Qing Luo Episode 14 Recap
> Qing Luo Recap
Nan Nan awoke from a nightmare, crying out for his mother. Upon regaining his composure, he asked about the time and if Yu Qingluo and the others had returned, as the competition had already ended. Luo Hanguo informed him it was around 3 p. m. Luo Hanguo was retrieving wound-healing ointment, and Nan Nan anxiously inquired if his mother was injured.
Luo Hanguo reassured him that Yu Qingluo and Ye Xiudu were unharmed, but the rest of their companions had sustained injuries from Yu's troops. The contest had concluded in a draw, thanks to Yu Qingluo and Ye Xiudu's combined efforts to seize half of the battle flag from Yu Zuolin. Consequently, a play-off challenge competition was scheduled for the following day.
Mo Xian observed that the usual Night Guards' skilled fighters were absent, replaced by unfamiliar faces who were immune to Yu Qingluo's poison and possessed immense strength. Yu Qingluo suspected that someone else was helping Yu Zuolin produce the drugs his troops were consuming. Nan Nan, feigning indifference, remarked that he would "like to see him beaten by someone else" and predicted a difficult time for Ye Xiudu.
Yu Qingluo examined Mo Xian, discovering that he, like the other Night Guards, had severe internal injuries, rendering him unable to fight in the short term. Ye Xiudu declared that no injured individuals would participate in the upcoming challenge. Mo Xian offered to fight, but Ye Xiudu insisted he would be a burden, dismissing Mo Xian's self-blame for the Night Guard's first defeat in three years. Ye Xiudu found the Yu's troops' sudden surge in power "so weird."
Mo Xian added that the strong lead men, Guan Yang and Fan Zhong, were absent from Yu's troops, replaced by many unfamiliar faces, making him wonder where Yu Zuolin had found such powerful fighters. Yu Qingluo theorized that while new, strong fighters explained the power surge, it was abnormal that they were immune to her poison needles. Ye Xiudu confirmed Yu Zuolin's own unusually fierce palm strength.
Yu Qingluo concluded that the Yu's troops' extraordinary strength, swift movements, and speed suggested that the four herbs used to develop the "five-grass powder" were not intended as a weapon against them, but as a drug they consumed to enhance their combat abilities. She suspected a crucial herb was missing from their understanding of the medicine.
She believed that Yu Zuolin was merely a pawn, and the true mastermind behind the Shennong Pharmacopoeia and the powerful drugs was the chief of the Xiuluo Sect, who possessed actual medicinal knowledge. Ye Xiudu, emphasizing his own plan for the competition, reiterated his decision to exclude the injured.
Late into the night, Yu Qingluo was found by Ye Xiudu concocting medicines to counter Yu's troops, including enhanced tear gas powder, eye-stinging paste, and eye-blurring powder, which she promised would make them "enjoy them at one time." Concerned for her safety in the perilous challenge, Ye Xiudu tried to take her participation token, arguing her concoctions would only buy minimal time and he didn't want her to risk her life. A struggle ensued.
Nan Nan, overhearing from outside, was initially furious, believing Ye Xiudu was "bullying" his mother. Jin Liuli attempted to explain the complexities of arguments between couples. After Jin Liuli left, Ye Xiudu calmly explained to Nan Nan that he could not guarantee Yu Qingluo's safety against the significantly strengthened Yu's troops and was compelled to use this "last strategy" to put her to sleep.
He tenderly told Nan Nan that his mother, much like Nan Nan himself, also desired love and protection. Understanding Ye Xiudu's intentions, Nan Nan agreed not to wake his mother, but only if Ye Xiudu promised to take him to the competition. Ye Xiudu agreed, and Nan Nan, setting aside his anger, wrote a letter to Yu Qingluo to soothe her worries. The next morning, Yu Qingluo woke to find both Ye Xiudu and Nan Nan gone.
Jin Liuli offered comfort and soup, while Nan Nan's letter explained his understanding of Ye Xiudu's actions and his decision to accompany him to ensure victory. Annoyed by their independent choices, Yu Qingluo refocused her attention. She recalled Mo Xian's observation about the new, powerful fighters in Yu's troops replacing the expected strongmen. Her investigation revealed that many of these new recruits were listed in the mysterious doctors' consultation records, all having suffered from flower rash caused by Tianzhu flower.
This led her to a crucial realization: a physique easily infected with flower rash was the real reason these individuals were replaced, meaning Yu Zuolin's power-boosting medicine was incompatible with them. Therefore, the Tianzhu flower was likely the missing key herb. To turn the tide, Yu Qingluo decided they must travel to Sanmen Town, the Tianzhu flower planting base, where Yu Zuolin's pharmaceutical headquarters were likely located.
Calculating that the challenge would last one and a half hours and a round trip to Sanmen Town would take one hour, she decided they needed to depart immediately. At the competition venue, Nan Nan, Ye Haoran, and the three guards watched nervously. Luo Hanguo suggested cheering, but Nan Nan, though outwardly dismissive, silently prayed for Ye Xiudu. Li Zifan announced the three-round play-off rules: a victory is declared when one side falls and cannot get up.
