My Vow To My Liege: Chapters 4-6
Dec. 27th, 2021 03:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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The game continues to be enjoyable but I'm wondering how long it is, since eight chapters in I don't seem to be anywhere near the end. It was so cheap I assumed it was short but I think it's just underpriced.
Also, I forgot to mention before that it's set in Gusu, like the Cloud Recesses in MDZS/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation! There's even a sect of cultivators (here called mages) with some vague visual/cultural similarities with the Lan clan, though the setup and focus is very different.
Content notes: violence, age gap ships, slavery
Chapter 4
Flashback!
A young YiGuang knows he can't persuade TengYu/FuChai not to attend the ceremony, so gives her the fish amulet containing a spirit he has been feeding spiritual power for many years.
TengYu: Isn't that supposed to given to your future 'Yin Fish" as a token of love? What if you need it on Tiger Hill?
YiGuang: You will be in more danger than me. You can return it to me afterwards. My only wish is for Ah-Yu to be safe.
Current Day!
FuChai wakes in a small neat hut in less pain than she has been in years. Since her sword is missing she picks up a stick and practices swinging it a few times.
A cheerful village woman says she's in XiShi's house. She hands over a note from Goujian saying to trust him and stay here while he finds the others from Ng.
The woman then leads FuChai to a locked room where ShaoJiang hangs as if floating in a network of silver strings, with the cursed knife pointed down just over her heart. XiShi instructed that FuChai should have the keys once she's aware that the strings must not be touched.
She runs to find him, her memories of seeing Shi YiGuang's corpse feeling as unreal as seeing him alive in the swamp.
When he sees her, Shi YiGuang smiles and opens his arms for a hug and she punches him as hard as she can in the chest.
WHOA. Her father deliberately sacrificed the ENTIRE SHI CLAN to secure the ritual.
FuChai bursts into tears, apologising that she couldn't save him. He dries her eyes and says his mother foresaw what would happen.
The dragon god is not a true god, and once it has consumed enough souls it will unleash an unstoppable force of evil on the world. The Shi Clan chose to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, but his mother snuck Shi YiGuang out and faked his death.
He was visiting the grave of the man who looked after him, and a grave he made for his parents.
FuChai: So you knew what was going to happen? You truly don't mind?
Shi YiGuang: Even if I had my mother's gift, people are unpredictable, and the future is not set in stone. The dead are no longer with us, why should the living chain ourselves to the emotions of the past?
As the river flows endlessly past the graves, FuChai thinks that she seems to be the only one holding onto her hatred and suffering.
ShaoJiang's hut is shaking and making bestial noises! She twitches as the knife edges closer to her heart! YiGuang cuts his hand on a string, staining it red with his blood, and commands something to obey. Everything settles.
He says the knife is not cursed, but sacred. The curse has some other cause, likely a human sacrificial array feeding off her life, and the knife is the only reason she's not dead already. Such an array has a high cost, what do they want with ShaoJiang's soul?
ShaoJiang is a powerful mage! With the help of the strings, she is regaining her strength, and should be able to break free of the curse in time.
"While a little childlike, she is beautiful, a powerful mage, and the favourite sister of the King of Qi. If I was really a man, I would be happy to have obtained such a treasure."
>.>
The strings with protective spells around the village notify ShaoJiang that followers approach from the other side of the river. He smiles and says there's no need for concern and FuChai mutters about proud geniuses.
And then one of the followers holds up an amulet belonging to ChenFeng before they all vanish.
FuChai wants to immediately make chase but ShaoJiang points out it it's likely a trap. He persuades FuChai to stay in the village and keep recovering while he investigates, and flits across the river with light steps.
There are no masters or servants in this village, so FuChai waits alone.
She hears a roar from ShaoJiang's hut and sees the door cracked and ajar, the knife about to pierce ShaoJiang's heart.
The dark voice says "You can't even save yourself, how can you save someone else?" The red eyes of the dagger seem to stare at her, then drip down onto ShaoJiang like blood. The knife, the hut, the mage, everything goes up in flames...
...and then FuChai finds herself standing outside the hut, with nothing seeming to be out of place.
She goes to check on ShaoJiang, and sees that the strings have tangled around her, pulling her in unnatural directions. Fuchai tries to pull her free but only cuts up her hands. She cries to the dagger "If you really are meant to protect her, help me cut her free!"
The screen flashes to a strange stone fortress in the dark.
FuChai: Where am I?
