Timing and Subtitles brought to you by Gone with the Shirt Team @ viki.com
♫ Unwilling to take part in something improper, how could I predict things would turn out against my wishes? ♫
♫ The flower in the center of my heart has withered, time cannot turn itself back. ♫
♫ My memories are whirling and twirling, the pain is only in the depths of my heart. ♫
♫ My only wish is to live without regrets, and fly far away with the flowers’ fragrance. ♫
♫ A bottle of rice wine, a body covered in dust and ashes. ♫
♫ Memories go back and forth, a life without regrets. ♫
♫ From spring to autumn, life comes and goes. Is it right to be vain? ♫
♫ I’m waiting for the flowers to return and bloom again, intoxicating me. ♫
♫ Sincerely hoping that my lifespan is no longer withering away ♫
♫ I’m waiting for the flowers to return and bloom again, intoxicating me. ♫
♫ Sincerely hoping that my lifespan is no longer withering away ♫
♫ I want to go back to savor the aftertaste of the wine again. ♫
♫ In my memories, life comes and goes. I realize clearly in my heart. ♫
♫ I want to go back to savor the aftertaste of the wine again. ♫
Ashes of Love
Episode 1
[ Hundred Flowers Palace of the Flower Realm ]
Spread my decree that as of today, my child has left with me. (T/N euphemism for dying) [ Zi Fen, Flower Deity ]
If anyone leaks the truth, her primordial spirit will be destroyed.
I shall obey.
I will strictly follow Mistress' order. If I disobey it, I will personally destroy my primordial spirit.
Let her take this.
That's the Pellet that prevents anyone who takes it from ever falling in love.
Mistress..!
If one is heartless, she becomes strong. If one never loves, she stays carefree.
This is the best blessing that I can give her.
My child mustn't be like me.
[ Cloud Nine Palace ] Because of deep love and infatuation, I brought harm to myself.
The Water Immortal, Luo Lin, is kind as water. The Wind Deity, Lin Xiu, is composed and virtuous.
You two are a perfect match made in heaven.
In this whole universe, I fear that we can't find another perfect marriage fate like yours.
Drink this marriage wine. I wish you two shangshen an eternally-blissful marriage. (T/N shangshen is a high-level immortal that has passed several cultivation trials)
Starting today, you two must be of one mind and heart. Do your best to serve the Heavenly Emperor.
If your eldest child is a son,
he can be my son's sworn brother.
If it's a daughter, she then can become my son's wife.
If the friendship between us can continue with our younger generations,
that will be a wonderful thing.
What do you think?
We will strictly obey Your Majesty's decree.
Congratulations!
Zi Fen, the decree of the Heavenly Emperor can't be disobeyed,
but how are we going to endure this?
In my heart, there is only you. Heaven and Earth can be my witness that I was never unfaithful to you.
I only hope that you may remain like the bright and flourishing flowers and be free from worry.
Live the rest of one's life in an ordinary manner like a dull cloud and flowing water.
Let's call her "Jin Mi" then. (T/N jin for "splendor", mi means "to look")
Yes.
Welcoming the birth of the young deity, Jin Mi.
Forego with the formalities. Once I die, don't make her a flower deity.
It's best that she just become a carefree sanxian. (T/N an immortal without any official duty)
Mistress, please reconsider. How can our Flower Realm have no ruler for a day?
I have made my decision. Once I'm gone, you all
must continue the
Twenty-Four Solar Terms Flower Cycle, each one of you heading one of the four seasons.
Yes.
I will strictly obey Mistress' order.
Just now, I focused and made some fortune calculations. This child might face
a love trial within the next ten thousand years. Although she has taken in the Fallen Pellet,
I still can't be at ease.
Spread my decree that starting today,
lock Jin Mi within the Water Mirror.
She mustn't leave the Flower Realm for ten thousand years.
Yes.
Mistress!
During the end of summer of the Year of Heaven 28,613,
the Flower Deity Zi Fen died and hundreds of flowers withered.
After hearing such sad news, the Heavenly Emperor canceled court sessions for seven days.
The Flower Realm mourned for their Flower Deity.
The color of the whole world also grieved with them, with buds resisting and unwilling to bloom.
For ten years, not one flower bloomed again. The colors in the world were gone.
Only until after ten years, when the mourning had ended, did they start to compete for splendor and bloom magnificently once again.
