Beyond Mount Sui.

The Grand Proctor of the academy, having arrived quietly, still waited patiently for a reply.

Even the golden-armored deity felt a pang of unease.

A scholar with the potential to become a Vice-Patriarch of the Confucian Temple, left cooling his heels by an old scholar who had even smashed the divine statues… it had been half a month. If word of this got out, the collective spittle of righteous scholars across the vast world would likely drown Mount Sui.

Atop Mount Sui.

The old scholar remained utterly unconcerned by the Confucian Temple’s grand display. Each day, he simply remained upon the summit, divining the fortunes, grumbling complaints, admiring the steles, pontificating on the world, and wandering about. In the words of Mount Sui’s deity, the old scholar was like an old fly that couldn’t find dung to eat. Far from being angered, the old scholar instead slapped the mountain deity’s golden armor and chuckled, “That’s quite the description! When I see that old coot next, I’ll tell him this is your final judgement on those worthy sages enshrined in the Confucian Temple.”

The Mount Sui deity’s expression was frigid. “If you dare say that, don’t even think about coming to Mount Sui again.”

The old scholar hastily spat into his palm and used it to wipe the golden armor, “Can’t even tell when I’m joking. No sense of humor at all.”

The golden-armored deity, acknowledged throughout the Central Earth Continent as having the worst temper, stood unmoving, resting his hands on his sword, gazing at the border beyond Mount Sui’s jurisdiction. He was even accustomed to the old scholar’s actions. It was clear he had suffered greatly at the old scholar’s hands over the years, enduring endless torment. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so numb.

The old scholar scratched the back of his head, standing beside the golden-armored deity. “As a teacher, you never know which words you’ve spoken, which principles you’ve taught, or which deeds you’ve done, will truly be etched in your students’ minds for life. If a scholar truly considers themself someone who ‘imparts knowledge and resolves doubts for the sake of the common people,’ then they will actually feel great trepidation at heart. I’ve been trapped in that immense fear for so many years, unable to escape. In the end, I grew discouraged because I discovered that my students always had such and such flaws, which were very likely all my fault.”

The golden-armored deity sneered, “So, it’s not just that the mediocre disturb themselves.”

The old scholar stamped his foot and cursed, “I’m warning you, don’t think you can act like those fake scholars just because we’re close, speaking in roundabout ways. Don’t you know that’s what I hate most? I’ve put up with you for centuries. If you don’t change that foul temper, I really won’t budge from here, and I’ll stay here every day just to disgust you.”

The golden-armored deity chuckled, “I’m so scared.”

The old scholar muttered, “Trying to reason with a soldier is impossible.”

The golden-armored deity asked, “According to your deductions, Cui Chan is making a mess in Bottle Continent, acting without consideration. And meticulously scheming against that child… besides wanting to drag Cui Dongshan to his side, is there an even greater conspiracy?”

The old scholar smiled and said, “I, this kind of first-rate brilliant person who knows the heavens and knows the earth, of course I know Cui Chan’s true pursuit. But I simply won’t say.”

The golden-armored deity nodded, “Then I beg you not to say it.”

The old scholar sighed, gently plucked a hair from his head, and handed it to the Mount Sui deity beside him.

The golden-armored deity frowned and asked, “What’s this for?”

The old scholar said with a straight face, “You’re such an unteachable blockhead. Take this hair and hang yourself with it.”

The golden-armored deity smiled. “You want to find an excuse for yourself, provoke me, get me to cleave you out of Mount Sui’s territory with a sword, and go see that Grand Proctor? Sorry, there’s no such luck.”

The old scholar clicked his tongue in wonder. “You’re actually not stupid.”

The expression hidden behind the golden-armored deity’s visor suddenly became grave. “The major events you’ve divined… are they still shrouded in chaos?”

