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Guardians of the Ancient Oath
[This story is purely fictional.]
♔ Instagram @skysoultan ♔ Episode 8
It’s itchy and painful,
like tens of thousands of bugs
bite your body
and crawl in your organs.
The one poisoned
will scratch
and break their skin
and then
their muscles,
their heart taken out at last.
Finally,
they’ll die of bleeding.
Death
is also a relief for them.
Most people can’t make it.
Do you already start to
feel it?
Do you feel
your back itches?
Don’t scratch it.
The more you scratch, the sooner you die.
How mean you are!
There we go.
Where’s the antidote?
You want it
and we must give it to you?
First, tell us
how you blocked the water resource.
How could we
block the water resource?
We…
We just changed the water flow.
Changed the water flow?
How?
Walk up five miles
from here
and you’ll see Qianling Lake.
At a short distance in the north,
there are two birches.
We changed the water flow
under the trees.
Don’t play tricks.
I don’t dare to.
It took us quite a long time
to figure out that
the water flowed to Li City.
Antidote! Antidote!
Isn’t…
Isn’t this the old one?
Take the second pill.
In three days,
you’ll no longer suffer.
Only three days?
This isn’t the antidote.
How do we know
you told the truth?
In three days,
as long as you help to
solve the water shortage in Li City,
we’ll give you the real antidote.
So…
Will you take this or not?
Lead the way.
You didn’t tell me
until he had gone far away!
Didn’t I ask you to keep an eye on him?
Sorry.
He cries only when death is staring him in the face!
I’ll let him know what the Mountain Demon can do.
Don’t get angry, General.
I hear Baili Hongshuo
went to Qianling Lake
in the east of town alone.
Only a personal guard
went with him.
No more guards.
Seems like he wasn’t going to provoke the Mountain Demon.
Maybe he’s just curious.
You told him water shortage was caused by
the Mountain Demon.
I think
a young master like him
may just go there
to have fun.
Even if he wants to be a hero,
he isn’t brave enough.
Everyone wants a comfortable life.
Why does he ask for trouble?
Don’t worry too much.
I knew he would go.
And I’ve got everything ready.
Ready?
I told Bai Nuo.
When he sees Baili Hongshuo,
he must be harsh.
I don’t know
how they’ll do with him.
But he can’t blame me for
having no consideration.
What if he can’t come back?
Send someone to spy on him
and tell me whatever you get.
Hurry.
Here?
This is the entrance of Qianling Lake.
You need to get into the water
and sneak to the other side.
A rock is blocking the water.
Split the rock
and you’ll solve the water shortage.
But I guess you can’t split it.
That’s how
you changed the water flow?
Lang and Yo
are always at daggers drawn.
You’ve done such wicked things, too.
Get down with me.
Go!
Wait a minute.
You’ll get down with him?
What if he plays a dirty trick again?
Besides, it’s getting late.
Why don’t you go tomorrow?
Stop stalling!
Get down from here
and you’ll get what you want.
Why don’t you shut up?
Go tomorrow. I’m afraid he’ll play tricks.
People of Yo are really born suspicious.
Seems like you’re all cowards.
You talk too much!
Go!
Commander Mu.
What’s up?
Commander Baili…
He hasn’t come back yet.
Qianling Lake is twenty to thirty miles
away from here.
I’m afraid he’s not coming back tonight.
Commander Mu.
Don’t you know that?
What do you mean?
Commander Mu, sorry.
But I’m too worried.
You know Qianling Lake, don’t you?
There’s a Mountain Demon there.
Don’t you worry when he went there alone?
Can he be
eaten by the Mountain Demon?
Commander Mu. We must go and save him.
We’re soldiers.
We must be loyal!
Hou Zhengze!
We’re soldiers.
We’re doing our duty
to defend the frontier!
How can we leave our post?
But he…
No buts.
I’ve known Commander Baili for years.
I believe
he’ll certainly
solve the water shortage.
Sure.
I understand how you feel.
