Confucian Cultivator Under One Person

……

The man who was defeated by Deng Youfu, or Liu Kunsheng, was called Hu Jie. During the competition, Bai Shixue tasted the flavor of Shen Chong, the root of all evil, from his Qi.

Shen Chong, the root of evil, can sign a mysterious contract with other people, which grants the contractor the power to kill and rob Qi. Every time a life is taken, the Qi is divided among Shen Chong. The more killings he makes, the greater his gains. Eventually, the contractor will fall into a state of exhaustion of Qi and loss of wisdom.

This is what happened to Hu Jie. He had already killed several people in a row, and now he couldn't control his greed. He wanted to continue killing people to seize their Qi, but he didn't choose the right target. He chose Deng Youfu, and was easily dealt with by Liu Kunsheng, who was invited by Deng Youfu.

The others used the Bi Yuan needle to lock Hu Jie's Qi, while Lu Jin took Fu Yuan aside and said, "When the old Tianshi planned to hold the Luotian Grand Ceremony, I also took out the Tongtian Talisman and contacted the company at the same time.

Zhang Chulan is a bait, and Tongtian Lu is also a bait, just waiting for Quan Xing to drill in. Now it seems that a big fish has been caught!

Fu Yuan, old man, I have high hopes for you. Do you want to join in the fun at Longhu Mountain?"

Fu Yuan was surprised and asked, "Can I get involved?"

To put it bluntly, Quan Xing's disturbance in Longhu Mountain is actually Longhu Mountain's own business. If others interfere, it would be a slap in the face of Longhu Mountain's Tianshi Mansion.

Lu Jin intervened because he had taken out the Tongtian Talisman and he had been a close friend of the old Taoist priest for many years, so the old Taoist priest couldn't say anything when he intervened.

The company, representing the official, must obtain the consent of the Tianshi Mansion before taking action, even if it is within its authority.

As for others, do they dare to intervene?

If Fu Yuan dares to interfere in the affairs of Longhu Mountain today, he will dare to interfere in the affairs of the Tang Sect and the Four Great Families tomorrow...None of the sects in the world of extraordinary people would dare to do such a thing.

Lu Jin laughed heartily and said, "You can just participate as a young junior like Linglong and the others, and the old Heavenly Master won't say anything!"

Fu Yuan thought about it, shook his head and said, "Forget it, Mr. Lu, I won't get involved in this!"

Lu Jin nodded and said, "Alright, after your match with Yu Qingfu, I, an old man, am really not sure about letting others treat you as a junior...Okay, we will take Hu Jie away."

Lu Linglong and the others excitedly waved to Fu Yuan and said, "Fu Yuan, don't forget the bonfire party tonight."

After learning the supernatural skills for so long, they finally have a chance to use them openly. No wonder they are so excited and actively participate in it.

It’s just that I’m still young and haven’t experienced the cruelty of reality.

After greeting Lu Linglong, Du Xiaozhai walked over to Fu Yuan and watched them leave.

After everyone left, Du Xiaozhai sighed and said, "I saw that if you didn't get involved, the results might not be good for a few of them."

Fu Yuan shook his head and said, "Lu Xun said that the White Snake fell in love with Xu Xian, and Xu Xian married the monster. What does it have to do with others... It's a personal choice!"

(Lu Xun: I really said that!)

……

After watching the game, Du Xiaozhai and Fu Yuan did not go down the mountain, but wandered around for a while, and waited until dark to go to the bonfire party.

When we arrived, there were already a lot of people gathered here. Lu Linglong and others had prepared a lot of food and drinks. People gathered in groups of three or four to drink and chat.

After Fu Yuan and the other arrived, Lu Linglong, along with a group of people, surrounded them, enthusiastically handed them beer cans, and then pulled them over to the campfire, asking them questions.

Most of them are methods of asking Confucianists.

Fu Yuan did not hide anything and told them frankly, saying whatever he wanted to say. This behavior immediately brought them closer together and the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

After everyone's curiosity was satisfied, they began to discuss cultivation.

