Ultimate Note Episode 4 Recap
> Ultimate Note Recap
Xie Yuchen and Hei Yan Jing continued their search for Wu Sansheng. Xie Yuchen initially noted Wu Sansheng's scarcity of trail markers, finding it difficult to follow. Hei Yan Jing clarified that this deliberate lack of visible markers, especially the hidden one at their camp, indicated Wu Sansheng's distrust of his own recruited crew, making it inconvenient for him to leave clear signs.
Xie Yuchen complained about their dwindling water supply, and Hei Yan Jing admitted his boxed meals were also running low. Soon after, they unexpectedly fell into a deep underground pit. Hei Yan Jing identified it as an abandoned oil pipeline from the Republic of China era, noting its subtle scent, which Xie Yuchen initially couldn't detect. Xie Yuchen then recalled a historical mystery about an entire team vanishing while mining oil there.
They discovered that despite its sturdy construction, the pipeline was severely damaged. Hei Yan Jing speculated it was impacted by a powerful external force, either a massive living creature or the result of a very distant, forceful collision, then pointed out a sticky, non-oily fluid on his hand, questioning if it might be saliva from the creature responsible. Hei Yan Jing, complaining about Xie Yuchen’s digging efficiency and his own dwindling food supply, urged him to dig faster.
Xie Yuchen then began digging through a collapsed section of the pipe, identifying it as a landslide. After clearing the path, they found numerous suffocated bodies of animals, including lizards, gerbils, and snakes, alongside human remains, all covered in fungal filaments. Meanwhile, inside the ancient ship burial, A Ning cautioned Wu Xie about potential traps indicated by a silk thread. Examining the coffin, Wu Xie identified the female corpse as a close relative of the Queen Mother of the West.
He deduced she had consumed a life-extending pill that instead caused her body to experience reversed growth and mutation after death, making her physical structure impossibly small for an 18-year-old of royalty. A Ning then confronted Wu Xie, asserting that while she allowed him to accompany her, she did not permit him to pry into her trade secrets. They soon encountered unsettling shadows, which others cried out were the "Devil's Child."
Wu Xie, intending to investigate the phenomenon, calmly explained it as an ancient trick involving white phosphorus ignited behind human skin, creating menacing shadows through hollow bulkheads. He then rushed to assist Ah Hu, who was suffering from Crush Syndrome and risked kidney failure, using a flying claw to pull people to safety from the confined space. A Ning used a radio to call Lao Jia at the bow, reporting casualties and requesting that local police be informed.
Afterward, as dawn broke, Wu Xie and A Ning sat on the ground, grateful for making it through the night and awaiting the arrival of a rescue team. Wu Xie later awoke to A Ning informing him that Wang Pangzi had arrived and left with Zhang. A Ning then directed Wu Xie to examine some artifacts her team had retrieved. They discovered dozens of pottery jars from the shipwreck, adorned with Three-Green Bird patterns, and scattered human skulls.
Wu Xie revealed this was a gruesome ancient torture: victorious tribes sealed the heads of defeated children in jars, feeding them through small gaps until their heads were too large to remove, then decapitated them and sealed the jars as a warning to other tribes. He added that rulers used such cruel, mystical rituals to project supernatural power and maintain control. As they discussed this, someone accidentally touched a skull, causing a Corpse Bug King to emerge, triggering chaos.
The team panicked, scattering in fear as Wu Xie recognized the creatures from Qixinglu Palace. In the ensuing panic, A Ning and Wu Xie fled, falling into a pre-existing hole. Trapped and surrounded, A Ning quickly devised a plan, using a piece of clothing to distract the bloodthirsty Corpse Bugs, allowing them to escape.
Afterward, A Ning, offering Wu Xie her hand, acknowledged he had saved her life earlier at the camp but asserted that in emergencies, self-preservation was paramount, arguing that saving partners without certainty only increased casualties. Wu Xie, however, maintained he would never abandon his companions. As they continued their journey, they encountered another tight passage.
A Ning, realizing her body could contort to fit through more easily, suggested she go first and wait for Wu Xie on the other side, leaving him to finish widening the path. Wu Xie complained about having to dig alone, but A Ning provided him with a useful tool. Elsewhere, Wang Pangzi's car ran out of gas, forcing him, Pan Zi, and Zhang to abandon it and proceed on foot.
Along the way, they found stone piles left by Wu Xie’s team, which Wang Pangzi recognized as crucial markers in the confusing terrain of Devil City. They eventually lost the trail of stone piles and realized they were lost, leading to a heated argument between the short-tempered Wang Pangzi and Pan Zi. Zhang intervened, explaining that the Devil City's unchanging environment affected their psyche, making them irritable, akin to the "highway effect."
After Wang Pangzi temporarily stormed off declaring he was cutting ties, Pan Zi and Zhang followed, and they later reconciled around a campfire lit by Wang Pangzi, where he offered Pan Zi grilled scorpions, which Pan Zi surprisingly ate. They decided to return to the last known stone pile.
The next morning, Wang Pangzi used the photos he had taken of the stone piles to decipher their meaning, realizing they were not simple markers but "Mani stone piles" used for blessings and warding off evil. He discerned that different layer counts (six vs. seven) indicated correct or incorrect paths. Zhang confirmed their theory, concluding that the person who stacked the stones had ill intentions.
They eventually found an abandoned campsite near the ancient ship, recognized Wu Xie’s jacket, and encountered the same Corpse Bug Kings from Qixinglu Palace. Witnessing Zhang’s intense and destructive attack on the bugs, Wang Pangzi remarked on Zhang’s apparent fear for Wu Xie's safety, though Zhang denied it. Pan Zi expressed profound relief that Master Xiao San seemed unharmed, fearing the devastating consequences if he had been hurt. They then searched the entire campsite, noting the signs of a sudden attack.