The Flame's Daughter Episode 41 Recap
> The Flame's Daughter Recap
Zhan Feng, seeking to gain An Ye Luo’s trust, returned to An Ye Luo, who greeted him by remarking that he had previously forsaken him for Lie Ruge. Zhan Feng affirmed he still desired Lie Ruge, to which An Ye Luo responded by declaring Zhan Feng and his mother his only family and weaknesses, promising to grant him everything he wished, including Lie Ruge, if he remained loyal.
Zhan Feng then revealed that Yin Xue was alive and residing in Flaming Manor, having helped Lie Ruge reclaim it. This news stunned An Ye Luo, who was furious that Dao Wuxia and Yi Lang had not reported such a critical development. Zhan Feng further explained that Dao Wuxia harbored disloyal intentions, as he did not wish to be An Ye Luo’s puppet.
He had intentionally concealed Yin Xue's survival, had secretly recalled Yi Lang to Swordless City as its chief steward, and had abducted Lei Jinghong to become his son-in-law through a matrilocal marriage. An Ye Luo expressed disbelief at the audacity of Dao Wuxia abducting Lei Jinghong and concluded that Dao Wuxia indeed had no intention of being his puppet. An Ye Luo then instructed Zhan Feng to rest.
Still somewhat skeptical, An Ye Luo tasked An Ye Jue with two missions. First, she was to send her subordinates to verify Zhan Feng's claims about Dao Wuxia. Second, An Ye Luo ordered An Ye Jue herself to deliver some items to Yu Zihan at Prince of Jingyuan Manor. Upon receiving a list of Dark River Palace spies in the imperial court, Yu Zihan found it to be too short, expressing his doubt about An Ye Luo’s sincerity.
An Ye Jue retorted that Yu Zihan was asking for too much and, if he desired the world, he must take risks. She then presented a pill, stating that trust was mutual, and he must ingest it to prove his sincerity. Only then, she claimed, would she reveal the full list of spies, as all the information was in her head. Yu Zihan, despite his reluctance, consumed the pill.
After An Ye Jue departed, Xuan Huang, Yu Zihan's attendant, urged him not to trust anything from Dark River Palace, reminding him of their past treachery. Yu Zihan acknowledged An Ye Luo’s cunning, knowing such a test was inevitable and unavoidable. Soon after, the poison took effect, and Yu Zihan fell unconscious. When he awoke, he discovered he had lost both his hearing and the ability to walk.
Struck with alarm at An Ye Luo's malicious scheme, he called for An Ye Jue to be brought back. An Ye Jue taunted him, asking how it felt to experience a healthy body only to lose it again, then explained that An Ye Luo's pill was a deliberate display of power, a warning against betrayal.
Despite his grave condition, Yu Zihan remained composed, asserting that since there was poison, there must also be an antidote, leaving him with nothing to fear. He reminded An Ye Jue that their alliance was founded on mutual benefit, not affection, and demanded she uphold her end of the bargain. Since he could no longer hear, he instructed Xuan Huang to write as An Ye Jue dictated. An Ye Jue then listed several low-ranking officials from various imperial courts.
Yu Zihan pointed out that these were all seventh-rank officials, and no one from the actual Imperial palace had been named. An Ye Jue responded that An Ye Luo deemed it "not yet time" for him to know everything. She then provided him with an antidote, assuring him he would recover in ten days. Later, Xuan Huang questioned why Yu Zihan had taken the known poison.
Yu Zihan explained that An Ye Luo's cunning meant such trials were inevitable, but he was still useful, so An Ye Luo would not permanently harm him. An Ye Jue returned to Dark River Palace and reported her findings. An Ye Luo confirmed that Zhan Feng's information regarding Dao Wuxia's actions was accurate.
An Ye Jue offered to kill Dao Wuxia, but An Ye Luo refused, stating he wished to destroy Dao Wuxia's reputation in front of all the world's heroes at the upcoming Martial Arts Society Conference, thereby replacing Swordless City with Dark River Palace. Later, An Ye Luo visited Zhan Feng, still haunted by the memory of An Ye Ming. He commented on Zhan Feng's resemblance to her, yet noted his inferiority in beauty.
Zhan Feng, recovering from heavy drinking, expressed his pain regarding Lie Ruge and Yin Xue, urging An Ye Luo to help him secure Lie Ruge, as Yin Xue was also pursuing her. An Ye Luo reassured him that Lie Ruge would eventually be his. Meanwhile, Lie Ruge found Yin Xue engrossed in writing a marriage certificate. When questioned, Yin Xue stated he was making their "act" realistic and promised to marry her on the day he defeated Dark River Palace.
Lie Ruge blushed, feigning annoyance, and jokingly threatened to burn it, but secretly kept the certificate. She later took it to an old woman in Mei Yuan, who, recognizing it as a marriage certificate, began to recount the story of Lie Ruge's parents, Zhan Feitian and An Ye Ming.
