The Taoism Grandmaster
Episode 28
You've met the nine-tail fox?
Demon of Sleep and Demon of Illusion
were arranged by her to attack us.
You must leave here.
Now!
Wu, take it easy.
As long as Fei wakes up,
we'll leave at once.
I won't treat her.
Leave here. Now.
You need to treat her, Wu.
You've said that.
Why do you change your mind suddenly?
I thought,
your enemy was demon twins.
But now I know that fox is your real enemy.
You shouldn't stay here.
Leave here at once.
- Don't, Wu. - No.
We won't leave unless Fei is cured.
You're so..
Wu.
Why do you look so odd
when we mention that fox?
The nine-tail fox is vicious by nature.
Anyone who wants to be her enemy
will die.
You don't care your lives. It's your business.
Please don't get me into trouble.
I won't treat
Donghuang Feifei any more.
Leave here.
Wu,
I've never thought you're a coward.
A coward.
Yes.
Because I'm a coward,
I've lived in seclusion in Kunlun Mountain.
Unexpectedly,
I should meet you. Jinx.
Wu,
now,
I want to tell you the truth.
Actually we are the candidates
of the Taoism Seeker in the Taoism Trial Competition.
The Taoism Trial Competition?
That Competition...
the Second War...
Demons end in Taoism.
Is it the prophecy a thousand years ago?
Yes. You're really a knowledgeable man.
Our destination is the ancient City of Loulan,
to get the second piece of the Saint Armor.
But when we were looking for the first one,
the nine-tail fox attacked us.
We beat her doppelganger.
But I know,
she'll come back.
So she arranged the demon twins
to intercept us.
Luckily, you helped us,
and we escaped the danger.
You've told me so much.
What do you really want to say?
I want to say that
for me,
Tie Lang, Fei
or Liuli,
we live
not for ourselves,
but for the peace of the Three Realms.
We can't die here.
Wu, please help us.
Trust me.
Once Fei comes to herself,
we'll leave.
We won't get you into trouble.
Alright.
I'll help you.
But you should make the decision quickly.
She can't wait for too long.
Tell me your decision.
Go to see Fei.
I'll come soon.
Zhang Ling.
Trust me.
Wu.
Have you decided?
You three,
who will save her, life for life?
Yes.
But Wu,
I need you to do me a favor.
I can help you.
But,
are you sure of it?
Wu,
I'm wondering
since you're knowledgeable,
powerful,
and with magic treasure,
why do you choose to live in seclusion
in such a remote place?
If you want me to save Donghuang Feifei,
I suggest you
to forget your questions.
The Competition must be dangerous, isn't it?
Yes.
In every trial, some leave,
or even die.
Though I've lived in seclusion for years,
I've heard of the Second War
and the Taoism Trial Competition.
Can you tell me,
how will the Taoism Seeker
end the Second War?
After the Second War,
demons will end in Taoism.
Only if the nine-tail fox is killed,
the Wolf's World can be stopped.
If the Wolf's World is bewitched by that fox,
the Man's World may suffer,
even be driven to extinction.
Well,
from the first day we become the competitors,
our lives don't belong to us any more.
We've become a power to save the world.
You're the target of the nine-tail fox.
So you may be the one she wants to kill the most.
Don't you feel scared?
What do you think of Wu?
I don't know.
He must be a coward.
Why did he help us?
Why does he know the immortal techniques,
and the nine-tail fox?
Who knows?
His abilities are just of no use.
Well,
I've been silly before.
There's another way
to save Donghuang Feifei.
What's it?
Around the mountain,
there's a red herb.
- Red herb? - If she takes it with my elixir,
she'll look like dead.
Demon of Sleep will be deceived and leave.
Really?
That's good!
Well,
the herb has been ran out.
I'll go to find it now.
I've not finished yet.
The herb is very rare.
Only under the pine tree can it be found.
So you three
should look for it carefully.
Let's go.
- Let's go. - Go.
Zhang Ling,
We can split up to look for it.
I'm talking to you.
OK.
You two are in a group.
Once find it,
come back at once to save Fei.
Let's go.
OK.
Wu,
please don't tell her
what I say to her.
OK.
Fei,
I like you.
