The Flame's Daughter Episode 10 Recap
> The Flame's Daughter Recap
As Lie Ruge made preparations to travel to Piao Miao Peak with Yin Xue, she finalized the sale of her sesame seed cake shop. Meanwhile, Lei Jinghong took the opportunity to ensure Die Yi's safety. He inscribed the Thunderbolt Clique's talisman onto her palm, assuring her that if she ever faced danger, warming her palm would cause the mark to reappear, summoning help from his men or leading them to him.
Die Yi, noticing Lei Jinghong's unusual concern for her, pressed him about a previous inquiry he made regarding his cousin. She asked if the person he sought lacked a mole behind their ear, and his reaction confirmed her suspicion. She then directly asked about her own older brother, wondering if he had a secret reason for not acknowledging her.
Lei Jinghong chose to downplay the urgency, explaining that her brother held a powerful position within the Thunderbolt Clique, and a potential future conflict between the Thunderbolt Clique and Flaming Manor would force an impossible choice upon her. He advised her to cherish her current life at Flaming Manor with her Miss, who was like a sister to her. Die Yi, affirming her loyalty to Flaming Manor, agreed to keep their conversation a secret.
Lei Jinghong later relayed a disturbing message from Dao Liexiang to Lie Ruge: Yu Zihan was gravely ill. As Lie Ruge and Yu Zihan had grown up together like siblings, she could not ignore such news. Despite her loyal attendant Huang Cong expressing doubt about Dao Liexiang's reliability and the information, Lie Ruge was determined. She argued that Yu Zihan's health had always been fragile, and she needed to confirm his condition in Luoyang personally.
Yin Xue, upon hearing this, firmly forbade her from going, warning her that it would entangle her in the turbulent world of Jianghu. He urged her to wait for him for three years, promising to bring peace to the world by then so she could go wherever she pleased. However, Lie Ruge's concern for Yu Zihan outweighed all else.
She broke free from Yin Xue's grasp, asserting that no one could block her path when her senior brother's life was at stake, even if it meant her own death. She insisted she could not abandon Yu Zihan. As Lie Ruge, Die Yi, and Huang Cong hurried towards Luoyang, a heavy snowstorm descended, trapping them on the mountain. Die Yi expressed concern, but Lie Ruge's distress over being unable to contact Yu Zihan deepened her resolve.
She declared that by morning, she would walk out of the mountain, no matter what. Unbeknownst to them, Lei Jinghong, still worried about Die Yi, had been secretly following their group. Seeing the dangerous blizzard and the impassable mountain paths, he instructed his subordinates to use explosives to clear a route by morning, privately lamenting the "troublesome" nature of having a younger sister.
The next morning, Lie Ruge's group was astonished to find a clear path before them, marked by the faint smell of gunpowder. Lei Jinghong then appeared, admitting he had cleared the way for them. He criticized their recklessness in the severe weather before quickly departing, despite Die Yi's attempt to call out to him. Simultaneously, Yin Xue confronted An Ye Luo in Ping'an Town.
An Ye Luo, newly emerged from seclusion after nineteen years, provocatively acknowledged their shared origins and reminded Yin Xue of Dark River Palace's past support. They engaged in a powerful battle, which Yin Xue ultimately won. An Ye Luo then retreated to Swordless City, where he met with Dao Wuxia.
Dao Wuxia reassured An Ye Luo that despite the loss of Ping'an Town as a tax source, other towns were still providing private taxes, and the matter had been managed without disrupting An Ye Luo's larger plans. Elsewhere in Swordless City, Dao Liexiang grew suspicious.
She discovered her elder brother's personal guards had mysteriously died, and she questioned what her elder and second brothers were truly involved in, noting a pattern of strange occurrences from Thunder Snap Village to Yu Zihan's illness and now the deaths within their own sect. Meanwhile, in Luoyang, Yu Zihan discussed a recent tax collection case in Ping'an Town with Xuan Huang, sensing deeper, more sinister plots behind it.
Yu Zihan, appearing frail, revealed his fear that he didn't have much time left and hoped to uncover more truths for his teacher and royal father. Reflecting on the snowy weather, he recounted a poignant memory to Xuan Huang. Sent to Flaming Manor at age five, deaf and mute, he lived in a silent world, only hearing his own breath. He envied the playful interactions of Zhan Feng and Lie Ruge.
It was Lie Ruge, when he was eight, who first introduced him to the word "sour" by giving him a pickled plum. To teach him the pronunciation, she ate 16 plums herself. From then on, she frequently spoke to him, slowly at first, then faster, until he learned to read lips. Lie Ruge eventually urged him to speak himself. Despite his initial reluctance, which caused Lie Ruge to cry for an entire day, he finally uttered a sound.
Lie Ruge, overjoyed, hugged him, telling him his voice was more beautiful than a bird's song. He further revealed that his first spoken words were her name, "Ruge." Xuan Huang suggested writing to Lie Ruge to invite her to Luoyang, but Yu Zihan refused, citing the complicated political climate and concerns for her safety.
Back at Flaming Manor, Lie Mingjing was informed that Lie Ruge had departed Ping'an Town for Luoyang and that Yin Xue was also en route, traveling separately, which brought him a measure of peace. However, his subordinate Ji Jinglie also conveyed concerning news: members of Dark River Palace had met with Zhan Feng. Lie Mingjing remained silent, though he expressed long-standing doubts about Zhan Feng's trustworthiness despite his recent passing of a test.
He lamented that fate seemed to be pulling Zhan Feng and Lie Ruge apart. Lie Ruge finally arrived in Luoyang, where she briefly encountered Mister Youqin from the Flower Tasting Brothel. He had heard of her urgent journey and was waiting for her "Teacher" (Yin Xue), explaining they had separated ways. Lie Ruge, eager to reach Yu Zihan, promised to visit him later. Upon finding Yu Zihan, she was overjoyed to learn he could now hear her.
She gently asked about his health, noticing he had grown thinner, though Yu Zihan downplayed his condition. He quickly sent her to rest, instructing Xuan Huang not to reveal the true extent of his illness, stating it would only cause her unnecessary worry. Lie Ruge, however, sensed Yu Zihan was hiding something and found his attempts to avoid her pulse checks suspicious.
Though she wondered if Dao Liexiang's warning was a trick, she decided to test his condition herself the next day. The following morning, Lie Ruge lovingly prepared her renowned sesame seed cakes for Yu Zihan. He ate many, surprising her and filling her with hope that his health was not as dire as rumored. She optimistically planned to stay and celebrate the New Year with him, even considering checking on Yin Xue at the Flower Tasting Brothel.
However, their brief moment of happiness shattered when Xuan Huang burst in, reporting that Yu Zihan was vomiting blood. The imperial doctor diagnosed indigestion but could not explain the bleeding. Xuan Huang angrily blamed Lie Ruge for giving Yu Zihan too many cakes, revealing that he had barely been able to eat anything since she left. Overwhelmed with guilt, Lie Ruge severely cut her own palm, offering her blood to atone for her perceived mistake and begging for forgiveness.
After everyone else was dismissed, Yu Zihan gently comforted her, admitting that he had held back his pain earlier to prevent others from scolding her and explaining that vomiting the blood actually brought him relief. He expressed his regret for not being honest, acknowledging that his attempts to keep her happy had caused her distress. Lie Ruge, though forgiving him, made him promise to confide in her about everything from then on.
As he then suggested she rest, Yu Zihan made a cryptic remark, stating he didn't want to sleep, because "sleeping is like dying." This sudden confession, combined with his declining health, led Lie Ruge to wonder if his illness was not natural, but perhaps a result of poisoning.
