Ashes of Love Episode 13 Recap, Plot

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Run Yu candidly admitted his affection for Jin Mi. Xu Feng, visibly troubled, pressed Run Yu, questioning his understanding of Jin Mi’s true identity, her inherent water nature, the past Floral Immortal’s real form as a water lily, and the significance of the Liuzi Pond. Xu Feng then revealed his conviction that he, Run Yu, and Jin Mi were half-siblings, implying their shared father was the Heavenly Emperor and Jin Mi was the daughter of the Floral Immortal.

Jin Mi, overhearing this, was startled, wondering how she, a grape sprite, could have so many "bird and beast relatives," and was horrified at the thought of the Heavenly Empress being her stepmother. Run Yu, unperturbed, stated that even a sibling relationship would be acceptable, as he believed Jin Mi held no romantic feelings for him. He tested Jin Mi by asking if she liked Xu Feng, the Moon Immortal, Yan You, and even the Qiwu Palace servants.

Jin Mi cheerfully affirmed her liking for all of them. When asked about Chief Peony, Jin Mi playfully remarked she would like her more if she were less stern. Chief Peony, exasperated by Jin Mi’s “heartless” nature, ordered her to return to the Floral Realm immediately for her own safety, a command Jin Mi initially resisted. After the banquet, Sui He reported to the Heavenly Empress, apologizing for Xu Feng being bewitched by Jin Mi and the ensuing chaos.

The Empress dismissed Sui He's fault, acknowledging Jin Mi's disguise, but questioned Jin Mi's true intentions for revealing her form. Sui He pointed out the unusual closeness between Jin Mi, Xu Feng, and Run Yu, drawing parallels to the past entanglement of the Heavenly Emperor and Luo Lin with the Floral Immortal Zi Fen, fearing a repeat of past disasters. The Empress firmly declared she would not permit such events to recur.

Later, she ordered a comprehensive investigation into all lower-level immortals present at the banquet, particularly the twelve zodiac fairies, to uncover the identity of the sprite who dared to disrupt her birthday celebration. Back in the Floral Realm, the Chiefs expressed deep concern that Jin Mi’s true form, now seen by many in the Heaven Realm, would inevitably lead to the revelation of her parentage.

Chief Peony scornfully dismissed Xu Feng's mistaken belief that he was Jin Mi's half-brother, declaring him unworthy of such a relation. She asserted that there was no harm in letting him remain under this delusion, as it would lead him to give up on Jin Mi entirely, preventing any further connection with the sons of the Heavenly Empress and Heavenly Emperor, given the unresolved feud over the Floral Immortal Zi Fen's tragic death.

Another Chief reiterated Zi Fen’s wish for Jin Mi to live a carefree life, free from worldly romantic entanglements. They decided to guard Jin Mi closely, taking turns to watch over her in the courtyard, especially as she still needed to endure her fated love trial. They anticipated that the Heavenly Emperor would eventually inquire about Jin Mi’s identity, but Chief Peony boldly stated that he could confront Zi Fen directly at her mausoleum if he dared.

Meanwhile, Jin Mi, struggling to make sense of Xu Feng’s claims about their supposed sibling relationship and the Heavenly Empress as her stepmother, found herself drifting into sleep. In her dream, Jin Mi's spirit was led to the Fantasy Land by the Heavenly Emperor. He recounted his first encounter with the Floral Immortal Zi Fen 90,000 years ago, marveling at her ethereal beauty as she stepped upon water, causing lotuses to bloom with each graceful stride.

The Heavenly Emperor noted Jin Mi's striking resemblance to Zi Fen in spirit, despite their differing physical features. He contrasted Jin Mi's bright and cheerful demeanor with Zi Fen's reserved nature, lamenting Zi Fen's solitary life. He then requested Jin Mi to plant green lotuses, mentioning that the Heaven Realm had not seen such spring vitality in 4,000 years since Zi Fen’s passing. Jin Mi, assuming the Heavenly Emperor was her father, agreed to fulfill this filial duty.

When Jin Mi claimed no knowledge of Zi Fen, the Heavenly Emperor expressed profound sorrow, believing Zi Fen harbored such deep resentment that she refused to let her own child see him. Jin Mi was bewildered by the notion of a lotus and a grape being related, initially dismissing the dream as a strange manifestation of Xu Feng's earlier conjectures. However, realizing this was no ordinary dream, she seized the opportunity.

She feigned having weak magic power, hinting at a desire to serve as a gardener in Heaven if she possessed sufficient abilities. The Heavenly Emperor, surmising that Zi Fen might have sealed Jin Mi’s spirit, bestowed upon her 5,000 years of magic power and instructed her to practice a specific cultivation method for 49 days to fully manifest her true form.

