American Perspectives: Little Silver Flower Goes to Tianxu Hall Pt. 2 ("Love and Redemption" Ep. 19)

 

“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.

 

Little Silver Flower is walking through the dark hallway of the Tianxu Hall hideout.  She is helping another demon carry a pallet full of wine.

"Do you know after the battle at Mount Gao, North Superintendent has brought home a beautiful lady?" A demon laughs.  "And they just stay in the room everyday."

Little Silver Flower runs up to him.  "North Superintendent just brought back a lady and nothing else after the battle?"

"I heard that he brought back a broken mirror, too," says another demon.

Little Silver Flower gasps.

"I don't know what it's for," says the other demon.

"Broken mirror?" The demon smiles.

"There's a beautiful lady in his room."  Says the other demon.  "Of course that mirror is for her to doll herself up."

"Or else, why did North Superintendent hang that mirror in the room?"

Little Silver Flower decides to go break away from the group and sneak around the lair.

Linglong is sitting alone in Wu Tong's bedroom, dissociated.  Even a strong drink would not numb the pain and terror of the last several days.

Little Silver Flower looks both ways before entering Wu Tong's bedroom.

"Lu Yan Ran!  Lu Yan Ran!"  Linglong exclaims, still chained up.

Little Silver Flower runs up to her.  "Chu Linglong."

"Why are you here?" asks Linglong.

"Ah," says Little Silver Flower, "so the beautiful lady they were talking about is you."

"Save me," says Linglong.

Little Silver Flower looks behind her.  "Shh.." she says to Linglong.  She peers at the chains. "Can't you break it?"

"I don't know what spell to use to break it."

Little Silver Flower applies white hot energy to the lock.  No change.  "What kind of chain is this?"  She hands Linglong a huge dagger.  "Use this for now.  I have other things to do. I have to find something."

"What are you looking for?" asks Linglong.

"Mirror of Origin.  Do you know where it is?"

"Mirror of Origin?  Lu Yan Ran, go over there.  Wu Tong always touches that drawing.  Take a look over there."

"Drawing?"  Little Silver Flower runs to the drawing, and removes it.  A small cabinet door is etched into the wall.  Little Silver Flower smiles.  She gets ready to pull the door back, but the heavy sound of footsteps are heard in the hallway.  Little Silver Flower hurriedly puts the drawing back.  "Don't betray me," she whispers to Linglong before finding an escape.

Linglong hides the dagger under the red outer robe of her hanfu.

Wu Tong enters the room, and Little Silver Flower is hidden behind the door.  Linglong looks straight ahead, pretending not to see Wu Tong.  Her dinner is placed on their bed, just out of reach.

"Young Lady Chu," says Wu Tong.  He slides the tray toward her.  "You don't have an appetite because I'm not here to accompany you?" He smirks.  "I have to go out to do something now.  I'll accompany you when I come back tonight."

Linglong's stomach turns.

He touches her chin.

Little Silver Flower is horrified.  She and Linglong may have had their differences in the past, but what he intends to do to Linglong, she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.  She watches him take the drawing off the wall.  He opens the little cabinet door, pulls out a box, and confirms his piece of the Mirror of Origin is still there.  He sticks the shard in the chest panel of his hanfu.  He re-hangs the drawing.  Linglong pretends to see nothing. She stares straight ahead.

"Who came here before?" Wu Tong asks accusatorily.

"You have so many guards in Tianxu Hall.  Why are you asking me?"

"Don't play with me."

"What do you want me to say?  A demon came and you came.  Are you satisfied now?"

Wu Tong hears something nearby.  He explores the area just outside his bedroom.

Little Silver Flower is still hiding behind the door.  He walks closer to her hiding spot.  Little Silver Flower stays as still as she possibly can.

Linglong picks up the rice from her tray, and throws it at some cabinets on the wall across from her.

Wu Tong turns to look at her in surprise.

"You kept shouting at me once you got back," says Linglong.  "Let me tell you!  I won't allow myself to be treated like that!"

He grabs Linglong's wrist.  "Young Lady Chu, do you really think that I can do nothing to you?"

She gives him an icy stare.