The old woman explained that Lie Ruge’s father, Zhan Feitian, was a powerful but shy martial artist, so An Ye Ming, her mother, had personally written their marriage and engagement contracts, placing them under his pillow for him to find. Lie Ruge then asked how her parents had first met. The old woman recounted a time when Zhan Feitian encountered An Ye Ming during an attack on Dark River Palace.
An Ye Ming, then Second Sect Leader, claimed she had never harmed anyone and wished to escape the life of Dark River Palace. Zhan Feitian, believing her, escorted her to Ping'an Town and gave her money to start a new life. An Ye Ming settled there, eating noodles at the Xueji Biscuit Shop, which had once been a noodle shop. However, An Ye Luo soon tracked her down, having stalked her all along.
He demanded her return, reminding her of a childhood promise to marry him. An Ye Ming pleaded with him to let her go, refusing to return, even if it meant death. An Ye Luo then threatened the lives of innocent bystanders to coerce her. To save them, An Ye Ming reluctantly agreed to go back with him.
Upon An Ye Ming’s return, An Ye Jue confronted her, expressing her hatred and accusing An Ye Ming of seducing An Ye Luo despite their age difference and An Ye Ming having raised him. An Ye Jue questioned why An Ye Ming hadn't escaped farther away. An Ye Ming conceded she should have. An Ye Ming then begged An Ye Jue to kill her, wishing for liberation, but An Ye Jue refused, fearing An Ye Luo's hatred.
Instead, motivated by her desire to have An Ye Luo for herself, An Ye Jue secretly released An Ye Ming, urging her to escape as far as possible so An Ye Luo would never find her again. With nowhere else to go, An Ye Ming remembered Zhan Feitian and Flaming Manor, realizing it was the only power strong enough to contend with Dark River Palace and the only place where Zhan Feitian would dare to take her in.
Zhan Feitian welcomed her to Flaming Manor, providing her with a courtyard and clothes. He showed her great care, never suspecting her of being a spy. An Ye Ming, touched by his kindness, fell in love with him. She wrote their marriage certificate herself, playfully claiming it saved money for their future retirement. She asked him to be uneasy for a lifetime to care for her lifetime. Lie Ruge was deeply moved by the romantic story of her parents’ courtship.
The following day, Lie Ruge announced to Ling and Murong, the elders of Flaming Manor, that she was going to Swordless City. She decided only Zhongli Wulei would accompany her, to avoid raising Dao Wuxia’s suspicions with a larger force. She entrusted the two elders with managing the manor in her absence and, in the event of any misfortune befalling her or Zhongli Wulei at the martial arts conference, instructed them to ensure the sect’s revival.
Lie Ruge cast one last look at Flaming Manor, vowing to restore its prestige upon her return, before departing with Zhongli Wulei. In Swordless City, Lie Ruge and Yin Xue were dining at an inn when they encountered Dao Wuxia. Dao Wuxia expressed surprise to see Yin Xue alive, admitting he hadn't recognized him that day at Flaming Manor when Yin Xue had disguised himself as an old man from Ethereality Clique.
Dao Wuxia invited them to his manor, where he hosted them and summoned Dao Liexiang and Lei Jinghong. Dao Liexiang was also taken aback to see Yin Xue. Lie Ruge presented wedding gifts to Dao Liexiang and Lei Jinghong, offering her well wishes, then politely excused herself, stating she was merely a guest and would see them at the conference tomorrow.
As she was leaving, Lie Ruge saw Yi Lang, now the chief steward of Swordless City, and warned him that she would eventually return for his head. Later, Yi Lang urged Dao Wuxia to kill Lie Ruge while she was within Swordless City, believing it would cripple Flaming Manor. Dao Wuxia hesitated, concerned about his reputation and how to explain Lie Ruge's death to the assembled martial arts heroes.
Yi Lang countered that once Dao Wuxia was elected leader of the Martial Arts Society, no one would dare question him, and reminded him how Zhan Feng had once twisted the truth in the Snap Thunder Village case, while Dao Wuxia himself lost his sect leader position due to a moment of carelessness. Dao Liexiang, overhearing their conversation, tried to intervene, warning her brother against harming Lie Ruge, as Flaming Manor still held influence.
Dao Wuxia dismissed her, telling her to focus on her wedding and control Lei Jinghong, threatening that if she helped Lie Ruge again, he would no longer protect Lei Jinghong. Dao Wuxia then instructed Yi Lang to lure Lie Ruge outside the city and seal the gates. Yi Lang expressed doubt that Lie Ruge would trust him, but Dao Wuxia told him to concoct some grand excuse.
After Yi Lang left, Dao Wuxia secretly ordered his guards to follow Yi Lang and, once he met Lie Ruge at the inn, to detonate explosives, ensuring no one, including Yi Lang, escaped alive. Dao Liexiang, after sharing a brief moment with Lei Jinghong, was seen secretly leaving her room, presumably to warn Lie Ruge.
