Adventure Behind the Bronze Door Episode 11 Recap
> Adventure Behind the Bronze Door Recap
An elderly man, Wang Jinyuan, first spoke with Zhang Qiling about life and the patriarch before turning to Wu Xie. He posed three questions, stating that if Wu Xie answered satisfactorily, he would acknowledge Wu Xie as being affiliated with the patriarch and reveal the clue to the Key's location. Wang Jinyuan had spent decades safeguarding the patriarch's memory and secrets at that location, often being called stubborn for his dedication.
He questioned the meaning of his long vigil and whether these memories were truly important to the patriarch, who suffered from repeated memory loss, known as Tianshou, constantly searching for his past self. He wondered if his own efforts over the years held significance for the patriarch, who had nonetheless entrusted him with important tasks. Finally, he asked Wu Xie what he saw when looking at him. Wu Xie responded that he saw his future self decades from now.
Wang Jinyuan was very pleased with this answer. Wu Xie asked if he had answered the questions correctly. Wang Jinyuan replied that feelings should not be spoken carelessly or faked, especially concerning the patriarch. He then asked Wu Xie to play a song he liked. Satisfied with Wu Xie's responses, Wang Jinyuan revealed the clue about the Key's location, showing Wu Xie a sketch with an address on the back.
He explained that the Key was at that location and that inside, Wu Xie would find the "monster box" and "mud hut." Wang Jinyuan's time came to an end two days later. Wu Xie and Zhang Haike handled the arrangements for his remains. Zhang Haike explained that during this process, they found several other sketches on Wang Jinyuan, drawn around the same time as the one given to Wu Xie.
Wang Jinyuan likely carried multiple "fake" sketches because he feared the Key's location might be stolen, but only the one he gave Wu Xie, which was drawn by Zhang Qiling, was genuine. Zhang Haike recounted that after defeating the Night King and leaving the snowy mountain, Zhang Qiling recovered in this area and met Wang Jinyuan, a folklore scholar with extensive knowledge of local history and culture. Wang Jinyuan quickly recognized the many secrets Zhang Qiling carried.
When Zhang Qiling anticipated another episode of Tianshou and needed to hide the Heavenly Staff and the Key before it happened, Wang Jinyuan suggested concealing them somewhere deep underground in Nilaisi. Zhang Haike explained that Nilaisi is prone to earthquakes, causing buildings to sink and creating vast, complex underground ruins and voids filled with trash and rats. Locals call this area Old Niles. Some parts closer to the surface are inhabited, but even Zhang Qiling never reached the deepest areas.
Zhang Haike also mentioned that the oldest and purest-blooded members of the Zhang Family in Dejia, known as the "Old monsters," live in seclusion in the houses on the mountain, having relinquished their Zhang Family responsibilities. They are the only ones qualified to enter the back mountain and require their recognition for entry; anyone attempting to go without it would be instantly killed, as they dislike disturbance.
Zhang Haike revealed that these "Old monsters" were the ones who forced the patriarch into his current state, and they could only rely on themselves. He offered to show Wu Xie a place Zhang Qiling had visited if he wanted to learn about his past. They went to a tavern. While there, Zhang Haike noticed a man with a hat at the bar who seemed to be following them, identifying him as one of Feng's men.
Despite the surveillance, they decided to stay. Wu Xie reminded Zhang Haike what they should do about the remaining Key, and Zhang Haike replied they would keep guessing. Zhang Haike ordered Ayla for Wu Xie, mentioning it was Zhang Qiling's favorite drink. Wu Xie questioned why Zhang Haike seemed to enjoy testing his familiarity with Zhang Qiling. Preparing for the dangerous journey into Old Niles, Wu Xie, Zhang Haike, and Zhang Haixing acquired postcards to write final messages.
Fatty, initially joking about the amount of space, grew serious and wrote his last words carefully, saying he didn't want to worry people like Zhang Qiling did. Zhang Haike commented on the Zhang Family being hardcore since they seemingly had no family to write to. They located the entrance at 112 Ramil Street, where they found the number 11083. Zhang Haike explained this was the entrance to Old Niles, via a collapsed sewer connecting to the buried city.
He noted that Wu Xie's actions were becoming increasingly similar to Zhang Qiling's. They descended into the narrow, complex tunnels, crawling forward. Zhang Haike cautioned Fatty to be careful and watch his steps. As they advanced, they found many statues and evidence of worship, such as candles and burned paper. Zhang Haixing explained that locals believe souls are trapped if they die here, so families place statues, each representing a life, and visit yearly for worship.
Many people, including scavengers, get trapped and die in the dangerous, confusing tunnels connected to Old Niles. Zhang Haike remarked that hiding the Key here was a stroke of genius by the patriarch, as it was very safe. Fatty joked about becoming Ninja Turtles. Zhang Haike warned him and Wu Xie not to touch anything unnecessarily in the increasingly dangerous environment.
