Black Fox,
what exactly are you up to?
I thought we were going to work with the Qi family.
Now, you taught Mr. Qi a lesson.
What exactly are you thinking?
The more powerful
you are in cooperation,
the more benefit you'll get.
Father, hear me out.
It's…
Father.
Out of everyone in Yu City,
only the Shang family
would dare rub us the wrong way.
Not to mention it's a foreigner.
You mentioned that
the young man's maidservant
managed to wound
Zhao Qinghou in a single strike.
He was crushed to a pulp!
Was there anything special about the young man's look?
Aside from sharing my dashing good looks…
Right!
His aura.
He seemed very classy and smart.
He must be very fastidious.
Was his maidservant
a very carefree kind of girl?
Father, how do you know she is the carefree kind of girl?
Father, I have but one request.
Buy me the horse, please.
Father, look!
This is it! This is the horse!
This is the man, Father. He hit me!
He's dressed in green, like a mung bean cake!
Wait, you're wearing green as well.
I am sorry.
Please inform your master
that Qi Yannian of Yu City and his wayward son are here
to apologize.
He knows you are coming.
It seems
you've made the right decision.
Gentleman,
I have a question.
What if I made the wrong decision today?
According to my young master,
if the head of the Qi family was nothing but a fool,
the family should be gone from Yu City.
I dare you to say that again!
Come in.
I am Qi Yannian of Yu City.
My son and I are here to apologize to you, Mr. Fengxi.
Mr. Fengxi?
You worthless child,
kneel!
My son is ignorant.
I hope you have mercy on him, Mr. Fengxi.
Qi Yannian. How is this a proper apology?
To express my sincerity,
I've brought you a gift.
It's a third of the Qi family's wealth.
But…
Speak, what do you want?
I have a humble request.
There are two prominent families in Yu City,
namely the Qi family and the Shang family.
The Shang family has sided with the former chancellor of Shangzhou.
They have a letter of sanction to sell salt.
Over the past few years,
they have been undermining me at every corner.
I am hoping you can
get the letter of sanction for me.
I am willing to forgo a third of the Qi family's wealth.
That is going to take a toll on my family's finances and power.
Sir!
Very well, name your price.
I want half of it.
Sir,
so be it!
If you want me to get the letter from the Shang family,
I will need the information.
The letter
has been in possession of the head of the family,
Shang Ye.
On the third day of every month,
he visits the Lifang Parlor.
That's today!
I look forward to hearing good news from you.
Black Fox,
you've impressed me.
You found out where Shang Ye would be
and robbed the Qi family of half their wealth.
I prefer putting my mind to good use.
You may go now.
We'll head for the Lifang Parlor later.
Sure.
Sir,
are we short on money?
With you around? Always.
LIFANG PARLOR, YU CITY
If you're here for the girls,
go to the first floor and feast your eyes.
Why would you come here?
A higher vantage point helps me find my target.
Look.
He's over there.
Is that Shang Ye?
HEAD OF THE SHANG FAMILY, SHANG YE
That must be the Dance of Allure.
That fair lady must be the Bewitcher.
-Look at these thirsty men. -Pretty ladies. Good!
Not all men
are as crude as them.
I doubt
you are not interested at all.
Your face is turning red.
It's burning up.
Muscle contraction.
Rapid breathing.
A waste of my time.
Did you see the dance?
Yes.
I've visited a brothel in the past.
However, I've never seen anything
like the dance they performed.
I bet there aren't many places or things
that you haven't tried,
Bai Fengxi.
Am I right?
Black Fox,
how are you any better?
Look at those beauties.
They look gorgeous in red.
They dance like a blooming peony,
alluring and bewitching,
and winning every man's heart.
Mr. Shang.
Please come with me to the side chamber.
Ms. Hong Luo will be with you soon.
-Good! -Good!
Are your eyes opened?
You're quite a gentleman.
Put that on.
Why?
You're going to dance.
Why am I dancing?
Aren't you investigating the Soultaker Sect?
Shang Ye is your lead.
Put it on. Be quick.
Black Fox.
If you want me to perform their dance from earlier,
well, I can't.
