Setting Out for Southern Yu Prefecture

That night.

At Zhou Ling's home.

Looking at Xu Qingxiao kneeling before him, Zhou Ling did not help him up. Instead, he spoke slowly.

"Qingxiao, after much thought, I have chosen Shouren as your courtesy name. I hope you will uphold enduring virtue and put benevolence and righteousness first."

Everything Zhou Ling wished to say was gathered into the courtesy name he bestowed.

Shouren?

Xu Qingxiao turned those two words over in his mind. He understood their meaning, though not yet completely, but still bowed to Zhou Ling.

"Thank you for granting me this courtesy name, Teacher. Your student will keep it engraved in his heart."

Xu Qingxiao's thanks came from the heart.

"Get some rest early. Keep reading diligently over the next few days. Leave other matters for another time."

Zhou Ling nodded, walked up to Xu Qingxiao, and patted his shoulder.

"Thank you for showing me the way, Teacher."

"Teacher, I intend to set out for Southern Yu Prefecture in a few days."

Xu Qingxiao rose and looked at Zhou Ling as he spoke.

"Is it urgent?"

Though Zhou Ling did not know why Xu Qingxiao wanted to leave early, he did not pry. He only asked whether it was urgent.

"Mm."

Xu Qingxiao made a sound of assent without giving a direct answer.

Zhou Ling considered this for a moment, then picked up the oil lamp.

"Leaving a little early is good, too. You can familiarize yourself with Southern Yu Prefecture. When will you leave?"

Zhou Ling asked.

"On the thirtieth, at the end of the month."

Xu Qingxiao gave him the date. He had settled it with Wu Yan-the sooner, the better.

"All right. I'll have your teacher's wife prepare your luggage."

"Qingxiao, get some proper rest."

Zhou Ling said nothing more. The oil lamp swayed in his hand as he walked toward the door.

Xu Qingxiao watched Zhou Ling's retreating figure in silence. Once Zhou Ling had left, he slowly returned to his desk.

At that moment, all his tangled emotions vanished like smoke into thin air.

Only Zhou Ling's six words remained in his mind.

Leave other matters for another time.

Drawing a deep breath, Xu Qingxiao looked at the desk, replaced the paper with a fresh sheet, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote two characters on the white paper.

[Shouren]

He practiced the characters again and again, pondering them over and over. Only at dawn did Xu Qingxiao put down his brush. Even then, he did not sleep, but began training instead.

He had to read.

But he also had to train.

Fortunately, practicing the Unorthodox Art was nothing like cultivating some sinister technique. A faint golden glow surrounded him as he trained, making it resemble a pure yang technique instead.

His blood and qi seethed as the Golden Crow tempered his body, and strands of Golden Crow Blood and Qi gathered within him once more.

Tenth Rank was Body Nurturing.

Ninth Rank was Vein Condensation.

The Golden Crow Body Tempering Art had already tempered his flesh once. Now that he was gathering Golden Crow Blood and Qi, he could attempt to condense his veins.

By breaking through his shackles and condensing qi veins, he could generate "internal qi," bringing about a tremendous transformation.

Once he possessed internal qi, he could do things almost impossible for ordinary martial artists, such as walking across water or condensing Sword Qi. Every rank opened a whole new heaven.

However, Xu Qingxiao did not intend to condense his veins yet. He had only just become a Tenth Rank martial artist. If he broke through to Ninth Rank now, he would inevitably arouse suspicion.

Thus, Xu Qingxiao planned to leave Ping'an County and advance his rank after reaching Southern Yu Prefecture. Besides, whether he could successfully condense his veins was still uncertain. He might as well nurture his body properly and wait until he had enough confidence.

An hour later.

When Xu Qingxiao finished cultivating, he felt refreshed and clearheaded. The fatigue of a sleepless night had been swept away.

He threw a few experimental punches, each stirring a gust of wind. His body had also grown considerably sturdier. After carefully assessing himself, he reckoned that a single punch carried at least five hundred jin of force. He would not claim to be the strongest in Ping'an County, but placing himself among the top three was no exaggeration.

