Tomb of the Sea Episode 38 Recap
> Tomb of the Sea Recap
After reading the snakes' pheromones, Li Cu awoke and was immediately interrogated by the Clan Wang leader about what he had seen. Li Cu recounted seeing a group of people entering a cave, led by a middle-aged man, and then he saw Wu Xie, who declared that Clan Wang's time was running out. The Clan Wang leader pressed Li Cu, demanding to know Wu Xie's true intentions and if he had revealed any other information.
Li Cu denied knowing anything further. Unconvinced, the Clan Wang leader decided to take Li Cu with them, splitting their forces into three teams for their mission. Later, at a network of pits, the Clan Wang members noted that the area appeared to be a significant mineral resource and ordered some of their men to investigate. While his subordinates were in the pits, the leader continued to interrogate Li Cu, who openly criticized their slow pace and inefficiency.
The leader questioned Li Cu, pointing out his proven ability to read snake pheromones and suspecting he was withholding information about Wu Xie. Li Cu admitted to keeping one thing to himself, unsure if it was relevant. The leader, stating his dislike for being deceived, warned Li Cu to choose his words carefully, threatening that if he ever lied, nothing he said afterward would be believed.
He added that before Li Cu's unique ability faded, he would be forced to disclose everything he knew. The leader then initiated a cruel method of torture, threatening to paralyze Li Cu's lower body, starting from the waist, and eventually crushing his spine to his chest if he did not cooperate. During this brutal exchange, the Clan Wang leader discovered the Seven-Fingers Map on Li Cu's back.
Although the map was faded and difficult to read, making it hard to identify the many diverging paths in the cave, the leader now completely confirmed that Li Cu knew the significance of their mission and the true path through the seven passages of the cave. Continuing their journey into a cave, the Clan Wang members observed the walls and ceiling were covered in snake sloughs.
One member speculated that these snakes had been there even before the rock formations and that the fresh scales and skin indicated the snakes were likely still alive. Li Cu, recalling the black hairy boas he had encountered before, tried to caution them, explaining that these dangerous snakes could inhabit human bodies, emit toxins to control nerves and muscles, causing strange gestures, and eventually turn people into monsters by seeking new hosts.
He urged them not to proceed, but the Clan Wang leader dismissed his warnings, stating their purpose in being there was precisely to find these snakes, implying Wu Xie must have known this. The Clan Wang members' lack of interest in the ordinary black hairy boas, despite their dangerous nature, further confirmed that their true objective was a more significant serpentine entity, likely the "Snake King" hinted at earlier.
Meanwhile, Master Black, Su Wan, and Liang Wan followed a trail marked by snake cypress powder. Su Wan was surprised by the extravagant amount of valuable powder used, but Master Black noted that the more Clan Wang wasted, the less they had left, which was to their advantage. He assured Su Wan that while fighting was his weakness, he had an advantage in the dark, allowing them to escape swiftly.
As they progressed, they heard Li Cu’s distant shouts of pain, after he had been thrown by the Clan Wang leader due to his leg injury and the difficulty in deciphering the route. Su Wan shouted back in response, inadvertently attracting the Clan Wang members, who began to pursue them. Master Black led Su Wan and Liang Wan into a hiding spot, expressing the need for a gun.
Liang Wan scoffed at the idea of finding a gun in such a place, but to their surprise, Su Wan produced a bomb from his bag, effectively deterring their pursuers. Elsewhere, Wang Pangzi and Huo Xiuxiu brought a captured Clan Wang member, Chen Haisheng, to a luxurious mansion. Wang Pangzi attempted various tactics to wake him, eventually pouring high-proof Vodka on him and igniting it. Chen Haisheng finally opened his eyes.
After intense questioning, Chen Haisheng revealed his name, but Wang Pangzi demanded his clan name. A Kangbaroian accompanying Wang Pangzi then revealed a large tattoo on his arm, larger than the one on Chen Haisheng's back, identifying himself as a Kangbaroian. He explained that Clan Wang's ancestors, during their time in Kangbaro, learned Zhang family secrets and later adopted Kangbaroian imagery as their totem, establishing Clan Wang. According to Clan Wang's ancestral rules, they must unconditionally obey Kangbaroians.
Under this pressure, Chen Haisheng finally divulged his true clan name: Wang Can. Wang Pangzi acknowledged Wang Can’s efforts to conceal his identity but attributed his failure to a lack of experience and his ingrained Clan Wang demeanor. Huo Xiuxiu then discovered that their phone lines had been cut. Realizing they were under attack by a large contingent of Clan Wang members, Wang Pangzi instructed Huo Xiuxiu to cut the power, plunging the mansion into darkness.
Armed with a baseball bat, Wang Pangzi engaged the Clan Wang attackers, who were equipped with crossbows. Overwhelmed by their numbers, Wang Pangzi and Huo Xiuxiu fled. The Kangbaroian pursued Wang Can, leaving Wang Pangzi and Huo Xiuxiu to face the remaining assailants alone. Wang Pangzi, finding a lighter, poured alcohol throughout the room, placed the lighter in a microwave to raise the temperature, and then set a timer. As the room exploded, Wang Pangzi and Huo Xiuxiu were thrown through a window into an outdoor swimming pool, escaping the blast.
