[Ever Night]
[Episode 23]
Our arrival excited the capital.
Crowds welcomed us.
We leave like stray dogs.
It's truly mortifying.
Know why peach blossom is my Life Item?
Peach blossoms suggest humility.
20 years ago, Fu Zi charged up Xiling's Peach Mountain.
In one night, he cut down all its peach trees
yet no-one dared to stop him.
That's Xiling's biggest shaming.
This time, I lowered my status to reach Second Floor
to 'know one's foe and oneself to avoid peril in battle'.
Before we left, Hierarch and Grand Priests
asked me to accompany your mountain ascent.
With these current results,
I've failed my mission.
Priest Cheng, don't dwell on it.
You also saw
how this nation has no Light or faith.
Rear Mountain people are farmers and hoodlums.
How can they compare to our brilliant Xiling
with its milennia of knowledge in God's Shrine.
Despite no Academy entry,
I'll defeat them in the future.
I only hope Ning Que quickly gets powerful.
Then I'll have a chance to redeem this humiliation.
Crown Prince Chong Ming returned to Yan State.
Will you also return to Yan first?
Do I return to act out vying for the throne?
Ning Que became 13th Academy Disciple.
Now he can't enter our South Gate.
Don't just think he's your Student!
Once you die, our South Gate won't have
our own Divine Talisman Expert!
Once I die too,
no-one is left to hold up our South Gate temple.
I don't think it's that terrible.
Ning Que, my Student,
can become Divine Talisman Expert.
He can't entirely evade South Gate matters.
Besides, I'm not dying.
I'm lively and energetic,
unlike you old grouch.
Don't overthink it. You'll age faster!
Senior Bro, you really don't know how the two matters differ?
If Ning Que could enter Dao South Gate,
I'd eventually pass him my South Gate leadership.
Then he'd be Tang State Preceptor.
Then in future, Dao South Gate Temple won't be weak.
But if he's not in South Gate, he's only a guest.
What use is a guest?
South Jin's Liu Bai is Xiling's guest.
Did Liu Bai ever risk his life for Xiling?
Junior, it's done.
You must accept this truth.
I...
I have things to do. You do your things.
Wait no, I'll do my things.
I really dislike this city.
One day, I will destroy it.
Excuse me, excuse me.
Fresh vegetables!
Sorry, excuse me.
Come see our lantern variety!
[ Orchid Fragrance ]
Customer, thank you.
Show me your most popular product.
This is our famous rosebuds toner.
How much?
- 50 taels. - 50 taels?
50 taels.
Thanks, customer.
Here's a free gift.
Okay.
Thanks, boss.
Take care.
I want that too. Any more?
Okay, okay, don't worry.
- Take care. - Rosebuds toner.
I'll get one.
- I want one too. - Here, look.
That way.
Why're you after me?
Stop yapping. Someone wants your life.
Go!
Why's he not back?
[Princess' Residence]
Nasty guy.
What do you mean?
I can't stand him disrepecting you.
He's now 13th Academy Disciple,
no longer a mere soldier.
A scoundrel achieved his ambition.
Watch your words. Beware of eavesdroppers!
He's now Fu Zi's Disciple
and Master Yan Se's Student.
His Majesty regards him highly.
Later he won't care for or respect His Majesty.
Shut up.
I hope he can become a man of great ability.
Then I'll use him as I see fit.
I already know what's crucial to him.
I'll take my leave.
[Old Brush Shoppe]
Stop there. What are you doing?
Have you seen 13th Academy Disciple, about this tall.
No, no. Go! Beat it.
Hurry off.
[Red Sleeves Club]
[Tang Academy]
Seen my Young Master?
We haven't seen him.
[Princess' Residence]
Hey, you can't go in.
What? Ning Que is missing?
Are you wrong?
Palace Guards said he left at nightfall.
I went to the Academy and Red Sleeves.
I can't find him anywhere. Since our young days,
he's never done this.
Young Master...Young Master must've met danger.
I beg you, Princess, help me find a way.
- Hua Shanyue. - Here.
Close all city gates at once. We must find him.
Yes, Your Highness.
Your hands are so cold.
Don't fret. I'll report to Father.
Wait for my news.
