Do Not Say Others Fight, Only Because Profit Lies Within [Fourth Update]

"Hahaha!"

Upon hearing Qiu Yan's words, the Household Ancestor Chen was taken aback, then burst into laughter.

After a long while, he calmed his laughter before saying, "Interesting. However, don't underestimate Nine Rhymes. This man and Zhou Dongyi studied under the same master, but later he broke away to establish his own school. He came to Central Passes alone and spent decades building his foundation. Thought-Convergent Order and has a widespread reputation. He is a respected Grand Confucian and not easy to deal with."

He glanced at Qiu Yan: "Although you have also aligned your thoughts with a certain Order, it has an air of warfare about it. It is Military School Order, not Confucianism, which is not conducive to discussing the Dao. Moreover, you lack People's Prestige. Not to mention being famous throughout the world, you can't even cover Central Passes. At most, you have some roots in Jiannan. And without the support of a study or academy, your confidence is ultimately insufficient."

"This time, the Nine Rhymes Stronghold has joined forces Central Passes several Grand Confucian from Guanzhong. Even a half-baked scholar like myself accepted an invitation. The invitation says he wants to test your knowledge, but it also implies that you are disrespectful to your elders, arrogant, and have disordered the rules of etiquette. With his silver tongue, it wouldn't be difficult for him to make others dislike you. You should know that public opinion can be a fearsome thing, sometimes even more so than weapons!"

At this point, the Household Ancestor Chen narrowed his eyes. "To be honest, his actions seem to stem from a deep-seated hatred for you. Do you know the reason behind this? If you don't figure this out and clear up the misunderstanding, this debate will become a trap. You're using the Military School Order to debate the Confucian Order. Even if you win, you might become an enemy of the Confucianism!"

Qiu Yan pondered for a moment, then replied, "I truly didn't expect that this struggle for reputation and the division between factions would be so intense. But since they've come to me, I can't back down. Even if it's a trap, it's fine."

"Don't underestimate your opponent," the Household Ancestor Chen grinned. "In the past, your status wasn't high enough, so you could only compete with Confucian scholars for fame, and reason could determine the winner. But this debate over doctrines is not so simple. Challenges between scholars will never disappear. Putting aside others, would you, Qiu Yan, admit that your hard work in scholarship and reasoning is inferior to others?"

Qiu Yan nodded and said, "My propositions and doctrines, though still in their infancy, embody many factors. If they can be disseminated throughout the world, Questions and Answers will greatly benefit Human Path."

"That's exactly right. Your conclusions are based on genuine understanding. Do you think other people's theories and knowledge just came from thin air? Should they immediately admit their inferiority and waste their life's efforts just because they heard your name? That's absurd!"

"You too have been challenged by scholars. You should know that they are not foolish people who cannot see the situation or know when to advance or retreat. They are clear-headed. No one will lower themselves to a lowly status for no reason. Even a servant does not seek to bow and scrape, but rather the benefits and advantages he can gain by doing so. Therefore, if someone attacks you for no reason, nine times out of ten you possess something or a reputation that the other party needs."

As the Household Ancestor Chen spoke, drowsiness crept into his eyes, and he leaned slightly to the side, as if to lie down. But he continued, "As your status rises and your influence grows, the bloodshed between these schools of thought will increase, like a whirlpool from which it will be difficult to escape. However, if you don't go this time, you might be able to avoid the tediousness and focus on one thing." By the end, his words were clearly a warning and guidance.

What he said earlier was to make Qiu Yan realize the root of this debate between the two schools of thought and to subtly point out its intensity.

A direct sword fight can kill, but a struggle for knowledge often ends in disgrace and ruin. The victor is remembered for eternity, while the loser is condemned to the abyss, and even their life's work is stolen and used to benefit others, making them famous.

Anyone who could figure out the intricacies within felt a chill run down their spine.

However, Qiu Yan did not hesitate for a moment and replied, "Disputes over doctrines are a matter of reputation, but doctrines and propositions themselves are not for the sake of reputation. My debate with the Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio is not to suppress him, but to listen to his insightful views, learn from his strengths and make up for my weaknesses. Even if my reputation is ruined, it doesn't matter. If he thinks my propositions are good and wants to take them, then so be it. Since I am verifying them with others, I don't need to be afraid of them being learned by others."

"Oh?" The Household Ancestor Chen's eyes were full of sleepiness, but he still opened them wide and stared into Qiu Yan's eyes, as if trying to find out his true thoughts through them.

After a few breaths, he shook his head and sighed, "I can't tell whether your words are sincere or not, but the fact that you said them means you've thought about it before. I can't persuade you anymore. I only hope that after this, you won't remain silent. In a while, I'll need your help with something."

"I will do my best to help, but I would appreciate it if you could give me a specific time."

"This is not up to me to decide; it depends on the timing. It might take a year or two, or even a hundred or two hundred years. A moment can last forever; how can it be as one wishes?" Household Ancestor Chen spoke, he lay down and closed his eyes.

The room fell silent, and soon after, snoring began. The Household Ancestor Chen was fast asleep, creating an odd atmosphere.

Qiu Yan shook his head and turned to leave when suddenly a strange current of air flowed from the ancestor's mouth, nose, and ears. It spun in mid-air, and the surrounding scenery instantly distorted, like a dream.

Faced with the seemingly familiar scene, Qiu Yan focused his gaze, and the dreamscape around him vanished with a roar; he was already outside the courtyard.

