Chapter 947: Confucianism Has Sages

A group of four passed through the golden persimmon grove of Lesser Lotus Peak, arriving near the tortoise-borne stele at the mountain's summit. This monumental stele, commissioned by imperial decree in the early days of the Great Feng Dynasty, bore the inscription "Imperial Edict on the Grand Peak, Ancestral Home of Taoism." It symbolized Mount Wudang's glory centuries ago, its immense size unparalleled in the world. The only woman among the four visitors held a ripe persimmon, standing beneath the stele and gazing up at the inscription. The other three men stood side-by-side at the edge of the cliff, admiring the scenery at the foot of Mount Wudang. The oldest man, with a saber at his waist, stood in the center. To his left was a lean swordsman carrying a long sword, and to his right, an elegant scholar with temples streaked with white.

Then, as the beautiful woman casually turned her head, she witnessed a strange sight: at some point, only one person remained standing at the cliff edge. The swordsman and the saber-wielder had retreated dozens of steps back, now standing not far from her.

She quietly walked over to her two elders and softly asked the old man with the saber, "Grandpa Mao, what's Uncle Cheng doing?"

These three were Lin Hongyuan, the Young Palace Mistress of the Southern Frontier Dragon Palace; Mao Shulang, the foremost saber practitioner of the South; and Ji Liuan, a Grandmaster of Swordsmanship.

Mao Shulang, whose eyebrows and hair were snow-white, lowered his voice and stated concisely, "A breakthrough."

Faced with such an enigma, Lin Hongyuan naturally couldn't understand. Her eyes full of doubt, she turned to look at Ji Liuan, the Dragon Palace's chief guest elder. He hesitated for a moment, then also spoke in a low voice: "Old Cheng, a top-tier romantic scholar from the former Southern Tang, came from a prestigious and powerful family but cared little for fame or official position. He spent years traveling with his books, traversing the length and breadth of the land. He felt remorse for being powerless when his nation fell, which is why he began practicing martial arts. Many years have passed since then. He climbed steadily, step by step, in the path of martial arts, yet for some reason, he remained stagnant at the Finger Profound Realm for twenty years. This journey to Liang has allowed his long-accumulated efforts to culminate, showing signs of a breakthrough, similar to what Cao Changqing of Western Chu and Xuanyuan Jingcheng of Huishan experienced."

Lin Hongyuan exclaimed in surprise and delight, "Uncle Cheng is finally going to reach the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm?!"

Mao Shulang, disregarding her status as the future head of the Dragon Palace or her connections to the Southern Frontier Prince and his son, sharply ordered, "Silence!"

Lin Hongyuan immediately fell silent, slightly abashed.

Cheng Baishuang stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing south into the distance.

The old scholar stood alone at the cliff edge, muttering to himself, "Talking grandly about the world beyond oneself, with a superficial understanding, is like a painted cake – an illusion. It is only by delving into the innermost core, questioning one's true heart on the meditation mat, that one finds true purity."

"Moral essays may perish with the body, but the spirit endures eternally. Fame and fortune vanish with each passing era, but integrity remains steadfast through the ages."

"How absurd it is to believe that if one never does anything to cause a frown, there will be no one in the world who grinds their teeth in hatred!"

The old man slowly closed his eyes. The strong wind brushed his face, and his sleeves fluttered.

Suddenly, an anomaly occurred. Mao Shulang's eyes widened abruptly. In an instant, his saber was drawn, and he darted forward, brushing past Cheng Baishuang, who seemed to be meditating with closed eyes, and lunging towards the cliff edge, almost falling off.

The old man's saber strike was silent, yet its internal energy was immense, appearing before him like a brilliant, crescent moon!

Lin Hongyuan saw a figure in white, who had inexplicably appeared high above the cliff, leaning back with billowing sleeves. The figure extended two fingers, stopping Mao Shulang's saber energy.

The ethereal woman in white retreated dozens of feet, only then managing to neutralize the formidable and unmatched internal energy.

The tall woman straightened her body, hovering in the air where there was no foothold. The mountain wind wailed beneath her feet, and mists swirled around her.

Lin Hongyuan gasped, recognizing the identity of the uninvited guest: Tantai Pingjing of the Guanyin Sect, the foremost Qi cultivator in the world!

Although Lin Hongyuan had been at a disadvantage in her past intrigues with the young prince, she was not foolish; in fact, she was exceptionally intelligent and perceptive. She immediately understood that Cheng Baishuang's natural ascent to a new realm was far from a simple transition from the Finger Profound Realm to the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm!

Mao Shulang, whose beard and hair bristled like spears, disregarded whether he might disturb Cheng Baishuang's profound state of object-self oblivion. He roared at the white-robed immortal master, "If you intend to interfere, you'll have to contend with my saber first!"

Tantai Pingjing glanced at the old scholar, who was completely oblivious to his surroundings, and said flatly, "Blazing fire cooking oil, brocade adorned with fresh flowers – how long can such splendor last?"

Mao Shulang tightened his grip on the saber hilt, narrowed his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "I am but a simple brute; I don't understand your profound Zen teachings, Sect Master Tantai!"

