Bride of the Covenant (2025)

[bunniefuu]

It is said long ago, a demon roamed

the earth, dwelling among mortals.

On each full moon, when darkness emerge,

it sheds its mortal guise.

By blood it sustains its body, By children's

souls it forges its monstrous shell.

Awaiting it's rebirth,

birthing spawn to rule over mankind.

Whoever feeds the demon

shall be granted riches.

Yet riches come from blood,

and glory paid with lives.

Man bound with demon... the world

will become the land of horror.

BRIDE OF THE COVENANThe Twilight Curse

The groom's family humbly offers tribute.

O Wood Deity, shield us from harm.

A reverent bow!

O Wood Deity, sacred and still,

Bless us with your grace.

I am Nguyn Th Nhi.

Before your altar, O,

guardian House of V...

With reverence,

O Wood Deity judge me a maiden untouched.

From this day forth,

I vow to be a daughter in the House of V.

I pledged myself to our wedded vow.

To bear children

and keep the sacred root unbroken.

I give myself, wholly, to the Wood Deity.

This is my vow... eternal and true.

Please hear our prayers.

Let House V shine through the ages.

We solemnly proclaim.

Madam, proceed with

the betel-offering ritual!

The lady of the house is gravely ill.

And since Her sickness may spread.

I am the only one allowed to care for her.

Even the young Masters

speak to her only from the doorway.

Mother... I am Nhi!

Now that I am your daughter-in-law

I come to honor you, dear Mother.

May your years be long,

and your grace guide our path.

The Lady has heard you,

she sends you instructions.

Living in the V household.

You must obey the family rules.

First,

Never enter the altar room.

Unless permitted by the Master.

Second,

Never leave your room.

After the first watch

of the full-moon night.

These rules ensure order in this place.

Third, to never enter her

chamber without permission,

unless you're granted permission

by this old servant.

Whoever breaks these rules

...shall face harsh punishment.

I swear to abide by our family's rules.

From this day forward,

Plum will be your personal servant.

Madam, I present Madam Dim

...first daughter-in-law of the family.

Greetings, sister!

And this is Madam Triu Chu,

betrothed to our youngest master Th Giang

future bride of the house.

Greetings, sister!

This sacred wood shall

aid you in childbirth.

As is custom,

this wood should be bestowed by our mother.

Yet illness keeps her from this ritual,

I offer you this relic in her place.

This is now yours.

Let us nurture this

house together as kin...

This is the chamber for

young Master and Madam.

From now on,

you are not allowed to enter this room.

Soon you will be away on business.

I've prepared something for you.

Travel safely, my dear husband.

It is the night of the full moon.

You are to stay within your chamber.

Early morning, I shall come to serve you.

Plum!

Plum!

Plum!

Plum!

A wife full of loyalty,

why a husband's betrayal.

True was the wife,

false was the man.

Madam!

Madam!

Please! Spare me! I beg you!

Please! Spare me!

Please!

Madam! Save me!

Please don't punish her!

Punish me instead!

I'm the one who violated the family rules.

Madam,

I act by order of the Master

to uphold the family rules... At all cost!

Madam! Help me!

If she swims ashore... break her legs!

Madam!

Madam!

Light the incense.

With a faithful heart, we pray.

Behold our offering.

May the Wood Deity and ancestral

spirits accept our humble tribute.

We pray for a healthy

male heir for the V family.

May our house rise...

ever prosperous, ever strong.

What is sought shall be granted,

what is wished, fulfilled.

To the Wood Deity, we submit our plea.

Thus we proclaim.

Bear me a grandson,

I have no need for a girl.

One male is worth more

than a dozen females.

Yes, Father!

Don't worry!

Your body is adjusting to early pregnancy.

This herb will ease your sickness.

Before I came here,

my mother told me

to honor my new family's customs.

But I'm still not used to them.

I know it is hard being far from your home.

Customs here differ from the South,

but soon you'll get used to it.

Though our family has

three daughters-in-law...

But only you can change our fate.

Th Cng,

my dear husband,

died young.

As for Triu Chu, a bride in name,

never a wife in truth.

She arrived the very day,

Th Giang left and never returned.

A b*stard child, Th Giang...

came here at 10 years old.

Yet his youth was shadowed by anger,

blaming,

our father for his mother's death.

Then... what about Triu Chu?

Her father was a loyal friend

and partner to our family.

