Leaving

The next three hundred years!

When those lightly spoken words fell upon the ears of tens of thousands, the previously quiet South Mountain erupted into an uproar.

Even with the Imperial Guards at their side, the people could not suppress the shock in their hearts. Even the entire court of civil officials seated at the front lost their composure one after another.

They could hardly restrain themselves.

Although Lin Tuo's tone had been calm, the meaning contained within those mere five words was enough to stir countless people present.

Many exchanged looks, seeing the same thought reflected in one another's eyes:

"Could it be... that this third lesson is actually going to foretell the great events of the next three hundred years?"

In any era, prophecy was an ability that inspired both awe and yearning.

In fact, those divine arts practitioners in the streets and alleys of Chi Kingdom who possessed no magical power often made their living by calculating marriages, wealth, descendants, and the like for others.

Yet today, "Sage Lin" was going to predict the next three hundred years of Chi Kingdom.

How could that not move people?

Seeing this scene, Lin Tuo was not overly surprised. He merely raised a hand and pressed it downward, and the restlessness subsided, returning to calm.

Then he slowly said, "I roughly know what you are thinking, but unfortunately, what I am doing today is not prophecy.

"In fact, from the perspective of scientific thinking, I do not believe that people—or even grander collectives—possess any predetermined fate.

"If fate itself is not fixed, then how could one speak of prediction?"

As his words fell, the tens of thousands of gazes became even more bewildered.

"Master Lin, but you clearly just said..." The young ruler seated in the first row raised his hand to ask, his face full of confusion.

Lin Tuo smiled faintly. "Yes, I did say that I would discuss the next three hundred years, but this is not some mysterious and unfathomable divine ability.

"Rather, it is a judgment—or perhaps an inference—of society's development and evolution over a future period, based on scientific thinking and carried out according to logic. Nothing more."

"Logic... inference?"

Looking at those blank faces, Lin Tuo let out a soft sigh in his heart.

This final lesson was, in truth, simply a retelling of the history humanity on Earth outside the Sandbox had already traversed, with a few changes of clothing.

What he was teaching was "the inevitability of history."

For example, after agricultural reforms in history, large numbers of laborers lost their land and were forced to turn to handicrafts, spurring trade.

When light industry cultivated a great number of skilled workers, machines replaced manual labor, and heavy industry and the factory model naturally emerged in turn. After that came population pouring into cities due to industrial concentration...

This entire historical process was almost an inevitability of social evolution, a "great trend." And amid such changes, countless problems would arise.

What Lin Tuo needed to do was point out this route in advance, along with the difficulties that would inevitably emerge during development, and then tell them the corresponding solutions.

That way, when Chi Kingdom developed to the appropriate stage, it could avoid taking detours.

They could reach the destination in one step, without needing trial and error, advancing along the correct path.

There was another layer to his intentions as well: through this opportunity, he wanted to point Chi Kingdom toward a viable path.

Otherwise, after suddenly acquiring so much foreign knowledge, the people of Chi Kingdom would very likely lose their sense of direction.

And the words of a Sage would, at least for this generation and the coming decades, possess enough authority to push all of Chi Kingdom forward along this clear path of development.

I only hope that what I teach today will not be completely cast aside by later generations...

Lin Tuo sighed inwardly, because:

The only lesson humanity learned from history was that it did not learn any lessons from history.

Perhaps all the experience he taught today would not necessarily be followed.

Perhaps Chi Kingdom's technology tree would branch off elsewhere at some point.

But even if only a small part was passed down, his efforts would not have been in vain.

As for why it was "three hundred years," it was mainly because only two or three hundred years had passed since the Industrial Revolution outside the Sandbox.

Drawing back his thoughts.

Lin Tuo cleared his throat, drawing countless gazes, then gathered his emotions and said with a smile:

"Very well, let us begin the lesson now. Mm, regarding the next three hundred years, I shall roughly divide them into the 'Steam Age,' the 'Electrical Age,' the 'Age of Computing and Information,' and..."

On South Mountain, as Lin Tuo's voice rang out, those bewildered students began recording almost instinctively. Along the way, quite a few of those who had come merely to watch gradually left, but many still remained.

Some could not quite understand the ages and transformations Lin Tuo described.

Others, however, found their eyes growing brighter and brighter, their hearts surging like restless tides, impossible to restrain.

In Tao County, the taverns and teahouses were nearly devoid of patrons and conversation. Only the proprietors remained, clutching rags as they stood at their doors, staring at the empty streets with furrowed brows.

The sun slowly crossed the sky. The clouds above gathered, then scattered; scattered, then gathered again.

"To sum up, this is the grand plan for the next three hundred years that I have inferred—or perhaps planned. With improved agriculture as the prerequisite, gradually carry out pilot programs.

