A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

Wei Fu knew that people with an iron will like Zhang Jiao could not be easily persuaded. They were willing to give everything for the righteousness in their hearts, even their own lives.

Wei Fu took out a jade pendant, "Take this, it can save your life when you fail."

Zhang Jiao smiled and declined, saying, "The Wei family is indeed full of hidden talents."

"But there's no need for that. Every dynasty's reforms have been achieved through bloodshed. In our dynasty, there has never been any bloodshed for reforms, which is why the people are not prosperous. If there is to be bloodshed, let it begin with Zhang Jiao."

"Master Dao, you are of noble character. Please accept my bow."

Although Wei Fu couldn't do it, that didn't stop him from admiring such people.

Watching Zhang Jiao leave, Wei Fu knew that Zhang Jiao could not succeed.

In this day and age, Zhang Jiao's ideas are incredibly advanced.

However, modern people's moral standards are simply not up to par, and Zhang Jiao could only rely on the lowest-level commoners to achieve his ideals.

Uneducated people gathered under Zhang Jiao's tutelage because of their religious beliefs, while high-ranking officials and nobles, although they also admired Zhang Jiao, would never join the Taiping Dao uprising.

There are only individuals who betray their class, not classes that betray their class.

Their class interests conflicted with Zhang Jiao's, and they would never risk the lives of their entire clan to help him.

The common people, however, were illiterate, unable to do arithmetic, and utterly incapable of governance.

If the Great Han can hold out for a period of time, its logistics alone will cause the Taiping Dao to collapse on its own.

Did Zhang Jiao not know this?

Zhang Jiao knew.

To do something knowing it is impossible.

A room that has been dark for a thousand years can be illuminated by a single lamp.

But even if there is no light, someone still has to dispel the darkness.

There has to be someone who treats people as human beings.

After bidding farewell to Wei Fu, Zhang Jiao continued to refine his Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace). Originally just a description of a peaceful world, he now added many ways to achieve peace.

Zhang Jiao renamed it the Taiping Qingling Shu, which served as the foundation for his reforms.

During this trip, he began to purposefully gather power and prepare for an uprising.

On this day, Zhang Jiao took his two younger brothers to a village.

In recent years, the imperial court has experienced floods, locust plagues, and epidemics. Even though the court has high grain yields, the population is also huge. After experiencing several natural disasters, the food supply is still insufficient.

This village is one of the hardest-hit areas. The villagers are so hungry they are delirious, and if they don't receive medical treatment soon, they will starve to death.

Zhang Jiao used his resources to transport some grain.

He approached a disaster victim, holding a bowl of porridge, and asked the boy, "What is this?"

"It's porridge."

The boy, his eyes green, struggled to his feet with the will to survive. "Thank you, Taoist priest."

After saying that, he stepped forward to take the bowl of porridge.

Zhang Jiao shook his head and pulled the porridge back into the container.

"Unauthorized disaster relief is a heinous crime of treason, and both of us will be beheaded, bringing ruin upon our families."

Once the last bit of hope among the disaster victims is put to rest, they are prone to harboring evil intentions.

Then he saw Zhang Jiao light a talisman, sprinkle the ashes into the porridge, and ask the disaster victim again, "What is this now?"

In the face of life and death, the disaster victims' intelligence surged, and they instantly grasped Zhang Jiao's intentions, their eyes rekindling their desire to live.

"This is Taoist talisman water, which can cure all diseases."

Zhang Jiao smiled and nodded, then handed over the porridge.

The disaster victims then took the porridge—no, the Taoist talisman water—and began to eat it heartily.

After finishing their meal, they even licked the bowl clean.

Then, Zhang Jiao held up a five-zhu coin and asked the disaster victims, "What is this?"

"Five-zhu coin".

One of the disaster victims answered.

At that time, not only was providing disaster relief and porridge considered treason, but using money to privately help disaster victims was also a capital offense.

So Zhang Jiao bound the copper coins into a copper coin sword and asked the disaster victims again, "What is this now?"

One of the disaster victims quickly realized what was happening and replied, "This is a ritual implement."

Zhang Jiao looked at him; it was the young disaster victim who had just answered the question about the Taoist talisman water.

He felt the young man was very intelligent, so he asked, "What's your name? Do you have any family members?"

"Master, my surname is Ma, and I don't have a given name. My father called me Little Colt. But my father starved to death not long ago, and now only my younger brother and I are left in our family."

Zhang Jiao's eyes drooped slightly, revealing a compassionate expression.

"Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

"This disciple is willing."

The little colt knelt down before Zhang Jiao and kowtowed three times.

Zhang Jiao patted his head. "I'll give you a name. From today onwards, you'll be called Ma Yuanyi."

"Thank you, Master. I have a name now. My name is Ma Yuanyi."

Ma Yuanyi jumped up happily and followed behind Zhang Jiao. He noticed the longing in his younger brother's eyes.

So he tugged at Zhang Jiao's sleeve, "Master, could you give my younger brother a name too?"

My younger brother's name is Xiao Wuzi.

Zhang Jiao pondered for a moment, "Yuan is the beginning of the year, and the first month is also the beginning of the year. It has the meaning of uprightness, so let's take the character 'Zheng' (正). You are the fifth in the clan, and you are loyal, filial, respectful, wise, and trustworthy. So let's call you Zhengxin (正信)."

"Ma Zhengxin, I have a name now."

Ma Yuanyi's younger brother also jumped up excitedly and hugged his older brother tightly.

Before leaving, Ma Yuanyi handed the Taiping Talisman that Zhang Jiao had given him to his younger brother.

"This is a peace talisman; it will ensure your safety and well-being."

The younger brother clutched the peace talisman tightly in his palm, and led the younger brother by the hand to the village chief.

"Village chief, I am about to travel with my teacher to solve the plague and heal the sick."

"Zhengxin is still young, so I hope to leave him in the village. When he gets older in a few years, I will take him away."

Ma Zhengxin reluctantly let go of his brother's hand and very sensibly walked towards the village chief.

"Brother, when I grow up, I will follow the Great Teacher with you to heal the sick and save lives."

"Okay, when you grow up, you and your brother will follow the Great Teacher of Virtue to heal the sick and save lives."

Ma Yuanyi patted his younger brother's head and pinched his cheek before reluctantly returning to Zhang Jiao's side.

After leaving the village, Zhang Jiao, along with his two brothers and Ma Yuanyi, traveled far and wide, treating the sick and saving lives.

Many disaster victims would listen to Zhang Jiao recount the political propositions of the Way of Peace at night, and his vision of a peaceful world would inspire them, who were living in despair.

They wanted to see that kind of world, and they hoped to follow Zhang Jiao to realize it together.

The prototype of Taiping Dao (the Way of Peace) was thus born.