Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (2023) Movie Script
Adapted from the Ming novel, The Investiture of the Gods,
and the Song/Yuan script, King Zhou's Attack of the Shang
At the beginning of time, the world was shapeless.
Separating the sky and earth,
Pangu turned his body into the sun, the moon, the mountains
and the rivers,
and the world was thus created.
Nuwa made figurines out of clay,
imparting her own spirit to give them life,
and humans were thus created.
Before she died, Nuwa left behind a sacred artifact,
called the Fengshen Bang,
and appointed the Immortals of Kunlun to guard it.
It had the power to save the world...
...and could only be opened by the King of All Realms.
As the generations came and went,
Cheng Tang established the Shang Dynasty.
The Four Dukes of the East, West, South and North,
together with the 800 Lords under them,
acknowledged the Shang monarch as the King of All Realms.
But there came a time,
500 years into the reign of the Shang,
Su Hu, Lord of Jizhou, refused to submit his tribute...
...and rebelled against the Shangs King Yi.
After a long and bitter siege,
King Yi sent his second son, Yin Shou, into battle.
Yin Shou led a special force trained by his own hand.
I am Ji Fa, son of Ji Chang, Duke of the West.
Riding by my side is my best friend, Yin Jiao.
His father is our commander and hero.
One day I hope to become just like him.
State your name.
Su Quanxiao, son of Su Hu,
Lord of Jizhou.
Louder, so they can hear you.
Su Quanxiao, son of Su Hu,
Lord of Jizhou.
State your rank.
Centurion of the Shang Hostage Brigade,
North Battalion.
Tell us why youre a hostage.
The 800 Lords...
...of the East, West, South and North are required to send
one of their sons...
...to be hostages of the Shang court.
If any Lord plots against the King,
his hostage son is to be executed first,
followed by his entire family.
Your father Su Hu has led Jizhou in rebellion.
Go talk some sense into him.
Father! Please surrender!
Ive been away for eight years.
Ive grown up.
My father doesn't recognize me.
That man doesn't deserve to be your father.
You are my son.
And now, you have to be my bravest son.
Farewell,
Father!
Just now,
right before your eyes,
one of your brothers died!
One of my sons died!
Who killed him?
The traitor Su Hu!
Who was it that killed him?
The traitor Su Hu!
Who was it that killed him?
The traitor Su Hu!
The traitor Su Hu!
The traitor Su Hu!
Fire!
Warriors of Shang...
annihilate Jizhou!
Annihilate Jizhou!
Attack!
Ji Fa, come on!
Watch out!
Attack!
Fire!
Attack!
Into the breach!
Attack!
Make way!
Ji Fa!
Ji Fa!
Yin Jiao,
you retreated in fear.
Youre such a disappointment.
Forgive me, Father!
Sir,
It wasnt us!
The horses bolted when they saw the fire.
Father!
The horses see what we allow them to see!
Faster!
Attack!
Attack!
Attack!
Attack!
Attack!
After the city was taken, we chased the Su family...
...all the way to the Xuanyuan Tomb.
We were determined to chop off Su Hu's head...
...to avenge his son, Su Quanxiao.
Brother!
Brother!
Brother!
Never forget...
the Su family will never submit to the Shang King!
Father.
Run!
Watch out.
A woman.
Who is she?
Su Hu's daughter,
Su Daji.
The daughter of a traitor...
...must be put to death.
Ji Fa,
kill her.
Huh?
Kill a woman?
I can't.
Jiang Wenhuan,
you do it.
E Shun,
you do it.
Why don't you do it?
My hairpin...
Ji Fa!
Ji Fa!
It would be a waste...
...to kill a girl like that.
Let's give her to the Commander.
You losers!
I'll do it.
Yin Jiao!
Yin Jiao!
Sir!
Sir!
Sir!
A toast to us! Warriors...
...of the Shang Dynasty!
Hear, hear.
I want to make a toast...
...to our brother,
Su Quanxiao.
To our brother.
To our brother.
The son of the traitor Su Hu...
...doesnt deserve to be our brother.
Father and son are not always the same.
His father may have been a traitor,
but Su Quanxiao did nothing wrong.
Like father, like son.
Your father, Ji Chang, Duke of the West,
knows nothing but plowing the fields.
Even in that armor, Ji Fa,
you're still just a farmer from Xiqi,
reeking of manure.
Let's drink.
Your father, Chong Houhu, Duke of the North,
knows nothing but hunting animals.
Even in that armor,
you're still...
...just a hunter,
reeking of... what?
What does he smell like?
A beast.
I know what you want.
You want to be...
...King of All The World.
You know what happens to the daughters of traitors?
At dawn, you'll be offered as a sacrifice to our banner.
I'm different from the others.
I can help you.
After being a hostage in Zhaoge for eight years,
on this day,
I finally return as a hero...
...to the welcoming cheers of the entire city.
I, Yin Shou, bow to His Majesty and His Highness.
To you, Father, I present Su Hus head.
And to you, Brother, the battle flag of Jizhou.
Su Hu,
you once declared youd never bow to me,
and yet, here you are.
At the victory banquet tomorrow,
well use his skull as a goblet...
...and drink from it until daybreak!
King of Shang, King of All Realms!
The Hostage Brigade, returning in victory,
will perform a war dance for His Majesty.
Attack!
Long live Your Majesty!
My son...
...my dearest son dances for me!
Excellent!
Encircle him!
Shields!
Your Highness...
He's dead!
Ji Fa,
you killed the Prince.
Your entire family will be executed.
Ji Fa.
Killing the Prince is a serious crime,
and the penalty is death.
What a horrific crime!
Father!
My brother Yin Qi killed our father, the King.
Ji Fa,
what you did was not only justified,
but a service to our kingdom.
If Yin Jiao hadnt spoken for me...
...and the Commander hadnt shown mercy,
my whole family would have been executed.
But now that the King is dead,
what would become of the Shang dynasty?
So this is why the Supreme One summoned the twelve of us...
...here to the Yuxu Palace.
The mortal world is in misery.
Is this the future of all humanity?
This is the Great Curse. Tell us, Supreme One,
what have the mortals done to deserve this?
When wars are raging
and demons become rampant,
The Great Curse is sure to fall upon all.
In the beginning,
when Pangu broke through the chaos,
the pure Qi rose to form the sky...
...and the impure descended to form the earth.
The sky and earth were thus created,
and life flourished.
The Great Curse will cause...
...everything to be reversed.
The world is falling back into chaos...
...and all life will be extinguished.
Although the mortals probably deserve it,
we can't just sit here and do nothing.
Lady Nuwa left the Fengshen Bang...
...here in Kunlun, under our guard...
...precisely because she foresaw this day.
It is time for the Fengshen Bang to be delivered unto the world.
As soon as the Fengshen Bang is placed into the hands...
...of the King of All Realms,
and he unseals it and invests the new gods,
the Great Curse will be lifted...
...and humanity will be saved.
I'm sure you're all aware of the price one must pay...
...to be the bearer of the Fengshen Bang.
Supreme One, allow me.
It should be me this time.
Ill do it.
I should be the one.
Theres no room for error.
We must let the Supreme One decide...
...who the bearer shall be.
Humanity is in dire peril.
Ill deliver the Fengshen Bang to them.
Ziya,
you must be aware that,
when an Immortal touches the Fengshen Bang,
they will lose all their powers,
become mortal again,
and, therefore, never return to Kunlun.
All the more reason I should be the one.
And why is that?
All of you have been practising for more than a thousand years...
...to achieve your current powers.
That mustnt be squandered.
I've only been practising for forty years.
It's no great tragedy...
...to lose the powers I have.
And, before I took up practising,
I was a merchant.
I traveled quite often...
...and had a lot of worldly experiences.
I humbly volunteer...
...to take on this task.
Ziya, you haven't been with us for long,
and you're not yet able...
...to see visions of the future,
which is why I did not summon you today.
And yet, your intrusion, driven by your sympathy...
...for the mortals,
disrupted our vision of the Great Curse.
Could this be your destiny?
Jiang Ziya,
are you really ready to give up...
...forty years of immortality and power...
...and go back to being a mortal?
The Great Black Bird...
...gave birth to the Shang people.
Ancestors, hear me!
I, Yin Shou, never desired to be King,
but the country must have a ruler,
and I, being my father's only living child,
have no choice but to ascend the throne...
...and sustain the Shang dynasty.
I now implore my uncle, High Priest Bi Gan...
...to see into our kingdoms future.
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
Uncle, what are you saying?
The Gods foretold our doom...
...by shattering our divination.
What have we done to deserve a curse like that?
A member of our royal family...
...killed his own father and King.
No greater sin could have been committed,
the gods have been enraged.
We descendants of Cheng Tang...
...are no longer fit to be King of All Realms.
I will sacrifice a hundred human lives...
...to quell their rage.
Its useless.
One thousand, then.
Even ten thousand won't help.
Back in the beginning,
when our ancestor Cheng Tang united the land,
so many lives were taken that a Great Curse fell.
A great drought of seven years...
...left the land completely barren.
By building and mounting a sacrificial pyre...
...and immolating himself,
Cheng Tang finally moved the Gods and lifted the curse.
Are you suggesting I should do the same?
