Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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It took Mangnyang roughly a month and ten days to scour the books he had brought for any trace of the island-crossing method.
As he pored over each volume, interpreting and studying them on his own, he even grew proficient at deciphering characters he hadn't known before.
After stacking the twenty-odd books I'd fetched in the main hall, Mangnyang spoke up.
"None of them have it."
Miho had stepped out for some fresh air. I sat in the main hall with Mangnyang and let out a groan.
"Urgh..."
None of these contained the island-crossing method precise enough to refine the map northward.
Did that mean I had to head back to the Yi clan's secret library for more materials?
As I prepared to warp straight to Beijing, Mangnyang gestured for me to hold on.
"But while deciphering these books, I uncovered two crucial facts. Shall I share them?"
Two crucial facts?
I fixed my gaze on Mangnyang's mouth, and he continued.
"First, the secret library where you got these books isn't the only one. There are at least ten more scattered across the world, all safeguarding ancient, esoteric texts."
"I see."
"Second... these are history books, penned at least three thousand years ago."
"Huh?"
I stared at him blankly at the second revelation, but Mangnyang stated firmly.
"No mistake about it. They chronicle the founding of the Yin Dynasty on the ancient Central Plains—right when King Tang, descendant of the Yellow Emperor, ascended the throne."
"Th-this isn't written in runes or ancient Cyrillic script?"
"These are translations."
"Translations?"
Mangnyang flipped through the books one by one.
He pointed to tiny, ant-like markings beside the runes.
When I peered closer, they weren't mere dots but shapes following a specific pattern.
He explained.
"These are the proto-forms used in the Shang Dynasty to convert oracle bone script into abbreviations. In mastering the world's scholarship, I learned this conversion method too, which let me spot it. And with that, I could interpret the runes in greater detail and grasp the books' contents."
"I'm not following. You mean they deliberately translated oracle bone abbreviations into runes?"
"Exactly."
Mangnyang nodded and unrolled a scroll.
"In other words, there was an original in early Hanzi from oracle bone script recording the Shang history. But the author, foreseeing its destruction for some reason, translated it into runes. The Yi clan collected those translations and archived them in their secret library."
"It wouldn't get damaged that way, right? The Shang era is pure antiquity—no proper paper back then. How could it survive centuries, millennia?"
"Knowledge doesn't rely solely on paper and ink. History endured through hermeneutics because human intellect and memory formed an intangible lineage. Transmission doesn't snap just because the medium is crude."
"What's your point?"
Mangnyang pondered briefly before replying.
"According to these histories, the Yin nobility wielded something called transfer gates. The authors were nobles too, freely traversing vast distances to absorb other races' cultures. And sensing something amiss, they translated the Yin history into the ancient barbarians' tongue—runes—to preserve it."
"Sensing something..."
I muttered, and Mangnyang's eyes gleamed.
"You're not surprised the Yin nobles used transfer gates."
"Well, I've heard bits in past lives... They say Grand Eunuch Zheng He's expeditions left the Central Plains to circumnavigate the world and install those gates."
It ties into the current emperor's ambitions too.
"Precisely!"
Mangnyang seemed thrilled that we were on the same wavelength. He seized my hand and pressed on.
"Transfer gates weren't invented by the Great Ming—they're just using ancient ones! That's the key!"
I could see why Mangnyang was so excited. If true, we could seize or exploit the Ming's gate usage well in advance. Assuming we deciphered the activation from these ancient texts first, but this intel would prove invaluable moving forward.
"Anyway, back to the main point: all twenty-odd books detail Cangjie. And since each covers different aspects, it seems he was highly active in early Yin, with his deeds meticulously recorded."
I blurted in disbelief.
"Cangjie? You mean the creator of Hanzi?"
"Yes, that Cangjie. Every one of these histories documents his exploits without fail."
"That's absurd... Cangjie is a mythic figure from the Yellow Emperor's time. Records from humanity's dawn in the Yin era? Linguistic nonsense!"
My rebuttal was airtight—any scholar in the realm would nod along.
Cangjie!
Also known as Jisheng Cangjie, he was from the primordial emperor Gongsun Xuanyuan's era. Legend painted him with a dragon's broad face, four eyes blazing with light. He's credited with inventing Hanzi, the foundation of Central Plains civilization. Naturally, few across the realm believe he was real. Consensus holds him a fictional myth crafted to explain Hanzi's origins.
But Mangnyang slowly shook his head.
"I thought the same before decoding these twenty books. Yet Cangjie bears the epithet Historian Sovereign and inventor of 'images.' A mythic titan like that wouldn't perish easily."
"......!!"
"After the Emperor's era, with no further mentions, Cangjie lived on, active in the human world—his traces etched in these histories."
Mythic existence.
The words echoed in my mind.
"No way... I didn't cherry-pick from that secret library. I just grabbed books at random from the shelves. What are the odds all twenty mention Cangjie?"
I half-panicked my retort, but Mangnyang chuckled.
"Then it's no coincidence. I suspect most books in that archive are similar histories tied to Cangjie."
"......"
That made sense.
The Yi clan's secret library existed to preserve Yin histories centered on Cangjie. But why hoard such vast tomes on one topic?
Mangnyang shrugged.
"Well, by your account, Pengzu lives on too. No stretch if Cangjie does."
A mythic being achieving immortality—let's approach it that way.
I mulled it over before asking.
