Time Raiders Recap, Plot, Synopsis
Time Raiders Synopsis
Antique shop owner Wu Xie unexpectedly obtains a mysterious silk manuscript. His uncle, Wu Sansheng, discovers that the manuscript conceals a cryptic map. To find the missing owner of the silk manuscript, Uncle Wu Sansheng forms an expedition team with Wu Xie, Panzi, Zhang Qiling, and Da Kui, setting out to explore the location marked on the map.
During their journey, Wu Xie meets Fatty Wang, who is also there to uncover secrets. Facing various perilous challenges and attacks from mysterious creatures, the group works together, relying on their wit and courage to overcome dangers. Deep underground, they discover a bronze fish with snake-like eyebrows, which unexpectedly unveils Uncle Wu Sansheng’s buried past.
After Uncle Wu Sansheng meets a mysterious woman named A Ning, he suddenly disappears. To uncover the truth and find his missing uncle, Wu Xie and his companions embark on a new journey…
Time Raiders Recap
Episode 1 Recap
Centuries ago, a massive Meteorite shattered into nine fragments, falling to Earth. Where these fragments landed, all life mutated due to radiation, transforming into new biological forms. These new life forms established unique ecosystems in confined spaces where humans could not survive. Ancient civilizations, believing these meteorites were divine revelations, built temples to venerate them. However, the Meteorite's power was so immense that those who possessed it sought to keep its existence hidden, constructing elaborate ways to conceal these temples.
Despite their efforts, these ecosystems continued to exist across the world, awaiting ambitious individuals and unwitting trespassers. In the 1920s, deep in a mountain forest at Dart Summit, Hezhou, a group of tomb raiders deliberated outside a cave. San Yazi's grandfather, observing bloodied soil, felt it was an ill omen. One of the men expressed worry about a Blood Corpse potentially being below, threatening their entire venture.
Another man dismissed the concerns, while a bearded man suggested Blood Corpses weren't necessarily good things, recounting how San Yazi's second great-uncle had dug one up by South River and was still insane. After some heated discussion, San Yazi's grandfather declared he would go first once the hole was ready, with Er Yazi taking the rear with the drag hoe.
He instructed San Yazi, who was just a boy, to stay above and hold the rope, explaining that if all four went down, there would be no means of escape. San Yazi insisted on joining them, but his grandfather scolded him, calling him a "brat" with a death wish. Before descending, one of the men reassured San Yazi, promising to find him a golden blade, acknowledging the danger.
Once inside the tomb, an eerie silence initially prevailed, allowing San Yazi to hear muffled conversations from below. However, the quiet was soon shattered by agonizing screams and cries of "Poison! It's poison!" San Yazi's grandfather frantically yelled for San Yazi to run. San Yazi fled a considerable distance, but he could still hear rustling noises pursuing him. He quickly lay flat in the mud, and a grotesque monster stepped over his back, leaving deep, corroded wounds.
Despite the excruciating pain, San Yazi held onto the rope. As he pulled, he retrieved a severed hand, tightly clutching a densely inscribed letter. Turning, San Yazi was horrified to see a moving, blood-dripping Blood Corpse. He realized it was his second brother, Er Yazi, transformed by the poison. Many years later, San Yazi had become an elderly man with children and grandchildren.
His grandson, Wu Xie, now operates an antique shop in a waterside town, still fascinated by his grandfather's past adventures chronicled in his precious notes. Wu Xie, who had rarely ventured far from home, felt his legendary life had yet to begin. One day, a man with a gold tooth and heavy gold chains, Jin Wantang, visited the shop. Jin Wantang inquired about old rubbings from Hezhou and produced a photocopy of an ancient silk manuscript to demonstrate his sincerity.
Wu Xie immediately recognized it as similar to something his grandfather once held, noticing the torn edges. Cautious about unfamiliar items, Wu Xie politely declined, claiming it was a fake and that his illiterate grandfather couldn't have read such a thing anyway. After Jin Wantang left, Wu Xie secretly photographed the copy with his phone.
Convinced the manuscript held secrets and was related to his grandfather's past, he decided to contact his Third Uncle, Wu Sansheng, the only family member who inherited his grandfather's skills and was even more proficient. Wu Sansheng, often referred to as Third Master, usually responded quickly, but sometimes he would vanish for days. Eventually, Wu Xie received a text from Wu Sansheng: "Nine o'clock. Chicken-eye yellow sand. Dragon's Spine. Come quick."
Wu Xie, realizing this was a pivotal moment, drove swiftly to meet his uncle. At Dragon's Spine, Wu Xie found Wu Sansheng, who playfully offered him "junk food," having already sold the valuable antique Wu Xie had hoped to see. Wu Xie complained about being tricked again, but Wu Sansheng promised even better things for tomorrow. Wu Xie surmised that the antique, the Dragon's Spine, had been an ancient weapon, a guess Wu Sansheng confirmed.
He then questioned the identity of the young, wealthy buyer, but Wu Sansheng reminded him of the rule: "Don't ask about missed treasures." Wu Xie then shared his own bizarre encounter with Jin Wantang and the silk manuscript, noting its resemblance to his grandfather's notes and observing Wu Sansheng's immediate interest.
He recounted the legend described in the manuscript: a Lu State lord with a Gui Seal, commanding a special army that moved at night, had unusual physiques, and left no footprints. Wu Xie, thinking it was a tall tale, was corrected by Wu Sansheng, who explained that even fiction has real-world origins.
Wu Sansheng pointed out the strange fox-face pattern on the manuscript, explaining that it was not a stain but a map, an "Eight-Array Diagram" or "Pictorial Text," which encoded detailed geographical information using special syntax disguised as a story. He boasted that very few people could decipher such a complex map. Wu Xie, intrigued, asked if this meant Wu Sansheng intended to follow the map. He eagerly volunteered to join the expedition, comparing it to "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
Wu Sansheng initially hesitated, suggesting Wu Xie call his father, knowing he would object strongly to his son getting involved in such dangerous ventures. Wu Xie, however, was persistent, flattering his uncle and reminding him of his own rebellious youth. When Wu Sansheng still seemed reluctant, Wu Xie threatened to tear up the map, forcing his uncle to finally concede. Wu Sansheng then revealed that he had already been in contact with Jin Wantang.
The original owner of the silk manuscript was a famous antique dealer named Ma, who disappeared five years prior after deciphering the map and setting off with a team of outdoor experts. Ma's wife, desperate, had hired Jin Wantang to find her husband, believing Wu Xie's grandfather could help, which led Jin Wantang to approach Wu Xie. Wu Sansheng had already taken on Ma's search mission.
When Wu Xie offered to help carry equipment, Wu Sansheng scoffed at his inexperience, highlighting the standard 50kg equipment load per person and the need for two more team members. Ultimately, Wu Sansheng agreed to take Wu Xie along, having secured his father's reluctant permission for what was deemed a "relatively safe search mission." He emphasized this would be Wu Xie's only such adventure and instructed him to help crack the map's code.
The team was completed by two of Wu Sansheng's trusted subordinates, whom Wu Xie knew well: Pan Zi and Da Kui. Pan Zi, Wu Sansheng's most loyal and longest-serving subordinate, was known for his fierce efficiency in collecting debts and his surprising kindness towards Wu Xie.
Da Kui, on the other hand, was a man of immense strength but few principles, willing to work for anyone who paid, even if it meant double-dealing, all to fund his critically ill mother's medical treatments. The three gathered, and Wu Sansheng outlined the mission: "We're retrieving one person. The client's paying eight million. We'll split it." He clarified that their destination was still unknown, pending the complete deciphering of the map.
Working together, Wu Sansheng, Wu Xie, Pan Zi, and Da Kui meticulously analyzed the map. Wu Sansheng identified stellar symbols such as "Kulou 10, Zhu 8, Beihe 1," which formed an ancient Lu State terrain map. Further refinement revealed "Jiuqi 2, Tianlao, Sangong 1, and five fuxi stars." Wu Xie excitedly confirmed that a place called Hechuan in Quling County matched the star map. Wu Sansheng then determined that Hechuan corresponded to the modern-day Pengzhou.
By overlaying various topographical and river maps, they finally pinpointed the map's center to an underground cave. Wu Sansheng announced their plan: "Let's go to Pengzhou first. We leave tomorrow." That night, they celebrated with abundant wine. Wu Xie, dazed and feeling as if everything was surreal, reflected on this turning point, believing he had finally seized the opportunity for the legendary life he had yearned for, wondering if his grandfather would approve.
Episode 2 Recap
Wu Xie, eager to embark on his adventure, pondered his companions. He thought of Pan Zi, a man of immense strength, and Da Kui, who possessed both courage and intellect, capable of deciphering maps and codes. As their vehicle navigated the rugged forest roads, Wu Xie, filled with excitement, meticulously recorded his thoughts and plans in a notebook, dreaming of a journey as extraordinary as those in his grandfather's writings.
He felt a strong premonition that his life was turning a new page. During the journey, Wu Xie noticed a young man dressed entirely in black, carrying a sword box, who exuded an air of mystery. Wu Xie recognized him from a previous encounter at Wu Sansheng's place, where he had dismissed the man as too young. However, Wu Sansheng had held him in high regard, advising Wu Xie that in this world, many people keep a low profile.
Wu Xie questioned Third Uncle about the man's identity, noting his silence. Wu Sansheng responded that while some people are conceited, others keep a low profile, and some are even clueless about who they are, subtly asking Wu Xie which category he belonged to. Wu Xie then attempted to introduce himself to the silent man. The group eventually arrived at the end of the road, where the next leg of their journey required a boat.
Guide Yang welcomed them, explaining that this was the final stretch and they would need to take a boat to reach the cave. He called for the boatman, Lv Dandan, whose unusual name intrigued Wu Xie. Instead of the boatman, a dog named Lv Dandan appeared. Guide Yang explained the dog was a messenger and interpreted its barks to mean it was too early for the boatman to start work, so they should rest.
The group expressed frustration, but Yang explained that Lv Dandan was the only boatman available and operated on his own schedule, stating that even the village chief couldn't sway him. He then shared a local legend: the Mountain God only favored Lv Dandan's family's boat, allowing them safe passage into and out of the cave, while others who dared to enter never returned.
Villagers believed a snake monster lived in the cave, and Lv Dandan's ancestors had once saved its life. Wu Sansheng noted a distinct, foul odor from the dog. One of his companions quickly identified it as the smell of Bat dung, suggesting the dog consumed it. They suspected the guide was deliberately stalling, possibly waiting for a cooler time of day, theorizing that the boatman also ate Bat dung and was sensitive to the heat.
Wu Sansheng speculated they were heading into a "wet cave." When Wu Xie asked about wet caves, Wu Sansheng recounted a past expedition where a camera-equipped raft sent into a Japanese-era burial cave full of corpses never returned, only to reveal a monkey's face on the screen later. He then explained an ancient method for entering dangerous places: consuming Bat dung for months to develop a bat-like scent, making it impossible for "ghosts" to distinguish them from the dead.
Wu Xie realized this was why only the boatman could navigate the cave, as he must have consumed Bat dung. Wu Sansheng cautioned that while this might be superstition, they should still be wary. Pan Zi then chimed in, jokingly dismissing Wu Sansheng's explanation, and recounted a gruesome "true story" about a prison in Mobei Manledan situated in a snow mountain.
Inmates attempting to escape in groups of three would resort to cannibalism to survive, with only one ultimately making it out. Pan Zi dramatically claimed he was that sole survivor. Wu Sansheng, amused, observed that Pan Zi's storytelling had changed, reflecting a shift in his state of mind. Finally, the boatman, a man with a scarred face who appeared to be mute, arrived.
As they boarded the boat, Guide Yang translated his instructions: they must keep their voices low, avoid looking into the water, and never speak ill of the Mountain God. He estimated the passage would take five to fifteen minutes, depending on the current, describing the cave as dark and full of dangerous bends, requiring the boatman to navigate by ear.
While flashlights were permitted, he sternly warned them against shining them on the water, claiming the sights there would "scare you crazy" and that the creatures within were unimaginable. Wu Sansheng advised everyone to remain alert, as he deemed both the guide and the boatman untrustworthy. As they ventured deeper, the cave proved to be cold and unnervingly narrow. A companion observed that it felt man-made, with a history spanning over a century, and that explosives would be useless here.
Guide Yang reiterated old legends of a deity residing in a mountain ahead, for whom the path was supposedly built, but couldn't reconcile this with the earlier tale of a snake monster. To break the tense silence, the group attempted to converse, with Pan Zi and another companion joking about Wu Xie's composure on his first expedition. Suddenly, the boatman gestured frantically, and Guide Yang translated, urging them to stop talking as something lay ahead and trouble was imminent.
Moments later, they discovered that both the boatman and Guide Yang had vanished without a sound. A companion voiced concern that without the protection of their scent, they might be in trouble. Wu Sansheng ordered everyone to stay seated, emphasizing the complexity of the waterway. As the group peered into the dark waters, Pan Zi spotted something. Suddenly, a large creature lunged from the water towards Pan Zi, its mouth agape.
Before Pan Zi could react, the mysterious man in black swiftly drew a blade and cut the creature down. Wu Sansheng, impressed, immediately noted the black-clad man's unusually strong fingers, recognizing them as a result of "Twin-Finger Tomb Probing," an ancient Chinese martial art requiring decades of practice. The creature fell into the boat, where a companion quickly stomped it to death.
