History before the existence of qi is shrouded in mystery, but it is known that something extraordinary happened to accelerate civilization's progress. From a world advancing at a crawl, societies bloomed from hunter-gatherers into bustling cities and formidable armies within mere centuries. Among these, one civilization stood out the most, led by a man some claimed was a deity of war and progress.

- The Rise of Civilization Before Qi - Historic Textbook

* * *

The sun barely rose when someone's voice cut through announcing their presence at my door. I opened my eyes, as I felt a headache from the hangover. Me and Zhi got wasted last night, both enjoying the “healing of the mind”, as Mù Zhì had called it. I get dressed and poke my head out the door.

“Jié Míns, the Chief has summoned you to an elders meeting,” Lóng Zhàn said, his tone clearly indicating that there was no room for arguments.

Seeing no point to dally since I was dressed I followed him through the village, the air thick with activity. The villagers were already up and about, each doing their own job that keeps the village one functioning organism. Some of the villagers that spotted me bowed, but Lóng Zhàn gave me no time to greet them back. I frowned at that, this was unusual. Not only was this the first time I was invited as a participant to the elders meeting, it seemed something serious happened.

As we approached the Chief’s hut, I noticed more people than usual gathered around, clearly noticing the same thing I have. Inside, Chief Wang Wei and all the elders were assembled, each sitting in their designated spots. Lóng Zhàn splits from me and heads towards his seat, leaving me stranded not knowing where to sit.

I look around the hut and see a dirty and worn down man who looks like he hasn’t washed, which was saying a lot since these villagers didn’t wash all that often either. Out of the corner of my eye I see Mù Zhì gesturing towards me, and when I look at him, he points towards a spot next to him.

Once the Chief saw that everyone had gathered he spoke up. “Thank you everyone for responding to my call so quickly, unfortunately I did not call you here for a joyous occasion. There comes some grave news that could affect us all. I will let this man retell you what he has already told me.”

“My name is Huo,” he began simply. “As many of you know, I travel between sharing stories, news and trade. I have come early due to some growing unrest. One of the villages, Serenity, on my way was torn apart, buildings completely disassembled with nothing left. I at first thought that they decided to migrate early this season, but I learned the truth at the next village.”

Everyone held their tongue as the man continued. “In the village of Bamboo Grove, I found the villagers of Serenity. In confusion I asked what they were doing here. They replied that they were chased off their land.”

Outrage and concern rang through the hut. “What do you mean a whole village was chased off their land! What beast would be capable of such a thing!” Before chaos could erupt further the Chief stepped in, “Silence! Let this man finish.”

Once everyone stopped talking, the man continued, “It wasn’t a beast, nor was it even another village. It was a city.” I perk up at the unfamiliar word. “A city is simply a really big village with dozens of villages worth of people. They went to the village of Serenity, claiming that their land was blessed by the goddess of fertility, and that they should join them in enjoying her harvests. Some were tempted and joined the city and others fled in fear.”

There was a lul in the story, as if he was hesitating to finish. One of the elders speaks up. “What happened to the villagers that refused and stayed?” Huo looks around before sighing in resignation. “They were slaughtered.”

Silence reigned supreme at that statement. Someone else recovered and asked “What do you mean they were slaughtered? Were they not able to fight back?” Huo looks at him and shakes his head. “No they could not, didn’t I tell you? The city is dozens the size of a village. While a village only has itself, they have a village worth of people just for fighting.”

Once again silence reigned but no one spoke up as the information started to sink in. There were some whispers but no one spoke up. Seeing that no one was saying anything, I decided to speak up. “If I may?” Seeing no one stop me I continue, “What is the purpose? Why did they need to chase off a whole village from their own land?” I had some guesses but I wanted confirmation.

“Well you see young man” the moment he says young man, Huo seems to realize his mistake as half the gathered elders bristle at that statement. Calling an elder young was seen as an insult, as it implied you were still wet behind the ears, and although I was barely an elder and it was my first time here, the title of sage ensured that I would not be treated as inexperienced. Quickly trying to correct his mistake, he asks “If I can know your name?”

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Not trying to give the elders an excuse to get mad at the poor man I answer without hesitation. “My name is James, but I am often called Jié Míns.”

“That will be Sage Jié Míns to you Huo.” One of the elders that was most fanatical about me spoke up. Not trying to devolve this place into an argument I quickly butt in. “Please, this isn’t the place for titles. Huo, why do these people loot and raid these poor villages”

Seeming a lot more unsure, Huo speaks up. “Uh… Jié Míns… the reason this city resorted to fighting a village for their land is due to the fact that it takes a lot of food to feed a city. What these people do is clear out the land as they need it to farm. Which if you might be unaware is the act of planting plants in an area to grow food and harvest them at a later date.”

