Chapter 133: Cut Him

On the official dirt road, filled with the grassy smell of cow dung, an endless stream of woodcutters carried dry firewood into the city, and ox carts selling charcoal flowed ceaselessly.

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

Chen Ji didn't ask anything else, just said thank you, then got on the cart and found an empty seat to sit down.

Zhang Xia leaped onto her horse, riding Zao Zao alongside the ox cart. She curiously asked, "Mister, my father often says you 'depart from classics and rebel against orthodoxy'. Why is this?"

Wang Daosheng sat on the cart and casually asked, "In the Analects, 'a gentleman is not an implement'. What is the explanation for this?"

Chen Wenzong thought for a moment. "Zhu Zi's annotation says: 'An implement is something specific, each suited to its use and cannot be interchanged. One who achieves virtue has everything complete in themselves, thus their use is comprehensive, not specifically for one talent or skill only.' Zhu Zi says the meaning of the supreme sage is that for governing, one need not specialize in a certain skill, but must be a versatile person."

Wang Daosheng said indifferently, "But I think Zhu Zi's saying is incorrect. The supreme sage once evaluated Guan Zhong as 'an implement small', meaning precisely that his measure was small, his mind was small. So I think the supreme sage's words 'a gentleman is not an implement' means a gentleman should have a mind that embraces the world, like the sea accommodating all rivers."

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

Zhang Xia, riding on her horse, said, "It seems both have some reason. But I prefer mister's saying. I think a gentleman may not know astronomy above or geography below, but must have measure."

Wang Daosheng smiled and said, "So-called 'departing from classics and rebelling against orthodoxy' is merely that my understanding of the ancients is different from theirs, that's all. What I want to teach you is not to make you fully accept my ideas, but to let you see this world for yourselves and have your own ideas."

Jing Wang sat at the front of the ox cart and laughed loudly without turning his head. "This is the meaning of traveling ten thousand li. My Ning Dynasty civil officials now like to close the door and discuss dao. They discuss back and forth, and it's just finding evidence from the words of the ancients to support themselves, that's all."

Chen Wenzong solemnly said, "Your Highness, be careful what you say."

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

At this moment, Zhang Xia suddenly changed the topic. "Chen Ji, what do you think 'a gentleman is not an implement' means? Chen Ji??"

She waited for a long time without Chen Ji answering, so she turned her head, only to see Chen Ji sitting in the ox cart with his head down. She didn't know when he had already fallen asleep.

Zhang Xia raised her eyebrows. "Chen Ji, mister is lecturing. How can you sleep?"

Bai Li quickly stopped her. "What are you shouting about? He definitely didn't sleep last night to be this tired. Let him sleep a little longer."

Zhang Xia pouted, silently mocking with her mouth shape, "Let him sleep a little longer."

Bai Li rolled her eyes. "I'm not arguing with you."

Chen Wenzong at the side cupped his hands to Wang Daosheng and said, "Mister, please forgive me. My third brother is still young, and he 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 his hand to stop him. "No harm. Let him sleep for a while. I originally didn't intend to lecture. Zhang Xia just asked, so I casually said a few sentences."

Shi Zi's face twisted. "Mister, you're not like this with me."

Jing Wang laughed happily. "This is a requirement I specifically put forward for Wang Mister. I don't care about others, but you must be strictly taught, lest some people think they can do as they please after coming of age."

Bai Li said, "Exactly! Exactly!"

Shi Zi: ......

Chen Wenzong stared blankly at Jing Wang, Bai Li, and Shi Zi on the cart.

It turned out that when a father was around his children, he didn't always have to keep a straight face. And when children were around their father, they didn't always have to be respectful.

He silently looked towards Chen Ji and thought, perhaps this is why Chen Ji is determined not to return to the Chen residence.

In the dream realm.

The black cloud sea was calm and waveless.

Chen Ji fell from the long-absent black cloud sea, floating down and landing on the mountain peak with black cloud qi.

Green mountains were outside the dense white cloud sea.

