The Lost Tomb 2 : Explore with the Note Episode 33 Recap
> The Lost Tomb 2 : Explore with the Note Recap
Zhang Gaoyuan introduced his sister, Zhang Qingping, to his close friend, Zhang Buxun. Zhang Qingping extended her hand in greeting, but Zhang Buxun unceremoniously turned and walked away, leaving her feeling deeply humiliated and displeased. Zhang Gaoyuan later comforted his sister, explaining that Zhang Buxun was so strong-willed that he wouldn't even save face for him when angry, promising to get her respect back later.
Zhang Gaoyuan then entrusted Zhang Buxun with guarding the armory, emphasizing the difficulty in acquiring the weapons. He even peeled an apple for Zhang Buxun. However, Zhang Qingping mischievously snatched the apple, complaining that her brother had never peeled one for her, and voiced her curiosity about Zhang Buxun's unique qualities that garnered such high regard from her brother.
Zhang Gaoyuan defended Zhang Buxun, asserting that his friend was not an outsider and would make great contributions, reminding Zhang Qingping that trust was paramount in friendship. Zhang Qingping remained skeptical, questioning what the two men could possibly achieve. Zhang Buxun's exceptional military talent soon became apparent. He uncovered a plan for bandits to enter the city, and with Zhang Gaoyuan, he set up a successful ambush, eliminating all the bandits.
After this victory, Zhang Qingping confronted Zhang Buxun in his quarters, expressing her confusion about his involvement in such dangerous work, especially as a scholar. She observed that her brother was striving for success, but wondered why Zhang Buxun, who lived under her brother's roof, would willingly kill for him. Zhang Buxun simply stated that without a country, no one could survive.
Zhang Qingping, finding his answers too simplistic, teased him for being a "blockhead" but also hinted that he might be more complex than he appeared. She then questioned if merely having guns and ammunition made them an official army, to which Zhang Buxun clarified that a true army required strategic planning, rigorous systematic training, and a broader mission beyond just capturing bandits, including fighting traitors and reactionary warlords.
Zhang Gaoyuan and Zhang Buxun continued to train their personal guards and strategize military campaigns, achieving many successes in suppressing bandits. Their operations led them to confront Cai Wenyuan, the Commander of Qianxi, and son of Cai Hengyuan. Zhang Buxun accused Cai Wenyuan of colluding with his father to sell raw opium and profit from national hardship. Zhang Gaoyuan threatened Cai Wenyuan, demanding to know the whereabouts of the opium. After Cai Wenyuan revealed the locations, Zhang Gaoyuan executed him.
Zhang Buxun was visibly troubled by this act. Later that night, as they explored Cai Manor, Zhang Gaoyuan acknowledged Zhang Buxun's unease but justified his actions by stating that revolution necessitated bloodshed and sacrifice, and he could not afford any mistakes that might jeopardize their army. He then confided in Zhang Buxun about his ambition to secure a high-ranking official post, which would bring greater power, influence, and the ability to enact more significant changes.
He revealed that the raw opium was crucial for achieving this goal. Despite Zhang Buxun's concerns about the opium's dubious origin, Zhang Gaoyuan reiterated his belief that taking risks was essential for success and envisioned a future where they, with power in hand, could teach others how to be good officials. Zhang Gaoyuan's ambition was realized as he successfully became a General. Zhang Buxun, believing in Zhang Gaoyuan's grand vision for the country, pledged his full support.
According to a diary entry, Zhang Gaoyuan learned that a death-exemption plate had been pawned by a villager from Fog Village. Filled with excitement, he personally led his troops to the village. He interrogated a villager, searching for an ancient tomb and a fabled treasure within it that promised immortality. After his soldiers found some funerary objects in the villager's home, Zhang Gaoyuan confronted the village chief.
