1. Episode 3: The Woman In Night Devil Forest
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2. I ask you again: are you Shāng Bù Huàn?
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3. And what if I am?
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4. Hey, bro! Good work out there.
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5. I wouldn't have bothered if you
had handled things yourself, Juǎn.
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6. Aw, you've got me there!
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7. But since our friend here is in one piece...
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8. Hey, how about someone explain
what the hell's going on?
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9. Why are you guys fighting the
Xuán Guǐ Zōng on my behalf?
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10. I received a message from an acquaintance.
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11. "If you encounter Shāng Bù Huàn,
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12. help him out," he asked.
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13. What kind of friend is this guy
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14. if you'll fight to the
death at his request?
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15. Why, it's me, of course.
Does anyone else come to mind?
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16. We meet again. What are
you calling yourself now?
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17. If you could, go with Guǐ Niǎo for now.
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18. Understood.
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19. And you'll be in charge, as usual.
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20. Thank you.
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21. I must ask, who's this young fellow?
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22. He's been helping me out lately.
His name is Juǎn Cán Yún.
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23. I thought he might be of some use,
so I brought him along.
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24. Hey there!
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25. If my bro Shòu here takes orders
from you, then count me in, too.
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26. Good to be working with you!
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27. I am a Hù Yìn Shī guardian
of the Duàn Jiàn Cí shrine,
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28. my name is Dān Fěi.
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29. It's a pleasure to meet you both.
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30. Whoa... she's so beautiful!
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31. A celestial maiden?
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32. Whoa, hang on! Just hang on a second!
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33. Quit trying to move this
conversation along without me!
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34. I'm sure you've realized now how
the Xuán Guǐ Zōng operate.
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35. They're not a pleasant bunch you can
avoid by simply running from them.
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36. Yeah...
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37. I guess I've just gotta take down their
leader, this Miè Tiān Hái, right?
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38. That'll turn these guys who are just
his lapdogs into a unorganized mob.
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39. And do you know where
where Miè Tiān Hái is?
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40. We are about to head to the
domain of the Xuán Guǐ Zōng,
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41. Seven Sins Tower in the
Demon Spine Mountains.
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42. Our enemies, many.
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43. Meaning the more allies we have, the better.
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44. If our goals are aligned, there's
no reason for us not to be allied.
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45. I don't care what your goal is!
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46. And this can be settled if I head
to this Seven Sins Tower on my own.
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47. No matter what, I'm not
working with you! See ya!
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48. Oh, proud, obstinate Sir Shāng Bù Huàn...
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49. I hate to break this to you, but...
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50. What now?
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51. The Demon Spine Mountains
are in that direction.
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52. Don't try following me, got it?
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53. Uh, sir, our business is in
the same direction, so...
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54. Funny confidence, isn't it?
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55. Looks like we're on the same road for now.
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56. We don't mind you tagging along, though.
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57. Do whatever you want!
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58. The Demon Spine Mountains, where Seven
Sins Tower stands, is at the border
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59. of the human and demon realms.
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60. It is a land that can be said
to be part of the afterlife.
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61. People in the area don't even
risk looking in its direction,
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62. much less traveling there.
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63. Sounds like a weird place
to set up an organization.
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64. Seven Sins Tower was originally
the study of a powerful sorcerer.
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65. Miè Tiān Hái was once a simple
guard there when he was young,
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66. but in the master's absence, he has made
the abandoned tower his personal property.
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67. What are the odds this master ended
up dying at Miè's hands himself?
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68. A very likely theory.
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69. Miè didn't just take the tower,
but also the knowledge
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70. of several spells his master knew,
and made them his own.
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71. For instance, the ability to drain
memories from the heads of the dead.
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72. I guess that's why they knew
my name and what I looked like.
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73. The real problem is that
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74. the barrier the sorcerer erected to
protect the mountain is still intact.
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75. The only real way to its summit is
guarded by three extraordinary obstacles
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76. which ensure that no ordinary
people could ever reach it.
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77. How are the Xuán Guǐ Zōng
getting in and out of it, then?
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78. Through the air.
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79. You saw the flying beasts
they were using, right?
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80. They are the only way to move freely
to and from Seven Sins Tower.
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81. I guess if you have to fly to get in,
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82. that's about as secure as it gets.
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83. Then what are we supposed to do?
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84. You expect us to grow wings,
like those beasts?
