Chapter 1: Little Milk Dog, You’re So Ugly (Edited)

October 19, 2021 by danmeiheaven

According to the book, the Cretaceous era was the period when the largest dinosaurs appeared and the species were particularly abundant. For example, the earliest giant pythons, moths, and bees also appeared in this era.

However, many people questioned whether the largest species in the Cretaceous period was really the dinosaurs?

Zhuang Yu has always scoffed at these questions. As a lost ancient civilization lover and the youngest doctor in the Department of Archaeology, Zhuang Yu has always taken a joking attitude to such nonsense.

But now, he showed a puzzled expression in a photo on his phone.

In the photo, it should be a mountain peak, but it has a rift for some reason, exposing the rock layer inside.

The rock layer is clearly distinguishable. The whole mountain peak is a fossil, with huge skeletons, far larger than the largest known dinosaur, but its structure is not the shape of any known dinosaur.

“Dayu1, have you seen it? This is definitely the greatest discovery in the archaeological world so far. It will subvert the cognition of the entire world, and archaeology will enter a new era.” Messages are constantly being sent on his phone. Even through the screen, Zhuang Yu could feel the excitement of the other party.

It was Zhao Lei, his classmate and partner, who sent him the texts. This partner would never joke about the rigorous discipline of archaeology.

Zhuang Yu was also a little excited. If this discovery is true, he’s afraid the whole world would have to start studying the origin of life again.

Zhuang Yu quickly replied with his mobile phone, “Where’s the location?”

“Thirty kilometers outside the China-Myanmar border, in an undeveloped mountain.”

A few days later, the dusty Zhuang Yu finally stood in front of the mountain in the photo. For the last 30 kilometers, because of inconvenient transportation, he walked with his suitcase. Even for archaeologists who often climb mountains and cross rivers, this is not an easy thing.

At this time, the mountain peak is somewhat different from that in the photo. Many shelves were built against it, and professionals removed the excess stones on it, revealing the true face of this huge fossil.

“Dayu, how do you feel? Is there a sense of shock from close contact with an ancient giant beast? We will be the witnesses of the oldest era.” Zhao Lei said excitedly.

However, Zhuang Yu did not answer, but was full of shock and doubt, because, on the back of this giant beast fossil, some simple and backward architectural traces can be vaguely seen. But how could this be possible? What intelligent creature can live on the back of a giant beast and build simple buildings?

Zhao Lei also showed a puzzled expression on his face, “Perhaps after this giant beast turned into a mountain, ancient humans regarded it as a real mountain and lived on it. We sent the stones here for testing. They’re definitely fossils from the Cretaceous era. At that time, humans didn’t exist.”

Only in this way can it be explained why there are traces of intelligent creatures living on the back of a giant beast.

But Zhuang Yu frowned, “Leizi2, I don’t know why. I seem to have a sense of familiarity with these.”

Zhao Lei was taken aback, “Dayu, are you too tired from the journey so you have hallucinations?”

Zhuang Yu also felt a little perplexed. Shaking his head, he didn’t say anything anymore, but he really felt weird in his heart. How could the picture in front of him feel like he had seen it somewhere before?

Maybe I was really tired. Zhuang Yu rubbed his tired body, then found a tent to rest. When he woke up, it was already night.

Zhuang Yu woke up with a start. He finally knew why he had an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Excited, he impatiently opened his suitcase. After rummaging for a while, he finally found a yellowed thread-bound ancient book at the bottom of the suitcase.

This is a “Taoist Sutra3”, but different from the popular “Taoist Sutra”, it is very old. This book was given to him before an old Taoist master of a Taoist temple died, in the mountains, when he lived in his hometown in the countryside when he was a child.

The reason why it’s different from the current “Taoist Sutra” is that there are many illustrations on it. Maybe it just happens to be called “Taoist Sutra”, and they’re two completely different books. These illustrations are the most imaginative memories of Zhuang Yu when he was a child. 

After he grew up, he realized how impractical these pictures were. He felt absurd so he put the book at the bottom of the suitcase, which can be regarded as nostalgia for the old master.

But at this time, Zhuang Yu took the book and ran out of the tent.

The moonlight tonight is very bright, and because it’s late at night, it’s quiet. Everyone in the camp is asleep.

Zhuang Yu looked at the giant beast’s fossil in front of him and the ancient traces of life and architecture on the back of it. His hands tremblingly opened a page of the old book.

