A Path Even Sages Haven't Traveled

Chapter 85 A Path Even Sages Haven't Traveled

On stage, Du Ziteng began, "In my opinion, the principles of Heaven are contained within all things. The sages' creation of rites and music, and their editing and compilation of the Six Classics, were all achievements of investigating things!"

"Reading the Spring and Autumn Annals can reveal right and wrong, praise and blame; reading the Rites of Zhou can clarify the social order; observing the operation of the four seasons can help us understand the constant way of heaven; and observing the withering and flourishing of plants can help us appreciate the continuous cycle of life."

"Therefore, in seeking the Way, one should take the classics as the foundation and all things as the mirror, proceeding step by step, accumulating knowledge day by day... If one does not read the classics or observe the principles of things, but merely talks about one's own mind, it is no different from building a cart behind closed doors. If the mind has nothing to examine, it is empty and still, how can one attain enlightenment?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a low cheer rang out from the seats at Bailu Academy, and several young Confucian scholars nodded in agreement.

"Brother Du has specialized in etiquette and law for many years, and his arguments are all based on the classics, so there is no way to refute them. This debate has already been decided."

""

"Not bad, Zhengxin Academy sent a martial artist up here, I wonder what they were thinking."

Jia Xiuxiang sneered, "Debating the Dao is not like reciting poetry. Reciting poetry can rely on cleverness, but debating the Dao relies on true knowledge. How can a crude and vulgar brute argue with a top student from Bailu Academy about investigating things and extending knowledge? He probably doesn't even know how to write those four characters."

Several disciples from Yuelu Academy laughed along.

Wei Qingwen, sitting in the back row of Zhengxin Academy, couldn't help but turn around and glare at Yuelu Academy. He lowered his voice and retorted, "Jia Shidui is mistaken. When the Junior Master discussed the Dao with the three sages in the Stele of Goodness, Jia Shidui was not present. The sages personally addressed the Junior Master as a fellow Daoist. Isn't that scholarship? Isn't that the Dao?"

Jia Xiuxiang's face turned pale, and he was about to retort when his classmate pulled him back.

He snorted coldly and said nothing more.

Jun Jingyan sat in the front row of Zhengxin Academy, clenching her small hands and looking at the stage with a blank expression.

Du Ziteng is a specialist in etiquette and law, and he never makes a mistake in quoting classical texts; his logical chain is perfectly linked.

She asked herself honestly, even if she were to return to the stage, she wasn't confident she could win.

Luo Shenglin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and whispered something to the old scholar beside him.

The old scholar nodded, a hint of regret in his eyes—Zhengxin Academy sending a martial artist to the stage was truly a sign of their utter lack of options.

The other scholars on the judging panel whispered among themselves, some shaking their heads, some sighing, and some waiting expressionlessly for the farce to end.

Xu Xian remained silent for a long time, and the whole square thought he was stumped by the question.

The seats at Zhengxin Academy were deathly silent. Master Meng's face was solemn, and his heart sank.

Even if he were to go up there, he would find it difficult to say anything on this topic.

But at this moment, Xu spoke first.

"Senior Brother Du, is it considered benevolence for crows to feed their parents?"

Du Ziteng paused for a moment, considered his words carefully, and then answered truthfully, "Naturally, it is benevolence. Crows feeding their parents and lambs kneeling to suckle are all signs of filial piety. The Book of Rites says: 'The filial piety of birds and beasts is innate.' The sages observed things and drew inspiration from them, integrating the ethics of nature into human ethics and education. This is precisely the achievement of investigating things."

"Has Senior Brother Du ever personally witnessed crows feeding their parents?"

"I have never seen it with my own eyes, but the books of the sages describe it with certainty, so it should be believed."

Xu Xian smiled, leaned forward slightly, and pointed, "This tree in the courtyard... its fragrance is wafting over now. Senior Brother Du, is this fragrance mentioned in any books?"

Du Ziteng sniffed it, then paused, "This flower is called 'Broken Snow,' its fragrance is delicate, but Liu Zhai's collection of books doesn't actually contain any records specifically about the scent of this tree."

"Can you smell the flowers?"

"I can smell it."

"Do you think it smells good?"

"Smells good."

Did you consult the classic texts?

Du Ziteng opened his mouth, "No."

"You didn't consult any historical records, yet you know it smells good. Why is that?"

Xu Xian chuckled softly, "Because your nose told you, your heart told you."

Master Meng was slightly taken aback, and his eyes widened a bit.

