Teacher, Hear Your Disciple Out...

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

The usually kind Zhou Dongyi was now furious. His aged face was filled with undisguised rage. Combined with his identity, status, and the Force of Order that matched his Literary Thought, his anger immediately stirred up a storm on a level that was difficult for others to see!

The scholars downstairs and upstairs felt a chill run down their spines, but they didn't know why.

But this was just the beginning. Apart from Zhou Dongyi, the other Grand Confucian and teachers in the room also looked displeased. Xu Shi from the Ritual Reverence Academy had a livid face, while Pang Chu from Thousand Books Studio had a furrowed brow.

Even Han Yi and Junior Chen looked unhappy. In the whole room, only the old man Zheng Qiu from the Spring and Autumn Academy remained calm. However, even so, one could still see a clue from the old man's withered old hands that were tightly gripping the pen and trembling slightly.

No wonder they were angry. This Ancient Scene is something that scholars find hard to give up. When scholars reach their level, fame and fortune are no longer a strong attraction, and they turn to pursue purer truths.

This is actually normal. Most people who still have worldly desires are in officialdom. They don't concern themselves with politics unless they hold a position. Even if people like Han Yi pay attention to the current situation, they no longer think about it simply from the perspective of the court and the dynasty. Instead, they turn their attention to everything around them.

The truth is hidden all around us. There is reason in natural disasters and man-made calamities, and even in the mundane. The right way is to summarize a set of rules from the events of the world and the things around us, combine them with our own school of thought, develop the doctrines of the academy, and pass them down to future generations.

In this context, the scenes of High Antiquity have special value. Although Human Path was not as developed then, it was also less complicated than it is today, making it easier to see the essence of things.

To put it simply, Human Path is like a tree. In High Antiquity, the branches and leaves had been removed, leaving only the trunk, which is the Origin Source of everything. Understanding its true meaning allows us to better grasp the direction and prevent the tree from becoming crooked or dying.

However, understanding the Ancient Scene is not easy, because few people have ever witnessed that era firsthand. Most people can only speculate based on what is recorded in books, compare it with their own lives, and guess the circumstances and thoughts of Sage when they wrote their books. This is how they annotate classic texts.

However, different schools of thought and doctrines will have different starting points, and their predictions of High Antiquity will naturally differ. Consequently, the Human Path propositions developed from these differing views may even be completely contradictory, leading to numerous disputes.

However, the Grand Confucian who can reach the level of comprehending the High Antiquity, after a lifetime of ups and downs and a transformation of their State of Mind, are ultimately different from those who cultivate the Way of Nature and Life.

Cultivators who follow the Way of Nature and Life focus on themselves. They strive for longevity and immortality. Over time, with the death of relatives and friends, the cultivator's emotions gradually fade, and they lose feelings for external things, even their own clan and country.

Grand Confucian, however, did not cultivate themselves but focused on Human Path. Ironically, this meant their lives were very short, but it also motivated them to seize every opportunity to learn. Even when they were on their deathbed, if they encountered new knowledge, they would still learn it by the second and leave records for future generations to refer to and learn from.

That is why there is the saying, "If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening." The time between morning and evening is the time to leave records, so as to pass on the Way of Human Path.

Now, the High Antiquity scene that Qiu Yan conjured up was a rare opportunity for Han Yi and the others. The scene was so real and detailed that it was unbelievable. Even if it wasn't real, it still had great reference value. Therefore, they did not hesitate to give up everything else and concentrate on comprehending it.

These High Antiquity scenes are certainly not fabricated by Qiu Yan, but are based on solid evidence.

In his previous life, although the Daoist Divine Ability and supernatural powers had declined, science and technology were advanced. Through archaeological excavations and various instruments, the events of High Antiquity, prehistoric, and primordial times were reconstructed, and scholars of sociology and psychology speculated on the social structure at that time.

In ancient times, such knowledge would have been priceless, often forming the core tradition of a school of thought. However, in Qiu Yan's previous life, with the information explosion, even young children could easily access it. This gave Qiu Yan a general understanding of the Ancient Governance, including its internal social structure and division of labor.

In addition, what's even more coincidental is that Qiu Yan once visited the Land of the Divine Remains, a place where there were also humans, in the early stages of civilization, and their words and actions were almost identical to those of the High Antiquity.

In this way, the High Antiquity appearance of the Land of the Divine Remains, the High Antiquity core learned in the previous life, and the newly comprehended Heart of the Myriad People, together construct an Ancient Scene, which is only natural.

The doctrines of several Grand Confucian originated from the words of Sage. After more than a thousand years of development and refinement, they are no longer what they used to be, but they all share a common origin. Now, given the opportunity to comprehend the Ancient Scene, they have immediately gained much insight!

However, as Qiu Yan gathered his Literary Thought, the Ancient Scene gradually collapsed. It was only with great difficulty that several Grand Confucian and teachers stabilized it with the Force of Order, each using their own Literary Thought to fix a part of the scene and barely maintaining it. As a result, due to a sudden change in the Force of Order, the balance collapsed, and the Ancient Scene vanished!

