Original subtitles

(The tassel crowns the knight. The sword is snow white.)

(In the silver saddle, he rides like a shooting star.)

(He kills a man within ten steps. Invincible he is all the way ahead.)

(He would leave once it's done. No trace of him is to be found.)

=Sword Snow Stride= (Season 1)

=Episode 12=

There you are, Fengnian.

Come on.

Be seated.

Huangman'er has been sent to Mount Longhu.

Ah.

I knew that.

I received the letter from Mount Longhu.

Zhao Xituan

is nice to Huangman'er,

treating him as his last disciple.

Old Huang made a deal with Zhao Xituan.

Did you arrange it?

No.

I didn't know

what Old Huang did.

So, in your original plan,

where would Huangman'er be sent to?

You knew the answer,

didn't you?

I think it was quite a coincidence

that Princess Suizhu appeared in Mount Wudang.

Everyone is wrong about you.

Fengnian, good job.

Clever boy.

So, you were going to

send Huangman'er to the royal family?

His stay in North Liang would be bad for you.

The royal family only wants him as a pawn!

When we give Huangman'er to them,

no harm will be done to us.

He's your son!

You...

You're also my son.

All right. All right.

Look. The result

is better than we expected.

Isn't it?

But Old Huang died!

I'm willing to take over North Liang.

Ah?

I'm willing to take over North Liang!

Wait.

You used to reject it.

Why do you suddenly accept it?

Give me a reason.

I can't get Huangman'er back

unless I take over North Liang.

Oh.

Any other reason?

Isn't this enough?

You and your brother are close.

This is good.

But when you want

to be the ruler of three states in North Liang,

this reason isn't...

You don't agree?

I do!

I do!

I can't be too happy.

I've been waiting for such a long time

and you agreed at last.

The reason isn't enough?

It doesn't matter.

Let me give you a reason.

Seriously?

Since you came back from Wudang Sect,

you haven't visited your master, have you?

Go tell him you're back.

Wait for me there.

All right?

Go ahead.

I'll be right there.

With the reason for you.

You're back?

I have been in Mount Wudang for days.

Why didn't you ask me how my stay was?

How was your stay there?

You sound quite offhand.

What are you doing?

What's down there?

The foundation.

Wrong.

I tramped hard during my blade practice.

I felt there was some space down here.

There's another floor down here, I guess.

I've been hanging around in Tingchao Pavilion since I was little.

If there's a floor down there,

I must be aware.

You don't know?

There isn't anything down there.

What?

Wang Chonglou passed you Dahuangting?

You could still see that?

I thought there was no trace of it.

Don't worry.

Others can't see it.

I just know

about the details of Wudang Heart Arts.

You have a connection with Wudang Sect?

A family connection.

What does your family do?

It's none of your business.

Take your time searching.

I'm going upstairs.

Give my blade back to me.

Xiudong?

I lent it to you.

It's very handy for me.

Master,

I'm back.

Good move.

Hidden intention to kill.

Oh.

I took the wrong move, then.

I'll start a new game.

Master,

you keep playing chess

with yourself in the room.

Don't you feel bored?

I've got an opponent.

Where's he?

Don't ask

until you take over North Liang.

I promised Xu Xiao.

Xu Xiao

asked you to come here?

Yes.

Go downstairs, then.

He'll give you an answer.

A piece of advice for you.

Later,

speak your mind to your father.

How did you find it?

Your father opened the door.

There you are.

What's hidden down there?

You even keep it from me.

Unless you promise to take over North Liang,

I cannot

take you down there.

Let's go.

What did your master tell you?

He asked me to speak my mind.

He wanted me to tell you

why I've kept refusing to take over North Liang

over so many years.

Also,

why have I always been angry

with you?

Mm.

I'm all ears.

You know

my eldest sister likes Hong Xixiang.

The young Taoist on Mount Wudang?

I certainly know.

You still married her to Jiangnan. [♪Jiangnan: regions south of the Yangtze River]

Mm.

Only in this way

could you get support

from scholars in Jiangnan.

Yes.

My second eldest sister came back,

but only saw me once.

You didn't keep her.

I didn't.

You made her study in Shangyin Academy

so that scholars all over the world

would gradually accept North Liang.

Exactly.

Now, you've sent Huangman'er away, too.

You sent my siblings away,

in exchange for stable power.

Formidable enemies want to fight us.

The royal family fears us.

