Explore With the Note Episode 14 Recap
> Explore With the Note Recap
The Stone Tortoise, now engulfed in flames, glowed crimson from the intense heat. Wang Pangzi, smoking nearby, acknowledged the warmth and remarked on the tortoise finally proving useful. He watched as Wu Xie, visibly agitated, managed to suppress his anger rather than arguing with Lang Feng. Wu Xie realized they had underestimated Wang Zanghai, acknowledging the elaborate trap he had set. Wang Pangzi, recalling childhood pets, expressed an ironic hatred for this particular creature.
Soon after, the compasses began to function normally again. Chen Pi then silently turned and walked away from the group. Feeling a sense of unease, Wu Xie hurried to follow him, struggling to keep up and asking Chen Pi to slow down. When Chen Pi finally turned, he removed his sunglasses, revealing eyes that struck Wu Xie as both familiar and unsettlingly strange. Wu Xie, taken aback by his changed appearance, questioned if Chen Pi's eyesight had always been functional.
Without warning, Chen Pi delivered a powerful kick, rendering Wu Xie unconscious. Meanwhile, Wang Pangzi, using his dagger, attempted to pry a valuable gem from the stone wall, rationalizing that it was better he took it than to let foreigners steal it. A voice, eerily similar to Wu Xie's, then called out from behind him, accusing him of concealing something. Wang Pangzi, startled, tried to deny it, but the illusory Wu Xie pressed further, expressing disappointment before turning to leave.
At that moment, Jude Kao called Wang Pangzi, demanding updates and questioning the lack of signal from his communication device. Jude Kao accused Wang Pangzi of allowing Wu Xie to discover his secret. Infuriated, Wang Pangzi retorted that Jude Kao knew the risks when he took the money and angrily told him to "bugger off." Immediately after the call, Wang Pangzi saw Jin Shunzi nearby and frantically asked how much he had heard.
The intense magnetic field of the area seemed to amplify everyone's darker impulses. In a state of delusion, Wang Pangzi brutally killed Jin Shunzi to protect his secret. Hua Heshang and Lang Feng also fell victim to the powerful illusions. Separately, Xie Yuchen contacted Jason, expressing his determination to uncover the truth behind Xie Lianhuan's death.
He accused Alpha Inc. of colluding with Jude Kao in past artifact smuggling operations, even using his family's pier, and implicated both parties in the disappearance of the archaeological team at the Paracel Underwater Tomb. Jason denied direct involvement in those older incidents, stating he hadn't joined the company yet.
However, he confirmed that in recent years, Jude Kao had been deliberately reducing collaborations with Alpha Inc. and withholding shared information on major projects, including the Paracel Underwater Tomb, the Misty Village in Guizhou, and the current Empyrean Palace, driven by a desire to take sole control. Xie Yuchen proposed a deal: Jason would help him seek retribution against Jude Kao and the Huo family for framing him, and expose the true culprit, in exchange for the information he sought.
Jason agreed, revealing that Wu Xie had already entered the satellite tomb of the Empyrean Palace, with Wu Sanxing having arrived even earlier, and Jude Kao was also en route. He suggested that the answers Xie Yuchen sought would be found within the mountain. Meanwhile, A Ning, having intercepted their conversation, reported to Jude Kao.
She informed him of the alliance between Jason and Xie Yuchen, and revealed that, based on messages from Lang Feng, there was a mole in Wu Xie's team actively working to deplete their numbers. Jude Kao, sounding unwell and pressed for time, emphasized that Wu Xie's safety was paramount. He instructed A Ning to meet him at Changbai Mountain and, if anyone suggested the Empyrean Palace was fake, to feign agreement and await his arrival.
Back at the Stone Tortoise, Wu Xie slowly regained consciousness from his vivid illusion, where he had been confronted by two identical and unsettling versions of his Uncle Sanxing. The real Wu Sanxing shook Wu Xie and the others awake, calling them "madmen" and warning that the Insect Perfume was now active. Wu Xie observed the cracked Stone Tortoise emitting thick black gas into the air, accompanied by increasingly eerie, rustling sounds coming from all directions.
Wu Sanxing immediately understood it was Wang Zanghai's elaborate trap, explaining that the Stone Tortoise contained Insect Perfume, now three times more potent due to the heat. He blamed the group for igniting it, despite Lang Feng's earlier decision to burn the magnetic tortoise to neutralize its magnetic interference, which could cause insanity and had caused their disorientation in the maze.
