A Good Man

"Dongfang Shuo, have you always been this diligent in your cultivation?"

Although the King of Jiangdu went to Chang'an City to pay tribute and participate in the sword-appreciation event, his treatment of Dong Zhongshu and others was not revoked because of his departure.

As long as Dong Zhongshu and others are willing to live in Xuanhua Tower, Dong Zhongshu can continue to live there indefinitely.

Besides Zhang Xuezhou recently freeloading at Xuanhualou Restaurant, Gongsun Hong is doing the same thing.

However, Gongsun Hong's most important purpose in leaving behind this work was to study the contents of the Spring and Autumn Annals and to continuously adjust his own learning.

Unlike some great Confucian scholars who were secretive, Dong Zhongshu did not shy away from Gongsun Hong's requests for advice. Before Dong Zhongshu left Jiangdu, these were all opportunities for Gongsun Hong to seek his guidance and correct his cultivation.

His skills are mostly related to water, and he also cultivates his profound knowledge by breathing exercises by rivers.

Gongsun Hong considered himself a diligent and hardworking cultivator, but when he saw Zhang Xuezhou, who hadn't returned all night, standing motionless on the cliff for a long time, Gongsun Hong carefully stepped across the lake.

Upon reaching the top of the cliff, Gongsun Hong couldn't help but ask a question out of curiosity.

"Mr. Gongsun, if we can achieve the ability to draw upon and sense the power of the Righteous Qi Technique with a single thought, how can we extend this to other Technique Method, or even to realm techniques, to seek out and sense these powers?"

Zhang Xuezhou then tried the method dozens of times, and in one night, he evoked a surge of righteous energy twice with just a few words.

The odds don't seem high, but the power of righteousness isn't something you can take indefinitely; the number of times you can succeed in a day is limited. Zhang Xuezhou can currently achieve a high probability of success once a day, a low probability of success twice a day, and a minuscule probability of success three times a day.

Each time he is enveloped in righteous energy, he can recover about one-third of his Law Power, which is already an excellent effect.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that his words, imbued with a strong sense of righteousness, had reached a high level.

The Righteous Spirit Technique was difficult to continuously improve and reach in the short term, making it impossible for Zhang Xuezhou to summon it with a mere thought. Consequently, Zhang Xuezhou also considered other techniques.

But after much effort, he found that no technique could achieve the Resonance Between Heaven and Humanity like the righteous spirit.

It wasn't until Gongsun Hong arrived that Zhang Xuezhou snapped out of his reverie.

He inquired of this great Confucian scholar who also practiced the Resonance Between Heaven and Humanity and man, and tried to learn some learning experience from him.

When he was studying Dong Zhongshu's "Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals," Dong Zhongshu was his teacher, and he and Gongsun Hong were his classmates.

Teaching by teachers and learning by students are different modes. Dong Zhongshu could teach, but Dong Zhongshu could hardly discover the difficulties students faced in learning.

For Dong Zhongshu, the pioneer, this is simply how he started; when he had a sudden inspiration, there was absolutely no reason behind it.

For learners like Zhang Xuezhou, they need to find a way to gradually approach Dong Zhongshu.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that Gongsun Hong was a very good student who was very good at understanding things, and that he, as an ordinary student, should learn from him.

"All methods are based on the same principle; all techniques rely on Law Power and share similar and interconnected underlying principles," Gongsun Hongdao said.

"The restoration of magical power by Law Power energy, is that within the scope of arithmetic?" Zhang Xuezhou asked doubtfully.

"Of course it belongs to the category of spells," Gongsun Hong said. "This is not a conventional spell, but a spell that restores Law Power. It differs somewhat from ordinary spells in that it consumes Law Power, but it is still a spell."

"What do this technique have in common with other techniques?"

"Law Power!"

Gongsun Hong extended one finger.

Whether it's restoring or Law Power Law Power, Law Power is the source of many spells.

"Compared to conventional techniques, Righteous Qi is a rebellious technique," Gongsun Hong said. "You need to let go of the difference between Law Power recovery and Law Power consumption to feel their commonality in terms of technique!"

"I still don't quite understand, for example, how does the righteous energy that restores Law Power have a commonality with the flying technique, so as to find the Resonance Between Heaven and Humanity in the flying technique?" Zhang Xuezhou asked for an explanation.

"What kind of effect do you think the Flying Leap Technique will have after Resonance Between Heaven and Humanity?" Gongsun Hong asked with a smile.

"Perhaps it would save on spellcasting Law Power? Or maybe it would allow for faster flight? Or even higher flight?"

"Then you need to transform your Law Power in this direction," Gongsun Hong said. "Perhaps the Law Power generated when you sense the righteous energy will change, thus helping you realize your idea of flying!"

