[Episode 1]
[The First Year of Tianqi] (Tianqi: Name of the Chinese era )
[The Wilderness of the Far North]
Long, long ago, there were many unknown lands.
In those unknown lands, [Ambassador of Demon Sect, Tang]
there were many unknown people. [Ambassador of Heaven Pillar Sect, Qi Nian]
there were many unknown people. [Ambassador of the Know and Obey Monastery, Ye Qing]
Ants and hawks belong to different worlds.
In the eyes of the hawks, ants are only black dots.
But there are always those special few
unwilling to accept their fate and struggle for survival. [The First Professor of Tang Academy, Li Manman]
This world is thus no longer the same.
This is the Heavenly God's world and also the King of Hades's world.
Legend says that every thousand years, the King of Hades will launch an eternal night.
An eternal night is approaching, dark night envelops all, and the earth is frozen.
There is no way for humankind to survive.
Each sect sent out ambassadors to find traces of the King of Hades.
[The Dean of Tang Academy, Fu Zi]
[The Fifteenth Year of Tianqi]
[Lao Tse's Treatise on the Response of the Tao]
Ning Que, let's go cut firewood.
[Ning Que]
Something's wrong. Go take a look.
Be careful!
It's a trap!
This isn't good! Retreat toward the canyon!
Do you know who I am?
I'm the woodcutter of Shubi Lake.
You're the woodcutter of Shubi Lake?
Worthless wretch! Worthless wretch! (T/N: Literally useless firewood)
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[Ever Night]
[The Golden Horde]
The Golden Horde is between the Tang Empire and the northern wilderness.
To improve the relationship with Tang, the chief of the Golden Horde entered into a marriage alliance with Tang two years ago.
The Emperor of Tang bestowed the marriage of Princess Li Yu to the chief.
[The Princess of Tang, Li Yu]
Ban Xia.
Princess!
Ban Xia is willing to die for Princess.
In the fifteenth year of Tianqi, the chief suddenly died.
According to a royal decree in the Golden Horde, the chief's wife must die with the chief.
You can not harm the Princess of my Tang Empire!
[Cultivator, Lu Qingchen]
I, your subject, have come to your rescue late.
May Princess forgive me.
- Lu Qingchen. - Present.
Use the fastest speed to get to Wei City.
No mistake allowed.
Your wish is my command.
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[Wei City, Tang Empire]
General!
[Guard of Wei City, Ma Shixiang]
Ning Que! Ning Que is back!
- It's Ning Que! - Ning Que.
He's finally back.
- Ning Que! - Ning Que!
- You're finally back! - That's great.
- Ning Que! - Ning Que!
[Sang Sang]
Why is there only one person returning?
Young Master.
There are seven more people.
Tell someone to bring them back.
Yes, sir.
Where did you get such a big wild horse?
This dark horse is super powerful and runs lightning fast.
- You're back. - I'm back.
That horse must need to eat a lot.
Of course.
- Brother, give him more feed. - All right.
- Ning Que, you're back? - I'm back.
Young Master, you've caught another lizard, right?
That's my brother, right?
Are you hungry?
Yes. Noodles with scallions.
All right. Thirty slices of scallions.
What else?
Fried egg.
All right!
Young Master, the water is already heated.
Hurry up and bathe.
Little Darky, I'll give you an egg to eat tonight.
[The Xiling Shrine]
Today's debate will begin now.
Please welcome the Prince of Yan State, Long Qing.
[The Prince of Yan State, Long Qing]
Greetings to Your Highness, Prince Long Qing. [The Princess of Full Moon State, Lu Chenjia]
Please welcome the Head of Heaven Decree Academy, the Grand Priest of Heaven Decree.
Greetings to the Grand Priest of Heaven Decree.
Today's debate will discuss the earthly ant kingdoms [The Deputy Head of Heaven Decree, Cheng Lixue]
and the application of principles toward them.
I once saw countless flying ants in my peripheral vision. [The Grand Priest of Heaven Decree]
Flying ants will fall to earth eventually.
They will never reach the sky.
But they don't fear sacrifice. By accumulating into a mountain, they will be able to reach the vault of Heaven.
Hawks don't fear ants.
They don't even have the qualifications to be food for hawks.
Throughout hundreds and thousands of years, there will always be a few special ones among the ants.