Wu Sansheng then identified it not as a Water beetle, but a Corpse beetle, an omnivorous creature whose blood glowed a sickening green. He speculated there were many more Corpse beetles upstream and they were likely starving, driven to attack living things since all the carrion in the cave had been consumed. He added that the beetles might also be fleeing something even larger approaching. Realizing the escalating danger, a companion suggested retreating immediately.
However, the black-clad man confirmed their suspicions, stating that their captors were confident they couldn't get out. Turning back, they saw another boat, laden with a massive buffalo, completely obstructing their path. Wu Sansheng, frustrated at being outmaneuvered by the local villagers, conceded that it was the treacherous environment itself that made their predicament so dire, giving their adversaries confidence that the cave would eliminate them.
With no option but to proceed, the group heard disturbing noises from beneath the boat. The black-clad man, now standing at the front, continued to strike into the water, each blow releasing more green liquid. Abruptly, a deafening, piercing shriek reverberated through the cave, shaking their eardrums and causing intense headaches. The boat capsized, plunging Wu Xie into the frigid water. The shock of the cold brought him to his senses, and he struggled to the surface.
He saw Pan Zi desperately fighting off a Corpse beetle that had bitten him. Wu Xie swam quickly to Pan Zi, managing to pry the beetle off. But the creature then turned on Wu Xie, biting him. As Wu Xie struggled, his strength failing, Pan Zi, freed from his own attacker, pulled out a dagger and swiftly killed the beetle on Wu Xie. Someone shouted for them to get to shore.
Episode 3 Recap
The group, having survived the overturned boat, found themselves ashore inside the cavern. A giant corpse beetle, paralyzed earlier by the black-clad Xiaoge, lay on the ground. Pan Zi moved to kill it, but Xiaoge intervened, explaining that the creature, though incapacitated, might be their key to escaping the cave. Suddenly, the piercing, headache-inducing sound returned. Pan Zi swiftly stomped on the corpse beetle, and the noise instantly ceased.
Upon examination, Wu Xie discovered a centipede within the crushed beetle's remains. The centipede was adorned with small bells, while the corpse beetle itself had a larger bell containing numerous smaller ones. Wu Xie deduced that these small bells held hallucinogenic substances in mineral powder form. When a creature entered, the centipede would shake the bells, dispersing the powder to induce hallucinations, making it easy for the corpse beetle to hunt.
After the beetle fed, the centipede would consume parts of the beetle, forming a symbiotic relationship. He concluded that this intricate mechanism was deliberately set up by ancient people to deter anyone from venturing deeper into the cave. Third Uncle, while seemingly aware of the mechanism, playfully feigned ignorance. Third Uncle then presented the group with three options: continue forward, return the way they came, or cross the mountain.
Pan Zi quickly pointed out that retreat was impossible as their path was blocked, and traversing the mountain was not feasible. Their only choice was to press on. The group prepared an inflatable raft. Third Uncle tied the crushed corpse beetle to the bow, explaining its scent would mask their own, providing protection from unknown dangers ahead.
As they paddled deeper into the cave, Wu Xie observed the granite walls, marveling at how ancient people must have carved them using the "fire-heating and water-quenching" method. Pan Zi speculated such a massive undertaking was either for an emperor or for celestial worship. After more than an hour, with no sign of an exit, the group grew restless.
Third Uncle hushed them, as a strong, foul odor indicated a massive pile of rotting corpses ahead—likely the source of the abundant corpse beetles. Xiaoge took the lead at the front of the raft. They soon rounded a bend to a ghastly sight: mountains of bodies, some decomposed, others mere skeletons, all covered in countless corpse beetles. Amidst this macabre scene, they spotted a tall, slender white figure with long, dark, wet hair standing motionless.
Xiaoge warned them it was a trick and the area was swarming with corpse beetles. He deliberately cut his wrist, letting his blood drip into the water. Surprisingly, the corpse beetles scattered in haste. Xiaoge then instructed everyone to turn off their flashlights, close their eyes, and not look back. However, Wu Xie's curiosity got the better of him; he secretly glanced back, and the white figure swiftly lunged, dragging him into the water.
Wu Xie awoke to Pan Zi patting him, startled to find himself on the small boat under a sky of green mountains and clear water—they had successfully escaped the cave. Confused, Wu Xie asked what had transpired. Pan Zi chided him for looking back against Xiaoge’s orders, revealing that Xiaoge had to knock him unconscious to save him.
Wu Xie mentioned "that woman," and Pan Zi jokingly claimed she was the old man's wife who planned to turn Wu Xie into noodles. Pan Zi reminded him of the "jianghu rule": once out of the cave, some matters are best left buried. Wu Xie realized he must have been hallucinating, and Pan Zi emphasized that a lack of conviction makes one vulnerable to deception, and Wu Xie's vivid imagination could be his undoing.
Wu Xie wondered why only he hallucinated, to which Pan Zi attributed it to his less resolute will. Third Uncle added that some experiences should be accepted without question and that Wu Xie must seek his own answers. He clarified that Xiaoge, whose surname is Zhang, is a "mysterious expert" recommended by a trusted friend. The group sought refuge at a local inn, run by a charming, middle-aged landlady.
Wu Xie briefly spoke with his mother on the phone, assuring her about money, before joining the others. Third Uncle teased Wu Xie about being frightened. Xiaoge, still recovering from blood loss, had stir-fried pork liver sent to his room. As they ate, Pan Zi inquired about how the inn, despite its remote location, had concrete roads and floors.
The landlady explained that a landslide two years prior had blocked the road, but it also unearthed an ancient cauldron that was shipped away. She warned that the water route was abandoned and dangerous, and anyone suggesting it now would be "trying to kill you and take your money," attributing past disappearances in the cursed waters to the "Mountain God." Feigning interest in "extreme rock climbing," Third Uncle asked about Mount Shending, the mountain where the cauldron was found.
The landlady strongly advised against going there, recounting her grandfather's tales of it being an immortal's dwelling and revealing that the landslide had uncovered over a hundred turtle shells without bodies, believed to be the remains of greedy individuals punished by immortals. Third Uncle then showed her a photo of a missing team member, "Ma."
The landlady remembered Ma from years ago, saying he drank heavily for courage before heading to "the mountain where the deities resided" and was never seen again. Later that night, Third Uncle confronted the landlady privately, revealing his knowledge of her involvement with the cave dwellers. He informed her that at least one of her accomplices was not returning and advised her to abandon her criminal activities, offering her protection if she provided information about Ma.
If she refused, he threatened to expose her. After initial denial, the landlady relented, directing him to the "Jia-Shan-Gen configuration" and advising him to "follow the compass forward," as that was where Ma had gone. She claimed they had not harmed Ma. She then ominously warned Third Uncle that he carried too many burdens, and "Mount Shending doesn't fancy those burdened with thoughts," predicting he "will die there."
The next morning, as the group began their trek into the mountain, they encountered the old man who had served as their boatman. He tried to flee but was quickly apprehended by Pan Zi and Da Kui. The old man, desperate for mercy, confessed he had intended to rob them but swore he had never killed anyone.
He revealed his disappearance trick: hiding in a hidden ceiling cavity in the cave and then whistling for his dog, Lv Dandan, to bring a wooden barrel after their boat left. He clarified that the bloody body they saw hanging in the cave was a dummy made by his accomplice, Lu Lao'er, and that the white-clad figure that had terrified Wu Xie was also a dummy, filled with rotten flesh to attract corpse beetles, making it appear to move.
Seeing his deep knowledge of the area, Third Uncle forced him to guide them to the "Jia-Shan-Gen configuration," as their compass would be useless there. The old man initially denied knowing Mount Shending but then admitted he had, describing its perils vividly—the landslide, the hundreds of turtle shells, and the legends of monsters guarding the mountain, insisting that no one who entered, including a more skilled friend of his, had ever returned.
Despite his fervent protests and fear, the group compelled him to lead the way. As they proceeded, the old man, still attempting to escape and find Lv Dandan, cried out about monsters, but Pan Zi quickly silenced him. They soon entered a dense, misty forest where they discovered an abandoned campsite filled with numerous tents and military-grade equipment, including signal transmitters. Pan Zi immediately speculated that this must be Ma's missing team, as the abandonment timeline aligned with Ma's disappearance.
Third Uncle confirmed this likelihood. The group found it perplexing that valuable equipment and personal belongings were left behind, with cups set as if tea had just been prepared and all electronic devices still switched on. It appeared as if the entire team had abruptly "vanished."
Episode 4 Recap
Wu Xie explored the tents of a previously discovered campsite, noting that many personal items and equipment were still on tables, as if the occupants had vanished mid-activity. As he poked around with a stick, he caught a glimpse of a giant python behind him, its tongue flicking. Petrified, Wu Xie froze, anticipating the worst. Just then, a black-clad man appeared, swiftly grabbing the python's tail and flinging it aside, killing it.
The local guide was terrified by the dead python, exclaiming, "This snake is the incarnation of the Mountain God. You shouldn't have killed it. You've caused trouble." He immediately prostrated himself, urging them to "Bury it quickly. Hurry up. Or it will take revenge on us." Initially skeptical, Third Uncle conceded, saying, "wherever we go, we must respect local customs. It's not superstition, but respect." He then instructed Pan Zi and Da Kui to bury the snake.
As they dug, Pan Zi and Da Kui discovered the soil underneath was red. Third Uncle, realizing the gravity of the situation, ordered them to stop digging and rebury it immediately. Wu Xie connected this red soil, which Third Uncle identified as cinnabar, to a passage in his great-grandfather's diary detailing a disastrous expedition where many family members were lost after encountering similar red soil. Third Uncle, confirming the danger, declared, "This operation of ours ends here. It's over."
He stressed that "jobs require being alive to do them. We can't handle what's here." However, he wanted to first search for a man named Ma. Before they could fully retreat, the guide let out a shriek and was dragged into a sinkhole. Wu Xie tried to grab his leg but was pulled in along with him. One by one, the others followed, dragged into the deep cavern. Even Zhang Qiling, the black-clad man, couldn't prevent himself from falling in.
After the chaotic fall, the group assessed their new surroundings. Wu Xie asked Third Uncle about the mysterious black-clad man, to which Third Uncle replied, "You have too many questions. The world is full of extraordinary people. Don't probe. That's the rule." He explained that the man, whose surname was Zhang, was an expert recommended by an insider to assist them. Efforts to climb back up proved futile as falling rocks completely sealed off their original exit.
With no way back, they were forced to press forward. Third Uncle speculated they were now in a kiln, given the pottery they saw deeper inside. Zhang Qiling, with remarkable dexterity, pulled a brick from a wall, revealing a trap. He warned them that the wall concealed "sulfuric acid" used for alchemy, and breaking it would lead to instant death.
He carefully made three small openings and used thin tubes to drain the acid into another pit, allowing them to proceed safely. In another section of the cave, they found a central furnace with what appeared to be clothing inside. Pan Zi investigated, discovering they were not human remains but clay figures. Third Uncle surmised it might be a kiln specifically for firing human-shaped figures, a practice that replaced live human sacrifices in ancient times, like the Terracotta Army.
He theorized that the figures were meticulously crafted to resemble real people, then fired to become statues. He added that the strange legends surrounding Mount Shending, like the "hundred turtle shells," were likely a smokescreen to hide the kiln's existence. He believed the sealed furnace probably contained a completed human-shaped figure. Wu Xie's constant questioning earned him a rebuke from Third Uncle, who told him, "Can you learn to shut up?"
Zhang Qiling then knelt by the furnace, seemingly listening intently. Third Uncle explained to the others that Zhang Qiling was "negotiating with something inside" or "testing whether dangerous parasites are present," describing it as "an insect catcher's tradition." Zhang Qiling then warned everyone, "Don't touch anything here. What's inside is powerful. If we release it, not even gods could save us," urging them to move carefully and avoid the kiln.
The guide, still jumpy, refused to enter what he perceived as the "core area," saying he would wait outside and calling out for his dog, "Lv Dandan." Further along a narrow passage, which Third Uncle thought was a material transport tunnel, Wu Xie discovered some ancient inscriptions. He humorously misinterpreted a warning about kiln safety, suggesting it read, "A slip of the hand and your wife remarries."
Pan Zi pondered Zhang Qiling's ability to communicate with creatures using a "ghost whistle," worrying about the implications if he turned hostile, and linking the bloody soil they found earlier to whatever was in the furnace. The group then found roots from Dragon-Subduing Trees entwined around an alchemy furnace. Third Uncle explained that trees, representing wood in the Five Elements, symbolized life and purification, and were believed to transform negative energies.
Wu Xie questioned why an alchemy furnace would be in a kiln, prompting an annoyed Third Uncle to tell him off. Pan Zi then reminded Wu Xie of his uncle's earlier advice to observe more before speaking. Meanwhile, the guide, still calling for his dog Lv Dandan, wandered off on his own outside the core area.
Episode 5 Recap
As the expedition continued, the guide, separated from the main group, heard his dog, Dandan, calling out in the dark, low-visibility environment. Despite the treacherous terrain and his fear of the Mountain God, he lit matches to find his dog, uttering, "Mountain God, sorry for disturbing you. I'm just here to find my dog. I'll leave once I find him." He continued to call for Dandan, promising, "Wait for me.