I was afraid to say these words to you.
I'm afraid
because of Kunlun,
Tie Lang,
our fathers,
and the gap between you and me.
So I can only keep these words in my heart.
It's a regret in my life.
If I had known this,
I would have had a try.
Even if being refused...
Being refused...
It's my fault.
I'm a coward.
I'm afraid to say that.
Well, it's OK. Fei.
I'm feeling really happy now.
You're not a coward.
You're brave.
Can you do me another favor?
Just say it.
It's Cloud Umbrella.
Please give it to Fei.
My father gave it to me.
Please tell Fei to keep it
and find my father Zhang Dashun.
She'll know the truth.
I fail to fulfill my father's expectation.
But I believe
he'll understand it.
OK.
I will.
When Demon of Sleep gets into my body,
please kill me at once.
We can't let it harm people.
You don't regret?
For man who practices in the mortal world,
the mortal world is his end too.
This is my Tao.
Let's get it started.
Have you found it?
No. Nothing's found.
How about you?
I've searched under dozens of trees.
But I've found nothing.
We can't give up. Keep searching.
Red is so easy to be noticed.
Why can't we find the red herb?
The herb is very rare.
So you three
should look for it carefully.
Let's go.
Tie Lang,
- We may be cheated by Zhang Ling. - Being cheated?
What do you mean?
Do you still remember?
After the talk of Wu and Zhang Ling,
they came back.
Wu told us this way to save Fei.
I'm afraid that
the herb doesn't exist at all.
Zhang Ling wants to send us away,
and sacrifice himself.
You mean,
we are cheated by him.
Yes.
Go back now.
- Let's go. - Go.
- Zhang Ling. - Zhang Ling.
Fei, you're awake.
Where's Zhang Ling?
Zhang Ling...
What happened?
Zhang Ling...
Zhang Ling?
Zhang Ling, you're still alive!
You're not dead...
You almost scared me to death!
Is the herb really useful?
It's Wu.
Xin Ran.
Wu,
Are we in the dreamland?
Xin Ran,
why are you here?
Haven't you been killed by Demon of Sleep?
During these years,
you, alone,
must live a hard life.
No,
my life is not hard at all.
Wu,
it's not real.
It's illusion!
Wu Sheng,
don't feel guilty.
Leave here with me.
This time,
we can be together forever.
Xin Ran,
thank you.
I know all of this is not real.
I just want to talk with you.
So many years have passed.
Your face in my mind
has been blurred.
You tell me not to feel guilty.
But how can I not feel guilty
after you were killed and I couldn't save you?
I can't forgive myself.
For so many years,
I've hidden in the remote mountain.
I don't have the courage to face the past.
But now,
I won't escape any more.
And I won't be the coward any more.
Demon of Illusion.
Wu,
it's Demon of Illusion.
You've caught it!
I was like you before.
I wanted to remove the evil and protect the world.
But,
I even didn't have the courage to kill a demon.
But today,
I'll atone for my crime.
Wu.
Who was she?
She's my wife,
Xin Ran.
Demon of Illusion transformed into her.
Eight years ago,
she was killed by Demon of Sleep.
I could have saved her by sacrificing my life.
But I was so cowardly
that I saw she die, helplessly.
After you came here,
I've known what courage is.
I've seen all of you are willing
to sacrifice yourselves to save her.
I've understood
all my experience and my misery,
compared with the Second War
and the peace of the world,
are just a drop in the bucket.
Wu,
what are you doing?
I would rather end everything today
than live like a coward.
I won't let Demon of Sleep harm anyone.
Wu, don't. Stop it!
Zhang Ling.
Thank you.
Wu...
Fei,
don't be sad.
Wu saved you and us,
and he saved himself too.
The only thing we can do now...
To repay his sacrifice...
is to stick to our faith,
and keep going.
Something is strange.
What's wrong?
It's been so long that nothing happened.
Every morning I wake up,
I observe carefully.
But I can't find any trace of the demons.
It's a good thing.
The demon was hurt by you.
It may be scared of you and escaped.
If it's like what you said,
I can be relieved.
I've never seen
one who's expecting to meet a demon.
I think,
the demon won't come again.
We should continue our journey.
OK.
