Full-Length Novel: The Secret History of Ancient China

Chapter 1: Recounting Order and Chaos in Ancient History; Initiating the Narrative with Primordial Chaos

This book narrates the myths of the creation of heaven and earth in Chinese civilization. However, before delving into the myths of heaven’s opening and earth’s formation, I shall first recount two myths from the Ming Dynasty as a prologue.

During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, there was a small village called Liushudong in Fushi County, Yan’an Prefecture, Shaanxi Province. In this village lived a scholar surnamed Lin. Though gifted in learning, he suffered from ill fortune—he repeatedly took the imperial examinations but never passed. Plagued by poverty, he had no choice but to open a small private school in Dongtuqiao, about sixty li away from Liushudong, to teach young children and make a meager living. His wife, however, remained at their home in Liushudong.

One day, while returning home from Dongtuqiao, Scholar Lin was caught halfway by sudden darkness and a downpour so heavy that it fell like a rope. With no other options, he sought shelter in a nearby ancient temple. The temple had only three rooms, all dilapidated with collapsing walls. Looking closely at the deity statue enshrined in the center, its golden robes had long peeled off, and the incense table in front of the divine throne was tilting precariously—clearly, this was an abandoned temple that had been uninhabited by monks for a long time.

Scholar Lin originally planned to leave as soon as the rain lightened, but the downpour showed no sign of stopping. Bored, he opened his luggage and rested under the incense table. Just as he was about to doze off, he suddenly heard a commotion from the corridors on both sides. Opening his eyes, he saw countless government attendants rushing back and forth—some sweeping the floor, some sprinkling water—all busily occupied. Beside them stood several large kitchens, filled with ingredients like cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens, while cooks wielded knives to cut the meat, preparing for a feast.

Looking back at the main hall, it was now brightly lit with candles and adorned with magnificent decorations—he had no idea where these came from or when they had been set up. A man dressed in a red robe, wearing a crown with hanging beads and holding a tablet (used by officials in ancient China), appeared to be a monarch. He personally directed the others in their arrangements: a banquet was laid out in the center, and a band stood by, as if preparing to host distinguished guests. Outside the temple gate, messengers came and went endlessly, gathering news.

After a while, a messenger hurried back and reported, “The Star of Calamity has descended! The Star of Calamity has descended!” The monarch in the red robe hastily stepped out of the temple gate, bowed with his hands hanging down, and stood respectfully by the roadside waiting. Scholar Lin also followed him out to watch. In the distance, amid the clouds, a group of attendants surrounded a carriage, galloping forward. Surrounding the carriage were countless stunning celestial maidens, and the music accompanying them was so loud it shook the heavens.

As the carriage drew closer to the ground, the man in the red robe stepped forward a few more paces, hands clasped in deference, his posture growing even more respectful. In the blink of an eye, the carriage landed outside the temple gate. A strange figure stepped out—with red hair, a blue face, and sharp fangs, he looked terrifying! Striding into the temple, he went straight to the first seat at the central banquet and sat down.

The man in the red robe followed closely behind, but the strange figure acted as if he did not see him. Even when the man in red bowed and paid his respects, the stranger seemed unaware. Instead, he patted the table and shouted, “Bring food quickly! Bring food quickly! Don’t delay my business.” The man in red, who was sitting beside him, immediately ordered dozens of people to carry countless rare delicacies and place them before the stranger, who devoured them greedily. The attendants who had come with the stranger were also provided with food. Meanwhile, music filled the corridors on both sides, accompanied by singing and dancing—it was a lively scene.

After the feast, the tables were cleared. The man in red stood up, bowed again to the stranger, and pleaded, “Today, Your Excellency descends to the mortal world not only by the order of the Heavenly Emperor but also as part of the mortal realm’s destiny—a calamity from which none can escape. However, I hold the virtue of cherishing life dear. I implore Your Excellency to spare three-tenths of the people’s lives amid this catastrophe. Your kindness will be deeply appreciated.”