I'm coming to save you," before his cries suddenly turned into a chilling scream. Meanwhile, Wu Xie pointed out ancient carvings on a cliff face, asking about their connection to the kiln and Mount Shending, and if they mentioned the snake-like monster they encountered. He deciphered that the carvings spoke of a man from Lu who possessed Shao Weng's arts to command ghost soldiers, referring to the legend of King Shang of Lu.
The initial part of the story matched a silk manuscript, but here it was more detailed and bizarre. Wu Xie read aloud how King Shang of Lu, a vassal of the Lu State, was born with a Gui Seal that empowered his soldiers, making them fight without pain or hunger. Captured enemy soldiers, upon seeing the seal, would immediately pledge allegiance.
His conquests earned him the title of King of Lu, though his self-proclamation as King Shang of Lu was an overreach. One day, he sought an audience with the ruler of Lu State, claiming prolonged use of the Gui Seal had weakened him, necessitating feigned death to recuperate. The ruler granted his request, and King Shang entered suspended animation after a kowtow. Pan Zi interrupted, clarifying that King Shang had died, unable to endure.
Wu Xie continued that the ruler, believing King Shang would return, preserved his body at Mount Shending. Pan Zi realized they were at that very location and speculated that the ruler had constructed the site and appointed a guardian called "Seven" to guard it, questioning if the entity in the kiln was this "Seven."
Wu Xie found it illogical for a ruler to build a kiln to preserve a corpse, but Third Uncle explained that the ruler likely wanted King Shang to return quickly to serve him. The kiln, he posited, was used for firing bricks, tiles, and offerings for a large-scale construction, suggesting a ritual site was also built.
Da Kui and Pan Zi playfully accused Wu Xie of being too imaginative, to which Wu Xie countered that Third Uncle dismissed his ideas only because he hadn't found the truth himself. As they continued to explore, Pan Zi noticed a formation of seven points resembling the Big Dipper, which Wu Xie confirmed. Third Uncle then pointed out the North Star. Wu Xie noted the Big Dipper's handle was pointing the opposite way, suggesting a hidden meaning.
Pan Zi then discovered a dry corpse inside a hollow tree. They observed its modern equipment and considered if it belonged to the missing team from the tents, with Wu Xie noting that the four to five-year timeframe matched. He questioned why it was a foreigner and if it was from Ma's team. When Wu Xie attempted to get a closer look, Third Uncle stopped him, citing the unsafe environment and ordering them to find an exit.
Third Uncle took Da Kui to scout one of two chambers, while instructing Pan Zi to stay behind and monitor Zhang Qiling. While waiting, Wu Xie asked Pan Zi for water and shared a "wild theory": perhaps the "Seven" on the carvings referred not to a single entity but to seven different monsters guarding King Shang, corresponding to seven alchemy furnaces. Suddenly, Wu Xie exclaimed that the dry corpse moved, but Pan Zi, upon inspection, insisted it hadn't.
Pan Zi then spotted a bag hanging above, wondering if it belonged to Ma's team. Elsewhere, Da Kui triggered a trap and fell, but confirmed he was unharmed. Just as Pan Zi dismissed Wu Xie's observation, Zhang Qiling appeared and grabbed Pan Zi's arm, warning him not to touch the mummy. He stated that the "real deal" was behind it and cautioned them against rash actions.
Peering behind the corpse, Pan Zi saw another creature and questioned if it was the second monster, noting its unrecognizable dried state. Deciding to heed the warnings, he suggested a slow retreat, reiterating Wu Xie's theory about seven monsters. Suddenly, a root-like entity wrapped around Pan Zi's ankle, dragging him backward. He fought back, protecting his neck while using a dagger to cut the vine, which eventually released him.
Pan Zi realized this powerful vine was likely what had dragged them into the hollow earlier. Amidst the chaos, Wu Xie called out for his companions, frantically asking if all the monsters had been released before becoming separated. Elsewhere, the Fatty was being pursued by Zhang Qiling. He complained about objects being thrown at him and challenged Zhang Qiling to a fight, boasting he would turn him into "stone pot fish."
He taunted Zhang Qiling for "freezing up" before noticing more "backup" arriving for his pursuer. Meanwhile, Third Uncle and Da Kui became lost in a maze-like section where echoes distorted the direction of sound. Third Uncle, who had been pushed into the area by an unseen attacker, used his flashlight to guide Da Kui back to him. Separately, Wu Xie also navigated the maze, lamenting, "What is this place? A maze? We're going around in circles."
He found another corpse and, discovering a storage ticket (022, 00059), vowed to deliver it to the deceased's family. After regrouping, Wu Xie and Third Uncle found signs of Ma's team: a half-eaten biscuit and an uncapped bottle, indicating a hasty departure. They discovered gunpowder, a common item for amateurs like Ma, confirming they were on the right track. As they pressed on, Zhang Qiling appeared and warned Wu Xie, "Don't move! Put your hands down!"
A moment later, something grabbed Wu Xie's leg. Startled, he broke free from the grasp and ran in a panic, inadvertently stumbling into a tunnel. Thinking he was safe, he heard rustling noises and ran again, only to step on an empty space and plummet into a deep pit. Grotesque Corpse Beetles crawled out, biting at his neck. Wu Xie screamed for help, and Pan Zi, hearing his cries, tossed him a rope, allowing Wu Xie to climb out.
Just as they thought they were safe, the Fatty fell into the same pit. As the Corpse Beetles attacked him, he cried for help. Moved by compassion, Wu Xie reached out to pull him up but was dragged back into the pit with him.
Episode 6 Recap
Wu Xie and Pangzi found themselves trapped in a cave infested with corpse beetles. As swarms of the creatures converged on them, Pan Zi leaped into the hole, igniting a fire starter to drive the beetles back. The beetles, seemingly afraid of fire, began to scatter. Wu Xie quickly climbed out of the hole and tried to pull Pangzi up, but Pangzi's weight was too much, and he couldn't get up in time.
The fire oil quickly ran out, and the overwhelming number of beetles began to swarm back towards Pan Zi, covering his body. Someone yelled, "Fall back to the entrance!" and "No way! There's too many!" urging them to retreat as the beetles kept coming. Pangzi finally managed to climb out. He struggled with the biting insects, exclaiming, "My butt! My butt! Don't bite my butt!"
Seeing Pan Zi in mortal danger, covered in beetles, Wu Xie attempted to jump back down to rescue him, but Pangzi held him back, insisting, "Don't come down!" Pan Zi, resigned to his fate, pleaded, "Just finish me off." Just as Pangzi aimed an arrow, unable to bear witnessing a live person being devoured, a dark figure suddenly appeared in the cave.
Zhang Qiling struck the ground with his palm, causing a burst of blood that repelled the terrified corpse beetles, sending them scurrying back to their nests. Zhang Qiling then effortlessly tossed Pan Zi out of the hole, saving him. Without delay, Wu Xie and Pangzi helped the injured Pan Zi, who was suffering from numerous bites. Zhang Qiling took the lead, guiding them to escape the perilous area.
After a short while, Zhang Qiling stopped, instructing Pangzi to lay Pan Zi down. Using his index and middle fingers, Zhang Qiling traced a line from Pan Zi's mouth down to his throat, chest, and then his abdomen, telling him to endure the discomfort. He explained that something had entered Pan Zi's stomach and needed to be removed to save his life. Pan Zi nodded in understanding.
With two precise touches to Pan Zi's abdomen, Zhang Qiling quickly extracted a small creature, which Pangzi immediately stomped to death. With Pan Zi still bleeding from his wounds, Zhang Qiling produced two pills. He dabbed some of his own blood onto them before feeding them to Pan Zi. This action suppressed the toxins released by the creature, and Pan Zi soon felt better.
As Wu Xie and Pangzi continued to support Pan Zi, they heard ominous sounds, realizing they were still being pursued. " What's chasing us?" Pangzi asked. Zhang Qiling confirmed, "The thing from the kiln." Pangzi urged them to run, emphasizing, "If that thing catches us, we're done for." As they fled, Zhang Qiling swiftly cut down poisonous vines that appeared in their path. Despite these obstacles, Wu Xie, Pan Zi, and Pangzi accidentally tumbled into another cave.
In the new cave, which looked similar to the corpse beetle cave, Pangzi cautiously observed their surroundings, noting it was different from the previous one and had no openings. Pan Zi took the chance to rest against a wall. Wu Xie and Pangzi, shaken but relieved to have escaped the immediate danger, momentarily forgot their exhaustion. Wu Xie noticed Zhang Qiling was no longer with them, having been separated during the fall.
Pangzi then introduced himself to Wu Xie as Wang Pangzi, an experienced explorer, and began to elaborate on the history of their location. He asserted that the legend of King Shang of Lu summoning ghost soldiers was a lie, claiming King Shang was merely a depraved thief who used supernatural theatrics. His troops often rested during the day, marched at night, and eradicated alchemists wherever they went, claiming "alchemists mislead the nation" while in reality, he sought their secret manuals.
Pangzi presented the seven large trees embracing the seven alchemy furnaces as evidence. He explained that King Shang was connected to the Seven-Star Alchemy Sect, an ancient group that believed robbing alchemists was faster than making their own elixirs. They tested stimulating elixirs on captured alchemists to boost their soldiers' combat abilities, moving at night to create an aura of mystery. He even suggested that the last leader of this sect was so mysterious he was known as "the Unseen."
He concluded that King Shang of Lu was undoubtedly part of this sect and had likely built this kiln to refine elixirs, suggesting King Shang's corpse might still be inside. As they rested, the new cave proved not entirely safe. Poisonous vines, drawn by their presence, began to appear one by one.
Although Wu Xie, Pan Zi, and Pangzi tried to hold their breath, Pangzi, at the back of the group, was suddenly ensnared by a thick vine and dragged away. Then Pan Zi was also snatched by a vine. Wu Xie watched in horror, realizing that the snake-like things were actually incredibly long, powerful, extending hands that could lock onto prey. As Pan Zi was pulled away, Wu Xie, even as he himself was being dragged away, cried out to save Pan Zi.
Episode 7 Recap
Wu Xie finally regained consciousness, finding himself hanging upside down from a vine. Below him lay a coffin containing a male and a female corpse. He initially speculated that these were merely decoy mechanisms, designed to scare people off, like those described in his grandfather's notes. He then noticed a knife on the general-like male corpse lying beside the beautiful woman, and, addressing the female as "Miss Fairy," he asked if he could borrow her friend's knife.
Using the short blade, he severed the vines binding him, causing him to fall directly into the coffin, landing between the two bodies. He quickly realized this wasn't a decoy mechanism, as it hadn't attacked him. As he struggled to stand, the female corpse's hand unexpectedly clasped around his neck, clinging to him as he rose, its cold touch deeply unsettling. Suddenly, a faint cry for help echoed through the air.
Wu Xie turned to see Pangzi, also suspended by vines, but alive. Pangzi desperately pleaded for Wu Xie to find a way to get him down, even as he questioned Wu Xie's "flirting during a crisis" with the female corpse. Wu Xie, with difficulty, tossed the dagger to Pangzi, who quickly cut himself free and dropped down. Pangzi, seeing the female corpse still attached to Wu Xie, reacted with a mix of curiosity and fear.
He then glanced at the male corpse and urgently warned Wu Xie not to look at its face. He identified it as King Shang of Lu, noting its distinct fox-like features—a pointed chin and black-blue skin—matching the legendary Green-Eyed Fox Corpse. Pangzi explained that this was a rare congenital deformity, revered as divine in ancient times, whose sufferers' faces sharpened and eyes elongated in puberty, fearing sunlight and hiding in darkness, their bodies shedding skin until they turned blue-black.
He speculated whether King Shang of Lu's deformity was the root of his twisted nature. Pangzi then jokingly warned that merely looking at the Green-Eyed Fox Corpse's face could infect one, causing them to transform into its likeness, though he quickly admitted he was just making it up. Wu Xie felt a wave of dizziness when he looked at the male corpse, as if caught in a terrible illusion, and quickly averted his gaze.
Pangzi then observed the female corpse's remarkable preservation after millennia. Wu Xie reminded him that he had noticed something in her mouth, which Pangzi then identified as a key and suggested it might be the key to her release, claiming it would make her let go. Just as Wu Xie was about to reach into the female corpse's mouth, a hushed voice, belonging to Pan Zi, warned him to stop.
Pan Zi, from a distance, advised that such a mechanism was beyond Wu Xie's handling and could be fatal. He instructed Wu Xie to tilt the female corpse's head, press her throat with his thumb, and then slap the back of her head, emphasizing the throat pressure to prevent her from swallowing the key. Wu Xie followed the instructions, and the female corpse's grip loosened, allowing him to break free.
Pan Zi then quietly revealed a shocking truth: the "Pangzi" currently with Wu Xie was not the real Pangzi. He warned Wu Xie to be wary, as the impostor was trying to trick him into taking the key from the corpse's mouth. Wu Xie, remembering Pangzi's earlier urgings, realized the truth. The fake Pangzi, enraged that Wu Xie hadn't retrieved the key, choked him. Struggling for breath, Wu Xie frantically searched for anything useful nearby and found a square cauldron.
He slammed it into the impostor's head, knocking him out and seemingly "waking him up." The real Pangzi, now conscious but with a throbbing headache, was confused. Wu Xie explained that they had been caught in a hallucination, and Pangzi had been choking him. Pangzi questioned the lump on his head, and Wu Xie explained he had fallen, but Pangzi argued it must have been from Wu Xie's blow.
