And the Winner Is Love Episode 44 Recap
> And the Winner Is Love Recap
Zhong Xuezhi and Shangguan Tou suspected that the leaders of several martial sects had been abducted by a killer. Indeed, Xia Qingmei had captured them and presented them to Lord Lu, who then imprisoned them in a dungeon. One of the imprisoned sect leaders, from the Sand Sect, yelled defiantly at Xia Qingmei, vowing to never forgive him for destroying his sect.
Unable to find the culprit, Zhong Xuezhi and Shangguan Tou unexpectedly encountered Zhu Sha, Che Qu, and many former disciples of the Hall of Flames. Zhong Xuezhi was delighted to see them. As they reminisced, Zhu Sha explained that after the Hall of Flames was disbanded, Xia Qingmei had offered refuge to many disciples at Sword Manor. She then brought up Yuwen Muyuan's alliance with Lord Lu.
She recounted that Yuwen Muyuan had visited her and Che Qu before, expressing his desire to revive the Hall of Flames, though they hadn't anticipated he would do so through such means. Shangguan Tou, who had been hiding his true identity, asked Zhu Sha and Che Qu to keep his survival a secret for now, which they promised.
Che Qu then produced a secret letter, revealing that a mysterious informant had warned them of the Purple Hawk Sect's peril, urging them to intervene. They were unsure whether the sender was friend or foe, but believed they both wanted to stop the ongoing slaughter. The group discussed who might be behind the killings. Che Qu recalled seeing the assailant, whose lightness of foot was extraordinary, swiftly leap over a wall while carrying Liang Henshui, the Purple Hawk Sect leader.
This agility suggested martial arts distinct from the Hall of Flames, resembling techniques from Sword Manor. Zhong Xuezhi wondered if Lin Zongxing had aligned with Lord Lu, but Shangguan Tou quickly dismissed the idea, reminding her that Lin Zongxing had subtly helped him escape Lord Lu's assassination attempt at the wedding feast. Considering the killer's agile figure, similar in age to Che Qu, they concluded that only Xia Qingmei from Sword Manor fit the description.
Meanwhile, Lord Lu informed Xia Qingmei that Liang Henshui was secured in the dungeon and instructed him to bring Liang Henshui and He Qiliang to the mountain hunting field in two days, where they would serve Lord Lu's purpose. Later, Shangguan Tou and Zhong Xuezhi traveled to Xiangzhou, where they spotted Lin Fengzi entering a pawnshop. Shangguan Tou chose to stay hidden, believing Lin Fengzi would not want to see him, while Zhong Xuezhi approached her alone.
Fengzi tried to pawn a jade hairpin, a gift from her father, but the pawnbroker only offered two taels, noting a crack. Zhong Xuezhi intervened, withdrawing the hairpin. Fengzi expressed gratitude for Zhong Xuezhi's Tianling Stone, which had saved her life. Zhong Xuezhi assured her that it was a fair exchange. Fengzi, believing Shangguan Tou was dead, encouraged Zhong Xuezhi not to grieve but to seek revenge for her beloved.
Zhong Xuezhi reassured her she would live well and asked about Fengzi's marriage to Xia Qingmei and their current living situation. Lin Fengzi confirmed that she and Xia Qingmei had married and subsequently left Sword Manor due to her father's anger over Xia Qingmei practicing Nine Moves. She led Zhong Xuezhi to their modest home outside the city, expressing contentment despite its simplicity compared to Sword Manor.
Zhong Xuezhi inquired about Xia Qingmei's whereabouts, and Fengzi revealed he hadn't returned for weeks and had been acting increasingly erratically. She recounted that Xia Qingmei had rescued Hong Sheng, the monk who originally stole the Nine Moves manual, and learned the technique from him, later killing Hong Sheng himself. Fengzi described Xia Qingmei's worsening temper, smashing things, and complaining of headaches.
Zhong Xuezhi, piecing together the information, deduced that Xia Qingmei, having practiced Nine Moves without the complementary Lotus Sutra, had likely fallen into obsessive insanity. When Zhong Xuezhi further revealed that four sects had been annihilated by the ninth move of Nine Moves in the past month, implicating Xia Qingmei, Lin Fengzi was horrified and pleaded with Zhong Xuezhi not to harm him, begging her to teach him the Lotus Sutra.
Zhong Xuezhi promised not to kill him but gravely admitted that Xia Qingmei had already committed terrible wrongs. Lin Fengzi then divulged that Xia Qingmei was working for Lord Lu, though she didn't know the specifics. At the same time, Lord Lu brought two captured sect leaders, including Liang Henshui, to his private hunting field.
He offered them freedom if they could defeat his Warriors in Black and escape the mountain within the time it took an incense stick to burn. However, this was a cruel deception. After they successfully fought off the warriors and neared the exit, Lord Lu ordered his men to detonate Black Fire, blowing the sect leaders to pieces, leaving no trace. Lord Lu declared his superiority over martial arts with such destructive power.
Back in Xiangzhou, Shangguan Tou received a cryptic note delivered by a young boy, simply stating "Shangqing is in danger." He relayed this to Zhong Xuezhi, who confirmed that Xia Qingmei was the killer they sought. Shangguan Tou pointed out that Xia Qingmei's actions, from killing Tie Xiao to assisting Lord Lu, had stained his hands with too much blood. He lamented that the world mistakenly blamed Zhong Xuezhi for the atrocities committed with Nine Moves.