Other people who have been in the alien circle for many years have long been accustomed to such gatherings of aliens and have a general understanding of each other's cultivation, but this kind of Confucian cultivation is the first time that it has appeared in the alien circle in decades.

So it was mainly Fu Yuan who was talking, while others were asking questions.

"Confucianism has the concept of 'investigating things'."

Fu Yuan also drank quite a bit of wine and started to talk more. "Ge, in fact, means to investigate deeply. To investigate the principles of everything. Confucianism seeks knowledge, so we must investigate things to gain knowledge, and we must never stop learning!"

Someone in the crowd asked, "What exactly is 'knowledge'?"

Fu Yuan sat casually, took a sip of wine, and said, "'Knowledge' is actually the cognition of the heart. When you are hungry, you want to eat; when you are tired, you want to sleep; when you see a beautiful woman or a handsome man, your heart will be moved; when you see danger, you will be afraid; when you encounter difficulties, you will want to escape. These are all cognitions that come from nature!

Only with the understanding of one's true mind can one have "actions" such as eating, sleeping, fear, and escaping. Of course, above these "actions" are "desires," such as wanting to eat braised chicken and rice when hungry, wanting to sleep on a Simmons mattress when sleepy, and having obscene thoughts after being moved by handsome men and beautiful women... These are "desires!"

"According to you, if there is only 'knowing' and 'doing', then what is the difference between us and beasts?"

Fu Yuan smiled and said, "I've discussed this issue with Master Lingyu before."

Everyone looked at Zhang Lingyu, who nodded and said, "According to Fu Yuan, the biggest difference between humans and animals is 'righteousness'. They know what they should and shouldn't do!"

Zhi Jinhua pushed up her glasses and said, "If Quan Xing and his group have no sense of righteousness, then they are no longer human. I think the difference between humans and beasts is the use of tools."

Fu Yuan smiled and said, "Hasn't there been recent scientific research showing that chimpanzees can use branches to hang termites, crows can make hook-shaped tools, and octopuses can use coconut shells to build nests? This shows that using tools is not unique to humans!"

"What about language?"

"I remember a chimpanzee that could master over 300 words, form sentences, and talk to people. Dolphins can also use sounds to convey information... There are many similar examples!"

Someone retorted, "Isn't 'righteousness' a Confucian term? We Taoists don't talk about 'righteousness'. So, in the eyes of Taoists, what's the difference between humans and beasts?"

Fu Yuan said: "From a certain perspective, there is basically no difference between humans and beasts. But our ancestors have long studied the unique characteristics of humans. The "Book of Changes" says: "The spirit is clear and it is in the person."

The difference between humans and beasts is that humans have "God"!

Whether in the East or the West, in ancient times, humans always invented some gods to form a "consensus" among the human group. It was this "consensus" that allowed humans to form civilization and gradually dominate the world.

In terms of spiritual practice, whether it is Taoism or Confucianism, they are all cultivating this "God", trying to achieve the state of "clarifying the mind and seeing the nature", and understanding the "God". Buddhism also says that if you understand the mind and see the nature, you can see the Tathagata.

As everyone was pondering, someone suddenly asked, "What's the difference between Taoism and Confucianism?"

Fu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "The Tao Te Ching says: 'To learn is to gain, to practice the Dao is to lose. Loss and loss again, until one reaches inaction.' From birth, humans have been learning all sorts of things. This applies to both Taoism and Confucianism; they are all adding to their original nature, adding various things."

The difference between Confucianism and Taoism begins here. Taoism then requires subtraction, removing little by little what is added to one's nature, until one reaches the state of "wuwei".

Going the way you go makes you a human being, going against the way you go makes you an immortal, it's all just a matter of ups and downs in the process.

For example, when people are hungry, they eat. At first, they eat whatever is available, but as they taste more and more flavors, they become more and more delicious. This is addition.

Taoism requires us to practice subtraction, to gradually reduce the sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty flavors, and finally return to the original, simple state, to the state of "eating when hungry, eating whatever is available", which is also called "wuwei".

"What about Confucianism?"

