Original subtitles

When the world was young, between a sea of sky and a land of snow,

lay a kingdom where gods and men lived side by side.

Love blossomed and withered, battles were won and lost,

yet always two men vied for power -

General Guangming, favorite of the King, hero of the people,

and Duke of the North, Wuhuan, forever in his shadow.

Above all, it was the Goddess Manshen who held the threads of life,

allowing each man to choose his destiny from the palm of her hand.

But our story begins twenty years earlier under a cherry tree

with a little girl called Qingcheng...

Give me back my food!

Little thief, stealing from the dead?

I have been watching you for some time

Give it back to me!

Alive they were my father's soldiers

Dead, my father's ghosts

Steal from them and you steal from me!

Give it back to me!

I will give you the bread

if you promise to be my slave

Let me down and I will be your slave

I don't believe you

Let me down and you'll see

Fine, if you promise

Kneel and it's yours. You are now my slave!

What a beautiful helmet you have!

May I touch it?

Really? You think it's beautiful?

Alright then. You can touch it

Go ahead

I trusted you! I shall never forget this!

Don't cry, Qingcheng

Do you know who I am? I am the Goddess Manshen

Stretch out your hand

Your food is still there, isn't it?

Eat up

I am saving this for my mother

Your mother has passed away

She will not need this any more

but Qingcheng must not die, she must go on living

Do you always want to have to steal food from the dead?

And you don't want to be a slave to others

My child,

the Eye of Infinity contains each individual's destiny

every contour of their fate, their every smile, every tear

yours... is also included

You can have the most delicious food

the prettiest clothes

and everyone will adore you

All the riches of the world will be yours

in return for a small sacrifice -

You will lose everyone you love

Any happiness they bring will be fleeting

Are you willing to accept this?

Yes I am

Once you have agreed this will become your destiny for life

It can never be changed

Unless time flows backwards

winter falls in the spring and the dead come back to life

Remember, all the riches of the world will be yours in return for this promise...

Commander Yeli, what was that noise?

Barbarians

Barbarians? Where?

They are hiding from us

How many are they?

Twenty thousand

Twenty thousand? Twenty thousand against three thousand?

You should say three thousand against twenty thousand

Be proud to be one of the three thousand

Our enemies are the ones to quake in terror

as they are about to face our Great General

How many slaves have you brought?

132! Great General

I'll take them all

For this price you can't even buy dead bodies!

I am buying dead bodies -

None of them will survive the battle

But Commander you said...

Here are 133o pieces of silver

Count it!

Thank you for the extra 1o

There is no extra, 132 slaves plus you is 133

Tell them to stand up

Sir, slaves do not know how to stand

They only know how to kneel or crawl

I shouldn't really give you this piece of meat

I earned it, not you

The alarm!

Where are we going?

Into the valley, to lure the enemy towards us

When they think they have destroyed our army

We shall ride down and attack

Cavalry to the fore!

Archers prepare!

What is it?

Listen...

Run!

Flee?

They have bought our lives. They'll kill us if we turn back!

Remember, Kunlun

I am still your master and you have to protect me with your life

Yes, Master

Kunlun, up the hill!

Shoot

These slaves have been ordered to deflect the first attack

Don't let them escape!

Great General

Those stupid barbarians don't know

this valley is shaped like a horseshoe!

Great General! That slave is overtaking them and guiding them straight back!

Charge!

To the death!

Do not look back! Keep going!

Look, one of them is still alive!

How come our bulls are coming back? Run!

Victory!

Master of the Crimson Armor!

Long live the General!

Our Great General Guangming!

Victory!

He is long dead, Why did you bother to carry him all this way?

He was my master

What is your name?

The Slave Kunlun

Where are you from?

I don't know

Family?

No family

How long have you been a slave?

For as long as I can remember

Would you like to be my slave?

Yes

Why?

If I serve you, I get to eat every day

From now on I am your master

Yes, Master

From today

I don't want you to kneel

I want you to run for me

The Duke of the North, Wuhuan, has invaded the Imperial City

Where is the King?

