HA! Vindication! It IS XL / XY's song! That's a change I can live with. ;pKokuto:
She doesn't actually sing it for him in the script. However, if the music does play, it would indicate that despite his efforts to the contrary, he is in her heart and memories. However, the same song plays again when she and Jing leaves after their wedding.
His true form appearing in this scene we knew about from the trailer, but I thought there were nine heads. Interesting that the heads are now explicitly linked to his lives. The line that Tong Hua added earlier makes way more sense with that context.AH :
liddi, in the 2013 version of the novel, after XY sees XL's true form in chapter 43 she says she opened her eyes despite XL's orders because she wanted to see XL's nine heads. And when she tries to comfort him, she says he has eight more heads than her. And she and XL both make other references to his nine heads later on. Was that changed in the 2019 version? Was there any indication that XL had lost one of his heads when he used a life to save her after the first assassination?
In my copy of the novel, she saw nine heads in his true form, and continues to reference that number after that. My take is that the drama intends on using the diminishing number of heads as a show and tell of how many lives he has sacrificed for her.
The assassination attempt and everything between them after is cut? Oh I am very unhappy about that. That's one of my absolute favourite chapters for so many reasons.
Even the YaoJings will be mad... she wore her wedding gown and was ready to die to be with TSJ. And that's when she sang her song for TSJ to the moon again...
Yes, I am very disappointed that the assassination attempt and everything that transpired after that has been removed. However, I was already somewhat prepared, seeing how much physical intimacy between them is watered down in S1. Hopefully what we are given will be almost as beautiful.
Actually, her wedding under the moonlight is still retained. Only her confrontation with Cang Xuan and attempted murder/suicide was relegated to an illusion. In both instances, I don't recall her singing that song for Jing.
Not a fan of this change either. I liked that TSJ told MP to pack the doll with the other things they took because it brought XY genuine joy. Having someone tell her to keep it with her always feels too much like CX's demand that XY always wear his flower...
Agreed. I think all it does is reiterates A Nian's personal grief for Xiang Liu and her ensuring a part of him will always be with Xiao Yao, despite being sworn to secrecy.
The subtitles translate it as "Too bad, I won't." about 37 minutes into episode 11. But unless they really changed it from the novel, it should probably be translated more like, "Too bad that I can't."
I concur. Based on the novel, he says, "Yes, too bad it only causes pain" when he clearly already knows what kind of bug it was. He had no intention whatsoever to clue her in what she inadvertently raised and planted.
But, if he really knows all about the bugs in the novel, then he knows that he indeed can.
I'm going back and skimming to try to find the relevant bits.
A few things stick out to me:
- Chapter 37 strongly suggests that XL knew what kind of bugs they were "from the beginning". But maybe "from the beginning" doesn't mean right from the second that XL first found out about the bugs.
- XL asks questions in Chapter 5 that make it seem like he doesn't know everything about the bugs. That chapter also mentions TSJ planning to consult a doctor to learn more, which might be a clue that XL also consulted an expert.
- When XL or XY speaks, you can't assume that they're being fully honest. We have to assess based on the context clues that Tong Hua gives us.
- By the part of chapter 7 immediately before the transfer, XL seems to be fully up to speed on the bugs. If he was missing information before, he seems to have it by that point.
----
Chapter 5 (2013 version):
“What poison did you give him?”
Xiao Liu cautiously explained “Actually, it’s not really a poison, it’s best described as voodoo. The voodoo magic is practiced by the Jiu Li tribe and is their secret learning. A few hundred years ago, the Jiu Li tribe had a voodoo king who was called the poison master of the great wilderness. The voodoo magic is considered evil stacked against mainstream medicine and poisons. People have heard of it but very few actually understand it.”
Xiao Liu explained “In truth, I raised a voodoo bug inside of my body, and that bug is now in Xuan’s body. From now on, when my body hurts, his body will also experience the same pain.”
“That voodoo bug, must not have been easy to raise.”
“Of course! Very hard to raise!” If it was easy to raise this magic would be all over the great wilderness. Even with Xiao Liu’s special body, it still took him years to raise it.
“Why raise a voodoo bug?”
