Chapter One: The Heavenly Dog Devours the Sun!

"Records of Chang'an County" state: Zhongnan Mountain stretches across the southern part of Guanzhong, running west from Qinlong to east at Lantian, spanning more than eight hundred li. In ancient times, it was said that aside from the Taihang, no mountain surpassed Zhongnan in grandeur.

Not only is Zhongnan Mountain imposing and scenic, but it is also a renowned sanctuary for those seeking immortality. Throughout the dynasties, many recluses and eminent figures have withdrawn here, such as Zhang Liang, one of the Three Heroes of the early Han; the great poet Tao Yuanming; Sun Simiao, the King of Medicine; and Wang Wei, the Poet Buddha. For generations, the list is too long to count.

In recent times, Zhongnan Mountain has become a major tourist attraction. Every year, countless travelers are drawn by its reputation, coming to hike, seek hermits, or embark on daring wilderness adventures.

...

In the fleeting glory of the prosperous age, beauty flickers at the tip of a pen,
Once, the Rainbow Dress and Feathered Gown graced the capital, lovers clasped hands in deep confession,
The drums of Yuanyang, the lifelong regret before Mawei Slope,
Still recall the moon of Qixi, years ago...

On the northern slopes of Zhongnan Mountain, in a remote and uninhabited primeval forest, a tall, handsome young man was strolling leisurely, softly singing an ancient-style song—"Ode to Tang Beauties."

He wore a standard 2007-issue camouflage uniform, brown combat mountaineering boots, and carried an oversized backpack filled to bursting—tent, sleeping bag, moisture-proof mat, water bottle, canned food—at least a hundred and fifty pounds in total. For most people, carrying such a load would make even walking a struggle, but he moved effortlessly over hill and dale, not a trace of fatigue on his face after hours of hiking.

His name was Li Zhao, a native of the Imperial Capital, twenty-nine years old, Gemini, blood type A, a third-year student at Wudaokou Vocational and Technical College—Department of Mechanical Engineering. People say Geminis have a split personality, sometimes cold, sometimes warm, half angel, half devil; this described Li Zhao perfectly.

His gentle features and harmless appearance masked a wild spirit. Since childhood, he was energetic and fearless, with a passion for play and an array of interests: music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, pets, training cats and dogs—he excelled at them all.

As he grew older, his wildness only intensified. He took up extreme sports—free climbing, ocean surfing, alpine skiing, wilderness survival. He even tried wingsuit flying, with its notorious thirty percent fatality rate, several times, always favored by fortune and escaping unscathed.

Some might wonder: why is this man still only in his third year of university at twenty-nine? Was he too fond of play, repeating years? In truth, while Li Zhao loved adventure, he was exceptionally intelligent—otherwise, he wouldn't have been admitted to "Wudaokou Vocational and Technical College" (a playful reference to Tsinghua University). The reason for his delayed graduation was that, in his sophomore year, he joined the army in response to the national call, retaining his student status.

Thanks to his outstanding physical fitness, he passed rigorous selection and joined the Reconnaissance Company of a Mountain Warfare Division in the Southwest Military Region—a top-tier rapid response unit, famed for defeating the illustrious "Ten Thousand Years Corps" in two grand exercises.

After six years as a mountain commando and earning over a dozen military honors, Li Zhao retired with distinction and returned to his studies.

During summer break, bored at home, he set off to travel the Guanzhong region—visiting Zhaoling, Qianling, the snowy willows of Ba, and the ancient ferry at Xianyang. Still unsatisfied, he plunged into Zhongnan Mountain for an adventure, seeking traces of hermits long past.

Ordinary people would only venture into Zhongnan Mountain in groups, well-provisioned and equipped, to ensure safety. Not Li Zhao—relying on his superb survival skills, he journeyed alone with his pack deep into the mountains, scaling cliffs, exploring hidden valleys and caves, roaming wild for over a month. As the new semester approached, he finally prepared to leave.

After half a day's trek, he emerged from the forest onto a broad plain, ringed by mountains on three sides and bordered by water on the fourth. The lush vegetation and scenic beauty marked this as a true paradise.

Finding such a clearing meant he was near the edge of the mountains. After over a month of wild adventure, Li Zhao felt a pang of reluctance to leave. He decided to spend one last night here, marking the end of his journey with a fitting finale.

Having settled on staying, he scouted for a campsite. As he wandered, he made a startling discovery: amidst tangled thorns lay the remnants of old walls, shattered bricks, and a large stone stele broken into three pieces. Though weathered, three large characters were just barely legible: "Hidden Dragon Ridge."

So, this place was called Hidden Dragon Ridge, once a populous ancient village. Judging by the script—its bold, open strokes—it resembled the regular script of the Sui or Tang dynasties!

"Ha, life is full of surprises! Since I've stumbled upon this treasure, why not test my luck?" Li Zhao, an avid history buff, dropped his pack and took out a small entrenching tool, digging eagerly among the ruins in hopes of unearthing a collectible to commemorate his adventure.

