Chapter 2630: The Virtuous Suffer

Zuo Qiu Wu stood in the mountain river plate, looking at Jiang Wang beyond the restriction, but not just at Jiang Wang. He looked at the lake heart pavilion he couldn't see, still remembering every trace of the years in the pavilion, remembering where every piece fell on the chessboard... like sitting in a well looking at the moon!

He could naturally hear the heavenly sound from the theater box, yet for a moment, he was stunned.

"Do you all read history books?" he asked.

Jiang Wang, across from him, said, "I've been fortunate enough to read Mister Sima Heng's 'History Knife Chiseling Sea'."

"Open the history books and take a look. What is written? Is everything before your eyes new?"

Zuo Qiu Wu chuckled coldly, "Understanding children always need to be more understanding, people with responsibility will always bear heavier burdens, and those enduring hardship will forever endure more hardship."

"Sui Ren burned his body, You Xiong declined and perished, Lie Shan dissolved himself. From the Three Emperors and various saints until now, history books stack up to the sky, but only four words—"

With a sweep of his large sleeve, he declared, "Those with virtue suffer!"

In the lake heart pavilion, there was unexpected silence.

"Mister has his profound theories." Jiang Wang, in the ice coffin in his intention sea, his hand pressing the tripod never relaxing, said, "But with Cui Yi Geng's character, if you explain it clearly to him, saying what matter requires him to make such a sacrifice, he would still make the sacrifice."

Zuo Qiu Wu shook his head, "It's not a truly desperate situation, it can't force his will, can't embody his soul. His emotion towards the academy is a historical seal, his tenacious and unyielding will is the thread that weaves the book. It is because of his three hundred and thirty-two years of bitter endurance that this history book could be completed!"

Jiang Wang just stood before him, but the two were truly a great distance apart, making mutual understanding difficult. He said, "The dean thinks very clearly, but have you thought, how does Cui Yi Geng think?"

"I am very willing to care about how he thinks, because he is a child I watched grow up. But as the head of the academy mountain, I have to care about more than just this one child." Zuo Qiu Wu stood in the old Yan mountain and river, feeling the history that had already perished, his feet not moving, and bitingly said, "Once the historical torrent surges, each of us is swept up in it. No one will care about how a drop of water thinks, even if it was a drop of blood and tears before falling into the torrent!"

The theater box sat there, unable to see what thoughts Zuo Qiu Wu's words stirred, only faintly saying, "Tell me, Left Dean, why did you turn the diligently operated academy of a lifetime into its current state? What is the purpose of your actions this time?"

Zuo Qiu Wu raised his head with a strange look, "When several cabinet members jointly captured the 'Time Body,' did you not notice those worlds?"

Dou Zhao's eyebrow slightly raised.

Capturing the "Time Body" was not his task, but he had indeed made moves against Zuo Qiu Wu on different book pages. If one had to say what was special about those worlds... many places had powerful individuals different from Zuo Qiu Wu. But they were likely confined to the limits of this history book itself. Those who could approach Zuo Qiu Wu were few, and those who could travel back and forth between different book pages like Zuo Qiu Wu had not yet been discovered.

"Those complex, varied, self-vital spacetime realms..." Zuo Qiu Wu murmured, "They wither, break, perish, and they are also stubborn, brilliant, and full of vitality."

"Even the same thing, from different people's perspectives, is a different history. Even the same people, facing the same situations, will move towards different possibilities."

His voice was very lonely, "I rely on the hope of all beings to exist, opening different historical chapters, only to evolve the best outcome, to find the path to save the academy for the one true history!"

"Let's put aside the matter of saving the academy for now. We also don't need to discuss what formidable crisis your academy encountered for the moment." The theater box always maintained its own order of interrogation, unaffected by emotions and undisturbed by others. "Let's just talk about Left Dean's behavior. If it's just about opening different historical chapters and evolving the best outcome, why did your academy seal the mountain, and why did this matter need to be concealed?"