Xiao Liu sighed “It was all to control Xiang Liu that big demon! He is a nine-headed monster and not a single poison can take him down. So I thought of this great plan but before I had a chance to plant it in him, I ended up using it on Xuan.” Beasts are very instinctive and Xiao Liu was worried Xiang Liu would cotton on to the voodoo bug. He was so compliant when he needed to drink his blood so that one day the voodoo bug would unwittingly be planted into Xiang Liu’s body.
Jing asked “Is the voodoo bug harmful to the body?”
“No!”
“You certain?”
“Yes, with my life I promise!”
Jing wasn’t so sure but he didn’t know enough about voodoo bugs so he would need to consult a doctor later.
...
Xiao Liu wanted to sleep but couldn’t so he struggled off the bed and walked out the door. This wasn’t in the army base but a hunter’s lodge in the mountains. It was the only residence in the entire cliff...
The winds were howling and the clouds were below his feet. Xiao Liu stared for some time and it felt like the clouds would rise up and consume him. He couldn’t help but call out “Xiang Liu, are you there?”
A bird called from behind and Xiao Liu turned around to see Xiang Liu sitting on the tree next to the hut. Under the silver moonlight, with his white hair white robe, he was like a person made of snow, so pristine so perfect, it made one want to get close but afraid to.
Xiao Liu stared and then suddenly asked “How long have you been here?”
Xiang Liu lightly answered “Long enough to hear that you wanted to plant a voodoo bug in me.” Xiao Liu’s face changed color – speaking with Jing, he never tried to play word games so he was just careless earlier and forgot that he was on Xiang Liu’s territory. Xiao Liu laughed “But I didn’t do it, I planted it in Xuan.”
Xiang Liu came down and stared at Xiao Liu like a predator looking at prey. “If you hurt, he hurts? When will the voodoo bug start working?” Xiao Liu immediately took a step back afraid that Xiang Liu would strike “The time isn’t here yet, but with the voodoo bug planted he won’t get off easy.”
Xiang Liu stared out over the clouds “First you insult his cousin, then plant a voodoo bug on him. He will not let you live. I hope your bug is impossible to remove so that he is wary of you.”
“That voodoo bug was prepared for you, I’m the only one in this world who can remove it.”
Xiang Liu closed his eyes “Go back to sleep and hurry up and heal your hand.”
Xiao Liu was too scared to talk back and went back to sleep even if he couldn’t fall asleep.
-----
Chapter 6:
Xiang Liu laughed “Even if you raised a bug, you ought to raise a more vicious one. This bug you raised requires you to first harm yourself. Thank god you planted the other in Xuan where it might have some use. If you planted it in me, remember that I’ve got nine-heads. Even if you died from the pain, it likely wouldn’t hurt me much.”
-----
Chapter 7:
After some time, Xiao Liu panted out in a hoarse voice, "If you want to kill me, just do it quickly."
"You only have one head. You can only die once. Dying just once is too easy for you."
Xiang Liu fell backwards and laid on the surface of the water. Xiao Liu's whole body was still aching so he couldn’t move and could only lie on top of Xiang Liu.
Xiang Liu pulled Xiao Liu's arm. "Does it hurt?"
"He will be in great pain."
Xiang Liu laughed. “This voodoo bug is decent but not good enough.”
“If it was a life-linked voodoo bug, you wouldn’t even hesitate and would kill me, right?”
“Yup, too bad it just shares pain.” Xiang Liu’s voice shared his regret.
Xiao Liu closed his eyes and felt them rocking on the waves. The water supported everything so there was no need to use any strength and it was quite relaxing.
Xiang Liu asked, “Since he’s so precious to you, why not remove the bug?”
Xiao Liu didn’t answer and thought for a long time. Since he was a demon, and demons and creatures and monsters were all in the same world, perhaps he might know something. “It’s not that I don’t want to remove the bug, it’s that I can’t. Last time I was injured, you used all sorts of weird medicines on me. The bug had some type of transformation. He asked me to remove the bug and I lied that I’ll do it when he leaves. Recently I’ve been trying all sorts of ways to coax the bug out of him but nothing works.”
Xiang Liu thought about it “If you don’t want to die, then don’t try calling it back. The only solution is to find a way to transfer the bug to another person.”
Xiao Liu sincerely said “The only person I want to make miserable is you.”
Xiang Liu softly laughed. “Then put the bug inside me.” Xiao Liu scoffed, “Like you would be so nice.”