For the survival of North Liang,

we have to pay some price.

So, in your heart,

our family isn't as important as the throne of North Liang.

We're arriving soon.

Formless yet complete?

Run away!

Some people want to kill you.

Who?

They're disguised as servants.

I saw them hold blades

and head for your room.

Not everybody dares to break

into the house of His Highness.

I'll stop them.

Leave through the window.

If Miss Weixiong wanted to kill you,

she wouldn't ask her subordinates to do that.

I know.

I stopped them

for you.

I've confiscated their blades, too.

Why do servants

dare to kill people?

Servants in the house of Miss Weixiong

used to be bandits convicted of grave crimes.

Why do they work in the Mansion?

Miss Weixiong caught them.

Since little,

Miss Weixiong has loved to kill.

She has exterminated countless bandits out of the town.

Many people sighed

it was a pity

that Xu Weixiong wasn't a man.

(Zhao Kai, student in Shangyin Academy)

You're back?

You seldom go back home.

Why didn't you stay at home for a few more days?

How's everything going in your family?

Who gave it to you?

Why didn't you accept what I gave you?

Next time,

let me go to North Liang with you.

I want to accompany you and protect you.

Wait.

See you in class.

(Shangyin Academy)

Are your legs all right?

We've reached the bottom of the lake.

It's quite damp here.

But I'm all right.

What's hiding down there?

You'll see it yourself.

(Tablet of General Zhao Changling, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

(Tablet of General Chen Qiong, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

(Tablet of General Wang Jian, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

Chen Zhibao's father...

In the Battle of Jinliao,

he died

to save my life.

Otherwise,

he would have been

the Lord of North Liang.

(Tablet of General Chen Qiong, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

Everybody

asked me

to be on the watch for Chen Zhibao.

But I know

what North Liang means

to him.

Wang Jian.

(Tablet of Wang Jian) When Yique was defeated,

he used his hands

to hold up the city gate

so that I could run away.

But he...

He was crumbled.

Look.

In the Battle against West Chu,

we were

ten li away from the capital city. [♪li: unit of length, equals 500 meters.]

(Tablet of Zhao Changling) Our counselor,

(Tablet of Zhao Changling) Zhao Changling, died.

If he walked ten li farther,

he would have

taken revenge for his whole family.

This man was gruff-voiced.

But he loved to sing.

Fan Li.

He died...

He died too young.

Han Li.

He didn't commit a capital crime.

But to consolidate military disciplines,

I chopped off

his head personally.

At that time,

I started with 600 cavalrymen.

Now,

all nations are in peace.

Our army

rules three states.

But nearly all the 600 cavalrymen

are here.

Why are there no sacrificial offerings?

No need.

They don't need such things.

Son,

do you know

why I'm known

as Slayer?

Because you've killed too many people.

Right.

There were many wars between nations.

I've killed

quite a lot of people from aristocratic families.

So, everybody hates me

and treats me as a demon.

At present,

in Liyang,

the imperial examination system is used.

For people all over the world,

rich or poor,

there's hope.

If aristocratic families

hadn't been eliminated,

believe it or not,

officials would still be recommended by them.

Think...

Think of the world

as a big tree.

Aristocratic families

turn out

to be strong branches.

They absorb all the sunlight.

The remaining majority of people

are like weeds under the tree

which will gradually wither and rot.

So,

there can't be a new life

unless aristocratic families are eliminated.

This is...

This is their dream.

It's my dream, too.

Your eldest sister was married to Jiangnan.

Your second eldest sister

went to Shangyin Academy.

They did that voluntarily.

They would rather sacrifice their lives

to lay a foundation for North Liang.

For the sake of the dead cavalrymen?

No.

Only for you.

For me?

They want to shelter you from trouble

so that

you can take over North Liang smoothly.

Have you thought about it?

I hate

aristocratic families so much.

But why do I

still want our family to rule North Liang?

Why?

The royal family treats us as a formidable enemy.

In our army,

there are many factions.

If we no longer rule North Liang,

our army with 350 thousand soldiers

will cause chaos.

The peaceful world,

which so many people died for,

will be ruined.

Why didn't you tell me before?

Until you want to take over North Liang,

I couldn't bring you here.

Nor could I

explain to you.

I kind of understand.

You're not greedy for power.

Our families have been sacrificed

for the dream

these people are after.

This is the responsibility Weixiong told me.

