Only at the Mahayana Stage Does the Reversal System Appear - Chapter 428

Chapter 426 The Legend of the Confucian Sage

“We’ve opened a school to teach children from a young age. It just so happens that we’re currently studying the sayings of the Confucian sage. If you’re not busy, why not study together?” the Confucian cultivator invited Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu.

“Okay.”

…

Before the three even stepped foot into the school, they heard the students reading aloud.

“The Confucian sage said: ‘Isn’t it a pleasure to learn and practice what you have learned? Is it not a joy to have friends from afar? Is it not a virtue to remain undisturbed when others do not know you?'”

The students repeated these words intently, while the teacher, measuring tape in hand, bobbed his head at the podium, lost in the thought.

The three sat in the last row, not interrupting the teacher’s lecture.

“Good, everyone read very well. The words of Confucian sages should be recited repeatedly to understand their meaning. As you grow older and gain more knowledge, you will have new insights into the words of Confucian sages. I am three hundred years old this year. I have been reading the sayings of Confucian sages for three hundred years, and I still have new insights. I feel that the wisdom of Confucian sages is as deep as the ocean.”

“You only need to understand the superficial meaning now. For example, if people don’t know you and you don’t get angry, isn’t that a gentleman? For example, if people don’t know you, but you don’t get angry, this is what a gentleman should do.”

“In this life, cultivators seek to become immortals, seek fame, wealth and power. Although gentlemen also pursue fame and cultivation, the prerequisite for pursuing these is to have ‘virtue’. Fame without virtue can only be a bad reputation. Cultivation without virtue is a cultivator who brings disaster to one side.”

“For example, the middle one among the three people who just came in, yes, that’s you.” Master Wang pointed at Jiang Li.

“You should be a new member of the Gentlemen’s Society. What’s your name? Let’s see if others know you. Will you be angry about not being famous?”

Jiang Li stood up, thought for a moment, and decided to tell the truth: “My name is Jiang Li.”

The teacher nodded: “Okay, who of you knows Jiang… Wait, your name is Jiang Li?!”

Why don’t you say your name is Bai Hongtu?

“The one next to you, what’s your name?”

“My name is Bai Hongtu.”

The teacher felt that the class could not continue. Who has the most famous name? Tell me who it is. If you have the guts, say your name is Yu Yin! Seeing this, the

Confucian cultivator tried to smooth things over: “Master Wang, please forgive me. These two new brothers like to joke around.” Master

Wang waved his hand, indicating that he didn’t care: “Let’s continue studying the sayings of the Confucian sages.”

“The Confucian sage said: When you see a virtuous person, you should think about how to emulate him; when you see an unvirtuous person, you should reflect on yourself.”

Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu looked at each other and began to reflect on themselves.

Master Wang was very satisfied to see the two men quiet down, and continued, “The Confucian sage also said: ‘To know what you know, and to know what you don’t know is knowledge.'”

“The Confucian sage tells us that if you know, you know, and if you don’t know, you don’t know. Don’t pretend

to know when you don’t.” “For example, let me ask you, there are many versions of ‘The Biography of Emperor Jiang,’ but do you know where Emperor Jiang and Sect Leader Bai Hongtu first met?”

“The Sword Tomb,” Bai Hongtu answered immediately.

“… Another question. When Emperor Jiang defeated Bai Hongtu and became the only candidate for Emperor Ren, what was the first thing the Old Man Emperor said to him?”

“Thank goodness you’re here, otherwise Bai Hongtu would have been Emperor Ren.” Jiang Li answered immediately.

“What does the “Hua Shen” in the “Hua Shen” stage mean?

” “Transforming all things into the God within one’s heart.”

“How does one achieve the unity of the three in the “Fusion” stage?

” “The mind moves with will, comprehending the Great Dao, and the body and form merge.”

“When the Heavenly Ladder to Immortality still existed, what was the probability of becoming an Earthly Immortal during the   ”Duan Jie” stage?”

