Explore With the Note Episode 1 Recap
> Explore With the Note Recap
After previous explorations in an underwater tomb and the depths of Qinling, Wu Xie narrowly escaped death in Warlord Zhang's Tomb in Guizhou, where his Uncle Wu Sanxing had abandoned him to Hendry Cox's schemes. Wu Xie was rescued and hospitalized, but for over two months, he remained in a catatonic state, almost completely losing his basic senses.
He was plagued by nightmares of Wu Sanxing leaving him, challenging him to choose between his life and the truth, and dismissing his pursuit as "not worth it." His friends, Wang Pangzi and Xie Yuchen, visited him. Wang Pangzi was relieved when the doctor confirmed Wu Xie had regained his senses and perception. Xie Yuchen expressed his belief that Wu Sanxing's actions were intentional, but Wang Pangzi suggested it might be a misunderstanding.
Despite their worries, Wu Xie remained resolute, intent on finding his uncle and uncovering the truth. He dismissed his friends' concerns, stating he was fine on his own and planned to discharge himself, believing his uncle had his reasons for everything. Wang Pangzi and Xie Yuchen confronted him, with Xie Yuchen reminding Wu Xie of Wang Pangzi's unwavering support since the incident in Guizhou, never even going home.
They condemned Wu Sanxing for abandoning them in the tomb to collaborate with Hendry Cox, an American relic smuggler. Wu Xie, however, insisted that even if his uncle had turned rogue, he was still his uncle, and he couldn't simply let go. Feeling he had already indebted his friends too much, he declared his intention to continue his search alone.
Later, Wu Xie found a mysterious note in his clothes containing an address and a message: "If you want to know your uncle's secret, go to this address." He boarded a bus, feeling disoriented as the scenery blurred past like a kaleidoscope. Arriving at an antique shop, the clerk handed him a faded old newspaper detailing a major archaeological discovery of a Snake-Eyed Copper Fish in Guangxi Province.
When Wu Xie questioned the owner's identity and connection to the hospital visit, the silent shopkeeper simply pointed to a sign that read, "Inquiries and exchanges at your own discretion." Shortly after, Wu Xie was forcibly dragged into a car by several men in black, injected with a substance, and left unconscious on the street. Wang Pangzi eventually found him and the rain-damaged newspaper in his pocket. Back at home, Wu Xie immersed himself in research, tirelessly sifting through documents.
Even in his brief moments of sleep, he was haunted by terrifying visions, all stemming from his obsession with Wu Sanxing. Driven by his conviction, he decided to seek information at an antique shop, offering his Qilin Blood for trade. To his surprise, the shop owner was Uncle Hai, an old acquaintance. Uncle Hai, despite his mercenary nature, provided accurate information.
He explained that the "Mirrored Palace" was known as the "Yin-Yang Shuttle" in the Northern style, a concept of two identical structures, one above ground and one below, like a shuttle embedded in the earth, representing the mortal and underworlds. He confirmed that the Mirrored Palace, where the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish was found, lay beneath a stone pagoda. Wu Xie realized that finding the copper fish in the Mirrored Palace could lead him to Wu Sanxing.
Meanwhile, Hendry Cox's research team made a breakthrough, extracting a special substance from an ancient tomb corpse that could resist corpse poison and delay aging by altering telomeres in DNA. Hendry Cox, ecstatic, injected himself with a purer form, the same one Wu Xie had received. He concealed this progress from his superiors, aiming to monopolize the discovery.
However, a white mouse injected with a less potent version of the substance dissolved into liquid, completely different from the medicine in Wu Xie's body. This frustrated Hendry Cox, who then smashed lab equipment in a fit of rage. During a phone call with his superior, Hendry Cox downplayed his progress, claiming Zhang Buxun's body was decaying. He defiantly asserted his indispensable value to the project, refusing to share the secrets of longevity.
Elsewhere, Wu Sanxing was tormented by nightmares, seeing visions of an angry and heartbroken Wu Xie, whose relentless questions tortured his conscience about the truth. A phone call jarred him awake. His superior, dissatisfied with the lack of progress from both Hendry Cox and Wu Sanxing, threatened to replace them. Wu Sanxing, defending his professionalism, dismissed Hendry Cox as "trash" and reminded his superior of how much wealth he had generated for them.
When challenged about delaying their progress to the Cloud Top Palace due to his nephew, Wu Sanxing coldly declared that if he could leave Wu Xie to die once, he could do it again, guaranteeing Wu Xie's presence at the Cloud Top Palace. In another development, Wang Tianming was apprehended by Xie Yuchen's men while attempting to steal a Snake-Eyed Copper Fish from a warehouse.
Under duress, Wang Tianming confessed he was hired via email and WeChat and that the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish was his target. Xie Yuchen obtained the contact information. Wu Xie embarked alone on his quest for the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish. During his journey, he fell from a cliff but found temporary respite by a tree.
Recalling Wu Sanxing's past affection and Uncle Hai's recent counsel that the Mirrored Palace held the key to his uncle's secrets, Wu Xie steeled himself and continued onward. His solitary journey was soon interrupted by numerous green vines, which coiled around him like serpents, suspending him in the air. Just in time, Wang Pangzi appeared, setting the vines ablaze to free Wu Xie. Wang Pangzi, exasperated but unwavering, chided Wu Xie for leaving him behind and venturing unprepared.
He stressed their unbreakable bond, insisting that he would never let Wu Xie face dangers alone. Despite Wu Xie's annoyance, Wang Pangzi remained by his side, providing company and food. That night, Wu Xie confided in Wang Pangzi, admitting he suspected the entire path was a trap laid by Hendry Cox. However, he was determined to walk into it if it meant finding his uncle, believing it was a better gamble than circling the core secret indefinitely.
Unbeknownst to them, Hendry Cox was indeed monitoring their every move. He discussed with Ning the arrival of Jason, a spy sent by "Alpha" due to their insecurity, and decided to leverage him as a potential ally. Hendry Cox was soon informed that Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi had reached the Mirrored Palace. Wang Pangzi eventually caught up with Wu Xie, who had once again slipped away, at the Mirrored Palace.
They stood atop a damaged stone pagoda (standing on the natural rock formations that remained). Wu Xie explained that the original pagoda and its underground mirror image had collapsed due to structural failures and immense weight, leaving only naturally formed rock formations between them.
He deduced that by piecing together the sequences of the folklore totems—the Whale's Baleen, the Monitor Lizard's Leg, the Red Carp's Scales, the Fly's Claws, the Tiger's Eyes, the White Shark's Tail, and the Snake's Body—he could reconstruct the pagoda's original layout. Wang Pangzi, still annoyed but committed, assured Wu Xie of their shared fate. Inside the palace, they discovered several corpses pierced by arrows.
Wu Xie concluded that the arrows originated from the "Red Carp's Scales" statue and that the bodies had been repositioned after death. He noted strange damage to the eyes of a human-faced serpent statue, which Wu Xie pointed out resembled Nüwa from Chinese mythology, urging caution. Curious, Wang Pangzi pressed a button on a central pagoda. The palace shuddered and began to collapse, sending massive rocks crashing down. The two quickly scrambled into a nearby stone cave for shelter.
