The Great Sage!

Zhou Ling was truly dumbfounded.

Entering the ranks overnight.

It was not as though such a thing had never happened before.

But for Ping'an County, it was absolutely unprecedented.

Ping'an County had plenty of scholars, but in recent years, he was the only one who had taken the imperial examinations.

He had failed, yes, but at least he had taken them.

Besides, he had spent ten years nurturing his qi and was only one step away from the Tenth Rank of the Confucian Dao.

Yet today, Xu Qingxiao had appeared and told him he had entered the ranks.

Wasn't that the same as saying his decades of painstaking study could not compare to a single day of someone else's?

Who wouldn't fall apart over that?

And the most, most, most, most, most outrageous part was that just one day ago, Xu Qingxiao had been a martial practitioner, a yamen runner. What did that mean?

"An illiterate" was the most fitting description.

In other words, an illiterate had casually read a few books and entered the ranks.

He had studied since childhood, read the words of sages and the writings of great Confucian scholars, yet still needed another three to five years to enter the ranks. How could anyone make peace with that?

But almost in an instant,

Zhou Ling calmed down.

One reason for his intense reaction was that Xu Qingxiao had entered the ranks overnight, but the greater reason was that he had been illiterate yesterday and entered the ranks today. That contrast had stunned him.

Had someone from a Confucian Dao aristocratic clan entered the ranks overnight, he would still have been shocked, just not this shocked.

Now that he had settled down, Zhou Ling's mind raced.

This young man was born to be a scholar.

Entering the ranks overnight-he'll become at least a Sixth-Rank Orthodox Confucian someday. He's a talent worth nurturing.

To think that one day, I, Zhou Ling, would have the chance to nurture an Orthodox Confucian. This will truly be the crowning glory of my life.

Once he calmed down, Zhou Ling's first response was joy.

He was not only a scholar but also a teacher, and Xu Qingxiao was a student whom he had guided onto this path. Before Xu Qingxiao entered the ranks, he could hardly claim to be his teacher. But now that Xu Qingxiao had done so, he could fully accept that title.

Thus, it was perfectly appropriate for Xu Qingxiao to call himself his student.

And what was the greatest honor for a teaching master? Having peaches and plums-students-throughout the world was one part of it, but what mattered most was their achievement.

Whether he himself was a ranked Confucian scholar did not matter. The important thing was teaching someone who became one. After all, studying and teaching were two different things.

But soon, something else occurred to Zhou Ling.

Oh no. I lost my composure just now. I'm afraid that might have damaged Qingxiao's impression of me.

Oh, Zhou Ling, Zhou Ling. You've lived forty years. What storms and crashing waves haven't you seen? How could you lose your wits like that? If you've left a poor impression on your student, won't he think you're incapable?

No, no. I must stay calm. I absolutely must. I need to carry myself like a teacher. I can't let Qingxiao look down on me.

Zhou Ling's mind raced.

He was human, after all, and cared about saving face, so naturally he worried that Xu Qingxiao might think less of him.

Thus, after calming down, Zhou Ling gave a light cough and said,

"Qingxiao, your talent truly is exceptional. Entering the ranks overnight certainly surprised me. But my surprise wasn't merely because you entered the ranks. It was because you came from humble beginnings and still managed it overnight. Remarkable, truly remarkable."

Zhou Ling sighed with feeling, offering a modest explanation for his reaction.

"You flatter me, sir. I owe all of this to you. Had you not lent me those Confucian books and guided me through the door, I might never have entered the ranks in my entire life."

Xu Qingxiao answered at once. He knew full well that without Zhou Ling, entering the ranks might have taken him several years. He might even have died without ever encountering the Confucian Dao.

"Not so, not so. Lending you those books was merely my duty. Your own talent was the main reason."

"Still, Qingxiao, allow me the presumption of calling myself your teacher. There are a few things I ought to impress upon you."

Zhou Ling's tone grew somewhat solemn.

"Not at all. You guided me through the door, sir. You deserve to be called my teacher; there's nothing presumptuous about it. Please instruct me."

Xu Qingxiao spoke from the heart.

Hearing this, Zhou Ling felt considerably happier. At least Xu Qingxiao remembered the kindness shown to him and respected his teacher and the Dao. His character was excellent.

"Entering the ranks overnight is a good thing. Across all of Ping'an County, we might not see it once in a hundred years."

"But in Southern Yu Prefecture, calling it a once-in-a-decade occurrence would be no exaggeration. At the provincial level above that, it would only mean your comprehension was exceptional. And if we looked higher still, across all of Great Wei, you wouldn't be the first. You couldn't be called exceptional, though you wouldn't fare too poorly either."

"As for the entire world, those who enter the ranks overnight are beyond counting."

"I've said all this because I hope you'll understand that beyond every mountain stands another mountain, and beyond every heaven lies another heaven. This is a good thing, worthy of celebration, and you may take pride in it. But you must remember that this is only the beginning. It proves only that you have great talent and are suited to study, not that you are certain to reach any particular height in the future."

Zhou Ling was utterly earnest as he spoke.

Truthfully, he envied Xu Qingxiao's talent, and he was not belittling his achievement.

But every sentence he had just spoken, even every word, came from the bottom of his heart and served as a warning.

He worried that entering the ranks overnight might make Xu Qingxiao believe himself a peerless genius, breeding arrogance and narrowing his horizons.

Hearing those words, Xu Qingxiao understood. In his heart, he knew this principle all too well.

"Please rest assured, sir. I won't mistake Ping'an County for the whole world."

Xu Qingxiao understood that clearly. After all, the world was boundlessly vast. His present surroundings were no more than a well; even going to Southern Yu Prefecture would merely mean moving into a slightly larger well.