Thank you, Princess. I'll keep looking.
Tidy me up.
Okay, pass.
Okay. Go on.
Commander Xu!
General Hua. Any news of Ning Que?
Not yet. We're still checking.
Where'd that brat go?
Did you go to Red Sleeves?
We went twice. No sign of him.
Okay. Don't force yourselves.
If you can't find him, stop looking.
Let's go!
- Go, go. - Wait...Go on, quickly.
Come look, ancestral recipes.
- Take care! - Let's go!
Young Master's smell is around here.
He carries the unique smell of Old Brush Shoppe ink.
He was here. He stopped right here.
Perfume? I've wanted this.
I wouldn't spend money. Young Master!
This is the perfume I've wanted. Young Master likely got it for me.
That was Ning Que's last gasp right before disappearing.
That scum dared to kidnap my Student!
Master Yan Se. Let's look for him.
Let's go.
Senior Brother.
His Majesty sent men to inquire. Has he been found?
A Divine Instrument hid traces.
We won't find them. Let's seek that horse carriage!
Let's go.
Master, must we inform Academy Rear Mountain?
Think they don't know he's missing?
Actually, they knew early on.
I just don't know why
they've made no move yet.
3rd-Senior Sister! 3rd-Senior Sister!
3rd-Senior Sister.
Let me go down the mountain.
My fingertip can shatter that bell.
You're worried over Ning Que.
2nd-Senior Brother and all of us are worried.
So why'd you all do nothing?
Fu Zi sent a Talisman 1000 miles last night.
No Rear Mountain Disciples may go down mountain
or they'll suffer consequences.
Senior Sister, so Fu Zi
won't let us go down. Does Fu Zi not want Little Bro?
He reneged?
Fu Zi has reasons.
They want to stop an Academy Disciple with a simple bell.
The person behind this
will surely regret it.
Sure will regret it.
3rd-Senior Sister, wait for me.
Father, I've urgent news.
13th Disciple, Ning Que, is in grave danger now.
You really won't act?
As 13th Academy Disciple,
he has ability to resolve problems.
Or else Fu Zi won't choose a useless guy as his Disciple.
- What if he dies? - He won't die so easily.
Let me out of here!
Who are you?
Why'd you bring me here?
Where is this?
Pitiful kid, you don't even know the reason.
Just who are you?!
I'm a nameless person of junior rank.
Because I followed the Light,
I attained a formal title.
Teacher's prophecy that year was correct.
Let me out, you lunatic!
[Tuyang City]
Subordinate Lin Ling reports to Great General.
Yan Suqing and the other two's deaths have clues.
The murder suspect's name is Ning Que.
He's an Academy Disciple.
I suspect he got away in that Tianqi year
at General Lin Guangyuan's residential manor.
Or perhaps
he's the General's son.
Keep probing. If needed, destroy potential trouble at any cost.
[Grand Prince]
Except for the three who died,
no-one else knows who was involved in the case.
General's son is dead.
Wei Guangming is imprisoned in Serene Pavilion by Hierarch.
This will be a secret forever.
Lin Ling. Return at once to pass General Xia Hou my message–
"Don't be constantly paranoid."
Yes.
But aren't you worried
someone got away from Lin Manor.
- Impossible. - The men I sent out
weren't successful
and Ning Que just vanished.
Is this some indication?
Could he really be...
You shouldn't exist.
Since Heaven let you live, there's only one reason.
This proves the ability and wisdom of our Grand Priest of Light.
I will return Light Hall's original majesty.
Stop. Repent and be saved.
Can't stop. Must go home. Sang Sang's waiting.
The world's pain is boundless, like the yellow sand around you.
Why won't you heed my advice?
Must go home. Sang Sang is waiting.
Young Master!
Sang Sang waits for me.
Young Master.
Don't fret. Take it easy. Follow me.
Young Master.
Young Master!
Wait.
Let my Student go!
Grandmaster Yan Se.
You really shouldn't interfere.
- Young Master! - Sang Sang!
The person you follow is too extreme.
That year, he was wrong. Why's he want to keep erring?
He could've become Xiling's greatest Grand Priest of Light.
But he couldn't let go of his obsession until too late.
Grand Light Priest wasn't wrong.
