Vast Righteous Qi

"How can people be of any use if they don't spread useful knowledge?"

Inside the prefect's residence, Zhang Xuezhou was shocked, but he also raised a question that Dong Zhongshu needed to consider.

Before the Qin Dynasty, the control of knowledge was not so strict, but this resulted in continuous warfare for hundreds of years.

Each side believes itself to be the chosen one, and each side believes itself to be the most capable.

Those were extremely dark times, with people fighting almost every moment, and cultivators constantly climbing higher.

Those were the years when cultivation studies flourished, giving rise to countless new ideas, but also bringing countless calamities.

Healing techniques like the Supreme Purity True Technique are not recent inventions, and the practice of cultivating by causing death and destruction is not an isolated incident but rather a widespread phenomenon.

When Emperor Qin Huang unified China, Emperor Qin implemented a sweeping policy, forcibly controlling all cultivation theories in the land and even burning many techniques to ashes.

An era that nearly caused a break in cultivation was about to begin.

However, the Emperor Qin could only control the Qin Dynasty itself, not the foreign states, much less the Heavenly Court, which would ultimately oppose him.

After a near-mutually devastating defeat, the Han Dynasty emerged from the cracks.

The Qin Dynasty was a unified dynasty that lasted for hundreds of years, and the Han Dynasty, as its successor, obviously followed the Qin Dynasty's system and also implemented strict control.

While continuously eliminating various schools and sects within the Han Dynasty's territory, the Han Dynasty also continuously strengthened the court's control.

But that's far from enough.

Compared to the Qin army, whose soldiers were as fierce as wolves and tigers, the generals of the Han Dynasty were far weaker.

The Qin Dynasty, which was once treated like a dead dog, is now able to suppress the Han Dynasty's conquests.

Releasing the strict control over knowledge would lead to the instability of the Han Dynasty's regime, ultimately returning it to the dark age of warring states. However, without releasing knowledge, people cannot become useful.

"This requires the court to have a channel to gather talents from all over the country, and it also requires the court to be able to control the corresponding talents," Dong Zhongshu said after thinking for a while. "But people's hearts are divided, and the struggles in the court never stop. It is impossible to achieve perfect control, and therefore it is impossible to stop the war."

"Your words are truly invaluable," Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

"Just tell me all this is nonsense," Dong Zhongshu said helplessly. "You can't expect me to solve something that even His Majesty the Emperor Qin couldn't!"

"Keep trying, maybe one day you'll find a way!"

Zhang Xuezhou shook his head. He was also glad that he hadn't widely disseminated the technique when he included his own ideas in the book. For example, he recommended that Ren Wuyang practice the Supreme Purity True Technique at a hospital.

Dong Zhongshu's words served as a wake-up call for Zhang Xuezhou, but also brought good news.

Skills acquired before Realm Entry are hard to find, but there are plenty of useless skills available within the Han Kingdom after Realm Entry.

Zhang Xuezhou quite liked those useless little skills.

He doesn't need great power; anything that can be used for performance is enough.

He was quite happy to hear this.

For example, a small spark flashes in the hand; or softening and bending a wooden stick; or sharpening a dull sword in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn...

Each technique is all show and no substance, yet each technique possesses a touch of magic.

These techniques are at least more reliable than fake techniques.

Zhang Xuezhou pondered the matter in his mind, while Dong Zhongshu's gaze swept over Zhang Xuezhou.

Dong Zhongshu's words gave Zhang Xuezhou a jolt, but Zhang Xuezhou's casual words of encouragement also stirred Dong Zhongshu's heart.

This continent has never lacked powerful cultivators, but it has always lacked cultivators who can lead the way.

These cultivators are not masters of a particular sect, but rather cultivators who can benefit the country and its people.

Dong Zhongshu's ultimate goal was to become a master of Confucianism and reproduce the glory of Confucius and Mencius, but Zhang Xuezhou's words mentioned a more ambitious goal.

Could the Han Dynasty have solved the problems that even the Emperor Qin couldn't?

"This is a crucial matter of educating all people; even a small beginning could bring immeasurable benefits!"

Dong Zhongshu's eyes shone brightly, a new light appearing in them.

If he wanted to implement education, he would obviously need to select some people who were not from the Confucian School school to test.

Take, for example, this disciple of the Yin-Yang School.

If even someone like Zhang Xuezhou couldn't be educated, he wouldn't need to think of anything else, much less exert the power to persuade.

Upon unexpectedly meeting Zhang Xuezhou again, Dong Zhongshu felt that it was indeed fate.

