How far are we from the Hot Spring Palace?
Not far, Father.
It's 20 li at most.
How much further?
At least 50 li.
-Welcome, Your Lordship. -Welcome, Your Lordship.
HOT SPRING PALACE
Rise.
-Thank you, Your Lordship. -Thank you, Your Lordship.
I heard Lanxi is unwell.
I came to see him.
His Highness has just taken his medicine. I'm afraid His Highness is asleep now.
Lanxi's health is poor.
That is why he came to the Hot Spring Palace to recuperate.
Why has his condition worsened instead? How did you take care of him?
It is my incompetency.
Please punish me, Your Lordship.
I'll let Lanxi
decide on that matter.
Let's go.
Father, what should we do?
Lanxi.
Father has come to see you.
Xi'er.
Lanxi.
Father.
Why are you here?
No need to get up.
Feng Ju said
that your condition had worsened.
I came to see how you are faring.
I made you worry.
Feng Ju saw me
undergoing treatment yesterday.
He must have been worried.
Even so,
you shouldn't have alarmed Father, Feng Ju.
Father.
I was just worried about Lanxi.
I'm glad that you're all right, Lanxi.
Why is your condition getting worse?
I brought the physician. Let him take a look at you.
Physician Wu.
Present.
Check Lanxi's pulse.
Yes, Your Lordship.
How is it?
His Highness's pulse is weak.
His Highness is indeed in poor health.
His Highness must have overexerted himself,
causing the cold air to enter his body,
triggering former afflictions, and hurting his heart and lungs.
Got it.
Physician Wu.
Your skills are poor.
Lanxi has been recuperating here.
With the hot spring to nourish him,
how could the cold air enter his body?
Besides, he has been meditating and resting.
How could he have overexerted himself?
Are you sure it wasn't a misdiagnosis?
I am certain.
That is indeed what His Highness's pulse shows.
Please understand, Your Lordship.
What's going on?
I know my mistakes. Please punish me, Father.
What mistakes?
I…
I haven't always stayed here.
I had you come here to recover.
But you left without permission.
You deceived me.
I know I am at fault.
Tell me.
What did you do?
Lanxi.
There is no point
in hiding it any longer.
Just tell Father the truth.
I'm sure Father won't be too harsh on you
as you are his son.
Go on.
Chuanyun. Chuanyu.
Bring the items.
-Yes, Your Highness. -Yes, Your Highness.
Your writing
has certainly improved over the years.
But what do these
have to do with your worsening state?
I'm very happy that you can still
recognize my writing, Father.
Actually, I had lied to you
when I requested
to come
to the Hot Spring Palace back then.
So why did you come here for?
To copy scriptures?
Because Mount Anyu is located
behind the Hot Spring Palace.
Mount Anyu?
The late lady's cemetery?
If you had wanted to mourn your mother, you could've just told me the truth.
Why do you hide it from me?
Father…
Do you remember
how this place came to be?
After Mother passed away,
she was buried in Mount Anyu.
You often came to mourn her back then.
And you found a hot spring in the mountain.
That's why you built
the Hot Spring Palace.
For the following two years,
you visited often.
But have you
ever come here since then?
For so long,
Mother's grave and this palace
have been left with only each other.
You are blaming me.
I don't dare.
I am aware
that the world is turbulent.
Father has always been thinking of Yongzhou
and dedicated everything to it.
This was all to protect the people of Yongzhou
and the Feng family's legacy.
I dare not blame you.
I'm sure Mother wouldn't as well.
But…
15 years have passed.
I miss her so much.
That's why I used the excuse of recuperating my health
to come to Mount Anyu.
I copied scriptures and burned them
as an offering to Mother
to help her soul find peace
and to pray for your well-being.
That is nothing bad or wrong.
Why did you not tell me?
I couldn't bring it up.
Why?
If I had made the request to mourn Mother,
I would've brought up sad memories for you.
Moreover,
if I had brought it up,
I feared that rumors might spread
among the court and the people.
Get up.
I have done wrong.
You have a heart of filial piety
and consider the bigger picture.
What is wrong with that?
You have done nothing wrong.
Don't stay here anymore.
Come back with me to the capital of Yongzhou.
In a few days,
the autumn hunt will be held.
Yes, Father.
Pack your things.
HOT SPRING PALACE
If His Highness hadn't made it back in time,
our heads would've rolled by now.
His Highness wouldn't let that happen.