He is trapped inside the Palace

His Majesty commands you to come to his rescue at once!

We shall go on ahead. Follow with the rest of the men

There's that blasted tree again! We are lost

Let's split up

Whoever finds the way out will light a flare

Yes, Master

Don't be frightened

General Guangming never kills the innocent

You lie

How did your slaves die?

And you say you do not kill the innocent!

If you killed me, who is going to show you the way?

Who said I was going anywhere?

It is best if you are not

It would have been a wasted journey

Oh really?

Listen - There is no battle I cannot win

Nobody I cannot rescue

I heard about what happened at Horseshoe Valley -

Three thousand men destroyed twenty thousand - a handsome victory!

But without that slave,

would you have had the same success?

I am afraid you cannot win forever

unless you accept a wager -

If you win this

I shall grant you victory in every battle you shall ever fight

What is the wager?

Let us bet on the outcome of your hundred-league race to save the King

Then you have already lost

The moment I show my face at the Imperial City

that weakling Wuhuan will submit without question

Let me show you what will happen to the King and his princess Qingcheng

Would anyone like to know

what I am wearing under this garment?

You have shamed me, I shall kill you!

You?

Your Majesty!

Are you saying I am going to kill the King?

The King will be killed by the Master of the Crimson Armor

That is his destiny, which nobody can change

Say you are right and I lose the bet? What will you want from me?

A bitter tear shed because of your broken heart

Hadn't you better ask for something I possess?

One day your heart will be shattered and bitter tears will be shed

Remember

When you find love... you will also find death

And if I rescue the King and win the bet?

You won't

The Battle of Horseshoe Valley was your last success

By the way

the road to the Imperial City lies to the east

My master, the Duke of the North, has commanded me to kill you

He also requests your armor

Take it off!

Master!

Master!

I have found the way out!

What happened to you?

Who are you?

Give me the helmet

Don't give it to him!

You move fast

Did you once live in the Land of Snow?

I will not kill you

What lightning speed he had!

You saved my life

and served me well

Kunlun, I want you to go to the Imperial city

and rescue the King

Wear my armor

As long as you keep silent

nobody will dare block your way

How will I recognize the King?

He will be the only one without a weapon

Your Majesty! May I ask where Princess Qingcheng is?

Wuhuan, I thought you wanted my throne

But you only wanted my woman

Need you have gone to such lengths?

Gathering an entire army? Surrounding the Imperial City?

All you had to do was ask!

Wuhuan, you underestimate me

Did you think I would choose a woman over my throne?

It is no wonder that compared to General Guangming

you are always second rate in the eyes of the people

Don't you have anything new to say?

Did I forget to tell you?

The General is on his way and will be arriving any minute

Someone told you Guangming is coming?

If he were about to arrive

do you think I would still be sitting here

exchanging pleasantries with you?

I sacrificed my cherished desire to kill your favorite general myself

and sent the swiftest assassin in the world

Were you hoping to be rescued?

The people's hero is a dead man as we speak!

Let me through!

Would anyone like to know what I am wearing underneath this garment?

If so, put down your weapons

It's working! Strip!

Keep stripping!

Would you like to know

what is underneath this layer?

If so, pick up your weapons again and aim them at that heartless man!

What are you all doing?

You betray me?

My rescuer comes!

My great General Guangming is here!

You have shamed me, I shall kill you!

I shall kill you!

You?

He has killed the King!

Keep Going!

General Guangming

Don't think that because you saved my life

I shall be obliged to stay with you

From the moment the King turned against me

My mind was made up -

I shall never again let a man possess me

I have had enough

If you take one more step I shall jump

You must not die, you must go on living

You must not die, you must go on living

Great General, I do admire you

It took me

a year's planning

to get to the Princess

Yet you managed to abduct her in a matter of minutes!

It never occurred to me to kill the King

But you did it without batting an eyelid

What imagination, Great General!

The King's favourite becomes his murderer!