"Fine, say that's true. What exploits of his do they record?"
"That's the odd part..."
Mangnyang murmured softly.
"These histories brim with dialogues between the Yellow Emperor and his retinue. For instance, with retainers like Fen, Mo, Huzhu, Baoyi, Li, Yunsu, Aosui, Wupeng, Wuhuan, Yingyun, Yingzhang, Dayao, Yishu, Yongxing, Cangjie... They held a grand assembly to craft artifacts for humanity."
"An assembly."
Suddenly, I grasped why these sprawling histories fixated on Cangjie. They transcribed the entire colossal proceedings between the Emperor and his aides. And since writing and images underpin human culture, Cangjie was ever-present.
"Fen made bows, Mo arrows, Huzhu crowns, Baoyi robes, Li drums, Yunsu mirrors, Aosui shoes, Wupeng medicine, Wuhuan bronze drums, Yingyun and Yingzhang musical scales, Dayao armor, Yishu mountains and rivers, Yongxing oars... You know this from the Classic of Mountains and Seas anyway."
"Of course."
Mangnyang's rundown sounded arcane but was straightforward. As noted in the [Classic of Mountains and Seas], after vanquishing Chiyou, the Yellow Emperor devised conveniences for humanity. Anyone versed in Daoist studies would know it cold.
Mangnyang sighed after his quick recap.
"Sigh—but these histories diverge sharply from what we know. Especially the assembly's content; it's vastly different."
"How so?"
"The Yellow Emperor doesn't participate directly. He's mentioned as existing, but never appears. Instead, Cangjie leads as chief, issuing commands with immense authority. He even slays one of the Emperor's retainers mid-assembly."
"......!!"
What was this? It flipped every historical take—Cangjie as mere retainer to the Emperor.
I gaped at Mangnyang, who calmly continued.
"Moreover, these histories uniformly call Cangjie the Historian Sovereign. It's noted as a title and power bestowed directly by the Emperor. In short, Cangjie wielded authority second only to the Emperor among his direct subordinates."
"Hmm..."
So the Hanzi inventor was that formidable.
It hit me, and I said to Mangnyang.
"Hold on? Earlier you said these record the era of King Tang's ascension. Why so much on Cangjie's assembly?"
"Sharp catch. That's the crux."
Mangnyang glanced around before speaking evenly.
"Because Cangjie is the Historian Sovereign—and progenitor of Yin, King Tang."
"......?!"
What madness was this!
Yin progenitor!
King Tang the Great Warrior toppled the Xia and founded Shang—Yin. Ancient yes, but unlike mythic Yellow Emperor or Cangjie, he's a verified historical figure in the [Records of the Grand Historian]. Why claim he's Cangjie?
"Tang toppling Xia to found Shang is just folklore mashup. Yin's true origins trace to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, tied to Jizi. Viewed that way, these histories fit perfectly."
I didn't fully grasp, but clearly: Cangjie was Yin's founder.
Mangnyang fully bought into these histories too.
Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors...
I repeated it inwardly. For some reason, their secrets coiled like a riddle, stealthily approaching me. Tormenting humanity to solve it.
No—this was it.
Unravel the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' secret, or no advancing.
"It's simple why I call Cangjie King Tang. These twenty records state the Emperor delegated Central Plains dominion to him; Cangjie founded Yin and vowed to lead humanity while offering tribute to the gods. He even self-proclaims as King Tang."
"......"
I quelled my turmoil, mentally sorting Mangnyang's tale. Then, half-lidding my eyes, I spoke.
"So, the Emperor handed human rule to Cangjie, who founded Yin as King Tang. These histories log the assembly to civilize barbaric humans."
Hugely significant historically. Explains why Yin nobles painstakingly rendered translations. And why knowledge-seeking Yi archived them.
"Yes. But 'civilize' needs correction."
"Why? The Emperor's retainers crafted and spread artifacts for humanity—bestowing boons, no?"
Mangnyang fell silent at my question.
Only after a long pause did he speak.
"Not boons."
He looked angry—not at me, but at some formless, colossal entity. Veins bulging at his temple, he ground his teeth.
"It's husbandry."
"Husbandry?"
Rustle.
Mangnyang lifted one volume and opened it.
He read each line clearly to me.
"[Thus spoke King Tang Cangjie: The Five Emperors demand tribute—what yearly harvest suffices, think you? At this, goblin spirits Shenlu and Ulu bounded joyfully from the underworld's edge with counsel. Humans breed ceaselessly by season and tide; best seize five hundred men and five hundred women monthly as offering. The Supreme Sovereign savors newborn flesh mightily. King Tang Cangjie bore this gravely, implemented it the next year, flung open the gates in grand celebration...]"
Tribute to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
It was humans.
"......"
I grasped Mangnyang's implication and blanched.
"No folk history would print this, but it's the [true history]. Books in a great race's library can't be forgeries..."
Mangnyang muttered bitterly before pressing on.
"For centuries till Yin's fall... divine kin ruled humanity generation after generation... Periodically harvesting humans as tribute, devouring them gleefully. Thousands of human sacrifices occurred; ancient humans were no better than swine without dignity."
Memories surged.
The Imperial Guard's sorcerers leading human sacrifice rites, divine beings thrashing amid mad sin. In the fabled Shang antiquity, gods devoured humans on continental scale—livestock farming!
'So that's it.'
I'd half-doubted till now—but the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were no benevolent to humanity.