"Okay.  Just you wait then.  I'll take care of you tonight."  He kisses her hand, and she recoils.  He laughs at her aversion to him, which he finds all the more exciting.  He exits the room with a giddy smile on his face.

Little Silver Flower approaches Linglong.

"Yan Ran," says Linglong.

Little Silver Flower kneels down and pats her hand.  "I have things to do.  I'll save you later.  Don't try to break the chain.  Break the lock.  Don't let them find out."

"Be careful," says Linglong.

Little Silver Flower nods.  "Don't worry.  I have to go now."

Wu Tong is roaming the halls of his lair.  Little Silver Flower is stealthily following him.  She watches him bow to someone she can't see.

"My Master," says Wu Tong.  He reaches inside his hanfu to retrieve the shard.  "Mirror of Origin."

Hall Master holds his hand up.  The shard disappears from Wu Tong's hand, leaving a trail of red ash.  It reappears in Hall Master's palm.

With a tremendous amount of force, he hurls red and black energy at Wu Tong's neck.  It sends him reeling backwards.

"Do you think you can atone for your mistake with this mirror?" asks Hall Master.  "Who boasted about it back then?  In the end, you already destroyed Xuanyuan Sect.  But you still didn't get the spirit key.  You've alerted them to our plan.  You've made a mess."

Wu Tong stands up.  "My Lord, this is just an accident."

"I think you are just focused on destroying the Five Sects.  You don't even pay attention to finding the spirit keys."

"I want to destroy the Five Sects to benefit Tianxu Hall's grand scheme," argues Wu Tong.

Hall Master smirks, his laugh sounding oddly familiar.  "Did you catch Linglong for the grand scheme of Tianxu Hall, too?  Are you curious about how I knew that?  Let me tell you, I can see everything you do!"

"That woman is the one who turned me into this.  Of course, I want to make her suffer."

"You better be," says Hall Master.  "But Chu Linglong has her uses, too.  Come over here."

Wu Tong moves closer to Hall Master's seat.  Before he can get any nearer, Hall Master materializes in front of him in a poof of red smoke.

"Cut away Linglong's arm," says Hall Master.  "And give it to those sects as a present."

Wu Tong's eyes widen with horror.

"Tell Sect Leader Chu that if he wants his daughter back, he can exchange her with the spirit key.  Wolf will aid you with it."

Shit, thinks Wu Tong.

"What is it?" asks Hall Master.  "You can't bear to do that?"

"My Lord, just wait for the good show," Wu Tong says softly.

"Good," Hall Master says approvingly.  "If anything happens again, say goodbye to your North Superintendent position..."  Like a comet, he turns into a streak of red and black smoke, quickly moving through the hallway.

Little Silver Flower carefully follows Hall Master's trail.  She finds herself further in the cave.  "Where is he?  I better go back and tell Sifeng that the Mirror of Origin has been taken away," she sighs.  "No.  Chu Linglong is still in the room.  I really can't leave her here..."

 

 

Linglong is frantically cutting at the chain with the dagger Little Silver Flower provided.

She grabs one of Wu Tong's outer jackets, and puts it over her head.  Her arms are still chained, but she can move around.  She hears movement in the hallway, and quickly sits down by the bed.  It's only two random demons.  She gets up and walks toward the entry way.  Just as she's about to exit, Wu Tong crosses in front of the doorway.

Linglong panics.  He slowly walks to her.  She throws off the jacket, and lunges at him with her dagger.  He grabs her wrist, maneuvers himself behind her, the dagger pointed to her throat.

"You want to die?" asks Wu Tong.  "I'll help you."  In a flash of red and black, he pushes her across the room.  She stops right before a burning candle before he uses the red and black smoke energy to turn her around and throw her on the bed.  He pins her down.

"You scoundrel!  Let me go!"  Linglong screams.

"Back then, you came this close to me and called me scoundrel.  Remember?"

"Get off me!"

"Think about it.  How did I reply to you back then?  I told you that I'll show you what a real scoundrel is."

"If you want to treat me like this," says Linglong, "I'd rather you kill me!"

