MidReal Story
Located at the foot of Jade Dr
Scenario: Located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the Daughter of the East, the ancient Naxi Kingdom, all the secrets seem to be hidden in the white sand murals and Gemu Peak. But who are the contemporary secret hunters? Lin Xuan, a young historical scholar of Chinese descent from the United States, focuses on the study of the history of human development and pursues "human worthiness." He traveled through time and space to the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and visited the Naxi Kingdom, a fantasy and secret place where Eastern and Western cultures and maternal and paternal civilizations met. The civilized ecology here integrates nature and humanity, just like the majestic, majestic and majestic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and the charming, petite and beautiful Lugu Lake and Lanyue Valley, complementing each other and shining brightly; and like the Jade Dragon The snow-capped mountains are surrounded by clouds and mists, changing rapidly, with countless manners, and are extremely magical. The ancient culture of the Mosuo people that is still the same today is both unforgettable and indistinguishable. Lin Xuan came to the scene in person and felt it for the first time: Looking horizontally, it looks like a forest with peaks on the side, with different heights and distances. He doesn't know the true face of the Jade Dragon, just because he is in this mountain. I hope that his exploration will be successful, and that he will have a wonderful relationship with the ancient Naxi civilization and the daughter country with various styles... At this time, he has passed the Tea Horse Road and arrived at the daughter country, drinking The water of Lugu Lake, walking on the Walking Wedding Bridge...one wonderful story after another is about to unfold! Key elements: adventure, anecdotes, supernatural, thriller..., causal loop. Write a total of 30 stories, each story has 20,000 words.
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Every year, the American Institute of Eastern Studies invites young scholars across the United States to present their research and studies.
The selected scholars will be then sent to the Shanghai branch for further study and field research.
The prestigious institute is a symbol of the highest honor and recognition to the scholars of Chinese descent.
This year, I was among the lucky ones to have received the invitation.
Lin Xuan, Chinese descent, male, doctoral student at Harvard University, major in ancient history, side protagonist
Since my undergraduate years, I’ve been pursuing “human worthiness” as the main subject of my study.
I’ve read numerous books and articles, including ancient documents to find answers for this topic.
I’ve debated with many people about what I thought was the most important subject in the field of humanity.
What is humanity?
Are humans worthy?
If they are worthy, how do you define humans’ worthiness?
How do we measure it?
Over the years, I’ve read and written lots of articles about my own definition of human worthiness.
Human history is like a gold mine, where we can find countless treasures.
However, we can also find many dark treasures in the gold mine, which nobody is willing to touch or talk about.
But as a scholar who loves history, we should not be afraid of learning about them.
This is not just an exploration of history, but an exploration of humanity as well.
I grew up in Boston, one of the most famous cities in the world with a strong academic atmosphere.
I was admitted to Harvard University to pursue a Ph.Degree and since then I’ve been living in this city.
Here, I spent almost every day in the library or laboratory of the university or on the bank of Charles River in the campus.
While studying hard at school, I also tried to publish articles as much as possible in order to get more scholarships.
I was very lucky to receive an invitation from American Institute of Eastern Studies this year.
When I received the invitation letter, I was very grateful for this opportunity and accepted it without any hesitation.
The institute is a place where I can find more resources and financial support.
I believe that it can help me in my research.
As a Chinese scholar, what I can do is also what I want to do.
My life is happy and fulfilling.
Except for those people who think that my research is too idealistic.
They always think that what I am looking for does not exist at all.
Others think that my views are too naive.
They often criticize and question me whenever they have time.
These are the two main opinions which always make me feel very angry, but I am used to it as well.
In their opinion, I may be a little different from them, but I have no problem with this.
I don’t have too many friends, but I have a few very good ones.
They are all scholars, like me.
We often communicate about our own research and issues related to humanities.
One of them is Mei Ling, a Naxi girl who is also my close friend and local guide.
“Mr.Lin, I have no doubt about your ability and potential.Without question, you will be a great scholar in the future.
However, have you ever thought about what you want to do?
You have read so many books and written so many articles over the years, but you have not yet found an answer to your question.
My doctoral advisor looked at me and said, “I haven’t seen a student who has such high requirements for himself like you do.
You can find an answer to your question in the library of Harvard University.”
I was shocked by his words and sat down after a moment of silence.
He gave me a cup of black tea and then asked me gently, “What’s wrong?”
“I… I don’t know how to explain.” I blurted out without thinking.
He smiled and said, “You’re not used to talking about yourself in public.
It’s okay, just tell me what’s on your mind.
I nodded and took a sip of tea.
I was very grateful to him for understanding me.
After a while, I finally managed to put my thoughts into words.
I told him that I wanted to study history because I wanted to know more about human history and to understand what was more important among all those things we had learned.
He nodded and said, “I see… So is there anything else?”
I was stunned for a moment and then shook my head.
