The Lost Tomb 2 : Explore with the Note Episode 22 Recap
> The Lost Tomb 2 : Explore with the Note Recap
Wu Xie and Lao Yang climbed the gigantic bronze tree while Teacher Liang waited below. When Teacher Liang's torch went out, he frantically called for a rope. Wu Xie used the tree trunk to help pull him up. Suddenly, Wu Xie spotted a gorilla-like monster. Seeing that the creature seemed to mimic his actions without immediate malice, Wu Xie feigned a fall, which the monster copied, causing it to tumble.
Seizing the moment, Wu Xie urged everyone to run, but the monster's speed quickly allowed it to catch up. Meanwhile, Zhang Qiling and Wang Pangzi found themselves in a section filled with numerous stone figures, which Wang Pangzi remarked felt like a museum. Zhang Qiling sensed something behind them and quickly instructed Wang Pangzi to get down as they too were pursued by a monster. Zhang Qiling managed to scare the creature away using his torch.
Back with Wu Xie's group, Teacher Liang, overwhelmed by fear, fainted. As Wu Xie struggled with the monster, A Ning appeared, dispatching the creature with her machine gun. Wu Xie confronted A Ning, demanding to know her reason for being there. Lao Yang interjected, asking if Wu Xie was her friend, a claim A Ning immediately denied. Lao Yang then posited that ancient civilizations trained apes to guard mines, suggesting the Serpents might have done the same.
A Ning warned them of the danger and advised them to leave, but Wu Xie, seeing the unconscious Teacher Liang, proposed they rest. Teacher Liang startled awake, asking about the ape, and upon realizing it was gone, urged them to continue their journey. As they walked, Wu Xie thought he saw Zhang Qiling, but it turned out to be an illusion.
Concurrently, in another part of the tomb, Zhang Qiling also felt he saw Wu Xie, though he knew Wu Xie was not with them, prompting Wang Pangzi to suggest he was experiencing delusions. When Wu Xie's group paused to rest, Lao Yang suddenly insisted they move quickly, expressing fear that the "golden apes" might return. A sudden noise was heard, and blood mysteriously appeared on Wu Xie's face.
Wu Xie urged them to leave the spot, only to discover Uncle Tai's upper body impaled on a tree branch ahead, his eyes wide open. Wu Xie explained that while the tree branches appeared blunt, a person falling from a sufficient height and speed would find them as sharp as blades. Wu Xie directed his questions about the tree's dangers to Lao Yang, who feigned ignorance.
A Ning, exasperated, held a knife to Lao Yang's throat, demanding he tell the truth. Teacher Liang intervened, pleading for unity, which prompted A Ning to lower her knife. Wu Xie then pointed out bloodstains on the tree trunk, stating that the immense bronze tree must have a significant purpose. He connected it to an altar Lao Yang had found three years prior, the human-head stone figures they had seen, and the yet-undiscovered Serpents' coffins.
A Ning theorized that the Serpents, discovering the tree, developed a reverence for it and incorporated it into their rituals. Wu Xie, however, argued that while the bronze tree was from the Western Zhou dynasty and its rituals were not as cruel as the Shang's, the patterns on the tree suggested its original function was ritualistic.
He believed such a colossal tree was likely considered a sacred "Tree of Life" dedicated to a Tree Deity, with blood rituals performed by nailing humans to it and letting their blood drain into its grooves to flow to the roots, serving as a dedication to the deity. Wu Xie's glove tore. As he reached to touch the tree, Lao Yang stopped him. A Ning noted that the tree's branches were becoming increasingly divergent, making the path difficult.
Lao Yang countered that dense parts were easier to climb. Teacher Liang questioned Lao Yang's assessment, asking why Uncle Tai had fallen if climbing was so easy. Lao Yang hinted that Uncle Tai might have been pushed during an internal conflict, then blurted out that the treasure was definitely on the tree, drawing Wu Xie's attention.
Lao Yang proposed they split into groups and wanted to pair with Wu Xie, but A Ning swiftly drew a gun, asserting that Wu Xie would go with her, leaving Lao Yang to partner with Teacher Liang. Wu Xie took the opportunity to ask A Ning why she had vanished without a word after the underwater tomb and why she had sent an empty ship to rescue him.
A Ning simply stated they were "of different leagues" and denied sending any ship, prompting Wu Xie to question her reluctance to acknowledge their friendship. Lao Yang and Teacher Liang continued to search for a path. Lao Yang suddenly slipped, dangling precariously. He pleaded with Teacher Liang for help, but Teacher Liang seized the moment to demand the secrets of the bronze tree. Just as Lao Yang was about to fall, Wu Xie swiftly pulled him to safety.
Examining the ape's mask, Wu Xie noticed it was embedded in the creature's flesh and bore patterns identical to those on the bronze tree. Teacher Liang knocked the mask from Wu Xie's hand, explaining that the bronze tree's rituals originated from minority tribes, not the Han. He revealed that the attacking apes were "tamed" using parasitic insects, known as "Chi venom," which controlled their nervous systems. Elsewhere, Wang Pangzi wondered how the apes ate or breathed with their masks.
Zhang Qiling pulled off a mask, confirming it was Chi venom, a parasitic organism that coexists with and controls the host's nervous system. Wang Pangzi then spotted a large swarm of these Chi venom bugs. As Wu Xie's group listened to Teacher Liang's explanation, they were warned that Chi venom was nearly impossible to remove, and an infection would be disastrous.
Despite the warning, Lao Yang ignored their pleas and ventured ahead to scout, firing a signal flare under the pretext of darkness. The flare, however, illuminated a massive number of Chi venom bugs swarming the tree. Everyone grew concerned about how they would pass through this obstacle. Teacher Liang observed that the bugs seemed deterred by light and heat, but A Ning countered that the apes had not been truly afraid of their flares or torches.
The group realized they faced a dire situation: if they couldn't find a way through, they would be surrounded and perish, and they once again looked to Wu Xie for guidance.
