The Flame's Daughter Episode 49 Recap
> The Flame's Daughter Recap
Zhan Feng, reflecting on his journey, admitted that while the Dark River Internal Cultivation was exquisitely powerful, he felt a sense of regret that such an art belonged to the diabolical path, acknowledging that most people undertook it out of sheer necessity. In the dungeon, Yin Xue probed Zhan Feng, asking if he knew why he had agreed to treat Yu Zihan's cold curse. Zhan Feng correctly deduced it was for Lie Ruge.
Yin Xue elaborated that it was also for himself, explaining that Lie Ruge had received Yu Zihan's care and developed both affection and gratitude towards him since childhood. He desired to repay all of Yu Zihan's kindness on her behalf, ensuring that she would owe a favor to no one but him.
Zhan Feng then proposed that he might be able to cultivate to the ninth level of the Dark River Internal Cultivation to save Yin Xue, but Yin Xue gravely informed him it was already too late. Yin Xue then urged Lie Ruge to close her eyes before instructing her to drink the forgetfulness tea. Lie Ruge complained of a stuffy chest and refused the drink.
Yin Xue then dripped his own blood into the water, falsely claiming it was to ensure she wouldn't forget him by having his blood within her body. Lie Ruge poured out this bowl of water, wryly smiling that she did not wish to be Anye Ming's shell. Seeing her refusal, Anye Luo, also present, fiercely grabbed Lie Ruge's neck and insisted she consume it, asserting she couldn't avoid it.
When Lie Ruge demanded a reason, Anye Luo (referring to the forgetfulness tea's inherent purpose) implied it would induce forgetfulness. Lie Ruge cleverly responded that both that reason and the earlier claim about Yin Xue's blood were false. Anye Luo sarcastically noted her improved intellect but maintained his demand. When Lie Ruge questioned what would happen if she still refused, Anye Luo’s demeanor shifted.
He briefly called her "Ming'er" before questioning her true identity, asking if she was "Anye Ruge or her." Lie Ruge, with conviction, stated she was Lie Ruge. Enraged, Anye Luo accused them of attempting to deceive him. He then threatened her, revealing that not only did he hold Yu Zihan and Zhan Feng, but also Dao Liexiang, Lei Jinghong, and all the disciples from Flaming Manor below the mountain were trapped, having foolishly come to rescue her.
He warned that his patience had limits and prolonged resistance would only hasten their demise. Faced with such a dire threat, Lie Ruge tearfully took the cup and drank the forgetfulness water. Later, Anye Luo sternly warned Yin Xue against any further deception, threatening death if he were to be fooled. In the forest near Dark River Palace, Lei Jinghong presented a stash of explosives from his branch, confident they possessed enough to clear a path.
Zhongli Wulei discussed the necessity of selecting a few highly skilled individuals to lead the charge, as the forest was riddled with traps. Dao Liexiang volunteered, and Lei Jinghong declared he would also go to pave the way, while two other Hall Leaders managed the situation outside. Bi'er offered her services, her martial arts skills being on par with the Hall Leaders, and her inclusion was approved.
Thus, Lei Jinghong, Dao Liexiang, Zhongli Wulei, and Bi'er formed the vanguard, instructing the Hall Leaders to await their signal before advancing. Simultaneously, within the underground palace, Zhan Feng was intensely cultivating the Dark River Heart Method. Yin Xue observed that Zhan Feng was still hindered by his lingering affections for Lie Ruge and Lie Mingjing, which prevented him from breaking through. He encouraged Zhan Feng to calm his mind and abandon his past attachments.
Yin Xue explained that the blood he gave Lie Ruge had temporarily induced amnesia, causing her to believe she was Anye Ming and live within an illusion. However, this state would not last, making it their sole opportunity to assassinate Anye Luo. Yin Xue urged Zhan Feng to conquer his "heart's demon." Galvanized, Zhan Feng focused his energy, preparing for his ultimate effort. Anye Luo diligently watched over the deeply unconscious Lie Ruge, eager for Anye Ming's awakening.
When Lie Ruge finally stirred, the medicine's effects had fully transformed her, and she appeared as Anye Ming. She questioned if they were in the underground palace and if "Luo'er" had trespassed again, asking if she had forgotten anything. Anye Luo, addressing her as "Ming'er," claimed she had forgotten "Nothing." He fabricated a story: they had argued with their "Teacher," she was injured, and he brought her there to escape, assuring her the "Teacher" could not reach them.
Lie Ruge, in her Anye Ming persona, then expressed concern for "Junior Sister," fearing the "Teacher's" wrath. Anye Luo quickly reassured her that "Junior Sister" had also escaped to the underground palace and was currently in seclusion recovering. Feeling relieved but weary, Lie Ruge rested. Later, Anye Luo consulted a subordinate who had grown up with Anye Ming, asking if he could determine if Lie Ruge was truly Anye Ming or merely feigning.
The subordinate confessed he had never met the Second Sect Leader and could not tell. Anye Luo then gazed at the memorial tablets of Anye Ming and himself, contemplating how a deceased person could retain memories, and the possibility that the entire situation was a carefully laid trap. Later, he found Lie Ruge, in her Anye Ming persona, staring at their memorial tablets. He approached her, and she questioned why he had truly enshrined both their memorial tablets.
Anye Luo, now seemingly convinced, expressed his belief that Anye Ming had truly returned. He then told Anye Ming that he would fulfill his promise and asked her to marry him. Anye Ming, however, expressed reservations due to their familial relationship; despite no blood ties, she had raised him and considered him family, thus a marriage would be against human ethics. Anye Ming then inquired about Zhan Feitian, whose name kept echoing in her mind.
