Ultimate Note Episode 31 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
Mrs Huo confronted Wu Xie, asserting that he had begun manipulating her with false information from the moment he encountered the human-faced tortoise, giving her incorrect passwords. Wu Xie acknowledged the exquisite craftsmanship of her model but clarified that he had inadvertently stumbled upon the truth due to a minor error. He explained that the rivets on the blueprint were oval, not circular, and should have been pressed on the side of the pillars from his perspective.
However, he had pressed the rivet directly in front of him. When the passage opened automatically despite his mistake, he deduced that someone was secretly controlling the mechanisms. To confirm his suspicion, he intentionally pressed the wrong rivet, and, as expected, the passage still opened. He then revealed that his subsequent discussions about the "Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era," the "Eight Trigrams," and "Five Elements" were merely a ruse.
He clarified that his seemingly random drawings of trigrams were actually Morse code, which, when deciphered, conveyed the message "we are spied" and "the Huo family is trying to get the drawing from me." He admitted it was a "cheap trick" but credited Mrs Huo's elaborate setup for ultimately leading him to the discovery that the secret behind the Yangshi Lei Archives was Zhang family's ancient buildings.
Mrs Huo concurred with his findings and proposed cooperation, recognizing his possession of the Yangshi Lei and his desire to enter the ancient buildings. Wu Xie, suspicious of Mrs Huo's sudden offer, retorted that she had never intended to cooperate since their encounter at Xin Yue Restaurant, making her current proposal seem belated. He knew she only sought the Yangshi Lei drawing from him. When Mrs Huo warned she would act mercilessly if he refused, Wu Xie produced the drawing.
To everyone's astonishment, he tore it and began to eat it, declaring that while he might not bring glory to the Wu family, he still possessed his integrity. He calmly stated that he had already memorized the contents, so she could "rip him open" if she wished. Enraged, Mrs Huo commanded her bodyguards to attack. Before they could reach Wu Xie, Zhang Qiling intervened, blocking them. During the confrontation, Mrs Huo noticed Zhang Qiling's unusually long fingers.
She immediately ordered her guards to stop, questioning if he was indeed the person with the Qilin tattoo Xiao Hua had mentioned. Upon confirming Zhang Qiling's identity, Mrs Huo, typically a proud and aloof elder of the Mystic Nine, astonishingly knelt before him. Wu Xie and his companions quickly helped her up, preventing her from completing such a profound bow. Standing, Mrs Huo carefully observed Zhang Qiling and asked if he remembered her.
She added that if he did, he would not have come to the Huo family. She then confidently declared that if he joined them, they would undoubtedly succeed this time. With Zhang Qiling present, Mrs Huo deemed further concealment unnecessary. She summoned an aide and presented seven Yangshi Lei blueprints, explaining they were designed by Lei Si Qi in the 25th year of Daoguang's reign.
She revealed that she had built her model based on these blueprints but realized one vital piece was missing, preventing her from fully deciphering the hidden passage's secret. Wu Xie inquired about her specific need for the drawing. Mrs Huo vaguely replied that her "master" desired it. Her subordinate then reported their inability to obtain a clear photograph of Wu Xie's drawing.
Mrs Huo dismissed this, asserting that Wu Xie's gradual discovery was no different from him handing the information directly to her. Wu Xie claimed to be aware of most of what she had said. Mrs Huo then divulged that she had acquired her seven blueprints from the hidden layers of the seven videotapes that Xiu Xiu had found. She confirmed she had seen the distressing content of the tapes.
She defiantly stated that despite her age, she was not muddle-headed and recognized that someone was threatening her daughter's life to force her into Zhang family's ancient buildings. She vowed to retrieve what they sought before her unseen adversaries, thereby compelling them to reveal themselves. She proclaimed her ignorance of their identities or whereabouts, only knowing they were malevolent, having endangered her daughter and manipulated her for years.
She vowed to enter Zhang family's ancient buildings to settle these scores, as the Huo family always seeks revenge. Mrs Huo then brought up the Ghost Seal, noting that it had found its way back to its original owners, the Wu family, after being stolen from Xin Yue Restaurant. She stated that with the Yangshi Lei, the Ghost Seal, and Zhang Qiling’s presence, Wu Xie was clearly already deeply involved in the larger scheme.
Wu Xie questioned her meaning, and also took the opportunity to ask about a decades-old photo from the Huo family's old shop, which showed someone identical to him at the Golmud Sanatorium. Mrs Huo cryptically replied that all the answers were in Zhang family's ancient buildings, urging him to see for himself, adding that he was just "one step away from the truth."
However, Zhang Qiling stated that he did not trust Mrs Huo and, pulling Wu Xie along, immediately turned and left. Mrs Huo, undeterred, told her subordinate not to pursue them and announced that they would depart in three days, confident that Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie would eventually join them.
She then subtly accused her subordinate, Xiao Hua, of pretending to cooperate with her while actually trying to help Wu Xie by arranging for him to be part of the expedition. Xiao Hua simply retorted that Wu Xie was already "deeply involved," as Mrs Huo herself had noted. A colossal bill from Xin Yue Restaurant arrived, totaling 260 million, which shocked Wang Pangzi. Xiao Hua revealed he had acted as their guarantor, saving them from immediate trouble.
Wu Xie attempted to settle a past trick by Xiao Hua, but Xiao Hua countered that he had only feigned loyalty to Mrs Huo to extract information to aid them. Wang Pangzi then audaciously asked Xiao Hua to clear their Xin Yue Restaurant debt. Xiao Hua firmly declined, clarifying his role as only a guarantor, and insisted they must repay the money themselves.
