American Perspectives: An Open Barrier Pt. 1 ("Love And Redemption" Ep. 1)

 

"Love and Redemption" is available to watch on Viki or Youtube. Dialogue adapted from English subtitle translations by "Destined Love Team" at Viki.com

 

The Heavenly Realm has dominated and oppressed the Mortal and Demon realms since the beginning of time.  However, a thousand years ago, King Vanquisher became ambitious and rejected the authority of the Heavenly Realm.  He made armies of demons and devils, and started wars that transcended borders.  The Heavenly Realm dismissed it, but King Vanquisher had an impressively powerful general, Demon Maleficient, the Devil Star, who defeated the Heavenly Army and forced the Gods to retreat to the Heavenly Gate.  The Jade Emperor was horrified and unprepared.  He and King Bailing panicked and dispatched many soldiers to fight the enemy.  But they kept losing.  The Heavenly realm was now under the threat of losing their power.  The Vanquishers were about to change everything.  Many strange things began to happen.  The Devil Star disappeared right before the Final Great War.  At the same time, a Savior appeared in the Heavenly Realm.  She became known as the God of War General.  She never lost a battle, and she destroyed the vanquishers.  Without the Devil Star, the Demon Realm weakened.  The Demon Realm armies collapsed, the surviving demons scattered all over the world.  Rumors spread that the death of the Devil Star was caused by the God of War.  The Devil Star's soul is safely sealed inside a Heavenly object called the Crystal Lamp.  It's hidden in an Ancient Secret area, and his primordial spirit was lost in the chaos.

One thousand years later, things have changed with time.  The Universe changes every thousand years.  After a thousand years of rest, the separated primordial spirit is gradually becoming stronger and waiting for the reunion.  The Demon Realm is eagerly waiting for its revival.

If the Devil Star returns with the resentment he's been accumulating for a thousand years, the world will be destroyed.

 

"Greetings Hall Master!" The Demonic disciples of Tianxu Hall greet their leader who has materialized from red and black flame, and is now sitting menacingly on the throne in front of them.  The disciples bow to show their respect.

The Elder of the Constellations pulls out a magic object and uses it to display all the stars in the sky.

"Elder of the Constellations," says the Hall Master, "were you talking about these two stars?"

"Yes, Hall Master." The Elder of the Constellations bows.  "After the Devil Star/Demon Maleficient died, there were suddenly two stars that appeared far away in the sky.  They're the Demon Star and Maleficient Star." He points to the stars on display.  "For the past thousand years, they were located in the South and North respectively.  They had nothing to do with each other.  But today, these two stars are suddenly getting closer to one another.  It seems that..."

"Seems what?" asks the Hall Master.

"It seems that they're trying to form into one."

"Does it mean he's really waking up?" Hall Master asks.

Elder of the Constellations moves his hand, and the stars disperse.

"Hall Master," says another disciple, "that lost primordial spirit of the Devil Star has appeared in Fenru City.  My men have looked into it.  Half of that Primordial Spirit will go to the Mortal Realm for a tribulation via the channel of Karma."

 

Water is being ladled out from a golden bowl to be given to each deity transitioning to the Mortal Realm.

"You deities have done wrong and have been stripped of your immortal forms.  You're here in Fenru City, and it's a chance for you to reshape your Immortal qualities.  Be obedient, and head to the Mortal Realm.  When you successfully get through the tribulations, you'll have the chance to return to the Heavenly Realm.  Consider yourselves lucky!  Hurry up! Drink this water from The River of Oblivion.  We don't have all day!"

The double line of fallen Immortals moves forward toward a blue vortex.

"I'm not drinking it!" A woman cries.  "I don't want to leave the Heavenly Realm!  I only stole a flat peach!"

"What's worth remembering?" The God of War thinks.  "It's just a boring life."  She looks down at the bowl of water in her hands that's formulated to make her forget and start over.

"Forget it," a man says behind her, as he puts the bowl to his lips.  "It's good to forget it," he thinks.

 

"There's one more thing, Hall Master," says Wolf, the Hall Master's most trusted disciple.  "As far as I know, the God of War General and the Devil Star are entering the Mortal Realm together for tribulations."

"Oh?" The Hall Master perks up.  Perhaps this will make it much easier to revive the Devil Star...

"Both of them will be born on the same day, in the same month and year," adds Wolf.  "It's very interesting."

Elder of the Constellations steps forward and bows.  "Hall Master, they are destined to be enemies.  Will it ruin our plan of reviving the Demon Realm?"

"No," says Hall Master.  "Back then, it was the God of War who used the Divine Weapon of the Devil Star, Juntian Cehai, to seal his soul.  We need both the God Of War and the Divine Weapon's powers to save the Devil Star.  I want both of those kids.  Go look into it quickly.  Find out where the God of War and Devil Star will be born."

The Disciple bows.  "Yes," he replies.

 

A baby is being born in the Mortal Realm, and the delivery is rough. Twins are expected.  The first twin has been born, but the second is taking far longer than expected, on the verge of being born the following day.