By some special chance, they take their vision away from rotten leaves and broken shells to catch a glimpse of the blue sky.
It is then, they become different.
They fear because they see.
Has Your Highness ever experienced fear?
Run!
Older Brother!
Go cultivate at Xiling.
No.
Only when one is sufficiently strong can one achieve one's goal.
This is your mother.
If I kill her now, how can you stop me?
Go to Xiling and become a cultivator.
That is the only way you'll truly be able to protect our Yan State.
Protect those you love.
Has Your Highness ever feared anything?
Never.
Has Your Highness ever heard that an Eternal Night is approaching?
The Child of Hades will be born.
The earth will be frozen.
The world will fall into eternal darkness and reach its end.
The Grand Priest of Heaven Decree, if there is an Eternal Night, so what?
If the King of Hades is born, so what?
This is still the Heavenly God's world.
If there is an Eternal Night, surely it will have an even brighter light.
If there is a child of the King of Hades, there surely will be a Son of Light to fight for the Heavenly God.
They fear because they see.
But I will not (fear), because I believe.
What does Your Highness believe in?
I believe in light.
I believe this world will become a world full of light.
The light will not be extinguished.
The Heavenly God is everlasting.
Young Master, you should hurry up and wash up. The noodles are ready.
They should be eaten warm.
Has the big dark horse eaten yet?
That boy eats way too much.
I will sell it off tomorrow.
Who gets the final say in this house, huh?
Little maid talking about selling off your young master's horse.
Rebelling?
Be careful you might end up being sold off, too.
Let me scrub your back.
Lean forward.
Long Qing, you've completed your studies at the Heaven Decree Academy.
How about joining my Light Palace Hall in the future?
I thank you two priests for your kindness.
If I could get into the Light Palace Hall and get closer to the light, it would be my wish come true.
It's wonderful that you think that way.
If you want to stay in Xiling, you will need to pass the tests from three departments. [Head of the Justice Department, Luo Kedi]
Luo Kedi.
You're only the Head of the Justice Department,
but you even dare to intervene in the business of our Light Palace Hall.
You have the eloquence, but having no power.
Could it be that you all are planning to use your mouths to protect Xiling?
A group of the sordid.
Although I stay in Serene Pavilion all the time,
I won't allow mad dogs like you to bark here in my Light Palace Hall.
Welcome, Priest Wu Ming. [Priest Wu Ming of Light Palace Hall]
This student is good.
He should enter my Light Palace Hall to cultivate.
But—
Department Head.
Long Qing is willing to challenge the tests from the three departments.
Thank you, Priest Wu Ming.
Good. Prince Long Qing is worthy of praise for his courage.
The assignment for our Justice Department this time is to locate the headquarters of the Demon Sect.
I think Prince Long Qing won't disappoint the expectations of all the Priests of the Light Palace Hall and enter the hall openly.
There are still remnants of the Demon Sect in the wilderness.
Your journey will be extremely dangerous this time.
Are you sure you're still willing to go forward?
Long Qing remains certain.
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[Wei City]
We've arrived at Wei City.
Little Man, we'll be safe once we enter Wei City.
General, the maidservant of Princess Li Yu of Tang, Mei Shu, is here to see you.
Princess?
[Ning Que]
Sang Sang, although you really dislike my big dark horse, I still brought you your favorite thing.
What is it?
Take a guess.
Twice-steamed wine of Jiujiang, the strongest wine in the Tang Empire.
- Is it good? - Yes.
It's really good.
Drink a little more if it's that good.
Don't let the drunkards outside see you.
We've gone over our tael allowance for wine.
We have to spend less silver.
So stingy.
Young Master, let me brush your hair.
Sang Sang, if you keep making my braids crooked, I'll have to shave myself bald tomorrow.
Young Master will also look good if he were to shave his head.
Then, we'll have you shave your head bald first.
Ning Que, come out and drink up.
General Ma.
Here, I'm Ma Shixiang.
I am the Princess's maidservant, Mei Shu.
What does the Princess want?
The Princess wants to cross Mount Min and return to the capital as soon as possible,
but the road across Mount Min is dangerous.
We need an experienced guide.
If the princess is insistent upon crossing Mount Min to get to the capital,
then I can send guards to escort you.
No. The Princess wants to travel lightly.