So our parents loved her

as if she were their own.

Perhaps as a way to make amends.

You must bear a son

for the family's legacy to survive.

To my parents, a child is a blessing...

Son or daughter.

As long as there is love and virtue.

It doesn't matter if

my child is a boy or girl,

my love will be whole.

But your status is no longer the same.

It's not something to take lightly.

Don't worry!

I believe this child

will bring new life to this family.

Madam!

Why are you in here?

You...

Do you know who that is?

I can't see the face clearly.

But maybe it's Madam L oan.

Let's go, Madam!

A wife full of loyalty,

why a husband's betrayal.

Plum!

Madam! Why are you out here?

Let's go back inside, Madam!

Madam! Madam!

I'm so scared.

Plum!

Where are you, Plum?

Plum!

Plum!

Plum!

Plum!

Who are you?

Who are you?

My child!

Where are you taking my child?

My child!

My child!

I offer my solemn respect.

May Lady L oan

and the spirits of our children,

find peace beyond.

You've broken the rules

and endangered the family's bloodline.

By Mother's order,

you are to be locked away for penance.

Father and Mother fear

the child's spirit will curse you,

making you barren.

Thus, they have buried

the body deep in the forest.

What am I supposed to do now?

I was bound

by this fate as you are now.

I fear only by bearing

a son can one escape this cursed place.

But first, you must recover your strength.

I've heard of an ancient remedy,

used by women after childbirth.

It helps restore

and revive the vital energies.

With it, you may soon conceive again.

At your service, young master nh!

Today, songstress Hoi Thu

shall accompany you.

A beauty.

Rare to find.

Swayed by her charm,

I strayed into love's snare.

Spring returns,

yet sorrow lingers.

This remedy is from a parasitic worm

dwelling in the riverbed wood.

A dashing gentleman.

Yet cursed with longing.

Restless with a hundred thoughts.

That word - fidelity.

That word - fidelity.

To whom can I confide it?

I gave my heart...

...come what may.

L oan!

She has just taken her medicine

and must rest in peace.

Seize this moment

to change your fate.

I offer you this drink.

I, V Th nh,...

...vow to be bound to you

for a hundred years to come.

L oan!

I hope you will give me many heirs.

And never leave my side.

I shall bear you many children.

I vow to bear you heirs.

To carry on the V bloodline.

I shall give you many children.

Madam!

From now on,

Cm will be your personal servant.

I am Nguyn Th Nhi,

born in the hour of the Rat,

on the full moon of the year of the Ox.

Before the altar of Buddha.

I offer incense, flowers, gold.

May Buddha guide me toward goodness.

Grant me happiness

with a thriving child

to carry forth the V name.

Namo Repentance Bodhisattva!

Pardon me, dear devotee!

Ph Nghim Temple doesn't accept offering

from the V family.

Sister,

how do you know this offering

is from the V family?

Namo Repentance Bodhisattva!

I have heard your prayers!

May Buddha hear my prayer

and shield this child.

You bear

the very same presence...

as Lady Phng once did.

She was a beauty,

with crimson lips and rosy cheeks.

Yet she stank of blood...

You mean my mother-in-law is...

I urge you to be cautious.

Such being is a demon in disguise,

often dwelling within human forms.

A faceless woman has haunted me

ever since I wed into this house.

It has been ages

since I last encountered a demon

so brazen in human guise.

What must I do to find peace?

Please remember this well.

Even a fierce tigress

does not devour her own cubs.

This is the secondary

wife of Young Master nh.

From now on, she'll reside in the estate.

You must leave this place!

Immediately!

Whichever wife bears a male heir,

I shall bestow upon her land and riches.

And her entire family shall live in wealth.

I'm certain I will bear a son.

Prepare a grand celebration

for his birth, my lord.

Is there any medicine

that can help me conceive a son?

There is.

I once sought it myself.

But after the passing of

my husband Th Cng,

I no longer need it.

Yet, I am missing one crucial ingredient.

What is that?

Aromatic agarwood dust.

It must be from a wood in the

riverbed that is centuries old.

Could it be found in our household?

It's the sacred wood resting on our altar.

The key to the altar room

is in Mother's chamber.

She hasn't left her

room for quite some time.

I'm allowed to visit her.

As I can no longer conceive,

the disease will not cling to me.

Let me get the key,

and check on Mother's condition.

The altar wood... it

seems to have transformed.

