Love a Lifetime Episode 3 Recap
> Love a Lifetime Recap
Dragon Howl City held a dark secret: all who consumed the Chihua Pill were registered in the Hall of Emptiness. If they failed to take the white flower antidote on time and the toxins activated, Dragon Howl City would dispatch disciples to kill them, ensuring the secret remained buried. This sinister policy was a central concern for Rong Jingfeng and the city. Lin Ruohan of Lingxu Pavilion, however, disdained relying on the Chihua Pill for extended life.
She opposed Rong Jingfeng's wicked ways, regretting her past failure to kidnap Rong Hua on the lake, a plan she believed would have forced Rong Jingfeng to cease his harmful actions by using his daughter's life as leverage. Her attempts were consistently foiled by Lin Jing.
Now, with multiple incidents involving the Chihua Pill, from its theft to its destruction right under Dragon Howl City's nose, Lin Ruohan noted the Hall of Emptiness's increased scrutiny, suggesting Rong Jingfeng was more prudent than she had initially believed. After a night of rest, Rong Hua awoke to find Lin Jing sleeping by her bedside, her cold disease seemingly at bay. Observing him quietly, she noticed a charm in his usually boisterous demeanor.
Lin Jing soon woke, expressing relief at her recovery and playfully suggesting he almost sent her back to Dragon Howl City, which Rong Hua warned would only lead to further misunderstandings with her father. He then asked if she was worried about him. He also inquired about the identity of the attackers from the previous night, remarking that they were clearly targeting Dragon Howl City and speculating if they were the same group from the lake.
Rong Hua confidently stated they were not, pointing out the distinct martial arts styles. Just as they were chatting, Lin Jing offered to teach Rong Hua martial arts, tailored to her condition, so she could protect herself. As they playfully bickered and chased each other, their master, Bai Weizhi, burst in, scolding them for their inappropriate behavior.
Lin Jing retorted, criticizing Bai Weizhi for failing to protect Rong Hua, who had suffered a cold disease attack and was chased by assassins. Bai Weizhi, concerned, asked Rong Hua why her old illness had recurred, also warning that Rong Jingfeng would not easily forgive Lin Jing this time. Meanwhile, Lu Yizhou informed Lin Jing that the recent assassins were from the Ling Sect, a faction believed to have vanished for years but now resurfacing with apparent sinister motives.
Lin Jing inferred that Rong Jingfeng must already suspect the Ling Sect, and that the group who lured him and Rong Hua out of the city were also members of the Ling Sect. He questioned their ultimate goal, noting the chaos in Dragon Howl City – Rong Hua and Rong Su's attack, Master Xue's murder, the Chihua Pill's destruction, and a body hanging on the city gate unnoticed.
Lin Jing declared he couldn't stand idly by, emphasizing their duty to fight evil. Despite Lu Yizhou's warning that Rong Jingfeng already considered him Master Xue's killer and sought his death, Lin Jing resolved to return to Dragon Howl City to prove his innocence, stating he preferred to confront the situation rather than flee. Lu Yizhou exasperatedly called him trouble-prone, but Lin Jing brushed it off.
Rong Hua returned to Dragon Howl City, immediately kneeling before Rong Jingfeng to plead for Lin Jing, insisting he was not Master Xue's murderer. Rong Jingfeng remained unconvinced, highlighting Lin Jing as the only outsider in the city and his disappearance after the murder as incriminating evidence. He dismissed Rong Hua's attempts to reason with him, ordering her to focus on becoming a Hall Master before meddling in city affairs, and blamed her for her sister's attack.
Rong Jingfeng confined Rong Hua to her room for three days. Just then, a disciple reported Lin Jing's return to the city gates, where he was surrounded by Hall of Emptiness disciples. Overhearing, Rong Hua rushed out to confront her father and the assembled crowd. To defend Lin Jing, she declared that her cold disease had returned the previous night and Lin Jing had saved and cared for her, thus proving he was with her when Master Xue was killed.
Rong Su, present at the scene, tried to undermine Rong Hua, suggesting her disappearance was to conceal her recurring cold disease. Rong Hua retaliated, revealing that her disease had recurred due to cold rouge powder found in a teacup Rong Su had prepared for her, implying Rong Su was responsible for the lax security during Master Xue's murder. Confronted by Rong Jingfeng, Rong Su's silence spoke volumes.
Rong Hua then asserted that while she once avoided conflict, she would now fight back, promising to go "all out" if Rong Su wished to compete. After Rong Hua and Lin Jing left, Rong Jingfeng ordered Zi Yan to thoroughly investigate the poisoning. Zi Yan confirmed the presence of cold rouge powder in the teacup, sufficient to trigger Rong Hua's cold disease, and reported that the Hall of Life's supply of the rare powder had been stolen days prior.
