Gao Wu Da Qin: You don't want your secret to be known, do you?

Chapter 17 The common people are in turmoil, the world is engulfed in flames, among the Hundred Schools of Thought, only I reign supreme.

It was late at night when I finished my conversation with Dr. Baijia. 💥🎯 6➈şℍ𝓾ⓧ.ᑕᵒм 👣🍓

Outside the window, snow suddenly began to fall.

Qin Feng especially loves snowy days.

Looking up at the night sky and watching the snowflakes fall gently, I realized that it's already the end of November, almost December.

In the blink of an eye, three months had passed since I transmigrated here.

As Qin Feng recalled the words of the Hundred Schools of Thought, his determination to join the Ghost Valley became stronger and stronger!

Undeniably, both Confucianism and Mohism are very attractive, but they still fall short compared to Guiguzi.

In this cyberpunk Warring States period, choosing the right path, the right mentor, and the right faction is more important than in one's own era.

In my time, power wasn't exaggerated enough to allow people to physically traverse the stars; people still had to wear spacesuits to go to other planets.

In this era, martial artists are so powerful that they can traverse the starry sky without avoiding particle streams. Not to mention the seven warring states, each with its own strengths. Choosing the right sect means half the battle is won, while choosing the wrong sect means that one's future may be spent doing poverty alleviation work.

No one wants to be the one helping others; everyone wants to be helped by others.

Then naturally, we should choose a strong and domineering sect, like Guigu!

As for the high requirements and high threshold of Guigu, that's not a problem!

Qin Feng thought about it and realized that getting his father, Qin Wuyang, to write him a recommendation letter that would catch the eye of the strategist Guiguzi was still too difficult.

After all, Dad's education level speaks for itself! If you let him drink and brag, he's worth ten of you!

But if you ask him to write articles or study math and physics, he's just asking for trouble.

But if you were to write a letter of self-recommendation to Guiguzi, how would you write it?

Qin Feng currently faces three strategies: superior, middle, and inferior.

The first and best strategy is to write an article that perfectly aligns with Guiguzi's core philosophy, then let Guiguzi see it. This will please Guiguzi, and the science-minded Gai Nie or Wei Zhuang will come to take me as their disciple!

The second method is to fall into the trap by using your father's words to demonstrate your potential, explain your future, and even reveal the secret of having 500 or 1000 Qi and Blood, thus arousing Guiguzi's interest in you.

The third and worst strategy is to simply say, "I am a time traveler and can know everything that will happen two thousand years from now!"

Of these three schemes, the third one is the least likely to work. First, it's his secret weapon, his biggest secret, like his underpants—how could he let outsiders know? Besides, Qin Feng worries that even if Guiguzi knew, Guiguzi wouldn't believe him; this reason is too absurd. ♧✌ 6➈SĤ𝐮x.℃σΜ 🎃♚

Secondly, although my combat prowess is off the charts and my brain development is terrifying at 20%, these are just abilities. While they might earn Guiguzi's attention, they won't receive much real respect! After all, Guiguzi has seen all sorts of geniuses!

The best course of action is to write an article that aligns with the core principles of the Guigu School and have it seen by Guiguzi.

So, another question arises: what is the core philosophy of Guiguzi's school of thought?

From a historical perspective, this sect is one that is fickle and unpredictable, willing to use any means necessary to achieve its goals!

They can say that they are willing to do anything to win, including killing each other, internal strife, and external exploitation. These things, which are considered outrageous by other sects, are commonplace in Guigu.

After considering the list of human sages for the next two thousand years, Qin Feng chose one person—Machiavelli, hailed as the father of Western political science. In his famous work, The Prince, he openly tolerated and encouraged the "evil deeds" of various rulers. He has earned no fewer than twenty infamous titles in Western and human history, such as "partner of the devil" and "mentor of evil." Yet, this unscrupulous man has also gained the respect of almost all rulers, and has even formed a school of thought!

Machiavelli's ideas are strikingly similar to those of the strategists. Both are staunch supporters of the inherent evil of human nature, and share the same will to win by any means necessary and a strong ability to execute their plans!

If I were to transmit Machiavelli's ideas to Guiguzi through a copy of an ancient Chinese text, Guiguzi would surely be interested in me!

After all, Machiavelli's ideas have captivated billions of Westerners, especially the elites. Such a treasure of human thought would surely have won the favor of Guiguzi!