How dare you, Bi Gan!
My father only just ascended the throne...
...and you want him to sacrifice himself!
The very idea...
...is treason!
You fool!
The Great Curse is just beginning.
Before long,
our people will be in misery...
...and our ancestors will be without offerings.
When that time comes,
the entire Shang dynasty will be no more!
Father, pass the throne to me.
I will sacrifice myself in your place.
What is a king...
...if not the bearer of all earthly sins?
I will follow our ancestor Cheng Tangs example...
...and build a sacrificial pyre in Zhaoge.
On the day it is completed,
I will burn myself as sacrifice to save the kingdom.
Blessed is the kingdom!
Kneel!
Blessed is the kingdom!
Blessed is the kingdom!
Blessed is the kingdom!
Kowtow!
I waited outside the Deer Terrace for an hour,
but His Majesty...
...refused to see me.
I'll go fetch him.
You spoke out of turn today.
Youve aroused your fathers mistrust.
I asked him to pass the throne to me...
...so I could die in his place.
Surely he must know that.
You don't know your father.
Mother,
you worry too much.
I will bring Father here,
so our family can be together.
Ji Fa.
Yin Jiao.
It's a fox demon.
Follow me.
Are you sure it went this way?
There, in the Celestial Chamber.
His Majesty is resting,
and no one is allowed to enter.
My father is in danger.
I don't have time for this!
Who's there?
Father,
it's me.
Barging in at this hour, carrying a sword!
Aren't you in a hurry...
...to sit on my throne!
I would never!
I was chasing a fox...
...demon.
We barged in here out of concern...
...for Your Majesty's safety. Please forgive us.
What fox demon?
What's she doing here?
Get out!
At once, Your Majesty!
I should have killed her when we first saw her!
His Majesty is sacrificing himself to save the world.
He is a hero.
Don't upset him again.
If it were your father,
what would you do?
I've been away for eight years.
My own father...
...probably wouldn't even recognize me anymore.
I'm afraid we'll have a bad harvest this year.
With the Great Curse upon Zhaoge,
even Xiqi is affected.
Thanks to your precautions, Father,
we have enough food stored...
...for the next three years.
What about after that?
In the course of one night,
the King and the Prince were both killed.
Most strange,
the new King should be so hasty to ascend the throne,
and then immediately summon the Four Dukes,
with dark intentions, I think.
This trip to Zhaoge...
...could be most treacherous.
Please reconsider, Father.
My Lord.
If I disobey the King, war will ensue...
...and the entire country will pay the price.
Although the throne has changed hands,
my duties remain the same.
Let's take this chance to visit Ji Fa.
It's been eight years.
He must be as tall as you now.
Maybe even taller.
When I'm gone, you're the guardian of Xiqi,
and you must keep it safe.
No matter what happens,
don't leave Xiqi.
Safe return, Father.
Line up. Line up.
Let them through.
Stop pushing.
Stop them.
Stop pushing.
Stay back, you lot!
Your pass.
No pass, no entry.
We need a pass?
What a nuisance.
Master Ziya,
let me fly you in on my Fire Wheels.
My Five Elements Teleportation is faster.
No. When we set out, the Supreme One told us...
...to refrain from using our powers.
But the mortal world has its own tricks.
Watch this.
Good day, sir.
Who are you?
We are immortals, all the way from Kunlun.
So we have no pass.
No pass?
But, we have this.
Take it.
What is this?
Elixir.
What does it do?
What does it do?!
This elixir contains pure Qi,
the essence of water,
the blessing of benevolent gods,
and the best of Sky, Earth and Man.
One whiff.
And you'll feel refreshed.
One taste.
And all discomfort is gone.
Such an amazing elixir can't be bought...
...no matter how much you're ready to offer.
Consider it our gift...
...to you, our new friend.
Master Ziya, your mortal trick worked!
Come along,
I'll take good care of you.
You're too kind.
I'll drive you into the city myself.
Must His Majesty sacrifice himself...
...on the pyre to dispel the Great Curse?
Maybe...
...only the gods know the answer.
We're here.
Get off.
Keep up.
Hurry.
Master Ziya.
Master Ziya, what's going on?
Looks like...
...we've been sold.
Sold?
I thought you knew your way around here.
I haven't been back in forty years.
It wasnt like this before.
Bring them over.
Sir,
we have something for His Majesty.
Cut the crap.
That's about enough.
Oh no.
Look!
Thunderbolts!
Go and save those people!
Can we use our powers?
Of course.
Finally!
So the Gods really do exist!
Theres hope for His Majesty!
The alchemist Shen Gongbao from Golden Turtle Island...
...is here to demonstrate his powers for His Majesty.
The honor is mine.
Fascinating.
What sorcery is this?
Your Majesty,
With this spell I can survive beheading.
How about burning?
If one is able to live without his head,
a little fire is nothing to worry about.
Perfect. How long does it take to master it?
It took me a thousand years,
but, with Your Majesty's extraordinary talents,
500 years should be enough.
500 years?
That's right.
Ludicrous!
That hurts.
No!
Don't.
Here. Here.
Over here.
Hurry it up!
Jiang Ziya, Taoist Monk from Kunlun,
has something to present to His Majesty.
What is it?
What I have here...
...is the Fengshen Bang.
What does it do?
A great turmoil is on the horizon.
I was sent by my master, the Supreme One, to bring the
Fengshen Bang...
...to the King of All Realms.
When the King unseals it and invests the new gods,
the Fengshen Bang will dispel the Great Curse...
...and all of humanity will be saved.
Can such a small scroll...
...really remove the Great Curse?
More than that!
The Fengshen Bang is a sacred artifact left behind by the
Lady Nuwa.
It absorbs the Qi energy of the dead,
or what we may call souls.
Once Your Majesty unseals the Fengshen Bang...
all this energy will be yours...
...to command.
That means,
the more people die,
the more powerful the Fengshen Bang becomes?
Your Majesty is insightful.
So the Great Curse may in fact be a blessing.
Your Majesty is all-knowing.
This sorcerer is a demon.
Well, then...
...well share in the rewards!
Hang on.
The authenticity...
...of the Fengshen Bang...
...is yet to be proven.
How do we do that?
I could do it...
if I had a freshly-deceased human.
Soul Revelation!
Your Majesty is most decisive,
but there's something else.
A pattern of steps is needed to unseal the Fengshen Bang.
Let me show you.
Watch carefully.
Is this...?
Can it be...
...the Steps of the Cosmos?
Not so fast, my Taoist Brother.
Run!
Stop them!
Don't kill anyone!
Got it!
Easy! Easy!
Master Ziya!
Yin Jiao! Ji Fa! Get the Fengshen Bang!
Come on!
Out of my way!
Go after them!
Water Teleportation!
Ji Fa, you go that way!
It's dangerous! Stop!
You stop!
It's a dead end.
If you come closer,
I'll jump.
Youve come all this way,
why change your mind now?
Just pretend I was never here.
That solves everything, doesn't it?
Go back! Go back!
The Fengshen Bang belongs to the King of All Realms,
and that King is my father.
What right do you have to keep it?
I was going to give it to him,
but I can't now.
You despicable cheat.
Tell me,
what does it mean to be King of All Realms?
If he can slaughter...
...an innocent man,
how can he be trusted with all of humanity?
My father is willing...
The Great Curse is coming,
and countless lives will be lost every day.
Yet he called this a blessing!
Tell me.
If you were King,
would you do the same?
Shut up!
Return the Fengshen Bang to my father!
Old Man, hand over the Fengshen Bang.
Without it, His Majesty will die.
If I give it to him,
I'm afraid the rest of the world will meet that same fate.
Nonsense!
His Majesty is a hero!
But he takes you as fools.
He doesn't care about anyone else.
He cares only about himself.
Yin Jiao.
Yin Jiao,
he just saved your life.
I don't care.
I need to save my father.
Master Ziya!
Don't hurt him. Don't!
Where is my Fengshen Bang?
Release him!
Ji Fa,
take the Fengshen Bang and run!
Don't do it. Don't do it.
You wouldn't dare.
Don't let go!
Don't do it!
He let go.
Thunderbolts!
He actually jumped!
Yin Jiao.
Master,
I have something important to report to you.
Its the Fengshen Bang.
I actually saw the Fengshen Bang.
If you saw the Fengshen Bang,
why didn't you bring it to me?
Forgive me, Master.
It's not that I didn't try,
but the Kunlun monk had lots of backup.
I was...
What Kunlun monk?
How dare he bully you?
Master, let's go teach them a lesson!
This spell is for Soul Instillation.
Our Master is good to you.
What are you waiting for? Go!
Thank you, Master.
Master Ziya.
You're awake.
Yin Shou is the King of All Realms,
but you wont give the Fengshen Bang to him.
What's the point of us staying here?
Right! We haven't met anyone nice...
...since we began this journey.
You almost lost your life.
Why dont we take the Fengshen Bang back to Kunlun...
...and leave these mortals to their own devices?
Yin Jiao is the Crown Prince.
He is the next King of All Realms.
Hes not like his father.
Yin Jiao? How long do we have to wait...
...for him to become King?
Who said anything about waiting?
Could it be another demon?
Stop.
Where did this baby come from?
