Funny thing is, this is right in line with a XY/XL fanfic I read. She's a great grandmother and her descendants…
My view, which I know is not universal, is that a person can have more than one "real" love in their life and that that was the case for both Rose and XY.
Funny thing is, this is right in line with a XY/XL fanfic I read. She's a great grandmother and her descendants…
Lol, I definitely don't know everything about LYF. I'm familiar with the novel but there are plenty of things about it that I don't know. Still learning new things about it from other fans after a year of discussing and analyzing it. And my memory for details in the drama isn't as good.
For the most part I'm not at all familiar with LYF fanfics. But the fanfic that Johanna Linnea Karlsson described happens to be a fanfic that I wrote. So in just this one case hopefully I would know everything about this particular fanfic. ^^
Funny thing is, this is right in line with a XY/XL fanfic I read. She's a great grandmother and her descendants…
The dynamic from the movie Titanic inspired the fic that Johanna Linnea Karlsson mentioned. Have you seen that movie?
In Titanic, the female protagonist (Rose) went through trials and tribulations on the Titanic when she was a young woman. When the Titanic sank, the man she fell in love with (Jack) tragically died, but he told Rose that she had to live and only die as an old woman, warm in her bed, after having a full life and many children.
Rose went on to marry another man and had a happy life with him. They had children and grandchildren before her husband passed away, and she continued to live a good life after his death, with lots of hobbies and her granddaughter often coming by her home to spend time with her.
At the end of her long life, Rose (as a very old woman) has the opportunity to return to the place where the Titanic sank (the place where Jack died) and to tell others about Jack's story and her time with him before he died. And at the very end of the movie, Rose goes to sleep in her warm bed. Maybe she dies and goes to her own version of heaven, maybe she just has a dream, but in either case we see Rose's spirit (young again) reunite with Jack's spirit on the Titanic.
These details are from the novels. Some of them are also alluded to in the drama. I mentioned this below, but…
You're welcome!
You did a great job. I didn't see your comment until after I posted mine, but everything you covered is correct with one slight caveat. In the drama, the King of Xiyan sends XY to Jade Mountain after Ah Heng "dies" in the last battle, as you correctly noted. Whereas, in the novel, Ah Heng brings XY to Jade Mountain herself before the final battle, anticipating that she would likely die in battle.
Finally reviewed this drama but I have questions, that I don't recall being explained in the drama. For instance…
These details are from the novels. Some of them are also alluded to in the drama.
I mentioned this below, but the current Royal Mother of Jade Mountain had two sworn siblings when she was young. Her sworn sister was Xiling Xie (CX’s grandmother), who later married the King of Xiyan and became the Queen of Xiyan. And her sworn brother was the man who went on to become the second-to-last King of Chenrong. They spent many happy years together, but Xiling Xie could not forget the man who would become the King of Xiyan and left their trio. The man who would become the second-to-last King of Chenrong also could not forget a woman that he fell in love with. He left too, and so Ah Mei (her worldly name before she took the title of Royal Mother) was left alone and was later chosen to become the next Royal Mother.
The ruler of Jade Mountain holds the position of Royal Mother. This person is always a woman and is always selected by the previous Royal Mother (i.e., it is not a hereditary position). Before becoming the next Royal Mother, each successor must agree to never marry and to never leave Jade Mountain.
Jade Mountain is independent and not ruled by any other kingdom (e.g., Xiyan, Chenrong or Hoaling). Jade Mountain is cut off from the rest of the world and it does not get involved in wordly affairs. Weapons have no effect on Jade Mountain. Also, since the dawn of time, it has been a rule that male deities and male mortals are not permitted to stay on Jade Mountain for more than three days at a time (male demons, however, are permitted). The weather on Jade Mountain is always springtime weather, and it is a very quiet and unchanging place.
After XL saved XY's life and killed the Lovers Bug on Jade Mountain, he flew East, back to the remanant army stationed outside of Qingshui Town. So Jade Mountain must be somewhere west of Qingshui Town.
XY's blood has healing powers mainly because she spent 70 years living on Jade Mountain as a child, where she consumed Jade Mountain peaches, bone essence and other elixers. As the Royal Mother's disciple, XY also developed very strong spiritual power during this time.
Long before XY was born, her mother (Ah Heng) was sentenced to remain on Jade Mountain for 120 years after she took the blame for Chi You (XY's biological father) stealing Pan Gu's bow from Jade Mountain's treasury. Ah Heng only served 60 years of that sentence. The real reason the Royal Mother imposed this sentence on Ah Heng was that the Royal Mother hoped that Ah Heng would break her engagement with Shao Hao (the man who later became the King of Haoling / XY's non-bio father) and get together with the man she loved (Chi You). Chi You later used Pan Gu's bow to save Ah Heng's life by replacing Ah Heng's heart (which was being consumed by Ah Heng's sun power) with his own heart. That was how Chi You died in the last battle.
Before the war between Chenrong and Xiyan, Chi You won a tournament that took place on Jade Mountain, and he received the Face Forming Flower as his prize. The Face Forming Flower is a magical object that was created through tens of thousands of years of accumulated power in the peach blossom forest of Jade Mountain. Chi You gave the Face Forming Flower to Ah Heng, who later secretly placed it within XY when she was an infant and used it to disguise the fact that XY was Chi You's daughter / that she was not the King of Hoaling's daughter. At XY's request, the Royal Mother was able to lock away the Face Forming Flower's transformation power so that XY could regain her true form and her true face.
-----
Chapter 48:
Sir Bi said to Zhuan Xu, “The Royal Mother’s memory is addled again, I’ll take you to rest but the rule of Jade Mountain since the dawn of time is that no man can stay more than three nights. Three days later Your Majesty needs to leave.”
Xiao Xiao countered, “What about you and Lie Yang?”
Sir Bi blinked with humor at her. “We’re not men. I’m a fox and Liu Yang is a bird.”
...
Sir Bi paused then said, “Jade Mountain is spring during all four seasons so you can sleep outside. There is a gazebo close to the lake, I’ll have a pallet placed there with a net and you can rest.”
-----
Chapter 49:
Shui Hong walked inside and calmly said. “Your Majesty, this is Jade Mountain which does not interfere with worldly affairs, and the world cannot interfere with Jade Mountain matters! The world has had countless strife and many rulers, but Jade Mountain has never violated the order set down in ancient times by the Great Emperor Pan Gu. Even Fu Yi and Nu Wa greatly respect Jade Mountain! The Yellow Emperor and the White Emperor also are very courteous to Jade Mountain. Will the Black Emperor please not forget the edicts of old.”
Xiao Yao said to Zhuan Xu’s guards, “Jade Mountain has no weapons! All the weapons of the world, no matter how powerful, have no effect on Jade Mountain. If you want to fight then a tree branch is more effective here. You all sheath your weapons now!”
The guards remembered this legend and took a look at Zhuan Xu before sheepishly holstering their weapons.
Don't forget Queen Dowager, Guardian of the Grove who aided him and also kept his secret for him. It's quite a…
Nope, no husband. She was always an independent lady. ^^
However, before she became the current Royal Mother of Jade Mountain, she was sworn siblings with two people. Her sworn sister was Xiling Xie (CX’s grandmother), who later married the King of Xiyan and became the Queen of Xiyan. And her sworn brother was the man who went on to become the second-to-last King of Chenrong.
can someone tell me why xl ask xy to remove his memory in her ape mirror? im pretty confused at that part
In my view, XL pushed XY to be with TSJ (a "person she could rely on"). He wanted XY to find happiness with TSJ and he wanted to shield XY from the impact of his eventual death on the batttlefield (the ending he anticipated for himself / the "best" ending for a general). So he didn't want XY to be able to watch the memories of XL that she recorded in her ape mirror, because if she did that would make it harder for XY to limit her feelings for XL / for her to move on, especially after his death.
