Explore With the Note Episode 2 Recap
> Explore With the Note Recap
Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi continued their exploration within the ancient ruins, eventually finding the correct path. They observed numerous dilapidated walls and broken eaves, realizing most of the original palace was long gone, with only foundations remaining. As Wang Pangzi pondered Wang Zanghai's initial purpose for building such a grand palace, they suddenly heard the sound of flowing water at the entrance, and then noticed the marks they had carved earlier had been tampered with.
Wu Xie, realizing they were not alone and someone more familiar with the place was present, decided to use dynamite to blow up a wall, creating an exit despite Wang Pangzi's concerns about the structure collapsing. The explosion, however, led them to step on a mechanism, unleashing a swarm of fierce Dihuang venomous bees.
As a black cloud of bees surged from all directions, Wu Xie quickly threw a flashbang grenade towards Wang Pangzi, allowing them to escape the underground palace amidst the chaos. Outside, Wang Pangzi's face and butt were covered in painful stings, while Wu Xie remained unharmed. Wu Xie had to gather herbs to alleviate the swelling and inflammation, warning Wang Pangzi not to scratch the blisters to avoid infection and potential amputation.
Later, Wu Xie gave Wang Pangzi some herbs to chew, intending for them to be applied topically, but Wang Pangzi mistakenly swallowed them. Wang Pangzi then repeatedly suggested Wu Xie use his Qilin blood for treatment, but Wu Xie did not. Meanwhile, Xie Yuchen was aware that many, including Qiu Dekao, coveted the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish he possessed.
Pan Zi, who was working for Qiu Dekao, secretly informed Xie Yuchen about Qiu Dekao's agency in China, which facilitated foreign merchants and relic dealers. Pan Zi mentioned that a mixed-race man named Jason frequently visited this agency and had close ties to Wu Sanxing. Recognizing the danger Wu Xie was in, Xie Yuchen decided to help him indirectly.
Despite his assistant's concerns that helping Wu Xie might lead him to uncover unpleasant truths about Wu Sanxing, potentially causing resentment, Xie Yuchen remained firm. He instructed his assistant to have the Red Bat spread rumors to aid Wu Xie. After a brief rest, Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi, with Wang Pangzi now wearing a protective suit Wu Xie improvised, re-entered the underground palace. They were once again attacked by the venomous bees.
Thinking quickly, Wu Xie used his folding shovel to mix water with mud and sealed the beehive entrance, preventing more bees from emerging. Continuing their journey, they soon entered a large palace chamber. Both Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi sensed a dark shadow flitting by, scaring them into running wildly. They ran blindly, past an automatically rotating stone door, and stumbled into the main hall, dominated by a towering stone pillar adorned with intricate reliefs.
The sight of countless human and animal skulls scattered everywhere sent shivers down Wang Pangzi's spine. Before Wu Xie could fully process the grim surroundings, hundreds of mutated iron-line worms began to crawl up his legs, quickly ensnaring his entire body. Just as the worms were about to reach his eyes, Zhang Qiling arrived, swiftly cutting the parasites from Wu Xie's body.
Zhang Qiling explained to Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi that these were mutated iron-line worms, parasites that attached to bones. He clarified that they parasitized in flesh and blood while the host creature was alive, entering dormancy after its death. Upon sensing fresh flesh, their instinct drove them to seek new hosts. Suddenly, a ragged old man, wielding a long knife, lunged at the three. Zhang Qiling intercepted the attacker, urging Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi to find an exit.
As they fled the palace, they were met with a volley of poison arrows from armed villagers. Based on a pendant worn by the old man, the villagers identified him as their long-lost Elder Kua Xiong, who was also their shaman. Wang Pangzi, having been hit by a poison arrow, quickly fell unconscious. The villagers took them to their settlement for treatment.
The chief, Dang Mang, thanked them profusely for rescuing Elder Kua Xiong, who had been missing for over 40 years. Wu Xie was intrigued to see Zhang Qiling conversing fluently with Dang Mang in a language he didn't understand, further deepening his curiosity about Zhang Qiling's mysterious identity. Zhang Qiling, however, said he didn't know how he spoke their language, only that it came naturally to him, and he remembered nothing else.
He also reassured Wu Xie that Wang Pangzi's fever was a natural process of his body expelling the arrow poison, rather than an infection. Dang Mang announced a long-table banquet that evening to express their gratitude. He explained that Elder Kua Xiong, though awake, was still very weak and his eyesight was severely damaged, so he needed rest and couldn't immediately answer questions about the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish.
Wang Pangzi, upon waking, discovered a young girl had applied medicine to his butt, an intimate act that greatly embarrassed him, while Wu Xie found it amusing. Later, Zhang Qiling, speaking with Wu Xie, drew a connection between Elder Kua Xiong's disappearance, the stone pagoda's collapse, and the theft of the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish, all happening in the same year, suggesting a crucial link.
He warned Wu Xie that the underground palace of the stone pagoda was heavily modified with numerous unknown mechanisms, making further exploration extremely dangerous. Zhang Qiling urged Wu Xie to return home with Wang Pangzi once he recovered, offering to continue the search for him. Wu Xie explained that he only knew a mysterious informant had told him there was something more valuable than the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish beneath, but not what it was.
He also speculated, based on the palace's modifications and the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish, that the stone pagoda was inextricably linked to Wang Zanghai and believed Elder Kua Xiong held the answers to the past events. During the long-table banquet, everyone celebrated joyfully, but Zhang Qiling remained pensive. After the feast, he voiced his concerns, emphasizing the unpredictable dangers and numerous unknown mechanisms within Mirror Palace.
He stated that Wu Xie was no match for Wu Sanxing and shouldn't continue his pursuit, but if Wu Xie insisted on going, Zhang Qiling would accompany him. Wu Xie accepted the offer, though with a non-committal "We'll see." Meanwhile, in a hidden underground boxing gym, Pan Zi met with Wu Sanxing. He reported that Old Hai from the Qin family, an accomplice of Qiu Dekao who had misled Wu Xie to Mirror Palace, was now investigating Xie Yuchen.
Pan Zi suspected Xie Yuchen was assisting Wu Xie in finding Wu Sanxing and expressed worry that a connection between these two matters could endanger Wu Sanxing. Wu Sanxing, however, dismissed these fears, reiterating to Pan Zi that his sole priority was to protect Wu Xie, "the only root of the Wu family," should anything happen to him in their perilous life.
