Episode Summary
Wu Xie and Pang Zi are saved from a pit of Corpse Beetles by Pan Zi and the mysterious Zhang Qiling. After Zhang Qiling performs emergency surgery on Pan Zi to remove a poisonous bug, the group falls into another cave. Pang Zi debunks the myth of King Lu Shang, explaining he was a thief who used alchemy, not magic. Their rest is cut short when a monstrous, stretching hand appears and drags away Pang Zi and Pan Zi, with Wu Xie next.
Spoiler Alert
This Is A Mess
Okay, let's get right into it. Wu Xie and Pang Zi are in a really bad spot. They fell into a pit swarming with Corpse Beetles.The bugs smell them and start rolling in like a giant, gross wave. It looks like they're about to be eaten alive.
But Pan Zi isn't about to let his friends die. He jumps right into the pit after them. He lights a flint and the fire drives the beetles back. They seem to hate fire. Wu Xie scrambles out and tries to pull Pang Zi up. The problem is, Pang Zi is just too heavy. The rescue takes too long.
The fire starts to die down. The beetles surge back. Pan Zi gets left behind, and the bugs crawl all over him.
The Man in Black
Pang Zi finally makes it out of the pit. Wu Xie, seeing Pan Zi in trouble, wants to jump back in. Pang Zi has to physically hold him back to stop him from getting killed. Down in the pit, Pan Zi knows it's over. He asks them to put him out of his misery.
Just as Pang Zi (the other one) gets his bow ready, a figure in black drops into the hole. This guy is Zhang Qiling.He slams his hand on the ground. There's a flash of what looks like blood, and the Corpse Beetles panic. They all retreat back into their nests. Zhang Qiling then just grabs Pan Zi and throws him out of the pit. Pan Zi is saved.
A Little Field Surgery
They don't waste any time. Wu Xie and Pang Zi grab the injured Pan Zi and run. Zhang Qiling takes the lead, trying to get them out of there. After a bit, he stops them. He tells Pan Zi to lie down.
Zhang Qiling says something got inside Pan Zi during the attack. He warns that if it isn't removed, it will kill him. He traces a line down Pan Zi's chest with two fingers. Then he presses on his stomach and pulls out a small bug. Pang Zi sees it and immediately crushes it under his foot.
Pan Zi is still bleeding, so Zhang Qiling takes out two pills. He mixes them with a drop of his own blood and feeds them to Pan Zi. The pills seem to stop the bug's poison. Pan Zi says he feels a little better.
A Moment to Breathe (and Get a History Lesson)
They keep moving, but it feels like something is following them. Zhang Qiling has to cut down poisonous vines that keep attacking. Then, of course, Wu Xie, Pang Zi, and Pan Zi fall into another hole.
At first, they think they're back in the beetle pit. They're all bracing for the worst. But Pang Zi looks around and realizes this cave is different. It has no windows. For a moment, it's quiet.
Pang Zi is so relieved that he starts talking. He properly introduces himself to Zhang Qiling. Then he gives everyone a history lesson about the so-called King Lu Shang. He says the legends are all fake. The king wasn't some master of a ghost army.He was just a thief who was good at theatrics. His army mostly operated at night, which made them seem scarier. The king was also really into alchemy and forced alchemists to make pills for his soldiers. The pills just made them stronger fighters. That's it. No magic.
Something Grabs Them
The new cave isn't safe for long. Poisonous vines start sniffing them out and creep into the chamber. The group holds their breath, but it's no use. A thick vine wraps around Pang Zi and yanks him away into the darkness.
A second later, another one grabs Pan Zi and pulls him away too.
Wu Xie gets a clear look at the "vine." It's not a vine at all. It's a hand. A very, very long hand that can stretch as far as it wants. It's incredibly strong and locks onto its prey. Even as Wu Xie himself is getting grabbed, he's yelling for the others to save Pan Zi.
