother

is there.

I just wish to join them.

Please show me a way, Mr. Hu.

Although

Elder Guangwei is my master.

[Chongyi, Wuyue Court] he picks disciples

with extreme rigor.

If you fail to impress him,

you simply have no outstanding talent.

You can’t force things.

But I have a suggestion.

Stay and assist Xiangxiang.

Your cooking skills will be wasted if you're not a kitchen maid.

I'd have accepted my fate a long time ago if I wanted to.

I've struggled all the way here,

so I can't turn back now.

Hey, you two.

I've been sitting here this whole time,

yet you wouldn't offer me a bite.

Young lady,

it smells amazing.

Can I have one skewer?

It's all yours.

Better than someone who mooches off

my food all year,

like roast chicken, roast duck, and roasted bird eggs.

All my treats have gone to waste.

Thanks.

Chongyi,

how long has it been since you had meat?

You even asked for meat.

Absolutely, I would.

Even the flies in Wuyue Court cultivate,

so there's no meat at all.

You're Mr. Hu's elder,

so you must be an elder of Wuyue Court.

Well.

You could say that.

Will you accept me as your disciple?

If you accept me,

I'll cook all kinds of delicacies for you every day.

I cannot accept you,

but I'd never take advantage of you, either.

You wouldn't ask me to spit the food out

and I have no money.

Hit me if that makes you feel better.

It's time for me to leave.

Except for the Dizang Sect, where else can I go?

As a disciple of the academy and a mountain sect,

[Lu Li, Wanxian Sect] why act so cowardly?

I, I just…

You are bright,

robust,

and free of grave illness.

If you belittle yourself merely over heartbreak

and tangled love,

that'll be sheer foolishness.

You misunderstand. I only…

Our life is to seek freedom above all.

Free heart, unbound steps.

Do not trap yourself in obsession.

Who are you?

A disciple of a sea sect?

I'm Lu Li, disciple of Mr. Shen

of Wanxian Sect.

A heart broad as the earth sees clear truth.

Step back, and boundless skies await you.

I've said my piece.

Take good care of yourself.

Free heart, unbound steps.

Wanxian Sect?

Ji Tongzhou, Xingzheng Hall.

Ye Ye, Baili Changyue, Dizang Sect.

Baili Gelin, Wanxian Sect.

Gelin, why are you…

Mr. Shen's tortoise looks fun.

I want to ride it.

Gelin,

I indulge all your usual tantrums,

but you cannot

mess around this time.

Changyue,

I'm already grown up.

Let me venture out on my own once.

I said

let me choose for myself this time.

Ye Ye, you and I

can't stay side by side forever.

Ding Sinan, Lantian Sect.

Lei Xiuyuan, Wuyue Court.

Okay.

These are the immortal sects you will head to.

The academy wishes all of you to attain the Great Dao soon.

Madam,

where is Lifei assigned?

No immortal sect has taken her,

so she skips this round.

Skip it then.

Straw sandals tread a thousand years;

One dawn I roam the boundless sky.

I refuse to believe there's no other way.

Wait.

Senior.

You're weighed down by worldly desires,

with no will to cultivate

immortality.

Why insist on joining Wuyue Court?

Wuyue Court stands as the top cultivation sect.

Admired by all, it slays demons and upholds justice;

nothing compares.

I must join it.

As if Wuyue Court needs a bootlicker like you.

How amusing, the things you say.

Enough.

If you won't tell me a single truth,

this conversation ends right now.

I won't waste words on you.

What do you want this time?

Join Wuyue Court

to escape bullying

and deception

and to end wandering,

cold nights, and rough meals.

I long for full bellies,

peaceful rest,

and a free life.

I wish to shield the ones I hold dear.

If fate allows,

I will follow our teachers' teachings

to aid those lonelier and weaker than myself.

These are my honest thoughts.

♪With you, we climb bleak cliffs beneath endless gloom♪

This sounds far more sincere now.

Yet what you yearn for hardly differs

from ordinary people's desires.

What separates ordinary people from cultivators?

All living beings hold the spirit of heaven and earth.

Without an ordinary, calm heart,

how can one cast off mortal ties and ascend to immortality?

♪At last I see, life's end lies boundless wild free♪

♪Don't idle away time. We shall meet atop the peak♪

You speak quite eloquently,

yet we click well.

Let go of your master's

bamboo staff.

I'm Jiang Lifei. Greetings, Master.

I'll cultivate diligently

and live up to your kindness in taking me in.

Get real.

I'll massage you every single day,

and cook delicious meals for you too.

Very well.

She

shall be admitted to Wuyue Court.

Rest assured, Master.