He smiled and said, “You’re a serious student who studies hard and has an excellent academic performance.You may think that studying at Harvard is very hard and tiring, but I don’t think so.
In this school, you can have access to all kinds of resources in the world.You can also communicate with many outstanding scholars around the world as well as participate in all kinds of international academic conferences.
But you are not satisfied with all these.
I was stunned by his words, but soon I realized that he was right.
I had a strong sense of dissatisfaction in my heart.
I also didn’t know the reason for this.
He looked at me and said, “I know what you are thinking.
You think that what you have learned is just the tip of the iceberg.
You feel very small when faced with the vast human history, don’t you?
But let me tell you, this feeling is not just about you.
We are all very small compared to this great world.
And it’s exactly because of this that human history is so important.”
I was stunned by his words, but soon I came to my senses.
I nodded and said, “Yes, I think so too.”
He looked at me thoughtfully and said after a moment of silence, “Then what are you going to do?”
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“I don’t know.” I shook my head.
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand the significance of studying at Harvard.
But what he said reminded me once again that my purpose of studying history was to find out more about human history and to understand which parts were more important.
I had come to Harvard with high hopes, but now it seemed that things had not gone as smoothly as I had expected.
In the end, I chose to give up my doctoral studies and leave Harvard.
After saying goodbye to my advisor, I left the campus and walked along the Charles River.
The boat sailed slowly down the river, leaving a long trail behind it.
Looking at it from afar, the boat seemed to have been split in two by the river.
The two parts moved in opposite directions, but they were still connected together by a thin line on the surface of the river.
The river wound its way through the city like a snake, reflecting the tall buildings on both sides of the river.
It was as if the city was divided into two parts by the river.
It was neither a Chinese city nor an American one.
Looking at this beautiful scene, I thought about what my advisor had said to me.
Human history was like a river.
It was vast and profound.
It could connect the past and the future, the East and the West.
So what I had learned so far was just the tip of the iceberg.
There were still many secrets waiting to be revealed.
After returning to Shanghai, I continued my work at the American Institute of Eastern Studies, Shanghai Branch.
In my spare time, I studied the Naxi Kingdom in more detail.
I was fascinated by the mysterious allure of this ancient civilization.
It was said that the Naxi Kingdom was located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which was the boundary between the East and the West.
It was also known as the father-mother mountain because it was the convergence of Eastern and Western civilizations.
The Eastern civilization was represented by China and the Western civilization was represented by India.
As for the Naxi Kingdom, it was a perfect combination of these two civilizations.
The Eastern civilization was also known as the paternal civilization while the Western civilization was known as the maternal civilization.
The paternal civilization tended to be more logical and practical while the maternal civilization tended to be more emotional and intuitive.
The combination of these two civilizations formed a unique and harmonious culture in the Naxi Kingdom.
At that time, I couldn’t help but immerse myself in this fascinating fantasy realm.
The more I studied the Naxi Kingdom, the more I felt that all the puzzles of human development and history seemed to have been solved perfectly there.
This ancient civilization was like a key that unlocked all the secrets of human history.
However, this place was also very difficult to enter.
It was located at a high altitude with steep cliffs on all sides.
There was only one narrow path that led up to the kingdom, which was guarded by soldiers day and night.
It could be said that it was a paradise on earth that very few people had ever seen before.
The more I learned about it, the more eager I became to visit this place.
I wanted to see this ancient kingdom with my own eyes and experience its unique charm in person.
After much effort, I finally managed to persuade my boss to let me go there for an academic expedition.
It took me several days to reach the Naxi Kingdom from the outside world.
As I stepped into this ancient kingdom, I felt an inexplicable emotion surging through my heart.
It was as if I had finally come home after a long journey, but at the same time, it felt like I was stepping into an unfamiliar land.
This place seemed to be closely related to me, but I couldn’t figure out why.
The Naxi Kingdom was surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a river running through the valley in the middle.
Looking up, I could see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, stretching as far as the eye could see.
This place was known as the mother-mother mountain because it resembled a woman lying on her back with her breasts exposed to feed her child.
Near the entrance of the kingdom, there were two large white sand murals on both sides of the riverbank, which were made of millions of white pebbles that had been carefully arranged there over the years.
These murals were said to be ancient records left behind by the ancestors of the Naxi people, telling the story of their civilization and history in a poetic way.
On top of one of the mountains stood Gemu Peak, which looked like a woman sitting there quietly while playing her lute and singing melodious songs that echoed through the valley from time to time.
She was said to be the guardian of the Naxi Kingdom, who protected her people from harm day and night even though she had lost her body in a battle with an evil demon thousands of years ago.
Gazing at these magnificent sights, I felt my heart pounding faster and faster.
It was as if I could hear the heartbeat of this ancient land, calling out to me in a familiar voice and urging me to come closer.
My eyes were fixed on the distant snow-capped mountains, which were so tall that they seemed to reach up to the sky.
A white cloud floated down from the top of the mountain, covering it like a long white scarf.