At the end of the story, XL's wish for XY (which he carved into the ice crystal ball) was that she would have a lifetime of worry-free happiness.
Also at the end of the story, we learn that XL intentionally filled the gaps in XY's life that she mentioned in their first meeting: she was a disgarded person with no means of protecting herself, nowhere to go, and no one to rely on.
She had no means of protecting herself. So he taught her archery and commissioned a legendary bow for her.
She had nowhere to go, but after he gave her transfusions of his blood on every full moon for 37 years in order to heal her, she became a daughter of the sea such that the ocean would always have a place for her. Something that XL made sure to remind XY of when, later in the story, she felt like she had nowhere to go again.
She had no one to rely on. So XL took many steps to make sure that XY was together with TSJ (a person she could rely on, because he would never let her go) before XL died.
Don't forget Queen Dowager, Guardian of the Grove who aided him and also kept his secret for him. It's quite a…
Gotta chime in for the Royal Mother of Jade Mountain here. She's not a dowager queen because she is not a widow and she didn't gain her title through a husband. This particular Royal Mother was never married before she took that position. And each time a woman becomes the next Royal Mother of Jade Mountain (a life-long position), she agrees to never marry for the rest of her life. Men are also not permitted to stay on Jade Mountain for more than three days at a time. Total matriarchy!
That's a huge subject. Especially with the second season. The major differences that I think should have been…
I've taken this excerpt from my personal copy, which I've updated to reflect translation corrections from various sources, including liddi, a few other fans, and certain online translation tools.
Koala translated it as, "...It can lead two people to be connected in life and emotions but it is just like a pair of lovers in love with each other. It is tempermental and hard to control. If the Lover’s Bug turns on each other then both people will die. Which is why the Lover’s Bug also has another name, the Heartbreak Bug."
The original text is, " ...它能让有情人心意相通、命脉相连，可情人蛊就像相恋的恋人，脾气多变，非常难驾驭，蛊虫极易反噬，一旦发作，两人俱亡，所以情人蛊还有个名字，叫断肠蛊。"
After getting additional context from the leaked script (which references the bugs retaliating / backfiring and XL controlling them), I checked the text and found that a more accurate translation would be:
“...It can enable lovers to communicate with each other and connect their lives, but the Lovers' Bug is just like a pair of lovers in love with each other with changeable tempers and very difficult to control. The Lovers' Bug can easily backfire. Once it breaks out, both people will die. Which is why the Lovers' Bug also has another name: the Heartbreak Bug.”
My impression is that the drama (and especially the leaked script) indicates that the Lovers Bugs retaliated / backfired due to XL's heartbreak on several occassions when he let XY go / when he pushed her towards TSJ. But he controlled the bugs so that they did not turn into Heartbreak Bugs that would kill him and XY.
The novel is way more subtle and I think the only indication we get that this might also be the case in the novel is when XL causes XY to briefly feel the pain he is experiencing in his heart when he pushes her away at the end of their time in QS town after the wedding interruption in chapter 32 / when he sends her to reconcile with TSJ. And maybe also the fact that XY wasn't able to sense anything from XL through the bug connection (even though she should have been able to) unless he allowed her to or accidentally slipped (e.g., when she felt his heartbeat speed up in in chapter 26).
The novel remains clear that only lovers can raise and plant Lovers Bugs. So I feel that there is no question about whether XY and XL loved each other like lovers (i.e., romantically). And I don't think the fact that XL experienced extreme heartbreak when he let XY go undermines that at all.
That's a huge subject. Especially with the second season. The major differences that I think should have been…
Lol, okay I saw my name.
This is XY's conversation with the Shaman King and her conversation with XL afterwards.
----- Jiu Li = Baili
Zhuan Xu = Cang Xuan
Qi Yo = Chi Chen
-----
Chapter 37:
Xiao Yao stopped and said to Jing, “You go back first, I have something I need to talk with the Voodoo King privately.”
Jing didn’t leave. “Are you planning to ask him about the voodoo bug in your body and in Xiang Liu’s body?”
Xiao Yao sheepishly admitted, “I wasn’t trying to keep it from you, I just didn’t want to worry you.”
Jing said, “Keeping it from me is what will worry me. Let me stay with you, okay?”
Xiao Yao nodded.
Seeing Jing and Xiao Yao, the Voodoo King invited them to join him for tea. Xiao Yao sipped her tea and said, “I have a friend named Se Mai Er and wanted to ask the Voodoo King what fort she belongs to?”
The Voodoo King replied, “So you’re the person who knows voodoo and helped Se Mai Er. She’s dead now but she was my mom’s older sister. Years ago it was actually my mom who was to be sent to the outside but she already had a beloved and was carrying me so my aunt went in my mom’s place to be a slave. Thank you for helping her come home safely.”
Xiao Yao silently poured her tea on the ground for Se Mai Er’s passing.
The Voodoo King continued, “Se Mai Er mentioned that you wanted to know how to break the Lovers' Bug voodoo spell?”
Xiao Yao quickly glanced at Jing and acted nonchalant. “When I placed the voodoo bug I didn’t know it had such a weird name.”
Jing smiled. “It’s just a name, why are you in a rush to explain?”
Xiao Yao quickly said, “Yes, yes! It’s just a name.”
The Voodoo King coughed once and solemnly explained, “Lovers' Bug, like its name indicates, is a pair of male-female voodoo bugs. The couple who has the bug successfully planted will have their life and emotions connected. If one hurts [emotionally] then the other will hurt [emotionally]. If one is injured then the other will also [feel the pain of the injury].”
Xiao Yao said, “This I know already. What else?”
“To outsiders voodoo is considered mysterious and bad, but really it's a craft and magic that the Jiu Li tribe has passed down through generations to protect and heal us. Jiu Li has lots of deadly insects, deadly plants, deadly gasses, to live here our ancestors had to learn to understand it and control it. Voodoo is seen as a harmful power but we actually mostly use it here to save lives. The Lovers' Bug keeps two people’s lives connected, which means when one is injured as long as the other is healthy then the injured person will survive. This is a very good thing. Even if the Lovers' Bug is notoriously hard to grow, it ought to still be relatively prevalent since many people will try to grow it. So why it is so rare to see?”
Xiao Yao asked, “Why?”
“All living things that have a benefit must also carry a harm. The greater the benefit then the greater the potential for harm. The Lovers' Bug is exactly that. It can enable lovers to communicate with each other and connect their lives, but the Lovers' Bug is just like a pair of lovers in love with each other with changeable tempers and very difficult to control. The Lovers' Bug can easily backfire. Once it breaks out, both people will die. Which is why the Lovers' Bug also has another name: the Heartbreak Bug.”
Jing stared in dismay at Xiao Yao who quickly said, “It can’t be as scary as he makes it out to be. It’s been over seventy years and I’m still just fine.”
The shaman king's face paled in horror. "Did you not plant your bug in this young master?"
"No."
The Voodoo King stared in shock at Xiao Yao. “Can I feel the bug in you?”
Xiao Yao nodded.
The Voodoo King didn’t move so he was likely using a bug inside of himself to sense. He frowned and murmured, "It is indeed the lover's bug! But how is it possible? 'Lovers raise the Lovers' Bug. Broken-hearted people produce the Heartbreak Bug.' Lovers' Bug differs from other bugs. It requires the couple to be willing in order to successfully plant it. If he is not your lover, how did you manage to plant the Lovers' Bug in him?"
Xiao Yao said, “You might not know as much as your ancestors, the bug could be more multi-facted and evolving in ways beyond your understanding.”
The shaman king was extremely puzzled, but Xiao Yao's lover was obviously the young man next to her so there were some things he could not verbalise. As such, he responded perfunctorily, "You are right. The poisonous bug in your body is different from other bugs. It is likely there is something unique about you and the other man."
Xiao Yao inwardly sighed in relief. “He is very unique!” Since the bug was planted, only Xiang Liu could sense her but she could never sense him.