You have always known how to reach for the stars

You are utterly ruthless

As long as you are alive

I can only be second best

not just on the battlefield, but in the hearts of the people

What will they think of you now -

the King's assassin?

Here's a proposal - if you are willing tojump off the cliff

I shall let Qingcheng live

Not that you would ever die for another -

Because you... You are even more ruthless than I am

Keep your word and I'll jump

I, Wuhuan, am not usually a man of my word

but I'll make an exception this once

General!

Remember Qingcheng, every man you ever love

you will lose...

Welcome! Welcome!

How do you like my golden birdcage?

Is this where we are going to spend the night?

Did you think I brought you here to be my consort?

You cannot seduce me

No?

I thought you would be grateful

If it weren't for me

you would never have tasted such true and exquisite love

Pity it was only for an instant

Where is your beloved now?

Because of you, He is dead!

Put it on, my caged bird!

Traitor! Assassin!

Let's go!

Hang him up, let him die here!

Think you could hide from us in the forest?

If you hadn't been our general

we would have killed you ten times over!

Leave him here to feed the wolves

General

In order to claim victory

you sacrificed 133 innocent slaves

This, I understand

But to kill the King for a woman?

This, I cannot fathom

Yeli, it wasn't me who killed the King

You are the only man in the world who would dare do such a thing

If this is your opinion

why don't you just deliver me to Wuhuan?

Go ahead!

You have lost everything because of your recklessness

Who says I have lost everything?

I have lost nothing!

You have lost your bet. It wasn't me who killed the King

I never said it was you

All I said was -

The Master of the Crimson Armor would kill the King

I am the Master of the Crimson Armor

Not anymore

You don't have to believe me, but your destiny will not be altered

You are innocent

yet you have been forced to bear the blame for the King's death

Fate works in mysterious ways

There are more losses to come

and there is nothing you can do to stop them

Soon you will lose even your cherished armor and be left with nothing

There will be a new Master of the Crimson Armor

He alone will be the authentic "god of war"

And he alone will be loved by Princess Qingcheng, beauty of beauties

When all the blossoms of the cherry tree have fallen

When the sun and moon appear side by side

Qingcheng's true love will come to her

I want to have another wager with you

I say I will retain my armor

And I shall win the love of this Qingcheng!

General, I love your confidence

Such a shame...

Master, it was me who killed the King

Why did you do it?

I saw a man with a sword about to kill a woman

Because of a woman

You disobeyed my order?

You deserve to die

but not just yet

Go find this Qingcheng and bring her to me

I will find her, Master

Give me back my armor

Yes, Master

Kunlun! What are you waiting for?

Through that door and we'll be free!

Who is he?

I also want to know

He must be from the Land of Snow...

Wait!

He is mad!

Are you saying that Guangming deceived me

with nothing more than a switch of armor?

And the one who pretended to be him was his slave?

And I was outwitted by this slave?

So you are the true assassin!

What is that in your hand?

My Lord, please examine this

The feather is mine!

Yours?

As a slave

even your life is not your own

They have stained my fan

Take him away!

You do understand why they had to die don't you?

Now that they are gone

nobody will know who really killed the King

Still, you had better deal with the slave as well

When he is dead

the people will condemn Guangming as the assassin

You were the only one who could have killed the general

But you failed me in that mission

If now you refuse to kill your countryman

I shall have to take back my cloak

and you will simply vanish into thin air

Yes, Master

I managed to untie myself but there is no exit

Will you help me find a way out?

Come back up here

and I will show you the way

You said I came from the Land of Snow

You said you would not kill me

If I don't kill you, I will be killed!

Don't kill me. I'll help you escape

Aren't you worried I'll try to kill you again?

You won't

You have great trust. You really are from the Land of Snow

We found a piece of his cloak

Where is he?

He has disappeared with the slave

Traitor!

Why did you kill the King for me?

Why did you jump off the cliff?

Why are you so kind to me?

Because I want you to fall in love with me

I cannot fall in love with anybody

But you already have, with me

Who are you really?

He is my slave

Master, I am back

He saved our lives

He is my slave. That is his duty

There?

