Original subtitles

♫ Suddenly entering and leaving the red dust of the rivers and lakes with a thought ♫

♫ Looking around everywhere are lonely smiles ♫

♫ Looking for the path of fallen flowers and remnant snow ♫

♫ Greed and betrayal, deliberate or unintentional ♫

♫ After many years, things are different ♫

♫ One side of the martial arts world is like a dream, a group of heroes fighting for power ♫

♫ A piece of the world, walking with horses, talking about life with a smile ♫

♫ Ruling the world, with lonely brothers turning against each other ♫

♫ Both honored and disgraced, tasting the warmth and cold, making it hard finding a place to return ♫

♫ Ruling the world, with lonely brothers turning against each other ♫

[The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils] ♫ Both honored and disgraced, tasting the warmth and cold, making it

[Episode 23]

In Buddhism,

a kind soul

and a sinner

are equal beings.

However, I am not a Buddhist follower.

I do not have it in me to move on.

Reverend, I seek your counsel.

Who is the leader?

Reverend?

He passed away.

(All beings are born equal.)

(Wise men or animals, we are the same.)

Let's go.

(The Hans and the Khitans, so real yet so fake.)

(Vengeance or glory, all will turn to dust.)

Zhu... I did not wish to harm Reverend Zhi Guang.

But why did he do that?

I think

your enemy is behind it.

I think so too.

He came before me and misled Revered Zhi Guang

to think that I'd come for vengeance.

Fearing the harm I might cause him,

the reverend poisoned himself after telling me those words.

Brother Xiao,

I have an honest opinion

but I don't know

- if you want to hear it. - Go ahead.

I actually... agree with what Reverend Zhi Guang

said.

The Hans and the Khitans, so real yet so fake.

Vengeance or glory, all will turn to dust.

The Hans and the Khitans

are all the same.

Walking on eggshells every day

will wear you down eventually.

Why not just hunt or raise livestock outside of the Yanmen Pass

and forget the grudges

from the pugilist world.

You're right.

I'm sick of flirting with death.

Settling outside of the Pass

while riding horses or chasing animals

will certainly be more worry-free and liberating.

Zhu, if I settle down outside of the Pass,

will you come and visit me?

Didn't I tell you already?

Hunting and raising livestock.

You hunt,

I raise livestock.

You won't mind the fact that I'm a Khitan?

Han is human.

Khitan is also human.

I...

I want to be a Khitan.

Follow me then.

Let's ride horses,

hunt,

and raise livestock together

without any regret.

More than that.

Even if there will be pain and hardship,

I still won't regret it.

This is what my heart desires.

I want to do it.

I'd relinquish

my position as the Chief of the Beggars' Sect

or even the Song Emperor

just to be with you.

Brother Xiao...

Let's find Kang Min.

Whether she will tell me everything or not,

she will be our last target.

After asking her that question,

we will venture beyond the Pass.

From now onwards,

I won't walk a lonely path.

I won't be looked down upon.

Because I know

that there's one person in this world...

Who respects you,

looks up to you,

appreciates you,

and who admires you.

I want to be together

with you forever.

Together, we'll share every

pain,

humiliation,

risk,

and burden.

Without investigating the truth,

we blindly assumed Qiao Feng to be the cause of several deaths.

We even decided to kill Qiao Feng together.

Amitabha.

My dear juniors,

you wish Qiao Feng was the real culprit so badly

so that it will conveniently prove to everyone

the bloodthirsty nature of Khitans.

All this just to justify the murder committed

against Qiao Feng's parents 30 years ago.

Did I get it right?

Guilty. Guilty.

I was like this too.

Even though Qiao Feng

promised not to harm Zhi Guang,

prejudice still clouded my vision

and I sent someone to spy on Qiao Feng.

I

betrayed the trust a fine gentleman placed in me.

However, praise the Buddha,

thanks to my spy, I found out that Reverend Zhi Guang suicided by ingesting poison.

Qiao Feng has nothing to do with it.

Rumors have spread far and wide.

Everyone thinks Qiao Feng is the killer.

We should announce the truth to debunk the misconception.

What do you think, Abbot?

I wish to do this too.

Go now.

Feng has exceptional talent in martial arts.

Even better, he is a man of moral integrity

and is suited to lead.

I want to pass down everything I know to him.

and when the right moment presents itself,

I will pass my position to him too.

My young brother, what do you think?

Beggars' Sect is the largest sect.

If he inherits everything from you and is a righteous person,

then he is indeed the best choice.

I only wish that he could be independent

and leads a peaceful life.

