Chapter 353: Next November

After Zhong Kui departed the post station, he was taken into an old locust tree resembling a judge's gavel by the elderly Daoist. The old Daoist suddenly turned, traversing a thousand miles in a single step, arriving at Chen Pingan's courtyard in an instant.

Still dazed and yet to fully recover, Chen Pingan quickly bowed, clasping his hands in salute, "Junior Chen Pingan pays respects to the venerable immortal master."

Zhong Kui had spoken lightly of his own death and dissipation, yet he made no effort to conceal his affection for the Daoists of Taiping Mountain.

The old Daoist gestured dismissively with his hand, "No need for such formalities."

After straightening up, Chen Pingan inquired, "May I ask, venerable immortal master, what brings you back so soon?"

The old Daoist glanced at Chen Pingan, nodding, "To be able to restrain oneself, that is true heroism. No wonder Huang Ting and Zhong Kui both regard you with such admiration."

Chen Pingan didn't understand, but he refrained from asking.

The old Daoist, in a good mood, smiled and asked, "You call yourself a swordsman, but where is your sword?"

He completely ignored the flying swords, Initial One and Fifteenth, that had previously emerged from the Gourd of Nurturing Swords.

Chen Pingan candidly replied, "I used to practice fist techniques, and have only recently begun learning the sword. Therefore, my current practice of swordsmanship consists of merely mimicking sword forms, focusing more on visualization in my mind."

The old Daoist muttered to himself, "Had I known this, I wouldn't have been so preoccupied with arguing over deductions with others. Not only did I lose, but I also missed the chance to witness your experiences in the Lotus Root Paradise."

The old Daoist was tall and imposing, wearing a hibiscus crown, a symbol of one of the three branches of Daoism. His Daoist robe was plain white, and his hair and beard were also white, giving him a truly immortal appearance.

Chen Pingan didn't know how to respond, so he remained silent.

When faced with such a perceptive old immortal, there was no need to act cleverly. Any embellishment would be like an old woman applying rouge or a child wearing official robes, a ridiculous display.

The old Daoist suddenly asked, "This poor Daoist can lend you a sword, be it for sixty years or a century, it can be discussed. I can exchange it for a magical treasure, or pay you with Grain Rain coins."

Chen Pingan hesitated, then shook his head, "Thank you for your kind offer, venerable immortal master, but I already have a sword."

Chen Pingan was somewhat abashed, "Besides, I don't possess a single Grain Rain coin."

The old Daoist didn't press the matter. His sudden desire to lend a sword to this young man stemmed from his great admiration for the millennial oath between him and Zhong Kui.

There was also a deeper, more personal kindness involved, but once the words were spoken, he already regretted it.

It was best not to force things.

The chaos of the Fuzhi Sect had caused the old Daoist some concern.

As for why he returned to the small courtyard, it was because he sensed the unusual movements within Chen Pingan's heart-mind. It seemed Zhong Kui's death had deeply affected his state of mind.

However, after examining him closely, he felt reassured.

For cultivators, it was taboo for the heart to be like a leaf on the water, drifting with the current. As for those whose state of mind was as chaotic as willow catkins, in the old Daoist's eyes, they didn't even deserve to be discussed. They shouldn't be cultivating at all. If they did, and were fortunate enough to reach a higher realm, they would only engage in petty schemes, vying for opportunities, treasures, and spiritual energy. When they descended the mountain and walked among mortals, what good could they do besides flaunting their power and bullying others?

However, no matter how much the old Daoist disliked many cultivators who focused on power while neglecting their minds, he could only guard his own territory on Taiping Mountain, ensuring that the sect's principles remained uncorrupted.

Chen Pingan boldly asked, "I wonder, venerable immortal master, do you have any protective mountain formations?"

The old Daoist nodded, "My Taiping Mountain has two great protective formations. One has the Mirror of Bright Moon as its core, which can illuminate all evil in the world, leaving them nowhere to hide. The effective range depends on the cultivator's cultivation level. Once illuminated by the mirror, it can temporarily reduce their cultivation realm. Then, it's the turn of the Four Swords Formation to appear. The four ancient swords are imitations of the four great immortal swords of ancient times. They are of the semi-immortal weapon grade. When formed into a sword array, they are equivalent to a true immortal weapon, reaching destinations ten thousand miles away in an instant. If that old beast hadn't refined one of them, this poor Daoist would have already killed it, even if it had run thousands of miles further. Now that it has escaped death, however, the Immortal Realm is divided into left and right. The old beast had only just entered the Twelfth Realm, its realm unstable. Plus, it's suppressed by the rules of this world. Now that its natal object has been destroyed and its true body riddled with holes, damaging its primordial spirit, it's no longer worth mentioning."