The cloud was so big that it covered half of the mountain, making it look like a huge snow leopard that was about to pounce on its prey.
I stood there staring at this scene in a daze, feeling as if I had been struck by lightning.
Suddenly, I realized what it was that I was feeling.
I raised my head and looked at the snow-capped mountains in front of me, tears streaming down my face.
It wasn’t just a mountain, but a dragon with its head held high, looking down on the world with its piercing eyes.
The Naxi Kingdom was located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
As one of the four sacred mountains in Chinese mythology, it was also known as the ancestral dragon mountain.
It was said that this was where the first emperor of ancient China had lived, and it was also where he had been buried after his death.
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Suddenly, I felt a strong wind blowing on my face, bringing with it the sound of a dragon’s roar.
I opened my eyes wide and looked around, but I couldn’t see anything other than the white sand murals and the snow-capped mountains.
Had I been imagining things?
Just then, I heard someone shouting from behind me, “Hey!What are you doing?
Get out of the way!”
I turned around and saw that Mei Ling was standing right behind me, waving her hands frantically.
I quickly moved aside to let her pass.
As I watched her run past me, I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.
I had been so absorbed in my thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed that she was trying to get past me.
I turned around to apologize to her, but she was already gone.
I shook my head and sighed.
It seemed that I still had a long way to go before I could truly become an expert in ancient Chinese history.
After all, even though I had spent years studying this subject, there were still many things that I didn’t know enough about.
I followed Mei Ling and Zhang Wei as they walked towards the entrance gate.
The gate was made of huge logs that were covered with intricate carvings and decorations.
It was so big that it looked like a small mountain.
As we got closer, I could see that there were many figures carved onto the logs, each one of them telling a different story.
I was so fascinated by these carvings that I didn’t even notice that we had already arrived at the gate.
When Mei Ling saw me staring at the carvings, she smiled and said, “Do you like the carvings on the gate?”
I nodded and said, “Yes, they’re amazing!What do they mean?”
Mei Ling replied, “These are all stories from our ancient history.
They were carved onto the logs by the Mosuo people more than five hundred years ago.
The Naxi people have always been good at carving and building things, so they asked the Mosuo people to help them build this gate.
Each of these carvings represents a different story or legend from our past.
They are meant to remind us of our history and culture.
As she spoke, Mei Ling pointed at one of the carvings on the gate and said, "And you are about to become a part of this history.”
I looked at the carving she was pointing at, and I could see that it depicted a man standing outside the gate, looking up at the snow-capped mountains.
He had a curious expression on his face, as if he was trying to figure out what he was seeing.
I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed when I realized that the man in the carving looked just like me.
Was this some kind of joke?
But before I could say anything, Mei Ling continued, “You are the first person in five hundred years to set foot in our sacred land.I hope you will be able to discover the truth behind the legends and bring peace to our people.”
I felt a lump in my throat as I heard these words.
This was no joke.
It was a responsibility that had been handed down from generation to generation, waiting for someone brave enough to take it on.
I took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.
Mei Ling smiled at me and said, “Are you ready?”
As I stood before the entrance gate of the Naxi Kingdom, I felt a mix of emotions welling up inside me.
The gate was huge, at least ten times taller than I was, and it looked like it was made of solid wood.
There were many figures carved onto the logs, each one telling a different story about the Naxi people and their history.
At the top of the gate, there was a huge carving of a sun and a moon, with their rays intertwining like the arms of two lovers.
It was a symbol of the meeting of maternal and paternal civilizations, and it represented the balance between Yin and Yang.
I stared up at the gate in awe, unable to take my eyes off it, as if it was calling out to me and inviting me to cross its threshold.
Mei Ling walked up beside me and said, “This is the entrance gate of the Naxi Kingdom.It is more than five hundred years old, and it was built by the Mosuo people who lived here before us.
It is said that it has special powers, and that it can protect us from harm.”
As I listened to her words, I couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed.
This was more than just an academic expedition; it was a calling, a quest to uncover the truths that lay hidden within the ancient walls of the Naxi Kingdom.
I had come here in search of answers, and now I was finally standing before the gate that would lead me on this journey.
There was no turning back now.
“Are you ready?”
Mei Ling asked me again.
I nodded and said, “Yes, I’m ready.”
She smiled at me and said, “Then let’s go.”
As we walked towards the gate, I could feel the eyes of the figures carved onto the logs staring down at us.
It was as if they were watching us and waiting for us to cross the threshold.
Mei Ling took my hand and led me forward.
I walked through the gate with her, feeling a surge of energy flowing through my body as I stepped onto the sacred land of the Naxi Kingdom.
Zhang Wei followed closely behind us, his expression serious and determined.
He might not have believed in the legends of the Naxi people, but he was still here to support me.
We walked through the gate and into the heart of the Naxi civilization.
I could feel the energy of this place all around me, and I knew that this was just the beginning of our journey.
