The Ferry Man: Butterfly Dream (2026) Movie Script
In these turbulent times,
war has raged
for over a century without end.
The common folk perished,
some by the sword,
others by famine.
You were born, but I was not yet here
Piles of rotting corpses
gave rise to a miasma of decay,
which thickened
the yin energy across the land,
I came to be, but you had already aged
breeding countless demons and monsters.
You regret that I arrived too late
Amitabha.
Little girl,
I regret that you came too soon
you are here all alone.
Have you lost your parents?
In times like these,
corpses litter the fields,
and the world is nothing
but ruin and sorrow.
Left so helpless
and so young,
how will you ever survive?
You're a demon, aren't you?
This tree is your true form.
And those bones strewn upon it.
They're all travelers
you lured and devoured.
Why
did you do this?
This tree is unusual.
Not very old, yet it's grown this massive,
and even spawned a demon.
You must have
gotten your hands on some treasure.
Yes.
Right here.
A fragment of Spirit Stone, sure enough.
Stop!
That...
That fell from the sky.
It landed on my canopy,
so it's mine!
This is a fragment of
Kunlun's Guardian Spirit Stone.
Demon,
since you were fortunate to obtain it
and gain sentience,
you should have cultivated properly.
Instead, you slaughtered the innocent
and fell to evil.
Today,
your time has come.
Who
are you?
I'm just a wandering monk.
They call me Wuming.
Wuming.
You ruined my cultivation.
I'll take you down with me!
Oh no.
Fusheng Beast.
Fusheng!
Fusheng Beast!
Fusheng!
Where are you?
Come back!
[Soul Ferry]
[Butterfly Dream]
Dongqing,
what are you looking at?
Is there a ghost in the tree?
Why do you say that?
You always get that look
when you see ghosts.
Not a ghost this time.
It's a little demon.
Look,
it's right there in the shade.
No.
I don't see anything.
Good thing we've got the Mountain God
watching over us.
Strange.
Could this thing
really be a little ghost?
Is your name really Dongqing?
I think so.
I don't remember
anything about my past.
Only the name Dongqing.
When I woke up,
I was already here in Wuyin Village.
Good thing you came.
Otherwise, no one would herd these sheep.
Grandma's too old,
and I'm too young.
If the landlord takes these sheep back,
Grandma and I will starve to death.
When you grow a bit taller,
this whip
will be yours.
I won't be herding sheep.
Grandma made a deal with someone,
sending me to work
at a tailor's shop in town.
I hear I won't get enough to eat,
and I'll get beaten.
Gotta work as a shop hand for years
before the master
teaches me any real tailoring.
I don't want to go.
I really don't want to learn tailoring.
But Grandma said
I can't just eat for free at home.
Your grandma's pretty heartless.
Didn't you say
she sold your sister off
to some rich family as a maid last year?
Grandma said
she went off to a better life.
But being sold
as a maid at twelve.
What kind of better life is that?
Alright, Gou'er.
Think more happy
thoughts from now on.
Actually, there is one happy thing.
I'll tell you,
but don't tell anyone.
Last night,
I dreamed of butterflies.
You like butterflies?
Of course.
What did you dream about the butterflies?
I can't tell you that.
I promised the butterflies.
You keep staring at me.
Are you hungry too?
Eat.
Are you a ghost or a demon?
Why can't Gou'er see you?
Where...
Where is this?
Dongqing!
Dongqing.
I'm leaving.
Where to?
Someplace good.
A place with no war,
no hunger,
no grown-ups,
only children.
We play all day,
laugh all day.
No one hits us.
No one yells at us.
No one sells us away.
Gou'er.
You...
What are you doing in my house?
You little thing.
You're hungry, aren't you?
Fine.
I'll go make you something to eat now.
Give it back to me!
Who are you?
It's mine!
Are you going to give it back or not?
Sir,
do you have any food?
I haven't eaten for days.
I don't have any food.
Kind sir,
I'm starving.
How about
we s-stew it?
So heavy.
Who is he?
You know him?
Is he your master?
He's not dead.
Just fainted from hunger.
For your sake,
I'll get him something to eat.
Is your name Zhao Li?
Zhao Yi.
Zhao Li.
Never heard of that name.
I am Wuming,
a wandering monk.
Thank you for the porridge.
Have you seen me before?
I don't remember.
It's just that...
Looking at your face,
I feel like I know you.
Very familiar.
I don't know why,
but I remember your name is Zhao Li.
Perhaps it's fate.
What's your name?
Are you from this village?
I'm not from this village.
The villagers said
I fainted at the village entrance.
They carried me back.
When I woke up,
I couldn't remember anything,
except the name Dongqing.
And you,
Zhao Li.
I'm really not Zhao Li,
my friend.
Actually,
this house you live in,
I
Find it very familiar.
Could it be
that I really met you here?
That can't be.
I haven't lived here for long.
After I woke up,
I didn't know where I came from,
nor where I was going
or what I should do.
The villagers said war was everywhere,
so they let me stay
in this empty house.
I just do some odd jobs
to feed myself.
I see.
This little one
is a demon, isn't it?
It's a demon beast.
It's called the Fusheng Beast.
Fusheng Beast?
Does it know any magic?
Do you really
want to know?
It's incredibly useful,
just loves to run off.
I went through
a lot of trouble tracking it down.
I didn't see any houses along the way,
nowhere to beg for alms,
and almost starved to death.
So what exactly does it do?
I'm tired.
May I borrow your bed
for the night?
As for what the Fusheng Beast
can do,
let's talk tomorrow,
okay?
You.
Gou'er!
Gou'er!
My poor grandson!
I told you not to run off!
An old lady is crying.
Grandma.
Gou'er is gone.
Gone?
Nowhere to be found.
He must have gone into the mountains.
He's not coming back.
Another one taken by the Mountain God.
