Bloody Romance Episode 17 Recap
> Bloody Romance Recap
To save the innocent people of Ling City, Wan Mei bravely consumed the gu-primer. She endured immense pain, her body wracked with tremors. After suffering greatly, Wan Mei used her blood to save Xiaoxia. She then emerged from the room with Chang'an and Xiaoxia, announcing loudly that her blood could cure the plague. Yue Ying, witnessing this, immediately knelt and proclaimed Wan Mei a Saintess.
The bewildered common folk, believing Wan Mei was sent by heaven to save them, likewise bowed in reverence. Yue Ying seized the opportunity to incite the crowd, urging them to support Wan Mei as the Saintess of the Blood Lotus Cult. Wan Mei, however, was reluctant to assume such a role. Yue Ying warned her that it was the Prince's will, and if she refused, the Blood Lotus Cult would inevitably become an uncontrollable evil force.
The populace unanimously supported Wan Mei. Lan Ruo, serving as the acting hierarch of the Blood Lotus Cult, stated that the succession could only be arranged after Hierarch Yue Qingya's return. Meanwhile, the Left Guardian You Chan, originally from the Ding Shan Group, sought revenge for her clan's demise. She deliberately severed the Blood Lotus, creating the illusion of divine wrath. Subsequently, You Chan insisted on sacrificing her own blood to make the Blood Lotus re-bloom.
However, Lan Ruo, who deeply loved You Chan, could not bring himself to harm her. Faced with the inability to resolve the predicament, Lan Ruo resorted to threatening Chang'an's life, forcing Wan Mei to intervene. Wan Mei, naturally concerned for Chang'an, though initially unwilling to admit it, stepped forward. She told the assembled cult members and common people that she was not a Saintess, but that heaven had sent this disaster as a punishment for their excessive greed and sins.
With her words, the crowd dispersed. Wan Mei, Chang'an, and Yue Ying then departed, leaving Lan Ruo and You Chan to their internal struggle. You Chan knew Lan Ruo loved her, but she could not abandon her deep-seated hatred for the Blood Lotus Cult and her mission of revenge for the Ding Shan Group. She pressed Lan Ruo to reveal the truth about the Blood Lotus Pond being a scam and expose Yue Qingya's deceptions, or watch her die.
Lan Ruo was in agony, torn between his duty and his love for You Chan. He had kept her identity a secret, even knowing her true intentions. Unable to choose, Lan Ruo ultimately decided to die with You Chan, believing it was the only way for them to reconcile their bitter conflict and be together. He pierced both their chests with a single sword, and they perished tragically.
The sealed altar of the Blood Lotus Cult and the deaths of Lan Ruo and You Chan became a hidden secret, and Ling City gradually returned to normal. As Chang'an escorted Yue Ying and Wan Mei out of Ling City, he went alone into the city to buy provisions and unexpectedly encountered Ruan Niang. Ruan Niang produced a letter, evidence proving Chang'an was a descendant of Princess Taiping.
Chang'an opened the letter, which was written by his biological father, a servant of Princess Taiping. It was addressed to his father's elder brother, Xie Tingyun, entrusting the young Chang'an to his care. As he read, Chang'an recalled the massacre of the Xie family years ago, remembering how everyone had desperately protected him. Ruan Niang explained that her own father, Xie Tingyun, became Chang'an's adoptive father.
He faithfully concealed Chang'an's identity until the secret was leaked, which led to the family's tragic slaughter. Ruan Niang told Chang'an that he had a greater mission to fulfill and could not abandon it for Wan Mei. She asserted that after saving Wan Mei, his life no longer belonged to himself; he had no choice. Elsewhere, Yue Qingya received news of Lan Ruo's death.
Deeply pained and enraged by the loss of his adopted son, he immediately confronted the Prince, choking him and demanding if he had sent assassins to kill Lan Ruo. The Prince vehemently denied the accusation, then intentionally provoked Yue Qingya by remarking that Lan Ruo's kind nature was nothing like the ruthless Yue Qingya.
The Prince further taunted him about why he named his adopted son "Lan Ruo" and whether he regretted his past actions, implying Yue Qingya shared similarities with him. Furious, Yue Qingya stormed off. With Lan Ruo dead, the Blood Lotus Cult was in disarray, with elders vying for leadership. Yue Qingya, unwilling to accept this, sought justice for his adopted son from the King.
However, the King dismissed his grievances, instead urging Yue Qingya to resolve the internal strife within the cult to prevent a larger rebellion that could threaten the empire. Left with no alternative, Yue Qingya resolved to go to Southern Jiang himself to quell the Blood Lotus Cult's unrest.