After speaking, he stood with his hands hanging down, awaiting a response. The strange figure initially looked furious, as if about to lose his temper. But then he thought of the red-robed man’s utmost respect and generous hospitality, and a faint flush of shame appeared on his blue face. Without speaking, he nodded slightly to indicate his agreement, then strode out of the temple. The man in red followed, still showing deference. Scholar Lin watched as the stranger jumped into his carriage, surrounded by attendants, and vanished in a burst of light toward a nearby village—and that village was none other than Liushudong, where Scholar Lin lived! He was shocked.

Grabbing one of the red-robed man’s attendants, he asked, “What kind of monster is this?” The attendant replied, “You don’t need to ask—he will be your student in the future.” Scholar Lin was stunned. Suddenly, the lights and figures disappeared, and he found himself still sitting on the divine throne. It had all been a vivid dream!

By then, dawn had broken and the rain had stopped. Scholar Lin hurried home and found a box of “happy eggs” (eggs given to celebrate a new birth) on the table. He asked his wife, “Where did these happy eggs come from?” She replied, “Last night, Sister Zhang next door gave birth to a son. She just sent these to share the good news.” Scholar Lin thought to himself, “So this Star of Calamity was born here. I’ll wait and see what becomes of him.”

Five years later, Scholar Lin was still teaching. Unexpectedly, Old Man Zhang from next door sent his son—the “Star of Calamity”—to study at Scholar Lin’s school. Scholar Lin named the boy “Xianzhong” (Zhang Xianzhong), making him his student. But Zhang Xianzhong was extremely dull: after studying for over a year, he did not remember a single character. Eventually, he abandoned his studies, became a thief, and gradually turned into a bandit. When the Chongzhen Emperor ruled, Zhang Xianzhong rose in rebellion—and the man who was born in the same year and rebelled alongside him was Li Zicheng.

There is no record of any dreams associated with Li Zicheng’s birth, but official history books mention one detail: Li Zicheng’s father, Li Shouzhong, had no sons, so he went to Huashan to pray. In his dream, the God of Huashan said to him, “I send the Star of Breaking Army to be your son.” Later, Li Shouzhong fathered Li Zicheng—and countless people were killed by Li Zicheng in the late Ming Dynasty.

From these two myths, it seems that in the late Ming Dynasty, the Heavenly Emperor sent two “Demon Stars” to the mortal world in a single year. But one question remains: the Heavenly Emperor has always been known for his virtue of “cherishing life,” so why did He send Demon Stars to the mortal world to slaughter people relentlessly?

Some say it was because humans had become excessively indulgent in luxury and debauchery, or committed too many evils. Thus, Heaven sent this calamity to warn and punish them. However, this explanation is far from satisfactory. If Heaven wanted to punish evildoers, why not secretly shorten their lifespans or directly send disasters? Why send Demon Stars to massacre people on a large scale, creating a world of terror? Would that not be “replacing violence with violence”?

Furthermore, in times of great chaos, people are killed like weeds. Were all those killed really indulgent or evil? Hardly! In the late Ming Dynasty, among the countless people killed by Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, were there no good people? In fact, it is likely that most of the victims were innocent women, children, the elderly, and the weak. As the saying goes, “When a fire rages on Kunlun Mountain, both jade and stone are burned together.” If even the innocent perish, the claim that “Heaven sends punishment as a warning” becomes utterly untenable.

Then why did Heaven send Demon Stars to slaughter humans? The truth is, the mortal world has its own circumstances, and the heavenly realm has its own as well. Once I explain the situation in Heaven, everything will become clear.

Heaven encompasses all things, but in essence, it revolves around two forces: yin and yang. Day is yang, night is yin; warmth that nurtures life is yang, cold that brings death is yin. Thus, the gods in Heaven are also divided into two factions: the Yang Gods and the Yin Gods.