Why are you still awake?
I must keep an eye on him.
This morning,
we were both poisoned by Herb Shao.
How did you recognize me?
You bit me so many times
and I can easily recognize you.
What do you mean?
You always bite me
mainly with two teeth.
I’m quite familiar with
their location.
I can quickly recognize you.
What?
These are canine teeth!
Understand?
Slug, you don’t dare to shoot, huh?
Give up then.
Why are you staring at me?
Bite me if you dare.
Who the hell are you?
Don’t bother to know who I am
or where I come from.
Anyway, your father is my father.
And your mother is mine.
From now on,
you must call me sister.
A sister like you?
Damn it!
Do you want to get beaten gain?
No. No.
When do you think he’ll know we’re tricking him?
I guess no one else
can think of such a trick.
You flatter me.
You said that itch thing,
didn’t you?
I didn’t.
Worms in the skin
will eat all your internal organs.
You said all that.
As the saying goes,
a woman can be the evilest.
A woman just like you.
What did you say?
I’m killing you!
Too short for that.
Stop it!
Or you’ll wake the idiot up.
The idiot is fooled around
by us.
Next time,
just let me know
before you use such a dirty trick.
In this world,
I don’t think
anyone else can cooperate, expect me.
I just said it because
I knew you could understand.
Why don’t you go to sleep?
After you!
Why do you
have to wait?
I’m going to sleep then.
Okay.
Idiot! I’ll leave you alone.
Put it on.
Hongxuan.
You haven’t visited me lately.
I’ve been so boring.
Please forgive me, Your Majesty.
For what?
I told you not to stand on ceremony
when we stayed alone.
What are you up to lately?
Your Majesty.
Since I left the palace,
I’ve been busy with family stuff
and I failed to come and see you.
Busy with family stuff?
Did anything happen
in your family
that you had to take care of?
Tell me about it.
Don’t worry, Your Majesty.
The princess was ill.
I had to take good care of her.
You mean Princess Jinyang was ill?
Is she all right now?
She travelled from Liaodong to Ye City.
Maybe she found herself in an unaccustomed climate.
The doctor said she's all right.
All she need is to take more rest.
Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.
I’ll tell her and ask her
to come and thank you someday.
You know,
Her Highness
really likes Princess Jinyang.
Now, Jinyang stays in Ye City
without any family.
She must be lonely.
You are too busy with work
to keep her company.
You should ask Princess Jinyang
to come to the palace often
and accompany Her Highness.
In case she keeps
messing me around.
In this way,
both of us
will be satisfied, right?
Her Highness married Princess Jinyang to you.
That was your luck.
If you married a woman from the He family,
you would have lived a harder life.
Exactly.
Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty.
Hongxuan.
I know that you worry about Hongshuo
when he’s sent to the frontier.
He Yao isn’t a virtuous guy.
But he doesn’t dare to
hurt Hongshuo.
Just rest assured.
You don’t need to worry about that.
Tell Hongshuo to defend the frontier without concern.
Besides, I’m here for you.
Your Majesty, you care for Hongshuo so much.
I’ll certainly tell him that.
Your family
has sacrificed a lot for our country.
Now
Hongshuo is also fully prepared for battle.
We have another strong general now.
Hongxuan, don’t worry.
As his uncle,
I’ll certainly
treat him well.
When Hongshuo makes a triumphant return from Li City,
he’ll be rewarded.
And he’ll be promoted
without doubt.
I won’t let you down.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Have some tea.
It’s a deep hole.
It’s not safe for you to go alone.
Let me go with you.
Don’t worry.
I can handle that alone.
Keep an eye on him.
Let him make no trouble.
Don’t flaunt yourself.
Get up if there’s anything wrong.
I know.
Still pretend to be asleep?
You’re obviously awake!
Liar!
You must have played tricks.
You must have!
How dare you stare at me!
If Hongshuo is hurt,
I’ll kill you.
You’re worried? Then jump!
Do I look like an idiot?