The illustration on the page shows a giant beast with the human race living on its back. The skeleton of this huge animal is exactly the same as the giant beast fossil in front of him, like two peas in a pod.

No wonder Zhuang Yu had a sense of familiarity when he saw this fossil. He had seen this countless times in the book when he was young.

Zhuang Yu’s mood is beyond measure. He now wants to find someone to share his excitement at this time, but in the dead of night, it’s not good to disturb others.

After a while, after trying to calm down, there are more and more doubts in his heart. If this painting is true, does it mean that someone knew and recorded it in the form of paintings a long time ago? In the distant Cretaceous era, there were giant animals bigger than dinosaurs, and at that time, humans already existed and lived on the backs of giant animals.

Also, if this painting is real, what about the other illustrations in this book?

Zhuang Yu turned to the next page. It was an old man riding a green bull. The old man was very small, but the green bull he’s sitting on was huge.

If it were before, he would think that the proportions of this illustration are too unrealistic, but if the green bull itself is so big…

Turning to the next page, there’s a huge friendless turtle, on which a woman holds a colorful stone and faces the sky…

Zhuang Yu became more and more excited. Everything was so mysterious. It was definitely a lost ancient civilization.

In the dead of night, everything was silent. Only Zhuang Yu’s mood surged like the most turbulent waves. His hand unconsciously touched the rock wall of the mountain in front of him.

But with just this touch, the yellowed ancient book on his hand suddenly emitted a faint light.

Zhuang Yu was dumbfounded because he suddenly heard a deafening roar of beasts in the mountain in front of him, full of fierceness, boundless, and powerful. The roar resounded through heaven and earth.

Zhuang Yu didn’t know what was going on, but he heard an urgent shout. It was Leizi’s voice. “Dayu, be careful.”

What?

He was taken aback and looked up. The entire mountain that was roaring seemed to be looking down at him, but it was just a fossil. As a result of lowering his head, the whole mountain began to collapse.

Zhuang Yu sighed in his heart. It’s over. Not that he lamented that his life was about to end, but… Such a major discovery was ruined in this way. What evidence will Leizi and the others use to prove that there’s a time when human beings were living on the back of a giant beast? I’m afraid this beast’s roar might also be mistaken for an earthquake.

This was Zhuang Yu’s last thought, and then he fell into endless darkness.

… 

The darkness; he doesn’t know how long it lasted.

When Zhuang Yu opened his eyes again, he was awakened by the light coming in from outside.

Zhuang Yu turned over and got up. He couldn’t help being a little stunned. Wasn’t he crushed under the collapsed mountain? Judging from the situation at that time, the chance of surviving was zero.

With the sunlight shining in, Zhuang Yu found another strange thing. He seemed to be in a cave, with traces of artificial gouges on the walls.

There are also a lot of things piled in the cave, including some sundries, worn-out animal skins, water containers made of half a shell, bone knives made of unknown bones, and some dry wood.

Everything shows that there are traces of life here, but who would live in such a simple and primitive cave, and why would he appear here?

With doubts, Zhuang Yu stood up and walked towards the light outside the cave.

Perhaps he stayed in the dark for too long. When he came into contact with the sun, Zhuang Yu half-squinted his eyes unconsciously. 

Even so, his pupils shrink in horror.

Do you know what he saw?

An enormous python, with its huge head raised at the entrance of the cave, was flicking its forked tongue out. Its vertical pupils were full of bloodthirsty coldness. Zhuang Yu could smell the stench from the monstrous python’s mouth. This wasn’t the most surprising. What was more dumbfounding was that on the python’s flat head, a rough man with a stone spear was standing.

Shock and disbelief occupied Zhuang Yu’s whole mind. This is like a scene in a myth. How could this be real?

But when you look closely, it’s still very different from the myth. The big man is barefoot and has animal skin around his waist. He looks like a backward and primitive barbarian.

The ferocious-looking man spoke in a very fierce tone, “Why didn’t you get today’s berries?  Even if you want to starve, die in your original tribe. Don’t give us any trouble.”

The big man’s words are very short and forceful, very strange, but it’s odd that Zhuang Yu actually…understood.

The burly man is a little impatient, “A trash that doesn’t even have a giant beast and looks ugly, yet wants to rely on our young patriarch. It’s a pity that our Golden Centipede Tribe has a good relationship with your Water Lake Tribe4. If it’s the other tribes, a weak troublesome guy like you would have his legs broken and thrown out.”

