American Perspectives: Testing Xuanji Pt. 2 ("Love and Redemption" Ep. 18)

 

 

“Love and Redemption” can be viewed on Viki or Youtube . Dialogue adapted from English subtitle translations by "Destined Love Team at Viki.com." "Love and Redemption," is based on the novel "Liu Li Mei Ren Sha," by Shi Si Lang. The writings presented here are based on observations from the television series.

 

Xuanji is happily setting up a blue ceramic bowl in her room, placing the Kunlun wood from the shattered Lovers Curse Mask inside, and lovingly patting down the dirt.  Palms up, she brings forth blue energy, moves her hands around, and positions her palms just above the bowl, using her energy like rain.  She draws forth more energy, and feeds it into the bowl.

"Junior Sister!" First Senior Brother yells outside her door.  He's carrying a basket of food.

Xuanji ignores him, and continues to cultivate.  She is trying her hardest not to fall asleep.

"Junior Sister, eat something," says First Senior Brother.

"I don't want to eat.  I don't want to eat anything."

"If you continue like this, your body will not be able to take it."

"I don't want to eat.  Don't ask again."  She continues to add energy with raw determination.  She cannot bear the thought of seeing Sifeng get punished for something she did.

First Senior Brother sighs in frustration, and walks away.

Xuanji is trying her hardest not to fall asleep while feeding more energy to the Kunlun Wood.  What should I do?  Tiime is almost up.  What if I can't grow it?  What will happen to Sifeng if I can't grow it?  She circles her arms around her head, drawing out even more energy to feed the wood.

She falls forward, passes out, and coincidentally, Hao Chen walks into the room.

"You don't have a heart," he says.  "How can you grow a heart lantern?  Yu Sifeng is the one who seduced you."  (Yet, he is the one who sneaks into her bedroom while she's asleep, and tries to cast spells on her body without her consent).  "He deserves this."  As he turns to exit, a beautiful, crystalline flower emerges from her bowl.

She managed to grow the Heart Lantern??  She was just away from me for a few months, and she already has the ability to love?  With this ability, her last chance of passing this trial will be destroyed.  He points his fingers, causing the Heart Lantern to levitate, and he unapologetically destroys it.  He places a different piece of Kunlun Wood in her bowl, beginning the process again, setting her up to fail, as it took two days for the original piece to grow.

"Now, they won't be able to tell.  Her two days will be up tomorrow.  Without the Heart Lantern, it's time for Yu Sifeng to give up."

 

Sifeng is walking along the edge of the courtyard, turning a corner, and seeing his fellow disciples.

"Look how unhurried he is," remarks a Lize Palace disciple.  "The daughter of a sect leader wants to marry him.  How wonderful," he says sarcastically.  "He has really brought pride to Lize Palace."

"Brought pride?  The rules of Lize Palace have already become a joke.  He dragged the whole Lize Palace down with his matter.  How thick faced he is."

Ruo Yu steps forward.  "We are all from the same sect.  Why do you have to say that?  Although Sifeng doesn't like to gossip, it doesn't mean that these remarks won't fall into the ears of our palace master."

The gossiping disciple snorts derisively.

Ruo Yu approaches Sifeng.  "Don't be bothered by them."

"Ruo Yu," says Sifeng. "Your scar..."  He sees a scratch on his face.

Ruo Yu sighs.  "You know about Lize Palace's rules, too.  Losing my mask is a grave crime.  Of course I'll be punished.  This scar is just a minor punishment as a warning.  The Tianxu Hall is going to make a ruckus today, and I've fought them before.  So, Palace Master allowed me to come with Deputy Chief to deal with it.  After it's done, I'll be sent to the 13 Punishments Tower of Oblivion."

"I still naively think that maybe the palace rules will be more humane now," says Sifeng.  "But, by the looks of it, I was too hopeful."

"So, I'm even more worried about you, Sifeng," says Ruo Yu.  "I didn't know that your mask was like that.  Today is the last day.  Will Xuanji be able to grow the Heart Lantern?"

"This is a first," says Sifeng.  "So, I don't know.  I believe in Xuanji.  Since she could take off my mask, her love for me must be real."

 

A new Heart Lantern has grown in Xuanji's bowl in spite of Hao Chen's attempts at destroying her efforts.

She wakes up with a start.  "When did I fall asleep?"  She looks down into the bowl, and smiles.  "Heart Lantern?"  Before she gets too excited, she carefully picks it up, and gets a good look.  Her heart leaps with joy.  "I managed to grow the Heart Lantern!"

Hao Chen watches her as she runs out of her room, a huge smile on her face.  He is just about to go after her and rain on her parade, but Si Ming appears in a poof of golden energy.

