500 years ago,
a fox demon
saved a mortal man's life,
which violated the laws of the demon world.
For this, she was imprisoned in an icy abyss.
Tortured in extreme coldness day and night.
A bird demon, attracted by her face,
circled above the abyss daily.
"The Resurrection Painted Skin"
Hurry! Hurry!
I have two pleasures in life.
Taming the wildest horses
and taming the most beautiful women.
I can give you whatever you want.
But what can you offer me?
My pretty one, don't you know who I am?
Tell me, what is you desire?
You name it. I can give you anything.
I want your heart.
I knew it, miser.
It's pointless to waste time on him.
Sister.
We've trapped so many men.
All of them are liars, aren't they?
Where is the man who will offer up his heart
to you willingly, my dear sister?
The day of the solar eclipse is approaching.
Don't worry, sister.
I'll have my whole flock help you find him!
A month later
Help!
My name is Xiaowei.
Since a child, I was trained as a singer and dancer.
I don't know how else to reward you, general, my savior,
except to follow you and serve you wherever you go...
Once I departed, carrying the woe of the willows.
Today I returned
in the midst of the rain and snow.
Those who know me say
Your heart is overflowing with sorrow.
Those who know me not say,
What more do you want?
Those who know me say
Your heart is overflowing with sorrow.
Those who know me not say,
What more do you want?
General, I thought the bandits had returned.
General, your body is so hot.
I'm scared...
I can't believe a man could be like that.
He's the first to resist your temptation.
Let's boil a healthy stew
from his heart.
Hold on.
What's wrong?
His body radiates so much heat
it could melt ice.
If he hadn't crossed our path, I'd be in trouble.
Let's see what's so special about him.
It's a woman!
Sister, what a waste of time again!
Huo Xin...
The border "White City"
Hey! Hey! Hey! Don't touch my medicine.
What do you think you're doing?
Fine. Fine. Fine.
I'll tell you a story, alright?
The demons...
They look just like human beings
and they even speak human languages.
You can't tell them apart when they stand before you.
The demons...
They know how to tempt human hearts.
They know exactly how to control us.
You'd think you're acting under free will.
But actually, you're under their spell.
Then...
They'll dig out your heart and eat it.
Do you know what this is?
This is called a "Demon Capture Bottle".
It illuminates wherever it's near a demon.
Do you know why demons want to harm people?
No!
Because demons have no hearts.
The demons only have demon spirits.
They must devour hearts
to look like humans...
...and continue to harm human beings.
Then you'll have to come to me
and beg me for my help.
Demon's are coming!
What are you doing?
Come back! Come back!
Come back!
Demon!
There's a demon here.
General Huo, one more time, please!
Yes, Show us what you got General Huo.
Bravo! Bravo!...
What a Skill!
General Huo is a really great archer
General Huo, someone wants to meet you.
Let's change the rules just this once.
Let the man who loses, drink first.
Don't try and fool me.
General Huo, you go first.
Huo Xin. Do you like me?
General Huo. General Huo. General Huo.
What a waste! I should drink it first.
You smell like you've just bathed in alcohol.
Could you be any more disrespectful?
Remember, each and every one of you!
No staring.
Heads down. Stare at your own feet.
Don't look at her face, understand?
General Huo Xin... is honored to see you, Your Highness.
It seems the border has become a paradise for you.
General Huo, you must be having too much fun here.
I'm sorry, Your Highness.
General Huo, do you remember
when was the last time we saw each other in the palace?
I'm sorry, I don't remember.
Try harder.
Six...seven...or eight years ago?
Wrong!
I'm a fool.
Pardon me for my poor memory, Your Highness.
Let's help General Huo sober up.
It's been eight years and seven months.
It's snowing!
Ready the feast!
I wish to reward the men guarding the border!
Freeze! Who are you?
Who are you?
Dear brothers...
There are demons in the general's home.
You've heard of demons, haven't you?