I've always had faith in him.
Zhong Li.
-Did His Highness make it back in time? -Of course.
Otherwise, we wouldn't be standing here now.
That's good.
How did you both get separated?
Where's the carriage?
We were in a rush.
The rut broke.
Once we got the message from Cangyi,
we took the shortcut to hurry back.
But the rocky terrain caused the rut to break.
Thankfully, His Highness pulled me to safety.
After that, His Highness left ahead to get back here.
His Highness has always managed to turn the situation around.
The deities must be helping him.
You even got a bird from your trip.
You are really addicted to training birds.
Ms. Feng entrusted this bird to His Highness.
Ms. Feng?
Bai Fengxi?
Yes.
His Highness has been with her all this time.
Yes. Ms. Feng has been with His Highness throughout this trip.
We only separated after the incident in Yu City.
Remember.
Pay closer attention to the people around His Highness.
Father.
A while ago,
you told us not to interfere with His Highness's matters.
This matter concerns His Highness' safety.
It's an exception.
Understood.
Let's go.
Come on.
Your dark appearance
does make you look like that fox.
Xi'er.
Master.
Something has happened to the Luoyan Sect.
The Soultaker Sect attacked them.
Only three of the entire sect's 57 members
made it out alive.
We will seek justice for them.
Gather the best fighters in our sect.
Tomorrow, we will head down the mountain together.
Yes, Master.
Your Highness, everything has been packed.
Master.
Do you think my father wanted me to be here today?
Or would he rather I was not?
A subject can't speculate on his lord's thoughts.
Can't or daren't?
Both.
When I opened my eyes,
I saw the expression flash across his face briefly.
He looked a little surprised
and even a little disappointed.
If I weren't in my residence today,
I believe he would've punished me,
regardless of the reasons.
And the title of the heir of the lord
would fall into Feng Ju's hands.
He might even be relieved.
Perhaps His Lordship simply didn't wish to see Yongzhou's foundation
be threatened by the succession war.
Hasn't that always been the case
for imperial families since ancient times?
From the moment he brought Feng Ju to the Hot Spring Palace,
the war has been sounded.
Your Highness need not worry about this for now.
The matter at hand
is the autumn hunt that will be held in three days.
What's different about this autumn hunt?
I heard Feng Qiwu of the Feng family
would be attending as well.
The true leader of the Feng family.
As a woman, Feng Qiwu rules the Feng family.
She also holds the position of Minister of Personnel.
That's enough for her to influence the court.
It's not a surprise that she will be attending.
She is of marriageable age.
The elders of the Feng family
are urging her to get married.
Marrying Minister Feng
will mean gaining the support of the Feng family.
What do you think, Your Highness?
I understand what you mean.
I will consider this matter later.
Is Your Highness refusing
for that young lady's sake?
You overthink, Master.
We do need to secure
Feng Qiwu's support.
But if we form a marriage alliance at this time,
we will draw unwanted attention
from Feng Ju and Lady Baili.
As for how we may cooperate with her…
I'll think of something.
We will do everything according to Your Highness's plan.
YONGZHOU
-Welcome back, Your Highness. -Welcome back, Your Highness.
Rise.
-Thank you, Your Highness. -Thank you, Your Highness.
You did well.
Have you recovered?
I've already mostly recovered.
I am a lowly servant.
I thank Your Highness for your concern.
This is for you.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Take good care of Ms. Huan.
Yes, Your Highness.
All of you may leave now.
-Yes, Ms. Huan. -Yes, Ms. Huan.
Ms. Huan.
This must be a hairpin from Tiangong Workshop.
His Highness treats you well.
His Highness only gave this to me because I was injured.
His Highness has never cared
about accessories and jewelry.
His Highness must have specifically bought it for you.
Don't talk nonsense.
Your Highness.
Early this morning,
His Lordship sent someone
to deliver the rule book for the autumn hunt this year.
The hunt? Isn't it the same every year?
You will know once you read it, Your Highness.
This is not a hunt.
It's an exam.
To be precise,
it's a test to select a husband.
The chief of the Feng family
does indeed hold a lot of influence.
Major changes have been made to this year's autumn hunt.
The hunting ground will have three entrances.
Each participant may bring ten subordinates with them
and enter the grounds accordingly.
It is to assess each prince's ability respectively.
Secondly, the winner is no longer decided
by the amount of game they manage to hunt.
The prey is divided into different tiers.
