Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 liddi:

Lie Yang shook his head and said with a grin, "Feng Bo's strength should not be underestimated. Half a year ago, he even became sworn brothers with someone who is said to be from the Chishui clan of the Four Noble Families. He has incredible rain-controlling abilities, and is called Yu Shi ('Master of Rain'). He is also very skilled in forging weapons. With Feng Bo and Yu Shi, even if Xuan Yuan captures Ze Province, there will be heavy casualties."

 liddi:

As Feng Bo shouted, he glanced towards a corner in the shadows. In the semi darkness, there stood a hunchbacked man. The silver mask on his face which emitted a chilling, sinister aura and his stooped figure created a haunting image that inspired fear and disgust the moment one laid eyes on him, and reluctance to look further.

This hunchbacked masked man was Yu Shi, whom Feng Bo deeply respected. Together, they had repelled Xuan Yuan's attacks time and again, guarding Shen Nong.

Feng Bo and Yu Shi exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's determination to fight to the death.

 liddi:

He looked at Yu Shi uncertainly, but Yu Shi asserted simply but surely, "Yi Peng has gone mad!" His voice was hoarse, as if scorched by smoke and fire.

 liddi:

Feng Bo glanced at Yu Shi and said with a smile, "You cultivate water spiritual powers. No matter how great the flood, you should have no problem protecting yourself."

Yu Shi stared at the floodwaters and said calmly, "If the city of Ze Province falls, Shen Nong Mountain will fall. If the Xuan Yuan army wants to approach Shen Nong Mountain, they will have to step over my dead body."

Feng Bo patted Yu Shi on the shoulder and said to the soldiers urging him to flee, "From the very beginning, I told Chi Chen that I had no interest in fighting for power and gain. I just enjoyed fighting alongside him. Following him is like following the strongest tornado in the world. There are no restrictions, the wind blows wherever it wants. Have you ever seen the wind escape? No matter what it encounters, the wind will only advance!"

Feng Bo laughed heartily, took off his cloak, and stared defiantly at the approaching monstrous waves. Yu Shi also brought out his own magical artifact, the Rain Urn, his mask emitting a cold, eerie light.

 liddi:

Feng Bo pointed at Yu Shi, "Chi Song Zi, also known as Yu Shi, is the sworn brother I pledged with after you disappeared. My brother is also your brother." The trust between men had no need for more words; one sentence covered it all.

Although Yu Shi's appearance was strange and ugly, his manners were polite and courteous as he greeted Chi Chen.

Yu Shi... the person who Cang Xuan said was actually Yihe Nuo Nai, a noble from the Yihe family in Gao Xing who was Shao Hao's close friend from childhood? The man that Yun Sang (one of the princesses of Shengnong / Ah Heng's friend) fell for and who fell for her in return, but unfortunately he thought she was Shao Hao's betrothed and then later she was actually betrothed to Qing Yang?

 liddi:

* "Chi Chen" was the Nine-tailed fox demon who was in league with Yi Peng to flood Ze Province. He would later kidnap Xiao Yao twice - the first time he lost a tail which ended up as Xiao Yao's toy; the second time he imprisoned and tortured her for 30 years before being killed by her in the end.

Thank you for explaining this. Since he was a nine-tailed fox, that would explain why Ah Bi had such a hard time overcoming his instincts when facing him. 

 liddi:

Since no one had ever been there, people of the Great Wilderness seemed to no longer believe in the existence of the Northern and Southern Depths. However, there was a divine beast called Kun that originated from the Northern Depths. It was originally the form of a fish, but could transform into a bird since birth. Its bird form was called roc (da peng). Legend has it that it could travel nine thousand li with one flap of its wings. Kun was a fish that did not submit to the dragon, and a bird that was not subservient to the phoenix. It was born in the Northern Depths, and returned to the Southern Depths upon its death.

This makes me think of Xiao Yao's song. 

        You were like a bird in the sky
        I was like a fish in the water
        Forgetting each other, remembering each other
        Forgetting each other, remembering each other

In theory, a fish and a bird should be two beings that live in separate worlds and cannot be together, like XL and XY. 

But there was a divine beast who could transform from one into the other. 

And that makes me think of XY transforming into WXL, an identity that allowed her to be XL's companion and to live in his world for a while. And demon XL using the deity identity FFB, an identity that allowed him to be XY's companion and to live in her world for while. 

 liddi:

The underwater vortex was like a giant python, dragging A Heng toward the darkest abyss.

A Heng's hands which were tightly protecting her belly, grew weaker and weaker. She had no strength left, and another, larger vortex surged towards her.

She cried in despair, praying angrily, but there was nothing she could do. In the darkness, she could only grieve as she felt the forces that threatened the destruction of the world push her towards the end of her life.