Your weapons won't work on them.
Look.
This is my "Demon Capture Bottle".
It lights up whenever a demon is near.
There are demons, so it lights up.
See?
Let me in. I need to see General Huo.
What are you doing? How dare you...
Get out!
General Huo!
No formality is needed at this feast.
Come on. Cheers.
I've been stationed at the border for too long
and I've neglected my duty for too long.
Thanks to the criticism from Your Highness,
I'm determined to stop drinking for good.
How dare you?
If you dare to get close to Huo Xin again,
I'll kill you.
Xiaowei is just an entertainer.
Please have mercy, Your Highness.
General Huo is waiting at the door.
He's been standing there for one day and one night.
Will Your Highness see him now?
Miss, tell me, where are you going?
Let me take you there.
Move out of my way.
I'm seeing a relative nearby.
Miss. Come with me, please.
I'll take you there, alright?
We'll find him for you, no matter how long it takes.
Alright?
Judging from the tone of the skin on your forehead,
I can tell that your liver has a fever!
I have a secret ancestral remedy.
I promise it can cure you immediately!
Would you like a double dose?
Miss, go.
Get lost with your fake medicine!
How dare you ruin my business?
Don't you dare hit me.
General Huo is my sworn brother, truly!
General Huo's father is my stableboy, truly!
What a loser!
Miss.
Come with me.
Demon...demon...
Shut up, will you?
Aren't you a demon hunter?
Never seen a real demon before?
Which species...of demons are you?
Huo Xin.
This is your dagger from your time as a royal palace guard.
Do you remember?
I thought I lost it in the stomach of the black bear.
After you left the capital,
whenever it snowed,
I had one more gem embedded in its handle.
The goldsmith said,
there is only room for one more.
Huo Xin. Hurry!
It's snowing!
Huo Xin.
Do you like me?
Do you?
Why didn't you answer me back then?
I was just one of your guards.
I had no right.
Your Highness, it's dangerous over there!
Leave me alone!
Huo Xin, look at me.
Now tell me.
Do you like me?
I had dreamed of
protecting Your Highness all my life.
Nobody has seen the other half of my face before.
But I don't mind you looking upon it.
Now I give you my permission
to remove the mask.
White City is near the warmongering
Tian Lang State.
Your Highness, you'd better leave here soon.
I will go,
but not without you by my side.
We'll run away together,
anywhere. Just you and me.
Your Highness, please don't joke.
I have responsibilities at this post.
You and I belong to different worlds.
I mustn't repeat my mistake.
Don't force me to leave.
Your Highness, please forget me.
Royal court of the Tian Lang state
Spirits of my ancestors,
please grant me the power.
From the Divine Kingdom,
please answer my prayer.
Spirits of my ancestors,
please grant me the power.
The masked woman is in the White City.
The Han Chinese broke their promises.
In seven days time,
The Tian Lang God will swallow the sun.
That is the only change for our prince to return to your side.
Great God of Tian Lang,
my Azhuna can wait no more!
My lord,
this isn't the time to shed tears.
Call the chiefs to wage war
on White City!
We'll get her here, one way or another.
Go. Go and taste the freedom I never enjoyed.
The bug tastes delicious. Don't waste it.
This...how come it stopped glowing...why?
I just gave you a good meal. Are you still trying to frame me?
No. No. No. It's not like that.
I'm just curious about your species...
and what made my bottle stop working?
You're a fake demon hunter!
You don't want to know me at all!
I am truly a demon hunter!
I'm the thirteenth generation,
it's the truth!
Miss, if you don't believe me...
this Almanac of Demons is the proof.
What the hell is this?
Haven't you heard of the Almanac of Demons?
It's from my ancestors.
All demons, big or small,
are listed inside
Look for me then.
I'm curious what it says.
Forms. Weapons. Fish. Bugs. Beasts.
Birds.
Manman Bird. Five-Colored Bird.
