The Lost Tomb 2 : Explore with the Note Episode 24 Recap
> The Lost Tomb 2 : Explore with the Note Recap
Wu Xie, whose mind was controlled by a hallucination, watched Mr. Wang climb a rope to the other side of the cliff, silently wishing for him to fall. Wu Xie fought to stay lucid and eventually followed, making his way across the rope. On the other side, Mr. Wang discovered an area with many statues and incredibly hard roots, which Wu Xie noted seemed to be a sacrificial platform.
A strange, rhythmic sound, like a mechanism, echoed consistently, convincing Mr. Wang that something important lay hidden within. Mr. Wang then asked Wu Xie to descend into a root system cave to scout ahead. Wu Xie initially eagerly volunteered but then cautiously rethought, explaining that the cave was complex, and the bronze tree might be hollow, making it too dangerous to go in hastily without proper gear.
He insisted Mr. Wang give him equipment, arguing that if he died, Mr. Wang would gain nothing. Mr. Wang provided him with a knife, a flashlight, and a walkie-talkie, setting the channel and instructing him to communicate from below. Wu Xie descended into the root system cave, soon reaching a crossroads with two entrances: one bright and one dark. He tried to communicate this to Mr. Wang, but the walkie-talkie signal was lost.
After a moment of hesitation, Wu Xie chose the dark entrance. Unable to reach Wu Xie, Mr. Wang grew concerned and followed, choosing the bright entrance when he reached the split. Wu Xie emerged from his chosen path, discovering a bridge and a coffin. His walkie-talkie signal returned, and he informed Mr. Wang that he had taken the dark entrance. Mr. Wang instructed him to stay there and wait, as he was coming. Wu Xie, however, proceeded across the bridge.
When Mr. Wang arrived and saw Wu Xie had already crossed, he rushed over. As he did, bells hanging on the bridge began to ring, causing Mr. Wang to suffer an intense, hallucination-induced headache, making him writhe on the ground. Wu Xie, concerned, tried to help him, telling him to snap out of it and that he was experiencing an illusion. Suddenly, Mr. Wang, still in a crazed state, grabbed Wu Xie's neck and began to strangle him.
Wu Xie struggled, but Mr. Wang showed no response until, after a moment, he recovered his senses and released Wu Xie, confused about what had happened. They both noticed the coffin ahead was glowing. Wu Xie pointed out that all the vines were creeping down from the coffin, suggesting that below was likely their true destination. Wu Xie decided to climb down an iron chain, warning Mr. Wang not to touch any of the vines or branches.
As they descended, Mr. Wang spotted a glowing object below and urged Wu Xie to go faster. Meanwhile, Wang Pangzi and Zhang Qiling were in a burial chamber, standing before a large coffin. Wang Pangzi, eager to open it, asked if there were traps and if he could push it open. Zhang Qiling, however, told him to stop, as he could see Wu Xie.
Wu Xie, too, saw Zhang Qiling and expressed his surprise, asking how Zhang Qiling was and if Wang Pangzi was with him. Zhang Qiling confirmed Wang Pangzi's presence and told him to place his hand on a bronze object, but Wu Xie still couldn't see Wang Pangzi. Wang Pangzi then muttered to Zhang Qiling not to tell Wu Xie that A Ning was dead, mistakenly believing she was, and that Wu Xie would be upset.
Wu Xie asked if they had heard any strange bell sounds, which Zhang Qiling denied. Wu Xie then recounted his journey: after being separated from Wang Pangzi, he encountered his childhood friend, Lao Yang. They later joined a group of treasure hunters, and after various incidents, only Wu Xie, Lao Yang, and Teacher Liang remained. They climbed the bronze tree, were attacked by Chi venom, and A Ning had saved them, confirming to Zhang Qiling that A Ning was alive.
Following A Ning's injury, Teacher Liang and Mr. Wang coerced Wu Xie into scouting. He was currently with Mr. Wang, following a shining coffin. He explained that a tremor occurred, he touched the bronze tree, and then he could see Zhang Qiling. Zhang Qiling, seeing bronze branches around Wu Xie, concluded they were close and promised to find the quickest path to reunite. Wu Xie urged Zhang Qiling to be careful.