Over the years,
quite a few children
from the village have gone missing.
Taken, so be it.
The Mountain God takes children
as our offering.
This year's harvest
is bound to be bountiful.
Keep your voice down.
Don't let Gou'er's grandma hear you.
So what if she does?
Her losing a grandson is a small matter,
but if the harvest fails,
the whole village starves.
I see.
Dongqing!
Where are you going?
There's heavy fog up in the mountains.
It's dangerous.
When fog rolls in over Mount Wuyin,
the Mountain God is taking a stroll.
You can't go into
the mountains at a time like this.
No one who's gone in
has ever come back.
I'm going to find Gou'er.
Just stay at my place.
These are all baseless rumors.
It's true that mountain fog
can make people lose their way,
but it's not the work of the Mountain God.
There has never been
a god in this world who takes children
in exchange for good harvests.
Dongqing!
Wait!
What are you doing here?
You need a helper.
This mountain is somewhat unusual.
Is there really a Mountain God?
Who cares?
Even a Mountain God can't just
snatch a living child
from the village for no reason.
Have the villagers
really seen the Mountain God?
They probably haven't.
But in recent years,
children have been
taken by the Mountain God.
It is said that
the souls of virgin boys and girls
can help the Mountain God
achieve immortality.
Maybe
what lives in the mountain
is a demon.
A demon?
Don't worry.
I'm an expert
at catching demons.
You know how to catch demons?
Exorcising demons
is the very foundation of my cultivation.
Right.
You are a monk.
Over there.
Really impressive.
You actually know the way.
I don't
know it at all.
Then why are you going this way?
Do you trust me?
This way.
Wait for me.
This mountain
is full of spiritual energy.
Even the plants are smarter than people.
Just head toward
wherever the energy is strongest.
It can't be wrong.
Hold up.
What is it?
A butterfly?
What about it?
Gou'er.
The day before
Gou'er disappeared, he told me
he dreamed of butterflies.
And the night you came,
I dreamed of butterflies too.
Gou'er must be with the butterflies.
A butterfly dream.
Follow it.
There's a strange, sweet smell.
Hurry!
Don't let it get away!
Thank you.
My eyes...
My eyes hurt so much.
What's wrong?
Crying from fear, huh?
Of course not.
What exactly is going on here?
These paper figures
are also living people.
Inside their bodies
is half of a living soul.
Half a living human's soul?
Dongqing!
Dongqing!
It's Gou'er.
You...
Is that a demon?
Is it angry?
We broke into its home.
What do you think?
Dongqing, run!
Hide yourself.
What is it up to?
It's going to kill intruders.
What should we do then?
There isn't
a way out.
How about we surrender?
Then we'll sleep here too.
That way, we won't be killed.
What's that gibberish now?
Come to think of it,
this place is filled
with paper flowers, grass,
and butterflies.
How beautiful.
Isn't lying here
better than starving and freezing outside?
Are you insane?
That butterfly seems
to be telling us to follow it.
I can't believe you'd trust a butterfly.
Keep up with it!
The demon is right after us!
Quick!
Catch up!
This butterfly
is helping us.
Dongqing!
I've seen that black butterfly
in my dreams.
Gou'er transformed into it.
It is Gou'er!
Gou'er!
Gou'er!
Has Gou'er
really turned into a butterfly?
Let's go.
It's already dark.
We'll come back here tomorrow.
Butterflies...
Butterflies...
Please help her!
She's beyond saving.
I recall it now.
This room...
I've really been here!
You were in this room
fifty years ago?
I used the Phantom Butterfly Technique
to save a young girl's life here.
Phantom Butterfly Technique?
Wait!
Fifty years ago?
How old are you now?
It doesn't matter.
The priority now
is to save those children's lives
in the valley.
They are all still alive,
but half of each one's soul
is trapped in those paper figures.
During the day,
they turn into butterflies,
flying amidst the mountains.
It's burning hot!
What about the other half
of each child's soul?
As for the other half...
That skeleton-shaped butterfly
has woven a dream in the valley,
from which nobody can wake up.
The other half
of each and every child's soul
is trapped in that dream.
Then
will they wake up?
No, unless
that skeleton-shaped butterfly
is defeated!
But to do so,
we must enter the dream it created
and kill it!
Then all the children will wake up!
The dream?
How to get in there
and kill the butterfly?
The key
is Fusheng Beast?
Fusheng Beast is also
known as the Dream Beast.
It can get you into any dream.
I will stall the skeleton-shaped butterfly
while you enter the dream in the valley,
find the demon sleeping on the bed,
and stab its heart with the dagger.
After that,
everything will be over.
Quick,
get down!
Stick to our plan.
That's so cool.
Dongqing,
release Fusheng Beast now!
Hurry!
Quick.
Get me into the dream in the valley!
This flower crown is for you.
It's so pretty!
Come here!
Where are you from?
What's your name?
You're not a resident here.
There are no adults
in the Butterfly Valley.
Are you lost?
Everything you see is an illusion.
Don't talk to anyone.
Go find a certain house.
Inside,
there should lie a sleeping demon.
Zhu,
little did I expect you'd come help me.
Just now, at that moment,
you became stronger.
Dieyi,
is that you?
However that demon looks now,
do not hesitate.
Just stab her heart
with the dagger.
Then,
everything will be over.
All those children
will wake up
and go back to their parents.
All the children will wake up.
Dongqing!
Gou'er?
Dongqing,
are you here to visit me?
It really is you.
Long time no see.
Master Wuming,
you're back.
I never imagined
you'd become a demon.
Years ago, I was desperately sick.
You happened to pass by my home.
The doctor said
she is beyond saving now.
That doesn't count!
Master Wuming,
please save my daughter Dieyi.
She is so young.
Fine.
You offered me a meal after all.
Go.
Mother.