The old scholar’s smile vanished. “It’s very troublesome. That ancient stronghold… even if I personally intervene, it might help, but it’ll be extremely slow, a distant water that can’t quench a present thirst. That’s why I’m a little embarrassed to see that academy Grand Proctor on Mount Sui’s border. The biggest trouble is that this time, the Barren World is playing for keeps. Several seemingly heaven-ordained geniuses have appeared over there. The contest at Sword Qi Great Wall back then was just a small test by those young fellows, but it was already quite the remarkable feat. That’s why I need to go to Saha Continent to find that pedantic fellow, remind him not to kick the bucket carelessly, or he’ll be cursed for thousands of years.”

The golden-armored deity was about to speak.

The old scholar shook his head. “Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. I can no longer trust the Yin-Yang School of the Lu family in the Central Earth. I’m close to having to listen to all their predictions in reverse.”

The golden-armored deity said, “Bai Ze’s side, the Grand Proctor of the Book of Rites Academy, got a face full of rejection. Over on the overseas islands, the Grand Proctor of the Sub-Sage lineage fared even worse. I heard he couldn’t even get an audience. And this last one also ate a cold shoulder. The three Grand Proctors of the three great academies have all had such bad luck. What, has your Confucian school fallen to such a state? Have your former allies and family members all chosen to stand by with folded arms, watching the mountains and rivers crumble?”

The old scholar sighed and stroked his beard. “Heaven knows what that old coot and the Sage of Rites are thinking.”

The golden-armored deity mocked, “Aren’t you supposed to be a clever person?”

The old scholar shook his head, with all seriousness, “The truly great matters are never resolved with cleverness. They depend on… foolishness.”

The golden-armored deity said unhappily, “With just that useless nonsense, you’ve claimed all the rights and wrongs and reason in the world.”

The old scholar still shook his head. “Wrong, this isn’t an ambiguous nonsense. You don’t understand. It’s not that you aren’t smart, it’s that you’re not among humans. You only stand on the summit. Do the joys and sorrows of the world have anything to do with you? A little, but it’s completely negligible. This leads to you having a hard time truly putting yourself in others’ shoes and thinking about small matters. But you must know, with so many people in the world, a series of small matters accumulated, a hundred Mount Suis added together wouldn’t be as high. Ask yourself, if when the wind and rain suddenly arrive, we then discover…”
That house, built generation after generation by Confucian sages for the sake of the common people, designed to shield them from wind and rain, appears grand and sturdy. But in reality, it is a castle in the air, ready to collapse at any moment. What will become of the ordinary folk living inside when that happens? Even if we, with our resilient Confucian heritage, can truly break down the old and build anew, erecting a new, larger, and more solid thatched hut, how do we account for the countless lives lost, the widespread displacement, the immense human suffering caused by the collapse? Do we rely on Buddhist teachings to soothe our consciences? I, for one, cannot.”

The golden-armored deity shook his head. “Don’t ask me.”

The old scholar stamped his foot and gazed into the distance. “Every scholar who ascends to a high position should seriously ponder the true meaning of conscience.”

The old scholar murmured, “With a full granary, people know etiquette. Why don’t you listen to such wise words? Must we allow that old Daoist codger to mock our Confucianism for another ten thousand years?”

Having witnessed those two previous debates between the three teachings, the golden-armored deity knew that the old scholar’s words masked a shocking contention. Though he considered himself a friend of the old scholar, he felt that no one could argue against it. Yet, in the end, the old scholar had managed to persuade the Buddhist and Daoist disciples from the other two schools. In that all-encompassing debate, there had been an argument concerning the saying, “When the Great Way is abandoned, there is benevolence and righteousness.” A certain Daoist disciple from White Jade Capital had used this to debate with the old scholar, a truly perilous situation. However, the old scholar not only won the argument against that brilliant Daoist, but even convinced the Buddhist disciple, who was temporarily observing, to his side.

After the old scholar’s victory, all Daoist texts in the vast world were to have a certain phrase personally removed with a red pen from writings penned by the Daoist Patriarch! Furthermore, all future Daoist books published in the world were to omit that phrase and related passages.

That phrase was, “When the Way is lost, there is virtue; when virtue is lost, there is benevolence; when benevolence is lost, there is righteousness; when righteousness is lost, there is ritual. Ritual is the faint shadow of loyalty and trust, and the beginning of chaos.”

