Once upon a Time in LingJian Mountain
Episode 25
Swirl!
Wang Lu.
I knew something is wrong with Xue Mansion.
Wen Bao is missing.
I went to his room this morning.
His bed was untouched
and he wasn’t inside.
That means he was abducted
before bedtime.
That gigolo
isn’t really into Feng Ling.
He’s trying to use her
to destroy the Three Geniuses of Lingjian.
Three Geniuses of Lingjian?
Yes, the three of us
are the hope and future of Lingjian.
If we’re out of the picture,
Lingjian Sect will collapse.
What a vicious scheme!
The two of us are still safe.
He couldn’t beat us
so he took Wen Bao
hostage
to force us to comply.
When I fight against them,
you get Wen Bao out.
We meet at the foot of Yuntai Mountain.
Where are we going?
Wen Bao!
You broke out of prison?
Where were you last night?
Me?
I got stuck in the garden.
Who did that to you?
Nobody.
When I was about to sleep last night,
I smelled meat
and went out following the scent.
I thought
if it were Feng Ling eating meat secretly,
I’d ask her to give me some.
Well,
the garden was huge,
so I got lost
and couldn’t find my way out.
I didn’t have anything.
I’m starving.
I need to eat.
I guess
you're being paranoid.
Am I?
The garden isn’t that big.
How come Wen Bao couldn’t get out
in one night?
It was pitching dark.
He could've been walking around
in circles.
Nothing unusual.
I disagree.
Remember what that maid
Lihua said yesterday?
She said the mansion is a maze.
Don’t go anywhere
without her.
They intend to imprison us,
don’t they?
Young Master Wang.
Lihua.
Miss Ling wants you
to go to the market
to pick up
some red papers and fabrics for the wedding.
Sure.
So I am wrong.
How humiliating!
You’re back, Ouyang!
I told you to be happy.
Did you do as I said?
Yes.
Your way of being happy
is to drink and gamble every day?
I learned them from you.
Besides, I’ve mastered Wuxiang Sword.
You’re a headache.
You saved me?
I doubt
if you really spent time practicing.
A few low-ranking assassins
could hurt you
so easily.
You should be punished.
Go ahead then.
Be gentle.
You’re a girl.
Act like one.
You must've had a sweet dream.
Junhuang is known
as a cave of bandits.
Can’t you mind your own business?
You attacked my disciple first,
then saved me.
What are you up to?
Trying to hit on me?
If you’re willing to give me your turf,
I might give you a chance.
You’re always
so brave and blunt.
You aren’t quite like
what Ouyang said.
Don’t pretend you two are close.
Gross.
Didn’t he tell you we were friends?
He’s gone.
You can say whatever you want.
I don’t believe Ouyang’s taste
was so poor.
Hold on to that thought.
I know your little secret.
Wuxiang Kungfu is phenomenal.
You were badly injured
but could recover so quickly.
Ouyang didn’t lie.
What?
General of Junhuang
is also aware of this kung fu?
I met Ouyang years back
during my trip.
We hit it off right away.
He told me
he was practicing Wuxiang Kungfu.
Once he reached the 108th level,
he’d reach supremacy.
I didn’t believe him back then,
but clearly, someone has achieved it,
a woman.
Are you regretting it now?
Had you practiced hard,
you wouldn’t have had
to hide in Junhuang for decades
and kill your own parents
to ascend the throne.
I saved you.
You should be grateful.
I can be
if you pay me
1.8 million Magic Stones.
I can even sing for you
and tell you how to practice
Wuxiang Kungfu.
You think
so low of me.
You just knew that?
The poison in my body
is your creation, isn’t it?
You're right.
You were poisoned
but didn't you notice
it was the poison
that helped you break through the last obstacle
of practice?
Should I thank you?
Who knows what you’re up to?
I think of you as my comrade.
Hope you can understand
my true intention.
You’ve been after that man in black, right?
Found anything new?