Xu Qingxiao could even clearly feel his body improving each time he practiced the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art. If this continued over the long term, perhaps he would one day form the Great Sun Sacred Body.

He simply did not know how powerful that Great Sun Sacred Body would be.

After finishing his training, Xu Qingxiao washed up briefly, then took a book from the shelf and began reading intently.

As he read, the scorching heat within his body gradually cooled. His righteous haoran qi circulated as well, suppressing the demonic nature on all fronts. He could feel it plainly.

Another hour passed.

Xu Qingxiao put down the book. Having reached the Qi-Nourishing Realm, he could not quite claim to remember everything at a glance, but his memory was exceptional.

After reading a book once, he could remember most of it.

Yet reading was not a matter of rote memorization. What mattered was "principle" and "interpretation." Principle meant understanding the truths expounded by the words in a book.

Interpretation meant opening up one's thinking and explaining the text through one's own ideas, allowing for better understanding and insight.

The book in Xu Qingxiao's hands was titled Treatise on Human Desires.

As its title suggested, it discussed the desires of human nature. Xu Qingxiao found its contents somewhat difficult to accept.

A sage extinguished human desires and preserved heavenly principles.

Why did the world have so many wars and upheavals? Why were so many innocent people slaughtered? Because people could not control their desires. This held true for rulers and commoners alike. Scholars ought to restrain such human desires.

They were to master themselves and better themselves, maintaining reason at every moment and never indulging their desires.

It sounded reasonable, but on closer thought, without desire, people would perish of their own accord. If a person had no desires or aspirations and knew only to pursue some ethereal, elusive Great Dao, then if everyone behaved that way, would this world not cease to exist?

Xu Qingxiao could not readily agree with a Confucian text espousing such extreme ideas.

What intrigued him, however, was that Treatise on Human Desires occupied the first position at the top of the bookshelf, ample proof of its importance.

While Xu Qingxiao was pondering this, Chen Xinghe appeared.

He had also come to fetch a book.

Seeing Treatise on Human Desires lying before Xu Qingxiao, he could not help asking a question.

"Junior Brother, have you read this book?"

"I just finished it."

Xu Qingxiao nodded in reply.

"What did you think?"

Chen Xinghe asked directly.

"It's somewhat strict. I don't quite understand it."

Xu Qingxiao did not dare comment rashly. Scholars in ancient times were extremely set in their thinking. They held certain Grand Confucians or sages up as goals or idols. A few careless remarks could, at best, make them turn hostile; at worst, they might refuse to have anything to do with him for the rest of their lives.

"Mm."

"Treatise on Human Desires was written by Sage Zhu, the fifth Literary Sage. Though somewhat strict, every word is a pearl."

"We scholars do find it uncomfortable upon first reading. After all, everyone has desires, and restraining one's own desires is exceedingly difficult. But read it a few more times and ponder it carefully, and you will discover its subtleties."

Sure enough, Chen Xinghe held this Treatise on Human Desires in high esteem.

"Senior Brother, desire is human nature. If we restrain our human desires, are we still human?"

Xu Qingxiao could not help asking.

Desire was fundamental to human nature. If people restrained their desires, were they still human?

Chen Xinghe, however, shook his head.

"Junior Brother, you've misunderstood. Treatise on Human Desires does not tell us to eradicate human desire. Its fundamental point is that we should not give excessive rein to our desires. For instance, marrying and having children accord with heavenly principles, but taking three wives and four concubines is human desire."

"Eating three meals a day accords with heavenly principles. Feasting on delicacies from the mountains and seas is human desire."

"When desire grows too great, it knows no end. Throughout the ages, war fires have filled the skies and bones have piled into mountains, all because of human desire. If it can be restrained, man-made calamities can be eliminated."

Chen Xinghe expounded Sage Zhu's principles.

Xu Qingxiao understood what he meant, but continued questioning him.

"May I ask, Senior Brother, how are heavenly principles defined? And how are human desires defined?"