They surmised that the hallucination began after they fell into the altar area and looked at the Green-Eyed Fox Corpse, possibly also influenced by some elixir taken by King Shang of Lu. Wu Xie then noticed a keyhole on the square cauldron, whose shape perfectly matched the key he had seen in the female corpse's mouth. Although Pangzi dismissed the cauldron as a recent German-made fake, Wu Xie decided to proceed cautiously.
He slowly extracted the key from the female corpse's mouth, observing a very fine thread attached to its end. He recognized this as an ancient mechanism he had read about, where crossbows were often placed inside corpses and connected by fine gold threads to the object being guarded. If the thread were broken, the crossbow would fire, striking anyone close to the corpse. Wu Xie carefully snipped the thread.
Immediately after the key was removed, the female corpse's arms began to crack and crumble into dust. Startled, Wu Xie was reassured by Pangzi, who calmly explained that the key must have been responsible for her preservation. With air now entering her body, rapid oxidation was causing her to decay. Their relief was short-lived, however, as they then noticed that the male corpse, King Shang of Lu, was missing.
They wondered if he was alive, or if his elixir of immortality had actually worked. As Wu Xie and Pangzi started to make their way back, Third Uncle's distant voice once again pierced the air, urging Wu Xie to watch his back. Wu Xie turned to see Pangzi carrying the "fox demon" (the Green-Eyed Fox Corpse) on his back, its mouth agape and ready to bite Pangzi's neck.
In a timely intervention, Third Uncle and Pan Zi shot an arrow, striking the creature and causing it to fall. Finally reunited with Third Uncle, Pan Zi, and Da Kui, everyone expressed relief at their narrow escape, despite Pan Zi's severe injuries. Third Uncle explained that their hallucination was caused by a hexagonal bell, not the eyes of the corpse (which were fake stones embedded later).
He clarified that the combination of the fox mask and the bell's sound created a psychological suggestion, especially given their earlier close contact with it and inhalation of hallucinogenic powder. Wu Xie initially believed it to be a Gudiao (a mythical creature) from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, whose cries cause hallucinations, but Third Uncle corrected him, stating that no such creature existed; instead, ancient people used eagle-shaped bells for rituals.
Pangzi then showed Wu Xie a special stone called Tianxin Rock, explaining it was used to repel the Nine-Headed Snake Cypress, which had been grabbing them. He pointed out a colossal tree where the "snake cypresses" (which are the poisonous vines/hands) parasitized. As the fog dissipated, they gasped in horror, realizing that the tree was not covered in bird nests, but was laden with numerous human corpses.
Episode 8 Recap
The group learned from Third Uncle that the thick vines were Nine-Headed Snake Cypress, which parasitize giant trees. They drag animals in, strangle them, and consume them. The resulting excrement nourishes the giant tree, creating a symbiotic food chain. Third Uncle found some of Old Ma's belongings and surmised he had likely been dragged in and killed by the snake cypress, finding some closure in this grim discovery.
As they considered leaving, Pan Zi was instructed by Third Uncle to send a signal for Zhang Qiling, agreeing to wait fifteen minutes. Third Uncle then explained a crucial rule: the remains of the deceased must be returned to their original position, and if someone dies en route, they should be taken home if possible. Wu Xie and Pangzi carried the fox demon's corpse back to its initial location.
As soon as the corpse was returned, the ground began to shift, and a massive bronze casket slowly rose from a tree hollow, pulled by chains. Wu Xie recognized it as a casket, noting the many ancient inscriptions. Pangzi, however, felt uneasy, observing the highly artificial surroundings and suspecting more mechanisms. He questioned why such an important item would be pulled out instead of hidden.
Third Uncle, wary, told everyone not to move, recalling Zhang Qiling’s earlier warning to leave everything untouched, as the cave's contents were highly unusual. Despite Third Uncle's caution, Pangzi couldn't resist. He took another look at the casket, and it suddenly opened on its own. Inside, to their surprise, was a ship containing a body encased in what Third Uncle identified as a Jade Burial Armor.
He explained that such armor, thought to be a legend, was rumored to rejuvenate its wearer. He also pointed out the black, melted crusts on it, suggesting it might be meteorite jade. Wu Xie discovered layers of human skin within the ship. Zhang Qiling, who had returned, revealed the truth: the Jade Burial Armor was part of an elaborate immortality ritual concocted by ancient alchemists.
He explained that the person wearing the armor and supposedly swallowing meteorite jade powder mixed with corpse beetle king venom, would be consumed by the corpse beetle king. The subsequent skin shedding was merely a toxic reaction, misinterpreted by ancient people, who yearned for eternal life, as a sign of rejuvenation. Zhang Qiling warned that disturbing the armor would awaken the dormant corpse beetle king and its offspring, leading to their demise in the snake cypress-filled cave.
Zhang Qiling placed a blood-stained bundle into the coffin, then produced a Purple Jade Box containing a golden-threaded manuscript. Wu Xie managed to decipher parts of the ancient text, which chronicled significant events in King Shang of Lu's life.
It recounted how King Shang of Lu, in pursuit of an alchemist, entered an ancient tomb where the alchemist, after initially transforming into a giant snake, begged for his life, offering two treasures: a Gui Seal for power and the Jade Armor for immortality. Having received the secrets, King Shang of Lu then ruthlessly killed another person to verify the alchemist's claims about the Jade Armor.
The manuscript continued, detailing how King Shang of Lu, guided by his advisor Iron-Faced Scholar, amassed troops under the guise of war. He sent one force to search for something (likely the Jade Burial Armor) and the other, led by Iron-Faced Scholar, to construct the kiln they were in. Once everything was ready, King Shang of Lu took a pill from the scholar to fake his death before the emperor.
To conceal the kiln, he massacred all but two loyal aides to prepare him for burial. The group was appalled by King Shang of Lu's brutality. Wu Xie questioned the fate of Iron-Faced Scholar, surmising that a man of such cunning wouldn't blindly follow King Shang of Lu to his death. Zhang Qiling confirmed this, revealing that the person in the Jade Burial Armor was not King Shang of Lu, but Iron-Faced Scholar himself.
The scholar had meticulously planned to use King Shang of Lu's power to achieve his own quest for immortality. Zhang Qiling had learned this from the Iron-Faced Scholar's autobiography on a silk manuscript. Having brought the truth to light, Zhang Qiling stated that he had merely granted the trapped individual peace, and they decided to reseal the bronze casket, planning to contact archaeologists upon their return to the surface.
As Da Kui and Pangzi attempted to re-secure the casket, the mechanism failed to reset. Suddenly, Da Kui was bitten on the forehead by a large insect, and his face quickly turned green, his head swelling. Pangzi reacted instinctively, smashing and stepping on it. Zhang Qiling immediately identified the insect as the corpse beetle king and warned that killing it would unleash countless uncontrolled corpse beetles, making their escape nearly impossible. Hordes of snake cypress vines surged toward them.
Pan Zi, despite his injuries, managed to fight back and help. Third Uncle and Pan Zi were ensnared and dragged into a cavern. Inside, Third Uncle discovered abundant coal deposits and, realizing he had explosives in his backpack, used the coal as fuel to create a powerful blast, creating an exit. The vines, repelled by fire, could not follow, allowing Third Uncle and Pan Zi to climb out of the cave.
Meanwhile, Wu Xie nearly plunged into a chasm, but Da Kui, despite his worsening poisoning, pulled him to safety. In his final moments, Da Kui asked Wu Xie to promise to take care of his mother, before being engulfed by the snake cypress and dragged into molten lava. Finally, Wu Xie, Pangzi, Third Uncle, and Pan Zi emerged from the treacherous cave system to the sight of a clear blue sky and lush greenery, a moment that deeply moved them.
However, their relief was tinged with sorrow for Da Kui, who had perished. Wu Xie inquired about Zhang Qiling, but Third Uncle calmly replied that Zhang Qiling was capable of taking care of himself and would find his way out.
Episode 9 Recap
Pan Zi suffered severe injuries, and as the local clinic was unable to treat him, Third Uncle immediately drove him overnight to a larger hospital in the provincial capital. During the drive, Third Uncle called Da Kui’s mother. Introducing himself as Da Kui’s employer, Wu Sanxing, he spoke to her while she was hospitalized. Da Kui’s mother, having often heard her son speak of him, asked Wu Sanxing to keep an eye on Da Kui and discipline him if necessary.
Unable to reveal the tragic truth, Wu Sanxing lied, assuring her that Da Kui was doing excellent work and had been sent abroad for several years where the pay was better, implying he wouldn't be returning soon. He fabricated that Da Kui himself couldn't bring himself to tell her and asked Wu Sanxing to convey the message, reminding her to take her medicine and care for herself. He also promised that the company would regularly transfer money to her account.
Though initially understanding, Da Kui’s mother eventually asked if her son was truly alright, to which Wu Sanxing falsely reassured her he was fine before hanging up, his heart heavy with sorrow. Afterward, Wu Sanxing decided to redistribute the money they had received. Pan Zi’s share was to remain untouched and kept for him. However, both Wu Sanxing’s and Wu Xie’s shares would be sent to Da Kui’s mother.
Wu Sanxing instructed Wu Xie to call and verify the payment from Old Ma. Wu Xie readily agreed to this decision, acknowledging Da Kui as a brother who had risked his life to save him, and now, with Da Kui gone, they had no heart to spend the money. Wu Sanxing also stated that Pan Zi's medical expenses would be covered by the company.
He then looked at Wu Xie and asked if this dangerous life was truly what he desired. Wu Xie later sent the designated funds to Da Kui’s mother as Third Uncle had instructed. Wu Sanxing took their recovered artifacts to the appraisal company. To his dismay, the golden manuscript was declared a fake. The experts stated that ancient crafting techniques could not have achieved such a high purity of gold, leading them to conclude it was a modern forgery.
Wu Sanxing was deeply frustrated that their perilous adventure had yielded nothing of true value. He suspected the Purple Jade Box was also fake and had been swapped. He pondered that the key to this mystery might lie with Xiaoge. Wu Sanxing believed Xiaoge's actions, continuously running from the blood corpse only to defeat it at the last moment, indicated he was trying to shake them off to act alone.
He suggested Xiaoge might have bypassed the main entrance and dug a tunnel behind the tree directly to the vessel's base to swap the items. Wu Xie, still confused, questioned why Xiaoge would save them only to deceive them. Wu Sanxing replied cryptically that saving someone and deceiving them were not mutually exclusive, and even those who are good to you might still lie. He then dismissed further thought, stating he was going to shower.
While Wu Sanxing was getting ready for a shower, he asked Wu Xie to check their backpack for soap. Instead, Wu Xie discovered a small metal box. Wu Sanxing immediately recognized it as a type of puzzle box used by foreigners to store valuables. He explained that despite its size, the internal compartment for items was small due to the intricate eight-dial combination lock mechanism.
Wu Xie mentioned he had found a key in the female corpse's mouth that fit the lock, but Wu Sanxing demonstrated that the key was for locking, not unlocking, after the password had been entered. He noted the brilliance of the ancient craftsman, whose techniques were now lost. Wu Sanxing believed the eight dials, each with digits from zero to nine, offered a hundred million possible combinations, making it nearly impossible to open by chance.
He planned to consult a craftsman friend. However, Wu Xie, recognizing the eight-digit lock, remembered a sequence of numbers—022, 00059—from a foreigner's belt at King Lu's kiln. He quickly input the numbers, and to their astonishment, the box clicked open. Wu Sanxing was shocked, asking how Wu Xie knew the code. Wu Xie explained its origin. Inside the box, they found a small, intricately designed metal fish.
Wu Sanxing then revealed an identical fish he carried in his own pocket, and the two fish could fit together perfectly, a discovery that clearly disturbed him. The sight of the two matching fish triggered a thirty-year-old memory for Wu Sanxing. Wu Xie remembered his aunt, Wen Jin, as a geological survey team leader who had disappeared during a maritime expedition, leaving Wu Sanxing distraught for years, and he wondered if her disappearance was connected to this fish.
Wu Sanxing recounted that twenty years ago, Wen Jin, driven by her passion for geological exploration, had led a team of young, like-minded individuals, forming the "Ru Sea Subsea Geological Survey Team." He, as a security consultant, joined them on an expedition to Ru Sea for deep-sea geological sampling. Their efforts initially yielded success, as Xie Lianhuan discovered giant tube-dwelling worms, leading them to speculate about massive oil reserves nearby.
Excited by the prospect of such a groundbreaking discovery, the team pressed onward. However, their journey was cut short by a violent storm that nearly claimed their lives. The next day, the weather cleared, and they arrived at the island Xie Lianhuan had identified as the habitat for the tube worms, only to find nothing but shattered ancient porcelain artifacts.
After two weeks of fruitless searching, morale plummeted, and some team members began to suspect Xie Lianhuan of exploiting his expertise for a scam. Sensing growing unrest and potential danger, Wu Sanxing and Wen Jin decided to propose returning to base the following morning. But tragedy struck first: Xie Lianhuan was found dead in a cave, clutching the bronze fish in his hand. His mysterious death plunged the team into profound grief.
