Love Better Than Immortality Episode 13 Recap
> Love Better Than Immortality Recap
Xiao Bai rushed into his father’s room, only to find Senior Leader Xiao had passed away. Distraught, Xiao Bai cried out, his anguish echoing. Chun Hua heard his cry and immediately abandoned Shangguan Qiuyue to run towards him. Meanwhile, Shangguan Qiuyue, feeling unsettled, finally noticed Ye Yan standing nearby as Chun Hua ran off.
He acknowledged that their mission to obtain the Xiao family’s mental cultivation method was now useless, as Xiao Bai had already mastered the final movement of the Fengming Swordsmanship. Shangguan Qiuyue then questioned whether Chun Hua, who was assigned to steal the method and knew too much, was still useful. Ye Yan stated that according to their custom, those who lose their value should be killed.
However, Shangguan Qiuyue found Chun Hua too interesting to simply discard and declared he would make her useful instead. Ye Yan seemed displeased, feeling Chun Hua's status in Shangguan Qiuyue's heart was unusual, and told him she didn't want to hear it. At the memorial hall for the deceased Senior Leader Xiao, various orthodox sects gathered, praising his lifelong dedication to upholding righteousness and strengthening Wulin, hailing him as a grand master.
Their eulogy was suddenly interrupted by a mocking voice, questioning the late leader's supposed integrity. When challenged to appear, the voice revealed himself to be Li Jianling of Yinshan Sect, a figure who had been missing for many years, much to the shock of the assembled chiefs. Li Jianling then openly accused Senior Leader Xiao and the present chiefs of hypocrisy.
Xiao Bai confronted Li Jianling, who retorted that Xiao Bai was as outwardly appealing yet inwardly repulsive as his father, Xiao Yuan. Despite others urging caution, Xiao Bai stood firm. A chief questioned Li Jianling’s long absence, to which Li Jianling responded that he was already a "dead-alive person." Shangguan Qiuyue and Chun Hua, who were eavesdropping from outside, exchanged words, with Shangguan Qiuyue confirming he had brought Li Jianling there for them to witness the "fun."
Li Jianling confronted Xiao Bai, asking if Xiao Yuan had given him the Magical Ice Stone before his death. Xiao Bai confirmed receiving a crystal but denied it was the Magical Ice Stone, claiming it was a gift from a friend.
Li Jianling pressed, asking if it was a white lotus-shaped crystal with a bloodstain, and when Xiao Bai confirmed this detail, Li Jianling revealed the truth: the "friend" was Hui, also known as Shangguan Hui, the sister of the Chief of Thousand Moon Cave. Li Jianling condemned Xiao Yuan for reducing Hui to a mere "friend" after she gave him the Magical Ice Stone, which helped him master the Fengming Swordsmanship, become the Alliance Leader, and provide for his son.
He then declared that even though Hui was the sister of an evil sect chief, she remained his beloved woman. The assembled crowd reacted with shock and disbelief at the revelation of Senior Leader Xiao's connection to a "demoness." Shangguan Qiuyue, listening, sarcastically pointed out the irony of Xiao Bai’s martial prowess relying on the very “demoness” scorned by the orthodox sects. Xiao Bai vehemently defended his father's integrity, denying any affair.
Li Jianling countered by asking if Xiao Bai had ever spent a Mid-Autumn Festival with his father, implying a secret. Xiao Bai defended his father’s dedication to justice, but Li Jianling persisted, revealing that every Lunar August 15, Xiao Yuan would journey to a remote lotus pond near Sangtian Village and stand there all night. He also asked if Xiao Bai had ever noticed an ice lotus pattern on his father’s chest, demanding Xiao Bai hear the full truth.
Li Jianling then recounted the story from 24 years prior: he and Xiao Yuan were poisoned and pursued by star servants, inadvertently stumbling into Ice Valley near Thousand Moon Cave. There, they were rescued by Hui. She was a beautiful woman born with a cold body constitution, which forced her to live perpetually in the freezing Ice Valley, where even lotuses could not survive.
