Adventure Behind the Bronze Door Episode 12 Recap
> Adventure Behind the Bronze Door Recap
Zhang Haike scouted ahead and reported nothing unusual. Upon returning, he cautioned Wu Xie and Fatty to be careful. The group moved past the ragdolls and proceeded forward, but after walking for some time, they seemed to end up back where they started. Wu Xie took out reflective stickers to mark the paths they took. After trying five or six different routes, looping around extensively, they still returned to their original location.
Zhang Haixing noticed that the positions of the ragdolls had changed. Wu Xie suspected they might have triggered a mechanism in what seemed to be a traditional Kumuli stage setup ("Zhablind"), causing the ragdolls to move on their own. He examined the structure and decided to tie thin threads along the paths they walked. They went on another long loop, following a compass, and despite walking in a single direction, they still ended up back at the starting point.
The only difference was that all the ragdolls were in new positions. Reflecting on their failed attempts to mark the path and the strange circular movement, they found it bizarre, especially since the compass and magnetic field seemed normal. Wu Xie drew their paths on paper. Only four exits remained unexplored. Fatty suggested they stay put to conserve energy while he went alone to check the remaining exits.
Wu Xie remained where he was, but then heard rustling sounds behind him. He quickly turned and saw a large ragdoll chewing the head of a smaller one. It was indeed moving. Wu Xie turned away, worried the large ragdoll had seen him. As he continued, he felt something following him. To be safe, he dripped some oil behind him. Soon after, the large ragdoll appeared, stumbling towards him.
Wu Xie remained calm and warned the ragdoll not to advance, but it continued to move closer. Wu Xie then realized the ragdolls had snakes inside. Fatty, worried about Wu Xie, had followed him and got lost.
Wu Xie instructed Fatty to keep talking so he could follow the sound, explaining that the sound here had peculiar refraction properties like a sound-reflecting wall, and simply following the sound direction wouldn't work; Fatty needed to stay put and talk continuously while Wu Xie located him. After some time, Wu Xie finally located Fatty, who had been talking so much his voice was hoarse, calling out a series of nicknames and things he liked to eat.
They reunited with Zhang Haixing and Zhang Haike. As they continued searching for the key, they came across a device resembling a large table lamp. Finding the area too dark, Fatty lit it. It turned out to be a device for shadow play, and a large screen appeared on the wall, displaying images that told a story about the Kumuli Kingdom and snakes.
The shadow play depicted the Kumuli people raising many snakes and using them in traditional magic shows for the king. However, the snakes eventually became a disaster, leading to the kingdom's downfall. Fatty concluded this was the "snake disaster" that destroyed Kumuli and was the source of the "curse." They decided these snakes and ragdolls were part of a Kumuli magic show and not directly related to the key.
To avoid the potential danger posed by the snakes hidden within the ragdolls, Wu Xie and the others put on costumes similar to the ragdolls' attire and used a spray. Zhang Haike explained that snakes rely on smell for navigation, and using these measures could confuse them. This disguise proved effective, as the ragdolls stopped following.
Wu Xie then explained his theory about the maze: the walls, though seemingly ordinary, were arranged in a special nested lotus structure, forming a looping fractal. These walls had a subtle curvature, making it seem like they were walking straight while actually circling. He had calculated that by counteracting the subtle curve every 100 meters, they could walk a true straight line to find an exit. Following his calculation and method, they successfully navigated the maze and exited.
After escaping the maze, they took off the suffocating costumes. Wu Xie wanted to pause and review the situation, reasoning that the maze was a magic venue where the Kumuli king's attempt to control snakes for entertainment backfired, causing the snake disaster that led to the kingdom's abandonment. He speculated the area ahead would be even more dangerous due to the prevalence of snakes.
He believed Qiling might have used this dangerous environment to hide the key, meaning the key was likely nearby. They soon found a mark left by Qiling. They then observed Zhang Haixing setting up an intricate web of traps. Fatty was astonished, calling her a "spider demon." Zhang Haike explained their strategy: the maze would delay their pursuers, the Denaxi people, giving Zhang Haixing time and position to ambush them and steal Feng's key.
He acknowledged that Feng had been tricked before, but emphasized that luring the enemy into their chosen ground and taking the initiative was the Zhang family's approach. Wu Xie noted that Qiling never used such elaborate methods; wherever he was, that was his ground. Zhang Haike replied that plans were for the weak, but their method would be effective. Zhang Haixing was confident in her ability to handle the situation, asserting she never did anything meaningless.
Zhang Haike cautioned her to be careful and only attack when she had a clear purpose, not impulsively. After saying their goodbyes, Zhang Haixing remained behind to continue setting traps and wait for an opportunity while Wu Xie, Fatty, and Zhang Haike continued forward.