Fortune favors the diligent. After more than an hour, he uncovered five rusted copper coins—three "Kaiyuan Tongbao," one "Qianyuan Zhongbao," and a battered "Dali Yuanbao," barely recognizable.

Currency, they say, is the face of an era—how true! The three "Kaiyuan Tongbao" coins, with crescent moon marks on the reverse (also known as "Moon-mark Kaiyuan"), were minted during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, Li Longji, in the heyday of Tang. These coins, exquisitely made, have survived more than a millennium in remarkable condition.

The "Qianyuan Zhongbao" was minted under Emperor Su Zong, Li Heng, Xuanzong's son, during the turmoil of the An Shi Rebellion. With the nation ravaged by war, the quality of coinage declined sharply.

The "Dali Yuanbao" was from the reign of Emperor Dai Zong, Li Yu, Su Zong's son, who, desperate to quell the rebellion, adopted appeasement policies that weakened central authority and led to the fragmentation of the empire.

Tang copper coins are plentiful and of little monetary value; in the antique markets around Xi'an, even well-preserved examples fetch only a few yuan. But to Li Zhao, finding them himself lent them great sentimental value.

After a long day’s hike and an hour’s digging, even Li Zhao felt a little weary. He pocketed the coins and sat down to rest beneath a towering cypress.

It was a rare dragon-scale cypress, over twenty meters tall and so thick that six or seven men could barely encircle its trunk. The reddish-brown bark, deeply furrowed, resembled the scales of a dragon, and its lush canopy betrayed an age of at least two thousand years.

Beneath the tree lay an ancient hexagonal well, its stone rim nearly level with the ground, battered and crumbling, its depths swallowed by darkness.

Settling in, Li Zhao drank a bottle of spring water, ate two cans of beef, then pulled from his bag a copy of the "Old Book of Tang," reading contentedly:

"Prince Wu, Ke, was Emperor Taizong’s third son. In the third year of Wude, he was enfeoffed as Prince of Shu and appointed Grand Governor of Yizhou, though too young to take up the post. In the tenth year, he was moved to Prince of Wu. In the twelfth year, he was appointed Grand Governor of Anzhou. His mother was a daughter of Emperor Yang of Sui, and Ke was both literary and martial. Taizong often claimed he resembled himself. Once Chancellor Zhangsun Wuji supported the enthronement of Emperor Gaozong, he grew deeply jealous. During Yonghui, on the pretext of Fang Yi’ai’s conspiracy, Zhangsun had Ke executed, to eliminate all hope. The realm mourned him. He had four sons: Ren, Wei, Kun, and Jing, all exiled to the southern frontiers..."

Of all China’s dynasties, Li Zhao loved the Tang Empire most—for its military, politics, economy, and culture, all without peer, standing proud in the East, honored by nations far and wide.

Of the twenty-one Tang emperors (including the Empress Wu), he most admired Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin. Of Taizong’s fourteen sons, his favorite was Prince Wu, Li Ke.

"Emperor Taizong was a hero for the ages, a ruler of unmatched civil and martial prowess. Yet, in choosing his heir, he made a grave error—forsaking the valiant Li Ke for the weak Li Zhi. Had Li Ke become emperor, there would have been no usurpation by the Wu clan, nor decades of turmoil. The history of Tang—and perhaps the world—would have been brighter still. What a shame, what a pity!"

Li Zhao, though a native of the Imperial Capital, had ancestors who, according to the family genealogy, migrated from Guanzhong over a thousand years ago—first to Hongtong in Shanxi to escape war, and later to the capital.

Their records stated clearly that the Li family descended from Li Ke’s fourth son—in other words, Li Ke was Li Zhao’s great ancestor!

Alas, that ancestor never sat the throne, and the mighty Tang Empire did not endure to the present. Otherwise, Li Zhao might have inherited a noble title—perhaps a duke or marquis! Even the lowest rank of landed squire would have sufficed—drawing a stipend, owning an estate, enjoying privileges and a small fief, strutting about with a few lackeys, collecting rents, sipping wine, flirting with village beauties—what a delightful life that would have been!

"Hmm?"

Immersed in his thoughts, Li Zhao suddenly noticed the light dimming around him. He looked up to see the brilliant sun rapidly vanishing, eclipsed by a round black shadow—a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event!

In Chinese mythology, a solar eclipse is known as "the heavenly dog devouring the sun." It was said that during this brief moment, order was overturned, yin and yang reversed, and strange things might occur.

Click! Click!—Splash!

Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Li Zhao hurriedly pulled out his phone and snapped a flurry of photos of the spectacle, then changed positions for a few selfies to show off to his classmates.

But in his eagerness, he forgot to watch his step. One careless move, he trod on the ancient well’s edge, and his body plunged straight down...

Splash!