CHAPTER 1 Zhang Jian

For most close minded people who lack imagination, the concept of time travel is naught but wishful thinking. Its fascinating prospects that seduced the minds of intellectuals and thinking men somehow managed to have the completely opposite effect on the simple minded. The ever alluring thought of bending the Universe's laws of time and space to create a vortex that could easily transport anyone to a place (or time) is completely lost on those who lack imagination. To them, the time-space continuum (and all its allotropes) sits completely outside their sphere of interests, for them, it was on par with walking on water or telekinesis.

However, just about one percent of those who dared to dream would consider taking a different approach given the chance. These megalomaniacs with sycophantic tendencies preferred to travel back in time as completely different individuals to a different timeline that was completely foreign to them in culture and in mannerisms. A completely different time and place in which they would exist as demigods and revered as beings from a more advanced time. But the fates favor whom they choose to favor, irrespective of the person's personality, race or dispositions.

Zhang Jian was the man of the hour. He was the human whom the fates had chosen to gift this rare opportunity. The young man did not know that on the grand scheme of things, on a cosmic level, certain things were spinning into action on his behalf, just so he could be transported across uncharted realms and dimensions, and through the terrifying void that acted as the pathways between different timelines. The clueless young man didn't know it at the time, but he was in for a life-changing and quite possibly, a soul shattering event as well.

On the thirty first day of the ominous month of October, cruising down Shanghai Street, with the full moon hugging the skyline and the city aflame with night life was the six feet slender male with jet black hair who was called Zhang Jian. The young man was positively glowing tonight under the combined influence of the rush of testosterone and euphoria. The wisdom in the 27-year Old's hazy gray eyes and the careful manner with which he moved suggested he was a very careful male. At an impressive height of six foot two, Zhang Jian had the air and grace that height gave most men. His well-toned skin and complexion was a clear testament to the fact that he wasn't an outdoor person. Zhang Jian was the typical 21st century male. As the only son of a renowned middle-class family whose business was construction, Zhang Jian grew up cool, calm and collected. He wasn't model material but by all standards, he was a moderately good looking chump with a fairly successful career in building design. As a college graduate, he was well read and informed. Though he had barely a quarter of a century behind him, the young man had been prudent enough to discover quite early that he was not the ambitious type, so he had chosen a career path that would keep him the same circle he had known since he was young.

At first glance, he was a simple, unambitious guy with quiet aesthetic taste. But alas, this young man had no idea just how much the world he perceived as his own was about to change. He was as simple as they come. He had no extraordinary gift or great accomplishment under his belt. He led a daily life with the same mundane routine that was typical of young men of his age. He wasn't a killer or a conqueror. Even though he existed in an age where technology was everything, he hardly ever used his phone. Tonight especially was going to be one of those Saturday nights when he would be spending time alone with himself. He also didn't have much in the way of friends. Being the only child, growing up, he had gotten accustomed to being by himself and he was perfectly okay with that. And so, that evening, clad in a black hoodie, blue ripped jeans and white Nike sneakers, Zhang Jian pulled up in his sleek black 2007 Dodge Viper to the apartment complex where he lived and eased down the driveway into the underground parking space. Turning off the ignition in one swift movement, he hopped out with a bag full of his favorite groceries. He planned to treat himself tonight by preparing a home cooked meal. With that, he made his way towards the elevator that would take him to his floor. He entered the elevator, but he never made it to his destination.

In a series of inexplicable events that occurred with lightning speed, Zhang Jian was yanked out of the comfort of his daily routine without warning and hurled into a period that existed outside the pages of history. Any normal person would have been petrified by the present situation and the suddenness with which it had occurred. He had completely been taken unawares. One moment he had been in an elevator and the very next moment, in a brief instant, Zhang Jian found himself in a very strange place that looked like the countryside that was frequently used on TV in epic movies and K-drama. Still clutching his bag of groceries, the stunned Zhang Jian looked on in disbelief as the thought to himself;

"Okay, What the hell just happened!?"

His calm logical mind played out the scenario and accepted the fact that this was real and indeed happening.

Before it all happened, there had been no warning, no clues, there had been no sage in white flowing garments uttering a mysterious rhyming prophecy, and there definitely hadn't been any fireworks display in the sky or any cosmic activity that indicated it had been a supernatural event or at the very least, a glitch in the space-time continuum. But nonetheless, like a vivid nightmare, Zhang Jian had been transported through the immutable void of time and space and had somehow emerged unscathed on the other end. The experience had been a life changing one.

