ADAPTED FROM BAI LU CHENG SHUANG'S LOVE IN THE CLOUDS
Spiritual power from Zhushui Spiritual State?
Did the Emperor of Zhushui give it to you?
No wonder your power surged at the tea gathering.
Who are you taking me to?
The Emperor of Zhushui?
So, you were faking it all along!
The black lingzhi mushroom can revive your cat.
I'm sure Ming Xin knows that already.
Do you intend to play along?
Is there anything else in my mind that you can't read?
Right, Warrior Goddess.
Everything is within your calculations.
Ming Xin will show himself.
I want to settle the score with him.
Might as well use the opportunity
to get the last piece of the Recording Mirror.
Do you dare return to Yaoguang Mountain?
What if Father punishes you?
Punish me?
Why should I be afraid of that?
When I reveal the truth to everyone,
who should be afraid? You or me?
Now that you've fallen for the trap,
let's settle our score once and for all.
Open your eyes and see what I have here.
How can this be?
Mu Qibai has half of the Recording Mirror.
How did you get the one in my possession
that went missing?
Impossible.
You have the Heavenly Grief.
How can you…
The Recording Mirror
will prove that you poisoned me with the Heavenly Grief
and colluded with the Emperor of Zhushui.
How do you think Yaoguang Palace will punish you?
Your punishment will be more important
than my identity.
I hate
that I didn't kill you back then in Jixing Abyss when I had
the Blood Moon Ring that could catalyze the netherbeasts!
Do you have any idea what you did?
You poisoned me so that you can be the crown prince.
That's a personal agenda.
But letting the netherbeasts out
will only bring suffering to the Six Realms!
You're the greatest fool ever!
So what?
Ming Xian. Were you the one
who sealed the netherbeast army alongside Ji Bozai?
Ji Bozai and you fell in love?
How preposterous.
You ruined the plan of the Emperor of Zhushui.
Do you think he will let you go?
Your right hand is your dominant hand.
Therefore,
you poisoned me with your right hand.
Ming Xian, what are you doing?
No!
Ming Xin.
You poisoned me.
Because of that, my spiritual veins were damaged, and I lost
in the tournament.
To fulfill your selfish desire,
you forsook your duty to Yaoguang Mountain
and colluded with Zhushui Spiritual State.
You summoned the blood moon
and attempted to destroy Jixing Abyss with netherbeasts.
Today, I shall take away all your dexterity.
An eye for an eye.
Impossible.
Mu Qibai told me
that only the Golden Millet Dream could cure the Heavenly Grief.
You can use your spiritual veins at will now,
which means you are cured.
Did Ji Bozai truly have the Golden Millet Dream
and gave it to you?
DIWU TREE ROOT
My Lord.
Considering the 200 or so
wandering spirits given by Yaoguang Mountain recently,
you will soon master the secret technique of Zhushui,
the art of illusory assassination.
Fuyue,
I once told you many times
that I would never become like my father or brothers.
You then asked if it was a promise to you
or to myself.
But I have seen the truth now.
The blood of Zhushui flows within us.
Are we all that different?
We all worship the deities of Zhushui Spiritual State.
Perhaps we were all cursed from the start.
Only by sacrificing our souls
can we attain true heights.
If that is the price to rise above all,
so be it.
My Lord.
Whatever you have become, you are still you.
I will always stay by your side.
I couldn't defeat her,
and she even broke one of my arms.
My bone won't ever heal again.
The Recording Mirror…
Wait.
I must talk to Father before she does.
The tea gathering isn't over.
Why are you back so soon?
Father, I rushed back
because there's something affecting the name of Yaoguang Mountain
that you must know.
Whatever could tarnish our reputation?
Tell me.
All of you are dismissed.
Yes, Your Majesty.
What happened to your arm?
I met Ming Xian during the tea gathering.
He broke my arm.
Ming Xian?
He's still alive?
Not only is he alive,
but he also betrayed Yaoguang Mountain
and sided with Jixing Abyss.
Are you sure?
Absolutely.
I speak the truth.
Moreover,
I found something even more terrifying.
Ming Xian
is a girl.
What do you mean?
I could hardly believe it at first
because it was just ridiculous.
But I saw it with my own eyes.