Father.
Mother.
Fifty years ago,
I saved your life
with the Phantom Butterfly Technique.
However, by doing so,
you turned me into a demon,
which doesn't age or die.
I was too young back then.
I should've thought it through.
That being said,
you shouldn't trap those children here
like this
and let them sink into
a dream of your creation.
I've never done that.
All those children
came to me voluntarily.
In a world like this,
they are not fed
and won't live long,
being sold by their families
like livestock.
They have nowhere to go.
Does having nowhere to go
mean they have to be completely isolated
from their families?
Gou'er has
an elderly grandmother at home.
Yet he was lured to this place
by illusions.
He can never see his grandmother again.
I understand
you've just been lonely for too long.
I cannot
let you continue walking down this path.
Today, I will put an end to all this.
Wuming,
you have no idea
what I went through after you left!
Look.
This is our home.
That little hut there
is my abode.
Dieyi built houses for us.
This swing
was also made by Dieyi for us.
These flowers were all planted by Dieyi.
This slide
was made by Dieyi and us
with wood brought back from the mountains!
Dongqing,
I must take you to see
the hut I live in.
This place is much better
than the outside world.
Gou'er,
everything in this valley
is fake.
Gou'er,
this is nothing but a dream!
It's time you woke up!
I know that.
After you left,
I made a quick recovery.
But I no longer ate normal food.
I started feeding on dew
and flowers.
The villagers discovered it.
They all said
I was a fairy.
But as time went by,
my parents got old,
and my friends grew up.
But I still remained the same.
People began talking about it,
declaring me to be a demon,
- since only demons wouldn't age.
- Here comes the demon! Run!
No one would speak to me anymore.
Get back to your work!
She has looked like this since I was six.
You shouldn't have married me
if you wanted a demon as your wife!
Go home for dinner now.
Or the demon will take you away.
Then you'll have to eat flowers
instead of real food.
Demon,
go away already!
Fifteen years passed.
I lost both of my parents.
We'll bury your family for you.
Don't you follow us!
Or it'll bring us bad luck.
Twenty years passed.
Nobody would take me in.
Nobody would talk to me.
Like a wandering ghost,
I drifted through the village.
As an ageless demon, I was
eventually rejected by the entire village.
Sorry.
It was my fault.
I was in so much pain
that I stopped eating flowers.
I wanted to see
if I would starve to death.
Right at that time,
I met Zhu.
Dieyi,
the villagers say
you feed on flowers.
I picked these wild flowers
for you to eat.
Don't you fear me?
No, I don't.
The villagers say you're a demon.
But, Dieyi,
you are so pretty.
You eat flowers
and drink dew.
Those feeding on flowers and dew
should be fairies, right?
I bet
you must be a fairy.
There are flowers over there.
I'll pick some tomorrow
and bring them to you.
By the way, my name is Zhu.
Miss Fairy,
what's wrong?
You are crying?
Zhu,
don't come back here tomorrow.
Why?
If you come see me,
your family
will scold you.
I don't have
any family left.
How so?
My father was conscripted into the army.
My mother
passed away a year after that.
Miss Fairy,
you don't have family either.
From now on,
let me be your family,
alright?
Zhu.
A wedding gown?
Why is she dressed like this?
She had no choice but to put this on!
What happened?
The villagers
forced her into this ugly dress!
There was a year
when a disaster struck the village.
The villagers decided
to marry a girl off to the Mountain God
in exchange for the latter's protection.
Of course they picked Zhu.
She was an orphan.
Everyone in the village would agree
to marry her off to the Mountain God.
Right there!
I finally caught up with them.
But at that time,
there was nothing I could do.
[Wedding]
All I could do was beg them.
I kowtowed to them nonstop,
begging them to spare Zhu.
Please spare her!
Let her go!
Please spare her, I beg you!
Zhu is too young.
She hasn't even lived a full life.
Please spare her, I beg you!
Miss Fairy, I'm scared.
I'm willing to marry
the Mountain God in her place.
You are a demon.
You are not worthy to be
the Mountain God's bride!
[Happiness]
If you marry the Mountain God,
he will be furious!
Zhu,
don't be afraid.
I
Will be with you.
That was when.
I realized.
I could weave dreams.
Ironically,
in this mountain,
there never was any Mountain God.
And I
truly became a demon.
It was immense grief and anger
that unleashed the demonic power
within you.
I couldn't save Zhu,
but.
I created this beautiful dream
within Butterfly Valley for her
to hold onto her soul.
I never expected
it would turn out like this.
This all started because of me.
I'm sorry.
But
you lured these innocent children
into the valley.
I cannot forgive you.
Wuming.
I told you.
I didn't lure any children!
I didn't even take revenge
on the villagers!
Every single child
came here willingly.
They chose to stay
in this beautiful dream!
You know they are children.
How can they possibly decide
what they truly want?
Illusions can only ease
suffering temporarily.
Indulging in them for too long
is not the right path.
The line between dream
and reality is blurry.
How could
children possibly resist?
- If it weren't for your bewitchment...
- I didn't bewitch anyone!
So you knew all along.
Of course I knew this place isn't real.
But
fake is better than real.
In the real world,
I never had enough to eat
or enough to keep me warm.
My sister was sold off.
I was forced to become an apprentice.
I don't know
when I'll ever
learn a trade.
And even if I do,
I'd still spend my whole life
poor and suffering.
Out there in the real world,
there's nothing worth living for.
Actually,
they are all like me.
We all know this is a dream.
But we are all willing
to stay in this dream.
Dongqing.
Please
don't shatter our dream.
Please.
Please.
Please, Dongqing.
Please.
Please, Dongqing.
Wuming.
Didn't I tell you to kill her?
You didn't find her?
It's not what we thought.
I...
I couldn't do it.
You...
Dongqing.
I'm not going back.