Jing anxiously asked, “How to break the spell?”
The Voodoo King’s face scrunched up. “The Lovers' Bug – either live in love or die in heartbreak. Once the Lovers' Bug has been planted there is no way to break the spell. It is impossible. This is what I was trying to say earlier for why so few people raise it despite the great benefit. Only very determined girls would raise the bug but even if they successfully raise it, it’s near impossible to find a man willing to accept the other bug to be planted in him.”
Jing was stunned and after a moment of silence he slowly asked, “What happens if one person who has the Lovers' Bug dies? What happens to the other person?”
The Voodoo King sighed, “Our Jiu Li folk ballad sings ‘The twisted roots of the parasol tree entwine on land, the doves do not fly alone in the sky, the pair of mandarin ducks in the water always die together.'”
Jing stared at Xiao Yao and tightly grabbed her hand.
Xiao Yao smiled at him and made a joke face. “Don’t worry! We don’t need to believe everything the Voodoo King says. Don’t forget, he said that only in a pair of lovers in love could the bug be successfully planted. I don’t have any relationship with Xiang Liu, but we still successfully planted the bug. The Voodoo King also said the spell couldn’t be broken once the bug was planted but don’t forget that I planted the bug first in Zhuan Xu before Xiang Liu helped me break the spell and move the bug to himself.”
Jing let out a sigh of relief. “Yes! The bug was moved from Zhuan Xu!”
Xiao Yao shook Jing’s hand, “Don’t worry, there is no absolutes in this world. If no one has broken the spell before then let me be the first.” She said to the Voodoo King, “Once I break it I’ll pass on the knowledge to you as gratitude for your ancestor teaching me voodoo.”
The Voodoo King smiled. “Jiu Li people are the lowest untouchables and we have limited ability. But to protect the Miss we would do everything in our power. Please Miss never mention repaying any gratitude.”
This was the first time Xiao Yao was being treated with respect and offered kindness because of her real father. Xiao Yao’s heart clenched and she didn’t have the heart to decline. “Thank you.”
Xiao Yao glanced at the peach tree forest and Jing asked, “Want to spend another night?”
Xiao Yao shook her head. “Everything is done that needed to be taken care of, let’s go home! By now Xiao Xiao will have discovered that the Xiao Yao on the ship is a fake.”
Xiao Yao bid farewell to the Voodoo King. “Right now the Xuan Yuan ruler is the Black Emperor. He’s different than other rulers and in his eyes there are no class differences. Please give him some time and he will lift Jiu Li’s slave tribe designation.”
The Voodoo King didn’t know if that could ever happen but he bowed low to Xiao Yao. “Miss, please take care!”
Xiao Yao and Jing returned to the bamboo hut and tidied it up before Xiao Yao said, “Let’s go now.”
Jing was waiting outside on the crane allowing Xiao Yao some alone time to say farewell to her parents.
Xiao Yao stood before Qi Yo’s portrait for some time before softly saying, “Dad, Mom, I’m leaving now. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be just fine.”
She turned and ran outside to greet Jing with a big smile and cheerfully said, “Back to the East Sea to look for Xiao Xiao and Miao Pu.”
When they returned to the Tu Shan ship, Xiao Xiao as expected figured out that the Xiao Yao on the ship was a clone but she didn’t know where Xiao Yao went so she could only wait on the ship in the East Sea.
Seeing them return, Maio Pu was so happy she could cry while Xiao Xiao remained as placid as usual as she greeted Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao scooted over with a grin. “Don’t worry, if Gege gets mad I’ll take all the blame.”
Xiao Xiao didn’t say thanks or no need, she just calmly asked “Does my lady want to return to Sheng Nong Mountain now?”
Xiao Yao stared at the sea and didn’t respond. Moments later she said, “I want to stay one night on the sea.”
That night the waves rocked the ship and Xiao Yao couldn’t sleep. She climbed off her pallet and draped a robe over herself and walked out on the deck.
A slight ocean breeze, a bright round moon hanging in the sky reflecting the glittering light on the waves. It was beautifully silent.
Under this big ocean she laid inside a giant white clam shell for thirty-seven years. No one knew how Xiang Liu managed to save her life, or that her body had changed. Every time Zhuan Xu would ask, she would claim to have slept the entire time and remembered nothing. But in her heart everything was crystal clear to her. His blood flowed inside her body. Even now her body clamored for the ocean. In the past she loved water but that feeling was nothing like what she felt now. Back then the ocean was the ocean and she was herself. Now she was a daughter of the sea, she could swim with the fishes and listen to the merpeople’s song. She could dive into the deepest part of the ocean like a demon fish and could swim faster than a dolphin.
With just one vault she could jump into the ocean and swim happily. But Xiao Yao refused, she tightly clenched her fist and warred with herself.
The merpeople’s song reached her from the depths of the ocean and Xiao Yao’s heart lurched and she ran to the ship’s bow to stare out into the distance. Under the silver moonlight a white-haired, white-robed man was walking on the waves towards her.
He said nothing and Xiao Yao didn’t speak either. The two of them, one on the ship and the other on the water, listened together to the song of the merpeople. The song spread out on the water’s surface, melodic and pure, touching deep into the soul like a passionate entreaty in darkness, like a longing sigh that shatters the heart, it made the soul rise and fall with the song.
When the song ended Xiao Yao softly said, “So beautiful!”
Xiang Liu softly concurred, “Yes.”
The merpeople’s song was in a pitch that very few people on earth could hear, so in that split second Xiao Yao felt that her heart was intimately close to Xiang Liu and there was nothing she couldn’t share with him. She said “My father is Qi Yo.”
Xiang Liu’s eyes showed his amusement. Saying “My father is Qi Yo” is very different than saying, “I am Qi Yo’s daughter.” The latter stated a truth complete with anger, the former was warm and loving about the relationship.
“When I first met you, you called yourself Wen Xiao Liu. Later your name was Gao Xing Jiu Yao. Now you are called Xi Ling Jiu Yao. If you ever get a fourth name, likely no one will be able to keep track.”
Xiao Yao laughed out loud and immediately clasped her hand over her mouth and glanced back. Only after confirming she didn’t alert anyone did she sass right back, “Just three names. In the future even if there is a fourth name, you have nine heads so use a brain to remember half a name and you can remember it all and still have room.”
Xiang Liu coldly stared at Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao wasn’t scared in the least “If you dare raise a hand, then I dare to yell for help!”
Xiang Liu laughed. “Why do I need to do anything? Your dad is Qi Yo, there are plenty of people who will make your life difficult.”
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?”
“Hey! Don’t go!”
Xiao Yao flipped over the railing ready to dive into the water to chase after Xiang Liu but a pair of hands grabbed her hard and pulled her back on deck.
“Let me go…….” Xiao Yao struggled and then turned around to see Jing. She meekly allowed him to keep her on deck.
Xiao Yao tentatively asked, “When did you get up?”
Jing said “I’ve been up for awhile.” Actually, he couldn’t sleep either so he knew from the moment Xiao Yao went on deck. But it was clear she wanted to be alone so he didn’t go disturb her.
From the very beginning Xiang Liu knew Jing was there on deck so Xiang Liu cast a spell that blocked anyone from hearing what he was discussing with Xiao Yao, except he allowed Jing to listen in.
Seeing Xiao Yao going to chase after Xiang Liu, Jing couldn’t explain the feeling but he rushed forward instinctively and grabbed Xiao Yao as if afraid she would vanish from his life.
Xiao Yao said, “Xiang Liu was just by and I asked him how to break the bug spell but he wouldn’t tell me.”
Jing’s worry dissipated.
Xiao Yao said sadly, “I’m not as glib as him, powers are not as high as him, all my poisons he eats like candy, every time I see him he is totally mean to me.” Jing smiled. “Do you want me to help you?”
