Chapter 298: Metaphysics, A Floating Life!

In the three hundred and forty-fifth year of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the mortal Liu Wenjian broke through to the Emperor Realm. A peerless and invincible Emperor subjugated the world, ushering in the Age of Shu Mountain. In less than a decade, Sword Immortals gradually appeared throughout the land. They rode clouds and mists, flew through the sky as streaks of light, slayed demons, eradicated local plagues, purged evil spirits, and slew zombies.

By the three hundred and fifty-first year of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the empire reached its pinnacle. Its dragon vein system was perfected, gathering the collective will of the people. Confucianism flourished, with great Confucian scholars and literati composing poems and essays that became widely popular and acclaimed. The wider their works spread, the greater the thought power they accumulated. This was a dynasty where literary essence converged, capable of astounding the heavens and earth.

The Great Zhou Dynasty frequently held imperial examinations, prioritizing civil over military achievements to an extreme; gaining official titles through examinations was considered an honor. Gradually, the Hundred Schools of Thought and various academic theories, along with their disciples and Confucian scholars, blossomed like a hundred flowers. Great masters of Confucianism could astound the heavens and earth with their prose, summoning winds, thunder, and rain. With official positions and a body full of righteous spirit, a single shout in court could rebuke ghosts and gods!

In early March, Wang An, the reigning top scholar of the imperial court, brimming with youthful spirit, sailed on the Peach River. While exchanging poems with friends and half-drunk, he composed "The Peach Blossom Spring." It described a utopian Peach Blossom Land, free from worldly strife, inspiring yearning and longing. It was spread across the land, from north to south, becoming known to countless people who prayed over it and recited it.

Day by day, not only did Wang An's cultivation grow with the times, but an extraordinary celestial phenomenon gradually materialized in his residence. It coalesced into a hazy Peach Blossom Immortal Realm, with villages nestled in mountain crevices, where lifelike figures toiled in fields and tended to livestock.

"The collective will of the people, channeled through the dragon veins, has actually formed a fictional world from a book right here in the residence of the great Confucian scholar who composed this timeless poem?" the people exclaimed. "Unbelievable! Is this 'I think, therefore I am'?!" The capital city buzzed with excitement. Literati and scholars across the land were utterly astonished. Talented scholars and literati flocked upon hearing the news, coming to Wang An's residence. One by one, they entered the Peach Blossom world and found the inhabitants seemed lifelike, capable of communication, and possessed personalities true to the villagers described in the book. They didn't even realize they were not real!

Composing a stunning, timeless work, and through the prayers of the people, could one manifest the world written in their own words? The mystery of Confucianism was simply beyond everyone's imagination! The various schools within Confucianism had never been so proud. Although they had risen before, they still lagged behind the Sword Immortals and Martial Arts lineages. But now, witnessing such a phenomenon firsthand, an indescribable, complex pride surged within them.

Some disciples came to seek guidance. Wang An, who enjoyed wine and was usually half-drunk, chuckled amidst his intoxication, "One book, one world; one tree, one fleeting life." He said no more. That disciple, seemingly having gained some enlightenment, calmly told the surrounding disciples, "Some things do not exist to begin with, but when enough people in the world believe in them, they come into existence." This was too profound. Everyone pondered deeply and gradually came to some understanding. If all beings believe it to be true, then the false becomes true? This was the marvel of the path of collective faith. "A rare and profound chapter indeed!" someone exclaimed. The Great Zhou Dynasty prospered, cultivating Confucianism, establishing dragon veins, setting up official positions, and practicing the path of collective faith. This lineage held infinite possibilities!

The next day, Hu Renong, the Prime Minister, hearing of this fascinating event in his residence, announced to the world: "Some people will die, but if enough people think of them and remember them, they will live on in the hearts of others. This is what I speculate to be the ultimate path of Confucianism—immortality and indestructibility, existing eternally in the world: 'I think, therefore I am.'" These words were too profound, metaphysical, and idealistic. Literati and scholars across the land continuously sought to comprehend it, seemingly gaining enlightenment, and these insights gradually spread.

"'One book, one world' is Confucianism cultivated to an extremely profound level. Writing astonishing and brilliant articles would gather the thought-power and desires of all beings, forming a world from the book penned by the author. Perhaps this was a domain of Confucianism that could be used to strike enemies! However, it was not easily formed. Furthermore, an overly powerful world would require too much collective will to condense. Only ordinary villages, like those in 'The Peach Blossom Spring,' could be easily gathered and formed."

"'I think, therefore I am' was the ultimate progression of Confucianism, building upon the previous concept. If the collective thoughts of all beings could form characters in a book, then after one's own death, could one, like those book characters, be imprinted upon the hearts of all beings and return because of their thoughts? In this way, true immortality and indestructibility could be achieved! The more powerful one's cultivation realm, the more collective will was required. Achieving existence through collective thought was considered the ultimate peak level for scholars, a supreme and unparalleled glory! It was a realm that countless scholars could only dream of reaching. In this world, those who could reach such a state were perhaps as rare as phoenix feathers or qilin horns. Only those literary saints and Confucian gods in contemporary history, who possessed great merit, immense talent, and pioneered an era, would be mourned by all beings, attain eternal fame, and then gather enough collective will to be reborn into the ultimate realm of immortality and indestructibility!"