I want to stay here.
It's nice here.
Don't worry about me.
If you want to hurt Dieyi,
you'll have to go through me first!
Who?
Who did this?
Don't you dare bully Dieyi.
I'm talking to you.
If you dare hurt her,
I'll fight you!
Bad guy!
Don't you dare bully Dieyi.
Dongqing,
take good care of yourself.
If you ever want to see me again,
come visit me in Butterfly Valley.
Wuming.
Maybe we were wrong.
[Wuming can slay demons]
[and guide wandering souls to rest.]
[Yet he cannot save
the countless wretched souls]
[trapped in this chaotic age.]
[He knows]
[that even if he shatters
the dream of Butterfly Valley]
[and drags the children back
to the mortal world, ]
[hunger and displacement
still await them.]
[Their fates will never be their own.]
[Demons]
[have never been the root
of all suffering.]
[It is this endless age of war]
[where human lives are worth
less than weeds, ]
[that is the true source of every agony.]
[He believes in Dieyi's true heart.]
[This dream was never meant
to harm anyone.]
[So for now, he lets the children
dwell in peace within the dream.]
[He shall traverse mountains and rivers]
[Wuyin Village]
[to retrieve the scattered
Kunlun Spirit Stones, ]
[the very ones he once shattered
with his own hands.]
[For he knows]
[only by drawing upon the soulforce
of Mount Kunlun]
[can true peace be restored to the world.]
Wuming.
Master Wuming.
You're leaving too?
I don't want to stay
in the village anymore.
But I've got nowhere else to go,
so I'm just gonna follow you.
I had a few meals with you,
and now you're clinging to me?
Yes.
I'm clinging to you.
Wuming,
can you teach me magic?
In the future,
I can help you hunt demons.
What do you mean, Wuming?
Explain yourself.
Where are we going now?
To find the fragments
of the Kunlun Spirit Stone.
Fragments of the Kunlun Spirit Stone?
What's that?
You wouldn't get it even if I told you.
There's a village ahead
with a good pastry shop.
Wake up.
Wuming,
what's wrong with these people?
It seems
they're asleep.
Nonsense.
I'm not blind.
But they shouldn't be sleeping
this deeply.
None of them can be woken up.
Let's go.
Let's find a local to ask.
Surely someone here is awake.
Miss, your clothes.
Thank you.
You two are outsiders, right?
I am.
Wuming,
a wandering monk.
This is Dongqing,
a shepherd.
My name is Ya.
Ya?
Granny calls me Ya.
I am a medicine maiden.
A medicine maiden?
Is that a kind of healer?
Not at all.
We medicine maidens specialize in
treating Gu worms.
We just arrived in this town,
and something strange has happened.
We'd like to ask you about it.
Outsiders,
don't ask anything.
You should leave quickly.
The town has been struck
by the Slumber Gu.
I don't even know
if they can ever wake up.
Or if Granny and I
can cure these people.
What is the Slumber Gu?
It's a type of Gu worm.
The Slumber Gu doesn't kill.
It only makes people dream.
Those afflicted will be trapped
in blissful dreams.
Slowly, they forget to eat,
forget to drink,
and forget to breathe.
In the end,
their bodies die,
while their souls remain trapped
in the dream.
The Slumber Gu,
where did it come from?
How would I know?
All I know is.
Granny brought me here
to treat the Slumber Gu.
We've been here for a long time.
I know a lot about dreams.
Maybe I can help.
Really?
Then I'll take you to see Granny.
Have some tea.
We don't get many visitors around here.
Thank you, Granny.
I'm not thirsty right now.
Well,
I...
I can...
I used to
know you.
You mean you've seen me?
Not seen,
but
known.
However,
I feel like I've seen him.
What's the difference?
I don't know.
I can't explain it.
So
This town's people are trapped
in endless sleep
because of this Slumber Gu?
You young people don't know.
These Gu worms have existed
since ancient times.
They're as tiny as specks of dust.
They ride the wind
and slip into people's bodies.
Once infected,
you sink into a dream
and never wake up.
We, of the medicine maiden clan,
were born to hunt these Slumber Gu,
to rid the world of their bewitchment,
generation after generation.
Is Ya
your granddaughter?
No.
Poor Ya.
I found her by the roadside
during a terrible famine.
Back then,
she was still swaddled in cloth.
Now,
Ya is fifteen.
She is the purest girl in the world.
Granny, Wuming, food's ready!
Don't mind it, young man.
It's nothing fancy,
but eat your fill.
[Xilin Inn]
How many sesame cakes have you eaten?
Aren't you afraid of choking?
They offered us good food,
inviting us to dine.
You refused to eat,
yet you didn't let me either!
So you trust the food
in that granny's house?
Why wouldn't I?
Ya is a good girl.
What could be wrong with her cooking?
The water is not hot enough.
What?
Are you too thirsty from eating
too many sesame cakes?
Is this basin of water enough for you?
What is this?
It's a strand of Granny's hair.
What are you doing?
Just watch.
Wuming.
Look.
What is that?
It's Granny.
This is her true form.
She is no medicine maiden at all.
She is a demon.
She feeds on people's dreams
to fuel her own power.
She must have unleashed the Slumber Gu
across this town.
What about Ya?
That girl,
she is a tool.
Because
she has the purest soul in the world.
She can wander through anyone's dreams.
Granny uses her
to harvest something that benefits her.
But...
But what?
This Ya
is not human either.
[200 years ago]
Miss,
what's going on outside?
Let's go
and take a look.
This...
This fell from the sky
and ruined your garden, Miss.
Miss,
let's go back inside.
I'm scared.
Who knows what that thing
that fell from the sky even is?
Miss.
Miss.
Miss.
Miss.
What are you standing there for?
She's still alive.
Quick, get help.
Help me carry her to my room.