There were still many challenges ahead, and many questions waiting to be answered, but I was ready to face them all.
I was a historian, and I believed that there was nothing more important than uncovering the truth.
The secrets of this ancient land were waiting to be discovered, and I was determined to find them.
As we walked through the gate, Mei Ling turned to us and said, “Welcome to the Naxi Kingdom.I will be your guide during your stay here.Please follow me.”
We nodded and followed her as she led us down a narrow path that wound its way through a dense forest.
The air was cool and fresh, and I could hear birds singing in the trees.
It was a beautiful day, and I felt at peace as I walked through this ancient forest, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature.
I had no idea what lay ahead, but I knew that I was ready for whatever came my way.
We had walked for about an hour when we finally emerged from the forest and found ourselves standing in front of a small village.
The village was surrounded by a low stone wall, with a large wooden gate standing at its entrance.
There were white sand murals painted on the walls of the houses, and tall wooden structures that looked like watchtowers stood at each corner of the village.
It was a beautiful place, and as soon as we arrived, we were greeted by a group of people dressed in colorful traditional costumes.
They welcomed us with warm smiles and led us through the gate into the heart of the village, where we were met by the village chief, an elderly man with a long white beard and kind eyes.
He greeted us with a traditional ceremony, offering us barley wine and sweet tea as a sign of welcome.
We accepted his gifts and drank deeply, savoring their warm, sweet taste.
Then we sat down together on a large wooden bench, where we talked and laughed as we enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air.
I sat there, surrounded by my friends and colleagues, feeling happy and at peace.
The Naxi people were known for their hospitality, and they had certainly lived up to their reputation today.
As I looked around at the village, with its white sand murals and wooden structures, I couldn’t help but feel like I was looking at a living relic of an ancient civilization.
It was a beautiful place, and I was grateful to have been given the chance to see it for myself.
But as I looked around, I couldn’t help but notice that someone was missing.
“Where’s Mei Ling?”
I asked Zhang Wei, frowning slightly as I looked around for her figure among the crowd, but she was nowhere to be found.
Zhang Wei turned to me with a smile and said, “Don’t worry, she’s probably just busy with something else.She’ll be back soon enough.”
I nodded and smiled at him, but deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling of loss that had come over me when Mei Ling disappeared from my sight.
She had been my guide and close friend throughout this entire journey, and I couldn’t help but feel like a part of me was missing without her by my side.
“Don’t worry,” Zhang Wei said with a reassuring smile.
“We’ll see her again soon enough.
But now, let’s pay attention to what the village chief has to say.”
The village chief cleared his throat and began to speak in a deep, solemn voice.
“Welcome to our village,” he said.
“We are the descendants of the Naxi people, who once lived in this land long ago.
Our ancestors built this village over 1,000 years ago in order to protect it from invaders.
We are proud of our heritage, and we are happy to share it with you today.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“You may wonder how our great kingdom was founded, but that is a story for another time.”
He paused again before standing up and walking over to a large stone tablet that stood in the center of the village.
He motioned for us to follow him, and as we gathered around him, he pointed to a line of text that was carved into the stone.
“As you can see,” he said, “our village was built by the great Naxi king over 1,000 years ago.
He looked at us with a smile before continuing, “Today, our village is still thriving, thanks to the hard work of our ancestors.”
With that, he turned around and led us out of the village, where a group of villagers were waiting for us with horses.
We mounted our horses and set off on our journey, with the village chief leading the way.
As we rode, I couldn’t help but be struck by the natural beauty that surrounded us.
The Naxi Kingdom was truly a sight to behold, with its lush forests, towering mountains, and crystal-clear rivers.
But what really caught my eye was the majestic Gemu Peak, which loomed in the distance like a silent guardian watching over the entire kingdom.
I couldn’t help but wonder about the story that the village chief had mentioned earlier, about how their great kingdom was founded.
And as I looked at Gemu Peak, I couldn’t help but feel like there was something familiar about it, as if I had seen it somewhere before.
“Do you know how Gemu Peak came to be?”
the village chief said suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen over us as we rode.
I looked up at the peak in surprise before turning back to the village chief with a shake of my head.
“Well,” he said with a smile, “legend has it that Gemu Peak wasn’t always there.In fact, it only appeared one night on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, during a full moon.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“Our ancestors were stunned when they saw it appear out of nowhere, but they were even more surprised when they saw a figure standing on top of it, wearing a cap embroidered with 81 golden dragons.”
He paused again before continuing.
“Our ancestors built this village over 1,000 years ago, but before that, we were nomads who roamed the land in search of food.
We faced many hardships along the way, including droughts, floods, and famine.
But everything changed when Gemu Peak appeared.
The land suddenly became fertile, and our village began to prosper.
We no longer had to worry about being attacked by wild animals or other threats of nature.
It was as if our ancestors had been blessed by the heavens themselves.”