The conflicts between the three teachings were not merely three geniuses sitting on high altars, exchanging words. Their impact on the entire mortal realm of the three worlds was profound and deeply interconnected.

The golden-armored deity sensed the old scholar’s rare despondency and felt a pang of sympathy. He sought a lighter topic. “Does Qi Jingchun truly have no hidden moves? Chen Pingan is the disciple he chose for your closed-door cultivation.”

The old scholar shook his head. “Intervening to help Xiao Pingan break this impasse would be a misstep, beneath Qi Jingchun’s dignity. It would be tantamount to conceding defeat to Cui Chan from the start.”

The golden-armored deity shook his head, resigned. “Human hearts are so mired in emotional entanglements, and that is the very foundation of your cultivation. Why does Qi Jingchun seek such troubles for himself?”

The old scholar suddenly smiled, waving his sleeves and standing with his hands clasped behind his back. “That’s why you deities will never understand why the human world, though mired in mud, is also filled with magnificent scenery. One only needs to look up to see it. Perhaps most only glance at it before returning to their tasks, but it will ultimately inspire a small group of people, inspiring them to discuss the Dao and put it into practice!”

The old scholar suddenly raised his arm, pointing high into the sky. “I look down upon the human world, and I treat it with kindness!”

A moment of silence.

The golden-armored deity said, “That… old man you mentioned probably can’t hear your grand pronouncements.”

The old scholar stamped his foot in frustration, grumbling, “What a waste of my full and impassioned emotions!”

The Fan family’s high tower in Lotus Pool City stood empty.

This, the most imposing building in Lotus Pool City, was once the Fan family’s pride and joy, their scenic overlook. Visitors were inevitably brought here first.

But now, the Fan family had not only sealed off the tower, forbidding anyone from entering, but had also adopted a reclusive stance, receiving few visitors. The once bustling street outside the gate was now deserted.

Fan Yan stood beneath the tower today. As the true master of the Fan family, he would normally feel entitled to break the rules he himself had set, ascending his own tower to admire the lake view. What harm could it do?

But Fan Yan dared not.

This “foolish young city lord” of Lotus Pool City, who had deceived almost everyone in Shujian Lake, had yet to recover. His mind was like a mirror, scratched haphazardly with a knife. Now, even thinking about that knife, especially the person wielding it, sent sharp pains through his heart and head.

On the day Cui Dongshan left Lotus Pool City,

Before the first snow had fallen on Shujian Lake, Fan Yan had experienced a life-altering blizzard that nearly froze him to death. Even now, Fan Yan felt the bone-chilling cold.

That day, Cui Dongshan had summoned Fan Yan.

Before that, Fan Yan had been slapped dozens of times by his parents in the tower’s upper chamber. After leaving, Fan Yan had forced his own parents to slap each other in the Fan family’s secret chamber, drawing blood and bruising their faces without a word of complaint.

Then, a few days later, Fan Yan went to “pay respects” to the white-robed youth.

They stood together, enjoying the view.

Cui Dongshan hopped onto the railing, began to share his “heartfelt words,” words that terrified Fan Yan from the very beginning. But Fan Yan dared not silence him, and could only listen.

Cui Dongshan said, “Ignorance is a comfortable and happy state. When a person rises higher and becomes self-righteous, it is even more wonderful. Because they don’t understand the reasons for luck and misfortune, they simply endure it. If they can persevere, they remain a good person. If they can’t, they curse the heavens. I’m not saying this is wrong. In fact, I sometimes envy these two states.”

“I once traveled with my first teacher to explore the world. On one occasion, we were browsing a street-side bookstore and encountered three young scholars. One was from a noble family, one was from a poor background, and the other, though dressed plainly, seemed refined and cultured. All three were candidates for the state examination in the provincial capital. At the time, a beautiful young woman was there, looking for books.”

“The wealthy scholar, wanting to attract the beautiful woman’s attention, casually picked up a book and began to boast about it. The poor scholar, meek and timid, was genuinely impressed, as poor scholars rarely see many books before achieving success.”

