The Gentleman Carves Jade

Li Qi a lie to intimidate all the fifth-rank officials accompanying the army.

The others didn't know how to refute it, after all, they had never been exposed to the third rank before, and the power of the third rank was something they had never seen before and could not understand.

All their knowledge could only support their understanding. "It's so profound, it must be a third-grade item. In Principal Fifth Rank definitely can't be simulated."

It was precisely this superficial understanding that allowed Li Qi to fool these fifth-rank officials. They could only bow down to the power of the third-rank officials and ultimately give in.

Since Li Qi seemed very confident, and they had no way to refute him, they could only accept it.

So Li Qi left the group and quickly moved forward.

Without the need to lead a large army, traveling alone with light equipment, the speed is indeed much, much faster. Perhaps... he really can make it all by himself.

At this moment, the Balancer, the Child of Destiny of the two Sixth-Rank World, a fifth-rank being created by the balance of yin and yang, looked up in Li Qi's direction.

It seemed that all the fifth-rank officials present had been deceived, and that only he himself had seen through it.

The commander is lying.

Li Qi had no way to prove or find evidence to support his actions, so he simply chose to lie and deceive everyone in order to make way for them and make the claim that the third-rank official was false.

The Balancer noticed this, but instead of exposing it, he was 'tricked' like the other fifth-rank officials and let Li Qi leave.

He looked around and saw the worried expressions on the faces of the others, and he himself also had a worried look with his brows furrowed.

However, he also knew in his heart that there were probably a few of these fifth-rank officials who were just like him.

They all knew Li Qi was lying, but they all willingly fell for it.

Why?

I don't know. Maybe those who know, know?

The commander himself knew that, right? After all, he glanced at him before he left.

After looking around, the balancer focused on continuing its journey.

There's no point in thinking about these things; they have other things to do.

Meanwhile, while Li Qi was traveling alone, Liu Junyi was in seclusion.

That's right, Li Qi's guess was spot on.

Six months ago, Liu Junyi delegated all power to his staff, allowing them to make decisions, while he himself began a period of seclusion to cultivate and break through to the fifth rank.

However, progress has been quite slow.

Logically speaking, it should be a natural thing for him to want to break through, but the timing is wrong, which may affect his future path.

But now that things have come to this, there's no time to worry about that anymore.

However, I feel increasingly lost right now.

The fiercer the battles outside, the more chaotic his mind became. As his mind became chaotic, his cultivation became scattered, making it difficult to break through. He had to put a lot of effort into calming his mind.

Especially since the day before, the Shaman Path suddenly launched an attack.

Although Liu Junyi was in seclusion, he was keeping an eye on the situation outside and reacting at any time. Therefore, he realized Li Qi's intentions immediately after the defeat at the front line, and he even had a vague idea of what was going on.

Li Qi has reached the fifth rank.

Therefore, Liu Junyi made a bold decision.

He continued to tighten the defensive lines, and then sent all his forces to the front lines.

At this moment, only Liu Junyi remained in Gansong City; all the fighting force had gone to the front lines.

He cultivated alone in this empty lair, all of which was done on his orders.

The staff initially disagreed, but Liu Junyi, in his capacity as Great General of the Right Martial Guard, intimidated them and forced them to concede, allowing him to remain in the city alone.

He looks exactly like Li Qi.

In that case, there are two possible outcomes.

Firstly, Li Qi was unwilling to come alone. According to Liu Junyi's calculations, the Shaman Path absolutely could not hold out, as he had already sent out all the garrison forces of Gansong City.

The large-scale attack by the Shaman Path could not last long on the War Fortress. Li Qi would die outside before he arrived. That was absolutely certain.

Sending all of Gan Song's garrison forces there was a risky move, but it was very effective. With Gan Song's local garrison forces, the Shaman Path on the front lines could only hold out for two days at most before they had to retreat, otherwise there was a risk of internal strife.

If we don't do this and continue to leave these elite troops in Gansong, the front lines outside will be difficult to hold.

If the front line cannot be held, Gan Song will be in even greater danger. It would be better for everyone to go to the front line to hold off the main army, forcing Li Qi to venture deep into enemy territory alone and confront him.

If Li Qi chooses to go deeper, Li Qi speed in getting there from the front lines will definitely not be enough. The entire defensive force of Gansong City is formidable. As long as we use spatial distance to buy time and also keep Li Qi away from the battlefield, victory at the front lines is a sure thing.

This is the first thing to consider.

Secondly, Li Qi is willing to leave the army alone and rush towards Liu Junyi. As long as Li Qi realizes that the army's speed is definitely not enough, given Li Qi's personality, he will definitely come alone.

After forcing Li Qi to move forward alone, it was time for Liu Junyi to start pushing himself.

If Liu Junyi cannot break through to the fifth rank and become strong enough to fight against Li Qi when Li Qi arrives, then he will lose.

Liu Junyi knew this was risky, but...

