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

Chapter 57 If you don't understand the Analects, I can at least understand a little bit of the Confucian classics.

The next day, it snowed heavily. ★🎁 ➅➈𝐬𝒽𝕦χ.ℂσм 🐉♝

As the wind and snow swept through the streets of Chang'an, everyone eagerly awaited the final debate of the humanities exam.

In the lounge, in front of the mirror, Qin Feng carefully looked at himself in the mirror.

He wore a light white scholar's robe of superior quality from Xianyang. The wide sleeves of the robe concealed his six-pack abs and biceps. At first glance, his sunny smile and neat, clean-cut hair made him seem completely unrelated to the words "Old Six," "despicable," "shameless," "scheming," "cunning," and "vulgar."

"Prejudice is a mountain in the heart!"

"Once it happens, it will never change."

"I am not a bad person."

"But because of your prejudice, they have become bad people."

Qin Feng gently wiped his cheeks, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to his reflection in the mirror.

At that moment, Zhang Beihai's voice came from outside the door, "Hey, is it done yet!"

Qin Feng pushed open the door, saying, "You're here! Don't rush!"

Zhang Beihai looked Qin Feng up and down, nodding repeatedly. "Not bad, not bad, full of youthful vigor and handsome!"

As Qin Feng walked towards the dining table, he asked, "Has the group roster been released yet?"

"Not yet," Zhang Beihai said, "but it should be out soon! Let's show off the food first! Miss! Please double yesterday's menu!"

The beautiful maids dressed in ancient dresses were exceptionally attentive, their eyes sparkling as they looked at Qin Feng, clearly having witnessed his achievements yesterday.

Regardless of the results of other candidates this year, this young man has firmly secured first place in the liberal arts individual competition.

After all, the total score for liberal arts is only one hundred, and Qin Feng has already scored one hundred in the first theoretical subject. No matter how many points he gets after that, he will score more than other candidates.

This means that I reluctantly took first place, and everyone else should strive for second place!

"Sir, please enjoy your meal!"

"Sir, the holographic projection is now on! Please let me know if you require anything."

Before long, groups of students appeared on the holographic screen.

"The group rankings for the Humanities Finals are now complete. This ranking followed the principles of fairness and combining the best and worst performers. There are nine groups in total, with each group consisting of 3-10 members!"

"Group One, Heavenly Examination Hall, [One Saint] + 9 members."

"Second group, Earth-level examination room, [Haoran Zhenxian] + 8 members."

"The third group, the Earth-character examination room, [Taoist Master] + 7 members."

"..."

"Group 9, Xuanzi Examination Hall, [Victory by Half a Move] + 2 members."

When Qin Feng saw his group, he rubbed his eyes hard!

Holy crap, did I see that right?!

Why are all the other groups almost full, but mine is only three people?

Could it be that there's a powerful figure in my group? Is it Han Feizi, or Gongsun Shengxie?

No, Gongsun Shengxie is a [Master Daoist], he can't be in my group!

There's only one possibility left: one of the members in my group is Han Fei, the great synthesizer of Legalism!

Qin Feng looked on with anticipation and then saw his two team members: a fat man from the Yin-Yang School weighing over 400 pounds and a skinny, sallow-faced young man.

Qin Feng recognized the 400-pound fat man from the Yin-Yang School; he was none other than Dongfang Laoying, whom he had met several times before!

As for that sallow-faced, dark-skinned boy, his surname was Shen, and his given name was Heifu! He seemed to be an unknown figure. 🎈🐠 ❻9hᵘЖ.ᶜ𝑜ｍ ☯🍫

Zhang Beihai checked his phone, his face grave. "The wind...something's not right!"

Qin Feng asked, "Are these two really that bad?"

Zhang Beikai said, "It's not just bad, it's downright shameful! This Hei Fu barely passed the average score, ranking last, and his internal debate record is nine wins and nine losses out of ten!"

"This fat guy from the Yin-Yang School was originally three places away from entering the finals, but the three candidates ahead of him all met with misfortune. Two of them died during the internal debate, because they got carried away and suffered a heart attack. The third one got into a fight and was accidentally killed! All three died, so the fat guy was able to enter the finals as a substitute!"

"This is tantamount to saying that we've assigned you to be last, and zeroth from last!"

"Your situation is very serious!"

Qin Feng drank his porridge without saying a word.

Qin Feng had anticipated this situation.

The standard configuration for a top-tier player team is one expert, one weak player, and some mediocre players.

If I am the highest-scoring player and also a top performer, it's equivalent to having a double advantage buff all by myself. In that case, the only players I can be paired with are trash players.

Thus, Shen Heifu, who was last in the rankings, and Dongfang Laoying, who filled the zero position after last, appeared.