"The Way of the Literati and Confucianism stands upon the thoughts of the common people. Without the populace, there is no Confucianism! As long as the common people endure and the dynasty remains, the collective will gathered from their thoughts will not cease. The sages belonging to that era will thus be immortal and indestructible, returning as heroic spirits."

During an exchange at the Imperial Academy, a disciple expressed admiration, yet also hesitation and confusion: "Prime Minister, it is truly admirable that you deduced such an ultimate realm over a decade ago. But when a person has passed away, and the self is resurrected through the collective will, like a corpse in a tomb, seemingly a minor Heavenly Dao standing above the dynasty, even if the memories, thoughts, and talents are all 'self,' how can one prove that it is the *true* self, and not merely another self that perfectly resembles me?" This was a question that troubled countless people. "I am already dead. Even if the 'me' formed by the collective will of all beings possesses my personality and talents, is it truly *me*?" The thought was chilling.

Hu Renong smiled and retorted, "Are you asking how to prove that I am me? Then what is your own opinion? Do you believe the 'me' of 'I think, therefore I am' is the true self or a false self?" The disciple hesitated, a look of struggle on his face. Whether true or false, all the various schools of thought seemed to have their own reasoning and evidence. "Please, Prime Minister, enlighten us and guide the Confucian scholars of the world out of their confusion," many disciples requested.

Standing high, Hu Renong slowly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it resonated in their hearts like thunder. "If you believe it is me, then it is me. If you do not believe it is me, then it is not me! It depends on the collective will of all beings, and it also depends on yourself," he said calmly, explaining slowly. Countless people suddenly realized, their minds rocked by crashing waves of insight. If the collective will of all beings converges and they believe he is the true self, then he is the true self? If all beings do not believe this 'self' is the true self, then it is not the true self? Dependent on the people? Decided by one's heart? Reality is not reality, but influenced by one's inner belief? Countless hearts trembled violently!

Finally, Hu Renong quoted Wang An's words: "Some things do not exist to begin with, but when enough people in the world believe in them, they come into existence." A disciple slowly stood up and asked again, "If that is the case, Prime Minister, do you believe your own achievements in this life will only lead to entering the ultimate Confucian realm of 'I think, therefore I am' after your death?" The question was a bit provocative, as if deliberately targeting him. But Hu Renong merely smiled, "It's not what *I* believe; it's what *all beings* believe." The white-haired old man, with his hands clasped behind his back, smiled faintly: "After I die, I will be buried between heaven and earth, and a blank monument will be erected for me. All the rights and wrongs of my life were subject to bias and unfairness while I lived. After my death, everything will be left for future generations to judge." His voice was calm, yet it exploded like roaring thunder. The faces of countless people changed dramatically in unison. Over the years, Prime Minister Hu Renong's Confucian realm, his understanding of existence through thought and the nature of the true and false self, had already reached an inconceivable level!

Hu Renong continued: "If all beings truly recognize me, I will naturally come back to life. If no one thinks of me, I will cease to exist. What is death? When people forget someone in history, that is true death." The entire capital city was thoroughly shaken.

Another day, Prime Minister Hu Renong attended court and reported to His Majesty, stating directly that Wang An was a talent of astonishing brilliance and that an "Imperial College" could be established, appointing Wang An as its Chancellor. With "The Peach Blossom Spring," Wang An instantly rose to become a high-ranking official in the imperial court. From this point, the path of Confucianism was thoroughly perfected!

On this day, Hu Renong lectured to the court disciples. Someone couldn't help but ask, "The farmers and their wives in 'The Peach Blossom Spring' are like real people, yet they are completely unaware that they are merely fictional characters from a book. How can *we* prove that we are not also fictional characters living in some other book?" Hu Renong had never encountered a difficult problem he couldn't solve, but at this moment, he hesitated. He hesitated for a long time. Suddenly, holding an ink-dark book in his hand, he inexplicably looked out at the pale sky through the window. "How can we prove that we are not playthings created by other beings? I don't know. Perhaps our lives are inherently an illusion. Our millennia of time and civilization might just be characters in the dream of another creature, during an occasional night."

The white-haired old man finally achieved complete mental clarity and burst into laughter. "What joy is there in gain, what sorrow in loss? See how quickly glory flashes by, even quicker than life, a mere dream!!" *Boom!!* As soon as these words fell, it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Winds surged and clouds gathered. Heaven and earth changed color because of it. A vast golden dragon of national destiny, gathered from the roaring dragon veins, seemed to charge straight into the sky, and the gates of the immortals swung wide open. On this day of lecturing, the capital city was shaken, and the entire world believed. Discussions surged like tides, and faith, like a mighty river, flowed from the dragon veins. Hu Renong's reputation grew even greater, and he finally entered the Emperor Realm!