This is the real reason

why you must take over North Liang.

(Tablet of General Peng Wanli, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

(Tablet of General Han Li, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

(Tablet of General Zhang Hanfu, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

(Tablet of General Zhou Tujing, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

I disagree.

It's a very good dream

to seek peace for people

and stop wars for the world.

But I disagree with your methods.

When you rule by killing and playing tricks,

do they still want such a North Liang?

Don't be naive, will you?

Without killing,

how could we protect North Liang?

Isn't it too hard?

However hard it is, we can't compromise.

I will take over North Liang,

but I will not go your way.

I will defend our dream,

and I'll protect my family, too.

Can there be a perfect solution

for everything in the world?

Without a cruel heart,

you couldn't defend anything.

I want to give it a try.

Fine.

I'll give you a chance

to confront the reality.

Who opened the passageway?

His Lordship.

Oh.

No problem, then.

About the passageway,

please do not

tell anyone else.

I see.

Mm.

I'll keep the secret for them.

Them?

Wait.

Who else went down?

Xu Fengnian.

Oh.

I have to get packed.

We'll have a long journey.

You want me to leave Lingzhou?

Where shall I go?

Didn't you say you would go to Wudi City

and get back the sword box

for Old Huang?

I only keep 60% to 70% of Dahuangting.

I can't defeat Wang Xianzhi for now.

You don't need to fight him

to get the sword box back.

Besides,

this is the route you must take before you take over North Liang.

What does a trip to the martial world

have to do with taking over North Liang?

After the New Year,

you're going to the martial world.

I'm going to the capital city.

We'll leave together.

You're going to the capital city?

The biggest hurdle

for your taking over North Liang

lies in the court.

The throne of North Liang

should be hereditary.

But the court wanted to abolish it long ago.

By then, North Liang will fall into chaos.

I must get the throne for you

so that we can gain the upper hand.

The royal family isn't foolish.

How will they let me take the throne?

I'll have everything arranged for you.

By the way,

you miss your sisters and brother, don't you?

You'll have the chance

to meet your eldest sister

and second eldest sister.

You can also visit Mount Longhu.

What exactly are you up to?

I'll make a deal with the court.

I'll get your sisters home

and cancel my arrangements

in Jiangnan and Shangyin Academy,

just to keep the chance

for your hereditary throne.

You mean I can get sisters back?

I'll have everything arranged for you.

What you have to do

is to make the final choice,

like you did on Mount Wudang.

What choice?

You'll decide how to get them back.

Fengnian,

if many people have to die

during the process

before you get them back home,

what will you do?

I'll come up with the third option.

Not many people are like Old Huang.

People always come up with destructive options.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Good.

I'll wait and see.

I'll wait and see.

Go up there alone.

I'd like to stay with them for a bit longer.

You...

You heard him, didn't you?

Think about it.

What kind of father am I?

What kind?

But I...

I really believe that

only when he has to

make a choice in the most difficult time

will he no longer be naive

and will he

grow up.

Right?

Right?

Fine.

Rest assured.

I will make Fengnian

a qualified lord of North Liang

so that he will defend the world

for you

and for me!

(Tablet of General Zhao Changling, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

(Tablet of General Chen Qiong, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

(Tablet of General Wang Jian, of the 18th Battalion of Jinzhou)

You must have heard us.

My son

insists on going to Wudi City,

to get back the sword box for Old Huang.

Childish.

But his trip

will certainly be very dangerous.

Someone should keep him company

and protect his life.

Even if he manages

to arrive in Wudi City safe and sound,

when he meets Wang Xianzhi,

it's hard to tell if he'll still live.

I heard that Wang Xianzhi has greatly improved his martial arts.

That's awesome.

If Fengnian acts on impulse

and fights Wang Xianzhi,

he'll be dead.

Think about Wang Xianzhi.

Why does he kill everybody he meets?

My Lord.

Mm.

Where are you going?

Now that His Highness went down there,

I guess we're leaving soon.

You're indeed experienced.

He'll leave after the New Year.

During the trip,

please take good care of him.

Oh.

I will.

What are you doing?

Put it back.

I'm leaving in a couple of days.

You don't need to pack now.

I need to pack carefully

for your trip.

Shall I read it or not?

Not for today.

You lied to me.

Visit someone with me tomorrow.

I'll pay you.

How much?

This is half of the amount.

Prepare some presents for me.

Take them with us tomorrow.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve.