Well, Senior Disciple,
when we arrive at Loulan,
I think we should keep this a secret.
Or our unity may be in danger.
Everyone has his own ambition.
Just let it go.
Surely I will.
It's my fault of negligence.
I think I should thank them for reminding me.
Alright.
Go to pack up.
Can you promise me
when we arrive at Loulan,
don't tell anyone anything happened here.
Why?
I don't want the Alliance to know it.
They may investigate it.
In case they...
You don't want Kunlun to know, do you?
If Kunlun knows what happened to Fei,
he'll feel sad.
I agree.
Eighteenth, what's the matter?
Kunlun asks if you're safe or not.
We're safe.
No danger.
Fine. I'll go back to sleep.
Let's go.
Damn desert.
Why haven't we arrived yet?
Are we lost?
Prince,
don't worry.
Move ahead around three li and we'll arrive at Loulan.
Around three li?
More than three li or less?
Have you come here before?
Do we have enough water?
We have enough food and water.
Enough?
What if we meet bandits?
Prince, don't be afraid.
We're protecting you.
I've heard in the desert
there are many wizards.
They catch the travelers to worship god.
Wizard...
Can you beat a wizard?
It's just a rumor.
Rumor?
What if it's real?
I've also heard that ghosts are haunting there.
Can you kill a ghost?
Master, trust us.
We'll try out best to protect you.
Try your best?
Do you mean you can't protect me?
Just for that damn Firebird,
Father should ask me to come to such a dangerous place.
What to do?
Will we really rob them?
During the Bridegroom Competition of the princess,
Loulan is guarded closely.
And for a perfect match,
only the princes who got the invitation
can participate in the competition.
We must get the invitation,
or we can't enter Loulan.
How can we get Firebird?
But I think the princess is a poor girl.
Maybe it's the only chance
for her to gain her freedom.
If the prince we'll rob is her Mr. Right,
we will ruin her marriage.
Idiot.
Haven't you heard his words?
He comes for Firebird.
If the princess marries such a coward,
can she live happily?
But...
I still don't think
hijack is what a cultivator should do.
Zhang Ling,
how do you think?
Actually we don't need a hijack.
For a coward,
we have another way.
Go.
Mercy on me!
Spare my life!
On the camels,
all are the jewelry and treasures for the princess of Loulan.
Just take them if you want.
We won't kill you and we don't need the treasures.
What do you want?
Your clothes.
Take them off.
But...
but we're men.
Save your words. Do it!
And
give us the invitation card for the competition.
The card,
is on the camel.
Watch out!
Go away.
Leave your clothes and go away!
- Go. - Go.
Do you know you almost killed him?
I'm sorry.
When he suddenly stabbed at me with a dagger,
I lost my head
so I almost made a mistake.
He was not hurt. It's OK.
We should go and arrive before sunset.
OK.
Senior Disciple,
dress up as the prince.
- Someone's coming. - Help me! - Hurry up!
- Protect me! Quickly! - Stop!
- Help me! - Who are you?
Where are you from?
I'm the prince of Liuli Kingdom.
I'm participating in the competition in Loulan.
Liuli Kingdom...
I've never heard of it.
You're prince.
Where are your attendants?
My two attendants
were burnt to death by the wizard!
Wizard?
The prince of Juling Kingdom doesn't want other princes
to approach the princess.
So he sends the wizard to kill them.
Unless you take off your clothes
and leave the invitation card,
you'll
be burnt to death by the wizard.
My two attendants were killed by him.
How poor they are!
I can give him the invitation card.
But why do we need to take off the clothes?
I have no idea.
It's him!
Run!
Protect me!
The wizard's coming!
Take off your clothes!
Take off and run!
Don't be afraid, prince.
We'll beat him.
What... what's the matter?
They're cursed by the wizard!
- Curse? - Take off your clothes and run!
Leave the invitation card!
- O... OK. - Just run! Run! Run!
Run!
We've made it.
It's not good to cheat.
What do you mean?
Let's change the clothes.
Just ignore him.
Why do you treat me so ruthlessly?
How to put it on?
Do I really look like a prince?
What if someone tells my real identity?
Don't worry.
You're not just like a prince,
and you're a handsome prince.