So strange. Must be a demon.
My Lord, be careful.
A pitiful thing, all alone.
Sir,
that thing in your arms might be a demon.
Better to kill it now,
before it becomes a threat.
If you can't do it, we will.
Its just a child.
Even if he is a demon,
whether he grows up to be good or evil...
... depends on how he is raised.
We can't jump to conclusions.
You are absolutely right.
Nezha, Yang Jian, stay your hands.
I am Jiang Ziya. We come from Kunlun.
I am Ji Chang, from Xiqi.
The Duke of the West. It's an honor.
The child is frail.
To save his life,
I propose we send him to Kunlun...
...for my master, the Supreme One, to raise.
I've heard a great deal about the Supreme One.
It would be the childs honor to be taught by him.
Then you should name the child,
so youll know him if you meet again.
His birth was accompanied by thunder.
Let's name him Lei Zhenzi.
Yang Jian, Nezha, take Lei Zhenzi to Kunlun.
Right away.
Strange things keep happening these days.
Is that why you're going to Zhaoge?
We have a new king now.
It's customary for the Four Dukes...
...to pay our respects in person.
So the other three Dukes are also on their way?
Yes.
You asked Ji Chang to summon us...
...to dethrone Yin Shou and make Yin Jiao the new King.
Exactly.
Yin Shou has promised...
...to sacrifice himself to lift the Great Curse.
Fool!
You really believe he would burn himself?
When the pyre is built,
we'll see if he keeps his word.
How can you...
There is no time to lose.
The Great Curse has spread to all realms.
Plagues in the North,
water turning foul in the East,
babies stillborn in the South,
and crop failure in the West.
The longer we wait, the greater the devastation.
This curse was brought on by the Yin family.
It's their responsibility to end it.
The Shang King is the King of All Realms.
The world is his.
This world...
...is not the King's world,
but everyone's world.
Fascinating...
Fascinating...
The Duke of the Wests divinations have never been wrong.
So, what does it say?
The hexagram indicates deception.
The killing of a king was not righteous,
and a throne fell into undeserving hands.
So it would seem,
the King was not killed by Yin Qi, but someone else.
Who would that be?
Who else but Yin Shou?
It's not right to jump to such conclusions.
Are you with us or not?
It's treason,
with little chance of success.
How about you, Ji Chang?
Don't forget our sons are kept as hostages in Zhaoge.
So be it.
So be it!
I'll return to the south and rally my troops.
I can do this without you.
Stop! Nobody move!
You dare to plot treason!
He's alone. Kill him.
No!
It's my son, Ji Fa.
I am Ji Fa, a guard of the royal court.
I saw Yin Qi kill his father with my own eyes,
and yet you try to smear His Majesty...
...with these false divinations!
Do you see?
He's been a hostage so long...
...that he takes Yin Shou to be his father.
What good is a son like that?
Kill him.
Youre not getting away!
Ji Fa! We finally found you. -Brethren!
We are the royal guards. Drop your weapons!
Step aside!
They say you can see the future.
Ji Chang,
are you able to see...
...your own death?
Your Majesty,
a fortune teller...
...can see the future...
...of everything...
...except for...
...his own fortunes.
What do you see now?
It shows here that,
Your Majesty,
will die by the hand of your own flesh and blood.
Everyone knows that...
...I intend to sacrifice myself...
...to save the world.
Ji Chang,
youre nothing but a fake!
Go! Stand before your fathers.
When Yin Qi killed our father,
your sons were all there,
they saw everything that happened.
But the four of you...
...would believe baseless rumors...
...over what they saw with their own eyes.
Youre not stupid.
Youre simply treasonous.
Take a good look at these traitors.
They used to be your fathers.
Now,
they're sinners that betrayed the Shang.
My sister is your wife,
the Queen.
The Crown Prince, Yin Jiao, is my nephew.
Why would I be a traitor?
With the gods as my witnesses,
I never intended to betray you.
Yin Shou!
You killed your father and your brother,
and brought on the Great Curse.
You...
...are the sinner.
Your fathers...
...kept their favorite sons close to them,
well-fed and well-dressed,
waiting to one day inherit...
...their throne.
Whereas you...
...were abandoned here in distant Zhaoge,
to fend for yourselves.
And now,
youve all grown up,
trained by my hand to become Shang warriors.
Your power and courage...
...have been forged in mortal combat.
No one can tell you what to do.
You are far stronger than your brothers back home.
You are far more qualified to succeed your fathers.
Now, I give you a chance to take what is rightfully yours.
Whoever kills his father...
...can take his place.
Draw your swords!
Have you forgotten how Su Quanxiao died?
Father!
If you dont kill your father,
he will one day kill you.
Father!
Good.
Chong Yingbiao,
you are now Duke of the North.
You fool!
Do it!
No!
No!
No!
My son!
My son!
You must...
...stay alive.
Jiang Wenhuan,
you are now Duke of the East.
Father!
Ji Fa,
what are you waiting for?
You wish to plead for your father's life?
No.
Ji Chang is a traitor...
...who deserves to be executed.
The Four Dukes plotted treason...
...because they were misled by Ji Chang.
Ji Chang is the culprit,
he started the conspiracy.
If we kill him,
his sins will be covered up...
...and no one will know the truth.
He has to apologize in public...
...to let the people know that...
...the Four Dukes attempted treason,
and it was Your Majesty's decisiveness...
...that saved the Shang.
You let the Fengshen Bang get away.
That was a failure.
You captured four traitors for the Shang.
Thats to your credit.
Guards!
Put Ji Chang in the dungeon.
Father.
Father.
That jade circle...
...was my gift to you...
...when I sent you here to be a hostage.
Do you remember what it means?
His Majesty promised me that,
as soon as you confess your crime,
he will let you go back to Xiqi.
The circle...
...means that one day you will return.
It's planting season soon.
Xiqi...
Your false prophecies fomented treason.
Why wont you admit that?
I was wrong.
I shouldn't have...
...sent you to live with such an evil person as Yin Shou.
How can you call him evil?
I saw with my own eyes...
...how he fought for our country.
I heard with my own ears...
...how he intends to sacrifice himself...
...to appease the Great Curse.
As for you,
you were in Xiqi.
You didn't witness any of that,
and yet you judge him based on a handful of sticks.
Its ridiculous.
My son,
what you see...
...might only be what Yin Shou wants you to see,
and what you believe...
...might only be what Yin Shou wants you to believe.
Father.
If...
...you truly believed all that,
you would have killed me yesterday in court.
I'm your son.
How could I kill you?
Remember,
it doesn't matter whose son you are.
What matters is who you are.
Such a beautiful body.
To kill it...
...would be a shame, no?
Everything started with you,
perhaps it should end with you as well.
It would appear that...
...Ive awakened a beast.
Keep me around.
I know a way for us...
...to share immortality.
I ask Your Majesty to execute me.
On what grounds?
Jiang Huanchu, Duke of the East,
was executed by Your Majesty.
As his sister, I deserve the same punishment.
You believe he was wronged?
The Four Dukes were loyal men.
By killing them,
you betrayed the trust of your subjects.
Their sons were loving children.
By forcing them to kill their fathers,
youve abandoned all morality.
What you killed...
...was more than four men.
You killed the trust of the world...
...and the Shang reign of the last 500 years.
As the Queen...
...of this country,
its my duty to advise the King.
As your wife,
its my duty to address your sins.
Perhaps my death can serve to...
...bring you to your senses.
The dead are already gone.
Why waste your own life?
A body such as yours...
...is not easy to come by.
As Queen,
you deserve to have...
...all the joy in the world.
Why don't you join us...
...in our joy?
No wonder His Majesty is so fond of you.
Even I...
...cant help feeling drawn to you.
Strange that a place as cold and remote as Jizhou...
...was able to produce a stunning beauty like you.
If I were the King,
I, too, would fall under your spell.
Evil temptress,
begone from this world!
Demon!
Your Majesty!
So you do intend to kill me!
Father!
Shes not human!
Shes a fox demon!
Protect His Majesty!
Guards!
Ji Fa.
What should I do?
This leads to outside the Meridian Gate.
Go to High Priest Bi Gan and hide there.
If you let me go,
what will happen to you?
Give me the Daemon Dukes sword.
Ji Fa.
Chong Yingbiao,
it's dark in there.
I'll find you a torch.
Bring me...
...a torch!
The Great Curse is upon us,
and evildoers are everywhere.
We are in a time of crisis.
To make the Great Curse abate,
the evildoers must be rooted out.
This shows His Majesty's concern for his people.
The Four Dukes...
...of the East, West, South and North...
...were ungrateful traitors...
...who plotted treason.
Now that they've failed,
they are either dead or in prison.
The Queen, Jiang,
didn't know her place as a woman,
and spoke out of turn.
Ashamed of what she did,
she drowned herself. -Kneel before the Duke of The North!
The Crown Prince, Yin Jiao,
utterly lacking in morals,
crept into the palace at night...
...to kill his father and king.
After he failed, he fled...
...and is now a wanted man.
This sword of Yin Jiaos is sharp indeed.
Ive had my eye on you for days now.
Where are you hiding Yin Jiao?
At the stable?
In the barracks?
Or in a shithole?
Beast.
Come on.