"Because I don't just sit there waiting for these chapters to develop." Zuo Qiu Wu raised his voice, "No naturally occurring history page could escape the diligent academy's dilemma!"

The current Zuo Qiu Wu had a candid posture and his emotions were very full, which also made his words highly persuasive.

The theater box said, "The Dean means that regarding these historical chapters, the Dean has intervened excessively? What you did to Cui Yi Geng is not an isolated case, on the contrary, it's just one of many things. You think the outside world, including Book Mountain, and even the diligent academy itself, probably won't understand you?"

Zuo Qiu Wu said, "To complete this work, I searched for characters throughout the diligent academy's tens of thousands of years of history. Centering around characters possessing protagonist charm, I developed different historical stories, creating academy chapters with more possibilities."

"After such a long time writing, I counted twelve thousand six hundred sheets of rough drafts, adding and deleting for thirty years. In the final draft at that moment, three hundred and sixty chapters remained."

He recounted this process with both bitterness and satisfaction, "After the book was completed, I personally tore off ninety chapters among them. They were like diseased branches and leaves that had grown, pruned by me. So the history book you all see now is precisely these two hundred and seventy chapters' 'Records and Biographies'."

Li Heng Zhi raised his hand at this point, politely indicating he had something to say.

The theater box thought for a moment and handed him a chess piece.

Li Heng Zhi held this chess piece in his palm to show that he would absolutely not interfere with the chess game. "I am Li Heng Zhi. Book Mountain arranged for me and Mister Xiao to handle things here. Now it's temporarily taken over by Tai Xu Cabinet, and we respect their demands."

Zuo Qiu Wu couldn't see him, yet still performed a bow of respect. "Mister Li, good."

"I know you write hard. In the past on Book Mountain, you were the most diligent person." Li Heng Zhi sat there, weighing his words. "But the book you wrote is truly uninteresting. I've already read it, it's all the same thousand chapters. Let's pick some key points to discuss."

Zuo Qiu Wu was silent for a moment, then said, "These chapters... each one is actually different. There are many detail changes in every historical chapter, and the characters in every story have their own lives, they—"

"No one cares." Li Heng Zhi interrupted him. "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Left Dean. Tai Xu Cabinet wants to know about Zhong Xuan. Just say Zhong Xuan is fine."

The theater box looked at him. "Mister Li, that's not something you should say."

Li Heng Zhi nodded slightly in apology, put the chess piece back into the chess basket, and pursed his lips, not speaking.

The theater box retracted his gaze and continued, "Left Dean, we not only care about Zhong Xuan and want to know what happened to him, we also want to know why he disappeared. We've come to solve the problem, not for a comforting chat. We want to dredge and repair the canal, not just skim the surface."

"Let me talk with Sima Heng." Zuo Qiu Wu sighed lightly. "You all handle things very thoroughly, leaving people no room for criticism, but after all, you don't understand me, nor do you understand Sima Heng."

The theater box looked at him calmly. "Left Dean, you also don't understand us."

Zuo Qiu Wu wrinkled his brow, just about to say something.

Yet the theater box flipped the white chess piece that was already pressed down—

The grid imprisoning the intention sea ice coffin became visible, then its form was hidden away on the chessboard.

He reached into the opposite chess basket again, picked a black piece, pondered slightly, and made a responding move.

Then only the chess grid imprisoning a black piece became clear on the chessboard.

"The person we wanted to wait for has already arrived." The theater box said.

The voice in the black chess piece said, "Since you all have already made full preparations, why not wait for me to return, and we can speak face to face? Now I don't see you, you don't see me, which also affects the judgment of the law."

"Facing a figure who can avoid wind and rain in the history graveyard, I don't have complete faith." The theater box said.

"You previously mentioned Tai Xu Cabinet. Is it Xu Yuan Zhi's? Has it become an organization now?" The voice in the black chess piece asked. "Are you all, including Zhong Xuan, in it?"

