Tomb of the Sea Episode 13 Recap
> Tomb of the Sea Recap
Wu Xie, Li Cu, and the rest of the group continue their arduous journey through the desert. Li Cu reaches for his water bottle, but Wu Xie takes it, reminding him that the road ahead is still long and it's too early to drink. Li Cu reluctantly agrees, asking for his bottle back. Wang Meng supports Wu Xie, vouching for his boss's extensive experience. Nearby, Brother Mai playfully teases Galu.
Su Nan sternly warns Brother Mai that such jokes could be fatal and that she doesn't want to say it again. Su Nan then approaches Wu Xie, noting their shared hardships and suggesting he shouldn't keep secrets from her, especially regarding Li Cu's peculiarities. Wu Xie, realizing she's probing for information, reveals he initially studied architecture before learning "weird stuff" from his Third Uncle, which also involved significant suffering.
Li Cu jokingly asks if Wu Xie has relatives, to which Wu Xie retorts, "Who doesn't have a family? Do you think I was born from a stone?" Su Nan says she has no family, prompting Wu Xie to remark that she nonetheless appears to lead a free and easy life. Suddenly, Director Wang's compass begins to malfunction. Wu Xie deduces there's a magnetic ore deposit beneath their feet. Shortly after, the camels refuse to move.
Wu Xie estimates that GuTongJing must be nearby, given the time they've traveled from Galu's home. He instructs everyone to take their bags, abandon the camels, and split up to search. As they prepare, Li Cu discovers Wu Xie's gun in Director Wang's bag. Director Wang, highly agitated since realizing Brother Mai's group are wanted criminals, snatches the gun.
Wu Xie requests it back, stating he needs it to protect everyone, but Director Wang declares he trusts no one but himself. He vents his frustration at being a film director now stuck with criminals, blaming Master Ma for everything. Master Ma provokes him to shoot, but Director Wang, lacking the courage to shoot Master Ma directly, fires a shot into the air instead. He then hysterically claims they will all die there.
Wu Xie calmly retorts that if he kills them all, no one will be left to lead him to GuTongJing or out of the desert. Wu Xie, recalling Li Cu's past experiences with being beaten by his father, abruptly punches Li Cu in the nose, causing it to bleed. He declares it's time for Li Cu's blood to serve its purpose as a guide. Su Nan remarks on the unusual nature of Li Cu's blood.
Following the trail of Li Cu's blood, the group soon discovers a body of water. Excited, they rush towards it. Brother Mai is the first to spot glittering gold along the shore, leading the film crew to frantically collect it, believing they've struck it rich. Master Ma and Su Nan, however, remain uninterested, understanding that such an abundance of easily accessible gold means there's something far more valuable hidden beneath GuTongJing.
Su Nan warns Wu Xie that she will eventually force him to reveal all his secrets. After collecting some gold, the group sets up camp. However, the newfound wealth quickly breeds discord. The film crew members bicker, each trying to assert authority over the others. Meanwhile, Brother Mai's group considers Master Ma a liability and discusses plans to eliminate him. Wu Xie and Li Cu sit by the water, apart from the others.
Li Cu, puzzled, asks Wu Xie why he doesn't care about the gold and what his true purpose is for being there. Wu Xie recalls a conversation with Xie Yuchen before his journey to GuTongJing. He had asked Xie Yuchen to monitor suspicious individuals within the Nine Clans Association, acknowledging that Xie Yuchen's position would become dangerous and suggesting he seek help from Zhang Rishan if necessary.
Xie Yuchen expressed doubt, noting that QiongQi had withdrawn from association affairs after Uncle Buddha's passing, making Zhang Rishan's help unlikely, but assured Wu Xie he could manage alone. Wu Xie then tells Li Cu that he is remarkably similar to Wu Xie's younger self: impulsive, loyal, and thoughtful, but also disobedient and undisciplined, qualities his Third Uncle frequently criticized.
When Li Cu asks who this mysterious Third Uncle is, Wu Xie simply states that his Third Uncle is "not a human at all." Meanwhile, Master Li and Master Qi visit Zhang Rishan again at the Crescent Hotel. Though annoyed, Zhang Rishan agrees to meet them. They present him with exquisite HongBiaoSongPin tea but accompany it with a fake tea set. Zhang Rishan immediately identifies the tea set as a fake due to its unnaturally new glaze and distinct color.
The two masters then produce nine appraisal certificates, all bearing the BaoSheng stamp, claiming subsequent re-appraisals proved them to be forgeries. They accuse BaoSheng of fraud and propose a rotating system for the appraisal stamp to prevent any single clan from monopolizing it.
Zhang Rishan defends BaoSheng's strict practices and denies any wrongdoing, reminding them of Uncle Buddha's decree that the QiongQi and BaoSheng stamps represent the "head and tail" of the Nine Clans, and that any changes require a full association meeting. The two masters then suggest suspending BaoSheng's stamp to consolidate power with QiongQi. Zhang Rishan, however, produces his own BaoSheng business card, revealing a genuine, hidden watermark that exposes the Li and Qi families' certificates as crude fakes.
He dismisses their attempts as petty schemes and advises them to gather real evidence if they wish to challenge BaoSheng. Afterward, Zhang Rishan instructs his subordinate to locate Xie Yuchen. Xie Yuchen is seen at his master's memorial, lamenting the current situation. When Xie Yuchen eventually meets Zhang Rishan, he emphasizes that the most critical aspects of their plan, apart from Wu Xie's involvement, must remain confidential.
He acknowledges that Wu Xie's journey to GuTongJing means Zhang Rishan is now undeniably involved, and while they hadn't expected his direct help, they hoped he wouldn't obstruct their path. Back in the desert, Li Cu expresses his frustration to Wu Xie that their current location is still not the real GuTongJing, annoyed by the repeated false alarms. He decides to take a bath in the water.
While bathing, Li Cu tells Wu Xie that he inadvertently saw a phoenix tattoo on Surige's back when she was bathing, sensing it hints at something significant about her. Wu Xie listens, appearing thoughtful. Unbeknownst to them, Galu watches them from a distance with a grim expression, clutching a knife he pulls from his clothes. Brother Mai, still resentful over their near-death experience at the hands of Galu's mother, drags Galu back to camp.
Feeling emboldened by the gold they found, Brother Mai also turns his aggression towards Master Ma. He holds a knife to Master Ma's throat, demanding to be called "Brother Mai." Master Ma refuses. After Brother Mai counts to three, Galu, to everyone's surprise, calls him "Brother Mai." Master Ma, enraged by Brother Mai's taunts and unable to lash out at him, turns his anger on Galu, beating him. Galu's demeanor suddenly changes completely.
He pulls out a knife, stabs Master Ma, and then commands Brother Mai to tie up the others. Surprisingly, Su Nan instructs Brother Mai to obey Galu. Wu Xie realizes the immediate danger and urges Li Cu to get out of the water and dress quickly. They hear shouts and realize Master Ma has been fatally wounded.
