Explore With the Note Episode 18 Recap
> Explore With the Note Recap
Amidst the relentless pursuit of Manlike Owls, Wu Xie and Pan Zi found themselves cornered at the end of a stone bridge. Beyond them lay the Mausoleum Monument, marking the beginning of the Longevity Stairway leading to the Afterlife Hall, a symbolic gateway between the human world and the underworld. With the bridge collapsed, a three-meter chasm stood in their way.
Pan Zi urged Wu Xie to jump across while he provided cover, but a Manlike Owl snatched Wu Xie mid-air, then released him, sending him plummeting into the abyss below. Moments later, Shun Zi arrived to find Pan Zi weeping by the cliffside, distraught over failing to protect Wu Xie and feeling he had let Mr. Wu down.
Shun Zi prevented Pan Zi from attempting a reckless rescue, reminding him that Mr. Wu had tasked Shun Zi with delivering a message to Wu Xie, believing Wu Xie would ultimately lead them to him. Meanwhile, Wu Sanxing's team faced their own peril, attacked by wall centipedes. Suffering heavy losses, they desperately lit torches to fend off the creatures and make their escape. Miraculously, Wu Xie survived his fall, his descent cushioned by an unforeseen chain-like object.
He regained consciousness, disoriented and weak from dehydration in a desolate, sandy landscape, before succumbing to unconsciousness once more. Zhang Qiling appeared and revived him by offering water. Discussing their predicament, Wu Xie questioned the notion of the Eastern Xia Mausoleum, a royal burial site, having such ill fengshui.
Zhang Qiling, drawing from the totems and murals they had observed, and the records on Chen Pi Ah Si's Snake-Eyed Copper Fish, posited that if Lord of Slavery commanded such influence to construct the mausoleum, it must involve a religious element, suggesting Lord of Slavery might not be human. Wu Xie, however, believed that to truly uncover Lord of Slavery's identity, they needed to gather all the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish.
Recognizing the inhospitable environment, Zhang Qiling helped Wu Xie move forward. They soon stumbled upon numerous terracotta martyrs. During a brief rest, Wu Xie reflected on recent events, growing suspicious that Shun Zi might be deliberately withholding critical information. He wondered why Shun Zi had intentionally separated them, especially when he could have privately conveyed Mr. Wu's message to him.
He also pondered why Pop Si chose Shun Zi and Zhang Qiling as his escorts instead of his trusted man, Hua Heshang, hinting at the possibility of Shun Zi being an informant. Concurrently, Jia Sha reported to Xie Yuchen that they had successfully hacked into Qiu Dekao's database, confirming the authenticity of the underwater tomb photographs. Tracking a signal, Xie Yuchen located a residence and discovered a diary on a study desk.
The handwriting unmistakably belonged to Wu Xie, but its contents were startling: "Xie Lianhuan framed me, Wu Sanxing." Realizing this could be a trap set by Qiu Dekao, Xie Yuchen still decided to head to the northeast to meet Wu Xie. Qiu Dekao, informed of Xie Yuchen's imminent departure to the northeast to meet Wu Xie, seemed unconcerned about A Ning's continued disappearance, confident she would reach out if she were alive, and prepared for his own journey.
Back in the tomb, Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie found an isolated stone house, likely a former rest stop for the palace builders, far from any other structures. While Wu Xie slept, Zhang Qiling gathered firewood and, exploring the house, discovered a desiccated skeleton in a rice jar. Wu Xie awoke, his energy somewhat restored, but the skeletal remains in the corner of the house left him unsettled. He felt fortunate to have Zhang Qiling by his side.
Zhang Qiling inquired about the others, specifically Wang Pangzi, noting that Wang Pangzi wouldn't typically leave Wu Xie's side. Meanwhile, Wang Pangzi, who had been searching for Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling, reached the broken bridge. As he prepared to rappel down, he was unexpectedly seized by a Manlike Owl and plunged into the abyss, mirroring Wu Xie's earlier fate. Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling heard the commotion and rushed out, finding Wang Pangzi, surprisingly unharmed, lying on the ground.
There was still a strained awkwardness between Wang Pangzi and Wu Xie, with Wang Pangzi defiantly asserting his name was still Wang Pangzi, not 'Fatty Wu,' despite offering Wu Xie some compressed biscuits. Zhang Qiling intervened, taking the biscuits and giving them to Wu Xie, suggesting they rest for the night, allowing Wu Xie to recover before rejoining the group the following day. That night, Wu Xie was plagued by a vivid nightmare.
He witnessed Wu Sanxing and Xie Lianhuan in a tomb, their appearances so similar that only their distinct personalities distinguished them. The dream turned sinister when Xie Lianhuan, visibly terrified, confronted Wu Sanxing, accusing him of attempting to harm and kill him. Wu Sanxing, in turn, questioned Xie Lianhuan's intentions, asking why he would try to kill him. This chaotic scene of alleged fratricide startled Wu Xie awake.
Zhang Qiling's earlier words about Mr. Wu's coded messages echoed in his mind, and a nascent understanding of his uncle's cryptic statement began to form. The next morning, the trio embarked on their journey. Their flashlights revealed a path lined with numerous terracotta martyrs, including large terracotta carriage statues. Wu Xie noted the unusual placement of these figures outside a traditional underground palace or burial pit.
He observed their Eastern Xia outfits, similar to those depicted in murals, and the fact that they were all facing the same direction, like an army marching. Zhang Qiling explained that these figures were substitutes for live sacrifices, their corroded faces a result of prolonged submersion in river water, and they were all progressing towards Lord of Slavery.
