American Perspectives: Lovers Curse Vs The Heartless Path Pt. 2 ("Love and Redemption" Ep. 9)

 

"Love and Redemption" can be viewed on Viki or Youtube.  Dialogue adapted from English subtitle translations by "Destined Love Team at Viki.com"

 

Xuanji jumps.  "I smell a demon."

Xuanji, Linglong, and Little Six turn around, and a huge, black bird dive bombs them.

"Watch out!" says Little Six.

It knocks Xuanji over.

The three summon their weapons, aim for the bird, and miss.

"It's the Quru bird," says Xuanji.

"It has escaped," says Linglong.  "Let's chase after it."

They get on their weapons like they're surfboards, and fly through the sky.  They hover over a huge, steep chasm.

"What a strong demonic scent," says Xuanji.

"I smell that, too," says Linglong.  "It's thick and disgusting.  It stinks!"

"It's dark down there," says Little Six.  "We don't have a clear view."

Linglong pulls out a flare and lights it.  She casually drops it down into the chasm.  It quickly descends, the whole flare lighting up before it finally explodes.

The sky becomes thick with thousands of Quro Birds, as they awaken and fly out of the chasm.  The three quickly descend.

Blue energy emits from the three as they summon their weapons to be in hand.  They aggressively attack the birds, turning them into dust, but there are so many!

A blue bubble surrounds Xuanji as she attacks the birds with her umbrella.  She plows through them, but they are hard to eliminate.  She loses her protective bubble, and as she's fighting the birds, one strikes her, and she begins to bleed from the mouth.  Her blood floats away like it did in the lake on the forbidden ground.  She falls, but she's able to fly back up.  With a movement of her hands, she is surrounded by purple energy, which she turns into a huge fire.  The birds are relentless.  The fire goes out, and she falls again.

On a trail of fire, Sifeng comes flying through the chasm.  He fights the birds with fire.  He sees Xuanji falling, and he quickly catches her.  He helps her regain her footing while in the air, and he goes back to fighting the birds.  With his fingers, he emits a bright orange trail.

Xuanji casts a spell, emitting purple energy, blocking the birds.

Sifeng descends to her, stands in front of her, and uses his bright orange energy to eliminate the birds.  He looks back at Xuanji.

"Sifeng?" Xuanji asks.

He abruptly turns away from her.

She closes her eyes and falls back, but Sifeng catches her.  They descend to the grassy ground at the bottom of the chasm, eliminating birds along the way.

Before he can get too close to her, he lets her go and flies away.

"Sifeng," Xuanji starts to run.

Little Six and Linglong run after her.  

Linglong grabs her.  "Why are you bleeding?" She tries to wipe the blood from Xuanji's lips.

"I'm fine," Xuanji insists, wiping away the rest of the blood.

"Silly girl, you're not fine," says Linglong.

"I'm Ruo Yu from Lize Palace," a male voice says behind them.  The three turn around to face Ruo Yu, who is wearing a beautiful green Hanfu.  He bows to them.  "Greetings."

Xuanji cuts to the chase.  "Sifeng will return later, right?"

Ruo Yu thinks carefully.  "Miss, Sifeng is..."

"We're friends," Xuanji interrupts.  "This is great, I didn't expect to see him here."

A young woman in a white hanfu joins them.  "You said you were his friends?" She asks indignantly.  "That is bizarre."

Linglong gives her side eye.

"What's bizarre?" asks Xuanji.

"I heard that members of Lize Palace weren't supposed to make friends with outsiders, right?" She looks at Ruo Yu, the irony of this young woman's situation completely lost on her, as the Lize Palace is exclusively male, and she has been travelling with Sifeng and Ruo Yu.

"But Sifeng is different from others!" Xuanji insists.

"There are no exceptions!" the young woman snaps.

"Sifeng is an exception," says Xuanji.

Sifeng descends from the top of the chasm to join them.

"Sifeng!" Xuanji exclaims.

The young woman runs up to him.  "Did you capture it?"

"The Quru fled because it was frightened," says Sifeng.

