Chapter 2272: Eternal Truth Transcends Time

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For how many years, Book Mountain has used Yue Country as a barrier. It is the quiet forest outside the study, the bamboo fence outside the study room.

The sound of books can pass through, but wind and rain cannot invade.

Before the new Dao Calendar began, the one bearing this responsibility was Evening Drum Academy.

It was built at the foot of Book Mountain. When the evening drum sounds, all other sounds become quiet.

All factional Dao disputes stopped at the sound of the evening drum. Even at the beginning of the new calendar, when dragons and snakes rose on the land and the world was in flames of war, the flames of war did not reach Book Mountain.

Of course, if in those years Jing Taizu unified the world and became the Six Harmonies Emperor, as its behind-the-scenes supporter and co-born Dao Gate, then unifying the Hundred Schools of Thought afterward was almost foreseeable.

After the new Dao Calendar began, serving as the hedge wall of Book Mountain were the big and small countries.

Song Country, Yue Country, Li Country, Liang Country, and even the former Xia Country, the earlier Shao Country, and Yan Country, all had many Confucian disciples entering official service.

Chu Country, of course, also had them. Wu Ling, who advocated military-Confucian fusion, once also stayed on Book Mountain for three months.

As strong as hegemonic Chu, it naturally controls the Hundred Schools for its own use. No matter which school's knowledge is cultivated, all must prioritize Chu Country and plan for Chu. But the identity of Confucian disciples itself is the hedge wall, first blocking wind and rain.

Since the national system was established, various countries have risen and then perished, perished and revived, but Book Mountain always stands firm.

"Out of the world" and "Into the world" is the relationship between Book Mountain and the four great academies.

Book Mountain hopes to maintain a transcendent posture, not like Dao Gate which is integrated with Dao Country as one, nor like the current Mohist School actively entering the world, and even more unwilling to be like Withered Glory Courtyard, which was flattened overnight.

Now Evening Drum Academy has moved to Calamity Water. Chu Country extinguishing Southern Dipper and pressing on Wen Yue is actually already at the gate outside Book Mountain.

At the moment Gao Zheng died, Yue Country's mountains and rivers were already overturned. Thousands of years of state and altars were flipped into an upside-down hourglass, waiting for their end. That flowing sand timing is the last time for the Wen surname imperial family, and how is it not the footsteps of Chu Country knocking at the door outside Book Mountain?

Book Mountain has repeatedly stated its attitude, from Yan Sheng to Chen Pu. Tonight, being forced out by Wen Jingxiu finally puts them directly in front of the Chu people, having a clearer position expression—

The life and death of the rightful emperor should be within the rules of the national system and cannot be executed without crime. Yue Court, being without crime, should not suddenly perish.

Jing Country's Eastern Celestial Master also stamped for this sentence.

The reason Yue Country has long governed and lasted in peace has never been because of Yue Country itself. Initially, Gao Zheng led the Fallen Immortal Alliance and also pulled in Evening Drum Academy, Southern Dipper Hall, and Book Mountain to occupy one of the four fixed Fallen Immortal Forest entrances.

Wen Jingxiu has always known that Yue Country fundamentally has no future!

It is not that Yue Country has no talents, nor that Yue Country has no loyal ministers. The only reason Yue Country has no forward road is that Yue Country is beside Chu Country. Chu Country's roots are vast, its canopy shades the sky, plundering all the sunlight and water of the southern domain.

All other roots and woods, the closer they are to it, the more dangerous their situation.

Talents as outstanding as Gao Zheng could only self-exile, imprisoned on Yin Xiang Peak. His hesitant and ambitious political plans were only just begun and were called to stop. He was only one step away from Deriving Dao but could not take it.

What ending can a country beside a hegemonic country have?

Yang Country beside Qi Country is a bloody example.

Even Yang Country's situation was much more precarious than Yue Country's.

Ji Cheng of the Tian Xiong Ji Clan was not even allowed to achieve Divine Descent.

Yang Country's last emperor, Yang Jian De, was once a figure on par with Chong Xuan Chu Liang on the battlefield, but in the end, he became fascinated by demonic arts—not because his will was not firm, but because he had no other choice.

Qi Country swallowing Yang Country was a matter of course, happening in one breath.