To transport Xie Lianhuan's body back, they sent one team member with the ship's crew, while the rest stayed to finish their work on the island before returning. Wu Sanxing was concerned about their safety without the main ship, but others assured him that calm seas were forecasted for the week. A week passed, but the ship never returned. Instead, they faced an unforeseen crisis: a massive storm approached.
Someone warned that the island would be submerged by five to six meters of rising water, and they would either be smashed against the reefs or dragged into the deep sea. Wu Sanxing ordered everyone into the cave where Xie Lianhuan's body had been found, taking their oxygen tanks, believing it was their only chance to survive if they could avoid being swept away by the storm. They submerged into the water.
To their surprise, the pool in the cave led to the seafloor, where Wen Jin discovered a massive shipwreck. Inside, they found a pocket of air, a moment of relief and gratitude. Wen Jin explained that the six-hundred-year-old ship was ingeniously designed, likely intentionally sunk with a spiraling passage to create air pressure, trapping air within its hull.
Wu Sanxing found the ship peculiar, its interior remarkably intact, adorned with murals depicting the legend of the Forbidden Woman—a goddess whose jade-like bones, once concealed in a sachet, brought peace and protection to a fishing village. Despite the awe, Wu Sanxing urged caution, reminding them they were unprepared for exploration. Yet, a strange fragrance lingered, which Li Sidi attributed to the Forbidden Woman, but Wu Sanxing dismissed it as ancient incense.
Overwhelmed by exhaustion, Wu Sanxing sat beside Wen Jin and fell asleep, enveloped by the faint scent. When Wu Sanxing awoke, he was alone in a different, sealed compartment of the shipwreck, with a terrifying presence emerging from within. Without any tools, he decided to escape first, hoping to return to rescue the others later. He swam endlessly, finally surfacing only to find it was already the evening of the next day, the storm long gone.
He couldn't comprehend how a brief nap could have spanned an entire day. After being rescued, he spent a week in a coma. Upon recovery, he attempted to find the island and his team, but both had vanished without a trace, confirmed by the Maritime Affairs Office and Administration Bureau. For nearly twenty years, he carried their group photo, baffled by the mysterious disappearance. He confessed to Wu Xie that he still didn't understand why he was the only survivor.
He speculated that the bronze fish he carried was the sole difference, believing Xie Lianhuan had brought it from the shipwreck. He had researched the fish, discovering it was a 600-year-old artifact known as the Snake-Eyebrow Copper Fish. He noted the thousand-year gap between King Lu’s kiln and the shipwreck, and the bizarre fact that a modern counterfeit box contained such an ancient artifact at an ancient site.
He felt the entire affair was far more intricate than they had imagined, and Old Ma’s true motives were complex. He instructed Wu Xie to report the fish to the Cultural Relics Bureau with photos and to safeguard it until they responded. As Wu Xie examined the group photo, he noticed one person bore a striking resemblance to Xiaoge.
He questioned how this could be, as Xiaoge should have been a child twenty years ago, wondering if it was Xiaoge's father or why Xiaoge appeared not to have aged. Suddenly, Wu Sanxing stared intently at the photo, exclaiming, "The elevator!" He repeated the word, then declared, "The elevator had issues? I understand what happened back then now. Yes!"
Driven by this revelation, he announced his immediate return to Ru Sea, instructing Wu Xie to stay and care for Pan Zi. Separately, a mysterious voice commented, "They failed." Another responded, "No. He has already found it." When asked "What's next?" , the response was "Just wait. He will come to be with us."
Episode 10 Recap
Concerned about potential dangers on his planned trip to Ru Sea, Wu Sansheng made advance arrangements for his affairs. He called his closest friend and associate, expressing worry for Wu Xie now that Da Kui was dead and Pan Zi hospitalized. He sent the friend an address, asking him to take over, as such matters were usually handled by this friend.
The friend, still deeply troubled by past events, decided he also wanted to go to Ru Sea to re-investigate the unresolved truth. He pressed Wu Sansheng for details, upset about him having personal business to attend to after Da Kui's death. Wu Sansheng revealed that he might finally know what happened to Wenjin and the team who went missing twenty years ago, suggesting the elevator was key.
He insisted on going back to that place alone, despite his friend's strong objections and concerns about his obsession. Stating, "This is my business; I must handle it myself," Wu Sansheng reiterated his resolve, cutting off his friend who reminded him of their agreement and forbidding him from joining the expedition. Meanwhile, Wu Xie, unable to contact Wu Sansheng for half a month, suspected his uncle had gone to Ru Sea.
He visited Pan Zi daily in the hospital, but Pan Zi remained unconscious. With only two hours of visiting time, Wu Xie spent his remaining hours wandering around Pengzhou, often frequenting the antique street. There, he encountered a novice vendor trying to sell a "family heirloom" for 150,000 yuan. Wu Xie immediately recognized it as a modern imitation, noting its poor craftsmanship and valuing it at only 12 yuan.
Impressed by Wu Xie's keen eye and expertise, the vendor admitted he and his friends were clueless. He offered Wu Xie a fee, hoping he would help appraise items for his colleagues. Wu Xie, showcasing his talent, shared business cards for his own antique shop, Wu Shan Ju, as he helped them. Later, Wu Xie received a call from a representative of an international ocean resource development company.
The caller informed him that Wu Sansheng had borrowed equipment and personnel from their company to search for an underwater shipwreck and had been missing for ten days after his team lost communication on their fifth day at sea. The company had conducted searches but found nothing. Wu Sansheng had left Wu Xie’s number, designating him as an emergency contact who could assist if something went wrong.
The caller, who introduced herself as A Ning, explained that Wu Sansheng normally had business dealings with her company, and one of their company’s heirs was also among the missing, which was why a large rescue fund had been allocated. She stressed the urgency, as a storm season was approaching, giving them only about a week before the mission would be aborted. She told Wu Xie that the decision to save them rested entirely on him.
Wu Xie, determined to find his uncle, traveled to their exploration vessel. On board, he met A Ning, a beautiful and capable woman. Trusting her information, he decided to salvage the underwater shipwreck. He also encountered an old acquaintance, Pangzi, who was surprised to see Wu Xie on such a mission. Pangzi shared his helplessness regarding Pan Zi’s condition, acknowledging that such risks were part of their trade.
When Wu Xie explained he was there because Wu Sansheng had gone missing while searching for a shipwreck, Pangzi was taken aback but quickly pledged his help, boasting about his extensive skills in underwater salvage and rescue. A Ning then presented a vast collection of sea area photos to help pinpoint the shipwreck's location, explaining that Wu Sansheng had identified four possible zones, but searching them all would take two years.
Professor Zhang, a shipwreck expert invited by the company, had narrowed down the areas based on ancient shipping routes and common wreck sites, estimating this could save them considerable time. However, Pangzi pointed out that for someone trapped underwater, six months and two years were indistinguishable. A Ning then placed the burden on Wu Xie, as Wu Sansheng’s emergency contact, to locate the precise island. Wu Xie requested more clues, specifically photos of the islands in the area.
Reviewing the extensive collection, Wu Xie, with assistance, described specific characteristics of the island: it had both forests and reefs, vegetation no older than twenty years, and was an isolated island with no others within 200 nautical miles. He finally identified the correct island from the photos. Satisfied with Wu Xie’s efficiency, A Ning immediately instructed the captain to set a course for the coordinates and dismissed everyone to rest.
Before they dispersed, A Ning informed Wu Xie that Wu Sansheng had left a bag behind on the ship, which she had placed on his bed. Wu Xie was frustrated that she hadn't mentioned it sooner, especially since she admitted they had already checked it and found no clues. Inside the bag, Wu Xie discovered two diaries belonging to Chen Wenjin, filled with details of her past exploration with Wu Sansheng.
He also saw a name, Zhang Qiling, in the team member list. He wondered who Xiaoge was and what his connection to Zhang Qiling could be. As he finished reading the diary, Wu Xie uncovered a shocking secret.
Episode 11 Recap
The expedition vessel sailed steadily toward its destination. Pangzi maintained his regular workout routine, while Professor Zhang stood firmly on the deck, perpetually clad in a buoyancy vest, surveying the ocean view. Meanwhile, Wu Xie frequently immersed himself in Ms. Wenjin’s diaries, which chronicled her adventures with Sanxing. Wu Xie noted a stark contrast between Ms. Wenjin’s entries and Third Uncle’s accounts. According to Ms. Wenjin, Third Uncle was an exceptionally gifted explorer.
He meticulously planned routes, located valuable resources, and possessed a deep understanding of maritime navigation, which even surprised her. She recorded that his contributions were more crucial than her own role as captain, saving the team significant time. She also found his courage and decisiveness comforting during moments of panic. However, Ms. Wenjin also described Sanxing as inscrutable, like the ocean itself, always before her eyes yet unfathomably deep.
She mentioned his constant care but also his unpredictable disappearances, once asking him where he had been all morning. Sanxing responded by revealing a dry shell he had found, stating he wished to preserve the sea forever, leading Wu Xie to wonder what Sanxing was hiding. Wu Xie also observed a stark change in Ms. Wenjin's diary; while the initial entries were elegantly and meticulously written, the final pages featured a hastily scrawled, ominous black shadow drawn with a pencil.
This unsettling discovery, coupled with Third Uncle, the sole survivor, claiming ignorance, left Wu Xie deeply uncertain about the purpose and outcome of their current exploration. Wu Xie reflected on how Third Uncle had told him Ms. Wenjin initiated the deep-sea resource exploration, but her diary clearly indicated it was Sanxing who insisted they continue. Ms. Wenjin expressed concerns about the expedition's extreme distance and insufficient equipment, suggesting they turn back as they had already made sufficient discoveries.
But Sanxing firmly refused, calling it an exceptionally rare opportunity that could shake the nation if they discovered oil. Despite Ms. Wenjin’s assertion that she didn’t care about such things, Sanxing insisted she understood its immense significance and asked her to trust him. Wu Xie grew suspicious, feeling that Third Uncle had deliberately led them to the sunken ship and lied about the past events. He hoped this current trip would finally bring answers.
Later, Pangzi found Wu Xie awake on deck. Wu Xie pondered what one would do if a deeply trusted person lied to them. Pangzi, seemingly unbothered, asked if Wu Xie had lost anything due to the lie. When Wu Xie admitted he hadn't, Pangzi simply shrugged it off, adding that all lies have reasons, but sometimes truth doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. Wu Xie questioned Pangzi’s carefree attitude.
Pangzi admitted he didn't obsess over things others did, calling Wu Xie's "thirst for truth" too intense. He confessed that in his youth, he too was insatiably curious, but eventually found it useless. He remarked on how exhausting it was for people to constantly "look far ahead" and "plan for the future," always seeking the whole truth, and suggested taking it easy instead.
Pangzi shared that after losing a good friend, he realized that while their decades of life feel long and significant to themselves, to the vast universe, they are mere cosmic dust. He advised Wu Xie not to overcomplicate life, saying he now only focuses on what truly matters in the present. He also mused that everyone lies, and sometimes lies are "white lies."
Pangzi then discreetly offered Wu Xie a hamburger, which reminded Wu Xie of similar words Third Uncle had once shared about not being affected by whether someone selling flowers was genuinely deaf-mute, as long as the flowers themselves were real. Pangzi, calling himself "Doraemon" for his endless supply of junk food, urged Wu Xie to relax, find joy, and have a good night's sleep. In the dead of night, Wu Xie was jolted awake by violent turbulence.
The ship had plunged into a ferocious storm, with waves towering over ten meters high, and the vessel's systems began to fail, raising everyone's anxiety. A Ning remained composed, explaining that turning back now would certainly capsize the ship. Their only hope was to press forward, directly into the eye of the storm. Pangzi, declaring he’d gamble with her, readily agreed and engaged the engines.
After what felt like dozens of seconds of suffocating despair, the ship emerged into a miraculously calm and open sea, signaling their safety and arrival at the destination. A Ning then descended to scout the area. Upon locating the shipwreck, she signaled the team, "Found it!" Pangzi enthusiastically exclaimed, "Dear sea! I'm coming!" as everyone swiftly donned their diving suits, ready to explore. Inside the shipwreck, Wu Xie observed the surprisingly vast space, containing air due to atmospheric pressure.
He pointed out to Pangzi that the ship must have been deliberately scuttled, and its ascending, winding paths were designed to use atmospheric pressure to displace seawater, leaving residual air. A Ning, however, quickly noted the high carbon dioxide levels, estimating they had less than ten hours before reaching lethal thresholds. She urged them to accelerate their search for Third Uncle and leave. Pangzi remarked that no wonder he felt suffocated.
Wu Xie detected a distinctive fragrance, recognizing it as "Forbidden Woman's Scent," which his diary notes described as ancient incense used to confuse and ward off dangerous creatures. He warned everyone not to touch anything and to notify the Cultural Relics Bureau later. Professor Zhang, examining the ship's structure, deduced it was at least six centuries old and contained over 200 compartments, meticulously waterproofed with "watertight bulkhead" technology.
Pangzi, growing impatient with the Professor's historical details, urged him to provide information relevant to finding people, leading to a brief, sharp exchange. Suddenly, A Ning spotted something and alerted the others, but Pangzi's startled reaction earned him a reprimand from her. She pointed out a small, fresh footprint on the floor that did not appear human. Wu Xie doubted it belonged to Third Uncle, who had descended ten days prior, concluding something else must be here.