Chapter 5
WHAT IS GOING ON??? :D
"The Earth belongs to the living, and everything below belongs to the dead. As souls cross the river Styx, they belong to the underworld"
I don't remember what the Chinese underworld river is called but I am pretty sure it's not the Styx :/ (I checked and it's the River of Forgetfulness/Wangchuan River/River of Oblivion)
"When the ancestors of the King of Ng made a vow with the Dragon God to give them souls, it said nothing of the pain of being swallowed, nor that they would dissolve into nothingness."
"I never thought I'd have the chance to go to the underworld when I die. Too bad they don't welcome new residents, the city gates are firmly closed"
Waves of decaying corpses crash wailing upon the barred gates??
A goat monster charges the gates and is held back by a woman riding one of a pair of phoenixes.
TaoTie, the monster: When your body dies and the power of your magic fades, the spirit of your dagger will belong to my sovereign god.
FuChai dodges attacks from a decaying warrior, and is saved by the blurry figure of ChenFeng.
YiGuang's voice cries "Soul, return!" and a pale green fish swims up into the sky.
FuChai wakes in YiGuang's house. She feels an unbearable pain from the Seal, and tastes blood in her mouth like something is growing and about to burst forth. YiGuang puts his fingers on her forehead and a clear stream of healing flows into her.
She tears open her clothes to reveal that one of the five petals of the seal has turned black.
FuChai: I- we cannot die yet! If the dragon obtains our soul, he will break free!
YiGuang, pulling her into an embrace: I will not let you die. My only regret is not staying by your side.
He sings her to sleep with a contemplative song full of longing. She is reminded of happier days when their families were alive, and she could sleep in peace.
She wakes with him still beside her, and spends a moment looking at his beautiful face. I think this is the first time she's noticed anyone as attractive other than ShaoJiang.
A bunch of villagers come in to check on the "new brother", obviously all very fond of YiGuang.
FuChai realises that their happy childhood together has been left behind by the passage of time, and he has a new life here.
The vision was a projection, the result of her being sucked into the human sacrificial array through the power of the seal in her blood, and then saved by the amulet. Which means the woman on the phoenix was ShaoJiang. The TaoTie is a form being used by the followers, but it's not clear what the city represents, or whether the ChenFeng she saw was just a product of her mind.
FuChai: So if my blood lets me enter and leave the array I could go save ShaoJiang and ChenFeng!
YiGuang: No! You cannot risk deepening your connection with the dragon god. What of your life?
FuChai: I am aware of the cost of being the King of Ng.
YiGuang: Ah-Yu! I said that I would save you, do you not trust me? >:(
"Of course I trusted him. Just as TengYu had trusted all of her possibilities, none of which had come to pass."
FuChai: Of course I want to live. But I don't want to be helpless like I was five years ago. I want to truly live, even if it means I gamble with my life. I believe in you, but I am no longer the TengYu who was unable to save you.
He smiles sadly and says that if she must gamble with her life, she should be clever about it, so he will gather information first.
FuChai: It seems I am troubling you again :(
YiGuang: *flicks her on the forehead* I don't like that. Change it :/
FuChai: ...thank you?
YiGuang: ^_^ No thanks needed, you can protect the village while I'm gone.
This is very cute.
Though like...am I NOT on the Goujian route? Is this still the COMMON route? Is it ALL common route? I haven't had a single YiGuang related choice yet. If this IS the Goujian route there's a distinct lack of Goujian.
Which is fine right now, I like YiGuang, just...wondering how on earth this game is structured for replays. Oh well! That's future me's problem!
Ha! The next day YiGuang returns with Goujian! Along with an unconscious ChenFeng and the injured Royal Guards.
Guard: Your Maj...gege, we were attacked by followers who had your sword and said they had killed you! ChenFeng attacked and was injured!
FuChai tells Goujian about everything, except those parts to do with the dragon and seal.
The followers have indeed dragged ChenFeng's soul into the array, and said they will give him back in return for ShaoJiang and the dagger. Since he's not a mage, he won't last long.
Goujian argues that this is an obvious trap, and they should just wait for ShaoJiang to wake up. They can try and rescue ChenFeng after that.
FuChai: But ChenFeng won't last that long!
Goujian: You are King of Ng! Don't you know what is more important?
YiGuang says he has found the caster of the magical array. By killing him, they can theoretically pull both souls of the array, but also risk destroying both.
