The essence of the Open Pulse Pill is steeped in blood.

From its very inception, tracing back through the mists of time, it carried an inherent sin.

Yet, undeniably, it served as the pivotal force that propelled the Human Race from the depths of the Dark Era.

More so, it stands as the indispensable bedrock upon which the extraordinary world has flourished to this day!

For ten thousand years, how much history has perished, how many myths have shattered, how many grand inheritances have scattered like smoke?

Only the Open Pulse Pill remains irreplaceable.

Generation after generation, its legacy endures.

The raw materials for the Open Pulse Pill have been vastly enriched, its production significantly increased, and its formula refined and optimized by countless predecessors.

The dangers of opening the pulses have been all but eradicated, and the efficacy of the process continues to improve…

Yet, all these transformations remain tethered to its origins.

Throughout the long river of history, the core of the Open Pulse Pill formula has always been the creation of the ancient Kai Dao clan. For everything, there is a price.

For the Human Race to open their pulses, they must utilize the pulses of others.

Now, Lu Xiangqing posed the question: Was the actions of the Kai Dao clan “righteous”?

For a time, silence reigned; no one could proffer an answer.

The very foundation of that Open Pulse Pill formula, born in that distant era, harbored an intrinsic contradiction.

“I ask all gentlemen,” Lu Xiangqing’s voice echoed again, “Is this ‘righteousness’ or not?”

“Of course it is righteousness!” Bao Zhongqing was the first to declare, stepping forward. “If this is not righteousness, what is? It opened the eternal path for the Human Race, allowing them to emerge from the Dark Era. This is the everlasting great righteousness!”

Gu Yan, a young man of somber mien and archaic dress, hailed from the State of Zhao, where the Qi winds prevailed. Yet, he consistently wore the traditional ceremonial robes of Zhao, covering himself so completely that only his head was visible – attire generally considered antiquated, worn in Zhao only by the very elderly.

He ought to have learned to be discreet.

Indeed, he had striven for discretion – ever since being dragged from the military tent by Li Longchuan for a discourse on the Starry Moon Plain, he had observed the scene around him, yet no one had spoken on his behalf.

Upon arriving at Jixia Academy this time, he had likewise attempted to fade into the background.

But after Bao Zhongqing’s pronouncement, he could no longer contain himself and rose to his feet, for this diverged significantly from the beliefs held within his heart. “But how innocent are infants? How innocent are the warriors who bled for the Human Race? The greatness I comprehend lies in sacrificing oneself for righteousness. The sacrifice is one’s own body, not the bodies of others!”

Regarding the ancient history of the Kai Dao clan, truly, it evokes feelings of immense complexity.

Each individual’s origin, experience, perception, even the world through their eyes, differs. Naturally, on such a highly controversial issue, maintaining uniformity of thought is impossible.

Gu Yan and Bao Zhongqing’s pronouncements shattered the silence and instantly ignited a fervent debate.

Wu Zhou, who had been reprimanded by the teacher earlier, stood and declared, “Righteousness has its distinctions, large and small. Saving a single person is small righteousness. Saving ten thousand is great righteousness! In that era, the Human Race was trapped in the Dark Ages, fighting tooth and nail for survival. Without the Open Pulse Pill, what right did they have to confront the Demon Race? And by what means could they rise later? The Kai Dao clan risked the great unrighteousness of the world for the great righteousness of the Human Race for ten thousand years. How can small righteousness even be mentioned in the same breath!”

Xie Baoshu felt as though Jiang Wang’s gaze lingered upon him. After all, Confucianism was his primary study, and at times, he needed to uphold his identity. Frowning, he stood and stated,

“As for the elders, they are history. As for the infants, they are the future. Even a tiger does not devour its cubs. A race that does not protect its infants – does it possess a future?

The Kai Dao clan murdered infants to seize their pulses, acting against human ethics. This is a great unrighteousness before heaven and earth. What more is there to say!?”

Immediately, someone retorted, “Without the Open Pulse Pill, both the old and the young would be history. The Human Race would also be history! With the Open Pulse Pill, we can sit here and debate the future! By what right do you think you sit here?”

Another voice chimed in, “One who carries firewood for the masses – how can he be left to freeze in the wind and snow? Those warriors who battled for the Human Race, yet were ambushed by their own people to have their pulses stolen – how tragic is this matter? How can such wicked deeds be deemed ‘righteous’?”