“The bookstore owner, a down-on-his-luck literati, endured it for a long time, but finally couldn’t take it anymore and offered a few reasoned arguments.”
The result was that the wealthy scholar pointed his finger at me, saying that I came from a distinguished clan with a long and respected lineage, a family steeped in learning. From a young age, I had been taught by renowned masters, and I had already devoured the writings of the philosophers and scholars of every school of thought. Did I need you to teach me the principles of how to conduct myself? What are you even worth?”

“My impoverished teacher then acted as a mediator. He couldn’t help it; he loved smoothing things over in trivial matters, always believing that no one was truly wrong, or that even if they were, they could change. He tried to persuade the shopkeeper not to get angry, saying that principles were numerous and applied to everyone. Then, he gently reached out and pressed down the scholar’s finger, saying that speaking to others in such a manner was inappropriate, and even if he had a point, it would be lost on the listener.”

“That scholar was also hot-tempered, and he slapped my teacher’s hand away, cursing the old codger to get lost.”

“Of course, my teacher didn’t get angry. Then, the young man who looked most like a refined Confucian scholar, seemingly gentle and elegant, offered three seemingly fair statements with a smile. The first statement was, ‘This is a bookstore selling books, and we are scholars buying books. Be careful we don’t end up not buying the books we want and getting kicked out.’范彥, do you know the wonder of it? You must know, it’s in the order of things, in how it confuses the before and after. Instead of first discussing conforming to the custom of the place, he immediately assumes the premise that the bookstore belongs to the owner and that kicking out customers is ‘justified.’ Is it really justified? No one else would think so, right? So, following this line of not mentioning right or wrong, once you deduce backward, the shopkeeper instantly becomes the unreasonable one. Does that have a little something to it? If others didn’t know the reason or simply heard this sentence, or just happened upon the scene of the shopkeeper kicking someone out, would they still be willing to distinguish between right and wrong? Probably not. Life is busy; who wants to investigate these things? They’re just watching a spectacle. So, when I heard this sentence, I found it funny, and I thought this fellow was quite clever.”

“The second statement was, ‘The old gentleman probably has his eye on a book he wants to buy, right? But don’t favor the shopkeeper because of that; if you do, it would be a disgrace to scholarship. I see that the old gentleman is also a scholar. Why are you so lacking in integrity? Why are you so obsequious and fawning over a bookseller?’ Doesn’t that have even more flavor? Anyone who speaks for the shopkeeper is a sycophant. Even if some onlookers who don’t want to get involved in the dispute don’t agree with this reasoning, wouldn’t they feel a little uneasy?”

“The third statement was, ‘This shopkeeper, if he really had such great and profound learning, why would he be here selling books to make money? Shouldn’t he already be holding a high position in the imperial court or writing books that are passed down through the ages?’ How is that? A bit of probing into the heart, right? This is actually setting two preconditions. One is that worldly principles need to be supported by status and reputation, and you, the bookseller, are not qualified to speak about the principles of sages. The second is that only success and fame count as principles. Principles only exist in the books of sages and in the important positions of the imperial court. The chaotic marketplace and the fragrant bookstore are devoid of any principles.”

“Guess what happened next? My teacher slapped the cleverest scholar across the face and began to curse him. That was the first time in all my time as his student that I saw my kind-hearted teacher not only get angry but also curse and hit someone. The old scholar cursed the poor fellow, ‘From your parents to your schoolteacher to all those books of sages, there must have been at least one or two good principles taught to you, but you smeared chicken dung in your eyes and stuffed dog shit in your belly?!'”

“That beating and scolding stunned the fellow. Guess what happened next? The one who was beaten lost all his courage, with only deep-seated hatred in his eyes, harboring sinister plans in his heart. On the other hand, the wealthy scholar and the taciturn scholar rolled up their sleeves, ready to beat up my teacher. What could my teacher do? Run, of course. What could I do? Run with him, of course.”

