Adventure Behind the Bronze Door Episode 20 Recap
> Adventure Behind the Bronze Door Recap
Zhang Qiling led a group, including some Denasi people, through a snowy mountain landscape. A fierce storm began, prompting some Denasi to state they could not continue and wished to descend, fearing they would freeze to death at the summit. Zhang Qiling disagreed, warning them that turning back would lead them directly into the path of the heaviest blizzard, where their bodies would inevitably be buried under the snow.
He argued that going to the peak, while dangerous, offered a chance of survival if the wind shifted, whereas retreat guaranteed death. Despite their fear and regret at having followed him, the group's leader decided they would continue upward, relying on Zhang Qiling's guidance. The storm raged, and the Denasi struggled, freezing and fearing they had made a terrible mistake. Unexpectedly, a light pierced through the storm, and the temperature around them rose, revealing that the blizzard had stopped.
Zhang Qiling had saved the Denasi. Later, Wu Xie, while reading scrolls at the Jila Spiritual Retreat, learned about Zhang Qiling's past actions. He had received the scrolls delivered by people sent by Yu Da, who was informed of Wu Xie's location by Zhang Haike. Yu Da had found the scrolls while cleaning the retreat and believed Wu Xie needed them as part of an unavoidable destiny. Wu Xie accepted them, anticipating finding crucial information about Zhang Qiling's secrets.
Meanwhile, Zhang Haike mentioned his lack of progress in finding Zhang Nian, who he believed was hiding. Wu Xie, reading the scrolls, learned that after guiding the Denasi people to safety past that storm, Zhang Qiling ventured deeper into the snowy mountains alone to investigate Dong Can. The scrolls continued the narrative from Wang Jinyuan's records, detailing Zhang Qiling's entry into the snowy mountains to seek the secret.
Wu Xie realized that Wang Jinyuan's records indicated Zhang Qiling had been investigating secrets in the snow mountains, possibly related to the Night King, and that a Zhang Family Nose had died there because of it. Returning to the past timeline depicted in the scrolls, Zhang Qiling was at the Spiritual Retreat and spoke with Deren, the current custodian. Zhang Qiling identified Dong Can from a depiction and learned his original name was Zhang Can, a Zhang Family Nose.
Deren confirmed finding Dong Can's body in the strange, embedded state within a mountain cave alongside a mural. Deren was unfamiliar with the mural type but suggested old texts might hold answers. Zhang Qiling needed to know Dong Can's last location before heading into the snowy mountains to find clues about his death and was shown the guestroom where Dong Can had stayed. In Dong Can's former room, Zhang Qiling found a painting of a breathtakingly beautiful lake among mountains.
He asked Deren about its location. Deren speculated it might only exist in heaven but, if real, could be in the remote inland region of Mount Gangreboge, a place no one had ever reached. Zhang Qiling deduced that Dong Can must have been there. Determined to find clues about Dong Can's death, Zhang Qiling asked Deren to find him two porters or guides, willing to pay any amount of money.
Deren warned him that the destination was a dangerous no-man's land where even experienced caravans wouldn't venture. Zhang Qiling understood the risks but resolved to go anyway. Zhang Qiling set off with two local guides. The guides spoke of past foreign employers and the extreme dangers of the journey ahead, including blizzards, deadly cold, and the presence of "ghosts"—the lost dead who remained in the snow.
They voiced fear, stating that humans were more terrifying than ghosts due to their unpredictable nature. Noticing one guide had a hidden knife, Zhang Qiling advised him to discard it as useless and burdensome in such conditions. As they progressed, the guides became increasingly fearful, declaring the mountain was cursed and they could go no further than their usual hunting limits. They spoke of something terrifying, even to ghosts, residing deeper in the mountains.
They demanded double payment to continue guiding him further. Zhang Qiling agreed to the increased payment, instructing them to guide him only until he found his desired location. They soon came across several frozen bodies. The guides immediately identified them as dead people from the mountains and suggested taking their valuables to pay off debts. Zhang Qiling examined the bodies and recognized some faces as the Denasi people he had saved earlier.
He found text on their belongings, noting the phrase "The Night King of the snow mountains." Observing movement ahead, they saw living people traveling in the distance. The guides expressed surprise that anyone was active in such a remote area. Zhang Qiling, believing that if anyone lived there, it would be by the lake from the painting, decided to follow them, hoping they would lead him to his destination.
As they followed, one guide pointed out that a person ahead seemed to be waving at them. Zhang Qiling corrected him, stating the person was not waving but was reacting to something else: a presence hidden under the snow, following the distant travelers. He explained he could sense it moving beneath the surface. Suddenly, the guides were startled by an unseen disturbance. Zhang Qiling calmly identified it as likely a type of fish kept by the local inhabitants.
Reaching a point where the path became too dangerous for the guides, Zhang Qiling paid them generously, giving them enough to clear their debts, and told them they did not need to follow him further. He would continue alone. As he pressed onward alone, Zhang Qiling found a magnificent temple in the snowy mountains. Inside, incense burned and many offerings were present, but it was empty of people. He searched cautiously, finding writings on the walls that also seemed to be about the Night King. The phrase "Night King Devours The Sky" resonated with him, reinforcing his purpose.