He sternly warned her against developing any romantic affections for either Xu Feng or Run Yu, to which Jin Mi readily assented, finding the command "easy." Xu Feng returned to the Heaven Realm to apologize to the Heavenly Empress for his conduct at her birthday banquet. The Empress was enraged that he had defied her for an unranked sprite and expressed her fear that he harbored feelings for Jin Mi.

She demanded a solemn oath from Xu Feng that he would never see Jin Mi again, in exchange for forgiving Jin Mi’s transgressions. Xu Feng revealed that he had already made such a promise to Chief Peony the day before. Unconvinced, the Empress stated her true relief would only come when he ascended to the position of Heavenly Emperor, ruled the Heaven Realm, and married Sui He to produce heirs.

Xu Feng, dismissing her concerns as excessive, quickly excused himself, citing the need to attend to military training. Despite having just completed a night patrol, Run Yu was determined to visit Jin Mi in the Floral Realm. He was anxious about the repercussions of secretly taking her to the Human Realm and the trouble she almost caused in the Heaven Realm, fearing Chief Peony’s stern discipline.

Kuang Lu then informed him that the Heavenly Empress was also making her way to the Floral Realm. Realizing that his hasty intervention would only exacerbate the situation due to the Empress's existing animosity, and recalling Xu Feng's conviction that Jin Mi was the Heavenly Emperor's daughter along with the Heavenly Emperor's unusual gaze toward Jin Mi, Run Yu decided to seek help from his father.

Kuang Lu, in turn, offered to discreetly follow the Heavenly Empress to the Floral Realm to observe the situation. At the Floral Immortal’s Mausoleum, Jin Mi, invigorated by the power boost from her dream, expressed gratitude to the deceased Zi Fen for the unexpected gift. She mused about inviting Yan You to celebrate. Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Empress materialized, intent on assaulting Jin Mi.

Jin Mi was bewildered and frightened by the Empress’s hostility, especially when the Empress attributed her wrath to Jin Mi’s resemblance to Zi Fen, declaring Jin Mi would "die a worthy death" in the mausoleum. Just as the Heavenly Empress launched her attack, Luo Lin, the Water Immortal, appeared, blocking the blow.

Luo Lin asserted his right to intervene as an old friend of Zi Fen, emphasizing that only the Floral Immortal or Chief Peony had the authority to judge a Floral Realm sprite. He accused the Empress of cruelty for attacking a low-level sprite at Zi Fen’s tomb. Enraged, the Empress retorted that Luo Lin’s intervention was solely motivated by Jin Mi’s resemblance to Zi Fen.

Their standoff was interrupted by Run Yu, who, acting on the Heavenly Emperor’s command, delivered a message summoning the Empress back to Heaven to discuss post-birthday awards and pardons. Run Yu subtly warned her that continuing her actions could damage her reputation by causing a scene with the Floral Chiefs and involving the Heavenly Emperor. Accusing Run Yu of conspiring against her, the Heavenly Empress departed in a fury. After the Heavenly Empress's departure, Luo Lin remained at the mausoleum.

He recognized two lines of a poem he had once copied for Zi Fen, displayed at her tomb, and was deeply moved by the discovery that Zi Fen had left a child in the world. Jin Mi, still confused about her true parentage, asked Luo Lin if she was indeed the child of Zi Fen and the Heavenly Emperor. She then attempted to summon Yan You, who arrived, complaining about her erratic aim.

Luo Lin, noting Jin Mi's enhanced magic power and her ability to summon Yan You—whose true form is a water snake—asked if she could summon water. Jin Mi, having practiced some water magic under Xu Feng's guidance, attempted to do so. After a failed initial attempt, she succeeded, causing snow to fall, but then collapsed from exhaustion.

Once Jin Mi was brought inside, Luo Lin pressed the Floral Chiefs about her true identity, questioning their nervousness if she were merely a common elf and why she bore such a striking resemblance to Zi Fen yet claimed to be a grape. Bound by a sacred oath to Zi Fen, the Chiefs refused to disclose any information.

As Jin Mi was being tended to, Chief Begonia detected a powerful, clashing Yang energy within her, a potent gift of Yang Qi that contradicted Jin Mi’s inherent Yin nature. One of the chiefs admitted her own power was insufficient to stabilize the chaotic energy, prompting Luo Lin to intervene. After he used his power to calm it, he declared with profound certainty, "Jin Mi, turns out to be my child."

This pivotal revelation was overheard by Run Yu, who had returned to the Floral Realm, suspicious of Luo Lin’s unusual interest in Jin Mi and determined to protect her from any further harm from the Heavenly Empress.

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