Mojin: The Worm Valley 2019

In a bygone era, Princess Jingjue’s malevolent curse, known as the Ghost Eye Curse, brought ruin upon her people, condemning them to an early demise at the tender age of 40. The curse’s cruel machinations didn’t stop there; it also ensured that its dark influence would be passed down through generations, entombing entire families in a cycle of suffering. The only way to break this unending spell was to reunite two ancient artifacts: the Dragon Bone Celestial Tome and the Mu Chen Orb. While the former had already been recovered, the latter remained shrouded in mystery.

As scholars Hu Bayi and Professor Sun delved deeper into the cryptic texts of the Dragon Bone Celestial Tome, they discovered that the Mu Chen Orb lay hidden within Emperor Xian’s Tomb, nestled deep within the ancient Longfeng Mountains of Yunnan Province. In their quest for knowledge, Bayi, Professor Sun, and Shirley Yang sought out the expertise of Chen Yukou, a reclusive translator whose ravaged appearance belied his profound understanding of the ancient tongues. However, Chen’s half-mad state and crippling regret left him little more than a cautionary warning: “Never gaze into its eyes.”

Undeterred by the obstacles ahead, Bayi, Shirley, Professor Sun, Zhou Linglong, Wang Kaixuan (Fatty), and Jin Ya (Gold Tooth) embarked on a perilous journey to the Yunnan Province. Along the way, they encountered an unsettling phenomenon: the Chongshu, a dark form of witchcraft that entombed its victims in stone, infested with deadly insects. It was amidst this eerie landscape that they stumbled upon Cai Yun’s humble hotel, where she and her daughter Kong Que welcomed them with open arms.

As night descended, the group gathered to marvel at the Flameflies outside their lodgings. Kong Que proudly displayed a captured Flamefly Queen in a glass jar, revealing to them the insects’ peculiar nature: blind as they were, they would follow the scent of their queen loyally, bursting into flames when they died and returning to her side in death. Fatty, ever the opportunist, pilfered the jar containing the Flamefly Queen from Kong Que’s grasp, setting in motion a chain of events that would forever alter the course of their lives.

As Kong Que leads them through the winding tunnels of the underground waterway, the group is met with a treacherous gauntlet of perilous creatures. The air thickens with anticipation as they approach the Worm Valley, where a deadly toxic fog lurks, threatening to snuff out their very existence. With Kong Que’s warning still echoing in their minds, they must press on towards the Floating Island, navigating treacherous landscapes and overcoming formidable foes along the way.

Their journey takes them through schools of razor-toothed fish and into the heart of the Worm Valley, where they face off against a legion of armored lizards. The group’s resolve is tested as they struggle to overcome both the monstrous creatures and the merciless passage of time. Finally, after a long and arduous battle, they reach the sanctuary of the Floating Island, where exhaustion and relief mingle in equal measure.

Revitalized by their brief respite, the group sets out anew, venturing into the eerie expanse of the Field of Skull Flowers before eventually arriving at the riverside cemetery, guarded by the formidable Deathless Crab of the Huo Clan. Bayi (actor name) musters all his strength and cunning to vanquish the beast, but not before Linglong falls to her mortal wounds, leaving behind a legacy of sorrow and sacrifice.

As Professor Sun implores them to turn back while they still can, Bayi remains resolute in his determination to break the curse. Despite the professor’s tears and eventual departure, Bayi’s unyielding spirit drives the group forward, up the ancient Bone Ladder and into the golden halls of the Golden Palace.

There, they stumble upon Emperor Xian’s Tomb, guarded by a seemingly endless swarm of monstrous scorpions. Bayi seizes the fabled Mu Chen Orb, and as the bells of the palace begin to toll, the scorpions vanish into thin air. But the cacophony of sound soon gives way to a disorienting haze, and the mountain behind the tomb begins to crumble, revealing the imposing form of the Snake King.

Shirley’s urgent warning echoes through the chamber: “Don’t look into its eyes!” - a cautionary tale passed down from Chen himself. Now, the group must decide whether to succumb to the Snake King’s mystique or stand defiant against its wrath. Bayi’s unwavering resolve inspires his companions to join him in battle, and together they prepare to face whatever trials lie ahead.

As Bayi concocts a plan to harness the formidable Flamefly Queen, currently in Fatty’s possession, to vanquish the Snake King, a series of unexpected events unfolds. The ensuing battle results in the destruction of the jar, liberating the Queen and summoning a swarm of Flameflies to her aid. As the Queen takes to the skies, Professor Sun reappears on the scene, only to be gradually consumed by the Queen’s fiery wrath. Undeterred, he makes a desperate attempt to infiltrate the Snake King’s lair, using his own body as a conduit for the marauding Flameflies. These blazing insects prove instrumental in burning the Snake King from within, ultimately leading to its demise. In a dramatic twist, the Snake King’s final act is to unleash a torrent of water, which has been building pressure behind the mountain, further amplifying the chaos.

In the aftermath of this calamitous sequence of events, Bayi, Shirley, Fatty, and Gold Tooth gather to pay their respects to the fallen Professor Sun. As they mourn his passing, they also retrieve Linglong’s lifeless body and return home, where they collectively bring together the revered Dragon Bone Celestial Tome and the enigmatic Mu Chen Orb. Instead of finding relief from a centuries-old curse, these ancient artifacts surprisingly guide them toward their next great adventure, as if beckoning them to embark on a new odyssey.