"It fled?" the young woman asks.  She points at Xuanji, Linglong, and Little Six.  "It's all because of you three!"

"Save your breath," says Sifeng.  "Ruo Yu, let's go."

"Sifeng!" Xuanji grabs his arm.  She turns him to face her.  "Sifeng, is this really you?  You got yourself a new mask.  I almost couldn't recognize you.  I thought my skills would've been better after four years.  I thought I could protect everyone.  But I didn't expect you to improve this much.  You saved me once again."

He roughly brushes her hand off his arm.  "Quru birds hunt in groups.  We need a tactic to hunt them down.  Next time, you better prepare yourselves.  Don't create trouble for other people."

Little Six approaches Sifeng and puts his hand on his shoulder.  "Sifeng, my brother, long time, no see."

"Sifeng, it's been four years since we have met," Linglong adds.  "We wanted to find you in Lize Palace."

The young woman aggressively moves Little Six's hand off of Sifeng's shoulder.  "Let go! All of you, stay away from Sifeng!"

"You're rude," says Linglong.  "Who exactly are you?"

"That is none of your concern," says the young woman.

Ruo Yu intervenes.  "Please calm down.  She is Miss Lu Yan Ran from the Dianjing Valley Sect.  She was separated from her friends.  That's why she's travelling with us."

"We're not here to save you," Lu Yan Ran snaps.  "We prepared an ambush for the demons.  We were waiting for them to return to their nest.  But you just came and went all out on them, and that messed up our plan."

"How could we know you had a plan?" asks Linglong.  "You speak as if this is our fault."

"Wasn't it your fault?" asks Yan Ran.

Linglong changes the subject.  "Sifeng, since we didn't manage to find their nest, we should return to our Inn and rest."

"Sure!" Xuanji agrees.  "Where are you staying?  We can stay together and we can travel together afterward."

"We're not going on the same path!" Yan Ran interjects.

"Miss Xuanji," Ruo Yu explains, "first, we need to help Miss Lu find her friends.  So, it's inconvenient for us to travel together.  Please forgive us."  He bows.

"Save your breath," says Sifeng.  "Let's go."

Xuanji grabs his arm again.  "Sifeng, are you leaving us?  We missed you.  And we've finally met after so long.  Please don't leave."

"That's right.  Why are you leaving us?" asks Little Six.

"Sifeng, are you angry at us because Xuanji didn't contact you at all?" asks Linglong.

"Yes," Xuanji adds.  "Linglong said you must've been waiting for my news.  Sifeng, I'm sorry, it's my fault."  Too little, too late.  "But the Transmission Bell..."

"No." Sifeng cuts her off.  "I lost mine, as well.  It's a useless item."

Xuanji smiles, not realizing the implication of what he's saying.  "That's good.  I knew it.  Sifeng, you were so busy.  There's no need for us to contact each other, right?  Since we'll meet anyway."

"I'm busy, indeed," Sifeng says tersely.  "I won't waste any time here."

Sifeng, Ruo Yu, and Yan Ran turn to walk away.

"Sifeng!" Xuanji calls.

"Everyone, farewell for now," Ruo Yu bows to them.

Xuanji begins to get dizzy.

"Xuanji, what's wrong?" asks Linglong.

Sifeng stops in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Linglong asks.

Little Six feels Xuanji's hand.  "Xuanji was poisoned.  Wait...Quru Birds aren't poisonous."

Ruo Yu is standing closer to Sifeng, Little Six, and Xuanji.  "Sifeng, seems like Miss Xuanji has a serious injury.  We...are we going to leave them for real?"

"Sifeng, I heard that your sect specializes in neutralizing poison," says Linglong.  "Are you really going to ignore her?"

 

Both groups are at the Inn.  Sifeng and Xuanji are in a bedroom alone, and he's using his magic to neutralize her poison.  He is transferring golden energy from his hand into her head.  She is not waking up.

Linglong is nervously pacing outside.  "Little Six, will Xuanji be fine?"

"But the Demon Manual stated Quru Birds aren't poisonous," insists Little Six.  "How did this happen?"

