Tomb of the Sea Episode 15 Recap
> Tomb of the Sea Recap
Wu Xie, Wang Meng, and Li Cu were in the desert, burying the bodies of engineers. Li Cu invoked blessings, saying, "Hallelujah! God bless! Oh mami mami hong!" He noted that those who died in the desert were said to never leave, but promised they would get out if the deceased blessed and followed them. He added that once outside, the spirits could reincarnate, scare people, or even make horror movies, as they wouldn't hinder each other.
Wang Meng complimented Wu Xie's unique handwriting, which Wu Xie explained was a friend's specialty, used to help one face death happily. Wang Meng called that friend "depressed," but Wu Xie hinted he was much more, promising an introduction if Li Cu wasn't "stewed." Li Cu then headed to search for supplies in the old trucks, with Wu Xie cautioning him to watch his steps.
While looking for supplies, the trio discovered that the "Lost Souls' Regrets" monument they had erected was gone. Li Cu initially thought it might be behind a slope, but Wu Xie confirmed it should be in its original spot. Wu Xie expressed an ominous feeling, believing such strange occurrences always lead to more bizarre events that eventually connect. Li Cu then pointed out snake-like crawling traces in the sand.
He observed that these marks weren't on the surface but from underneath, indicating some writhing creature, possibly snakes or other organisms, were moving underfoot. To be safe, Wu Xie decided they should spend the night in the truck. Moments later, something indeed moved beneath the sand. Wu Xie clarified it was a living thing, and since sand inhibits speed, it must still be nearby or deeper.
They began digging where the monument had been, only to discover that the bodies they had just buried had also vanished. Realizing the place was too eerie, Wu Xie changed his mind, instructing everyone to fill all available containers with water and gather supplies to leave before nightfall. However, before they could depart, a creature emerged from the sand, entangling Wang Meng's ankle and dragging him into a hole. Wu Xie was also pulled down, disappearing into the sand.
Li Cu, disoriented, was knocked unconscious by the creature. When he came to, he frantically tried to dig out Wu Xie and Wang Meng. Suddenly, a multi-tentacled, vine-like monster appeared beside him. Terrified, Li Cu fled towards a truck, hoping to find refuge inside. Believing his end was near, he recorded a final video message on his phone.
He identified himself, gave his address, and left messages for his father, mother, and his friend Su Wan, encouraging Su Wan to pursue Shen Qiong, clarifying his own relationship with her was purely platonic, and warning him to be kind to her or Li Cu would haunt him. Li Cu stated he was in GuTongJing, kidnapped, and that his kidnapper was dead, yet then paradoxically named Wu Xie as his kidnapper before being knocked out again by the monster.
When Li Cu regained consciousness, the monster was gone, and Wu Xie and Wang Meng had not returned. Meanwhile, Zhang Rishan visited Elder He, a respected figure in the Red Clan, to watch him perform "the suicide of Concubine Yu." Elder He, recognizing Zhang Rishan, jested that Zhang Rishan, having seen Vermilion (Er Ye) perform, was now mocking his own "display of slight skill before an expert" by attending.
Zhang Rishan countered by acknowledging Elder He's keen perception, suggesting he must be aware of the true intentions within the Jiu Men Association. Elder He advised Zhang Rishan, as a capable man, to handle his business matters himself. Zhang Rishan lamented the decline of the QiongQi Company, describing it as "dying out and surrounded by enemies." He expressed his desire to restore order to the Jiu Men's rules, expecting resistance.
Elder He asserted that Uncle Buddha was the one who first destabilized the Jiu Men by discovering GuTongJing and then forbidding entry, igniting a "threat" that had burned for over eighty years. He noted that Uncle Buddha's original followers were gone, and the current generation only sought treasures in GuTongJing, disregarding the rules. Elder He advised Zhang Rishan to remove Wu Xie from the Jiu Men Association instead of constantly protecting him.
Zhang Rishan insisted there were no treasures in GuTongJing, but Elder He pointed out that after so many lives were lost searching, no one believed him. Elder He believed Uncle Buddha Zhang's restoration of GuTongJing was meant to create a balance among the Jiu Men but instead fostered mutual suspicion.
Zhang Rishan argued that without such a deterrent, the Jiu Men would have disintegrated into an "empty shell," and that the Association needed a leader like Uncle Buddha, just as Vermilion had once followed him. Elder He scoffed at the idea of Wu Xie being the next Uncle Buddha, calling both Wu Xie and Zhang Rishan naive.