You know how the Soultaker Sect operates.
Every time we caught someone,
they committed suicide by taking poison.
They refuse to say anything.
I need you to charm him
so he tells you the secrets of the Soultaker Sect
without even realizing it.
Otherwise, you might never find those from the Soultaker Sect.
Remember, make sure he shows you
the permit for selling salt.
As for the dance,
we both know if you can perform it.
Bai Fengxi remembers everything she sees.
This dance is merely…
Curse you, Black Fox--
The man in the next room is getting impatient.
An exotic dance?
I've never tried it before.
Since I'm only doing it once in my entire life,
I'll do it to perfection.
My performance will be flawless.
What is taking her so long?
-Go and check on her. -Yes.
Ms. Hong Luo arrives!
Mr. Shang, do you want the servants to see me dance?
Both of you, leave us.
-Yes. -Yes.
Black Fox clearly had a way to get the information he sought,
but he sent me to dance for this man.
Curse him.
Stop.
All right.
You can stop dancing now.
I've waited long enough.
Mr. Shang, don't be so hasty.
Young Master Qi watched me perform the entire dance.
Are you saying
my dance is not good enough for you?
No, your dance is great.
But more importantly, I am just…
Why can't you do as Young Master Qi did?
Just sit tight and enjoy my dance.
Young Master Qi was very pleased
with my dance after he watched it.
Enough about the man from Qi family.
What's so great about them?
Listen up.
The Qi family will meet their demise soon.
Demise?
What do you mean?
I hope you're not just bluffing.
Me? Bluffing?
Let me show you something.
See this?
This is the permit to sell salt in Shangzhou.
With this document,
the Shang family will become richer with each passing day!
The Qi family can't do anything about it.
But still,
the Qi family is second only to you in Yu City.
There's more.
I have someone to back me up.
Who is it?
The Soultaker Sect.
We share a very close connection and…
You're pretty quick.
This is the so-called richest man in Shangzhou?
I've never seen you in this appearance.
-I never thought… -That I am a beauty of unmatched charm?
Isn't that so?
Sir.
Is my beauty enough
to catch your attention?
Gorgeous as a blooming blossom, fair as a flowing brook.
Who are you?
You're in no place to ask questions.
Answer my questions.
Where is the Soultaker Sect?
You are only a businessman.
Why would you work with them?
Answer me.
Shang Ye.
I'm not a merciful person.
To get what I want,
I resort to gruesome methods.
Have you heard of
Devourment by Ants?
No!
Stop.
Kill me if you want.
Shang Ye.
Black Fox here doesn't mind taking lives.
Do not provoke him.
I understand your concerns.
You fear they may come after you.
But if you help us, the sect will perish.
Give it some thought.
There is a division of the Soultaker Sect here in Yu City.
But I can't explain the location clearly in a few words.
I can draw you a map.
Very well.
Go after him.
-You learned well. -Following the track. You taught me that.
Zhong Li,
is Feng going to be all right?
Don't worry, Young Master Han.
My young master is with her. She will be safe.
She doesn't need your young master's protection.
Young Master Han, it's bedtime.
When you wake up,
they will already be back.
It's still too early for bedtime.
Sleep soundly and worry about nothing.
Fine.
This is it.
I bet the members of the Soultaker Sect are ready for us.
Remember, follow my lead.
Do not…
Do not be reckless.
There are eight of them this time.
This is their hidden formation, the Octo-Ghost Soul Formation.
Hold your breath. It's poison gas.
Go back and detoxify. I'll go after him.
The enemies have paid for attacking the Yu City hideout.
Wang Hai.
Young Master has ordered you to rebuild the Yu City hideout.
Yes.
Are you healed?
I adjusted my qi flow.
Where is he?
He got away.
Don't be frustrated.
We each have different strengths.
Maybe he's just good at escaping.
Have you found anything about the sect?
He dropped this.
This pattern seems peculiar.
Don't you know what it is?
No.
What a shame.
Are you going to ask for another thousand pieces of gold?
You don't have a choice here.
Say it now.
Or I'm going to tear it into pieces.
Don't you think
we are very much the same as that pattern?