Bring it on!
Brother!
All these years alone here in Zhaoge,
Im sure youve been bullied a lot.
No way.
I do all the bullying!
Youve always been competitive,
always wanted to be a great hero.
I remember when the Shang came for hostages...
...and Father made us compete in archery...
...to see who would go.
Dont think for a moment that I dont know...
...that you tampered with my arrow.
If I hadnt,
how could I have beaten you?
I know that...
...you wanted more than the quiet life in Xiqi.
You longed to be a warrior in Zhaoge.
Now that you're a royal guard,
I'm really happy for you.
Brother,
you are next in line to be Duke of Xiqi.
You should have stayed there.
The carriages outside are loaded with treasure.
Tell me...
...is it enough to save Father?
No amount of treasure will do.
I've already talked to Father,
but he won't admit he was wrong.
Father is like that.
He never does anything...
...he doesn't believe in.
Brother,
don't worry.
I'm working on it.
Im afraid that...
...Father is old and frail.
He cant wait much longer.
My Snow Dragons!
It's been ages.
They still recognize me!
You've been away for too long.
You probably dont know your way back anymore.
These two Snow Dragons were a gift from Father,
but Ive trained them over the years.
They are fast...
...and know their way around.
The treasures you brought...
...do not please me;
but your presence...
...pleases me greatly.
Tell me,
what do you want?
Today, I will grant your every wish.
My father is too old and weak...
...to survive prison.
Would you take pity on him...
...and release him?
Punish me...
...in his place.
Your father was sentenced to death.
Then I would die for him.
Ji Fa, it's me.
Demon monk!
Every time you show up, something bad happens.
Where is Yin Jiao?
Take me to see him!
You wont rest until were all killed!
I'm the only one who can save him.
He can stay in Zhaoge no longer.
Last time you got away,
but this time you surrendered yourself.
Stop talking.
Come with me.
Leave Zhaoge.
Kunlun will protect you.
You're the future King of All Realms.
The peoples future...
...depends on...
My father is the King of All Realms.
Hes the one that will open the Fengshen Bang...
...and save the world!
I told you, old man.
He won't listen to you.
You still believe him?
My Father is bewitched by a fox demon.
Good and bad fortunes...
...don't happen by accident.
Those with evil intentions...
...attract demons.
What if...
What if your father is not bewitched by a fox demon?
If we can lure Daji to this place...
...and kill the fox,
then we will know the truth.
It pains me to see how youve suffered.
Are you here to kill me?
I envy you...
...for having two good sons.
I, on the other hand,
only have one,
who wants to kill me.
We're both fathers.
Why am I so afflicted?
However you treat your own father,
your son will follow that example.
But you have no idea...
...how my father treated me.
I have great admiration for you.
What should I do?
I'd like to hear your advice.
If you keep your word...
...and sacrifice yourself,
your sins...
...will be absolved,
and youll be an honorable descendant of Cheng Tang.
The thing is,
can you do it?
Bo Yikao is here? In Zhaoge?
Where is he?
You love your son so much.
Don't you recognize how he tastes?
Even beasts don't eat their cubs.
You are less than an animal.
You want a bite?
Have a bite.
Take it!
Take it!
You monster!
Kill me!
I promised Bo Yikao...
...that I wouldnt kill you...
...and that Id release you.
You know what you have to do.
Remember,
I still have your other son in my hands.
I have sinned.
I made a false divination.
I plotted treason.
I instigated a revolt.
I am a criminal.
I am unforgivable.
I have sinned.
I made a false divination.
I plotted treason.
I...
I instigated a revolt.
I made a false divination.
I plotted treason.
I...
...instigated a revolt.
I am a criminal.
I am a criminal.
I...
I made a false divination.
I, Yin Shou,
have brought Lady Su to meet our ancestors...
...and ask for their blessing.
Come closer.
Let the ancestors see you.
If I hadnt seen it with my own eyes,
Id never believe that such beauty could exist.
Give me your hand.
Fox Demon,
Ive locked your meridian pathway!
Prepare to die.
How can you say shes a fox demon?
Yin Jiao.
So this is where you've been hiding.
I saw with my own eyes...
...how the fox demon inhabits Daji's body.
Father, I wounded you by accident,
when I was trying to kill this demon...
...and avenge Mother.
Daji has been with me all this time.
If she were a fox demon, I would know.
When I kill her,
her true form will reveal itself.
What if shes not a fox demon?
You will have taken an innocent life!
As the High Priest,
I have a magical heart with seven chambers.
Upon consuming this heart,
any demon...
...will revert to its original form.
You would give up your heart for this?
What is my heart...
...compared to the royal family...
...and our dynasty?
But if Su Daji is indeed a fox demon,
what will Your Majesty do?
Name your terms.
She must be put to death.
Yin Jiao must be pardoned.
And the Four Dukes must be declared innocent.
In the name of our ancestors,
swear to do all this.
As the ancestors are my witness,
I swear it!
Grand uncle, you mustnt!
Swallow it!
Fox demon, you wont harm His Majesty!
The fox demon has shown itself.
Now, Your Majesty, kill it!
In the name of our ancestors,
Yin Shou, what are you waiting for?
Our ancestors?
Where are these ancestors?
If I call out to them, do they answer?
You all say the white fox is a demon.
In fact, shes a charm.
Only she knows what I truly desire.
You want to be...
...King of All The World.
The Shang Dynasty...
...is finished.
High Priest!
The Shang Dynasty...
...is truly finished.
Grand Uncle!
The Shang Dynasty...
Get the High Priest out of here.
Treacherous boy,
what do you find so amusing?
I thought you were bewitched by the fox demon.
That's why I kept hoping that...
...you would turn back into...
...the father...
...that I respected and looked up to.
I was such a fool.
You did this!
You gave me my life.
Now you can take it back!
Yin Jiao!
Guards!
Take him away.
Hell be executed at the Meridian Gate tomorrow.
Dont think I dont know what youve been up to.
I would never...
Of all the hostages,
you were my favorite,
because on the day you arrived in Zhaoge,
you told me that...
...you wanted to be a hero.
We are one of a kind,
therefore,
I'll give you one last chance.
Go and kill Ji Chang.
Do that for me...
...and youll become my son and heir,
the Crown Prince of Shang.
Dont disappoint me again.
I'm a criminal.
I'm unforgivable.
I have sinned.
I thought I would never again see the light of day,
but you saved me.
I practised for a thousand years...
...so as to take on human form...
...and partake in the pleasures of life.
But King Cheng Tang sealed me inside the Xuanyuan Tomb.
It's been 500 years...
Only the blood of his descendants could break the seal.
You brought me back to life.
In return,
I used a soul transference spell...
...to inhabit Yin Qi's body...
...to help you do what you wanted to do,
to take what you wanted to have.
I will make you immortal,
a King for all eternity.
A subject serves his king...
...like the sun and moon in the sky.
Such is the basis of a nation.
A son serves his father...
...like the gods in the heavens above.
Such is the foundation of a family.
That's why there is no greater sin...
...than the murder of one's father and king.
The traitorous son, Yin Jiao,
disregarding all law and ethics,
armed with murderous intent...
So then, Ji Chang,
which one of us was fated to die...
...by the hand of his own flesh and blood?
Yin Shou!
Dead or alive, Im coming for you!
Proceed with the execution!
Nezha, Yang Jian, where are you?
Brothers of Xiqi,
save Yin Jiao!
Stop them!
You dared to deceive me?!
Release Yin Jiao,
or Ill have to kill you.
You don't have what it takes.
Execute him!
Comrade,
let me send you on your way.
You think youll kill me?
Dont forget,
I taught you everything you know.
Save Ji Fa!
Nezha, Yang Jian, I'm here!
Master Ziya!
Come with us! Lets go!
Don't worry about me. Take Yin Jiao with you.
Yin Jiao is in two sections! Hes dead.
Stop wasting time!
Take him to Kunlun immediately!
Water Teleportation!
Did they have to both go?
If the gods won't kill you,
I will.
His Majesty is dead.
I, Duke of the North, give the orders now.
Bring me Ji Fa.
Why are you still in Zhaoge?
You must have a death wish!
Soul Transference!
Yin Shou is dead.
I killed him.
Hes the one responsible for the Great Curse.
Stop them!
Jiang Wenhuan, if you wish to avenge him,
do it now.
Stand down!
Let them go.
Go!
Close the gates.
Prepare for battle!
Someone is coming through!
Stop him!
Stop him now!
It's a fugitive.
Into the forest!
Keep up!
What is this?
Release the arrows!
Ji Fa, go. Save yourself.
It's me they're after.
Im going to borrow something of yours.
What?
Not so fast, my Taoist Brother.
You!
Jiang Ziya! You wont get away!
Who are you?
Lei Zhenzi.
My child,
let's go home.
These two Snow Dragons were gifts from Father.
I've trained them over the years.
Whenever you want to return,
just say to them:
Home.
And they'll take you back to Xiqi.
The circle.
Father,
I promise I'll return home to Xiqi.
Circle.
Full circle.
Home.
Its a Snow Dragon!
Young Master's back!
Father.
Come.
Full circle.
Father,
I'm back.
