Time Raiders Episode 4 Recap
> Time Raiders 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.