He comes to the frontier
with a wife?
Shut up!
Who is his wife?
You guys...
-You really are... -Shut up!
What made you so angry?
You don’t need to wait.
I don’t think he’ll come out.
What?
I’m just telling the truth.
Fine. Just wait.
Fires go out.
Oceans break.
Birds crow.
Disaster has come to this world.
Who’s there?
It’s…
Come on.
Are you all right?
Yes.
The water is coming soon.
Let’s go!
Go!
Where are we going?
Don’t pull me!
Greetings, Your Highness.
All right. Stand up.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Sit down.
I come to see you, Grandma.
I hear
you were sick the other day.
Are you all right now?
Thank you for your concern, Grandma.
I just had a cold.
And I’m fine now.
Jinyang, look up.
You look thinner.
Have you lived a good life
since you got married?
Is Hongxuan nice to you?
He’s nice to me.
Everything is fine.
Thank you for your caring, Grandma.
I’m relieved, then.
I’m worried he’s too careless
to take care of you.
You’re weak and in poor health.
If he cold-shoulders you,
try to be considerate.
I dare not be greedy.
It’s my luck
to marry Marquis Zhenbei.
I’ll never be spoilt
or arrogant
in case he might be distracted.
That’ll be my fault.
Seems like I’ve chosen the perfect wife
for Marquis Zhenbei.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Hongxuan is always busy with work.
If you feel boring,
come often and stay with me.
Yes, Your Highness.
See you then, Grandma.
Commander Baili is back!
Finally, he’s back.
He’s back?
Great!
Commander!
Finally, he’s back!
Commander!
-Commander. -Bai Yi.
Commander.
Finally, you’re back.
Great!
Commander, finally you’re back.
He said
the Mountain Demon ate you.
Mountain Demon? He’s here!
What?
The Mountain Demon!
Take him away.
Yes.
I’ll interrogate him later.
Bili Hongshuo.
Where’s my antidote?
You mean this?
You! You!
Jellybeans! Idiot!
How mean you are!
Mean!
Shut up!
Go.
Oh, Commander.
You know what?
Since this morning,
all wells in Li City
have had water.
Even wells of common families
have water?
Yes. Everyone said
they moved God of the Mountain
with good faith.
Get back to your business.
Yes.
Let’s go back.
Take it.
Why didn’t you
tell them the truth?
This time,
you made contributions to Li City.
Destruction pursues the great.
Why must I make He Yao
hate me most?
Anyway, since you came,
he hates you most.
All right.
I’m glad
the water shortage can be solved.
As for He Yao,
he only needs to know that
I can do nothing,
but idle away my time in pleasure.
Why do you think
the Lang guy has your portrait?
You were just here.
And you’re not his enemy.
You know what?
He Yao must be behind this.
If he doesn’t like me,
he only needs to suppress me,
instead of killing me.
It’s so stupid of you!
You should always be alert.
This is no longer the case.
You two
are totally in
different camps.
You’re one of the Baili family.
And he’s one of the He family.
Will he like you?
Don’t guess around
unless you have evidence.
It’s grave crime to collude with Lang.
He Yao is domineering.
But I don’t think
he’ll betray our nation.
Don’t worry.
I’ll be careful
and keep an eye on him.
Speaking of this,
this isn’t my biggest concern.
What else are you worried about?
I’m worried
the Lang will use the disagreements
between He Yao and me.
If I have personal conflict against He Yao,
only the Lang will be satisfied.
For example, the portrait.
Maybe He Yao gave it to them.
Or maybe the Lang people
showed it to me deliberately
to drive a wedge.
I didn’t expect you
to have totally changed.
I haven’t changed.
But in the past,
you didn’t notice me
and you used to treat me as a kid.
You are a kid!
It’s so stupid of you! You always fail to untie it.
Let me help.
Commander. Commander.
Commander.
I…
I saw nothing!
Hou Zhengze!
Get out!
Commander, I didn’t mean that.
