Chapter 133: Cut Him

Along the official dirt road, where the grassy scent of cow dung permeated the air, a constant stream of woodcutters carrying dry firewood entered the city, and ox carts selling charcoal flowed endlessly.

Wang Daosheng said to Chen Ji and the others, "Everyone, get on the cart. Chen Ji, you helped others when giving out porridge just now, which can be considered an indirect punishment. You don't need to walk from now on."

Chen Ji didn't ask any questions, just said thank you, and found an empty seat on the cart to sit down.

Zhang Xia agilely mounted her horse and rode the red horse beside the ox cart, asking curiously, "Sir, my father often says you 'depart from the classics and rebel against the ways.' Why is that?"

Wang Daosheng sat on the cart and asked casually, "In the Analects, 'A gentleman is not a vessel.' How do you explain this?"

Chen Wenzong thought for a moment. "Zhu Zi's commentary says: 'Vessels are suitable for their specific use and cannot be used for others. Those who attain virtue have nothing lacking in their being, and thus have nothing lacking in their use, not limited to one talent or one art.' Zhu Zi says the meaning of the sage before him is that rulers do not need to specialize in one skill; they must be well-rounded."

Wang Daosheng said indifferently, "But I think Zhu Zi's explanation is not correct. The sage before him once evaluated Guan Zhong as 'small vessel,' meaning narrow-minded and small in scale. So I think the sage before him meant that a gentleman should have a mind that encompasses the world, like the sea accommodating a hundred rivers."

Chen Wenzong opened his mouth, thinking about how to refute.

Zhang Xia, riding on the horse, said, "It seems both interpretations have some merit. But I like your saying better, sir. I think a gentleman might not know astronomy above and geography below, but they must have a broad mind."

Wang Daosheng smiled and said, "What is called 'departing from the classics and rebelling against the ways' is just that my understanding of the ancient sages is different from theirs. What I want to teach you is not to completely accept my ideas, but to let you see the world for yourselves and form your own ideas."

Jing Wang sat at the front of the ox cart, laughing loudly without turning his head, "This is exactly the meaning of traveling ten thousand li. Our Ning Dynasty's civil officials now like to close their doors and discuss doctrines. All their discussions are just finding evidence from the words of ancient sages to support themselves."

Chen Wenzong said solemnly, "Prince, be careful with your words."

Jing Wang laughed heartily, "You are exactly like your father."

At this moment, Zhang Xia suddenly changed the subject, "Chen Ji, how do you think 'A gentleman is not a vessel' should be explained? Chen Ji??"

She waited for a long time without Chen Ji answering. She turned her head and saw Chen Ji sitting on the ox cart with his head down, having fallen asleep at some point.

Zhang Xia raised her eyebrows, "Chen Ji, sir is lecturing, how can you sleep?"

Baili quickly stopped her. "What are you shouting about? He must have stayed up all night yesterday, so he's tired. Let him sleep a little longer."

Zhang Xia pouted and silently mouthed in mockery, "Let him sleep a little longer."

Baili rolled her eyes, "I won't stoop to your level."

Chen Wenzong at the side cupped his hands to Wang Daosheng and said, "Sir, please forgive him. My third brother is still young and hasn't attended school these past few years, so he doesn't understand the rules. I will wake him up now."

However, Wang Daosheng raised a hand to stop him, "It's fine, let him sleep a little longer. I didn't intend to give a lecture anyway. Zhang Xia just asked, so I casually said a few sentences."

Shi Zi's face twisted. "Sir, you aren't like this with me."

Jing Wang laughed happily, "This is a request I specifically made to Sir Wang. I don't care about others, but you must be strictly taught, lest some people think they can do as they please after growing up."

Baili: "Exactly! Exactly!"

Shi Zi: ...

Chen Wenzong looked blankly at Jing Wang, Baili, and Shi Zi on the cart.

It turned out that when a father is in front of his children, he doesn't always need to maintain a stern face, and when children are in front of their father, they don't always need to be respectful and polite.

He silently looked at Chen Ji, thinking that perhaps Chen Ji had decided not to return to the Chen residence precisely because of this.

In the dream.

The black cloud sea was calm and still.

Chen Ji fell from the long-absent black cloud sea, carrying a mass of black mist down onto the mountaintop.

Beyond the green mountains lay a vast, dense sea of white clouds.

Like a huge blanket rolling along the mountainside, surging and flowing.

Xuanyuan, wearing a black king's robe, sat cross-legged on a giant stone. He silently looked at the cloud sea, as if not looking at the cloud sea, lost in thought.

Chen Ji coughed to get his attention.

Xuanyuan then slowly stood up, leaning on his king's banner, and turned around to look down at Chen Ji.