[Next Episode:
The Celestial Maiden's Dream]
war has raged
for over a century without end.
The common folk perished,
some by the sword,
others by famine.
You were born, but I was not yet here
Piles of rotting corpses
gave rise to a miasma of decay,
which thickened
the yin energy across the land,
I came to be, but you had already aged
breeding countless demons and monsters.
You regret that I arrived too late
Amitabha.
Little girl,
I regret that you came too soon
you are here all alone.
Have you lost your parents?
In times like these,
corpses litter the fields,
and the world is nothing
but ruin and sorrow.
Left so helpless
and so young,
how will you ever survive?
You're a demon, aren't you?
This tree is your true form.
And those bones strewn upon it.
They're all travelers
you lured and devoured.
Why
did you do this?
This tree is unusual.
Not very old, yet it's grown this massive,
and even spawned a demon.
You must have
gotten your hands on some treasure.
Yes.
Right here.
A fragment of Spirit Stone, sure enough.
Stop!
That...
That fell from the sky.
It landed on my canopy,
so it's mine!
This is a fragment of
Kunlun's Guardian Spirit Stone.
Demon,
since you were fortunate to obtain it
and gain sentience,
you should have cultivated properly.
Instead, you slaughtered the innocent
and fell to evil.
Today,
your time has come.
Who
are you?
I'm just a wandering monk.
They call me Wuming.
Wuming.
You ruined my cultivation.
I'll take you down with me!
Oh no.
Fusheng Beast.
Fusheng!
Fusheng Beast!
Fusheng!
Where are you?
Come back!
[Soul Ferry]
[Butterfly Dream]
Dongqing,
what are you looking at?
Is there a ghost in the tree?
Why do you say that?
You always get that look
when you see ghosts.
Not a ghost this time.
It's a little demon.
Look,
it's right there in the shade.
No.
I don't see anything.
Good thing we've got the Mountain God
watching over us.
Strange.
Could this thing
really be a little ghost?
Is your name really Dongqing?
I think so.
I don't remember
anything about my past.
Only the name Dongqing.
When I woke up,
I was already here in Wuyin Village.
Good thing you came.
Otherwise, no one would herd these sheep.
Grandma's too old,
and I'm too young.
If the landlord takes these sheep back,
Grandma and I will starve to death.
When you grow a bit taller,
this whip
will be yours.
I won't be herding sheep.
Grandma made a deal with someone,
sending me to work
at a tailor's shop in town.
I hear I won't get enough to eat,
and I'll get beaten.
Gotta work as a shop hand for years
before the master
teaches me any real tailoring.
I don't want to go.
I really don't want to learn tailoring.
But Grandma said
I can't just eat for free at home.
Your grandma's pretty heartless.
Didn't you say
she sold your sister off
to some rich family as a maid last year?
Grandma said
she went off to a better life.
But being sold
as a maid at twelve.
What kind of better life is that?
Alright, Gou'er.
Think more happy
thoughts from now on.
Actually, there is one happy thing.
I'll tell you,
but don't tell anyone.
Last night,
I dreamed of butterflies.
You like butterflies?
Of course.
What did you dream about the butterflies?
I can't tell you that.
I promised the butterflies.
You keep staring at me.
Are you hungry too?
Eat.
Are you a ghost or a demon?
Why can't Gou'er see you?
Where...
Where is this?
Dongqing!
Dongqing.
I'm leaving.
Where to?
Someplace good.
A place with no war,
no hunger,
no grown-ups,
only children.
We play all day,
laugh all day.
No one hits us.
No one yells at us.
No one sells us away.
Gou'er.
You...
What are you doing in my house?
You little thing.
You're hungry, aren't you?
Fine.
I'll go make you something to eat now.
Give it back to me!
Who are you?
It's mine!
Are you going to give it back or not?
Sir,
do you have any food?
I haven't eaten for days.
I don't have any food.
Kind sir,
I'm starving.
How about
we s-stew it?
So heavy.
Who is he?
You know him?
Is he your master?
He's not dead.
Just fainted from hunger.
For your sake,
I'll get him something to eat.
Is your name Zhao Li?
Zhao Yi.
Zhao Li.
Never heard of that name.
I am Wuming,
a wandering monk.
Thank you for the porridge.
Have you seen me before?
I don't remember.
It's just that...
Looking at your face,
I feel like I know you.
Very familiar.
I don't know why,
but I remember your name is Zhao Li.
Perhaps it's fate.
What's your name?
Are you from this village?
I'm not from this village.
The villagers said
I fainted at the village entrance.
They carried me back.
When I woke up,
I couldn't remember anything,
except the name Dongqing.
And you,
Zhao Li.
I'm really not Zhao Li,
my friend.
Actually,
this house you live in,
I
Find it very familiar.
Could it be
that I really met you here?
That can't be.
I haven't lived here for long.
After I woke up,
I didn't know where I came from,
nor where I was going
or what I should do.
The villagers said war was everywhere,
so they let me stay
in this empty house.
I just do some odd jobs
to feed myself.
I see.
This little one
is a demon, isn't it?
It's a demon beast.
It's called the Fusheng Beast.
Fusheng Beast?
Does it know any magic?
Do you really
want to know?
It's incredibly useful,
just loves to run off.
I went through
a lot of trouble tracking it down.
I didn't see any houses along the way,
nowhere to beg for alms,
and almost starved to death.
So what exactly does it do?
I'm tired.
May I borrow your bed
for the night?
As for what the Fusheng Beast
can do,
let's talk tomorrow,
okay?
You.
Gou'er!
Gou'er!
My poor grandson!
I told you not to run off!
An old lady is crying.
Grandma.
Gou'er is gone.
Gone?
Nowhere to be found.
He must have gone into the mountains.
He's not coming back.
Another one taken by the Mountain God.
