Explore With the Note Episode 5 Recap
> Explore With the Note Recap
On a green train, Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi were discussing the Empyrean Palace. Wu Xie explained that a painting from his grandpa's notes, which had no explanation, turned out to be a map of the dragon vein. He pointed out that the three Snake-Eyed Copper Fish unearthed from the Seven-Star Lu Palace, Guangxi Mirrored Palace, and the Paracel Underwater Tomb formed an "indistinct sea dragon" (qian long chu hai), symbolizing a hidden dragon emerging from the sea.
He concluded that, from a geomancy perspective, the missing "dragon head" was Changbai Mountain. This explained why Qiu Dekao had been unable to find the Empyrean Palace, having mistaken the dragon vein map for a star chart. Wang Pangzi was impressed by Wu Xie's discovery and referred to a silent, sunglasses-wearing man in their compartment as "playing it cool," clearly not fond of his aloof demeanor. Unbeknownst to them, this man was Chen Pi Ah Si.
Wang Pangzi's seemingly nonchalant attitude was a facade. He had earlier been forced into a perilous situation by Qiu Dekao. While minding his antique shop, he was approached by an honest-looking man named Old Yu, who offered an authentic Tang Yin painting for sale due to a family emergency. Wang Pangzi agreed to be a middleman, only for the buyer to demand his shop as collateral for the deposit.
Eager to finalize the deal, Wang Pangzi signed the contract, unknowingly falling into Qiu Dekao's trap. Old Yu subsequently vanished, and Qiu Dekao then used the legally binding contract for the shop to coerce Wang Pangzi into monitoring Wu Xie and reporting his activities. Wang Pangzi detested the task but had no choice, continuing to report on Wu Xie's actions via a hidden device.
Meanwhile, Wu Xie stepped into the train aisle to take a call from A Ning, who warned him that Jason was also headed to Changbai Mountain and had disguised his men as police to set up checkpoints along the way. A Ning then tried to give Wu Xie a device to covertly film inside the Empyrean Palace and track Jason, claiming she didn't trust Jason and that Wu Xie's trusted allies might not be as reliable as he thought.
She suggested leaving a way out wasn't a bad thing. Wu Xie thanked her for the warning but dismissed her intentions. Shortly after A Ning's call, Wu Xie noticed several suspicious men in plainclothes, clearly not ordinary passengers, checking photos and searching the compartments. Realizing they might be the "police" A Ning warned him about, Wu Xie rushed back to his compartment. With Chen Pi Ah Si's help, they successfully evaded detection.
Wu Xie later asked Chen Pi Ah Si how he knew, and Chen Pi explained that the men had bulging pockets, indicating concealed weapons. Seeing Wu Xie sleep soundly afterward, Wang Pangzi felt a pang of guilt over his secret agreement with Qiu Dekao. He internally noted that Qiu Dekao had many "eyes" and they needed to be careful.
Separately, Jason expressed frustration to Qiu Dekao about the company's tight deadlines and the missing Snake-Eyed Copper Fish, unable to understand Qiu Dekao's apparent calm. Qiu Dekao, however, revealed his long-term strategy. He explained that the Empyrean Palace was far more dangerous than any tomb they had previously explored, holding Wang Zanghai's greatest secret. He intended to let experienced tomb raiders like Wu Sanxing and the Wu family go first, enduring the initial risks and clearing the path.
This way, his team could simply "reap the final rewards." He confidently added that he had planted informants within their group to report any developments immediately. Meanwhile, Xie Yuchen orchestrated a confrontation with Jason. Under Xie Yuchen's instruction, Jia Sha disrupted Jason's celebration at a bar, swiftly subduing Jason's bodyguards. When Jason regained consciousness, Xie Yuchen was seated opposite him. Xie Yuchen bluntly demanded that Jason travel to Changbai Mountain to retrieve his stolen Snake-Eyed Copper Fish.
He also instructed Jason to gather information on the Paracel Underwater Tomb and the archaeological team. Jason raised concerns about drawing police attention, but Xie Yuchen assured him that he would handle any legal complications, enabling Jason to remain in the country and complete the tasks. Xie Yuchen further highlighted Qiu Dekao's manipulative plan to use Wu Xie as a human shield and noted that Jason's company would be displeased if he were sidelined from the operation.
Jason, acknowledging Xie Yuchen's superior information and leverage, reluctantly agreed to the cooperation. Concerned about developments at Changbai Mountain, Qiu Dekao instructed A Ning to also go there and remain with Wu Xie, anticipating Jason's imminent actions. A Ning complied, later traveling under the guise of an expedition team, which involved an extreme sports club testing a new ski resort. Her team was stopped and inspected by local police, but their cover held.
After successfully evading the plainclothes police, Wu Xie, Wang Pangzi, and Chen Pi Ah Si disembarked from the train. Guided by Chen Pi Ah Si, who shrewdly selected a taxi driver based on his calloused hands, a cigarette tucked behind his ear, durable leather clothing, and his method of holding the steering wheel—all signs of an experienced driver familiar with rough mountain roads and having driven large trucks—they embarked on a drive along the winding mountain highway.
This was the same challenging road that Jason's team struggled to traverse. Upon arrival at the Changbai Inn, they were surprised to find Uncle Hai already there, working as a consultant. Wu Xie was even more astonished to learn from Uncle Hai that the quiet, sunglasses-wearing man they had been traveling with was none other than Chen Pi Ah Si, his great-granduncle, whom he should address as Pop Si.
Overwhelmed, Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi rushed upstairs to apologize to Chen Pi Ah Si for their earlier rudeness, only to discover that contrary to popular rumor, Chen Pi Ah Si was not blind. At the inn, Wu Xie encountered Pan Zi, who informed him that Wu Sanxing had already departed to conduct a tomb raid. Due to heavy snowfall over the past three days, finding a suitable local guide was proving difficult.
Pan Zi himself was actively searching for one. Jason, having been informed by Xie Yuchen, learned that Wu Xie was at the Changbai Inn and furiously headed there, reprimanding his men for losing track of Wu Xie on the mountain highway and having two of their men arrested. With no guides available and stuck waiting for the snow to subside, Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi amused themselves by playing in the snow outside.
Their playful antics almost led to them falling off a cliff. Later, discussing their predicament, Wang Pangzi speculated about the difficulty of finding guides in winter and suggested that Chen Pi Ah Si might be a crucial figure, despite his peculiar temper and reliance on his apprentice.
Wu Xie pondered why Uncle Hai, being the "operator" for "recruit grave robbers" organized by Qiu Dekao, had not been forthright with him, given that Uncle Hai must have known Wu Xie's purpose there. Wang Pangzi, however, dismissed this as Uncle Hai simply being embarrassed to directly cooperate with Qiu Dekao and face Wu Xie. Ultimately, they both agreed that with the persistent heavy snow, they could do nothing but wait. Wu Xie also wondered if Wu Sanxing and his team had already managed to get up the mountain.