The warriors with me can attest to it too.
Ming Xian is a girl.
She got a new name, Ming Yi, and married Ji Bozai.
The so-called respected Empress must have told this lie
to secure her position.
She told everyone she had given birth to a son.
Then, she had her daughter disguised as a man
and deceived Yaoguang Mountain for 21 years.
Impossible.
He is my son.
He is not a girl.
I do not know what evil trick the Empress used,
but Ming Xian worked with the rival realm
and lost on purpose during the Qingyun Tournament.
We then became one of the lower realms.
This is the truth.
I see.
I shall investigate thoroughly.
If Jing Shu truly committed such an atrocity,
I would revoke her title as the Empress.
I have one more favor to ask.
Father, after the tea gathering,
please hold the Crown Prince Conferment Ceremony
and appoint me as the crown prince.
His Majesty said yes?
The conferment ceremony will be held after three days.
Then, I'll be the official crown prince of Yaoguang Mountain.
Great.
Great! Xin.
Why do you look so worried?
Mother.
There's one more problem.
I procured the Heavenly Grief from Mu Qibai.
He recorded everything with the Recording Mirror.
And the mirror…
is in Ming Xian's possession.
What? Then…
Then you should get the mirror back from her.
But Ming Xian somehow got back her spiritual veins.
She's too strong for me.
But the Emperor of Zhushui
suspects Ming Xian of being the descendant of the Bo clan.
He asked me to capture her alive and bring her to Zhushui Spiritual State.
Assuming he is right,
then Ming Yi
does not carry the bloodline of Yaoguang Palace.
BO'S MEDICAL CLASSICS
Spiritual veins destroyed by the Heavenly Grief
may only be restored by planting the Golden Millet Dream in the victim.
There is no other alternative.
The Heavenly Grief in me suddenly went away.
The only possible explanation
is that you gave it to me.
But I had no idea at all.
It seems like you have dealt with Ming Xin swiftly.
It is unscathed.
To revive your companion beast,
you need to resonate with it using your spiritual veins.
It will be painful. Let me stay here with you.
The black lingzhi mushroom is working.
If I nurture it for a while,
Twenty-Seven will return.
I finally did it.
What?
Won't you ask
what I did to Ming Xin?
After all, he was going to be the crown prince of Yaoguang Mountain.
If I hurt him,
Jixing Abyss might be in trouble.
In trouble?
As in neither of us can handle the consequences?
If you kill him, I'll bring you the blade.
If you spare him, I'll cover your tracks.
I have the Warrior Goddess with me.
What else is there to worry about?
I got the Recording Mirror,
but I spared Ming Xin.
He's going to reveal my identity to my father.
And you already have a plan?
Yes.
But there's one important thing
I need to check with you.
When did you give me the Golden Millet Dream?
Didn't you see me destroy the Golden Millet Dream?
How could I possibly give it to you?
I undid the seal on Bo's Medical Classics.
The Golden Millet Dream
is the only cure for the Heavenly Grief.
You gave it to me.
Like I said, I did not.
In Zhangwei Mountain, you asked if I was Ming Xian.
You said you'd only ask me that question one last time.
So, today,
I'm asking you again one last time.
If you won't answer my question,
I will not ask it again.
Did you enjoy the scallion pancake?
You brought a scallion pancake to Zhangwei Mountain?
Is it weird?
I came here for you anyway.
Thank you.
I only realized now
that you're more important to me
than I imagined.
Don't spill anything.
Come. Eat it.
See?
I'd hate to see you look at me like that.
I gave you the Golden Millet Dream for one purpose only,
so that you can live.
I don't want you to feel indebted to me
or that you need to do anything to repay me.
You ought to know me better.
I'm a prideful woman.
I will never fall for someone out of indebtedness.
Yes. You and your pride.
You're invincible.
Ji Bozai.
Ming Xian.
You two trespassed into Yaoguang Palace to kidnap me.
What?
Are you betraying Yaoguang Mountain
and siding with Jixing Abyss now?
Looking for something?
Oh, this thing from the Emperor
of Zhushui?
What do you want?
Easy.
It won't be for long.
I can finally use this Soul-seizing Technique on you.
Are you ready?