Over the years,
quite a few children
from the village have gone missing.
Taken, so be it.
The Mountain God takes children
as our offering.
This year's harvest
is bound to be bountiful.
Keep your voice down.
Don't let Gou'er's grandma hear you.
So what if she does?
Her losing a grandson is a small matter,
but if the harvest fails,
the whole village starves.
I see.
Dongqing!
Where are you going?
There's heavy fog up in the mountains.
It's dangerous.
When fog rolls in over Mount Wuyin,
the Mountain God is taking a stroll.
You can't go into
the mountains at a time like this.
No one who's gone in
has ever come back.
I'm going to find Gou'er.
Just stay at my place.
These are all baseless rumors.
It's true that mountain fog
can make people lose their way,
but it's not the work of the Mountain God.
There has never been
a god in this world who takes children
in exchange for good harvests.
Dongqing!
Wait!
What are you doing here?
You need a helper.
This mountain is somewhat unusual.
Is there really a Mountain God?
Who cares?
Even a Mountain God can't just
snatch a living child
from the village for no reason.
Have the villagers
really seen the Mountain God?
They probably haven't.
But in recent years,
children have been
taken by the Mountain God.
It is said that
the souls of virgin boys and girls
can help the Mountain God
achieve immortality.
Maybe
what lives in the mountain
is a demon.
A demon?
Don't worry.
I'm an expert
at catching demons.
You know how to catch demons?
Exorcising demons
is the very foundation of my cultivation.
Right.
You are a monk.
Over there.
Really impressive.
You actually know the way.
I don't
know it at all.
Then why are you going this way?
Do you trust me?
This way.
Wait for me.
This mountain
is full of spiritual energy.
Even the plants are smarter than people.
Just head toward
wherever the energy is strongest.
It can't be wrong.
Hold up.
What is it?
A butterfly?
What about it?
Gou'er.
The day before
Gou'er disappeared, he told me
he dreamed of butterflies.
And the night you came,
I dreamed of butterflies too.
Gou'er must be with the butterflies.
A butterfly dream.
Follow it.
There's a strange, sweet smell.
Hurry!
Don't let it get away!
Thank you.
My eyes...
My eyes hurt so much.
What's wrong?
Crying from fear, huh?
Of course not.
What exactly is going on here?
These paper figures
are also living people.
Inside their bodies
is half of a living soul.
Half a living human's soul?
Dongqing!
Dongqing!
It's Gou'er.
You...
Is that a demon?
Is it angry?
We broke into its home.
What do you think?
Dongqing, run!
Hide yourself.
What is it up to?
It's going to kill intruders.
What should we do then?
There isn't
a way out.
How about we surrender?
Then we'll sleep here too.
That way, we won't be killed.
What's that gibberish now?
Come to think of it,
this place is filled
with paper flowers, grass,
and butterflies.
How beautiful.
Isn't lying here
better than starving and freezing outside?
Are you insane?
That butterfly seems
to be telling us to follow it.
I can't believe you'd trust a butterfly.
Keep up with it!
The demon is right after us!
Quick!
Catch up!
This butterfly
is helping us.
Dongqing!
I've seen that black butterfly
in my dreams.
Gou'er transformed into it.
It is Gou'er!
Gou'er!
Gou'er!
Has Gou'er
really turned into a butterfly?
Let's go.
It's already dark.
We'll come back here tomorrow.
Butterflies...
Butterflies...
Please help her!
She's beyond saving.
I recall it now.
This room...
I've really been here!
You were in this room
fifty years ago?
I used the Phantom Butterfly Technique
to save a young girl's life here.
Phantom Butterfly Technique?
Wait!
Fifty years ago?
How old are you now?
It doesn't matter.
The priority now
is to save those children's lives
in the valley.
They are all still alive,
but half of each one's soul
is trapped in those paper figures.
During the day,
they turn into butterflies,
flying amidst the mountains.
It's burning hot!
What about the other half
of each child's soul?
As for the other half...
That skeleton-shaped butterfly
has woven a dream in the valley,
from which nobody can wake up.
The other half
of each and every child's soul
is trapped in that dream.
Then
will they wake up?
No, unless
that skeleton-shaped butterfly
is defeated!
But to do so,
we must enter the dream it created
and kill it!
Then all the children will wake up!
The dream?
How to get in there
and kill the butterfly?
The key
is Fusheng Beast?
Fusheng Beast is also
known as the Dream Beast.
It can get you into any dream.
I will stall the skeleton-shaped butterfly
while you enter the dream in the valley,
find the demon sleeping on the bed,
and stab its heart with the dagger.
After that,
everything will be over.
Quick,
get down!
Stick to our plan.
That's so cool.
Dongqing,
release Fusheng Beast now!
Hurry!
Quick.
Get me into the dream in the valley!
This flower crown is for you.
It's so pretty!
Come here!
Where are you from?
What's your name?
You're not a resident here.
There are no adults
in the Butterfly Valley.
Are you lost?
Everything you see is an illusion.
Don't talk to anyone.
Go find a certain house.
Inside,
there should lie a sleeping demon.
Zhu,
little did I expect you'd come help me.
Just now, at that moment,
you became stronger.
Dieyi,
is that you?
However that demon looks now,
do not hesitate.
Just stab her heart
with the dagger.
Then,
everything will be over.
All those children
will wake up
and go back to their parents.
All the children will wake up.
Dongqing!
Gou'er?
Dongqing,
are you here to visit me?
It really is you.
Long time no see.
Master Wuming,
you're back.
I never imagined
you'd become a demon.
Years ago, I was desperately sick.
You happened to pass by my home.
The doctor said
she is beyond saving now.
That doesn't count!
Master Wuming,
please save my daughter Dieyi.
She is so young.
Fine.
You offered me a meal after all.
Go.
Mother.
Father.
Mother.