“We ran far before we stopped. My teacher turned around, saw that they weren’t chasing us, and first laughed heartily. Then, as he laughed, he stopped laughing. That was the first time I saw my teacher reveal such disappointment in something.”

“As we left together, my teacher was silent for a long time. Finally, he found a roadside tavern, ordered a catty of wine, and while happily drinking, he spoke of his sorrows. He said, ‘The academic disputes between scholars, the ordinary quarrels in the marketplace, the debates about principles between people, the attitude when discussing principles… if the attitude is good, that’s the best. If it’s not good, and you can’t hear a word anyone else says, it’s not a big deal. The truth always becomes clearer through debate, even if the quarrel only results in flushed faces, it’s not a bad thing. So, in the bookstore, what was wrong with that young man’s bad temper? Even if he and the shopkeeper were talking at cross-purposes, at least they were each speaking their minds. As a teacher, I was happy to hear them speaking their respective principles, regardless of their initial intentions or temperament. Only that fellow who spoke last, his words were the most venomous, and his heart was the most wicked!'” “My teacher, who rarely made definitive judgments about anyone’s character, slammed the table and said that fellow was a person with character issues! Such a person, wearing the outer skin of a Confucian scholar, only seeks his own selfish gain. The more he reads, the more of a menace he becomes. Whenever he encounters a problem, he likes to hide in the shadows, secretly, speaking in sarcastic and strange ways, saying disgusting things. He calculates everything, weighing the pros and cons. He either lacks the guts to be a thief, or once he gets brave, he mostly has a good grasp on things. So, when he actually does bad things, he can profit more than anyone else. If such a person is allowed to climb higher and higher, with years of gradual influence, without him even having to say anything, he will affect his family, children, the entire clan, classmates, colleagues, the atmosphere of the officialdom, the local customs of the jurisdiction, and the literary fortune of the country. All may suffer.”

“Those who are still willing to discuss principles and listen to principles, whether good or bad, can actually be taught, there is still hope for them. If all else fails, those who become virtuous people and gentlemen, especially those of us who had dogshit luck and ate cold pork head meat, can work harder and help patch up this world.”

“If the world were full of those scholars who spoke in sarcastic and strange ways, I think the Old Man (referring to Laozi) was right to curse me so miserably. The Old Man was right to curse me; I was not wronged to be cursed. The Old Man should not have spoken those principles, written them in books, and taught them to the world!”
“It’s our own fault, we Confucians, with our excess of principles, talking only to ourselves. The principle in this book is refuted by that book, and the principle in that book is rendered worthless by others. This leaves the common people utterly bewildered. That’s why I always advocate that when arguing with someone, never assume you hold all the truth. If the other person speaks well, even in the debates between the Three Teachings, I listen attentively to the paths of Buddhist disciples and Taoist priests. When I hear something that resonates, I laugh! Because I’ve heard such a wonderful principle, shouldn’t I be happy? Is it shameful? Not at all!”

“Principles that are too lofty can mislead the common folk into thinking that only scholars can reason. But principles aren’t confined to books. Even a child of a few years can speak profound truths. Even illiterate villagers practice the best principles in their lives. Even a bookseller who fails the imperial exams may, at one moment, utter something incorrect, yet at another, say something that, when overheard by the Old Scholar and the Sage of Rites, elicits a knowing smile.”

Cui Dongshan spoke with effortless ease.

Upon hearing this, Fan Yan had only one thought: *I’m dead.*

Confirming that Cui Dongshan wouldn’t continue the “story of an old friend,” Fan Yan prostrated himself, kneeling on the ground without a word.

Cui Dongshan turned his head. The white-robed young man with a mole between his eyebrows was truly dashing and unrestrained.

He chuckled, “Don’t you people from Shujian Lake believe in doing what feels good? As long as I can convince myself, as long as my conscience is clear, and as long as I have a fist hard enough, I can kill anyone I want? Is it that difficult? Being a good person is hard, but is being a bad person really difficult? Even a toddler knows how to be bad. The only slightly harder thing is to be a bad person with enough brains. So, I ask you, I’m about to experience the ‘good feeling’ of Shujian Lake by crushing you like an ant. Are you enjoying this right now?”