The theater box said, "Tai Xu Dao Master guides our direction and watches over us, preventing us from going astray."

"Tai Xu... Dao Master?" The voice in the black chess piece murmured the repetition, not very surprised. It only asked, "Is the human descending stairs still there?"

The theater box said, "We entered the cabinet from there."

"That's good, you still remember the way you came." The voice in the black chess piece said.

The theater box said, "It seems Left Dean hasn't chatted with you much over the years."

"We've chatted about some... past matters." The voice in the black chess piece said. "He won't talk about the present and future, because helping me supplement my understanding of the era is helping me determine the direction home."

"Now we can chat properly." The theater box's lawful eye hung over the chess. "Why did Left Dean block you from going home? Can you say it now?"

The voice in the black chess piece said, "I don't want to answer. You all should ask Left Qiu Wu about this."

"You don't need to test any longer." The theater box said, "Left Qiu Wu Dean has indeed been imprisoned and is being tried with you in the same hall."

The voice in the black chess piece sighed lightly. "Young man, this is not testing, this is the sound of my sadness."

Dou Zhao, who was now sitting on the pavilion's railing seat and studying his broken arm as if thinking of a way to make it immortal, smiled upon hearing this. "Another segment of the 'White Phase Knows Still Press Sword' story?"

Voices outside the chessboard would not affect the chess game.

The theater box asked, "If you are truly Sima Heng, and Zhong Xuan is your student, how can you ignore him?"

The voice in the black chess piece said, "I think the reason he disappeared is precisely because he is my student. Not getting involved anymore is the only thing I can do."

"Mister Sima Heng—assuming this title." The theater box said, "I feel that sometimes you are you, and sometimes not you."

"Is that so?" the voice in the black chess piece asked.

The theater box didn't speak. After thinking quietly for a while, he raised his head and asked everyone, "Want to let them chat for a couple of sentences themselves?"

"Mister Theater." Qin Zhi Zhen had already considered it seriously and said directly, "Since the black and white law realm is hosted by you, then you decide. Everyone trusts your ability. There's no need to vote on this matter again."

The theater box's gaze swept over everyone in Tai Xu Cabinet, receiving only support. So he placed another white piece.

Zuo Qiu Wu, suppressed in the intention sea ice coffin, felt something in his heart for a moment and unexpectedly turned his head.

No one had misread a single poem, sent a single message, contained a single thought, or seen a single look!

He looked towards the oblique front. There was nothing there, only continuous glaciers.

But on this chessboard in the lake heart pavilion, the position of the black chess piece was in the direction of the chess grid he was in!

The two, both imprisoned in chess grids, met on the chessboard.

"What's different recently?" Zuo Qiu Wu opened his mouth. Although his tone was cold, it also held a few points of old friends' concern.

The voice in the black chess piece also responded like old friends reuniting, speaking very naturally about recent changes: "I've woken up a lot, and the time of confusion is gradually less."

Zuo Qiu Wu nodded, "'Past Summary' has been supplemented. You are walking towards eternal proof, and the chapters of confusion can no longer stop you."

The voice in the black chess piece said, "The chapters of confusion may not be the only page, and the dangers of the history graveyard are not only in the graveyard. In other words, in my current situation, eternal proof isn't necessarily safe either."

"The premise of danger is that you are always wandering inside..." Zuo Qiu Wu raised his eyes, "But how could you not come back?"

"I just want to go back and take a look." The voice in the black chess piece said, "What danger can block a homesick person?"

Zuo Qiu Wu opened his mouth and finally said, "So I can't wait any longer."

The voice in the black chess piece was silent for a moment and unexpectedly said, "I understand."

This understanding was perhaps too heavy, so Zuo Qiu Wu was silent for a moment.

The voice in the black chess piece spoke again, "But you are wrong."

"I am wrong?" Zuo Qiu Wu suddenly laughed, and gritted his teeth! "Is it me who is wrong, or you who is wrong, Sima Heng?!"

