Studying to Become a Saint

The Divine Constable Bureau's mission this time was not only to recover the Buddhist Treasure but also to capture Duan Qianze of the Kongkong Sect, who had stolen imperial treasures, and imprison him in Changping Prison as a warning to others.

At the very least, bringing back Duan Qianze's corpse would suffice to complete the task.

The current situation, where nothing had been accomplished, could be considered the worst possible outcome.

Ning Xueyan's expression turned extremely grim upon hearing this.

After Duan Qianze deliberately scattered the Vajra Bodhi Bracelet, she could no longer use Daoist Arts to track his movements, as the tracking spell was cast upon the bracelet itself.

As for the tracking Daoist Arts cast on Duan Qianze's clothing, they had been discarded after he discovered them.

"Sir, an urgent letter has arrived from the Divine Capital."

At that moment, a Divine Constable Bureau member from a distance ran over quickly and handed over the letter.

Ning Xueyan took it and quickly opened it.

After reading the contents of the letter, her face changed drastically.

"All members of the Divine Constable Bureau, cease your search operations and return with me to the Divine Capital."

Ning Xueyan issued the order rapidly and then set off immediately.

She could no longer concern herself with finding the Buddhist Treasure or capturing Duan Qianze for the time being.

"Yes, Sir."

Seeing this, the other members of the Divine Constable Bureau knew that something major must have happened in the Divine Capital, otherwise Ning Xueyan wouldn't be in such a hurry. After sending the return signal, they all followed closely in Ning Xueyan's footsteps.

A small courtyard beside Yuanhe Street in Anyuan Town.

"Mr. Xuanming, I've read many books, but I still don't understand the principle that 'reading is also cultivation.' I hope you can guide me."

Shi Yi arrived at Lou Xuanming's residence and asked directly.

"How have you been with the Four Books and Five Classics?"

Lou Xuanming didn't answer directly but asked in return.

"I have memorized the contents, but I am still contemplating their true meaning," Shi Yi replied.

He had already gone through the Four Books and Five Classics these past few days, and while he had memorized their content, he was still slowly comprehending and understanding the deeper meanings within.

Unlike modern vernacular, the Four Books and Five Classics were written in a more classical style. While they could be easily translated into simpler terms, they contained profound principles that invited deep thought.

Shi Yi's language skills were good, but he still needed time to fully grasp and internalize the knowledge.

He had been drinking the Hundred-Year Stone Milk every day, which put him in an excellent state for learning, allowing his progress to be remarkably rapid.

"The process of you comprehending the true meaning of the books is cultivation itself."

"You may not see it now, but you will understand it in the future."

Lou Xuanming felt a sense of admiration for Shi Yi's learning progress.

With such learning ability, if he could calmly study for a few more years, he would undoubtedly achieve success in the imperial examinations and acquire true scholarship.

However, seeing Shi Yi's still confused expression, he thought for a moment and continued:

"The Sages of ancient times were not born as Sages. Some achieved sainthood through arduous cultivation, some through innate talent, some through battle, and others through scholarly pursuits."

"The true meanings within books are myriad, but as long as one is willing to invest time and effort, accumulating knowledge bit by bit, like rivers flowing into the sea, one can eventually enlighten the Dao and become a Sage through study."

"A great scholar once studied for sixty years, and in a single moment, he attained enlightenment, transcended tribulation, and became a venerable Sage, an immortal expert."

"His name is still preserved within Jixia Academy to this day."

Lou Xuanming explained in more detail, also intending to guide Shi Yi in his studies.

Perhaps Shi Yi had good martial arts talent, but that didn't preclude him from studying; achieving both was not impossible.

At least, since he had met Shi Yi, he felt that Shi Yi possessed the capability for it.

"Thank you for your guidance, Sir."

Shi Yi understood after listening to Lou Xuanming's words.

It wasn't that this world had a Confucian Dao, but rather that the path of cultivation, once it reached a certain level, led to the same destination through different routes.

For example, in reading, after reaching a certain level, one would comprehend the Daoist Arts hidden within heaven and earth, thus becoming a master of Daoist Arts.

This was also the meaning behind Lou Xuanming's earlier statement that 'reading is also cultivation.'

"It's good that you understand."

"In a few days, I plan to go on a period of traveling and studying. After that, I will participate in this year's autumn imperial examination."

"The educational matters here will be suspended starting tomorrow, and my return will be no earlier than after the autumn examination."

"If you wish to borrow books, you can come over these next two days."

"After I depart, if you encounter any questions you don't understand, you can go to Ninghe County to consult a good friend of mine."

"My friend is exceptionally learned. He and I had originally planned to participate in this year's preliminary imperial examination together, but unfortunately, his beloved mother passed away, forcing him to miss this year's examination."

"If you encounter any problems you don't understand, you can ask him about them. Given my relationship with him, I believe he will answer some of your questions."

Lou Xuanming spoke as he produced a prepared letter and handed it to Shi Yi.

It was clear Lou Xuanming had written it in advance.

He had already made arrangements for the matter of traveling for his studies.

"Anyuan Town isn't large. If you want to go further on your cultivation path, you should go out and see more of the world."

"My friend also enjoys making friends with intelligent people."

Lou Xuanming knew Shi Yi's capabilities.

Whether it was the Martial Path or academics, Shi Yi was far beyond ordinary people.

To quote Zhao Cheng's words when he asked Lou Xuanming to teach Shi Yi basic literacy, Shi Yi's bone structure for the Martial Path was exceptional, and he was destined to enter the Anhe Martial Arts School in Ninghe County.

And after seeing Shi Yi's academic ability, he felt that as long as Shi Yi didn't limit himself to one place, leaving the county town wouldn't be a problem at all.

As for how far he could go, that would depend on Shi Yi himself!

In this process, he would act as a guide, but ultimately, it would depend on Shi Yi's personal choices.

"Thank you, Mr. Xuanming. This student is deeply grateful," Shi Yi said, bowing as he accepted the letter.

He could feel Lou Xuanming's goodwill. This goodwill was pure and very rare.

Especially in this world, it was truly hard to come by.

"Read well, and read a lot," Lou Xuanming said, patting Shi Yi on the shoulder with a smile.

When Shi Yi left the small courtyard, he carried many books with him, all from Lou Xuanming's collection.

Shi Yi intended to copy them all.

He had originally planned to take his time, but now that Lou Xuanming was leaving Anyuan Town and wouldn't return until after the autumn imperial examination, he had to speed things up.

He decided to use his electronic copying method to transcribe all the books in Lou Xuanming's residence.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to borrow them after Lou Xuanming left.

Books in this era were not easy to borrow; without the right connections, one simply couldn't get them.

Even if one wanted to buy them, it wasn't a simple matter.

It was unlike Earth, where most knowledge could be found online.

"For the next few days, I'll focus most of my energy on copying books," Shi Yi thought to himself.

"Once the books are copied, I can slowly go through and study them."

"Since I now know that academic success also aids in cultivating the Dao, I should invest more effort there!"

Shi Yi silently reflected on Lou Xuanming's recent words.

The phrase 'one enlightenment, transcend tribulation and become a Saint' had deeply shaken him.

At the same time, it had opened a new door for Shi Yi, offering another path for his cultivation journey.

This path required a lot of reading.