He had no wish to be a toad, so naturally he would not sit at the bottom of a well and judge the sky.

"Mm, very good. All this talk from your teacher is really just a reminder."

"After all, the Confucian Dao differs from other paths. If one day you attain complete enlightenment, becoming a sage overnight and crossing all ten ranks isn't impossible."

"You should read more in your daily life and deepen your understanding of this mortal world, thereby grasping the true essence of Confucianism."

Zhou Ling spoke earnestly, though these words carried a little private agenda.

He wanted to tell Xu Qingxiao that although he had yet to enter the ranks, perhaps one day he might become a sage overnight.

Overtaking him on a bend was not impossible either.

Of course, Zhou Ling did not mention how minuscule that possibility was.

"Become a sage overnight?"

This really was the first time Xu Qingxiao had heard of such a thing.

A sudden enlightenment in the Confucian Dao that crossed ten ranks in a single night-that was rather terrifying.

"Yes. The Literary Sage said it himself. Oh, right, do you remember what you came to ask me yesterday?"

Zhou Ling nodded. He was not lying. The Literary Sage had indeed spoken of becoming a sage overnight, and it was written in the Words of the Sage.

But mentioning the Literary Sage suddenly prompted Zhou Ling to bring up yesterday's matter.

Yesterday's matter?

Xu Qingxiao immediately thought of the Literary Palace.

However, rather than saying so outright, he gave a slightly sheepish smile.

"Er, sir, we discussed so much yesterday that I can't recall exactly which question you mean."

Xu Qingxiao spoke.

Although he desperately wanted to learn about the Literary Palace, he could not question Zhou Ling in detail, or he might arouse suspicion.

After all, if he pretended not to care much and was asked how he knew of the Literary Palace, he could simply say he had heard a rumor and asked in passing. How was he supposed to know it actually existed?

But if he seemed particularly interested,

to put it bluntly, wouldn't an illiterate asking about such things seem a little fishy?

Seeing Xu Qingxiao's confusion, Zhou Ling promptly reminded him.

"The Literary Palace."

Zhou Ling spoke.

Then, before Xu Qingxiao could say anything, Zhou Ling continued,

"I went through quite a few sources yesterday and managed to find some relevant material."

"Take a look."

Zhou Ling picked up a book from his desk and handed it to Xu Qingxiao.

Written prominently on the cover was [Sage's Conduct].

"This is an ancient text, though I don't know how reliable it is. It records the sages' words, deeds, and some details of their lives. The term 'Literary Palace' appears in it two or three times."

"The so-called Literary Palace was where a sage lived. Later generations called it the Literary Palace."

Zhou Ling explained patiently.

Xu Qingxiao committed this information firmly to memory while maintaining a calm demeanor, showing no particular urgency for fear of inviting suspicion.

"I see."

Xu Qingxiao answered casually. In truth, he wanted to ask more about the Literary Palace, such as whether it contained seven statues.

But he could hardly ask that outright, so he could only restrain himself for now.

"By the way, where did you hear about the Literary Palace?"

Zhou Ling asked Xu Qingxiao with some curiosity.

After all, "Literary Palace" was not a term ordinary people would know. Even he, a scholar, had needed to consult reference materials.

"Sir, I simply heard a storyteller mention it a little while ago, so I asked out of curiosity."

Xu Qingxiao casually made up a lie to cover it up.

Sure enough, hearing this, Zhou Ling could not help chuckling.

"Don't listen so much to storytellers. Although they read plenty of ancient texts and biographies, they alter them and invent stories to entertain the public. You can't take them as fact."

The mention of storytellers reminded Zhou Ling of the Confucian Dao system Xu Qingxiao had described yesterday: spears of the lips and swords of the tongue, a single poem holding a nation firm. It was rather outlandish.

"Understood."

Xu Qingxiao nodded.

But then he spoke again.

"Sir, who is this Literary Sage? Was he powerful? Is he still alive?"

Xu Qingxiao asked. There was nothing inappropriate about this question. After all, the Literary Sage was the sage of all the world's scholars. Curiosity was natural even for ordinary people, let alone Xu Qingxiao, who had now formally entered the ranks and counted as a scholar despite lacking an examination title.

Thus, hearing Xu Qingxiao's questions, Zhou Ling answered earnestly.

"Qingxiao, 'powerful' is not a word with which to describe a sage."

"He is the sage of all the world's scholars, the lifelong aspiration of those of us who study."

"Moreover, every Literary Sage possessed the ability to weave heaven's warp and earth's weft, a figure rarely seen throughout history. The First Literary Sage in particular excelled in both letters and arms. His Martial Dao reached the divine, and his Confucian Dao attained supreme sagehood. Sadly, he was born in the Age of Utter Darkness and left little behind."

Zhou Ling was very solemn. When speaking of a sage, he naturally could not be disrespectful. Even though the sage had passed away many years before, that reverence came instinctively.

"The First Literary Sage? He excelled in both letters and arms?"

Xu Qingxiao's eyes brimmed with interest.

"Yes. From ancient times to the present, there have been five sages in this world. The last sage passed away seven thousand years ago, while the First Literary Sage lived far too long ago. It is said that he was born in the Age of Utter Darkness, when humanity was at its weakest."

"They say humanity nearly went extinct in that era. Had the Literary Sage not emerged, turned back the raging tide, and saved all living beings beneath heaven, the prosperity of today might never have existed. For that very reason, we scholars also reverently call the first sage the Great Sage."

Zhou Ling's account made Xu Qingxiao even more curious.

Especially the mention of the Age of Utter Darkness.