I swear I saw nothing!
Commander, I have something to tell you!
People in Li City say
you’re a lucky guy.
Since you came to Li City,
they’ve managed to have water.
You’re the lucky star of Li City.
I don’t want to be a hero.
But I have a younger brother
who is a lucky star.
When you’re successful someday,
don’t forget me.
When I’m successful,
I will…
Will what?
Our family
is already the nobility.
In our nation,
who can be more successful than us?
You make sense.
I returned the sword to you.
I thought
you would have kept it personally.
That was my plan.
But now I think
you’re a general
in Li City.
You should have a good sword.
I’m glad you’re sensible.
Well.
For the sake you returned the sword,
I’ll give you a big gift tomorrow.
Loser!
You even failed such a small mission!
And he managed to come back
so proudly!
Don’t get angry, General.
Bai Nuo, the old loser!
He failed such a small mission!
Don’t worry, General.
Baili Hongshuo matters most now.
He didn’t tell others
that he solved the water shortage.
But he made the people believe that
he was the lucky star of the city.
He’s planning something big!
People in Li City believe that
there is water shortage
because the Mountain Demon is annoyed.
He has been here for only a few days,
and the water shortage is solved.
In such a short time,
he has won so much support.
Don’t you think
he has a big plan?
I thought he didn’t want to be the hero.
It turns out he has some other plan.
Compared with hero,
a lucky star can instigate people more easily.
But don’t worry.
He’s the lucky star today.
Tomorrow, he might be a jinx.
Jinx?
Luck stuff changes quickly, doesn’t it?
Once he becomes the target
of the whole city,
I’ll decide
how to deal with him.
Whoever he is,
he must explain to the people.
But he took Xia Da.
Xia Da?
He’s useless. Don’t be scared.
I returned the sword to you.
I thought
you would have kept it personally.
That was my plan.
But now I think
you’re a general
in Li City.
You should have a good sword.
I’m glad you’re sensible.
Well.
For the sake you returned the sword,
I’ll give you a big gift tomorrow.
What is it?
It’s a secret.
You want to get beaten again, huh?
Stop!
[Marquis Zhenbei's Mansion]
Duke, I have something to tell you.
What is it?
Her Highness called me
and I visited her in the palace.
Sorry,
I failed to help you.
You’re thinking too much.
It’s also your duty
to visit Her Highness.
You’re also making contributions
when you take care of her.
I should
say thank you.
I see.
I’ll leave you alone.
You wanted to see me?
I told my husband what I did.
He didn’t trust me.
You’re worried?
You’re worried if he was disappointed.
He isn’t a disloyal man.
To him,
I’m nothing,
but an abhorrent foreigner.
Why do you think lightly of yourself?
Ling Jun.
I’m his wife.
But he doesn’t trust me.
Do you want to know
why you became Princess Jinyang?
You have the obsession for Baili Hongxuan
because you and him
are closely associated.
You didn’t meet him in his mansion
for the first time.
Instead, you are
tightly bound.
You know.
I didn’t want to tell you this.
You tried to repay him.
But he refused you.
No.
I want more than that.
I want to stay with him,
as his wife.
You want him to love you?
Yes, if it’s possible.
Now, I’m qualified to love him.
I hope I can stay with him
and get over all difficulties in the world,
even if I may not help.
As long as you regain your memory
and get back your power,
you can help him.
What should I do?
Fulfil your duty as his wife
and give him a warm home.
Baili Hongxuan
is a loyal man.
Sooner or later,
he’ll feel your love for him.
Sir.
What do you mean?
Have a look. Do you like any?
What are they different
from our horses?
Such are Qinghai Horses.
They’re hybrids
of Persian and Tuyuhun horses.
They’ve made brilliant achievements in war by generations.
Compared with them, Akhal-teke horses
from the West Regions
are fast.
But they have less endurance
in such a cold place as Li City.
Sir, you have sharp eyes.
This is a Qinghai horse
that has just come.