Unless absolutely necessary, we must not leave any tracks.
Regarding this guide, he must be loyal and reliable.
Do you have any suitable candidates, General Ma?
We have the people.
Come here!
- Present! - Present!
This maidservant says the Princess wants to cross Mount Min to return to the capital and needs a guide.
Go down and arrange it for her.
- Yes, sir! Please! - Yes, sir! Please!
Maidservant Mei Shu takes her leave.
Please enter.
One princess for you to hold.
Two princesses for him to hold. [Billet One]
Three princesses for me to hold.
Me, too. Me, too. I want to hold one, too.
Sang Sang, is the wine warmed up?
Coming!
Wine's all gone.
Coming!
- Let's do it again. - Sure. Sure. - Yes.
I'm running.
- Are you sweating? - I'm sweating.
Hurry up. Hurry up.
One princess for you to hold.
Two princesses for him to hold.
Three princesses for me to hold.
Drink it. Drink it. Drink it.
I'm holding it! I'm holding it!
- It's mine. - I'll hold it. This time it's my turn to hold it.
You've held it so many times.
- It should be my turn. - No. No. Give it to me.
Come on. Let me hold it.
Why are you here to join the fun?
You scamps, let me hold it just once.
Look at yourselves now!
Just what is there about you all that resembles a soldier of Tang?
You're simply a bunch of hoodlums.
Who are you?
Come to behave unmannerly here.
Since when did Tang allow the soldiers to have their own maidservant?
I... I'm not a maidservant.
I was picked up by Young Master from a pile of dead bodies.
He treats you as harshly and angrily as he'd treat livestock.
Why do you still speak up for him?
Do you plan on marrying its owner?
Scoundrel!
How can my Tang Empire have men like you?
Since you don't plan to marry its owner,
what does it have to do with you with what kind of person its owner is?
Miss Mei Shu, he's the guide General Ma found for you.
Ning Que.
Who is she?
A useless wench.
- Whatever. - Here. Here. Let's continue.
[Serene Pavilion, Xiling]
[The Grand Priest of Light, Wei Guangming]
Please go no further, My Prince. Be mindful of my instructions.
The light never dies, the Heavenly God will last forever.
Long Qing pays his respect to the Grand Priest of Light.
Are you the one that Wu Ming calls the Child of Light?
It is indeed I, Long Qing.
The Child of Hades will be awakening soon.
The Eternal Night is approaching.
Long Qing is willing to help restore the Grand Priest's name by looking for the Son of Hades,
so that the Grand Priest may leave Serene Pavilion earlier.
Your trip to the wilderness may be a turning point.
Go ahead.
Long Qing takes his leave.
Teacher, since Prince Long Qing has been named the Child of Light, he is the hope of our Light Palace Hall.
The Eternal Night is approaching. How can there be light?
Go.
It's been fifteen years.
Wei Guangming has been locked up in Serene Pavilion for exactly fifteen years.
Since Wei Guangming has been sentenced to life in Serene Pavilion, [Grand Priest of Justice, Mo Yu]
what does Shrine Leader still worry about?
Long Qing went to the Serene Pavilion today.
That young lad even dared to enter the forbidden area!
I think we should teach this Child of Light a lesson!
He needs to be clear on who is the real owner of Xiling.
Great Priest of Justice, you're wrong.
The only owner of Xiling is the Heavenly God.
You and I are both servants of the Heavenly God.
Anyone who goes against the Heavenly God shall be punished!
[Wei City Border Army Barracks]
- Ning Que, the General is waiting for you. - Got it.
- You're back. - You're back.
You're back, Ning Que.
Boss, I'm here.
Get out!
Reporting to General Ma.
Soldier of the Wei City Army, Ning Que, is here by your orders.
Get in here.
You brat, you're getting more thick-skinned.
When the general gives an order, this soldier here is ready to give up his life.
Why will I be bothered about saving face?
I heard that Tang Academy has replied.
Due to the recommendation of the army, you finally have a chance to attend Tang Academy.
The reply has arrived, but whether you really get in or not, will depend on your luck.
Where's the reply?
You're really lucky.
As it happens, there is a helpful person returning to the capital.
I arranged for you to go along with her.
Along the way, you two can watch out for each other. All right?
I'm not going.