"Don't forget what we learned, what we cultivated, what path we walked." The voice in the black chess piece said, "I err in a moment, you err for a thousand autumns."

"No thousand autumns... No thousand autumns!" Zuo Qiu Wu was abnormally agitated. "Many people's lives have only a moment!"

The voice in the black chess piece said, "For those misfortunes that have already happened, I am very guilty, but I will not change."

"Yes, you do not regret." Zuo Qiu Wu grinned. "The history pen is like iron, your heart is even harder than iron and stone."

His voice came out from between his teeth, "You not coming back was originally very good... originally very good!"

"I will slowly correct those mistakes. Lead the diligent academy towards an unprecedented prosperous scene. Do you know how the academy has been developing these thirty years?"

"Those hands choking its neck were pried open by me."

"Your student Zhong Xuan! I pushed him into Tai Xu Cabinet, sent him onto the era boat."

"The 'History Knife Chiseling Sea' you left behind, I pushed it to thousands of households."

"The problems you created. I solved them one by one... one by one solved!"

"Everything is good... will be even better."

"But why do you want to come back?" He sternly asked, "Why do you want to come back at this time?!"

Unlike Zuo Qiu Wu's intensity, the voice in the black chess piece was as deep as still water. "When I was trudging in the historical river, searching for historical truth, I encountered irresistible danger... I almost died! I had to hide in the history graveyard, drifting in the process of time's decay. When I finally contacted you after exhausting all methods, wanting to come back with your help, you yet at the critical moment pulled away the ladder, pressed me back into the bewildered chapters, and locked the time window, making me a chaotic text in disordered history, unable to even record myself—Zuo Qiu Wu, do you still not understand?"

"Why I can still come back?"

"I did not surpass all powers, but history delivered everything to me."

"Zuo Qiu Wu, why 'History Knife Chiseling Sea' is recognized by the world and enters thousands of households, your promotion is not the key."

"It is first 'History Knife Chiseling Sea'. It truly and faithfully records everything. It will be trusted, it can have such influence."

"Why will 'Past Summary' be complete?"

"Because I am doing truly correct things, I will get the response of the correct ones. History is correcting errors!"

Sima Heng respects history like the god in his heart! That is a supreme existence.

"It is not I who created history. It is history that chose me to record It. History is the true omnipresent god, surpassing all conscious existences, of course including you and me. You are too unaware of yourself, I am also too insignificant, what can we change?"

His voice seemed to have truly shaken time. The entire chessboard shook with this one chess piece. "You ask me why I want to come back at this time, I tell you—this is history's answer!"

"History will not give people answers, it is people's answers left in history!" Zuo Qiu Wu in the intention sea ice coffin pointed remotely. On the entire chessboard, two hundred and sixty-seven Zuo Qiu Wu time bodies unexpectedly simultaneously lifted their fingers, thereby fixing the chessboard!

"Good one 'truly and faithfully'! Good one 'truly correct'!"

Zuo Qiu Wu's eyes were full of sorrow!

"You ran to the heavenly capital city to spy on the center, wrote a sentence 'Jing Qin Emperor cries in the ancestral temple', and I wiped the asses of the Jing country people for several decades!"

"You want to describe gods with a straight pen. Cang Tu God pulled out all the grassland academies overnight, burned all the Confucian books overnight!"

"How many diligent academy disciples died because of you? Not only diligent academy's disciples died because of you!"

He roared angrily, "Since you don't have the ability to protect your students, what's wrong with bending a few strokes? What's wrong with avoiding a few strokes?"

The voice in the black chess piece was fixed, like time no longer flowing. He said, "Bend the pen not for history, avoid words how become book? History pen is like a knife, writing history is using a knife to carve the heart and liver."

"History books are for inheritance!!" Zuo Qiu Wu shouted!

"The people who write history have all died out, who are you carving the heart and liver for!? The world no longer has historians, who will hold the history pen?"

He shouted, nearly out of control, "Our path is all to be cut off, our students are all dead, you are still stubborn!"