When it neighs, all the other horses stop.
It travels a thousand miles a day.
In the legend,
the Crown Prince Dan were said to
ride a Qinghai Horse.
His horse was eaten long ago,
wasn’t it?
Besides,
my Tuyuhun horse in Ye City is
thousands of times better than this one.
You have no idea.
You can only train a Qinghai Horse,
instead of taming it.
In its life,
it never takes anyone
as its master.
But if it likes you,
it will take you
as its loyal friend.
Whatever danger you are in,
it will stick together with you,
regardless of its own life.
I’ve never heard that
horses can’t be tamed.
Sir.
This is a fiery Qinghai horse.
This young man looks weak.
You’d better not have him ride this.
Don’t worry.
My little guard
is frank, honest
and sensitive as well.
The horse will like him.
I’ll take the horse.
I just had a new name
for the horse.
Chenfu.
Chenfu? It’s a nice name.
It’s really a big gift, isn’t it?
It is a great horse.
Over all these years,
you finally give me
something really great.
What is this then?
You’re kidding me again!
Isn’t it a damn stone?
Don’t! It’s awesome!
It’s an obsidian.
It fell from the sky!
When my brother
sent me to Liaodong,
I saw the meteor falling.
By the sea,
I found this stone.
You like it most
when you watch the stars
on a summer night.
I believe you’ll like it.
It looks pretty.
I’ll wear it around my neck
so that I won’t lose it.
Look!
You know what?
It is a nice stone.
But you picked it somewhere.
You must give me something more expensive.
How greedy you are!
Didn’t I just buy you a great horse?
Hongyi.
Do you like Li City?
Yes.
Do you like it
when you stay with me?
Yes.
We’ve always been fighting each other.
But you’re always
my best brother.
Commander!
Report!
Water problem again!
What’s wrong?
Since this morning,
news continuously came that
people in Li City have illusion.
By now, all clinics in Li City
have been overcrowded.
Illusion?
Yes.
The disease comes with a terrifying force
in such a short time.
And they have the same symptoms.
I have to suspect that
the pestilence comes with the water.
Pestilence?
What symptoms do they have?
The vice general and I
checked on them in the clinics.
Now,
most of them have a headache
and feel dizzy.
They don’t recognize time or people.
The worse symptom
is the violent tendency.
If something is wrong with water,
will everyone in the city be sick?
Now
seems like all of them have illusion.
Young men are better.
Once they feel the pain,
they wake up.
But
the elderly and children
are in a worse situation.
Commander, last time in Qianling Lake,
you had the illusion.
Once you felt the pain,
you woke up.
Mu Qi, how many patients are there?
Hundreds, at least.
In Li City,
nearly all clinics
have been packed.
The clinics lack coordination.
That won’t help.
Take some soldiers with you
and collect all the patients.
Set up a treatment center
and ask doctors to treat them intensively.
Besides, they must treat the patients carefully,
regardless of their identities.
Yes.
Baili Hongshuo.
General?
You made a big trouble!
Leave us.
Yes.
You know what?
People in Li City think that
you’ve made such big trouble
just because you offended the Mountain Demon.
Tell me.
How will you deal with that?
Mountain Demon? That’s ridiculous!
Ridiculous?
Seems like you totally ignored
what I told you!
I asked you not to mess up with the Mountain Demon!
Not to!
But you didn’t listen.
See?
It’s taking revenge!
All the people are suffering!
Ridiculous?
But people in town
are falling sick.
Isn’t it real?
Tell me.
Who else can it be?
I’ve caught
the so-called Mountain Demon.
Really?
Show me then.
The Lang people are messing around.
Don’t worry, Uncle.
Fine. Let me make it clear.
If it can’t be settled
in three days,
and Li City is at stake,
His Majesty and Her Highness
blames it,
I can’t ensure your safety.
By that time,
don’t complain
I don’t consider our relationship.
Uncle, rest assured.
I defeated the Mountain Demon once.
This time,
I won’t let you down either.