Therefore, after pondering the core ideas of Machiavelli, Qin Feng wrote a simple essay on the game.

It's a very simple paper with a question-and-answer format.

Qin Feng then slipped the paper into the daily greeting letter his father mailed to Guigu and began to wait quietly.

……

Time flies, and two days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Outside a secluded, unassuming mansion in Sanghai, a courier placed a letter in the mailbox.

Before long, a boy dressed in ancient clothes hurriedly entered the basement with a letter in his hand.

After passing through several doors, the boy in the ancient robe arrived at the door of a quiet study and cautiously said to those inside, "Sir, Mr. Qin Wuyang from Longyou has sent a letter."

An old voice came from inside the house, "Bring it in!"

The boy in the ancient robe respectfully placed the letter on the table in the basement.

In the darkness, a pair of pale, wrinkled old hands skillfully unfolded the letter and read it carefully. ♤🐍 ❻9Şℍยא.ⓒＯ𝓜 😾♬

He quickly finished reading Qin Wuyang's message and said in a calm, old voice, "Mr. Qin truly lives up to his reputation as a descendant of a noble family from the Yan Kingdom. Although he is now down on his luck, he has not forgotten Guigu Valley. He is a genuine man!"

Just as the old man was about to throw the letter over, he noticed that another piece of paper had fallen out of the letter and landed on the ground.

The boy picked it up, looked at it, and said, "This...this is a piece of paper from a high school homework book! There are some words on it!"

The old man, engrossed in his other tasks, asked without looking up, "What does it say on it?"

The boy said, "This is a high school essay about chess, written by Qin Wuyang's son, Qin Feng! I guess Qin Wuyang saw this essay and thought it was excellent, so he wanted you to show it to his son and give him your feedback! I've already read some, sir, and the writing here is truly unique!"

The old man chuckled and said, "Read it to me."

The boy replied, "Yes!"

"The two players in the game are named Zhang San and Li Si."

The article's theme: Is it acceptable to use any means necessary to achieve a goal?

Upon hearing the question, the busy old man paused for a moment.

The boy continued, "Zhang San and Li Si began their debate."

Zhang San asked: "Does truth reside in the hands of a minority?"

Li Si said: Generally speaking, yes! Only the masses are attracted by appearances.

Zhang San asked: "Then why do we always exclude the minority?"

Li Si said: "Because this world is full of mobs, when the majority can stand firm, the minority has no place to stand!"

Zhang San said: "Why is it so hard to mend a broken mirror?"

Li Si said: "Because even when new favors are bestowed, old hatreds cannot be forgotten."

Zhang Sandao: What is the antonym of change?

Li Si said: "What sounds nice is called principle, what sounds unpleasant is called sticking to old ways."

Zhang San asked: "What is the most unstable thing in this world?"

Li Si said: "Honor not based on one's own strength—of course, this doesn't exclude the possibility that some people may obtain honor, but that's not true honor, nor is it the honor they wanted!"

At this point, the busy old man's hands stopped moving.

The boy said, "Zhang San said: Let's get back to the point. Which is more important, the goal or the means?"

Li Si said: "The end can justify the means, but the means cannot justify the end, therefore..."

Zhang San asked: "Is the objective more important?"

Li Si said: "That's right! To achieve our goals, we can stop at nothing!"

Zhang San said: "Aren't you teaching people to do evil?"

Li Si said: "No, I'm teaching a qualified ruler how to properly wield power. Haven't you noticed? In power struggles, it's often the bad guys who win; good people can't go far in power struggles!"

Zhang San asked: Why?

Li Si said: "Because bad people will use the darkest wisdom and the most cunning tricks to achieve their goals! They will not be hindered by principles! Let me ask you a question: Should a monarch be generous or stingy?"

Zhang San said: "Of course, it's generous!"

Li Si asked: "How can I be generous?"

Zhang San said: Throw money away!

Li Si asked, "Where does the money come from?"

Zhang San asked: "Taxes?"

Li Si said: "So, does that mean the more money you scatter, the heavier the taxes become? And the heavier the taxes, the more money you can scatter, and the more generous you are? Then the people will suffer! So, acts of generosity are harmful! What you see as benevolent and righteous are actually heinous acts that push the common people into a fire pit!"

