Once Promised (A Life Time Love) 曾许诺 by Tong Hua (BE)

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• For those who haven't read it yet, maybe this will lure you in: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/Q9SzF_HWIr0/?fr=rec1

  Peanuts, recognize Fu Jiu Yun's voice? haha no he's just cameo for the audiobook teaser.

  • Of course I can recognise his soft like candy voice saying he'll wait for me under the cherry blossom tree, LOL. Arrrgh, why got him to read the teaser only? The girl also read the male's part in the audio book? Please leave a msg to him telling him how much I like his voice only:P

    • Yes, this reader does both the female and male parts. She's one of the best readers. lol I'll leave him a message.

• oh look! on the cover it says 'Promise me a Forever' haha, didn't know it had an english name! I can't believe I just noticed that haha

• Can someone write a brief summary for me? I just started the introduction, and it's a bit boring so far.

  • You haven't gotten to the part where Ah Heng asks Chi You for directions to a town right? Everything starting at that moment is very cute and funny.

    In the first chapter:
    The story starts when a place called Jiu Li who is a human tribe under the ruling of Shen Nong God territory. Since humans during the time are very low status, they must give human sacrifices to the Gods. At the time, there was a beast that came to live in the woods of Jiu Li who they came to worship as the King of Beast because he was able to command all the animals of the wood. Jiu Li stopped giving sacrifices to the Gods and this angered them. Zhu Rong one of the general Gods of Shen Nong, knows that there is a so called King of Beast who is leading these humans to not fear them any more, so Zhu Rong wants to kill the Beast.

    That Beast is Chi You, I'm not exactly sure if he's really a beast or a demi-god or what, let's just say he was not feral. Chi You during the time was no match for Zhu Rong even though he was very clever, but he was no match for Zhu Rong who was a powerful God. Chi You got injured by Zhu Rong's fire, which was some sort of a tracking signal feature, so Zhu Rong was able to track down Chi You even though he hid very well. Chi You being a very proud beast rather commit suicide than to the catch by his huntsman, so he jumped down a canyon. It happened he didn't die, instead he catches sight of the main girl when she was playing in the water in the river under the canyon where he was. Chi You saw Ah Heng (the main girl) as his mate because she resembles him (like a pigeon seeing a female pigeon or a wolf see a female wolf). Knowing that Zhu Rong was going to catch up to him, he didn't want the girl to get hurt because of him, so he decides to leave.

    Zhu Rong never killed Chi You because he got saved by Yan Di (the ruler of Shen Nong). Yan Di took Chi You in as his disciple and teached him how to be a God/Human. Yan Di is like Guo Jing to Yang Guo.

    • Thanks for the summary. It makes more sense now. I've gotten to the part where A'Heng dies after being used as a sacrifice. I think Chi You and A'Heng's relationship was funny, but I'm not that touched by his love for her yet. It seemed too sudden.

      Is there a love triangle?

      • Yup, there's nothing touching yet. The 2nd guy is coming soon. He's Shao Hao, this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaohao

        He's Ah Heng's brother's friend, a Hu Ge-ish character.

• I couldn't read beyond the first book because it was too depressing. I loved and was touched by how much Ah Heng trusted and loved Chi You but I can't reconcile with the fact that our hero is someone who can't even trust the one he supposedly loves. I know it fits into his character (how untrusting, how vicious he is) BUT i can't tolerate the way he treated her especially during the times when Ah Heng had to put so much at risk just to keep to THEIR promise.

  Ok enough rant. I did tell myself to finish the second volume eventually coz I know Chi You redeemed himself (and their r/s) but my heart just felt too heavy after the first volume. Tong Hua has this power to inflict so much sadness and heaviness of heart through her novels. I rem moping around for minimum 1 week after finishing 步步惊心 and 云中歌

  • Yah. Continue it, the first chapter he already redeem himself for his moment of distrust with all those years of waiting. I took a few months break in between.

    I've read many comparisons, out of all of tonghua's novels, this one is definitely the most heart pulling. I cried for almost every living thing. My poor Ah Bii, i cried so much for it at the end of volume 1.

    • You reckon?? it's too depressing and heavy that i think i need to set aside one weekend to marathon the second volume.
      definitely agree on the heart-pulling portion, i felt so weak emotionally after finishing the first volume. i don't think i can read in between work days if i ever do decide to finish this title.