Like a huge blanket wrapped around the mountain waist, surging and flowing.

Xuan Yuan, wearing a black king's robe, sat on a giant stone. He silently looked at the cloud sea, as if he wasn't looking at the cloud sea, not knowing what he was thinking.

Chen Ji coughed, reminding the other person.

Xuan Yuan then slowly stood up, propping the king's flag in his hand. He turned around and looked down at Chen Ji.

"You've been negligent!"

Chen Ji shook his head. "No!"

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

As he spoke, that long knife appeared in the void in front of Chen Ji.

The body of the long knife was like a narrow crescent moon, cold yet domineering.

Chen Ji grasped the knife handle with his right hand, holding it horizontally in front of him. He lightly stroked the knife body with his left hand. "Of course I want to take it away. It's just that recently, things have happened one after another, and I've had even less opportunity to sleep. However, next, I should have more time."

Xuan Yuan beckoned towards the distance. "Feng Huai, chop him."

"Wait!"

Chen Ji smiled helplessly. "I came here today because I have many things I want to ask you."

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

Chen Ji curiously said, "I recently obtained a cultivation path. I only need to repeatedly recite articles, and then a wisp of purple sword qi can be born in my meridians. But each time the purple sword qi hasn't fully condensed, it's chopped off by the sword seed. Why is this?"

Xuan Yuan sat on the giant stone and said arrogantly, "Since you have learned my sword seed, why are you still cultivating other sword dao? It's redundant."

Chen Ji quickly explained, "I just casually obtained a cultivation path. It's something to do when I'm idle."

Xuan Yuan asked, "Since you've learned someone else's sword dao, why do you still come and ask me what to do?"

Chen Ji thought for a bit and said, "You should be the most powerful person in the world's sword dao. If I have problems with sword dao, of course I'll come and ask you."

Xuan Yuan was speechless for a while. "Why do you say these kinds of words so naturally now?"

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

Xuan Yuan was silent for a few seconds. "What did you just ask?"

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

Xuan Yuan laughed coldly. "The sword is the king of all weapons. Have you ever seen a country with two kings? When two kings meet, naturally the king defeats the bandit. The strong stays, the weak dissipates. Didn't you ask earlier how to make the formless sword seed take shape?"

"Yes!"

Chen Ji had wanted to ask this question earlier, but he had been brutally beaten by the giant halberd warrior and Feng Huai. Even now, Xuan Yuan hadn't answered this question.

Xuan Yuan calmly said, "Seize swords!"

"Seize swords?"

Xuan Yuan said, "The path of the sword seed is born to step on other sword dao to ascend the throne. To make the sword seed take shape, you must seize the swords of others again and again to nurture your own sword."

"How do I do that?"

"You'll know after you seize one."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ji immediately extinguished the thought of cultivating Zhe Yun. The sword seed and Zhe Yun were incompatible.

However, Zhe Yun was, after all, a cultivation path from the Forty-Nine Heavens. It would be a pity to waste it in his hands just like this.

At this moment, Xuan Yuan squinted at him. "The way of cultivation emphasizes a heart without distractions, bravery, and diligence. Only the weak need to learn those fancy things. Feng Huai, chop him and give him a long memory."

"Wait, wait."

Chen Ji smiled helplessly and raised his hand to Feng Huai, stopping the other's steps. "Don't rush to fight and kill. I have many questions! Right, have you really never heard of the Forty-Nine Heavens?"

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

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

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

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

Xuan Yuan hesitated. "Who are these?"

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

Xuan Yuan frowned. "No."

Chen Ji asked again, "Then have you ever heard of Tai Ji Mountain, Wu Ji Mountain, Yu Jing Mountain, Xu Mi Mountain, or Qu Shi Na City?"

Xuan Yuan shook his head. "Never heard."

"Where did you live in the world back then?"

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

This indeed completely confused Chen Ji. What kind of existence was this Forty-Nine Heavens? Even a great figure like Xuan Yuan had never heard of it?