As the boy was reciting this passage, the pair of idle old hands couldn't help but clap.

The old man kept saying, "Good! Well said! Haha! An interesting paradox!"

The boy beside him looked at his teacher in surprise. In his memory, his teacher had always been serious, aloof, and never smiled. It was unbelievable that the teacher would clap and laugh because of an article.

The old man said, "Keep going! There should be even more exciting content to come!"

The boy continued reading, "Li Si said: 'Therefore, when you act generously, you lose the ability to be generous! Rather than having the opposite effect, wouldn't it be wiser to be stingy and spend money on the army to safeguard the country's security?'"

Zhang San said, "But what you're saying is too wicked!"

"Li Si said: This is the truth, and the truth doesn't sound very friendly. It's safer to be feared than to be loved. Fear relies on the strong chain of power, while love relies on the fragile bond of human kindness. The former requires blood and lives to overthrow, while the latter can be severed at any time as long as there is profit to be made."

Zhang San said: "You are absolutely wicked, you should go to hell."

Li Si said: "No, I am just telling you some practical things, not sitting there daydreaming. I am guiding good people to understand the actions of tyrants, so that they can find their own chance to survive in them."

Zhang San said: "So, you're inherently kind?"

Li Si said: "Human nature is evil, but we can learn to be kind. Kindness itself is not wrong. What I oppose is excessive focus on kindness. I think it is not shameful to borrow the despicable means of evil people when necessary."

Zhang San said: "You mean we should focus on the end, not the means, and explain everything by the result."

Li Sidao: Yes, that's it! We are ultimately the sum of all our achievements, which is also the sum of our contradictions. Whether we are kind at heart is not important; what is important is that this world is full of goodness!

Zhang San said: "Of all virtues, filial piety is the most important. One should judge by intention, not by deeds. If one judges by deeds, there will be no filial sons in poor families. Of all vices, lust is the worst. One should judge by deeds, not by intention. If one judges by intention, there will be no perfect person in the world. Thank you, sir."

The boy wiped his dry lips, beads of sweat trickling from his forehead. He looked at the man in the darkness and waited quietly.

The man tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a crisp sound, and time seemed to stand still in the darkness.

After an unknown amount of time, the old man's voice, weathered and worn, said, "I am about to pass away, yet I have encountered such an extraordinary person. It is truly a blessing from heaven! If I can take him under my wing, he will surely surpass all other schools of thought and have the last laugh!"

The boy said cautiously, "But, sir, we already have two disciples, Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang. The Horizontal Alliance can only have two successors. Unless Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang accept this person as their disciple, but that would violate the Horizontal Alliance's three generations of unparalleled rule. So, senior brothers Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang cannot accept this person..."

The man smiled faintly, "That's true, but have you considered that my senior brother died young? What if I were to take on a disciple on behalf of my master?"

Upon hearing this, the boy immediately knelt down. "Master, you mustn't! If you accept a disciple on behalf of our master, Wei Zhuang and Senior Brother Gai Nie will definitely object. They are both exceptional talents and would never agree to have another senior uncle!"

The master said, "A prodigy? Ha! The essence of a person lies in their thoughts. Martial arts, in the end, are nothing more than an extension of thought. These two have been practicing for many years, yet their views on the Way of the King and all things in the world are not as useful as two sentences in this boy's article. This shows that this boy's understanding of all things in the world is beyond the combined capabilities of Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang! This boy can only be ranked alongside me after I pass away. After I pass away, he will be the acting head of Ghost Valley. Later, he will also take two disciples, and then the four disciples will compete for the position of Ghost Valley's next head!"

Upon hearing this, the boy realized that the matter was already irreversible and could not be changed, so he hurriedly replied, "Yes, as you say, sir."

The old man continued, "I still have several decades before my natural lifespan ends, so this matter is not urgent. This Qin Feng still needs to be tested to see how good his fortune and martial arts are! Here's what we'll do: Go and inform Gai Nie to go to Longcheng and, in the name of an old friend, observe Qin Feng. After a year, he should return to Guigu and report on Qin Feng's situation."

The boy nodded, "Yes!"

The man said, "Make preparations. After tomorrow, we will be returning to Ghost Valley. It seems the Cosmic Assassin Light Armor Master has already found my hiding place here. We can't stay here any longer!"

The boy replied, "Yes, sir!"

(End of this chapter)