"King Bailing!" Si Ming warns.  "King Bailing, so the Kunlun Wood you planted can grow into a Heart Lantern, too.  That's not right.  You practice Heartless Tactics in both the Heavenly Realm and the Human Realm.  How can you grow a Heart Lantern?  And it's such a huge Heart Lantern."

Hao Chen is trying to keep it together.

"When Xuanji took your Heart Lantern, not only doesn't it wither, it shines even brighter.  Interesting.  Interesting."

Hao Chen turns to look at him.  "This is just a tactic to make Yu Sifeng give up."

Si Ming looks at him doubtfully.

Hao Chen waves a finger in his face. "Si Ming, if you think that you have too much time in Siming Hall, I don't mind throwing you into the Water of Forgetting and letting you go through the Path of Reincarnation."

"K-king," Si Ming stutters.

Too late, Hao Chen has already walked away in a huff.

"Farewell, King Bailing," Si Ming whispers and bows.

 

Deputy Chief walks out to the front of the courtyard on the very shiny deck where Sifeng and Ruo Yu are standing.

"Chu Xuanji is still not here," Deputy Chief observes.  "Sifeng, looks like the true love that you are hoping for is not going to happen"

Sifeng's eyes dart back and forth, nervous as all hell.

Xuanji is running as fast as she can, a huge smile on her face, holding her Heart Lantern proudly.  "Sifeng!  Sifeng!  Sifeng, I managed to grow the Heart Lantern!"  She proudly displays the glowing, crystal flower.  "Look.  I managed to grow the Heart Lantern!"

He looks at the lantern in disbelief, and he slowly begins to smile.

"I knew that you would be able to grow it," he says.

Deputy Chief smiles, but he looks a bit creepy and insincere in the process.  "Great," he says sarcastically.  "This Heart Lantern is so pure.  It means that you really have someone you love."

Xuanji and Sifeng are beaming at each other like two newly weds.  Sifeng is ready to cry.

"I already grew the Heart Lantern," says Xuanji.  "So, you won't take him away now, right?"

Deputy Chief smiles insincerely.  "Hurry up and give it to Sifeng.  The disciples of Lize Palace will be your witness today.  If the Heart Lantern is still shining like it's shining now, it means that the one you love is Sifeng, and Lize Palace will have nothing to say."

"Don't break your promise, then," says Xuanji.

She reaches forward and hands the Heart Lantern to Sifeng.  He carefully takes it from her.  It glows for a few seconds in his hands, and then it gradually begins to vanish.

Sifeng's hands shake.  Xuanji looks confused.  Deputy Chief smiles a genuine smile.

Sifeng stumbles backward.  His stomach hurts.  He's having a hard time breathing.

"Why is it like this?" Xuanji asks.

Deputy Chief looks at them with fake surprise.  "Xuanji, the one you love is not Sifeng?"

Xuanji doesn't understand.  There's no other man she even comes close to caring about this much.  "Sifeng, I'm the one who grew the Heart Lantern.  Why will it wither?  I..."

"Of course you are sincere to save Yu Sifeng from danger," Hao Chen interjects.  He approaches them and smiles.  "Xuanji, let me ask you.  You agreed to marry him because you want to help him, and save him from being punished by Lize Palace, right?"

"Yes," says Xuanji.  "I want to help Sifeng.  Isn't that sincerity?"

"Yes," Hao Chen says smugly.  "Shaoyang Sect has always been kind and righteous.  My junior was just feeling compassionate towards him, and wanted to help him."  He looks directly at Sifeng.  "That's it.  All the misunderstandings have been resolved today.  Please forget about this marriage agreement between them.  Let's not talk about it anymore."

Xuanji looks like she is going to genuinely cry.

"Thank you for your understanding," continues Hao Chen.  "Xuanji, let's go."

"But Sifeng..." says Xuanji.  "I..."

"I'm fine," says Sifeng.  "Xuanji, you have already done a lot for me.  Next, I'll settle it myself.  Go back."

"Sifeng," says Xuanji, "did I screw this up?"  Her lips tremble, and her eyes tear up.

He wants to kiss her, hold her, and tell her that everything is okay.

"Forget it," sighs Deputy Chief.  "Who can say that wanting to save your friend is insincere?  This is so touching," he says sarcastically.  "I won't blame Sifeng on this, then.  Chu Xuanji, you don't have to worry now."

"Really?" Xuanji asks tearfully.

"Look, Deputy Chief has already forgiven me.  I'll be fine.  Don't worry.  Go back." Sifeng reassures her.