It sprouted limbs

and its shape has become unnatural.

A body of wood that can multiply.

Surely, it's an omen of fortune

soon to bless our house.

This is "birth wood".

You'll need it when giving birth.

O Wood Deity,

sacred and still... bless us your grace.

I am Trn Th Phng Dim.

I am L Th oan.

I am L Th Hoi Thu.

I am Nguyn Th Nhi.

Before your altar, O

guardian of House V...

With reverence, O Wood Deity judge me

a maiden untouched.

From this day forth,

I offer myself to the V bloodline.

I pledged myself to our wedded vow.

To bear children

and keep the sacred root unbroken.

I give myself, wholly, to the Wood Deity.

This is my vow... eternal and true.

Please hear our prays.

Let House V shine through the ages.

Another child has been taken from me!

This is the fourth child

to die in this house.

It can't be mere coincidence.

There is a demon in this House.

It is fate.

They had to die to serve a greater purpose.

You remain safe and unharmed.

That means our family is thriving.

Thriving?

Thriving... while my children die?

Don't forget a wife

costs less than a swine.

If one dies, you buy another.

If one can't bear a child, another will.

I'm done living in this cursed house!

You will carry on my legacy.

A man's ambition leaves

no room for weakness.

The Wood Deity has

revealed the divine truth

and from that light

our fortune was born.

I shall give you what you desire.

What you crave shall be yours.

O Wood Deity!

O gracious one,

let fortune bloom for the House of V.

Whatever offerings you demand,

I shall devote myself

to give you offerings.

She knew my burning desire.

For that reason,

I sealed a blood covenant with her.

Severing all ties to the mortal world.

Your mother, she cared

only for her children.

She only wanted a simple life.

A simple life?

She wanted us to waste away in poverty.

Just as my fortune was within reach?

O Wood Deity guide me

to sacrifice her flesh and soul

in exchange for glory and wealth.

Power was never meant for the kind.

It bows only to gold and silver.

O Wood Deity, grant me a male heir

to carry on this bloodline.

You forged a covenant.

And sold a daughter-in-law,

then every child she

bears shall belong to me.

Where's my child?

Mother! Please, don't!

No, My child!

Th Cng!

Th Cng!

The covenant ends only until

I find a perfect vessel.

If you dare break it,

the price will be the lives

of your entire family.

My mother...

...would never harm Th Cng.

Why harm the children?

They are our own flesh and blood.

The children were sacrificed

to feed The Wood Deity.

If you wish to stay alive,

then carry on the covenant.

You have caused all of this.

You are no longer a human.

I'll protect my wife

and child at all costs.

Glory and wealth always come with a price.

If they hadn't craved our wealth

they wouldn't have

agreed to sell themselves.

Thus, their children serve

...to fulfill the vow made

with the Wood Deity.

Brother, since you were away,

troubles beset our household.

The demon has revealed itself.

Everyone is in confusion.

Some in delirium, others lost in dreams.

No rest by night, no peace by day.

Alone and powerless,

I struggle to maintain order.

The situation grows more dire.

I pray you return soon,

to help me bear this family burden.

I, your brother, begin this letter,

praying for your prompt return.

Madam! There is a disturbance

at the Lady's chamber.

The young master is not allowed

to enter this chamber.

Step aside!

Young master, you are not allowed.

So...

you've been here all along,

pretending to be my mother.

Young master!

The old madam succumbed

to illness two years ago.

I was ordered to take her place...

to keep everything in order.

So the demon no longer dwells in her...

Then tell me... who

does it dwell within now?

It's Dim,

the one who never reveals

herself during the day.

Is there a remedy that can help me

bear a son, sister?

There is.

Wood Deity!

Go!

Young master, you can't take her outside.

Insolence!

Do you know what happens

to those who stand in my way?

Go, both of you!

Get out of the way!

Close the gate!

Madam!

Madam!

There's another path! Go!

Fire!

You traitor! You traitor!

You traitor! You traitor!

Beat them!

Fire!

Come here.

I won't let you or our child be harmed.

We'll find somewhere safe.

Her life will be the price for yours.

My lord!

I offer,

may the Wood Deity be pleased.

And bless the V family

with everlasting prosperity.

I've captured Nhi.

Prepare the ritual. I

will merge with her flesh.

Carved my image into wood

to be worshipped forevermore.

What about my son?

Don't worry! Once I take her body,

the covenant will end.

