Four Paintings

"Not being too literal, that's roughly the idea. The real definition is to accelerate or slow down the assembly process through catalytic or non-catalytic methods, transmit the spatial information needed for assembly, and at the same time suppress incorrect side reactions during assembly."

Si Ming looked at Xiao Xuan and said, "Therefore, this crystal can help catalyze the emergence of other Primordial Species."

Let's just think of it that way; it's the closest we can get.

"May I be so bold as to ask, Master, what is the purpose of your painstaking efforts to obtain this crystal?"

Xiao Xuan smiled but didn't answer, instead changing the subject to something completely unrelated. "You wrote a novel called 'Ghosts and Gods Metropolis,' and 'Sima Kongming' is your pen name, right?"

Si Ming was puzzled as to why the other party had suddenly brought up this matter, and hurriedly said, "I didn't expect that my senior uncle had also read my humble work. This makes me feel uneasy. If there is anything you are not satisfied with, please don't take it to heart. After all, it is just a novel and should not be taken seriously."

He didn't think the other party would be his fan. Although "Ghosts and Gods Metropolis" had a novel setting as a selling point in the Sea Continent novel world, the plot was not outstanding and did not explore the connotation of human nature. In particular, the current plot has not yet reached the stage of major turning point. The early content is about the protagonist getting a cheat and killing all sides, winning status and the favor of beautiful women. It emphasizes excitement, flatness and speed, which is completely the rhythm of a novice online novel.

This kind of content is enough to fool the uncultured and entertain the masses, but it would be completely beneath the notice of a former Grandmaster like Xiao Xuan, who was well-versed in classics, insightful about the past and present, highly talented, and proficient in astronomy, geography, chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, history, and military affairs.

The Grandmaster of the Mohist school Mohist School were basically monsters who were like human libraries. If no one in the present day could meet their standards, they would rather leave the position vacant than accept someone who was just a mediocre person.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Xuan said, "It's not that I'm dissatisfied, it's that I'm extremely satisfied! Putting the plot aside for now, the communism that appears in bits and pieces through the protagonist's words is truly a magnificent ideological system that has given me great inspiration. If the content can be perfected, it will definitely be a groundbreaking school of thought, adding a 'Communist School' to the Hundred Schools of Thought!"

His eyes gleamed with a sharp, compelling light. "Admittedly, many insights in communism coincide with Mohist School thought, especially the primary stage of socialism mentioned in the book. It's clear that much of the content is simply a repackaging of Mohist School ideas. But to have achieved this is already quite an accomplishment. Even if you can't establish a new school of thought called 'Communist School,' it's at least a New Mohist Studies. I can't say for sure that communism is the future of Mohist School, but it's at least a direction to move forward!"

"..."

Si Ming opened his mouth slightly, but couldn't say a word.

When he was writing the book, he did consider that the communist ideas he casually added might cause some kind of ideological shock and arouse public opinion. However, he did not think that those big shots would have the time to read his novel, and ordinary people who read it might not be able to understand the meaning behind communism, and would only regard it as the author's imagination.

Secondly, Sea Continent has a strong academic atmosphere, and the people are used to the free exchange of ideas rather than the exclusive veneration of Confucianism. All sorts of strange and unusual ideas are present, and "communism" is not a rare thing.

It is said that some people believe that felines are the most perfect creatures in the world, and have extended the habits of felines to human society, writing many papers and proposing to establish a "Meow School" based on this. At the same time, some people have proposed to establish a "Dog School" in response. Although these two groups are just jokes and not worth mentioning, they can be seen from the fact that the social atmosphere at that time was tolerant of unconventional ideas.

Si Ming never expected that Xiao Xuan, a big shot who should be busy with important matters every day, would not rack his brains to think about how to take revenge on his family after escaping, but instead had the leisure to read light novels. And to make matters worse, he came across the novel written by Si Ming.

Even though he only touched on it briefly in the book, Xiao Xuan's vision and wisdom were enough to see the value hidden behind those few words. His explanation of "productive forces," "relations of production," and "means of production" alone was no less than opening a door to a new world for him.

Xiao Xuan praised, "You should write more about communism in your books in the future. By the way, you mentioned capitalism in your book before. Judging from the name, it should be a modified version of Yang Zhu's thought, right? Its contradiction with socialism implies the relationship of 'If the world does not return to Mozi, it will return to Yang Zhu,' right?"

Si Ming admired his senior master immensely; he could discern the significance in just one name.

The "Yang" in question refers to Yang Zhu, the founder of the Yang Zhu School Daoist School. The most representative quote of his thought is "If plucking a single hair could benefit the whole world, I would not do it." This means that even if plucking a single hair from myself could benefit the whole world, I have the right not to do it. This is pure egoism.

Many people mistakenly believe that he meant that even if plucking a single hair could benefit the whole world, he would not do it. This is a misunderstanding, because Yang Zhu's original words were. "The ancients would not give up even a hair to benefit the world; they would not accept the whole world to serve themselves. If everyone refrained from giving up even a hair and did not seek to benefit the world, the world would be at peace."

