The Ancestral Legacy Begins in the Wild West

Chapter 139 Can't help but reflect on cultural belonging? Let the bullets fly for a while.

Zhang Chang'an took the phone that Teacher Qin finally handed over; the screen displayed a news page.

[Emergency Statement from the Tokyo National Museum]

Recently, our museum has noticed that the so-called "Bingzi Jiaolin" knife and "Dragonfly Cutter" spearhead, which will soon be exhibited in China, are highly related to important cultural heritage of Japan.

According to the preliminary assessment of our museum's experts, the above-mentioned cultural relics are very likely precious heritages that were lost overseas in the history of Japan.

According to ancient Japanese records, the "Bingzi Jiaolin" sword was one of the swords worn by Prince Shotoku and has always been regarded as an important artifact in the history of Japanese swords.

This sword has been treasured by the imperial family and related temples since the Asuka period, and its cultural significance is inextricably linked to the history of Japan.

The "Dragonfly Cutter" spear, ranked first among the three great spears of Japan, was used by the famous Sengoku period general Honda Tadakatsu and is an important symbol of Sengoku culture in Japan. The spear's shape, forging technique, and historical records all have distinct Japanese characteristics.

This museum hereby solemnly declares that the above-mentioned cultural relics are an important part of Japan's cultural heritage.

Our museum has lodged representations with relevant departments through diplomatic channels, requesting that the Celestial Empire respect historical facts, properly handle the issue of the ownership of this cultural relic, and consider sending it back to Japan for exhibition, research, or even permanent preservation at an appropriate time.

Cultural heritage is the wealth of all humankind, but its ownership should respect historical origins. Our museum is willing to engage in dialogue with China to jointly explore solutions to this issue.

Tokyo National Museum, Japan Culture Hall.

"So that's what you're talking about—" Zhang Chang'an looked at it, feeling somewhat physically uncomfortable.

It has now been several days since he met with the leaders of the Ministry of Cultural Relics.

The arrangements for the exhibition tour are almost complete, and thanks to the strong support from the authorities, the first stop will be held in a few days.

Related promotional activities have naturally been launched online.

Sui and Tang dynasty swords, repatriated cultural relics—even if they aren't part of an official exhibition, they're bound to generate a lot of buzz.

Therefore, he doesn't need to pay much attention to it; he will inevitably see all sorts of information.

However, the wider the reach of information, the more likely it is to attract strange things.

Not only that, Zhang Chang'an swiped the screen, and below was a string of comments.

@CherryBlossomWanderer: Well said! These are cultural relics from Japan, so why are they being exhibited in China? And Chinese people are always accusing others of stealing, haha.

@Historical Researcher Xiaolin: As a scholar researching ancient Japanese history, I must point out that the cultural ownership of these two artifacts truly belongs to Japan. The Celestial Empire's unilateral declaration of ownership and even its exhibition is a desecration of history.

@TokyoStudyAbroadLife: Having lived in Japan for many years, I can deeply feel the respect the Japanese have for cultural relics. These kinds of artifacts can probably only receive the best protection if they return to Japan.

@RationalDiscussion: I think what belongs to someone should belong to them. Japan has detailed historical records, so it should be returned. We talk about cultural confidence every day, but we don't even understand this basic principle?

Just looking at it, Zhang Chang'an inexplicably heard a familiar voice in his mind: "I discovered, I doubted, I understood, I couldn't help but ask—I reflected—"

"It's true what they say, a big forest has all kinds of birds."

Look down, there are still many normal people:

@BronzeAge: Bullshit! Just because a Sui or Tang dynasty sword was passed down to Japan doesn't mean it belongs to Japan. You think you have the right to take it back? By that logic, shouldn't the Chinese characters used in Japan be returned as well?

@故是重提: LOL, how many Chinese artifacts are in the Tokyo National Museum? Britain has even more; let them return them first. Have they been kneeling for too long to stand up anymore?