I listened to the village chief tell his story, and I couldn’t help but feel like I had heard it somewhere before.
But where?
I wondered, wracking my brain to try and remember.
But before I could come up with an answer, the village chief stopped his horse and motioned for us to do the same.
When I looked up, I saw that we had arrived at a cliff, where we could see Gemu Peak more clearly than ever.
I looked up at the peak in awe, and I was immediately struck by how grand it was.
It was shrouded in mist, and it seemed to stretch on forever into the sky.
“The peak is surrounded by 13 smaller peaks,” the village chief said as he rode up to stand beside me.
“That’s why it has always been known as the ‘Queen of the 13 Peaks’.
Would you like me to take a photo of you in front of it?”
I hesitated for a moment before nodding my head.
The village chief took out his phone and snapped a few photos of me, and I couldn’t help but smile at the camera.
When he was done, he gestured to the side and said, “There is a terrace over there that overlooks the village.
Would you like to go take a look?”
We followed the village chief to the terrace and looked out at the village below.
From our vantage point, we could see the entire village laid out before us, with its wooden houses and white sand murals.The village was surrounded by green fields that stretched on as far as the eye could see.
It was a beautiful sight to behold, and I couldn’t help but feel grateful that I had been given the opportunity to visit such a special place.
“Do you see that water system over there?”
the village chief asked, pointing to a series of intricate channels that snaked through the fields.
“That is how we irrigate our fields.
The water comes from springs in the mountains and is channeled into the fields through these channels.
We use it to grow rice, barley, potatoes, and other crops that we depend on for food.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“Our people have lived in this area for hundreds of years, and we have always lived in harmony with nature.
We are descendants of the Mosuo and Naxi tribes, and we still live in a way that honors our ancestors.”
I nodded my head in understanding, and the village chief continued.
“Our lifestyle has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years because we have such a deep respect for tradition.
We have also been lucky to live in an area that is so abundant in natural resources.”
When the village chief was done speaking, he led us back to the gate where we had started our tour.
We dismounted our horses and walked back up to the gate together.
As I looked up at it from close range, I couldn’t help but marvel at its beauty.
It was ancient and weathered, and yet it still stood strong and proud against the test of time.
It was truly a sight to behold.
When we reached the top of the stairs that led up to the gate, the village chief turned to us and said, “Thank you for visiting our village today.I hope that you enjoyed your time here and that you will come back again in the future.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving us alone to explore the gate on our own.
As I watched him go, I couldn’t help but be struck by how much I had enjoyed my time in the village and how much I felt like I belonged here.
I turned my attention back to the gate and began examining its carvings more closely.
While we were exploring the gate, I found a hole on its surface that looked like it had been filled in with some kind of sealant.
When I reached out and touched it, I felt a sense of warmth and energy coming from inside the hole.
I knew right away that there was something hidden inside of it, so I carefully chipped away at the sealant until I was able to open it up completely.
Inside of the hole, I found an ancient map that had been sealed inside for centuries.
It appeared to be a map of the Naxi Kingdom and had been drawn on a piece of sheepskin that was covered in intricate patterns and symbols that I didn’t recognize.
The map itself was quite large and showed the Naxi Kingdom surrounded by mountains on all sides.
A river flowed from south to north through the center of the kingdom, with Gemu Peak standing at its heart.
In addition to the map itself, a number of different symbols and patterns had been drawn on it, which I knew must have some sort of significance.
The more that I studied them, the more that I became convinced that they were some kind of writing or language that I simply didn’t recognize.
I was still deep in thought when Mei Ling appeared at my side and said, “What do you have there?”
I turned to face her and held up the map.
“It appears to be some sort of map of the Naxi Kingdom,” I replied.
She took the map from my hands and studied it closely for a moment before she said, “I have never seen anything like this before.What do you think it means?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied.
“But it looks like it might have some kind of writing or language on it that I don’t recognize.
I wonder if it could be the key to unlocking some of the secrets of the Naxi Kingdom that have been lost to time.”
Mei Ling nodded her head in understanding and said, “It is possible.
Perhaps you should take it back with you and study it more closely.”
I nodded my head in agreement and said, “Yes, I think that’s a good idea.
I will definitely do that.”
As I spoke, Mei Ling turned and began walking away, leaving me standing there alone with the ancient map in my hands.
I watched her go until she disappeared from sight before turning my attention back to the map and studying it more closely.
As I did, I couldn’t help but wonder what secrets it might hold and how much it might be able to tell me about the Naxi Kingdom that was still waiting to be discovered.
As I studied the map more closely, Mei Ling suddenly appeared at my side again and said, “Come on, follow me.”
I was surprised by her sudden appearance, but I quickly nodded my head in agreement and followed after her as she led me through the village.
As we walked, she moved with a grace and elegance that was truly mesmerizing, and I found myself falling more deeply under her spell with every step that she took.