Someone else offered, “Your teacher, Er Fengming, in his ‘Theory of Merit and Demerit,’ states, ‘Merit is merit, demerit is demerit. When discussing merit, do not count previous demerits. When punishing demerits, do not count previous merits.’ The actions of the Kai Dao clan should also be divided into two parts…”

But before he could finish, someone immediately cut him off, “Still clinging to your adoration of Ming! A jumping clown, one moment arrogant, the next fawning! He who mocked and subtly attacked before is the same one who later groveled for Cao Shuai’s favor! This person’s words are not even worth mentioning!”

“His character may not be noteworthy, but his words have merit.”

“I refuse to listen to a dog barking!”

“Discussing the matter is the foremost principle, discussing the person is the lowest form! Do you even possess the demeanor for reasoned debate? Are you still debating, or are you not?”

“Your mother! Who are you calling lowly?”

“He who responds is he!”

Within the Grand Hall of Righteousness, clamor erupted as the students engaged in a heated, tumultuous argument.

Lu Xiangqing neither intervened nor expressed an opinion. He simply waited for everyone to voice their perspectives. As the words grew more intense, even threatening to escalate into physical altercation, he finally cleared his throat, bringing the debate to a halt.

The principle of critiquing the matter, not the person, is universally understood.

But restraint is a virtue. It is a virtue precisely because it is not easily achieved.

From ancient times to the present, debates devolving into brawls are commonplace.

After Lu Xiangqing called for silence, he then singled out, “Jiang Wang, what is your opinion?”

Jiang Wang indeed pondered for a moment, first rising to his feet, then posing a question. “May I ask, Teacher, when the Kai Dao clan researched the Open Pulse Pill formula, what was their original intention? Was it purely to attain extraordinary power for themselves, or was it to aid the Human Race in its rise?”

Lu Xiangqing remained silent for a while before finally saying, “How can this be definitively stated?”

Yes, how could it be definitively stated!

In that distant Dark Era, the Kai Dao clan, born with blocked paths and unable to cultivate, who could truly know the innermost thoughts of their hearts?

Suppose…

At that time, how might the Kai Dao clan have defended themselves? Naturally, they would have claimed to act for the grand ideal of the Human Race’s rise, then “though facing ten thousand, I go alone.”

But who could truly believe it?

“Judge by actions, not by heart, for the heart is unfathomable and cannot be judged.

Jiang Wang used this as his opening, continuing, “Just now, some classmates mentioned your teacher. Your teacher has a passage that is profoundly correct – ‘Firstly, the wise are not wise every day. How can the wicked be wicked always? Killers can be kind fathers. Saviors of the nation can be prisoners. One should be bound and corrected by national law. How can heroes be judged as heroes!’

Discuss its merit: the Open Pulse Pill formula’s merit spans a thousand autumns. It is a great achievement worthy of a Human Emperor.

Discuss its demerit: harming infants and murdering heroes is an unforgivable, extreme evil.

It is because of the Open Pulse Pill that I have embarked on the path of the extraordinary. I cannot speak to the merits and demerits of that individual.

But I believe…

History already provides the answer.”

Almost everyone present was aware. Initially, Er Fengming’s ‘Theory of Merit and Demerit’ was written specifically to attack Jiang Wang.

To build momentum for Jiang Wang, Chong Xuan Sheng had invited great scholars to compose ‘The Hero to the Country,’ which included the line, “The nation has heroes, who makes them die for the nation. The great river flows east, how can it be altered by mud and sand?” This had become a celebrated phrase.

Er Fengming had precisely utilized the passage Jiang Wang just recited to directly refute this saying, aiming to tarnish Jiang Wang’s reputation, thereby triggering the investigation into Qingyang Town.

Lu Xiangqing stroked his beard and sighed, “Leaving others aside, your quoting of Er Fengming’s article, which attacked you, allows this old man to witness the breadth of the State Marquis’s mind!”

Jiang Wang smiled wryly, “What breadth of mind do I possess? I simply haven’t read much, and for a moment, I couldn’t recall any other suitable phrases. Coincidentally, that one surnamed Er had the audacity to scold my article, which made me so angry I read it several times – if I ever meet him, I certainly won’t give him a pleasant look. Beating him up wouldn’t be surprising.”

In the Grand Hall of Righteousness, laughter erupted for a time.

The tense atmosphere, just moments ago thick with the air of swords drawn and bows bent, dispersed for a while.