"You're right," Ruo Yu agrees.  "That's why we suspect someone is manipulating them, and the manipulator must've applied poison to their talons."

"We would've captured that demon if it weren't for someone," Yan Ran chimes in.  "But in the end?  We're stuck here because of them.  Such bad luck."

"What do you mean by that?" Linglong asks.  "Sifeng is our old friend.  We will travel together sooner or later.  And we still have plenty of things to catch up on, as well.  You can leave if you don't want to stay."

"You are thinking too much," says Yan Ran.  "Sifeng has nothing to catch up on with you.  Didn't you see that?  He ignored you just now.  To me, you are here because the Quru Birds are too strong, and you wanted to seek Sifeng's help to defeat them."

"You!" says Linglong.

"Some people are useless by themselves.  That's why they want to seek help from Lize Palace," smirks Yan Ran.

"I--" says Linglong.  She turns to Little Six.  They have nothing to say.

"What?" Yan Ran smirks, and sticks out her tongue.

"Stop now," says Ruo Yu.

Sifeng is still transmitting energy into Xuanji's forehead.  She begins to cough.  She takes a deep breath and opens her eyes.

Sifeng is looking right at her, his face hidden by that hideous mask.

"Sifeng."

He turns and walks away.

"Sifeng, don't leave."  She gets up to chase after him, but her knees buckle, and she falls on the floor.  "Sifeng, don't leave me."

He's feeling flustered, and the mask doesn't hide that.  He regains his composure.  "I have just neutralized the poison.  You better not move around."

Xuanji stumbles back to the bench she was sitting on.  "Sifeng, I know you're angry.  I was too dumb.  When I went to Xuyang Peak for training with Senior Brother Hao Chen, he confiscated the Transmission Bell you gave me because he didn't want me to be distracted.  And I didn't think of other ways I could contact people.  That's why I didn't write one letter to Linglong or Sixth Senior Brother.  Linglong was very angry with me."

"You don't need to explain that to me.  It's fine even if we didn't contact each other."  He turns to walk away again.

Xuanji stands up.  She limps to him. "Sifeng, why are you still trying to leave?  We wanted to find you in Lize Palace initially.  Isn't it a great thing when we meet each other here?  Why are you still insisting on leaving?"

"Why must we stay together?" asks Sifeng.

"Because we made a promise.  The four of us are going to travel together, right?"

"Is that so?" Sifeng asks.  "But after that, I realized nothing is permanent in this world.  Same goes for a friend's promise."

"Sifeng, I don't understand.  Initially..."

"I did promise that I'd find you the MIrror of Origin with you initially.  And I will keep my promise.  I obtained one shard by accident."  He reaches into his indigo colored hanfu, and hands the shard to her.  "Here."

She hesitates.  "Sifeng, I didn't mean that.  And regarding the Mirror of Origin, I don't need it anymore."

He slowly pulls the shard back.

"Senior Brother Hao Chen said that I will become obsessed with desire and greed if I search for it.  It's not good for my training.  So, I promised Senior Brother Hao Chen that I wouldn't search for it anymore after I leave the mountain."

Sifeng's hands tense up.

"But Sifeng, I still need to thank you."

"So, you don't want to recover your six senses anymore?" asks Sifeng.

"I was born without them.  I think it's fine even if I don't recover them.  They don't seem that important to me.  The current Chu Xuanji isn't that bad anyway.  Am I right?"

"The human heart is indecisive and unstable.  I've witnessed it for myself."

"Sifeng, what did you say?"

"Since it's useless to you, that means we don't need to meet anymore.  Farewell."

"Sifeng!" she chases after him.

"Sifeng, don't leave us!" Says Xuanji.

"Sifeng, did you neutralize the poison?" asks Linglong.

"She can move after some rest," says Sifeng.  "You may leave after some time.  We'll handle the Quru birds."  He turns to the rest of his group.  "Let's go."

"What do you mean by this?" asks Little Six.  "Aren't we your companions?"

"That's right.  I thought we were going to capture them together," says Linglong.