In the beginning, when the world existed, it was divided into yin and yang, separated by their purity and impurity.
This is also the Heavenly Realm and Demon Realm that we know about.
The mutual sympathy between yin and yang, their enshrouding union,
formed the sun, moon, stars, and constellations; flowers, birds, bugs, and fishes.
And following that, the division of good and bad, righteous and evil.
Afterwards, all living things start to do self-cultivation.
Cultivating into deities, immortals, monsters, and demons, and the humans who have flesh and blood.
The Flower Realm initially belonged to the Heavenly Realm. Four thousand years ago, the Flower Deity died bearing a bitter grudge.
The different fragrance chiefs separated from the Heavenly Realm and established their own kingdom.
They became the sixth realm between heaven and earth.
[ Water Mirror ] The story of the past Flower Deity ends here today.
Everyone, do you have any questions?
Lao Hu!
Lian Qiao.
Everyone keeps mentioning about the six realms,
"The Comprehensive History of the Six Realms", "The Testament of the Six Realms", or "The Historical Novels of the Six Realms".
But in these books, the ones that are mentioned
are just the Flower, Mortal, Heavenly, and Demon realms.
What then are the other two realms?
That's right... There are still two more realms.
What are they?
The great truth is weak and mustn't be told.
What do you mean?
- I can't say it. - That's right. Just say it.
You probably don't know it.
Jin Mi! Jin Mi!
Stop sleeping! Quickly wake up!
Little Tao Tao! (T/N tao means "naughty", mimics her nickname of Putao - "Grape")
What is it? Is it time to eat?
Say you, other than eating, you sleep. Other than sleeping, you eat.
Tell me, do you still know a third thing to do?
It's fine. Today isn't the first nor the fifteenth day of the month. Head Fragrance Chief won't be coming.
Jin Mi, have you forgotten what day it is today?
Jin Mi! Jin Mi!
Head Fragrance Chief.
No desire to progress.
Head Fragrance Chief, did you remember the wrong date?
Today isn't the first or the fifteenth of the lunar month!
I'm doing an unannounced check.
Head Fragrance Chief...
This is what you learned in four thousand years?
Your spiritual power is very low, your immortal magic is so crude and superficial, your immortal knowledge so ordinary.
You can't even perform an average level of magic.
Your comprehension isn't worse than others, and you are even a bit smart.
- These past years, where have you been focusing your attention? - Yes.
Outside the Water Mirror is endless danger.
Only by working hard to cultivate your spiritual power can you adequately protect yourself.
If you want to leave the Water Mirror, stop idling around.
Concentrate and train within your bounds.
I understand. I will remember your teachings.
Have you still not remembered what day it is today?
Today?
Today isn't the first nor the fifteenth.
Lao Hu?
A carrot?
A white radish? (T/N lit. "white carrot")
Lian Qiao,
do you want to get punished with her?
Drink carrot soup?
I remember!
Frost's Descent! (the eighteenth solar term)
During Frost's Descent, we must drink carrot soup and cook some spareribs.
Hence, today...
Hence, today is the death anniversary of the Flower Deity.
After the offering ceremony, you are punished to guard the tomb of the Flower Deity.
Head Fragrance Chief, I...
She's gone.
That scared me.
Jin Mi
[ Qi Wu Palace ("Bird's Perch") ]
My son, Xu Feng is doing his Nirvana,
[ Zifang Yun Palace ] He must train for forty-nine days.
Tonight is his final phase.
Lord Liaoyuan must help him finish his phase.
Tonight, you must guard Qiwu Palace well
and not let anyone go in.
Remember! No one!
I will follow the Heavenly Empress' orders.
I think I know why the Head Fragrance Chief is extremely mad.
I wonder if you know what might be the reason?
Today is the past Flower Deity's death anniversary.
The Flower Realm opens the Water Mirror every one hundred years,
to let sprites with little cultivation from the Flower Realm to worship.
It might be because the Head Fragrance Chief missed her old friend, that's why she's always so unhappy.
The day before yesterday, I drafted a document to the Head Fragance Chief.
I told her that I wanted to leave the Water Mirror.
That's why she wanted to test your spiritual power.
Little Tao Tao, are you under some spell?
The outside world is really dangerous.
There's already not many left of fruit immortals, fruit sprites,
so if you go out, you might be eaten.
But it's so wonderful to be in this boundary,
it can let us focus on cultivation.
