The Flame's Daughter Episode 23 Recap
> The Flame's Daughter Recap
At Flaming Manor, the various hall leaders pleaded on behalf of Zhongli Wulei, who Zhan Feng intended to dismiss from the Azure Dragon Hall, arguing for Zhongli Wulei's loyalty and diligence. Despite their objections, Zhan Feng remained resolute, insisting on appointing Yi Lang. Many hall leaders murmured amongst themselves, recalling Zhan Feng's past behavior. After the hall meeting, Ji Jinglei confronted Yi Lang, who shed his subservient facade, revealing his true arrogant nature.
Yi Lang struck Ji Jinglei, knocking him to the ground, and told him to address him with more respect in the future. Recognizing Yi Lang’s duplicity, Ji Jinglei, clutching his throbbing chest, rose and left. Meanwhile, Die Yi discovered Zhongli Wulei forlornly playing his flute outside the manor, having been dismissed. She first chided him for his despondency, then confessed her feelings for him, urging him not to leave.
Zhongli Wulei felt it was improper for him to enter Plum Courtyard, which was only for maids, but Die Yi, expressing her feelings, suggested they could start fresh and playfully suggested he manage the fire for her cooking, alluding to his past mishaps. Zhongli Wulei happily agreed, noting that he no longer had a place in Azure Dragon Hall, but Die Yi insisted Plum Courtyard would welcome him.
In Pine Courtyard, Bi'er tended to Ji Jinglei's serious injuries, which he admitted were inflicted by Yi Lang. Bi'er quickly ordered the courtyard sealed to facilitate his treatment. She revealed to Ji Jinglei that she possessed advanced martial arts, personally taught to her by Lie Mingjing, who had secretly appointed her as the third hall leader of Azure Dragon Hall to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Lie Ruge, still unconscious and ailing since returning from Lie Mingjing's training room, was a source of worry for her maids. Xun Yi visited the Pine Courtyard, concerned after hearing about the altercation between Ji Jinglei and Yi Lang. She was surprised by Ji Jinglei's severe injuries, noting that Yi Lang's martial arts had previously been inferior to his. She suspected Yi Lang had received guidance from a powerful master.
Ji Jinglei cautioned Xun Yi against hasty actions, advising that waiting and observing was their safest course. Xun Yi also informed Ji Jinglei about Lie Ruge's persistent illness and her fears for the manor’s future, fearing that Flaming Manor would soon have a different ruler. Ji Jinglei reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to Lie Ruge and Lie Mingjing’s last wishes, emphasizing that he, an orphan raised by their teacher, would uphold them.
The following day, Zhan Feng placed Ji Jinglei under house arrest in Pine Courtyard, a move Yi Lang saw as a thinly veiled act of protection rather than genuine punishment. Yi Lang, sensing Zhan Feng's hesitation, offered to handle Ji Jinglei himself, but Zhan Feng sternly warned him not to harm Lie Ruge or anyone in Pine or Plum Courtyards, asserting his intent to protect them even as he pursued the sect leader position.
Lie Ruge eventually awoke from her illness, though still weak. She learned that Zhongli Wulei was staying in Plum Courtyard and, despite her condition, insisted on visiting him. Zhan Feng also arrived at Plum Courtyard to check on her, attempting to gauge her temperature, but Lie Ruge coldly pushed his hand away, indicating the growing chasm between them. She confided in Zhongli Wulei, seeking his medical expertise not for recovery, but for a medicine to "slow" her healing.
Lie Ruge explained that with no real power or trusted allies, she intended to feign weakness and observe her opponents, drawing a parallel to historical strategies of enduring hardship to achieve revenge. She believed this was the only way to uncover their schemes and plan a comeback. During a subsequent hall meeting, Yi Lang formally presented his "findings," asserting that the bomb which destroyed Lie Mingjing's training room originated from Jiangnan’s Thunderbolt Clique and explicitly accused Lei Jinghong.
Hall Leader Murong and an elder voiced their skepticism, questioning Lei Jinghong's motive, particularly since Yu Zihan, as the Seventh Prince, had recently pardoned the Thunderbolt Clique. Despite the doubts, Zhan Feng ordered Yi Lang to interrogate former Thunderbolt Clique helmsmen, postponing a direct confrontation and indicating a longer game. Concerned for Lie Ruge, Yu Zihan decided to leave his military post and return to Flaming Manor.
He reasoned that with the Japanese pirates temporarily subdued, it was the best time to check on his junior sister, despite the risks of leaving without permission. Meanwhile, Xun Yi reported to Zhan Feng that Lie Ruge's health remained unstable. Zhan Feng took Lie Ruge's cape and personally brought it to her in Bamboo Courtyard, where she was spending time alone, seeking solace in her father's favorite spot.
He informed her that there was confirmation the bomb was from Thunderbolt Clique. Lie Ruge rejected this accusation against Lei Jinghong, implying suspicion of Zhan Feng's own involvement. Zhan Feng then pointedly asked if she suspected him of killing her father. When he declared his plan for "complete annihilation" of Thunderbolt Clique, Lie Ruge sternly warned him that she would never forgive the true culprit, regardless of their past affections, before asking him to leave.
Lie Ruge's suspicions about a setup were confirmed when Yi Lang swiftly produced "witnesses" and "evidence." He interrogated Feng Baiju, a former chief helmsman of Thunderbolt Clique, who, under pressure and with promises of reward, identified the bombs as belonging to his former sect. Feng Baiju then falsely testified that he had created the bombs at Lei Hentian's behest, to be used against Flaming Manor, and delivered them to Lei Jinghong.
With this fabricated testimony and material evidence, Yi Lang declared the case closed and announced the immediate arrest of Lei Jinghong. Seeing no way to overturn the decision, Lie Ruge reluctantly assented. Zhan Feng then publicly declared Lei Jinghong responsible for Lie Mingjing's death and issued a decree for the complete annihilation of Thunderbolt Clique, threatening any sect that continued to associate with them.
Dao Wuxia of Swordless City promptly pledged three hundred elite disciples to Zhan Feng, cementing their alliance and further solidifying Zhan Feng's power. Die Yi expressed her fear to Lie Ruge that if Lei Jinghong was eliminated, Thunderbolt Clique might fall under the control of Dark River Palace. Despite all the "evidence," Lie Ruge steadfastly believed in Lei Jinghong's innocence. Finally, Yu Zihan arrived at Flaming Manor. Lie Ruge, overcome with relief and grief, rushed to him. She rested her head on her senior brother's lap and wept, lamenting that she could only see a jar of ashes, having missed her father’s last moments.
