The Cui Clan's carriage was exceptionally smooth and comfortable. Changsun Jue and Cui Zhaoye sat together, while Pei Ye reclined alone on a small couch, listening with his eyes closed.
"Then I think the reverse should also be possible-conveying 'heaven and earth' into the swordsman's 'heart,'" Cui Zhaoye said. "Thus allowing the swordsman himself to possess some extraordinary state, roughly akin to what martial artists call 'Great Power Returns to Oneself.'"
Changsun Jue gently tapped his chin. "It sounds a little like 'The Six Classics Annotate Me' and 'I Annotate the Six Classics.'"
"That works too. Confucian scholars hope to touch the truths of the world through the classics. How is that different from swordsmen hoping to pursue the Dao through the sword?"
Pei Ye said, "Classmate Changsun, what is 'The Six Classics Annotate Me'?"
Changsun Jue smiled. "You know we always seek a thorough understanding of the Five Classics, hoping to obtain a guiding standard to follow. But one view holds that the classics merely expound upon the innate moral knowledge already present in my original heart. So long as I cultivate my heart, all six classics become annotations to me."
"...That sounds like an arrogant scholar."
"Not at all. We were just discussing this in class. Confucius said, 'Heaven gave birth to virtue within me,' and Mencius likewise believed that benevolence was innate. When they wrote the classics, they were expounding what lay within their own hearts to begin with. So if 'The Six Classics Annotate the Sage,' naturally 'The Six Classics Annotate Me' is possible too."
"Be quiet for a moment." Cui Zhaoye raised a hand to stop him. "So, Young Hero Pei, I believe people must also be able to use the sword to bring about some change in themselves. This is my first relatively complete