The Yang Gods advocate creating the earth, nurturing all living things, and above all, safeguarding human happiness and safety. The Yin Gods, by contrast, advocate destroying the earth, annihilating all creatures, and harboring a particular hatred for humans—they will not rest until humanity is wiped out. These two factions are like water and fire, ice and coal: utterly incompatible, and their conflicts have raged unceasingly since the beginning of time.

The Yang Gods are led by the Queen Mother of the West, and most gods of the sun, moon, and stars support her. The Yin Gods are led by an unnamed Demon God, with Demon Gods like Xiageng, Zuzhuang, Huangju, and Nüchou, as well as some celestial beings, standing by his side.

The so-called “Supreme Heavenly Emperor” can only waver between the two factions. Though he often leans toward the Yang Gods, he is powerless against the Yin Gods—for “Heaven cannot exist with *yang* alone, nor the mortal world with day alone; all living things cannot live without death, and all undertakings cannot succeed without failure.”

Thus, since the dawn of human history, order and chaos have alternated in cycles: when the Yang Gods gain the upper hand, they send benevolent gods to govern the mortal world, bringing peace; the Yin Gods, unwilling to accept this, send Demon Gods to plunge the world into chaos, leaving nine out of ten people dead; then the Yang Gods send benevolent gods again to restore order—and once order is restored, the Yin Gods send Demon Stars once more. This cycle repeats endlessly.

In times of chaos, when we see evil people in power, abusing their authority and oppressing the people; when we see good people trampled under tyrannical rule, at the mercy of the wicked, even losing their families and suffering unjustly—we cannot help but complain about Heaven’s injustice and curse the Heavenly Emperor’s folly. But there is no need for complaint or cursing. We must understand that at such times, a fierce conflict is also raging in Heaven: the evil gods are in power, while the benevolent gods have been sidelined. This is the true state of the heavenly realm.

My original intention for this book was to focus solely on the myth of Yu the Great controlling the floods in ancient history. But since it is called a “history,” it must have an origin. To explain this origin, I cannot avoid starting with the creation of heaven and earth.

Why did heaven need to be “opened,” and earth need to be “formed”? The earth we live on, like humans themselves, has a lifespan—it lives and dies. However, the “death” of the earth does not necessarily mean its total destruction; it merely means the extinction of all living things on it. Who could destroy such a vast earth? Naturally, it is the power of the Yin Gods. The “opening of heaven and formation of earth” is the earth’s rebirth from death. Who could grant it such rebirth? Naturally, it is the power of the Yang Gods.

To narrate the creation of heaven and earth, I must first describe the destruction of the earth. There are ten ways the earth could be destroyed, and I shall explain each one:

1. Death by starvation: The earth’s surface has always had more water than land. The land above water forms mountains, and the slopes of these mountains are where humans live. However, when mountain rocks are exposed to air, they are eroded by moisture, dryness, heat, and cold, gradually breaking into fine powder. Carried by rainwater, this powder flows into streams, then rivers, and finally the sea, filling the ocean floor and causing seawater to rise. Over time, high mountains are worn down into plains, and the earth is submerged by water. Humans will have nowhere to live, no land for herding or farming—and ultimately starve to death.

2. Death by drowning: The northern and southern hemispheres have different climates. The autumn and winter rainy seasons last 179 days in the Northern Hemisphere and 186 days in the Southern Hemisphere, creating an annual difference. With more cold in the Southern Hemisphere, ice in the Southern Ocean accumulates over time, while ice in the Arctic Ocean melts increasingly. After 10,500 years, the earth’s center of gravity will shift due to the imbalance of ice between the two poles. If the Arctic becomes extremely hot and the Antarctic extremely cold, the earth’s center of gravity will tilt—making the north heavy and the south light. Water on the earth’s surface will pour from the south to the north, submerging the entire world. Humans will drown.

3. Death by explosion: Large comets appear in the sky every few years. Over time, there is no guarantee that one will not collide with the earth. Even if it does not hit the earth itself, a collision with its tail—composed of condensed hot gas—would be catastrophic. If the comet’s tail mixes with the earth’s atmosphere, it will explode, shattering the earth into dust. All humans will be killed in the blast.