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Before long, we had reached the foot of Shilin Baizi Temple, and I found myself climbing up the steps behind Mei Ling without even thinking about it.
The strange sense of familiarity that I had experienced before grew even stronger as we climbed up the steps of the temple, and a shiver ran down my spine as if something important was about to happen.
It felt as though this was something that I had done many times before, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember ever having done it at all.
The feeling of confusion only made me even more eager for answers as we continued up the steps of the temple, so lost in thought that I almost didn’t realize when we finally reached the top.
When I looked up, however, I was greeted by one of the most magnificent sights that I had ever seen in my life.
The temple itself was huge, towering over us like some kind of ancient giant that had stood watch over the land for centuries on end, and it exuded an aura of age that was truly overwhelming.
The two stone statues that flanked the entrance to the temple were even more impressive than I had expected them to be as well.
One of them was a large stone warrior with a fierce look on his face that seemed to be glaring down at us in disapproval, while the other was a smiling stone monk who seemed to be beckoning us forward in welcome.
Both of them appeared to be incredibly ancient, but they were still in remarkably good shape despite the passage of time.
And as I took in their features more closely, I was struck by the sense that there was something oddly familiar about them.
It was as if I had seen them somewhere before, but I couldn’t remember where or when that might have been.
The feeling only left me even more confused than I had been before.
But there was no time to dwell on it now as Mei Ling led me into the temple without a word.
As she did, she reached out to grasp the handle of an ornate wooden door that had been hidden away on the side of the temple and pulled it open with ease.
Without another word, she stepped inside, and I followed after her into what appeared to be a dark passageway.
The air inside was thick with the scent of mildew and age, and I could hear the faint sound of water dripping somewhere off in the distance as I stood there staring into the darkness.
I felt a sudden shiver run down my spine as if some part of me knew that this was not a good idea, but I couldn’t help but feel drawn forward by an unseen force.
And so I took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness to follow after Mei Ling without any idea of what might be waiting for us on the other side.
As soon as I had taken a few steps inside, however, I heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind me once again, and I turned to see that Mei Ling was following after me as well.
She said nothing as she moved to stand at my side, but her presence filled me with an odd sense of calm despite my growing unease.
I took her hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze, then together we stepped forward into the darkness to see what lay ahead.
As we moved forward, I could see that the passageway was illuminated by torches that were placed along the walls at regular intervals, and their flickering light cast long shadows along the walls as we moved past them one by one.
I could see that there were dozens of them in all, and it seemed as if they were leading us into some sort of underground chamber that was hidden away beneath the temple itself, but it was difficult to tell for certain in the dim light of the passageway.
And so I stepped forward to follow Mei Ling even further ahead as we made our way through the darkness, my heart pounding in my chest with both excitement and trepidation.
What might be waiting for us on the other side, I wondered?
But before long, we finally reached the end of the passageway, and when I emerged into the chamber beyond, I was greeted by an incredible sight that took my breath away.
The chamber was even larger than I had expected it to be, and it was filled from floor to ceiling with all sorts of ancient artifacts that were stacked haphazardly all around us in disarray.
There was no sign of any other people or creatures inside, however, and no sound of any sort coming from anywhere off in the distance to give me any clues as to what might be waiting for us here in this place.
The only thing that I could hear was the faint sound of water dripping from somewhere off in the distance, and it echoed through the chamber like a haunting melody that filled me with a sense of foreboding.
The walls were lined with dozens of flickering torches that filled the space with light, their flames casting long shadows along the walls and giving me only a limited view of what lay ahead as I looked around me.
But then I saw it: the source of the strange energy that seemed to be filling the space around me like a thick fog, and I was drawn forward to it like a moth to the flame as I stepped closer to take a better look at what I had found.
It was an incredibly large stone tablet that had been placed on the ground at the very center of the chamber, and even from this distance, I could see that its surface was covered with all sorts of intricate carvings that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy that I couldn’t explain.
I took another step forward, and I could feel Mei Ling moving to stand at my side once again, but she said nothing as I reached out to place my hand against the stone surface of the tablet to see what sort of energy it might be giving off for myself.
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The second that I touched it, I felt that strange energy coursing through my fingers, and it seemed to flow up through my arm, filling me with an exhilarating sense of power that made me want to laugh out loud with joy.
The strange symbols all around me seemed to pulse with their own inner light as they came alive with the power that was flowing through me, and I realized that there was something written on the bottom right hand corner of the tablet that I hadn’t noticed before with all of the excitement of what I had found.
It was written in the Naxi Dongba script, so it took me a moment to realize what it said: “Lin Xuan.”
It was my name, but how could it be here in such a place?
Was it just a coincidence?
Or did this place have some sort of special connection to me that even I didn’t fully understand?
Had all of this really been destined to happen?
Or had I really just been lucky enough to find this place all on my own?
It made me think of something that Zhang Wei had said to me one day when we’d been talking about our lives: “Fate is like rowing upstream; you don’t progress very fast, but if you stop rowing for even a moment, you’ll never be able to go back.”