What Qin Feng was curious about was whether Dongfang Laoying was truly blessed with good fortune, or whether there was a master behind him who arranged for him to have such good fortune.

Why is it that those who oppose him are either swept away by flash floods or die violently on the spot?

This time, the two coincidences aside, the fact that he managed to make it all the way to the finals is incredibly lucky. It's comparable to the life of a certain innocent boy named Ding Jia in my previous life.

"Young hero, have a safe journey!"

"Keep it up, Xiao Feng!"

Goodbye, everyone!

Qin Feng waved to the crowd and strolled towards the empty entrance to the celebrity examinee's passage.

This time, the end of the passage was no longer that small, dark room, but a new space that led directly to the Xianyang branch of the Jixia Academy of Confucianism.

Qin Feng pushed open the door, and snowflakes were flying in front of him.

This door must contain some undisclosed spatial rules that can fold a distance of thousands or tens of thousands of meters into a distance of just a few centimeters, so that one can step out and arrive at the Xianyang branch of the Jixia Academy.

The snow was blowing on my face, but it wasn't cold. In the distance, peach blossoms were in full bloom, and peach groves stretched as far as the eye could see.

The crimson peach blossoms stretched out in the cold snow, and some students who had arrived early strolled among them in their Confucian robes. From a distance, it was a perfect ancient landscape painting.

At that moment, a fat ball weighing over 400 pounds ran happily toward him. With each step he took, the surrounding peach trees rustled, and peach petals scattered and fell.

"Brother Feng!"

"Hahaha!"

Dongfang Laoying warmly embraced Qin Feng, excitedly saying, "We're truly destined to be together! I never imagined you were actually the strategist 'Half a Move Ahead of Heaven'! That's wonderful, fantastic!"

Qin Feng greeted him with a smile, but deep down he took the 400-pound fat man even more seriously.

Qin Feng has always believed that luck is also a part of strength. There is a reason why Dongfang Laoying has been able to get to where he is today, and his incredible luck is justified.

You may not understand this principle, but you cannot ignore it. Ignoring it is arrogance and complacency, and stubbornness. ♔✌ 69รħuЖ.Ⓒㄖ𝔪 💢🍮

Qin Feng asked, "When did you become a disciple of the Yin-Yang School?"

Dongfang Laoying said, "I am! This is a closely guarded secret! The Yin-Yang School is a small sect, just like your School of Diplomacy. It attracts a lot of hatred, so I rarely tell outsiders."

It certainly stirs up hatred!

Qin Feng now hates the Yin Yang School to the core.

I never expected that my cousin from the East was also a member of the Yin-Yang School.

Just as the two were embracing, a cough came from the side. "Greetings, gentlemen! I'm Hei Fu."

Dongfang Laoying and Qin Feng turned around and saw that the person who spoke was very thin, with dark skin, and looked like a malnourished, consumptive man, as if he would cough up blood if he took a few more steps.

Dongfang Laoying said enthusiastically, "My surname is Dongfang, and my father hoped that I would never be defeated in my life! So my name is..."

Hei Fu asked, "Dongfang Bubai?"

Old Master Dongfang said triumphantly, "Old Master Dongfang won! Hahaha!"

Hei Fu gave an awkward, apologetic smile.

Meanwhile, Qin Feng's diary, which had been silent for a long time, finally buzzed as he watched the two of them.

"Ding! Hint: Blackie's secret has been discovered!"

"Ding! Hint: Hei Fu's surname is Shen, his given name is Bu Hai, a descendant of the State of Zheng. After the State of Han destroyed Zheng, he wandered around and came to Qin to study."

Shen Buhai!

Qin Feng was overjoyed. "Damn, a big shot!"

The three giants of Legalism were Shang Yang, Shen Buhai, and Han Feizi! Now two of them have arrived!

Qin Feng understood that, according to the history of his home planet Earth, Han Feizi was born fifty years after Shen Buhai died! They were not from the same era.

However, in this world, the average lifespan is three hundred years, and fifty years is not an insurmountable milestone.

The problem now is, why is Shen Buhai using the alias Hei Fu?

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The name Hei Fu is as common in this era as names like Gou Sheng, Tie Zhu, and Er Niu are in his hometown Earth era. Using the name Hei Fu clearly indicates that he doesn't want to reveal his true strength.

Thinking about his last-place finish, Qin Feng was absolutely certain that Shen Buhai was deliberately controlling his score, keeping himself in last place so that he could keep up but wouldn't be eliminated.

Others were unaware of Shen Buhai's formidable reputation, and the Yin-Yang School did not disclose his existence, allowing him to remain hidden for a long time.