FuChai says she will go in and save them which Goujian thinks is madness.
Goujian: Will you really help her do anything so dangerous?
YiGuang: ... :(
FuChai: I am not only the King of Ng, but Ah-Yu, and I will save them both.
Goujian: ...fine. We will defend the village.
YiGuang: Thank you, King of Yue.
Goujian: No need for thanks. It is only natural that a king defend his own territory.
Who is ruling Yue right now? Well, anyway...
FuChai is in the hut with ShaoJiang and ChenFeng's unconscious bodies, and the dagger, all tied together with strings. Goujian reminds her to call for ShaoJiang's help at the earliest opportunity, and tells her she mustn't die.
She smears the strings with her blood and feels herself pulled into the array once more.
Chapter 6
The TaoTie is larger now, and one of the phoenixes has fallen, swallowed by a dark aura. Dismembered corpses continue to throw themselves at the gate.
The fish spirit of the amulet follows FuChai as she climbs the mountain of corpses, calling for ChenFeng and ShaoJiang. She is pulled by a corpse and falls, only to be rescued by...SHAOJIANG :D :D :D
ShaoJiang pulls FuChai onto her phoenix and admires her fish. She can tell a mage has been helping from the outside.
ShaoJiang: It's safer here on the city walls. Please rest here, my Liege :) *zooms off to fight some more*
:D
Beyond the city gates is a large, fog-covered walled city. FuChai can dimly make out other pairs of large mythical animals fighting on the other walls. The glossary mentioned pairs of traditional enemies, I wonder if every pair is a sacred artefact spirit linked to one of the love interests' plots (eg the phoenix is linked to the dagger), fighting the Dragon God followers in the form of it's traditional enemy (eg the TaoTie is the traditional enemy of the phoenix).
She finds ChenFeng, who immediately prostates himself for her being in danger. ShaoJiang saved him too and he's been helping her keep down the undead army, but he doesn't really know what's going on and can't see anything through the fog.
YiGuang's ritual starts to hurt the TaoTie, but ShaoJiang is weakening even faster. FuChai says to use her blood and spiritual energy, since it is linked to the creation of this place. ShaoJiang and ChenFeng don't like that a non-mage like FuChai will have her life-span permanently shortened by such a sacrifice, but it's the only way to not just have them all die.
They find the TaoTie's weak points...eyes under it's elbows. Ok!
Under ShaoJiang's direction, FuChai bites her finger and her blood comes out as light which merges with the fish to create a spiritual sword which she hands to ChengFeng, the stronger swordsman. FuChai orders the other two on how to work together to bring down the TaoTie.
Lightning crashes and the sky erupts with a rain of blood. The corpses start to dissolve as the array falls apart. Fuchai shouts for the other two to hold onto her tightly.
But then the TaoTie's broken body opens up like a mouth. Tentacles shoot out like tongues and wrap themselves around Fuchai and the others. Everything goes black.
Suddenly, the other, half-dead phoenix breaks through the darkness and throws itself into the TaoTie's maw, burning it up in flame. ShaoJiang cries out and has to be stopped from throwing herself in after it.
One of the city gates opens. They have to get away! Fuchai shouts "YiGuang!" and the fish pulls them up into a crack in the sky.
Back in the real world, the dying Dragon God follower tells YiGuang that the Dragon God has what it wants, and soon...
The returned FuChia runs up to YiGuang and sees the dead bodies around him. ChenFeng and ShaoJiang are still asleep.
FuChai: I'm sorry. You were meant to be a doctor saving lives.
YiGuang: I do not regret doing the right thing.
Goujian runs up and says the village is under attack, and has been set on fire.
FuChai fights along side the men of the village. YiGuang has strained himself so much he's vomiting blood.
YiGuang: Ah-Yu...after this I will not be able to protect you, so please take this amulet and protect yourself.
FuChai: D:
ChenFeng arrives and hands the still comatose ShaoJiang to FuChai as he fights off the followers. They are not strong enough.
...but then arrows rain from the sky! And there on the hill, with an army bearing the a banner of Ng, is Wu ZiXu.
ChenFeng called him for help, and feels bad he needed to, but everyone else is just glad the followers are defeated.
Ha! Finally, someone is pissed off that YiGuang faked his own death and ran away from his responsibilities for five years. I mean, I get it, I was just waiting for someone to at least bring it up.
Wu ZiXu wants to punish YiGuang for his treason and YiGuang just asks to be allowed to tend to the wounded first.
