Since there were officials ahead, Lu Qing felt reassured.
He called for the others to mount their horses and proceeded in the direction pointed out by the two individuals.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the rain that had been falling steadily finally began to ease. Although the sky remained overcast, a few rays of light managed to peek through the clouds, as though someone had woven a few faint golden threads into the dark clouds.
The number of people ahead increased. From a distance, they could see a group of strong men digging a trench about the depth of a person, their bodies covered in mud from head to toe, making them look like clay figures come to life.
They loaded the dug-up soil into baskets in the pit, and those above worked together to pull up the baskets using ropes, piling the earth to the side.