I just want to go outside and have a look at what the book talks about,
Mortal Realm, Heavenly Realm, Demon Realm, I want to go and look,
and see how these places look. Even though we are in the Flower Realm,
but staying in this Water Mirror, we don't even know how
the Flower Realm looks like. I just don't understand.
Why did the past Flower Deity make such a cage?
And make us live in this fake water droplet?
If it continues this way, I'll turn into a dry grape!
Keep quiet, if the Head Fragrance Chief heard this, you'll get beaten up again.
I'm telling you, outside is not fun at all, it's dangerous.
Did you forget how much trouble you got into nine hundred years ago during the Flower Deity Festival?
The Water Mirror is opening.
It's true, it's true.
It's really opening! It's real.
Quickly.
Quickly, come here.
Jin Mi, it's time, let's go and worship the past Flower Deity.
[ Flower Deity's Grave ]
[ Memorial Tablet of the Flower Deity, Zi Fen ]
Jin Mi, come and stand in the front.
Did you do something wrong again?
Kneel down.
Me?
She's still a sprite, Elder Sister, this doesn't seem appropriate.
The great principles are simple. Everything comes from the heart.
The past Flower Deity was kind to everyone, there isn't anything inappropriate.
Be solemn.
Kneel.
Respect.
Reminiscing your spiritual presence, it has now drifted away.
Snapping off flowers to commemorate a lost person.
Unending length, it's forever.
I'm missing this beautiful woman so much.
Fragrance Chief Peony.
Fragrance Chief Begonia.
Brought every sprite in the Flower Realm,
using the utmost sincerity to pay the past lord's spirit with respect.
Worship.
Flower Rain? Flower Rain?
It really is Flower Rain.
It's really pretty.
Jin Mi, quick come here.
You'll be at peace with the Pellet guarding your body.
Tonight will be the last phase of the Phoenix Nirvana.
From 11 pm until 1 am, the Fire God's spiritual energy will be at it's weakest. At that time you can take action.
I know.
Benefactor Lord, if you don't have a secure plan,
don't take any rash actions.
Phoenix Nirvana only happens every five hundred years.
I already waited for too long.
I'll send other people to do this. You don't need to handle this anymore.
Meet up with people from the Flower Realm as soon as possible.
Yes.
Lian Qiao are you alright?
I'm fine.
Just go first, you don't have to stay with me, I'll kneel here myself, it's fine.
No, it's not. Best friends need to endure hardships together.
You're worse off than I am, the Head Fragrance Chief put a "Body-Freeze" Spell on you.
After the sun goes down the mountain and the spell is broken,
your whole body will be numb, like needles sticking you everywhere.
My mother is calling me.
I'll go first then.
Moth...
er?
(Chanting a spell.)
Move!
Grape, Grape, you can't even break a little "Body-Freeze" spell.
What will you do?
You can't be this way.
Order,
Mountains,
Pour,
Sea!
You're hurting my pride too much. Am I really that useless?
Lord Puchi.
Yan You.
Lord Puchi!
Yan You.
It's been nine hundred years, and you still can't remember.
Yan You doesn't sound good at all. Do you know why?
In the Flower Realm, there's a slug also called "Yan You".
Ew! He looks very disgusting.
I think "Lord Puchi" sounds better. It highlights your personality (T/N "Puchi" = breaking into laughter)
and it's lively. Don't you agree?
Lord Puchi? I don't like this name.
However, you've been calling me that for nine hundred years, so I'm used to it.
You're just a small monster from the pond.
Why do you make such a ruckus every time you appear?
Not only is it flashy, it's a waste of your spiritual powers.
I...
managed to easily collect one hundred years of spiritual powers. Take it to replenish yours.
What nonsense!
You worked so hard to collect these spiritual powers, but you're giving them to me.
I wonder who was just struggling to break the immobilization spell just now?
It was rather sad. Just take it back.
Are you looking down on me?
I really don't know what to do with you!
That's more like it.
Alright. Have it back.
I also brought a gift for you.
What is it? Food?
Guess.
I'm hungry right now.
If you brought meat (rou) for me, that'd be great!
Smart. You're half right.
This is Rou Rou.
The clouds and waters are vast. In the flick of a finger, thousands of years pass. (T/N time flies)
These past years, you gave your spiritual powers all to me,
claiming you want to repay me for saving you that day.
Actually, I don't even need your spiritual powers.
It's enough to have you occasionally keep me company and chat with me.
