Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

Leaked script Ep20  scenes 1-2 (adapted from Vol 3 Ch15 / Chapter 48)

[This takes place after Xiang Liu destroys the lovers bug at Jade Mountain]

As dawn broke, the Royal Mother and A Nian stood by the banks of the lake waiting as Xiang Liu trod the waves and approached with Xiao Yao in his arms.

AN (uncomprehending): What exactly did Xiang Liu do just now? Why does it look like he killed two of himself?
RM: Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu have shared fate bugs. If one person dies, the other will definitely die too. Once the bug is planted, it is impossible to remove it. Xiang Liu used his life to lure the bugs, then sacrificed two lives to perish together with the bugs. (sigh) Such a method of removing the bug could only have been possible with Nine Lives Xiang Liu.

Shock followed by dawning comprehension, A Nian looked at Xiang Liu with warmth and sympathy in her eyes.
Xiang Liu reached the banks of the lake, and handed the unconscious Xiao Yao over to A Nian.

AN (solemnly): Thank you.

Xiang Liu gave the Royal Mother a deep bow of respect.

XL: There is one more thing I would like to ask help for.
RM: Name it.
XL: Xiao Yao once said that she no longer wishes to see me in this life and lifetime. After tonight, there are no more ties between us. If Xiao Yao were to ask about the bug inside her body...
RM (comprehending): I will tell Xiao Yao I was the one who removed it.

Xiang Liu bowed deeply in gratitude but the Royal Mother stepped aside.

RM: The Shen Nong king Yi Zu [Ancestor of Healing] and I were once sworn friends. My time is coming to an end, so the secret is safe with me.

Xiang Liu looked at A Nian.

AN (dissatisfied): This matter concerns Xiao Yao. Why does she not have the right to know?
XL (looking at the unconscious XY): Since we are not fated to be in this lifetime, it is better not to be indebted to one another, not to miss each other, as if... we never met, never knew each other.
AN (stunned, never occurring in her mind that Xiang Liu whose frightening reputation shook the cores of the Great Wilderness, would be like this): You... (moved, saddened) Rest assured. I will never let Xiao Yao know everything that happened today.

Not one to trust easily, a pale Xiang Liu coughed a few times and gave A Nian a slight bow. A Nian had no choice but to take a solemn oath.

AN: I, Gao Xin Yi swear never to tell Xiao Yao about this matter. If I break this promise, I will suffer loss of blessings, premature death, and permanent loss of my spirit.
XL: Thank you.

The Royal Mother noted that he was badly injured.

RM: Although visitors are not allowed to stay in Jade Mountain, a one or two day stay is permitted. Why don't you leave after your injuries have healed?
XL: There is no need. One more or one less lives does not make a difference when facing the might of the Xuan Yuan army.

Gloom fell over A Nian and the Royal Mother.
The sun was beginning to rise. With dashing flair, Xiang Liu took his leave of them.

XL: Farewell.

Xiang Liu took one last look at the unconscious Xiao Yao before he turned and left.

********

The white condor carried Xiang Liu and flew towards the rising sun in the east. The sky was filled with the glow of morning, awash with colours of flames and liquid gold. He left like the gale, his white robes flying, his figure majestic like a heavenly being.

As A Nian and the Royal Mother watched his receding figure, she gazed at the unconscious Xiao Yao, then looked back at Xiang Liu in the far distance.

AN (grieved): The blue waters are awash with blood, the green mountains covered with buried bones. With this parting, there will never be another reunion then?

The Royal Mother fell silent.

Sound of singing:
Oh hey oh hey, Please cut out my eyes, So my blood splashes on your robes, Like peach blossoms on the branches, As long as I am in your eyes. Oh hey oh hey, Please take out my heart, Let my blood spill in the wilderness. Like peach blossoms on the mountains, As long as you have me in your heart...

Suddenly snowflakes began to flutter down, falling on the Royal Mother, A Nian and the unconscious Xiao Yao, landing on the seashell floating on the lake. The seashell quickly melted, dissolving into the lake in no time, disappearing in the ripples in the water, leaving no trace of its existence.
A Nian could not help but sigh in grief.

AN: Not even a single trace is left...