He's Son of Hades. He's–
He's 13th Academy Disciple! He's my Student!
You...
Release him. Since you've been devoted all these years,
I'll let you live.
For the Dao Path, I disregard life and death.
Wei Guangming and I have no grudges. You can't kill my Student.
Wei Guangming would kill him.
He must die today!
You're determined to die and liberate all Light. ['All The Light' vs 'The Well' Talisman]
What happened? I didn't touch him.
Academy 2nd Disciple is here.
Young Master.
Young Master, are you okay?
Son of Hades
is here in the capital.
Young Master.
[Dao South Gate Temple]
Grandmaster Yan Se.
You're over here.
As a formality, Student must kneel before Teacher.
What? Want to back out?
I don't understand one thing.
Speak.
That Wu Ming from Xiling-
Xiling and Tang's relationship is like this.
On the surface, they get along. Secretly they fight.
Besides, you ruined Long Qing's great plan.
Prince Long Qing, Wei Guangming's famed successor,
lost to a brat like you.
Xiling was humiliated due to you. Don't let them get to you.
- It's just... - What?
- It's that simple? - Need it be complicated?
Why stand there, spacing out.
Teacher, please accept Student's bow.
Good kid.
I want to give you a big red envelope*. (*money envelope)
Thanks, Teacher.
Open it at home.
One more thing I need to make clear.
I've made an agreement with the Academy.
On even number days, you learn at the Academy.
On odd number days, come here to learn Talisman Art.
Also...
see what this is.
I wrote this.
Not right!
Someone copied it!
I knew I found the right person!
Okay, good, good.
Unless your brain got flattened and you couldn't hold a brush,
you're surely my Student.
From now on, study Dao of Symbols with me.
Teacher, what's Dao of Symbols?
Dao of Symbols... looks ever-changing
but actually it's simple brushstrokes.
The simpler it is, the easier it is grasped.
All those vicissitudes in one's life
are no more than a couple of brushstrokes.
You'll understand later on.
I needn't wait.
I want to learn now.
That's all today.
Even days. I can't break rules.
Go.
Teacher, why do I feel like I'm not your Student?
How's that?
Red Sleeves' Dewdrop
meets her patrons...
on odd and even days.
Think what you want. You're mine. Go, go, go.
Come back tomorrow.
Disciple Ning Que says goodbye.
Brat, so mouthy!
And so impatient.
Sneaks it open on leaving.
Thinks I don't know.
The round copper coin rolls away easily.
Money is evil, worse than a demon.
Peace and joy are more precious than gold.
Family members are likely to share traits.
Secret Guards found out,
besides a Cultivator that day,
two lots of soldiers chased 13th Disciple-
one from General Xia Hou, the other from Grand Prince.
Those two haven't seen each other for 15 years.
Now they're associating.
Wei Guangming escaped from Serene Pavilion.
13th Disciple gave me too many surprises.
Your Majesty, I'll send more men to protect 13th Disciple.
No need.
Now he's entered Rear Mountain and is Yan Se's Student,
someone will watch over him.
It's just that my brother,
despite leaving the military, unexpectedly has residual power.
I'm too softhearted!
- Chongshan. - Your Majesty.
You personally make arrangements for people around Grand Prince.
And he should become
a free, unfettered prince.
I understand. I'll act immediately.
Then, General Xiao Hou...
Let him off.
And send his master a message.
Yes.
[Ever Night]
~Hey, I can only say sorry~
~You, who've forgotten time, look a bit lost~
~You seem faraway, in front of me; time blinks by~
~Take it easy~
~Life is still the same~
~Hey, let me change the ending~
~Yet I can cover it up only a short while~
~Don't obsess or say sorry; winner just treats loser~
~Better not meet rather than cry on parting~
~Night is long and dark~
~Don't leave regrets~
~I've seen right, wrong, gratitude, grudges, words, acts~
~I risk danger, desperate for you~
~Umbrella in old Chang'an~
~Night nears; talismans burn~
~Fight till all is gone in chaos and darkness~
~See us blaze through darkness, changing Heaven and Earth~
~Spur the horses forward~
~Geese fly south before snow~
~Get drunk at a warm coast~
~Under slashes of the sword, we love each other still~