This statement has no scriptural source, yet it is like a needle piercing the foundation of the investigation of things and the extension of knowledge. Smelling the fragrance of flowers is an instinct, and it does not need to be taught by sages.

Du Ziteng frowned slightly.

He realized that Mr. Xu was using an extremely simple method to dismantle his argument: using sensory intuition, which everyone has experienced, to prove that "the mind can know reason."

This was not the kind of argument he was familiar with.

He was about to retort when Xu Xian didn't give him a chance, continuing, "Have you ever seen crows feeding their parents? No, but you believe it just because it's written in a book. Have you ever smelled flowers? You have, and even though it's not written in a book, you know they smell good..."

"Why do we need a sage to teach us to smell the fragrance of flowers, but to judge for us the filial piety of crows feeding their parents?"

Xu raised his right hand and pointed to his chest. "Because your heart is blinded by books, you would rather believe the words in the book than believe your own eyes and nose."

The entire room fell silent for two breaths.

Jun Jingyan blinked and a smile appeared on her lips.

This means that you shouldn't let the classics replace your own judgment.

On the judging panel, Luo Shenglin paused, his hand holding the teacup still. "A unique perspective, quite insightful; this young man is no ordinary person..."

The old scholar beside him nodded, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Several young Confucian scholars, who had just been smug, looked at each other in bewilderment at their seats in Bailu Academy.

"Isn't his mention of the fragrance of flowers a case of misrepresentation...?"

The classmate next to me remained silent for a while. "The scent of flowers is intuition, and the Tao is the principle of nature... But he said that intuition can distinguish between good and bad, so why can't it distinguish between principles? This is hard to refute."

Xu continued, "There's nothing wrong with investigating things. I've investigated things before. When I was investigating cases, I went through countless case files. That was investigating things, but you can never investigate everything..."

"If you investigate everything in the world one by one, how long will it take? If you only investigate things without looking back, in the end you will find that you have investigated a room full of bamboo, but you have forgotten why you investigated bamboo in the first place."

He gently tapped his knee. "The sage said, 'Knowing when to stop leads to stability, and stability leads to tranquility.' This doesn't mean you have to investigate everything in the world before you stop; it means that amidst all the chaos, you can guard your true self..."

"Examining external things is secondary, while understanding one's own mind is fundamental. Only when the two are combined can one attain the complete Great Way. If one only looks outward and forgets to look inward, one will never see the true Way."

As soon as those words were spoken, it was as if a gust of wind had swept through the square, and all the whispers vanished at once.

"External investigation of things is secondary, while internal enlightenment is fundamental; the two should be combined? To integrate investigation of things and enlightenment of the mind! This...this opens up a new path!"

The leader of Bailu Academy suddenly stood up, then slowly sat down again, utterly shocked.

The students of Yuelu Academy looked at each other in bewilderment. Someone whispered that this was not proper learning, but was tugged hard on the sleeve by the classmate next to him, who told him to shut up.

The young Confucian scholars of Liuzhai Academy stood up one after another, wanting to see the face of the swordsman on the stage.

The leader of Songyang Academy was greatly shaken and stammered, "I never imagined... that a disagreement that three generations of sages couldn't resolve was settled today by an investigator. I regret that this person isn't a disciple of Confucianism!"

Jia Xiuxiang's face turned pale. He didn't want to admit it, but his heart told him that Xu Xian was right.

What made him even more resentful was that even questioning Xu Xian's qualifications and mocking Xu Xian as a mere brute made him seem petty.

Luo Shenglin's hand, holding the teacup, stopped at his lips, motionless, and a strange aura emanated from his body.

After a few breaths, he put down his teacup. "I originally thought the title of Junior Tutor was somewhat exaggerated, and that Dean Zhou had gone too far... But after meeting him today, I can see that this Junior Tutor truly lives up to the title."

The old scholar nodded, his gaze following the young man on the stage who was putting the eight-sided sword back on his waist.

Master Mencius sat motionless on the judging panel.

He had taught Confucian classics for forty years, and this was the first time he had heard someone use the simplest examples, such as "smelling the fragrance of flowers" and "watching crows," to explain the relationship between investigating things and understanding one's mind so thoroughly.

You can't learn this kind of principle from scriptures.

Jun Jingyan turned her head to look at Master Meng, her eyes brightening. "Sir, did the young master read these things from a book?"

Master Mencius was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No, this is his own reasoning. The sage called him a fellow Daoist not because of his profound learning, but because he walked a path that even the sage had not walked."

Yang Xu stood outside the crowd, leaning on his sword hilt. "Tsk...sometimes I really want to crack open his head and see how he's different from ours..."