Ultimate Note Episode 28 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
Upon arriving at Xin Yue Restaurant, Wu Xie confronts Mrs. Huo about the Yangshi Lei Archives. Mrs. Huo insists that if Wu Xie wants information, his grandmother, her childhood friend, must come to Beijing. Wu Xie protests, explaining his grandmother has not left their home since his grandfather's passing. Mrs. Huo dismisses this, insulting Wu Xie's deceased grandfather, and demanding his grandmother's presence.
Refusing to leave without answers, Wu Xie declares that he, Fatty, and Zhang will follow Mrs. Huo until she yields. He then defiantly sits in a historically significant seat next to her, a spot previously occupied only by Zhang Dafo Ye. Mrs. Huo, amused, challenges Wu Xie: if he can remain seated there until 4:30 PM, she will reveal everything about the Yangshi Lei Archives. Wu Xie accepts, even offering to be slapped if his grandfather had ever wronged her.
The auction at Xin Yue Restaurant promptly begins. Xiao Hua attempts to subtly signal Wu Xie, but Wu Xie stays put as Mrs. Huo recounts the seat's unique history, noting that Zhang Dafo Ye once sat there to win Mrs. Yin's hand in marriage. The main item up for bid is the Dragon Fish Ghost Seal, which Wu Xie and Fatty recognize as identical to the one Zhang saw at the Bronze Gate in Mount Changbai.
Everyone is awestruck by the rare treasure. The auctioneer explains the seal's legendary origins with King Shang of Lu, its ability to command a ghost army, and its power to open the Bronze Gate to reveal "the Ultimate." To Wu Xie's horror, a "heavenly lantern" is lit in his name, a symbolic act that obligates him to outbid all others and pay for every item sold, regardless of price.
Mrs. Huo taunts him, predicting ruin for the Wu family, and when Wu Xie warns that the Yangshi Lei Archives will be destroyed if he fails, she coolly states she deals with both the living and the dead, implying his death would make her acquisition easier. Despite the escalating situation, Mrs. Yin, the restaurant owner, allows the auction to continue. The bidding for the Ghost Seal skyrockets from RMB 50 million to RMB 100 million, financially devastating Wu Xie.
During an intermission, Mrs. Huo sarcastically requests a "Mu Ke Zhai" performance for Wu Xie. Fatty, realizing that their discreet conversations about escaping have been overheard by the auctioneer's assistant, urges Wu Xie to prepare to flee. As security guards move in, Zhang and Fatty bravely engage them in a brawl, desperately buying time for Wu Xie to remain in his seat until 4:30 PM.
Despite the violent struggle around him, Wu Xie endures the final moments, declaring victory precisely as the clock strikes the agreed time. Meanwhile, Zhang Ri Shan remains unperturbed in his room, listening to music, oblivious to the chaos outside and ignoring his secretary's frantic knocking. Mrs. Yin, the restaurant owner, confronts Zhang and Fatty for disrupting the auction and smashing her restaurant, but also offers them a way out if they wish to sell the Ghost Seal later.
During this commotion, Xie Yuchen arrives to speak with Mrs. Huo. He directly addresses the Yellow Silk, which he knows Mystic Nine retrieved from Mount Four Ladies with Mrs. Huo's involvement. He also reveals his awareness of her long-standing interest in the Yangshi Lei Archives, deducing she was Wu Xie's buyer.
Xie Yuchen presses Mrs. Huo, noting her family's migration while she remained, and proposes an alliance, arguing that the Xie family is her best partner given the Huo family's diminished influence. He emphasizes that their generation is now entangled in the same deep-seated issues that plagued previous Mystic Nine generations, and that by helping them, she helps herself.
Mrs. Huo agrees to the partnership, but dismisses Xie Yuchen's plea to assist Wu Xie, stating Wu Xie must handle his own problems. Fatty and Zhang continue their fight, creating a diversion that allows Wu Xie to escape with the Ghost Seal. However, just outside the restaurant, they are immediately ambushed by Liu Li Sun and his men.
Liu Li Sun declares his intention to reclaim the Ghost Seal and teach Wu Xie "gang rules" for disrupting the auction and pointlessly lighting the heavenly lantern. As a fight breaks out, Xiao Hua arrives in his car, rescuing Wu Xie, Fatty, and Zhang.
He takes them to the Xie family residence, but deeming it unsafe from Xin Yue Restaurant's retaliation, he quickly moves them to the Huo family's old shop, a secluded location known for its hidden treasures, where Huo Xiu Xiu assures them of their safety. At the old shop, Fatty reflects on the uncanny series of events: the Yangshi Lei Archives from Wu Xie's Uncle San, the buyer at Xin Yue Restaurant, and the Ghost Seal auction all converging.
He suggests that Wu Xie wasn't merely caught in circumstances but was deliberately "chosen" by the Mystic Nine, his curiosity guided to lead him deeper into their mysteries. Wu Xie then examines the Ghost Seal, initially thinking it is defective due to missing sections. However, Fatty explains that these are deliberately designed grooves meant to perfectly fit three rings, implying the original owner constantly wore them, securing the seal's components in place.
