And the Winner Is Love Episode 34 Recap
> And the Winner Is Love Recap
Lord Lu arrived with many skilled fighters, overwhelming Zhong Xuezhi and her companions in a difficult struggle. As they fought, Shangguan Xingzhou was executed at the execution ground by Lord Lu's orders. Shangguan Tou, witnessing the injustice, furiously accused Lord Lu, also known as Xue Lie, of framing his devoted father and slaughtering innocent people for his selfish ambition.
Lord Lu, unrepentant, retorted that Shangguan Tou's defiance caused his father's death, revealing his true goal: to dominate the entire martial arts world and eliminate the Hall of Flames, which he considered a thorn in his side. Shangguan Tou warned him that the martial arts world would consume anyone who tried to control it, but Lord Lu dismissed his words, confident in his own political prowess.
Just as Shangguan Tou and Zhong Xuezhi were cornered, Shangguan Zheng, Lord Lu's wife and Shangguan Tou's sister, intervened. Holding a dagger to her own throat, she confronted Lord Lu, admitting she knew all of his treacherous deeds despite her pretense of ignorance. She declared that with her father dead, Shangguan Tou was her only remaining family, and she would not allow him to be harmed. Appealing to their marriage, she demanded that Lord Lu release them.
Fearing for her safety, Lord Lu reluctantly agreed, ordering his men to stand down. Shangguan Tou and Zhong Xuezhi quickly left the scene. After their departure, Shangguan Zheng still held the dagger, prompting Lord Lu to urge her to lower it. However, one of Lord Lu's Warriors in Black suddenly struck Shangguan Zheng's pressure point, causing her to collapse into Lord Lu's arms.
Enraged by his subordinate's disregard for his wife's safety, Lord Lu chastised the man, then dismissed the pursuit of Shangguan Tou and Zhong Xuezhi. He revealed that Zhong Xuezhi had been gravely wounded by the Warriors in Black's Wuse Skill, an injury that would ensure her eventual death, rendering Shangguan Tou harmless once he lost her as well. Shangguan Tou rushed to the execution ground, only to find his father, Shangguan Xingzhou, already deceased on a cart.
Overwhelmed by grief, he wept, regretting his late arrival. He buried his father, recalling Shangguan Xingzhou's earlier plea for Shangguan Tou to protect his sister, Zheng. Meanwhile, in his mansion, Lord Lu attempted to console Shangguan Zheng, urging her to take care of herself despite her anger. Shangguan Zheng rebuffed him, telling him she didn't want to see him. She accused him of ruining her family and killing her father, even asking why he didn't kill her too.
She was heartbroken by his ruthlessness. A maid later confirmed Shangguan Zheng's pregnancy to her, intensifying her despair over Lord Lu's actions. Lord Lu later discussed his plans with Taishi Cheng, still concerned about Shangguan Tou. Taishi Cheng reassured him that with Shangguan Xingzhou gone, Shangguan Tou had lost his most powerful ally. He elaborated on Zhong Xuezhi's Wuse Skill injury, explaining that it was an insidious foreign martial art designed to counter internal cultivation.
It would initially be asymptomatic but would rapidly weaken a martial artist, especially one with deep inner power like Zhong Xuezhi, leading to an incurable death within a short time. He concluded that without his father and Zhong Xuezhi, Shangguan Tou would pose no threat. Taishi Cheng noted that Shangguan Tou was still unaware of Zhong Xuezhi's impending death.
Lord Lu also briefly discussed his plans for unifying the martial arts world, considering replacing the young and inexperienced Feng Mo from Huashan Sect, but decided to keep him to leverage other sects. Later, another subordinate advised Lord Lu not to let Shangguan Zheng's feelings hinder his plans and even suggested testing her loyalty. Lord Lu, whose wife was his only true weakness, reacted with fury, ordering the subordinate out.
Back in Moon Valley, Zhong Xuezhi comforted a grieving Shangguan Tou, sharing her own past pain of losing her father, whom she had learned to forgive. She assured him that his father's sacrifice was for the Shangguan family and that he was not to blame for Lord Lu's treachery. She promised to stay by his side, no matter what. However, four days after the confrontation, Zhong Xuezhi suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed.
The Herbal Medicine Master, Lin Changran, quickly determined that the Wuse Skill had taken effect. He explained its devastating effects on martial artists, how it would block her power veins and deplete her inner energy, and tragically, that the Lotus Sutra she practiced, while powerful, was ineffective against this foreign martial art. Due to her deep inner power, the injury was rapidly consuming her, and Lin Changran regretfully estimated she had less than ten days to live.
Shangguan Tou, devastated by the news, desperately sought solutions. He first asked Lin Changran if he could transfer his internal energy to prolong her life, but Lin Changran warned it would only endanger Shangguan Tou without saving Zhong Xuezhi. He then suggested sealing her blood vessels to induce a coma while he sought a cure, but this too was deemed fatal.
With no conventional medical solution, Shangguan Tou resolved to go to Lord Lu to steal or demand the antidote, fully aware it was a trap that could cost him his life. He vehemently stated he couldn't let Zhong Xuezhi die after she was injured saving him.
Seeing Shangguan Tou's unwavering determination, Lin Changran offered a desperate measure to slow the injury's progression: lowering Zhong Xuezhi's body temperature to reduce blood flow, which could buy them ten more days for him to retrieve the antidote. He warned that this method would cause her great suffering. Shangguan Tou then tenderly asked Zhong Xuezhi if she was willing to endure the pain.
After this, Lin Changran offered to go to Lord Lu in his stead, believing his familial ties as Lord Lu's uncle might afford him some leeway. He instructed Shangguan Tou to stay and care for Zhong Xuezhi. Later, in what appeared to be an ice chamber, Zhong Xuezhi confronted Shangguan Tou, revealing she knew about her Wuse Skill injury and her grim prognosis, though she didn't disclose who told her.
Shangguan Tou, in distress, confessed he couldn't bear to lose her. She implored him not to sacrifice himself for her, asking him only to stay by her side until her last breath. He agreed. He later confronted Lin Changran, upset that he had revealed the truth to Zhong Xuezhi.
Lin Changran justified his actions, stating that it was Zhong Xuezhi's destiny, and Shangguan Tou could not bear it for her or sacrifice himself, for if he died, she would be left alone in her final days. Shangguan Tou lamented that after losing his father, Zhong Xuezhi was his only remaining connection to the world, and he couldn't imagine life without her.
Lin Changran, empathizing with his pain, reminded him of his own past loss of Chong Ye and Yu Pan, urging him not to repeat the mistake of lifelong regret. Meanwhile, Lord Lu continued his efforts to appease Shangguan Zheng, bringing her flowers. She responded with cold indifference, performing a minimalist flower arrangement before discarding the remaining blooms. She asked him if he felt any shame for destroying her family.
Questioning his love, she implored him to promise not to harm Shangguan Tou, citing that Shangguan Tou was her last family. Lord Lu, despite his recent machinations, swore solemnly that he would never harm Shangguan Tou, promising to uphold his word.