It's called The Locust and Cricket.
These two beasts look similar
and are inseparable.
The Locust and Cricket?
What's the story behind it?
I don't know either.
But I do know it's powerful enough
to bend the knees of the richest man in Yu City.
Whatever it is,
I'll get to the bottom of it.
The Locust and Cricket…
It's over for the time being.
The Soultaker Sect won't show up for some time.
Where are you going next?
I'm taking Pu'er back to the Tianshuang Sect.
I should start packing now.
YU CITY, SHANGZHOU
All right.
We finally have food!
-It's still steaming. -Next.
-Hold the food. -Sir,
what happened here?
A fire broke out at the Shang family's house.
The house was burned to the ground.
The fire took the street too.
Many have lost their homes.
They are giving out food. I'll have a look.
Go ahead.
-Next. -Thank you.
It's Mr. Feng!
Let's go.
Speak.
What are you up to this time?
You have a prejudice against me.
A fire burned the Shang's residence to the ground.
Shang Ye burned himself to death.
A fire broke out
and his wealth was burnt to the ground,
but he didn't commit suicide.
Shang Ye ran away.
Businessmen are cunning.
That's true enough about him.
Shang Ye is very decisive.
His action was swift.
He took his family with him.
At least he's not heartless.
He gave up his wealth as if it was nothing.
I'll applaud his resolve.
You seem to know a lot.
Did you see it?
Of course.
I should have known.
You do everything
for a certain purpose.
You never miss any details.
I should have been more careful.
If I didn't do it,
I wouldn't be the Hei Fengxi you knew.
Judging by that tone,
the Shang family's wealth
is in your pocket now,
along with the Qi family's.
Well played, Black Fox.
You then used the money for charity
and earned the title of a philanthropist.
You got the money and fame.
You are nothing more than a scheming, cunning, evil,
and selfish animal.
Why are you still sung as a hero?
I wonder if people are thinking straight.
I've never called myself honorable and of justice.
But people celebrate your deeds.
You chose money over people.
You could have saved everyone from the fire.
You let them die just so you can plunder
the treasures…
Those guards from that night…
Mr. Shang, do you want the servants to see me dance?
Both of you, leave us.
-Yes. -Yes.
-Take more. You must be hungry. -Black Fox saved those guards.
Well? Don't stop now.
Aren't you calling me a heartless wretch?
Did you save those guards?
This is a farewell for us.
I hope we don't meet again.
Curse that Black Fox.
He must have thought
I was a fool just now.
You don't have money with you.
-Do you need help? -Never mind.
I'm not like you.
I don't need a lot of money with me.
About just now…
I forgive you.
I…
This bird is hurt.
Look, there is another one.
Another?
A black bird and a white bird.
How did they get hurt?
What?
One for each.
Black and white.
I don't keep pets.
They are both hurt.
If we don't take care of them,
they will die.
That is their destiny.
Fine.
I'll keep both of them.
Someone as privileged as you will never understand
what it's like to have no mother.
Let's go.
I do know.
I lost my mother
when I was very young.
-Sorry, Black Fox. I… -Never mind.
This is where we part.
I will look after the bird.
Take care.
May we meet again.
Goodbye.
I hope we don't meet again.
Let's go.
TAI TOWN, SHANGZHOU
We're finally in Tai Town.
Feng, are we almost at the Tianshuang Sect?
We still need to go over a mountain.
You must be hungry. Let's get you some food.
Feng, do you have money?
I lead a frugal lifestyle.
We still have one silver leaf.
You call that frugal?
Why did I even follow you?
This is the first wrong decision in my life.
We can barely make ends meet.
Sometimes, you don't even pay for the meals.
-But I… -Not paying for meals?
-It's horrible to starve a kid. -Keep it down.
Why should I?
I'll talk as loud as I want!
-We foraged fruits from the wild -I…
-and drank muddy water. -We had no choice.
We either spend the night under a stranger's roof
or hanging on a tree!
We even stayed in a rundown temple.
We barely had any shelter. I've never had a decent day.
Why is the famous Bai Fengxi flat broken?
I thought people like you were respected and loaded with money.