  • yup, if you get to the second book, will understand why Chi You was like that towards Ah Heng possibly betraying him (even though she didn't) or anything betraying him for that matter. When he said 'I gave you my heart, what can the He Tou Luo Shu amount to?' and then at the end when Ah Heng died and he tried to pull her out of the black smoke I don't think it matter anymore to him if she betrayed her or not. It was a misunderstanding that was never cleared up but it wasn't important anymore. 2nd book onwards, Chi You really redeems himself but it's so sad to read how much he can stomach just because he loves her.

    I want to steal Ah Bi, it's so adorable!!!!

• In Once Promised, Have you gotten to ah heng's stay at mt. Yu?

  • Was that where Chi You tried to steal that bow and was chased after by soldiers. He saw A'Heng near a pond and she distracted the soldiers while he ran away? I'm at that part.

  • Yup, afterwards it should get better. Shao Hao will also show up, the man who saved her at the sacrafice place. I have a thing against blood, so that scene when A’ Heng almost died from losing blood was too much for me.

• Yes! Shao Hao has shown up and taken A'Heng from Yu Shan. Shao Hao seems so cool, but I definitely feel that he is hiding a lot of things. Poor Chi You, I guess he will have to fight another male beast for his A'Heng. :D

  I'm not really clear on the separate tribes and their positions, do you think you could explain it to me? I know Chi You is part of Shen Nong, and I think Yun Sang is the daughter of Yan Di? Shao Hao is some kind of prince and A'Heng is the daughter of a rather powerful noble?

  • Rather than tribes other is more of God group (Shen zhu). There is Shen Nong who is presently ruled by Yan Di, who I like the most. Shen Nong is also the most strongest. We also have Gao Xin which is the oldest God group. This group is ruled by Shun Di. Lastly, we have Xuan Yuan, ruled by Huang Di. It is the newest established group. There were more Groups, but some had disappeared through marriage and submission under one of the three. Gao Xin and Xuan Yuan are allianced. Gao Xin just wants to keep their territory and Xuan Yuan the more ambitious one wants more help against Shen Nong. Ah Hang is daughter of Huang Di. Yun Sung is daughter of Yan Di. Shao Hao is son of Shun Di. I relied on alot of online sources. I think need to make a character chart of who is under who.

    I don't remember if Shao Hao is hiding anything, i just remember he's pretty good.

    • haha the 3 kingdoms and the characters under each, so confusing!! I don't think I got it all straightened out until the middle of book 1.

    • It's getting so addicting. Thank you for the explanation, Chancy. Now it makes so much more sense. I was multitasking when I listened to the first few chapters, so I was completely confused about the political situation.

      I also really like Yan Di. He loves his wife so much. Huang Di is such a terrible father and husband. He only seems to care about power...

      So who is the Wang Mu of Yu Shan? I know that she an old friend of Xi Ling Lei (A'Heng's mother) and Yan Di, but I don't understand her position in the three God groups.

      • Wang Mu is the only one unmarried of the three. I think she's neutral, she just stays on Mt. Yu holding Peach Festival every 30 yrs. Mt. Yu is one of their holy places, so even if it's inside a certain kingdom's border, it's still very respected. I think she stayed unmarried because of regrets from her friendship with the two. They both married, got caught up in other things, and left her lonely. Also, it hints Wang Mu might have been in love with Yan Di which is maybe why she never married. Of the older characters, I think the friendship between Lei Zu, Yan Di, and Wang Mu is the most touching.

      • Mt. Yu is also a sanctuary, in that if any person comes to Mt. Yu, they are protected. No one can come to Mt. Yu to take you. It’s a place where no political power exists.

• I actually didn't cry at all during the first book, but I'm two chapters into the second part and my heart hurts so much. I find the second book more heartfelt.

  I'm iffy about both the male leads right now. Shao Hao is willing to exchange her for a map and Chi You wasn't there for her when she needed it most.

  • I think that Book 1 is to set the stage. Really only cried a few times in the first book, one of the times being when the old Yan Di died and how it impacted Wang Mu and Lei Zhu. It was his long deserved rest though, considering he was suffering from his diseases and misses his wife, just had too much things to take care of. He was pretty much what was balancing the battlefield and maintaining peace amongst the three kingdoms.

    Another time I cried when Ah Heng could no longer be saved, and Ah Bi's tears were blood. Shao Yao (the bird) also was bleeding from trying hard to keep Chi You from falling in also.

    I was also crying happy tears when Ah Heng finally officially confessed to Chi You by singing to him at the Festival at Jiu Li.