For some reason, Zhang Jian was oddly calm and wasn't at all apprehensive about the situation. He didn't greet the sudden change in scenery with the thrill of an adventurer, neither was he scared or thought that some great evil had befallen him. He was a well-adjusted social creature and he knew that he could easily get along with people at any given time, place or situation. Although he didn't have the slightest idea what had happened to him, with reasonable expectations, he still managed to look forward to what the near future held in store for him.

As an educated man, Zhang Jian knew that just about four percent of the universe was actual matter, forty-four percent was dark matter and that the rest was dark energy. So it wasn't improbable that there were other unseen forces at play that existed outside the everyday world which humans perceived with their five senses. At some point he had considered alien activity (for that was the only logical inference his rational mind could come up with at this point), but even he admitted that it was a long shot and a far cry from the truth. But then again, there was nothing regular about this. If he had had an accident in the elevator, then he was probably in a coma in a hospital bed somewhere and this world was a figment of his imagination. But he was sure that he was fully conscious as he was painfully aware of his environment. He doubted and rejected every single logical explanation his mind proffered and resigned to the fact that this was indeed reality.

So, Zhang Jian, the man of the hour and the protagonist of the story, quashed any more mundane theories his mind was actively cooking up to explain the strange situation. Instead, he focused all his mental energy on making the best of the situation. He resolved to simply go along with it- whatever this was anyway. That was the logical culmination of the life he had been living anyway. With that, he went about exploring his new habitat.

Zhang Jian was well read and was familiar with most of the dynasties in ancient times, but the period in which he suddenly found himself was completely alien to him. It was almost as if it had been stripped of all the features that linked it to any of the dynasties that had been recorded in the history books he read. But luckily for him, after receiving awkward looks from the first set of people he came in contact with (they saw his clothes and thought him to be a weirdo), he soon discovered that he understood the local language. Although it was a cruder version of the dialect he was used to, he could still converse in the local tongue. For this, he was grateful. It would have been a real hassle to have to learn a new language whilst trying to settle down.

Zhang Jian thought of how he could make a living as he roved around and made a mental list of some of the things that he loved to do. Painting and calligraphy made him extremely happy and he was moderately good at it. His interests were of little value here as he soon discovered that warlords, merchants and mercenaries were the prevailing entities here. Those were people he would never get involved with as he hated violence or anything that invited contact. He doubted that his skill set (they were more like hobbies than skills really) as an artist, a farmer, a fisherman or a writer would come in handy. But he remembered that calligraphy in ancient times was a big deal, so he made a mental note to think more on that later.

Zhang Jian soon discovered that technology was still far from this era. He didn't mind actually, he knew he could get by just fine without wifi or an ATM. Because he was so different, his biggest challenge had been making new friends. His manner of speaking, his strange clothes and plain disregard for etiquettes gave people the notion that he was a freak. And by the looks of it, this particular timeline was the worst place to exist as a weirdo. For a time, he led a simple, quiet and uneventful life and he was more than content with it.

As Zhang Jian slowly immersed himself in his new surroundings and ingratiated himself in the lifestyle of the ancients, he discovered that in the past, he had completely failed to realize just how much noise the city life daily forced on him and its unknowing inhabitants. The noise! Zhang Jian remembered the noise! It was a cacophony of endless rows of automobiles with loud horns, blasting music from corner stores, towering billboards that bombarded people with endless ads and meaningless information. It was the exact opposite here. The nights were peaceful and the air was clean with no pollution, the sky above was completely free of concrete skyscrapers, heavenly bodies came into full view in the night sky, the sun shone directly on him, the food was organic, and the soil was rich. Zhang Jian could feel the overbearing presence of nature all around him and felt like the inner him was constantly being revitalized. It was extraordinary.

The first major settlement Zhang Jian had stumbled upon was a fascinating little town with an even more interesting name; 'Peace Town.' Zhang Jian almost choked on the sporadic wave of laughter that had been gaining momentum in his gut and was actively threatening to find an outlet in his mouth when he heard the name for the first time. He thought it had been a joke or a nickname but was amused when he found the old woman he had asked looked at him quizzically. It turned out that the ancients weren't careless with naming places and inanimate objects for they were a terribly superstitious bunch. They believed names carried power.

