The Mystic Nine Episode 41 Recap
> The Mystic Nine Recap
Er Yue Hong remained ensnared within the Copper Meteorite's created world, his mind a constant reel of cherished memories with Ya Tou and visions of their life together growing old. Yet, these beautiful scenes were always abruptly interrupted by the agonizing moment of Ya Tou's passing. The fragile illusion ultimately crumbled against the harsh truth, and Er Yue Hong finally awoke, understanding that the dead cannot be brought back to life.
Meanwhile, after Zhang Qishan and his companions replaced the statues, the enchantment of the Reverse World was broken. The mine immediately began to tremble violently, threatening to collapse. Realizing the danger, they hastened their escape. As they fled, they stumbled upon a tomb chamber where a white jade coffin hung suspended by iron chains. Qi Tiezui, recognizing it as the true resting place of Master Qingwu, knelt and pleaded for mercy from the ancestors, explaining its significance to his companions.
At that very moment, a powerful tremor snapped the chains, sending the coffin crashing to the ground. Master Qingwu's body tumbled out, remarkably preserved as if still alive. Zhang Qishan noticed a fragment of the Copper Meteorite resting beside the body and carefully retrieved it. Instantly, Master Qingwu's body withered, taking on the appearance of a long-dead corpse, starkly revealing the meteorite's incredible power. Zhang Qishan decided to keep the Copper Meteorite.
Elsewhere in the rapidly deteriorating mine, Er Yue Hong, now fully lucid, sensed the imminent collapse and sought an exit. Simultaneously, Chen Pi, regaining some awareness from his own illusion, also realized the danger and fled. The master and apprentice met in a narrow passage. Er Yue Hong gently urged Chen Pi to rest and return to Changsha with him, reminding him that he needed to take responsibility for his past actions, including murder.
Chen Pi, however, fiercely rejected the notion of surrendering and accused Er Yue Hong of trying to send him to his death. Ignoring Er Yue Hong's plea to abandon his delusions, Chen Pi bolted, vanishing deeper into the crumbling mine. Zhang Qishan's adjutant pledged to find Chen Pi and hand him over to Zhang Qishan. Zhang Qishan, Qi Tiezui, and the adjutant eventually reached the original mine path, where they reunited with Er Yue Hong. Unexpectedly, they also encountered Hendry.
Hendry, still desperate to continue his exploration, insisted that the collapsing mine was merely another illusion caused by the Copper Meteorite, and that only a strong will could overcome it. Qi Tiezui corrected him, explaining that the Copper Meteorite originated from outer space, splitting into three pieces: one here, one with the Zhang family in the Northeast, and one lost. He clarified that the Reverse World's illusions were paradoxical – believing one had escaped meant one was still trapped.
The only true escape, Qi Tiezui emphasized, was to conquer one's inner demons. Hendry vehemently denied having any inner demons. With the mine continuing to collapse, Zhang Qishan urged everyone to leave Hendry. Hendry's men, frantic, tried to pull him away, but he was completely consumed by his personal torment, muttering about his fear of aging and dying.
A voice-over explained that prolonged exposure to the Copper Meteorite's energy could stimulate the brain's frontal lobe, distorting memories and blurring the lines between reality and illusion, leaving some eternally trapped. Hendry, tended to by his men, continued to hallucinate about not wanting to die. His associate, Tanaka Ryoko, questioned Hendry's men about his condition and Zhang Qishan's retrieval of the "item," then ordered them to find Chen Pi, believing he held crucial information about what transpired.
Back in Changsha, Chen Pi's delusions persisted. He frequently experienced vivid hallucinations of Ya Tou making noodles for him, reminiscing about their past. These moments of bliss were cruelly short-lived, as Ya Tou would vanish, leaving Chen Pi distraught and yearning for her return. Remembering Hendry's promise of something in the tomb that could resurrect Ya Tou, Chen Pi, in a fit of desperation and rage, stormed Hendry's office, killing several men as he searched.
He confronted a disoriented Hendry, demanding to know if his vision of Ya Tou was real and what secrets the mine held. Hendry, equally affected by the Copper Meteorite, was incoherent. Tanaka intervened, warning Chen Pi that if he killed them, he would never be able to return to the mine and Ya Tou would be lost forever.
Reluctantly, Chen Pi retreated, but as he left, he stumbled and collapsed, only to be captured by Lu Jianxun, who had happened upon the scene. Lu Jianxun imprisoned Chen Pi, hoping to extract information about the tomb's secrets. However, Chen Pi remained deeply delusional, offering only fragmented tales of Ya Tou, crabs, and childhood memories during his interrogation.
Lu Jianxun, though frustrated by Chen Pi's madness, shrewdly pieced together key details: Chen Pi spoke of entering the Copper Meteorite, seeing Ya Tou, returning to his childhood, and encountering those he had killed. Lu Jianxun deduced that the Copper Meteorite was the central component, responsible for Chen Pi's mental state and the illusions he experienced. Recognizing the meteorite's importance, he decided to keep Chen Pi alive as a contingency.
Meanwhile, Zhang Qishan, carrying the Copper Meteorite, and Qi Tiezui met with Jie Jiuye to discuss the gravity of their discovery. Jie Jiuye confirmed that the Zhang family also possessed such a meteorite, acknowledging its unfathomable power and the potential for disaster if it fell into the wrong hands.
Zhang Qishan, acutely aware of the various factions now eyeing him, expressed his desire to hand over the Copper Meteorite to the Zhang family as soon as possible to prevent further complications. Qi Tiezui then revealed that Lu Jianxun had been covertly monitoring them, and his ambitions now extended far beyond mere military power. Together, they decided to strategize a countermeasure. Zhang Qishan proposed a "complete extrication" of Lu Jianxun, meaning to eliminate both his leadership and his military influence.
Jie Jiuye, however, suggested a more subtle approach: instead of delivering the Copper Meteorite to the Zhang family, they should make the Zhang family come for it, thereby strategically leveraging their power to deal with Lu Jianxun.