No giant beast? Ugly?

Zhuang Yu didn’t understand at all, but some strange memories appeared in his mind.

The giant beast is the gigantic python at the big man’s feet in front of him. Having your own giant beast is the symbol of strength. Zhuang Yu doesn’t have it, so the rough man says he’s a waste.

As for his ugly appearance, Zhuang Yu’s mind showed a little milk dog’s face5.

Is this ugly?

But the memory in his mind immediately refuted this. This is indeed ugly, because it should be very rough, and it would be more perfect if there were a few scars on the face. Here, the little milk dog’s face is unpopular, even the weakest woman looks down on it. It’s a very peculiar aesthetic.

No wonder the big guy said that he’s so ugly yet still pestering their young patriarch and so on.

Zhuang Yu shuddered. According to the aesthetics in his memory, how many scars were on the young patriarch’s face who he, according to the big guy’s words, kept entangling?

The big man also said that he came from the Water Lake Tribe who had a good relationship with them. Where’s the Water Lake Tribe?

His head is full of doubts. Who is he now?

But what he can be sure of is that the place he’s in now must not be his original world. In his original world, no one can stand on such a hulking python’s head.

Zhuang Yu’s current situation is very strange. Once someone says something, some memories will passively emerge in his mind.

In other words, if others don’t mention it, he can’t remember anything else.

Seeing that Zhuang Yu was actually frightened by his giant beast, The big man said to himself that he’s really hopeless. At any rate, he’s also the son of the Water Lake Tribe’s patriarch. If a person like him is a young patriarch, he will be despised. The key point is that he’s not self-aware, shamelessly staying with them. The big man scolded, “Remember to harvest the berries, don’t starve to death with us.”

Then the giant python turned around and slithered away.

Only then did Zhuang Yu come back to his senses. That is to say, this is not his original tribe. That’s good. At least if he shows anything abnormal, others wouldn’t know it. Therefore, he had to stay here for the time being until he understood the situation clearly. It’s just that, this Golden Centipede Tribe seems to hate him very much. If he still stays like this, it will certainly be misunderstood as a shameless and earnest entanglement with their young patriarch.

This is also something that can’t be helped. Zhuang Yu smiled bitterly in his heart. Maybe as long as he doesn’t pester the young patriarch who may have scars on his face, he could still stay here steadily and quietly.

He thought this way. There’s plenty of light outside the cave. When he looked down, he saw that he’s barefoot and had a piece of old animal skin around his waist, just like a primitive man. In fact, his very thin body in other people’s eyes could be regarded as the body of a sports student in Zhuang Yu’s original world.

“Cuckoo.” At this time, Zhuang Yu’s stomach made a grumbling sound.

Zhuang Yu touched his stomach. He woke up from the cave just now, probably because he’s hungry.

The big man said, what berries can he get? He’d better fill his stomach first and then try to understand the current situation.

Just as Zhuang Yu looked up, he was bewildered again. Just now, the huge python blocked the entrance of the cave, so that he couldn’t see the outside environment at all.

Is that python huge? It’s enormous, but it’s nothing compared to the scene before him.

In front of him, the sky and the earth are boundless, the endless mountains are connected together, winding and undulating, and a majestic and magnificent breath rushes over his face. Between the mountains, a colossal golden centipede is entrenched in it, like a humongous and long train. A train that radiates metallic luster in the sun. The sign of human presence on its back is brilliant, and a whole human race lives on it.

If viewed from the sky, it’s like a ribbon of golden light, dotted among the wild and desolate mountains.

At this time, the mountainous golden centipede is leisurely gnawing on the ore on a mountain peak. Even from a distance, he can still hear the sound of its chewing.

Zhuang Yu looked at this “train” with hundreds of carriages, and finally knew why it was called the Golden Centipede Tribe in the big man’s mouth. This is a tribe living on the back of a massive centipede.

 

 

Translator’s Notes:

 大禹 – It’s his nickname. The first character means big and the second is a part of his name. 磊子 – Another nickname. 道藏 [dào zàng] – collected Taoist scriptures; Taoist sutra; the Taoist patrology. I could go for the pinyin but… 水澤部 – Please help me make sure that this is a correct translation. 小奶狗 – Little milk dog. An internet buzzword, comes from the classification of Japanese girls to boys. Refers to unweaned puppies, and now refers to the collective term for young, clingy, cute, and sunny boys

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