I’d been so caught up in my own thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed Mei Ling moving in closer until she was standing right by my side, staring down at the tablet as she placed her finger against the symbol that represented the first character of my name.
“Do you know what this means?”
she asked me after a moment, and she looked up at me with an amused expression on her face when she saw the utterly bewildered look on my face.
“I don’t understand,” I admitted as I shook my head at her.
“It’s not your name,” she told me with a soft laugh as she gestured toward a different set of symbols that had been carved across the top of the tablet.
“It’s the twelve earthly branches, which are used for keeping track of the date and time and also for astrology and fate.”
“So, what you’re saying is…”
I began slowly, but then I trailed off as I suddenly realized that I didn’t know how to finish my question, and she raised an eyebrow at me as if she was silently urging me to continue.
“…that all of this is just a coincidence?”
I finished after a long moment, and I could see that she was trying desperately not to laugh out loud at me as she shook her head.
“Who knows?”
she told me with a shrug, and she looked down at the tablet once again before she lifted her hand to place it on top of mine.
“Maybe it’s fate, or maybe it’s not.
But I can tell you one thing: nothing in this world is ever really just a coincidence.”
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As Mei Ling spoke, I could feel the warmth of her hand seeping into mine, and I turned my gaze to the tablet in front of us, trying to focus on the symbols that had been carved into it as I did my best to push all thoughts about fate and destiny out of my mind.
However, when I turned my gaze back to the tablet, I suddenly found that I couldn’t focus on the symbols at all because I had been completely distracted by the two stone statues that stood on either side of the tablet, one with a smiling face and one with a frowning face.
The moment I looked at them, I felt like I had been whisked away to another time and place as I found myself standing in a small courtyard and looking up at the very same statues that stood in front of me now.
There were about five or six other kids who were standing around me, and we were all crowded together in one corner of the courtyard while we watched the last person left standing in the center trying to make up his mind about which side he wanted to choose so that he could try to tag someone else to take his place.
I could clearly hear the sound of my own voice laughing out loud even though I knew that I hadn’t actually said anything out loud, and I could feel the excitement bubbling up inside me as I turned to look at the girl who was standing next to me.
She was a little bit older than I was, but I could see that she was smiling at me as if she was waiting for me to come up with a good idea so that we could help our friend figure out which side he should choose even though we both knew that the choice was ultimately up to him.
However, no matter how hard I tried, I could not for the life of me remember anything about the game that we had been playing or what the rules were or how it was supposed to help the boy make up his mind, and I let out a little groan in frustration even though I knew that it was completely pointless for me to keep pushing myself like this.
“Is something wrong?”
Mei Ling asked me gently, and I turned to look at her with a helpless expression on my face even though I was aware that I probably looked like a complete idiot to her right now.
“I’m sorry,” I told her with a small shake of my head, “but I just…”
I trailed off helplessly as I turned back around to look at the stone statues once again, and I reached out to place my hand on top of the frowning face while I did my best to push down the overwhelming wave of nostalgia that washed over me in that moment.
I don’t know why,” I told Mei Ling after a long moment, “but when I saw these statues, it was like… It was like I had been here before.”
Mei Ling stared at me in complete confusion for a long moment before she finally shrugged and turned away from me as she began to make her way toward the far end of the chamber where all of the stone tablets were lined up against the wall, and she didn’t say anything else to me after that even though I knew that she must have thought that I was acting completely ridiculous right now.
I turned away from the statues and watched her for a moment with a helpless expression on my face, but when it was clear that she wasn’t going to say anything else to me after that, I finally let out a heavy sigh and turned back around to look at the large stone tablet that was sitting directly in front of me once again, and I reached out to place my hand on top of it so that I could try to feel some sort of connection to it even though I knew that it was completely pointless for me to do this right now.
However, just as soon as I touched the stone, I was suddenly hit by another overwhelming surge of energy, and this time, it was even worse than before, and I let out a little gasp of surprise and tried to pull myself away from it once again, but when I looked down at the surface of the stone, all of the strange symbols that were carved into it suddenly seemed to come into focus for me, and I realized that they were an intricate mixture of ancient Chinese characters and diagrams that were all connected to each other in some way, and for one long moment, it was almost like they were dancing around right in front of my eyes, but then I felt Mei Ling’s hand on my shoulder once again, and she called out to me gently, pulling me away from whatever it was that I was seeing so that I could focus on what was going on around me once again.
I don’t know what came over me,” I told her with a helpless shrug, “but for a moment there… When I touched this tablet…”
I trailed off helplessly as I looked down at the surface of the stone, but even though all of the strange symbols were still there, they were not moving around anymore like they had been before even though they still seemed to hold some sort of strange significance for me even though I could not understand any of them at all right now.
I can barely see them now,” I finally said after several long moments, and then I shook my head helplessly and let out a heavy sigh before letting go of the stone and turning away from it so that I could look at Mei Ling once again.
