A thousand years later, history elites from universities across the country flocked to Huaxia University, just to hear a lecture by Professor Lu. Professor Lu was a renowned archaeologist and historian, most celebrated for his research on the orcish ancestors of humankind. He was not only fascinated by that period of history, but also spent decades discovering several important ancient tombs, piecing together a more complete picture of that era by combining numerous historical artifacts.
This lecture is themed around the City of Wise Men. It is said that Professor Lu, who is already eighty years old, will publicly share some of his private research findings, which must be extremely valuable. No one who studies history will miss this opportunity to hear that history from an authority, and there may even be some secrets. Everyone is fighting tooth and nail for a spot.
Professor Lu walked into the classroom, looked at the eager students below, each holding a recorder and notebook, and nodded with a smile. The classroom doors were open, and the corridor was packed with people. Professor Lu didn't say anything, but instead sat down in a chair and opened a very thick notebook. Judging from its condition and wear, this notebook must have been used for a very long time, and the person who used it must have cherished it.
Professor Lu turned to the page with the bookmark, which featured a portrait of four people. His eyes filled with nostalgia as he said, "What initially piqued my interest in the City of the Wise was a painting. Based on fragments of records passed down from that time, I believe the female figure in the painting is the Wise Man Xu Zifan, and the three orcs beside him are the orc king Sadar, General Mengya, and the divine healer Mowen. Many have suspected that these three orcs were the Wise Man's husbands, but my decades of research have led me to a conclusion that is difficult for most to accept. I believe Xu Zifan was a time traveler, and a straight man at that. It's true he was loved by the orcs, but he never loved anyone from that era, nor would he ever."
The students were in an uproar. Although they didn't dare to discuss it too much because Professor Lu was up there, they quickly quieted down. However, their expressions and eyes were clearly shocked, and most of them did not believe the claim.
Professor Lu smiled. "Of course, the Wise Man's love life isn't the topic I want to discuss today. What I want to talk about is the wisdom the Wise Man brought to that era. During that time, the number of orcs was undoubtedly decreasing. Three hundred years after the founding of the Wise Man's City, there were no more orcs among newborns; instead, they became men and women. After that, females also disappeared. This was due to environmental influences, an inevitable result of human development. Later, the population increased, and the dynasty was fragmented by internal wars, forming a three-way power struggle. I believe the greatest loss from that war was the bamboo slips left by the Wise Man. Those bamboo slips disappeared in the fire, affecting human development and even causing cultural regression. After several dynasties, we have developed into the modern society we are today. But in King Sadah's tomb, I found several paintings, including portraits of him in human and animal forms, as well as a group portrait of the four of them. The paper, brushes, ink, pigments, and even the mounting materials used in those paintings did not exist at that time, and were only discovered hundreds of years later. So, where did those portraits personally painted by the Wise Man come from?"
Professor Lu picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and continued, "Among the burial goods of King Sada was a sharp dagger inlaid with gemstones. The dagger was made of deep-sea black iron, but no other objects made of black iron were found after King Sada's death. In addition, some bamboo slips were well preserved in King Sada's tomb. The bamboo slips contained a lot of profound knowledge. Can you guess what it is?"
The students exchanged bewildered glances. One of the bolder students raised his hand and, after being called upon by Professor Lu, said somewhat nervously, "Professor Lu, you suspect that the Wise One is a time traveler, so... could the profound knowledge you discovered be something we only have now? For example... foreign languages?"
"What's so special about foreign languages? Maybe there were foreign countries back then, and the wise man just happened to have been there," another classmate retorted in disagreement.
Professor Lu smiled and nodded, gesturing for them to sit down. "Indeed, there was English, and besides English, there was advanced mathematics, chemistry, and physics. The wise man discussed electricity and very advanced quantum and particle physics in the bamboo slips. Some of the knowledge is so complex that even our scientists today haven't been able to solve it. There was also medicine, both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, which were also far more advanced than our current medical knowledge. At that time, I was already very shocked that the wise man could talk about electricity, but what shocked me even more was that one of the bamboo slips actually discussed hacking knowledge!"
The students present could no longer contain their excitement and began to whisper among themselves. They were utterly astonished. In a time when even survival was a struggle for survival in that ancient tribe a thousand years ago, the wise man actually knew about hacking! Could he really be a time traveler? If not, could he truly be a god? Could the gods of that era have already foreseen the future of their world? How could that be? They were history students, but they had also grown up with a materialistic mindset. Yet, the wise man seemed shrouded in mystery from every angle; he was definitely not an ordinary person.
One student asked in confusion, "Professor Lu, if the wise man traveled back from our modern era, what kind of person would he be to know so much knowledge, and all of it so profound? What you just mentioned isn't even within a single field. Could one person possibly know so much?"
Another student murmured, "So the Wise Man is a god? He knows everything that has happened over the past thousand years, so... so he wants to teach knowledge to the people of that time?"