Pheasants, hares, and other small creatures
are of the lowest tier.
Each animal in this category is worth only one point.
Deer, mountain goats, and other larger prey are of the third tier.
Each of them is worth five points.
Jackals and other ferocious beasts make up the second tier.
Each will be worth ten points.
Eagles and falcons are of the highest tier.
Each of them will earn you 15 points.
This is to test the three princes' calculations.
His Lordship has also stated
that those presenting the gifts
will have to prepare words of dedication as well.
This turns into a literary test.
As expected of a test set by the chief of the Feng family.
Feng Qiwu is clever indeed.
I'm afraid she herself is worth more
than what the Feng family can offer.
The one who excels in both will earn her favor,
making the tale
of the phoenix that only resides in the Chinese parasol tree true.
The one who acquires her support will gain the world.
So
what will be Your Highness's course of action this year?
It's never too high for mountains, and too deep for seas.
It is time.
The Tie family of Pei City was massacred yesterday.
They should be the Soultaker Sect's latest targets.
We will split up into two groups
and see if we can find any leads.
-Understood. -Understood.
Whether you find anything or not,
we will meet up
at the Xuanyi Inn in the east of the city when it is dark.
-Yes, Master. -Yes, Master.
Sir.
Has she returned to Tianshuang Sect?
Yes. Ms. Feng has returned to Tianshuang Sect.
However, things have not been peaceful in the martial arts world lately.
Ten sects, including Lieyang Sect, Luoyan Sect, and Xuanyuan Sect
have all been eliminated by the Soultaker Sect.
Some from the Luoyan Sect escaped.
They have asked the Tianshuang Sect for help.
They are persistent.
Send someone to keep an eye on them.
Yes, sir.
Wait.
Also,
send Cangyi to keep an eye on Tianshuang Sect.
As the leader of the righteous sects,
they wouldn't sit idly by and do nothing.
We might make
more discoveries by following them.
Understood.
Thank you, Fei Yu.
Master Bai.
Why did you suddenly ask to see the Tie family's bodies?
A mysterious force suddenly appeared in the martial arts world.
The Soultaker Sect.
Recently,
they've been conducting mass killings throughout the martial arts world.
I led the members of my sect
down the mountain to investigate this matter.
They appear
to be connected to the massacre of the Tie family as well.
That's why I came here.
All the bodies of the Tie family are here.
Examine the bodies.
Master.
I have confirmation.
It is their deed.
Was it really the Soultaker Sect?
Such evil characters…
I will write to the capital
and send someone to investigate this at once.
Thank you, Governor Cheng.
The martial arts world and the court are connected.
I will do my best.
Where the Soultaker passes, nothing is left behind.
These villains are not humans.
Lives mean nothing to them.
Their hearts are not in the mortal realm either.
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
As long as they are not eradicated,
more lives will be lost
and more tragedies will occur.
This time, no matter how hard it will be,
we have to find traces of the Soultaker Sect.
We need to purge them and send them back to hell.
They are scary and detestable.
But what I fear more
is the resurgence of the force behind them.
If they can use the Soultaker Sect as their vessels today,
they can use someone else as their vessels tomorrow.
No matter where they are,
I will not
leave a single one of them alive.
Master, I led my group to check all the inns in the city.
We didn't find anything suspicious.
A few of the junior disciples and I
investigated all the restaurants and eateries in the city.
We didn't find any clues either.
It's as if these people never appeared in the city.
-Master. -Father.
Master, the three of us searched the abandoned houses in the city.
We found one that had signs of someone living there.
That residence should be their hiding place.
It's a pity that we were late.
They had already left.
These people are secretive and cautious.
If they get away,
it will be difficult to track them down again.
It is imperative
that we find out who their next target is.
That's the only way
to get ahead of them
and follow the trail to find them.
Based on the order of their attacks,
they should be moving south from Beizhou.
That means they should be headed to Youzhou next.
Who will be
their target in Youzhou?
Are they really
just moving from the north down south?
What is their objective?
What is the Soultaker Sect
trying to do?
If only that Black Fox was here.
At least he could come up with some ideas.
If it were him, what would he think?
To find out where the problem lies…
One must eliminate the false and retain the true.
The riff-raff…
Of the Soultaker Sect…
Never do something for nothing.
Everything they do…
-must be for a purpose. -must be for a purpose.
I do think
I have some of his verve when I imitate him.
Talking is easy.
But what exactly is their purpose?
