Chapter 128: Vanishing History

With this in mind, the experts firmly believed that there must be an ancient tomb nestled within this mountain, vast in scale and accompanied by a wealth of precious artifacts. With the assistance of some soldiers, the experts successfully entered the tomb. Just as they had suspected, the tomb was magnificent in grandeur, and the identity of its occupant was undoubtedly extraordinary. Inside lay numerous treasures—gold, silver, jewels, porcelain, and jade—all meticulously arranged and remarkably well preserved.

After several days of study, the experts confirmed that this was the tomb of Marquis Zeng Hou Yi, a ruler of the State of Zeng during the Warring States period. Inscriptions on the artifacts substantiated the experts’ findings. The discovery of this tomb unveiled a secret—a nation lost to the flow of history—thereby altering the understanding of ancient China’s Warring States era. Subsequently, the experts uncovered another tomb, from which mysterious weapons were unearthed, further affirming the existence of the State of Zeng. The inscriptions on these weapons clearly identified them as belonging to the Grand Marshal of Zeng, leaving no doubt about the state’s reality.

From the tomb of Marquis Zeng Hou Yi, it was evident that this ruler lived in great luxury. Many of the artifacts were national treasures, priceless beyond measure. This small state had perhaps known a brief moment of brilliance, but due to its limited size and weak comprehensive strength, it was overlooked and eventually disappeared in the relentless tide of history. The official historians paid it little mind and failed to record it in the annals.

After Guo Fan finished speaking, I suddenly thought of the ancient State of Li. The State of Zeng and the State of Li bore striking similarities—they were once small but prosperous states, scarcely recorded in history, shrouded in mystery, and even unknown to many.

I sighed quietly. Countless civilizations have vanished and been forgotten in the endless river of history. Many events remain unknown to the world. The small states I had encountered or heard of—the State of Li, the State of Zeng, and earlier the State of Loufan—were all such cases.

After chatting a while longer with Liu Dong and Guo Fan, I closed my eyes to rest. According to our schedule, we would reach Wuming County by early morning. I reminded Liu Dong to stay alert and then drifted into sleep.

In the dead of night, I suddenly felt a push and opened my eyes abruptly, startling Liu Dong. I saw Guo Fan was driving while Liu Dong sat beside him, smoking and watching me. Upon seeing me awake, Guo Fan said, “Boss, we’ve already entered Wuming County.”

I asked them to drive into town and find a small inn to rest until morning. Checking the time, it was well past 2:30 a.m. We had been traveling nonstop, sleeping mostly in the car, so I felt rather uncomfortable—indeed, my whole body was stiff and sore.

Wuming County was small, a modest county town, but with all the essentials. Soon after entering, we spotted a street lined with four or five inns. We picked one at random. I didn’t hesitate to book three rooms—one for each of us. Lying down, I quickly fell asleep again.

I slept soundly until dawn. When I woke around eight o’clock, still groggy, I freshened up and took out my phone. Time was pressing; I needed to get things done. First, I hadn’t contacted Anna. She should have arrived a day earlier than us but hadn’t called. I felt a twinge of worry, though more pressing was what lay ahead.

My first call was to Monk Wei. He told me everything was arranged and gave me a number. He instructed me to send the address via text message to that number. He had also found three local helpers for me, all reliable people. Knowing Monk Wei’s reputation, I trusted his judgment.

Next, I called Anna. The foreign girl had flown to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, but since the flight route to here wasn’t open yet, she had to take a train. Factoring in waiting times, she wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon—later than us. I concocted an excuse, telling her to gather information and find a place to settle once she arrived, then contact me.

Anna, unfamiliar with the area and somewhat inexperienced, readily agreed. Just then, Guo Fan returned carrying breakfast. After eating, we began to wait. I reminded Liu Dong to keep a close watch on the trailers; if they arrived, he must not lose sight of them.

Liu Dong reassured me, “Don’t worry, boss. The two of us have been taking shifts watching after you since you fell asleep last night. We’ve got everything covered.”

I smiled. These two were indeed dependable—often thinking ahead without needing my instructions. According to schedule, the trailers should arrive today, though I wasn’t sure if it would be in the afternoon or evening.

Being outsiders, we naturally attracted some attention. I asked the innkeeper if there were any places to visit nearby, telling her we were tourists. Tourism in Yunnan had developed well in recent years, attracting many visitors. Though Wuming County saw fewer tourists than other places, there were still a few sites worth seeing. The innkeeper was friendly and enthusiastically introduced local attractions without any suspicious looks.

While Liu Dong kept watch outside, Guo Fan and I chatted idly with the innkeeper, occasionally glancing out the window. After about an hour, an old minivan pulled up at the inn’s entrance. A middle-aged man dressed in traditional ethnic attire stepped inside and asked,

“Excuse me, is there a Mr. Gao here?”

I waved my hand, indicating I was he. The man immediately smiled and said, “Mr. Gao, I am the guide entrusted to you by Mr. Wei. Please come with me to the car, and I will explain the travel guidelines in detail. I hope you enjoy your stay here.”

I gave Guo Fan a knowing look, signaling him to follow and to notify Liu Dong. Guo Fan immediately understood, pulling out his phone to make a call as he got into the minivan with me.