“How about the type of weapons?” He answers after a second of hesitation “Although I can’t say for sure, they probably used bows and spears like everyone else?.” I frown at that statement and he nervously gulps. Bows and arrows? Am I truly not on my home planet? Any place that has enough of a population to be called a city should have tech, or at least modern weapons like guns. I’ll need to pull him aside later to confirm it.

“Thank you Huo, but I would like to discuss with the elders about the future of this village.” Huo nods and quickly scampers as if afraid of this tense atmosphere, which he probably is. “Oh and Huo? Can you make sure you don’t share this story with anyone outside of this hut?” Seeing Huo quickly nod, Chief Wang Wei let him go without further ado.

The calm is quickly broken the moment the flap is closed. “We need to migrate as soon as possible. What if we are next?”

“What do you mean migrate, the season is not over yet, it is too soon. The city is far away, I doubt they will reach here.”

“We need to strike them first, disband that city before it becomes a bigger threat!”

“Are you mad? They have a village worth of soldiers, we would not stand a chance”

“But we can rally the other villages against the city”

I hear Mù Zhì speak up from beside me, “And for what? All it will lead towards is death and destruction. Attacking them would be an act of vengeance, which we have no need for. We should either stay put till we see signs of them moving or move to our next place.” I nod unknowingly. Staying would be the best course of action. That way we can see what is happening with the city.

“What do you think? Sage Jié Míns, what do you think is the best course of action,” my brain stalls as I realize that the Chief is speaking directly to me. I look up and realize all eyes are on me as they anticipate what I am about to say. I take my time to gather my thoughts.

“I think if there is no real reason to move the village, we shouldn’t. And maybe I can give them what they want. Aren’t they attacking other villages for the land? Depending on their farming techniques, I know how to increase the quality and output of food. That way they won’t need to attack other villages in their campaign for more land.” I get a wide variety of emotions displayed, some curious, a few with recognition, but most with disappointment.

“You would aid enemies that have slaughtered others for no other reason but selfishness?” Chief Wang Wei asks me. I gulp nervously as I reply. “Wouldn’t it be best to reduce the amount of casualties before they could even occur?” A few of the gazes turned from disappointment to hesitation, but most remained. They thought giving the technique of farming to them would be a bad idea. But I thought differently. Hatred only breeds hatred as that one saying goes. Maybe if they don’t need to attack anymore they won’t need to. Greed comes from the lack of resources, so if there is abundant, there's no real reason for something that won’t provide further value.

As the meeting adjourned, I managed to find Huo outside and pull him aside. “Huo, I need to speak with you in private.”

He looked around but nodded and followed me to a quieter corner away from prying ears. “How can I help an honored Sage, Jié Míns?”

I chuckle, “There's no need to be so nervous, I am not here to scold you for calling me young, I want to know more about these cities. Is the city that is attacking the villages the biggest city around? Or are there others out there?”

Huo looked thoughtful, then began, “The city attacking the villages is the largest I’ve seen personally. It’s massive, with walls surrounding it and houses that are much more spacious and have nicer interiors. They have fields outside the walls, but it’s not enough to sustain them, hence their expansion.”

“And what about their technology? Do they have anything advanced? Anything that can move twice the speed of a man? Any ranged weapons that aren’t bows?” I asked, hoping for a hint of familiarity.

Huo shook his head. “They use what everyone else uses: bows, spears. I’ve never seen or heard of anything you are referring to. The only stories I’ve heard of more advanced places come from other travelers. They speak of a city far to the west, across treacherous lands and difficult terrain. They say it’s even larger and more advanced, but it’s a perilous journey that few have made.”

Disappointment and a sense of displacement washed over me. This wasn’t my world. No cars, no modern technology. The realization hit hard, but it also brought a sense of clarity. I was truly in a different place, with its own rules and tribulations.

“Thank you, Huo,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “Your information is invaluable to me. Please visit my abode, I can treat you to some drinks that I have made. It is the least I can do for bringing this information to this village.”

Huo shook his head at the offer. “I cannot Sage, all I did was my duty, there is no reason for a sage himself to treat me.

As he walked away, I resigned myself. The world was different and although I wanted to travel to see the world and its opportunities, these people needed me. I will travel once everything is settled, and once all's done, I can travel without a burden in my heart.