They're definitely not doing that to take advantage of the situation.
Ten families.
These ten--
No!
Eleven families.
Eleven families were brutally murdered.
This is no mere coincidence.
The Han family.
The Tie family.
Luoyan Sect. Yueyang Sect.
Their goal
must lie within these sects.
But these sects have no ties to each other.
There must be
a smokescreen among these sects.
Mohan Palace.
The Han family.
Tengjiang Sect.
Xuanyuan Sect.
The Tie family.
The Yuan family.
That Black Fox once said
the Soultaker Sect went after the Han family
for their prescription.
The Han family is an expert in medicine.
They could use them as their rear supply.
So this is what they were after.
The Xuanyuan Sect is good at setting up formations for the troops.
The Tie family is skilled in smithing.
All of those, along with the forces behind the Soultaker Sect…
They're not just after the martial arts world.
The Soultaker Sect
is building a formidable army.
If we follow this logic…
Who will be their next target?
-The Ma family of Jizhou. -The Ma family of Jizhou.
Zhong Li!
Yes, Your Highness.
Have Cangyi send a message to Fengxi immediately.
Tell her the Soultaker Sect's target is the Ma family of Jizhou.
Have them go to their aid at once.
Also, have our people at the Jizhou division
be ready to support them at any time.
Yes, Your Highness.
-Greetings, Your Lordship. -Greetings, Your Lordship.
All of you may rise.
-Thank you, Your Lordship. -Thank you, Your Lordship.
YONG
Your Lordship.
It is time.
-Sound the drum. -Yes, Your Lordship.
Sound the drum!
YONG
Straight to the depths!
We are not after pheasants or hares!
We are going to hunt jackals!
RAINWATER FROM JIANGNAN
SNOW WATER FROM PLUM BLOSSOM
SPRING WATER
Your Highness.
This is water from the spring.
This is rainwater from Jiangnan.
This is snow water from plum blossom trees.
Snow water from plum blossom trees?
I'm in luck today.
I can't believe I came across a top-tier gyrfalcon.
What are you standing around for? Go after it!
Chuanyun and Chuanyu. Go on.
-Yes, Your Highness. -Yes, Your Highness.
Your Highness, slow down!
Stop, Your Highness!
Your Highness, let's not give up the entire hunting ground
for a few gyrfalcons.
Let's go!
Let's go.
My Lady, these princes have some skills in archery.
Who knows how much captive prey
the guards have released into these grounds beforehand?
They are dull-witted.
If you join the hunt,
you might even be able to shoot with unfailing accuracy.
If you were to join the hunt, My Lady,
I'm afraid not even half of these young men
are a match for you.
But I must remind you.
Your priority today
is to find a suitable husband.
I would like to do that.
But which of those on your list
is worthy of becoming the husband of the chief of the Feng family?
It's mainly His Lordship's sons that we are observing, My Lady.
They are inside the hunting ground too.
The Feng family
is one of the most important families in Yongzhou.
If not because we have been stationed at the western frontier
since the late chief's generation,
our ancestors often married members
of the royal families of the Six States as well.
The eldest and legitimate sons of affluential noble families
may not be willing to marry into the Feng family.
But if you become the consort
of the future heir of the lord,
it will bring nothing
but benefits for the Feng family.
Not to mention those three princes
are some of the finest among men as well.
Is that so?
That must be the eldest prince.
He is handsome.
But look at what he is doing.
He used fawns as bait
to lure out the king of deer.
He is really ruthless.
If I marry him,
I might die in his hands one day.
As for the third prince…
He is determined to track down the jackals.
It's obvious from first glance that he is ambitious
but possesses mediocre skills.
All he has going for him is that he is the legitimate son
of the second lady, Lady Baili.
What about the second prince?
He is the legitimate son
of Princess Yige from the Imperial Family, His Lordship's first lady.
Not only is he talented and knowledgeable,
but he is also one of the Four Gentlemen in the world.
He has a high status and lineage.
But he is the type of man
I dislike the most.
Weak and even fussier about minute details than a woman.
Your words may be harsh,
but they also hit the mark.
Perhaps it is because all three princes each have their strengths and weaknesses
that His Lordship
has yet to name his heir.
If Young Chief hadn't left us so soon,
the Feng family wouldn't be left without an heir.
Without an heir?
Is my surname not Feng?
Have I ever made a mistake in all these years
that I have been leading the clan
in place of my late brother?
