After stepping into the courtyard, Chen Baiqing lightly waved her hand, indicating to her junior fellow disciples that they could move about freely.
Lin Luoyu could no longer contain her anxious anticipation and was the first to push the door open.
Before her eyes, Li Junzi was holding a brush, writing something with deliberate care, his expression utterly focused and absorbed.
At the sound of the door opening, Li Junzi seemed to awaken as if from a trance. His gaze turned toward the doorway, followed by a look of surprise on his face.
"What brings you here?" he asked.
Lin Luoyu stepped forward quickly. She noticed that Li Junzi's hair had whitened even more than before, and fatigue was the dominant expression on his face.
Seeing Li Junzi's much aged appearance, Lin Luoyu reached out and grasped his hand, her tone slightly urgent.
"Master, why didn't you tell me about the debate with Junzi Mountain?"
Li Junzi smiled at her words.
"It's just a debate, nothing major."
Lin Luoyu wanted to say—The Sub-sage's treasure has been brought out, and you call it nothing major?
But looking into Li Junzi's eyes, filled with such warmth, she couldn't bring herself to say it. Instead, she changed her tone.
"I am also your disciple, by rights, I should have a place in this debate."
Li Junzi didn't answer directly. Instead, he first smiled and greeted Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao, gesturing for everyone to sit down.
Having stayed at the sect's residence in Yuzhou City for several months, Li Junzi had grown quite close to Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao through their daily interactions. After all, they had even celebrated Li Yingling's birthday together.
Cui Hao wore his habitual smile, completely at ease as he sat down without any restraint.
After all, now that they were here, Li Junzi's life would undoubtedly be safe. Junzi Mountain wouldn't dare to be so bold as to challenge a hand-to-hand confrontation with Tianyan Sect, one of the Eighteen Immortal Sects of the Central Province.
Chen Baiqing understood that Lin Luoyu had been worried the entire journey. Now that they were all in the same room with family, she shed the cold expression she had worn earlier, her demeanor softening slightly.
Li Junzi reached for the tea leaves beside him, preparing to brew tea for everyone. Lin Luoyu stepped forward, wanting to take the tea leaves from him, but she gestured for her to sit first.
Seeing Li Junzi's determined expression, Lin Luoyu hesitated for a moment before sitting down.
Seeing this, Chen Baiqing reached out her hand and spoke at the same time.
"Let me do it. There's no fire here, so it'll be easier for me. Fourth Junior Sister has been worried about you the whole way; you should explain the situation to her."
Hearing this, Li Junzi gently handed the tea leaves to Chen Baiqing. Looking at everyone's concerned gazes, she smiled and said, "It's just that I have questions about my studies, I don't agree with certain principles, and I want to get to the bottom of it and understand clearly. If I'm not willing to muddle through, then I'll just let it be."
Cui Hao sighed with emotion.
"You certainly made quite a commotion then. You even brought out the Sub-sage's treasure."
Li Junzi laughed and teased, "A person lives only once in this life; they should have at least one grand occasion."
Cui Hao looked at Li Junzi in surprise. He never expected the formerly somewhat pedantic Li Junzi to suddenly start making such playful remarks.
Lin Luoyu didn't know what to say either. She knew her master well; when he set his mind to something, he was always resolute.
Was she supposed to persuade Li Junzi to focus on his current path and give up the debate to preserve his own cultivation realm? Back in Linjiagou, Li Junzi wouldn't have stayed then either.
Besides, on the path of learning, no amount of seriousness is excessive. All she could do now was offer her complete and unwavering support.
Lin Luoyu said firmly, "Master, let me help you."
Li Junzi smiled gently.
"It's been a long time since you've studied seriously, hasn't it? If you want to help me, you'll have to start from scratch all over again. I'm not sure if there's time."
Hearing this, Cui Hao nodded slightly.
"Fourth Junior Sister's foundation and talent in scholarship are a bit lacking... but it doesn't matter. I have some talent in this area, so I'll be able to catch up."
Looking at Cui Hao's confident expression, Li Junzi recalled the vivid memory of how Cui Hao, right before his eyes, had closed his eyes and instantly advanced from the Inscription Realm to the Enlightenment Realm. When Cui Hao said this... he couldn't really argue.
After all, he truly had a gift for scholarship.
Chen Baiqing poured the brewed tea and distributed it to everyone, then asked, "There are five debates in total, I've heard two have already taken place. How were the first two?"
Li Junzi answered frankly.
"We lost decisively."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Lin Luoyu and Cui Hao might have some talent, but their focus had long since shifted to cultivation. What was the point of reading Sub-sage texts when they could be better off researching where to aim their sword techniques?
Even a genius in scholarship needs a very solid foundation. The two of them hadn't even reached the Scholar Realm. If Li Junzi hadn't lost by much, they might have had a chance with joint effort. But to lose decisively...
Chen Baiqing asked again, "Is this debate absolutely necessary?"
Li Junzi shook his head.
"There's nothing that's absolutely necessary. It's just that people pursue different things. I want to know where I went wrong. That's part of why I study. If I give up on everything, then there's no meaning in writing and reading books."
Cui Hao lifted his teacup and downed it in one gulp, then said, "It's just a debate. I've never lost one! Let's work together and show those bookworms what a real genius looks like!"
Li Junzi's gentle smile remained as he raised his teacup and drank it all in one go.
Chen Baiqing's expression remained calm. Although she had mostly read books about immortal cultivation artifacts in the past, she had also read some Sub-sage texts recommended by her senior sister.
After flipping through a few pages and thinking carefully, she felt that so-called Sub-sage words were merely grandiose on the surface. The world is full of petty people; how many are truly selfless?
After a few attempts, she couldn't get into it and gave up.
In Chen Baiqing's eyes, so-called great righteousness was too ethereal. It was more practical for her master and the people in her sect to be safe and sound.
She didn't have such noble thoughts; she was more like the narrow-minded petty people in books. But as long as her master and her sect were well, Chen Baiqing would rather be a narrow-minded petty person.
So when it came to the debate, all she could probably do was cheer them on. She didn't quite understand why Li Junzi was so stubborn about this.
Perhaps it was just the stubborn integrity of a boring scholar, but all Chen Baiqing could do was respect it.
Chen Baiqing also raised her teacup and drank in unison.
Lin Luoyu's expression grew serious as well. The Sub-sage represented the pinnacle of Confucian learning, an existence countless scholars looked up to, a truth recognized by the Dao.
To refute these teachings was equivalent to completely shattering the very foundation of these scholars' understanding for thousands of years.
As night fell, a faint chirping of insects came from outside the window. The courtyard was lit with lamplight.
Lin Luoyu and Cui Hao each held a book, their brows slightly furrowed as if deep in thought.
Li Junzi lifted his head to look at Lin Luoyu. For some reason, it felt as if time was rewinding.
It was just like when he was in Linjiagou, watching the studious Lin Luoyu.
The content of the debate wasn't limited to a single statement or action by the Sub-sage. After all, the Sub-sage wasn't born as such.
And it wasn't about completely denying the Sub-sage's views, because even uneducated common folk could speak worldly truths.
What Li Junzi denied was—that the principles of the Sub-sage should not be considered the truth of this age, nor an eternal truth for all time.
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