Ultimate Note Episode 30 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
Upon finding themselves trapped within the abandoned Huo family's old store, Wu Xie, Fatty, and Zhang discovered it was a training ground for Mrs Huo. They barely escaped a simulated quicksand pit before encountering a stone door labeled "Entrance." Inside, they found an octagonal room, clearly a replica of a significant building. A countdown timer on the wall spurred Wu Xie to consult the Yangshi Lei Archives he possessed, confirming the layout was identical to the blueprint.
He deduced Mrs Huo was replicating an ancestral mortuary and that they were being monitored. As the countdown dwindled, alkali powder filled the room, making breathing difficult. Wu Xie quickly pressed the corresponding rivets on a pillar, opening the door to the second level. Mrs Huo, indeed, was watching them from her monitors, having orchestrated their fall into the quicksand and subsequent entry into the replica building.
She knew she couldn't simply take the Yangshi Lei Archives from Wu Xie, so she intended to force him to navigate the simulated building, effectively extracting the blueprint details from his actions. On the third floor, they encountered only a human-faced tortoise sculpture. Wu Xie began to sketch on the floor, drawing the Gen hexagram, followed by Kun and Kan.
He explained that Gen represents mountains, Kun represents earth, and Kan represents water, suggesting the human-faced tortoise, though an earth deity, is intrinsically linked to water and lives by it in deep mountains. Fatty, claiming to have also read "Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era," comically interjected with his own misinterpretations of other hexagrams, which Wu Xie sarcastically confirmed.
Proceeding to the fourth level, which was designed to house precious collections, Fatty commented on the Huo family's dedication, using such valuable items as props. Wu Xie observed that the building was a 1:1 replica, a testament to Mrs Huo's meticulous preparation to minimize risks for a future personal visit to the actual location. Fatty jokingly suggested Wu Xie should simply hand over the Yangshi Lei Archives to Mrs Huo.
Wu Xie, however, noticed that all the pillars were covered in oilcloth. Upon removing them, they discovered the pillars collectively formed a "backbone," signifying strong reinforcement measures. Realizing the depth of the situation, Wu Xie decided they needed to analyze their surroundings. With brush and ink, they deliberated, noting the simulated quicksand pool's moisture-resistant properties and the extra layer of waterproofing on the fourth floor, indicating the actual building's highly humid location.
They also observed the prevalence of Qilin and human-faced tortoise sculptures, suggesting the mortuary's owning family was ancient and practiced totem worship. Considering the large structural supports, they concluded the building was in an unstable area, likely an earthquake or landslide-prone zone, narrowing the location to the southwest mountainous regions. Wu Xie then reminded Fatty about Cox Hendry's previous statement that the Yellow Silk rubbing was inextricably linked to Mrs Huo, inferring that both individuals sought the same item.
They further deduced that the alkali powder on the first floor wasn't merely for theft prevention or animal deterrence, but specifically to ward off Mi Luo Tuo. This led to the significant realization that the replicated building was none other than Zhang family's ancient buildings. Wu Xie acknowledged that his Yangshi Lei Archives was a crucial part of this larger structure. Fatty, recognizing Mrs Huo's manipulation, gloated that she had failed to acquire the archives and had even divulged information.
Confidently, they decided to leave, only to discover they were trapped, the remote control for the exits remaining with Mrs Huo. Suddenly, a wall was smashed, and Huo Xiuxiu appeared, having tracked them down. She urged them to follow her, admitting her grandmother had also deceived her. Wu Xie, realizing her action of destroying the wall meant she wasn't fully complicit, agreed to go but insisted on picking their hiding place.
They ended up at a foot massage parlor, which Huo Xiuxiu insisted was the "safest" and "most comfortable." Huo Xiuxiu confessed her grandmother had indeed set up Wu Xie, and Xiao Hua had instructed her to bring them to the old store, now making her suspect Xiao Hua's intentions. She apologized for the trouble they had endured. Wu Xie mentioned the two videotapes he had received.
Huo Xiuxiu then revealed that Mrs Huo had received similar videotapes ten years prior, showing her aunt, Huo Ling, crawling. Wu Xie admitted Xiao Hua had told him he, too, had been seen crawling in that place, but Wu Xie believed it wasn't truly him. This led Huo Xiuxiu to suspect the person in the video might not be her aunt either.
To confirm, she used an old photo of her aunt taken at Wangfujing Street at 18, measuring a mailbox to calculate her aunt's height (1. 67m-1. 69m). She then compared this to a photo from the Paracel Islands archaeological team, calculating the person's height based on a camera model (at most 1. 6m), proving an 8cm difference. She realized the person in the group photo was not her aunt.
Huo Xiuxiu further discovered that after 1976, when her aunt participated in an expedition, all photos of her ceased, leading her to believe someone else had returned in her aunt's place. Wu Xie confirmed her fears, revealing that the 1976 Banai expedition team had been completely replaced, a fact confirmed by their guide. Huo Xiuxiu was heartbroken, realizing her grandmother must have known her daughter was replaced but had to pretend otherwise.
She revealed that Mrs Huo herself had organized the Banai expedition, implying that the force behind the swapped team was "It." She added that Xiao Hua suspected "It" was not a physical force but a "psychological influence," explaining its pervasive nature. She also mentioned that "It" had influenced the Mystic Nine for at least three generations, starting from her grandmother's generation.
This connection between Chen Wenjin's expedition, Xiao Hua's Yellow Silk, Mrs Huo, and Zhang family's ancient buildings in Banai led Wu Xie to speculate that the actual Zhang family's ancient buildings might be a mortuary, aligning with Zhang's cryptic comment about that place being his "end." Later, as Wu Xie, Fatty, and Zhang were enjoying their foot baths, Huo Xiuxiu received a text message.
She abruptly returned to the parlor and, without explanation, forced the three men out, driving them to Xin Yue Restaurant. She provided them with masks for discretion, though Fatty refused to wear his, deeming it ugly. Soon after, Xiao Hua sent a text, confirming their location had been compromised. Huo Xiuxiu then suggested Wu Xie hand over the Yangshi Lei Archives to her for safekeeping.
However, Fatty, who claimed to never forget a woman's figure, immediately recognized her true identity as Xie Yu Chen (Xiao Hua). Xiao Hua removed his disguise, admitting he was caught quickly. He explained that his goal aligned with theirs: to uncover the truth, which required Mrs Huo's cooperation. He argued that Mrs Huo prioritized the archives over people, and to gain her trust, he had to appear to betray them.
He reassured Wu Xie that cooperating with Mrs Huo was necessary and would not bring harm. He then led them directly to Mrs Huo, who greeted Wu Xie, calling him as "slick as your grandfather." She immediately corrected Wu Xie's earlier analysis of the hexagrams and the "password" they had deduced, indicating she had been aware of their actions from the beginning.