She loved lotuses, and her brother had carved an "Icy Silkworm Pendant" into a lotus shape for her using Profound Ice Stone. Despite the grim prognosis for Xiao Yuan due to the poison, the lotus pattern on Hui’s chest miraculously detoxified him and left a colorful lotus mark on his heart. Hui then nursed him for three days and nights, during which time they fell deeply in love.
Li Jianling recalled Hui stopping them from leaving the valley, threatening them if they tried. Hui expressed her longing to see a real lotus and shared her wish to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with Xiao Yuan, lighting lotus-shaped lanterns and wishing for them to be together forever. The Magical Ice Stone helped Xiao Yuan master unique martial arts, specifically the final movement of the Fengming Swordsmanship.
Feeling burdened by his responsibility to the world after his martial achievement, Xiao Yuan decided to leave the valley. Hui reminded him of his promise to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with her, and Xiao Yuan vowed to return on Lunar August 15, regardless of the outcome of his task, to light lanterns and make wishes with her.
Li Jianling then revealed that the Fengming Sword, in addition to whistling when its final movement is mastered, also emits a heartbeat-like sound when its owner meets someone they love. He questioned whether Xiao Yuan’s wife had ever heard such a sound from his sword. Shangguan Qiuyue then asked Chun Hua if Xiao Bai's Fengming Sword had made a sound when he met her.
Chun Hua, feeling a bit disappointed, retorted that Xiao Bai had just mastered the technique, so it was normal not to hear a sound. When Shangguan Qiuyue pressed, asking if she truly wanted to hear it, Chun Hua remained silent. Shangguan Qiuyue instantly understood and, feeling depressed, turned to leave. He then dismissively concluded that Shangguan Hui was a "stupid girl" who had foolishly brought about her own death, finding the topic boring.
Li Jianling explained that Xiao Yuan had not known the function of the Magical Ice Stone or Hui's true identity at first. This explained Xiao Yuan’s sudden increase in power and his subsequent melancholic mood upon learning Hui was the sister of the Chief of Thousand Moon Cave, a demoness. Li Jianling had urged Xiao Yuan to stay with Hui and disregard the conflict between orthodox sects and Thousand Moon Cave.
However, Lunar August 15 was also the predetermined date for the orthodox sects to launch a decisive attack on Thousand Moon Cave, a battle that would secure Xiao Yuan’s position as the next Wulin Alliance Leader. During the attack, a treacherous star master's betrayal led to the Chief of Thousand Moon Cave’s immediate death. Hui, tragically, gave the Magical Ice Stone to Xiao Yuan, inadvertently causing her own brother's demise.
Li Jianling bitterly noted how the "great hero" Xiao Yuan had achieved his glorious feats in exterminating the evil sect solely with the help of a woman. Li Jianling recounted how he was pushed down a cliff, surviving with a disfigured face. He lived on for two reasons: to rescue Hui, who had suffered greatly, and to utterly discredit Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Bai questioned if Li Jianling had murdered his father, but Li Jianling clarified that Xiao Yuan had taken his own life by cutting off his channels. Li Jianling had, in fact, poisoned Xiao Yuan with Magical Ice Poison, intending for him to experience the same prolonged suffering Hui had endured, but Xiao Yuan chose a swifter end. Xiao Bai, now understanding his father's secret disappearances every Mid-Autumn Festival, was utterly devastated.
Having revealed the tragic truth, Li Jianling declared his life's purpose fulfilled and, vowing to join Hui, took his own life. Deeply affected by these revelations, Xiao Bai secluded himself. Outside, Chun Hua, Qin Liufeng, and Feng Caicai engaged in a philosophical discussion about love and righteousness, using a chess game as a metaphor.
Feng Caicai believed in prioritizing righteousness for the greater good, while Chun Hua and Qin Liufeng emphasized the importance of love and staying true to one's affections, even if it meant defying societal norms or original allegiances. Leng Ning then noticed Xiao Bai, who had come out to the pavilion, pondering the weighty choice before him.