Once I arrive at Wuyue Court,

I'll find Senior Brother

and seek you with him.

I'm admitted to Wuyue Court.

Don't follow me anymore.

I heard Wuyue Court has sixteen peaks

with thousands of disciples.

I can help you search for your senior brother.

No need.

You saved me during the graduation trial.

Your debt to me is fully repaid.

We are even now.

No grace, no grudge.

Just stay away from each other.

Lifei?

Why is she here?

Kill her, and you may live.

Lifei.

Lifei.

Lifei.

Mr. Zuo.

Lei Xiuyuan,

your mind is ungrounded,

and your fate is dim.

You're prone to falling into the demonic path

and being rejected by the world.

To become immortal or a demon,

neither betrays my true heart.

The heart holds both yin and yang;

good and evil hinge on a single thought.

What my soul yearns for

can never be darkness.

To walk the world is to hold a torch through endless night.

Your goodwill still lingers,

and you are bold and resolute,

so you may break free from this deadlock.

Remember, what your soul yearns for

is the right path for you.

These slips are passes for all immortal sects.

With these jade slips,

you may report to your respective sects at the Mao hour.

As we part ways,

I shall leave you with a few words.

Though you depart the academy,

you'll always be its disciple.

In all your future deeds,

bear our academy's tenet close:

Put yourself in others' shoes, and uphold justice and chivalry.

Should any stray down the wrong path

cheat, swindle,

or spill innocent blood…

Yet I trust

all of you walk the righteous path.

As long as you commit no evil,

the academy

will stand firmly behind you,

supporting you all the time.

How time flies.

We'll all go our separate ways soon.

We're leaving at the Mao hour,

so we've got the whole night.

Why not revisit Lugong Town together?

Perfect idea.

Before we enter the immortal sects,

we may eat and drink

to our hearts' content.

Your Highness is the most thoughtful one.

I know a few taverns in Lugong Town

with amazing food.

The only downside is the steep prices.

Let's go.

Go.

Cheers!

You can hold your liquor well, Your Highness.

Enjoy yourself.

Enjoy yourselves.

Mr. Yan,

what is the play putting on now?

A tale of past lives, present days, and eternal love.

Demon Lord and Flower Fairy are trapped in a fateful deadlock,

doomed to fight till death.

Look,

the grand show is about to start.

♪The warmth within my arms♪

♪I can no longer hold on to♪

♪In the cold night, how can I♪

♪Keep you warm until sunrise?♪

♪My heartbeat freezes♪

♪I can no longer tell you♪

♪Looking you in the eyes, I cannot♪

♪Utter that line♪

♪Knowing love and hate♪

♪Pain and wounds cannot be stopped♪

♪I still linger on♪

♪Unwilling to let go of every inch of our past♪

♪Last night's stars cast faint glimmers♪

♪But we thought nothing of it♪

Hold me tight.

♪With a heartbroken cry♪

♪I wish you well♪

♪Knowing right and wrong♪

♪Black and gray are all illusions♪

♪You're still screaming♪

♪Running relentlessly without regret♪

♪The storm looms, yet the wind stands in its way♪

♪A final farewell left on the cliff♪

♪Leaping straight into that heartbreaking past♪

♪Just to keep you safe♪

♪My breath is about to stop♪

♪Those hands can no longer hold yours♪

No one's here for this depressing play.

♪Through the future snow, wind, and fog♪

Born blessed by heaven, you know not mortal bitter love.

Sorrow lends tales their allure.

No beauty in unattainable love.

♪Afraid that you might cry for me♪

♪Quietly, I turn into a sky lantern♪

♪To light your way through the night♪

♪Knowing love and hate♪

♪Pain and wounds cannot be stopped♪

♪I still linger on♪

♪Unwilling to let go of every inch of our past♪

♪Last night's stars cast faint glimmers♪

♪But we thought nothing of it♪

♪With a heartbroken cry♪

♪I wish you well♪

♪Knowing right and wrong♪

♪Black and gray are all illusions♪

♪You're still screaming♪

♪Running relentlessly without regret♪

♪The storm looms, yet the wind stand in its way♪

♪A final farewell left on the cliff♪

♪I'd shatter my soul♪

♪To lay all your days in peace♪

♪Who says love and hate♪

♪Pain and wounds cannot be stopped♪

♪I will level the seas and mountains♪

♪Break the waves, no matter how mad it seems♪

♪The storm looms, yet I stand in its way♪

♪Torn inside, still I burn bright♪

♪With the light from my fingertips, I build a paradise♪

♪To wander with you♪

If you still forgive him,

you'll meet a miserable death.

All affection breeds torment.

A wise person should cut all emotional ties without hesitation

and never show mercy.