When the old Daoist mentioned the old ape carrying the sword, his killing intent surged. His boundless spiritual energy materialized, like a misty veil, resembling fine streams of water surrounding him. The old Daoist calmed himself, and the phenomena vanished. This was actually one of the aftereffects of his realm having dropped. "The trouble is that the old beast suddenly burrowed underground, following a broken ancient dragon vein and disappeared. It was likely a pre-planned escape route."

The old Daoist pointed to the sky above, "Earlier, this poor Daoist fought the old beast. Later, I repelled a great Yin spirit. A Confucian sage responsible for guarding the sky above Tongye Continent certainly saw it. He landed on our Taiping Mountain and, upon learning of Zhong Kui's death, was furious. He personally went to hunt down the white ape, but the old beast managed to hide. Now it depends on whether Huang Ting, who has some karma with it, can find any clues. As long as it's discovered, even if Huang Ting dies in battle, that one of the seventy-two sages who is enshrined in the Confucian Temple, who was already prepared, can strike a fatal blow."

Chen Pingan hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

The old Daoist smiled, "That's the worst-case scenario. That girl Huang Ting has always had good luck. She's also tempered her character in the Lotus Root Paradise. With two ancient swords protecting her, chasing the white ape might be an opportunity for her to break through to a higher realm."

Chen Pingan hummed in agreement.

The old Daoist's smile was playful, "After being forcibly pulled out of the Lotus Root Paradise by this poor Daoist, I thought she would complain for days. But to my surprise, the girl didn't nag at all. Along the way, she mentioned you many times, saying that she would definitely go to Longquan in Great Li to find you in the future."

The old Daoist lightly waved his sleeve, "How strange. This poor Daoist isn't usually one for chatting, but tonight's words are worth several decades of spittle. To get back on topic, my Taiping Mountain's protective formation is of great origin, both offensive and defensive. Even many of the upper sects and orthodox mountain gates in the Central Earth Divine Continent are no better. This poor Daoist can't privately teach you the refining and operation methods, as it involves the mountain's aura of Taiping Mountain. However, this poor Daoist has my own protective mountain formation, obtained from an ancient immortal's secret cave abode. It is extremely lethal, but it costs too much silver. It's expensive to build, and even more expensive to maintain, consuming a lot of mountain and water aura. This poor Daoist originally planned to give it to Huang Ting as a dowry if she ever wanted to establish her own sect elsewhere in Tongye Continent, or simply marry and form a Daoist partnership, meaning this poor Daoist would have to empty most of my coffin funds."Chen Ping'an swallowed, not because of the Yellow Court, dowry, or coffin money, but because he was frightened by the four words, "eats silver" (太吃銀子)!

The old Daoist priest noticed Chen Ping'an's hesitation and laughed heartily, teasing, "Good calculation, good calculation! This old Daoist likes it!"

Before Chen Ping'an could understand the connection, the old Daoist stopped mentioning the mountain-protecting array and softly reminded, "Chen Ping'an. Although this old Daoist doesn't know what treasure you carry that can obscure the heavens and prevent others from deducing your location and fortune, you must cherish such a thing. It is truly a rare and precious object. The entire Peaceful Mountain only has one, and that was left behind by our founding ancestor."

Chen Ping'an thought of the unremarkable oil-paper umbrella and nodded solemnly.

Looking at Chen Ping'an, the old Daoist was very pleased.

The female Daoist Yellow Court, the gentleman Zhong Kui, were among the few young people who met the old Daoist's discerning eye.

Now, with the addition of this Chen Ping'an, the old Daoist felt that whether it was in the corner of the southeast, Willow Leaf Continent, or the vast Great All Heavens, the more young people like this, the better.

No matter how chaotic the world becomes, there will still be pillars of support.

Previously, in order to prevent Zhong Kui's spirit from being taken to the Yellow Springs Road by that Netherworld big shot, the old Daoist had fallen a realm. He knew that he would never have another chance to make up for the biggest regret in his heart.

This Peaceful Mountain founder, after successfully entering the Immortal Realm, was granted the title of Observing Mystery Celestial Sovereign (觀妙天君) by his lineage, holding an extraordinary position.

