The Lost Tomb 2 : Explore with the Note Episode 8 Recap
> The Lost Tomb 2 : Explore with the Note Recap
Upon returning to shore, Wu Xie was determined to go back into the sea to rescue Zhang Qiling. Wang Pangzi, exasperated, urged him to prioritize his own safety. Soon after, Wu Xie realized A Ning was also missing and grew anxious, prompting Wang Pangzi to descend into the water to search for her. There, he discovered A Ning was fleeing alone on a boat.
Enraged, Wang Pangzi shouted at Wu Xie, highlighting that this was the person he had risked his life to save. Wu Xie was stunned by this revelation. Wu Xie gazed at the vast expanse of the ocean, realizing that Zhang Qiling might have also left on his own accord, just like A Ning. He then cried out, pleading with Zhang Qiling to stop playing games and to reveal himself if he had indeed surfaced.
Shortly after, a boat rumbled into view. Excited, the two men boarded it, only to find it deserted. A bowl of warm noodles on a table indicated that someone had been on board about half an hour earlier. In the helm station, Wu Xie found all the instruments and equipment functioning normally, ruling out a malfunction.
Wang Pangzi speculated that the people on board might have been apprehended by coast guards or attacked by pirates, but Wu Xie systematically dismissed both possibilities. A typhoon warning on the radio prompted them to immediately set sail to escape the approaching storm.
Wang Pangzi, despite not knowing how to sail, initially made a show of commanding Wu Xie, but eventually managed to navigate the ship to shore through trial and error, boasting about his supposed expertise as a "top rower" even as Wu Xie reminded him of treacherous submerged reefs. Once ashore, Wang Pangzi proudly produced a round stone, which Wu Xie initially mistook for a luminous pearl, much to Wang Pangzi's delight, as he dreamed of striking it rich.
However, upon closer inspection, Wu Xie scoffed, identifying it as a common apophyllite, worth no more than a meal, crushing Wang Pangzi's hopes. The two men checked into a hotel. Wang Pangzi continued to lament his worthless "luminous pearl" before asking Wu Xie what he had used to stop his itching earlier.
Wu Xie casually revealed it was his own blood, explaining that after accidentally ingesting "Kylin Jie" in King Lu's Seven Star Palace, his blood had changed and developed a unique anti-itch property. Seeing Wang Pangzi’s discomfort, he had applied his blood, which surprisingly proved effective. Wang Pangzi was deeply moved, recognizing their bond as "brothers for life," while Wu Xie acknowledged that both Wang Pangzi and Zhang Qiling had saved his life.
Meanwhile, A Ning, in a different hotel room, reflected on her past actions, from being rescued and then secretly fleeing. Feeling a pang of guilt, she had covertly purchased their original boat and sent it back for Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi. Later, A Ning communicated with her superior, Qiu Dekao, via a monitor. Qiu Dekao instructed her to return and delegate her tasks, but A Ning insisted on staying to fully understand the undersea tomb.
She shared her confusion about Wu Sansheng, whom she had seen departing for Hainan by boat twenty days prior, yet found no trace of him in the tomb. Qiu Dekao surmised that Wu Sansheng had likely already retrieved important artifacts. A Ning confirmed she possessed the crucial "snake-brow copper fish," but Qiu Dekao believed Wu Sansheng had obtained something even more significant.
A Ning expressed her admiration for Wu Xie, praising his kindness and willingness to selflessly rescue others, even at his own peril. Qiu Dekao, however, dismissed this as foolish, cautioning A Ning not to emulate him and to always prioritize her own safety. A Ning countered, maintaining that Wu Xie possessed a strong sense of righteousness and an unwavering kindness.
Qiu Dekao then noted Wu Xie's intense curiosity about his family's history, observing that the more things were hidden from him, the more determined he became to uncover them. Qiu Dekao concluded that they had successfully planted seeds of doubt in Wu Xie's mind, ensuring he would continue investigating Wu Sansheng and the undersea tomb, instructing A Ning to simply observe his progress.
While A Ning pondered Wu Xie's character, Wang Pangzi playfully teased Wu Xie, questioning if A Ning's deception meant there was a romantic history between them. Wu Xie dismissed the jests and instead, shared his suspicions about A Ning's intentions. He explained his family background, noting that his scholar grandfather and uncle, Wu Sansheng, were involved in the tomb-raiding industry, but his family always protected him as the only child.
He also reasoned that his uncle would never seek his help, preferring capable individuals like his businessman Uncle Er Bai. This led him to suspect that A Ning's claims about Wu Sansheng's disappearance in the undersea tomb were a trick. Ignoring the jests, Wu Xie then used his memory to meticulously draw a detailed map of the undersea tomb for Wang Pangzi.
He pointed out the mezzanine between the top floor and the tomb beneath, which he believed was where Wang Zang Hai kept his treasured beasts, from which the Forbidden Maiden and Sea Monkey must have escaped. He then expressed his bewilderment over Zhang Qiling's unchanging youthful appearance, contrasting it with the visible aging of the other members of the archaeology team.
He also brought up Huo Ling, who had claimed to have seen Wu Sansheng during the expedition, a claim Wu Xie now doubted. Wu Xie elaborated, recalling that Zhang Qiling and Chen Wen Jin had seen someone combing their hair by the monument, but only Huo Ling had approached and startled the individual, shouting Wu Sansheng's name. This led Wu Xie to suspect that the person Huo Ling saw might not have been Wu Sansheng at all.
They also discussed the archaeology team being comprised of successors of 'The Mystic Nine,' including Wu Sansheng, Xie Lian Huan, and potentially Huo Ling, questioning if it was an 'archeology team or a tomb raider team.' The two then pondered the mythical "Sky Palace," with Wang Pangzi questioning its reality and precise location on Changbai Mountain.
Wu Xie suggested that if murals they saw were real, the Sky Palace exists, but the identity of the person buried there was uncertain, noting their non-Ming Dynasty costumes suggesting a minority clan. Wu Xie and Wang Pangzi eventually returned to Beijing, parting ways at the airport, unaware that Wu Sansheng was discreetly observing them from a distance. Wu Xie then went to Wu Sansheng’s shop, where he met Pan Zi.
Wu Xie inquired about Wu Sansheng's laptop, and as they searched, Pan Zi covertly sent a text message to Wu Sansheng, confirming that "Everything is done as ordered." They found a laptop, but it was not Wu Sansheng's old one. Pan Zi initially claimed Wu Sansheng had gone abroad for vacation over a month ago.
However, when Wu Xie mentioned that someone told him Wu Sansheng went missing in Hainan, Pan Zi then asserted that Wu Sansheng was definitely not in Hainan, despite being evasive about his actual whereabouts. Wu Xie pressed him further, asking if he could still get in touch with his uncle and if he had ever mentioned the Xisha undersea tomb, its sunken ship, Wang Zang Hai, or A Ning. Pan Zi feigned ignorance about the tomb, its sunken ship, or Wang Zang Hai, but confirmed he had heard of A Ning, revealing that her boss was named Qiu Dekao.