Xu Qingxiao asked.

"Sage Zhu already explained this in Heavenly Principles Strategy, but I don't think Teacher has a copy at home. Once we're in Southern Yu Prefecture, I'll find one for you."

Chen Xinghe could not fully answer Xu Qingxiao's question, but the answer was recorded in a book, so he intended to find the relevant text for Xu Qingxiao after they reached Southern Yu Prefecture.

"Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother."

Xu Qingxiao thanked him politely, then could not resist asking another question.

"Senior Brother, are Sage Zhu's teachings the mainstream in literary circles today?"

Xu Qingxiao asked.

"Naturally. Sage Zhu was the fifth sage in the world, and later generations of scholars were influenced by him. His teachings were bound to become mainstream. But Sage Zhu's teachings aren't the only ones. The four sages before him, as well as some figures in more recent times, also offered other schools of thought."

"Besides, why divide literary circles into mainstream and otherwise? So long as the ideas are right, a hundred schools may contend and a hundred flowers may bloom. It's simply that Sage Zhu's teachings are especially prevalent in Great Wei. Half the imperial court studies his doctrines."

Chen Xinghe offered this explanation.

Xu Qingxiao finally understood.

His main reason for asking was his fear that something unpleasant might happen.

Scholars had disparaged one another since ancient times, especially in factional struggles and disputes over ideas. Factional struggles were manageable: they concerned interests and had to take the broader situation into account, so those involved would not openly tear away all pretense of cordiality.

Moreover, factions were what the sovereign detested most, so they dared not reveal themselves too plainly.

Disputes over ideas were different. Insult someone's beliefs, and they would try every possible means to eliminate you. Punches and kicks were commonplace, and encountering a few extremists was no laughing matter.

Thus, Xu Qingxiao worried that, since he did not particularly like these teachings, one careless remark might offend someone for no reason-and even put his life at risk.

Having understood this, Xu Qingxiao silently warned himself not to get involved in ideological disputes under any circumstances. He would simply follow whichever side held the most power and otherwise keep his head down and read.

Chen Xinghe took his book and left.

A little later, two constables arrived at the door. They were Cheng Lidong's men, but this time neither behaved arrogantly or overbearingly. Instead, they explained their purpose quite politely.

They were to escort the two men to Southern Yu Prefecture, lest Xu Qingxiao and Chen Xinghe encounter danger on the road.

Everyone understood Cheng Lidong's intention. Since this excuse was difficult to refuse, they agreed.

And so it went.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

It was now the end of the month.

Zhou Ling told Chen Xinghe that Xu Qingxiao wanted to leave early. Chen Xinghe had no objections; arriving early had its advantages, after all.

Even if nothing happened along the way, the journey from Ping'an County to Southern Yu Prefecture would take roughly five days.

The thirtieth day of the fourth month.

The carriage was ready, arranged by Cheng Lidong's subordinates. That was rather nice-at least it saved them some travel expenses.

Outside the courtyard.

Zhou Ling and Wu handed the luggage to Xu Qingxiao and Chen Xinghe.

There was not much: a supply of dry rations and a change of clothes. The dry rations were for emergencies.

Zhou Ling said little, offering only a few words urging them to work diligently.

Wu, on the other hand, gave them all manner of reminders. Though they had not spent long together, Xu Qingxiao was kind and gentle by nature, and affection had naturally grown over those days. It was only understandable that she had so much to tell him.

It was already the hour of the dragon.

The golden sun shone high overhead.

Xu Qingxiao and Chen Xinghe bowed respectfully to Zhou Ling and Wu, then climbed into the carriage.

The constables serving under Cheng Lidong led the horses on either side, escorting the two men without a word.

"Hyah!"

With that shout.

The horses sped away, leaving dust in their wake.

Billowing yellow dust rose.

People gazed upon things, and things recalled people; ten years by a cold window, hoping to rank high in the examinations.

[The Scholars of Great Wei]

[The Wind Rises in Ping'an]

[End of Volume One]