Everybody will be staying with his family.

If you want to visit someone,

you'd better go after the first day of New Year.

Not everybody has a family.

(Pastry, Pancakes)

It's crooked.

Xu?

Put it straight for me.

Ouch.

Ouch.

Oh, no.

Be seated.

Bring the presents in.

Put them on the table.

Light the stove.

Oh.

But I can't light a stove.

Still that girl?

Have you

got married yet?

No.

We're not a couple.

I've brought some food for you.

Hope you'll like it.

Thank you.

But didn't I tell you?

Before every New Year,

the government has a lot of food delivered to me.

I can't finish it.

Keep it, then.

The deliveryman from the government

said the same thing.

Old Xu.

What?

I heard you worked for Xu Xiao for many years.

You can't call him by his name.

Right. Right.

General Xu.

Grand Commander.

Yes.

Do you remember

why you started to work for him?

At first,

I worked for him to make a living.

I expected

the peace of the world

and the justice in the world.

There's no such thing as justice.

Don't say that.

This spring,

a student

from a poor family

passed the imperial examination, didn't he?

But those who passed the imperial examination

are mostly from rich families.

That's enough.

God bless North Liang, I hope,

so that we can keep

the peace of the world.

I will

maintain the peace for you.

Xu,

are you drunk

with too much Tusu Wine?

What do you think if I become the Lord of North Liang?

You think you're better than Chen Zhibao?

Actually, I thought about

letting Chen Zhibao take over North Liang.

But now I understand.

He can't do that.

Why?

He looks calm.

But deep in his heart,

he's seething with hatred.

He's got something in his mind.

If he takes over North Liang,

wars will resume.

The peaceful world Old Xu and others have been fighting for

will be ruined.

You sound as if you could keep the peace.

What?

It's the New Year.

A present for you.

You're the son of the Lord.

But you only gave me a string?

Expensive presents don't suit you.

They do.

Give it back to me if you don't want it.

Why do I not want it?

When I sell it,

maybe I'll make a coin.

You're Miss Fan beside Mr. Lin,

aren't you?

Xu Xiao released you?

For your information, Your Highness,

I'm Shu Xiu.

Shu for comfortable and Xiu for shy.

It's a friendly name.

Miss Fan is an alias?

It's cautious of you, Your Highness.

Don't worry.

It's nontoxic.

His Lordship said you always wanted perfect solutions.

After Ning Emei was back,

he was locked up in the dungeon.

He should have been executed.

Now that you want a perfect solution,

you will decide

whether he lives or dies.

You're indeed cautious, Your Highness.

By the way,

I'd like to remind you.

You didn't bring back Young Master Longxiang from Wudang.

Ning Emei complained about that.

You didn't bring back Young Master Longxiang?

He was sent to Mount Longhu.

Mount Longhu?

It means he's been delivered into the hand of the royal family.

No matter what I've done,

I don't care

whether you believe me

or not.

The point is...

Do you want to see Huangman'er?

He's been sent to Mount Longhu.

How can I see him again?

I'll go on a trip after the New Year.

I'll pass through Mount Longhu.

Would you like to go with me?

Yes.

I'll get Young Master Longxiang back to North Liang.

Go back home for recuperation.

We're leaving after the New Year.

Xu Xiao keeps saying

that we shouldn't forget the dead 600 cavalrymen.

But every day,

he only cares for factional struggles.

Even I feel sorry for Old Xu.

♪ The flower of pain ♪

♪ Blooms in my heart ♪

♪ I made a bet with the dawn ♪

♪ That you'll answer ♪

♪ Forgive this tragic end ♪

♪ Moved by the moment we met ♪

♪ In spite of thunder and lightning ♪

♪ In spite of my falling ♪

♪ When we are apart ♪

♪ I'll collapse ♪

♪ Capture an image of the memory ♪

♪ After all these ups and downs ♪

♪ The vanity ♪

♪ Who will open it again ♪

♪ It's worth it ♪

♪ It's enough ♪

♪ Drowned in sadness ♪

♪ Just to see through ♪

♪ I will whisper love to you ♪

♪ For a lifetime ♪

♪ End the worry in the world ♪

♪ It's worth it ♪

♪ I'll be there for you all my life ♪

♪ After the moments of beauty ♪

♪ You are my reason to be ♪

♪ If there is a way ♪

♪ To start over ♪

♪ Will you still remember me ♪