The smoke filled village rings with the cries of the villagers. Victory came at a great cost.
It's time to go back to Ng, and I can choose to talk to YiGuang or Goujian. I kinda ship her with Goujian a little more, her relationship with YiGuang is very close but feels more platonic. But I like YiGuang more as a person. Hmm!
*saves*
HMMMMMMMMM let's pick Goujian
He's back to acting like her slave, and when she objects says people could be watching.
FuChai: I will be sending you back to Yue, so we are both kings, and equals.
He worries about how stubborn she is in the face of a growingly dangerous situation, never willing to sacrifice anything but herself. She says he inspired her to take control of her destiny, and while they may not be able to see each other much from now she'll never forget the time they spent together. He just says her name with intense sexy yearning and I take back all the times I thought this voice actor was a bit bland.
Unable to put a name to the feeling she senses in his voice FuChai punches him lightly and runs away haha.
She goes to say goodbye to YiGuang. They both know he should come back to Ng to work on fixing things, but FuChai says he should stay here, where he's happy. She gives him back the amulet while he regains his strength.
FuChai: Knowing that you're safe will bring me great peace of mind. Once you find your "Ying Fish" I will have no more regrets.
YiGuang: Ahh...AhYu. You're so silly.
There was a fair amount of (less sexy) yearning in the way he said her name too, she just didn't notice. His Yin Fish is his soul mate, the person he's supposed to give hisLan head ribbon Shi amulet to, and I am pretty sure he decided it was her when they were 14.
As they leave behind the recovering village, FuChai hopes a jinx like her will never hurt it again. But all the villagers take the time to stop and wave goodbye.
Though he's recovering himself, ChenFeng puts a coat around FuChai against the chill river breeze.
FuChai: I remember when you, I, and YiGuang would sail the river like this.
ChenFeng: It's all in the past now.
To prove his loyalty, Goujian had Wu ZiXu take his relatives hostage, but asks that they now be set free. Wu ZiXu still doesn't trust him, but thinks the primary danger is Shi YiGuang wanting revenge for the deaths of his family. FuChai wishes he wasn't so mistrustful, but knows he experienced great betrayal in the kingdom of Chu. And his cynical nature makes up for her own innocent impulses.
A boat approaches: it's Shi YiGuang, come to join them and return to Ng.
The game continues to be enjoyable but I'm wondering how long it is, since eight chapters in I don't seem to be anywhere near the end. It was so cheap I assumed it was short but I think it's just underpriced.
Also, I forgot to mention before that it's set in Gusu, like the Cloud Recesses in MDZS/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation! There's even a sect of cultivators (here called mages) with some vague visual/cultural similarities with the Lan clan, though the setup and focus is very different.
Content notes: violence, age gap ships, slavery
Chapter 4
Flashback!
A young YiGuang knows he can't persuade TengYu/FuChai not to attend the ceremony, so gives her the fish amulet containing a spirit he has been feeding spiritual power for many years.
TengYu: Isn't that supposed to given to your future 'Yin Fish" as a token of love? What if you need it on Tiger Hill?
YiGuang: You will be in more danger than me. You can return it to me afterwards. My only wish is for Ah-Yu to be safe.
Current Day!
FuChai wakes in a small neat hut in less pain than she has been in years. Since her sword is missing she picks up a stick and practices swinging it a few times.
A cheerful village woman says she's in XiShi's house. She hands over a note from Goujian saying to trust him and stay here while he finds the others from Ng.
The woman then leads FuChai to a locked room where ShaoJiang hangs as if floating in a network of silver strings, with the cursed knife pointed down just over her heart. XiShi instructed that FuChai should have the keys once she's aware that the strings must not be touched.
She runs to find him, her memories of seeing Shi YiGuang's corpse feeling as unreal as seeing him alive in the swamp.
When he sees her, Shi YiGuang smiles and opens his arms for a hug and she punches him as hard as she can in the chest.
WHOA. Her father deliberately sacrificed the ENTIRE SHI CLAN to secure the ritual.
FuChai bursts into tears, apologising that she couldn't save him. He dries her eyes and says his mother foresaw what would happen.
The dragon god is not a true god, and once it has consumed enough souls it will unleash an unstoppable force of evil on the world. The Shi Clan chose to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, but his mother snuck Shi YiGuang out and faked his death.
He was visiting the grave of the man who looked after him, and a grave he made for his parents.