Shen Buhai looked at Qin Feng and smiled kindly, "Shen Heifu of the Legalist school greets Qin Feng, the young hero of the School of Diplomacy, known as 'Half a Move Ahead of Heaven'!"

Qin Feng politely returned the greeting, "Qin Feng greets you, sir."

Dongfang Laoying enthusiastically grabbed the two men's arms, "Although our group has the fewest people, it's the most united, and our experts are the fiercest. My brother Feng, who won half a move against Heaven, got a perfect score of 30, but he took 100 himself! I believe that as long as we work together, getting a good ranking is definitely within our reach!"

Shen Buhai and Qin Feng laughed heartily, each of them having their own plans.

Shen Buhai is here for sightseeing and study; he doesn't care about rankings or not.

Dongfang Laoying is here to latch onto a big brother. With a big brother leading me, I might as well take advantage of it. Maybe with a bit of luck, I can even fly to the sky!

Qin Feng thought to himself, "What kind of teammates do I have? One is a complete newbie with pure luck, and the other is a talented actor who pretends to be a newbie. I'm the only normal one. Can I carry them both?"

The three arrived at the examination hall with vastly different feelings.

It must be said, Confucianism knows how to play the game.

The Confucian final examination was held near a warm spring, above which were several stone platforms. Water vapor wafted around the platforms, like a light veil of mist, obscuring everyone's view.

Through the layers of mist, one could see that some competitors had already climbed onto the stone platform, ready to begin their battle.

Qin Feng, Hei Fu, and Lao Ying stepped onto their number nine stone platform. As soon as they did, the platform began to float automatically, carrying the three of them toward the center of the warm pool.

The stone platform is quite large, at least thirty square meters, and is entirely white marble with a futon on top.

Although Qin Feng and his two companions were few in number, Dongfang Laoying was a large man, equivalent to three or five people, so the stone platform was not exactly empty, but rather just the right size.

The stone platform led to the final round. In the middle of the warm pool was a white hexagonal pavilion, with curtains swirling around it. The curtains were inscribed with the classics of the Hundred Schools of Thought of Confucianism, clearly indicating that this was where Mencius observed the ceremony.

Looking to the left and right, the people on the right hadn't arrived yet, but on the left, a master dressed in a blue crane robe was leading several people, looking towards Qin Feng.

This young Taoist priest had delicate features and an unusual expression. At first glance, he gave people the feeling of being an outstanding person. Qin Feng cupped his hands in greeting to him, and the young Taoist priest returned the greeting.

Beside the young Taoist priest, many people whispered among themselves, "Is that the 'Half-Chancellor of Heaven'? So young?"

"Isn't that obvious? Everyone here is under eighteen! Those who participate in the coming-of-age ceremony are ineligible for the national civil service exam!"

"As a strategist known as 'Half a Son of Heaven,' he actually took the initiative to bow to Daoist Master Yu Jizi, the Daoist Master of the Daoist School. Daoist Master certainly has a lot of face!"

Yu Jizi glanced back at the liberal arts students behind her, and everyone quieted down.

Even faster, numerous stone platforms were put in place, nine stone platforms surrounding the Confucius Platform. In the warm pool, water vapor spread, creating a scene like a fairyland.

Just then, a poem was recited from the stage: "Isn't it a joy to have friends coming from afar?"

As soon as the sound fell, everyone saw that around Zhou Shen, steam was rising and golden lotus flowers were rising from the surface of the warm pool!

"Qin Feng, look! It's the Confucian Golden Lotus of Righteousness!"

"It's said that when one cultivates the Righteous Qi to an extremely high level, one can nurture a breath of Righteous Qi and condense a Golden Lotus of Confucian Qi! It's actually true!"

Golden lotuses, formed from condensed righteous energy, bloomed and surrounded the nine stone platforms, instantly elevating the atmosphere of the Confucian battle to its peak!

This scene was also broadcast live to every corner of the Qin Dynasty via a holographic hidden camera.

At this moment, on the nine white jade platforms, the Confucian scholars rose one after another, clasped their hands together, and respectfully said, "Students pay their respects to Master Meng!"

From the high platform, the Master's voice was leisurely, "Sit!"

The disciples all said, "Thank you for sitting!"

At this moment, the nine stone platforms stand ready for battle.

On the platform, Master Mencius said, "Let us follow the old precedents and start anew. Those skilled in debate may take the initiative to challenge, and those being debated may pose questions in return. Let the debate begin!"

On the high platform, the Master struck the golden gong. The clear sound of the gong resonated on the water, causing the golden lotus flowers to bloom. Amidst the golden, dappled light, the students sat respectfully on the nine jade platforms.

On stage number three, the [Master Daoist] stood up quickly, his voice clear and resonant, aimed directly at Qin Feng.