4. Death by poisoning: Even if the earth does not explode upon colliding with a comet’s tail, the toxic fumes from the comet are unbearable. Humans exposed to these fumes will eventually die from poisoning.

5. Death by overheating: Extremely thin, fine matter in the sky can slow the earth’s rotation. As the earth slows, its centrifugal force against the sun decreases—yet the sun’s gravitational pull and the earth’s own gravity remain unchanged. Over time, the earth’s orbit around the sun will form a spiral, drawing it closer and closer to the sun. Eventually, even the frigid zones will become tropical, and temperate and rainy regions will become uninhabitable. Humans will die from extreme heat.

6. Death by suffocation: The earth’s interior is composed of soil and rock, both of which absorb water. If soil and rock gradually absorb all the water on the earth’s surface, the oceans will dry up completely. The air will become extremely thin, and eventually disappear. Humans will suffocate to death.

7. Death by burning or freezing: Stars in the sky often suddenly emit intense light, which fades after several days—never to be seen again. Presumably, such stars are destroyed. Our sun is also a star. If the sun suddenly burns out, the heat and light reaching the earth will increase by tens of millions of times, burning humans to death. If the sun’s light and heat vanish entirely after burning out, humans will freeze to death.

8. Death by freezing: The sun’s light and heat come from the combustion of its materials. If these materials are gradually exhausted, the sun’s light and heat will diminish. Dark spots on the sun’s surface will increase, while its flares will decrease. Its light will fade from golden to yellow, then to red. On earth, land will expand, oceans will shrink, cold will prevail, and heat will disappear. Humans will freeze to death.

9. Death by crushing: The earth’s interior grows colder by the day. When it becomes extremely cold, it will contract and crack. In recent years, landslides and earthquakes often cause large cracks in the ground, swallowing people and objects—these are signs of the earth’s contraction. Over time, humans will no longer dare to live on the surface and will be forced to dwell in caves. But as the earth continues to contract, even large caves will be blocked. Humans will be crushed to death.

10. Death by collision: As the earth contracts and cracks, even if humans find a way to live on the surface and avoid the cracks, the fractures will widen over time, splitting the earth into several pieces. Even if some humans survive on these fragments and air remains, the pieces will drift aimlessly in space, deviating from their orbit. Eventually, they will collide with other celestial bodies, and all humans will die in the impact.

These are the ten ways the earth could perish. We do not know exactly how the earth before ours was destroyed, but just as death follows life, the destruction of the old earth necessitated the creation of a new one—and this was made possible by the Yang Gods gaining the upper hand.

During the creation of heaven and earth, how was the dead earth rebuilt? How were extinct humans revived? This was undoubtedly the power of “gods,” not humans. Thus, Pangu—the first deity to rule the world—and later deities like Tianhuang (Heavenly Sovereign), Dihuang (Earthly Sovereign), and Renhuang (Human Sovereign) must, logically, have been gods of the Yang faction. As gods, they possessed the power to move mountains and drain seas, to turn the heavens and earth upside down.

According to ancient texts, the earth was originally destroyed by Hundun (Primordial Chaos), a god of the Yin faction. To create heaven and earth, Pangu of the Yang faction had to wage a great war against Hundun. After untold hardships, Pangu finally defeated Hundun. He then dismembered Hundun’s corpse: using his flesh to replenish the earth’s lost soil, his bones to repair broken rocks, his blood to refill depleted waters, his limbs to rebuild collapsed mountains, and his intestines to restore vanished rivers. Gradually, he nurtured all living things and brought humans back to life.

Such marvelous and magical tales are impossible to fully recount or describe. In short, from the time of Pangu to that of Youchao (the “Nest-Building Sovereign”), gods of the Yang faction descended directly to the mortal world, overcoming countless hardships to protect and nurture humanity.

After Youchao and Suiren (the “Fire-Drilling Sovereign”), humanity gradually progressed: they learned to build tree nests to avoid wild beasts,