The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 64

"I've heard that Scholar Xu comes from the Taoist tradition of Wudang Mountain and is skilled at creating extraordinary objects?" Magistrate Fang asked doubtfully.

“That’s right. I grew up in Wudang Mountain and have a diverse range of knowledge. I have some interest in creation.” Xu Tian replied immediately.

"Wudang Mountain is a blessed land. Within a radius of a hundred miles, the mountains rise and fall endlessly, and there is no trace of human habitation. In the past, there were indeed Taoist priests who frequented the area."

There have been rumors that monsters roam the deep mountains, with human faces, bared teeth, and disheveled fur. Life there must be difficult. It's quite remarkable that you have been able to live and thrive in the mountains. " Magistrate Fang said.

"Magistrate Fang is so familiar with Wudang Mountain. May I ask if you have ever been there?" Xu Tian was initially surprised, thinking that he had been exposed.

It took me a while to realize that it was unlikely. Given the information exchange and understanding of this era, verifying the truth of something is extremely difficult, practically impossible.

“I am from Wudang County in Junzhou. If you think about it carefully, we are from the same county. It’s been more than twenty years since I left here,” Magistrate Fang explained, as if recalling the past.

"So Magistrate Fang is a senior from Wudang County. My apologies for my disrespect," Xu Tian said, bowing with feigned delight.

He naturally wouldn't explain at this point that he wasn't a native of Wudang County.

"It's a good thing that Magistrate Fang and Scholar Xu are from the same county," said Assistant Magistrate Wu from the side.

"The wild man that Magistrate Fang mentioned, I saw in the mountains in previous years. It is not actually a human, but a kind of ape."

In order to find something to talk about, Xu Tian took the initiative to bring it up, while creating a sense of mystery for them, so that they would completely believe that he came from Wudang Mountain.

"Oh, you've seen him before?" Magistrate Fang asked, slightly surprised.

County Magistrate Wu and Mr. Cui also stared at him in astonishment.

"Southwest of Dingxiang City, between Sichuan and Chongqing, lies a large mountain range called the Wushan Mountains. The deepest part of this range is called Shennongjia, and the surrounding area is a primeval forest that has never been developed and is uninhabited for hundreds of miles."

There is a type of ape called orangutan, which grows to be larger than humans when it matures, and its fur may be brown or black.

Orangutans look very similar to humans, but they have no tails, five toes on their hands and feet, and their facial features are somewhere between humans and monkeys. They can stand upright and walk on two legs, but their arms are very long, almost the same length as their legs.

Xu Tian didn't know if there were any orangutans in Shennongjia or other places within the Tang Dynasty at this time, but it didn't matter. He just used them for now, since no one could prove whether what he said was true or false.

The group listened intently without interrupting; curiosity is human nature, regardless of the era.

"Apes are much smarter than monkeys, about the same as a four or five-year-old human child. So they are good at imitating human behavior. If you smile at them, they will smile back at you."

They are social animals, and each group is led by a chief. When the chief gets old, he will be replaced by the strongest and most robust young gorilla.

Sometimes they even use tools, such as using sticks to dig up ant nests or fighting with sticks and stones.

It took them a moment to come to their senses.

"Can this ape speak?" Magistrate Fang pressed.

"No, they can only shout. They don't know how to dress or cook. They live by eating raw meat and drinking blood."

“There really is such an anomaly.” Magistrate Fang sighed, “I have also read the Classic of Mountains and Seas, which contains the words of the Xingxing. I used to think it was nonsense, but after your explanation today, I truly know that this creature exists.”