Because Yang Country's supporters behind the scenes had already been cleared out first. Their overly long hands and feet were either broken or they were directly swept extinct.

Now Chu Country extinguishing Southern Dipper and killing Gao Zheng, how is it not a reenactment of the eastern domain story?

Peeling off the shell, desiring to swallow the soft flesh.

This lump of soft flesh, to preserve itself, must either grow some thorns, or carry some poison, or hide into another shell that cannot be peeled.

Standing in Willoughby City and looking outward, looking at ancient and modern, looking at the six directions and eight wastes, at first glance seems to have countless choices, but these countless winding roads all ultimately lead to withering.

Without earth-shaking changes, it is impossible to stir up waves in this pool of dead water.

Chen Pu, such a gentle gentleman, a great Confucian elder, saying "I am not your teacher," clearly drawing the line, is already a very significant expression of opinion.

Wen Jingxiu, of course, knows this. But he also has no other choice.

If he does not do things, who will help Yue Country do things? If he does not make choices, who will give Yue Country a road to walk?

In this dawn, when Gong Zhiliang also died, he walked alone through the royal capital, walked to the ancestral temple, walked into the spirit hall complex for sacrificing ancestors.

Here there is only unextinguished sandalwood incense, sacrificial banners, and one silent spirit shrine after another.

He walked into the most honorable of these spirit shrines, and in front of that tall and majestic spirit statue, slowly knelt down.

One meditation cushion, one lonely shadow, silence all around!

He looked up at that spirit statue whose features were blurred by smoke and fire, his face also becoming blurred: "Taizong, I seem to have already known what a lonely ruler is."

Yue Country often claims to have several thousand years of national destiny, which actually includes the history of Southern Chen Country.

Of course, the relationship between Yue Country and Southern Dipper Hall and Book Mountain originally also inherited from Southern Chen Country. Yue simply replaced Chen's flag and took on Chen's responsibility. To Southern Dipper Hall and Book Mountain, their support for Yue Country does have several thousand years. "Yue" or "Chen," to them, there is no difference.

In Dao Calendar 2335, Min Chuifan, the Vice Supervisor of the Kanglong Army of Southern Chen Country, assassinated the young lord of Southern Chen, and Southern Chen Country perished. Kanglong Army Supervisor Wen Yuan was supported by public opinion and pushed onto the dragon throne.

According to the "Yue Book" records—At that time, the young lord of Southern Chen met misfortune, and the hundred officials gathered for discussion. Various departments swarmed in. Taizu did not realize it and was pushed to sit on the dragon throne. Taizu was startled and wanted to rise. The generals said: "The Supervisor now sits on the dragon throne, a death crime. The Lord now sits on the dragon throne, it is heaven's principle." Taizu shed tears and did not rise, thus sitting firmly on the dragon throne, and from this established the country.

Wen Yuan changed "Chen" to "Yue" and established Yue Country. The Wen surname imperial family thus became the master of this piece of mountains and rivers, up to now, already 1593 years.

For a very long period after Yue Country was established, the old systems of Chen Country were not changed; they always followed the old politics. In relations with other countries, they were still addressed as "Chen Country Emperor." Yue Taizu Wen Yuan moving the capital to Willoughby was the mark of him thoroughly controlling the country. After this, he only then began to handle changing the national systems and sweeping clean the traces of Southern Chen.

In this river of history as long as 1592 years, of course, many Flood Dragons emerged. Contemporary True Persons qualified to dominate one side naturally also appeared.

For example, the Lake Ridge Three Friends who initially built the country with Yue Taizu Wen Yuan.

For example, the head of the Ge Clan whom Yue Taizu finally persuaded after five invitations that year.

For example, that True Person of the Ge Clan who later sought Fei and lost...

But not a single True Monarch.

The road to the absolute peak is originally perilous. With Chu Country's slaughtering knife above, one step forward is beheading, thus no one advances in Yue land.

Flip through the history books, many names all shone for a time, but none crossed the line. Chu Country's majesty and Yue Country's stiflement are all contained within this.

Jiang Wang has seen almost all of Yue Country's famous True Persons.

In Ren Qiuli's arranged "Time-Space Mirror River Heavenly Mechanism Array," he continuously slaughters—not knowing if it was for a long time, or only a while.