In order to hide his real identity,
he used various skills of Kunlun Sect,
Shengjing Sect,
Junhuang Mountain,
and Almighty Sect respectively.
In the end,
he attacked me with Swirl.
The secret skill of Shengjing Sect?
Yeah.
As far as I know,
other than their leader, senior members,
core disciples,
others have no access to it.
Less than 10 people in the world
can perform it.
You also think
that man is from Shengjing Sect?
Not necessarily.
He could be a mole
planted by other sects
to drive a wedge
between Shengjing and Junhuang.
Whatever.
You’ve said it all.
Anyway,
this matter concerns all Five Sects.
It’s huge.
I have to discuss it with other members.
You mean
those geezers in
Shengjing Sect?
Master Tianyue is also known as the Wild Dog.
Master Shuiyue is said to be invincible.
I’m not afraid of them,
but I don’t want to start a war
for no reason.
We can’t act rashly.
No.
Just wage war against them.
Aren’t you always pro-violence?
Our sect will sit this one out.
Men can have multiple sides.
I’m violent to others,
but I’ve always been gentle to you.
Make yourself at home.
Feel free to tell me if you need anything.
Good day.
You're a gentleman?
Then I’m a lady.
Idiot!
General,
I have a question.
Are you here for your brother Xu Jingtian?
I am.
Right after I finished my 6-month of practice,
I was told
you killed my brother.
Our family has been loyal to you for centuries.
My brother devoted himself to you.
I demand an explanation.
Xu Jingtian violated the law,
so he was executed accordingly.
Accordingly?
Accordingly,
I shall kill you to avenge my brother's death.
General,
I request a duel.
A duel?
I’ll allow it.
Interesting.
You’re more talented than your brother.
Double Six Lights Prisons.
You killed my brother.
Go die, Hai Tiankuo!
Kneel!
I lost.
I’m at your disposal,
but I won’t kneel to you.
Never.
Never?
You do hold a grudge against me.
Of course I do.
My brother was loyal to you.
He did your dirty laundry
but ended up dead.
Everyone here knows you murdered your parents.
A monster like you
with no morals
doesn’t care about what I think.
But don’t you forget,
Lord Kuqin is the real leader of Junhuang.
He’s out now,
but once he comes back,
he’ll take revenge for us.
Well,
I’m disappointed.
Answer me,
what’s the first principle of a soldier?
Be brave
and never give up.
Wrong.
Follow orders.
Laws are the foundation of Junhuang.
All must obey orders.
If I broke the law,
how would others be obedient?
You’re lying.
You know what really happened that night?
I don’t.
What else could've happened?
Never mind.
Since you're adamant to die,
I’ll tell you the whole truth.
Tiankuo!
Tiankuo, protect your brother!
Tiankuo!
Protect your brother!
So...
So that’s what really happened?
Now you know it.
How do you plead?
I didn’t know you were
burdened with such a secret.
I’m willing to accept any punishment.
You shall pay
with your own life.
The world is in turmoil.
Every help is needed.
The old Xu Zefang is dead.
From now on, you’ll only be Zefang.
Follow me to achieve greater success.
Your wish is my command.
You may rise.
Thank you, General.
General,
why don’t you expose the truth to the world
to clear up their misunderstandings?
This matter is of great significance.
The truth
may lead to another crisis.
Also,
Master Wang Wu is biased against you.
Is it safe to keep her here?
She’s the love of my best friend Ouyang Shang.
Ouyang will soon come back,
so I must treat her well.
Ouyang is coming back?
Is it true Hai Tiankuo
is Ouyang’s friend?
No way.
I can’t leave before finding out the truth.
Ling encountered Xue Boren
at the Pet College of Beastmastery Sect.
That means
Xue Boren is a member there.
Locals in Jiyang are eating vegetables.
How come there’s still meat in Xue Mansion?
Wang Lu,
you need to relax.
The Xues are wealthy.
It’s nothing strange that their son
bought meat to eat in secret.