Her body spun rapidly with the vortex, plunging towards the bottom of the water. Her last breath was gradually swallowed by the terrifying current.

 liddi:

Suddenly, a red figure descended into the centre of the vortex like lightning, embracing A Heng. Long black and white hair flew like two barriers, deflecting the water. The towering waves that eclipsed the sun and moon, the floods that raged like an evil demon, actually stopped in fear before Chi Chen, and flowed around him.

I can't help but be reminded of XY facing the whirlpool, and XL arriving to save her at the last moment with his hair fanning out in the water. 

-----

Chapter 43:

Xiao Yao tried so hard to open the coffin but it wouldn’t budge, until she was all tired out and hungry. She suddenly realized that she might end up dying after all, not of drowning but of hunger. Xiao Yao rested for a bit before continuing to try and open the coffin.

Suddenly her instinct sensed danger. She looked around and there wasn’t a fish in sight, the colorful underwater was now pitch black. Xiao Yao felt the entire ocean shaking and she remembered the seagull demon saying how scary the ocean was under here. She suddenly remembered what Xiang Liu said before, that after he escaped from the slave death match ring, he almost died in an underwater tornado called a whirlpool. Xiang Liu may not have been that powerful then but something that almost killed him must really be super scary.

Xiao Yao had never seen a whirlpool before but if it was like a tornado on land then anything it passed would be obliterated. This really was the perfect way to ensure not a hair of Xiao Yao was left behind.

Xiao Yao tried to bust out of the coffin but it still didn’t move, making her understand why the seagull demon took that extra step of sealing her inside the coffin.

The water churned around her and the coffin was swept up in the waves of the whirlpool, with Xiao Yao getting spun around so hard she was seeing stars.

She could hear the coffin getting crunched and now she prayed for the coffin to stay intact. If the whirlpool was so powerful as to shatter the immovable crystal coffin, then the second the coffin broke Xiao Yao would be crushed to oblivion.

As the water churned faster and faster, the power of the whirlpool increased and in a resounding crack the coffin shattered. Xiao Yao screamed and closed her eyes, but then didn’t experience the pain of being smashed to smithereens.

Xiao Yao slowly opened her eyes and in the whirling inferno she saw Xiang Liu, white hair, white robe, standing right in front of her. His hair was fanned out like the wings of a bird and was protecting Xiao Yao by forming a barrier between her and the whirlpool.

Xiao Yao felt like this was a dream and stared dumbfounded at Xiang Liu.

 liddi:

Soldiers on the city tower said to Feng Bo, "You have the ability to control the wind. You should escape quickly now. No matter how swift the flood is, it cannot catch up to you."

Feng Bo glanced at Yu Shi and said with a smile, "You cultivate water spiritual powers. No matter how great the flood, you should have no problem protecting yourself."

Yu Shi stared at the floodwaters and said calmly, "If the city of Ze Province falls, Shen Nong Mountain will fall. If the Xuan Yuan army wants to approach Shen Nong Mountain, they will have to step over my dead body."

Feng Bo patted Yu Shi on the shoulder and said to the soldiers urging him to flee, "From the very beginning, I told Chi Chen that I had no interest in fighting for power and gain. I just enjoyed fighting alongside him. Following him is like following the strongest tornado in the world. There are no restrictions, the wind blows wherever it wants. Have you ever seen the wind escape? No matter what it encounters, the wind will only advance!"

Feng Bo laughed heartily, took off his cloak, and stared defiantly at the approaching monstrous waves. Yu Shi also brought out his own magical artifact, the Rain Urn, his mask emitting a cold, eerie light.

Behind them, all the soldiers drew their weapons, a group of desperate men joking and asking each other how good they were in swimming, making deals to compete later and see who could ride the waves best.

Even if they were to be buried in floodwaters, they would still ride on the crest of the waves!

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Tong Hua seems to like these "I could escape and save myself, but instead I'll face doom and die honourably on the battlefield side-by-side with my fellow doomed comrades" moments. 

They certainly pull on one's heartstrings. 

 liddi:

Chi Chen was momentarily stunned, then smiled broadly and clasped his hands, "Thank you, all three of you."

Yan Zhuan stood proudly on the bifang bird and said with a disdainful expression, "I'm not helping you. I wish you would hurry up and die!"

Zhu Rong really can't help being like this, even for one moment? ^^"

 liddi:

For thousands of years, the four great warriors of the Shen Nong tribe had always acted independently, constantly in conflict with one another. In the face of the calamity of the city's destruction, Chi Chen, Yan Zhuan, Luo Jia and Hong Jiang united for the first time. In this world, what could be more inspiring to morale than seeing heroes of their own people united and working together to fight against the enemy?