“I’ll kill him before he leaves Qing Shui Town, then you won’t have to worry about how to remove the bug.”
Xiao Liu felt his legs weren’t shaking anymore so slid down his body and started swimming. “Can killing him bring back the Sheng Nong Kingdom?” “No.” “Did he ever go on the battlefield and kill Sheng Nong soldiers?” “No.” “Do you have a personal blood feud with him?” “No.”
“Then why do you still want to kill him?”
“My position. Knowing that he’s right under my watch and not killing him, I feel like I’m not doing my part.”
...
One night, Xiang Liu vaulted off the condor to find Xiao Liu sitting cross-legged on the grass, his two arms resting on his thighs, his body hunched forward, staring dejectedly at the river.
Xiang Liu asked. “What you are thinking?”
“How to remove that voodoo bug. Xuan’s follower came by once to ask.” With Xuan’s real identity, that bug might not hurt him, but it was more likely one day it’ll kill Xiao Liu since so many people wanted to kill Xuan. Xiao Liu also didn’t want people to use him anymore against Xuan so was genuinely racking his brains for how to remove it.
Xiang Liu said “I told you, find another person and plant the bug there.”
"Who would be willing? Maybe one of Xuan’s men?”
Xiang Liu very casually said “It can’t be just any person.”
“Why?”
“You raised the bug, you don’t know?”
“I…..I don’t know.” Xiao Liu confessed.
“Where did you get the bug?”
“Many years ago, I met an old lady from the Jiu Li tribe. You know that the legendary most fearless, vicious, cruel demon of all time Qi Yo was from the Jiu Li tribe. After he was killed by the Yellow Emperor, the entire Jiu Li tribe was demoted to slave status. The men and women were born into slavery. That old woman was a slave that no one wanted anymore. She was smelly and dirty, laying close to death in a pile of dirt. I found her very pitiful so I asked her what her final wish was before she died. She asked for a bath so she could go see her lover clean and pretty. I took her to the river and helped her bathe, then brushed her hair into the hairstyle of a Jiu Li woman. She gave me a blackened shriveled walnut, saying that she had nothing on her except this pair of voodoo bugs. She gave it to me as thanks. She told me to leave and then she died. Her body immediately attracted a lot of insects and was immediately devoured clean. Later on, when I didn’t know how to deal with you, I suddenly remembered this walnut I carried with me for a long time. I used it to raise the two voodoo bugs according to the magic of Jiu Li. I fed it pieces of my own flesh and blood, then one bug chose me, and then other was meant for you but instead I planted it in Xuan.”
“How did you learn how to raise a voodoo bug?”
Xiao Liu’s eyes twirled “That old woman told me!” Xiang Liu coldly laughed “You’re full of shit. If she told you how to raise the bugs, how could she not have told you what the name of this particular voodoo bug was?”
Xiao Liu knew what he said was contradictory so just went with it “Why do you care how I know how to raise voodoo bugs. I just do.”
Xiang Liu said “The pair of voodoo bugs you have is very rare. If you want to remove it, the only way is to find another person and lure the bug into that person.”
“What are the requirements for that person?”
Xiang Liu said nothing, and after a moment, he stiffly barked “I don’t know!”
Xiao Liu didn’t believe him, yet he didn’t know why Xiang Liu wouldn’t come out and tell him. So he tried asking “Do you fit the requirement?”
Xiang Liu didn’t answer so Xiao Liu asked more “You are a nine-headed demon. Luring a voodoo bug into you, that can’t be a problem, right?”
Xiang Liu didn’t deny it so Xiao Liu took that as a tacit confirmation. Xiao Liu got all excited “You said with your nine-heads, even if my body hurt then it wouldn’t hurt you much, right? So can I lure the bug over into your body?”
Xiang Liu stood there with his hands behind his back, staring at the moon, saying nothing. After a few moments he said “I can help you lure the bug into me, but you have to promise that in the future you will do one thing for me. If I ask, you will do it.”
...
Xiao Liu asked “Then tell me now, how to remove the bug?”
“I don’t know! Don’t you know how to lure the bug into a person?”
Xiao Liu closed his eyes and his lips started speaking wordlessly as if reciting a chant. After some time “There is a way, but you and Xuan must be within a certain vicinity of each other before I can start the spell. Right now it’s too far.”
