Explore With the Note Episode 15 Recap
> Explore With the Note Recap
Wu Xie remained deeply troubled by the recent explosion and Lang Feng's death, struggling to comprehend his companions' callous disregard for human life. He was particularly disturbed that Chen Pi had concealed the truth about Lang Feng's demise from Hua Heshang. Wu Xie also knew that Lang Feng was a spy and had been killed by Wu Sanxing. Recalling Qiu Dekao’s cryptic warnings about trusted individuals becoming unreliable, Wu Xie felt compelled to safeguard his own interests.
He decided to send the underground palace’s location and photographs to A Ning, hoping to lure her team towards them as a potential backup. Meanwhile, A Ning and Jason's team had reached the outer perimeter of the palace. Mindful of Qiu Dekao’s secret instructions to shake off Jason, A Ning attempted to do so subtly. However, Jason, sensing her evasiveness, insisted on remaining by her side.
As the fires from the explosion gradually died down, the group concluded their brief discussions and focused on a large hole that had opened in the ground. This aperture revealed a tomb passage beneath. The Spirit Palace, constructed on a steep slope, incorporated a triangular space supported by beams and columns under the main floor. The group realized the newly created hole might serve as an escape route.
Wang Pangzi, strapping a rope around his waist, volunteered to descend into the passage. He planned to widen the hole with a hammer, but his foot slipped into a void, and he felt something beneath grabbing his leg. Pan Zi quickly moved to assist, attempting to chop at the stone to free him. In his haste, he neglected the weakened support structures, leading to a sudden collapse of the pit. Everyone tumbled into the depths below.
Despite Chen Pi sustaining a minor leg injury from the fall, the rest of the team was unharmed. They activated their flashlights, illuminating their new surroundings. The layout resembled the main palace, but further in, they found terraced levels lined with countless mummified corpses, frozen solid and grotesque, with sharpened teeth. Wang Pangzi speculated they were monks, possibly from a legendary Golden Arhats Pavilion, or even "snowmen."
Chen Pi quickly dismissed these fanciful notions, explaining that the sharpened teeth were a custom of ancient Shamanism, later replaced by masks due to the effort involved. Wu Xie pointed out that their primitive attire did not match that of the Jurchen or Mongolian people of the Ming Dynasty, nor the Eastern Xia. He concluded these were ancient ice burial remains of early inhabitants, unearthed by Wang Zanghai during his construction of the mausoleum.
Wang Pangzi questioned why these bodies were arranged in such an orderly fashion, to which Chen Pi suggested it might be linked to Shamanistic rituals or curses. After their discussion, Chen Pi urged the group to carefully search for an exit. Concurrently, Xie Yuchen, disguised as "Dao," successfully rendezvoused with Nan, exchanging a pre-arranged code phrase. He then led his subordinates to a fishing village warehouse, discovering dozens of crates filled with cultural relics.
Inspecting the artifacts, Xie Yuchen identified examples of "blood jade" and "old dyed jade," the latter being expertly crafted fakes using special dyes and heat treatment. He deduced that this criminal enterprise was not merely smuggling but also orchestrating elaborate forgeries to swap genuine artifacts with counterfeits before shipping the originals abroad. He highlighted a porcelain vase, confirming it was authentic and had likely been swapped from a renowned international collection.
Xie Yuchen instructed his subordinate to interrogate the captured members of the ring to uncover "Dao's" domestic smuggling routes, the identities of those involved in the forgery, and the total number of cultural relics that had been swapped. He acknowledged the risk of alarming the broader network by disappearing so many people at once but stressed the importance of swift action. During a phone call, Huo Xiuxiu’s voice was heard, expressing her desire to participate in the investigation.
Xie Yuchen, still maintaining his "Dao" persona, placated her with promises of luxury gifts and told her he was busy with a big deal. Back in the main hall, as the group explored for an exit, Wang Pangzi's foot plunged through a hole in the stone flooring. Two gigantic pincers erupted from below, clamping down on him. His companions rushed to help, but even Pan Zi, with his strength, found his rescue attempts thwarted by the elusive creature.
Just as despair set in, Wu Sanxing appeared, firing a shot that forced the monster to retreat, freeing Wang Pangzi. Pan Zi lightened the tension by teasing Wang Pangzi, suggesting the large house centipede must have taken a liking to him. However, the creature reappeared moments later, snatching Pan Zi and dragging him into the hole.
Wu Xie frantically moved to intervene, but Wu Sanxing quickly held him back, sternly warning him against reckless heroics that would only lead to another death. Soon after, gunshots echoed from within the hole, and Pan Zi, shaken but alive, re-emerged with Wang Pangzi, having killed the monster. Wu Xie then examined the hole more closely, dismissing his initial theories of natural formation or abandoned wells due to its unusually large diameter.
The team debated the origin and purpose of the mysterious holes. Chen Pi, noting the increasing activity of house centipedes as night approached, suggested they rest until morning. Later that night, Wu Sanxing found Wu Xie lost in thought and sat beside him.
They shared nostalgic memories, from Wu Sanxing’s childhood stories that lulled Wu Xie to sleep to a past incident where Wu Sanxing left Wu Xie by the roadside to go on a date, resulting in Wu Xie suffering a heatstroke and Wu Sanxing receiving a severe beating from Wu Xie's grandfather, leaving a scar. Wu Xie, recalling the scar, asked to see it.
Wu Sanxing allowed him to touch the back of his head, but Wu Xie noticed the scar was slightly larger than he remembered, deepening his subtle, indescribable sense of unease about his uncle's true identity. The following morning, the group divided into three teams to continue their search for an exit. Wu Xie witnessed Hua Heshang in distress, claiming Chen Pi had suddenly stopped breathing. Chen Pi lay motionless against a pillar, eyes closed.
Wu Xie checked for a pulse but found none, leaving him perplexed. However, Chen Pi's fingers twitched faintly. Before anyone could react, he abruptly opened his eyes and lunged, gripping Wu Xie's throat. Wang Pangzi frantically yelled for Hua Heshang to fetch black donkey's hoofs to ward off evil while attempting to pry Chen Pi's hands from Wu Xie.