(Oh, Xuan Ci.)

(You have been reckless.)

(You supported Qiao Feng to be the Beggars' Sect Chief)

(and now, he's stuck in a moral dilemma)

(and does not know how to proceed.)

(The martial arts world is now in disarray.)

(Many righteous souls have lost their lives.)

(Your juniors are plagued by delusion.)

(But you, as the Abbot, )

(you are plagued by greed, aversion, and delusion, )

(the three poisons.)

(Xuan Ci.)

(You bear heavy sins.)

(Karma will catch up to you eventually.)

Brother Xiao,

did you know why I disguised as Elder Bai?

It's because when I was

treated by Physician Xue in Heroes' Gathering Manor,

Elder Bai was always beside me.

So disguising as him is the easiest.

Let me have a look again.

I know Elder Bai for several decades

and I still can't find a flaw in your disguise.

We've arrived.

Don't say I didn't remind you.

Keep quiet when you see Kang Min.

Kang Min is astute.

We don't want her to detect anything.

Got it?

Yes.

This trick of yours is so...

My sister-in-law.

Welcome to my humble abode, Elder Bai.

I didn't expect a sudden visit.

I have something to discuss with you.

So pardon my sudden intrusion.

Don't be this formal.

Come in and have some tea.

Have a seat, Elder Bai.

May I know who this gentleman is?

Is he one of us?

This is Brother Chen Xiu from the Daren branch.

You have met him during the Meeting

but you must have forgotten.

Greetings, Madam.

How can I help you, Elder Bai?

I believe you must have heard the news

of Elder Xu passing away in Weihui City.

Of course.

We all suspected Qiao Feng

to be behind his death.

Soon,

three veterans, Zhao Qian Sun, Mr. and Mrs. Tan,

were found dead outside of Weihui City too.

And then, the Stern Faced Judge and the entire Shan family

were burned to the ground by someone.

Several days ago, I was in Jiangnan

to discipline a 7th generation disciple.

Suddenly,

the death of Reverend Zhi Guang on the Zhiguan Temple, Tiantai Mountain

came to my ears.

Qiao Feng did it again?

I did investigate the Zhiguan Temple

but to no avail.

Qiao Feng is most probably behind it

and I reckon he'll target you next.

That's why I rushed here

to warn you so that you can flee.

What do you plan to do, Sister-in-law?

I appreciate your thoughts, Elder Bai

but I do not want to leave.

By right,

I should stay somewhere nearby these few days to protect you.

While I'm not as strong as Qiao Feng,

but I can buy you some time.

However, on my way here,

another confidential matter came to me.

It must be of utmost importance then.

Wait for me outside.

I have something classified to tell Mrs. Ma.

Noted.

So, why are you here?

I came bearing important news.

It is related to the death of Ma Da Yuan.

Really?

When I was in Weihui City

for the funeral of Elder Xu,

I saw Zhao Qian Sun.

He told me that he knew

who killed Da Yuan.

Is this a joke?

This is a serious matter.

I will never joke with it.

Zhao Qian Sun did say

that he truly knew who killed Da Yuan.

It's not Qiao Feng. Not the Murong clan either.

The killer is someone else.

How did he know?

How did he know?

What are you talking about?

Nonsense.

Sister-in-law, be patient.

Let me explain to you.

Zhao Qian Sun told me

that during the last Mid Autumn Festival in August,

Mr. and Mrs. Tan as well as the killer of Da Yuan

had a get-together at the leader's place.

He told you that?

Yes.

And so I quizzed him about the identity of the killer.

He then said that he couldn't tell me the name.

I then asked Mr. Tan

but he just glared at me without saying anything.

Mrs. Tan told me, however.

She was willing to tell me.

I'm serious.

She told this to Zhao Qian Sun.

Now I understand why Mr. Tan was so upset.

He must be angry at his wife

because she told Zhao Qian Sun about everything.

Zhao Qian Sun refused to tell me the identity of the killer

in order to protect his old lover, Mrs. Tan.

So what?

Zhao Qian Sun also said

that everyone thought Qiao Feng

and Murong Fu killed Da Yuan.

The real killer is still out and about,

living a free life.

If Da Yuan saw this from heaven,

he wouldn't be able to rest in peace.

Indeed.

Too bad Zhao Qian Sun died.

Mr. and Mrs. Tan didn't tell you, did they?

They didn't.

In this case,

I can only ask the leader myself.

What's funny is

that I don't know who the leader is

and where he lives.

So you gave me this elaborate story

just to fish out the info

regarding the leader from me?