This is perhaps similar to the academy built by Wen Weng.

The road ahead will inevitably be difficult, but as long as we take it one step at a time, we may succeed.

Compared to the serpent blocking Wen Weng's path, Dong Zhongshu felt that what lay before him was likely towering mountains and steep ridges.

"Since you cultivated Yin-Yang School Nine Heavens Sect, your body must have been imbalanced in Yin and Yang, and you must have experienced the suffering caused by this imbalance!"

After some thought, Dong Zhongshu, using the familiar topic of self-cultivation, shifted his focus to the idea of establishing a basic connection between the two before making any further plans.

"I have never suffered the hardship of an imbalance of Yin and Yang!"

When questioned by Dong Zhongshu, Zhang Xuezhou snapped out of his reverie and quickly waved his hand.

It must be said that Zhang Xuezhou experienced many hardships, but he followed a high-level path in cultivation and did not suffer as tragically as Daoist Mu.

Zhang Xuezhou even possessed quite a few useful techniques, preventing him from falling into the situation where low-level cultivators were treated worse than dogs.

He is far from the state of yin-yang imbalance mentioned by Dong Zhongshu.

If he hadn't reached the Sole Self Realm, which necessitated further integration with the Nine People Sect's legacy, Zhang Xuezhou felt he didn't have a problem with yin-yang imbalance.

"How could there be no hardship?" Dong Zhongshu asked in surprise. "You cultivate the Nine Heavens Sect's realm techniques, so it should be difficult for you to control killing techniques. You can only set up formations and rely on pills for self-defense, but these two things are very expensive, and ordinary people simply cannot even get started."

"It wasn't that difficult at all!"

"You can construct formations?"

"Won't!"

"And the art of alchemy?"

"I've refined a tiny bit of Origin-Nurturing Pill paste."

Look at this!

Dong Zhongshu spread his hands, indicating that Zhang Xuezhou's skills did not meet the expected level.

Without receiving the True Disciple of Zou Bugui, Zhang Xuezhou would currently be nothing more than a useless person with lofty ideals but no real talent.

Of course, in Dong Zhongshu's eyes, Zou Bugui was also rather useless. If one did not fall into Zou Bugui's formation trap, Dong Zhongshu Zou Bugui be beating a child.

The only thing worth praising about Zou Bugui is his alchemy skills, while Zhang Xuezhou hasn't even learned his specialty. He can only refine some low-level cultivator's Origin-Nurturing Pill, or even just boiled medicinal paste, which is a complete waste of medicinal materials.

"Does this count as enduring hardship?" Zhang Xuezhou asked curiously.

"If this isn't hardship, then what is?" Dong Zhongshu said. "Although your spellcasting ability, granted by your cultivation level, is extraordinary, without any skill you're just an empty jar, unable to pour out any fine wine!"

"You mean you can teach me some really powerful techniques?" Zhang Xuezhou asked, puzzled.

"No, no, no, I don't have any powerful techniques!"

Dong Zhongshu shook his head, then leaned close to Zhang Xuezhou's ear and whispered.

"But I possess a scroll of the Vast Righteous Qi Art. If you cultivate it successfully, it might balance Yin and Yang, making it possible to learn any technique," Dong Zhongshu said in a low voice. "This could break the shackles on your cultivation of killing techniques, giving you the possibility of cultivating normal techniques."

"Really?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

Zhang Xuezhou always felt that Dong Zhongshu had a sales pitch in mind. When Dong Zhongshu was in Lingnan with him, the other party had recommended this technique when compensating him with spirit jade.

Even now, Dong Zhongshu still recommends this formula.

If the legal documents were truly valuable, Dong Zhongshu should not have promoted them so readily.

He didn't quite understand Dong Zhongshu's purpose in doing this.

"It couldn't be more true!" Dong Zhongshu said proudly. "Our Confucian School has always been all-encompassing. Sage Kong once said, 'Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me.' We can learn anything!"

"Is there really such an outrageous school of thought?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.

"To be honest, I've mastered 148 techniques, each different. If I could find no more useful ones, I could continue learning," Dong Zhongshu said. "If you don't believe me, teach me one of the Yin-Yang School techniques, and I can demonstrate it to you that very day!"

"Can they really learn any skill?"

"Absolutely!"

Each school of thought has always maintained its own boundaries, making it difficult for them to integrate with each other, which also means that students of each school can only learn the teachings of their own school.

But Zhang Xuezhou didn't expect that the Confucian school that Dong Zhongshu belonged to was a bit strange.

This is a school of thought that doesn't discriminate against raw meat; it seems they can learn anything.