"Like this?"

Zhang Xuezhou kept repeating to himself, sometimes feeling like he had finally figured it out, and other times feeling like he hadn't.

He muttered to himself, pacing back and forth on the cliff face, seeking a possible Resonance Between Heaven and Humanity.

Gongsun Hong's expression was somewhat uncertain.

As a great Confucian scholar, he could admit that his knowledge was inferior to that of Dong Zhongshu, but Gongsun Hong could not lose face in front of a younger generation by admitting that he knew nothing.

Since nobody understands it right now, he just makes things up theoretically.

As long as the general direction is correct, even his fabrications can have some merit.

Even if he himself doesn't know how, he must be able to speak.

"If those who have never worked in the fields can instruct farmers on how to cultivate the land, why can't I say the same thing?"

He recalled a passage from Confucian School classics where Zengzi mentioned that one should examine oneself every three days. Gongsun Hong conducted a deep self-reflection and ultimately concluded that he had no faults.

"To impart knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts—resolving doubts for others is Confucian School principle. Perhaps he hasn't even thought about this aspect, but this can at least remind him to some extent!"

Gongsun Hong spoke recklessly about things he had never verified, and afterwards, he inevitably made theoretical deductions in response to his words.

After working backwards for a while, his impractical reasoning method yielded no definitive results.

"Heaven and earth possess a vast and righteous spirit..."

After thinking for a while, Gongsun Hong also began to recite the "Treatise on Righteousness and Righteousness," seeking to lay the foundation for his own contact with the most basic Resonance Between Heaven and Humanity.

As he recited the poem against the lake breeze, he felt his Divine Ability, and he could almost sense a special energy in the world.

Just like taking elixirs, as long as he could absorb that energy into his body, Gongsun Hong felt that his Law Power would recover and accumulate more and more until his body was overflowing with Law Power.

He vaguely felt that he had stepped into a world that belonged only to him.

Countless white specks of light, like snowflakes, fell from the sky, triggering a resonance of Law Power within his body.

"The Law Power within me is increasing!"

"With this decision, Law Power savings this year will be immense!"

"If this continues for a year, three years, five years, ten years, how much more Law Power is saved compared to other cultivators!"

"No wonder Zhongshu could master such a wide variety of Technique Method, while even if we were willing, we would find it difficult to learn them all!"

"If I hadn't cared about the differences between schools of thought, I would have simply asked Zhongshu for guidance earlier, and I wouldn't have suffered such poverty for so many years because of my spiritual practice!"

"How delightful, how infuriating!"

Gongsun Hong's thoughts were very complex.

He felt joy at having stirred up a sense of righteousness, but he also regretted that he had only done so at such a young age.

At his age of over sixty, if he had done this just a day earlier, how much magical Law Power he would have saved over the years! He could have easily mastered three or five more Technique Method to perfection. And the recovery of Law Power would also make it easier to break through to higher realms.

All of this could be achieved if he had sought out Dong Zhongshu to study earlier, or attended Dong Zhongshu's lectures earlier.

"Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me." I forgot Sage Kong's teachings, and presuming to be twenty years older than Zhongshu, I also harbored the arrogance of an elder...

Although Gongsun Hong was reciting the "Treatise on Righteousness and Righteousness," his state of mind was constantly shifting.

Meanwhile, behind Gongsun Hong, Zhang Xuezhou's feelings were also very complicated.

He gazed at the righteous spirit emanating from Gongsun Hong, and a gentle breeze seemed to rise beneath his feet.

Guided by Gongsun Hong, he stepped into the realm of righteous energy Resonance Between Heaven and Humanity, and through comparison, he finally discovered a common thread.

Gongsun Hong is right. All methods are based on the same principle. As long as we find the common ground, we can indeed extend this Resonance Between Heaven and Humanity to other Technique Method.

At least with the help of Gongsun Hong's analogy of the Resonance Between Heaven and Humanity, Zhang Xuezhou began to realize another kind of perception in his flying technique.

He could cast spells more easily than before, and the amount of Law Power he consumed was also slightly reduced.

As Technique Method that provides sustained damage, the small reduction in energy consumption during the Flying Leap Technique adds up to a considerable amount over time.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that his flight range had likely increased by about 10%, and that he could also fly faster and higher.

"Mr. Gongsun is truly a virtuous man!"

Although Gongsun Hong's clumsy manner was very much like his first encounter with the aura of righteousness, the other party's extremely selfless guidance and demonstration allowed Zhang Xuezhou to begin to explore a different world in a state of half-understanding and half-confusion.

He sensed some active white lights in the waves beneath his feet, and felt the strange Technique Method power from the unknown depths of the sky. Then he gracefully took flight, his body as light as a bird floating in the air.