"How is that possible? When have gods ever interfered in human life?" one student said, then realized something was amiss and added, "I don't believe in gods. What I mean is, even if they did exist, gods are supposed to be high above, watching from heaven."
"Given the joys and sorrows of humankind, if the Wise Man was a god, why did he impart knowledge of later generations to those of his time? Wouldn't this create a butterfly effect? If it does create a butterfly effect, shouldn't things have unfolded according to his knowledge? Or did he deliberately act that way because he knew it would happen?"
The more he talked, the more confused he became. He clutched his head and said, "No, what am I saying? I don't believe in gods. I'd rather believe that there was an advanced civilization in ancient times, that it perished, and that humanity developed again. That makes more sense."
Professor Lu looked kindly at the arguing students, slowly flipping through his decades-old notebook. After the students quieted down, he smiled and said, "Because this is an unsolved mystery, the country hasn't made these discoveries public. Why am I revealing them today? This is the result of ten years of continuous applications to the country. I'm old and can no longer research the history I love. I hope you can continue your research, and of course, you should know the truth. Over the years, I've also researched some cases of time travel and deities. I personally lean towards the idea that the Wise One was a time traveler, and an extremely skilled one at that. I even suspect that the Wise One possessed the magical spaces described in those novels, which is why he was able to produce things that didn't exist in that era."
The students laughed. While some might question time travel, the idea of spatial manipulation was truly laughable. They assumed Professor Lu was just trying to lighten the mood and didn't take it seriously. Professor Lu didn't elaborate; after all, it was one of the world's unsolved mysteries, and his speculation was merely a bold conjecture. He tapped the notebook on the table and smiled, "This notebook represents decades of my hard work. I've compiled and printed it into materials. When you leave, feel free to take a copy if you're interested. I hope that some of you will genuinely love that period of history and, after me, continue to diligently explore it."
A young student raised his hand and asked, "Professor Lu, I love history, but my family doesn't support my research in this area. They think that history is in the past, so what's the point of studying it thoroughly? Sometimes I feel confused. I want to know, what has sustained you in your decades of research on this period of history?"
Professor Lu smiled kindly at him, his eyes seemingly encompassing the world, easing his tension. He slowly began, "The meaning of history, in my view, is remembrance. When I'm immersed in this history, every discovery I make is like seeing the development of that era through time. Take the wise man, for example. He did so much during that period. He helped people eat and clothe themselves, taught them to read and write, and various skills, and there are many other things he did that we don't yet know about. He was a great wise man, and he dedicated his life to his work. I believe he deserves to be remembered by all of us. If we don't understand that history, our understanding of him will only be a name, a superficial knowledge. The more we understand that history, the more I admire him—it's a heartfelt respect for a great man. And only by understanding how history unfolded step by step can we truly appreciate the hard-won life we have today. I am the meaning of history to me. Because of my respect for the wise man, I have a stronger belief and have become a better person. Don't you young people like to idolize celebrities? The wise man is my idol. Being able to understand my idol better is what makes me happiest."
Everyone relaxed after his last sentence, and one bold student even joked, "Professor Lu, you think he was unmoved by emotions because you admire wise men, right? We don't like our idols dating either!"
"Yes, Professor Lu, the love story between the Wise Man, King Sadar, General Fierce Fang, and Divine Healer Ink Pattern is also widely known. The three beastmen did not marry anyone else after the Wise Man passed away. The City of the Wise Man was also built by the four of them together, and they even lived together in the Hall of the Wise Man. They must have had a very deep affection for each other, right? The Wise Man is so lucky to have the love and care of three devoted and loyal men!"
Professor Lu smiled and shook his head. "The Wise Man did many things in his life, but there was only one he consistently pursued: promoting the birth of women. Therefore, I believe the Wise Man was a time traveler, and that he liked women in his later life. Otherwise, since there was no problem with the matching of beastmen and females, he wouldn't have suddenly had the idea of wanting women to appear. Of course, this is just my personal speculation. Without precise historical records, anything is possible. It's up to you to investigate what really happened back then."
The lecture passed quickly. Afterwards, Professor Lu left, escorted by his assistant. He overheard many people whispering, but the most discussed topic wasn't the development of that era, nor time travel, but whether there was any love between the wise man and the three outstanding orcs. He couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle; they were all still young, more inclined to gossip. The lost history and culture shrouded the events of that time in mystery, making tales of enduring love always more believable.
Professor Lu felt a pang of regret. If the war hadn't destroyed so many historical records, he could have gained a deeper understanding of that period of history. But regardless, he had already lived a worthwhile life by learning about the wise man's deeds and becoming a better version of himself. He still had time; he wanted to record all the stories about the wise man, pass them down, and let more people remember them. Such a great person deserves to be remembered by everyone.