Opens 28 June 2012 The Story According to the demon lore, it takes hundreds of years to attain human form. Even then, lacking a human heart, a demon cannot experience the true pains and passions of existence. However, there is a legend that if a pure human heart is freely offered to a demon, it can become a mortal and experience true life. Xiaowei (Zhou Xun), a millennia-old fox spirit, has been imprisoned for centuries under a frozen lake as punishment for violating the laws of the demon world. Her sheer will to survive attracted the bird spirit Que’r (Mini Yang) who broke through the ice and revived her. Xiaowei saw two choices: experience true death or become truly human. She regains her strength – and youth – by consuming the heart of a stranger, transforming herself into a beautiful seductress. Unknown to her, the stranger is the Prince of Tian Lang Kingdom. Meanwhile, Princess Jing (Vicki Zhao), the fourteenth daughter of the Han Dynasty King, has been betrothed to the Tian Lang Prince, so as to maintain peace in her own kingdom. The offer of marriage, however, is a trick by Queen (Chen Tingjia) of the Tian Lang Kingdom and the chief wizard (Kris Phillips) who plot to reincarnate the dead prince in a black magic ceremony employing Jing’s beating heart and the powerful blood that runs through the veins of the Exorcist Pang (William Feng). Jing was once the most beautiful woman in her kingdom until a bear disfigured her face on a hunt at the age of 15. Since then, she has worn a golden mask across half her face. Her personal guard, General Huo Xin (Chen Kun), chose to leave the palace, ashamed at his failure to protect her. He was transferred to the western frontier. Jin disobeys her father’s order to marry, and flees west in search of Huo, her one true love. A twist of fate brings Princess Jing and Xiaowei together on a journey. Xiaowei immediately realises Jing’s innocent heart is her best chance to transform into a human. But Jing must first be persuaded to offer her heart out of her own free will. Xiaowei pretends to be her attendant and travels with Jing to the White City where General Huo is garrisoned.
After so many years apart, General Huo Xin is overwhelmed with guilt when he encounters Jing again, and refuses to accept her love. At the same time, he is bewitched by Xiaowei’s demonic beauty. Xiaowei discloses her true demon self to the Princess and declares, “Every man, without exception, is obsessed by me, including your General Huo Xin”. As Tian Lang warriors surround White City, the two women strike a deal. Since Princess Jing needs Xiaowei’s face to secure the General’s love, she is willing to exchange her live, beating heart for Xiaowei’s perfect skin. Unbeknownst to Jing, to maintain the youth of her newfound beauty, she must herself begin to consume live human hearts.