Xiao Yao cocked her head. “No, you two are business transactions, what’s between him and me is purely personal. No need to mix it.”
So I've seen Chinese TikTok videos saying that Jing was saved by XL, that he used one of his lives to save Jing.…
In the drama, XL definitely did not sacrifice a life to save TSJ. As Dramaqueenvictoriaife mentioned, he protected TSJ's body from sea creatures without sacrificing one of his lives to do so. In the novel, XL played a much bigger role in saving TSJ's life.
In the drama, XL sacrificed one life to save XY's life in S1. Then he sacrificed two more lives in S2 in order to lure out and kill the Lovers Bugs to break the bug connection between him and XY before the final battle. We see two heads from XL's true form perish when he sacrifices those two lives.
In the final battle in the drama, XL's true form had six out of its original nine heads, with the three missing heads matching up with the three lives he sacrificed for XY. Over the course of the final battle XL lost all of his remaining six lives.
The two strolled around the streets before Xiao Yao took Jing to a restaurant and ordered a few Xuan Yuan classic cuisine dishes.
Xiao Yao was quietly eating when seven or eight soldiers walked in and the leader gleefully yelled out, “Shopkeeper, bring the best dishes and wine! Today I’m treating. Anyone here is invited! Waiter, give every table wine to celebrate the Xuan Yuan Army’s great victory today!”
Everyone in the restaurant got excited and started asking questions, learning that it was Great General Ru So who won the battle and a few diners laughed. “Isn’t the Great General Ru So constantly winning battles recently already?”
The lead soldier said, “This is not like any regular great victory! Nine Lives Xiang Liu is dead! You business people likely don’t know how powerful and vicious that Xiang Liu is…”
Coming so out of the blue that she could not brace for it, Xiao Yao felt a piercing dagger stab her chest and her ears were ringing. The pain in her heart exploded and the wine cup in her hand dropped.
Jing worried cried out, “Xiao Yao!”
Xiao Yao murmured, “It can’t be! It’s impossible! He can’t be dead just like this! I didn’t feel anything, I can’t feel anything anymore……” She suddenly remembered that the Lover’s Bug was removed by the Royal Mother so she obviously can’t feel the connection anymore. Xiao Yao’s eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed backward.
Jing grabbed Xiao Yao. “Let’s go back to Xuan Yuan Mountain first, let Miao Pu take the Grand Emperor’s badge to gather information.”
Xiao Yao was lightheaded and lead-footed, all she kept saying over and over was, “It can’t be.”
Jing ordered Miao Pu and appeared to say something to Xiao Yao but she couldn’t hear anything clearly.
Miao Pu rushed off, and it seemed like it was a short time, but perhaps also a very long time, when she returned.
Xiao Yao immediately asked, “That was a false report, right?”
Miao Pu replied, “General Ying Long said that Xiang Liu died in battle.”
Xiao Yao screamed wildly, “That’s impossible, I don’t believe it!”
Miao Pu was so frightened she didn’t dare say another word.
Jing brought in a bowl of the strongest alcohol and forced Xiao Yao to drink it all. He gently asked, “Do you still want to hear more? If you don’t want to hear any more I can drink with you.”
Xiao Yao held her head and said to Miao Pu, “Keep talking.”
“After the death of the Chi Sui Clan Leader, His Majesty ordered that the Army was to completely exterminate Gong Gong’s army at all costs. Great General Ru So commanded an army of 200,000 soldiers to surround and attack Gong Gong’s army. Under the unrelenting attack of the Xuan Yuan army, Gong Gong’s army retreated deep into the forest and refused to engage. General Ru So started to burn the entire mountain to force Gong Gong’s army to come out and battle and found themselves facing General Ru So’s army and also General Li Yuan’s army of 200,000 soldiers. Gong Gong led his soldiers into the ocean but General Ru So already anticipated Gong Gong would escape towards the ocean. He stationed General Yu Jiang and his water trained soldiers to lay in wait. He was ready to cut down Gong Gong when Xiang Liu somehow energized his nearly dead soldiers to fight to open a route for Gong Gong to escape. But General Ru So and Yu Jiang followed the entire way for days and nights until they caught up to Gong Gong on a remote ocean island. General Ru So had the island surrounded and used many ancient spells and weapons so that even if Gong Gong turned into a tiny fish he couldn’t escape. Yu Jiang insisted on landing on the island with his soldiers to attack and started a fierce battle with Gong Gong….”
Miao Pu’s voice got softer and softer. “One thousand Sheng Nong soldiers against 100,000 thousand Xuan Yuan soldiers, not a single person surrendered and every Sheng Nong soldier died. Yu Jiang is a top fighter among the Gods but he could not defeat the heavily injured Gong Gong. Later General Ru So ordered every single soldier to shoot their arrow at Gong Gong and with thousands of arrows shot at him, Gong Gong finally died. It was after his death that his true form appeared. It was the Nine Lives demon… General Ru So realized then that he was tricked.”
Xiao Yao bent over and her arms wrapped around her head as her shoulders shook uncontrollably. Miao Pu didn’t dare to say more but Jing gently stroked Xiao Yao’s back and said, “Keep talking.”
Miao Pu glanced at Left Ear and saw his emotionless face so she continued. “General Ru So, once he discovered he was tricked, did not fall into a rage. Instead he said happily, “With Xiang Liu’s death, the hardest part of the war is over.” Because Xiang Liu really killed so many of our men, I heard a lot of soldiers wanted to harm and desecrate his body to assuage their anger. But General Ru So whipped the men who rushed forward and ordered everyone to step back. Once everyone left the island, Xiang Liu’s body dissolved into black blood that destroyed every living thing on the island including blades of grass. Even the ground turned black. All the soldiers were frightened and even General Ru So was scared afterwards, if it wasn’t for his respect for this enemy likely everyone would have died alongside him on the island.”
Xiao Yao’s body collapsed on the pallet. If she didn’t believe it earlier, now she believed it. Only Xiang Liu could do something like that.
Can someone who read the novel please tell me how XL lost all his lives? Does it say in the novel?
In the novel, XL's true form doesn't lose a head when XL loses one of his extra lives. So at any given point in the story we don't know exactly how many lives he's lost / how many he has left.
XY sees XL's true form in chapter 43 and it has all nine heads even after XL sacrificed one of his lives to save her life in chapter 22. So that's how we know that the number of heads that XL's true form has left does not correspond with the number of extra lives that he has left in the novel.
Before the final battle in the novel we only know for sure that XL lost two lives. The first was in chapter 22, when he sacrificed a life to extend XY's life after her assassination. The second was in chapter 48, when he sacrificed an extra life in order to lure out and kill the Lovers Bugs so that he could break the bug connection between himself and XY before he died in the final battle. He had to break the connection to ensure that his death would not cause XY to die too.
We don't know if XL lost any of his extra lives before he met XY (e.g., in the slave death match arena, during the 100+ years he spent in the far north, or in the ~300 years he spent fighting with the remnant army before meeting her). We do know that Gong Gong (Hong Jiang) saved XL's life when he was nearly killed by a whirlpool after escaping from the death match arena (incurring the life debt that prompted XL to return to Gong Gong and fight with his army more than 200 years later). So presumably XL did not lose one of his lives in that situation.
Some fans speculate that XL might have sacrificed one of his extra lives to save TSJ's life between chapter 42 and chapter 49 (when XL created a jewel from XY's blood that was used to revive TSJ and might have taken other steps to save his life). They also speculate that he might have sacrificed one of his extra lives when he saved XY's life in chapter 48 (even though the details were quite different from when he saved her life in chapter 22).
In any case, he had somewhere between seven lives and one life remaining when the last battle began. As he told Sir Bi, it didn't matter if he had one extra or one fewer life when it came to facing the Xuan Yuan (Xiyan) army in the last battle. He chose to die on the battlefield with his comrades and continued fighting until he had burned through all of his remaining lives.