Enraged by the internal strife and machinations within his own city, Rong Jingfeng declared Dragon Howl City needed a proper rectification. On Bai Weizhi's suggestion, Rong Jingfeng decided to hold an open election for the long-vacant position of master of the Hall of Life, a move to balance power dynamics, particularly Rong Su's influence. Lin Jing, upon hearing this, expressed his intention to compete.
Rong Jingfeng tasked Zi Yan with setting conditions for Lin Jing to join Dragon Howl City and ensuring a thorough evaluation, clearly intending to make it challenging for him. Rong Jingfeng then dismissed Rong Su, who was still fuming, and ordered her to kneel in the Flower Sea as punishment. Despite their recent confrontation, Rong Hua visited Rong Su, bringing medicine and food, citing their aunt's concern.
Rong Su accused her of coming to gloat, but Rong Hua explained that she had long been aware of Rong Su's schemes. She confessed her reluctance to act as ruthlessly as her sister, having always prioritized their father's happiness over their rivalry. Rong Su, however, believed Rong Hua only cared about Lin Jing, prompting Rong Hua to declare that she would no longer yield and would fight to the bitter end, pushed to this point by Rong Su's actions.
Rong Su, in turn, vowed to retaliate. Lin Jing continued to treat Rong Hua's cold disease using the acupuncture methods taught by "Mu Yan," also applying the herbal medicine packets "Mu Yan" had prepared. However, Rong Hua closely examined the gold needles and the medicine, realizing they were not what the real Mu Yan typically used.
She questioned how her severe cold disease could be cured so quickly by someone who specialized in external injuries, and noted the absence of the actual Mu Yan for days. Lin Jing, prompted by Rong Hua's observations, also began to doubt "Mu Yan's" authenticity, suspecting she was an imposter. Meanwhile, the disguised "Mu Yan" (Mo Huan) was buying a kite in the market, where she was shadowed by unknown figures.
Lu Yizhou intervened, saving her from the assailants and striking up a conversation. Later, Rong Hua and Lin Jing lay in ambush at "Mu Yan's" supposed home, intending to uncover her secrets. To their surprise, Lu Yizhou arrived instead. The three conversed, realizing they had all been played by the imposter. The "Mu Yan" Lu Yizhou met had described Rong Su as "grumpy" and "stubborn" in her youth, suggesting intimate knowledge of Rong Su, which Lu Yizhou found strange.
Later, Lu Yizhou met Rong Su on a mountaintop for a game of chess, but his mind was preoccupied. He cautiously brought up his recent encounter at the market. Rong Su's demeanor immediately changed, clearly recognizing the description of the mysterious woman.
As she was about to warn Lu Yizhou against speaking further, Xuan Ye arrived with grave news: the real Mu Yan's corpse had been discovered at the foot of the mountain, confirmed to have been dead for at least three days. This directly contradicted Rong Hua's account of "Mu Yan" treating her recently. Rong Su, visibly disturbed, hastily dismissed Lu Yizhou, instructing him to leave.
Lu Yizhou, perplexed by Rong Su's sudden fear and evasiveness, sensed she was keeping a deep secret, one so significant that she threatened to kill him if he divulged any details. Rong Jingfeng, meanwhile, reflected on Dragon Howl City's long-held dominance, secured by the twelve Chihua Pills distributed across the land, offering protection to its users and allegiance to the city.
He expressed concern over the new enemy who dared to defy Dragon Howl City by destroying the Chihua Pills and killing their users, suspecting a specific mastermind behind these calculated moves. Fearing for the lives of Chihua Pill users after the revelation of the fake Mu Yan, Lin Jing, accompanied by Lu Yizhou, stealthily entered the Hall of Emptiness at night to examine the records of those who had consumed the pill.
To their surprise, Rong Hua arrived shortly after, seeking the very same information. Days later, in a secluded pavilion outside the city, Mo Huan, now in a striking red ensemble and no longer in her "Mu Yan" disguise, lay in wait atop a tree. As a palanquin bearing the emblem of the Xiaos' approached, she severed a kite string, silently dispatching several guards.
With a powerful palm strike, Mo Huan shattered the palanquin, only to discover that Lin Jing had bravely impersonated Master Xiao to lure her out. Already nursing injuries, Lin Jing was gravely wounded in the ensuing clash. Mo Huan finally retreated and flew away when Rong Hua and her forces arrived, preventing further harm to Lin Jing. Elsewhere, Rong Su was infuriated when she was denied entry to Rong Jingfeng's chambers.
She protested the perceived double standard, noting that Lin Jing and Rong Hua had faced no punishment despite breaking into the Hall of Emptiness, while she was barred from her father's presence. Zi Yan advised her against impulsive actions, urging patience and trust in Rong Jingfeng's decisions.