 

In Fenru City, the fallen Immortals are reluctantly making their way to the blue vortex.  A red and black flame flies through the sky.  The guards try to destroy it.  Wolf, the Hall Master's most trusted disciple, materializes from the flame.

"Who are you Demon?  How dare you break into the forbidden ground of Fenru City!"

The Immortals panic and begin to run to the vortex.  Wolf is ready to attack, black smoke radiating from his hands.  He throws flames.

"Don't delay it!" shouts a guard.  "Open the Channel of Karma now!"

The vortex is opened, and the Immortals begin to flee.  The God of War is pushed into the water below amidst the terrified scuffle.  Her soul is snatched from the water, and hurled through the Channel of Karma.

It makes its way over to the woman who is struggling to deliver her second twin.  It leaves a trail of glittering blue and purple along the way.  Day is beginning to break.

"It's coming out Madam!" an attending nurse yells.  "It's out!"

The mother faints.  

 

Sixteen years have passed since that dramatic night.  A lovely, yet sleeping, young woman is laying on a thick peach tree branch.  A book is covering her face.  She's wearing a gorgeous mint green and cherry blossom pink Tang Dynasty Hanfu.

"No one thought Madam would give birth to a still born after ten months of pregnancy.  Sect Leader was afraid that she would be sad after seeing it.  Thus, he buried that child on that night," Second Disciple is telling his sect brothers and sisters how the mortal reincarnation of the God of War was born.  "No one saw what happened on that midnight coming."

As the servants were burying the baby, cries were heard from the tiny wooden box. "Ghost!" The servants screamed, and ran away.

"What happened?" The sect brothers and sisters ask.  "Why was there a child crying?"

"The butler ordered them to dig out the grave of 2nd Lady."

A male servant carefully removes the top of the wooden box.  His eyes widen.

"Guess what happened?" 2nd Disciple says loudly.  The sect brothers and sisters jump back in surprise.  He laughs.  "That child came back to life! Our junior sister took a long time to take her first breath."

Another sect brother chimes in, "You're all disciples of other martial uncles.  You didn't know our Junior Sister was born without the six senses."

"Senior brother?"

"What?"

"What do you mean lacking in the six senses?"

"I'll tell you what they are," says 2nd Disciple. "Sight (the ability to see color), Sound (the ability to discern good or bad sounds), Smell, Taste, and she's born without touch and awareness, too."

"She is, to put it politely, heartless.  To put it otherwise, she's a good for nothing.  But Junior Sister is now 16.  But she hasn't even mastered the first level of the Shaoyang Mantra."

"Really?"

"You're exaggerating!"

"Fine," says 2nd Disciple.  "You don't believe me? I'll show it to you all today.  Let's go."

2nd Disciple leads his sect brothers and sisters to the Peach tree the 2nd Lady is sleeping in.

"She's pretty high up."  They try sneaking up on her.  One attempts to poke her with a bamboo stick adorned with fireworks.

2nd Disciple throws a flame at her.  She catches it, without removing the book from her face.

The sect brothers and sisters are horrified, as her hand is on fire.

"She really doesn't feel pain," 2nd Disciple insists.  "Do you believe me now?"

2nd Lady sits up, removing the book from her face, while the palm of her other hand is still on fire. "2nd Senior Brother, is this yours?" She smiles at him.

"Yes," 2nd Disciple says unapologetically.

She throws the flame at the crowd, hitting the fireworks they had intended to scare her with.  The crowd recoils in fear.  She giggles with delight.  2nd Lady jumps down from the tree, and faces 2nd Disciple.  "Second Senior Brother, if you always want to fool me, you've got to be creative about it.  So, you're all scared of this?" She points to the bamboo stick adorned with fireworks.

"You," says 2nd Disciple.  "You can't feel.  Of course you're not scared of it."

"Xuanji!" A young woman shouts.  A young man dressed in a tan Hanfu is close behind her.

"Linglong!" 2nd Lady/Xuanji responds.

"Xuanji!" Linglong shouts.  Linglong takes a look at Xuanji's burnt hand.  "It's all red."

"I'm alright," Xuanji reassures her.

Linglong is pissed. "Chen Minjue!" she scolds 2nd Disciple.  She grabs Chen Minjue by the ear.  "If you ever bully my sister again, I'll ask father to teach you a good lesson!"  She points to the sect brothers and sisters.  "And you?  Are you looking for trouble?" They scurry away.

Chen Minjue approaches Linglong.  "My good Junior Linglong.  Don't get mad.  It's just a joke."

Linglong glares at him. Xuanji runs up and gives her sister a hug.  "Linglong, don't take it seriously," says Xuanji.  "I don't know what pain is anyway.  And I don't even know how to get mad."

"You see!" Chen Minjue chuckles.  "I told you that Junior Sister wouldn't mind it."

"Shh..." says the young man in the tan hanfu.