Nine-Headed Bird. Dragon-Headed Bird.
Corpse-Eating Eagle, Luan,
Jingwei, Phoenix.
You're not listed.
Then you're probably not a demon.
What do you mean I'm not a demon?
You are...no, you're not a demon
Perhaps you're too insignificant
to be mentioned.
Perhaps you're a new species or just an amateur.
You!
What are you doing to me?
You have no qualifications to be included!
You can't kill me.
You're not human.
You're right. I am a demon.
Why did you save me?
Because you in turn can save me.
I violated demon law
and have been frozen in ice for 500 years.
I escaped,
but I may be captured again at any time.
What does this have to do with me?
Your heart is different from others. Hot enough to melt ice.
General Huo, I think you're under the spell of a demon.
Get out of here with your witchcraft.
Aren't you the fake medicine seller in the market?
I've kept the broken tail of a fox demon
in my bottle.
It is from my ancestors
Whenever a demon passes by, the bottle will glow.
General Huo,
do you have any guests in your home?
The fox demons will cause you trouble, even kill you.
I saw her entering your gate with my own eyes.
She was on a large horse, wearing a mask.
When she passed by, the bottle began to...
That was Princess Jing.
Stop talking nonsense.
Princess Jing
What is Princess Jing doing in the White City?
Since you love Huo Xin so much,
you should know for sure.
Your Highness, have you thought why you've been separated?
Is he in love
with another woman?
Forgive my directness,
but what men care about most is a woman's beauty.
I don't believe it.
Huo Xin is not like that.
Then why did he reject you.
General Huo is a man too. Men only see a woman's beauty.
He said...
He said he remembered how I once looked.
But you no longer look like before.
So you're a demon?
And you can do sorcery?
Yes.
Can you transform me to my old self?
Demons can paint their own faces however they like.
But you're only human.
You can't paint your own face.
But I do have a way.
What is that?
I am a princess of this empire.
How humiliating to steal a man's heart
with borrowed beauty?
Try it once.
You'll see how he behaves if you look exactly like me.
This is ridiculous!
Come on. Drink it. It will feel just like a dream.
It's just like wearing new clothes in a dream.
No!
I don't want to hurt you.
From this moment on,
you are the most beautiful woman in the world.
No man will be able to resist your charm.
To have you,
they'll be willing to do or say anything...
You must return here within 12 hours
to wear your own skin,
or it will flake into a thousand pieces...
Huo Xin.
Now I give you the permission
to take off my mask.
General Huo, Xiaowei has a few questions.
General, as you know,
his Majesty has 14 daughters,
but why is one
still unattached?
No man in the world
is worthy of Princess Jing.
Or perhaps she has a lover in her heart already.
Perhaps she wants to spend the rest of her life with him.
Despite his status.
Her Highness said you saved her life eight years ago.
If not for you, she would be dead a long time ago.
I was only fulfilling my duty.
Your duty?
After her disfigurement, you left without saying goodbye.
General, you can be honest with me.
Is it because you loathed her disfigured face?
No.
Or that you never really liked her?
Miss, please leave me alone.
I'm responsible to guard the border. Death comes in the blink of an eye.
I have no time for romance.
General, are you in love with somebody else?
If you say so.
Finally the truth.
Who is she?
Why are you carrying the dagger of Her Highness?
She ordered me to kill you.
The hold it just like Her Highness.
Smell it...the fragrance of azaleas in the breeze.
It takes a sparrow 570 years to become a spirit,
a snake 820 years,
and a fox 1000 years
Don't move!
A fox demon is the closest
to human in nature.
Can you introduce me
to the fox demon?
What do you want to meet her for?
I...actually...had never before met a real demon.
Only heard stories from my forefathers.
So...I...
What on earth do you want?
I want to become a demon.
What a crazy world we are living in!
The demons want to be humans, and the humans want to be demons!