The final battle began with the remnant army (including XL) being burned out of the mountains that previously gave them a geographic advantage. They were forced to face 200,000 Xuan Yuan soliders under General Ru Shou's command (with another 200,000 Xuan Yuan soldiers under General Li Yuan's command available to provide support) in direct combat. Days later, the battle ended on an island where the last 1,000 remnant army soldiers (including XL) faced an army of 100,000 Xuan Yuan soldiers. Every single remnant army soldier chose to fight to the death and not a single one surrendered.
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In the drama, XL's true form does lose a head when XL loses one of his extra lives. So we always know exactly when he loses a life and how many lives he has left.
In S1, XL sacrificed one of his lives to save XY's life after her assassination. That is why, when XL's true form is revealed before he breaks the bug connection between himself and XY in S2, his true form only has eight heads instead of nine. That also tells us that XL never lost any of his extra lives at any point before he sacrificed one of his extra lives to save XY in S1 after her assassination.
In S2, in order to break the bug connection before the last battle, XL uses two more of his lives to lure out and kill the bugs. After that, XL's true form has six heads left.
When XL protected TSJ from the sea monsters, his true form had six heads left. And when XL fought in the final battle, his true form also had six heads left. So he did not sacrifice any more lives between breaking the bug connection and fighting in the final battle. In the final battle, he lost his last six remaining lives.
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For the most part I'm not at all familiar with LYF fanfics. But the fanfic that Johanna Linnea Karlsson described happens to be a fanfic that I wrote. So in just this one case hopefully I would know everything about this particular fanfic. ^^
In Titanic, the female protagonist (Rose) went through trials and tribulations on the Titanic when she was a young woman. When the Titanic sank, the man she fell in love with (Jack) tragically died, but he told Rose that she had to live and only die as an old woman, warm in her bed, after having a full life and many children.
Rose went on to marry another man and had a happy life with him. They had children and grandchildren before her husband passed away, and she continued to live a good life after his death, with lots of hobbies and her granddaughter often coming by her home to spend time with her.
At the end of her long life, Rose (as a very old woman) has the opportunity to return to the place where the Titanic sank (the place where Jack died) and to tell others about Jack's story and her time with him before he died. And at the very end of the movie, Rose goes to sleep in her warm bed. Maybe she dies and goes to her own version of heaven, maybe she just has a dream, but in either case we see Rose's spirit (young again) reunite with Jack's spirit on the Titanic.
The ending of the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPlGPpS9hl0&ab_channel=andreamotenai
The XL/XY fic follows a similar trajectory.
Some of these details are covered in the prequel novel, Once Promised, and only alluded to in Lost You Forever.
Sometimes it feels like all the details that were omitted from the drama could fill a whole book or two. ^^
You did a great job. I didn't see your comment until after I posted mine, but everything you covered is correct with one slight caveat. In the drama, the King of Xiyan sends XY to Jade Mountain after Ah Heng "dies" in the last battle, as you correctly noted. Whereas, in the novel, Ah Heng brings XY to Jade Mountain herself before the final battle, anticipating that she would likely die in battle.
I mentioned this below, but the current Royal Mother of Jade Mountain had two sworn siblings when she was young. Her sworn sister was Xiling Xie (CX’s grandmother), who later married the King of Xiyan and became the Queen of Xiyan. And her sworn brother was the man who went on to become the second-to-last King of Chenrong. They spent many happy years together, but Xiling Xie could not forget the man who would become the King of Xiyan and left their trio. The man who would become the second-to-last King of Chenrong also could not forget a woman that he fell in love with. He left too, and so Ah Mei (her worldly name before she took the title of Royal Mother) was left alone and was later chosen to become the next Royal Mother.
The ruler of Jade Mountain holds the position of Royal Mother. This person is always a woman and is always selected by the previous Royal Mother (i.e., it is not a hereditary position). Before becoming the next Royal Mother, each successor must agree to never marry and to never leave Jade Mountain.
Jade Mountain is independent and not ruled by any other kingdom (e.g., Xiyan, Chenrong or Hoaling). Jade Mountain is cut off from the rest of the world and it does not get involved in wordly affairs. Weapons have no effect on Jade Mountain. Also, since the dawn of time, it has been a rule that male deities and male mortals are not permitted to stay on Jade Mountain for more than three days at a time (male demons, however, are permitted). The weather on Jade Mountain is always springtime weather, and it is a very quiet and unchanging place.
After XL saved XY's life and killed the Lovers Bug on Jade Mountain, he flew East, back to the remanant army stationed outside of Qingshui Town. So Jade Mountain must be somewhere west of Qingshui Town.
XY's blood has healing powers mainly because she spent 70 years living on Jade Mountain as a child, where she consumed Jade Mountain peaches, bone essence and other elixers. As the Royal Mother's disciple, XY also developed very strong spiritual power during this time.
Long before XY was born, her mother (Ah Heng) was sentenced to remain on Jade Mountain for 120 years after she took the blame for Chi You (XY's biological father) stealing Pan Gu's bow from Jade Mountain's treasury. Ah Heng only served 60 years of that sentence. The real reason the Royal Mother imposed this sentence on Ah Heng was that the Royal Mother hoped that Ah Heng would break her engagement with Shao Hao (the man who later became the King of Haoling / XY's non-bio father) and get together with the man she loved (Chi You). Chi You later used Pan Gu's bow to save Ah Heng's life by replacing Ah Heng's heart (which was being consumed by Ah Heng's sun power) with his own heart. That was how Chi You died in the last battle.
Before the war between Chenrong and Xiyan, Chi You won a tournament that took place on Jade Mountain, and he received the Face Forming Flower as his prize. The Face Forming Flower is a magical object that was created through tens of thousands of years of accumulated power in the peach blossom forest of Jade Mountain. Chi You gave the Face Forming Flower to Ah Heng, who later secretly placed it within XY when she was an infant and used it to disguise the fact that XY was Chi You's daughter / that she was not the King of Hoaling's daughter. At XY's request, the Royal Mother was able to lock away the Face Forming Flower's transformation power so that XY could regain her true form and her true face.
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Chapter 48:
Sir Bi said to Zhuan Xu, “The Royal Mother’s memory is addled again, I’ll take you to rest but the rule of Jade Mountain since the dawn of time is that no man can stay more than three nights. Three days later Your Majesty needs to leave.”
Xiao Xiao countered, “What about you and Lie Yang?”
Sir Bi blinked with humor at her. “We’re not men. I’m a fox and Liu Yang is a bird.”
...
Sir Bi paused then said, “Jade Mountain is spring during all four seasons so you can sleep outside. There is a gazebo close to the lake, I’ll have a pallet placed there with a net and you can rest.”
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Chapter 49:
Shui Hong walked inside and calmly said. “Your Majesty, this is Jade Mountain which does not interfere with worldly affairs, and the world cannot interfere with Jade Mountain matters! The world has had countless strife and many rulers, but Jade Mountain has never violated the order set down in ancient times by the Great Emperor Pan Gu. Even Fu Yi and Nu Wa greatly respect Jade Mountain! The Yellow Emperor and the White Emperor also are very courteous to Jade Mountain. Will the Black Emperor please not forget the edicts of old.”
Xiao Yao said to Zhuan Xu’s guards, “Jade Mountain has no weapons! All the weapons of the world, no matter how powerful, have no effect on Jade Mountain. If you want to fight then a tree branch is more effective here. You all sheath your weapons now!”
The guards remembered this legend and took a look at Zhuan Xu before sheepishly holstering their weapons.
However, before she became the current Royal Mother of Jade Mountain, she was sworn siblings with two people. Her sworn sister was Xiling Xie (CX’s grandmother), who later married the King of Xiyan and became the Queen of Xiyan. And her sworn brother was the man who went on to become the second-to-last King of Chenrong.