“Eighty-six percent.”   ”How many steps are there to becoming an Earthly Immortal through the “Duan Jie”?” “Overcoming the Immortal Tribulation involves transforming spiritual energy into immortal power and then into an immortal body.”   ”How does an Earthly Immortal become a Heavenly Immortal… never mind, I won’t ask.   I don’t know that either.” “Do you understand? This is what the Confucian sages said: To know what you know and to know what you don’t know is true knowledge.” Master Wang gritted his teeth. He had finally expressed what he wanted to say, but the way he expressed it was a little different.   The Confucian cultivators hurriedly pulled the two graduates out of the academy.   Jiang Li, after listening to a class and gaining new insights, suddenly asked, “Speaking of which, do you know the relationship between the Confucian sages and the Daoist ancestors?” Jiang Li   hadn’t paid much attention to the relationship between the top leaders of the immortal world before, but now that he was in a situation of confrontation with the immortal world, he felt it was best to understand it first.   The main concern was that if they fought, no one would know.   The Confucian cultivator smiled bitterly: “How could a mere Confucian scholar like me know this?”   Jiang Li was not asking about the Jindan stage Confucian cultivator, but Bai Hongtu.   Bai Hongtu thought for a while and said, “There is definitely no relationship between our ancestor and the Confucian Sage. The two people lived in very different eras. As for whether the ancestor met the Confucian Sage after he ascended to heaven, I think he didn’t.”   ”If you ask about the Confucian Sage and the Taoist Ancestor of the Immortal Realm, there are quite a few legends about this. But as you know, legends can’t even be said to be nine true and one false or nine false and one true.”   ”Tell me about it.”   ”Legend has it that the ancestors of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in the Immortal Realm – the Taoist Ancestor, the Confucian Sage and the Buddha were born at the beginning of the Immortal Realm. Even if there are later ones who surpass them and become beings of the same level as them, they are not as senior as these three in terms of seniority and cultivation. It can be said that these three are the oldest beings, with endless lifespans, longer than the heaven and earth.”   ”However, there are also rumors that the Taoist Ancestor was born earlier than the Confucian Sage. At that time, the Taoist Ancestor became a Taoist and took charge of the Taoist Canon. He was the number one person in the Immortal Realm. The Confucian Sage, who had not yet achieved enlightenment, once sought the Tao from the Taoist Ancestor.”   ”No one knows what the Confucian Sage asked the Daoist Ancestor, nor how the Daoist Ancestor responded. All we know is that after leaving the Daoist Ancestor, the Confucian Sage began to travel the immortal realms, spreading Confucian teachings. He also transformed into countless incarnations, teaching the myriad realms. Many beings in other worlds only awakened their spiritual wisdom after listening to the Confucian Sage’s lectures, understanding honor and disgrace, knowing shame, and knowing how to practice.”   ”The Confucian Sage’s actions benefited all realms, a tremendous merit. With this merit, coupled with his own natural talent, he successfully achieved enlightenment and became a Confucian Sage on par with the Daoist Ancestor.”   ”However, the people of Dongzhong believe that the Daoist Ancestor is disparaging Confucianism and have always refused to acknowledge this legend.”

“Although I dislike Dong Zhongren, objectively speaking, I have to admit that his suspicions are somewhat justified. The immortal world has existed for countless millennia, and Earthly Immortals, Celestial Immortals, and even Golden Immortals have all fallen over the eons. The relationship between the Daoist Ancestor and the Confucian Sage is known only to the Buddha himself. Perhaps the Buddha knows, but he’s always mumbling, so it’s as if he didn’t say anything.”

“These two didn’t speak, leaving the Buddha as the riddle teller. Later generations used their imaginations to fabricate a multitude of legends, nearly rivaling the number of versions in the ‘Biography of Emperor Jiang Ren’. There’s even a legend that the Daoist Ancestor and the Confucian Sage were master and disciple, and that their differing philosophies led to their split into Confucianism and Taoism.”

Jiang Li instantly gained a direct understanding of the sheer number of legends surrounding the Daoist Ancestor and the Confucian Sage.

“Brother Bai is truly erudite.” The Confucian cultivator listened to the two men’s conversation as if they were listening to a heavenly book. He had truly gained a lot of knowledge today.

At this moment, someone hurried over and shouted, “The Shushan Society has come to challenge our Junzi Society again! They’ve even kidnapped one of our people!”

The Confucian cultivator was furious upon hearing this: “This is outrageous! Brother Tang, Brother Bai, let’s go to the Shushan Society to get them back!”

Jiang Li was stunned for a moment, turned his head to see who was Brother Tang, and then remembered that his name was now Tang Li.

(End of this chapter)