Even the most good-tempered person couldn't tolerate something like this!

"That brat who manipulates the Force of Order must be punished!" Pang Chu stood up from his seat and uttered these words, preparing to use his Literary Thought to stop the man.

But Junior Chen shook his head. "Although this matter was caused by him, it was an unintentional mistake. How can we hold him accountable?"

Although the others were angry, they had to admit that Junior Chen was right.

"That may be true, but some punishment is still necessary, otherwise wouldn't that be condoning and indulging them? You don't need to worry about this matter, just leave it to me," Zhou Dongyi said, then changed the subject, "The most urgent thing right now is to verify our understanding. Wasn't this Ancient Scene conceived by Qiu Yan? Why don't we ask him about it?"

"That's right," Xu Shi immediately agreed.

Just then, several rapid breaths came from the side. Then Xi Muyuan, Zhen Zhizuo, An Jin, Zheng Yi and other top figures from various academies exhaled and opened their eyes. One by one, they showed joyful expressions. Many of them had changed their spirit and energy, and their eyes shone with a crystal-clear light. This was a sign of great progress in knowledge and a transformation in State of Mind.

Standing beside Zhou Dongyi, Xi Muyuan smiled upon seeing his teacher, calmed his emotions, and uttered, "The people's livelihood is intertwined with their fates, and a person's character is both righteous and wicked. Teacher, I have gained some insights from the experience just now. I know it originates from Qiu Yan's thoughts, but it still has flaws. Please hear me out..."

As he spoke, Xi Muyuan's face showed a sense of open-mindedness and sudden enlightenment. His words echoed in the room, attracting the attention of others. His actions did not seem abrupt. It was common for disciples to share their insights with their teachers and seek their guidance in order to impart knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts.

Xi Muyuan had always acted in this way, offering his insights, receiving praise from Zhou Dongyi, and then some further guidance.

But this time, the situation has changed.

Zhou Dongyi was suppressing his anger and was in a hurry to find Qiu Yan, so he had no mood to listen to Xi Muyuan. Before the other party could finish speaking, he waved his hand and said, "Muyuan, it's good that you've gained something. When we get back to the academy, tell me about it in detail. Qiu Sheng is very learned. You should keep what you've learned from his Literary Thought in mind and ask him for advice more often in the future."

After saying that, the old man saw that the others had all left the room, and not wanting to fall behind, he quickly quickened his pace and rushed over.

"This..."

Zhou Dongyi's departure left Xi Muyuan looking bewildered, and the others were equally confused. When they had their enlightenment, they had been so absorbed in their own world that they had no idea what had happened.

However, since Junior Chen and the others had already left, they dared not stay. They couldn't bear the responsibility if the articles in the room were lost. So, after a moment's hesitation, they followed closely behind the elders and filed out.

As he left, Xi Muyuan felt dazed and empty inside.

He had gained some insights this time and was eager to share them to prove that he was no less capable than Qiu Yan. However, his teacher not only ignored him but also told him to seek guidance from Qiu Yan in the future. Wasn't this tantamount to saying that everything he had learned today was thanks to Qiu Yan?

"What on earth is going on?!"

Thinking about this, Xi Muyuan's State of Mind was in turmoil. When he came downstairs, he saw several highly respected gentlemen who ignored everything and only asked about Qiu Yan's whereabouts. He became even more unwilling, and even the insights he had just gained showed signs of confusion.

"Why did Qiu Sheng leave?"

On the other side, upon learning of Qiu Yan's departure, the gentlemen all showed expressions of disappointment and regret.

"Speaking of which, his sudden withdrawal of his Literary Thought caused the collapse of the Ancient Scene..."

Seeing that the situation was getting increasingly chaotic, Han Yi couldn't help but cough and lower his voice, saying, "Gentlemen, we originally intended to mentor the younger generation, but instead, we've been mentored by them. What else is there to say? Don't forget, we still have to critique the articles, write comments, and rank them!"

"What else is there to arrange?" Zhou Dongyi then came to his senses and realized that he and his companions had been somewhat out of line.

However, besides them, there were others who were even more out of control—

Suddenly, an argument broke out nearby, and then someone, disregarding the presence of the gentlemen, started a fight!

"What's going on?" Zhou Dongyi asked in astonishment. "How did things get so chaotic? Did you come here to appreciate literature, or to insult it?"

Upon hearing the question, the wrestlers stopped, but both grabbed onto a table, neither willing to back down, while a number of menacing scholars surrounded them.

"Luo Shan, explain yourself clearly." Zhou Dongyi recognized a Confucian scholar as a member of his Nine Abyss Academy and immediately began to question him.

At the same time, Gao Song, Han Wei'er, and others also went to their teacher and grandfather to explain the situation. Now that the elders had stepped forward, the situation of the struggle had changed.

"What did you say? Qiu Yan wrote an article on the chessboard? He can read minds and understand thoughts?" Zhou Dongyi was full of surprise. He walked forward, and the people along the way made way for him to reach the table without any hindrance.

Upon seeing the ink stains on the table, the old man's eyes immediately lit up. (To be continued...)