At the end of the story, XL's wish for XY (which he carved into the ice crystal ball) was that she would have a lifetime of worry-free happiness.
Also at the end of the story, we learn that XL intentionally filled the gaps in XY's life that she mentioned in their first meeting: she was a disgarded person with no means of protecting herself, nowhere to go, and no one to rely on.
She had no means of protecting herself. So he taught her archery and commissioned a legendary bow for her.
She had nowhere to go, but after he gave her transfusions of his blood on every full moon for 37 years in order to heal her, she became a daughter of the sea such that the ocean would always have a place for her. Something that XL made sure to remind XY of when, later in the story, she felt like she had nowhere to go again.
She had no one to rely on. So XL took many steps to make sure that XY was together with TSJ (a person she could rely on, because he would never let her go) before XL died.
Koala translated it as, "...It can lead two people to be connected in life and emotions but it is just like a pair of lovers in love with each other. It is tempermental and hard to control. If the Lover’s Bug turns on each other then both people will die. Which is why the Lover’s Bug also has another name, the Heartbreak Bug."
The original text is, " ...它能让有情人心意相通、命脉相连，可情人蛊就像相恋的恋人，脾气多变，非常难驾驭，蛊虫极易反噬，一旦发作，两人俱亡，所以情人蛊还有个名字，叫断肠蛊。"
After getting additional context from the leaked script (which references the bugs retaliating / backfiring and XL controlling them), I checked the text and found that a more accurate translation would be:
“...It can enable lovers to communicate with each other and connect their lives, but the Lovers' Bug is just like a pair of lovers in love with each other with changeable tempers and very difficult to control. The Lovers' Bug can easily backfire. Once it breaks out, both people will die. Which is why the Lovers' Bug also has another name: the Heartbreak Bug.”
My impression is that the drama (and especially the leaked script) indicates that the Lovers Bugs retaliated / backfired due to XL's heartbreak on several occassions when he let XY go / when he pushed her towards TSJ. But he controlled the bugs so that they did not turn into Heartbreak Bugs that would kill him and XY.
The novel is way more subtle and I think the only indication we get that this might also be the case in the novel is when XL causes XY to briefly feel the pain he is experiencing in his heart when he pushes her away at the end of their time in QS town after the wedding interruption in chapter 32 / when he sends her to reconcile with TSJ. And maybe also the fact that XY wasn't able to sense anything from XL through the bug connection (even though she should have been able to) unless he allowed her to or accidentally slipped (e.g., when she felt his heartbeat speed up in in chapter 26).
The novel remains clear that only lovers can raise and plant Lovers Bugs. So I feel that there is no question about whether XY and XL loved each other like lovers (i.e., romantically). And I don't think the fact that XL experienced extreme heartbreak when he let XY go undermines that at all.
This is XY's conversation with the Shaman King and her conversation with XL afterwards.
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Jiu Li = Baili
Zhuan Xu = Cang Xuan
Qi Yo = Chi Chen
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Chapter 37:
Xiao Yao stopped and said to Jing, “You go back first, I have something I need to talk with the Voodoo King privately.”
Jing didn’t leave. “Are you planning to ask him about the voodoo bug in your body and in Xiang Liu’s body?”
Xiao Yao sheepishly admitted, “I wasn’t trying to keep it from you, I just didn’t want to worry you.”
Jing said, “Keeping it from me is what will worry me. Let me stay with you, okay?”
Xiao Yao nodded.
Seeing Jing and Xiao Yao, the Voodoo King invited them to join him for tea.
Xiao Yao sipped her tea and said, “I have a friend named Se Mai Er and wanted to ask the Voodoo King what fort she belongs to?”
The Voodoo King replied, “So you’re the person who knows voodoo and helped Se Mai Er. She’s dead now but she was my mom’s older sister. Years ago it was actually my mom who was to be sent to the outside but she already had a beloved and was carrying me so my aunt went in my mom’s place to be a slave. Thank you for helping her come home safely.”
Xiao Yao silently poured her tea on the ground for Se Mai Er’s passing.
The Voodoo King continued, “Se Mai Er mentioned that you wanted to know how to break the Lovers' Bug voodoo spell?”
Xiao Yao quickly glanced at Jing and acted nonchalant. “When I placed the voodoo bug I didn’t know it had such a weird name.”
Jing smiled. “It’s just a name, why are you in a rush to explain?”
Xiao Yao quickly said, “Yes, yes! It’s just a name.”
The Voodoo King coughed once and solemnly explained, “Lovers' Bug, like its name indicates, is a pair of male-female voodoo bugs. The couple who has the bug successfully planted will have their life and emotions connected. If one hurts [emotionally] then the other will hurt [emotionally]. If one is injured then the other will also [feel the pain of the injury].”
Xiao Yao said, “This I know already. What else?”
“To outsiders voodoo is considered mysterious and bad, but really it's a craft and magic that the Jiu Li tribe has passed down through generations to protect and heal us. Jiu Li has lots of deadly insects, deadly plants, deadly gasses, to live here our ancestors had to learn to understand it and control it. Voodoo is seen as a harmful power but we actually mostly use it here to save lives. The Lovers' Bug keeps two people’s lives connected, which means when one is injured as long as the other is healthy then the injured person will survive. This is a very good thing. Even if the Lovers' Bug is notoriously hard to grow, it ought to still be relatively prevalent since many people will try to grow it. So why it is so rare to see?”
Xiao Yao asked, “Why?”
“All living things that have a benefit must also carry a harm. The greater the benefit then the greater the potential for harm. The Lovers' Bug is exactly that. It can enable lovers to communicate with each other and connect their lives, but the Lovers' Bug is just like a pair of lovers in love with each other with changeable tempers and very difficult to control. The Lovers' Bug can easily backfire. Once it breaks out, both people will die. Which is why the Lovers' Bug also has another name: the Heartbreak Bug.”
Jing stared in dismay at Xiao Yao who quickly said, “It can’t be as scary as he makes it out to be. It’s been over seventy years and I’m still just fine.”
The shaman king's face paled in horror. "Did you not plant your bug in this young master?"
"No."
The Voodoo King stared in shock at Xiao Yao. “Can I feel the bug in you?”
Xiao Yao nodded.
The Voodoo King didn’t move so he was likely using a bug inside of himself to sense. He frowned and murmured, "It is indeed the lover's bug! But how is it possible? 'Lovers raise the Lovers' Bug. Broken-hearted people produce the Heartbreak Bug.' Lovers' Bug differs from other bugs. It requires the couple to be willing in order to successfully plant it. If he is not your lover, how did you manage to plant the Lovers' Bug in him?"
Xiao Yao said, “You might not know as much as your ancestors, the bug could be more multi-facted and evolving in ways beyond your understanding.”
The shaman king was extremely puzzled, but Xiao Yao's lover was obviously the young man next to her so there were some things he could not verbalise. As such, he responded perfunctorily, "You are right. The poisonous bug in your body is different from other bugs. It is likely there is something unique about you and the other man."
Xiao Yao inwardly sighed in relief. “He is very unique!” Since the bug was planted, only Xiang Liu could sense her but she could never sense him.
Jing anxiously asked, “How to break the spell?”
The Voodoo King’s face scrunched up. “The Lovers' Bug – either live in love or die in heartbreak. Once the Lovers' Bug has been planted there is no way to break the spell. It is impossible. This is what I was trying to say earlier for why so few people raise it despite the great benefit. Only very determined girls would raise the bug but even if they successfully raise it, it’s near impossible to find a man willing to accept the other bug to be planted in him.”
Jing was stunned and after a moment of silence he slowly asked, “What happens if one person who has the Lovers' Bug dies? What happens to the other person?”
The Voodoo King sighed, “Our Jiu Li folk ballad sings ‘The twisted roots of the parasol tree entwine on land, the doves do not fly alone in the sky, the pair of mandarin ducks in the water always die together.'”
