In the Junzi Academy's Debate Hall.
As the largest building in the entire Junzi Academy, the Debate Hall held a position of great importance. In this land where every inch of earth was precious, it was second only to the Sage Hall in significance.
It was also one of the academy's earliest structures.
Though the Debate Hall now appeared old and weathered from the outside, it had actually been renovated many times over the years. Yet while its exterior showed its age, the interior told a different story entirely.
Numerous great Confucian scholars, famous throughout the Confucian world and immortalized in history, had left their calligraphy here. All of it was written in the neat, upright script of Regular Script.
Most of these writings contained phrases encouraging learning and promoting goodness.
However, these were not honors for the Junzi Academy itself, but rather for those great scholars who had written them. They were also the honors coveted by the many students of Junzi Mountain.
In earlier years, the Debate Hall truly served as a place for different ideas and viewpoints to exchange and clash. This was especially true in the period after the Sage's passing.
Scholars flocked to the Debate Hall in great numbers.
Their purpose was simple: to refute the Sage's theories and gain fame throughout the land.
Why did they choose the time after the Sage's passing? The reason was equally simple: how could anyone possibly defeat a living Sage in debate?
The Sage was dead, his theories were still relatively new, and his disciples might not have perfectly inherited his teachings. Winning a debate against them would mean achieving a name that, while perhaps not placed above the Sage's, would still be positioned just beneath it.
But Junzi Mountain's debates had never lost a single match.
Not until the Sage's teachings had spread far and wide, becoming universal values, did anyone stop coming to Junzi Mountain for debates.
After all, the entire world was now on their side, with the exception of remote wilderness regions.
Some of those wilderness areas still practiced living sacrifices and the purest forms of evil god cult beliefs. They were so backward it was embarrassing to witness, and spreading ideas there risked damaging the reputation of Confucian cultivators.
Later, as the number of students grew, no one came for debates anymore.
Such a large Debate Hall could not be left to ruin. So, though it was nominally still called the Debate Hall, it had become a classroom in practice.
However, to maintain the Debate Hall's prestige, every opening of the hall signified a lecture by a top-tier great scholar.
The old Debate Hall had no desks, only long planks joined together as benches. Countless students would abandon so-called gentlemanly decorum, sitting shoulder to shoulder in close quarters.
They craved the purest wisdom from the great scholars.
It was not until a newly minted great scholar challenged Junzi Mountain that the Debate Hall's benches were removed, restoring it to its original form.
The entire Junzi Academy took this matter very seriously. After all, they had a traitor within their own ranks.
Although this challenger had not refuted all of the Sage's points, in a world where almost all Confucian cultivators had sworn allegiance to the Sage, this was the pinnacle of heresy.
Chen Wenqian took his seat among the other great scholars. Behind him were not only the academy's own teaching scholars, but also specially invited top-tier scholars famous throughout the land.
In an academic dispute, no amount of seriousness was ever too much.
In the past, when the Hundred Schools of Thought had come one after another, Junzi Academy had never been defeated. Now that the world was united, why should they lose?
Furthermore, they firmly believed that the Sage's own teachings were the ultimate source of truth for all ages.
Compared to Chen Wenqian's magnificent entourage, Li Junzi's was meager indeed.
Led by one great scholar, followed by two Confucian cultivators of the Enlightened Principle realm, plus Chen Baiqing, who was not even a Confucian student.
Outside the Debate Hall, the academy's students had gathered, forming a crowd so dense it was nearly impenetrable.
In the center of the hall, a brush with a jade-green shaft floated upward. It was held aloft by an endless, vast aura.
This was the Sage's ultimate treasure: the Dilapidated Brush.
Before the Sage became the Sage, he had been utterly destitute. Apart from his clothes, all he possessed was a carefully preserved, old, worn-out brush.
But no matter how carefully it was preserved, it could not change the fact that it was merely a broken brush shaft.
This brush had witnessed the entirety of the Sage's tumultuous life.
The Sage had used this worn-out brush to write his masterpieces.
And this brush, from a broken shaft, had evolved into its current magnificent form.
In the eyes of many Confucian cultivators, the name "Dilapidated" was worse than having no name at all. Simply calling it "Brush" would have been better than "Dilapidated Brush."
But alas, the one who named it was the Sage himself, the brush's owner.
So even if the name was shameful, they had no choice but to accept it.
"Rites and righteousness are the foundation of being a person. A sense of shame and honor allows one to understand principle."
"The Sage said: The goodness of human nature is like water flowing downward. Humans are born with four inclinations: forbearance, shame, deference, and judgment."
"Take goodness as the foundation, beyond gain and loss. Take rites and righteousness as the foundation, to understand shame. Take humility as the foundation, to know one's insufficiencies. Take judgment as the foundation, to understand what not to do."
Chen Wenqian's tone was calm, his words clear and distinct.
The debate was nearing its end, and everything had proceeded smoothly.
Except for that person named Cui Hao, who had used some sophistry to catch them off guard, there had been no other disturbances.
That Cui Hao possessed great talent, and his sophistical methods were unique. It was a pity he clearly had not grasped their essence and seemed not to fully understand them himself.
It felt somewhat forced, but it was certainly dazzling to witness.
Chen Wenqian's gaze fell on Cui Hao. If he had no new arguments to offer, this debate would likely be over.
Cui Hao frowned slightly, his mind quickly scanning his conversations with his master, trying to find something more to use.
Just then, Li Junzi stood up naturally and bowed.
"Thank you for the lesson."
With those words, the third debate was declared over.
Chen Wenqian and the great scholars behind him also rose to their feet, returning Li Junzi's bow.
But in the next moment, the aura around Li Junzi suddenly stirred.
As if in an instant, this newly minted female scholar had fallen back to the rank of a Confucian student.
All the Confucian students in the hall sensed this change.
Lin Luoyu looked at her master with an expression of self-blame, and Cui Hao's face was also filled with unwillingness.
Chen Wenqian watched as Li Junzi finished bowing, as if about to turn and leave, and quickly spoke:
"There is no need to continue the remaining two debates."
Li Junzi stopped, turned back, and said, "The heart of a gentleman in his quest for knowledge should not know fear."
Hearing this, Chen Wenqian was instantly speechless.
If the remaining two debates continued, this Li Junzi would likely continue to fall in rank, possibly even to the Expanding Books realm.
It takes decades of dedicated study to become a great scholar.
But in less than a year, was she truly willing to throw away all that painstaking effort?
Was it really worth it?
Chen Wenqian watched as Li Junzi and the others walked away. He wanted to ask Li Junzi, and he also wanted to ask himself.
The great scholars behind Chen Wenqian were also silent.
But all of them held a newfound respect for this Li Junzi.
On the path to the bamboo forest cottage.
Even though Li Junzi tried to lighten the mood, she was not Cui Hao.
The crushing defeat and Li Junzi's fall in rank were too heavy a burden. The group still felt dejected.
Chen Baiqing's expression was calm, but his mind was already calculating the possibilities of this debate.
The defeat was too clean; winning through debate was impossible.
Each lost in their own thoughts, they made their way toward the bamboo forest cottage.
Li Junzi sighed softly and pushed open the cottage door.
But in the next moment, the first one to rush into the room was Chen Baiqing.
Those outside heard Chen Baiqing's joyful voice:
"Master, you are here."
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