"You already can't take it?  Do you want to die?  Do you know how I survived when I was hunted by all of you?  What unforgiveable crime did I commit back then?  Did your sister die?  Did the Five Sects have to work together to hunt a normal disciple?  Did they have to force me in a corner again and again, and make me crawl out from hell?"

Linglong shrieks in fear.  This was not what she wanted.  She wanted beautiful and meaningful intimacy with Little Six, not a traumatic experience from Wu Tong.

He tears open the chest panel of his hanfu.

Linglong screams, covers her eyes, and looks away.

"Open your eyes and look.  Look!"  He pulls her hands from her face.  "Open your eyes.  Look!"

She opens her eyes and sees multiple cut scars running down his torso.

"Take a good look.  In the past four years, I have died multiple times.  And I crawled back from hell every time.  Five hundred silver.  My life only costs 500 silver.  All of you looked down on me too much."  He begins to laugh.  He puts her hand on his leg.  "Touch it.  Do you feel it?  A fake limb. This is what your righteous sects gave me."  He laughs at her.  "What kind of gaze is this?  Guilt?  Pity?  I didn't tell you this to make you pity me.  It wasn't easy for me to stay alive.  Now I'm going to take my revenge.  Xuanyuan Sect is just the beginning.  Your father, your sister, and you, little love, will not be able to escape."

"No," cries Linglong.

He gives her a sinister look.  "As for you,  you'll stay here and be my puppet."

 

Hao Chen knocks on Zhu Shi's bedroom doors.  "Sect Leader Zhu Shi, Sect Leader Zhu Shi."

"Hero Hao Chen," says Sect Leader Zhu Shi.

"Where did you go?" asks Hao Chen.  "You are wounded.  Why aren't you resting in your room?"

"Xuanyuan Sect has already been destroyed, and my Destiny Pearl is in other's hands right now.  How can I recuperate in peace?  By the way, why are you here?"

"You were poisoned by the demons before this.  I'm worried that the poison is still inside you."  He reaches inside his hanfu for some medicine.  "This is my master's Antidemonic Pill.  It can get rid of all the Demonic Poison in you.  It can help you recover sooner."

Zhu Shi cautiously takes the red vial of medicine.  "Thank you, Hero Hao Chen."

"How about you take the pill now?" asks Hao Chen.  "I'm here.  If anything happens to you, I can help you stabilize your qi at once."

Zhu Shi and Hao Chen stare at each other.  Zhu Shi takes a deep breath, and pours a pill into his hand.  He immediately takes it.  "Thank you, Hero Hao Chen."  He slides open his room doors.

Hao Chen watches him suspiciously.  If he's a demon, he'll show his true self after taking the pill.  But he still looks the same.  Did I overthink this?

"Since you are fine, I don't have to worry now," says Hao Chen.  "Please have a good rest."  Hao Chen bows.

Zhu Shi turns to look at him.

"Good bye," says Hao Chen.

"I won't see you out then," says Zhu Shi.  He quickly closes the doors after Hao Chen leaves.  He falls to his knees and vomits blood.  A red and orange stone falls out of his mouth.  He picks it up.  He is now fully shape shifted, back into Steward Ouyang.

"Luckily, my Lord had already anticipated this.  He gave me this stabilizing amber.  Or else, I'd be dead."

 

Wu Tong is sitting on a stage in the Main Hall of the Tianxu Hideout.  Two guards escort Linglong in.  She walks between two single file lines of guards holding their swords out.  Wu Tong is watching her with a mix of romantic interest and anger.

The guards and Linglong stop in front of a stone slab.

"Let go of me!  Don't push me!" Linglong protests.

The two guards force her to her knees, her hands bound behind her back.

Wu Tong stands up and walks to her.  "Take a guess. If your father sees his beautiful daughter's hand, what will he do?"

A guard unties her right hand, and puts her arm on the rock.  Wu Tong grabs a sword.

"Do you think I'll be afraid of you?" Asks Linglong.  "My father won't compromise with you.  Dream on!"

He raises his sword.

She closes her eyes, determined not to allow him to see her fear.  She hears the sound of a blade slicing, and another woman screaming. Linglong looks over, and sees a woman in a pink hanfu bleeding profusely.  She looks at Wu Tong.  "You are a lunatic."