"There's no need for this many people," says Sifeng.  "It's troublesome."

"That's not the point," says Little Six.  "Sifeng, I thought this was a happy occasion, but why are you treating us like the plague?  You're trying to avoid us.  Sifeng, what's wrong with you?"

"Sifeng, there's no need for explanations," Yan Ran interjects.  "Let's go."

As the Lize Palace group is about to walk away, a horde of Quru Birds fly through the sky.

"What's going on?  Why are they approaching us?" asks Ruo Yu.

"There are so many of them!" says Yan Ran.   "There are too many of them!"

"Set up the barrier!" shouts Sifeng.

The group forms a circle and emit energy from their index and middle fingers in a variety of colors.  The blue green barrier keeps the birds out, but it doesn't get rid of them.

"Why are there so many Quru Birds?" asks Yan Ran.

"Didn't you say someone was manipulating them?" Asks Little Six.  "They're still not leaving, even after the barrier was set up.  I'm afraid they're trying to trap us here."

"You won't be trapped if you're capable enough to break through," says Yan Ran.  "Hero Zhong, you're quite skilled, but it's hard when you have two amateurs around."

"Stop looking down on us," says Linglong.

"You can leave if you're that capable!" snaps Yan Ran.

"We'll deal with the birds and the demon once Xuanji recovers her strength," says Linglong.

"Miss Lu, it's fine," says Xuanji.  "We can escape by ourselves."

"Silly girl, she's not saying that out of concern!" says Linglong.

"These Quru Birds all came out of their nests," says Ruo Yu.  "And their talons were coated with poison.  It's too risky to try and break through.  Sifeng, what do you think?"

"We'll just destroy their nest, then," says Sifeng.

"Are you going to use that?" asks Ruo Yu.

"We must deal with their mastermind first," says Sifeng.  "It's better for us to end this quickly, as well."  He summons his magic writing brush, and with golden energy, inscribes some characters in the air.

"Sifeng, what are you doing?" asks Little Six.

"He's going to cast the secret spell of Lize Palace, Soul Chaser," says Ruo Yu.  "It can detect the location of the culprit behind this."

"Inside the palace, among the stars," says Sifeng while moving his hands, "chase the cursed soul, with the speed of the wind.  Search!"

The spell transmits to an underground demonic lair where a demon is controlling a small tower that is pouring out toxic red energy.  Sifeng is able to neutralize the demon, but it is through an intense fight.

Sifeng is jolted back into reality.

"Sifeng, are you okay?" asks Xuanji, grabbing his arm.

Yan Ran gives her the side eye.

Sifeng moves away.  "To the west, there are the caves.  Take the middle cave, and you'll reach a valley.  The demon manipulating the birds is located there.  I've injured the demon and he can't move around.  You can go and capture him."

"Sifeng," says Yan Ran, "we'll let them go since they want to capture it so badly.  Your breathing is a mess.  You need to recuperate.  I'll stay here and guard you."

"No need," says Sifeng.  "That demon is quite powerful.  All of you should go."

"But what if something..." says Little Six.

"Stop wasting time!" snaps Sifeng.  "If the demon flees, I'll blame it on all of you."

"Be careful, then," says Little Six.  "Send us a signal if you're in danger.  Let's go."

Linglong nods.  "Xuanji, let's go."

After the five have left, Sifeng moves his hands, leaving a space between them.  Gold energy emanates, and Quru Birds appear.

In a great blue flash, Xuanji is there, blocking a bird with her umbrella.  "Sifeng, are you okay?"

Sifeng is caught off guard.  "Why are you here?"

"I've thought about it.  I can't leave you alone here.  I'll stay by your side until you get better."

"No need." Sifeng turns away.  He moves his hands again to cast a spell, but Xuanji stops him.

"Sifeng, you mustn't rush the recovery process.  Don't move.  It's dangerous for you to activate your energy by force."

He's very nervous.  Maybe Xuanji's feelings about him hadn't been fake after all.  He's terrified.

"Sifeng, why is your breathing getting more and more unstable?  Do you feel uncomfortable?  Are you in pain?  Why are you sweating so much?"