It must be wonderful to be a demon!
See, they're immortal...
...and can do whatever they want!
Is it true that demons can become human?
Let me check.
Forms...Spiritual Cultivation...Magic.
Here we go. Look. Life-Transforming Magic.
A solar eclipse obscures the line
between day and night so it is the only time
humans and demons can change places.
But a demon must have a heart
offered freely to them.
Then the demon can...transform into a human.
See. It's written right here.
Who would be be stupid enough to give up his heart?
Are you? I...
It's just myth.
There's no record of a successful attempt.
By the eclipse,
if Xiaowei isn't human, she'll die!
Why would a fox demon want to become human?
I was right, wasn't I?
Men only care about beauty.
Even Huo Xin.
I hate your body.
But Huo Xin is desirous of it.
If you destroy it, you'll never be close to him again.
You may have my body forever.
But there is a price to pay.
It's only a small price.
What on earth do you want?
I can give my body to you.
Why?
My body is getting colder and colder...
But I want to...
...borrow your heart for a while...
No!
You traveled thousands of miles
to be with him, right?
Your Highness, Huo Xin needs to speak with you.
Remember, it was I who spent the night with him.
General Huo, come in please.
Your Highness, please take your dagger and leave here.
Who did you spend the night with last night?
I order you to answer me.
With a woman.
To do what?
She is a demon!
Kill her!
I order you to kill her!
You'll see how she really looks!
You can't do that.
Then I'll kill her for you!
Get out of my way!
You're so blinded, you can't tell human from demon!
Your Highness...
Sir Jian Ling is here!
I'm here at your service. Pardon me for being so late!
In the beginning of time, to tame all demons
Fuxi created human beings with his own blood.
The first man he created was a demon hunter.
I think you and your almanac are both fake.
You don't know how to capture demons. You're just a con artist.
The very blood of a demon hunter can kill demons.
This bloodline has never been broken.
My medicine might be average,
but my blood is real.
Then let me try your blood.
You're a total coward.
It's just a spot of blood.
It won't kill you.
What's wrong, Quer?
Ah...finally I can feel pain.
Xiaowei said to...
...feel love is to experience pain.
After insistent proposals
from the State of Tian Lang,
By lmperial Edict,
the Chinese Empire approves the marriage
between Princess Jing
and Prince Tian Lang
and our kingdoms.
Every man is responsible
for Princess Jing's protection.
You were due to arrive at the State of Tian Lang
five days ago.
Your disappearance caused chaos
at the royal palace.
Any more delay...
...will be taken as a declaration of war.
I'm not going.
Your Highness, please bear in mind
the interest of the empire.
I'm not going through with the marriage.
I am already Huo Xin's woman.
You? How dare you...
Guards! Arrest this man for treason.
Behead him!
No! Don't touch him! Nobody may touch General Huo!
Are you rebelling against His Majesty?
Pardon me, Your Highness...
Emergency!
General, the army of the Tian Lang are 15 miles away!
Sister, look!
I know the real feeling of pain now!
Only humans can know pain and suffering!
I mean it, I really know how it feels.
It's just a small burn.
Don't pretend to know anything.
I know it for sure!
Do you have a human temperature and heartbeat?
Can you smell flowers?
Can you tell the color of the sky? Have you shed tears?
Is there anybody in the world prepared to die for you?
Is there?
She was once hurt because of me.
I won't let it happen again.
Ancestors of the Wolf tribes, descend upon us.
Help our brave warriors conquer everything in their path.
All under heaven will surrender to us!
Victory! Victory!
Your Emperor has commanded Princess Jing to marry our prince.
We're here to take our bride home.
Her Highness needs to rest after her journey.
Please be patient.
We have no more patience.
Our 100,000 warriors
will trample White City.
Where are your so called "warriors"?
You outnumber us, that's all.
Has the motherly love of your queen
turned you to cowards?
How are we going to fight? One on one, or one on 100,000?