FuChai: So you knew what was going to happen? You truly don't mind?
Shi YiGuang: Even if I had my mother's gift, people are unpredictable, and the future is not set in stone. The dead are no longer with us, why should the living chain ourselves to the emotions of the past?
As the river flows endlessly past the graves, FuChai thinks that she seems to be the only one holding onto her hatred and suffering.
ShaoJiang's hut is shaking and making bestial noises! She twitches as the knife edges closer to her heart! YiGuang cuts his hand on a string, staining it red with his blood, and commands something to obey. Everything settles.
He says the knife is not cursed, but sacred. The curse has some other cause, likely a human sacrificial array feeding off her life, and the knife is the only reason she's not dead already. Such an array has a high cost, what do they want with ShaoJiang's soul?
ShaoJiang is a powerful mage! With the help of the strings, she is regaining her strength, and should be able to break free of the curse in time.
"While a little childlike, she is beautiful, a powerful mage, and the favourite sister of the King of Qi. If I was really a man, I would be happy to have obtained such a treasure."
>.>
The strings with protective spells around the village notify ShaoJiang that followers approach from the other side of the river. He smiles and says there's no need for concern and FuChai mutters about proud geniuses.
And then one of the followers holds up an amulet belonging to ChenFeng before they all vanish.
FuChai wants to immediately make chase but ShaoJiang points out it it's likely a trap. He persuades FuChai to stay in the village and keep recovering while he investigates, and flits across the river with light steps.
There are no masters or servants in this village, so FuChai waits alone.
She hears a roar from ShaoJiang's hut and sees the door cracked and ajar, the knife about to pierce ShaoJiang's heart.
The dark voice says "You can't even save yourself, how can you save someone else?" The red eyes of the dagger seem to stare at her, then drip down onto ShaoJiang like blood. The knife, the hut, the mage, everything goes up in flames...
...and then FuChai finds herself standing outside the hut, with nothing seeming to be out of place.
She goes to check on ShaoJiang, and sees that the strings have tangled around her, pulling her in unnatural directions. Fuchai tries to pull her free but only cuts up her hands. She cries to the dagger "If you really are meant to protect her, help me cut her free!"
The screen flashes to a strange stone fortress in the dark.
FuChai: Where am I?
Chapter 5
WHAT IS GOING ON??? :D
"The Earth belongs to the living, and everything below belongs to the dead. As souls cross the river Styx, they belong to the underworld"
I don't remember what the Chinese underworld river is called but I am pretty sure it's not the Styx :/ (I checked and it's the River of Forgetfulness/Wangchuan River/River of Oblivion)
"When the ancestors of the King of Ng made a vow with the Dragon God to give them souls, it said nothing of the pain of being swallowed, nor that they would dissolve into nothingness."
"I never thought I'd have the chance to go to the underworld when I die. Too bad they don't welcome new residents, the city gates are firmly closed"
Waves of decaying corpses crash wailing upon the barred gates??
A goat monster charges the gates and is held back by a woman riding one of a pair of phoenixes.
TaoTie, the monster: When your body dies and the power of your magic fades, the spirit of your dagger will belong to my sovereign god.
FuChai dodges attacks from a decaying warrior, and is saved by the blurry figure of ChenFeng.
YiGuang's voice cries "Soul, return!" and a pale green fish swims up into the sky.
FuChai wakes in YiGuang's house. She feels an unbearable pain from the Seal, and tastes blood in her mouth like something is growing and about to burst forth. YiGuang puts his fingers on her forehead and a clear stream of healing flows into her.
She tears open her clothes to reveal that one of the five petals of the seal has turned black.
FuChai: I- we cannot die yet! If the dragon obtains our soul, he will break free!
YiGuang, pulling her into an embrace: I will not let you die. My only regret is not staying by your side.
He sings her to sleep with a contemplative song full of longing. She is reminded of happier days when their families were alive, and she could sleep in peace.
She wakes with him still beside her, and spends a moment looking at his beautiful face. I think this is the first time she's noticed anyone as attractive other than ShaoJiang.
A bunch of villagers come in to check on the "new brother", obviously all very fond of YiGuang.
FuChai realises that their happy childhood together has been left behind by the passage of time, and he has a new life here.
The vision was a projection, the result of her being sucked into the human sacrificial array through the power of the seal in her blood, and then saved by the amulet. Which means the woman on the phoenix was ShaoJiang. The TaoTie is a form being used by the followers, but it's not clear what the city represents, or whether the ChenFeng she saw was just a product of her mind.