Though the chief initially denied the existence of a tomb, he later admitted to it under duress. Zhang Gaoyuan pressed him about an immortality treasure, but the chief denied any knowledge. After confirming that the villagers had not revealed the tomb's existence to anyone else, Zhang Gaoyuan brutally massacred the entire village, deeming them "useless" once he had the information. Zhang Buxun arrived at Fog Village and was horrified by Zhang Gaoyuan's ruthlessness.
He questioned how Zhang Gaoyuan had become such a person, reminding him of their original ideals to change China and save its suffering people. Zhang Gaoyuan dismissed his concerns, stating that sacrifices were necessary for a greater cause and that those with power did not need to care about "a few ants." Zhang Buxun countered that they themselves were "ants," but Zhang Gaoyuan vehemently rejected the notion for himself, revealing a profound shift in his character and ambition.
Zhang Buxun realized that Zhang Gaoyuan was no longer the man he once knew. Upon reaching the ancient tomb, Zhang Gaoyuan ordered his men to search every inch for the secret of immortality, citing a captured individual named Wang who claimed Wang Zang Hai found the secret there. Zhang Buxun tried to reason with him, warning against the futility of seeking immortality like Emperor Qin Shi Huang and urging him to focus on resolving the nation's conflicts through warfare.
Zhang Gaoyuan remained resolute, believing that the more valuable a treasure, the more deeply it would be hidden. He attempted to persuade Zhang Buxun, promising that immortality would allow them to fulfill all their ambitions, with Zhang Gaoyuan as president and Zhang Buxun as general. Zhang Buxun, deeply troubled by Zhang Gaoyuan's obsession, appealed for a proper burial for the massacred villagers, a request Zhang Gaoyuan eventually granted.
Later, Dou Cheng reported to Zhang Buxun that they had discovered a second, lower level within the tomb, which seemed to be the main burial chamber, distinct from the sacrificial upper level. Zhang Buxun instructed Dou Cheng not to inform General Gaoyuan yet and ordered him to oversee the burial of the villagers while Zhang Buxun and a few men descended into the newly discovered chamber. Inside, they found a large stone coffin.
When a soldier opened it, it triggered a mechanism, causing everyone to experience hallucinations. The soldiers began to pick and eat what they perceived as "fruits" from "trees," which were, in reality, a thousand-year-old corpse, infecting them with a corpse poison that turned them into monstrous beings. Zhang Buxun bravely confronted the poisoned soldiers, instructing Dou Cheng to retrieve weapons and reinforcements while he held them off.
After a fierce struggle, Zhang Buxun managed to kill the infected soldiers, but he too was poisoned. Feeling himself losing control, he sought refuge inside the stone coffin, only for it to unexpectedly trigger another mechanism, dropping him into an even deeper, unknown chamber. When Dou Cheng returned with reinforcements, Zhang Buxun was nowhere to be found. Upon hearing Dou Cheng's report of Zhang Buxun's disappearance, Zhang Gaoyuan flew into a rage, striking Dou Cheng.
His anger quickly morphed into suspicion; he accused Dou Cheng and Zhang Buxun of conspiring to find the immortality secret for themselves. Dou Cheng vehemently denied this, emphasizing that he had witnessed the soldiers transforming into monsters and that immortality was a myth. Zhang Gaoyuan threatened everyone present if he discovered they were deceiving him. Just then, Zhang Buxun appeared.
He instructed Dou Cheng to leave before explaining to Zhang Gaoyuan that the "fruits" the soldiers consumed were, in fact, parts of a thousand-year-old corpse, and that the supposed immortality spell was a fraud. However, Zhang Gaoyuan, now consumed by his quest for immortality, refused to believe Zhang Buxun's account, even suggesting that Zhang Buxun had found the secret and was attempting to keep it for himself.
He questioned where Zhang Buxun had been hiding, even though Zhang Buxun claimed to remember nothing after waking up in his current location. Zhang Gaoyuan remained convinced that the immortality spell was a rare and irresistible find.