General Huo is fighting outside...
...to give you some time
He asked me to escort you out of the city
through a secret passage.
Your Highness, please don't break the marriage commitment.
Let's go out of the city to make peace
before it's too late.
Who else is ready to fight?
This brave warrior reminds me of my Azhuna.
We can't beat him without using our wolf slaves.
My lord, let them tear him apart.
Bao! Go back and guard the city!
The Tian Lang are breaking the rules of war.
Let me help you, General Huo.
Open the city gates and give us Princess Jing.
And my lord may consider having mercy on you.
Here I am.
Let Huo Xin go.
Retreat from the city,
and in three days I will marry your prince.
You've betrayed your marriage vows once.
How can we trust you to keep your commitment?
If you don't retreat now,
you'll get nothing but a corpse.
Within three days,
if you haven't bowed down before me,
I will come back and kill everyone!
The heavens and the earth are eternal,
but my heart is full of sorrow.
If there is a sweet hereafter,
it will be another endless torture.
Those who know me say
Your heart is filled with sorrow
Those who know me not say, What...
Save me...
I loved a man once.
I only ever wanted to be with him.
He said he loved me.
And I believed him.
Then he told me he couldn't abandon his wife.
I saved their human lives with all my magic.
That's why I was sentenced to 500 years imprisonment.
I'm so envious of you.
He loves you so much that he's willing to die for you.
How can you leave a man like that?
I am a princess.
I have no other choice.
Yes, you have.
You can transform into me and be with him forever.
At the cost of my heart, my soul?
Yes.
You'll trade your heart for my flesh.
You kill humans as easily as killing an insect.
Wouldn't it have been easier to just tear our my heart?
Why did you bother to plot this elaborate scheme?
Why waste so much time on me?
By force, all I get is a dead heart full of fear.
It will be of no use to me.
I want the heart you offer willingly to me.
That is the only way for me to become human.
If you make a trade with me,
I'll fulfill the marriage duties.
If you journey to the Tian Lang State,
you'll suffer so much, you'll wish you were dead.
At least I will know how it feels to be human.
I had thought the demon life was free of worries.
It seems that it's the same as that of a human.
What will happen if I have no heart?
To maintain the health of this body,
you must devour human hearts, just like a wandering ghost.
Nobody will know your real identity.
It will be a secret forever.
But I'll be able to spend the rest of my life with Huo Xin.
That's good enough.
Without a heart, you will become a demon.
You might be thrown back into the icy abyss to endure endless torture.
I understand.
I am willing to take the risk.
Her Highness asked me to stay and take care of you, General.
She also asked you,
to love me as if I were her.
Why can't I hear your heartbeat?
Welcome
With the God of Tian Lang's blessing, please drink this wine.
Dear Princess,
my brother has been waiting for you for too long.
He's been waiting for you patiently as he sleeps.
Your wedding ceremony is tomorrow.
Go.
He is the heir to the throne.
Two months ago, a demon stole his heart.
My pretty one, don't you know who I am?
I want your heart.
Your Highness, you have a heart that will quicken another.
Only your heart can bring our prince back to life.
It will happen at the hour of the solar eclipse.
Your highness
you are only here
to help us with this divine ceremony.
What we want from you...
is nothing but your heart.
Sir!
The wine...
Your heart will continue to beat in my brother's chest.
His blood will flow again
and he will take the throne.
My brother is returning.
O, sons of the Tian Lang!
Drink to your heart's content for the next three days!
Tian Lang Kingdom, Valley of Ascending Spirits
The resurrection of our prince must come to pass
with the blessing of the God of our ancestors.
The ceremony will be in the Valley of Ascending Spirits.
Your Majesty, please wait for the prince's return in the central camp.
Sister Fox Demon!
You're Sister Fox Demon, aren't you?
I...I've heard a lot about you,
and I feel so honored to...
Where have you been?