That’s right.
That meat is so good.
I don’t think
they’re treating us as prisoners.
They sincerely invited us
to attend the wedding
as Feng Ling's family.
I still think
that maid Lihua is weird
as if she’s watching us
the whole time.
She’s simply
doing her job as a maid.
Did you hear wolves howling last night?
You mean here?
No way.
Now even wolves can’t eat meat?
Really?
Besides,
there’s no shred of meat
in town.
Why would wolves be here?
I swear I heard it.
This morning, I found
a huge paw print
outside my house.
A dog probably left it.
It can’t be.
It's said that
Beastmastery Sect offended wolf demons,
so they came to take revenge.
Let’s drink tea.
Wang Lu.
Heard anything from your master?
She’s madly in love.
Don't count on her.
I’m surprised that
she falls for another man so soon.
It's him. It’s him. It’s him.
He took my daughter.
Excuse me?
What now?
There you are.
Speak!
Where’s my daughter Miao?
Miao?
Miao who?
Don’t play dumb.
My daughter is charming and pretty
just like me.
How could you not remember?
Oh, I remember.
Is that beggar at the city gate
your daughter?
You...
I’m sorry.
Does she want more money?
That’s Blind Liu with scabs.
Blind Liu.
Officer, look at him.
A big fat liar!
He’s driving me crazy.
Sir,
her daughter is missing.
Before that,
you had an argument with her.
Is it true?
Wang Lu,
does he meant the girl
mourning for ants yesterday?
You're the scum of the earth!
That’s right.
That’s my daughter Miao.
You did see her.
Yeah.
I saw tons of people.
It’s not my fault that she’s missing.
How did she disappear?
This is
the handkerchief she left.
Miao’s mother found it
near their house.
Officer,
may I take a look?
I smelled an unusual scent.
There’s blood on it
together with
animal hair.
When I saw it,
Huang, a dog, was rubbing against it.
Of course there’s dog hair.
Huang’s hair is yellow.
What's wrong with you?
My daughter is missing, not the dog.
- I... - Sir,
Miao was last seen
arguing with you,
that makes you guys
prime suspects.
I need to take your statements back at the office.
That’s all you have
on us?
Officer,
you said I took her.
Do you have eyewitnesses?
I...
And evidence?
You didn’t even ask my alibi.
I was in the Xue Mansion
the whole day yesterday.
People there can all testify.
You’re guests of the Xues?
I apologize for my rudeness.
You're scared of the Xues?
Doughboy.
He’s Master of Canglan’s son,
Young Master Wen Bao.
How do you plan to deal with him?
Forgive me for my ignorance.
I’m really sorry.
What a swift change of attitude!
I know you have your duty.
I swear Miao’s missing
has nothing to do with me.
I’m a Successor Disciple of Lingjian.
Were I to abduct her,
I wouldn’t wait till it was dark.
Don’t waste your time on me.
A life is at risk.
Sir,
honestly,
I dare not
add this case
to the series of girls going missing.
Otherwise,
I’d be doomed.
More than one girl is missing?
Over the past 6 months,
several people in town have disappeared.
Most of them are teenage girls
and single.
My boss said
if there’s another missing person case,
we’ll all be dead.
Miao,
my poor daughter!
Your dad told me to look after you before he died.
Miao!
Missing teenage girls.
Ling.
You’re working hard
as if you were a student
instead of a bride-to-be.
Look away.
My handwriting is horrible.
How come?
Your handwriting
has a style of its own.
But...
I can’t write your name properly.
It’s OK.
I can teach you.
Ling,
characters are like people.
Be steady.
Be relaxed.
I finally wrote a proper “Xue”.
Ling,
look at me.
There’s ink on your face.
Gone.
Boren,
I’m not pretty
or educated.
All I know is kung fu.
What do you see in me?
I like you for who you are.
Come.
Ling,
I want to give you
a carefree life.
You only need to be you.