I'm afraid that the princess may fall in love with you.
Really?
Don't frighten me.
What do you think?
Please behave yourselves, OK?
Why?
Nobody can see me.
Do you think I'm blind?
Don't look at me.
Actually,
you make me uncomfortable.
Can you keep some space from me?
No. I want to hug you.
Anyway, let's go.
What's the matter?
I don't know.
When I came to the desert,
I've got a strange feeling.
And I find the nearer we are,
the stronger it is.
Have you been here before?
No.
Which country are you from?
I thought I'd met a real prince.
It's you.
Calm down.
Your disguise is perfect.
But you need more confidence.
I've said
your appearance's like a prince,
but the inside is a thief.
Take my advice.
Think twice when you talk.
Shut up.
Where are others?
I've not seen them.
Maybe they've entered Loulan.
Senior Disciple, you look handsome.
Fei,
stop calling him Senior Disciple.
This is the handsome and respectable prince
of our Xiye Kingdom.
He must be
the popular candidate in the competition.
Xiaoyu,
don't say that.
We come for Firebird,
not the princess.
Yes. As you say.
Your Highness.
Alright.
Let's enter the city.
Welcome. Welcome.
Welcome the prince of Xiye Kingdom and the prince of Yutian Kingdom.
I am the Prime Minister of Loulan, Jill.
I'm waiting for your coming.
Thanks, Prime Minister Jill.
Thank you.
It's my pleasure.
Thanks for your bravery
for not being afraid of Empress Ling Yu's curse,
and coming to participate in the Bridegroom Competition.
I highly appreciate your coming.
Other princes have arrived.
Please follow me and have a rest.
Please.
Let's go.
Why are you in a daze again?
Prime Minister,
the Bridegroom Competition should be a big event.
But why do they look unhappy,
and the city is guarded closely?
Is there something wrong?
Last night something did happen.
But it has been handled.
The guards here are just prepared for any emergency,
and your safety.
Prime Minister,
why do they worship
the figure in stone?
It's Immortal Soldier in Stone.
It's said it was transformed
by the immortal soldier a thousand years ago.
It has been
the guardian god in people's eyes.
It seems now people in Loulan
are dying for the protection of the immortal soldier.
Is this because of
what happened last night?
Not really.
People in Loulan
respect and love Princess Yaoyue very much.
They hope the princess
could break away from the curse soon.
So,
they come here frequently to pray for the princess.
This way, please.
What do you find?
I don't know.
Is it that strange feeling again?
After entering the city,
it becomes stronger.
I feel anxious on everything here.
Zhang Ling is a man of keen perception.
I think what happened last night
seems not that simple.
Be careful.
Prince Yutian.
He's calling you.
This way, please.
Let's go.
OK.
This is where the participators live during the competition,
Peacock Guest House.
Princes,
please fingerprint on the life and death contract first.
Life and death contract?
Yes.
Because the witchcraft of Empress Ling Yu is so frightening.
Eighteen years ago,
if King Bo Ti and Queen
had not sacrificed themselves to stop her,
Loulan would have been destroyed.
So,
anyone who participates in the Bridegroom Competition
have to sign on the life and death contract,
in case anything dangerous happens
and any accountability will be insisted.
Please understand any inconvenience.
Do all princes have to sign?
Yes.
We've signed.
OK.
Please have a rest.
Since all the participators have come,
I'll go back to report it to princess.
Three days later, it will be Princess Yaoyue's birthday.
And Empress Ling Yu's trial
will start on 5 am tomorrow.
Later you'll be shown to meet princess,
for increasing your mutual understanding.
Please wait for a minute.
I have to leave now.
Does Ju Xiong's team arrive?
They arrived with us last night.
But Bufan seems to get a cold.
He's having a rest in the guest room.
Oh,
do you know
a big issue happened here last night?
How can you share
such important information with other teams?
I suspect behind the big issue
is a conspiracy of murder.
Each of us can be the next victim.
So I tell them to be careful.
It's mutual help.
Am I wrong?
Wang Wei just hopes we could be the next victims.
And
his rivals are less,
don't you?
Xiaoyu's changed.
- Shut up. - Shut up.