Pangzi sniffed the footprint, identifying it as belonging to a marine creature likely hiding within a nearby swaying ballast stone, explaining the stone's movement. Pangzi, quoting an ancient proverb, suggested they retreat, but the stone had already blocked their exit. A Ning presented two options: fight the unknown creature or surrender. Firmly stating her commitment to the corporate mission, she chose to fight. Pangzi, confident in their numbers and weapons, agreed, and they advanced.
As they followed the rolling ballast stone, which seemed to be guiding them by stopping when they didn't keep up, A Ning stepped on a trigger. She warned everyone to freeze, but as Pangzi cautiously approached to help her, she lifted her foot, unleashing a volley of arrows. Pangzi cried out, "I'm hit by an arrow! Wu Xie, help me!" realizing he was fatally wounded.
Wu Xie, rushing to his aid with his backpack as a shield, was abruptly grabbed by A Ning. Ignoring his pleas and using him as a human shield, A Ning ruthlessly pushed forward toward the arrow-shooting mechanism, leaving Pangzi to his fate.
Episode 12 Recap
Pangzi and Wu Xie, pinned by numerous arrows, slowly rose after A Ning disappeared through a hidden door marked with totems. Pangzi realized the arrows were not sharp but lotus arrows, so despite being stuck like a hedgehog, he was not in mortal danger. He remarked to Wu Xie that something felt off, as the arrows didn't hurt much, but he couldn't move.
Wu Xie pulled a couple out, confirming they were lotus arrows and noting that he didn't understand their purpose, perhaps indicating the shipwreck's owner wished to deter them rather than kill. Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared—Zhang Qiling. Pangzi, surprised to see him alive, commented on his impressive "acting." Wu Xie immediately questioned Zhang Qiling, asking if he had been there before.
Zhang Qiling revealed that A Ning had deliberately stepped on the mechanism, confident in herself and intending to get rid of them all. This revelation made Wu Xie wonder if A Ning's earlier claims about his Third Uncle, Wu Sansheng, were true. He was troubled, questioning if Wu Sansheng had indeed come to the shipwreck or if he had already died there. Zhang Qiling couldn't confirm, stating everything happened too quickly, but believed Wu Sansheng should still be alive.
Pangzi joked about getting paid if Wu Sansheng was alive but quickly reassured Wu Xie that while finding Wu Sansheng was important, their immediate priority was survival. He advised Wu Xie to stick with them and report any signs of Wu Sansheng. Meanwhile, after A Ning went through the hidden door, she followed marks left by Wu Sansheng. These marks led her to a large, cold, and dry hall where she discovered a corpse.
On the body, she found a micro-camera. The camera’s memory card contained footage of the deceased’s final moments, showing his timid encounter with Wu Sansheng, who had helped him before proceeding deeper into the wreck. The footage ended with the deceased being fatally entangled by thick vines. Back with Wu Xie, Pangzi, and Zhang Qiling, Wu Xie recalled seeing a photo in Wen Jin's diary of a young man who strongly resembled Zhang Qiling.
He had previously asked his Third Uncle if it was Zhang Qiling, but Wu Sansheng couldn't be sure. Given their previous adventures, Pangzi expressed trust in Zhang Qiling. They decided their first step should be to retrieve the oxygen tanks, as A Ning had previously mentioned they only had ten hours of breathable air due to high carbon dioxide levels. Pangzi returned to the room where they had left the diving equipment, only to find the air tanks missing.
He was certain he had placed them there and wondered if someone else, or "something not human," was present. Wu Xie then noticed that the floor's arrangement was different, and after Zhang Qiling swept his flashlight across the ceiling, Wu Xie was surprised to see that the original totem patterns had also changed. Zhang Qiling confirmed that the room was entirely different from the one they had just been in, attributing their initial confusion to their lack of attention.
Wu Xie suddenly remembered his Third Uncle describing a similar experience, waking up in a different room with his companions gone, unable to recall how he got there. Wu Sansheng had alluded to an "elevator" mechanism. Zhang Qiling elaborated on this, explaining that the entire ship was a complex mechanism, like an elevator.
Wu Xie, grasping the concept, illustrated how a corridor could lead to different floors each time its doors opened, making the rooms appear to shift or vanish when they were merely being moved to other locations. However, Zhang Qiling highlighted a contradiction: Wu Sansheng's account implied he remained in a fixed room despite the elevator mechanism. Pangzi suggested Wu Sansheng might have lied to Wu Xie to hide his fear, especially regarding abandoning Wen Jin.
The urgency of their situation became apparent as Pangzi reminded them of the ten-hour oxygen limit. He proposed three options: finding the missing room and equipment, pursuing A Ning (who clearly understood the ship's mechanisms), or following the ballast stone, though he warned of a "thing" that had emerged from it. After deliberation, Zhang Qiling noted that waiting for the original room to return might be futile given the elevator’s unpredictable logic.
Wu Xie suggested they explore the two rooms related to A Ning's path and the ballast stone first. They agreed and moved forward. As they proceeded, another shift occurred, and Pangzi exclaimed that their path was now a dead end, with the entrance door gone.
Zhang Qiling listed their dwindling escape options: retracing their path was impossible without diving equipment, attempting to surface the ship was impractical given the sheer number of rooms, and digging their way out, while a possibility due to the ship's height, was only viable at low tide to avoid being flooded by ten-plus meters of seawater. Zhang Qiling then checked the current mechanisms, finding them disabled.
He directed Wu Xie and Pangzi to follow him, revealing that the door had reappeared elsewhere. As they stepped into the new area, Zhang Qiling quickly moved ahead. Pangzi, scared by the darkness and a growing cold draft, called out to Wu Xie, suggesting he light a candle despite the superstition. He smelled a strange odor and felt a chilling cold. Frightened, Pangzi began reciting prayers to Buddha, asking for protection and promising daily incense. He urged Wu Xie to keep up, lamenting Wu Xie's tendency to wander off and forcing Pangzi to take the lead.
Episode 13 Recap
Pangzi returned to the central area of the room, noting that each hall inexplicably featured a water pool. With the oxygen tanks still missing, he began a thorough search. At the bottom of one pool, Pangzi discovered seven bodies. He exclaimed, "What are these? Twelve hands? Are there six people inside here? They drowned together while bathing?" Zhang Qiling corrected him, stating, "There's only one person here."
Zhang Qiling explained that what appeared to be multiple heads were actually growths on her body, but she indeed possessed twelve arms. Pangzi found this bizarre, questioning, "A human with twelve arms? Is that still human? It's clearly some sort of insect. Theoretically speaking, someone with congenital chromosomal abnormalities would have severely underdeveloped organs. How could she grow this large?"
Pangzi suggested they drain the water from the pool to examine a large stone slab at the bottom, which appeared to have inscriptions. " If you ask me, there's an easy way to figure this out. Let's hurry back to that room we were in and bring all those clay pots here. When we bail out this water, we'll see what's really underneath. And look. There seems to be a stone slab down there. We can take it out too.
Maybe we can find something unexpected." Wu Xie agreed, adding, "Since we came down, we haven't seen a single word. If I could read the inscription on this stone slab, we might piece together some clues. That would greatly help our next steps." Pangzi urged them to hurry before the mechanisms reset. He then went to retrieve the pots, while Wu Xie lingered, observing the patterns on a nearby stone pier.
He noticed the designs were not characteristic of the Central Plains region. He tried to ask Pangzi about them, but realizing he was alone in the unsettling silence, he called out, "Pangzi? Pangzi?" with no response. As Wu Xie ran from the room, he realized the layout had changed, confirming his suspicions about the shifting structure. Suddenly, a great commotion erupted from the pool. A hairy, ape-like monster lunged out. Wu Xie fled, pursued relentlessly by the creature.
Fortunately, he had a flashlight, which the monster seemed to fear. He used the strong beam to fend it off, strategically pushing it towards a stone wall until he managed to trap it outside a door. A noise from the central pool in the new room startled Wu Xie, making him fear another monster. He braced himself with a dagger, only to find Pangzi and Zhang Qiling emerging from the water. Relieved, Wu Xie exclaimed, "Darn you, Pangzi!
You scared me half to death!" He immediately asked, "Where were you guys?" Pangzi replied that they had been chased by a monster. Wu Xie then asked if it was the same white-furred, fast-moving creature with tiny hands, but Pangzi said no. Wu Xie described his attacker as "human-shaped. . . It launched from the spring instantly. But it definitely wasn't human. It's over two meters. Freakishly tall." He remarked to Zhang Qiling, "Xiaoge, this place feels wrong.
Why are there so many monsters here?" Zhang Qiling identified the creatures as "sea monkeys." Pangzi, surprised, asked, "Sea monkeys? Who keeps them? They actually exist?" Wu Xie insisted they leave immediately, but Pangzi reminded him that the sea monkey Wu Xie encountered was locked outside the door, and they should wait for the elevator to activate before attempting to leave. Wu Xie asked Pangzi what he had encountered.
Pangzi recounted how he and Zhang Qiling had drained the pool. " After we drained all that water, we hauled that thing up." He referred to the body with the growths, asking Zhang Qiling, "She has a swollen belly. Could she have been pregnant?" He also mentioned the stone slab: "What's written here? Wu's not around. I can't read these characters." He asked Zhang Qiling if he recognized them. Zhang Qiling pointed out a hole beneath the stone tablet.
Pangzi was surprised, "A hole is under this stone tablet. How'd you know that? It's man-made. Could it be dug by Wu's third uncle? That doesn't make sense. But why dig a hole here? Unless they encountered the same situation as us and tried to leave through here?" As Zhang Qiling focused on the wriggling belly of the monster they discovered, a small hand emerged and grabbed his arm. Zhang Qiling immediately yelled, "Pangzi, run!"
Pangzi, despite offering help, quickly jumped into the deep hole below the pool, with Zhang Qiling following close behind. Pangzi explained how they had escaped: "Then we just kept swimming and swimming until we surfaced. Then we saw you, scaring me to death." He pressed Zhang Qiling for details about the creature, asking, "What exactly was that thing? Is it that terrifying?" Zhang Qiling clarified, "It's a small-clawed otter. Possibly mutated. It lurks in putrid, damp places.
If we kill it, it releases toxic gas." Pangzi agreed, "So running was smart. No argument here." Though Zhang Qiling's arm bore a rotten wound from the toxic creature, his unique constitution allowed him to effortlessly heal it, restoring his skin to its original state. Wu Xie then realized, "That means the tunnel you came through leads to this pool?" Zhang Qiling nodded. Wu Xie pondered, "What's the point of this?"
Pangzi remarked on Wu Xie's contemplative state, asking why he was still staring at the stone pier. Wu Xie explained that the images on the stone pier were narrative paintings, depicting the ship's owner and its construction. He deduced the architect must be Wang Canghai, a legendary master of Feng Shui and engineering from six centuries prior. Wang Canghai was responsible for designing the vast Dayong Imperial Palace and several major cities, his expertise in geomancy and ingenious mechanisms unparalleled.
Wu Xie theorized that such a genius could undoubtedly construct a ship capable of remaining submerged and incorruptible for a millennium. Pangzi then asked Wu Xie if he could recall any inscriptions on the stone slab they found earlier, hoping to corroborate this theory, but Wu Xie admitted he was too startled by the white-furred monster to remember any details. The pool in their current location made another noise. The three remained alert, but the disturbance subsided without anything emerging.
Upon closer inspection, they found the water in the pool had mysteriously vanished, revealing a deep pit several tens of meters deep with many steps leading to its bottom. Pangzi bravely suggested they explore, "It's so deep. This is a bottomless pit. If we follow these stone steps down, there might be another path. Should we go check it out? Let's go." Wu Xie urged caution, "Pangzi. Wait a second. At least wait for the mist to clear.
It's too dangerous right now." Pangzi, however, was determined. " I'll be fine. I'm just going to scout ahead. If there's real danger, I'll come back up. Relax." He descended the steps, Zhang Qiling jumped directly into the pit, and Wu Xie followed Pangzi down the stairs. As they descended, Pangzi spotted something on the walls. " English letters here! You must be mistaken. Why would there be that in the shipwreck?
I might not know English well, but I know the alphabet. This is clearly English. Come down and see for yourself. Read what it says then." Wu Xie, still higher up, retorted, "If I could read it, would I need you to come down?" Pangzi insisted, "Enough talk. Get down here. If this isn't English, I'll write my surname upside down." Wu Xie descended and confirmed, "Yes, it is! I apologize, okay?"
Wu Xie then speculated on the unexpected presence of English. " Why are there English letters here? Could it be that some foreigners came down here before? Those foreigners! Always stealing our treasures! Not necessarily. Chinese people could write these too. My theory is that when the previous exploration team came down, they encountered dangers and carved these English letters as a warning." He considered the possibility: "Are you saying it might've been your third uncle's team?
That crossed my mind. But if the others came down here while my third uncle slept, could there be a connection between their disappearance and this place?" Zhang Qiling then stated, "I think I've been here before." Pangzi was curious, "Where's he going? What did he say? Xiaoge!" Wu Xie pondered if Zhang Qiling was the young man from the old photo he saw in Chen Wenjin's diary.
Pangzi commented on the vastness of the space, "I'm telling you, this place is pitch black. Earlier, Xiaoge and I nearly drowned underwater. We didn't notice the space below is so huge." They then found Zhang Qiling fixated on a stone sculpture. Pangzi asked, "What's this stone sculpture supposed to be? Looks like some Hemudu tribesman." Zhang Qiling identified it as a "Sea-Calming Stone Monkey, usually sunk at pond bottoms to ward off evil." Pangzi, ever the pragmatist, retorted, "It wards off evil? I should be thanking it if it doesn't beat me."