Kiss me

Are you afraid I would push you away again?

Sleep well

Wait!

Wait!

You... Where do you think you are going?

Where are you going?

I must leave you

Why?

It's my destiny to lose every man I love -

a foolish promise I made as a child

I cannot change it unless time flows backwards

winter falls in the spring

and the dead come back to life

Let what passed between us stay in our memory

Let you, let me savor the fleeting kiss that we shared. Isn't that best?

You deceived me!

Kunlun!

Kill her!

I cannot change my destiny, Kunlun

But you can learn to make up your own mind

When you know whether or not

you should strike

come and find me

Go then!

But I can promise you -

when the last of the cherry blossoms have fallen that very day before the sun sets

You will come back to my side

Kunlun!

Bring my horse!

Yes, Master!

My horse will speed your return to me!

She won't come back, Master

You have lost her

Because of this woman, you have disobeyed me a second time

I no longer want you with me!

Master

I have nowhere to go

Go home, back to wherever you came from

Kunlun

I will take you home where the snow will restore your strength

and you will learn who you are -

You are not a slave

You are a man from the most noble land of all

Where there was only

light and trust and clarity

Where we ran like

the wind, and flew

I will show you the land of your ancestors...

the Land of Snow

Mama?

I saw my mother with a little girl

Who was she? Was I dreaming?

Where was that place?

This was your home - the Land of Snow

I had to travel backwards in time

to show you who you are

The Land of Snow? Where is it now?

You were only two years old

when you were taken away as a slave

The girl was your sister

Five years ago it was destroyed by a cruel and heartless duke

Who are you?

The one who is cursed to wear the black cloak

The only man who can run faster than time

I want to see my mother and sister again

Learn to run then!

If you run with purpose

you will be able to see them again

I know how to run!

That is not running

That is fleeing

To achieve real speed

You must discover your heart's desire

What does it mean - desire?

That is something you must find for yourself

This is as far as I can take you

I have taught you everything I know

Remember, real speed is imperceptible -

like the swell of a breeze, the gathering of clouds

The sunset and the moonrise

Just as you cannot tell when the leaves have turned

or when the first tooth of a baby has emerged

Just as you cannot tell

when you have fallen in love with someone

Thank you, my friend

The one who should return is not here...

The one who shouldn't has arrived!

Master, you have lost your bet with Qingcheng

Huh? I certainly have not - The sun has not set

Master, I have learnt to run faster than time itself

I have learnt that real speed cannot be perceived

Who taught you this nonsense?

Carry on!

Real speed is like the swelling of a breeze, the gathering of clouds

the sunset, the moonrise

or the leaves turning red

Like a baby's first tooth emerging

or when we fall in love with somebody...

The sun is setting!

Master, let me take you back in time to the day she left!

How dare you leave me!

I am not afraid to love anymore

even if I lose you, I want to love you!

With you, I feel that I can trust again

Have I really got you now?

I was yours a long time ago

The moment you saved me from the King

was the moment I fell in love with you

When the last of the cherry blossoms have fallen

When the sun and the moon appear side by side

Qingcheng's true love will come to her

She is not mine yet but she will be

Qingcheng

I have learned to make up my own mind -

I could never harm you

Now I must go home...

Do you remember

what you said by the waterfalls?

You said, you must not die, you must go on living

I want to see my mother... my sister...

It's useless -

What you see has already happened

Your desire has carried you back five years

I am going to kill Wuhuan right now!

But you cannot penetrate the wall of time

you cannot save your family

I am the Duke of the North, your conqueror

Since I was a child,

I had wanted to run like the wind, the way you do

As your new ruler I have brought you a special present -

A cloak with magical powers

which will allow you to run faster than anyone, faster than time

You will traverse heaven and earth in the blink of an eye

My people, one of you may receive this gift

and have the honor of being my slave

Who would like this privilege?

Little girl

Why don't your persuade one of your clan to come forward?

What does he want with my little sister?!

We should go

Leave me alone!

Is there not a single person amongst you

who will accept my offer?