Tie Lang, shut up.
What happened last night?
Do you want to talk about it, or not?
The prince of Kuci Kingdom
died suspiciously here last night.
It's said that
he is the bravest warrior in the Western Regions.
In terms of strength,
he's most likely to pass the test.
Did Empress Ling Yu kill him?
She is the empress of the Evil World.
If she wants to kill someone,
she can just do it aboveboard.
There's no need to be mysterious.
So how did he die?
Ask Mei Kongyun.
She is the first to find the dead.
At dust yesterday,
we arrived at Loulan.
In the evening,
I...
felt a little bit stuffy.
So I came out and looked around.
In the evening,
all the shops have been closed.
What did you want to see?
I didn't realized it until I looked around.
So I wanted to come back and rest.
But...
when I was walking,
suddenly I heard a strange sound.
It sounded like river water
was flowing along the streets of Loulan.
But when I listened carefully,
it was not the sound of river.
It sounded...
like sand was flowing.
Are you OK?
Han Shang, you're the witness too.
I just felt bored,
and wandered around.
I've never thought this should happen.
The point is not if Han Shang was on the spot or not.
The point is who killed the prince,
and why he killed him.
Han Shang and Mei Kongyun are lying.
This is the instinct of evil fox.
I'm sure of it.
Excluding revengeful murder,
is the murderer
the participator of the Bridegroom Competition?
At present it's the most impossible.
His purpose is to eliminate the most powerful participator.
Well, all of us are the participators.
I think
each of us may be the murderer.
The murderer is among us.
Han Shang,
when Kuci Prince died,
was his mouth full of sand?
Exactly.
If I don't have a bad memory,
among we competitors,
it should be one whose immortal technique is related to sand.
You are suspecting me?
I'm the first to find him.
It's likely after you killed him,
you met Han Shang.
So you pretended you found him.
Murderers like to use such trick,
don't they, Han Shang?
Possibly.
Han Shang,
what did you say?
But,
Mei Kongyun can't do such thing.
Stop guessing without evidence.
I just think she can do such thing.
So I make a guess.
- Just a guess? - Alright.
Listen to me,
we competitors kill demons,
not people.
So I believe no one here is the murderer.
But the murderer's been in the city.
This is the truth.
We should be careful.
I am right.
Han Shang and Mei Kongyun were lying.
At least there must be something they keep from us.
Could Mei Kongyun
be the murderer?
Though she does do things by hook or by crook,
she might not kill others
for getting Saint Armor.
Why did she tell a lie?
If she isn't the murderer,
what does she keep from us?
Liuli,
check the city first,
to see if the murderer left any clues or not.
OK.
I feel worse and worse.
If the murderer
kill him for winning in the trial,
the murder last night is just a prelude.
We must increase our vigilance.
Moreover,
Tie Lang is prince now.
It's inconvenient for him to arm.
So,
Fei,
your Imperial Artifact and my Cloud Umbrella
must be carried all the time.
I come for Fei.
I want to talk with you.
Have a seat.
Senior Disciple,
what's the matter?
Nothing.
I just want to ask how you are doing.
I'm fine.
Just Master of Berserk is hard to please.
But I've got used to it.
Has the matter
between You and Zhang Ling been settled?
To be honest,
if it were not Zhang Ling's father,
except you and Yun Qi,
he should be my most trusted friend.
The most trusted friend?
I still remember
you said when you saw him,
you felt disgusting.
Sometimes I get such feeling too.
How to say...
Maybe it's because he's too smart.
Sometimes even if he tells me what he thinks
and what he does,
maybe I still can't understand.
But for what I think and what I do,
he can understand at once.
Sometimes even if he is by my side,
I still feel he's far away from me.
But no matter what happens,
Zhang Ling is here with me.
Even if we're in a desperate situation,
I still believe there will be miracle.
Can you understand me?
I think I can.
So,
before I figure out
why his father killed my mother,
I want to continue our friendship.
What about Tie Lang?
Tie Lang?
He deserves to be a close friend,
with simple idea.
You don't need to make any effort to know him.
As long as he regards you as a friend,
he can do anything for you.
Good.
They're by your side.
I'm relieved.
Senior Disciple,
is there anything else?