I couldn't find you anywhere. I almost believed you'd become a demon.
I'd better be content to be human.
I saw your fox demon sister today,
and I was almost killed.
Forget it.
I'll never want to be a demon!
What you saw was not my sister, but the princess.
The princess?
They traded skins.
My sister is bride in place of the princess.
The princess gave away her heart.
She is now Xiao Wei.
She'll soon become a demon!
The marriage was a trap.
All the escorts have been poisoned!
I saw that they took Xiaowei into a valley.
Xiaowei has no magic.
What can she do now?
General Huo.
The princess hasn't left yet.
She transformed into Xiaowei. They traded skins.
She is a demon.
I order you to kill her.
I'm already Huo Xin's woman.
Is it because you loathed her disfigured face?
Why can't I hear your heartbeat?
Her heart is beating inside that fox demon!
During the eclipse,
she can get her heart back from that fox demon!
General Huo!
If the princess devours a human heart, she'll be a demon forever.
Whenever it snowed,
I had one more gem embedded in its handle.
The goldsmith said there is only room for one more.
No more room
Can you smell the fragrance of azaleas in the breeze?
Your Highness, don't do it.
Leave me.
I am not your princess. You have mistaken me.
I am not...
Jing.
I was chosen as a royal guard
when I was 14.
The first time I saw you
in armor was on the hunt,
I dared to dream to be with you forever.
But I'm no longer your Jing any more.
I am an ugly demon.
I should have told you, you are the most beautiful woman in the world.
If I devour this heart,
I will be the most beautiful woman in the world again.
I will never be the princess again.
But we can spend the rest of our lives together.
Jing.
Don't eat it.
Let's leave together and get your heart back.
My heart?
I thought you loved this body more than anything else.
I was under the spell of the fox demon.
At the time my heart was only for you,
but my eyes...
...were drawn by this skin.
No man can resist beauty. You did nothing wrong.
Let me eat this heart, then we can pick azaleas together.
Jing!
It's my treacherous eyes that brought you to this hell!
Even if I see this skin 1000 times,
I'd still be charmed by it.
Huo Xin!
Beauty means nothing to us now.
You no longer to devour a human heart.
We should be happy together now.
We're back to our old selves again.
I'll spend the rest of my life with you.
When the sun is swallowed by the God of Tian Lang...
When a living heart beats inside our prince...
O Lord of All Things,
please quicken his life.
Again, the heart will beat. Again, the blood will be warm.
In the name of God, thy life will be quickened.
Once I departed, carrying the woe of the willows.
Today I returned in the midst of the rain and snow.
Great God of Tian Lang?
Faster!
I'm sleepy.
Don't close your eyes.
If you fall asleep, you'll never wake again.
Go and save Xiaowei!
She's a good person.
Love her as if she were me.
Jing!
I smell azaleas.
Jing!
Those who know me say, Your heart is overflowing with sorrow.
Those who know me not say, What more do you want?
The hallowed moment is coming!
Watch out! My blood is on the blade!
Don't come any closer.
Quer, go!
Quer!
What's wrong with you? No!
Quer!
I am going now
Quer!
No! Quer!
No! No! No! No!
Come back! Quer!
Come back! Come back!
No! Quer! No!
Watch out. He's behind you!
Xiaowei is here.
General Huo,
hurry!
If you want to be human,
I'll give you my heart.
I'll give it to you willingly.
But return Jing's heart to her.
Give her life back to her.
Human hearts are warm, and human tears are bitter.
The azaleas smell really nice.
Huo Xin...
It's me.
It's you.
I heard it.
That's right.
That's exactly what it sounds like.
A solar eclipse obscures the line
between day and night so it is the only time
humans and demons can change places.
For a demon to become a human,
the human heart must be freely offered.
Then the demon spirit will merge with the human spirit,
and become one with the human body.
Until the end of the body's natural life.
Quer!
Is that you? Quer?