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85. We use extraordinary methods
to make our way along
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86. the ground past the extraordinary obstacles.
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87. It's our only path to victory.
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88. Come on, seriously?
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89. As I explained, there are three obstacles
preventing access to the summit.
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90. The first is the Valley of the Dead.
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91. Corpses whose souls are chained
to their bodies in death
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92. roam the area in mobs.
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93. They hunger for the flesh
and blood of the living.
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94. Being found by them will
result in being torn apart.
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95. What do we do, then?
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96. There is a special requiem for the
dead that a necromancer can perform,
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97. which will stop corpses from moving,
putting them to rest.
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98. So in order to cross this valley, we need
to add a necromancer to our number.
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99. Necromancy...
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100. Must we truly rely on such dreadful methods?
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101. I can understand your distaste,
as a Hù Yìn Shī.
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102. But we are trying to enter an evil place,
where ordinary means will not suffice.
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103. We have no choice but to
follow the laws of the land.
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104. But do you have anyone in mind?
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105. Let's just say that it
shouldn't be a concern.
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106. In the meantime, we'll continue
discussing the Demon Spine Mountains.
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107. The second obstacle is
the Valley of the Doll.
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108. A castle-sized, animated stone
doll serves as its guardian.
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109. It ordinarily looks like a statue,
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110. but when it detects trespassers,
it begins to move,
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111. attempting to crush them mercilessly.
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112. Someone valued their security too damn much.
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113. Thankfully, it's little more
than an elaborate trap.
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114. If it were a true giant, there'd
be little we could do...
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115. But if it's being animated mechanically,
then its power must have a source.
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116. So we've gotta smash its power source.
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117. But how easy will it be for us to get to it?
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118. It's in the nape of the
stone guardian's neck.
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119. Not a height one could easily reach,
even when stretching...
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120. What do we do, then?
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121. It is a height that the Sharp-Eyed
Impaler might land an arrow upon, though.
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122. In other words...
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123. If an arrow can reach it, then I can hit it.
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124. Which explains my invitation on this quest.
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125. Precisely.
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126. You are our key to passing
this second obstacle.
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127. That leaves the third and final obstacle.
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128. It is known as the Labyrinth of Darkness.
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129. With the exception of the actual exit,
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130. it has countless paths that lead
to separate, warped dimensions.
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131. Meaning that stepping off
the correct path, even once,
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132. will leave you trapped for eternity,
before you even realize it.
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133. That sounds even more
hopeless than the other two!
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134. Fight magic with magic, my friend.
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135. An acquaintance of mine has a treasure
known as the Soul Echo Flute.
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136. By following the echo
of the sound it produces,
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137. this magic flute will always
lead you in the right direction.
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138. We'll be asking for
his help with this obstacle.
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139. And in every single case, you're counting
on someone else to solve the problem.
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140. You never do anything yourself, do you?
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141. It takes an appreciation for
someone's abilities to know
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142. which tasks suit them best.
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143. I'd rather you compliment my
wealth of wonderful friends.
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144. You've certainly got that.
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145. The owner of the Soul Echo Flute
is far away at the moment,
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146. so it will be a while until
they receive my message.
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147. The necromancer who can use the
requiem is in the local area, but...
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148. There's been no response yet.
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149. They're probably just
sick of dealing with you.
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150. That would be a problem...
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151. It would be for the best to have her help in
passing through the Valley of the Dead.
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152. If she won't answer, we'll have
to go to her and convince her.
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153. Her? It's a woman?
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154. Hold on! And you said she lives nearby.
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155. You're not talking about
Night Devil Forest, are you?
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156. Yes. She's been cooped up in
that forest for a long time.
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157. She's never been very sociable, after all.
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158. You're talking about Xíng Hài?
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159. You intend to add Xíng Hài,
the Night's Lament, to this group?
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160. That sounds like crazy talk!
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161. Wait...
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162. You two know this Xíng Hài lady?
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163. What is she like?
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164. Well, she's not the most
socially well-adjusted woman,
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165. so she tends to invite misunderstandings.
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166. No, no, no! This goes way
beyond misunderstandings!
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167. Surely we can find someone
else with the spiritual power
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168. to silence the dead elsewhere,
if we look for them!
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169. Why in the world would we ask Xíng Hài?
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170. Because she's the best at it.
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171. Much like how the Sharp-Eyed
Impaler's archery is the best.
