Ultimate Note Episode 19 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
Wu Xie and Fatty waited in Bainai Village for Uncle Panma's return. Uncle Gui arrived and reassured them, explaining that it was normal for hunters in their village to spend two or three days, or even up to two weeks, in the mountains looking for prey and setting traps. He advised them to be patient and offered to prepare some wild game to help Fatty recuperate from his injury.
Fatty joked that he needed to strengthen his brain, not his body, a sentiment Wu Xie echoed. Uncle Gui then left to notify Panma's son to alert them when his father returned. Fatty, having retrieved the sulfuric acid, suggested to Wu Xie that they try it on the strange metal slab they had found earlier. When Zhang joined them, they poured the acid onto the metal slab.
The acid melted a saw blade but had no effect on the slab itself, confirming its unusual nature. Meanwhile, Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu met with a contact, Mop, who typically communicated with Master San. Xie Yuchen, also known as Master Hua, sought information on how to contact Master San. The man claimed that Master San usually initiated contact and tried to leave. Xie Yuchen, also addressed as Master Xiao Jiu by the contact, stopped him and pressed for answers.
Under duress, Mop revealed that his boss, the infamous Liu Li Sun, had instructed him to send anyone inquiring about Master San to the "Chun Teng Pavilion" at "Chu Yun Tea House" to be dealt with. Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu proceeded to the tea house. A waiter directed them to the Chun Teng Pavilion. However, upon reviewing the menu, Xie Yuchen noticed it was for "Zi Wei Pavilion" and realized they had walked into a trap.
Thugs immediately ambushed them. Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu fought their way out, with Huo Xiuxiu calling the police as they made their escape. Later, Xie Yuchen met with Mop again. Mop expressed his guilt for failing them and his disbelief that Master San might be dead. He recalled Master San's promise to take him to the mysterious Gu Zhang Yicheng Waterway in Xiangxi if their current expedition yielded no results.
Back in the village, Fatty, eager to impress Yun Cai, took on the task of cooking for her. Yun Cai offered to help, but Fatty insisted, stating that it was the older brother's duty to cook for his younger sister and boasting about his culinary skills. Yun Cai complimented Fatty on his swift recovery, then inquired about Uncle Panma, noting his prolonged absence.
Fatty asked if villagers always stayed so long in the mountains, to which Yun Cai reiterated the normal timeframes for hunters to locate prey and set traps. Suddenly, a distressed villager informed Uncle Gui that something had happened at Panma's house. Panma's son rushed in, distraught, holding a blood-stained shirt, declaring his intent to go find his father in the mountains.
Uncle Gui quickly calmed him, explaining that he had already sent other villagers to search, and someone needed to stay behind to care for Panma if he returned. He then directed Panma’s son to go upstairs to rest. Uncle Gui explained to Wu Xie, Zhang, and Fatty that the bloody shirt was found near Buffalo Trench, a dangerous and forbidden area in their village, rumored to be home to man-eating monsters, a place of no return.
He refused to go further himself. Wu Xie, however, confidently stated that they had ventured into many such "one-way" places before. Uncle Gui, though worried, could not stop them and simply urged them to be careful. Wu Xie, Fatty, and Zhang ventured into the mountains towards Buffalo Trench. Zhang spotted a trail of blood, and soon they found a blood-stained shirt hanging on a tree.
Wu Xie and Fatty deduced that Uncle Panma must have deliberately left these markers to guide them deeper into the mountains. As they followed the trail, they encountered numerous unusually sticky spiderwebs. Zhang observed that the spiders here were peculiar, producing incredibly strong silk capable of trapping even large animals like wild boars or lynxes. Wu Xie recalled Uncle Gui's warning about Buffalo Trench being a place of no return.
They realized the spiders were likely hiding, waiting for them to get stuck before attacking. As they proceeded cautiously, Fatty suspected Uncle Panma was leading them into a larger scheme, even believing he was behind the fire at Zhang's stilt house. Soon, a horde of spiders attacked. The trio ran, but disoriented by something, they found themselves running in circles and returning to the same spots. Fatty got bitten by a poisonous spider.
Fatty, despite his injury, fought bravely until he could no longer move. Just as Fatty weakened, Uncle Panma appeared. He explained that there was no natural antidote for the venom of these particular spiders, known as "Sacred Spiders" in his village, and a bite was usually fatal. He added that the spiderwebs also emitted a colorless, odorless gas that caused disorientation, making people walk in circles.
He mentioned a legend that individuals with a special type of blood might be immune to the venom, but he had never witnessed it. He then revealed the antidote: ash from the spiderweb mixed with broad bean root and curcuma powder. Wu Xie confronted Uncle Panma, accusing him of luring them into a death trap. Uncle Panma admitted he only intended to scare them away, not expecting them to be so persistent.
Wu Xie demanded to know the full truth of what happened decades ago. Uncle Panma agreed to tell the story but insisted that Zhang could not hear it, warning Wu Xie that his continued association with Zhang would inevitably lead to one of their demises. Wu Xie, refusing to believe him, followed Uncle Panma to his house. Uncle Panma sent his son out, then reiterated his warning, claiming that Zhang carried the "smell of the dead."
Wu Xie vehemently defended Zhang, stating he knew his friend better than anyone. Uncle Panma insisted he had said all he could and then agreed to recount the events of the expedition. Uncle Panma recalled the events from decades past, when he was a young man. A geological expedition team from Guangxi Shangsi, led by Chen Wen Jin, arrived in his village seeking a barrier lake located in the dangerous northwestern reaches of Yang Jiao Mountain.
Because of his extensive knowledge of the mountain, the village assigned him as their guide. Chen Wen Jin offered him a fee and a supplement of five catty of rice. They trekked for two days before finally reaching the lake, where the team set up a camp. For two months, they conducted unknown activities by the lake. Uncle Panma, whose role was only to guide, did not know what they were doing and did not dare ask.
One day, while delivering food supplies, he saw them moving many black boxes. Curious, he approached, believing them to contain treasures, but Chen Wen Jin warned him that the contents were dangerous and he should not touch them. Uncle Panma distinctly remembered a strong, unpleasant smell emanating from the boxes, though it was not a foul odor. As Uncle Panma began to describe the smell, a figure, "sloped shoulders," briefly appeared outside the window.
Uncle Panma immediately stopped his narrative, claiming he had told everything he knew, and abruptly rushed Wu Xie out of his house. Outside, Wu Xie met Fatty and Zhang, who had also seen "sloped shoulders" lurking by the window. Fatty realized that "sloped shoulders" must have been the one who coerced Uncle Panma into leading them into the Buffalo Trench trap.
Fatty also pointed out the logical connection Uncle Panma had made between the metal slab, the "smell of the dead," and danger, suggesting that Panma had experienced more than he let on, and "sloped shoulders'" appearance had cut his story short. Moments later, Uncle Panma rushed out of his house and was confronted by "sloped shoulders," who was furious that Panma had nearly revealed the full truth to Wu Xie. "
Sloped shoulders" prepared to attack Panma, but Zhang, Wu Xie, and Fatty arrived, having used spider deterrents to navigate the area. Panma revealed that "sloped shoulders" was also unaffected by the spider's venom, just like the trio.
Panma then offered a deal: if Wu Xie, Zhang, and Fatty helped him get rid of "sloped shoulders," he would tell them everything he knew about the past events and turn himself in, provided they could guarantee the safety of his son and grandson from further involvement. They agreed to his terms.