"Hmm?" The next moment, Qiu Yan realized that his divine Divine Soul had become much more concentrated, and the Golden Core in his abdomen had become more solid.

"I wonder what realm the Household Ancestor Chen is at, and what the origin of this Divine Ability to avoid the suppression of Dragon Qi is."

Just then, Chen Bozheng walked over to Qiu Yan and said, "Mr. Qiu, the banquet is ready. Please follow me."

Qiu Yan nodded and followed him.

The banquet was a great success, and afterward, Chen Bozheng sent Chen Jing and Chen Yun to see Qiu Yan.

After the three left the Chen Residence, Chen Jing breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally out! Every time I come back, I feel so uncomfortable."

Neither of them mentioned a word about Qiu Yan's experience in the courtyard, and Qiu Yan didn't say much either. Only when he remembered something did he ask, "Brother Chen, what were you trying to say earlier?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jing did not answer directly, but instead said, "Speaking of which, we are equals. It displeased my uncle, and he gave me a good scolding."

"It's just a small matter, why bother taking it to heart?" Qiu Yan shook his head, unconcerned.

Chen Jing didn't argue, and then replied, "Brother Qiu, do you still remember Xi Muyuan from the Nine Abyss Academy?"

"Xi Muyuan? Of course I remember." Qiu Yan nodded. The moment Chen Jing uttered that name, the Karmic Thread connected, and he understood. The events of the past few days were like pieces of a puzzle, floating in his mind, but now they were all strung together by this name.

"It's good that you remember, this person is already dead!" Chen Jing said, then paused, wanting to see Qiu Yan's reaction. The result, however, disappointed him somewhat—

Qiu Yan remained calm, showing no sign of surprise.

Chen Yun's voice came from the side. "Jingdi, I've told you before, Mr. Qiu's mind is as firm as a mountain. He won't be swayed by external things. You should explain the matter Original Edition."

Chen Jing chuckled self-deprecatingly and didn't refute. He then recounted in detail how Xi Muyuan had learned that Qiu Yan had become the top scholar and died after vomiting blood. He also revealed that Eastern Capital Xi Muyuan had made great contributions to the scholarly community and gained favors from many academies in Scholar Forest.

"So, according to you, Xi Muyuan couldn't bear it just from hearing the news? His heart can't be that narrow." Qiu Yan frowned. He had long since forgotten about Xi Muyuan's provocation, but he didn't expect that the other party couldn't let it go and caused such a disaster. Moreover, according to Chen Jing, Xi Muyuan had vomited blood twice before because of him.

"You can't blame Xi Muyuan. He was at the height of his power when you suddenly overshadowed him. How could he accept that? I don't need to say anything about these feelings; Brother Qiu understands. Besides, his two previous bouts of vomiting blood had already damaged his vitality, and later his Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest..."

As he spoke, Chen Jing also sighed.

"Not long ago, Xi Muyuan entered the realm once. The interval between the two was too short, and the aura of the Scholar Forest inevitably invaded his soul, causing mental exhaustion. Unfortunately, on our journey from the west, we encountered evil spirits and were trapped in an illusion. Afterwards, Xi Sheng fell seriously ill. Your title of top scholar was merely the last straw that broke the camel's back. This was simply his bad luck."

Then, he changed the subject. "However, after this matter got out, his nominal senior uncle, the Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio, frequently inquired about it and even took the initiative to invite An Jin. I don't know what they said."

"It's all about timing and luck..." Qiu Yan shook his head, a hint of regret in his voice. Even if Xi Muyuan was narrow-minded, his knowledge was undeniable. Reaching his current position hadn't been easy; he had put in a lot of hard work. Being regarded as a rival by such a person didn't anger Qiu Yan. In life, how could one be without rivals?

Mediocrity is the absence of envy.

As he pondered, the Li Trigram within the spirit's body trembled, and a series of images surfaced in his mind, bringing clarity to many things.

"Xi Muyuan... Outer Continent demons... Zhou Dongyi... Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio... discussing the Dao... Hanlin Academy... the Black Hand... Tian Youqing..."

These events, one by one, gradually converged, like several streams flowing into a great river, not only making the development of events quickly clear, but also revealing all sorts of possibilities for the future.

This matter of divination is mysterious, but one thing is very clear—the more information you have, the more accurate it will be. Now that he knows the cause and effect, and with the people's faith as his guide, Qiu Yan immediately understands the Karma much better and can grasp the general idea. A thought suddenly occurred to him, and his steps suddenly changed. He no longer walked towards his own courtyard, but instead walked towards the outer city.

This change puzzled Chen Jing and Chen Yun.

"Brother Qiu, where are you going?"

Qiu Yan glanced back at the two of them and said, "Let's go to the Nine Rhyme Study. The Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio only mentioned discussing the Dao, without setting a time. He only said that if we had any questions, we could go to the study to ask. So why don't we go and meet him today to confirm his intentions? We can't let him prepare his troops while I'm still trying to figure out his thoughts." (To be continued...)

P. S.: Thanks to "Cat in the Meteor Crater", "Listening to the Rain Pine", "Andy Earl", and "Tono Mami" for their monthly votes!

Thank you to "Azure-Wing Sword Butterfly" and "Daoist Master One-Nine" for the generous donations!

This is the fourth update; the fifth update will be around 11 PM!

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I recommend a great book by a friend: <Rebirth of the Entertainment Storm>, by author "Baoxing".