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172. These objectives needs to be handled by
the best of their respective fields.
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173. After all, we face the Bones of Creation.
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174. We need a number of people who
are as prepared as possible.
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175. I guess when you put it that way...
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176. Just for the record, I warned you!
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177. It's open.
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178. What brings you by this late?
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179. I thought that if I offered
a reasonable explanation,
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180. you might understand why we
must do this, Sir Shāng.
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181. And the importance of the Tiān Xing Jiàn...
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182. This again?
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183. Could it be that...
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184. You don't believe how fearsome it is?
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185. And that we Hù Yìn Shī
protect its resting place
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186. is a mere superstition?
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187. I've traveled all over, y'know.
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188. I've heard rumors about mystic
weapons plenty of times before.
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189. And I've had plenty of people
tell me, "This is the real thing!"
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190. Like they're trying to show off.
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191. And most of the time, they're fakes.
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192. They hold up a piece of junk like a
treasure, trying to feel important.
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193. It's true that that when
dealing with mystic weapons,
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194. there are many imitations...
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195. But there is only one Tiān Xing Jiàn.
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196. Have you ever checked it out personally?
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197. Has anyone taken it up and swung it around?
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198. Well...
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199. When the Xuán Guǐ Zōng came after it,
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200. you Hù Yìn Shī should've
done exactly that.
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201. If the Tiān Xing Jiàn was just junk,
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202. Miè Tiān Hái would've had to
have laughed and turned away.
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203. And if it was the real deal,
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204. you could've used it to mete out some
divine punishment on the bastard.
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205. That sounds like a fair use of a
sword made for fighting evil, right?
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206. But to do something so dreadful...
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207. No matter how mystic or remarkable
a sword is, it's still a sword.
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208. It's just a tool. Not a god.
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209. How can you be afraid of using
it without even touching it first?
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210. Among my clan, that's the gravest taboo!
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211. You're saying that's what
we should have done?
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212. Sounds to me like what
you're really afraid of...
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213. Is breaking with the tradition
that your ancestors established.
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214. That can't be...
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215. I feel bad for your brother.
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216. But this thing doesn't sound like
it's worse losing your life over,
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217. and definitely not worth risking
your life to clean up the mess it caused.
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218. But... we've...
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219. We're leaving early tomorrow, right?
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220. Quit wasting time around
here and get some rest.
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221. This might be our last chance
to sleep somewhere decent.
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222. Right...
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223. Now, then...
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224. Peeping, huh? That's a real
noble hobby you've got.
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225. Hey, don't make it sound so terrible!
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226. I-I was just trying to make sure you
didn't try anything with Miss Dān Fěi!
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227. Now who's making insulting assumptions?
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228. Well, you were picking on her, weren't you?
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229. She looked really sad just now!
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230. Quit trying to paint me as the bad
guy if you don't know what happened.
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231. Like I was asking, what happened?
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232. Neither my bro or Mister
Guǐ Niǎo will explain!
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233. Why's Miss Dān Fěi so desperate?
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234. You just tagged along as the
bow master's sidekick, anyway.
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235. You don't need to know.
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236. Ow, ow, ow!
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237. I'm not just gonna drop it!
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238. I can't talk to Miss Dān Fěi about
it unless I know what's going on!
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239. So that's what you're after.
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240. I mean, she's so pretty, right?
And acts so cute...
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241. Look, just give it a rest.
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242. She belongs to a prim and
proper Hù Yìn Shī family.
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243. There's no way she'd be a good
match for a goof like you.
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244. Nope! If I let this slip by...
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245. I mean, a chance to get close to someone
with as high a standing as a Hù Yìn Shī...
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246. It might never come again, y'know?
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247. In that case, I need to work as hard
as I can to make the best of it!
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248. Quit being stupid and go to bed.
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249. H-Hey!
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250. Maybe if I was more famous...
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251. So that when they hear
"The Frozen Wonder of the Spear,"
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252. any girl would sigh in awe...
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253. I'm not there yet.
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254. Excuse me, but... does someone
actually live in this place?
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255. The air in this forest is strange, somehow.
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256. Someone unprepared would go
crazy from being here too long.
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257. That's exactly what I'd expect
from Xíng Hài's domain.
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258. She'd never have the same domestic
preferences that a human would.
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259. Wait... what do you mean by that?