Actually, I... I'm not giving you spiritual powers
all because of you.
If that day, I hadn't insisted on dragging her to go play outside the Water Mirror,
we wouldn't have met Qiong Qi.
If we hadn't met Qiong Qi...
Thus, I'm doing this
to atone for my sins.
I know you're still hung up over her. That's why I'm showing you
that your most beloved friend is with you in a different form.
Lord Puchi, can she still turn back into
the Rou Rou who can talk, sing, run, and jump around?
About that...
There's a slight chance if you can find Golden Immortal Da Luo.
Golden Immortal Da Luo? Can I find him in the Heavenly Realm?
You cannot see him,
unless you cultivate yourself into an immortal.
I can't even leave this small Water Mirror.
Everything is in vain, except for cause and effect.
Don't be engrossed in the past. It's time to let go.
Focus on cultivating yourself. One day,
Succulent Immortal will wake up and turn back into the Rou Rou from your memories.
[ Star-Viewing Platform ]
Today is the Frost’s Descent, the tail of the Fire Tiger.
Set the nine-starred Tail Mansion. (One of the 28 mansions of the Chinese constellations)
Your Highness the God of Night.
- Lord Liaoyuan. - Why is Your Highness here at night?
Just now, I was on duty at the north Heavenly Gate and saw a man in black clothes barge in
and run all the way here. Did you see him, Lord Liaoyuan?
I have not. Did any of you see a man in black clothes?
- No. - No.
Now is the critical moment of Xu Feng's rebirth in Nirvana.
I am afraid that man in black clothes wants to hurt Xu Feng.
Lord Liaoyuan, please come in with me to catch him.
Heavenly Empress has ordered that Qiwu Palace must remain closed tonight.
Nobody is to disrupt.
Your Highness, please forgive me.
Alright, then. I fought with the man in black clothes earlier.
His spiritual powers are strong, and his cultivation is amazing.
Lord Liaoyuan, please be cautious.
Your Highness the God of Night is a good brother of the Second Prince, my master,
and I am touched by this bond. I will be on high alert.
Since that is the case, I will see you later.
A shooting star?
I heard mortals say that if you wish upon a shooting star, your dreams will come true!
But there is an enchantment here. Will it take away from the effects?
Never mind, I will just give it a try.
I want to see Golden Immortal Da Luo!
What is that? It smells burned.
So stinky!
It looks like a bird.
First roasted, then frozen.
Freezing already-cooked food?
What method of cooking is this?
This is a bird?
I see a "duo" of bird! (T/N "duo" is used to express quantity of flowers)
It's called a "zhi" of bird. (T/N "zhi" is used to express quantity of birds)
His flowers and leaves are so hard.
Those are his feathers.
It's just a little stinky.
A crow. He's a crow!
A crow? How do you know?
I read Lao Hu's "Encyclopedia of Species of the Six Realms".
This is what crows look like. That's definitely right. He's a crow.
But why isn't he moving? Is he dead?
Don't panic.
No, he's not dead yet. He's still breathing.
Let's save him and then raise him!
In the mortal realm, there's a saying:
"Buddha is said to be benevolent."
How could we just watch him die?
Let's save him!
Will this really save him?
Don't worry. This is how we all grew up.
Give him some water.
Tomorrow, he can get some sun. Then, he'll be better!
Little crow, you must live.
We'll come visit you in a few days.
Here's some water.
- Let's go! - Okay.
[ Cloud Nine Heavenly Palace ] Your Majesty, His Highness the Second Prince went missing during his rebirth.
What is going on? Lord Liaoyuan, explain yourself.
I used the Jiuyao Flame to burn for forty-nine days to help His Highness in his rebirth.
Today is the forty-ninth day.
Unexpectedly, after the fire was extinguished,
- His Highness disappeared. - How could this happen?
In your opinion, what variables were present
during Xu Feng's trial this time?
I have one more thing to report.
Say it!
Little crow! Little crow!
Little crow! You are so weird.
Our enchantment is too strong to break. How did you get in?
Still no reaction?
Fine. Fine. I don't give these to just any ordinary person.
This is a fragrant nectar that I created
using a hundred kinds of flowers. I've stored this for five hundred years.
Let me test it on you.
Let's see if it will work.
It worked!
How come you're dead again?
Oh, no, Lian Qiao will surely get disappointed.
But since you're able to break this enchantment,
you surely aren't some simple crow.