Fifty years ago,
I saved your life
with the Phantom Butterfly Technique.
However, by doing so,
you turned me into a demon,
which doesn't age or die.
I was too young back then.
I should've thought it through.
That being said,
you shouldn't trap those children here
like this
and let them sink into
a dream of your creation.
I've never done that.
All those children
came to me voluntarily.
In a world like this,
they are not fed
and won't live long,
being sold by their families
like livestock.
They have nowhere to go.
Does having nowhere to go
mean they have to be completely isolated
from their families?
Gou'er has
an elderly grandmother at home.
Yet he was lured to this place
by illusions.
He can never see his grandmother again.
I understand
you've just been lonely for too long.
I cannot
let you continue walking down this path.
Today, I will put an end to all this.
Wuming,
you have no idea
what I went through after you left!
Look.
This is our home.
That little hut there
is my abode.
Dieyi built houses for us.
This swing
was also made by Dieyi for us.
These flowers were all planted by Dieyi.
This slide
was made by Dieyi and us
with wood brought back from the mountains!
Dongqing,
I must take you to see
the hut I live in.
This place is much better
than the outside world.
Gou'er,
everything in this valley
is fake.
Gou'er,
this is nothing but a dream!
It's time you woke up!
I know that.
After you left,
I made a quick recovery.
But I no longer ate normal food.
I started feeding on dew
and flowers.
The villagers discovered it.
They all said
I was a fairy.
But as time went by,
my parents got old,
and my friends grew up.
But I still remained the same.
People began talking about it,
declaring me to be a demon,
- since only demons wouldn't age.
- Here comes the demon! Run!
No one would speak to me anymore.
Get back to your work!
She has looked like this since I was six.
You shouldn't have married me
if you wanted a demon as your wife!
Go home for dinner now.
Or the demon will take you away.
Then you'll have to eat flowers
instead of real food.
Demon,
go away already!
Fifteen years passed.
I lost both of my parents.
We'll bury your family for you.
Don't you follow us!
Or it'll bring us bad luck.
Twenty years passed.
Nobody would take me in.
Nobody would talk to me.
Like a wandering ghost,
I drifted through the village.
As an ageless demon, I was
eventually rejected by the entire village.
Sorry.
It was my fault.
I was in so much pain
that I stopped eating flowers.
I wanted to see
if I would starve to death.
Right at that time,
I met Zhu.
Dieyi,
the villagers say
you feed on flowers.
I picked these wild flowers
for you to eat.
Don't you fear me?
No, I don't.
The villagers say you're a demon.
But, Dieyi,
you are so pretty.
You eat flowers
and drink dew.
Those feeding on flowers and dew
should be fairies, right?
I bet
you must be a fairy.
There are flowers over there.
I'll pick some tomorrow
and bring them to you.
By the way, my name is Zhu.
Miss Fairy,
what's wrong?
You are crying?
Zhu,
don't come back here tomorrow.
Why?
If you come see me,
your family
will scold you.
I don't have
any family left.
How so?
My father was conscripted into the army.
My mother
passed away a year after that.
Miss Fairy,
you don't have family either.
From now on,
let me be your family,
alright?
Zhu.
A wedding gown?
Why is she dressed like this?
She had no choice but to put this on!
What happened?
The villagers
forced her into this ugly dress!
There was a year
when a disaster struck the village.
The villagers decided
to marry a girl off to the Mountain God
in exchange for the latter's protection.
Of course they picked Zhu.
She was an orphan.
Everyone in the village would agree
to marry her off to the Mountain God.
Right there!
I finally caught up with them.
But at that time,
there was nothing I could do.
[Wedding]
All I could do was beg them.
I kowtowed to them nonstop,
begging them to spare Zhu.
Please spare her!
Let her go!
Please spare her, I beg you!
Zhu is too young.
She hasn't even lived a full life.
Please spare her, I beg you!
Miss Fairy, I'm scared.
I'm willing to marry
the Mountain God in her place.
You are a demon.
You are not worthy to be
the Mountain God's bride!
[Happiness]
If you marry the Mountain God,
he will be furious!
Zhu,
don't be afraid.
I
Will be with you.
That was when.
I realized.
I could weave dreams.
Ironically,
in this mountain,
there never was any Mountain God.
And I
truly became a demon.
It was immense grief and anger
that unleashed the demonic power
within you.
I couldn't save Zhu,
but.
I created this beautiful dream
within Butterfly Valley for her
to hold onto her soul.
I never expected
it would turn out like this.
This all started because of me.
I'm sorry.
But
you lured these innocent children
into the valley.
I cannot forgive you.
Wuming.
I told you.
I didn't lure any children!
I didn't even take revenge
on the villagers!
Every single child
came here willingly.
They chose to stay
in this beautiful dream!
You know they are children.
How can they possibly decide
what they truly want?
Illusions can only ease
suffering temporarily.
Indulging in them for too long
is not the right path.
The line between dream
and reality is blurry.
How could
children possibly resist?
- If it weren't for your bewitchment...
- I didn't bewitch anyone!
So you knew all along.
Of course I knew this place isn't real.
But
fake is better than real.
In the real world,
I never had enough to eat
or enough to keep me warm.
My sister was sold off.
I was forced to become an apprentice.
I don't know
when I'll ever
learn a trade.
And even if I do,
I'd still spend my whole life
poor and suffering.
Out there in the real world,
there's nothing worth living for.
Actually,
they are all like me.
We all know this is a dream.
But we are all willing
to stay in this dream.
Dongqing.
Please
don't shatter our dream.
Please.
Please.
Please, Dongqing.
Please.
Please, Dongqing.
Wuming.
Didn't I tell you to kill her?
You didn't find her?
It's not what we thought.
I...
I couldn't do it.
You...
Dongqing.
I'm not going back.
I want to stay here.
It's nice here.