He was willing to take the risk. After half a year of seclusion, he knew that even if he focused entirely on his training, he would not be able to advance successfully.

A wise person is hardworking; he cannot simply put aside worldly affairs and retreat into seclusion.

So it's better to leave things as they are now.

Let's have a duel.

The battle outside is already decided; now, the fate of victory or defeat has dramatically fallen on the shoulders of these two individuals.

Li Qi, all alone and full of menacing force, and Liu Junyi, who has driven himself to the brink of despair.

A duel between two people could actually determine the outcome of the entire war zone.

This is really...

What a coincidence.

The operations of both sides were basically evenly matched, and the forces they controlled were also roughly equal. To be honest, the combat power of the Human Path and Shaman Path in this war zone was basically equal.

No one made a mistake, and both sides performed their actions to the extreme. They went back and forth without even having to resort to any tricks.

For them, conspiracies are meaningless, and Winning with a Clever Move; they can only resort to open strategies and defeat their opponents fair and square through strategic planning.

Therefore, after a series of open and covert strategies, the result was... a draw.

In a tie, the last remaining factor is the commanders of both sides.

That is, Liu Junyi and Li Qi.

Liu Junyi, who used to be able to fight three Li Qi at once, is now only a sixth-rank official, while Li Qi is only a fifth-rank official.

Therefore, Liu Junyi is now faced with a very extreme choice.

In the short time it took Li Qi to arrive, he was promoted to the fifth rank.

Or... be killed by Li Qi as soon as they meet.

Liu Junyi was absolutely certain that Li Qi wouldn't waste a single word on him. With the greater good at stake, reminiscing about the past would only be condoning the enemy. The first thing Li Qi would do upon arriving was kill Liu Junyi and then dismantle Gan Song.

Liu Junyi and Li Qi were both well aware of these matters.

All calculations have been exhausted, and all available strategies have been tried. All that remains is the most primitive and least sophisticated hand-to-hand combat.

Who would have thought that in the final battle between the two armies, the two commanders would personally take to the boxing ring to decide the outcome?

It's quite ridiculous, but...

Liu Junyi also realized that perhaps this could be considered a fortuitous opportunity?

Right?

Thinking this way, his agitated heart calmed down.

"The righteousness of a gentleman is to neither avoid what is difficult nor follow what is easy, but only follow what is right. He works at dawn and reflects on himself at dusk, and he does so until his death. This can be called upholding one's duty."

Liu Junyi murmured the words of the sages.

To die for righteousness is to uphold one's principles; such a person can be considered to have upheld his cause.

Isn't that exactly what's happening now?

But perhaps I'm being a bit hesitant and timid?

In the past six months, although he said things like "wait for me to reach the fifth rank" and took all the pressure upon himself, the other Human Path warriors chose to believe in him.

And they believed it without hesitation. So, these people went to their deaths one after another to buy time for Liu Junyi to break through.

But does Liu Junyi himself believe it?

Even if he is a genius, even if he is more outstanding than most people, even if everyone else firmly believes that he can break through to the fifth rank...

However, he himself still had some hesitation.

Is it really that easy to reach the fifth rank?

His Dao heart wavered. Faced with the overwhelming pressure, the reality that he would lose if he didn't break through to the fifth rank, and the soldiers of the Human Path army who were willing to die one after another to buy him time to break through, Liu Junyi's own Dao heart was disturbed.

Although 'calming the mind' seems simple, how many people can actually calm their minds in this situation?

Liu Junyi's Dao heart was actually very firm, but now... when whether or not he broke through was directly linked to the victory of the vanguard battle, even he felt immense pressure.

"I'm still so useless," Liu Junyi sighed.

To speak of the Way without fully realizing one's nature is like trying to make a vessel without carving jade.

He himself has not even grasped his own nature, so what makes him think he can talk about the 'Tao'?

To expect to make something into a useful object without first carving it is nothing but wishful thinking.

So, let's work on jade carving.

Let the vanguard battle be fought, let Li Qi come personally, and let him carve jade for Liu Junyi.

If it's broken...

Then let it break.

Thinking this way, Liu Junyi's heart miraculously calmed down.

Faced with the prospect of 'shattering jade,' he seemed to be able to calm down.

In Liu Junyi's mind, the words Liu Donghe had said to him when he first chose Confucianism came to mind.

"Junyi, if you want to follow the path of a gentleman, do you know what a gentleman is? Even a great Confucian scholar would not dare to call himself a gentleman."

At the time, Liu Junyi did not know what this meant, but he said, "If a gentleman can save the world and help the people, and bring about harmony to the world, then I will definitely become a gentleman."

Because of this answer, Liu Donghe laughed heartily, and then began to cultivate Liu Junyi according to the standards of a gentleman.

This is very bitter, not just ordinary bitterness.