Are you a crow that's enlightened?
If that's the case, burying you to become flower fertilizer is too wasteful.
And you even ate this precious nectar of mine.
Why don't...
Why don't I cook and eat you?!
It's you then...
Little crow!
Little crow...
Little crow!
Little crow, why did you become this big?
If you became this big, how can you still fit in this?
If I'm unable to fit you in here, how can I still cook you?
But I heard that immortals or strange spirits have internal pellets or yuan spirit. (T/N remnants even after death of energy)
All his cultivation are gathered in it.
If I'm able to find your internal pellet and eat it,
won't that equate to eating you too?
Little Grape, you're so smart!
Weird. How come this part of him isn't the same as mine?
I got it!
This is the internal pellet. This will surely increase my spiritual energy.
Who are you?
D-Daoyou, you're awake. (T/N Daoyou refers to a friend that cultivates with you)
What kind of monster are you?
I'm not a little monster!
I said that I'm not a little monster.
Although I'm just a fruit sprite, I'm earnestly cultivating fruit sprite.
I'm not some little monster.
Since you're awake,
then just call me Savior.
One doesn't leave one's name when doing acts of kindness. That's the good tradition of our Water Mirror spirits.
Savior? Your waving the knife at me earlier was also to save my life?
Yes, that was indeed what I was doing.
I was...
Daoyou, you fell in my backyard today and was severely injured. Out of kindness, I saved you.
Just to save you, I fed you the nectar that I created based on a personal secret recipe. Only then did you show some improvements.
Oh, right. I saw how shabby your clothes are. I initially planned to help you change your clothes.
But I unexpectedly saw that you have a defect in your dantian vital energy sea. (T/N acupoint 2 in/5 cm below navel)
It's not bad to have a physical defect,
but you are still different from others.
Since I saved you today, I plan to do good until the end.
Come... Lie down. I'll treat your sickness now.
Daoyou, lie down.
What are you doing?
You are a woman? Don't you know that men and women shouldn't be intimate?
- What men and women shouldn't be intimate? - You being this unruly is so scandalous!
I only know that flowers and trees are different, that humans, fishes, birds, and beasts are different.
I never heard about men and women being different.
You...
Considering that you're still young,
and were born in this remote and rural place, I won't make a fuss with you anymore.
There is indeed no point for a fruit like me to bicker with a bird.
For a low-level sprite like she is, how come she has this kind of spiritual hair pin?
Don't know where it came from.
Since...we now know each other,
we're friends then.
Since we're friends, just rest here first. I'll go get you some food to eat.
Just rest.
Daoyou! It's time to eat!
Hurry up.
Sit.
You eat those yourself.
Why? Don't crows like you love to eat worms?
You little monster, who told you that I'm a crow?
You're not a crow? Could it be that you're a magpie?
Is there any spring water here?
Please come with me.
It's quite sweet and refreshing. Not bad.
Daoyou...never thought that your magical skills were that great!
Although I know some transforming magic,
it's impossible for me to create objects out of nowhere.
Old Hu also can't do it, but Head Fragrance Chief can.
Daoyou...how long did it take you to learn this kind of magical skill?
Timing and Subtitles brought to you by Gone with the Shirt Team @ viki.com
♫ My left hand holds the ground, my right hand holds the sky. ♫
♫ Lightning bolts erupt out of my palm print and go in ten directions. ♫
♫ I quickly turn time into years. ♫
♫ In three thousand lifetimes, I’ve seen it all. ♫
♫ My left hand picks flowers, my right hand wields a sword. ♫
♫ Between my brows, an entire ten thousand years’ of snow has fallen. ♫
♫ One teardrop. ♫
♫ That is who I am. ♫
♫ My left-hand’s finger touches the moon, my right hand is selecting Red Threads ♫
♫ to bestow upon you and I our desired and predestined love. ♫
♫ In the moonlight. ♫
♫ You and I. ♫
♫ My left hand transforms into feathers, my right hand becomes scales. ♫
♫ Some of my lives are spent in the clouds, some are in the forests. ♫
♫ I’m willing to follow you and become a speck of dust ♫
♫ in order to emerge in this mortal life. ♫
♫ My left hands picks you up, my right hand lets go of you. ♫
♫ When I clasp my palms together, you are completely drawn back into my heart. ♫
♫ In the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. ♫
♫ You and I, we become inseparable. ♫