...
Xiao Liu couldn’t believe it. “The bug is planted into your body? That fast?”
Xiang Liu rolled his eyes at Xiao Liu. “Someone like you dared to control a bug? A truly powerful voodoo master could summon a bug tens of thousands of miles away to kill someone. Do you think all bugs are like you, slow pokes ambling across mountains and ridges?”
...
[Chapter 22 - XL uses the connection to save XY and spends 37 years healing her.]
...
Chapter 37:
Xiao Yao laughed back. “I just came back from a trip to Jiu Li. The Voodoo King told me all the specifics about the bug inside our bodies. I don’t remember any of the specifics of what he said but the one thing I do remember clearly is that the two bugs live and die together. Which means our lives are connected. If I’m in trouble then you’re not going to get off scot free!”
Xiang Liu smiled at Xiao Yao and didn’t seem surprised at all.
Xiao Yao was shocked and asked, “You’ve known all along since the beginning what kind of bug this was, right?”
“What if I did?”
“The Voodoo King said ‘the doves don’t fly alone in the sky, the pair of mandarin ducks in the water die together’. If I die then how can you live?”
“Why don’t you ask the question in reverse – if I die, then how can you live?”
Xiao Yao tried to stay calm and plead with him. “I don’t know who dies and who lives so that’s why I’m asking you. Tell me!”
Xiang Liu’s expression was sly and acted really nonchalant “How would I know? You’re the one who learned some voodoo. This is the first time I played with a bug. But no need to fret, when either you or I die then we’ll know what happens, right?”
Xiao Yao was so frustrated by him she was nearly hopping up and down in fury “You broke the spell on Zhuan Xu so how could you not want to break the spell between us?”
Xiang Liu smiled until his eyes were slits, “I don’t want to know!”
Xiao Yao wearily asked “What do you want then?”
Xiang Liu’s body was slowly sinking into the water “Other than checking on how my wares are doing in your body, what else do you think I want?”
...
Xiao Yao said “Xiang Liu was just by and I asked him how to break the bug spell but he wouldn’t tell me.”
-----
Chapter 38:
Xiang Liu wearily asked, “Miss Xi Ling, what do you want?”
“I…..I…..” Xiao Yao actually didn’t know what she wanted so she got tongue-tied. She finally said “Help me break the voodoo bug spell and you can pick your price!”
Xiang Liu smiled “Half an hour earlier, Tu Shan Jing said the exact same thing to me.”
“You came here to see Jing?”
“More accurate to say Tu Shan Jing asked to see me to discuss business.”
Xiao Yao understood now, Jing saw that she couldn’t break the spell so went directly to Xiang Liu to discuss terms. “Did you accept Jing’s offer?”
“His offer was tempting and I very much wanted to accept but it’s not that I’m refusing to break the voodoo spell, I really don’t know how!”
“You’re lying! Back then you broke it from Zhuan Xu and moved it over to you. How come you can’t do it now?”
Xiang Liu sighed loudly and shook his head “You need to ask Tu Shan Jing to teach you how to conduct business. Doing business isn’t picking a fight, especially when you have something you want from the other person. You can’t just accuse the other person, what you want is for me to help you and not for me to be pissed at you.”
Xiao Yao glared at Xiang Liu “But you’re clearly lying!”
“Do you think I would say such a lame lie? Tu Shan Jing is much smarter than you and he asked why I was able to break the spell before but not now?”
“Why?”
“The voodoo bugs are living creatures! Back then is not the same as now! You can beat a baby tiger to death but can’t you win a fight with a thousand year old tiger demon?”
Xiao Yao felt that what he was saying made sense but also this niggling sensation that he wasn’t telling her the whole truth. She slowly said “I can’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t?”
“If you don’t believe me then why keep asking me?”
-----
Chapter 43:
Xiang Liu furrowed his brows. “It’s not that I wanted to save you, I simply have no interest to use my own life to confirm the words of the Voodoo King.”
Oh! Right, the Lover’s Bug! The Lover’s Bug does not live alone, if she died then likely Xiang Liu would die.
...
Xiao Yao didn’t understand why Xiang Liu cared about her life or death.
Xiang Liu coldly said, “I just don’t have any interest in dying with you. If you want to give up, then first find the way to break the voodoo bug link.”