If you can't tell me,

you can remain silent.

You can investigate yourself

and then, we'll settle the score with the killer together.

Elder Bai.

As for the identity of the leader,

I really can't tell an outsider.

If Qiao Feng gets hold of this info,

he will find the leader

to avenge the death of his parents.

But you're not an outsider, Elder Bai.

I guess I don't have anything to hide.

The leader is...

The moon is so round and bright lately.

Indeed.

It is the full moon.

Naturally, it is round and bright.

What a shame.

Da Yuan will never be able to admire it again.

Speaking of mooncake, do you like it sweet

or savory?

Beggars can't be choosers.

Well, if I can't find the killer and avenge Da Yuan,

luxurious delicacies will taste bland to me,

let alone mooncakes.

Elder Bai, come.

Have a seat and some tea.

and some tea.

Thanks, Sister-in-law.

Elder Bai, you are committed to finding the real killer

to avenge your friend.

I really appreciate it.

My sister-in-law, this is just my duty.

Besides, everyone from the Beggars' Sect

wants to avenge Da Yuan too.

The leader is well-respected

and has many people under him.

Just one order from him and more than ten thousand men will get to work.

Also, he has one particular habit:

he protects his allies really well.

If you ask him who the killer is like this,

he won't tell you a thing.

In this world,

the ability to command ten thousand people with one word...

Beggars' Sect Chief used to be able to do it.

But now...

The Shaolin disciples are everywhere.

One word from the leaders or Abbot of Shaolin

will be able to mobilize more than ten thousand people.

No need to speculate anymore.

Let me give you more tips.

Just... think of the southwest.

Southwest?

No one of great importance lives in the southwest.

I don't know any martial arts.

Elder Bai, surely you know

who is famous for this technique?

A touching technique?

The Vajra Finger from Shaolin

and the Lethal Finger from the Zheng family by Cangzhou, Hebei

are quite famous.

You're knowledgeable, Elder Bai.

But how could you forget the renowned One-finger Death Touch?

One-finger Death Touch?

I know that.

However, the Duan family is now the ruler of Dali.

They already severed their ties to the martial arts world.

The relationship between the leader

and the Duan family

could very well just be a rumor.

The Duan family is the de facto ruler of Dali

but they are not alone.

The leader is the younger brother of the Dali Emperor.

His name is Duan Zheng Chun,

Prince Zhennan.

But he's a noble prince.

Why should he meddle in the pugilist world?

If it's just an ordinary feud,

Prince Duan will never bat an eye.

But if it's related to the national security of Dali,

then he

will have to intervene.

Naturally.

I heard from Elder Xu

that Song serves as Dali Kingdom's barricade against the northern threat.

If Liao conquers Song,

then the Dali Kingdom will be Liao's second target.

The Dali Kingdom and the Song empire need each other

so the Dali Kingdom will not want

Liao to conquer Song.

Elder Xu is right.

He also said

that back when Prince Duan came to our headquarter as a guest,

he drank and exchanged techniques with Chief Wang.

When he heard that Khitan warriors

were invading the Shaolin Temple for the scriptures,

he led everyone to Yanmen Pass to intercept the warriors.

He said it's for the Song empire, but it's also for the Dali Kingdom.

I also heard

that Prince Duan was young but powerful.

He's also a righteous man.

He is a leader in the Dali Kingdom

and so in this martial arts world,

who can the leader be if not him?

Also, he will become the Dali Emperor one day.

A nobleman like him

will not take orders

from the brutes around him.

Who would have thought

that the leader

is actually Prince Zhennan of Dali Kingdom.

No wonder people would rather die than rat him out.

It's to protect him.

Elder Bai.

Please don't tell anyone this.

Prince Duan and our sect are very close.

If this secret breaks out, it will be disastrous.

I agree, Sister-in-law.

I will keep this secret with me.

Can you swear then?

Just to reassure me.

Okay.

I, Bai Shi Jing, swear to never tell anyone

that Prince Duan is the leader.

If I do, I shall be cut into thousand pieces.

My reputation will be ruined and I will be a laughing stock.

Thank you.

Well, I shall seek this Prince Duan now in the Dali Kingdom.

I will try to fish out who else was there with him

during the last Mid Autumn Festival.

That way, we can find the real killer.

Please do, Elder Bai.

You're a loyal man.

My dead husband

must be honored to have you as a friend.

You're too polite, Sister-in-law.

Da Yuan is my kin.

I will do anything for him.

So, take care, Sister-in-law. I should get going now.