Wu Xie, frustrated by the deception and their precarious situation, confronted Wu Sanxing for withholding crucial information, making them feel like "headless chickens." Wu Sanxing, however, remained evasive, joking and deflecting Wu Xie's accusations, even suggesting he helps whoever offers the most money. Suddenly, Wu Sanxing abruptly yelled for everyone to extinguish their flashlights and look up. The ceiling above was blanketed with countless house centipedes, raining down upon them.
Wu Sanxing urgently warned everyone to save themselves, as the Insect Perfume had drawn the creatures. The house centipedes rained down, some even attempting to burrow into their ears. Thinking quickly, Wu Sanxing lit the Brazier, successfully diverting the centipedes towards its heat and away from the group. They seized the opportunity to escape the main hall, running a considerable distance before stopping to rest in a corridor.
During the frantic escape, Wu Xie helped support Chen Pi, a gesture that earned Wu Sanxing's exasperated remark about Wu Xie "only caring about Mr. Chen." Lang Feng then appeared, claiming he had gotten separated and had stumbled upon them, describing how the corridors seemed to endlessly stretch, confirming the area was under an illusion that had disoriented them all.
Wu Xie, however, found Lang Feng's behavior suspicious, noting his frequent use of a phone to take pictures, as if sending messages to someone. Wu Xie reported his suspicions to Wu Sanxing, who, frustrated, scolded Wu Xie for his indecisiveness in a life-or-death situation. Wu Sanxing then ordered Pan Zi to subdue Lang Feng. Lang Feng struggled and protested as Pan Zi restrained him.
When a communication device was discovered on Lang Feng, Wu Sanxing offered Chen Pi the opportunity to deal with his own apprentice. Chen Pi, however, hesitated, stating he couldn't bring himself to harm Lang Feng. Wu Sanxing, exasperated by Chen Pi's soft-heartedness, called him a "scum" before instructing Pan Zi to make Lang Feng confess, despite Pan Zi's concern about Wu Xie witnessing the interrogation. Wu Sanxing then led Wu Xie away from the scene.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Hua Heshang received a report from a subordinate that their captive, "Dao," had finally confessed. Dao, claiming allegiance to Alpha Inc., had revealed the time of their next transaction but refused to disclose the transaction code unless he was released. Hua Heshang, distrusting Dao's motives, declared that Dao would not be allowed to leave the Xie family compound alive.
Wu Xie again confronted Wu Sanxing, demanding answers and expressing his deep confusion about his uncle's true character, feeling he no longer knew him. He accused Wu Sanxing of presenting multiple "façades" and deliberately avoiding his questions, pleading for honesty. Angered, Wu Sanxing warned Wu Xie against letting his thoughts "run wild," threatening to strangle him. When Wu Xie continued to press, Wu Sanxing, still evasive, eventually relented, promising to tell him everything.
However, Wu Xie, skeptical, refused, stating he didn't want any more fabricated stories. Wu Sanxing, mockingly frustrated by his nephew's disbelief, jokingly offered a rope for Wu Xie to hang him. Pan Zi returned shortly after, reporting that Lang Feng had confessed to being Jason's informant, sending messages and carrying a GPS tracker.
Lang Feng also revealed that Jason's team had suffered heavy casualties in an avalanche and had since joined forces with A Ning, indicating they were either very close or already inside the tomb. Wu Sanxing noted their faster-than-anticipated progress. Suddenly, another swarm of giant house centipedes appeared, forcing the group to flee frantically. Wu Xie, exhausted, suggested lighting more Braziers to distract the creatures, as they had done before. But Wu Sanxing vehemently rejected the idea, dismissing it as cowardly.
Instead, he declared they would "kill them." With a command from Wu Sanxing, an explosion ripped through the area, and a severed leg flew past. Wu Xie, horrified, initially feared it was Wu Sanxing's, but seeing his uncle unharmed, he realized it belonged to Lang Feng. Wu Xie was stunned by Wu Sanxing's cold-blooded indifference. Pan Zi then respectfully handed Lang Feng's gear to Chen Pi, offering a subtle warning to be more cautious next time to avoid "friendly fire."
Chen Pi, visibly saddened, accepted the gear. Witnessing this brutal act and his uncle's apparent callousness, Wu Xie felt that Wu Sanxing had become utterly unrecognizable, questioning how they could be so cold-blooded.