Peace Town was a relatively small town. The population of the little town paled in comparison to the mega cities of the modern world. In fact, Zhang Jian knew estates and apartment complexes in his past that were more densely populated than this town. And yet for a town as little as this, it was still kind of noisy. As he ventured into the town with no money or property save the clothes on his back, Zhang Jian thought to himself;

"Well, here goes nothing!"

Zhang Jian's strange appearance were foreign to the people of this time and so, he scared people away whenever he tried to approach a stall or a person. He didn't blame them really. With no place to go and no one to talk to, he loitered around the town's streets and market places for a full day, hoping to run into a kind stranger who would accommodate him.

But the day gradually drew to an end and with no immediate help in sight, Zhang Jian began to worry. Just when he was about to give up, an aged lady with the kindest set of eyes walked up to him. In her right hand was a little sack of fruits and in her other hand, she had her walking stick. They both exchanged greetings, and the woman offered him lodgings for the night in her family's house. Zhang Jian was overjoyed. He knew that back in his own time, a random act of kindness such as this was scarcer than buried treasure and occurred even less frequently than the appearance of a blood moon in the night sky. He jumped up quickly and thanked the kind old lady profusely. The woman was overwhelmed by his gratitude and indulged Zhang Jian's request to help in carrying her small groceries.

And that was how Zhang Jian gained access to a cozy accommodation and a kind family. He supped with them, listened to their stories and enjoyed their hospitality. Not wanting to be a freeloader and a burden on them, the next couple of days he made himself useful by felling trees, chopping wood and basically rendering any form of assistance he could offer. They were a simple folk and reciprocated his warmth.

On the fifth night, as Zhang Jian lay in the makeshift bed they had hurriedly put together for him in the barn, Zhang Jian thought to himself; "I can't continue to mooch off these kind folks by taking advantage of their hospitality any longer than I should. Yes, it is time to move forward."

He remembered a very sweet spot he had spotted on one of his aimless wanderings. It was an old shabby abandoned cottage that was on the outskirts of the town and close to a mountain. It wasn't the ideal place to live but it was just perfect for him at that moment. He drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face which he retained well into the following morning.

"Good morning to you ancient one."

The old woman's eyes glistened with excitement the moment she set her sight on Zhang Jian the next morning. She had grown rather fond of him over the past few days for she suspected that there was more to the quiet young man who dressed like a weirdo and spoke in a funny accent. She had good eyes for these things.

"Morning felicitations to you my son!"

Zhang Jian was amused. He still hadn't gotten used to the elaborate and extravagant etiquettes that was common place in this time. The ancients were complete suckers for proper greetings and salutations. It irked him that he could not address this issue without seeming like an 'uncultured swine.' That was the slang that had been used on him in the days he had first arrived as he wandered about trying to make conversation with strangers. Since then, he resolved to talk less and listen more. At least, till he had gotten the full lay of the land.

Knowing how touchy the ancients could be, Zhang Jian chose his words carefully as he thanked the old woman and told her that he would like to be on his way. She patiently listened to him and wished him all the best. He bade them farewell and headed towards the direction of the cottage he had found.

As Zhang Jian trotted down the path that led to his new abode, he discovered that he was indeed fortunate to have done a little construction work and building design in his former life. He arrived at the thatched cottage and immediately began work on the house. Even though he had little building materials and practically no tools at all, his doggedness prevailed. Within a relatively short period, the resourceful Zhang Jian was done and in place of the original shabby structure stood an impressive wooden house. He overlaid the thatched house with wood and used the trademark secrets he had acquired during his time as building designer and erected impressive solidly walls of stones and cement.

Having completed the task he had set out to accomplish, Zhang Jian took a step back and admired his work. Anyone close to him at that moment would have recognized the smile on the face of Zhang as the smile of an artist who was pleased with his work. It wasn't an edifice, but it was his and his alone. He was contented with his new abode and no one could take that from him.

The next logical step was to begin fixing up the interior. Zhang Jian fancied himself an indoor person so had always taken great care of his rooms. Right now, his room was replete with old rickety furniture. Even though they had dilapidated overtime, they were very much still functional. All it took was a great deal of dusting and thorough cleaning and they would be good to go.