In short, the vast majority of the names in Yue Country's history books have already parted with appearances.

"Losing the feeling of time does not seem to have affected your battle." Ren Qiuli's voice rings in the room.

"Time is only another measure besides quantity. Reading history and observing people does not require calculating anything; merely read through this book, kill clean the heroes in the book—" Jiang Wang stands on the narrow corridor, holding his long sword, his body without a speck of dust: "Is it possible to serve the main course now?"

In the cells on both sides of the long corridor, the speed of people coming out is increasingly slow, from the beginning of swarming out, to later sporadically jumping out a few, to now, there is no movement.

"Good books need to be read carefully, main courses must be savored slowly." Ren Qiuli says softly: "Does True Person Jiang feel that Yue Country's history is not exciting enough?"

Jiang Wang says: "If there are only these so far, then it is indeed not quite enough."

"Although Yue Country is not a hegemonic country, it also has its waves and vastness." Ren Qiuli's voice is ethereal, not to be observed: "We should all revere history. Because everything today comes from the past."

"Everything of the past stops here, because 'after' starts from 'now.' Heavenly Mechanism True Person, you better have some other means." Jiang Wang says indifferently: "Otherwise, I will be very disappointed with the 'first in calculation power' title, along with not so much expecting Lu Shuanghe."

Ren Qiuli's voice says: "After fighting with so many Yue Country historical celebrities, you should feel the changes in your body... Do you guess if you will die of old age here?"

In this battle of using his body as the country and slaughtering the past, Jiang Wang witnessed Yue Country's history and unavoidably lost some time—

Even if he casually walked two steps, the time of these two steps is passing, and no one can avoid it.

Only in the "Time-Space Mirror River Heavenly Mechanism Array" is this passing amplified.

If an ordinary person were here, walking one step could possibly have walked through a lifetime.

Jiang Wang calmly patrols around. He never stopped observing: "My body indeed experienced some time, but this process is really slow."

He casually flourished a sword flower: "I have a True Person's lifespan, and I am not yet thirty. If time-space is your only barrier, before I die of old age, I will certainly find you, then kill you."

At the time of Divine Descent, his physique had already caught up with the thousand-hammers, hundred-refinements Chong Xuan Zun.

Up to Cave True, he killed six True Persons, surrounded Deriving Dao, and was tempered for a long time. This True Person body is almost immortal. The most special, most unavoidable danger of time passing in the "Time-Space Mirror River Heavenly Mechanism Array," in front of this immortal true body, is also inevitably greatly discounted.

And he is still so young! He has a lot of time to counter.

If it were a thousand-year-old True Person, they would probably already be anxious, bitterly seeking a way out.

Today's Jiang Wang faces everything calmly and has no weaknesses.

Ren Qiuli did not speak this time.

But in another room, another voice rang out. This was a low and magnetic male voice, the speech speed not fast, the words in order.

"Good temperament, good ambition, good young man!"

Walking out with the voice is a plump middle-aged man with ears hanging to his shoulders and hands clasped in front of his knees. He wears imperial robes, with a ceremonial sword hanging at his waist. His features are naturally kind, and his face also wears a faint smile, yet he gives a feeling of "though smiling, still majestic."

Only someone who has long been in high positions possesses this air.

He consecutively said three 'good' words and stood at the end of the narrow corridor, as if he were the beginning of everything. Yue Country's 1592-year history river originates from him.

Jiang Wang looks at him: "Yue Taizu Wen Yuan? Yue Taizong Wen Zhong?"

This person laughs: "How can the strong son be there and the old father labor? I am Wen Zhong. Unfortunately, I can only echo in history, so I will not call my imperial father out to fight with you."

"The strong son is there and the old father does not labor" is the euphemistic way of saying that Yue Taizu Wen Yuan cannot fight. If Wen Yuan were strong enough, this would probably be "father and son soldiers on the battlefield," "two generations of monarchs joining hands."

As we all know, in Yue Country's history, the monarch with the greatest civil and military achievements is Yue Taizong Wen Zhong. Even the Yue Taizu who established the state is publicly acknowledged to be far inferior to him.

Wen Zhong's appearance is indeed completely unlike the previous Yue Country historical celebrities—Min Chuifan was mad, Long Ruzhi was stubborn. Although the Lake Ridge Three Friends had strength, their thinking lagged significantly. The Ge Clan True Person was also almost half-dreaming, half-awake.