Shang Commander Wen Zhong,
after ten years of battle near the North Sea,
has returned in victory!
and the Song/Yuan script, King Zhou's Attack of the Shang
At the beginning of time, the world was shapeless.
Separating the sky and earth,
Pangu turned his body into the sun, the moon, the mountains
and the rivers,
and the world was thus created.
Nuwa made figurines out of clay,
imparting her own spirit to give them life,
and humans were thus created.
Before she died, Nuwa left behind a sacred artifact,
called the Fengshen Bang,
and appointed the Immortals of Kunlun to guard it.
It had the power to save the world...
...and could only be opened by the King of All Realms.
As the generations came and went,
Cheng Tang established the Shang Dynasty.
The Four Dukes of the East, West, South and North,
together with the 800 Lords under them,
acknowledged the Shang monarch as the King of All Realms.
But there came a time,
500 years into the reign of the Shang,
Su Hu, Lord of Jizhou, refused to submit his tribute...
...and rebelled against the Shangs King Yi.
After a long and bitter siege,
King Yi sent his second son, Yin Shou, into battle.
Yin Shou led a special force trained by his own hand.
I am Ji Fa, son of Ji Chang, Duke of the West.
Riding by my side is my best friend, Yin Jiao.
His father is our commander and hero.
One day I hope to become just like him.
State your name.
Su Quanxiao, son of Su Hu,
Lord of Jizhou.
Louder, so they can hear you.
Su Quanxiao, son of Su Hu,
Lord of Jizhou.
State your rank.
Centurion of the Shang Hostage Brigade,
North Battalion.
Tell us why youre a hostage.
The 800 Lords...
...of the East, West, South and North are required to send
one of their sons...
...to be hostages of the Shang court.
If any Lord plots against the King,
his hostage son is to be executed first,
followed by his entire family.
Your father Su Hu has led Jizhou in rebellion.
Go talk some sense into him.
Father! Please surrender!
Ive been away for eight years.
Ive grown up.
My father doesn't recognize me.
That man doesn't deserve to be your father.
You are my son.
And now, you have to be my bravest son.
Farewell,
Father!
Just now,
right before your eyes,
one of your brothers died!
One of my sons died!
Who killed him?
The traitor Su Hu!
Who was it that killed him?
The traitor Su Hu!
Who was it that killed him?
The traitor Su Hu!
The traitor Su Hu!
The traitor Su Hu!
Fire!
Warriors of Shang...
annihilate Jizhou!
Annihilate Jizhou!
Attack!
Ji Fa, come on!
Watch out!
Attack!
Fire!
Attack!
Into the breach!
Attack!
Make way!
Ji Fa!
Ji Fa!
Yin Jiao,
you retreated in fear.
Youre such a disappointment.
Forgive me, Father!
Sir,
It wasnt us!
The horses bolted when they saw the fire.
Father!
The horses see what we allow them to see!
Faster!
Attack!
Attack!
Attack!
Attack!
Attack!
After the city was taken, we chased the Su family...
...all the way to the Xuanyuan Tomb.
We were determined to chop off Su Hu's head...
...to avenge his son, Su Quanxiao.
Brother!
Brother!
Brother!
Never forget...
the Su family will never submit to the Shang King!
Father.
Run!
Watch out.
A woman.
Who is she?
Su Hu's daughter,
Su Daji.
The daughter of a traitor...
...must be put to death.
Ji Fa,
kill her.
Huh?
Kill a woman?
I can't.
Jiang Wenhuan,
you do it.
E Shun,
you do it.
Why don't you do it?
My hairpin...
Ji Fa!
Ji Fa!
It would be a waste...
...to kill a girl like that.
Let's give her to the Commander.
You losers!
I'll do it.
Yin Jiao!
Yin Jiao!
Sir!
Sir!
Sir!
A toast to us! Warriors...
...of the Shang Dynasty!
Hear, hear.
I want to make a toast...
...to our brother,
Su Quanxiao.
To our brother.
To our brother.
The son of the traitor Su Hu...
...doesnt deserve to be our brother.
Father and son are not always the same.
His father may have been a traitor,
but Su Quanxiao did nothing wrong.
Like father, like son.
Your father, Ji Chang, Duke of the West,
knows nothing but plowing the fields.
Even in that armor, Ji Fa,
you're still just a farmer from Xiqi,
reeking of manure.
Let's drink.
Your father, Chong Houhu, Duke of the North,
knows nothing but hunting animals.
Even in that armor,
you're still...
...just a hunter,
reeking of... what?
What does he smell like?
A beast.
I know what you want.
You want to be...
...King of All The World.
You know what happens to the daughters of traitors?
At dawn, you'll be offered as a sacrifice to our banner.
I'm different from the others.
I can help you.
After being a hostage in Zhaoge for eight years,
on this day,
I finally return as a hero...
...to the welcoming cheers of the entire city.
I, Yin Shou, bow to His Majesty and His Highness.
To you, Father, I present Su Hus head.
And to you, Brother, the battle flag of Jizhou.
Su Hu,
you once declared youd never bow to me,
and yet, here you are.
At the victory banquet tomorrow,
well use his skull as a goblet...
...and drink from it until daybreak!
King of Shang, King of All Realms!
The Hostage Brigade, returning in victory,
will perform a war dance for His Majesty.
Attack!
Long live Your Majesty!
My son...
...my dearest son dances for me!
Excellent!
Encircle him!
Shields!
Your Highness...
He's dead!
Ji Fa,
you killed the Prince.
Your entire family will be executed.
Ji Fa.
Killing the Prince is a serious crime,
and the penalty is death.
What a horrific crime!
Father!
My brother Yin Qi killed our father, the King.
Ji Fa,
what you did was not only justified,
but a service to our kingdom.
If Yin Jiao hadnt spoken for me...
...and the Commander hadnt shown mercy,
my whole family would have been executed.
But now that the King is dead,
what would become of the Shang dynasty?
So this is why the Supreme One summoned the twelve of us...
...here to the Yuxu Palace.
The mortal world is in misery.
Is this the future of all humanity?
This is the Great Curse. Tell us, Supreme One,
what have the mortals done to deserve this?
When wars are raging
and demons become rampant,
The Great Curse is sure to fall upon all.
In the beginning,
when Pangu broke through the chaos,
the pure Qi rose to form the sky...
...and the impure descended to form the earth.
The sky and earth were thus created,
and life flourished.
The Great Curse will cause...
...everything to be reversed.
The world is falling back into chaos...
...and all life will be extinguished.
Although the mortals probably deserve it,
we can't just sit here and do nothing.
Lady Nuwa left the Fengshen Bang...
...here in Kunlun, under our guard...
...precisely because she foresaw this day.
It is time for the Fengshen Bang to be delivered unto the world.
As soon as the Fengshen Bang is placed into the hands...
...of the King of All Realms,
and he unseals it and invests the new gods,
the Great Curse will be lifted...
...and humanity will be saved.
I'm sure you're all aware of the price one must pay...
...to be the bearer of the Fengshen Bang.
Supreme One, allow me.
It should be me this time.
Ill do it.
I should be the one.
Theres no room for error.
We must let the Supreme One decide...
...who the bearer shall be.
Humanity is in dire peril.
Ill deliver the Fengshen Bang to them.
Ziya,
you must be aware that,
when an Immortal touches the Fengshen Bang,
they will lose all their powers,
become mortal again,
and, therefore, never return to Kunlun.
All the more reason I should be the one.
And why is that?
All of you have been practising for more than a thousand years...
...to achieve your current powers.
That mustnt be squandered.
I've only been practising for forty years.
It's no great tragedy...
...to lose the powers I have.
And, before I took up practising,
I was a merchant.
I traveled quite often...
...and had a lot of worldly experiences.
I humbly volunteer...
...to take on this task.
Ziya, you haven't been with us for long,
and you're not yet able...
...to see visions of the future,
which is why I did not summon you today.
And yet, your intrusion, driven by your sympathy...
...for the mortals,
disrupted our vision of the Great Curse.
Could this be your destiny?
Jiang Ziya,
are you really ready to give up...
...forty years of immortality and power...
...and go back to being a mortal?
The Great Black Bird...
...gave birth to the Shang people.
Ancestors, hear me!
I, Yin Shou, never desired to be King,
but the country must have a ruler,
and I, being my father's only living child,
have no choice but to ascend the throne...
...and sustain the Shang dynasty.
I now implore my uncle, High Priest Bi Gan...
...to see into our kingdoms future.
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
The dynasty is doomed!
Uncle, what are you saying?
The Gods foretold our doom...
...by shattering our divination.
What have we done to deserve a curse like that?
A member of our royal family...
...killed his own father and King.
No greater sin could have been committed,
the gods have been enraged.
We descendants of Cheng Tang...
...are no longer fit to be King of All Realms.
I will sacrifice a hundred human lives...
...to quell their rage.
Its useless.
One thousand, then.
Even ten thousand won't help.
Back in the beginning,
when our ancestor Cheng Tang united the land,
so many lives were taken that a Great Curse fell.
A great drought of seven years...
...left the land completely barren.
By building and mounting a sacrificial pyre...
...and immolating himself,
Cheng Tang finally moved the Gods and lifted the curse.
Are you suggesting I should do the same?
How dare you, Bi Gan!