Zhong Xuezhi, feeling the heavy burden, admitted her martial arts were not yet at Xia Qingmei's level, making a direct confrontation difficult. They decided to return and rendezvous with Zhu Sha and Che Qu before heading to Shangqing Sect. Meanwhile, Lord Lu's spies reported that Zhong Xuezhi had been seen at Xia Qingmei's home and was accompanied by a young man who strongly resembled Shangguan Tou.
Despite his advisor's caution, Lord Lu was enraged and immediately ordered his Warriors in Black to go to Yunlai Mountain (where Shangqing Sect was in seclusion) and kill both Zhong Xuezhi and the mysterious man. He also instructed his advisor to proceed with Yuwen Muyuan's induction ceremony as Hall of Flames leader, using it as a pretext to gather all sect leaders in Xiangzhou and officially establish his Sects Alliance.
At Sword Manor, Che Qu and Zhu Sha informed Lin Zongxing about the widespread massacres and how the victims were killed with Nine Moves. Lin Zongxing, acknowledging that he had already suspected Xia Qingmei, confessed his shame for not discerning his disciple's true nature and for failing to prevent him from being corrupted by Lord Lu. He vowed to take responsibility and stop Xia Qingmei, even if it cost him his life.
Lord Lu presented Yuwen Muyuan with the plan for his induction ceremony, which would be held at Lord Lu's mansion. Yuwen Muyuan, realizing Lord Lu's true intention was to formally establish the Sects Alliance and use him as a mere puppet, tried to deflect, suggesting his ceremony could be held another day to avoid overshadowing Lord Lu.
Lord Lu, however, sternly reminded Yuwen Muyuan of his loyalty and explained that due to his imperial status, he could not openly summon martial artists without inviting scrutiny. He insisted on using Yuwen Muyuan's "joyful occasion" to achieve his own "pragmatic" goals of uniting the martial arts world under his rule.
He then ordered Yuwen Muyuan to go to Huashan Sect, which was leaderless after Feng Mo's death, and also to gather the Hall of Flames disciples detained in Sword Manor to bring them home to Xiangzhou. Yuwen Muyuan reluctantly complied. As Lin Zongxing, Shangguan Tou, and Zhong Xuezhi rushed to Yunlai Mountain, they arrived just as Xia Qingmei confronted Priest Xingyi of Shangqing Sect, demanding he join the Sects Alliance.
Xia Qingmei declared he was eager for a fight and prepared to annihilate the sect. Lin Zongxing intervened, commanding Xia Qingmei to return to Sword Manor. Xia Qingmei, however, refused, asserting his independence and claiming that his actions for Lord Lu would lead to a unified martial world where he, having mastered Nine Moves, would reign supreme as the strongest. Lin Zongxing vehemently disagreed, stating that martial arts needed diversity, not tyranny, and condemned Xia Qingmei's indiscriminate killings.
He urged Xia Qingmei to reconsider for Lin Fengzi's sake. Defiant, Xia Qingmei reiterated his refusal to return, proclaiming himself the "best in the world" and unstoppable. At this critical juncture, Zhong Xuezhi stepped forward, challenging Xia Qingmei. She reminded him that she had been defeated by him at the Hero Assembly in the past but declared that times had changed.
She accused him of stealing her sect's manual, cultivating it improperly, and then massacring innocents while framing the Hall of Flames. She vowed to clear her sect's name, asserting that the Lotus Wing (Nine Moves) was not evil, but rather his own heart was. Xia Qingmei, not taking her seriously at first, eventually agreed to her challenge to fight at the peak of Yunlai Mountain, where the winner would be declared the true "best in the world."
Priest Xingyi offered to assist Zhong Xuezhi, but she politely declined, emphasizing that this was a personal feud that she needed to settle alone. Shangguan Tou expressed concern, knowing Xia Qingmei had mastered the ninth move of Nine Moves while Zhong Xuezhi had not fully cultivated the Lotus Wing, fearing for her life. Zhong Xuezhi, however, was resolute. She believed that with Lotus Wing, which combined Nine Moves and Lotus Sutra, she could find a way to counter him.
She admitted she lacked confidence but felt it was the only way to stop Xia Qingmei's rampage. Shangguan Tou promised to stand by her, but Zhong Xuezhi insisted on facing the challenge alone. She confessed her past mistakes of avoidance and hesitation, explaining that the Lotus Wing was her father's life's work, for which he paid with his life. Her negligence led to its theft and misuse, causing chaos in the martial world.
She felt it was her sole responsibility to resolve this conflict to bring peace to her father's spirit. The duel began on the cliff, with Xia Qingmei fiercely attacking. Despite her determination, Zhong Xuezhi found herself at a disadvantage in the initial exchanges. Xia Qingmei, confident in his power, declared her defeat. Zhong Xuezhi refused to yield, proclaiming she would never admit defeat, even if it meant her death.
She warned him that his continued delusion would lead to utter isolation, and questioned if he truly had anyone's support besides Lin Fengzi. Xia Qingmei dismissed her, stating Fengzi was all he needed, but Zhong Xuezhi countered that his fragile ego and lust for power seemed to be far more important to him than Lin Fengzi herself.