“I’m sorry,” I added after a moment when it was clear that she was still staring at me with a concerned expression on her face even though she must have known that there was nothing that she could do to help me right now.
“It’s just…”
“Are you sure that you’re alright?”
Mei Ling asked me gently, and she reached out to place her hand on my shoulder once again and squeezed it tightly in order to reassure herself that everything was okay.
“I’m fine,” I assured her with a small smile, and then I glanced back down at the stone tablet once again, and after several more moments of staring at it in silence, I finally reached out to trace one of the symbols with the tip of my finger in the hopes that it would help me to understand what it was that I was seeing even more than before even though it was still completely pointless for me to do this right now.
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But then something very strange happened: the moment that I touched one of the symbols on the stone tablet, everything seemed to become clear all at once, and then everything went dark before a blinding light suddenly appeared in front of me and made me look away in order to shield my eyes from it as it filled the room with its presence.
When the light finally faded away, I found myself all alone in the room once again while standing directly in front of the stone tablet with the symbols on its surface shining like stars in the sky even though the torches on the walls were still burning brightly enough for me to be able to see them just as clearly as before.
And then, almost as if they were calling out to me somehow, the symbols began to move around on the stone all at once before they finally settled down into their proper locations once again, and then everything was still once again.
But this time, instead of feeling disoriented like I had been before, all I felt was calm as I looked down at the symbols on the stone tablet and let out a small gasp of surprise at what they were showing me now.
The symbols actually made sense to me right now as I stared down at them and felt a surge of comprehension wash over me as they formed a complex web of lines and circles that seemed to be connected to all sorts of other things that were written in other languages that had clearly been carved on this stone tablet at later times, and even though the entire thing seemed to be a complete mess, there was actually some sort of order to it all that made sense to me even though it was still impossible for me to understand how this could be possible.
But then, as I continued to stare down at it, something very strange happened: instead of just reading this one tablet like I clearly should have been doing, my field of vision suddenly seemed to expand somehow, and then all at once, I was able to read all sorts of other things as well.
And then, just like that, every single thing that was written on every single stone tablet in this room suddenly made sense to me all at once, and then I let out a small gasp once again as a new sensation suddenly washed over me like a tidal wave and made my entire body tremble with excitement even though I did not understand why this was happening right now.
It’s alright,” Mei Ling assured me when she saw how pale my face suddenly was, and she reached out to grab my arm and pull me back toward her even though I did not even realize how far away from her I had been standing until just now.
“Do you need to sit down?”
I’m fine,” I assured her, but I did not move away from her even though she was still holding onto my arm pretty tightly right now.
“I think…I think that you should take a look at this,” I added after another moment when it was clear that she still looked completely concerned about my well-being even though there was no reason for her to feel this way.
A man suddenly came up to us at that moment.
He was wearing a suit that seemed out of place in this kind of environment.
And yet, he didn’t seem to be bothered by it at all.
Instead, he then came up to Mei Ling with an air of skepticism and said to her,
“Are you for real?”
he then asked her.
“What are you talking about?”
“Didn’t you just make up that story about Axi and your River God for him?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
I then interjected just as soon as he said that.
“Different cultures have different beliefs and traditions, you know?
That’s why we should always respect them as much as we can,”
I then said to him while giving him a stern look.
But then again…
He didn’t seem to care about what I was saying either.
Instead, he then gave me a dismissive look and said to me,
“You’re just an American, aren’t you?”
he then said.
“You’re not from China, are you?”
he then added right afterward.
He then gave me a skeptical look and said,
“You still have a lot of things to learn about this place, you know?”
I then took a deep breath for a moment after hearing what he said.
But then again…
I didn’t want his skepticism to get in the way of me exploring this place either!
After all: this was one of the most ancient lands in the world!
So how could I allow his doubts to overshadow the magic that I felt here?
As I was trying to think about this though…
The caravan leader suddenly called out for us at that moment…
Telling us that it was time for us to go already.
We’re not alone here!”
he then called out after hearing that.
When we heard that…
We then looked around at our surroundings at that moment…
And that was when we saw something!
There was a group of horses that was coming toward us from the distance!
I then looked at them for a moment…
And when I saw them…
I then realized that the way the horses were moving was the same as how the people were moving too!
As if they were being controlled by some kind of magical force there!
I then took one last look at Gemu Peak at that moment…
And after looking at it…
I felt so sad for some reason or another…
As if I was leaving behind a place that had so many stories still waiting for me to discover too!
But before I could go any further…
Mei Ling suddenly came up to me and asked me,
“Are you okay?”
she then asked me with a smile on her face.
When she saw the sad expression on my face…
She was worried about me too!
However, when I saw her smiling at me like that…
I couldn’t help but feel a lot better again too!
“It’s nothing!”
I replied to her with a smile on my face too.
“We’ll be back!”