My father only just ascended the throne...
...and you want him to sacrifice himself!
The very idea...
...is treason!
You fool!
The Great Curse is just beginning.
Before long,
our people will be in misery...
...and our ancestors will be without offerings.
When that time comes,
the entire Shang dynasty will be no more!
Father, pass the throne to me.
I will sacrifice myself in your place.
What is a king...
...if not the bearer of all earthly sins?
I will follow our ancestor Cheng Tangs example...
...and build a sacrificial pyre in Zhaoge.
On the day it is completed,
I will burn myself as sacrifice to save the kingdom.
Blessed is the kingdom!
Kneel!
Blessed is the kingdom!
Blessed is the kingdom!
Blessed is the kingdom!
Kowtow!
I waited outside the Deer Terrace for an hour,
but His Majesty...
...refused to see me.
I'll go fetch him.
You spoke out of turn today.
Youve aroused your fathers mistrust.
I asked him to pass the throne to me...
...so I could die in his place.
Surely he must know that.
You don't know your father.
Mother,
you worry too much.
I will bring Father here,
so our family can be together.
Ji Fa.
Yin Jiao.
It's a fox demon.
Follow me.
Are you sure it went this way?
There, in the Celestial Chamber.
His Majesty is resting,
and no one is allowed to enter.
My father is in danger.
I don't have time for this!
Who's there?
Father,
it's me.
Barging in at this hour, carrying a sword!
Aren't you in a hurry...
...to sit on my throne!
I would never!
I was chasing a fox...
...demon.
We barged in here out of concern...
...for Your Majesty's safety. Please forgive us.
What fox demon?
What's she doing here?
Get out!
At once, Your Majesty!
I should have killed her when we first saw her!
His Majesty is sacrificing himself to save the world.
He is a hero.
Don't upset him again.
If it were your father,
what would you do?
I've been away for eight years.
My own father...
...probably wouldn't even recognize me anymore.
I'm afraid we'll have a bad harvest this year.
With the Great Curse upon Zhaoge,
even Xiqi is affected.
Thanks to your precautions, Father,
we have enough food stored...
...for the next three years.
What about after that?
In the course of one night,
the King and the Prince were both killed.
Most strange,
the new King should be so hasty to ascend the throne,
and then immediately summon the Four Dukes,
with dark intentions, I think.
This trip to Zhaoge...
...could be most treacherous.
Please reconsider, Father.
My Lord.
If I disobey the King, war will ensue...
...and the entire country will pay the price.
Although the throne has changed hands,
my duties remain the same.
Let's take this chance to visit Ji Fa.
It's been eight years.
He must be as tall as you now.
Maybe even taller.
When I'm gone, you're the guardian of Xiqi,
and you must keep it safe.
No matter what happens,
don't leave Xiqi.
Safe return, Father.
Line up. Line up.
Let them through.
Stop pushing.
Stop them.
Stop pushing.
Stay back, you lot!
Your pass.
No pass, no entry.
We need a pass?
What a nuisance.
Master Ziya,
let me fly you in on my Fire Wheels.
My Five Elements Teleportation is faster.
No. When we set out, the Supreme One told us...
...to refrain from using our powers.
But the mortal world has its own tricks.
Watch this.
Good day, sir.
Who are you?
We are immortals, all the way from Kunlun.
So we have no pass.
No pass?
But, we have this.
Take it.
What is this?
Elixir.
What does it do?
What does it do?!
This elixir contains pure Qi,
the essence of water,
the blessing of benevolent gods,
and the best of Sky, Earth and Man.
One whiff.
And you'll feel refreshed.
One taste.
And all discomfort is gone.
Such an amazing elixir can't be bought...
...no matter how much you're ready to offer.
Consider it our gift...
...to you, our new friend.
Master Ziya, your mortal trick worked!
Come along,
I'll take good care of you.
You're too kind.
I'll drive you into the city myself.
Must His Majesty sacrifice himself...
...on the pyre to dispel the Great Curse?
Maybe...
...only the gods know the answer.
We're here.
Get off.
Keep up.
Hurry.
Master Ziya.
Master Ziya, what's going on?
Looks like...
...we've been sold.
Sold?
I thought you knew your way around here.
I haven't been back in forty years.
It wasnt like this before.
Bring them over.
Sir,
we have something for His Majesty.
Cut the crap.
That's about enough.
Oh no.
Look!
Thunderbolts!
Go and save those people!
Can we use our powers?
Of course.
Finally!
So the Gods really do exist!
Theres hope for His Majesty!
The alchemist Shen Gongbao from Golden Turtle Island...
...is here to demonstrate his powers for His Majesty.
The honor is mine.
Fascinating.
What sorcery is this?
Your Majesty,
With this spell I can survive beheading.
How about burning?
If one is able to live without his head,
a little fire is nothing to worry about.
Perfect. How long does it take to master it?
It took me a thousand years,
but, with Your Majesty's extraordinary talents,
500 years should be enough.
500 years?
That's right.
Ludicrous!
That hurts.
No!
Don't.
Here. Here.
Over here.
Hurry it up!
Jiang Ziya, Taoist Monk from Kunlun,
has something to present to His Majesty.
What is it?
What I have here...
...is the Fengshen Bang.
What does it do?
A great turmoil is on the horizon.
I was sent by my master, the Supreme One, to bring the
Fengshen Bang...
...to the King of All Realms.
When the King unseals it and invests the new gods,
the Fengshen Bang will dispel the Great Curse...
...and all of humanity will be saved.
Can such a small scroll...
...really remove the Great Curse?
More than that!
The Fengshen Bang is a sacred artifact left behind by the
Lady Nuwa.
It absorbs the Qi energy of the dead,
or what we may call souls.
Once Your Majesty unseals the Fengshen Bang...
all this energy will be yours...
...to command.
That means,
the more people die,
the more powerful the Fengshen Bang becomes?
Your Majesty is insightful.
So the Great Curse may in fact be a blessing.
Your Majesty is all-knowing.
This sorcerer is a demon.
Well, then...
...well share in the rewards!
Hang on.
The authenticity...
...of the Fengshen Bang...
...is yet to be proven.
How do we do that?
I could do it...
if I had a freshly-deceased human.
Soul Revelation!
Your Majesty is most decisive,
but there's something else.
A pattern of steps is needed to unseal the Fengshen Bang.
Let me show you.
Watch carefully.
Is this...?
Can it be...
...the Steps of the Cosmos?
Not so fast, my Taoist Brother.
Run!
Stop them!
Don't kill anyone!
Got it!
Easy! Easy!
Master Ziya!
Yin Jiao! Ji Fa! Get the Fengshen Bang!
Come on!
Out of my way!
Go after them!
Water Teleportation!
Ji Fa, you go that way!
It's dangerous! Stop!
You stop!
It's a dead end.
If you come closer,
I'll jump.
Youve come all this way,
why change your mind now?
Just pretend I was never here.
That solves everything, doesn't it?
Go back! Go back!
The Fengshen Bang belongs to the King of All Realms,
and that King is my father.
What right do you have to keep it?
I was going to give it to him,
but I can't now.
You despicable cheat.
Tell me,
what does it mean to be King of All Realms?
If he can slaughter...
...an innocent man,
how can he be trusted with all of humanity?
My father is willing...
The Great Curse is coming,
and countless lives will be lost every day.
Yet he called this a blessing!
Tell me.
If you were King,
would you do the same?
Shut up!
Return the Fengshen Bang to my father!
Old Man, hand over the Fengshen Bang.
Without it, His Majesty will die.
If I give it to him,
I'm afraid the rest of the world will meet that same fate.
Nonsense!
His Majesty is a hero!
But he takes you as fools.
He doesn't care about anyone else.
He cares only about himself.
Yin Jiao.
Yin Jiao,
he just saved your life.
I don't care.
I need to save my father.
Master Ziya!
Don't hurt him. Don't!
Where is my Fengshen Bang?
Release him!
Ji Fa,
take the Fengshen Bang and run!
Don't do it. Don't do it.
You wouldn't dare.
Don't let go!
Don't do it!
He let go.
Thunderbolts!
He actually jumped!
Yin Jiao.
Master,
I have something important to report to you.
Its the Fengshen Bang.
I actually saw the Fengshen Bang.
If you saw the Fengshen Bang,
why didn't you bring it to me?
Forgive me, Master.
It's not that I didn't try,
but the Kunlun monk had lots of backup.
I was...
What Kunlun monk?
How dare he bully you?
Master, let's go teach them a lesson!
This spell is for Soul Instillation.
Our Master is good to you.
What are you waiting for? Go!
Thank you, Master.
Master Ziya.
You're awake.
Yin Shou is the King of All Realms,
but you wont give the Fengshen Bang to him.
What's the point of us staying here?
Right! We haven't met anyone nice...
...since we began this journey.
You almost lost your life.
Why dont we take the Fengshen Bang back to Kunlun...
...and leave these mortals to their own devices?
Yin Jiao is the Crown Prince.
He is the next King of All Realms.
Hes not like his father.
Yin Jiao? How long do we have to wait...
...for him to become King?
Who said anything about waiting?
Could it be another demon?
Stop.
Where did this baby come from?
So strange. Must be a demon.