"Xuanji, let's go," Hao Chen says sharply.

"Sifeng..."

"I'm fine," Sifeng assures her.  His heart is breaking into a million pieces, but the Loveless Curse remains under control.

She looks at him for a little while longer before slowly turning away.  She follows Hao Chen, but stops and looks back.  "Sifeng."

He smiles at her.

She looks down and exits the courtyard.

"What a pity," Deputy Chief smirks.  "Your Loveless Curse has no chance to be broken now.  Stay here if you want.  Nothing is more painful than having your hope crushed by the one you love.  And no punishment is more painful than the flare up of an episode of the Loveless Curse."

A tear rolls down Sifeng's cheek.

Deputy Chief chuckles before turning away.

"Sifeng," says Ruo Yu.

Sifeng takes a deep breath, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.  "I'm fine.  Xuanji...is different from others.  Since the time I first met her, she was very different from normal people.  I should've stayed away from her a long time ago.  So, unless it's Xuanji's personal choice, I won't believe in anything else.

 

Xuanji is in the woods, late at night, summoning green energy from her hands.  Clear your mind, the cloud is thin, and the wind is light.

She looks up and sees the full moon disappear behind a dark cloud.

The star cloud is very calm.  It means that my Spell of Tranquility is working well.  I won't be scolded by Senior Hao Chen now.

She closes her eyes and focuses on her spells.

"I'm fine," She remembers Sifeng saying earlier that day.  "You have already done a lot for me."

The feeling of calm she had a few seconds ago begins to disintegrate.  Senior Hao Chen said that I made a joke out of Sifeng.  Sifeng looked so sad just now.  Will Deputy Chief trouble him again?

She refocuses on her spell.  A small bolt of lightning flashes in the sky.  Thunder rumbles.  Bolts of purple lightning strike the ground like lasers, specifically aimed at her.  She jumps away, and immediately goes looking for a safe place.

This is bad.  I disrupted my Qi because I was distracted.

A poof of yellow energy forms, and the storm abates.

Sifeng comes walking to her.

"Sifeng!" Xuanji exclaims.

"Why were you so careless?" asks Sifeng.

"I was practicing the spell of tranquility just now, but I kept thinking about you," says Xuanji. "So, I accidentally disrupted my Qi."

"You kept thinking about me?  What about your heart, then?"

"I..."

"Xuanji, when you said that you'd marry me, did you say it out of friendship and pity only?  Don't you feel anything different for me?"

"What kind of different feelings are you talking about?" asks Xuanji.

Sifeng thinks carefully before he speaks, as he knows Xuanji is missing three of her six senses, and sensitivity to that is paramount.  "When we were at the wine cellar, I told you how I felt.  If you don't understand, I'll..."

Xuanji looks up at him.

"Make you understand it better, then."  He grabs her waist and pulls her to him.

She gasps with surprise.  Her heart races and her face reddens.  He touches her face, and she can feel the heat traveling to her ears.  He moves closer to her.  He closes his eyes, and his lips touch hers.

She is jolted by this new feeling.  Her eyes widen, and her hand clutches the outer robe of her hanfu.

What's wrong with me? Her entire body feels wide awake.  Why is my heart beating so fast?  Her eyes close. She feels scared and out of control.  She breaks away from Sifeng.

They both turn away from each other, hearts pounding, faces flushed, bodies awakened.  Sifeng grabs his heart.

Xuanji opens her tightly clenched hand, and an apple appears.  She extends the apple to Sifeng.  "Sifeng, do you want to eat this fruit?"  She says awkwardly.  "It's especially sweet.  You were scolded by Deputy Chief today.  You must be in a bad mood.  You'll be happier after eating this fruit."  She squeezes the apple in her fist, trying desperately to regain her composure.  "Sifeng!"

He takes a deep breath, and feels something strange in his chest.

"Sifeng, I..."

He continues to take deep breaths.  He turns to her.  She looks at him, eyes wide with surprise.  He walks toward her, but she nervously backs away.

"Sifeng, why are you acting so weird?"  She backs herself into a tree and drops the apple.

He grabs her wrist.  "Sifeng, I..."

Sifeng holds her hand.  "Xuanji, I like you.  More than anyone and anything.  I don't want to share you with others.  I hope that you'll always be mine alone."  He extends his right arm to the side, and in a wisp of gold energy, his mother's hairpin appears in the palm of his hand.  He lovingly places it in her hand.  "This hairpin is a love token from my father to my mother.  I'm giving it to you now."

"Sifeng, this hairpin is too precious.  You should keep it well.  How can you give it to me?"

"I'm giving it to you because it's important.  I hope that you can understand my feelings for you and yours for me."