The biggest regret in the old Daoist's life was that historically, whether in the orthodox Confucian Great All Heavens or the Daoist-dominated Azure Underworld, whenever a Daoist advanced from True Lord to Celestial Sovereign, no matter which of the three lineages, they could request the Sect Master to personally come and bestow the Daoist robe, crown, and a token. However, Observing Mystery Celestial Sovereign, as the newest Celestial Sovereign of his lineage in the Great All Heavens, did not personally see the Great Sect Master leave the White Jade City and descend upon this Great All Heavens. The old Celestial Sovereign dared not speculate, but everyone on Peaceful Mountain guessed about it. Therefore, the Peaceful Mountain Sect Master made a special trip to the northernmost academy of Willow Leaf Continent and tentatively asked if a Confucian sage with a co-officiating statue in the Temple of Literature was obstructing them, so that their Sect Master could not appear.

The head of that academy was also a straightforward person, unwilling to beat around the bush with the Peaceful Mountain Sect Master. He smiled and asked, the other two Sect Masters might have this "treatment," but given your Sect Master's affinity with our Confucianism, who would stop him if he wanted to come to the Great All Heavens?

After receiving this reply, the old Celestial Sovereign became even more depressed.

After thinking about it, he could only conclude that his realm was high enough, but his Dao was still small, so the Sect Master deliberately struck at him.

Before the Peaceful Mountain battle, the old Celestial Sovereign would think that if he reached the Ascension Realm in the future, he would always be able to see the Sect Master.

Now, it had completely become a luxury.

No regrets, but unavoidable regrets.

Just as the old Daoist was about to leave, Chen Ping'an said, "Thank you, Old True Man!"

The old Daoist asked with a smile, "Why thank me? Are you talking about the matter of Zhong Kui falling a realm?"

The old Celestial Sovereign shook his head. "No need. Peaceful Mountain owes it to him."

Chen Ping'an said in a deep voice, "Thank you, Old True Man, and Peaceful Mountain, for letting me know that the Immortals on the mountain also have a chivalrous heart that treats the world kindly."

The old Daoist's mood suddenly improved. "Well, I didn't expect you to be almost as good as Zhong Kui at flattery."

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "These are my true words."

The old Daoist smiled and looked at the young man. "Sincere flattery is what makes people feel comfortable."

The old Daoist left on the wind.

A small head was leaning on the window, staring blankly at the courtyard.

Strangely, no one in the post station noticed the appearance of Zhong Kui and the old Celestial Sovereign, only Pei Qian, perhaps by accident, saw Chen Ping'an in the courtyard in the middle of the night.

Chen Ping'an turned to look at Pei Qian. "Go to sleep."

It would have been fine if he hadn't said anything, but as soon as Chen Ping'an spoke, Pei Qian went to move a stool, nimbly climbed onto the windowsill, jumped down, and landed firmly.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Why did you come here instead of sleeping?"

Pei Qian ingratiatingly said, "I can't sleep. I'll keep you company for a while."

Chen Ping'an waved his hand and said that he wanted to practice his fist stance, and she could stay if she wanted.

After watching for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Pei Qian became sleepy. She told Chen Ping'an and took a deep breath, then sprinted towards the windowsill of the house, jumping high, probably trying to press her hands on the windowsill first, and then flailing her legs, thinking that she would leap up and be impressive.

As a result, her chin slammed into the windowsill.

She fell backward to the ground.

Chen Ping'an turned his head, unable to bear to look.

Pei Qian sat on the ground, covering her mouth with her hand, turning her head away, her eyes misty with tears, about to cry.

Chen Ping'an walked over, squatted down, gently took her hand away, looked at it, and asked with a smile, "Still showing off your heroic spirit?"

Tears were streaming down the little girl's dark face.

Chen Ping'an had to put away his smile and helped her stand up. "There's a little girl about your age who's also so rash, but she can withstand pain better than you. If it were her, she would definitely smile at me right now, and maybe even comfort me not to worry."

Chen Ping'an added, "But everyone has their own temperament, so you don't have to learn from her."

The two sat at the stone table.

Pei Qian only dared to open her mouth slightly, asking vaguely, "What's her name?"

Chen Ping'an said, "Her name is Li Baoping. She likes to wear a big red cotton jacket and likes to call me Little Martial Uncle."

Pei Qian asked softly again, "Do you like her very much?"

Chen Ping'an nodded.

Who in the world wouldn't like Li Baoping's Little Martial Uncle?!