I should have followed Hei Fengxi.
Even if I was sold off,
I'd get some decent meals
and have some sound sleep.
How about this?
I'll use this silver leaf
to buy as much food as you want.
That's more like it.
Let's go.
I'm the better choice, right?
-Sit here. -All right.
May I take your order?
Two bowls of noodles.
With some vinegar and seasoning.
-All right. -Thank you.
Let's go.
Sir,
where are they coming from?
You mean the refugees?
They are from Luo City of the Ten Cities of Qiyun.
Ten Cities of Qiyun?
Isn't that under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Family?
Troops from Shangzhou are being sent to Luo City.
These people ran as hard as they could
to reach here.
Shangzhou's troops are attacking the Imperial Family?
How is this happening?
The Emperor lost the Empyrean Token.
The forces in Shangzhou must want to seize the throne.
That's why they mobilized the troops.
If the Empyrean Token caused this,
worse battles would come to pass.
Sit down.
It's been a month.
More refugees are pouring in.
The bun stall owner and I could offer some help at first.
But right now, we barely have enough food ourselves.
Here,
your noodles are ready.
Son, quick!
Get the meat buns! Go!
Sir, please help us!
Spare the children some food.
-Please, my child is starving to death! -We don't have any.
Stop pushing!
Sir!
What are you doing?
-My son! Are you hurt? -Mother!
Get up, madam.
Thank you, miss.
-You are a good person. -Get up.
-Do a good deed. -Here. Get up.
Please spare us some food.
Sir.
-Yes. -Get them as many buns as I can pay
with this silver leaf.
-Thank you! -Sure.
-Come here! -Thank you!
-There is food here! -Everyone, line up!
-Line up! Stop pushing! -Feng.
-You'll get your food. -Stop pushing.
Thank you.
Let's go.
We used up our money.
It's all right.
I know you will figure something out.
There are fruits in the wild.
I'll get you some.
Sir,
the border of Luo City is up ahead.
We've seen many refugees along the way.
The fights in Luo City are escalating.
Should we make a detour?
That will take us another day.
I don't want trouble back at home.
We should pass through Luo City.
Your concern is not with the schedule.
We've helped plenty of refugees along the way.
Your goal
is to save more people.
Given the circumstances,
we can't save Luo City.
If Shangzhou manages to seize Luo City,
all hell breaks loose.
The situation is bad,
but it's not the worst.
The Lord of Shangzhou is a fool.
Challenging the Imperial Family's patience
is a foolish move.
I will not let this fool
ruin the world.
Pu'er,
you're around seven years old,
not 70 years old.
You walk like an old man. You're so slow.
Feng, you lied to me again.
I didn't lie to you.
I told you, after Tai Town, we still have to go over a mountain.
Let's go.
You didn't mention how tall the mountain was.
I'm starving, thirsty, and tired. I'm too tired to walk.
You can't move at all?
I can't move at all.
Fine.
I'll find you some food.
Stay here. Don't go anywhere.
Gather some firewood.
Nothing comes free in this world.
Fine.
LUO CITY OF DADONG EMPIRE
SHANG
LUO CITY
Tell your governor
it would be wise to open the gate now.
Otherwise, I'll have his blood as a tribute to our flag
after we seize the city!
Relay every word of my message
to your governor!
MAP OF DADONG
Based on what you say,
this is a battle we cannot win.
The Lord of Shangzhou sent 10,000 soldiers here.
There are only 3,000 soldiers in this city.
Even if we tried our best,
it would be hard to defeat them.
The Empyrean Token is lost.
The Six States are eager to take the throne.
I knew this day would come.
I just didn't think
it'd come so soon.
We can neither escape
nor surrender.
I've dispatched men to the Imperial City.
We must endure as best as we can
until reinforcements from the Imperial City arrive.
What reinforcements can they offer?
General Dong Shufang only has 20,000 imperial guards.
They will never come to Luo City.
Even if we must die,
we must defend this place.
If we didn't, history would remember us
as officers who ran away to save our own necks.
Sir, someone wants to see you.
Another big shot from the city
wants me to open the gate?
Tell them
I will release the people of this city,
but the big shots
are staying here with me.