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260. You fools who have entered
the Night Devil Forest...
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261. Have you trespassed on this ground
knowing it to be the home of Xíng Hài?
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262. Don't panic. It's just an illusion.
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263. Think of it as the nameplate
hanging on her door.
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264. If you leave immediately,
very well. If not...
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265. You will experience otherworldly suffering
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266. before losing your life!
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267. This is your final warning!
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268. Wh-What was that?
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269. Her idea of greeting visitors.
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270. A bit of a roundabout way to put it, I know.
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271. Do your ears work right?
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272. And that was Xíng Hài? She looked
like some kind of evil demon!
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273. I said she was a woman,
but I never said she was human.
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274. You want to invite a demon
to join us? Are you insane?
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275. You can say the word "demon"...
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276. But there were those who did
not return to the demon realm
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277. after the War of Fading Dusk
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278. because they had some attachment
to the human realm.
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279. It's prejudiced of you to
assume that they're all bad.
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280. Some of them are quite good-natured.
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281. It's true that not all demons
are necessarily evil.
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282. But they say...
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283. Xíng Hài makes youth elixirs from
the freshly-butchered livers of children.
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284. She's as evil as demons come.
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285. Yeah, she's the one who wanted
to make an ideal living doll,
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286. so she cut up 100 beautiful men
to collect the parts, isn't she?
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287. Those are just rumors. Have you two
actually seen her do anything evil before?
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288. But even then, if she's a demon
that practices necromancy...
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289. That means she's steeped in the darkest arts.
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290. If they can understand our words,
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291. and are capable of understanding
simple cost and benefit...
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292. They can be negotiated into
cooperating, no matter who they are.
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293. We just need to present the right offer.
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294. And maybe she didn't respond to your summons
because she didn't like your offer?
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295. Which necessitates talking to her directly.
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296. Her help is absolutely necessary
for our endeavor, after all.
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297. You still wanna do this?
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298. After getting such a clear
"no visitors" message?
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299. I already told you,
what we saw was an illusion.
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300. It would've shown the same,
no matter who came through,
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301. saying the same things, before disappearing.
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302. It's no different than having a sign posted.
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303. But the sign said something along
the lines of, "Enter and die!"
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304. I must meet Xíng Hài
herself to discuss this.
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305. And standing here discussing matters
won't help move things along.
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306. Now, let's go!
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307. So... now that we've ignored her little
warning and decided to trespass...
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308. What are we gonna be dealing with?
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309. Most likely we'll have to deal with
the barking of her guard dogs.
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310. Guard dogs? Are they who
you're talking about?
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311. Well, what sense would it make for
a necromancer to keep live dogs?
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312. I am really starting to want to sew
that smug mouth of yours shut.
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313. You're certain you know how
to convince this demon?
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314. Of course.
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315. Then I shall occupy these pitiful corpses.
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316. Use that chance to move on, Sir Guǐ Niǎo.
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317. Hey! That's dangerous!
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318. Leaving a girl alone to hold this spot...
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319. Juǎn, you stay behind and assist
our honorable Hù Yìn Shī.
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320. Oh, you got it!
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321. Tornado Clearing!
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322. Huh, looks like you can back
up some of that big mouth.
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323. I wouldn't have brought him if I
didn't think he'd come in handy.
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324. Come on, let's move.
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325. You two, remember, you need
only buy us some time.
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326. Do not overextend yourselves.
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327. Understood.
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328. Come on, come on, come on!
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329. It's finally time for me to strut my stuff!
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330. You can get back, Miss Dān Fěi!
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331. I can handle them alone!
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332. Oh, no, don't mind me.
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333. Dān Blade Technique:
Flowering Night Judgment!
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334. S-So elegant!
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335. To falter in the face of dark arts
would bring shame on the Hù Yìn Shī.
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336. Now, attack me as you will!
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337. Dragon Storm Strike!
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338. Dān Blade Technique: Sacred Bristle Ward!
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339. We make quite the pair, don't we?
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340. Please stop being silly
and focus on the battle.
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341. Damn you... damn you, Enigmatic Gale!
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342. You ignore my warning and disrupt
my refuge in these woods?
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343. You will pay...
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344. I swear that you will pay for this!
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345. A dream lasts a single night.
Love, a single summer.
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346. Hatred... a lifetime.
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347. The comeuppance for past deeds bares it's
fangs with no consideration for the moment.
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