FuChai: So if my blood lets me enter and leave the array I could go save ShaoJiang and ChenFeng!
YiGuang: No! You cannot risk deepening your connection with the dragon god. What of your life?
FuChai: I am aware of the cost of being the King of Ng.
YiGuang: Ah-Yu! I said that I would save you, do you not trust me? >:(
"Of course I trusted him. Just as TengYu had trusted all of her possibilities, none of which had come to pass."
FuChai: Of course I want to live. But I don't want to be helpless like I was five years ago. I want to truly live, even if it means I gamble with my life. I believe in you, but I am no longer the TengYu who was unable to save you.
He smiles sadly and says that if she must gamble with her life, she should be clever about it, so he will gather information first.
FuChai: It seems I am troubling you again :(
YiGuang: *flicks her on the forehead* I don't like that. Change it :/
FuChai: ...thank you?
YiGuang: ^_^ No thanks needed, you can protect the village while I'm gone.
This is very cute.
Though like...am I NOT on the Goujian route? Is this still the COMMON route? Is it ALL common route? I haven't had a single YiGuang related choice yet. If this IS the Goujian route there's a distinct lack of Goujian.
Which is fine right now, I like YiGuang, just...wondering how on earth this game is structured for replays. Oh well! That's future me's problem!
Ha! The next day YiGuang returns with Goujian! Along with an unconscious ChenFeng and the injured Royal Guards.
Guard: Your Maj...gege, we were attacked by followers who had your sword and said they had killed you! ChenFeng attacked and was injured!
FuChai tells Goujian about everything, except those parts to do with the dragon and seal.
The followers have indeed dragged ChenFeng's soul into the array, and said they will give him back in return for ShaoJiang and the dagger. Since he's not a mage, he won't last long.
Goujian argues that this is an obvious trap, and they should just wait for ShaoJiang to wake up. They can try and rescue ChenFeng after that.
FuChai: But ChenFeng won't last that long!
Goujian: You are King of Ng! Don't you know what is more important?
YiGuang says he has found the caster of the magical array. By killing him, they can theoretically pull both souls of the array, but also risk destroying both.
FuChai says she will go in and save them which Goujian thinks is madness.
Goujian: Will you really help her do anything so dangerous?
YiGuang: ... :(
FuChai: I am not only the King of Ng, but Ah-Yu, and I will save them both.
Goujian: ...fine. We will defend the village.
YiGuang: Thank you, King of Yue.
Goujian: No need for thanks. It is only natural that a king defend his own territory.
Who is ruling Yue right now? Well, anyway...
FuChai is in the hut with ShaoJiang and ChenFeng's unconscious bodies, and the dagger, all tied together with strings. Goujian reminds her to call for ShaoJiang's help at the earliest opportunity, and tells her she mustn't die.
She smears the strings with her blood and feels herself pulled into the array once more.
Chapter 6
The TaoTie is larger now, and one of the phoenixes has fallen, swallowed by a dark aura. Dismembered corpses continue to throw themselves at the gate.
The fish spirit of the amulet follows FuChai as she climbs the mountain of corpses, calling for ChenFeng and ShaoJiang. She is pulled by a corpse and falls, only to be rescued by...SHAOJIANG :D :D :D
ShaoJiang pulls FuChai onto her phoenix and admires her fish. She can tell a mage has been helping from the outside.
ShaoJiang: It's safer here on the city walls. Please rest here, my Liege :) *zooms off to fight some more*
:D
Beyond the city gates is a large, fog-covered walled city. FuChai can dimly make out other pairs of large mythical animals fighting on the other walls. The glossary mentioned pairs of traditional enemies, I wonder if every pair is a sacred artefact spirit linked to one of the love interests' plots (eg the phoenix is linked to the dagger), fighting the Dragon God followers in the form of it's traditional enemy (eg the TaoTie is the traditional enemy of the phoenix).
She finds ChenFeng, who immediately prostates himself for her being in danger. ShaoJiang saved him too and he's been helping her keep down the undead army, but he doesn't really know what's going on and can't see anything through the fog.
YiGuang's ritual starts to hurt the TaoTie, but ShaoJiang is weakening even faster. FuChai says to use her blood and spiritual energy, since it is linked to the creation of this place. ShaoJiang and ChenFeng don't like that a non-mage like FuChai will have her life-span permanently shortened by such a sacrifice, but it's the only way to not just have them all die.