However, the official information disclosure is not much, and there is not much control over speech, so dirty stuff keeps popping up, and there is no clear evidence to condemn them.

Zhang Chang'an returned the phone to Qin Zhengxue with a blank expression.

Qin Zhengxue took the phone and sighed: "We just released the preview of the exhibition tour, and then it popped up in Japan. And those comments that appeared out of nowhere, each one more disgusting than the last."

As he spoke, his voice trembled with barely suppressed anger: "I've dedicated my life to academia, and the issue of the ownership of cultural relics is indeed a major headache. But this kind of thing—it's not so bad if we're talking about that Japanese gun, but the Bingzi Jiaolin—it's clearly something belonging to our own ancestors—"

He shook his head and didn't say anything more, looking genuinely furious.

Zhang Chang'an leaned back in his chair, but still appeared very calm.

Facing Teacher Qin and Director Chen, who was equally speechless at these remarks, he slowly took out something: "I know you are in a difficult position now, largely because it is to protect various information about me and my family, so a lot of information cannot be disclosed."

"However, besides those official documents, I also found this thing when I was sorting through his belongings a couple of days ago."

As he spoke, he pushed a slightly yellowed envelope toward the two of them: "This should be of help to you."

The expressions on the two men's faces immediately became quite interesting, a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

However, Zhang Chang'an then added a casual remark: "Besides the product itself, as a young person, I think I can offer you two some advice in other areas."

He raised his hand and nodded on the envelope with his finger: "At times like these, we cannot be hasty in our attempts to retaliate."

"Okay, let the bullets fly for a while."

-

It was already dark when I got back to my rented room.

Zhang Chang'an closed the door, casually tossed his coat aside, and then lay down on the sofa.

Before him, the family tree slowly appeared: "Rank: New Burning Grade 17.47%".

He stared at the line of numbers for a while, a slight smile playing on his lips.

His strength has improved slightly again, because he has successfully consumed two more fragments in the past two days.

The fragments of Yagyu Muneyoshi also did not reach the new burning stage.

However, he can already acquire the skill "[No-Knife Take] (Good)" from it.

This technique is not only about catching and disarming a knife barehanded, but also about how to dodge attacks from various weapons in close combat, and even how to use the opponent's strength to counterattack. It is very similar to many moves in Chinese martial arts, and I should be able to fully integrate it into my skills over time.

Aside from that, the fragments of Itō Ittōsai yielded slightly less impressive results, only improving his proficiency in various skills. Furthermore, since Itō-ryū emphasizes a single, decisive strike, he learned many techniques related to explosive physical abilities.

Although no new skills have emerged in the true sense, his explosive power is significantly stronger than before.

"There are two more fragments—no rush, take your time."

Besides this, Zhang Chang'an had another significant gain, which he hadn't yet had time to process.

Back in reality, he spent most of his time processing the fragments, and of course, dealing with the cultural relics as well.

Now that the digestion of the fragments on this side has come to an end, and the touring exhibition on the other side has been almost finalized, he can finally turn around and look at the more than 3000 spacetime fragments he has accumulated.

The exchange pages for the three ancestors, Qinghe, Yongren, and Tiezhou, are still open, as is the profession page for Tianwei Yebushou.

This includes any extra items not originating from the ancestors. He has a lot to choose from.

However, just as he was preparing to indulge in a lavish spending spree...

"[Detected that the patriarch's strength level has stabilized], [Detected recycled fragments], which can be consumed to repair the ancestor's biographical information."

Zhang Chang'an was taken aback: "Restore biographical information?"

He paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered that when he first entered the Western instance, it was because he had read the story of Qinghe Gong.

Later, he never gave up reading about his ancestors' lives, but the situation with the family genealogy was really not optimistic.

The records of the three ancestors are already quite extensive. Other records are incomplete, with missing pages, illegible handwriting, or missing or incorrect sentences, making them impossible to connect.

"It looks like... some parts might be recoverable?"