Time Raiders Episode 14 Recap
> Time Raiders 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.