"You've been slacking off!"

Chen Ji shook his head, "No!"

Xuanyuan sneered, "You come here less and less often now. Could it be you don't want to take away 'Whale'?"

As he spoke, that long saber appeared before Chen Ji out of thin air.

The saber's blade was like a narrow crescent moon, clear, cold, and yet overbearing.

Chen Ji's right hand gripped the saber hilt, holding it horizontally in front of him. His left hand lightly stroked the blade. "Of course I want to take it away. It's just that things have been happening one after another recently, even my sleep has been reduced. However, I should have more time in the future."

Xuanyuan motioned towards the distance. "Feng Huai, chop him."

"Wait!"

Chen Ji cried and laughed. "I came today because I have many things I want to ask you."

Xuanyuan slightly raised his chin. "What do you want to ask?"

Chen Ji said curiously, "I recently obtained a cultivation path. I only need to repeatedly recite texts to generate a wisp of purple sword qi in my meridians, but each time before the purple sword qi condenses, it's chopped off by the sword seed. Why is this?"

Xuanyuan sat cross-legged on the giant stone, saying arrogantly, "Since you've learned my sword seed, why are you still cultivating other sword paths? Redundant."

Chen Ji quickly explained, "It's just a cultivation path I obtained casually, isn't it? I might as well do something when I'm idle."

Xuanyuan asked, "Since you've learned someone else's sword path, why are you still coming to ask me?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "You should be the most powerful person in the world in terms of sword paths. If I have problems related to sword paths, of course I'll come and ask you."

Xuanyuan was speechless for half a second. "You say such things now, why is it so natural?"

Chen Ji said sincerely, "I'm telling the truth."

Xuanyuan was silent for several seconds. "What did you just ask?"

Chen Ji said, "Why is other sword qi chopped off by the sword seed?"

Xuanyuan sneered coldly, "The sword is the king of a hundred weapons. Have you ever seen a country with two kings? When two kings meet, naturally the king defeats the bandit. The strong one remains, the weak one dissipates. You didn't ask earlier, the formless sword seed is easy to break. How to make the sword seed have form?"

"Yes!"

Chen Ji had come earlier precisely to ask this question, but he had suffered a miserable beating from the giant halberd warrior and Feng Huai. Until now, Xuanyuan still hadn't answered this question.

Xuanyuan said calmly, "Seize the sword!"

"Seize the sword?"

Xuanyuan said, "The path of the sword seed is born precisely to step on other sword paths and ascend the throne. To make the sword seed have form, you must seize the opponent's sword time after time to nourish your own sword."

"How do I do that?"

"You'll know once you seize one."

Upon hearing these words, Chen Ji immediately abandoned the thought of cultivating Zhe Yun. Sword seed and Zhe Yun absolutely could not coexist.

However, Zhe Yun was a cultivation path from the Forty-Nine Heavens, so it felt a bit pity to waste it in his hands just like this.

At this moment, Xuanyuan glanced at him sideways. "Cultivation emphasizes a focused heart and bravely forging ahead. Only the weak need to learn those fancy things. Feng Huai, chop him. Give him a long memory."

"Wait, wait."

Chen Ji cried and laughed, raising a hand to Feng Huai, stopping his steps. "Let's not rush into fighting and killing. I have many doubts! Right, have you really never heard of the Forty-Nine Heavens?"

Xuanyuan's expression was indifferent. "Can I deceive you?"

Chen Ji was doubtful. "But I have already confirmed the existence of the Forty-Nine Heavens. They say many gods live there, and some people will reincarnate down to the mortal world... How can you not know?"

Xuanyuan became interested. "Many gods live there? Who are they?"

Chen Ji recalled the gods he had heard about from Shi Zi. "The Twenty-Eight Constellations, Wen Chang Dijun, the Five Dipper Star Lords, the South Dipper Six Star Lords, Burning Lamp Buddha..."

Xuanyuan hesitated. "Who are all these?"

Chen Ji also hesitated. "You haven't heard of any of them?"

Xuanyuan frowned. "No."

Chen Ji asked again, "Then Taiji Mountain, Wuji Mountain, Yujing Mountain, Sumeru Mountain, Kushinagara City, have you ever heard of them?"

Xuanyuan shook his head. "Never heard of them."

"In the world you once lived in, what places were there?"

"Qing Qiu, Gui Xu, Qi Wu Mountain, Wang Qiu Mountain, Yu Yuan, Lu Tai, East Kunlun, West Kunlun."

This completely confused Chen Ji. What kind of existence were these Forty-Nine Heavens exactly? Even a great figure like Xuanyuan had never heard of them?