He offered to reconsider helping with the debt or extending the guarantee only if Wu Xie agreed to cooperate with the Huo family, otherwise, he would not intervene if Xin Yue Restaurant pursued them. Wu Xie argued against cooperation, citing Zhang Qiling's accurate sixth sense and his distrust of Mrs Huo. Faced with the daunting debt, Wang Pangzi reluctantly concluded that despite their distrust, they had no choice but to go. Xiao Hua, satisfied, confirmed their reluctant agreement.
Xiao Hua then relayed Mrs Huo's expedition plan: two teams, one heading to Banai, the other to Sichuan's Mount Four Ladies. Wang Pangzi, confused, pointed out that Zhang family's ancient buildings was supposedly in Banai. Xiao Hua clarified that the mission was interconnected, and further details would come from Mrs Huo. He then announced that the Huo and Xie families would cover all equipment, expenses, and necessary permits.
Relieved, Wu Xie asked Wang Pangzi to accompany him on an errand to Jin Wan Tang's shop. Wu Xie sought a replacement for Zhang Qiling's Black Gold Sword, lost in Buffalo Trench. Jin Wan Tang displayed various weapons, but Wu Xie found them unsatisfactory, calling them "toys" and unsuitable for his needs, despite having provided a specific drawing. Jin Wan Tang, however, deemed the design impractical and refused to deal in "controlled weapons."
Recalling Xiao Hua's statement about covered expenses and equipment, Wu Xie realized the sword could be considered equipment. They then approached Xiao Hua, who readily provided a fine sword. Wang Pangzi marveled at Xiao Hua's generosity. Wu Xie began carving a mark on the new sword for Zhang Qiling, explaining that "Dragon's Back" was a term his Third Uncle used to refer to Zhang Qiling, implying the Black Gold Sword, and was also a general term for precious items.
Wang Pangzi commented on the sword's quality but noted the carving was rough. As the two teams embarked, Wu Xie and Xie Yuchen endured several days of arduous travel before reaching Mount Four Ladies. Their guide led them to the place where Mrs Huo's contact was supposed to be. Upon arrival, they found the house seemingly empty but for a continuously burning fire.
Wu Xie warned Xie Yuchen to stay away from the fire, explaining it was no ordinary flame; locals called it "Ximi," a sacred fire believed to have been left by the Fire God millennia ago, perpetually burning and demanding reverence lest one face severe consequences. Just then, shouts were heard from outside. Hei Yan Jing, attempting to escape from people he had apparently swindled, was intercepted.
He tried to charm his way out by offering massages, even diagnosing his pursuers with various ailments, while noting their wealth. His pursuers, upon seeing Xiao Hua, seemed to recognize him as influential and, calling him 'rich,' allowed Hei Yan Jing to make his escape. Seizing the opportunity, Hei Yan Jing made his escape, gleefully thanking "kind Master Hua'er" for the implicit rescue.
Xiao Hua, however, quickly reminded Hei Yan Jing to repay the debt of a thousand goats he owed, which Hei Yan Jing admitted he couldn't afford, hence his prior attempts to pay through massage. However, one of Hei Yan Jing's pursuers then announced that the money for the "thousand goats" debt had been transferred, leading Hei Yan Jing to joyfully thank "kind Master Hua'er" for settling his account.
Wu Xie inquired about the large debt, and Hei Yan Jing cryptically blamed "that damned sacred fire." Xie Yuchen then confirmed that Hei Yan Jing was indeed the person Mrs Huo had arranged for them to meet. Hei Yan Jing lamented his losses but cheekily suggested that the payment for this trip should go towards his goat debt, prompting Xiao Hua to retort that he should continue "selling himself" to repay it.
Meanwhile, Zhang Qiling and Wang Pangzi arrived at Uncle Gui's home in Banai, accompanied by Mrs Huo and her granddaughter, Huo Xiuxiu. Huo Xiuxiu asked when they would enter the mountain, and Mrs Huo replied they would rest that day and scout the next. A local warned against entering the mountain due to heavy rains and the risk of mudslides, especially with "young kids" in their group, advising them to wait.
Mrs Huo, however, retorted that some debts had to be settled, even at the cost of lives. Soon after, Cox Hendry's people arrived to visit. Mrs Huo, already annoyed that Cox Hendry had used information about her to gain favor, refused to see him. Cox Hendry's subordinate returned, bringing an intricate gift: a calligraphy piece by Zhao Mengfu titled "The long-lived tortoise."
Mrs Huo's subordinate recognized the piece and noted Cox Hendry's ambition, interpreting the gift's message as an insinuation that even a thousand-year-old tortoise doesn't live long enough for Cox Hendry's desires. Huo Xiuxiu asked her grandmother if she had a relationship with Cox Hendry, to which Mrs Huo replied that the Huo family had some dealings with him when her "Third Mistress" was in charge, though she was young then.
Huo Xiuxiu also mentioned that Wu Xie had told her Cox Hendry was working with him to search the mountain, surprised that he was now seeking Mrs Huo's cooperation. Despite the lavish gift, Mrs Huo declared she didn't trust him and ordered the item returned immediately. Cox Hendry's subordinate reported the refusal. Cox Hendry, undeterred, ordered a "second gift" to be sent, confident she would eventually accept it.
When his subordinate questioned his persistence, Cox Hendry explained his desperate need to cooperate with Mrs Huo. He recounted their arduous journey from Tamutuo to the West Empress Palace, where they suffered significant losses, including Ah Ning's death, without gaining anything. After arriving in Banai, his attempts to cooperate with Wu Xie had been fruitless, as Wu Xie failed to locate Zhang family's ancient buildings and nearly drowned.
Realizing Mrs Huo was his only viable option, Cox Hendry admitted he had deliberately leaked information to Wu Xie to lure Mrs Huo to Banai. He then instructed his subordinate to continue presenting gifts to her.