Tantai Pingjing no longer paid attention to Mao Shulang. Her gaze shifted slightly, and she addressed Cheng Baishuang: "Given your current state of mind, you must know that in the future, there will be at most four or five Earth Immortals. The three schools – Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism – will each claim one, with perhaps one or two from the common martial artists. If you forcibly break through now, you will not only remain a step away from truly entering the Earth Immortal Realm, but you will also abandon the Confucian Sagehood that would otherwise be within your grasp! How is this different from seeking death?!"

Cheng Baishuang slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, "Would such a Confucian Sage still be a Confucian Sage? Our Confucian sages once said, 'If the people do not fear death, what use is it to threaten them with death?' Today, I, Cheng Baishuang, have never coveted eternal life, so why entice me with it?"

Tantai Pingjing scoffed, "All of you are mere frogs in a well!"

Cheng Baishuang, filled with vigor, burst into laughter: "They say capable ministers emerge in prosperous times, and renowned generals in times of chaos. They also say that a nation's misfortune is a poet's fortune. I, Cheng Baishuang, may compose some melancholic poems, but I refuse to agree with that! When the nation faces calamity, to generously face death without regret – how can we scholars let martial artists on the battlefield have all the glory to themselves!"

Tantai Pingjing sneered, "If you want to die, then die. You'll simply be another solitary Confucian ghost in my sect's Water Moon Well."

Cheng Baishuang's laughter was unrestrained as he declared loudly, "That is excellent! This way, the people of today will be worthy of our ancestors!"

Tantai Pingjing remained silent, her expression cold and indifferent.

Lin Hongyuan's eyes widened, her mind captivated as she gazed admiringly at the tall woman with an otherworldly aura. Lin Hongyuan was no stranger to Qi cultivators who claimed to act on behalf of Heaven; Prince Yan Chi Zhao Bing had several such extraordinary individuals around him. They all carried an icy aura, observing the human world as if watching a fire from across the river, utterly aloof. They detested the fame and fortune that mortals craved, remaining taciturn year-round. Ordinary people engaging with them would never hope for them to truly open their hearts. Because Sect Master Tantai was a woman, Lin Hongyuan had always deeply admired her. While Jiang Ni was another undisputed female sword immortal after Wu Su, and Xuanyuan Qingfeng of Daxieping was also a martial arts master unparalleled in the *jianghu*, these two women were, after all, too young for the proud Lin Hongyuan to genuinely revere. Tantai Pingjing was different: over a hundred years old, yet eternally youthful, an immortal on earth. Thus, the person Lin Hongyuan most admired and envied in her life was undoubtedly Tantai Pingjing!

It should be noted that the aging of beautiful women and renowned generals is particularly lamentable. Lin Hongyuan had long harbored various ambitions, one of which was to seek Tantai Pingjing's unique method for preserving youth. Lin Hongyuan hoped to remain in the prime of her youth even at the time of her death.

Unfortunately, Tantai Pingjing vanished in a flash, leaving no trace, and did not spare Lin Hongyuan even a single glance from beginning to end.

Ji Liuan and Cheng Baishuang had known each other for decades, their bond exceptionally deep and sincere. He said mournfully, "Old Cheng, is it truly as Tantai Pingjing said?"

Cheng Baishuang did not conceal the truth; he nodded and said, "My Grand Heavenly Phenomenon Realm is indeed a forced growth; it cannot be sustained for long. As for one day achieving Confucian Sagehood, that's even more out of the question."

Ji Liuan let out a long sigh.

Cheng Baishuang, in turn, comforted his dearest old friend, "Everything a scholar learns must ultimately be put into practice. What benefit is there in being a hermitic prime minister of the mountains or a forest immortal who only looks out for themselves?"

Ji Liuan exhaled slowly and said in a deep voice, "Alright then, I'll accompany you to the lands beyond Liangzhou Pass!"

Cheng Baishuang asked with a smile, "And why would you do that?"

Ji Liuan pointed to the long sword on his back. "My old companion here hasn't yet severed the heads of the Northern Barbarians!"

Lin Hongyuan's mind reeled. If Cheng Baishuang, a rootless wanderer of the *jianghu*, were to stay in Beiliang, it wouldn't be a big deal for her as the young alliance leader of the Southern Frontier *jianghu*. But if even the sect's chief guest elder were to stay behind as well, she would have a difficult time explaining it to Master Nalan.

Mao Shulang, who had sheathed his saber, suddenly said, "Count me in."

Lin Hongyuan was dumbfounded.

Three martial arts grandmasters had accompanied her on the way here, but would she be left alone on the way back?

Besides eternal youth, her other ambition was to challenge Xuanyuan Qingfeng and become the second female martial arts alliance leader in Liyang! And Mao Shulang, Cheng Baishuang, and Ji Liuan, who were close allies, were originally indispensable aids for her ascent to power in the *jianghu*.

Lin Hongyuan knew that once they made up their minds, perhaps only Master Nalan himself could persuade them to return.

She recalled her recent plotting, which had been full of ill intentions, and murmured, "Karma is indeed swift!"

Meanwhile, the scholar Cheng Baishuang looked to the distance again and, for no apparent reason, declared loudly, "Confucius said: 'The Odes, all three hundred of them, can be summed up in one phrase: "Thought without evil!"' The most moving part is indeed 'Thought without evil!'"

The elderly scholar, whose temples were streaked with white, was now smiling broadly.

In his youth, he had pure thoughts.

In his twilight years, it should be the same.