    Another memorable cute scene was also when Chi You was teasing poor Ah Bi about stepdad's not caring about their stepkids, so she was going to be lonely and Ah Bi started crying so loudlly. hehe This flying fox is so cute, have she appeared again where you're at?

• Does Shao Hao remind you of 4th Prince in BBJX? Especially how he took the throne and treated his brothers. Sometimes, I really want to ship Shao Hao and A'Heng, because Chi You really makes me angry whenever he doubts and hurts A'Heng, but Shao Hao has never expressed his feelings to A'Heng. As of now, I don't think Chi You deserves A'Heng. He is never there when she needs him and he is probably the person who has hurt her the most.

  Actually, most of the guys in Once Promised aren't very likable. Nuo Nai, Shao Hao, Chi You, Huang Di, Qing Yang... They are too entrenched in politics to be good husbands. So far, the only men I truly like are Fourth Brother Chang Yi and the previous Yan Di.

  • He's sadder than 4th. Where are you? I don't want to spoil you. The most memorable man in this novel to me is actually Ching Yang. His friendship with Shao Hao is so touching. Its one of those friendship that you can only hope for but can't ask for.

    • I'm at that point where Zhu Rong is pretending to surrender but is actually using his power to make the volcano erupt. Qing Yang and Shao Hao's friendship is extremely touching. I love the memory of Qing Yang with his sword on his shoulder, chewing on a piece of straw, asking Shao Hao to fix his sword for him. But still, despite how deep their friendship is, I think they still put their respective nations above their friendship. If they didn't, Shao Hao would have sent the troops to help Chang Yi against Zhu Rong volcano. I really don't understand why Shao Hao would refuse A'Heng's request and then turn around to send a letter for Chi You to help her. He was worried that by helping Xuan Yuan that day, its army would then use its strength to fight against Gao Xin. But by sending Chi You to help A'Heng, isn't he also potentially putting his country in danger? And he's also losing A'Heng's trust and any good feelings she has for him...

      I think Shao Hao is my favorite character. He's not a man I would want to love, but he's the one I've been thinking about the most while reading Once Promised.

      • I think in book 2 i find Ching Yang impacted me the most because his death was like a never closing wound. Each time he is brought up i just have to shed some tears.

        Zhu Rong is surprisingly patriotic, even though i can't agree with his methods. I didn't like him because he was agorrant in the beginning. My impression of him changed when he joined Chi You to fight E'peng. I shed tears during that battle because Zhu Rong, Gong Gong, Hou Tu, and Chi You were willing to put asides their personally issues to protect their country.

        I think Shao Hao reminds me of Jin Yong's Nan Di of dali. The one who wouldn't save Ying Gu's baby because it would use up too much if his power which was what the enemy wanted

• Yeah, Shao Hao’s power is not solid. If he went in on Ah Heng’s part, his support would weaken and those that support him will think he can easily be swayed by a woman. Since Chi You really cares nothing about patriotism except if it’s personal to him like his vow to Yu Wang, he can do what Shao Hao can’t. Shao Hao wants to be a good king and in order to get there he can’t go around being like Chi You. Chi You’s own people hate him for a reason, only his soldiers admire him but everyone else is either scared of him or calls him a madman.

  I think Ching Yang is one of the saddest characters. It seems everyone realized his sacrifices and importance after he died. Since book 1 I never really liked his character, thought he was so behind on human feelings compared to his brother Chang Yi, but in fact, he is just protecting his family in a different way. Took him for granted!!

• My phone wouldn't let me scroll any further, so I have to continue on another comment. lol

  Back to Shao Hao. I think he had 2 reasons to send a letter to Chi You. First, he wants to help Ah Heng, but he can't because he's afraid that if he sends army to save Chang Yi and the Xuan Yuan army, when Xuan Yuan comes attack Gao Xin, who will come help Gao Xin? His people will not allow him to do so.

  Since he can not help Ah Heng, he knows that Ah Heng would not ask Chi You to do this because Chi You is Shen Nong's general and she don't want to put him in a difficult position between loyalty to Shen Nong and his love for her. Shao Hao knows that Chi You's love for Ah Heng is stronger than his, he knows that Chi You could put everything aside for Ah Heng, so out of his love for Ah Heng, he sends a letter to Chi You in Ah Heng's name. He knows that by doing this, he is sending Ah Heng into Chi You's hand also, but he really wants to do what he can for Ah Heng.

  Somewhere in my head I know there's a strategic reason also, but I can't recall it right now.