And so, being the neat freak that he was, Zhang Jian delved into the cleaning operation like it was a life or death situation (it was for him anyway). He descended on the dirt like it was a tumor that had to be rooted out. Left, right, center, on the roof and outside his house, he cleaned and cleaned with a firm hand until every inch of his humble domicile was as clean as it could get. If Zhang Jian had his way, he would have preferred to bathe the entire house! But he could only do so much as night was fast approaching and he was physically exhausted. He went to bed and in his dreams that night, he found himself cleaning still.

The next day, he resumed his duty and began to sort out all the stuff he had pulled out from the house that had been hidden underneath the bed. He assumed the former occupants had abandoned their properties here and left for some reason. He discovered that there were several items that were still very valuable and could be useful to a new homeowner like himself who was lacking in properties. Amongst these items was a beautiful china set for tea, writing brushes, ink sticks, papers, ink stones, painting tools, and some old parchments with worn out covers. Zhang Jian claimed them as his and cleaned them out. Amazed at how fortunate he was to have stumbled on valuable items like this that seemed to have been left especially for him, he thought excitedly;

"What a refreshing change of pace! These tools are exactly what I need to begin to earn a living at a time like this!"

Zhang Jian spent the next few days sorting and resorting himself and his newly acquired fortune. He had very little in the way of food, but he had been so focused on making his place comfortable that the thought of nourishment was far away from him. Eventually, his flesh began to tell on him and Zhang Jian realized for the first time that he hadn't had a decent meal in days. His mind flashed back to the only people whom he could actually call friends and he resolved to visit them again.

The kind old woman that had treated him well was elated when she opened the door to find Zhang Jian standing outside. She reached out and warmly embraced him. She hurriedly ushered him in and in no time, a bowl of steamy hot food was placed before him. The woman chatted away and filled him in on all that he had missed during his absence. Zhang Jian waited courteously for a few minutes before diving head first into his first hot meal in days. He went to town on the meal and in no time, the plate with the mountainous heap was diminished by the bottomless pit that was Zhang Jian's stomach.

When he finally lifted his head up from his plate, he discovered that the old woman had been watching him closely with concern in her eyes. Zhang Jian had been so occupied with his meal that he completely failed to notice that the old woman's voice had stopped chattering a long time ago and been fixated on him. He was embarrassed. These people were poor and yet, they still managed to feed a grown man like him each time they could. He made to apologize but the woman cut him off;

"It is okay young one. The mind cannot be its best when the needs of the stomach are still raging." Concernedly she asked him; "Would you care for a second plate?"

Even though Zhang Jian knew he wanted a second and a third, and quite possibly a fourth, he couldn't bring himself to bother them anymore. Living off their good will was only a temporary solution and was sure to breed contempt and disrespect in the future. It didn't mean they were bad, it was just human nature. So he answered courteously as he shook his head;

"No ancient one. You are too kind." Then deferentially he added, "I apologize for gobbling up your food. I pray you will be replenished sevenfold for the kindness you have shown me."

The old woman smiled. She could tell he was lonely and hungry. But alas, her family wasn't wealthy and so they could only do what they could afford to do for him. So, the grateful Zhang Jian thanked her again and hurriedly left before he could embarrass himself further.

On his way back to his lonely hill, Zhang Jian reassessed his priorities again. He was grateful for the home that he had been blessed with as well as the furniture and properties that came along with it. Having secured a roof over his head, his secondary mission was now to secure a living by drawing and writing.

As time went and as he gradually ingratiated himself in the daily lives of the people of this time, Zhang Jian realized that his initial view on the ancients had been very biased and tinged with prejudice. It turned out that they were very pragmatic and were not given to extravagant lifestyles and flamboyance. Zhang Jian himself was of a simple mind, but these people were simpletons when compared to Zhang Jian. He wasn't disposed to luxuriousness, but he very often found himself looking down on meals that he typically would not consider as food. It was expected from someone who only just a few weeks ago had access to all kinds of mouthwatering delicacies and could easily get them by simply ordering in. Zhang Jian took out time to truly reflect on his brief but eventful time here. He had loads and loads questions but no one to ask. With time, he hoped that his purpose for being brought to this time and place would be revealed to him eventually. He still thought it had been a complete coincidence, but he kept an open mind either way.