Wu Tong grabs her hand.

"What are you doing?" Cries Linglong.  "What are you doing?"

He takes the rather distinctive bracelet off her wrist, and hands it to an underling.  "Put this on the hand and wrap it up.  Send it to those sects."  Wu Tong looks over at a very tearful Linglong.  He smiles at her.  "Suddenly, I remember that I have something fun."

He sweeps his hand through the air.  Black energy forms, and a tiny black, silver, and gold bell emerges.

"Do you know what this is?" Wu Tong asks.

Linglong doesn't answer.

"Soul Bell," says Wu Tong.  "I'll draw out your primordial spirit from your body first, and let it be empty.  I'll spare your life.  And then, you'll feel nothing, and I can tame you easily."

A tear rolls down Linglong's cheek.

"When I tame your body until it only listens to and obeys me, I'll put your primordial spirit back in."  He laughs.

"I'd rather die than become your puppet," says Linglong.  "Kill me!  Kill me!  Kill me!"

Wu Tong smiles and holds up the bell.  He back hands her with his red and black fiery energy.

 

Little Silver Flower runs into Wu Tong and Linglong's bedroom.  It is completely deserted.  Where the hell is Linglong?

"Hurry up!" A guard yells.  "Hurry up!  The North Superintendent has summoned us!"

Little Silver Flower carefully follows behind them.

"Take her back to her room, and keep an eye on her," Wu Tong tells the guards.  "If she runs away again, I'll punish you."

"Yes!" Say the guards.  They drag an unconscious Linglong out of the Main Hall.

Little Six watches Wu Tong examine the dagger she had given to Linglong.  Her heart begins to pound as he is studying the inscriptions on the blade.

Wu Tong holds out the dagger for all to see.  "Who recognizes this dagger?"

Little Silver Flower keeps her expression neutral.

"Everyone is quiet.  Good.  There's a spy among us.  Interesting.  Guards!  Bring out all the demons who came to Tianxu Hall in less than two months."

A guard starts picking unfamiliar people from the crowd, including Little Silver Flower.

"Me?" Little Silver Flower points to herself.

"Yes," says the guard.

"Since this has never happened before," says Wu Tong, "that spy must be new here.  I just have to check, one by one."  He holds up the dagger.  "During the afternoon, Chu Linglong didn't have this dagger yet.  Someone must've gone into my room and passed her the dagger after that.  Tell me.  What did you do this afternoon?"

"North Superintendent, I was drinking with my friends in the front camp. They can vouch for me."

Sifeng! Sifeng! Little Silver Flower communicates telepathically.  Can you hear me?

Sifeng, save me!  Sifeng hears Little SIlver Flower's mental communication.  I found Linglong, but Wu Tong found out.  He has closed all exits, and is going to check us, one by one.  I can't get out.

"Sifeng, did something happen?" asks Ruo Yu.

"Yan Ran is in danger."

"Sifeng!"  Xuanji approaches Sifeng and Ruo Yu.  "I saw Senior Min Xing came back just now, and he rushed into the guest hall.  Did he have news regarding Linglong?"

"Linglong is in danger," says Sifeng.

"What happened?" asks Xuanji.

"I just fixed the sound bell," Sifeng lies, "and I found out about Linglong."  He shows her the repaired Transmission Bell.  "I was just about to tell you."

"Where is she?" asks Xuanji.  "Let's go and find her."

"Okay, let's go," says Sifeng.

 

"I follwed them here," Yu'er tells Little Six and Chen Minjue.  "It was guarded so well that I couldn't get in.  So, I dug a hole in front."

"Let's go there now," says Little Six.

"Okay," says Chen Minjue.

 

Little Silver Flower is among the five whom Wu Tong suspects are spies.

"Now, only your whereabouts are unclear.  And nobody can vouch for you.  This is easy.  The spy must be among you.  Bring them here."

Several male disciples captured from Xuanyuan Sect are brought up on the stage.

"These are the cultivators we kidnapped from the Sects," says Wu Tong.  "If you want to prove your innocence, kill them.  If you don't dare to do it, I'll kill you together with them."