Right! Her life was connected to Xiang Liu. She really did need to find the solution to break the spell.
-----
Chapter 46:
Zhuan Xu said “Don’t worry about the bug, Yin said that when the host person dies then the other bug dies or goes back to the host body. When Xiang Liu is dead then your bug will be lifted.”
Yin’s understanding was true for all bugs, other than the Lover’s Bug. Xiao Yao said “You get some rest!"
------
Chapter 48:
Xiang Liu tightly embraced Xiao Yao in his arms and sat down cross legged on the seashell. He bit down on his own tongue to draw blood and then kissed Xiao Yao, feeding her his essential blood. The Lover’s Bug connected the hearts of lovers. As long as one breath remained, then life could be extended if essential blood was transfused.
...
Then he waved his hand and called forth the next memory.
To remove the bug from Zhuan Xu, he struck a deal with Xiao Yao and took her to Five Gods Mountain where he successfully planted the bug in himself.
-----
Xiang Liu sat down next to the raft and stared at the sleeping Xiao Yao before softly saying, “The tree grows old on land together, the mandarin ducks die together in the water – the Lover’s Bug connects heart to heart and our lives, and there truly is no way to remove the bug. Years ago I was only able to remove the bug from Zhuan Xu because he didn’t know it was you so he didn’t willingly accept the bug. So you never successfully planted the bug on him in the first place. But I….I was heart and soul willing, so the bug successfully planted in me. You asked me to remove the bug and I kept telling you I can’t do it, but you didn’t believe me. But I truly didn’t lie to you, I cannot remove the bug.”
Xiang Liu picked up Xiao Yao’s hand and used his finger as a knife to slice into the flesh of her palm and his palm back and forth until he drew a blood spell. “I cannot remove the bug, but I can kill the bug!”
Xiang Liu smiled before joining his bloody palm to Xiao Yao’s bloody palm, so tightly that the blood flowing wasn’t clear whether it was his or hers. “Don’t blame me for not telling you this before, blame yourself for being useless!”
...
Xiang Liu smiled sadly and said to Xiao Yao, “I broke the bug connection between us! From now on, you and I will have no connection with each other!”
Xiang Liu gently pushed the raft towards Sir Bi “She will wake up tomorrow morning.”
Sir Bi understood what happened – the heart-and-life-connected Lover’s Bug was planted between Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao, which is why Xiang Liu could save Xiao Yao’s life earlier. Xiang Liu managed to now break the bug by using his own life as the lure to kill the bugs. It was a suicidal method, but a method that only Nine Lives Xiang Liu could use by taking one of his lives.
Q
liddi:
One more thing:
In the script, Xiao Yao and Jing decide to go to Qingshui town after their marriage., which differs from the novel. As such, it negates what Xiang Liu said about giving her a place to go and the map of the sea, and how she rushed to the ocean after her wedding, wanting to settle down in one of the many unknown islands there.
I don't know what to belive, in a way this script seems legit, but I don't know. If i remember correctly from S1, i think they had a talk about the unknown Islands and wanting to go there, I see no point in hinting to that if they had plans în changing the ending.
blabla100:
Q
I don't know what to belive, in a way this script seems legit, but I don't know. If i remember correctly from S1, i think they had a talk about the unknown Islands and wanting to go there, I see no point in hinting to that if they had plans în changing the ending.
Yes, that was during her conversation with Xiang Liu, when she described their time together as stolen moments, and wanting to explore the islands. If they really end up in Qingshui town, it just reduces everything Xiang Liu prepared for her to next to nothing, with only just the archery skills left.
Okay. IF that's what the novel says, then it means that XL knows and is fine with XY dying when he uses her as bait to kill CX. That doesn't make any sense, even if it were true. I mean, why go through all that trouble to lure CX out and fight him, when all he has to do is kill XY? I mean, she's going to die regardless, when he kills CX.
Very good point. My brain keeps coming up with excuses to make it work, but they aren't good ones.
I take it the donkey meat selling old man scenes take place AFTER XL accepts the bug, right? Which means they don't factor into what he was thinking before hand.
I didn't interpret those scenes as ones that changed his mind, but rather ones that revealed his thinking. It didn't seem to be a new mindset. It seemed consistent with things he said and did earlier. And XL knew the man from before. He wasn't meeting him for the first time in chapter 29. In chapter 29 he brought XY to the old man's shop on purpose. After his death in chapter 35, XL refers to him as an old friend.
