Legend of the Demon Cat Page #4

---

and called him White Dragon.

Don't lie to Lady Yang.

My dad was a gambler.

He sold me to Master Yellow Crane.

The master is my father.

Wait.

Look at me.

I was an orphan

raised by my uncle.

Living under another's roof

made me grateful and beholden.

You're the same, yes?

Only as a pair are you the Flying Cranes.

Her robes, clouds...

Come.

Her face, flowers

Spring breezes, a dewy loveliness

seen only in heaven's peaks

and moonlight pavilions.

Finished!

No revisions?

Not a word.

What did you write?

Is it good?

See for yourself.

Time for my nap.

(The Pavilion of Swirling Petals)

Bai!

Li Bo's brush.

The demon cat was right!

Wake up!

Lady Yang is here to see you.

Thank you for my poem.

Huh?

Have I written you a poem?

Which one's that?

Her robes, clouds, her face, flowers

It's beautiful.

You flatter me.

It's not that great.

Anyway, I didn't write it for you.

Of course you did.

If not for M'Lady, who was it for?

I don't know,

but I can't lie.

Put on your shoes.

Li Bo.

You enrich our dynasty.

Her robes, clouds, her face, flowers.

Why's it written on your back?

Did he write this on his own

or did you make him do it?

Your Majesty-

Turn around.

Speak.

It was Li Bo's idea.

Lady Yang loves it.

Should I reward him?

Yes, richly.

Have him exiled...

for life.

And your poem?

should I give it to M'Lady?

No need.

Abe!

Why are you here?

To see me, I'm sure.

We received your gift.

Very nice.

No-

that's not why I'm here.

I know why you're here.

But remember-

at no time

will you find Lady Yang on her own.

We're bound together for eternity.

Let's go.

The last guests are here.

The emperor didn't kill me

but his compassion and disdain

slayed me in front of my beloved.

He had written something.

Abe- the calligraphy is for you.

Guess what it means.

The Greatest Happiness

To control all others-

that was his "greatest happiness".

The last to arrive was General An.

The emperor welcomed him

with a martial performance.

He knew General An wanted to rebel

but made him feel special.

He was ruler of the world and trusting.

Above the fray.

This is Yanqiu Gate.

Ten days after the feast,

general An rebelled.

At first, Emperor Li stayed put.

But An wanted Lady Yang

so they fled Chang'an.

100,000 went with him.

I'm still the emperor!

During the escape,

the imperial guards

mutinied at Maweiyi.

They said only Lady Yang's death

would end the rebellion

and bring peace.

Eunuch Gao has returned.

Open the doors.

The head of Lady Yang's brother.

Now Captain Chen wants Lady Yang's head.

Impossible!

Then he can't promise his loyalty.

Your Majesty...

What is it?

Try.

But it's unlikely.

Yellow Crane.

M'Lady- a word in private?

You want to take me to Japan?

It's also the emperor's idea.

The rebels killed your brother.

It's all my fault.

But if I go, they'll kill the emperor.

If you don't, they'll kill you.

Abe,

Yes?

you've been here a long time.

Time to go home.

But not with me.

Abe!

M'Lady

You had something else to say to me?

Towards the end of the feast

Lady Yang foresaw her fate.

She'd been the glory of the dynasty.

In crisis, it no longer needed her.

At Maweiyi,

she craved all words of love.

She knew

as death approached

they could be... the last.

I understand.

It's all in your eyes.

I'm content.

The rebels had killed her family.

If they took her too, or she killed herself,

the helpless emperor

would be doomed as well.

If she went to Japan, the rebels

would've killed him.

For the sake of his dignity and safety

she could neither live nor die.

You're saying there's a third way?

I have an foolproof plan

to save the emperor- and M'Lady too.

Red Crane, lie down.

I call this the "Immortal Path".

It resembles hibernation.

I can put M'Lady into a deep sleep.

One needle

stops the pulse, breath

and heartbeat.

It fools the gods themselves.

Hence- the "Immortal Path"!

Then what?

Though she won't be breathing,

she'll come to no harm.

Neither will she age.

We seal her Qi inside her body.

I won't let him do this to you.

Your Majesty

Your Majesty

look!

You're awake?

Sit up.

The Qi isn't yet in full flow.

He just needs a short rest.

It's the only way to save her.

Say you put her into a deep sleep.

What next?

Seal and bury the coffin.

Wait till things settle.

Open it, extract the needle

and welcome her back!

Will she suffer?

There's no pain.

My love

I'd rather see Eunuch Gao

take my head on a platter

than break my vows to you.

I won't let you bury her alive!

My love, will you do it?

He was going to bury her alive.

Yellow Crane put the needle in.

Soon she stopped breathing

and seemed to be dead.

What will you tell Captain Chen?

I gave him the white execution scarf.

But she has no bruises on her neck.

Chen won't fall for it.

Eunuch Gao, you do it.

So... I'll be punished for her murder?

And you did it behind His Majesty's back.

I did it for you, Your Majesty-

I did it for you.

The emperor convinced Captain Chen

that Lady Yang was dead.

He was the real master of illusion!

I said nothing.

You're saying-

they never planned to revive her.

They tricked her into agreeing?

What other kind of death

would leave her so peaceful-

with a heart full of love and hope?

Long live Emperor Li and Lady Yang!

She was buried in an ancient tomb.

All who knew about it would be killed.

I was no exception.

Only the cat would keep her company.

If you are reading my diary

remember-

to get to the tomb

cross the drowned forest.

In her last moments

she still didn't know the truth-

right?

She knew.

She saw his dilemma.

She sacrificed herself to help him.

If she knew that

when they said goodbye-

why give him a lock of her hair?

Did she still love him?

Maybe she thought this was love-

to make the ultimate sacrifice.

I should burn my poem.

I want to visit her tomb.

I want to know the truth.

This is it.

Come in.

Who opened the stone door?

Someone was here first.

Ku ka i!

They've moved the lid.

Huh?

The lid is askew.

Give me a hand!

Push!

I don't dare look.

I don't want to look.

Bai!

Ku ka i!

Maybe we were both wrong.

Maybe the "Immortal Path" was real.

What're you doing?

Give me the candle.

Close the lid.

You're insane!

Close it.

Bai

Ku ka i!

Ku ka i!

What's this?

Blood from her fingers.

She wasn't dead!

She tried to escape, but couldn't.

That's right.

She woke up inside!

You're White Crane?

And Lady Yang?

Where is she?

You got it

Kukai

She knew it was a lie.

But didn't know she'd wake up,

or how long it would take to die.

Is this vision you and Red Crane?

On the second night of the mutiny

Guards took the emperor away.

Red Crane and I escaped

the slaughter and snuck back

to save Lady Yang.

M'Lady

She was still alive?!

She's dead.

Shhh...

The magic makes her look alive.

It can't bring her back to life.

What do you mean?

The master said so.

You just have to pull out the needle.

He said that to fool her.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote