Ultimate Note Episode 32 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
Following their prior arrangements, Mrs Huo had tasked Wu Xie and Xie Yuchen with a crucial mission to Mount Four Ladies, where they were to rendezvous with Hei Yan Jing. Without delay, the trio set off. As they reached the designated cliff, described by Mrs Huo as treacherous and riddled with numerous cave openings, they were taken aback by its sheer height and steepness.
Wu Xie wondered how they would find the specific cave marked on their map among the countless openings. Hei Yan Jing offered to climb, even mentioning his debt to Xie Yuchen, but Xie Yuchen, known for his agility from childhood training, effortlessly ascended the cliff without any climbing equipment. Once at the summit, he secured a rope, allowing Wu Xie and Hei Yan Jing to follow.
However, their initial relief was short-lived, as they realized the sheer number of caves, questioning how they would locate the specific one marked on their map. Back in Banai, Cox Hendry's second gift was delivered to Mrs Huo. Upon opening the box, her serene expression immediately turned cold. After a moment, she announced that she would leave marks along the way for Hendry's people to follow.
The gift was a story from the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, "Lying on Ice to Catch Carp," depicting Wang Xiang's dedication to his mother. Mrs Huo recognized Hendry's cynical move; he knew about her deep concern for her daughter and deliberately sought to provoke her emotions. She realized that Hendry had been planning this for a long time, anticipating her arrival in Banai, even before he informed Wu Xie about her connection to the Yellow Silk.
Given that Hendry had already provided them with the Yangjiao Mountain scans and other tools, Mrs Huo decided there was no reason to delay their expedition. As Mrs Huo's team prepared to enter the mountain, Zhang meticulously checked the area and identified the main entrance.
Mrs Huo remained at the base camp, awaiting news from Mount Four Ladies, while Huo Xiuxiu was included in the expedition team at Wang Fatty's insistence, as he believed the team needed a representative from the Huo family for their "stake" in the venture. Cox Hendry, having provided the Yangjiao Mountain scans, decided to hold back, believing he had already offered significant assistance and would wait for Mrs Huo's team to make a discovery before proceeding further.
Meanwhile, Wu Xie's team at Mount Four Ladies established several "nests" on the cliff face for temporary lodging, deciding to stay there for a few days to observe. Xie Yuchen explained that these unique structures, invented by a Finnish photographer, were incredibly sturdy, capable of withstanding many times a human's weight, making them safe even against strong winds or earthquakes, provided the anchor points were secured to stable rock formations.
However, while Xie Yuchen was confidently explaining the nest's resilience, his sharp eyes noticed that one of the ropes supporting Wu Xie's nest had come loose. Before Wu Xie could react, he nearly plummeted from the cliff. Fortunately, Hei Yan Jing, with lightning-fast reflexes, managed to grab Wu Xie's hand, averting disaster. After the close call, Xie Yuchen was furious, vowing to severely punish the crew responsible for constructing the nests if such an incident occurred again.
Inside the mountain, Zhang and Wang Fatty led the Huo family's personnel. To protect against the Mi Luo Tuo, they donned clothes treated with strong alkali. They soon discovered the bodies of Cox Hendry's men, explaining his willingness to hand over the maps—his operation had already met with setbacks. As they advanced, they encountered signs of the Mi Luo Tuo. According to their plan, they sprayed large amounts of alkali onto the cave walls.
To their dismay, someone had tampered with the alkali, adding a significant amount of sulfuric acid. The two men responsible for spraying the mixture tragically died, caught in the unexpected violent reaction that generated immense heat. Worse still, the Mi Luo Tuo noticed the expedition team and launched an attack. With no time to spare, Wang Fatty grabbed an alkali tank and sprayed, fighting back the creatures.
In the aftermath, his arm was severely burned by the sulfuric acid, leaving him in excruciating pain. After enduring the perilous ordeal, Wang Fatty woke up to find Huo Xiuxiu informing him that the Mi Luo Tuo, as expected, were afraid of alkali and many had been neutralized. They had entered their current location through a fissure created by the alkali, which had since sealed itself, with Zhang Qiling now guarding its entrance.
To avoid detection by any remaining Mi Luo Tuo, Wang Fatty, despite his injuries and fatigue, urged the team to press on, also noting the dwindling alkali supply and the rising temperature. However, they soon encountered another dead end, finding themselves in what appeared to be a vast labyrinth. Zhang carefully examined the nearby cave walls and identified a specific spot. Huo family members used alkali spray, and moments later, two paths emerged.
For safety, Wang Fatty and Zhang decided to scout ahead. Huo Xiuxiu, concerned about Wang Fatty's injury, joined them. As they cautiously proceeded, they encountered Cox Hendry's team members. These foreign explorers explained that they had been attacked while mapping the mountain and were forced to retreat. Based on their description of the attacker—a single individual, as skilled as Zhang—Wang Fatty identified him as "sloped shoulders."
With the latest survey map obtained from these foreign explorers, Zhang decided to follow its guidance and explore the paths it indicated. Meanwhile, back at the cliff, after their narrow escape, Wu Xie, Xie Yuchen, and Hei Yan Jing stumbled into a peculiar cave. Inside, they found a piece of ancient armor that had clearly been worn before.
Xie Yuchen noted that the cave walls, surprisingly constructed from stone and what appeared to be cement, could be dug open, suggesting this might be their target location. Begrudgingly, Hei Yan Jing began to dig at Xie Yuchen's insistence, after some negotiation about his substantial debt to Xie Yuchen for such physical labor. As he dug, he noticed the "cement" was red.
He realized it wasn't cement at all, but a bizarre mixture of blood, continuously seeping from within the wall. He explained that the blood was unoxidized due to a lack of oxygen inside the sealed space, indicating that its color hadn't faded. As they dug deeper, they uncovered piles of corpses, their poses suggesting they had been desperately trying to claw their way out before being sealed within.
Xie Yuchen theorized that many people had been alive when they were sealed by the cement poured from the outside, a method he knew was severe, something he would only use as a last resort. He also noted that this method of cement pouring only became common after the 1970s, suggesting that someone came here after the Nine Gates era, and that the traps inside would likely be non-disposable and extremely dangerous.