My Lord, be careful.
A pitiful thing, all alone.
Sir,
that thing in your arms might be a demon.
Better to kill it now,
before it becomes a threat.
If you can't do it, we will.
Its just a child.
Even if he is a demon,
whether he grows up to be good or evil...
... depends on how he is raised.
We can't jump to conclusions.
You are absolutely right.
Nezha, Yang Jian, stay your hands.
I am Jiang Ziya. We come from Kunlun.
I am Ji Chang, from Xiqi.
The Duke of the West. It's an honor.
The child is frail.
To save his life,
I propose we send him to Kunlun...
...for my master, the Supreme One, to raise.
I've heard a great deal about the Supreme One.
It would be the childs honor to be taught by him.
Then you should name the child,
so youll know him if you meet again.
His birth was accompanied by thunder.
Let's name him Lei Zhenzi.
Yang Jian, Nezha, take Lei Zhenzi to Kunlun.
Right away.
Strange things keep happening these days.
Is that why you're going to Zhaoge?
We have a new king now.
It's customary for the Four Dukes...
...to pay our respects in person.
So the other three Dukes are also on their way?
Yes.
You asked Ji Chang to summon us...
...to dethrone Yin Shou and make Yin Jiao the new King.
Exactly.
Yin Shou has promised...
...to sacrifice himself to lift the Great Curse.
Fool!
You really believe he would burn himself?
When the pyre is built,
we'll see if he keeps his word.
How can you...
There is no time to lose.
The Great Curse has spread to all realms.
Plagues in the North,
water turning foul in the East,
babies stillborn in the South,
and crop failure in the West.
The longer we wait, the greater the devastation.
This curse was brought on by the Yin family.
It's their responsibility to end it.
The Shang King is the King of All Realms.
The world is his.
This world...
...is not the King's world,
but everyone's world.
Fascinating...
Fascinating...
The Duke of the Wests divinations have never been wrong.
So, what does it say?
The hexagram indicates deception.
The killing of a king was not righteous,
and a throne fell into undeserving hands.
So it would seem,
the King was not killed by Yin Qi, but someone else.
Who would that be?
Who else but Yin Shou?
It's not right to jump to such conclusions.
Are you with us or not?
It's treason,
with little chance of success.
How about you, Ji Chang?
Don't forget our sons are kept as hostages in Zhaoge.
So be it.
So be it!
I'll return to the south and rally my troops.
I can do this without you.
Stop! Nobody move!
You dare to plot treason!
He's alone. Kill him.
No!
It's my son, Ji Fa.
I am Ji Fa, a guard of the royal court.
I saw Yin Qi kill his father with my own eyes,
and yet you try to smear His Majesty...
...with these false divinations!
Do you see?
He's been a hostage so long...
...that he takes Yin Shou to be his father.
What good is a son like that?
Kill him.
Youre not getting away!
Ji Fa! We finally found you. -Brethren!
We are the royal guards. Drop your weapons!
Step aside!
They say you can see the future.
Ji Chang,
are you able to see...
...your own death?
Your Majesty,
a fortune teller...
...can see the future...
...of everything...
...except for...
...his own fortunes.
What do you see now?
It shows here that,
Your Majesty,
will die by the hand of your own flesh and blood.
Everyone knows that...
...I intend to sacrifice myself...
...to save the world.
Ji Chang,
youre nothing but a fake!
Go! Stand before your fathers.
When Yin Qi killed our father,
your sons were all there,
they saw everything that happened.
But the four of you...
...would believe baseless rumors...
...over what they saw with their own eyes.
Youre not stupid.
Youre simply treasonous.
Take a good look at these traitors.
They used to be your fathers.
Now,
they're sinners that betrayed the Shang.
My sister is your wife,
the Queen.
The Crown Prince, Yin Jiao, is my nephew.
Why would I be a traitor?
With the gods as my witnesses,
I never intended to betray you.
Yin Shou!
You killed your father and your brother,
and brought on the Great Curse.
You...
...are the sinner.
Your fathers...
...kept their favorite sons close to them,
well-fed and well-dressed,
waiting to one day inherit...
...their throne.
Whereas you...
...were abandoned here in distant Zhaoge,
to fend for yourselves.
And now,
youve all grown up,
trained by my hand to become Shang warriors.
Your power and courage...
...have been forged in mortal combat.
No one can tell you what to do.
You are far stronger than your brothers back home.
You are far more qualified to succeed your fathers.
Now, I give you a chance to take what is rightfully yours.
Whoever kills his father...
...can take his place.
Draw your swords!
Have you forgotten how Su Quanxiao died?
Father!
If you dont kill your father,
he will one day kill you.
Father!
Good.
Chong Yingbiao,
you are now Duke of the North.
You fool!
Do it!
No!
No!
No!
My son!
My son!
You must...
...stay alive.
Jiang Wenhuan,
you are now Duke of the East.
Father!
Ji Fa,
what are you waiting for?
You wish to plead for your father's life?
No.
Ji Chang is a traitor...
...who deserves to be executed.
The Four Dukes plotted treason...
...because they were misled by Ji Chang.
Ji Chang is the culprit,
he started the conspiracy.
If we kill him,
his sins will be covered up...
...and no one will know the truth.
He has to apologize in public...
...to let the people know that...
...the Four Dukes attempted treason,
and it was Your Majesty's decisiveness...
...that saved the Shang.
You let the Fengshen Bang get away.
That was a failure.
You captured four traitors for the Shang.
Thats to your credit.
Guards!
Put Ji Chang in the dungeon.
Father.
Father.
That jade circle...
...was my gift to you...
...when I sent you here to be a hostage.
Do you remember what it means?
His Majesty promised me that,
as soon as you confess your crime,
he will let you go back to Xiqi.
The circle...
...means that one day you will return.
It's planting season soon.
Xiqi...
Your false prophecies fomented treason.
Why wont you admit that?
I was wrong.
I shouldn't have...
...sent you to live with such an evil person as Yin Shou.
How can you call him evil?
I saw with my own eyes...
...how he fought for our country.
I heard with my own ears...
...how he intends to sacrifice himself...
...to appease the Great Curse.
As for you,
you were in Xiqi.
You didn't witness any of that,
and yet you judge him based on a handful of sticks.
Its ridiculous.
My son,
what you see...
...might only be what Yin Shou wants you to see,
and what you believe...
...might only be what Yin Shou wants you to believe.
Father.
If...
...you truly believed all that,
you would have killed me yesterday in court.
I'm your son.
How could I kill you?
Remember,
it doesn't matter whose son you are.
What matters is who you are.
Such a beautiful body.
To kill it...
...would be a shame, no?
Everything started with you,
perhaps it should end with you as well.
It would appear that...
...Ive awakened a beast.
Keep me around.
I know a way for us...
...to share immortality.
I ask Your Majesty to execute me.
On what grounds?
Jiang Huanchu, Duke of the East,
was executed by Your Majesty.
As his sister, I deserve the same punishment.
You believe he was wronged?
The Four Dukes were loyal men.
By killing them,
you betrayed the trust of your subjects.
Their sons were loving children.
By forcing them to kill their fathers,
youve abandoned all morality.
What you killed...
...was more than four men.
You killed the trust of the world...
...and the Shang reign of the last 500 years.
As the Queen...
...of this country,
its my duty to advise the King.
As your wife,
its my duty to address your sins.
Perhaps my death can serve to...
...bring you to your senses.
The dead are already gone.
Why waste your own life?
A body such as yours...
...is not easy to come by.
As Queen,
you deserve to have...
...all the joy in the world.
Why don't you join us...
...in our joy?
No wonder His Majesty is so fond of you.
Even I...
...cant help feeling drawn to you.
Strange that a place as cold and remote as Jizhou...
...was able to produce a stunning beauty like you.
If I were the King,
I, too, would fall under your spell.
Evil temptress,
begone from this world!
Demon!
Your Majesty!
So you do intend to kill me!
Father!
Shes not human!
Shes a fox demon!
Protect His Majesty!
Guards!
Ji Fa.
What should I do?
This leads to outside the Meridian Gate.
Go to High Priest Bi Gan and hide there.
If you let me go,
what will happen to you?
Give me the Daemon Dukes sword.
Ji Fa.
Chong Yingbiao,
it's dark in there.
I'll find you a torch.
Bring me...
...a torch!
The Great Curse is upon us,
and evildoers are everywhere.
We are in a time of crisis.
To make the Great Curse abate,
the evildoers must be rooted out.
This shows His Majesty's concern for his people.
The Four Dukes...
...of the East, West, South and North...
...were ungrateful traitors...
...who plotted treason.
Now that they've failed,
they are either dead or in prison.
The Queen, Jiang,
didn't know her place as a woman,
and spoke out of turn.
Ashamed of what she did,
she drowned herself. -Kneel before the Duke of The North!
The Crown Prince, Yin Jiao,
utterly lacking in morals,
crept into the palace at night...
...to kill his father and king.
After he failed, he fled...
...and is now a wanted man.
This sword of Yin Jiaos is sharp indeed.
Ive had my eye on you for days now.
Where are you hiding Yin Jiao?
At the stable?
In the barracks?
Or in a shithole?
Beast.
Come on.
Bring it on!
Brother!