It soon dawned on him that the people of the settlement were actually incredibly poor. They had just enough to get them by for the time being and that was enough for them. They didn't seek wealth for they saw no need for it. The concept of hoping to have more than they needed was deemed unnecessary. To them, it was simply enough to tend to their basic needs such as nourishment for their bodies and mantles for their backs. They went about acquiring their needs with smiles on their faces and with love in their hearts. Except for the few greedy merchants and nobles, there wasn't a single atom of avarice in all whom Zhang Jian had dealings with. Zhang Jian found himself constantly being amused by the ancients' state of mind. These were his kind of people! They were contrasted sharply with the society he had grown up in. A society that celebrated cutthroat corporations, greedy tech giants and industries that were constantly destroyed the ecosystem and leeched off the lower class. His was a time where radical capitalism was mainstream. It had been a place (and time) where corporate gluttony was not only practiced but widely encouraged. But the people of this time had a certain contentment about them that transcended their need for wealth, status and properties. To Zhang Jian, it was truly extraordinary, almost spiritual. It shone within them like a light and glowed on the surface.

As is the case across time and space, the rich and highborn were the only ones whose high-end interests and hobbies rose above the throng of mediocrity. They lived in lofty abodes in a separate part of the city that was referred to as the capital where their expensive habits and lavish lifestyles were constantly being fuelled by their irate desires. Secluded from the rest of town and obscured from the common man, they entertained themselves in their walled mansions. They had succeeded in enforcing upon the common man the belief that the only way to attain wealth was by being born into nobility or by simply marrying into wealth. To them, wealth was their divine right. The nobles and highborn believed that their wealth, status and authority had been gifted to them by powers from above. And so, they transferred this mindset to the ordinary man and made it difficult for them to think of becoming like them. For how could one think to fight against destiny that had declared him poor?

Zhang Jian drowned out the thoughts that drove him into a philosophical state of mind and instead willed himself to focus on his most immediate need; food. There was an arable patch of land beside the cottage where Zhang Jian could farm on during the planting season. All it needed was a bit of clearing and weeding.

"Who would have thought that I'd be farming for real one day?" he thought as he laughed at himself. The only experience in farming he had was when he had joined a club in college that was agro centric. There he had learned the intricacies of planting, watering and nurturing basic crops. He had enjoyed every minute of it because he excelled at that particular venture. Nurturing things came naturally to him. And now, it was time for him to actually put to practice what he had learned. Failure was not an option this time for he knew that he would surely hunger in the winter if his crops failed. He had already made up his mind to cultivate and nothing would deter him from succeeding at this tak. But first, he had to study the layout of the land and note the level of humidity, intensity of the sunshine and other topological factors that could influence his harvest and bountifulness of his produce.

As Zhang Jian sorted out the rest of the dusty properties, he noticed among them- a small sack with a string that tied up mouth. He had seen it earlier on but paid no attention to it because it didn't seem as important as the other interesting objects he had found. He grabbed the sack and gingerly untied the tangled string. He opened the sack and was shocked by its contents. As he stared at the contents, he remembered a quote he had read in the past; 'The universe is constantly arranging and rearranging itself through the law of attraction.' This statement couldn't be truer in this very moment. He had just been thinking about farming and just like that, he had been gifted the very thing he needed to start. Zhang Jian stared unbelievably at the uncultivated seeds in the sack and slowly, his look turned from one of shock to one of gratitude. Just like that, he had been spared the hassle of having to go around to look for seeds. He hadn't any money neither had he any tangible product he could barter with. And now, a handsome bag of seeds had been dropped off on his lap, almost as if it had been there waiting for him. All he had was gratitude.

Zhang Jian went hard at preparing the land for the next two days with the tools he had found in the cottage. He had no neighbors and no companion whatsoever so he had no distractions. He gathered the debris in one heap at a separate section of the land and faced the next stage which was planting. Zhang Jian once again bowed to the earth, and with his back to the sun, he began to till the land and deposit the seeds in the earth. He took his time and carefully did a good job, all the while making sure that they were evenly spaced so there would be enough room for them to flourish and thrive in this virgin soil.

Feeling rather pleased with himself for doing an exceptional job, he mentally patted himself on the back and congratulated himself;

"Congratulation Zhang Jian!" He thought to himself; "You're well on your way to producing your own food!"

And then by the corner of his eye, his senses registered a quick movement in the pile of debris that had stacked up to the height of an average man. The nature of the movement definitely wasn't human. Zhang Jian sprang to his feet and frowned as he scanned his surroundings. "That's right," he thought to himself, "I didn't factor in the wild animals in my plans. I have to get to working on a fence as soon as possible!"