He further reminded Zhang Rishan that the Jiu Men members were all highly intelligent and well aware of Zhang Rishan's support for Wu Xie since his entry into GuTongJing. Elder He explicitly stated he could not help Zhang Rishan, lacking both the influence and the standing; he believed his mediation would be ignored, and his past experience was no longer relevant. As he concluded, Elder He offered a final philosophical caution about going against nature.
After the visit, Zhang Rishan instructed Luo Que to drive back, choosing to walk alone, reflecting on the certainty of the impending conflict and hoping Wu Xie would not fail him. In a different part of the desert, Li Cu found himself hiding in a truck with a mysterious old man who had appeared out of nowhere.
The man, who identified himself as a driver, reassured Li Cu that the creatures outside couldn't get to them, even as their tentacles battered the truck. Li Cu, still in pain from his back, asked what the creatures were, but the man didn't know, believing their noise had attracted them. Li Cu introduced himself, explaining he was stranded and his friends were dead.
The man wondered if Li Cu had fallen from a plane, to which Li Cu sarcastically replied he might have swum in from the sea. Li Cu questioned how the man could be from outside, but the old man dismissed it. The driver explained that the trucks were arranged in a circle to prevent the underground creatures from accessing water, as contact with water would turn them into man-eaters.
He credited "Brother Chui" with this strategy, noting that while the creatures reacted to metal and attacked the vehicles, they couldn't penetrate the barrier. Li Cu asked why the man was the only survivor. The man claimed that understanding the rules made survival possible, expressing his surprise at seeing another living person after so long, having believed he would age and die alone in the desert. He remarked on Li Cu's resemblance to Brother Chui.
The old driver explained he usually slept inside the truck to avoid the sound-sensitive creatures, only venturing out for food and water when absolutely necessary, making it difficult to keep track of time. He longed to escape but was trapped by the encircling creatures. Li Cu then inquired about the driver's team's purpose in the desert. The man recounted that the area once had houses, walls, and a factory.
He never knew why they were sent there, but it involved foreigners. Their team transported various goods, including daily provisions and gasoline, but also strange, riveted containers that were empty upon arrival and full upon departure. He recalled Brother Chui also being curious about their contents. In a flashback, a younger version of the old driver, then called "Yaoer" by Brother Chui, was shown discussing the mysterious containers and expressing his desire to become a driver.
Brother Chui, a jovial man, promised to let him wear his badge someday. The old driver recounted that one day they transported double the usual amount of containers. Upon returning, the factory was sealed, and all the foreigners were gone. Their team was left behind, searching for answers. Yaoer discovered all the phone lines were cut, except for one, which inexplicably connected to the "very bottom of the desert," implying the foreigners were communicating from underground.
The team was ordered to stay and await further instructions and were supplied with provisions. The old driver expressed regret that they didn't retreat then. He described how the desert began to change, with the sand, once yellow, turning white in spreading patches, as if the "desert had a tumor." People started disappearing, even from inside their tents. In response, the captain mandated that everyone tie themselves together with ropes, even during sleep.
During one such night, an underground creature pulled one of the men (Yaoer) away. Brother Chui, in a desperate act, cut the rope to save the others, sacrificing himself while urging Yaoer to run. The old driver tearfully recounted Brother Chui's final moments and how the white desert had come alive, trapping them. He claimed to have seen seven of the creatures.
He then asked to see the map engraved on Li Cu's back, hoping it matched what he had seen. Li Cu, however, grew suspicious, pointing out several inconsistencies in the old driver's story: the man's current physique contradicted his claim of being a skinny driver, suggesting he might be Brother Chui himself and had perhaps caused the skinny driver's death by cutting the rope.
Li Cu also noted that Brother Chui was dead before the trucks were circled, making the driver's claim that Brother Chui devised the strategy impossible. Finally, Li Cu questioned how the driver could have survived so long if all the trucks were buried before he and Wu Xie arrived, demanding to know his true identity. Meanwhile, back in the city, a large stack of packages had accumulated outside Li Cu's house.
The mailman, unable to deliver them, asked Su Wan to accept them on Li Cu's behalf since Li Cu was unavailable by phone. Su Wan moved the packages to his own home, noticing white sand clinging to some of them. His mother saw the pile and mistakenly thought they were Su Wan's study materials, advising him not to overstress and saying that "as long as it's gold, it will shine."
Su Wan reassured her he would get into a top university. Later, picking up a package, Su Wan shook it nervously, worried it might be a bomb. Upon opening it, he found an assortment of old, miscellaneous items, including an antique magnetic tape. He found an old tape player to listen to it, but heard nothing. He speculated it was either a blank tape or simply too old to work, but pondered why a blank tape would be so elaborately packaged.