Yang Zhu meant that I can choose to pull it out or not; it is my own right to do so, and no one can force me to do so, nor can they force me not to pull it out.

To put it in a well-known phrase, "Private property is sacred and inviolable."

In contrast, the Mohist School advocated for the public good. If the situation were the same, the Mohist School would definitely pluck out all the hairs on their bodies.

If a powerful being were to tell Mozi that cutting off his head would bring happiness and peace to all the people in the world, he would not hesitate to cut off his own head.

If it were Yang Zhu, he would scoff. "What do I care about the happiness of the world!"

History always progresses in a spiral. In the past, it was a conflict between Yang Zhu and Mozi. More than two thousand years later, it has become a conflict between capitalism and socialism. It still cannot escape the strange cycle of the struggle between selfishness and the idea of working together.

However, by the time of Si Ming's life, most Chinese people despised the things passed down from their ancestors, considering them all dross, while applauding foreign imports, believing them to be the essence. Upon hearing the saying "The wind can enter, the rain can enter, but the king cannot enter," Celestial Person were immediately amazed, marveling that the moon in foreign countries was indeed rounder than the one in China.

Little did they know that if this statement had been made more than two thousand years ago, it would have been ridiculed by the followers of Yang Zhu School as "shallow and vulgar" and "parroting others' ideas."

The things our ancestors looked down upon have become treasures in the eyes of their descendants. If our ancestors knew this in the afterlife, they would probably just say, "What does it have to do with me?" At least that's what Yang Zhu's disciples would think.

Si Ming replied listlessly, "It was just a wild idea of mine. It came to me by chance while I was writing. If you asked me to actually write down the whole theory, I couldn't do it even if you killed me."

He was truly afraid that Xiao Xuan would one day raise the banner of communist revolution in the Su State and then claim that he found inspiration in "Ghosts and Gods Metropolis," in which case he would be unable to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

"The phrase 'a stroke of genius' is a very vivid metaphor, far surpassing the literary talent you display in writing novels. In short, write as much as you can think of; I won't force you."

If Si Ming were to write down the entire theory of communism, Xiao Xuan would inevitably become suspicious, thinking that it was written by some great thinker. He would be more accepting of the scattered fragments.

Suddenly, Murong Qing interjected, "So, Master Uncle, you induced Shi Kelang to perform this ceremony knowing that the current situation would arise?"

At some point, the believers stopped thanking the Primordial Ancestor Great Immortal and instead grieved and wept for the deaths of their companions or howled in agony over their own injuries.

Near the altar, corpses lay scattered on the ground, all civilians who had perished in the attack by the Primordial Species.

Chapter 176 Four Paintings

Faced with Murong Qing's questioning, Xiao Xuan could claim that he hadn't thought things through and hadn't considered the consequences. Although the reason was rather clumsy, it was still a reason, and no one could accuse him of lying.

Acting without considering the consequences is different from acting despite considering the consequences. It's like manslaughter versus intentional homicide; both are crimes, but the severity of the punishment differs.

However, Xiao Xuan did not do so. He was a proud man and disdained to lie about such matters.

"That's right. I anticipated casualties. The plan was to subdue the Primordial Species mother the moment she appeared, and then control the other Primordial Species. Unfortunately, an accident occurred on the way, which delayed us and prevented us from arriving in time."

Murong Qing to Heart Moon Fox and said, "You could have simply ordered her to stop the ceremony."

"I didn't give the order because we need to wait for the next suitable opportunity, and I don't know how long that will take. I don't have that much time," Xiao Xuan said, his gaze sweeping over the ruins around him, his heart as hard as stone, unwavering in the slightest. "This is a necessary sacrifice."

Murong Qing refused to back down. "I heard from my master that my former senior uncle was a person who understood the suffering of the people, who put the people's hearts as his own, and who was a hero who would rather sacrifice himself to save others. Such a hero would never utter words like 'necessary sacrifice'!"

"The hero Xiao Xuan is dead, dead in the vast snow-capped mountains of Deep Blue Plateau. Standing before you is a heartless, ambitious man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals."

Xiao Xuan's eyes sharpened, radiating immense power, vast and overwhelming like the collapse of the sky, turning day into night in an instant, plunging people into an uncontrollable panic.

He Qichang on the periphery, was affected and couldn't help but take a few steps back until the pressure on his mind weakened to a level he could bear. The fur on Heart Moon Fox's tail stood on end from the stimulation, and it was difficult for him to maintain his human form. Traces of bestiality appeared on various parts of his body. Si Ming also felt his scalp tingling, but he understood the Dao Heart, was determined on his own path, and had the Blazing Yang Battle Art, a Cultivation Method specifically designed to counter darkness. He also showed fear on the surface.

Murong Qing was the first to be hit. A sense of fear, as if she had encountered her natural enemy, swept over her. It was as if an invisible hand was choking her throat, stimulating her survival instincts and causing her to involuntarily retreat. Her pretty face turned pale with shock.