Lu Xiangqing also chuckled, and with a laugh, continued his lecture.

He neither endorsed nor refuted any viewpoint, simply recounting history: “The Kai Dao clan successfully created the Open Pulse Pill formula, a feat of immense merit, and was considered a candidate for the second generation Human Emperor, receiving the admiration of thousands. Furthermore, they adopted ‘Kai Dao’ as their clan name, establishing a saintly reputation…

But once evil is done, a hundred generations cannot erase it.

A Human Race strongman, trapped in a desolate land, successfully returned. Through an innate divine ability, he discovered the aura of his own child upon a member of the Kai Dao clan.

The Kai Dao clan killed to silence.

But the matter eventually spread, and the process of his research into the Open Pulse Pill formula was also exposed.

The Human Emperor was enraged, ordering Cangjie to arrest and interrogate him for the crime, and together with the three Dao Venerables, held a public trial.

The Kai Dao clan was indignant, slew Cangjie, and fled.

The Human Emperor then personally set forth, pursuing and killing him for three hundred thousand li, beheading the Kai Dao clan at Ge Yang Mountain…

Thus, his name was erased, ensuring that neither ancient nor modern times speak of him.”

Jiang Wang remained silent.

Only his merit is recorded, not his name. This was the Human Emperor’s stance.

So the achievement of creating the Open Pulse Pill formula has always hung in the long river of history, unclaimed by any. But the individual who forged the Open Pulse Pill formula is nowhere to be found in any historical text.

Thus, although that person was erased, the saintly name of the Kai Dao clan is still passed down by word of mouth through the ages.

Lu Xiangqing finally stated, “Sui Ren clan said: ‘The merits and demerits of the Kai Dao clan, I cannot speak. Let history speak for itself.’ This saying is not recorded in history, only scattered in the notes of Confucian predecessors… The merits and demerits of the Kai Dao clan, I also cannot speak. For all of you to speak now, it is still too early. Jiang Wang said history already has the answer. I see not necessarily. Then let more time pass!”

This was a thought-provoking class.

Lu Xiangqing claimed he wished to lecture on “righteousness,” yet he himself offered no precise definition of the term.

He, of course, held his own understanding of “righteousness,” but he did not express it.

He simply used the legend of the Kai Dao clan to provoke the students’ own contemplation.

However, the word “righteousness” – how is it not held within everyone’s heart?

The origin of “righteousness” – how does it not differ in the hearts of each individual?

Thereafter, Lu Xiangqing also lectured on the various differences among the thirty-six types of Literary Qi in Confucianism, with a focus on the basic application of Qian Kun Pure Qi.

Combined with his earlier clash with Zhou Xiong, Jiang Wang benefited greatly.

But truly speaking, amidst these “techniques,” which he diligently absorbed, what lingered in his heart was always the saintly name “Kai Dao clan.”

He would never forget that initial, deeply ingrained belief he held in Sanshan City, the feeling of it being shattered in a single morning.

And the brutal reality of fierce beasts needing to be fed human vital energy, the tribute system established between smaller and larger nations based on the Open Pulse Pill – these bloody truths are all matters he still doesn’t know how to judge.

The Open Pulse Pill, interwoven throughout the history of the Human Race, truly possesses the most complex underlying hue.

It is also interwoven throughout his own life experiences.

Truly, it leaves one bewildered.

On his first official day of advanced studies at Jixia Academy, Jiang Wang attended classes in Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

The second day, even earlier, he set out at Chou hour.

He chose classes in Military Strategy, Mohism, and Legalism.

It’s worth noting that in all three of these classes, Xie Baoshu was also present, which was quite a coincidence. One couldn’t help but wonder if he was simply diligent or if this was some unspoken understanding between neighbors… In any case, Xie Baoshu wore an expression as if he had seen a ghost, enduring the situation with great difficulty.

When the Military Strategy class concluded, he was the first to bolt from the training ground, utterly unwilling to have any further interaction with the newly elevated Marquis of Wuan.

As a result, he immediately encountered Jiang Wang again in the Puppet Pavilion.

When the Mohism class ended, he remained in the Puppet Pavilion, waiting a long time after Jiang Wang had left before venturing out. As luck would have it, in the Legalist schoolhouse, known as the “Execution Ground,” he ran into Jiang Wang once more.

Throughout the entire class, he sat restlessly, feeling as though he was indeed on the execution block. Truly befitting the name “Execution Ground”!