Wang Pangzi later wondered at the strange "video call" phenomenon, noting only Zhang Qiling could see and talk to Wu Xie. Mr. Wang, having reached the bottom, excitedly called out to Wu Xie, declaring he had found their target and that this was the place. Wu Xie bid farewell to Zhang Qiling, urging him to be careful.
Wang Pangzi then asked Zhang Qiling to relay a message to Wu Xie, telling him that "Fatty Wang will be right there for him" and not to worry. Elsewhere, A Ning, in a panicked state, cried out for Wu Xie. Her "father" appeared before her, noting her sadness and confirming that Wu Xie had been pushed down the tree and was dead.
He urged her to accept the reality of death, which he described as an ever-present shadow, and to continue fulfilling her mission, questioning if she could do so without him. A Ning, confused, asked who he was, to which he chillingly replied, "Who do you wish me to be?" He then proceeded to strangle her, leaving her defenseless. Zhang Qiling, having flipped open the large coffin, revealed an extraordinarily well-preserved corpse.
Wang Pangzi was astonished, remarking that while he had seen ancient embalmed bodies before, they were usually wrinkled. This one, however, appeared as if its time of death was no more than two hours prior. Zhang Qiling recognized the body, stating he had seen this person before in the recording of the Mute Riders army. Wu Xie, having fully descended, initially mistook the glowing object for amber. Mr. Wang quickly corrected him, identifying it as a "corpse cocoon."
Wu Xie asked if the Serpent tomb was inside, but Mr. Wang stated it was impossible to see without X-ray scanners. Mr. Wang explained that ancient texts described corpse cocoons as enhancers used by pre-Qin alchemists, formed by drowning pregnant women in herbs, burying them, and then, seventeen years later, the baby inside would become the corpse cocoon, with the petrified placenta forming the outer layer and solidified amniotic fluid creating the amber color.
Wu Xie acknowledged having heard of smaller corpse cocoons found in other regions, which contained children or animals, but had never seen one of this immense size. Mr. Wang offered an alternative theory: that it was a technique for preventing putrefaction, where a corpse was covered in a special resin and herbs. He recounted how his great-grandfather, a head appraiser in Hong Kong, once encountered an amber corpse cocoon.
The seller claimed it could be used to create an elixir of life or, if buried as a sacrifice, help the tomb owner achieve divinity. His great-grandfather, upon closer inspection, saw a living person inside, declared it a sin, and burned it. Mr. Wang then questioned Wu Xie if he felt anything standing so close to the corpse cocoon, pressing him to place his hand on it and to express any desires or dreams.
When Wu Xie reported feeling nothing, Mr. Wang grew agitated, muttering that the "Tombs Collection" couldn't be wrong, and frantically began flipping through the book himself. Wu Xie, picking up the discarded book, found Mr. Wang's behavior increasingly odd, especially his intense focus on the cocoon over other potential treasures, and his sudden detailed knowledge of it. He also questioned where Mr. Wang had gotten a cylinder of blood that he then proceeded to sprinkle onto the corpse cocoon.
Recalling that Teacher Liang had said Mr. Wang wasn't "into culture," Wu Xie confronted him, saying, "Perhaps. . . Mr. Wang. . . or should I call you Lao Yang?" Mr. Wang immediately froze. A Ning awoke from her hallucination, found a body on the ground and called out for Wu Xie and Lao Yang. A phantom Lao Yang appeared, asking what was wrong. A Ning then truly awoke, realizing it was all a dream.
She quickly roused Teacher Liang, demanding to know Lao Yang's whereabouts. Teacher Liang revealed that Lao Yang had killed Mr. Wang and then drugged them all with hallucinogens, causing their shared illusions. He also claimed Lao Yang had promised to lead him to treasure but was lying. Concerned for Wu Xie, A Ning immediately rushed out.
