Time Raiders Episode 16 Recap
> Time Raiders 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.