It's written here that Tang Academy exams are in two months' time.
I don't want to go so early.
Are you going to listen to my commands?
I want you to leave tomorrow. You must leave!
Old Ma, I can't bear to leave you.
At that time, it was you who saved Sang Sang and me from the wolves.
How can I leave just like that? Isn't that right?
Tell me the truth.
What are your thoughts exactly?
I don't want to die.
You? Even if everyone were dead, you'd still be alive.
I gave up my pride and pleaded with them to take you along.
I told them that you can be their guide, thus they agreed.
Think about it. You get free food and drinks.
You'll get to the capital without spending a single dime.
Isn't that wonderful?
Don't waste my efforts.
I just don't want to die.
Ning Que, how can I bear to let you die?
[Wei City Border Army Barracks]
- Old Ma. - Yes?
- Have you seen their carriage? - What about it?
There are marks from knives and arrows.
This shows that the carriage has been attacked previously.
Furthermore, the Great Khagan of the Golden Horde just passed away.
- That maidservant has very fair skin. - Hold on.
The carriage was attacked.
The Khagan just died.
The maidservant has fair skin.
Fair skin. What... What does that mean? What's the connection?
Old Ma, do you really not understand or are you pretending not to?
- I really don't understand. - Think about it.
There is only one princess in the Tang Empire.
She married into the Golden Horde on the plains two years ago.
Her husband died recently.
She wants to flee back to Tang.
You even said she's a helpful person.
That maidservant lies about everything here.
Can you still not tell who she really is?
Shut up!
Even if Tang's culture is pretty liberal, it doesn't mean you can be so disrespectful here.
What kind of person is the Princess?
The people love and respect her.
She's known to be virtuous.
- That must have been the work of bandits. - Impossible.
I'm very familiar with the methods of bandits.
The Golden Horde cavalry.
Old Ma, think about it.
How would they dare to openly assassinate the Tang Princess?
Wouldn't the new chief be fearful that the Emperor will wipe them out in his fury?
Our Tang is a military country.
Although there is the Yan State in the north, Southern Jin State in the south and the Full Moon State in the west,
who really dares to be enemies with our Tang?
It seems like someone is out to harm the Princess.
So who do you think it is?
Someone from within the Imperial Palace.
Since these people have made their move, they will not give up so easily.
As long as the Princess is still alive, this journey will be plagued with life and death battles.
That's why, Old Ma,
if you want me to go with them,
isn't that like leading a lamb to slaughter?
It'll be better if you keep me here as the Woodcutter of Shubi Lake, to "cut wood" for a few more years. (T/N: The wood refers to bad people.)
Isn't your wanting to attend Tang Academy, to cultivate yourself?
In that case, there's a great cultivator on that carriage who has attained the upper level of mystery comprehension,
Lu Qingchen.
You should know him, right?
A great cultivator who has attained the upper level of mystery comprehension...
I'll go.
[Ever Night]
Timing and Subtitles Brought To You By The Ever Night Team @ Viki
"Old Chang'an" by Jane Zhang
♫ Hey, I can only say sorry ♫
♫ You, who has forgotten time, look a little lost ♫
♫ You seem so far away, but you're right in front of me ♫
♫ Time flies just in a wink of an eye ♫
♫ Take it easy ♫
♫ Life is still the same ♫
♫ Hey, let me change the ending ♫
♫ Even if I cover everything up, it'll just be a short time ♫
♫ No need to be too obsessive. No need to say sorry ♫
♫ Winning or losing only makes the loser to treat others a meal ♫
♫ It's better not to see each other than crying upon separation ♫
♫ The night is very long and dark ♫
♫ Don't leave regrets ♫
♫ I've seen through all right, wrong, gratitude, grudges, words and acts in this world ♫
♫ I risk danger in desperation for you ♫
♫ An umbrella appears in old Chang'an ♫
♫ The night is approaching ♫
♫ Supernatural talismans burn ♫
♫ Fight till everything is in chaos and darkness and everyone is gone ♫
♫ See us breaking through the darkness, blazing and changing the heaven, the earth and the world ♫
♫ Spur the horse to go forward all the time ♫
♫ Swan geese fly south because it's going to snow ♫
♫ Get drunk at a warm coast ♫
♫ Under the slashes of the sword, we still love each other ♫