And the Winner Is Love Episode 14 Recap
> And the Winner Is Love Recap
Shangguan Tou confronted his father, Shangguan Xingzhou, the Imperial Advisor, accusing him of sacrificing his birth mother, Bailu, for power and personal gain. He challenged his father's right to speak of redemption, calling his words "nonsense" and pointing out that his treachery had caused Bailu to lose her life. Shangguan Tou recounted his own suffering and despair while his father enjoyed glory and wealth. Shangguan Xingzhou, filled with remorse, admitted his guilt towards both Bailu and Shangguan Tou.
He confessed that power had been a snare, leading him astray, and plunging him into an abyss from which he could not escape. He described the constant pain in his heart, regretting having discarded precious family bonds. He lamented that his attempts at atonement only made his mistakes larger and beyond remedy, forcing him to hide the truth from his son. He recalled holding a young Tou before sending him away, fearing it would be their last encounter.
As a gesture, Shangguan Xingzhou presented Tou with a pair of small tiger-head shoes, Bailu’s last memento of him, pleading not to lose Tou as he had already lost Bailu. However, Shangguan Tou remained unyielding, declaring he would never forgive such a deceitful man. Since his father did not know how to face him, they should not meet again in this life, thereby severing their father-son relationship.
Shortly after, Shangguan Zheng, Shangguan Tou's half-sister, rushed to find him, having learned of his dispute with their father. She urged him to forgive their father for her sake. Shangguan Tou asked if she had long known the truth. Shangguan Zheng affirmed her love, explaining that she had always treated him as her dearest brother, despite their different mothers, because they shared the same roof and father.
She revealed that Peirong, their stepmother, had never blamed Shangguan Tou, but rather harbored resentment towards their father for the pain he caused. Shangguan Zheng added that Peirong had already forgiven their father and accepted Shangguan Tou as family. Still, Shangguan Tou refused to forgive a treacherous man and expressed his desire to live alone. Shangguan Zheng, acknowledging the unfairness he had endured, respected his decision but reminded him that their father had always sought to protect him.
Chong Xuezhi prepared to enter seclusion for intensive martial arts training. Her disciples expressed concern for her well-being, urging her to take care, eat on time, and not overexert herself. Yuwen Muyuan solemnly promised Chong Xuezhi that he would manage the Hall of Flames meticulously during her absence. He declared that he would call her "Young Master" for the last time, as she would emerge from seclusion as the official Leader of the Hall of Flames.
He also invoked the late Leader, Chong Ye, to bless her safety. Chong Xuezhi then entered her secluded mountain retreat, where she diligently practiced martial arts. Over the course of nearly a year, her martial arts skills improved dramatically. Meanwhile, Yuwen Muyuan remained true to his word, overseeing the Hall's affairs, including the forging of new weapons.
He often gazed towards the mountain where Xuezhi was in seclusion, hoping she was well and would return as a formidable leader, making him proud. Separately, Xia Qingmei tended to the gravely injured monk, Hong Sheng, bringing him food. Hong Sheng, suspicious of Xia Qingmei's motives despite the claims of righteous aid, urged him to be direct. Xia Qingmei confessed his desire for Hong Sheng to teach him the Nine Moves of Lotus God.
Hong Sheng, surprised that a member of the respected Sword Manor would covet the Hall of Flames' "evil art," received Xia Qingmei’s counter-argument: the nature of a martial art depended on the practitioner. Xia Qingmei argued that as a righteous individual, learning the Nine Moves would only enhance his ability to uphold justice and, combined with the Sword Manor’s prestige, would make him the most powerful martial artist in the world.
Hong Sheng, now crippled and unable to practice martial arts himself, agreed to impart the techniques, curious to witness the full power of the coveted skill through Xia Qingmei. Back at Moon Valley, Shangguan Tou found no relief from his gloom, neither in fine wine nor the scenic beauty.
He confided in Lin Changran that he felt deeply depressed, having realized that alcohol offered only temporary oblivion from agony, and music merely presented a façade of peace; ultimately, both were just evasions. Lin Changran observed that even Moon Valley, celebrated as an Eden, served as an escape for many. He cautioned Shangguan Tou that evasion would be futile, as he was the Imperial Advisor's son and could not live a carefree life like a recluse.
Shangguan Tou, still tormented by questions, wondered about his father's true intentions, particularly why he was sent to the Sword Manor and why his father had avoided him for so long. Lin Changran advised him to confront his father directly, emphasizing that hatred and resentment only perpetuate suffering, offering no real answers. He stressed that to understand himself, Shangguan Tou must first understand his father, both his virtues and his flaws.
Lin Changran then left Shangguan Tou to his own reflections. A severe flu epidemic began to spread rapidly, affecting both common people and martial artists, and doctors were helpless against it. Abbot Shiyan of Luduan Temple convened a meeting of prominent sect leaders to discuss a response.
Many leaders, including Tie Xiao of the Shark Sect, were initially reluctant to assist, arguing that Anping County, the epidemic's origin, was part of the Hall of Flames' territory, and that the plague was divine retribution for their supposed evil deeds. However, as reports confirmed the flu was spreading beyond Anping and affecting their own communities, the leaders acknowledged the widespread nature of the disaster. They agreed that the martial world alone could not contain such a large-scale epidemic.
Abbot Shiyan resolved to write to the Imperial Advisor, Shangguan Xingzhou, requesting imperial intervention. Meanwhile, at the Hall of Flames, Yuwen Muyuan and Zhu Sha discussed the crisis. They noted that many young men from Anping County had historically served as porters for the Hall. Despite concerns about contagion, Yuwen Muyuan insisted that they could not abandon their neighbors, especially as many families had lost their workforce.
He instructed Zhu Sha and others to prepare substantial amounts of solid food and clothing for immediate distribution. He also stressed the importance of continuing the vital deliveries of weapons to the government. During one such delivery, Hall of Flames disciples were ambushed by bandits seeking to steal their supplies. Chong Xuezhi, having just emerged from her year-long seclusion, arrived and swiftly defeated the bandits using her newly honed martial arts, demonstrating the fifth move of the Lotus Wing.
Yuwen Muyuan praised her remarkable progress. Chong Xuezhi explained she had only reached the fifth move and required further cultivation to achieve greater breakthroughs. Recognizing the flu as the underlying cause of the bandits' desperation, she declared that the Hall of Flames could not remain indifferent.
With the support of Elder Yuchi, who advocated for the benevolence of martial artists to care for all people, Chong Xuezhi decided to personally lead a team, including Liuli, who possessed medical knowledge, to find a cure for the flu. Yuwen Muyuan expressed his concern, but Xuezhi assured him he could manage the Hall's remaining important task of weapon transportation. He agreed to first deliver a batch of weapons and then join her efforts.
At the Imperial Advisor's Mansion, Shangguan Xingzhou received Abbot Shiyan's urgent letter. An official reported that the northern regions were severely affected, with many families entirely wiped out by the disease, a situation far worse than initially understood. Shangguan Xingzhou was deeply troubled but explained that he was unable to personally intervene due to his crucial role in the upcoming Heaven Worship Ceremony. Seeing his father's distress, Shangguan Tou surprised him by offering to go north and manage the epidemic on his behalf.