All these years alone here in Zhaoge,
Im sure youve been bullied a lot.
No way.
I do all the bullying!
Youve always been competitive,
always wanted to be a great hero.
I remember when the Shang came for hostages...
...and Father made us compete in archery...
...to see who would go.
Dont think for a moment that I dont know...
...that you tampered with my arrow.
If I hadnt,
how could I have beaten you?
I know that...
...you wanted more than the quiet life in Xiqi.
You longed to be a warrior in Zhaoge.
Now that you're a royal guard,
I'm really happy for you.
Brother,
you are next in line to be Duke of Xiqi.
You should have stayed there.
The carriages outside are loaded with treasure.
Tell me...
...is it enough to save Father?
No amount of treasure will do.
I've already talked to Father,
but he won't admit he was wrong.
Father is like that.
He never does anything...
...he doesn't believe in.
Brother,
don't worry.
I'm working on it.
Im afraid that...
...Father is old and frail.
He cant wait much longer.
My Snow Dragons!
It's been ages.
They still recognize me!
You've been away for too long.
You probably dont know your way back anymore.
These two Snow Dragons were a gift from Father,
but Ive trained them over the years.
They are fast...
...and know their way around.
The treasures you brought...
...do not please me;
but your presence...
...pleases me greatly.
Tell me,
what do you want?
Today, I will grant your every wish.
My father is too old and weak...
...to survive prison.
Would you take pity on him...
...and release him?
Punish me...
...in his place.
Your father was sentenced to death.
Then I would die for him.
Ji Fa, it's me.
Demon monk!
Every time you show up, something bad happens.
Where is Yin Jiao?
Take me to see him!
You wont rest until were all killed!
I'm the only one who can save him.
He can stay in Zhaoge no longer.
Last time you got away,
but this time you surrendered yourself.
Stop talking.
Come with me.
Leave Zhaoge.
Kunlun will protect you.
You're the future King of All Realms.
The peoples future...
...depends on...
My father is the King of All Realms.
Hes the one that will open the Fengshen Bang...
...and save the world!
I told you, old man.
He won't listen to you.
You still believe him?
My Father is bewitched by a fox demon.
Good and bad fortunes...
...don't happen by accident.
Those with evil intentions...
...attract demons.
What if...
What if your father is not bewitched by a fox demon?
If we can lure Daji to this place...
...and kill the fox,
then we will know the truth.
It pains me to see how youve suffered.
Are you here to kill me?
I envy you...
...for having two good sons.
I, on the other hand,
only have one,
who wants to kill me.
We're both fathers.
Why am I so afflicted?
However you treat your own father,
your son will follow that example.
But you have no idea...
...how my father treated me.
I have great admiration for you.
What should I do?
I'd like to hear your advice.
If you keep your word...
...and sacrifice yourself,
your sins...
...will be absolved,
and youll be an honorable descendant of Cheng Tang.
The thing is,
can you do it?
Bo Yikao is here? In Zhaoge?
Where is he?
You love your son so much.
Don't you recognize how he tastes?
Even beasts don't eat their cubs.
You are less than an animal.
You want a bite?
Have a bite.
Take it!
Take it!
You monster!
Kill me!
I promised Bo Yikao...
...that I wouldnt kill you...
...and that Id release you.
You know what you have to do.
Remember,
I still have your other son in my hands.
I have sinned.
I made a false divination.
I plotted treason.
I instigated a revolt.
I am a criminal.
I am unforgivable.
I have sinned.
I made a false divination.
I plotted treason.
I...
I instigated a revolt.
I made a false divination.
I plotted treason.
I...
...instigated a revolt.
I am a criminal.
I am a criminal.
I...
I made a false divination.
I, Yin Shou,
have brought Lady Su to meet our ancestors...
...and ask for their blessing.
Come closer.
Let the ancestors see you.
If I hadnt seen it with my own eyes,
Id never believe that such beauty could exist.
Give me your hand.
Fox Demon,
Ive locked your meridian pathway!
Prepare to die.
How can you say shes a fox demon?
Yin Jiao.
So this is where you've been hiding.
I saw with my own eyes...
...how the fox demon inhabits Daji's body.
Father, I wounded you by accident,
when I was trying to kill this demon...
...and avenge Mother.
Daji has been with me all this time.
If she were a fox demon, I would know.
When I kill her,
her true form will reveal itself.
What if shes not a fox demon?
You will have taken an innocent life!
As the High Priest,
I have a magical heart with seven chambers.
Upon consuming this heart,
any demon...
...will revert to its original form.
You would give up your heart for this?
What is my heart...
...compared to the royal family...
...and our dynasty?
But if Su Daji is indeed a fox demon,
what will Your Majesty do?
Name your terms.
She must be put to death.
Yin Jiao must be pardoned.
And the Four Dukes must be declared innocent.
In the name of our ancestors,
swear to do all this.
As the ancestors are my witness,
I swear it!
Grand uncle, you mustnt!
Swallow it!
Fox demon, you wont harm His Majesty!
The fox demon has shown itself.
Now, Your Majesty, kill it!
In the name of our ancestors,
Yin Shou, what are you waiting for?
Our ancestors?
Where are these ancestors?
If I call out to them, do they answer?
You all say the white fox is a demon.
In fact, shes a charm.
Only she knows what I truly desire.
You want to be...
...King of All The World.
The Shang Dynasty...
...is finished.
High Priest!
The Shang Dynasty...
...is truly finished.
Grand Uncle!
The Shang Dynasty...
Get the High Priest out of here.
Treacherous boy,
what do you find so amusing?
I thought you were bewitched by the fox demon.
That's why I kept hoping that...
...you would turn back into...
...the father...
...that I respected and looked up to.
I was such a fool.
You did this!
You gave me my life.
Now you can take it back!
Yin Jiao!
Guards!
Take him away.
Hell be executed at the Meridian Gate tomorrow.
Dont think I dont know what youve been up to.
I would never...
Of all the hostages,
you were my favorite,
because on the day you arrived in Zhaoge,
you told me that...
...you wanted to be a hero.
We are one of a kind,
therefore,
I'll give you one last chance.
Go and kill Ji Chang.
Do that for me...
...and youll become my son and heir,
the Crown Prince of Shang.
Dont disappoint me again.
I'm a criminal.
I'm unforgivable.
I have sinned.
I thought I would never again see the light of day,
but you saved me.
I practised for a thousand years...
...so as to take on human form...
...and partake in the pleasures of life.
But King Cheng Tang sealed me inside the Xuanyuan Tomb.
It's been 500 years...
Only the blood of his descendants could break the seal.
You brought me back to life.
In return,
I used a soul transference spell...
...to inhabit Yin Qi's body...
...to help you do what you wanted to do,
to take what you wanted to have.
I will make you immortal,
a King for all eternity.
A subject serves his king...
...like the sun and moon in the sky.
Such is the basis of a nation.
A son serves his father...
...like the gods in the heavens above.
Such is the foundation of a family.
That's why there is no greater sin...
...than the murder of one's father and king.
The traitorous son, Yin Jiao,
disregarding all law and ethics,
armed with murderous intent...
So then, Ji Chang,
which one of us was fated to die...
...by the hand of his own flesh and blood?
Yin Shou!
Dead or alive, Im coming for you!
Proceed with the execution!
Nezha, Yang Jian, where are you?
Brothers of Xiqi,
save Yin Jiao!
Stop them!
You dared to deceive me?!
Release Yin Jiao,
or Ill have to kill you.
You don't have what it takes.
Execute him!
Comrade,
let me send you on your way.
You think youll kill me?
Dont forget,
I taught you everything you know.
Save Ji Fa!
Nezha, Yang Jian, I'm here!
Master Ziya!
Come with us! Lets go!
Don't worry about me. Take Yin Jiao with you.
Yin Jiao is in two sections! Hes dead.
Stop wasting time!
Take him to Kunlun immediately!
Water Teleportation!
Did they have to both go?
If the gods won't kill you,
I will.
His Majesty is dead.
I, Duke of the North, give the orders now.
Bring me Ji Fa.
Why are you still in Zhaoge?
You must have a death wish!
Soul Transference!
Yin Shou is dead.
I killed him.
Hes the one responsible for the Great Curse.
Stop them!
Jiang Wenhuan, if you wish to avenge him,
do it now.
Stand down!
Let them go.
Go!
Close the gates.
Prepare for battle!
Someone is coming through!
Stop him!
Stop him now!
It's a fugitive.
Into the forest!
Keep up!
What is this?
Release the arrows!
Ji Fa, go. Save yourself.
It's me they're after.
Im going to borrow something of yours.
What?
Not so fast, my Taoist Brother.
You!
Jiang Ziya! You wont get away!
Who are you?
Lei Zhenzi.
My child,
let's go home.
These two Snow Dragons were gifts from Father.
I've trained them over the years.
Whenever you want to return,
just say to them:
Home.
And they'll take you back to Xiqi.
The circle.
Father,
I promise I'll return home to Xiqi.
Circle.
Full circle.
Home.
Its a Snow Dragon!
Young Master's back!
Father.
Come.
Full circle.
Father,
I'm back.
Shang Commander Wen Zhong,
after ten years of battle near the North Sea,
has returned in victory!