Yu'er, Little Six, and Chen Minjue are sneaking through the Hideout.

"Wait! This place is too big," says Chen Minjue.  "How about we split up and gather back here?"

"Okay, be careful," says Little Six.  "Yu'er," he briefly stops her.  "Thank you."

 

"Don't kill me!" a Disciple pleads in front of Little Silver Flower. Wu Tong is watching her closely, as something about her seems very familiar.

Little Silver Flower remembers something Sifeng told her.  "Two inches below the human's left ribs is a special spot.  It'll bleed nonstop if you cut that spot.  It looks serious, but it's not fatal.  So, people always use this spot to feign death." 

With all the bravery she can muster, Little Silver Flower stabs the disciple in front of her.  She doesn't see Little Six in the shadows, watching her with horror.  He doesn't know that she's been helping Linglong, or that she's doing intel for Sifeng.  All he knows is that she killed a Xuanyuan Sect disciple, and he's feeling profoundly betrayed.  He accidentally steps on a rock.

"Who is it?" growls Wu Tong.  He throws a sword in the direction of the sound.

Little Six does a full twist layout in the air to avoid getting hit.  He lands in front of Wu Tong and Little Silver Flower.

"It's you?" asks Wu Tong.

"Wu Tong, where did you take Linglong?" Little Six asks sharply.

Wu Tong smirks.

"Leave now," Little Silver Flower whispers.

"I never thought you'd be able to find this place," says Wu Tong.  "Do you think you can just take Linglong away?  She can't leave me now."

"Wu Tong!" Little Six charges at him.

The guards run for Little Six, but he jumps high in the air, and does something similar to a men strike from Kendo with his sword.  He fights off the guards, white energy streaming from his blade.

Little Six throws his sword at Wu Tong.  Wu Tong turns to the side, and doesn't get hit. Little Six flies up to him, attempting to fight again.  Wu Tong knocks him down.

Minyan," says Chen Minjue. He casts a spell, and a fog permeates the room.  "Minyan, let's go now." The two men exit. 

Wu Tong sees them leaving, and tries to fly after them. Little Silver Flower attempts to block him, but gets pushed to the ground.  He runs out the exit.

Little Silver Flower catches her breath and follows after him.

Wu Tong has many guards with him.  Little Silver Flower runs along the walls and brings forth silvery blue energy, knocking many guards over.

Wu Tong grabs her arm, and flips her into the rock wall.  With purple and pink energy emitting from his hand, Wu Tong pins her to the wall.  A purple band appears around her neck.

"Spy!" he growls.

Little Silver Flower coughs.

"No wonder you look familiar," says Wu Tong.  "We met each other on Mount Gao."

"I haven't even punished you for hurting Sifeng!" she coughs.

Wu Tong smiles and laughs. "Yu Sifeng?  You can't even save yourself, and you are still thinking about a man?  Die in peace.  I'll kill Yu Sifeng and the others later to accompany you."

Little Silver Flower is gasping for breath, pink and purple lines forming on her face.

A sword flies through the hall, knocking down more guards, and taking Wu Tong by surprise.  He blocks the sword with his hand, which is emitting white hot energy.

Sifeng runs up, retrieves his floating sword, and kicks Wu Tong over.  Wu Tong is on his knees, gripping his chest.

"Yu Sifeng!"  Shouts Wu Tong.

Ruo Yu catches Little Silver Flower as she falls from the wall and onto the floor.  "Yan Ran."

With a grand gesture from his arms, each arm making an opposite circle, thick purple smoke emits.  He throws the smoke outwards, covering Sifeng midair.  Sifeng is able to break past the cover, and he kicks Wu Tong to his knees.  Wu Tong spits blood.  He looks at Sifeng and disappears in a cloud of purple and black energy.

Sifeng approaches Ruo Yu and Little Silver Flower who are sitting on the ground.  With a gesture of his hand, he turns Little Silver Flower back into a snake, and keeps her safe in his fist.

"Let's meet up with them first," says Sifeng, in reference to Little Six and Chen Minjue.  "Let's go."