Mencius traces the sage Way’s five-century transmission from Yao-Shun to Confucius via direct witnesses and later inheritors. A century after Confucius, he grieves no successor carries the orthodox line, revealing his solemn mission to uphold Confucian wisdom.
In ancient times, the human population was small while birds and beasts were numerous. People could not withstand the harm inflicted by wild animals, insects, and snakes.