They find the TaoTie's weak points...eyes under it's elbows. Ok!
Under ShaoJiang's direction, FuChai bites her finger and her blood comes out as light which merges with the fish to create a spiritual sword which she hands to ChengFeng, the stronger swordsman. FuChai orders the other two on how to work together to bring down the TaoTie.
Lightning crashes and the sky erupts with a rain of blood. The corpses start to dissolve as the array falls apart. Fuchai shouts for the other two to hold onto her tightly.
But then the TaoTie's broken body opens up like a mouth. Tentacles shoot out like tongues and wrap themselves around Fuchai and the others. Everything goes black.
Suddenly, the other, half-dead phoenix breaks through the darkness and throws itself into the TaoTie's maw, burning it up in flame. ShaoJiang cries out and has to be stopped from throwing herself in after it.
One of the city gates opens. They have to get away! Fuchai shouts "YiGuang!" and the fish pulls them up into a crack in the sky.
Back in the real world, the dying Dragon God follower tells YiGuang that the Dragon God has what it wants, and soon...
The returned FuChia runs up to YiGuang and sees the dead bodies around him. ChenFeng and ShaoJiang are still asleep.
FuChai: I'm sorry. You were meant to be a doctor saving lives.
YiGuang: I do not regret doing the right thing.
Goujian runs up and says the village is under attack, and has been set on fire.
FuChai fights along side the men of the village. YiGuang has strained himself so much he's vomiting blood.
YiGuang: Ah-Yu...after this I will not be able to protect you, so please take this amulet and protect yourself.
FuChai: D:
ChenFeng arrives and hands the still comatose ShaoJiang to FuChai as he fights off the followers. They are not strong enough.
...but then arrows rain from the sky! And there on the hill, with an army bearing the a banner of Ng, is Wu ZiXu.
ChenFeng called him for help, and feels bad he needed to, but everyone else is just glad the followers are defeated.
Ha! Finally, someone is pissed off that YiGuang faked his own death and ran away from his responsibilities for five years. I mean, I get it, I was just waiting for someone to at least bring it up.
Wu ZiXu wants to punish YiGuang for his treason and YiGuang just asks to be allowed to tend to the wounded first.
The smoke filled village rings with the cries of the villagers. Victory came at a great cost.
It's time to go back to Ng, and I can choose to talk to YiGuang or Goujian. I kinda ship her with Goujian a little more, her relationship with YiGuang is very close but feels more platonic. But I like YiGuang more as a person. Hmm!
*saves*
HMMMMMMMMM let's pick Goujian
He's back to acting like her slave, and when she objects says people could be watching.
FuChai: I will be sending you back to Yue, so we are both kings, and equals.
He worries about how stubborn she is in the face of a growingly dangerous situation, never willing to sacrifice anything but herself. She says he inspired her to take control of her destiny, and while they may not be able to see each other much from now she'll never forget the time they spent together. He just says her name with intense sexy yearning and I take back all the times I thought this voice actor was a bit bland.
Unable to put a name to the feeling she senses in his voice FuChai punches him lightly and runs away haha.
She goes to say goodbye to YiGuang. They both know he should come back to Ng to work on fixing things, but FuChai says he should stay here, where he's happy. She gives him back the amulet while he regains his strength.
FuChai: Knowing that you're safe will bring me great peace of mind. Once you find your "Ying Fish" I will have no more regrets.
YiGuang: Ahh...AhYu. You're so silly.
There was a fair amount of (less sexy) yearning in the way he said her name too, she just didn't notice. His Yin Fish is his soul mate, the person he's supposed to give his
As they leave behind the recovering village, FuChai hopes a jinx like her will never hurt it again. But all the villagers take the time to stop and wave goodbye.
Though he's recovering himself, ChenFeng puts a coat around FuChai against the chill river breeze.
FuChai: I remember when you, I, and YiGuang would sail the river like this.
ChenFeng: It's all in the past now.
To prove his loyalty, Goujian had Wu ZiXu take his relatives hostage, but asks that they now be set free. Wu ZiXu still doesn't trust him, but thinks the primary danger is Shi YiGuang wanting revenge for the deaths of his family. FuChai wishes he wasn't so mistrustful, but knows he experienced great betrayal in the kingdom of Chu. And his cynical nature makes up for her own innocent impulses.
A boat approaches: it's Shi YiGuang, come to join them and return to Ng.