Lifei,

if life at Wuyue Court is unhappy,

come to me at Xingzheng Hall.

How could I ever be unhappy?

Rather, you should

stay vigilant in Xingzheng Hall

and watch out for rivals plotting behind you.

In three years at most,

I'll become Xingzheng Hall's most powerful disciple.

Of course.

I shall rely on your guidance in days to come.

If only you would ask.

How about

we reunite here three years later?

Then we'll see who stands out

as the sect's elite,

and who slacks off with no progress.

That sounds wonderful.

In three years will come

the once-in-five-centuries Sea Calamity.

We'll gather again at Lugong Town

to stand against it together,

to live up to our teachers' hopes in us.

Well spoken.

Truly well said.

- Regardless of all else, - Let's share a few drinks.

We'll meet again.

We'll meet here three years later.

Raise our cups!

Wherever we may be,

through perils great and small,

we'll all come together.

Deal.

- Drink up! - Cheers!

Xiuyuan.

- Cheers! - Cheers!

Who's there?

Lifei.

Lifei.

Lifei.

Lifei.

Lifei.

Lifei.

Why won't you come with me?

Name anything you desire,

and I shall grant it all.

It's so cold.

Your hands were always warm.

What's wrong?

You're not Lifei.

Who are you?

My name is Miaoqing.

When the Yange Hall was attacked,

Your Highness saved my life.

How dare you!

You tricked me while I was drunk.

Lifei.

Have you spotted Gelin?

She left before dawn broke.

She left?

Without leaving a single word to me.

I packed pastries in this for you.

Take them to Wuyue Court.

What new storage treasure is this?

It can hold all your belongings.

I'll return to Duantu to see His Majesty.

We will

meet again three years later.

By then,

we'll grow immensely powerful.

Back outside the Fragrance Chamber,

you held back your blows.

Let us make a pact

to duel three years later,

and settle once and for all who is stronger.

Agreed.

I'm off.

Farewell, Lifei.

Lifei,

we're bound for Dizang Sect.

Take good care of yourself.

Take care.

Farewell.

Lifei, we…

[Wuyue Court]

[Zhaomin, Wuyue Court]

Jiang Lifei?

Drinking heavily, hungover.

Peering about furtively, ignorant and unlearned.

How can you tell that?

Tidy up to meet our master with me.

Alright.

[Zhuiyu Peak]

♪If legends tell of a perilous land♪

♪Why not give it a shot and march with all my might?♪

I'll beat you this round, hurry!

Quick! Move!

I'll place it right here.

I'm winning against you today.

♪Wearing a flowing green robe, like immortal feathers dancing♪

♪The fierce gale is grasped tightly in my palm♪

[Simo, Wuyue Court]

♪Refusing to coast through life♪

Zhaomin.

♪Though a crisis is sealed before us, I will not give up♪

Hurry up.

♪Leaving my silhouette between heaven and earth♪

♪Just as I hesitate and drift away♪

Hurry up, let's go!

Wait!

♪A sudden awakening comes♪

♪We will make all the world's pain kneel before us♪

Zhaomin.

Junior sister.

Senior brother.

♪The darkness all turns into illusions♪

That was merely

a short rest after a whole morning

of rigorous practice.

Now,

rehearse the sword arts

I taught you once more.

Yes, Master.

♪Guarding our ground, we rise to the peak♪

♪No need to wait around for natural gifts♪

Master,

Lifei has arrived.

♪Learning knows no end; we unite as one♪

Zhaomin, you're back.

They've practiced all morning.

Take a break.

Let me introduce someone,

my new disciple,

your junior sister.

Greetings, senior brothers and sisters!

Hello!

Jiang Lifei,

was your journey smooth?

Yes.

Came empty-handed?

Of course not!

This roasted chicken from Lugong Town

smells amazing.

Crab buns, preserved fruits, apricot cakes,

and stir-fried nuts.

I bought these to honor Master,

and all of the seniors.

Come on, take some!

I get a share too!

I want this one!

- This. - I want this.

Stop grabbing them.

It's fine.

Let them enjoy it.

This tastes incredible.

When I just passed the bamboo grove,

I thought

I could pick some wild mushrooms

to make chicken stew with mushrooms.

- Sounds great. - How's that plan?

- Okay? - This dish is my favorite.

Perfect.

[Yaoguang Peak]

Lei.

Yue.

Finally, you're here.

You're new to the immortal sect

with weak cultivation arts.

Come to me anytime

if you run into trouble.

Are you looking for Zhuiyu Peak?

May you introduce?

Disciples of Zhuiyu Peak

are known as the laziest lot

among the sixteen peaks of Wuyue Court,

idle and lacking ambition.

