When William and Anne were brought to Isaac, he was leaning over to copy the text from a roll of rubbings.

He looked up and quickly turned his gaze back and continued his work.

After a short moment of eyes connected, William read a hint of surprise and suspicion from his eyes, and immediately understood the considerations behind his indifferent reaction.

"Ai--"

Anne was about to blurt out, twist William on his arm, and immediately shut up.

Another man in a top hat walked over, his face also covered in a silver beaked bird mask. He squatted in front of the two children and looked at them through the glass lenses inlaid on the mask: "Do you know?"

Anne realized that she had a bad thing, and her fear and panic made her subconsciously turn her head aside and avoid the other party's scrutiny. She is now afraid and regretful, and suddenly realizes that Isaac had prevented her from meeting these people before, which was actually a kind of protection.

"Who doesn't know him," William continued loudly, "It's the crucible man! He's blown up in the town's libraries!"

"The pastor was so angry that he said he would never be allowed to go to the week again!" He was secretly upset in his heart, but he could only grit his teeth and continue the conversation. He had already practiced the quick wisdom that he could speak out.

The man opposite turned his head slightly, and seemed quite interested in William. He took off his gloves and gently lifted the blonde boy's face to look carefully.

William plucked up the courage to look at the man and tried to read his eyes through the mask. Although he could not see his expression, William felt that he was laughing all the time. The other party suddenly lost his patience, snorted with contempt, and slapped his hand on the boy's face.

The strong force led William to roll out. He didn't expect that a man who was gentle and gentle in every move a second ago would suddenly take action, and he felt dizzy and his head buzzed.

These people are not his tutors. Real fear hits my heart, and his little courage and wisdom are vulnerable to the malicious adults.

"I didn't ask you." The man still had the careless and indifferent tone, as if the violent act that had just happened had nothing to do with him. He stepped over William's downed body, grabbed his soft blonde curly hair, and forced the boy to face him. He changed his tone and repeated the previous question: "Do you--know?"

“Don’t know.”

Isaac didn't raise his head, as if he was too lazy to split his energy from his busy work.

The man in the top hat smiled, as if he had been accustomed to his attitude: "You do have no friends. But—" he changed his mind, "The pharmacist's house you are staying in should have a daughter?"

He threw William aside casually, returned to Anne again, leaned over and combed the trembling little girl's hair with his fingers: "Daughter of Pharmacist Clark?"

The cold bird beak almost poked Anne's eyebrows. He lowered his voice and asked gently, "What's your name?"

Isaac's handwriting that was originally written smoothly suddenly stopped.

William screamed in his heart. Before his tinnitus had disappeared, Venus was still emerging in front of him, and it was difficult for him to hold himself up from the ground.

"Anne Thomas."

The girl said in a trembling voice. She clenched the hem of the skirt and tried hard not to let the tears fall, but failed.

"The Thomas's cub." The man with a low voice cursed, "A family of bad people."

After he grabbed the two children and brought them over, he said nothing and sat far away on a mossy bluestone and teased his dog. At this time, he suddenly stood up, and jumped off the bluestone with the ferocious hunting dog, staring at this side.

"Okay, Old Joe, today is not a day to settle the score." The smiling man happily slapped his thigh and stood up, touched Annie's head, scaring the little girl very much. He turned around and looked at the blonde boy in the mud again: "William Thomas? It's a bit like your uncle."

"Okay, boy, let our little misunderstanding turn over." The smiling man pulled William from the ground irresistible and patted his swollen cheeks, "Tell me now, what are you doing here with your sister?"

He pointed to his ear: "I hope you can tell me quietly. You can say it first."

The heart that had just fallen back a little in his stomach immediately jumped up again. William didn't have time to think carefully and deal with the smiling man who was approaching again. It was easy to expose his lies by making up lies.

Before he could wink Anne, the silver-bright bird mask had already reached his sight, reflecting his exaggerated reflection.

"I came to find the cauldron. He exploded the library and made my dad quarrel with my uncle. I wanted to give him some color." William calmed a little. He told the truth.

The smiling man didn't agree, and he still had that gentle and dangerous attitude: "Has he told you this place?"

"I haven't even spoken to him!" William was very angry, but was shocked by the tentative question in his heart, "I asked the daughter of the pharmacist Clark."

After a while of silence, the smiling man roughly rubbed the boy's blonde hair: "What a young man."

He turned and walked towards Anne, completely blocking William's vision.

"Your brother said your rabbit was lost, why did you find such a faraway place?"

The shadow of the smiling man fell on Anne's face, like a huge vulture descending from mid-air.

Anne opened her eyes blankly, looking confused and timid: "What rabbit?"

"How did you find this," he added briefly, "why are you here?"

"Come... to find the cauldron, Anne of the Clark family said he always goes to a place with valley lilies," Anne tried hard to meet William, but was always blocked by the smiling man, "We'll find it all the way from the river."

"Oh, are you friends?"

Anne shook her head firmly: "My brother won't be friends with the Crucible guy! She even threw stinky manure last time."

"It's really a bad family." The smiling man was lazy, "I'm sorry I can't let you cause trouble for him. He has a big job." He took out a silver pocket watch with Fritillaria inlaid on his chest. "Time is tight, but I didn't expect that we could find two little assistants - don't play tricks, it's useless to escape."

"Next time I remember to thank your uncle. I don't have such patience to other children."

The smiling man put on his gloves again and gestured to them to wipe his neck.

The tall and strong man named Old Joe led the dog to approach and pulled William and Anne from the ground: "Hurry up, work!"

The two children were pushed and walked towards the big stone platform where Isaac worked. Old Qiao and the hunting dog were standing close to each other, just in case they made small moves.

Isaac finally put down the pen in his hand and looked at the two of them with the look of looking at strangers: "They are useless and will only help you."

"Then find some work that can't help you." The smiling man said coldly, "Or what do you think I will deal with them? Tie it into a sack and throw it into the river?"

Isaac was speechless and sighed to show his apology. He handed William the paper and pen in his hand: "Then I wrote the one I haven't copied." Then he ordered Anne, "Go with me to clean up the materials and don't let you touch those you touch."

Anne nodded obediently, and it seemed that Isaac's calmness gave her some confidence.

The moment I handed over the paper and pen, Isaac knocked William's finger with an undetectable movement.

"So copy!"

Old Joe slapped William in the back of his head. He stayed in place to monitor the boy, sending the dog to stare at Isaac and Anne.

William bowed his head obediently and looked over carefully at the rubbings spread on the stone platform and the manuscripts that had been copied before - the obscure Latin text. Only a small part of the beginning followed the English comments, which seemed to be something Isaac tried to translate.

“When I walked into the cave, I saw…the emerald slab… written by Hermes’ hands…

The truth is true... as if it is above, as if it is below... it is accomplished by this.

All things are Taiyi... It is born from Taiyi through differentiation..."

The following is more about the content that can be translated in detail in the future. There are only some vague words such as "The Triple Great Hermes", "Seven Gods", and "The Keys of Life and Death". Star orbits and chemical formulas are also marked as sloppy next to them as references.

At the bottom of the manuscript, there is a line of shallow handwriting stamped out from steel stamps.

William carefully identified it and read it softly without realizing it—

“British East India Company.”
Chapter completed!