Ultimate Note Episode 36 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
A large number of Corpse Bug Kings rapidly approached, forcing Wu Xie and Xiao Hua to act quickly. At the third mechanism, they frantically deciphered the complex chain sequence, with Wu Xie finally cracking it by trying the reverse order. Just as they secured the necessary information, the mysterious black-haired monster attacked. Hei Yan Jing bravely tackled the creature, dragging it down and jumping with it under the sacrificial plate.
He urged Wu Xie and Xiao Hua to seal the plate, assuring them he would find a way out. Though heartbroken, they complied, sealing the plate and trapping Hei Yan Jing and the monster beneath. With the third photo—capturing the newly deciphered mechanism—transmitted, Mrs. Huo, now at Banai, prepared her team to enter Zhang family's ancient buildings. Her granddaughter, Huo Xiuxiu, having secretly untied herself, confronted Mrs. Huo, demanding to join the perilous expedition.
Huo Xiuxiu even threatened to burn the crucial photo if denied. Mrs. Huo feigned agreement, allowing Huo Xiuxiu to try on an outfit, but then drugged her and had her confined to a wooden house. Huo Xiuxiu later awoke to find a letter from her grandmother, explaining that the path ahead was extremely dangerous and that as the heir to the Huo family, she must remain safe and take care of the family legacy.
Meanwhile, deep within Banai's Yang Jiao Mountain, Fatty's group was shivering from the extreme cold, impatiently awaiting the arrival of Mrs. Huo and the crucial photo. Mrs. Huo soon arrived, personally delivering the photo to Wu Xie. Fatty remarked that the mechanism captured in the photo was cleverly designed and worth studying. With the photo in hand, Zhang's and Fatty's group proceeded into the ancient buildings.
However, back at Four Maidens Mountain, Xie Yuchen, examining the corresponding mechanism, discovered a critical flaw: a stone fragment was stuck, meaning the third mechanism had not fully opened as intended. He immediately sent an urgent message to Banai, warning them that the third photo's information was flawed. Despite his warning, Mrs. Huo's team and Zhang's group, unaware of the error, had already entered the Zhang family's ancient buildings.
Outside, the mysterious "sloped shoulders" figure watched them go in, but did not follow. Seven days passed with no word from Zhang or Fatty. Emerging from the mountain cave, Wu Xie was distraught, blaming himself for potentially sending them flawed information. He worried that if the highly skilled ones could barely escape, those less capable might perish inside.
Xie Yuchen, equally concerned, revealed that Mrs. Huo had gone missing after personally delivering the photo to Banai, and despite police involvement and extensive searches of the mountain, Hei Yan Jing also remained untraceable. Unable to sit idly by, Wu Xie declared his intention to go to Guangxi to search for his friends. Xie Yuchen tried to dissuade him, reminding him that even Zhang couldn't handle such triggers and that they were merely ordinary men against extraordinary forces.
Yet, Wu Xie remained resolute. Accepting Wu Xie's determination, Xie Yuchen agreed to assist, advising him to gather equipment and promising to meet him in Changsha. Upon arriving in Changsha, Wu Xie met Pan Zi, who appeared older and revealed he had sold his car to pay off debts, preventing anyone from speaking ill of Master San.
Pan Zi explained that since Master San's disappearance, many of his former subordinates had abandoned the family business, leaving Pan Zi struggling to maintain the Changsha operations. He had managed to arrange a meeting with a few of the old associates, including a man named Wang Ba Qiu. At the meeting, Wu Xie presented his intention to form a team for the expedition to Guangxi.
However, the associates, including Wang Ba Qiu, were dismissive, questioning Wu Xie's authority and demanding collateral—specifically, the deeds to Master San's house and the Wushanju shops in Hangzhou—before they would consider helping. Pan Zi, enraged by their audacious demands and their disrespect for Master San, fiercely defended the family's assets. A violent altercation ensued, and despite Wu Xie's attempts to mediate, both he and Pan Zi were overpowered, realizing the extent to which Master San's network had deteriorated.
Realizing he couldn't rely on the fragmented former network, Wu Xie decided to seek help from his Uncle Er. He discreetly left a letter for Pan Zi, explaining his departure to Hangzhou to meet Uncle Er, who had agreed to help. Wu Xie expressed his deep concern for Pan Zi, whose body bore the scars of countless past dangers, and decreed that Pan Zi's duty was over, as he could not bear to put him in harm's way again.
In Hangzhou, Xie Yuchen was already waiting for Wu Xie. He reflected on Wu Sansheng's cunning, suggesting that his disappearance was a deliberate "golden cicada escaping its shell" tactic to evade "It," the mysterious entity. Xie Yuchen theorized that as long as either Wu Sansheng or Xie Lian Huan remained alive, the identity of "Uncle San" would persist, keeping them all entangled in the grand scheme.
Wu Xie confessed his feelings of helplessness, believing himself to be an ordinary man who was an easy target for "It." Xie Yuchen then revealed his solution: a meticulously crafted human skin mask that bore a striking resemblance to Wu Sansheng. He explained that "It" was not a single person or organization, but rather the collective embodiment of all those who had pursued immortality throughout history, an omnipresent force that controlled the Mystic Nine.
To combat this entity, Xie Yuchen proposed that Wu Xie must become "Uncle San," taking on his identity to distract "It" and execute the next phase of the plan. Wu Xie reflected on his own life, realizing that his childhood had been carefully orchestrated, from learning specific calligraphy to accompanying Master San on dangerous expeditions, all seemingly to groom him as a replacement. He understood that being a replacement might be another form of immortality—the immortality of an new identity.
Accepting this daunting new mission, Wu Xie put on the mask, aware that it could only be worn for a maximum of four weeks before becoming permanently affixed. He knew that the secrets of immortality, of Zhang, and of the entire Mystic Nine lay hidden within Zhang family's ancient buildings. Despite the profound loneliness he felt, with Zhang, Fatty, and Mrs. Huo missing, and Master San and Hei Yan Jing's fates unknown, Wu Xie resolved that he could not stop. He committed to continue his chosen path, determined to bring everyone home.