His hand tightens.

"This won't do," says Xuanji.  "I need to transfer some of my energy to you.  But your mask..."

He blocks her hand.  "Don't touch it."

"I want to help you."

"You're helping me by not touching it."  He's trying really hard to keep himself together.  He quickly runs to his room.

I knew it, she thinks.  Sifeng is still angry at me for not contacting him.  What should I do to surprise him?  Oh, right!  What did Sixth Senior Brother do every time he made Linglong angry? 

She runs to his room, finding him sitting on a bench, meditating.

"Sifeng!" she notices he is still sweating.  "Why are you sweating so much?  You'll catch a cold."  She opens up the top part of his hanfu to examine.

He immediately opens his eyes, and puts his hand over her wrist.  "What are you doing?"

"Sifeng, I am wiping away your sweat.  You'll catch a cold like this.  I'm not trying to scold you, but you are not taking care of yourself.  You can't do anything without me around."

With a sweep of his arm, the droplets of sweat separate from his body.  "My sweat is gone."

She holds out her palm, and a piece of dried fruit materializes.  She tries to put it in his mouth, but he moves away.

"Sifeng," says Xuanji.  "This dried fruit is very sweet. I can't even bear to eat it.  I kept it especially for you.  Try it."

He keeps his mouth shut, and turns his head away from her.  "Chu Xuanji, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"I...I'm trying to make you happy.  I'm trying to coax you.  Please don't be angry anymore."  She shakes his arm.  "Please don't hold it against me."  He ignores her.  "Sifeng."

He keeps his eyes closed, pretending to meditate.  Xuanji makes faces at him.  He opens his eyes for a moment while she's doing so, and promptly closes them.

"Isn't this funny?" she asks.  "Sifeng, please smile.  You'll get younger when you smile.  Sifeng."

"Chu Xuanji, that's enough."

"Isn't this funny?  Never mind, I have another trick."  She sits down in front of him.  "Sifeng, let me tell you a joke.  Listen closely.  Once, there was a Phoenix who tried to attain nirvana.  Guess what happened in the end?  Listen carefully.  It overheated!  Isn't that funny?  Answer me. It's not funny?  I have another trick up my sleeve.  Sifeng, look."  She has her hands in fists in front of her.  "I've hidden a treasure in one of my hands.  Take a guess.  If you're correct, I'll give you the treasure."  He turns toward her left hand.  "You're wrong," Xuanji says.  "There's nothing inside."

He opens his eyes.  "Are you done?"

"Sifeng, don't be angry.  Although you're wrong, I hate it when our Sifeng gets angry.  So, even though you're wrong, I'll still give you the treasure."  A bouquet of flowers materializes in her hand.  She hands them to him.  "Are they nice?  Sixth Senior used this trick every time Linglong was angry, and he succeeded every time."

The memory of Xuanji telling Hao Chen she liked Little Six while the Transmission Bell was active gets triggered.  Though, to be fair, Xuanji did not understand what she was saying at the time.  He tenses up and throws the flowers across the room.

"Chu Xuanji, listen carefully.  I'm not angry.  You can stop your silly acts."

"Sifeng, you're not angry?  Why are you acting like this, then?  Why did you change so much?  You don't want us to be your friends anymore?  Do you hate me now?"

Sifeng takes a deep breath.  "The Disciples of Lize Palace weren't supposed to have friends anyway.  There's nothing for me to like or hate."  It pains him to say it.  "Four years is a long time.  It's normal for people to grow and change.  There's no need to dwell on the past."

"No, you weren't like this in the past.  We had plenty of things to talk about in the past, and many things we could share.  You taught me many things, as well.  Sifeng, you even told me that meeting me was the best thing that happened in your life.  Although I was asleep, I did hear what you said."

"I was rash then," Sifeng says quickly.  "I never think before I speak.  You mustn't hold it to your heart.  It's meaningless."

"It's not!  The past you, and everything you said, all of them were meaningful to me.  I don't want our relationship to change.  Sifeng, I don't want to lose you."

 

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