He endured and endured, until the end of class, finally unable to help himself, he blocked Jiang Wang’s path. “We’ve already settled our differences, haven’t we?”

Jiang Wang, somewhat amused, nodded. “Yes, indeed. No mistake.”

The small conflict between him and Xie Baoshu had been resolved long ago through Xie Huaian’s mediation.

Having bullied Xie Xiaobao so many times, truthfully, seeing him still evoked a feeling of familiarity.

But Xie Baoshu clearly held a different opinion. He glared angrily at Jiang Wang, lowering his voice. “Then why are you always following me?! If you want to deal with me, just say so directly. Don’t play any games or schemes. Don’t think I don’t know, the way you looked at me in the Confucianism class yesterday wasn’t right!”

Jiang Wang was quite helpless. “You’re thinking too much! I’m just attending my classes, not following you.”

“Best if not.” Xie Baoshu snorted, a look of full vigilance on his face, and left.

Shen hour.

Jixia Academy’s Sword Performance Platform.

Xie Baoshu was chatting and laughing with Bao Zhongqing. As fellow young masters from Linzi, they shared some common ground. Suddenly, his gaze swept across the scene and he saw Jiang Wang appear once again.

He instantly lost his ability to laugh.

Not only did he lose his ability to laugh, but with a sense of desperate determination, he strode towards Jiang Wang.

He stared angrily directly into Jiang Wang’s eyes. “Surname Jiang, what exactly do you want? Don’t think I’m afraid of you!”

Perhaps feeling this declaration lacked sufficient force, he paused and added, “If my uncle hadn’t told me not to cause trouble, I wouldn’t be so polite to you!”

Jiang Wang blinked. “I don’t want anything. I’m here to attend class.”

“Military Strategy and Mohism are fine. But you’re coming to sword technique class too?” Xie Baoshu truly couldn’t tolerate Jiang Wang’s continued pretense and lost control, shouting, “Don’t tell me you also want to learn sword technique!”

“Yes, I don’t use it.” Jiang Wang casually raised a hand, pushing him aside, and leisurely walked onto the Sword Performance Platform. He surveyed the students below the platform. “I’m here to teach you.”

Xie Baoshu was stunned.

Bao Zhongqing was silent.

Wen Lianmu looked at Wang Yiwu. Wang Yiwu hugged his arms and didn’t speak.

Li Longchuan was also present, holding a sheathed long sword, watching the scene with a smile.

Gu Yan’s expression was complex.

And today’s Jiang Wang simply stood on the platform, deep and steady as a mountain, already exuding the bearing of a master.

Facing the proud sons of heaven below the platform, he slowly said, “The High Priest said that the sword technique instructor is currently occupied with other matters and cannot teach. So for this period, the sword technique class will be taught by me… This is a responsibility I cannot shirk.”

Naturally, the High Priest’s original words were that the Marquis of Wuan’s sword technique far surpassed that of the current instructor. Since he was at the academy, there was no reason not to make some contribution.

Jiang Wang spoke while surveying the scene below the platform. “Theoretical matters, I’m not adept at explaining. So… we will fight while lecturing. Of course, I will suppress my cultivation and will not bully you.”

Xie Baoshu’s face was extremely grim. He thought to himself that his handsome face was likely to suffer today, yet he couldn’t retreat on the spot. For a time, he gritted his teeth, his heart filled with intense resentment.

But Jiang Wang’s gaze merely swept over him, settling on Wang Yiwu.

His tone was flat. “Brother Wang, I must trouble you to be a sparring partner.”

Wang Yiwu, who was carrying a military short sword today, heard this and ascended the platform without hesitation.

Just this one person, yet he charged forward with the momentum of ten thousand troops.

“To learn sword technique from the Marquis of Wuan, I have long looked forward to it!”

Almost simultaneously, at Jixia Academy’s Horizontal Knife Garden, Chong Xuan Zun, the one pressed into service as a coolie by the academy’s High Priest, also made his appearance.

Unlike Jiang Wang’s helplessness, Chong Xuan Zun was quite cheerful.

At this moment, he stood smiling on the platform, lifting his chin towards a certain stout figure below. “Come up.”

“Eh? Is this not the Divination Platform? Damn, I actually went to the wrong place!” Chong Xuan Sheng muttered loudly as he walked out, heading towards the door, and then broke into a run.

But a terrifying suction suddenly gripped him.

When he finally broke free, he found himself on the platform, and a knife was already in his hand.

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