Jing stared at Xiao Yao and tightly grabbed her hand.
Xiao Yao smiled at him and made a joke face. “Don’t worry! We don’t need to believe everything the Voodoo King says. Don’t forget, he said that only in a pair of lovers in love could the bug be successfully planted. I don’t have any relationship with Xiang Liu, but we still successfully planted the bug. The Voodoo King also said the spell couldn’t be broken once the bug was planted but don’t forget that I planted the bug first in Zhuan Xu before Xiang Liu helped me break the spell and move the bug to himself.”
Jing let out a sigh of relief. “Yes! The bug was moved from Zhuan Xu!”
Xiao Yao shook Jing’s hand, “Don’t worry, there is no absolutes in this world. If no one has broken the spell before then let me be the first.” She said to the Voodoo King, “Once I break it I’ll pass on the knowledge to you as gratitude for your ancestor teaching me voodoo.”
The Voodoo King smiled. “Jiu Li people are the lowest untouchables and we have limited ability. But to protect the Miss we would do everything in our power. Please Miss never mention repaying any gratitude.”
This was the first time Xiao Yao was being treated with respect and offered kindness because of her real father. Xiao Yao’s heart clenched and she didn’t have the heart to decline. “Thank you.”
Xiao Yao glanced at the peach tree forest and Jing asked, “Want to spend another night?”
Xiao Yao shook her head. “Everything is done that needed to be taken care of, let’s go home! By now Xiao Xiao will have discovered that the Xiao Yao on the ship is a fake.”
Xiao Yao bid farewell to the Voodoo King. “Right now the Xuan Yuan ruler is the Black Emperor. He’s different than other rulers and in his eyes there are no class differences. Please give him some time and he will lift Jiu Li’s slave tribe designation.”
The Voodoo King didn’t know if that could ever happen but he bowed low to Xiao Yao. “Miss, please take care!”
Xiao Yao and Jing returned to the bamboo hut and tidied it up before Xiao Yao said, “Let’s go now.”
Jing was waiting outside on the crane allowing Xiao Yao some alone time to say farewell to her parents.
Xiao Yao stood before Qi Yo’s portrait for some time before softly saying, “Dad, Mom, I’m leaving now. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be just fine.”
She turned and ran outside to greet Jing with a big smile and cheerfully said, “Back to the East Sea to look for Xiao Xiao and Miao Pu.”
When they returned to the Tu Shan ship, Xiao Xiao as expected figured out that the Xiao Yao on the ship was a clone but she didn’t know where Xiao Yao went so she could only wait on the ship in the East Sea.
Seeing them return, Maio Pu was so happy she could cry while Xiao Xiao remained as placid as usual as she greeted Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao scooted over with a grin. “Don’t worry, if Gege gets mad I’ll take all the blame.”
Xiao Xiao didn’t say thanks or no need, she just calmly asked “Does my lady want to return to Sheng Nong Mountain now?”
Xiao Yao stared at the sea and didn’t respond. Moments later she said, “I want to stay one night on the sea.”
That night the waves rocked the ship and Xiao Yao couldn’t sleep. She climbed off her pallet and draped a robe over herself and walked out on the deck.
A slight ocean breeze, a bright round moon hanging in the sky reflecting the glittering light on the waves. It was beautifully silent.
Under this big ocean she laid inside a giant white clam shell for thirty-seven years. No one knew how Xiang Liu managed to save her life, or that her body had changed. Every time Zhuan Xu would ask, she would claim to have slept the entire time and remembered nothing. But in her heart everything was crystal clear to her. His blood flowed inside her body. Even now her body clamored for the ocean. In the past she loved water but that feeling was nothing like what she felt now. Back then the ocean was the ocean and she was herself. Now she was a daughter of the sea, she could swim with the fishes and listen to the merpeople’s song. She could dive into the deepest part of the ocean like a demon fish and could swim faster than a dolphin.
With just one vault she could jump into the ocean and swim happily. But Xiao Yao refused, she tightly clenched her fist and warred with herself.
The merpeople’s song reached her from the depths of the ocean and Xiao Yao’s heart lurched and she ran to the ship’s bow to stare out into the distance. Under the silver moonlight a white-haired, white-robed man was walking on the waves towards her.
He said nothing and Xiao Yao didn’t speak either. The two of them, one on the ship and the other on the water, listened together to the song of the merpeople. The song spread out on the water’s surface, melodic and pure, touching deep into the soul like a passionate entreaty in darkness, like a longing sigh that shatters the heart, it made the soul rise and fall with the song.
When the song ended Xiao Yao softly said, “So beautiful!”
Xiang Liu softly concurred, “Yes.”
The merpeople’s song was in a pitch that very few people on earth could hear, so in that split second Xiao Yao felt that her heart was intimately close to Xiang Liu and there was nothing she couldn’t share with him. She said “My father is Qi Yo.”
Xiang Liu’s eyes showed his amusement. Saying “My father is Qi Yo” is very different than saying, “I am Qi Yo’s daughter.” The latter stated a truth complete with anger, the former was warm and loving about the relationship.
“When I first met you, you called yourself Wen Xiao Liu. Later your name was Gao Xing Jiu Yao. Now you are called Xi Ling Jiu Yao. If you ever get a fourth name, likely no one will be able to keep track.”
Xiao Yao laughed out loud and immediately clasped her hand over her mouth and glanced back. Only after confirming she didn’t alert anyone did she sass right back, “Just three names. In the future even if there is a fourth name, you have nine heads so use a brain to remember half a name and you can remember it all and still have room.”
Xiang Liu coldly stared at Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao wasn’t scared in the least “If you dare raise a hand, then I dare to yell for help!”
Xiang Liu laughed. “Why do I need to do anything? Your dad is Qi Yo, there are plenty of people who will make your life difficult.”
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?”
“Hey! Don’t go!”
Xiao Yao flipped over the railing ready to dive into the water to chase after Xiang Liu but a pair of hands grabbed her hard and pulled her back on deck.
“Let me go…….” Xiao Yao struggled and then turned around to see Jing. She meekly allowed him to keep her on deck.
Xiao Yao tentatively asked, “When did you get up?”
Jing said “I’ve been up for awhile.” Actually, he couldn’t sleep either so he knew from the moment Xiao Yao went on deck. But it was clear she wanted to be alone so he didn’t go disturb her.
From the very beginning Xiang Liu knew Jing was there on deck so Xiang Liu cast a spell that blocked anyone from hearing what he was discussing with Xiao Yao, except he allowed Jing to listen in.
Seeing Xiao Yao going to chase after Xiang Liu, Jing couldn’t explain the feeling but he rushed forward instinctively and grabbed Xiao Yao as if afraid she would vanish from his life.
Xiao Yao said, “Xiang Liu was just by and I asked him how to break the bug spell but he wouldn’t tell me.”
Jing’s worry dissipated.
Xiao Yao said sadly, “I’m not as glib as him, powers are not as high as him, all my poisons he eats like candy, every time I see him he is totally mean to me.”
Jing smiled. “Do you want me to help you?”
Xiao Yao cocked her head. “No, you two are business transactions, what’s between him and me is purely personal. No need to mix it.”
In the drama, XL sacrificed one life to save XY's life in S1. Then he sacrificed two more lives in S2 in order to lure out and kill the Lovers Bugs to break the bug connection between him and XY before the final battle. We see two heads from XL's true form perish when he sacrifices those two lives.
In the final battle in the drama, XL's true form had six out of its original nine heads, with the three missing heads matching up with the three lives he sacrificed for XY. Over the course of the final battle XL lost all of his remaining six lives.
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Gong Gong = Hong Jiang
Xuan Yuan = Xiyan
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The two strolled around the streets before Xiao Yao took Jing to a restaurant and ordered a few Xuan Yuan classic cuisine dishes.