There were many misunderstandings because I took Sixth Senior's dagger last time.  She blushes.  I can't casually take someone else's thing again.  She gasps and backs away.  "Sifeng, I never thought that you'd become so strange after taking off your mask.  If I had known that it would be troublesome, I wouldn't have taken it off.  I can't take this hairpin," she says quickly.  "Keep it."  She places it back in his hand and runs away.

 

Xuanji makes it back to her room, extremely flustered, and she slams the sliding doors shut.  She leans back against the doors and catches her breath.

Her heart can't stop racing, and she's sweating.  She puts her hand over her heart, still trying to catch her breath.

She wipes the sweat away from her neck.  She feels the heat on her face.  She waves her hands in front of her, trying to cool off.

She immerses herself in an icy cold bath.

Her room doors slide open.  "Xuanji," says Yu Ning.  "Xuanji."  She immediately notices Xuanji in the bath, and comes to her.  "What are you doing?"  She puts her finger in the water and recoils.  "Why is this cold water?"

"I..." shivers Xuanji.  "It's so hot and uncomfortable."

"What happened?" asks Yu Ning.

Xuanji remembers Sifeng kissing her.  She immediately immerses her face in the cold water.

"Eh?" Yu Ning immediately pulls her up.  "Xuanji."

Xuanji gasps for breath.  "Yu Ning, is something wrong with my mind?  I can't stop thinking about Sifeng."

Hao Chen is standing outside Xuanji's doors, listening in.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," says Xuanji.  "It's so uncomfortable and hot.  Am I sick?  Or did someone cast a weird spell on me?"

"Yes," says Yu Ning. "I think Sifeng cast a spell here."  She puts her hands over her heart.

Xuanji touches her heart.  "Here?  Really?"

Hao Chen continues to listen in.

"You really don't know?" Asks Yu Ning.  "This spell is called affection."

"Affection?" asks Xuanji.

Hao Chen looks like he's ready to barge in.

"It's like when I see my handsome Pian Pian," says Yu Ning.  "My heart will beat so fast, like there's a rabbit inside it."

Hao Chen walks away in disgust.

Xuanji splashes herself with the water.

"Xuanji," says Yu Ning.

"But I've never felt this way before.  And I don't feel the same way towards others."

"That's because Sifeng is different," says Yu Ning.

"Different?  Is everyone who feels affection the same as me?"

"You look innocent," says Yu Ning, "but you are actually very bold.  But if it wasn't because I was worried that it would affect my spell cultivation, Pian Pian and I would have..."

Xuanji looks up at her.  "It'll affect my cultivation?"

"Of course.  Do you know how many couples have given up the chance to be a deity in order to defend their love?"

"Looks like this is not something good," says Xuanji.

"It's our personal choice," says Yu Ning.  "It's not up to others to decide whether it's good or bad.  You must decide for yourself."

 

The full moon is shining through the branches.  Hao Chen slowly moves from behind a wooden post while he watches Xuanji practice spells in the courtyard.  Her eyes are closed, and greenish blue energy emits from her hands.

You should've been heartless and senseless. How did you fall in love?  I can't let you fall into this love trap.  He stealthily shoots some energy into her heart.

Xuanji gasps from the sudden, sharp pain.  She runs toward her room.  Hao Chen immediately blocks her path.

"Xuanji," he says sternly.  "What's wrong?"

She jumps back in shock.  "I don't know why I'm feeling hot and bothered.  I'm going to take a cold bath."

She runs toward her room.

He points his finger, and shoots her in the back with piercing energy.  She stops in her tracks, and turns to look at him.  The heat has finally left her face, and her heartbeat is back to normal.

"This is a symptom when your basics for the Heartless Tactics are not stable.  If someone gets too close to you, and says something seductive, you'll feel that kind of weird feeling just now.  Did you encounter that lately?"

Xuanji touches her ear.  "I..."  she looks over to the side.  "When I talked to Sifeng before this, the same thing happened.  Is this really because of a mistake during my training?"

"It happened to you, too, when you were with Sifeng?" Hao Chen asks judgmentally.

Xuanji nods.

"This is a symptom showing that your cultivation is not stable enough.  Be careful not to get too close to him.  I don't want you to overdo it, and harm yourself and the others."

"It's this serious?" Xuanji asks skeptically.

"Why would I lie to you?" says Hao Chen.  "You should listen to me and get rid of all distractions, practice your Spell of Tranquility, and cultivate yourself well."

Xuanji nods.

Hao Chen walks away.

She's not 100% sold on Hao Chen's words, as they don't completely match the reality of her emotions.