And the Winner Is Love Episode 7 Recap
> And the Winner Is Love Recap
As Chong Xuezhi plummeted down the cliff, her fate uncertain, her guardians split up. While Zhu Sha and Che Qu searched for her, Haitang sought Shangguan Tou's help before reporting back to Hall of Flames. Simultaneously, Shangguan Tou, informed by Wuming that Chong Xuezhi was in danger and might still be saved, swiftly set off to find her, sending Wuming to lead the others back to Hall of Flames.
Upon hearing the news at Hall of Flames, Yuwen Zhongsong's immediate concern was the whereabouts of the Nine Moves of Lotus God, showing little regard for Chong Xuezhi's life. In contrast, Yuwen Muyuan was distraught and immediately led a search party. Meanwhile, in the forest, Zhu Sha discovered a badly disfigured body with Chong Xuezhi's bracelet tied to its wrist. Believing it to be Chong Xuezhi, Zhu Sha broke into tears. Soon after, Yuwen Muyuan and Haitang arrived.
Overcome with guilt, Haitang blamed herself, recalling how she failed to hold onto Chong Xuezhi's hand just before she fell. Observing this scene from a distance, Yu Wan, assured that Chong Xuezhi was dead, confidently departed. Unbeknownst to them, Chong Xuezhi had been rescued by a kind hunter couple living on Xishan Sunset Peak. Recognizing she was being pursued, the hunter devised a clever ruse.
He found a body ravaged by wolves and placed Chong Xuezhi's bracelet on it, effectively creating a decoy to mislead her pursuers. Chong Xuezhi, recovering at the hunter's home, woke up after two days, during which she had a high fever. The hunter's wife, Aunt Wei, comforted her, explaining that she had changed her clothes and that they were not bad people.
Uncle Wei explained how he found her, realized she was being chased, and created the decoy to ensure her safety. Chong Xuezhi expressed profound gratitude, acknowledging her life debt to them. The couple introduced themselves as local hunters who had lived in the secluded valley for several years. She mused on the recent attack, perplexed by the use of Hall of Flames techniques by her attackers and Haitang's apparent failure to save her.
What Chong Xuezhi didn't realize was that Haitang had already betrayed her and was secretly working for Yuwen Zhongsong. Zhu Sha and Che Qu had already noticed Haitang's unusual behavior and confided their suspicions to Yuwen Muyuan. Yuwen Muyuan later confronted Haitang, producing her small bag which was found near the scene. He reminded her of their shared history and Chong Xuezhi's unwavering kindness, questioning why the assassins spared Haitang. Her explanations were weak and unconvincing.
Yuwen Muyuan challenged her to swear before the ancestral tablets that she was innocent of Chong Xuezhi's death, but Haitang couldn't bring herself to do so. Enraged, Yuwen Muyuan vowed to relentlessly hunt down every person involved, including potential traitors within the Hall of Flames. He then banished Haitang from the Hall of Flames. Before leaving, Haitang wrote a letter to Yuwen Muyuan. In it, she revealed her twin sister, Yanhe, had been hidden by Yuwen Zhongsong since childhood.
Yuwen Zhongsong promised to reunite them if Haitang spied on Chong Xuezhi. Haitang admitted to monitoring Chong Xuezhi but asserted she never intended for her to be killed. She ended the letter by acknowledging her fault and stating she had no other choice. However, Yuwen Zhongsong intercepted the letter and replaced it with a forged suicide note.
This fake letter claimed Haitang had secretly loved Yuwen Muyuan for years and, out of jealousy for his affection towards Chong Xuezhi, had plotted her death. Overcome with guilt after Chong Xuezhi's demise, the note stated Haitang had no choice but to take her own life as an apology. Soon after, Haitang's body was discovered in the back hills of the Hall of Flames, leading Yuwen Muyuan to believe she had committed suicide.
Zhu Sha and Che Qu, however, remained unconvinced, sensing foul play and that Haitang might have been coerced. Driven to find the truth behind Chong Xuezhi’s death, Yuwen Muyuan interrogated Yu Wan about his whereabouts on the day of the attack. Yu Wan claimed he was drinking in a nearby village, but Yuwen Zhongsong quickly interjected, explaining that he had sent Yu Wan to procure medicinal herbs for his own ailment.
Dismissing the investigation as unproductive, Yuwen Zhongsong then shifted the focus to the urgent need for a new palace master, suggesting Yuwen Muyuan as the most suitable candidate to lead the now leaderless Hall of Flames. Yuwen Muyuan initially resisted, feeling it was too soon after Chong Xuezhi's death.
However, Yuwen Zhongsong emphasized the critical state of the Hall of Flames, facing external threats and internal disunity, and asserted that his grandson’s leadership was vital for the sect's survival and what Chong Xuezhi would have wanted. Overwhelmed by the collective plea of the disciples, who knelt and hailed him as their new palace master, Yuwen Muyuan reluctantly agreed to serve as interim leader, vowing to step aside should a more capable successor emerge.
To prevent Yuwen Muyuan from dwelling on Chong Xuezhi’s death, Yuwen Zhongsong decided to publicly announce her demise and Yuwen Muyuan’s succession to the entire martial arts world, hoping to immerse him in new responsibilities and distract him from his grief. Meanwhile, Shangguan Tou, still searching for Chong Xuezhi, encountered Uncle Wei at a local tavern.
Shangguan Tou inquired about a beautiful, smiling girl, but Uncle Wei was evasive, remarking that the mountains were dangerous and a missing person was likely lost to the wild, adding a peculiar comment about her having "fallen down the cliff." Shangguan Tou immediately realized the hunter knew more than he let on and discreetly followed him. Back at their home, Chong Xuezhi chatted with Aunt Wei, who revealed that she and Uncle Wei were once martial artists.
Their son, Wei Zhen, had been tragically killed, leading them to abandon the martial world and seek solace in seclusion. Expressing her condolences, Chong Xuezhi then revealed her true identity as Chong Xuezhi, the Young Master of the Hall of Flames, and the daughter of Chong Ye, who was known to have "gone mad while practicing his skills and killed many martial artists."
She spoke of her efforts to restore her father's and the Hall of Flames' reputation, lamenting the external pressures and internal betrayals plaguing her sect. Later, Uncle Wei complained about an old leg injury that flared up in the cold. Aunt Wei mentioned a rare herb, Lingzhi herb, that could ease the pain, but noted that they were too old to climb the difficult cliff where it grew.
Overhearing this, Chong Xuezhi, wanting to repay their kindness, secretly left to gather the herb from the dangerous cliff. While Chong Xuezhi was away, the hunter couple's true intentions were unveiled. They confessed that their son, Wei Zhen, was one of the many martial artists brutally murdered by Chong Xuezhi's father, Chong Ye. Driven by a desire for vengeance, they resolved to kill Chong Xuezhi to avenge their son.
Upon her return, carrying the precious Lingzhi herb, Chong Xuezhi was ambushed and knocked unconscious by the couple, who then prepared to bury her alive. However, as the hunter prepared the grave, his gaze fell upon the Lingzhi herb she had risked her life to retrieve. This simple act of gratitude made him hesitate, forcing him to reconsider his vengeful plan.
