The Flame's Daughter Episode 26 Recap
> The Flame's Daughter Recap
The pear trees in Pear Courtyard blossomed beautifully, showering petals like snow. Lie Ruge sat beneath them, reminiscing about last year's Double Ninth Festival when everyone was together, noting how much had changed and recalling Yin Xue's warm smile. Huang Cong then arrived, informing her that Lei Jinghong had reached Miaohe Town. Lie Ruge, with a subtle smile, confirmed she had already devised an excuse to leave Flaming Manor.
Meanwhile, in Plum Courtyard, Zhan Feng inquired about Lie Ruge's condition from Xun Yi. Die Yi approached Zhan Feng, stating that Lie Ruge wished to go to Miaohe Town to eat wantons at a shop her late father frequently visited with her. Zhan Feng, without suspicion, arranged for a carriage, sent Huang Cong to accompany Lie Ruge, and permitted them to stay overnight, also dispatching escorts for their protection. Lie Ruge and Huang Cong soon arrived in Miaohe Town.
Lei Jinghong, adopting a casual demeanor, joined Lie Ruge's table at the wanton shop. Aware that Yi Lang's spies were watching, Lie Ruge maintained her distance from him. Later, she used the excuse of the late hour to secure an overnight stay at an inn in Miaohe Town, despite Huang Cong's concerns about the manor's reaction. That night, in Lie Ruge's inn room, Lei Jinghong eventually arrived.
He explained that he possessed material evidence to prove his innocence regarding the Flaming Manor explosion, but cautioned that the inn was not a suitable place to reveal it due to the pervasive spies. He instructed Lie Ruge to accompany him to the outskirts to retrieve it. Back at Flaming Manor, Yi Lang's subordinate reported Lie Ruge's overnight stay in Miaohe Town.
With a sinister gleam in his eyes, Yi Lang immediately ordered carrier pigeons sent to various branches and sects, warning them to be vigilant against Lei Jinghong. He then coldly commanded his men to prepare and detonate bombs in Miaohe Town, disregarding the fact that Lie Ruge was still there.
Afterward, Yi Lang dispatched a maid to Plum Courtyard with a false message, claiming Zhan Feng was worried about Lie Ruge and wanted Xun Yi and Die Yi to fetch medicine from Maple Courtyard and deliver it to Miaohe Town. In Plum Courtyard, after receiving the message, Die Yi insisted on going to Maple Courtyard herself, despite Xun Yi's reluctance.
Zhongli Wulei, who had prepared their Double Ninth Festival dinner, urged Die Yi to return quickly, unaware that this would be their final farewell. As Die Yi departed, she exchanged lingering, tender glances with Zhongli Wulei. Upon reaching Maple Courtyard, Die Yi was ambushed, struck by a flying needle, and fell unconscious. She awoke to find Yi Lang dragging her into a guest room.
Yi Lang interrogated her about how Lie Ruge discovered Lei Jinghong, but Die Yi defiantly refused to cooperate, instead insulting him as a "crafty villain" and accusing him of murdering Old Sect Leader. Enraged, Yi Lang admitted to the murder, threatened her with a Qilin bomb, and callously placed it in her clothing. He further taunted her by suggesting he would arrange for Zhongli Wulei to be buried with her, before detonating the bomb, killing Die Yi instantly.
Under the moonless, starless night, Lei Jinghong led Lie Ruge to a secluded spot outside Miaohe Town to unearth a Qilin bomb. He carefully explained its mechanics, particularly that it required a pin to be pulled and the user to retreat to a safe distance for detonation. He argued that it would be impossible for such a bomb to have killed Lie Mingjing by being detonated outside his heavily fortified training room, which had three-inch thick steel plating.
Lei Jinghong concluded that the bomb must have been detonated "inside" the room to completely destroy the body, indicating a clear intent to eliminate evidence. Lie Ruge thanked him for his efforts to clear his name, and Lei Jinghong, in turn, expressed that she was the only one who could truly vindicate him, though he also affirmed he had his own plans.
Just as Lei Jinghong was about to demonstrate the bomb's power, a series of explosions ripped through both Miaohe Town and Flaming Manor. Realizing it was Yi Lang's sinister scheme, Lei Jinghong quickly gathered the bombs, and they rushed back to Miaohe Town. Witnessing the devastation and numerous casualties, Lie Ruge bade farewell to Lei Jinghong, and they parted ways, with Lie Ruge returning to Flaming Manor alongside Huang Cong.
Back at Flaming Manor, Zhongli Wulei attempted to leave Plum Courtyard to investigate the explosions, but guards, acting under Zhan Feng's direct orders, confined him. Zhongli Wulei desperately asked about Die Yi's whereabouts, learning from a guard that the guesthouse had been bombed and Die Yi was missing, despite having gone to Maple Courtyard.
Xun Yi swiftly intervened, using her martial arts to force the guards aside, urging Zhongli Wulei to go search for Die Yi while she held the line. Meanwhile, Zhan Feng furiously confronted Yi Lang, demanding an explanation for his actions. Yi Lang, unrepentant, coldly stated that Zhan Feng's judgment had been clouded by his affection for Lie Ruge, whom he painted as cunning and conspiratorial with Lei Jinghong.
Though visibly shaken, Zhan Feng accused Yi Lang of killing Die Yi, but Yi Lang vehemently denied it, falsely claiming Die Yi was a casualty when Lei Jinghong bombed the guesthouse in an attempt on Zhan Feng's life. Yi Lang further asserted that Lei Jinghong was responsible for the massacre in Miaohe Town and the explosions at Flaming Manor, framing it as Lei Jinghong's revenge against the sect.
Amidst a torrential downpour, a heartbroken Zhongli Wulei frantically searched the wreckage of the bombed guesthouse, sifting through the debris and calling Die Yi's name, but found no trace of her. Utterly devastated, he collapsed. Lie Ruge soon arrived at the manor, where guards informed her of the guesthouse bombing and falsely implicated Lei Jinghong. After leaving Huang Cong to guard Xun Yi, Lie Ruge rushed to the guesthouse and found Zhongli Wulei amidst the ruins.
She tearfully asked him about Die Yi, and he, consumed by grief, could only murmur that Die Yi was gone, vanished without a trace. The following morning, Lie Ruge convened an assembly of all hall leaders and pilgrims in the Talent Gathering Hall, determined to clear Lei Jinghong's name. However, Yi Lang preempted her, announcing that he had already invited various prestigious sect leaders, including those from World Swordless City.
Lie Ruge remained resolute, stating that she feared nothing and that the truth, for both Die Yi and Lei Jinghong, must be revealed. At the assembly, Yi Lang, taking command, recounted the night's tragedies and pointedly accused Lei Jinghong. He claimed to have personally fought Lei Jinghong during his infiltration of the manor and presented Lei Jinghong as a captive. Lei Jinghong defiantly retorted that a person can always be framed and that the true perpetrator was laughing at them.
Lie Ruge then interjected, declaring Lei Jinghong's innocence, stating that she was with him when the bombings occurred, seeking his knowledge about Qilin bombs. This revelation sent shockwaves through the assembly, and Zhan Feng directly questioned her about being with Lei Jinghong all night. Seizing the opportunity, Yi Lang brought forth a maidservant from Plum Courtyard as a witness.
The maid falsely testified that Lie Ruge had spent the entire night awake, staring blankly out her window, sighing and thinking of "Young Master Lei Jinghong" because "she likes him" and "is willing to do anything" for him, thus confirming the fabricated narrative of a long-standing illicit affair between Lie Ruge and Lei Jinghong, further swaying the assembled leaders against her.