- Enjoy your meal, Miss. - Thank you.

Brother Xiao. You haven't had any wine for a few days.

You must be craving it.

Knowing who your enemy is is definitely wonderful news.

I... will drink with you to celebrate it.

I'm Duan from the Dali Kingdom.

I'm new to Jiangnan and I can already meet a true hero like you, Qiao.

The wine I imbibe will travel with my qi to each pressure point.

And then, they will be released out of my body through my fingertip.

We just met and yet, it feels like we're old friends.

Should we call each other brother now?

call each other brother now?

Brother Xiao, you finally know who your enemy is.

Why are you brooding?

Dali Duan Family.

Six Pulse Excalibur.

Brother Xiao, the death of your biological parents,

your adoptive parents,

as well as your Master, Reverend Xuan Ku.

This is a great vengeance.

You need not care about the rules or the moral code of the pugilist world anymore.

You're right.

Kindness and grudges, never one without another.

One more thing, Brother Xiao.

When I talked to Kang Min today, I felt scared.

I think something's off.

She'san astute woman.

You were afraid because you were worried that she might see through your disguise.

Perhaps.

But on this trip to Dali, we will find ourselves outnumbered.

It will be very risky.

Don't worry.

Before I avenge my parents, I won't die.

I heard from Old Mr. Murong

that the signature technique of the Dali Duan family

is not One-finger Death Touch.

It's something called Six Pulse Excalibur.

Yes. I was brooding

not just because the brotherhood between Mr. Duan and I will soon end

but also because of Duan's Six Pulse Excalibur.

When Old Mr. Murong and my Young Master were discussing martial arts,

I was serving tea next to them.

I overheard the conversation.

Old Mr. Murong said that the 72 Secret Arts of Shaolin

were good on their own,

but the best technique came from Yijin Jing.

If you can get it,

whatever ordinary technique you have

can be turned into a powerful one.

Very insightful.

Mr. Murong is a gifted martial artist.

Of course.

Old Mr. Murong knows every martial art,

except for the Six Pulse Excalibur from Dali

and the Yijin Jing from Shaolin.

If he compares both of them together,

it probably means that only Yijin Jing

can fight against the Six Pulse Excalibur.

And so I was thinking

if someone steals the Yijin Jing from the Shaolin Temple

and spends a few years to learn it,

Six Pulse or Seven Pulse Excalibur,

it will just be a piece of cake.

Naughty little kid.

That day, you...

I stole the text for my Young Master

After he reads it,

I will burn it in front of Old Mr. Murong's tomb.

That way, one of his life goals will be accomplished.

However,

I want to give it to you.

I can't take it.

You took a huge risk

and stole it from the Shaolin Temple.

It's for your Young Master.

I can't accept it.

Brother Xiao,

I decided to steal it myself.

It wasn't an order from my Young Master.

Therefore,

I can give it to whoever I want.

Why is it all in Sanskrit?

I didn't have the time

to check its content when I was stealing it.

No wonder those monks

weren't all that worried when an important text

was stolen.

Don't sweat it.

What's mine will be mine.

Brother Xiao, you should keep this text.

I will be by your side anyway.

Perhaps one day, we'll be able to decipher it.

Help!

Bad guy...

Help!

Eat my blade!

Don't you hurt my master. Inform the master.

Has he lost his mind?

They are here now.

It seems like he was hit by a technique.

He's hallucinating.

Die!

Fu. Hurry up.

Just leave me here.

Hurry up and inform the Master.

He's wasting his stamina like this.

- He must have sustained heavy internal injuries. - Run!

Inform the Master.

He's trying to protect his Master.

What a loyal soldier.

My friend, fancy some wine?

Bad guy...

Bad guy...

- Brother Xiao. - Where's the bad guy?

- Bad guy... - My friend.

Have some wine and calm your nerves.

What happened?

Stop gawking.

Let's go.

Are you friends or foes?

Friends.

So is Brother Xiao here.

And you...

You must be a kind man too.

The three of us are good friends.

We are here to fight the bad guy.

Bad guy...

The bad guy is here.

My friend, I'm Xiao Feng, a Khitan.

The bad guy is not here yet.

Who is your Master?

Where is he?

My Master...

Where is he?

I can't tell you guys.

You have to tell us

so that we can inform him.

Or else, your Master will be captured by the bad guy.

That'll be catastrophic.

Yes.

- Inform... - We'll inform him.

But you need to tell us where your Master is.

My Master is in Mirror Lake,

by the Square Bamboo Forest.

Inform him now!

Mirror Lake?