Since Lifei has taken Elder Chongyi as her master,

she shall hardly amount to greatness.

You possess extraordinary talent

with boundless prospects.

Do not let personal affection

hinder your cultivation.

Merely a personal affection,

do not trouble yourself over it.

Since our first meeting at Chufeng Academy,

you've helped time and again.

I'm really grateful to you.

Yet I cannot be certain

if you really mean to help me.

Of course.

Our master personally chose you.

It is only right

that I look after you.

Then may I ask

where I can access disciples' files

within Wuyue Court?

Jiang Lifei,

do you aim to starve

everyone on Zhuiyu Peak?

Hurry up!

Coming.

Quick!

Master,

Zhuiyu Peak hasn't had

a proper meal in ages.

Quit idle chatter.

Let's dig in!

- Pass some to me. - Eat more!

Fill your bowls!

Disciples from Cuihua Peak and Yaoguang Peak

have all mastered grain fasting.

Only you lot lack drive,

thinking only of tasty food all day.

No wonder Zhuiyu Peak declines year after year.

Zhaomin.

Thank you.

This is delicious.

Eat slowly.

Are you full?

I have something to ask you all.

Go ahead.

Have you seen this person around Wuyue Court?

Is this really a person?

Yes.

He might look better in real life.

Lifei,

Zhuiyu Peak has the smallest crowd

out of all sixteen peaks in Wuyue Court.

Every other peak holds hundreds of disciples at least.

Last year, Elder Guangwei counted,

and there were thousands

of elite disciples.

We don't know every single one.

- Yeah. - You don't?

I'll check every peak one by one.

Okay?

No.

Wuyue Court is a heaven-born secret land

thick with spirit energy.

Tempestuous winds swirl amid

mist-shrouded peaks.

Weak cultivators

easily get lost,

trapped for months or years.

Just stay put on Zhuiyu Peak.

Zhaomin,

you'll send spirit jades to every peak.

Then

bring Lifei with you.

She needs to greet

all the peak elders formally.

Master.

As you take her

with you,

I'll have no worries.

My tummy's rumbling…

- Master. - Thanks, Master!

[Ruzhi Peak]

Hi, all seniors!

These are

Qingqiu Wugen cakes from Qingqiu.

- Here you are. - Thanks.

Delicious and great for sore throats.

This peak's perfect, but so humid

that it makes people inflamed easily.

Here.

Well.

Senior.

Try this Qingqiu Wugen cake.

Wu Gen,

Qingqiu.

Ever heard of it?

No.

Is Wu Gen a place?

Sort of.

[Fuyun Peak] Unlike our master,

Elder Baifu of Fuyun Peak

favors quiet cultivation and detests noise most of all.

Wait here for me.

Do not stir up trouble.

No noises?

Then I'll search quietly.

[Deng Xiguang, Wuyue Court] Unrecognizable across a thousand miles,

yet follows close as the moon's shadow.

Junior,

the person you seek

is related to the moon.

How do you know this?

Heaven's secrets must not be revealed.

[The Eternal Fragrance]

[Adapted from Shisilang's novel, The Eternal Fragrance]

♪The warmth within my arms♪

♪I can no longer hold on to♪

♪In the cold night, how can I♪

♪Keep you warm until sunrise?♪

♪My heartbeat freezes♪

♪I can no longer tell you♪

♪Looking you in the eyes, I cannot♪

♪Utter that line♪

♪Knowing love and hate♪

♪Pain and wounds cannot be stopped♪

♪I still linger on♪

♪Unwilling to let go of every inch of our past♪

♪Last night's stars cast faint glimmers♪

♪But we thought nothing of it♪

♪With a heartbroken cry♪

♪I wish you well♪

♪Knowing right and wrong♪

♪Black and gray are all illusions♪

♪You're still screaming♪

♪Running relentlessly without regret♪

♪The storm looms, yet the wind stand in its way♪

♪A final farewell left on the cliff♪

♪Leaping straight into♪

♪That heartbreaking past♪

♪Just to keep you safe♪

♪My breath is about to stop♪

♪Those hands can no longer hold yours♪

♪Through the future snow, wind, and fog♪

♪Who will be there by your side?♪

♪I smile as it ends♪

♪Afraid that you might cry for me♪

♪Quietly, I turn into a sky lantern♪

♪To light your way through the night♪

♪Knowing love and hate♪

♪Pain and wounds cannot be stopped♪

♪I still linger on♪

♪Unwilling to let go of every inch of our past♪

♪The storm looms, yet I stand in its way♪

♪Torn inside, still I burn bright♪

♪With the light from my fingertips♪

♪I build a paradise♪

♪To wander with you♪