Don't worry about me.
If you want to hurt Dieyi,
you'll have to go through me first!
Who?
Who did this?
Don't you dare bully Dieyi.
I'm talking to you.
If you dare hurt her,
I'll fight you!
Bad guy!
Don't you dare bully Dieyi.
Dongqing,
take good care of yourself.
If you ever want to see me again,
come visit me in Butterfly Valley.
Wuming.
Maybe we were wrong.
[Wuming can slay demons]
[and guide wandering souls to rest.]
[Yet he cannot save
the countless wretched souls]
[trapped in this chaotic age.]
[He knows]
[that even if he shatters
the dream of Butterfly Valley]
[and drags the children back
to the mortal world, ]
[hunger and displacement
still await them.]
[Their fates will never be their own.]
[Demons]
[have never been the root
of all suffering.]
[It is this endless age of war]
[where human lives are worth
less than weeds, ]
[that is the true source of every agony.]
[He believes in Dieyi's true heart.]
[This dream was never meant
to harm anyone.]
[So for now, he lets the children
dwell in peace within the dream.]
[He shall traverse mountains and rivers]
[Wuyin Village]
[to retrieve the scattered
Kunlun Spirit Stones, ]
[the very ones he once shattered
with his own hands.]
[For he knows]
[only by drawing upon the soulforce
of Mount Kunlun]
[can true peace be restored to the world.]
Wuming.
Master Wuming.
You're leaving too?
I don't want to stay
in the village anymore.
But I've got nowhere else to go,
so I'm just gonna follow you.
I had a few meals with you,
and now you're clinging to me?
Yes.
I'm clinging to you.
Wuming,
can you teach me magic?
In the future,
I can help you hunt demons.
What do you mean, Wuming?
Explain yourself.
Where are we going now?
To find the fragments
of the Kunlun Spirit Stone.
Fragments of the Kunlun Spirit Stone?
What's that?
You wouldn't get it even if I told you.
There's a village ahead
with a good pastry shop.
Wake up.
Wuming,
what's wrong with these people?
It seems
they're asleep.
Nonsense.
I'm not blind.
But they shouldn't be sleeping
this deeply.
None of them can be woken up.
Let's go.
Let's find a local to ask.
Surely someone here is awake.
Miss, your clothes.
Thank you.
You two are outsiders, right?
I am.
Wuming,
a wandering monk.
This is Dongqing,
a shepherd.
My name is Ya.
Ya?
Granny calls me Ya.
I am a medicine maiden.
A medicine maiden?
Is that a kind of healer?
Not at all.
We medicine maidens specialize in
treating Gu worms.
We just arrived in this town,
and something strange has happened.
We'd like to ask you about it.
Outsiders,
don't ask anything.
You should leave quickly.
The town has been struck
by the Slumber Gu.
I don't even know
if they can ever wake up.
Or if Granny and I
can cure these people.
What is the Slumber Gu?
It's a type of Gu worm.
The Slumber Gu doesn't kill.
It only makes people dream.
Those afflicted will be trapped
in blissful dreams.
Slowly, they forget to eat,
forget to drink,
and forget to breathe.
In the end,
their bodies die,
while their souls remain trapped
in the dream.
The Slumber Gu,
where did it come from?
How would I know?
All I know is.
Granny brought me here
to treat the Slumber Gu.
We've been here for a long time.
I know a lot about dreams.
Maybe I can help.
Really?
Then I'll take you to see Granny.
Have some tea.
We don't get many visitors around here.
Thank you, Granny.
I'm not thirsty right now.
Well,
I...
I can...
I used to
know you.
You mean you've seen me?
Not seen,
but
known.
However,
I feel like I've seen him.
What's the difference?
I don't know.
I can't explain it.
So
This town's people are trapped
in endless sleep
because of this Slumber Gu?
You young people don't know.
These Gu worms have existed
since ancient times.
They're as tiny as specks of dust.
They ride the wind
and slip into people's bodies.
Once infected,
you sink into a dream
and never wake up.
We, of the medicine maiden clan,
were born to hunt these Slumber Gu,
to rid the world of their bewitchment,
generation after generation.
Is Ya
your granddaughter?
No.
Poor Ya.
I found her by the roadside
during a terrible famine.
Back then,
she was still swaddled in cloth.
Now,
Ya is fifteen.
She is the purest girl in the world.
Granny, Wuming, food's ready!
Don't mind it, young man.
It's nothing fancy,
but eat your fill.
[Xilin Inn]
How many sesame cakes have you eaten?
Aren't you afraid of choking?
They offered us good food,
inviting us to dine.
You refused to eat,
yet you didn't let me either!
So you trust the food
in that granny's house?
Why wouldn't I?
Ya is a good girl.
What could be wrong with her cooking?
The water is not hot enough.
What?
Are you too thirsty from eating
too many sesame cakes?
Is this basin of water enough for you?
What is this?
It's a strand of Granny's hair.
What are you doing?
Just watch.
Wuming.
Look.
What is that?
It's Granny.
This is her true form.
She is no medicine maiden at all.
She is a demon.
She feeds on people's dreams
to fuel her own power.
She must have unleashed the Slumber Gu
across this town.
What about Ya?
That girl,
she is a tool.
Because
she has the purest soul in the world.
She can wander through anyone's dreams.
Granny uses her
to harvest something that benefits her.
But...
But what?
This Ya
is not human either.
[200 years ago]
Miss,
what's going on outside?
Let's go
and take a look.
This...
This fell from the sky
and ruined your garden, Miss.
Miss,
let's go back inside.
I'm scared.
Who knows what that thing
that fell from the sky even is?
Miss.
Miss.
Miss.
Miss.
What are you standing there for?
She's still alive.
Quick, get help.
Help me carry her to my room.
[Next Episode:
The Celestial Maiden's Dream]