Tomb of the Sea Episode 45 Recap
> Tomb of the Sea Recap
Li Cu, now at Clan Wang's facility after his return from GuTongJing, found himself under the care of Shen Qiong, whom he was instructed to call "Sis" when others were around, though she preferred Shen Qiong. She revealed that members of Clan Wang rarely ate well unless they were on a mission. Li Cu spent his days in classes, where an instructor recounted an ancient tale of immortality.
Three thousand years ago, King Mu of Zhou, traveling in the Kunlun Mountains, received the Elixir of Life from the Queen Mother of the West. Though it promised immortality, it came with a severe side effect: the user would awaken only after three millennia. Before taking the elixir, King Mu commissioned two jade cocoons; he sealed himself in one and an unformed infant from a dissected pregnant woman in the other.
His plan was to achieve eternal life when the infant matured. However, after three millennia, it was the infant, Zhang Qiling, who gained immortality, not King Mu. The instructor identified Zhang Qiling as Clan Wang's eternal enemy and asserted that without Zhang Qiling, their ancestors would not exist. Li Cu questioned the story's plausibility, particularly the existence of an elixir, concluding that it was merely a symbol, with Zhang Qiling serving as a ruling idol.
The instructor acknowledged his independent thought. The instructor then showed a video about Clan Zhang, a family that guarded the secret of immortality for generations, unbeknownst to outsiders. This secret was eventually discovered by a geomancer named Wang Zanghai. He realized Clan Zhang not only possessed the secret of eternal life but also controlled the lives of ordinary people. Wang Zanghai sought to resist them, believing people should live freely.
Unable to achieve this alone in his lifetime, he encoded his plan to defeat Clan Zhang on snake eyebrow copper fish, hoping future generations, known as Clan Wang, would carry it out. Li Cu jokingly wondered if he would have to change his surname to Wang, while the instructor clarified that their connection was through shared ideals, not blood. Shen Qiong (who had identified herself as Wang Xiaoyuan) also made a passing comment about her own name aligning with "Wang."
Shen Qiong informed Li Cu that her own ratio, which determines their fate within the clan, was "infinity approaches zero," a number she was born with. She warned him never to leave the building as snipers were on the rooftop. Li Cu expressed nostalgia for his home rooftop, where he and Su Wan used to drink and discuss life, including Shen Qiong. She humorously recalled them peeping at her showering from there.
Li Cu asked when he could go on missions like her, to which she replied, "When your ratio drops to zero." He confided in her, hoping Su Wan would never learn about his current circumstances. The instructor declared Li Cu's "white lessons," focused on wisdom, were complete, and he would begin "black lessons" the next day. These "black lessons" involved combat training.
To prepare him, Shen Qiong took Li Cu to an outdoor arena and attacked him, instructing him to fight back. She easily defeated him, demanding dumplings as her prize, and promised to continue training him daily, stating it was for his own good. She explained the "black lessons" rules: a badge-grabbing game for four people divided into two teams, with three badges available. Each participant had a one-minute countdown to acquire a badge, or face elimination.
Avoiding elimination meant securing a badge, and teammates could not fight each other but could yield a badge. She warned that many students were eliminated in the first class and never seen again. When Li Cu tried to find a weapon, she told him it was useless. Shen Qiong specifically told Li Cu to choose her as his partner for the upcoming black lesson.
However, when the black lesson began, led by Mr. Wang (Wang Xiansheng), Li Cu chose a stranger instead. He did this after observing glass jars with Clan Wang members' names, noting Wang Zanghai's jar was empty, and because he didn't want Shen Qiong to take care of him, believing he could manage on his own.
Mr. Wang reiterated the rules, adding that hatred could be a source of strength, and that this brutal selection process had been a Clan Wang tradition for years. Meanwhile, Su Wan followed the address on the glasses given to him by Master Black to an optical store. The owner initially denied knowing anyone by that description but eventually directed him to Master Black at a nearby food stand.
There, Master Black was enjoying his usual fried rice with pork and green pepper. Su Wan informed him that Yang Hao had joined Huo Daofu. Master Black, unfazed, explained that it was human nature for people, like gamblers, to pursue their losses, and Yang Hao desired more than just money. To ensure a better outcome, Master Black suggested Su Wan also join, much like Wu Xie chose to remain with his companions despite an opportunity to leave.
Su Wan, determined to stand by his brother, knelt and asked Master Black to accept him as an apprentice. Master Black agreed to test him but first collected a hefty tuition fee using a portable POS machine, also making Su Wan pay for his meal. The next day, Su Wan struggled in school, unable to answer his teacher's questions after his experiences in GuTongJing, earning him a stern reprimand.
Later, for his training with Master Black, Su Wan was told to pick a knife. He chose an "ugly" dagger, which Master Black insisted he keep and use for all future cutting tasks, instructing him to master it as if it were an extension of his own hands, and to overcome any fear of being cut by it. Su Wan named the dagger "Small Apple."
Yang Hao, now known as Manager Yang under Huo Daofu, was actively engaged in nefarious activities. He led a group of people to kick open the Nine Gates' shops, smashing and grabbing. He was seen on the phone, confirming the successful "handling" of the LiCai company, before dismissing his subordinates. In the snow mountains, Wu Xie and Su Nan fought against the relentless blizzard. Su Nan eventually succumbed to exhaustion and collapsed.
Wu Xie, despite his own fatigue, struggled to help her up, but both eventually collapsed again. Fortunately, lamas from a temple deep within the mountains discovered them and brought them to safety. Su Nan awoke to find Wu Xie had prepared a plentiful meal. He explained that the supplies were brought in monthly by local herdsmen who trekked for a week through the mountains. Due to the extreme cold, the food remained preserved, though not entirely fresh.
Wu Xie noted they were still trapped in the snow mountains and not yet at "the time neither of them wanted to face." Su Nan, still antagonistic, expressed a desire to kill him, criticizing Clan Wang's values. Wu Xie, undeterred, advised her to rest her eyes to prevent snowblindness. Su Nan retorted that she would rather be blind than see him, but Wu Xie pointed out they were fortunate to have shelter.
Su Nan questioned Wu Xie's familiarity with the temple, especially the three constantly burning pots of fire with a raven perched above, noting that only the Manchu people worship ravens. Wu Xie recounted a legend about a lama who, trapped in the snow, was guided by three lights that turned out to be a three-eyed raven.
After the raven circled him three times, his surroundings transformed into a wonderland of fruits and hot springs, allowing him to survive four months until the snow melted. The lama then gathered people to build the temple, with the three fire pots symbolizing the raven's eyes and offering hope to other stranded travelers. Su Nan expressed skepticism, believing such legends merely served to conceal unpleasant truths.
Wu Xie, acknowledging the vast number of so-called supernatural occurrences throughout history, agreed that many "miracles" were crafted to hide ugly truths and guilty consciences. They both admitted that talking to each other was tiring, with four months still to endure. Meanwhile, Liang Wan and Zhang Rishan were trapped in a room by snake vines. Liang Wan felt that being with Zhang Rishan made even death worthwhile, and she even considered "doing the deed" with him there.
She took this opportunity to confess her deep feelings for Zhang Rishan, wishing to be with him. However, her directness startled Zhang Rishan, who could only feign ignorance to muddle through. As a woman, Liang Wan then felt too embarrassed to be overly proactive.
These three individuals, Li Cu, Su Wan, and Yang Hao, each took different paths under different mentors: Li Cu committed to Clan Wang for the survival of the Nine Gates, Su Wan endeavored to rescue his friend, while Yang Hao ruthlessly sought personal power, oppressing others along the way.