He may have had similar thoughts before, but when XY shows up, his thinking changes. Just as it changes again, when her identity is revealed.
Very possible.
I thought that was XL's song, not TSJ, but maybe I am wrong.
In the novel, "Xiao Liu sang a song about missing someone forever and never being able to forget." to lure out the Jiu Jiu. It's strongly implied that XL overhears that song. However:
----
Chapter 20 - XY sings a song for TSJ:
Xiao Yao grabbed Jing’s hand hard and pulled him forward while she pushed herself up slightly and quickly kissed him on the cheek.
Xiao Yao felt so sweet and happy and nervous and she quickly looked back to see if Xing Yue noticed and released Jing to casually grab her wine cup. But she didn’t realize that she pulled him hard and released him fast, plus Jing’s mind was blank in that instant, so with a bang Jing landed backward on the pallet and all the wine tumbled down with him.
Feng Long and Xing Yue rushed over and Xing Yue asked “Jing gege, are you alright?”
Jing said up with his face beet red “No…no problem. I zone out for a moment and got tangled up.”
Feng Long laughed “I can still lion dance and you’re already drunk.” Feng Long said to Xiao Yao “Looks like Jing is the first one drunk tonight.”
Xing Yue didn’t want Jing to feel embarrassed so said to her brother “Do you think everyone is like you. It was dim and not easy to see, it’s no big deal to trip.”
Jing sat with his head lowered looking a bit cloddish. Xiao Yao drank another cup of wine and smiled before standing up and twirling in a circle “I’ll sing a mountain ballad for you guys!”
Before they could answer Xiao Yao started singing.
Xiao Yao sang a song about a woman who was missing her beloved and longing for him and wanting only to be together for all of eternity.
The final verse she sang three times: together forever, never apart.
It was a clear night with few clouds, the moon bright and the stars dim. Within the evergreen forest, the flowers and trees were glittering and the fragrance wafted over them. Xiao Yao sang and danced as lithe as the willow and as light as the spring water. She moved along with the moon and when she sang the final verse three times, she put all her heart into it and her voice was as lingering as silk in the air.
For a moment all three listening were in a daze.
Xiao Yao sat back down and felt her face was burning hot and her heart was beating fast. Xiao Yao put her head in her hand and laughed “My head is so dizzy, this whole table is wobbly.”
...
Xing Yue had dinner prepared already and invited Xiao Yao and Jing to sit down next to each other. Xing Yue felt this tableau was familiar and then laughed at Feng Long “Those two! Under our noses they were already guy likes girl, girl likes guy. No wonder that day Xiao Yao sang that song about lovers that made us all swoon.”
----
Chapter 28 - TSJ plays the song from chapter 20 for XY after she gets engaged to FL:
It wasn’t clear just how much Jing drank but he was the first drunk. Chun also got drunk and started fussing about hearing Jing play the zither. Jing didn’t decline and instead hollered “Bring a zither!”
The servant brought a zither and Jing stroked the strings before proceeding to play. The tune was familiar – it was the song that Xiao Yao sang and danced for Jing, Xing Yue, and Feng Long that night in the evergreen forest.
The others had never heard it before so didn’t realize any connection, with Shu Tong even joking “Who knew getting Jing drunk could hear him play. If so we would have gotten him drunk long before.”
Xiao Yao, Xing Yue, and Feng Long all had very awkward looks on their faces.
Xing Yue saw that Feng Long’s expression was getting more and more upset and said “Jing gege, you’re drunk, stop playing!”
Jing appeared to not hear anything because his attention was all on the tune he was playing. Since parting, unending longing, no where to turn, only after getting drunk could I see you in the tune of my zither.
It was touching and despairing, making even the audience listening feel the sorrow.
Shu Tong and Chun started to sense something was off and stopped joking.
Feng Long suddenly slammed his fist and sent a water blade flying towards the zither and sliced it in half. The tune stopped abruptly and Jing stood up as if nothing was wrong and walked towards Xiao Yao.
----
Chapter 43:
The woman tossed a scrap of cloth at Xiao Yao and it on it was writing in Jing’s hand. It was the lyrics of the song she sang for him in his residence.
