Legend of the Demon Cat (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The demon cat seeks revenge against the imperial court because it was Yang Guifei's faithful cat that was entombed alive with her. The cat witnessed Yang Guifei's horrific death and returned as a vengeful spirit to punish those responsible for her fate, including the Emperor who ordered the scheme that led to her burial.

Foreshadowing: The Emperor's mysterious curse and eerie cat wails accompanying his death hint at the supernatural retribution to come.

• demon cat
• Yang Guifei
• Emperor Xuanzong
• revenge
• curse

The acupuncture plan to save Yang Guifei catastrophically failed. While it induced a state of apparent death, the soldiers relocated before she could be revived. She was sealed in a coffin and buried alive in her tomb alongside her black cat. The Emperor's supposed rescue operation was merely a facade to absolve him of guilt.

Foreshadowing: Abe no Nakamaro's diary reveals the desperate scheme intended to mislead the closing imperial forces.

• Yang Guifei
• buried alive
• acupuncture
• Abe no Nakamaro
• tomb

Chunqin is revealed to be the spectral form of Yang Guifei's beloved black cat. When Yang Guifei was buried alive, the cat was entombed with her but managed to escape. The cat transformed into a demon cat seeking vengeance, and it manifested as Chunqin's ghost to lead Kukai and Bai Letian to the truth.

Foreshadowing: Chunqin's coma-like slumber mirrors Yang Guifei's fate, and her ghostly appearances on rooftops hint at her supernatural origin.

• Chunqin
• demon cat
• Yang Guifei
• cat spirit
• transformation

The commander becomes influenced by demonic forces as a consequence of his earlier pact with the black cat. Having received fortune in exchange for providing fish eyes, he falls under the cat's malevolent influence, driving him to murder his wife Chunqin before descending into madness.

Foreshadowing: The initial pact with the black cat sets a precedent for supernatural corruption and tragedy.

• commander
• Chunqin
• demonic influence
• madness
• murder

Abe no Nakamaro's diary uncovers a shocking plan devised during the imperial crisis: acupuncture was used to artificially induce death in Yang Guifei, making her appear lifeless to soldiers closing in. The intention was to revive her once the soldiers left, but the plan failed catastrophically, resulting in her being buried alive.

Foreshadowing: The diary serves as the crucial key to understanding the true cause of Yang Guifei's death.

• Abe no Nakamaro
• diary
• acupuncture
• Yang Guifei
• conspiracy

Bai Long chooses to sacrifice his life essence at Yang Guifei's grave, merging his spirit with the black cat. This act of loyalty grants him enlightenment, revealing that Yang Guifei was not dead when buried but buried alive. He becomes a vessel for the cat's spirit, allowing him to return to the palace and confront the Emperor.

Foreshadowing: Dan Long's confession about knowing the poisoning scheme triggers Bai Long's desperate decision.

• Bai Long
• sacrifice
• spirit merge
• black cat
• enlightenment

During the confrontation with the demon cat, Bai Long's spirit transforms into a brilliant white crane and flies away, leaving the malevolent feline to face its demise. This transformation represents Bai Long's attainment of enlightenment and release from the cycle of vengeance, symbolizing spiritual transcendence.

Foreshadowing: Bai Long's sacrifice was driven by his desire to discover the truth and achieve liberation.

• white crane
• transformation
• Bai Long
• spiritual transcendence
• enlightenment

Qin Yi becomes a victim of the demon cat's malevolent influence as it targets anyone connected to Yang Guifei's fate. The cat's vengeful rampage claims Qin Yi as its next victim, intensifying the danger surrounding Kukai and Bai Letian's investigation.

Foreshadowing: The demon cat's pattern of targeting those involved in Yang Guifei's demise sets the stage for this tragedy.

• Qin Yi
• demon cat
• lady-in-waiting
• murder
• vengeance

After the surreal confrontation, Kukai and Bai Letian wander the city streets. Bai Letian expresses his resolve to preserve his creative integrity regardless of criticism, while Kukai embarks on a pilgrimage to Great Qinglong Temple to present a sacred sutra to Dan Long, now a monk, and inquire about finding freedom from sorrow.

Foreshadowing: The resolution reflects the film's themes of artistic integrity and spiritual seeking.

• Kukai
• Bai Letian
• resolution
• Great Qinglong Temple
• Dan Long

"Chang hen ge" (Song of Everlasting Sorrow) is Bai Letian's masterpiece that chronicles Yang Guifei's tragic life and love with Emperor Xuanzong. The poem drives the investigation as Bai Letian seeks to uncover the truth behind her death, serving as both a literary work and a quest for historical justice.

Foreshadowing: The poem's themes of eternal sorrow mirror the film's exploration of loss and betrayal.

• Chang hen ge
• Song of Everlasting Sorrow
• Bai Letian
• Yang Guifei
• poem

After Dan Long confesses to knowing about the scheme to poison Yang Guifei, he renounces the material world and becomes a monk. He is later found at Great Qinglong Temple by Kukai, who presents him with a sacred sutra and asks about his progress toward discovering the secret to a sorrow-free existence.

Foreshadowing: Dan Long's guilt over his knowledge of the conspiracy drives his decision to embrace monastic life.

• Dan Long
• monk
• Great Qinglong Temple
• sutra
• spiritual journey

Emperor Xuanzong is afflicted by a mysterious and debilitating curse. His death is accompanied by eerie cat wails, suggesting the demon cat's supernatural intervention. The Emperor's demise sets the investigation in motion and establishes the film's central mystery of supernatural vengeance.

Foreshadowing: The cat wails that coincide with the Emperor's death foreshadow the demon cat's malevolent presence.

• Emperor Xuanzong
• curse
• death
• demon cat
• imperial court