Explore With the Note Episode 22 Recap
> Explore With the Note Recap
Wu Sanxing believed the group, having just endured a fierce battle, should rest and regain their strength before continuing. However, A Ning insisted they press on immediately, asserting that the tomb becomes far more perilous at night. She allowed them only an hour of rest, noting Wu Sanxing’s severely wounded state. Wu Sanxing reluctantly conceded. Pan Zi, at Wu Sanxing’s subtle signal, diverted Wang Pangzi, creating an opportunity for Chen Pi to speak privately with Wu Xie.
Wu Xie, overwhelmed by the many confusing events, expressed his desire for Chen Pi to stay out of his affairs. Chen Pi acknowledged Wu Xie’s feelings but emphasized his crucial role in the operation, warning against indecisiveness. He hinted that Wu Sanxing had reasons for withholding certain information, waiting for the right moment to reveal it. Meanwhile, in a separate location, a subordinate demanded that Huo Xiangu open all shipping routes.
Huo Xiangu vehemently refused, arguing that such an “immoral and illicit” act would violate the Mystic Nine's rules and devastate her family, whose many members already disagreed with her. The subordinate then threatened Huo Ling's life, forcing Huo Xiangu to reluctantly agree to the terms, lamenting their fated connection was not meant to be. Shortly after, her butler reported that Huo Xiuxiu had stolen the cargo container keys and contract and fled.
Back in the tomb, Wu Xie showed Wu Sanxing a note left by Zhang Qiling, which stated, "The Snake-Eyed Copper Fish has everything you want to know." Wu Xie noticed Wu Sanxing showed no surprise, intensifying his suspicions. He brought up a conversation with Xiao Hua about human-skin masks that could perfectly disguise someone. Wu Xie then directly questioned Wu Sanxing, asking if the man posing as Chen Pi Ah Si was actually his uncle, implying an identity swap.
Wu Sanxing dismissed Wu Xie's ideas as childish, telling him he must focus on the most important priorities and agree to whatever A Ning proposed. He also asserted that he was not a prophet and only understood the situation upon arrival. True to Wu Sanxing's prediction, A Ning approached Wu Xie, proposing cooperation.
She detailed her previous mission in the Paracel Underwater Tomb, where she was tasked with finding the Phantom Seal, which could summon an army of the underworld, and the Empyrean Palace's layout. She confirmed they hadn't found the Phantom Seal, assuming it was buried with Wang Zanghai, who supposedly exchanged the Snake-Eyed Copper Fish for the Phantom Seal after robbing Lord Lushang's tomb.
A Ning suspected the Empyrean Palace layout was with Wu Sanxing, admitting they still needed to work with him because his intelligence was more accurate, despite his past deceptions. A Ning then showed Wu Xie photos of storytelling murals from the main underwater tomb. One image depicted Jurchen guards capturing a Han Chinese man, whom Wu Xie identified as Wang Zanghai. This suggested Wang Zanghai was coerced into building the Empyrean Palace.
Other murals illustrated his experiences as a prisoner of the Eastern Xia guards. One drawing showed an imperial mausoleum, initially Shang Dynasty in style but later modified into a Ming-style by Wang Zanghai, as the original had become too ancient and dilapidated. Wu Xie accused A Ning of withholding "important details," feeling she was "fooling with me."
Following Wu Sanxing’s earlier instruction, Wu Xie produced two Snake-Eyed Copper Fish and asked A Ning's team member, Tang Dao, if he could translate the Jurchen script. Tang Dao, initially surprised by Wu Xie possessing two fish, agreed to try. The translated text revealed Wang Zanghai had etched the message, hoping it would remain hidden forever, but if discovered, by a Han Chinese, not a Jurchen.
Wu Sanxing then explained this as a "double fail-safe": Jurchens wouldn't understand Han mechanisms, and Han wouldn't understand Jurchen script without a translator. The inscription detailed Wang Zanghai's ten-year confinement by the Eastern Xia guards and his forced labor, excavating ancient tombs for treasures to build the imperial mausoleum. During these expeditions, he secretly placed the Copper Fish in "places with the best mystical energy," hoping the secret would eventually be uncovered.
The text also mentioned that Wang Zanghai was once led to an "underground door called Miracle," located beneath Changbai Mountain, at the imperial mausoleum's base, likely dating back to the Xia or Shang dynasty. The path to this door was guarded by "avian guards with human faces" (Manlike Owls), known for their gruesome method of killing prey by dropping them from heights and then dehydrating them.
Wang Zanghai himself had entered the door, describing it as a "void" that could only be illuminated by the "Flame of Truth," rendering other light sources useless. Wu Sanxing's health deteriorated, and he fainted from a high fever. Pan Zi urged him to seek immediate medical attention, but Wu Sanxing adamantly refused to leave, stating he "cannot leave."
Wu Xie stayed by his side, attempting to examine his wound, but Wu Sanxing vehemently rebuffed him, dismissing Wu Xie's continuing "doubts" about his identity. Wu Xie pressed him again about the identity swap, asking when they would revert, and expressed that he sometimes felt he was not speaking to the real Wu Sanxing. Wu Sanxing again deflected, stressing the importance of focusing on their current mission.
Later, Wu Sanxing secretly instructed Pan Zi to keep certain matters confidential "until death." The groups then resumed their search of the tomb chamber. Wang Pangzi jokingly mused about a deep basalt well containing a white marble coffin infested with bugs. Wu Xie examined four stone plates carved with the Four Symbols: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise, believing they held significant meaning. A Ning noticed that grooves behind nearby bronze statues precisely matched the plates' dimensions.
They inserted the plates, but nothing happened. Chen Pi, scoffing at their "rookie" mistake, interjected, revealing the correct cardinal alignment: "East Dragon, West Tiger. South Bird, North Tortoise." Following his instructions, Wu Xie then directed Pangzi to correctly position the plates, which activated a mechanism, causing a hidden passage to slowly open.
