Li Cu

### Skills

Inventive thinking, Fast thinking, reading in-bedded memories off of black-haired snakes

## Appearance

### Portrayed by

Leo Wu

**Li Cu** is one of the main characters in Tomb of the Sea.

He is a normal high school student struggling to graduate since he does not like studying. One day while running away from school, he encounters a mentally unstable and strange man who carves a strange pattern into his back with a knife. After landing in the hospital, Li Cu meets Wu Xie and gets kidnapped and taken to the desert. Wu Xie tells him that the pattern on his back holds the key to finding Gutong Jing, an ancient hidden city.

## Personality & Appearance

Li Cu is originally shown in his school jersey since he is still a student. Even in private occasions his clothes show his youthful persona but is less colorful than Su Wan's clothes. His clothing style later turns more practical and simple after going through more explorations and throughout the duration of Tomb of the Sea.

Despite showing a rebellious attitude to his teacher and his father, Li Cu is polite and shows manners when meeting Wu Xie's grandmother Grandma Wu. This shows that he knows how to behave and be respectful but chooses who to be respectful towards. Therefore, when faced with others he often turns to snarky comments and witty remarks. He tends to show respect to people who show they have the skills matching their attitude. But when someone treats him badly, he will show neither respect nor any kind of trust. His change in behavior and perception is best seen with his behavior around Wu Xie and Hei Yanjing, who he first treats as enemies but then treats them as mentors to look up to.

Li Cu is often compared with a younger Wu Xie, with even Grandma Wu asking him if he is sure that Wu Xie is not his father. At the end of Tomb of the Sea, Wang Pangzi compares Li Cu and his friends with their Iron Triangle of Wu Xie, Zhang Qiling and Wang Pangzi. When asked who he saw himself as, he answers Li Cu reminds him of himself, Wang Pangzi the most, resulting in Wang Meng laughing at him, supporting the idea that Li Cu resembles Wu Xie most.

## Abilities & Skills

Li Cu is still a high school student during the events of Tomb of the Sea and is struggling in school. During his first adventures with Wu Xie it is more Wu Xie who keeps him alive and manages to bring him back safely. Later on, Li Cu uses the lessons he learnt from Wu Xie and Hei Yanjing to survive.

After his encounter with the survivor from Gutong Jing, Li Cu has a pattern carved into his back which serves as a map as well as a key in Gutong Jing and is essential to their survival.

At the beginning Li Cu suffers from claustrophobia and possibly a light fear of darkness. It is heavily implied he suffers from both due to his abusive father locking him into a small storage room after beating him up, although it is never explicitly mentioned since when he had these phobias. While it becomes an issue during the original explorations, he seems to overcome his fear later on.

## Quotes

*"What now? You're going to beat me up again, aren't you? Do it! You beat Mom so hard that she ran away. Now I'm the only one left for you to beat."* - Li Cu to his father in Tomb of the Sea, episode 1.