You don’t need to
do things
against your will.
But...
What if the real me
is different from your imagination?
No.
You’re my other half.
I’ve waited for you for years.
I can wait for a few more.
I won't quit.
One day, you’ll reveal your true self to me.
I’m wondering
where Miao is.
We met her yesterday.
Life is fickle!
Remember what those people
said in the teahouse?
You mean wolves took her?
Wolf?
Wolf demon!
Anyway,
we made the right choice by coming to Jiyang.
You're back.
I was waiting for you.
Let me.
You must be tired.
Dinner will be served shortly.
You can have some rest first.
Will there be any meat?
Hai,
how’s this plant different from yesterday?
I told you yesterday.
It’s in great shape.
Flowers bloom one after another.
Old ones are about to wither.
New ones are starting to...
How come it looks the same as yesterday?
Nothing’s changed.
Exactly.
This plant, the garden,
and the entire mansion
are exactly the same as yesterday.
This plant withers quickly.
It was windy this morning.
The flower we saw yesterday
should've been gone by now.
The flower isn’t the only thing strange.
Hai,
butterflies here always fly in threes,
two yellow ones and a blue one.
Birds chirp four times only,
three long ones and a short one.
And this stone.
However far you kick it,
it always comes back here.
Those servants, too.
Indeed.
They smile and bow
the same way to greet us.
Are we thinking too much?
Are you interested in time travel?
Sir,
you might’ve left it somewhere else.
The teahouse, probably.
Forget it. I’ll find it tomorrow.
Master.
I’m not.
An inelegant
and hideous peasant like me
isn’t qualified for being your master.
Master,
that panda you sewed is vivid.
Look carefully.
A lion?
A dog?
A poodle? It's cute.
A masterpiece!
Wang Lu,
if you’re here to ask me to cancel the wedding,
you can leave now.
No.
You mistook it.
Actually, something is bothering me.
I’m here to consult you.
My irresponsible master is missing again.
Wang Wu is missing?
Ever since she left Lingjian,
I’ve lost contact with her.
When did she leave?
A few days after your departure.
When did you leave?
March 3rd.
She must’ve left two days later.
When did you arrive in Jiyang?
How is that
gonna help you find Wang Wu?
You and my master
move more quickly than us.
Your information can be a reference
to estimate where my master is.
I entered Jiyang on March 28th.
Then
I saw the notice
of the academy of Beastmastery Sect.
Later on, I met Boren
and came to the Xue Mansion.
When did you come here?
May 18th.
Boren was absent from school for three days.
I was worried,
so I came to check on him.
So you’ve been here for two months.
What have you done during this period?
Nothing really.
I don’t feel...
Wait. Wang Lu,
you aren’t here to find your master
but to fish for information.
Wang Wu is my master.
So are you.
I care about you both.
What’s wrong with that?
You sure
you remember everything?
Nothing is vague at all?
Or,
do you feel your time here
passed in a blur?
I know what you want to say.
Boren loves me.
I've never
felt so happy in my life.
You mentioned Xue Boren
was absent from school for three days.
Do you know
where he was then?
Of course.
He said he was needed for business.
I’m not brain-damaged.
If anything is wrong with him,
I for sure will notice it.
Truth is,
he doesn’t keep anything from me.
He even gave me the key to his vault.
I can access it anytime.
Good for you.
Mr. Xue is young at age
but he’s made a fortune.
What does he do?
His family makes balms for girls.
Boren and his three brothers are sharp-nosed.
They can even sense
the faintest smell.
So balms they made
are popular.
Merchants on the other side of the country
come to make a purchase.
Balm?
I smelled an unusual scent.
There’s blood on it
together with
animal hair.
When I saw it,
Huang, a dog, was rubbing against it.
So balms, huh?
I know
it’s a bit unconventional
for men to make beauty products.
But that’s their family business.
Besides,
they have a secret chamber
to store the recipe.
That's the only place I can’t enter.
Secret chamber?