Xiao Yao was quietly eating when seven or eight soldiers walked in and the leader gleefully yelled out, “Shopkeeper, bring the best dishes and wine! Today I’m treating. Anyone here is invited! Waiter, give every table wine to celebrate the Xuan Yuan Army’s great victory today!”
Everyone in the restaurant got excited and started asking questions, learning that it was Great General Ru So who won the battle and a few diners laughed. “Isn’t the Great General Ru So constantly winning battles recently already?”
The lead soldier said, “This is not like any regular great victory! Nine Lives Xiang Liu is dead! You business people likely don’t know how powerful and vicious that Xiang Liu is…”
Coming so out of the blue that she could not brace for it, Xiao Yao felt a piercing dagger stab her chest and her ears were ringing. The pain in her heart exploded and the wine cup in her hand dropped.
Jing worried cried out, “Xiao Yao!”
Xiao Yao murmured, “It can’t be! It’s impossible! He can’t be dead just like this! I didn’t feel anything, I can’t feel anything anymore……” She suddenly remembered that the Lover’s Bug was removed by the Royal Mother so she obviously can’t feel the connection anymore. Xiao Yao’s eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed backward.
Jing grabbed Xiao Yao. “Let’s go back to Xuan Yuan Mountain first, let Miao Pu take the Grand Emperor’s badge to gather information.”
Xiao Yao was lightheaded and lead-footed, all she kept saying over and over was, “It can’t be.”
Jing ordered Miao Pu and appeared to say something to Xiao Yao but she couldn’t hear anything clearly.
Miao Pu rushed off, and it seemed like it was a short time, but perhaps also a very long time, when she returned.
Xiao Yao immediately asked, “That was a false report, right?”
Miao Pu replied, “General Ying Long said that Xiang Liu died in battle.”
Xiao Yao screamed wildly, “That’s impossible, I don’t believe it!”
Miao Pu was so frightened she didn’t dare say another word.
Jing brought in a bowl of the strongest alcohol and forced Xiao Yao to drink it all. He gently asked, “Do you still want to hear more? If you don’t want to hear any more I can drink with you.”
Xiao Yao held her head and said to Miao Pu, “Keep talking.”
“After the death of the Chi Sui Clan Leader, His Majesty ordered that the Army was to completely exterminate Gong Gong’s army at all costs. Great General Ru So commanded an army of 200,000 soldiers to surround and attack Gong Gong’s army. Under the unrelenting attack of the Xuan Yuan army, Gong Gong’s army retreated deep into the forest and refused to engage. General Ru So started to burn the entire mountain to force Gong Gong’s army to come out and battle and found themselves facing General Ru So’s army and also General Li Yuan’s army of 200,000 soldiers. Gong Gong led his soldiers into the ocean but General Ru So already anticipated Gong Gong would escape towards the ocean. He stationed General Yu Jiang and his water trained soldiers to lay in wait. He was ready to cut down Gong Gong when Xiang Liu somehow energized his nearly dead soldiers to fight to open a route for Gong Gong to escape. But General Ru So and Yu Jiang followed the entire way for days and nights until they caught up to Gong Gong on a remote ocean island. General Ru So had the island surrounded and used many ancient spells and weapons so that even if Gong Gong turned into a tiny fish he couldn’t escape. Yu Jiang insisted on landing on the island with his soldiers to attack and started a fierce battle with Gong Gong….”
Miao Pu’s voice got softer and softer. “One thousand Sheng Nong soldiers against 100,000 thousand Xuan Yuan soldiers, not a single person surrendered and every Sheng Nong soldier died. Yu Jiang is a top fighter among the Gods but he could not defeat the heavily injured Gong Gong. Later General Ru So ordered every single soldier to shoot their arrow at Gong Gong and with thousands of arrows shot at him, Gong Gong finally died. It was after his death that his true form appeared. It was the Nine Lives demon… General Ru So realized then that he was tricked.”
Xiao Yao bent over and her arms wrapped around her head as her shoulders shook uncontrollably. Miao Pu didn’t dare to say more but Jing gently stroked Xiao Yao’s back and said, “Keep talking.”
Miao Pu glanced at Left Ear and saw his emotionless face so she continued. “General Ru So, once he discovered he was tricked, did not fall into a rage. Instead he said happily, “With Xiang Liu’s death, the hardest part of the war is over.” Because Xiang Liu really killed so many of our men, I heard a lot of soldiers wanted to harm and desecrate his body to assuage their anger. But General Ru So whipped the men who rushed forward and ordered everyone to step back. Once everyone left the island, Xiang Liu’s body dissolved into black blood that destroyed every living thing on the island including blades of grass. Even the ground turned black. All the soldiers were frightened and even General Ru So was scared afterwards, if it wasn’t for his respect for this enemy likely everyone would have died alongside him on the island.”
Xiao Yao’s body collapsed on the pallet. If she didn’t believe it earlier, now she believed it. Only Xiang Liu could do something like that.
XY sees XL's true form in chapter 43 and it has all nine heads even after XL sacrificed one of his lives to save her life in chapter 22. So that's how we know that the number of heads that XL's true form has left does not correspond with the number of extra lives that he has left in the novel.
Before the final battle in the novel we only know for sure that XL lost two lives. The first was in chapter 22, when he sacrificed a life to extend XY's life after her assassination. The second was in chapter 48, when he sacrificed an extra life in order to lure out and kill the Lovers Bugs so that he could break the bug connection between himself and XY before he died in the final battle. He had to break the connection to ensure that his death would not cause XY to die too.
We don't know if XL lost any of his extra lives before he met XY (e.g., in the slave death match arena, during the 100+ years he spent in the far north, or in the ~300 years he spent fighting with the remnant army before meeting her). We do know that Gong Gong (Hong Jiang) saved XL's life when he was nearly killed by a whirlpool after escaping from the death match arena (incurring the life debt that prompted XL to return to Gong Gong and fight with his army more than 200 years later). So presumably XL did not lose one of his lives in that situation.
Some fans speculate that XL might have sacrificed one of his extra lives to save TSJ's life between chapter 42 and chapter 49 (when XL created a jewel from XY's blood that was used to revive TSJ and might have taken other steps to save his life). They also speculate that he might have sacrificed one of his extra lives when he saved XY's life in chapter 48 (even though the details were quite different from when he saved her life in chapter 22).
In any case, he had somewhere between seven lives and one life remaining when the last battle began. As he told Sir Bi, it didn't matter if he had one extra or one fewer life when it came to facing the Xuan Yuan (Xiyan) army in the last battle. He chose to die on the battlefield with his comrades and continued fighting until he had burned through all of his remaining lives.
The final battle began with the remnant army (including XL) being burned out of the mountains that previously gave them a geographic advantage. They were forced to face 200,000 Xuan Yuan soliders under General Ru Shou's command (with another 200,000 Xuan Yuan soldiers under General Li Yuan's command available to provide support) in direct combat. Days later, the battle ended on an island where the last 1,000 remnant army soldiers (including XL) faced an army of 100,000 Xuan Yuan soldiers. Every single remnant army soldier chose to fight to the death and not a single one surrendered.
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In the drama, XL's true form does lose a head when XL loses one of his extra lives. So we always know exactly when he loses a life and how many lives he has left.
In S1, XL sacrificed one of his lives to save XY's life after her assassination. That is why, when XL's true form is revealed before he breaks the bug connection between himself and XY in S2, his true form only has eight heads instead of nine. That also tells us that XL never lost any of his extra lives at any point before he sacrificed one of his extra lives to save XY in S1 after her assassination.
In S2, in order to break the bug connection before the last battle, XL uses two more of his lives to lure out and kill the bugs. After that, XL's true form has six heads left.
When XL protected TSJ from the sea monsters, his true form had six heads left. And when XL fought in the final battle, his true form also had six heads left. So he did not sacrifice any more lives between breaking the bug connection and fighting in the final battle. In the final battle, he lost his last six remaining lives.