They encountered a strange object and chose to ignore it, pressing forward until the tunnel widened enough for them to stand upright. Wu Xie noticed a mark left by Zhang Qiling, confirming he had been there. Zhang Haike explained that Zhang Qiling habitually left marks due to his memory loss, a way to remember where he had been. They continued following the marks, which indicated the correct path.
They discussed the danger of the mission and why bringing more people, like Zhang Longban, might not be beneficial. Fatty insisted his presence was essential. Following the marks, they noticed fewer statues ahead, indicating that locals stopped venturing further due to increased danger. They heard a rustling sound and saw a plastic barrel roll past. Wu Xie suggested it was just the wind, but Zhang Haike questioned where the wind was coming from.
Wu Xie found a new mark from Zhang Qiling, which Zhang Haike identified as a danger sign, signaling they needed to be extremely cautious ahead. Wu Xie jokingly asked if they should pause to show respect to Zhang Qiling. Zhang Haike assured Wu Xie they would protect him if he didn't cause trouble. Wu Xie pointed out that Zhang Family members could follow the marks themselves without him.
Zhang Haike speculated that Zhang Qiling might have had a deeper reason for involving Wu Xie, or that Wu Xie didn't fully understand him. Wu Xie stated that the Zhang Family only needed to trust Zhang Qiling. Zhang Haike noted Zhang Haixing seemed to disagree, attributing it to a "teenage phase," which prompted a reaction from Zhang Haixing and a comment from Wu Xie about the phase's longevity.
Zhang Haixing asked about the nature of the place given the numerous Zhang Family danger marks. Zhang Haike explained it was where the Dejia Zhang Family members performed a different kind of "wilding" – venturing into Old Niles' deepest parts to retrieve a token. Only those successful were considered true Zhang Family members worthy of entering the back mountain where the "Old monsters" resided, which is why Zhang Qiling hid the Key nearby.
Zhang Haike suggested the mountain inhabitants might not be as cold-blooded as they seemed, but Wu Xie maintained they were unreliable and that the Zhang Family members willing to fight the Night King were the ones they already knew. They found another mark and a statue that Wu Xie recognized from Wang Jinyuan's painting. Zhang Haike confirmed they had found the location. The statue's style suggested it dated back to the Kumuli period, known for instability and the first earthquake.
The structure was very unstable and prone to collapse. The mark indicated the Key was located straight ahead, but the entrance was blocked by fallen rocks. They needed to move the rocks carefully to avoid causing the structure to collapse. Fatty teased Wu Xie for getting in the way. They successfully cleared the rocks. Meanwhile, in a hospital operating room, Zhang Nian was performing surgery when he received a message showing Wu Xie and Zhang Haike.
He immediately stopped the procedure and arranged for another doctor to take over. He found Zhang Jiuri, telling him it had been a long time. Zhang Jiuri initially wanted nothing to do with the past. Zhang Nian, however, spoke of revenge against Zhang Qiling, reminding Zhang Jiuri that Zhang Qiling was responsible for their parents' deaths.
He showed Zhang Jiuri a picture of Zhang Qiling's friends and a dart he had just found, calling it their former token from wilding training and stating Zhang Qiling had ruined everything. Zhang Nian argued that changing appearances didn't erase the past and showed Zhang Jiuri a scorpion he carried, a constant reminder of that moment. He was determined to get revenge on Zhang Qiling.
He told Zhang Jiuri that Zhang Qiling's friend, Wu Xie, was here to take the Heavenly Staff, left by Zhang Qiling, to the snowy mountain, and with it, killing Zhang Qiling was not impossible. Zhang Nian saw this as his closest chance for revenge and framed it as a make-or-break moment.
Zhang Jiuri noted how much Zhang Nian had changed but insisted that whether or not to kill Zhang Qiling was his personal matter and had nothing to do with Zhang Nian. Zhang Nian called him crazy. Back underground, Wu Xie, Zhang Haike, and Zhang Haixing noticed a strong, rotten smell. They proceeded cautiously, mindful of unstable ground.
They encountered numerous South Asian puppets draped in opera costumes, which Zhang Haixing explained were used in traditional ancient magic shows, possibly depicting legendary hero stories or everyday life scenes. Fatty pointed out that they were in a maze-like area, which Zhang Haixing explained was ideal for magic performances to create illusions with complex environments.
Faced with multiple paths and no marks from Zhang Qiling, Wu Xie chose a direction based on what Zhang Haike called his tacit understanding with the patriarch. As they continued, they saw even more puppets. Fatty noticed one puppet looked exactly like one they had seen earlier and questioned if the puppets could move on their own.