Since the death of Yu Xiang, the fading sense of pride once again filled the hearts of the Shen Nong people, and all the soldiers let out a deafening roar.

I can see why you enjoy this scene. 

Was Luo Jia the seventh Flame Emperor's adoptive daughter? What was her story?

 liddi:

This is the start of 4 posts covering my translation of one of my favourite events  in Once Promised, taking place after the Eighth Flame Emperor's death at the hands of the Yellow Emperor and an unanswered proposed marriage alliance between Shen Nong and Xuan Yuan leading up to the siege and flooding of Ze Province.

Thank you so much for translating liddi!

Has anyone read the article analyzing the last letter the four men left for Xiaoyao?

The teasers for the first 4 episodes in S2 are out. Fangfeng Bei makes his appearance in Ep2!

Ep1 - Cang Xuan announces his intention to take another consort

 Ep2 - Lunch (?) at the Lirong old donkey meat seller, talking about them dying sooner or later

Ep3 - A Nian decides to return to Hao Ling with Cang Xuan crowning his queen

Ep4 - Xiao Yao at Ying Province, refuses to answer any of Cang Xuan's letters urging her to return

I'm trying to flit from one site and chat to another.  I will be completely frazzled by morning.

 liddi:

2nd trailer for S2

Scenes include:

- Xiao Yao confronting and poisoning Cang Xuan
- Xiao Yao's desolation (after giving her blood to Xiang Liu for the last time)
- Hou and Jing's battle
- Feng Long poisoned
- Sea of arrows released towards Xiang Liu

Thank you, liddi!

I couldn't figure out why XL was spitting blood in that montage of spitting blood, though.  But now I remember about Feng Long.  I also couldn't see who was leading the arrow storm, but it didn't look like Ru Shou.

Hmmm.  I'll have to check that out again.  Didn't realize that was after she gave blood to XL.

I still can't believe they are going to make all this angst null and void with a 'it's a dream' sequence.  So lame.

 liddi:

2nd trailer for S2

Scenes include:

- Xiao Yao confronting and poisoning Cang Xuan
- Xiao Yao's desolation (after giving her blood to Xiang Liu for the last time)
- Hou and Jing's battle
- Feng Long poisoned
- Sea of arrows released towards Xiang Liu

After the scene of Xiao Yao's wedding and before the scenes of A Nian's wedding and Xin Yue's wedding, there was a scene with two fire birds flying in the sky. What scene was this? Any idea what the birds are/symbolize?

"Xiao Yao's desolation (after giving her blood to Xiang Liu for the last time)"

More snake in the grass in the trailer. You'd think her desolation was for Jing since it immediately flashed to the scene of Jing sinking in a pool of blood in the water, but no, Xiao Yao's desolation was for XL.

 AH :

I am so distracted by the giant wooden toad statue behind XY in her island clinic. ^^"

I don't know if it's meant to be a three-legged toad, but I can't help being reminded of the three-legged toad that prompted Xian to visit XY's island clinic in my fic. 

Good catch! I didn't even notice it - was too busy trying to decipher Cang Xuan's letter lol

I am thinking perhaps it was not a three-legged toad, which usually has a coin in its mouth (I can't see the toad clearly but it doesn't look that way)? Toads are a symbol of prosperity, healing, fertility among others. Was Xiao Yao's clinic at Ying Province a fertility clinic, or just a regular clinic? 

 Kokuto:

I couldn't figure out why XL was spitting blood in that montage of spitting blood, though.

I am thinking this is during the final meeting with Xiao Yao at Gourd lake when she shoots him and he later forces her to give her blood. I can't recall him vomiting blood in this scene based on the script though..

 Kokuto:

I also couldn't see who was leading the arrow storm, but it didn't look like Ru Shou.

Ru Shou ordered him shot on all sides under the command of Gou Mang, Yu Jiang, Li Yuan and Chishui Xian. This is probably any one of the three male generals.

 Kokuto:

Hmmm.  I'll have to check that out again.  Didn't realize that was after she gave blood to XL.

It's my guess based on her reaction at the time. Though in retrospect, perhaps I am mistaken because her outfit and hair do not match. In which case, this is likely the scene when she is frantically searching for Jing after he goes missing following the battle with Hou.

 solarlunareclipse:

After the scene of Xiao Yao's wedding and before the scenes of A Nian's wedding and Xin Yue's wedding, there was a scene with two fire birds flying in the sky. What scene was this? Any idea what the birds are/symbolize?

The scene with the birds take place during A Nian's wedding on Five Deities Mountain. The two birds are phoenixes - a male phoenix 凤 and a female phoenix 凰. (leaked script Ep16 / S02E24 scene 4)