A virtuous person takes the world and its people as their duty, poetry, books, rites, music, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals as their lifeblood, the decline of the world as their concern, and supporting the world and its teachings, and promoting change as their joy.

Do not be stingy with what you have, so that you may share it with those who do good.

Do not cease your arguments, so that those who criticize my doctrines and try to sway my followers will fear them;

Do not advocate doubt, but let those who have evidence from the ancients and those who have gained their own understanding go first;

Do not underestimate the achievements, so that the world and the nation may have no place where they cannot find the right path.

Therefore, a virtuous person is resolute and swift, kind and profound, wise and discerning, trustworthy and prudent. He is as gentle as timely rain and as resounding as thunder and lightning. He studies diligently and never grows old.

What he pursues are wisdom, benevolence, courage, and skill.

He governed the world and the nation in a time of great upheaval and upheaval, and made up for the deficiencies of heaven, earth, and humanity, in a time of profound sorrow and despair.

How difficult this is! How high the requirements are!

The wisdom sought is one that transcends the past and present, and connects with the wisdom of Celestial Person;

The benevolence sought is to protect the people and all things, which is the same as the benevolence of covering and supporting all things.

The courage sought is the courage to overcome adversity and to ward off humiliation;

The art sought is the art of establishing proper systems and detailing virtues.

Now, he seems to understand.

People exist before there is a nation; teachers exist before there are people; the Way exists before there are teachers; human nature exists before there is the Way.

Human Path is what teachers impart and uphold, and what they seek in imparting knowledge is humanity itself.

What Heaven ordains is called human nature; following one's nature is called the path; cultivating the Way is called teaching.

Therefore, a virtuous person cannot be ignorant of the "Way" and cannot fail to fully realize their "nature".

Only the most sincere in the world can fully realize their nature; if they can fully realize their nature, they can fully realize the nature of others; if they can fully realize the nature of others, they can fully realize the nature of all things; if they can fully realize the nature of all things, they can assist in the transformative and nurturing processes of Heaven and Earth; if they can assist in the transformative and nurturing processes of Heaven and Earth, they can be on par with Heaven and Earth.

To achieve this is what is meant by "knowing" and "fulfilling one's nature."

He failed to 'fulfill his desires' and was thus troubled by various restless emotions, which in turn affected his progress and caused the bottlenecks he had previously overcome to reappear.

Now, as Li Qi draws ever closer, he has finally regained the calm state of mind he had when he was studying at the Imperial Academy.

Liu Junyi's foundation in Dao is his Dao heart.

When the mind is settled, the foundation of the Way is established.

He was appointed commander in the name of Human Path, responsible for securing victory in the vanguard battle.

Those who are given orders should go straight ahead, so that they will not fear the enemy's obstruction above, nor the slander from the masses below.

If one is not afraid of being hindered by the enemy, then one's wisdom and decisiveness are sufficient to make one's own decisions.

If one is not afraid of the slanderous remarks of the masses, then one can thoroughly investigate the root cause of the matter and then stop.

Thus, all roots and stems were obtained.

Yes, that's the key point.

He is Human Path, and what he seeks is naturally 'harmony among people'.

What is meant by "harmony among people"?

When everyone is of one mind, even if separated by thousands of miles, they are all in one room and in one hall. The atmosphere inside and outside is the same, and the spirit from top to bottom is the same. This is what is meant by "harmony among people".

However, while everyone believed in him wholeheartedly and was willing to sacrifice themselves to buy him time, he was wallowing in self-pity and worrying that he couldn't do it...

When those above and below cannot be of one mind, the people and the community fall apart, and naturally nothing can be accomplished.

Realizing this, as Li Qi drew closer and moved faster, Liu Junyi became increasingly calm, even closing his eyes.

I felt it.

Although his eyes were closed, his gaze and his power emanated outwards.

As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement.

To be vigorous and tireless is the way of Heaven; to achieve success through self-improvement is the duty of a virtuous person...

No, that statement is wrong.

Is this ceaseless striving, the destiny of Heaven?

To be vigorous and tireless is the destiny of humankind!

Liu Junyi opened his eyes and suddenly stood up.

Now, facing difficulties, we bear the great responsibility of defending our territory.

When faced with great hardship, righteousness will prevail.

A virtuous person upholds righteousness, integrity, and the land, and should never cease doing so!

The confusion in my heart vanished instantly, Dao heart became clear.

Although now is not the best time for a breakthrough, and even after a breakthrough, he will not be in the best state, and it will also affect his future Dao Path, preventing him from being 'perfect' indefinitely.

But it doesn't matter—

Fifth rank achieved.

At that very moment, Li Qi, with the force of a thunderbolt, slammed down upon Gansong City.

Li Qi arrived.

Just as Li Qi arrived, he suddenly landed outside Gansong City. At the very moment he was trying to demolish the city wall, Liu Junyi also broke through.

Their auras clashed, and in an instant, they both became aware of each other's presence.

What a coincidence...