Chapter 17: The Eccentric

The tradition of the Record Keeper of the Heard has been passed down through the ages, branching into various sects over time. The He family remains steadfast in their adherence to the old ways. Traditional Record Keepers of the Heard hold a distinctly martial worldview, forbidding their direct descendants from pursuing official positions or high-level clerical work.

As a direct descendant of the great-grandson generation, He Yu was naturally barred from such professions. From a young age, he learned the old Record Keeper of the Heard techniques alongside his uncles.

At this point, He Yu showed me numerous symbols in his notebook. To me, these “characters” were mere symbols, unlike Morse code, they lacked any discernible pattern or reference. Memorizing them required rote learning, akin to studying a unique language from childhood.

He Yu also informed me that none of these symbols were repeated or meaningless. The old Record Keepers of the Heard used these symbols exclusively for recording events, except during special occasions when they needed to send signals.

I have a keen curiosity for strange things, so I asked, “Can you teach me? I promise not to share it, just for my own amusement.”

He Yu snorted proudly, “No way. This is our family’s secret script, said to have been used for military communications in ancient times. Even if intercepted by enemy forces, they wouldn’t understand it.”

I felt a bit disappointed but understood that many families, like He Yu’s, had their own secrets. The He family was no exception, being a traditional and prominent family.

We chatted in the tent for another half hour until news came that during the fiftieth shovel, they hit something, just as Lu A’yao had predicted. Tian Yuqing didn’t come to fetch us, and both He Yu and I were hesitant to go out, so we stayed in the tent for another half hour.

It wasn’t until the sun was about to set that someone came to get us. However, it wasn’t Tian Yuqing or Lu A’yao, but Tian Tinghan, a usually quiet member of the team.

He lifted the tent flap and poked his head in, startling He Yu into cursing. Tian Tinghan was actually quite short, not as good-looking as his brother, with deeper pupils and a gaze that always seemed menacing.

I wasn’t familiar with him and felt uneasy seeing the large scythe strapped to his back. So, He Yu and I followed him like two obedient sheep, afraid he might turn around and decapitate us if displeased.

Once we reached a more populated area, I relaxed a little.

The spot where Lu A’yao had inserted the Luoyang Shovel earlier had been excavated into a deep pit. The pit was neatly dug, with wooden frames reinforcing the edges. There was no dirt piled outside, which immediately made me realize what kind of people Tian Yuqing had enlisted in the team.

This was a skill from the Outer Eight Trades, a trick of grave robbers. After digging, the pit appeared deep without any soil being brought up. In the past, this was very effective for avoiding capture.

About twenty or thirty archaeologists stood on the frames, peering down. I was squeezed outside the crowd, unable to see the pit. The area was remote, with thick grass, making it impossible for a crane to enter. Without a crane, they had to lower people down manually, tying them with ropes one by one.

Who goes down first was crucial.

Soon, I heard a shout, and then saw Lu A’yao being pulled up from the pit, covered in mud. His hair was clumped with dirt. The archaeologists immediately made way for him, and Wu Yili stepped forward to inquire.

“No issues, there’s plenty of oxygen at the entrance, and the cavity below is large. Decide who you want to send down first,” Lu A’yao said, shaking the mud off his hands as he walked away, looking exhausted. Wu Yili, however, was relentless.

“Damn it, after a whole day’s work, can’t they let people rest?” He Yu cursed. “That damned Tian Yuqing doesn’t even say anything, just because he’s older, he thinks he can act like a tyrant.”

At this moment, I had an idea and whispered it to He Yu.

He Yu praised, “Smart thinking!”

He then straightened his clothes and, without much hesitation, stepped forward, naturally positioning himself between Lu A’yao and Wu Yili, separating them.

He said, “Professor Wu, I understand your eagerness to investigate, and we all want the project to progress quickly. But at least let our people rest a bit? They’ve been running up and down all day. You can’t treat people like mules, can you?”

I quickly grabbed a towel from the tent and ran back, giving Lu A’yao a look. He took the opportunity of He Yu’s entanglement with Wu Yili to sneak over to me behind the bushes.

I handed him the towel to wipe his face, then led him towards the Tian Family’s tent. Lu A’yao seemed a bit worried about He Yu, but I reassured him, saying He Yu knew what he was doing. At worst, he’d have a fight with Wu Yili, but as a hot-blooded young man, He Yu wouldn’t be the one to suffer.

“Do you want to rest in the tent? I can talk to Tian Yuqing. Tan Qiu said it’s dangerous down there, and you don’t look well. Maybe you shouldn’t go down,” I suggested.

“It’s precisely because it’s dangerous that I need to go,” Lu A’yao replied, glancing at me before taking a basin and a freshly filled water jug from a colleague. He casually grabbed a stool and began washing the mud from his hair with the water.

I noticed the symbols drawn with red ink on the Porcelain Shards on his face, which had completely merged with his facial muscles. The force with which he washed his face made my own face ache just watching.

I couldn’t help but ask, “Doesn’t it hurt, doing it so roughly?”

Lu A’yao paused his washing and looked at me, puzzled. We locked eyes for a moment before he smiled and asked, “Why would you ask that?”

I was full of questions. “Wouldn’t any normal person ask that?”

Lu A’yao shook his head with a smile. “The people I meet don’t. They only care about what they care about, like Wu Yili and Tian Yuqing. It’s actually quite normal. The people around me are all like them, too focused on results. People like you will suffer in the future.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, cursing him a hundred times in my mind. If I ever care about you again, I’ll write my name backward!

With that thought, I stood up from the grass and turned towards the pit. He Yu ran back, looking pleased, clearly having had the upper hand in the conversation. He tugged at me, but I shook him off.

“Huh? What’s wrong? Hey? Weren’t you fine just now?”