You are a cruel and heartless race, of no use to me!

Mama!

I will be your slave!

Let me be your slave!

Then let's see if you are a fast enough runner!

Don't run! You'll fan the flames!

Now I believe you are a native of the Land of Snow

But one who is afraid of death

Still, only a man who fears death can be a good slave

Put this on, and you will live

But you have to wear it always

If you ever remove it

you will become a wisp of air -

vanished forever...

From now on

you will serve as my swiftest assassin

When I'm ready you will eliminate my greatest enemy

You betrayed your own people!

I never hurt anyone

I did not betray anybody

All I wanted was to live

Do not go looking for Wuhuan

Like me, you will not be able to kill him

I am nothing like you

Wait!

Great General, we have captured Wuhuan

He awaits yourjustice

Weren't you ready to feed me to the wolves?

Great General. We made a terrible mistake

We gave our allegiance to Wuhuan, but he is half the man you are

Without you we are as children without a father

We should never have turned our backs on you

We have wronged you profoundly

We have missed you

I will not go

My life is here

Great General I know that you too have missed us

Commander Yeli

The General you once knew is dead

Take this armor and find it a new master

He would never have parted from his armor, even for a second

Our Great General... is truly no more

Go ahead and cry

Stop crying!

Stand up!

If you don't come with us I shall never stand up

Why don't you come with me?

Forget them!

Being a warrior is behind you now!

What if I really wished to go?

Don't leave me! Don't!

Then come with me!

Let's go!

Are you looking for the General? He is not here

He's gone

Kunlun! Wait!

Find him and make sure he is safe

I'll wait for him here

Please enter

I knew I could make you come back

Such beautiful clothes you have!

Did Qingcheng make them herself?

I was told that the Great General Guangming

was happily living with a woman

without his armor and in domestic bliss

Am I right?

Arrest the assassin

The Crimson Armor, My Lord

Thank you, Yeli

Move!

You are an imposter!

You think I don't know your secret?

Qingcheng!

Qingcheng!

What a perfect pair

Pity you are in love with the wrong man

Stop!

Do you think I took you to see her

just so that you can break her heart?

She is waiting for you

You know where to find her

Yes I do... She is in Wuhuan's cage

We have to work together with snow wolf now

We must kill Wuhuan

and rescue Qingcheng

I have no appetite to fight

I have lost to Wuhuan

He has taken away my only happiness

You should kill me

the way you would kill a defeated soldier

who refuses to die

Have you forgotten?

You are the mighty general who wiped out twenty thousand invaders

with three thousand soldiers!

The Great General Guangming is finished

Where is the Crimson Armor?

What do you want with it?

You are no longer worthy of being its master

I am going to put on the armor and confess my true identity to Qingcheng

This has been my heart's dearest desire

You will find the armor in Wuhuan's sanctuary

Go and get it yourself

At my trial tomorrow

I shall have a chance to see Qingcheng again

I shall wait for her here

It's been a while

my old friend

Give me the armor!

I imagine you have come on behalf of your countryman, the young slave

You will have to forgive me

I cannot give it to you

Not because of any of this god-of-war nonsense

but because I am now

the commander of the army!

It is mine - a symbol of my power!

Give it to me!

Anyone can take anything from anybody

as long as they are cunning enough

Unfortunately...

you are not

Give me back my cloak!

I have found someone

far more satisfying to command

I gave you life to bring about Guangming's death

Now that he is in my hands I have no more use for you

Give me the cloak!

Out you come, you coward

Otherwise hurry up and run

It's over

All I need to do is give this a little tug

It's your choice

Let Snow Wolf go and give me the armor...

Or die

Need you ask?

Of course you may have it

Wait!

Snow Wolf, return my cloak

and I'll let your friend leave with the armor

Otherwise... I shall have to kill you both

Once, you betrayed your own people

And now you are betraying me - me,

your benefactor, who saved your life

A traitor is always a traitor

If you are no longer willing to kill for me

you should return the cloak

Give me back the cloak!

I'll kill you!

My Lord

Let go!