[Master Daoist] spoke eloquently, "I am Gongsun Shengxie, a master of the School of Diplomacy. I have a few questions I would like to ask the strategist [Sheng Tian Ban Zi]!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng sighed inwardly and began his elaborate and utter thrashing.

Qin Feng stood up and said, "I wouldn't presume to ask for your guidance, but let's learn from each other! Please, Brother Gongsun, give me a question!"

Gongsun Shengxie rose and said leisurely, "In Chapter Twelve of the Analects, Confucius said: 'The superior man is like someone who cherishes soil, so that he can carry it with him; he is like someone who cherishes water, so that he can cross it with him.' May I ask, what does this mean?"

Qin Feng said, "A gentleman is indifferent to fame and wealth, and loves learning. The Master taught that only by integrating moral principles into practical actions and achieving the unity of knowledge and action can one achieve true personal perfection and a life without regrets."

Gongsun Shengxie then asked, "Does 'unity of knowledge and action' mean that knowing is not enough, and that one must also take action?"

Qin Feng said, "Knowing and acting is the unity of knowledge and action, and knowing but not acting is also the unity of knowledge and action."

Gongsun Shengxie pressed further, "What do you mean?"

Qin Feng said eloquently, "For example, you, sir, know that you are no match for me. Logically, you should wait for others to make their move before coming up to finish them off. However, you still jumped out to be the first to fight me one-on-one. This is a typical case of knowing but not acting. Rather than saying you understand the importance of not finishing off others, it's more accurate to say you understand the timeliness of striking first and seizing the credit! Since the feedback from finishing off others is delayed, you chose the latter—the faster credit and fame!"

As the saying goes, "Knowledge must be followed by action, and action must be followed by knowledge!"

"To know but not to act is true ignorance!"

"The unity of knowledge and action is an inevitable principle for me that I must follow, but for you it is just a suggestion that is dispensable."

"Therefore, the difference between you and me has emerged."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Shengxie's expression changed drastically. He never expected this strategist to be so fierce, directly and brutally opening up the situation, impulsively telling himself, "We're not on the same level. You can't beat me, so get lost! Find someone else who can fight me! Like the 'Sage' or Han Feizi!"

Those around Qin Feng also noticed his sharp momentum; this was a killing move that showed no mercy to the opponent!

Gongsun Shengxie continued, "Brother, your learning is extraordinary. May I ask what the relationship is between Zhi and Xing?"

Qin Feng said calmly, "Knowledge is the beginning of action, and action is the completion of knowledge. True and solid knowledge is action, and clear and insightful action is knowledge."

Gongsun Sheng, speaking of heresy, asked, "So, how do we cultivate correct knowledge and discard incorrect knowledge?"

Qin Feng said, "Only by investigating things can one attain knowledge."

Gongsun Sheng, a prophet, asked, "How do we investigate things?"

Qin Feng laughed, "Investigating things is very simple. Identify an object, comprehend its true nature! Look at what I'm pointing to! What is this?"

Qin Feng pointed to a blooming golden lotus of righteous true energy.

Gongsun Sheng, a heretic, possessed the "magnificent golden lotus, elegant and noble."

Qin Feng said, "Before you saw this flower, it and your heart were immersed in the unknown. There was no flower, and no heart. But when you saw this flower, its appearance and its magnificent beauty suddenly became clear to you! Therefore, it is not difficult to understand the principles of things. The principles of heaven and all things exist in the human heart. Only by not relying on external things can one attain knowledge."

Gongsun Shengxie's face flushed red. He was somewhat at a loss for words after Qin Feng's words, but he was still unwilling to give up and continued to argue, "If, as you say, justice resides in the hearts of men, then everyone should be a saint! Why are there such wicked and criminal individuals!"

Qin Feng said, "That's because conscience is clouded. The heart is inherently pure, but its intentions are influenced by desires!"

What is conscience?

"Conscience is the luminous and perceptive manifestation of Heavenly Principle! Conscience is Heavenly Principle!"

"I believe that conscience and justice do not exist! How can you prove that the conscience and justice you speak of exist? Why don't you show me, Gongsun Shengxie, your conscience and justice and broaden my horizons?"

"Hahaha! Good—"

On the jade platform number nine, Qin Feng laughed loudly, then suddenly flung off his scholar's robe, revealing his bare upper body. His arm muscles rippled like dragons, and the muscles on his back subtly bulged, forming a twisting "德" (virtue) character!

Qin Feng raised his left hand and pointed it at the renowned master Gongsun Shengxie, his voice booming:

"Want to see my conscience? I'll satisfy you!"

"Since you don't understand the Analects, I do have some knowledge of the 'Lunyu' (a type of classical Chinese prose)!"

"Gongsun Shengxie! Get up and take your beating!"

(End of this chapter)