Fan Yan, face pressed against the ground, stammered, “I beg the National Preceptor to use immortal arts to erase this memory of mine. Moreover, as long as the National Preceptor is willing to expend the energy, I am willing to offer half of the Fan family’s wealth.”

Cui Dongshan jumped down from the railing. “You truly are quite clever. I almost don’t have the heart to slaughter you. It seems having you, Fan Yan, watching over Shujian Lake is a good thing. Fan Yan, stop trying to be a *person*. Just be a dog of Great Li, and you might survive.”

Fan Yan immediately began kowtowing, the sounds echoing. He raised his head, gazing with tearful gratitude at the aloof “young man” above. His gratitude was utterly sincere, almost moving the heavens.

Cui Dongshan crouched down, shaking his head with a tsking sound. “Such a clever person, reduced to being a dog. How tragic.”

Cui Dongshan patted his cheek, once, and then again, with considerable force. “Do you feel like your luck is just terrible, running into a fellow practitioner whose fist just happens to be a bit bigger than yours?”

Fan Yan shook his head vigorously.

Cui Dongshan shrank back, withdrawing his hand, and looked at the face etched with the four large characters of “fear and unease.” “I suddenly feel that even if a dog is obedient, it’s still a bit of an eyesore. What to do?”

Fan Yan remained somewhat bewildered.

Cui Dongshan had already brought two fingers together, aiming for the space between Fan Yan’s eyebrows.

If this strike landed, Fan Yan would surely be annihilated, body and soul.

But in a flash of lightning, someone appeared behind Cui Dongshan, bent down, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and slid backwards. Cui Dongshan was pulled back, just in time to save Fan Yan, whose brow now sported a shallow indentation.

Cui Dongshan, dangling in the newcomer’s hand, continued to glare at Fan Yan. “Do you know how many Old Scholars and Chen Ping’ans this world owes you?! Who will repay them in the future?! The demon race attacking the Sword Qi Great Wall?! Come on then! Hurry up and invade, and teach all the fools in the world of Haoran a lesson! Teach you all that there are no free lunches! You bastards, you have to repay! You *have* to repay, understand?!”

The uninvited guest who had stopped Cui Dongshan from killing was none other than Cui Chan, returned to Shujian Lake.

The aged Confucian scholar in green robes said calmly, “If you kill Fan Yan today, it will be difficult for you to advance to the upper five realms. Also, stop saying childish things. You’re not young. I don’t mind you pretending to be young to disgust me, but I won’t allow you to be foolish, because you have many things to do next.”

Cui Dongshan struggled for a moment. Cui Chan released him, and Cui Dongshan sat heavily on the ground.

Cui Chan waved his hand at Fan Yan. “Get out of here. Think carefully about what you should say and what you should do in the future, or he might not kill you, but I will.”

Cui Dongshan lay slumped over the railing, lost in thought.

Cui Chan extended a palm and gently pressed it on Cui Dongshan’s head. “Don’t have hope for this world, and you will never be disappointed. You won’t hate bad people or evil people, and you won’t like good people or kind people. And since you happen to be a scholar and you don’t deny it, and you also understand the complexity of this world, then once you’ve considered the best and worst possible outcomes, and the consequences you must bear, then go ahead and do it. So, don’t let Chen Ping’an become your exception. Once you confuse the two, it may seem sincere, but it will only harm yourself and others.”

Cui Dongshan said in annoyance, “Get your dog paw off me.”

Cui Chan smiled, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed out at Shujian Lake. “Judging people’s goodness and evil is not easy. Even the Old Scholar doesn’t casually do it. In this regard, Buddhism does speak more clearly. The Old Scholar himself admitted it, not privately, but during the debate of the Three Teachings. Remember? At that time, the faces of several Confucian sages darkened on the spot. The Buddhist disciples and Taoist priests weren’t scared to death by the Old Scholar; they were almost scared to death by their own colleagues.”