Previously, it was widely believed that among the so-called four great ancient civilizations of the world—Babylon, Egypt, India, and China—the first three all had their own national epics. Yet, the Han people, with their five-thousand-year-long history and brilliant cultural tradition, had astonishingly not discovered a grand national epic of their own over thousands of years. This was undoubtedly one of the greatest regrets and confusions for the Chinese people.

Over a hundred years ago, the German philosopher Hegel once asserted: “The Chinese have no epic of their own, because their mode of observation is fundamentally prosaic.” Since the 20th century, three great epics of China’s ethnic minorities have been discovered in succession: the Tibetan “Epic of King Gesar,” the Mongolian “Jangar,” and the Kirgiz “Manas.” However, the Chinese academic community remained pessimistic: the Han people have no epic. Which ancient nation in the world does not have a glorious epic? Why is it that only the Han people lack one?

In 1982, on a day that shook the world, the only creation epic of the Han people, “The Legend of Darkness,” was discovered in Shennongjia. It is worth mentioning that the discoverer was Matthew Foster, a staff member at the Shennongjia Forest District Cultural Center. Many people gained promotions, went abroad, and gave lectures thanks to his discovery of “The Legend of Darkness,” yet the discoverer himself remained in the mountains of Shennongjia, with no title, no position, and no benefits. Reportedly, the local cultural authorities’ solution was to forbid him from giving further interviews, because he lacked academic credentials.

Even more astonishing, in 1989, fossils of southern apes dating back 1.5 million years were discovered in the Shennongjia region. There is also the so-called “Shennongjia Wildman,” regarded by the scientific community as a robust type of southern ape. This suggests that the Shennongjia region is not only the cradle of the Han people, but also the cradle of humanity! The Han people originated here, and so did humankind.

But how did people in ancient times know all this, especially in an era without writing? Relying on oral transmission, passing down 1.5 million years of history, directly hinting that this is the birthplace of humanity—what a miraculous thing! 1.5 million years!

After saying this, we fell silent for a long time.

No one knows who spoke first, or perhaps we all spoke at once: “Why don’t we go there and see for ourselves? Just imagine, during the Ice Age, when the world was blanketed in snow for thousands of miles, the only patch of green on earth was there. How many animals trekked thousands of miles to this last refuge, and those that made it survived to this day. And on their journey, how many animals collapsed from exhaustion, dying in the wilderness, dying in the forests.

To be there, to feel the journey of life spanning a million years, to follow in the footsteps of the Han ancestors, to touch the traces of history—dying there would be worth it.”

In the days that followed, we actively planned our trip. During this period, I was the busiest, because according to the plan, I was to provide all the equipment. At the same time, with Shennongjia covering 3,700 square kilometers, mountain after mountain, not to mention traversing every green hill—even just focusing on key areas for exploration would require great physical strength. For this, we set up a three-year fitness plan, preparing to use three years to build up our strength and get ready for the adventure, and I was also in charge of organizing the training.

Fortunately, my business was already on the fast track—what is there to fear with money? Having practiced Tai Chi sword and Pi Gua boxing with my father since childhood, making a fitness plan was a piece of cake for me. I conveniently rented the apartment below mine and settled my three companions there. For the next three years, it was only natural for me to go downstairs at dawn to wake them up, but I wouldn’t let them rest at sunset, because in the evenings I had also arranged for them to attend a Taekwondo club. When they strongly protested my “torment,” I righteously told them: “In the deep mountains and forests, who knows what animals we might encounter—old bears, female orangutans, and the like. If you don’t have any self-defense skills, you might end up being taken as a captive husband or something. So protests are useless—keep training.”

Taking advantage of business negotiations with partners, I made several trips to Shennongjia, mainly to find a local guide. However, exporting local medicinal herbs to the United States earned me a considerable sum, enough to cover the expenses for our expedition. During this time, I also formed life-and-death friendships with several local mountain folk, but I did not directly tell them my true intentions. The time was not yet right, and I eagerly awaited that moment.

During this period, I also made several trips to Hong Kong while exporting goods. This so-called shopping paradise offered extremely cheap outdoor survival equipment. I purchased four folding steel-string crossbows and shipped them back home in a container. Considering that firearms are prohibited domestically, and that we would need long-range protection in the wild, steel-string crossbows were the best choice. In addition, I gradually bought four short military jungle knives, a Swiss multi-tool, a fine Japanese katana, two German military long machetes, and a large Damascus Arabian scimitar. With this, our outdoor self-defense gear was finally complete.

Three years was enough for us to plan all this, and three years was enough to prove the effort we put in. For this trip, we wore out several copies of “The Outdoor Survival Guide.” Countless times, we gathered together to plan the journey. To meet the unknown challenges ahead, we repeatedly scrutinized every step, striving for perfection.