Speak. The Emperor of Zhushui gave you power
and even the compass.
What did he tell you to do?
Ming Xian.
Do you think you can be the crown prince
just because you have the Recording Mirror?
Dream on!
You will not steal my thunder again!
Ming Xian.
Only I can be the crown prince.
So, his greatest fear is you?
That's my loser of a brother for you. Don't mind him.
Smiling? You have no right to be smug.
What did the Emperor tell me to do?
Listen carefully.
He told me to capture you alive and bring you to Zhushui Spiritual State.
You're an outsider.
You don't carry the bloodline of Yaoguang Palace.
You are a descendant of the Bo clan!
What did you say?
The elders in Yaoguang Palace claimed
that two wandering physicians once sojourned in Yaoguang Mountain.
One of them
fell in love and had a child with one of the local warriors.
Can you guess if it's you?
The Emperor of Zhushui also said
that since you could enter the Zhulong Barrier,
it meant you were the descendant of the Bo clan.
Father. Mother.
Look.
The crown prince
of Yaoguang Mountain can only be me!
Let me find out the truth in Yaoguang Palace.
Ming Yi.
Father has found out.
He has erected a barrier,
so that I cannot return.
The barrier is now broken.
Guards will arrive soon.
Don't worry. I'll stand guard.
No one will bother you.
Ming Yi.
I can handle it.
You…
How did you come back?
How could they do this to you?
They know you're a fairy.
So, they agreed to appoint Ming Xin as the crown prince.
You shouldn't have come back.
I'll take you away from this place.
Your father thinks you're a traitor.
Even you can't be sure that you can get out of this place alive.
And you want me to come with you?
Do you think you can escape?
Master told me that you were safe in Yaoguang Palace.
Look at you now.
I will bring you to safety, even if it means
-everyone will view me as an enemy. -You…
Just go. I will not leave with you.
Your Majesty, you won't come with me
because you don't think I can bring you to safety…
or because…
I am not your daughter?
What did you say?
Ming Xin was given the task of taking me back alive
by the Emperor of Zhushui
because the Emperor found out
that I do not carry the bloodline of Yaoguang Palace.
He said I was a descendant of the Bo clan.
No wonder you never called me Mother
after you barged into this place.
Master She.
Ming Yi wrote to me,
telling me that you gave the Golden Millet Dream to her.
I've never thanked anyone in my life.
But I'll make an exception today.
Stand upright.
Master She.
Do not return the bow.
Rest assured.
I will repay the favor.
I will find the Diwu tree's core as soon as possible
and make the Golden Millet Dream for you.
Thank you, Master She.
No need.
Ming Yi also mentioned
that Ming Xin accused her of being a descendant of the Bo clan.
Did that happen?
What else did Ming Xin say?
Tell us.
So, where did the wandering Bo physicians go?
I was told one died from labor complications,
and the other one was last seen
leaving Yaoguang Palace
with a newborn baby.
You returned
to find the truth.
If I tell you the truth,
will you stop pestering me?
Have you ever wondered
why I have treated you so
ever since you were little?
You are smart.
You won every Qingyun Tournament.
You wouldn't even dare
to make a mistake or lose
in your training.
But I never cared about what you wanted
or if you were hurt or hungry.
No mother would ever treat her child like this.
Given your intelligence,
I thought you'd have guessed it.
So…
So, who am I?
Your father, the Emperor of Yaoguang,
and I do not love each other.
He took Madam Meng in as his consort one day
and showered her with affection.
Everyone in Yaoguang Palace said
that when Madam Meng gave birth to a son with spiritual veins,
she would replace me
as the Empress of Yaoguang.
Therefore,
I must give birth to a son
with spiritual veins before she does.
20 YEARS AGO
There, there.
Good boy.
Baby. My baby.
Quick.
Bring me my baby.
My baby.
Impossible. This can't be right.
My son must have spiritual veins.
-Who would have thought… -Impossible!
This is impossible!
…the son whom I toiled so much to conceive
was born without spiritual veins?
Without spiritual veins?
Yes. The irony of it.
God took pity on me and gave me a son.
But in everyone's eyes,
he's just a useless person with no spiritual veins.
He can never be a crown prince.
He won't even be able to survive.