Let go of me!

Listen to me!

Let go of me!

Listen to me!

You have not answered -

The armor, or the cloak, Snow Wolf?

I told you once that

the day Wuhuan came and massacred our people

I did not wrong anyone

Nor did I betray anyone

But now I realize I was mistaken

I have wronged somebody and betrayed somebody -

myself

I have to thank Wuhuan

for showing me the futility of a life without honor

It makes me realize

that death is not as terrifying as I had imagined

This is for you, my friend

Go and prove to Qingcheng that you are the one she should love

Snow Wolf!

You are free to go, Kunlun

But you must stay within the City walls

Kunlun, you are here!

Quickly, go and save the General!

I cannot do that now

Then he will die tomorrow!

If you tell the court it was I who killed the King

The General will be acquitted

But you didn't kill the King

You can tell them...

that night the General was seriously wounded

and he asked me to put on his armor

Guangming!

Everything you possess was bestowed on you by the King

And yet you murdered him - why?

Because I fell in love with his Princess, Qingcheng

Is there a better reason?

I really don't want to see you

throw your life away for a woman

The assassin Guangming is sentenced to be beheaded in public

Let the people see his true face!

This is my final and most glorious victory

You liar!

He did not kill the King

It was his slave who did it

Who is this?

I am the slave who killed the King

Does anyone believe that a slave could kill the King?

Never!

I believe him!

Why would a mere slave kill the King?

Because I asked him to

He is my lover

Absurd!

That night... the General was heavily wounded

he asked me to put on his armor...

The moment he killed the King was the moment I fell in love with him

I leapt onto his horse

And we rode all the way to the waterfalls

You took my hand, and you said

If we must die, let us die together...

That was not what I said

I said - you must not die,

You must go on living

The King was truly killed by me

Execute him! Execute him!

What you just told the court is true

Afterwards you leapt into the ravine for this woman

Did I not tell you?

You have been in love with the wrong man

Wuhuan

I am going to kill you!

You have good reason to

I made a terrible mistake

Of course you would never have killed the King for a woman

You are still my idol

Thank you for clearing the Great General's name

You are free to go

Guangming, freedom is not for you all three?

Tied them up!

I have waited years to have the satisfaction of today

but you are not going to die so easily

You will have the pleasure of witnessing each other's death, one by one

What use is your speed now, Kunlun?

Here is food and drink

But you cannot reach it

Just as love is out of your reach

When the last of the cherry blossoms have withered

You too will cease to exist -

Like petals falling from a branch

you too will return to the earth

You were the first person in the world to lie to me

Have you forgotten?

Let me down and I will be your slave

You took the bread and ran away

Fine, if you promise!

You were the one

Who first made me lose trust in the world

Even in myself

Now look at me - neither trusting nor to be trusted

And always in the shadow of a greater man

But you, beautiful Princess

You have the adoration of everyone!

You fool, you have lost everything - and you laugh at me?

I am laughing at myself

I allowed a woman who is in love with somebody else to suffer for me

I too am a liar

Why are you crying?

I find this very moving

Why?

Because you never give up!

I have long dreamt of the day -

that the people's hero would put this on for me

Should I give up this dream?

Give me the cloak!

Give me the cloak!

Why should I believe you?

You should believe that nobody wants to die

Why don't you come down and try it on?

Kill him!

Before you can strangle me, she will be already dead

Drop your dagger!

You let go and I will drop the dagger!

He's lying!

Drop the dagger and I'll let go

Since neither of us trusts the other...

Why don't we both let go at the same time?

Fine

let us trust each other this once

Your time has come!

He's got another dagger!

Neither of us is trustworthy

Let them go

Truly a man from the Land of Snow...

They're dying...

Go and say goodbye

Love is forever out of your reach...

Quick, go to him!

He is waiting for you

You must not die -

Let us go home together

You must not die

You must go on living

I want to give you another chance to choose

Destiny can be changed, Qingcheng

Time sometimes flows backwards

Snow can fall in the Spring

and even a frozen heart can come back to life...