Time Raiders Episode 3 Recap
> Time Raiders 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."
