Once Promised Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Mistakenly Falling into the Web
Chi You was rushing back to Sheng Nong when a girl dressed in green asked how to go to Bo Fu country. Thats how they first met, under the red glow of the sky, Chi You says he is from Bo Fu and the girl introduces herself as a normal peasant, Xi Ling Heng, she can be called AHeng.
They travel to Bo Fu, which is a country where water is very expensive. No one knows why but the Bo Fu Mountain started burning, hence water became scarce. At a shop, an old man comes in begging for water, and after Chi You and AHeng struggles over the kettle for a while (Chi You telling AHeng she cant afford it), AHeng gives water to the old man. The old man tells them that Bo Fu Mountain is burning because the Fire G.o.d, Zhu Rong, is cultivating his powers and fire there. This caused fights in the neighbouring villages as they are all fighting for the scarce water supply. At this, AHeng secretly thinks to herself that this would be difficult to handle because the Fire G.o.d is one of the ten strongest G.o.ds.
While Chi You is resting, AHeng goes up to the Bo Fu Mountain by herself. So, she climbs up and was about to step on something when she hears a cry and realises Chi You has fallen behind her. So, she runs back to help him and at that moment, the place AHeng almost stepped on becomes a deep hole with a huge spout of steam shooting through [Chi You secretly saving her haha].
While AHeng helps Chi You down the mountain, Chi You tells AHeng he is not engaged yet and he has to tell his mother if she wants to marry him because she is hugging him so tightly as she helps him down (haha). Its very cute because Chi You refuses to go back down and acts a bit like a village idiot - he insist that AHeng is going treasure hunting on Bo Fu Mountain and wants to follow her up. He also delays her journey and often causes her to take the longer way during the route, but its implied that he has saved her from poison or dangerous potholes because of it.
So finally, Chi You doesnt want to go further, but AHeng does not want to give up. So, AHeng gives Chi You the special ice silkworm robe that her mother gave her to protect Chi You from the small blazes. Chi You can feel the coolness from the robe AHeng placed on him and he asks what is it. AHeng just tells him to wear it carefully, but instead of going down, Chi You gives a cunning smile and pretends to have twisted his ankle. Haha, so poor AHeng has to carry Chi You --- and he becomes heavier with each step until AHeng thinks she is carrying a small mountain.
At one point, AHeng takes out a box which looks like its made of white jade, but its actually made up of a ten thousand year old ice, and in it there are two ice silkworm kings. She tells Chi You to stand behind her and uses the two ice silkworm kings to cast an icy net over the fiery mountain so that the fire can be extinguished. It appears to work at first, then the fire fights back even stronger and AHeng almost falls down the cliff but Chi You grabs her. AHeng then pukes out blood and loses consciousness.
The citizens of Bo Fu Mountain are shocked - there was a clash of white and red light, then silence. There was an ordinary night sky filled with stars- something the citizens have not seen in tens of years. As if the whole of Bo Fu had fallen under a spell. More extraordinarily, water started spouting out of the dry ground of Bo Fu and the citizens all dance in joy.
AHeng wakes up and she is surprised that the fire has been extinguished. She is suspicious and asks Chi You if he extinguished it as she saw a huge blaze of fire heading towards her. Chi You nods his head saying he threw the box and the fire extinguished - this causes her to lose her suspicion since Chi You is acting like a village idiot wanting credit (haha) and he doesnt even recognise her ice silkworm kings.
AHeng asks Chi You if he has forgotten who owns this fire mountain. If the fire G.o.d Zhu Rong knows Chi You extinguished his fire, he will extinguish Chi You. Chi You starts to feign fear and starts to deny that he did anything, as he had fallen down after the box flew up and didnt know what happen. As they head down the mountain, AHeng cries to the crowd, "The Fire Extinguishing Hero is here!"
Translation:
Chi You tightly grabbed Xi Ling Hengs hand, his face whitening, "Dont, dont anyhow cry, I did not extinguish the fire." Xi Ling Heng laughed until she fell forward and backwards, and still continuously shouted, "The Fire Extinguishing Hero is here!"
Everyone surrounded them and knelt in front of them.
Xi Ling Heng forcefully pushed Chi You in the midst of the crowd, and walked in front of the crowd and declared determinedly, "I extinguished the fire." She winked at Chi You, I was only teasing you, you coward!
All the people started to splash water at Xi Ling Heng, as she tried to dodge, she also laughed, "All of you must remember, I am Xi Ling Heng, if anyone asks who extinguished the fire, you must say Xi Ling Heng."
The people who were deep in the throngs of joy, splashed water and laughed, "Xi Ling, Xi Ling, Xi Ling saved us."
Deep in the crowd, Chi You silently watched Xi Ling Heng who was dodging the water and laughing, his gaze was exceptionally dark and deep, the lazy smile on his lips revealed a barely discernible warmth.
Comments: Eeks! I loved this chapter. Its quite conventional actually - kind of like a romantic comedy kind of meeting, which I loved. Both of them pretending to be village idiots, but Chi You being much more cunning since AHeng starts protecting him left, right and centre except Chi You was actually the one protecting AHeng but she doesnt know and just thinks he is being a village idiot. Ahahah, I love it.
I also love how Chi You is this cold calculating Beast King, but his facade starts to melt at this silly young girl who isnt very powerful but tries to help people regardless of the obstacles she will face. The chinese idiom that perfectly captures it is 不自量力 (not knowing ones strength), but still going ahead anyway.
Why is this a sad ending??!!! I am a bit like AHeng, naively going up the fire mountain, to extinguish the Fire G.o.ds flame, not knowing what will burn her back later...