Love Better Than Immortality Episode 26 Recap
> Love Better Than Immortality Recap
Following the escalating conflict where Fu Lou, wounded by Chief Leng and resigned to his fate, continued fighting the righteous sects, Lady You Si rushed to be with her husband, with Chunhua reluctantly following, unsure how to stop her. Chunhua pleaded with Xiao Bai to spare Fu Lou, reminding him that Fu Lou had saved her life at Medical Sage's home and was now at the end of his strength.
Fu Lou himself declared that he was the one at fault, not others, and invited them to kill him instead. Chief Leng rushed out to kill, and Shangguan Qiuyue, fearing for Chunhua's safety, pulled her away. Seeing Shangguan Qiuyue holding Chunhua, Xiao Bai became tense. Chief Leng of the orthodox sects then publicly accused Chunhua of having an affair with Shangguan Qiuyue, asserting that the Junior Leader should not be swayed by her, which seemed to mislead Xiao Bai.
Shangguan Qiuyue, observing the chaos, calmly stated he was merely there to witness the event, dismissing Chief Leng's challenge and remarking that since everyone believed Chunhua and he were involved, they might as well play along, which Chunhua quickly interrupted, realizing he only wished to complicate matters further. Shangguan Qiuyue agreed not to interfere further.
As Fu Lou was dying, having been killed by Chief Leng, he desperately called for Lady You Si, urging her to take the immortality fruit when the moon was full. After Fu Lou succumbed to his injuries, the righteous sects declared him a master killer and sought to dismember his corpse. Chunhua vehemently condemned their actions, questioning their humanity. Xiao Bai sternly reprimanded her for her outburst.
The sect members retorted that Fu Lou deserved a thousand cuts for his crimes, accusing Lady You Si of colluding with the enemy instead of avenging her husband. Lady You Si defended Fu Lou, revealing the harrowing truth of her past. She recounted how Fu Lou, her childhood sweetheart, was a disciple of Chief Yuan.
When Chief Yuan wished to remarry and fixated on Lady You Si, he framed Fu Lou and drove him from the mountain, even burning Fu Lou's face. To protect Fu Lou from further harm, Lady You Si agreed to marry Chief Yuan. However, Chief Yuan was narrow-minded and constantly suspected her of having an affair with Fu Lou, brutally beating and torturing her, and even forcing her to take abortion medicine, causing her to lose three of their children.
She displayed her scars as proof, asserting that Chief Yuan, Yuan Zhihai, was the true villain who drove them to despair. She then confronted Chief Qin, implying he was aware of these atrocities. Chief Qin admitted visiting Chief Yuan ten years prior and confirmed that Chief Yuan indeed forced Lady You Si to marry him. However, he maintained that Fu Lou killing his master was also true, and as an outsider, he could not interfere in family affairs.
Chunhua, enraged, chastised the righteous sects, including Chief Qin, for their hypocrisy and their refusal to uphold true justice. Qin Liufeng intervened, stating that harming a weak woman was not the way of the righteous, especially if she had been abused and wished to reform. Xiao Bai then declared that he had promised Fu Lou he would spare Lady You Si.
Yet, the righteous sect members remained fixated on the immortality fruit, blaming Xiao Bai for their losses due to his supposed gifting of the fruit to the evil sect. Realizing their true motives, Chunhua publicly exposed the immortality fruit as a fake, which instantly turned the crowd's anger towards Fengming Manor for hosting the auction.
Xiao Bai, who had initially tried to cover for Chunhua by claiming she was overly tired and stimulated, then reprimanded her for publicly damaging his and Fengming Manor's reputation. Chunhua bitterly retorted, asking what her value was in his heart compared to his righteous path, his determination to eradicate evil, or even a fake immortality fruit, seeing herself as nothing more than a pawn for his grand cause. Xiao Bai angrily silenced her.
Xiao Bai offered to take Lady You Si back to Fengming Manor for later disposition. Lady You Si, now indifferent to the fruit's authenticity, tossed it aside, prompting a tense atmosphere among the onlookers eager for it. Xiao Bai, to prevent further unrest, immediately destroyed the fruit. Chunhua called him hypocritical. Witnessing Fu Lou's death, Lady You Si took her own life, choosing to accompany her husband in death. Chunhua wept uncontrollably and demanded an apology from Xiao Bai.
He refused, stating that he was not sorry as "the good and the evil will not coexist," asserting that Fu Lou was to blame for his own demise and that he was powerless to help Lady You Si. Heartbroken, Chunhua provoked him, challenging him to kill her for the sake of the righteous path, openly admitting to having an affair with Shangguan Qiuyue and declaring herself an evil sorceress.
Xiao Bai, however, stated that as her husband, he would let her past be gone. Chunhua scoffed, highlighting his perceived self-righteousness and urging him to set an example by killing her for the greater good. Shangguan Qiuyue then intervened, noting the hypocrisy of the righteous sects who would kill for their cause while the evil sects would not. Xiao Bai confronted Shangguan Qiuyue, accusing him of making a scene at his wedding, kidnapping his wife, and attempting to corrupt her.
Chunhua confirmed Shangguan Qiuyue's influence over her and asked him to take her back to Thousand Moon Cave. Xiao Bai, in turn, returned the jade from his body, which belonged to Thousand Moon Cave, to Shangguan Qiuyue before Chunhua departed with him. After Chunhua's departure, Xiao Bai was consumed by grief.
Qin Liufeng tried to console him, explaining that Chunhua's anguish was understandable given Fu Lou had saved her life and Lady You Si was so dear to her, and they both died tragically before her eyes. Xiao Bai, recalling his father's teachings, tried to convince himself that his responsibility to the martial arts world came first, repeating that Chunhua was not suitable to be the Alliance Leader's wife.
He remembered his father's words that "great wisdom must bring harm and deep love will reduce life," and the admonition to be self-disciplined and prioritize the greater good over personal feelings. He reflected on his mother's unhappy life as the Alliance Leader's wife, contrasting it with Chunhua's lively, sometimes selfish nature, and concluded that her lack of martial arts, recklessness, and vulnerability made her unsuitable for the demanding role. Despite his rationalizations, tears welled in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Leng Ning was also deeply saddened, realizing that Fu Lou had been forced into becoming a demonic figure. She began to question if their actions had been wrong, acknowledging that she had never intended such an outcome. Qin Liufeng comforted Leng Ning, quoting a poem about finding warmth in the martial arts world and expressing his wish to become a carefree wandering couple with her. Elsewhere, Chunhua was plagued by nightmares, crying out in her sleep.
Shangguan Qiuyue gently comforted her, telling her she had suffered. Star Deputy Chief Ye arrived to report on the surrender of Legend Valley. He informed Shangguan Qiuyue that most of Fu Lou's former subordinates had joined Thousand Moon Cave as per Fu Lou's dying wish, but some holdouts were resolved by Gu Wan.
Shangguan Qiuyue instructed Star Deputy Chief Ye to let the remaining remnants feel uneasy for a few days before pacifying them, and to be especially cautious around Gu Wan. Simultaneously, an observer noted Xiao Bai's unusually overwhelming momentum while practicing his blade, suggesting it was an uncontrolled display, unlike the principles of authentic martial arts that emphasize self-control.