Episode 14 Recap
Having descended into the deep pit, Pangzi, Wu Xie, and Zhang Qiling found themselves at the bottom, where an inscription on a wall declared, "If fated, entering this door can lead directly to ascending to the heavens and becoming an immortal." Pangzi was baffled by the idea of ascending to heaven from underwater, but Wu Xie explained it as a Zen teaching, open to individual interpretation, hinting that the stone stele might conceal hidden contents rather than a literal door.
Suddenly, Pangzi realized Zhang Qiling had disappeared. As Pangzi began to mock Wu Xie for not being the fated one, he wondered aloud where Wu Xie's Third Uncle could have gone, speculating that perhaps "he" was "too fated" with the Heavenly Gate and had already entered the heavenly palace. Concerned, Wu Xie and Pangzi frantically called out for Zhang Qiling, who they eventually found staring intently at the inscription.
As if enlightened, Zhang Qiling then revealed that seeing this inscription had triggered his memories from 20 years ago, when he had encountered a similar message at this very place. In his flashback, 20 years earlier, Chen Wenjin pointed out peculiar patterns and inscriptions on the stone drums, asking Zhang Qiling to decipher them. While one team member mistakenly identified the inscription as a production site code for "Qi You", others debated it was likely an artist's first name.
Zhang Qiling, after examining the carved words, concluded that they described the construction of a "massive project" – the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds, renowned as the creation of the legendary "ghost hand" Wang Zanghai, who supposedly used giant kites and extensive golden threads to create the illusion of a magnificent floating palace to entertain an emperor. This was deemed a major discovery. Zhang Qiling, driven by the prospect of more clues, immediately declared his intention to enter.
Chen Wenjin tried to dissuade him, reminding the group of a previous loss and emphasizing the dangers, but Zhang Qiling was unyielding. Seeing his determination and fueled by their own curiosity about the Heavenly Palace, the rest of the team decided to follow him, agreeing to stick together for mutual support. They consciously decided not to wake Sanxing, who was sleeping, anticipating his short temper and potential conflict with Zhang Qiling.
Before entering, Chen Wenjin laid down a strict rule: they could look, but under no circumstances were they to touch anything inside. Deep within, they found another stone stele bearing a similar inscription: "Those fated with this stele shall see the Heavenly Palace Gate. Enter, and paradise can be obtained." The team was awestruck by the potential reality of the heavenly palace. As they prepared to leave, Zhang Qiling once again became lost in thought.
Suddenly, they noticed Sanxing, who they believed was still asleep, in the deepest part of the room, oddly grooming himself like a woman. Chen Wenjin expressed alarm, and Sanxing began to wail and run erratically, seemingly in a frenzied, possessed state. As they attempted to restrain him, Sanxing mysteriously vanished. Zhang Qiling, remaining remarkably calm, moved a brick, revealing eight hidden doors.
Chen Wenjin recognized these as part of the Esoteric Arts, explaining that only one, the Life Gate, led to survival, while the others were deceptive traps that would endlessly loop them through the eight gates or lead to death. The team speculated that if a female ghost inhabited the tomb, Sanxing's peculiar hair-combing action might indicate the correct Life Gate. Zhang Qiling then attempted to mimic Sanxing's strange posture, hoping to deduce which door he had taken.
A sudden, sharp pain in the back of his head caused him to lose consciousness. Zhang Qiling recalled waking up in a hospital bed with no memory of what had transpired. Months passed before fragmented memories of Chen Wenjin, Huo Ling, and the others returned, though the specific details of the incident remained elusive. For 20 years, he relentlessly searched for them, but without success. Three months ago, he met Wu Xie's third uncle, finding him strangely familiar.
It was during their subsequent kiln expedition that Zhang Qiling realized Third Uncle was involved in something suspicious. He asserted that King Lu Shang and the golden silk manuscript found in the kiln were fakes, having been swapped by Third Uncle. Wu Xie was deeply unsettled and confused by this accusation, defending his uncle.
Zhang Qiling elaborated that Third Uncle and Da Kui had dug an alternative route, implying that Da Kui's subsequent death was a necessary silencing of a witness to Third Uncle's deceit. Wu Xie struggled to reconcile these shocking revelations with his perception of his uncle. Zhang Qiling further hinted at the unsettling possibility that Wu Xie might not even be who he believes himself to be.
Back in the present, Wu Xie declared that while he could not confirm these complex details with his missing uncle, their immediate priority was to find a way out, and he vowed to uncover the full truth later. Pangzi, still mimicking Sanxing's hair-combing action, confidently announced that he had found the path to the top of the ship, also hidden within the inscription.
He reasoned that "paradise" referred to the Heavenly Palace, which could not be underground, thus it must be located near the ship's highest point. Zhang Qiling confirmed Pangzi's deduction, explaining that to reach the Heavenly Palace, they first needed to locate the Life Gate, which necessitated understanding Sanxing's actions. He pointed to a specific spot on the stele but cautioned against approaching it prematurely. He revealed that the Esoteric Arts functioned like an elevator.
Pangzi then deduced that the eight doors shifted randomly, similar to a revolving restaurant. Pangzi further concluded that the central stele must house a mechanism synchronized with the rotating walls, with a distinct mark indicating the Heavenly Gate's true position. Suddenly, the two walls around them began to close in. Panicked, they urged each other to run. Pangzi, struggling to keep pace, called out for Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling to wait for him.
Episode 15 Recap
As Wu Xie, Zhang Qiling, and Pangzi prepared to retrace their steps, the walls around them began to converge. Zhang Qiling confirmed the walls were slowly closing, and Pangzi grew anxious, realizing neither forward nor backward was an option. Zhang Qiling quickly suggested they climb the walls. Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling, being slender, found it relatively easy, but Pangzi struggled with his weight against gravity, climbing much slower.
As the walls rapidly drew closer, Zhang Qiling reached out to help Pangzi. However, Pangzi accidentally slipped, sliding down a significant distance before getting wedged in a narrow gap between the walls. Zhang Qiling immediately tossed a rope to Wu Xie, instructing him to rescue Pangzi. Without hesitation, Wu Xie jumped down, secured the rope around Pangzi's arm, and then around himself. Zhang Qiling, with immense effort, pulled both Wu Xie and Pangzi to safety.
Finally, the three climbed onto the wall, where they discovered a message scrawled in blood. It accused Wu Sanxing of despicable acts, forcing the writer, Xie Lianhuan, to a dead end. The grim script suggested the truth of the claim. Wu Xie's memory stirred, recalling childhood mentions of the Xie family's animosity towards his own, and accusations that the Wu family was at fault. It seemed this was the reason for their hatred.
Zhang Qiling revealed a theory that Xie Lianhuan was with Wu Sanxing on the shore the night of the original expedition. Wu Sanxing, having achieved his own goals and seeking to conceal a vast fortune, attempted to trap Xie Lianhuan in this very place. However, his plan failed. Xie Lianhuan, having struggled onto the wall just as the trio did, believed he was cornered, only to discover a hollow brick ceiling above him.
He desperately chipped away a hole and escaped that night. Yet, he never anticipated that he would still fall victim to Wu Sanxing outside. Thus, the next morning, when the expedition team screamed upon finding Xie Lianhuan's body on the beach, Wu Sanxing was there, skillfully feigning the role of an innocent and dutiful young man. Meanwhile, A Ning was alone, searching for an exit. She stumbled upon a corpse and recovered a micro-camera from it.
Inserting the memory card into her phone, she watched a recording of the deceased's final moments. A Ning recognized the man; he had been sent by her boss to accompany Wu Sanxing on the expedition, secretly tasked with monitoring Sanxing to ensure he didn't hoard any treasures. The footage showed Wu Sanxing and the man appearing to have a good relationship, with Sanxing trusting him deeply.
When the man was in danger, Sanxing initially fought hard to save him from a sea monkey. However, the wound was too deep and quickly became infected, swelling purple wherever the sea monkey had touched him, preventing healing. Soon after, the sea monkey returned and ultimately killed him. Witnessing the gruesome wounds on the corpse, A Ning's earlier self-doubt faded, replaced by a growing sense of dread. She murmured to herself that a crisis was imminent.
As Wu Xie and Pangzi pondered the new revelations, Pangzi presented a theory: Wu Sanxing, upon entering the shipwreck, might have encountered something that caused him to become possessed. He referenced Zhang Qiling's previous account of Wu Sanxing combing his hair like a woman in front of a mirror, suggesting it was a vengeful spirit from the ship controlling him.
Pangzi reasoned that the accumulated resentment of the spirits, unable to find an outlet, found a perfect match in Wu Sanxing when he descended. Wu Xie scoffed, finding Pangzi's explanation too fantastical, stating he had lived with his Third Uncle for decades and never seen him act in such a feminine manner.
Pangzi insisted that mental illness had dormant states, implying Wu Sanxing's public persona might differ greatly from his private one, even jokingly suggesting he might secretly wear makeup or do embroidery. After Pangzi finished his elaborate theory, Wu Xie sarcastically agreed to splash dog blood on his Third Uncle if they encountered him. Despite the urgency, Pangzi suggested they rest a little longer before continuing through the cramped zigzag tunnels.
As they pressed on, the tunnels grew even narrower, making the ascent agonizing for Pangzi. He continued to complain bitterly about the grueling climb, likening Xie Lianhuan to a mole for creating such an unfriendly passage. Wu Xie questioned Zhang Qiling why the path was safe twenty years ago but nearly fatal now. Zhang Qiling concluded that the Life Gate symbol must have been altered, leading them into the Death Gate.
Pangzi suspected A Ning, but Wu Xie dismissed the idea, arguing that she lacked the power to tamper with ancient mechanisms. As they continued to struggle, all three began to feel a strange drowsiness from a mysterious fragrance in the air. Overcome by the scent, Wu Xie wondered aloud why he felt so sleepy and how he had drifted off, before realizing Zhang Qiling and Pangzi were also succumbing to the same stupor.
Episode 16 Recap
Wu Xie struggled through a long, exhausting journey. When he finally stopped to rest, closing his eyes for a moment, he reopened them to find Zhang Qiling and Pangzi gone, and the surroundings completely altered. A sense of unease crept over him as he recalled his uncle, Wu Sanxing, encountering similar dangers in the past. Realizing it was unsafe to linger, Wu Xie ran forward, only to hear a clear female laughter emanating from ahead.
Despite there being no women among their group, the laughter persisted. Wu Xie knew it wasn't a hallucination and tried to retreat, but as he turned, a woman’s face appeared directly in front of him, paralyzing him with fear. The spectral figure slowly advanced, yet Wu Xie, amidst his panic, held his breath to resist its allure and focused all his energy on running. He dashed through any available passage, crawling through the narrower sections.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally reached a stone chamber where the laughter ceased. Utterly depleted, he crouched down, searching for something to eat and regain his strength. During his brief respite, a small, furry creature, similar to a sea monkey, scurried into view. Remembering Zhang Qiling's prior warning about its potent venom, Wu Xie knew not to kill it and instead tried to scare it away.
Pangzi then appeared, catching the creature, but it quickly slipped from his grasp and escaped. Now reunited, Pangzi, Zhang Qiling, and Wu Xie discussed their predicament. Zhang Qiling urged them to move without delay. Wu Xie, still feeling abandoned, questioned Pangzi why he had been left behind. Pangzi, however, was bewildered, believing they had all moved together. He explained that Zhang Qiling had roused them from their rest, saying they were short on time and needed to leave quickly.
Pangzi recalled seeing a shadow following him on the path and assumed it was Wu Xie. Wu Xie, perplexed, insisted he hadn't moved and wondered aloud who or what the shadow had actually been. Pangzi then speculated if the shadow could have been a Forbidden Woman. Wu Xie confirmed he had encountered such a figure—a woman-like silhouette with long hair and a distinctive scent, although she lacked the large belly depicted in the murals.
He admitted to simply fleeing from her, still bewildered by the encounter. Realizing the immediate danger, Wu Xie stressed that their priority was to find an exit quickly. As they pressed onward, unsettling sounds continued to echo from behind them. Zhang Qiling led the way, but after a long journey, they found themselves back at a familiar door.
Wu Xie tried mimicking the gesture of a woman combing her hair and then realized it was the same door they had entered before. Pangzi deduced that this was the Death Gate, explaining that the Eight Trigrams mirror each other, and therefore, the true Life Gate must be directly opposite. They then proceeded towards the Life Gate.
Wu Xie, frustrated by the treacherous path and the recurring deceptions, called out to his uncle, Wu Sanxing, demanding he reveal himself and accusing him of playing tricks. As they continued along this difficult, upward-sloping passage towards the Life Gate, Pangzi began to complain about an intense, worsening itch all over his body. Wu Xie mentioned he had experienced a similar itch earlier, but it had subsided, suggesting it might be an allergic reaction or inflammation from the humidity.
However, Pangzi's discomfort was severe, and he insisted on immediate treatment. Upon inspection, Wu Xie jokingly told Pangzi that his back was "growing white mold" and would soon "yield lingzhi mushrooms." Zhang Qiling intervened, identifying it as "Lotus Arrows" and assuring them it was not a major issue, merely causing an itch. Desperate for relief, Pangzi asked for solutions. Wu Xie offered his toner.