Sir, he says he's from the Imperial City.
They sent someone from the Imperial City? Let him in.
Yes.
THE EMPYREAN YU FAMILY, YU WUYUAN
Greetings, Governor Fei and General Liu.
How many soldiers have you brought?
I came alone.
You're not from the Imperial City.
Who are you?
I am Yu Wuyuan.
The maverick who roams the world alone,
adored by the world but finds love in none.
You're the Finest Gentleman.
What brings you here?
Luo City is doomed to fall.
If a battle breaks out,
both sides will suffer heavy losses.
I hope to persuade
the Lord of Shangzhou to withdraw his troops.
Are you going alone?
I'm meeting them for negotiation,
not to fight them.
One man
is enough.
Your Highness,
Yingzhou's body has been sent to the capital of our state.
I know.
Warriors surrounded the Tianshuang Sect,
but Bai Fengxi never showed up.
Are you worried she took off with the Empyrean Token?
Don't you think so?
She protected Yingzhou when he was in danger.
Yingzhou was willing to entrust the token to her.
Yingzhou trusted her,
so I trust her.
If she fled with the token,
she would have failed Yingzhou.
I would make her pay.
Understood.
Mr. Wuyuan went to Luo City.
He's trying to stop another war.
As the Finest Gentleman,
when will he understand
that war will never end
unless
the country is unified?
Let's go.
The Tianshuang Sect is just over this mountain.
Well? How is my cooking?
It smells great.
Make the fire bigger.
Han Pu, put some effort into it
or you'll only get the fish bones.
Han Pu.
I didn't mean it.
-But… -I didn't mean it!
Stop right there!
Who's there?
I'll let go. Sheathe your sword.
Or maybe
I should break it.
Sheathe the sword.
Miss, could you let go?
What if I didn't?
What do you want?
Apologize.
Apologize?
The child wasn't hurt.
You won't apologize
just because the child wasn't killed or hurt,
right?
Very well.
I've killed plenty of people.
However, I've never taken any innocent lives.
But today,
I'll know what it's like to take one.
Feng, are you all right?
I'm all right.
I haven't met an opponent as mighty as you for some time.
Sir…
Do not blame yourself.
Only a handful of people
can match her skill in the martial arts world.
I couldn't defeat her either.
I've never met anyone who can match Black Fox's
handsome look and grace.
Feng, did you say something?
I was talking about you.
Stop being so childish.
Miss, you are a skilled fighter.
May I know your name?
She doesn't just tell strangers
her name so easily.
You should at least apologize to me first.
Young boy,
I should at least know
who I am apologizing to.
My name is Han Pu.
I'm going to surpass Bai-Hei Fengxi one day.
Why are you laughing? This lady here is--
You've embarrassed yourself.
Don't embarrass me as well.
Silence.
The young have potential.
How can you be so sure he won't
surpass both of them?
Ms. Han,
I wasn't mocking him.
I applaud his will
despite his young age.
He will achieve greatness one day.
The Bai-Hei Fengxi have dominated for decades.
It takes more than fancy words
to surpass them.
She is not--
Silence.
Those two will grow old eventually.
They will be too old to fight.
Someone will take their place.
Since we can't defeat them,
let's leave.
-Sure. -Wait.
What now?
Do you want another fight?
I'll have a hard time fighting your master.
But you?
I can easily beat you.
I, Xiao Xuekong, do not kill innocent lives.
I'm sorry.
Xiao Xuekong?
Understood.
Why are you
and your little brother
all the way on this mountain?
I don't think people
such as you two should be
on this mountain.
You are the second person
I have no absolute confidence to defeat.
Why is it that I have never
heard of your name?
The second person?
Who is the first?
Yu Wuyuan.
LUO CITY
Please tell your commander
that I hope
to see him in person.
What now?
Are there no warriors among you?
You sent me a frail scholar?
Young man,
turn back immediately.
I'm here to negotiate for peace.
I don't want to negotiate.
I want you to surrender!
It seems it's not up to you to decide.
Tell the commanding officer.
You want to see him in person?
Very well.
I'll take your head to him right away!