I misspoke.
You can stop pressing the issue.
At worst, I'll stay unmarried forever.
When I'm old, I'll just adopt an heir from a branch of the family.
Feng Chang.
You certainly know how to enjoy yourself.
Do you want to join me for a cup of tea?
Have you forgotten
why we are here?
You know my health.
Besides,
I'm not good at riding and archery.
Aren't you worried Father will be angry?
I've already sent Chuanyun and Chuanyu
to hunt some prey for me.
That should satisfy Father.
What could they hunt?
Don't let Feng Ju know.
I don't want him tattling to Father again.
Later, get on your horse and ride around for a bit as well.
But don't go too fast.
Lest your asthma act up.
I'm off.
It seems the first prince isn't all that useless.
At least he cares about his brother.
Your Highness, it's almost time.
Has the gyrfalcon reached?
It should have.
I hope Feng Ju will like the gift I prepared for him.
I'm in luck.
I didn't expect you guys to know how to use tactics.
Closing around me is a nice plan.
Unfortunately,
one of you is too weak.
Your Highness, how did you…
I heard that the Feng family is best at keeping secrets.
Chief Feng.
Is that right?
Chief!
Did you kill all of these?
Yes.
You're too reckless.
His Lordship
has summoned you to the viewing platform.
I got it.
Bring these with us.
YONG
-Greetings, Father. -Greetings, Father.
Rise.
-Thank you, Father. -Thank you, Father.
Yongzhou was founded upon archery and horse riding.
In the past,
our ancestors followed Emperor Weilie to conquer the lands,
and they made great achievements.
That is how Yongzhou came to be.
In today's hunting competition,
all of you have demonstrated courage and determination.
I am most pleased.
The hunting competition is now over.
I will reward the winner handsomely.
Father.
How handsome would that reward be?
Don't try to send us off with pearls, jade,
or some other precious stones.
You greedy child.
I will give the winner
the Cloud Cutter Sword passed down from our ancestors as a prize.
What do all of you think?
-Thank you, Father. -Thank you, Father.
Chang'er.
You're the eldest. You go first.
I present my gift to you, Father.
The First Prince presents
two deer and ten small creatures to His Lordship.
His Highness earns 20 points.
Chang'er.
What is the significance of your gift?
The forests are lush. Animals are abundant.
All beings are thriving in Yongzhou.
I would like to present this abundance to Yongzhou.
May all matters in Yongzhou prosper and flourish.
May all matters thrive in Yongzhou.
Good.
What about you, Xi'er?
Father, my spoils require a bit more effort to gather.
I've sent Chuanyun and Chuanyu to bring them.
Do they require more effort or did you not catch any?
Never mind.
You've just recovered.
I won't ask too much of you.
What about your spoils, Ju'er?
I present my gift to you, Father.
The Third Prince presents
two deer and two jackals to His Lordship.
His Highness earns 30 points.
Father, I have a wish that follows my gift as well.
In the woods, the wolves hunt the deer.
With a bow and arrow, you can seize them all.
May Yongzhou be blessed
with strong soldiers, horses, and successful military expeditions.
Good. Very good.
Thank you, Father.
It looks like it's my win.
Your Lordship.
I would like to join the fun as well.
Feng Qiwu of the Feng family presents four jackals to His Lordship.
Feng Qiwu earns 40 points.
You prove that women are as capable as men, Minister Feng.
What is the significance of your gift, then?
The jackals strive to hunt the heart of the deer.
The wise leader observes and rules his nation.
May Your Lordship's wishes come true.
Well said.
It looks like this sword will be going to Feng Qiwu.
Is Your Highness's gift not here yet?
What is going on?
My gifts are here.
-The Second Prince… -Second Prince's gifts?
Well…
Your Lordship, the Second Prince presented 20 deer.
That would be a perfect score.
I…
You didn't hunt them down.
This is cheating!
Father.
Sparing the lives of animals is a good virtue.
I've been in poor health since young.
Therefore, I do not wish to take the life of another.
You ordered me to participate in the hunt.
I had no choice but to obey.
I've been ill for a long time.
Somehow, that made me somewhat of a physician.
While I was studying medicine,
I discovered that the sap of Lanwei flowers
could temporarily tame wild animals.
That's why I had Chuanyun and the others use this method
to lure the prey.
What about your wishes?
My wishes
are similar to Minister Feng's.
I am willing to hunt for you,
Father.