Chapter 8: Granny Yin

I thought Tian Yuqing would arrange for me to ride in the same car as him, but to my surprise, he put me in the second car while he got into the first one. Squinting, I peered into the first car and saw an elderly man with a grizzled beard sitting in the backseat.

I found it odd that there was such an elderly person in the group. At his age, enduring such a bumpy journey seemed rather inhumane. I wondered what the rules were.

Reluctantly, I climbed into the backseat of the second car. The wooden box I carried was heavy, though I had no idea what kind of wood it was made from. I was extra careful, fearing the lock might not be secure and the contents inside could break, which made getting into the car quite a struggle.

Just as I closed the car door and was catching my breath, someone tapped me on the shoulder from the backseat.

“Hello! Hi there!”

I placed the wooden box down and turned to look. A young boy sat in the car, holding a notebook and smiling at me with his prominent canine teeth. He looked younger than me and wore a down jacket with a fur collar.

I’m not an outgoing person. In college, I joined clubs just to earn credits and never initiated conversations. But that doesn’t mean I’m clueless about socializing; I just don’t bother with the effort. Since everyone in the car was found by Tian Yuqing, they must have some connection to him. I couldn’t handle someone as shrewd as Tian Yuqing, but a sixteen or seventeen-year-old like this boy should be easy enough to get some information from.

So I extended my hand to him with a smile, “Hi, I’m Gan Ji. Did you come with Tian Yuqing and the others?”

The boy with the prominent teeth seemed surprised by my friendliness, then grinned and shook my hand. “Yes, yes, but I’m different from them. I’m not a Geomancer and can’t read the land. Brother Yuqing asked me to come along to help with record-keeping.”

This boy couldn’t keep a secret. Before I even tried, he spilled everything. His name was He Yu, and he was a great-grandson of the He family from Sichuan, known as the “Record Keeper of the Heard.”

The legend of the “Record Keeper of the Heard” dates back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, but it doesn’t have much to do with this matter, so I’ll leave it aside for now.

The He family had a deep connection with the Tian Family in earlier years. The Tian Family, being orthodox Geomancers, placed great importance on records, so the two families often worked together. He Yu, being a younger member of the family, was particularly eager since this was his first time joining such an expedition.

He Yu told me that the old man in the first car was Master Tian Xiao, Tian Yuqing’s grandfather, along with Tian Yuqing’s cousin, Tian Tinghan. He Yu said that ever since Tian Xiao handed over matters to Tian Yuqing, Tian Tinghan had been dissatisfied and insisted on tagging along this time.

So the first car must be filled with intrigue and sharp words. It seemed Tian Yuqing didn’t let me ride in the first car for my own good. His grandson’s position wasn’t as comfortable as mine. Thinking this, I suddenly felt a bit sorry for him.

The vehicles hit the highway, following the GPS directions. Once out of Henan, we headed straight for Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Our driver was quite amiable and straightforwardly told me he wasn’t sure of the destination; the GPS was set as soon as we got in.

I’ve driven to the south once or twice myself, and judging by the route, we seemed to be heading to northern Jiangsu. He Yu was much more relaxed than I was. After writing for a while in his notebook, he reclined his seat and fell asleep.

I touched the empty seat beside me, leaning my head against the window in thought. Before getting in the car, I had carefully observed the group. All the seats in the vehicles were occupied, and the ones that weren’t were used for luggage and large black boxes.

If it was arranged this way, who was this seat next to me reserved for? Was Tian Yuqing going east to find someone?

After pondering for a while, I realized it was pointless to speculate on my own, so I followed He Yu’s lead and lay down to sleep. I don’t have trouble sleeping or any particular habits about where I sleep, so I quickly drifted off.

I don’t know how long I slept, but I was suddenly jolted awake by a violent bump. The vehicle gradually came to a stop. I opened my eyes and saw it was already early morning on my phone. I had slept for about five hours, and the car was parked at the entrance of an unnamed alley.

“Are we there?” He Yu mumbled sleepily from the back.

I wrapped my clothes tighter, feeling a bit cold. I watched as the driver, sitting in the front seat, listened to his earpiece for a moment before turning to me. “Young Master Gan, the boss asked you to bring your things and get off.”

As soon as he finished speaking, I saw people getting out of the first car, even Tian Xiao being helped into a wheelchair.

I leaned out to take a look. The surroundings were completely unfamiliar, pitch black, with the occasional bark of a dog. I felt a bit apprehensive, but the car door had already opened automatically. I had no choice but to muster my courage and carry the wooden box out.

Tian Xiao was waiting for me not far ahead. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I jogged over. “Hello, Grandpa Tian.”

Tian Xiao nodded without saying anything. It was too dark to see his expression, but I heard him speak to Tian Yuqing, who had just gotten out of the passenger seat.

“Yuqing, you take him to invite the person. I’ll follow slowly.”

Tian Xiao was an old-school Geomancer. Even just hearing his voice, one could feel the overwhelming presence of a seasoned veteran. Tian Yuqing walked ahead of me, and I quickly followed him, picking up the pace as we headed deeper into the alley.

Once we were some distance away, I asked, “Who are we inviting?”

Tian Yuqing didn’t answer immediately. He waited until we were further away before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, offering me one as well. I don’t smoke or drink, so I declined with a wave of my hand.

He sighed, walking ahead as he spoke. “We have an archaeological project assigned from above, related to the box you’re holding. The project’s research value is immense. I’ll explain the details later. For now, I can tell you what we’re doing.”

Tian Yuqing took a drag from his cigarette. “Did your grandfather ever mention Granny Yin, one of the Five Masters, who is known for being elusive?”

I was taken aback, and he continued without waiting for my response.

“Your Fourth Brother was part of the first team to explore a tomb a few days ago. They took many people down, but the scholars in their team are now facing a very tricky problem. As the follow-up support team, we need to send some experts down to resolve it.

“Yu Jingzi searched nationwide without success, but recently heard rumors of Granny Yin’s descendants in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang area. He sent people to investigate and roughly marked a location where Granny Yin often appears. Although Granny Yin isn’t orthodox, her skills are ranked first among the Five Masters.”

Tian Yuqing finished his cigarette, crushed it underfoot, and turned to me. “This Jade Casket and the unprecedented challenge Chen Si is facing require us to seek help.”