Linglong glares at Chen Minjue.  "I'm telling you.  If you dare bully my sister again, I'll ask Master to flog your bottom!"

The young man in the tan hanfu intervenes.  "Stop fighting."

"Little Six," Linglong gives the young man/Little Six some serious side eye.

"Yes?" Little Six says cautiously.  He's quite familiar with Linglong's wrath.  

"Whose side are you on?" she asks sharply.

"I..." Crap, thinks Little Six.  He quickly changes the subject.  "Linglong, did you forget why Aunt Yinghong asked us to come here?"

"I almost forgot about it!" Linglong exclaims.  She grabs Xuanji's hands.  "Xuanji, I've got some good news for you."

"Hurry, let's go," Little Six whispers to Chen Minjue.  Chen Minjue immediately runs away, now that Linglong is being distracted.

"Aunt Hong asked us to serve the sects during the Hairpin Tournament!  Let's go down the mountain now."

"Linglong," Xuanji says.  She's feeling a uncomfortable. "This isn't good news.  Can I not go?  I want to take a nap here.  I don't want to join it!"

"No way!" says Linglong.  She tries to pull on Xuanji.  "No way!"

"I'm not going," Xuanji resists.  "Spare me!"

Little Six looks like he's in over his head.  He's not sure what he should do.

"No way!" Linglong insists.  "The Hairpin Tournament is one of the largest events the Five Great Sects gather for.  The aces from the other four sects are coming, too.  We can go check out if there are any handsome men first."

Little Six gives Linglong some unnoticed side eye. "You're acting improperly, and you're trying to badly influence Xuanji."

"What do you mean by bad influence?"  Linglong retorts.  "I'm already 16.  Aunt Hong said I can look at people I like.  Xuanji will turn 16.  We can look at whoever we want.  Let's go, Xuanji." She gives Xuanji a gentle push.

"I..." Xuanji says. 

Little Six can't believe Linglong doesn't think of him as an option.

 

 

Across the water, at Lize Palace, a winged demon is on the rampage.

"To test with such a powerful demon wolf," says the Deputy Chief, "isn't it a bit too risky?"  The Deputy Chief is holding a fan with a wave painted on it.  He is undeniably gorgeous.  He looks over at the Lize Palace Master.

The Lize Palace Master raises his hand.  The demon wolf plows through the sect members who are trying to subdue him.  The Palace Master carefully observes, deciding if an intervention is necessary.  As more sect members are being killed, defeated, subdued, a partially masked young man comes flying in, attacking the demon wolf with a powerful kick.  The Demon Wolf falls to the ground.  It quickly recovers and comes for the young man.  The Young man runs at the Wolf Demon again, and slides under it.  He maneuvers around it, and punches it in the face.  He grabs the wolf demon by the tail, swinging him around.

Palace Master is impressed.

The young man throws the wolf demon across the courtyard, shattering the pavement in the process.  With his hands, he creates a circular shield formation.  It does not successfully block the demon.  He grabs the demon's jaws and pries them open.  He uses that as leverage to flip over and land on the demon's back.  He casts a spell.  This time, it produces a sword, and he stabs the demon in the back.  The demon screams.  The young man flies off, emitting intense fire from his sword, before turning the one sword into multiple swords.  He shatters the wolf demon into dust, and brings his multiple swords back into one. He puts his sword behind his back, and it disappears.

"Sifeng, as expected from my direct disciple," says Palace Master.

"Only Yu Sifeng passed this set of tests," Deputy Chief points out. "As for the remaining disciples..."

The remaining disciples kowtow in fear.  "Please spare us, Palace Master."

"Lize Palace doesn't take in good for nothings," says Palace Master.

Deputy Chief smiles.  "Let's do it the old way, then.  Strip them of their skills and chase them out of here."

The failed students are dragged out of Lize Palace.

 

"Enough!" says Palace Master.  After the conclusion of the test, the sect has gathered in an assembly inside Lize Palace. "You said Sifeng can't be the Head Disciple of Lize Palace because he's still young.  If not him, then who?  When Sifeng comes back after winning Shaoyang's Hairpin Tournament, I will..." a servant hands him a silver pendant, "grant him the Golden Feather Token, and have him start to manage the affairs of Lize Palace."

"Since you've made up your mind," says Deputy Chief, "we shall obey you.  We're leaving for Mount Shaoyang for the Hairpin Tournament in a few days.  For many of you young disciples, it'll be your first time leaving the palace.  I'm reminding you.  What is the first rule of Lize Palace?"

"Never take off our masks in front of outsiders!"

"I'm glad that you remember it.  You know very well the consequences of breaking the rule." The young men promptly put their masks on.

"Sifeng, let's see who gets to Shaoyang sect first," says his friend and Sect Brother, Ruo Yu.

 

....To be continued....

 

C-Drama Posters, such as "Love Between Fairy and Devil," can be purchased here.

11x17 Love Between Fairy and Devil Fan Art Prints — 사극 Paradise