Under the Power Episode 20 Recap, Plot

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Confronting Shangguan Xi, Xie Xiao expressed his deep feelings for Yuan Jinxia, questioning his own usefulness and her constant control over his actions. He confessed his strong affection for Yuan Jinxia, stating that he would regret it for the rest of his life if anything happened to her. Seeing his determination, Shangguan Xi relented and let him go.

Xie Xiao then encountered Yang Yue, telling him that he and Yuan Jinxia had been separated and instructing Yang Yue to notify the local authorities while he went to find them. After he left, a troubled Shangguan Xi asked Yang Yue to accompany her elsewhere. Shangguan Xi led Yang Yue to a secluded spot where she had buried a jar of "Nv'er Hong" wine, prepared by her father twenty years ago for her wedding.

Feeling empty and disillusioned with Xie Xiao, she intended to drink it, believing it was no longer needed. Yang Yue dissuaded her, emphasizing the liquor's significance. Shangguan Xi confessed her long, unrequited wait for Xie Xiao. Yang Yue, trying to comfort her, observed that Xie Xiao simply took her devotion for granted. He then tossed the jar into a nearby lake, promising to personally retrieve it for her when she found a man who truly cherished her.

Shangguan Xi wondered if she would ever marry, but Yang Yue assured her that a good person like her would surely find someone who treated her well. Later, Lan Qingxuan and his disciple Xin arrived at the Guangling Official Postal Relay Station looking for Yang Yue. They found him with Shangguan Xi and delivered an urgent message from Yuan Jinxia: Lu Yi had been poisoned by a strange toxin, and they were heading to Zhenjiang to find a medical expert.

Yuan Jinxia was leaving Department Six marks along the way for them to follow. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Yang Yue decided to immediately inform his father and depart. Lan Qingxuan and Xin, having completed their task, decided to return to their sect, the Danqing Taoist Temple. Meanwhile, Yuan Jinxia struggled through a heavy downpour, supporting a delirious Lu Yi.

When Lu Yi finally collapsed, she desperately pleaded for him to wake up, vowing to never again speak ill of him, argue with him, or disobey his commands. She insisted that she would not let him die. With her encouragement, Lu Yi stirred, and Yuan Jinxia continued to help him forward. After the rain cleared, she found an inn to let Lu Yi rest.

His face was pallid, and the antidote proved ineffective; he could only try to suppress the potent toxin with his own internal energy while Yuan Jinxia watched helplessly. In another location, Yang Yue and Shangguan Xi arrived at Longdan Village. Finding the scene of conflict cleared of bodies, they quickly located a Department Six mark left by Yuan Jinxia, which indicated she had gone south, and immediately followed.

At the inn, seeing Lu Yi unresponsive, Yuan Jinxia fetched water to clean his face. As she wiped his chest, she noticed a blade wound beneath his robe. Just as she unfastened his clothes to examine it, Lu Yi's eyes snapped open and he clasped her hand. Flustered, Yuan Jinxia explained she was merely trying to prevent him from catching a cold. Lu Yi, without a word, told her to continue.

Unnerved by his intense gaze, she averted her eyes and awkwardly finished cleaning the wound. At that moment, Mao Haifeng and his men, along with the captured Beggar Uncle, arrived at the inn. Yuan Jinxia alerted Lu Yi, who asked for his clothes to prepare for a confrontation. Yuan Jinxia and Lu Yi managed to drug the guards and rescue Beggar Uncle, but their escape was cut short.

Mao Haifeng had spotted a jade pendant Lu Yi and Yuan Jinxia had used as collateral with the inn owner and recognized it, confirming their presence. Confronted by Mao, Yuan Jinxia offered her pistol as a peace offering. Mao Haifeng accepted it but then demanded the weapon's blueprint. She adamantly refused, reminding him that giving a blueprint to a pirate would be aiding a villain. Just then, Lu Yi's poison flared up violently.

Beggar Uncle examined him and identified the poison as "extracted Blue Hairpin," a refined version that, instead of causing madness, infinitely magnified the victim's emotions and desires until they lost themselves and died. Witnessing Lu Yi's agony, Mao Haifeng offered a deal: his men possessed a secret skill that could prevent Lu Yi's death, though not cure him completely, in exchange for the pistol blueprint.

Seeing no other choice, Yuan Jinxia agreed, on the condition that Mao first transport them to the Zhenjiang boundary, where she would then provide half of the blueprint. Elsewhere, upon learning of Lu Yi's formidable skills, Yan Shifan expressed a surprising reluctance to kill him, finding him an interesting individual. He instructed Di Lanye to follow Lu Yi discreetly and to arrange a meeting between Mao Haifeng and himself.

Meanwhile, Yang Yue and Shangguan Xi, following the trail, were ambushed in a forest by Dong Qisheng and his surviving men, who sought revenge for the destruction of their fort. To save a captured Yang Yue, Shangguan Xi surrendered. Dong Qisheng tied them both to posts and cruelly mocked Shangguan Xi. To protect her from harm, Yang Yue agreed to Dong's humiliating demand to wear a dog leash and crawl.

Despite his compliance, Dong Qisheng revealed his intent to assault Shangguan Xi anyway. Fueled by fury, the injured Yang Yue rose, wrapped the leash around Dong's neck, and stabbed him. As he ferociously shielded Shangguan Xi, Xie Xiao appeared and fought off Dong's remaining men, after which Yang Yue collapsed from his wounds.

After the ordeal, Xie Xiao expressed his frustration to Shangguan Xi, asking why she hadn't sought his help, lamenting that the encounter with Dong Qisheng could have been avoided. He told her to care for the recovering Yang Yue while he went alone to find Yuan Jinxia. Shangguan Xi protested, but Xie Xiao callously stated that while Yuan Jinxia might mean nothing to her, she was the most important person to him.

Yang Yue, now awake, interjected, defending Shangguan Xi by reminding Xie Xiao of her tireless efforts and the indignities she had suffered on his behalf. Yang Yue assured Xie Xiao that Yuan Jinxia was safe for the moment since she was leaving marks, and urged him to recover so they could all continue the search together.

Later, Shangguan Xi expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Yang Yue, who reflected on having killed for the first time, hoping it would be his last. True to their agreement, Mao Haifeng brought Yuan Jinxia, Lu Yi, and Beggar Uncle to the boundary of Zhenjiang and demanded the blueprint. Jinxia feigned inability to draw while tied up. Once untied and given materials, she claimed the pistol's design was too complex to replicate without help. While she stalled, Lu Yi, having temporarily recovered from the poison's effects, began secretly working with Beggar Uncle to free themselves from their bonds.

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