She was right.

Pei Qian remained silent.

Chen Ping'an asked, "How was it just now, watching me walk the stance and practice my fists?"

Pei Qian looked blank, not faking it. She didn't know why he was asking this.

Chen Ping'an also became puzzled. "Didn't you think about secretly learning?"

Pei Qian retorted, "Why would I learn your swaying walk?"

She stood up, spirited, brandishing her arms and claws. She pretended to draw her sword and sheath it, poked around with two fingers together, jumped a few times, and even showed off a set of king-eight fists, showing off randomly. "Of course, if I'm going to learn, I'll learn the most powerful moves!"

Chen Ping'an didn't find anything funny. Instead, his expression was serious.

On the main street of Lotus Root Blessing Land, Lu Fang was riding his sword.Chen Ping'an's modified Great Dragon from the Academy.

And the divine "Drumming the Heavens" stance that repelled Zhong Qiu.

Interspersed with a few scattered techniques from the demonic head, Ding Ying.

It couldn't be called a faithful imitation.

However...

Someone once said, practicing fists without pursuing truth invites the laughter of ghosts and gods. But what if one were to cast aside all forms from the very beginning, and directly cultivate true intent?

In Chen Ping'an's memory, only one person could accomplish that.

Sure enough.

Chen Ping'an posed a question: "What did you see when you were staring at Daoist Shao during the day?"

Pei Qian hesitated to answer.

Chen Ping'an said, "As long as you don't lie, it doesn't matter what you say."

Only then did Pei Qian look around, whispering, "I think that one surnamed Shao harbors ill intentions and is not a good person."

Chen Ping'an asked a second question, "Were you able to see the old Daoist tonight?"

Pei Qian nodded vigorously.

Chen Ping'an felt somewhat helpless.

That was the Patriarch of Mount Taiping wielding the great divine power of a "Square Inch of Heaven and Earth"!

Chen Ping'an inquired further, "If you become accomplished in martial arts in the future, what would you do if someone bullied you? Tell me the truth!"

Pei Qian vacillated, "Only beat them half to death with one punch?"

Seeing Chen Ping'an look like he was about to get angry, she simply threw caution to the wind, crossing her arms and huffing, "Beat them to death and be done with it!"

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "What if you were actually wrong?"

Pei Qian replied confidently, "I'm with you every day, how could I make a mistake!"

Chen Ping'an was both amused and exasperated, putting on a stern face, "But you will eventually go out and travel the world on your own."

Pei Qian declared resolutely, "I won't! Why would I go out alone? There are so many bad people outside. What if I can't beat them? Also, what if I don't have enough money by then and I'm hungry every day? If I steal or rob, you'll hit me and scold me. What can I do? Right? So I'm not going out."

Chen Ping'an asked, "What if one day you become very skilled in martial arts, even more skilled than me?"

Pei Qian furrowed her brow, thinking hard, and shook her head vigorously, "I'm too lazy. I like sleeping the most, and I'm afraid of pain. You know that. Before, when we were walking, my soles were covered in blisters. When they were popped, I cried myself hoarse. When you were fighting in the inn, you could see the bones in both your arms, and you didn't even cry. I can't do that. If I looked at my own arm, I'd probably faint. Sigh, if only there was a peerless martial art that could be mastered overnight without suffering!"

Chen Ping'an suppressed a smile, "So you know you're lazy, unmotivated, and timid?"

Pei Qian lowered her head, dejected.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Why aren't you talking?"

Pei Qian said aggrieved, "My chin hurts."

Chen Ping'an smiled, turned his back, leaned against the stone table, and gazed at the night sky.

Pei Qian imitated him, but since she was small, she could only rest the back of her head against the stone table.

Chen Ping'an said softly, "You'll be eleven years old after the New Year, so you need to read more books and learn more principles."

A heavy responsibility and a long road ahead.

It was more exhausting than practicing millions of punches himself.

But it was good.

Chen Ping'an rarely shared so much of his inner thoughts with Pei Qian, "When I was back in my hometown, a little older than you, I had never read any books. Teacher Qi told me that principles are found in books, but how to live is learned outside of them."

Chen Ping'an finally murmured, "I hope everyone in the world can meet a Teacher Qi in their youth."

Pei Qian was still just a little girl who only liked to pick and choose what she wanted to hear.

For example, Chen Ping'an saying she would be eleven years old next year.

In this world, only Chen Ping'an would remember these things, that she was ten years old this year and would be eleven next year.