That's quite far from here.

Where is it?

How far is it?

If you ask someone else,

they can't give you an answer.

But if you ask me,

then you ask the right person.

I came from somewhere close to Mirror Lake.

How serendipitous!

Ouch. Ouch.

Speak.

Sure.

You are an impatient fellow.

Let me indulge you.

And that is Mirror Lake.

Why are you still here?

The bad guy is powerful!

My friend.

Why not just tell us who your Master is.

Master? Who's my Master?

I can't tell anyone.

Forget it.

Stay here.

I'll fight you, bad guy!

My friend, you're tired.

Rest here.

We'll let your Master know

that the bad guy is coming.

Rest now.

Brother Xiao.

He can't even speak properly.

Let's not be fooled by him.

Even if our enemy sends him here to set us up,

I'd gladly welcome it too.

I'm after him.

Also, even if Mirror Lake is a dangerous place,

I am not afraid.

Miss, do not proceed further.

Give my fishing rod back.

I just want to take a shortcut.

Why do you have to be a major nuisance?

I already said that everything within

a 5km radius is my private property.

You cannot just come and go as you wish.

But I'm not an ordinary person.

What are you doing?

You won't let me pass

so I won't let you fish.

Why fish when you can spear?

You're being unreasonable now.

What do you want to achieve?

Excuse me, mister, I merely helped you fish

but you refused my kindness.

Whatever.

I'll throw it away.

You're young but you're behaving like a devil.

If you want to fish, so be it.

You caught a fish but you refused to eat it.

That's killing for the sake of killing.

Why are you here for?

I like to kill.

Do you have a problem?

You...

Eh? Who's there?

Witch!

Let me go.

Let me go, witch!

Let me go.

- How fun. - Let go of me, witch!

Why should I let you go?

I finally caught you with the net, doofus.

Once I'm out, I'll teach you a lesson.

Watch your foul mouth

or I shove the fish into your throat.

- You dare to. - Why wouldn't I?

- Hit me again, I dare you. - I'll hit you then.

What kind of people will give birth to a witch like you?

What kind of people...?

- Let me go. - Let's go.

There's a couple there.

Let me ask them.

Stay right here!

Xing, are you out there?

Xing?

Dad, Mom, wait.

Dad, mom.

Witch!

Which spell did you use?

Release me at once!

If you call me names again,

I'll ask my parents to spank you.

Chu,

what happened?

What's going on?

This young lady used some sort of spell to trap me.

Only I can untie the fish net.

Just say "I'm sorry, miss" thrice and I'll release you.

Witch!

If you piss off my friend here, Zhu,

dire consequences will befall you.

Really?

I love dire consequences.

The worse the consequences are, the better.

What technique are you using?

Let me go!

Just say "I'm sorry, mister" thrice

and free my friend from the net,

then I'll release you.

You copycat!

You...

Fine.

I'm sorry, mister.

I'm sorry, mister. Done?

Untie the net now.

The poison on the needles is a potent one.

Once it's in my blood, my breath will be gone.

This is only our first encounter.

Why would you do this to me?

You sure need some disciplines.

Brother Xiao, should we save her?

She needs to be taught a lesson.

Young lady?

Oh no.

Xing, come out, please.

Someone's drowning.

Who's drowning?

If it's you, I'll come to save you.

If it's someone else, then I'll just watch the fun.

Save the person, please.

I need to know who fell into the water.

If it's a man, I'll save him.

If it's a woman, then don't bother.

It's just a 14 or 15-year-old girl.

Save her.

You're overthinking.

[Ruan Xing Zhu, Mirror Lake] She's a teenager. So what?

Whether it's a 14, 15 years old teenager

or a 70, 80 years old grandma,

you'll say yes to them.

Okay, okay. You really are overthinking it.

Fine.

If you're upset, then don't save her.

She wanted to kill me with her poisonous needles anyway.

She deserves to die.

Don't save her.

Don't save her?

If you don't want me to save her, I'll save her.

How is she?

No heartbeat.

Chu, hang in there.

I'm fine.

May I know your name?

And why did you come here?

I'm Xiao Feng.

A friend of mine asked me

to come here to deliver a message.

May I know who your friend is?

And what message?

My friend there wields an axe

and keeps yelling that the bad guy is here.

Xiao, he is a good friend of mine.

Where is he? Is he injured?

Do tell me so that I'll come to his aid.

He is injured

but he's still alive for now.

He's in the small town over there.

Timing and Subtitles brought to you by ⚔️Martial Arts Team ⚔️@Viki.com