"Establish vocational education and training classes, transition into the light industry stage, then build State-Owned Factories, open commercial activity... begin the processes of industrialization and urbanization..."

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Tuo finally finished recounting the material he had prepared. He tossed down the chalk, clapped his hands, and faced the crowd.

"That is all I wished to teach today. Next comes the question-and-answer session."

As soon as his words fell, a sea of right hands rose in perfect unison from among the thousand tables and chairs outside the academy.

Lin Tuo discovered that he might truly have underestimated these people's intelligence—and even more so, their enthusiasm for asking questions.

Fortunately, he had made ample preparations and had real history as a reference, so he could still barely handle them.

If he encountered a question he could not answer, he could switch his consciousness back to his main body and use a computer to search online... If he truly could not find anything, he could simply reveal a mysterious, "unspeakable" smile and muddle through.

Thus, Lin Tuo refused no one, answering every question one by one.

Without realizing it, another night passed.

When the dawn sun rose and its warm red light illuminated the mountains once more, Lin Tuo finally answered the last question.

"Does anyone else have a question?" he asked, his voice somewhat hoarse.

Looking across the scene, he saw mountains and plains full of people, yet no one answered.

"Very well. Since that is the case, we shall end here." Lin Tuo silently exhaled, then said with a smile.

"Master Lin, could you return to the Capital with me next?" Seeing Lin Tuo's gesture, the young ruler who had gone without sleep all night suddenly rose and asked sincerely.

Yet Lin Tuo shook his head and said:

"These past few days, I have imparted everything I have learned in my life to the world. As for what to do next, that must naturally be left to you. And I... should leave."

Leave?

Hearing this, the young ruler was clearly stunned. "You will not go to the Capital? Then where are you going?"

"The Capital may be fine, but it is not my homeland." Lin Tuo chuckled softly and began following the exit script he had prepared. "As for me, naturally I must return to where I came from."

As soon as his words fell, Lin Tuo swiftly switched his consciousness back to his main body without waiting for the ruler to react.

Lishan Martial Arts School.

Lin Tuo slowly rose, dispersed the clouds in the sky, then carefully extended one finger into the Sandbox and lowered it onto that tiny mountain peak.

Then he controlled the Avatar and made it leap.

Tao County, South Mountain.

The young ruler only saw the "Master Lin" before him suddenly close his eyes and stand where he was. Then he lightly leaped toward the air, and then—

This Sage, who had been guided here by the "Celestial," actually floated in midair just like that. Spreading his arms, bathing in the strange divine radiance that illuminated mountains and rivers, he slowly flew toward the sky!

"Ah!"

"Th-this is..."

"Look! Master Lin... no, Sage Lin, he..."

This scene immediately drew countless cries of alarm.

The tens of thousands of students rose to their feet almost simultaneously. Some even knocked over their desks, paper, and brushes, yet no one cared!

Everyone stared with their eyes wide open, gazing in disbelief at that figure "walking through the void," their hearts and minds violently shaken!

"Farewell, Sage!"

Suddenly, some minister was the first to come to his senses. He dropped to his knees with a thud, raised both arms high, and shouted loudly.

The next moment, the crowd frozen in place finally awoke and understood something.

No command was needed.

Tens of thousands, including the Chi Kingdom Ruler, performed the grand kneeling salute at once, raising their arms and crying out in unison like a mountain-shaking roar:

"Farewell, Sage!"

"Farewell, Sage!!"

"Farewell, Sage!!!"

In the distance, as Lin Tuo bathed in "divine radiance" and flew into the air.

At the foot of the mountain, throughout Tao County, countless citizens seemed to receive enlightenment as though blessings had descended upon their hearts. Facing South Mountain, hearing the cries of tens of thousands coming from ahead, they instinctively performed the grand salute and joined in.

At the same time.

Above the Sandbox, Lin Tuo saw a new record appear at the proper moment on the Virtual Panel's Operation Log:

In the spring of the 561st year of the Dachi Dynasty, "Sage Lin" lectured for five days and four nights on South Mountain in Tao County. At dawn on the sixth day, he bathed in divine radiance and departed by walking through the void. On that day, one hundred thousand officials and citizens bid farewell to the Sage. Their cries carried for ten li and did not cease for several days.

Thanks to readers Feng Ni Tongxie, Tianyu She Renping Yu, Reader 20180717162737507, Kis Si, ZERO Lingchen, Yun Xiaomiao Zhengzai Shuijiao zZ, Nuan Baobao, CLAY the Clown Is Laughing at You, the Second-Grade Cowherd, Red Car Black Horse, Broken Dream Remaining Life, Kunlun Mountain Urging-Update Fleet, and See You Tomorrow for their rewards and support~