Ultimate Note Episode 29 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
The old Huo family shop was far from peaceful, as Wu Xie, Fatty, and Zhang inadvertently fell into quicksand beneath the bathroom. Fatty, complaining that Wu Xie and Zhang’s actions nearly got him killed, was instructed by Wu Xie to lie down and slowly extract his legs.
They realized the quicksand, a part of a training ground in Huo Xiuxiu’s family's abandoned shop, was designed to be lethal; if it reached their chests, every breath would draw sand in, leading to suffocation. After a struggle, they finally managed to escape, only to find the wall entrance behind them had closed. Before them now stood a new door, with the word 'Entrance' written on it, prompting them to venture inside.
Upon entering, they found themselves on the first floor of an octagonal structure. They deduced it was likely a simulated tower or building used by the Huo family. A countdown appeared on a wall display, causing panic, especially when a fine powder, identified as lye, began to disperse from openings, raising fears of inhalation. Wu Xie quickly recognized that the window's position matched a design on his Yangshi Lei drawing, suggesting the structure was a replica of a morgue.
Realizing they were being observed, Wu Xie attempted to negotiate with the "head of the Huo family" through a hidden speaker, threatening to tear the drawing if the timer wasn't stopped. However, he soon speculated that Mrs. Huo might not even know her granddaughter had brought them there. As the countdown dwindled, Zhang approached a Qilin statue, murmuring "Final destination… my final destination," making Wu Xie wonder if he had been there before.
They noticed four identical pillars, but the Qilin was specifically facing one. Upon closer inspection, they identified it as a gilded bronze Qilin head, and the pattern on the Yangshi Lei drawing matched rivets on the pillar, numbered one to seven, possibly corresponding to different floors. As the countdown ended, more lye streamed out. Wu Xie quickly identified and pressed the correct rivet, opening the door to the second level.
As they moved to the safety of the next section, Wu Xie realized that their presence in the old shop was no coincidence. He concluded that Mrs. Huo must have known they were there and had orchestrated their fall into the quicksand, as well as their entry into this architectural simulation. It became clear that they had been deliberately set up. Meanwhile, Mrs. Huo was indeed watching them on a surveillance monitor, clearly amused by their progress.
Wu Xie explained to Fatty that the Yangshi Lei drawing depicted a morgue, a place where coffins of those who died away from home were temporarily stored, considered highly ominous in ancient fengshui. He elaborated that traditional morgues rarely had visible stairs or exits to avoid disturbing the fengshui, but they always included hidden passageways for workers and funeral attendants, which the Yangshi Lei drawing likely revealed.
Fatty commended Wu Xie and Zhang for their quick thinking in deciphering the drawing. Wu Xie further illustrated how the drawing's varied label sizes and the Qilin statue's perspective, combined with the rolled drawing, perfectly matched the pillar's rivets, resembling a complex escape room. Fatty suspected they were being spied on and suggested provoking Mrs. Huo, but Wu Xie dismissed the idea, knowing she wouldn't be easily swayed.
Following the Qilin's direction, they discovered it pointed towards a sliding door, indicating a moving maze designed in the style of Qimen Dunjia. They decided to follow the Qilin’s lead towards what was traditionally the "Living Door," a concept Wu Xie had encountered in the Land of the Heavenly Queen Mother. However, once they entered, the doors behind them automatically closed, turning their path into a one-way progression. Despite their efforts, they found themselves going in circles.
Zhang swiftly saved them from a closing trap, prompting Wu Xie to realize that the "Living Door" was leading them to a dead end. He suddenly understood: since this was a morgue, the deceased would not take the Living Door; instead, they should seek the "Death Door" in the southwest. However, they had lost their sense of direction within the bewildering octagonal labyrinth.
Fatty suggested they return to the Qilin sculpture for reorientation, but Zhang stated it was unnecessary, revealing that the sculpture itself was turning. Wu Xie grasped that the external elements of the maze were constantly shifting. Despite the disorienting movements of metal cages and spinning sculptures, Wu Xie realized the four cardinal directions remained constant, unaffected by the internal shifts.
Fortuitously, the weak soundproofing allowed them to hear the mechanism of the previous room's lye spray, which they could use as a fixed point of reference to determine their true southwest direction. He noted the lye would spray for three minutes, offering a temporary guide. Following the new orientation, they successfully located the pillar corresponding to the Death Door. Wu Xie mused, "Life means death, death means life," acknowledging the paradox.
Near the pillar, they discovered a bookshelf filled with documents. Among them, Wu Xie found a photograph of a young man and Xiao Hua. He clarified to Fatty that the man was Xie Lian Huan, noting the photo was from 1983, before his "Uncle San" went to Xisha. He puzzled over why the Huo family possessed Xie family photos. He then found another photo, this one from 1989, showing Xie Lian Huan celebrating young Wu Xie’s birthday.
Most strikingly, he found a photo of someone who looked exactly like him, prompting Fatty to jokingly suggest he might have "retrograde amnesia" and immortality like Zhang. Wu Xie dismissed this, observing the person in the photo was much older, implying he would be the one replacing the other, not vice versa. Fatty declared Wu Xie the "real Master Xiao San," deeming others "forgeries," and Wu Xie labeled the doppelganger an "old forgery."
While Wu Xie and his companions explored, Huo Xiuxiu returned to the old shop, calling for Wu Xie, but found it empty. She discovered old photos of the Mystic Nine, but one particular photo seemed deliberately placed, making her suspect Mrs. Huo's malicious intent. She then encountered Mrs. Huo's agents, who were there to take her home.
Realizing her grandmother had orchestrated everything, Huo Xiuxiu angrily confronted Mrs. Huo, questioning why she had to lure Wu Xie for the Yangshi Lei drawing when they could have simply discussed it. Mrs. Huo downplayed the situation, calling it merely a "training ground" or "escape room" with no real danger, stating it was preparation for future expeditions.
Huo Xiuxiu insisted on her friends' release, threatening to go back herself, but Mrs. Huo fiercely threatened to break her legs, emphasizing that she was handling important matters and would not be indulged. Despite the threat, Huo Xiuxiu defiantly sat down, refusing to leave until she received answers, forcing Mrs. Huo to order her back to her room. Back in the simulated building, Wu Xie and his friends moved into the third room.
They noted the absence of traps, which struck them as unusual given the elaborate mechanisms of the previous two rooms. The only object present was a large statue of a human-faced tortoise. Wu Xie immediately recognized its rarity and immense value, explaining its significance as a totem of Shennong’s descendants, mentioned in the "Imperial Readings of Taiping Era". He pondered its meaning within the replica structure.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Huo, still observing them, received a report from her assistant that they couldn't get a clear image of the Yangshi Lei drawing from Wu Xie's hands. Mrs. Huo remained unconcerned, asserting that Wu Xie's step-by-step progression through the challenges was effectively the same as him handing the drawing directly to her. Her assistant confirmed that they had successfully reconstructed the floor plans from Wu Xie's actions on the previous levels.
Fatty, sensing a "dangerous smell" from Zhang and Wu Xie but not perceiving it himself, suggested retreating. Wu Xie, however, reasoned that the danger wasn't severe, given that Mrs. Huo was his senior and they operated within a lawful society. He emphasized that they couldn't leave empty-handed, reiterating that despite the room's apparent lack of riddles, the human-faced tortoise statue held significant information.
When Fatty admitted that Wu Xie’s complex theories were beyond his understanding, Wu Xie offered to explain the tortoise's divination at a later time, asking for a pen to draw out his explanations for better clarity.