You still have your b*stard son.

Two of you will live in wealth

and glory for the rest of your lives.

My lord!

My lord!

Even if you take this body,

you will always be a starving demon.

Forever depending on someone else's body.

With your body, I'll ascend as a god.

The Wood God shall rule the mortal realm.

And the world of man

will become the new Underworld.

Then why didn't you take my body

from the beginning?

I had to temper you.

So that your soul can perfectly fuse

with the demon's core.

I despise your deceit.

You're not as naive as you think.

If you weren't,

would you even be pregnant now?

Deceit may outwit deceit.

But it will never defeat true virtue.

My love for my husband

is the sacred bond of our vow.

I've never been ashamed of it.

The V family only sees

you as a breeding tool.

Do you think the child you carry

is something precious?

I devoured...

...your first one.

Its flesh was sweet.

And this one will help

me fulfill my destiny.

My child's life is my life.

You will never take this body

and touch my child.

You think you're still a pure mother?

The sacred wood you scraped for powder

was your first child reborn.

These children will become little demons

to help me rule this world.

My husband...

...even as a ghost,

will never let you go unpunished.

There will be no place for demons like you.

Once the time and place align,

your body will be mine.

You don't get to decide that.

You're not allowed to set foot in here.

You've abandoned this family.

You're no longer my son.

You never saw me as your child.

And I've never accepted those

who drove my mother to death as my family.

I've returned to end this living hell.

You...

You must leave this place.

You have no right to interfere

in my family's affairs.

I'll leave once the funeral is over.

If you want Triu Chu to live,

then get out of here.

If you hurt Triu Chu,

don't expect me to leave.

I'll see to it that

you return to your father soon.

You will need to write a letter of divorce.

Please don't say anymore.

I married you,

and shall remain in this family

...by your side.

I've obeyed your every word.

Endured in silence as you asked.

But...

Master, please spare me!

I swear I will never break the rules again!

When I realized more and more servants

were disappearing...

I began to suspect.

That was when Mrs. Lin had me imprisoned.

Perhaps, thanks to the deep ties

between our families,

my life was spared.

Just as I thought about

this bloodthirsty demon.

It's the Wood-seeking Demon.

A demon born from driftwood

buried beneath the riverbed.

That means...

every full moon, someone

is used as a sacrifice.

You can't stay here any longer.

This karma will surely

catch up with my family.

I can't let you be dragged into it.

I won't let you suffer.

Your family, your karma...

are also mine.

Please!

Let me share it with you.

At noon, I'll go see my sister-in-law.

You are...?

I'm Th Giang.

Please save my child.

Don't let him fall into

the hands of that demon.

I would give my life to protect him.

But this child needs the touch

of his mother's hand.

Her spirit has been corrupted

by the demon's energy.

Right now, the only thing keeping

her alive is the child in her womb.

But her mind remains so clear.

It is the child

who has anchored the mother's soul.

Make sure the servants are gone to

see their kin before the first night watch.

I've prepared a mourning band.

Help me receive them into the estate.

Whatever you may witness tonight,

do not interfere.

I make this plea sincerely.

Three bows!

Madam! What are you doing here?

These are talismans to ward off demons.

Do not touch them,

or else it will cost you your life.

I am V Th Giang.

I hereby form a blood covenant

with The Wood-seeking Demon

to bind it and send it

back to the abyss of hell.

Triu Chu!

As I rise, you rise!

As I fall, you fall!

May your soul scatter.

Your spirit dissolves.

Never to return to the human world.

This covenant will never be broken.

Th Giang! Help me!

Just a little longer! Hold on, Nhi!

Hold on, Nhi!

Just a little longer!

I see the child!

Nhi!

Where's your blade?

The child has held her soul.

Her spirit is returning to her body.

"Lullaby singing"

Triu Chu!

Triu Chu!

I was wrong!

The soul in that body

belongs to the Wood-seeking Demon.

A tigress must eat its own cub.

Only then its soul can be dark enough

to fuse with this body.

Nhi!

Nhi!

Nhi!

You dare ruin my grand design.

As I rise, you rise!

As I fall, you fall!

Don't! Nhi!

Nhi!

Don't worry!

I'll take you to the healer.

At last...

I've waited for you to come back.

Triu Chu!

O Wood Deity, protect me!

O Wood Deity, protect me!

O Wood Deity, protect me!