Simultaneously, Yu Qingluo and Mo Xian arrived at the Tianzhu flower forest. Yu Qingluo observed that while the flowers remained unpicked, Mo Xian noted the remarkably few fallen leaves on the ground. Yu Qingluo concluded that the Tianzhu leaves, not the flowers, were the crucial herb, harvested because of their allergen content. Soon after, they spotted a group of men in black carrying Tianzhu leaves, confirming her suspicions that they were making medicine there.
Yu Qingluo, deeming a direct assault too risky for such a vital pharmaceutical base, presumed that Shuang Ke and other skilled fighters would be guarding it, necessitating a strategic, cunning approach. In the arena, Ye Xiudu commenced his fight. Ye Haoran and Nan Nan noticed Yu Zuolin's tactic of deploying only a few soldiers at a time, aiming to exhaust Ye Xiudu in a "battle of attrition" before personally engaging him.
Ye Xiudu, after dispatching several opponents, openly challenged Yu Zuolin, who then stepped onto the stage himself. Meanwhile, Yu Qingluo and her team, disguised as black-clad men, infiltrated Yu Zuolin's pharmaceutical stronghold. Yu Qingluo released a drug that incapacitated everyone in the room. Shuang Ke, the deputy chief, discovered the intrusion and attempted to flee.
Yu Qingluo, recognizing Shuang Ke's superior agility and familiarity with the terrain, called off the chase, instructing her team to prioritize the immediate creation of the "five-grass powder" antidote while others searched for incriminating evidence against Yu Zuolin. The first round of the competition concluded with the sound of the drum. Yu Zuolin taunted Ye Xiudu, but the latter retorted that the most "surprising part" was yet to come.
Nan Nan and Ye Haoran attended to Ye Xiudu, offering him water and words of encouragement. Elsewhere, Ran Ran rushed to inform Yu Zuolin that Shuang Ke had sent a carrier pigeon, reporting Yu Qingluo's successful infiltration and control of their wooden stockade in Sanmen Town. Enraged, Yu Zuolin immediately ordered reinforcements to Sanmen Town with instructions to destroy all evidence and "kill them all," preventing Yu Qingluo from returning to the arena.
Meanwhile, Shuang Ke led her forces in an ambush, intending to eliminate Yu Qingluo. To her shock, the person she cornered was revealed to be Jin Liuli in disguise. Shuang Ke was astonished that Jin Liuli had survived her fall from a cliff six years prior and was now allied with the mysterious doctor. Jin Liuli taunted her former junior sister apprentice, asserting her superior skill and past claim to the deputy chief position.
Enraged, Shuang Ke declared she would personally kill Jin Liuli on behalf of the Chief. The next round began, and Ye Xiudu unleashed his Wind-listening Sword Arts. However, Yu Zuolin's cunning subordinates created loud, distracting noises, impairing Ye Xiudu's hearing and disorienting him, making it impossible to pinpoint his enemies. Nan Nan cried out in alarm, fearing Ye Xiudu's defeat and urging his companions to find a way to intervene.
Just as Yu Zuolin prepared to deliver a fatal strike, the drum sounded, signaling the end of the second round. Simultaneously, Shuang Ke had gained the upper hand over Jin Liuli, nearly killing her. Providentially, Ye Haoran arrived just in time, saving Jin Liuli. Realizing she was outnumbered, Shuang Ke ordered a retreat. Despite being rescued, Jin Liuli remained irritated by Ye Haoran's characteristically blunt demeanor, maintaining their usual contentious dynamic.
As the drum sounded for the third round, Nan Nan, seeing blood on Ye Xiudu's lips, desperately pleaded with him to forfeit, fearing his death. Ye Xiudu, however, stood resolute, vowing to uphold the oath he made before his father's memorial tablet to lead the Ye family back to the Four-Kingdom Contest, asserting that the Night Guard would "never admit defeat." Yu Qingluo suddenly appeared, reminding Ye Xiudu of their "three rules" agreement.
She declared the previously unstated third rule: he must "quit the competition right this second." She assured him that their master-apprentice bond was never truly broken and that he was "always my apprentice" and "the winner in my heart." Yet, Ye Xiudu, picking up his sword, unleashed the Ye family's ultimate technique, the "Life-killing Sword Arts"—a powerful but physically draining move that, if it failed to strike decisively, would lead to his defeat.
As Yu Zuolin prepared to counter-attack the weakened Ye Xiudu, Yu Qingluo intervened, striking Yu Zuolin's neck with a poisoned needle and giving Ye Xiudu a spirit-restoring pill. Yu Zuolin's general reported that the effects of the "five-grass powder" had vanished, and Yu Zuolin, realizing Yu Qingluo's involvement, was met with her declaration: "You'll suffer from your own sins."
Revitalized, Ye Xiudu took over, delivering powerful blows to Yu Zuolin, proclaiming each punch was for Ye Haoran, Nan Nan, and Yu Qingluo, finally defeating him. Li Zifan officially announced the Ye's troops as the winners, earning them the right to represent Fengcang Kingdom in the Four-Kingdom Contest. Nan Nan watched Yu Qingluo embrace Ye Xiudu. Yu Qingluo then drew a sword and held it to Yu Zuolin's throat, revealing her true identity as Jiangxue.
Yu Zuolin, recognizing her and pleading for his life, reminded her of their past as a married couple and offered her all of the Yu family's possessions. Yu Qingluo, recalling how he had mercilessly cast her, pregnant, into the river six years ago, coldly stated, "But all that I want is your life."