If beloved is wind above the water
I will be the lily in the wind
To see and to miss
To see and to miss
If beloved is the cloud in the sky
I would be the moon in the cloud
To love and to cherish
To love and to cherish
If beloved were the tree in the forest
I would be the vines on the tree
Together and connected
Together and connected
Why does the world have sadness
Why do lives have gathering and parting
Only wish with beloved
Together forever, never apart
Xiao Yao finished reading and restrained her tears before jumping on the ship.
...
Xiao Yao burst out laughing while staring at the moon. “Jing picked the full moon night to get married. I wanted to ask him why but was too embarrassed to, and figured I could ask him after the wedding since we had plenty of time. The last time I saw him was 32 days ago, he came to Xiao Yue Peak to see me and was supposed to leave before dinner but stayed until long after dinner, until the moon rose high over the mountain. We walked in the moonlight along the mountain paths, the moon was very beautiful that night. I pulled him to dance as I sang but he didn’t know how so I laughed at him for being so silly. Later he left on his winged ride and pointed to the moon and said “At the next full moon, no matter if the moon is bright or dark, if people gather or part, I will be with you forever, never apart.”
Xiao Yao suddenly started singing towards the ocean.
If beloved is wind above the water
I will be the lily in the wind
To see and to miss
To see and to miss
If beloved is the cloud in the sky
I would be the moon in the cloud
To love and to cherish
To love and to cherish
If beloved was the tree in the forest
I would be the vines on the tree
Together and connected
Together and connected
Why does the world have sadness
Why do lives have gathering and parting
Only wish with beloved
Together forever, never apart
The silver moonlight lent an air of desolation around as the waves crested glittering in soft folds. Xiao Yao pointed at the moon with a smile “If I don’t see his body then in my memory he will always be on the back of his crane smiling at me while pointing to the moon to say “At the next full moon, no matter if the moon is bright or dark, if people gather or part, I will be with you forever, never apart.” I likely am very stupid and very weak, I can’t believe that he’s dead and feel that he may come back at the next full moon.”
...
Xiao Yao hummed the childhood song from their youth and Zhuan Xu fell asleep. Xiao Yao closed her eyes and continued humming, and gradually the song turned into the one she sang for Jing.
Tears fell from Xiao Yao’s eyes.
In my copy of the novel, she saw nine heads in his true form, and continues to reference that number after that. My take is that the drama intends on using the diminishing number of heads as a show and tell of how many lives he has sacrificed for her.liddi:
Thanks for confirming. And I agree that would be a logical reason for the change.
Actually, her wedding under the moonlight is still retained.
The wedding part staying makes sense. She sang the song for TSJ while staring at the moon when she was on the boat with XL and Left Ear.
One more thing:
In the script, Xiao Yao and Jing decide to go to Qingshui town after their marriage., which differs from the novel. As such, it negates what Xiang Liu said about giving her a place to go and the map of the sea, and how she rushed to the ocean after her wedding, wanting to settle down in one of the many unknown islands there.
WHAT!?!
If they really end up in Qingshui town, it just reduces everything Xiang Liu prepared for her to next to nothing, with only just the archery skills left.
Awful, awful changes!
@AH @Kokuto
The only explanation I can give is that Xiang Liu knew the nature of the bug even then, and as such, also knows that it was not successfully planted and cannot reach its full potential since Cang Xuan did not willingly accept it. It does not specifically say so in the novel, but it could be in such cases, then perhaps it only affects the recipient in terms of pain, but cannot harm the one who planted it. As such, Xiao Yao was in no danger at any time, regardless of what happens to Cang Xuan, which would explain why Xiang Liu used Xiao Liu to incapacitate Cang Xuan during the assassination attempt. Nonetheless, the nature of the bug being what it is, and because he has already determined that he would protect her, he wants the bug transferred to himself.
That's possible.
I considered one not-great explanation that was somewhat similar, where XL might know all about the bugs and that killing CX could also kill XY, but he's not 100% certain that that would happen. So he won't try to kill CX by killing XY because he isn't certain that would actually kill CX and he doesn't want to kill XY unnecessarily. And in the opposite direction, he hopes that even if he does kill CX, it won't kill XY. But because he is worried about the connection potentially causing XY to die (among other reasons), he offers to have XY transfer the bug to him.
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