Liang Yue: Uh, is this the switch?
Liang Yue: Oh, the red light's on. That means it's working.
Liang Yue: Ahem. This is LiĆ”ng YuĆØ.
Liang Yue: I'm currently at the largest amusement park in Los Angeles. Today's weather is sunny.
Liang Yue: And my goal is to conquer all the most thrilling roller coasters and haunted houses.
Liang Yue: Please keep this a secret from my mom and dad.
Liang Yue: This is LiĆ”ng YuĆØ.
Liang Yue: Yes, I'm at the most famous fortune-telling bar in LA. The owner is a renowned arcane magician who, they say, can craft unforgettable drinks just by looking at a customer.
Liang Yue: Next, I'll take a sip and report back.
Liang Yue: This is LiĆ”ng YuĆØ.
Liang Yue: Shh, I have to keep my voice down because I'm attending a solemn, traditional funeral.
Liang Yue: An elder passed away peacefully. I can only hope the same for myself and those around me.
Liang Yue: Hey, this is LiĆ”ng YuĆØ. And now I'm on my flight home.
Liang Yue: Since we didn't really get to know each other very well before, I think sharing a little about our lives is a good idea.
Liang Yue: Though I haven't received a reply yet, I'm looking forward to what's to come.
Liang Yue: Hello? Mom, yes, the flight has been delayed for two hours. I won't be home for dinner. Yes. That's right. I'll be in around two hours later.
Liang Yue: Yes, Flight 243. I didn't mix it up. They always have last-minute delays.
Deputy Chief Elden: Have a safe trip!
Deputy Chief Elden: How was that? I've been practicing my Chinese. I think I got it that time.
Liang Yue: Your pronunciation is spot on, sir.
Liang Yue: Though I can't guarantee there isn't a criminal whose arcane skill activates upon hearing a foreign phrase they don't understand.
Deputy Chief Elden: Always a sharp one. Haha, that's the kind of officer I've trained.
Poitier: LiƔng, if you earn that Vigiles badge, you let me know right away.
Liang Yue: I will.
She winks at Poitier and then takes one last, lingering look around.
Liang Yue: Everyone ā¦
LiĆ”ng YuĆØ salutes her colleagues with a fond smile.
Her friends and coworkers rise up and return her salute.
All Officers: Have a safe trip!
Liang Yue: We used to come here all the time.
Liang Yue: Turn left here. There used to be a locksmith. Mom said they made a fortune and moved away.
Liang Yue: Things change so fast, QiƔngliƔng. Even though we've only been gone six months, this little town has changed so much more than I could ever imagine.
Liang Yue: Look, we're back.
Liang Yue: ā¦
"A god wields a snake, bears a tiger's head and human body, and has four hoofs and long elbows. Its name is Jiangliang."
"Qiangliang and Zuming feed on Zhesi and Jisheng. Qiangliang is synonymous with Jiangliang, as ancient texts show."
Blessed are the steadfast in the face of thunder and adversity, who can chase plague to the ends of the earth and bring peace to all.
Open the way to peace everlasting.
Grandfather: This is a document written in Bronze Script between the Shang and Zhou dynasties, recording events from ancient times.
Grandfather: It's been badly damaged. Restoring it won't be easy.
Grandfather: It's been out here for a hundred years. But aside from you and me, no one in this family knows it exists.
Grandfather: Youāyou're a coincidence. You stumbled upon this book by sheer chance.
Grandfather: And I ā¦ I'm the one tasked with rewriting it.
Grandfather: It records the ancient ritual that is said to awaken QiƔngliƔng.
Grandfather: It also lists every member of the LiƔng family who underwent these trials.
Grandfather: Some of them were so drained by the rites that they needed years to recover.
Grandfather: Sometimes they never really recover at all.
Grandfather: So, let me ask you one last time: Are you sure you want to know what's written inside?
To burn a single white candle.
Liang Yue: Spring thunder stirs the insects. Life begins anew.
From a carved, black-lacquered agarwood chest, she retrieves a ceremonial dress.
Liang Yue: It's been so long. I can hardly remember the year QiƔngliƔng appeared.
She dons the garment.
Liang Yue: Father, Grandfather, I have a different view of things now.
She places the ritual mask over her head.
Liang Yue: I don't think it's a fleeting blessing or curse, nor is the rain that has drenched generations of our family.
Everything is in place.
Liang Yue: It's just itself.
Liang Yue: We've never truly understood what it really is.
She stands in the courtyard, facing the shrine.
Liang Yue: Why it chose me, how it perceives meāthese are answers I want to hear from its own mouth.
Liang Yue: I won't wait for it to reach out to me this time.
Liang Yue: I want to embrace it this time.
Step One:
The Tool.
The orioles fall silent. Plants bow to the earth.
Step Two:
The Priest.
The censer's smoke rises. Ancestral spirits shine bright.
Step Three:
The Incantation.
Winds surge in from all directions.
Liang Yue: Step Four ā¦
Liang Yue: Blood ...
Things are neither entirely "this" nor entirely "that." By knowing yourself, you see them all.
Liang Yue: If you've truly disappeared from this world ā¦
Liang Yue: Will you ever answer my call again?
Her hands move in strange, ritualistic gestures, reminiscent of NuĆ³ Dance. Sparks of electricity burst forth from her bloodied fingertips.
Thunder roars as silver streaks of lightning slither along the walls, and the heavens seem to bow down to the earth.
Liang Yue: Before its matchless might, all evil bends.
Liang Yue: Wherever it strides, all terrors end.
Liang Yue: Arise QiƔngliƔng, swift and fierce! Banish all evil and cleanse this place!
Part 7 Rain Water