Initially surprised by Wu Xie's preparedness in carrying such an item, Pangzi yelped as Wu Xie applied it, mistaking it for alcohol. Despite the initial sting, Pangzi quickly found relief and was impressed by the "export-grade" toner's effectiveness. Their journey was soon interrupted by repeated attacks from the Forbidden Woman. Her long, gray-white hair transformed into tenacious ropes, attempting to bind them.
Pangzi described her as acting like an octopus and even "dancing" during her attacks, which sent chills down his spine. Her hair was slippery like worms, crawling into their clothes, making it difficult to fight back. Both Pangzi and Wu Xie found themselves helpless against the monstrous creature, calling out for Zhang Qiling’s aid during the fierce encounters. Zhang Qiling, with his extraordinary strength and agility, consistently intervened, rescuing them from the Forbidden Woman's grasp.
Pangzi noted with a grim humor that the creature seemed to prefer "chubby ones" as she repeatedly targeted him. They tried to block an opening to escape her, but her immense power made it nearly impossible to hold her back. They continued to struggle, urgently needing to find a way out before being completely overwhelmed.
Episode 17 Recap
After temporarily fending off the Forbidden Woman and pinning the sea monkeys in a cave, Wu Xie and Pangzi rested briefly. Pangzi complained that his back was still itching. Wu Xie asked about his condition, to which Pangzi replied his entire back felt numb, unsure if it was from pain, soreness, or itching. Zhang Qiling informed them that Pangzi had been poisoned.
Pangzi, terrified, worried if he would mutate into a sea monkey from the Forbidden Woman's venom, a possibility Zhang Qiling couldn't confirm. This made Pangzi even more anxious to escape and seek medical treatment. Pangzi urged Zhang Qiling to move quickly, but Zhang Qiling was fixated on something ahead. He then declared that they had found the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds. Pangzi and Wu Xie, having heard tales of this legendary place, gazed at the sight before them.
The grand, gray structure appeared incredibly magnificent upon closer inspection, revealing pavilions, elaborate gardens, and palaces, each exquisitely crafted with intricate designs and beautiful murals. Overwhelmed by the splendor, Pangzi called it "ancient LEGO architecture." He wondered if the real palace was actually in the sky and joked that Wu Xie was corrupting Xiaoge by making him more humorous.
Zhang Qiling then directed their attention to the center of the structure, where they found an ancient figure resembling a mummified corpse or a statue. Zhang Qiling identified it as Wang Zanghai, renowned for his ingenious mechanisms and secret passages. Pangzi remarked that Wang Zanghai was like a "zookeeper of monsters," constantly encountering sea monkeys, the Forbidden Woman, and white-haired creatures.
Wu Xie deduced from the murals that Wang Zanghai had poured immense effort into constructing this palace, only for it and its builders to be buried by an avalanche. Unwilling to let his masterpiece disappear without a trace, Wang Zanghai created numerous shadow murals, which displayed different narratives from various angles of light, to document the events.
These murals depicted the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds as it was just after completion, nestled on a high mountain peak like the Three Saints Snow Mountain, shrouded in clouds. Another mural showed a high-ranking northern noble, identified as the palace's master, surrounded by an entourage of nearly all women, leading Pangzi to joke if it was a "women's kingdom."
The murals also depicted a plank path being burned, which Wu Xie surmised was to prevent outsiders from damaging the palace. Ultimately, the murals revealed that the fire caused an avalanche, burying the entire palace and its procession, making it a legend unseen by the world.
Wu Xie concluded that Wang Zanghai, despite his love for showing off, was forced to keep his grandest work secret by a powerful patron, but still desired for future generations to discover and appreciate it through these hidden records. As Wu Xie finished his explanation, the lights in the chamber dimmed, and Zhang Qiling vanished. After searching frantically, Pangzi found Zhang Qiling standing silently before a mirror, where Zhang Qiling revealed a hidden hole behind it.
With a collective effort, they pushed the mirror aside, exposing a deep cavern. Zhang Qiling stated he had been there before, recalling how he and his former teammates were drugged and lost all consciousness in that very spot years ago. He expressed his intention to enter again to uncover the truth and resolve his long-standing amnesia.
However, Wu Xie tried to dissuade him, arguing that his Third Uncle likely lacked the ability to erase memories and worrying about Zhang Qiling losing his memory once more. Zhang Qiling countered that while for them it was an adventure, for him it was an unresolved personal anguish, compelling him to pursue the truth, even if it meant risking further memory loss.
Pangzi sided with Wu Xie, emphasizing that all secrets would become meaningless if they all suffocated inside due to the dwindling oxygen supply. Faced with this dilemma, Zhang Qiling then proposed a plan to escape by making a hole in the ceiling when the tide receded, assuring them the site itself would remain. Convinced by the urgency and Xiaoge’s high success rate prediction, Pangzi urged Zhang Qiling to follow this plan and find tools.
As Zhang Qiling pulled out a tool, Pangzi light-heartedly advised him not to disappear, strike poses, or show off unnecessarily. Ignoring the plan to find tools, Wu Xie, still seeking answers about his Third Uncle and past events, impulsively ran into the dark hole. Zhang Qiling quickly followed, and Pangzi, carrying the disoriented A Ning, reluctantly trailed behind them, complaining about the sinister nature of the place.
Inside the dark, fog-filled passage illuminated by a red light, Wu Xie began to hallucinate, seeing his Third Uncle and attempting to reach out to him. Pangzi, also experiencing hallucinations and struggling with the weight of A Ning, was startled by the bizarre apparitions. He asked if A Ning was possessed, but Zhang Qiling suggested she might be "triggered by something."
Pangzi, still annoyed, then saw a giant coral tree adorned with numerous hexagonal bells—the same type of object that caused hallucinations, which they had encountered in the King of Lu's kiln. Wu Xie realized Wang Zanghai might have acquired these bells during an official mission, or replicated them.
Pangzi speculated that Wang Zanghai, an Imperial Astronomy Bureau official skilled in fengshui and imperial tomb construction, might have visited King Lu’s kiln while on duty as he was also known for catching tomb raiders. The hallucinations intensified, and Wu Xie lunged towards his perceived Third Uncle, only to be pulled back by Pangzi and Zhang Qiling. Returning to the main chamber of the Heavenly Palace, they discovered their oxygen was critically low, with only twenty minutes remaining.
Xiaoge proposed a daring solution: retrieving explosives from inside Wang Zanghai's animal-skin replica. They returned to the replica, which Pangzi described as a monster with a monkey-like tail, and, after a brief struggle where Wu Xie was briefly ensnared by the replica’s tail and Pangzi used a fishhook to retrieve the explosives, successfully extracted a sealed "Treasure Rotor" containing the explosives.
Just then, a partially recovered A Ning seized the opportunity, snatching an oxygen tank and Wu Xie's grandfather's notebook before making an escape. Wu Xie, distraught, momentarily considered chasing her, but Pangzi reminded him of their dwindling time and the importance of their lives. Despite their predicament, Wu Xie, drawing on his architectural knowledge, assured them he could find the optimal blast point to prevent the dome from collapsing.
Zhang Qiling then took the explosives, climbed towards the ceiling, and tossed them at the planned spot. Wu Xie and Pangzi quickly took cover. The ensuing explosion partially succeeded, creating a leak in the ceiling, but it wasn't the clean exit they hoped for, leaving them in a precarious situation as water began to rush in.
Episode 18 (Ending) Recap
The explosion had breached the room in the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds, and water began pouring in. Zhang Qiling urgently told Wu Xie and Pangzi that there was no time and to head for the passage. They managed to reach an adjacent room and exert all their strength to close a stone door, but water immediately began to cascade in from another direction. Wu Xie and Pangzi scrambled away, realizing they were trapped as the water levels quickly rose.
Pangzi commented grimly that perhaps all three of them would meet their end together. Zhang Qiling, however, remained calm, reassuring them that Wang Zanghai must have left a way out. As the water continued to rise, Zhang Qiling instructed them to hold their breath and swim upwards when the water completely covered them. They counted down and plunged into the water, swimming strenuously. Unexpectedly, A Ning appeared, also struggling to swim up, her foot caught by underwater weeds.
Despite his own exhaustion, Wu Xie couldn't bear to leave her and swam down to free her. After rescuing A Ning, Wu Xie's strength gave out, and he began to sink, seeing a bright light that blurred the line between reality and hallucination. Zhang Qiling swam to him, zipping up his jacket and pulling the hood over his head, using the air trapped inside to help Wu Xie float to the surface.
Wu Xie eventually regained consciousness in a bright hospital room, with Pangzi excitedly calling for a doctor. He felt as if their harrowing adventure might have been a dream. He asked Pangzi who had saved him, and Pangzi confirmed it was Zhang Qiling. Pangzi, who had stayed by Wu Xie's side for three days and nights, expressed his exasperation that Wu Xie's first words upon waking were about Zhang Qiling.
He informed Wu Xie that Zhang Qiling had left about half an hour earlier and was likely already at the pier, but had left a red notebook for him. Wu Xie immediately sprang from his bed and raced to the pier, but he was too late and missed Zhang Qiling's departure. In the notebook, Zhang Qiling had inserted pages detailing his personal speculations about the shipwreck and Wu Sansheng's disappearance.
Reading them, Wu Xie reflected on the past events, feeling as though they were a dream, and struggled to distinguish reality from hallucination. He recalled previous conversations with his Third Uncle, wondering if they contained hidden clues. He read Zhang Qiling's theories from the notebook, which suggested that Wang Zanghai had also pursued immortality. Wang Zanghai had visited King Lu's tomb, observed the failed experiment of King Lu using the meteorite jade directly, and realized that path was futile.
Instead, Wang Zanghai used the meteorite jade to refine pills and experimented on animals, leading to mutations like the sea monkeys and the white-haired monster they encountered. The Jin Po (Forbidden Woman), Zhang Qiling deduced, was merely a mutated nematode capable of releasing a fragrant, hallucinogenic gas that tricked people into perceiving it as a woman's hair. Wu Xie's back, which had been bothering him, was healing well from what doctors identified as a fungal infection.
Sometime later, Pangzi invited Wu Xie for a meal, urging him to let go of the need to find every truth or reason behind events, particularly concerning his Third Uncle's whereabouts. He reminded Wu Xie that his Third Uncle was a seasoned veteran, capable of taking care of himself.
Pangzi suggested that Wu Sansheng might be pursuing Wen Jin or Wang Zanghai's secrets, both of which related to the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds and thus provided Wu Xie with a lead. Wu Xie mentioned that he had given the two real Snake-Eyebrow Copper Fish to the authorities and only possessed replicas.
Pangzi confidently stated that the replicas were sufficient, advising Wu Xie to simply "wait with the fake fish," as anyone seeking the Heavenly Palace's secrets would eventually have to approach him for the remaining fish. As their paths were about to diverge, Pangzi thanked Wu Xie for repeatedly saving him during their adventures.
He offered one last piece of advice: despite his name, Wu Xie should not be too naive, as not everyone in the world was as decent and loyal as Pangzi himself. They raised their glasses, wishing each other "Till we meet again."
Wu Xie, in his internal monologue, mused on the bizarre nature of their journey, admitting that many details were already foggy and he was recording it in the way that seemed most coherent and beautiful to him, feeling a connection to his grandfather's own journaling. Meanwhile, A Ning made a phone call, confirming that her team had retrieved an item from the shipwreck.
She reported that Wu Sansheng had deceived them, setting a trap in the shipwreck because he knew they would send people down again. She realized he was never in the boat and had already obtained what he wanted and left. However, she also discovered a critical flaw in his plan: he hadn't anticipated that his nephew, Wu Xie, would save her. She vowed to depart immediately with the new information.
Back in a secret location, Wu Sansheng (the real one) was confronted by his double, who had just returned from the seabed expedition. The double sarcastically asked if Wu Sansheng had missed him. Wu Sansheng criticized the double for not properly cleaning wounds and risking scars. The double retorted that he knew Wu Sansheng would mess things up, and that he cared more about his own face than the consequences.
He reminded Wu Sansheng that Wu Xie had nearly died because of him. Wu Sansheng fired back, asserting he had warned the double to keep Wu Xie out of the mission. The double, exhausted and frustrated, expressed his weariness with their situation, attributing it to Wu Sansheng's problematic methods. He longed for them to return to their separate lives, but Wu Sansheng coldly stated that he could no longer have a life of his own.
Resigned, Wu Sansheng asserted that the time hadn't come for them to quit, and they had no choice but to continue. The double conceded, stating he now knew how to reach the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds and would find Wen Jin, leaving the rest for Wu Sansheng to "clean up." Some time later, Wu Xie visited his shop and asked Wang Meng if Wu Sansheng had returned.
Wang Meng said no, but mentioned a "strange person" who claimed to be Wu Xie's brother, asking for his whereabouts. Wang Meng described him as slippery, cunning, and more mature than Wu Xie, with a noticeable stutter. Wu Xie immediately recognized him as Lao Yang and requested his number. Wu Xie called Lao Yang, who, upon recognizing his voice, eagerly asked to meet. Lao Yang revealed he had discovered an extremely bizarre place containing a tree "bigger than any tree you've ever seen," one that was "beyond your imagination."
