Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Opening Ceremony

“Liberating Greek women”—to tell the truth, even Wang Dongwei felt a deep ache just hearing those words. He had come to this world to compete in athletic games, not to become some champion of women’s rights. First, it was a war of words with the sages of Greece, and now, the liberation of Greek women… Why is this world so difficult? Just thinking about it, Wang Dongwei felt tears of bitterness welling up inside him.

Of course, it wouldn’t matter much if he didn’t care—except that he would have to compete naked. All Greek athletes did, but the three of them were modern people from the surface world. What’s more, in Olympia, there was a tradition of making bronze statues of the champions and placing them in front of the Temple of Zeus.

If Yanluo happened to win some championship, and a nude statue of him was cast in bronze, enduring for millennia, passed down through the ages—even if this was the inner world, Wang Dongwei couldn’t bear to imagine it. It would be an eternal mark engraved in the river of history…

The evidence of their nudity would be preserved, passed down to the future, possibly even displayed in a museum for countless people to admire.

And the Greeks of this era had a strange penchant for sculpting the nude form, always carving a certain indescribable part particularly small. If it was too large, they thought it looked ugly…

The chariot race was only an exhibition, but for races, wrestling, and boxing, the champions all had statues made. Perhaps Yanluo’s transformation into a minotaur battling a hundred foes was so shocking that Wang Dongwei suspected he might win several championships at this Olympics.

That would mean several statues displayed at the Temple of Zeus…

Steadying his complicated emotions, Wang Dongwei said, “The reason women are banned from the Olympic Games is twofold: first, the athletes compete naked, which is considered indecent for women to see; and second, it’s simple discrimination against women.”

He spoke in Greek, so the Athenian scholars nearby could understand. Thucydides said, “In Greece, women are seen as property owned by men, their value measured in livestock. Women are not considered complete people.”

“However, at first, women were allowed to watch the Olympic Games, but after the fifteenth Olympiad, when a contestant’s loincloth fell off, women were no longer allowed as spectators. Of course, this also relates to the steep decline in women’s status over the centuries.”

“There are exceptions to the status of women,” Socrates interjected.

A strong emotion washed over him: sadness.

Everyone turned to look. The greatest sage of Greece had tears glistening in his eyes. Clearly, this was a man with a story—Wang Dongwei could only feel speechless. The ancient sages had left behind many famous sayings, two of which stood out:

“If you marry a good wife, you’ll be happy; if you marry a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.”

And, “If I can tolerate my wife, I can tolerate anyone.”

Wang Dongwei was intensely curious about what kind of person Socrates’ wife really was.

“Indeed, Spartan women now have a very high status,” Herodotus interjected. “Spartan women are even allowed to enter the gymnasium and exercise… They train completely naked.”

“It’s truly… enviable—no, disgraceful…” Zhu Xiaoyong was practically drooling.

Seeing the conversation veer off course, Wang Dongwei quickly said, “My idea is to mobilize the masses, to make Greek women aware of their unfair treatment and demand the right to watch the Olympic Games. With women present, the athletes naturally can’t compete naked.”

Herodotus chimed in again, “We also see this as a great opportunity—a perfect chance to liberate Greek women, at least so they can enjoy the greatest celebration in Greece, the Olympics!”

At this time, Athens was the most democratic place in all of Greece, and these ten or more sages were the most enlightened people in Athens. In fact, many thinkers and philosophers of this era advocated for women’s right to education and for respect toward women.

“We only came to Olympia to watch Yanluo compete, but now we can do something truly meaningful,” the group said, rubbing their hands in anticipation.

Wang Dongwei finally breathed a sigh of relief. These ten or so uninvited guests were the strongest reinforcements he could wish for!

In this era, knowledge was precious, and scholars were revered. Athens was the pinnacle of both democracy and slavery—thanks to the material support from slaves and a reverence for culture, so many sages could flourish.

Socrates and his companions were the most distinguished scholars in Athens!

Think about it: in the Spring and Autumn period of China, even though Confucius’s teachings weren’t always adopted, whenever he traveled to a new state, the rulers at least treated this “great sage” with respect.

Socrates held a position in the West equal to Confucius, and he had a whole group with him!

It was like having Confucius, Mozi, Han Feizi, Sun Wu, and Guiguzi gather together in one place during the Warring States period—just imagine how shocking that would be! Anyone seeing them would think, “Something’s about to happen…”

If these scholars stirred up a “women’s liberation movement” in the city-state of Olympia, proclaiming women’s rights, who would dare interfere? If Wang Dongwei or Zhu Xiaoyong, as foreigners, tried to make speeches on the streets, they’d likely be arrested on the spot.

“So…” Yanluo asked, “there’s nothing I need to do?”

“Leave it to us!” Socrates declared with a broad sweep of his hand. “You brought Chinese civilization to Athens and even shared the Dao De Jing. This time, let us do something for you… Just focus on the Games!”

“Well…” Wang Dongwei, ever cautious, reminded, “there’s always a risk of failure… Yanluo, if we don’t succeed, don’t take it too hard.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not concerned,” Yanluo replied. Frankly, if his two teammates weren’t also returning to the surface world—where rumors could harm their reputations—he wouldn’t bother with all this. He was a cold, unsentimental transcender of human limits. This was the inner world, not reality.

Besides, what’s the harm if others see? It’s not as if he’d lose anything. With only men participating, it was like being in a bathhouse. In a men’s bathhouse, who cares about being naked? Wearing underwear in the bathhouse would be even weirder.

The Greek sages discussed “the Dao” and “qigong,” and “Chinese civilization” until nightfall before finally departing—their lodgings were just next door. After they left, Wang Dongwei said, “Let’s take out all our unused valuables.”

The silver coins they’d gathered from the mercenaries’ bodies amounted to a full talent—about thirty-four kilograms, heavier than the Panlong Staff. There was also a Persian scimitar inlaid with gold, and a gold head ornament set with rubies.

“We can’t rely solely on the Greeks… Yanluo, tomorrow you attend the Olympics’ opening ceremony. Zhu Xiaoyong and I will hire commoners to incite demonstrations and protests—the bigger the commotion, the better. Only then will the priests at the Olympic temple feel enough pressure to change the naked competition rule.”

The night passed.

The next day, Wang Dongwei, Zhu Xiaoyong, Socrates, and the other ten or so Greek sages set their plan into motion. Yanluo headed to the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, where the opening ceremony would be held.

From every major Greek city-state, hundreds of athletes had gathered at the temple.

Each one was a muscular giant!