So,
who am I?
The serendipitous but hapless victim of this tragedy.
Coincidentally, another baby was born
at the same time in Yaoguang Palace.
It was a baby girl,
yet she was born with strong spiritual veins.
So, I made the decision.
To save my son,
I took you, who were born on the same day, away
to replace my son.
Your Majesty, I'm begging you.
Yucen is already dead.
This is her only child.
Bo Yulan, you know very well
why your sister died from birth complications.
She was hunted down by Zhushui Spiritual State
and was gravely injured.
She was too weak to carry a baby,
yet she risked everything to deliver her baby
for the sake of love.
And her lover couldn't do anything to protect her baby.
He is a warrior,
but he consummated with a foreign fairy.
He is now imprisoned.
I felt bad for Yucen,
so I snuck her into the palace for her delivery.
Now that Yucen is gone,
do you think you can protect the baby?
This baby was born with unrivaled
spiritual veins and potentials.
She is destined to rise above all.
I know
your clan has something called the Veil of Illusion
that can conceal her gender.
You and your sister used that technique to evade the manhunt
in Zhushui Spiritual State.
Tell me how to use the technique
and I'll release your sister's lover.
This baby
will be the respected crown prince of Yaoguang Mountain.
I will make her the ruler of Six Realms.
So,
I really am…
Yes, the daughter of Bo Yucen,
the descendant of the Bo clan.
Then, my father is…?
Master She.
I heard
that the ancestors of the Bo clan would leave behind portraits.
As long as someone pays respect to the portraits,
their divine consciousness
will remain in the Bo clan's ancestral home.
That day, in Zhangwei Mountain, Ming Yi
saw another fairy from the Bo clan,
Bo Yucen.
She saw Yucen?
She truly saw Yucen?
So, you do know Bo Yucen.
Fairy Bo Yucen
said something weird to Ming Yi.
What did she say?
The Bo clan still has one descendant in this world.
And that's my child.
But I hope
no one will ever find out about her identity
or whereabouts.
Oh, my baby.
Never have I ever imagined
that I would be able to see you again.
Ming Yi
didn't know what she meant.
But…
Master She, you must know.
I thought that if Ming Yi could meet her,
it means someone is still paying respect to her portrait.
Is that you, Master She?
Master She,
I admit that I once asked my companion beast to dig around your past.
Ming Xian became a warrior of Yaoguang Mountain at the age of 13.
And you suddenly did everything you could
to be the venerable for Yaoguang Mountain's warrior ranks.
That's because
you wanted to tutor the crown prince, Ming Xian.
Well done!
-Greetings, Venerable. -Your Highness.
No need to bow to me, Venerable.
I am now one of the warriors.
I should bow to you instead.
Your Highness, your form was excellent just now.
Perhaps you shouldn't call me Venerable.
Let me be your master.
I'll take you in as my disciple.
You?
Why should I be your disciple?
What can you teach me?
Prideful, aren't you?
Let's have a match then.
If I win, you'll have to call me Master.
Sure.
After Ming Xin confessed,
you began to suspect me, didn't you?
I didn't mean to offend you.
All I'm after is the truth.
Will you tell me the truth, Master She?
Were you in love
with Fairy Bo Yucen?
Your father was the warrior
of Yaoguang Mountain, She Tianlin.
So, in the Bo clan's ancestral home,
I met my mother.
The one I've known since I was little,
the one who has been staying by my side,
the one whom I call Master is…
I…
So, Ming Yi
is your child with Fairy Bo Yucen.
When Yucen went into labor,
I was imprisoned by the Empress.
When I was released,
Yucen had already passed
from birth complications.
I couldn't even look at her one last time.
By then,
your daughter
had already become the son of the Empress.
I was at my wits' end.
I had no other option.
What can I do?
I was just an ordinary warrior,
and they were the entire Yaoguang Palace.
Could I fight them all?
Could I fight the Empress?
I could only endure it silently.
Yucen's portrait
contains our shared memories.
For 21 years,
for all 21 years,
those cherished past memories
and Ming Yi's future
have kept me alive.
For 21 years,
have you never intended
to tell Ming Yi the truth?
You would rather Ming Yi live
in deception forever? Yi live