The old Daoist of Mount Taiping suddenly stopped, took out the locust wood, and the spirit of Zhong Kui manifested and descended.

Above the sea of clouds, Zhong Kui saw the most familiar person standing not far away, the Mountain Master of the Great Fu Academy, his teacher.

The Mountain Master simply looked at Zhong Kui.

Zhong Kui asked softly, "Teacher?"

The Mountain Master seemed to have been unable to believe this devastating news before, and even now couldn't believe what he saw before his eyes, "It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be like this."

With a single lapse in judgment, he shouldn't have gone to Biyou Palace that time, shouldn't have let this disciple, "the one most pleased with me in my life," go to Mount Taiping. He should have obediently stayed in that inn in the frontier town, keeping an eye on that hidden Nine-tailed Fox.

Although the Nine-tailed Fox was a great demon of the Twelfth Realm, her identity was too special, her seniority too high, so her true name had long been leaked. As long as one knew the true names of all the ancient great demons in the world, Zhong Kui, as long as he was in the Great Wide World, would have self-preservation.

No one had expected that the white ape carrying a sword on Mount Taiping was the culprit for the escape of the demonic fiend from the Well Prison.

Zhong Kui couldn't bear the current atmosphere any longer, and said loudly, "Teacher, it was simply a matter of duty. A scholar either uses his knowledge to educate the common people and support the country, or uses his own uprightness to eliminate demons and defend the Dao..."

The Mountain Master was furious, "Do I need you to tell me about these great principles?!"

Zhong Kui fell silent like a cicada in winter.

The Old Celestial Master sighed, "If the Academy were to question us, Mount Taiping will absolutely not shirk responsibility."

The Mountain Master's attitude towards the old Daoist was different from his attitude towards Zhong Kui, respectfully saying, "My elder brother may be annoyed, but he will not come to question us. Moreover, what crime has Mount Taiping committed? Has the Celestial Master ever blamed Zhong Kui for not protecting Mount Taiping? Why couldn't he protect that Earth Immortal?"

Zhong Kui softly added, "Teacher, that old Daoist's name was Liang Su."

The Mountain Master was about to get angry again.

Zhong Kui immediately shut his mouth.

The old Daoist said with emotion, "After this disaster, the Tongye Continent may be slightly better, but the Pōshā Continent and the Fúyáo Continent are afraid that they will be in great chaos. Earlier, treasures appeared in all three continents, and it turned out to be the demons' scheme."

Then the old man said in a low voice, "Your Academy must protect that young man from the Fújí Sect. He was able to uncover this matter..."

He didn't continue speaking.

The Mountain Master nodded, "It should be so. I have already discussed it with the Fújí Sect. That young man will enter the Great Fú Academy under an assumed name. As for whether he will become a Confucian disciple in the future, it all depends on the young man's own will."

The old Daoist laughed, "If Jī Hǎi's closed-door disciple runs off to become a sage and virtuous man, wouldn't the Fújí Sect fight you to the death?"The Mountain Lord sighed, mentioning the Planchette Sect and Great Cultivator Ji Hai, "Ji Hai confessed that taking the youth as his direct disciple and gifting him that weapon were both proper actions. However, upon seeing the youth, Ji Hai's heart was troubled, hindering his cultivation and preventing him from ever reaching the Immortal Realm. How then could he go to the Sword Qi Great Wall and slay the other Twelfth Realm great demons?"

The old Daoist priest lamented, "The only pair of upper-fifth realm immortal Daoist partners in Tongye Continent, a rare match made in heaven, it's truly a pity. Ji Hai's breakthrough will be exceedingly difficult. The more he stubbornly seeks it, the harder it will be to eliminate the heart-demon."

The Mountain Lord smiled wryly, "Some things, others can advise on, but some things, it's best not to."

The old Daoist priest sighed.

The difficulty of cultivating the Dao is akin to ascending to the heavens.

However, in ancient times, it was said that ascending to the heavens was not difficult, but cultivating the Dao was.

In the Central Earth Divine Continent, atop one of the most majestic mountains,

stood a golden-armored divine warrior, leaning on a sword with both hands, his face covered by a visor, obscuring his features. He stood beside a stone stele at the mountain peak, while an old Confucian scholar sat cross-legged atop the stele, displaying extreme disrespect.

The old man calculated with his fingers within his sleeves, then slapped his thigh, "Excellent! Utterly excellent!"

The golden-armored divine warrior twitched the corners of his mouth.

