Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

He had no ulterior motives for doing this.

Since it's his father on the other side, it wouldn't hurt to lend a hand.

Moreover, I'm quite interested in seeing how the story unfolds between the two of them.

Back at the College of Arts, Chen Zhuo keenly noticed a slight change in the architecture.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's definitely different from when he came before.

"It's probably another change brought about by the emergence of cultural context, but I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

Chen Tiansheng followed behind him at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, his steps showing a hint of hesitation.

At this time, Song Zhiyuan was handling affairs within the Academy of Literature, and it was clear that things had settled down.

"Young friend Chen is quite capable; it's all my fault for dragging you into this."

Upon meeting, Song Zhiyuan spoke immediately, and judging from his expression, he already knew what had happened in the restaurant.

"Mr. Song, what are you saying? We are very close friends, how could you implicate us?"

"Hahaha, good! Young friend, you're straightforward!"

After saying that, Song Zhiyuan noticed Chen Tiansheng following behind him, whose appearance seemed somewhat familiar.

He then looked at Chen Zhuo and asked, "Who is this person following behind you, young friend Chen?"

"I just met a friend. I wonder if it would be possible for him to accompany me to the banquet at the county government office?"

"There is nothing wrong with that."

Song Zhiyuan said casually, but his eyes were fixed on Chen Tiansheng.

"Young friend, are you from Shengtian Prefecture?"

Chen Tiansheng's eyes flickered, but he didn't reply.

Seeing this, Song Zhiyuan paused for a second, then smiled slightly and turned to look at Chen Zhuo.

"Young friend Chen is now a scholar, but he has not yet mastered the art of space. If you don't mind, you can come to my courtyard for a look, and perhaps you can understand why."

Upon hearing his words, Chen Zhuo immediately understood what Song Zhiyuan meant.

Perhaps they have some little secrets to discuss.

Although I don't understand, I respect it.

Moreover, doesn't this create an opportunity to be alone with my junior sister?

As for the whispers between the two old Dengs, let them talk!

A smile welled up inside him, but he didn't show it on his face.

"Thank you, Mr. Song."

As soon as Chen Zhuo finished speaking, the word "传" (chuan, meaning "to spread") appeared around Song Zhiyuan.

Then he suddenly found himself in the room he had been in before.

The difference this time was that he was alone.

"That move was pretty cool!"

Chen Zhuo sighed and walked towards a room.

This is a two-bedroom, one-living-room layout. Gu Qing'e's room door is closed, while Song Zhiyuan's room is open, the meaning of which is obvious.

Enter the room.

There are many books on the bookshelf.

"Qingshan County Annals", "The Development and Layout of Cultural Heritage in Dongshi Region", "A Brief Discussion on Factors Influencing the Growth of Cultural Heritage"...

Finally, his gaze fell upon a book that was faintly glowing.

A Preliminary Understanding and Application of the Literati's Spatial Philosophy in Landscape Painting Schools

"This is the one!"

Chen Zhuo reached out and took the book that was gleaming faintly.

The moment I touched it, a warm, smooth sensation came from my fingertips.

The lettering on the book cover was slightly blurred.

He turned to the first page.

The text above is the main content.

"Space is the container of heaven and earth."

"The space above and below, and the four directions, are called the universe; the past and the present are called the cosmos."

"Yu means space. Zhou means time. Landscape literati take mountains and rivers as their bones and literary spirit as their veins. What they seek is not only to compose poems about the wind and moon and express their feelings about the mountains and valleys, but also to use their own literary spirit to sense the principles of heaven and earth and space, and reach the state of 'containing Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed'."

"This is the fundamental principle of the way of space."

Therefore, the Way of Space, or the branch of study that will be pursued next, is similar to a major in university.

The deeper you go, the more detailed it becomes.

The ultimate goal of practicing the Way of Space is to reach the state of "containing Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed".

Chen Zhuo silently made a note of it and continued reading.

"For beginners learning the way of space, perception is of paramount importance."

"When ordinary people look at mountains, they see mountains as mountains. When ordinary people look at water, they see water as water. But when scholars and literati look at mountains, they see veins; when they look at water, they see channels."

What does it mean for a mountain to have veins?

"All mountains have a direction, undulations, openings and closings. The positional relationship between a solitary peak and a group of mountains, and the echo between one peak and another, are all called 'pulse'."

"The concept of mountains is not unique to geography; it is also a reflection of space."

"Look at the continuous mountain ranges. What separates the mountains from each other is not just soil, rocks, grass, and trees, but also 'emptiness'."

"Emptiness is the language of the mountains."

"Therefore, the first step for those who practice this art is to sit quietly amidst mountains and rivers, infusing their eyes with literary energy, observing the gaps in the mountains and the bends in the water. With time and practice, they will naturally be able to perceive the spatial textures in ordinary scenery."

"Like observing silk, the warp and weft become apparent; this is one aspect of the way of space."

"The second realm of the Dao of Space is..."

Chen Zhuo read with great enthusiasm, but was still in a state of partial understanding.

After all, he's not a genius, and he can't use the equipment slots here.

It would be a miracle if you could understand it after reading it only once.

As he was engrossed in reading, a head quietly peeked out from outside the door.

She was curiously observing the man in front of her.

This person was able to gain his father's trust in a short period of time and was even allowed to come to the study to browse books.

Clearly, he possesses some exceptional qualities.

At that moment, she felt a surge of curiosity about Chen Zhuo.

On the other side, as Chen Zhuo was reading the scriptures, he suddenly noticed the commotion behind him.

A soft footstep sound came from behind.

The footsteps were so light they sounded like a kitten stepping on a roof tile; if you weren't paying attention, you wouldn't even notice them.

But the section Chen Zhuo was reading at that moment happened to be about "spatial perception".

By infusing one's ears with literary energy, one can perceive the most subtle vibrations in space.

He subconsciously put this method into practice.

And so the footsteps entered his ears clearly.

He didn't turn around, but simply turned a page of his book, speaking casually as if to himself: "Since we're here, why hide?"

The person at the door froze for a moment.

A moment later, a small figure walked in.

Gu Qing'e was dressed in a light blue dress, with two small buns in her hair. Her eyes showed a hint of embarrassment at being discovered, but more than anything, curiosity.

"How did you know I was here?" Her voice was much clearer than it would be ten years later, with a youthful crispness.

Chen Zhuo then turned around and pointed to the book in his hand with an air of profound knowledge: "I learned it from here."

Gu Qing'e blinked, her gaze falling on the cover of the book, and suddenly burst out laughing:

"You're lying. When my dad wrote that book, the chapter on spatial perception wasn't even finished yet. You must have learned it from somewhere else, right?"

Chen Zhuo's expression froze.

This was something he hadn't expected.

He coughed lightly, naturally changing the subject: "Was this book written by your father?"

"Mm." Gu Qing'e nodded and went into the room.

Although she was young, she was poised and confident on her own turf, showing no signs of stage fright.

"My father said that there are too few classic texts on the principles of space in the landscape school. Many of the experiences of our predecessors are passed down orally and have not been written down in a systematic way."

So he wrote one himself.

She walked to the bookshelf, stood on tiptoe, and glanced at the spines of the books, her tone tinged with pride:

"However, he wrote it for several years without finishing it. Every time he thought it was almost done, he would have a new idea a few months later, so he would start writing it all over again. He revised the very first chapter more than a dozen times."