At this moment, Wen Zhong is completely like a living person, walking out from history.

But what makes Jiang Wang secretly surprised is... Wen Zhong seems to be able to control this "Time-Space Mirror River Heavenly Mechanism Array," or at least has a certain authority in this great array hosted by Ren Qiuli. Because he seems to be able to decide whether Yue Taizu Wen Yuan fights!

"Since it is time for slaughter, the junior will not perform courtesies." Jiang Wang gazes at this legendary monarch in Yue Country's history: "I am Jiang Wang."

"Surname Jiang?" Wen Zhong looks at him: "Qi Zong room?"

"A person from the mountains and wilds, not noble." Jiang Wang says calmly: "My father is Jiang Changshan, a medicinal materials merchant in Fengxi Town, Fenglin City, Zhuang Di. I myself opened a wine house in Star Moon Plain; business is still okay."

"Heroes do not ask origin; it is I who am old and decrepit!" Wen Zhong did not rush to make a move but lifted his eyes to look at the flowing time on the dome, sighing deeply: "Time, once gone, is like flowing water. I actually do not know what year it is tonight!"

"Dao Calendar 3938 years." Ren Qiuli's voice says at this time.

Jiang Wang holds his sword without speaking. He fell into this array before; it was Dao Calendar 3928 years!

He is not sure if it is really ten years that have passed or if Ren Qiuli is deliberately saying this to disturb his mind—before killing Ren Qiuli, this is not important. At this moment, he does not care about anything, including time, only caring about this battle.

"I ascended the throne in Dao Calendar 2433, governed for ninety-seven years, did not truly prosper the country, and retired in Dao Calendar 2530. In Dao Calendar 2531... Solid Dao failed, Dao dissolved and perished." Wen Zhong sighs with his hands behind his back, falling into the past: "At that time, blocking my path to Dao was the Star God 'Xuan Xiao.' Has it been restructured now?"

Ren Qiuli's voice says: "You should ask the Jiang Wang in front of you this question. He is a member of the first session of Taixu Pavilion and is closely related to Chu Country's high levels."

She specifically spoke in Dao language, meaning explained by sound.

So Wen Zhong, from over a thousand years ago, could also understand the weight of being a Taixu Pavilion member.

Yue Taizong looks at Jiang Wang with interest: "I did not expect you, so young, to actually have such achievements! Is Zhuge Yi still alive?"

"I am not familiar with the Star Witch." Jiang Wang says: "But a Deriving Dao True Monarch enjoys a ten thousand-year lifespan. Chu Country is not even four thousand years old yet! Did you destroy 'Xuan Xiao' in those years? That is only one of the twelve Star Gods. I cannot think of a reason why Chu Country's great witches are not alive."

Wen Zhong laughs heartily: "Looks like this female True Person of Southern Dipper Hall has some errors in her intelligence. This young man and Chu Country cannot be said to be very close."

"He is close with Huai State Duke Manor." Ren Qiuli's voice says: "This is not true. The contemporary Huai State Duke has already arrived because of his disappearance, and the contemporary Yue Country emperor was almost killed."

"Since Taixu Pavilion upholds neutrality, for the public world, this Taixu Pavilion member is so young, so weighty, and has connections with the contemporary Huai State Duke who arrived because of him... Why would he appear here?" Wen Zhong did not rush to care about his descendants, only asking: "Contemporary Heavenly Mechanism, you are not speaking now—where is Changsheng Jun?"

Ren Qiuli indeed did not speak.

At this time, a voice answered: "Changsheng Jun cut his name and fled! Southern Dipper Hall is already gone!"

Jiang Wang stands in the middle of the narrow corridor, holding his sword and turning sideways.

At the other end of the corridor, as if at the end of time, a solitary and stern old man suddenly appears.

He frowns tightly, seeming to bear the worries of the world. In that pair of eyes, still like ancient wells, there are visible waves. Upon first appearing, he does not pay attention to Jiang Wang, only deeply bows across the narrow passageway to Wen Zhong at the other end: "Commoner Gao Zheng, before resignation, once served as Yue Country's state minister—have seen Taizong Your Majesty!"