The old man, brimming with triumph, asked, "How is my closed-door disciple?"

The golden-armored divine warrior, having been pestered by the old fellow for a whole month, replied impatiently, "Fine, fine, is that alright now?"

The impoverished old scholar pointed at the divine warrior, who nearly reached the height of the massive stele, and laughed heartily, "I like your outward agreement but inward dissent the most."

Then, the old man began boasting of his past glories, "Back in the day, when I argued with people and they lost, they all wore that same bird-like expression as you. It warmed my heart."

The golden-armored divine warrior, one of the Five Great Righteous Gods of the entire Central Earth Divine Continent, sneered, "Who was it that proposed to elevate an impoverished scholar like you to the Confucian Temple? Tell me, and I'll ask him if he was blind."

This was a universally acknowledged great mystery within Confucianism.

The wily old scholar chuckled, "Guess?"

Even Suishan Great God, known for his unyielding nature, would become exasperated after being nagged incessantly for an entire month, especially by this old codger who never let go of an opportunity to profit.

He became impolite, "I guess your ancestor!"

The old scholar raised his thumb and pointed it at himself, "Not my ancestor, but our Confucian ancestral teacher. I wish he were my ancestor, alas, a pity..."

Suishan Great God, known throughout the world for his indomitable spirit, actually composed himself, straightened his back, released his grip on his sword hilt, and cupped his hands towards the heavens and earth, offering an apology to the Most Sage Teacher.

The old scholar continued to himself, "You know me, I'm a bit thin-skinned, and always remind myself not to accept undeserved rewards. But my talent is high, my essays are well-written, and my reasoning is brilliant. Thus, our Most Sage Teacher found me, earnestly and kindly advising me, moving me beyond words. The Most Sage Teacher mentioned many of my qualities that I thought were only so-so, but one sentence struck me deeply: 'Since ancient times, sages must be true heroes, but heroes are not necessarily sages!' Upon hearing that, I felt that the Most Sage Teacher truly understood me. So I made a small request to this ancestral teacher..."

Suishan Great God said in a deep voice, "I don't want to hear it. Shut up!"

The old scholar wrung his hands in regret, "Why are you so unable to distinguish good from bad?"

Suishan Great God sneered, "If I could tell good from bad, would I have let you onto the mountain?"

The old scholar rubbed his chin, realizing that he seemed to be on shaky ground in this matter, and immediately changed his tune, "That old bull-nosed Daoist priest in the East Sea, his personality is truly unpleasant, but his behavior is passable, and he's quite generous, not losing face. He knew to send that child a good item, although it doesn't help with cultivation, in the world, skill is better than quality. It just so happens it can help conceal celestial secrets, even better than A Liang's old broken bamboo hat back then. Just for that, I won't hold his disgraceful actions in Lotus Flower Blessed Land against him."

Suishan Great God mocked, "Even if you wanted to cross swords with him now, could you?"

The old scholar said earnestly, "We scholars must still use reason to determine superiority. Fighting and killing, even if it shatters the heavens, is not true skill."

Suishan Great God, for once, did not retort.

The old scholar folded his hands in his sleeves. The gale on Suishan Peak raged fiercely, causing even the runes on Suishan Great God's golden armor to ripple, but the old scholar's sleeves and hair did not stir in the slightest.

The old scholar said softly, "It is difficult for a sage to die, but difficult for a gentleman to live."

"Among the various schools of thought, only we Confucians do not deliberately emphasize protectors of the Dao. Academies are the greatest protectors of the Dao for the world's scholars. The three great academies and seventy-two academies of the Vast Sky World all have gentlemen who died before becoming sages. I believe that these not-so-clever upright gentlemen are the backbone of this world, capable of..."

The old scholar, having reached this point, suddenly ran out of words, turned his head, and called out, "You big oaf, think of a phrase."

Suishan Great God said calmly, "Standing tall and reaching the heavens."

The old scholar slapped his thigh again, "Excellent!"

Suishan Great God said out of the blue, "You have never been a proper Confucian gentleman."

The old scholar fell silent.

In the Confucian Temple, a sage walked out from his clay statue. The divine platform was extremely high, and the statue was very close to the Most Sage Teacher in the center. He was also leading a boy who had followed him from another realm to the Vast Sky World.

After crossing the threshold with the boy, the sage turned his head to look at the vacant statue position and smiled at the boy, "In the future, you will have the opportunity to compete with someone for that spot."