Anye Luo, unwilling for her to remember, subsequently knocked her unconscious. Dao Liexiang, Lei Jinghong, Zhongli Wulei, and Bi'er, utilizing explosives, successfully breached the illusion array safeguarding Dark River Palace. They arrived at the palace entrance, finding it eerily deserted, a stark contrast to the numerous ambushes encountered earlier in the forest. They recognized the eerily deserted entrance as a potential trap.
They collectively reasoned that due to the palace's complex layout, a large group would be cumbersome and impede retreat, so the four decided to proceed alone. As Dao Liexiang, suspicious of the empty entrance, bravely stepped forward, she triggered a trap, separating her from the others. Lei Jinghong, Zhongli Wulei, and Bi'er found themselves trapped outside the main hall while Dao Liexiang was sealed inside.
They quickly realized the chamber was airtight and worried about the lack of air, desperately searching for a switch, only to find that even Yu Zihan's detailed map did not indicate such mechanisms. Lei Jinghong called out to Dao Liexiang, attempting to reassure her. Dao Liexiang, in turn, advised him to conserve his energy and not to talk, suggesting meditation, stating that life or death was fated and she had no fear.
Meanwhile, Anye Luo received a report from his subordinate confirming that Dao Liexiang (referred to as Third Miss Dao), Lei Jinghong, a Flaming Manor hall leader, and Bi'er were indeed trapped, though most of Flaming Manor's forces remained outside. Anye Luo expressed surprise, and a touch of grim amusement, at the irony of the Dao and Lei families, who had been bitter adversaries for generations, now being "life and death comrades."
He mused that the abandonment of the underground palace was a worthwhile price if it meant burying members of these prominent clans, and he ordered constant surveillance of the situation outside. Lie Ruge, having recovered her normal state, confronted Anye Luo, announcing that the ten days were over and demanding to see Yu Zihan. Anye Luo warned that she would regret it, claiming that those who betrayed him were destined for hell, but eventually led her to Yu Zihan.
The sight of Yu Zihan, brutally tortured and unrecognizable by Anye Jue—his ears and legs numb, his eyes blind—sent Lie Ruge into heartbroken sobs. She cried out to him, asking what Anye Luo had done. Anye Luo callously explained that Yu Zihan was originally "useless," and he merely helped him revert to his "original appearance," adding that without the Dark River Internal Energy, his legs were once again paralyzed, and he had lost his hearing, sight, and voice.
He further revealed that Yu Zihan was subjected to ceaseless pain, yet unable to die, condemned to a "fiery hell." Weeping, Lie Ruge implored Yu Zihan, asking if he knew it was her, reassuring him that she was well and would rescue him, urging him to cling to life.
Anye Luo, observing their bond, remarked on the poignant "same sect affection" before forcibly dragging Lie Ruge away, warning her that Yu Zihan's life or death hung on her every word and action. Anye Luo returned Yin Xue's zither, offering to restore his powers on the condition that Anye Ming fully reemerged and Lie Ruge completely vanished. Yin Xue questioned Anye Luo's impatience, initially asserting he saw no signs of Anye Ming's full return.
Anye Luo, however, insisted he had glimpsed her in the great hall the previous day. Yin Xue then clarified that he had underestimated the strength of Lie Ruge's inner psyche; if she was unwilling to leave, he was powerless, but if she agreed, "we can do anything." With this understanding, Anye Luo then approached Lie Ruge, proposing a new deal: if she agreed to depart, he would release everyone, and Yu Zihan would recover.
Lie Ruge, however, expressed deep mistrust, calling him insane and accusing him of being fickle, believing he would inevitably harm them again. Anye Luo countered that she was not in a position to negotiate. He presented a cruel ultimatum: while Yu Zihan and Zhan Feng were still alive, Dao Liexiang and Lei Jinghong had been trapped for days and would soon die of dehydration. If she refused to agree today, they would all perish before her eyes.
Desperate, Lie Ruge pleaded for their release, even threatening to torment Anye Ming, her own mother, for Anye Luo's amusement if he harmed them. Anye Luo then swore that if she agreed to leave, he would release everyone and cease bothering them for this lifetime. Faced with the imminent death of her friends, Lie Ruge's resolve crumbled, and she reluctantly agreed to Anye Luo's terms.
Lei Jinghong and Dao Liexiang, trapped for days without sustenance, were teetering on the edge of despair. Lei Jinghong called out to Dao Liexiang, who advised him to conserve his energy and not to talk, suggesting meditation, stating that life or death was fated and she had no fear. Lei Jinghong then asked if she regretted him lying to her, and she admitted she regretted it greatly.
He confessed that after witnessing his Second Mother's corpse at Flaming Manor, he finally understood that human relationships were too complex to be categorized as simply "good" or "bad." He acknowledged that despite knowing his Second Mother had killed his father and was a "witch," he couldn't bear to see her die, as she had repeatedly spared his life out of motherly affection.
Lei Jinghong then sincerely apologized to Dao Liexiang, lamenting that he had understood too late, especially after witnessing Anye Jue's death, and deeply regretted being responsible for the deaths of her two brothers. Dao Liexiang, deeply moved, shed tears of grievance. Yin Xue, now fully aware of Lie Ruge's self-sacrificial decision for everyone, remarked that she was "really like her before."
When Lie Ruge inquired if he meant she was like the person he had loved in the past, Yin Xue subtly diverted the conversation by dispatching Xunyi to fetch snow lotus extract, ensuring they were alone. Lie Ruge initially claimed to have no final words.
After a prolonged moment of hesitation, she finally posed her question: would he remember her, would he have "a shadow of her in his heart" after she was gone, and urged him to say he would. Looking deeply into her eyes, Yin Xue softly affirmed, "I will."