I really hope they made a cool ice crystal props in all its glory and also shows how XY carefully prepare it. I don‘t see how Jinger could still delude themselves after seeing THAT and say that XY doesn‘t love XL. 

I think I‘m already prepared and keep my peace with the leaked script, but after following this discussion I‘m feeling more and more bitter for XL.

Regarding XL angry reaction to XY reveal as Hao Ling princess, I‘m reevaluating my view on this point. I‘m also one of those who think that his anger partly because his dreams of having a measure of HE with WXL despite the ongoing war is turn to dust and not only because he thought WXL lied to him. I think I like the XL version, who can still dream (has hope for better future) better as I don‘t see the point on rooting for someone who is basically hopeless and only waiting to die for a lost cause

 liddi:

Snowflakes landed on the white seashell, melting it quickly, the blood spell on it gradually turning back into blood. In no time, the seashell and blood dissolved into the lake, vanishing in the ripples of the water.

This time, all traces of him had been well and truly erased. Just like the beautiful snow, although it did exist and once dazzled those who saw it, everything vanished without a trace with the rising of the sun. 

  -- Vol 3 Ch 15 (Chapter48)

Translating this passage in the script and novel drove home to me the symbolism of Xiang Liu's final act.

The white seashell was first and foremost his home, long before Xiao Yao; before it became their home for 37 years, a time that belonged to them alone. With the destruction of the white seashell, he severs all ties - not just with Xiao Yao but also for himself as he makes that final journey to the fate that awaits him with no intent of turning back, with no home to go back to. 

Aw... this is so sad... time to read that fanfic you recommended again... 

 blabla100:

@AH

Very well presented. 

Before I started reading the novel from the beginning, I used to read just fragments of it and that can be a little misleading. You have to know the whole picture, the whole background and everything that led to a certain event în order to understand that event in all its aspects. 

Thank you blabla100. For sure. And I've definitely adjusted my interpretations of certain parts of the story after re-reading and re-watching. It's such a rich story and there are so many inter-connected details. It makes all the re-reading and re-watching feel worthwhile. ^^

 liddi:

@AH

Thank you so much for the in-depth, beautifully structured analysis of your previous posts.

Thanks liddi ^^

 liddi:

Actually, it is not a name, but a title given by the people to the Flame Emperor. This is mentioned in the prologue of the Lost You Forever, which is somewhat different to the prologue for Once Promised that Koala translated.

Oh, that makes sense. Another nice detail. Thanks for the translation and extra info! ^^

 liddi:

The script indicated that the slight bow was to subtly coerce A Nian to swear not to reveal anything to Xiao Yao.

Yes and the mental image that conjures up in my mind's eye is quite amusing. 

 liddi:

There is no further interaction between Xiang Liu and A Nian on script. However, Xiang Liu carving the big bellied doll takes place after this scene on the eve of the final battle, and the next time we see it, it is when A Nian gave it to Xiao Yao and asked her to bring the doll everywhere she went to see the world that she [supposedly A Nian, but in reality, Xiang Liu] could not. As such, it is implied that Xiang Liu found a way to send the doll to A Nian before he went to war. 

That makes sense. It matches how XL gave the doll to Sir Bi. 

 blabla100:

Regarding the 'did XL predict his outcome since the beginning" topic another thing that I have thought about it is the poisons he kept drinking. Their use was only to increase his power, as XY deduced, or was he also preparing himself in advance for the last battle, when his body dissolved into black blood and thus making sure that not only no one can harm and desecrate his body, but also that anyone who dares getting close will also die alongside him. 

I personally didn't see the dissolving-into-poisonous-black-blood part as something that XL intentionally orchestrated, but I don't think the text is conclusive either way. So it's open to interpretation. 

liddi made an interesting point that the lack of remains meant that XL could not be buried along with his fellow soldiers on the peak of Sheng Nong Mountain that he obtained for them. Unless an empty tomb was created for him, like the tombs of some of XY's family members that only contained items related to the person and no actual remains.  

 windiaaa041293:

because I'm so frustrated, why are they so cruel to XL

I want to know about this as well. Every single one of those magical dudes can somehow be saved.

But not the most important magical dude in all of literature. This one will be dissolved into literal nothingness. And those Jingers still keep calling him names.

P.S.: Apologies to my other fictional dudes, but you have all been dethroned.