Fu Yuan smiled and said, "Confucianism does not subtract, but always adds, always "increasing," increasing what is not possible. However, one must exercise restraint, maintain a correct attitude, and sincerely perform each addition: One should never tire of fine food, and never tire of delicate minced meat. One should not eat stale and spoiled food, or fish that is rotten or meat that is spoiled. One should not eat food that looks bad. One should not eat food that smells bad. One should not eat food that is not cooked properly. One should not eat food that is not in season. One should not eat food that is not cut properly. One should not eat food that is not properly sauced.

Therefore, Confucianism has always required that we treat everything with sincerity and integrity... Of course, because we add too much, and because we add too much to our nature, we must be organized, orderly, and restrained, with "propriety" and "measure"!

Someone understood and said, "So it's like cleaning up a messy house. One way is to empty the house out, leaving the empty house behind. The other way is to sort out the things in the house, arrange them neatly, and make room for more things to be put in?"

"That's the gist of it!"

"Fu Yuan, I have a question."

"Please say."

"Cultivation is about freedom, about escaping cages and being unfettered. But the way you practice, it's like you're putting shackles on yourself. The deeper you go, the heavier these shackles will become... Isn't this the same as being trapped in a web you've woven yourself?"

Fu Yuan drank it all in one gulp, then changed to another can and said, "This is the question of the philosophy of life. Being free and doing whatever you want is indeed free and easy, but it is impossible.

Have you ever considered that both happiness and pain are relative? If there were no more pain, how could we experience happiness? If there were no more constraints in this world, how could we experience freedom and ease?

"If that's what you're saying, then why should we practice cultivation? Why should we practice cultivation?"

Fu Yuan said seriously: "In cultivation, whether it is you or me, we are all pursuing the glory after the sublimation of body and mind. The scenery of each step forward deeply attracts us to continue to climb upward.

But have you ever thought about this: if one day, we no longer have a way forward, and our hearts and minds are pure, like the wind and clouds between heaven and earth, like the mountains and rivers, and become part of the great way between heaven and earth, then will we be able to feel happy and enjoy that freedom?

So in my opinion, if there is an end to spiritual practice, then the end of spiritual practice is chaos, and in the depths of chaos there is only endless desolation and loneliness.

Instead of that, it’s better not to ask where you’re going and just enjoy the process!”

"How could this be? If I ever reach the end of my cultivation, I will grant all my friends immortality. We can talk together every day and travel through life together. How can such a joyful thing become desolate and lonely?"

"The reason you feel happy is because you have righteousness in your heart, the friendship with your friends. If you lose this friendship, where would the happiness come from?"

As Fu Yuan spoke, he suddenly raised his head and looked at the night sky.

This time, he clearly felt that someone was looking at him!

It was too obvious, too deliberate, as if there was some existence that lowered its head and leaned in front of him to observe him!

But Fu Yuan only felt "gaze", but did not feel any kind of "will" of the Five Supremes, which was completely different from the previous feeling.

Moreover, this kind of "gaze" seems to be separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. It exists, but it is impossible to interfere.

Fu Yuan suddenly thought of the "observer effect", which is a psychological name that can affect the emotions and behaviors of the observed.

However, under the observer effect, light will exhibit the dual nature of wave and particle... If you think about it carefully, it is actually quite scary. How can the observer interfere with matter?

Fu Yuan felt a slight pain in his arm, so he lowered his head and saw Du Xiaozhai holding his arm tightly, with such force that his knuckles turned white.

Du Xiaozhai was also looking up at the sky, as if he didn't know how much effort he had put in. His eyes were truly like stars, emitting a faint glow under the moonlight.

"I...I saw him!"

Du Xiaozhai almost whispered.

Her voice was so low that only Fu Yuan beside her could hear it.

"who is it?"

"I don't know, but he made eye contact with me."

Chapter 70 Pull Him Down

Gods and immortals, if we look into these two terms, is there any difference?

Animals can obtain Qi and cultivate to become "spirits", and humans can obtain Qi and cultivate to become "immortals", so what kind of "god" is the "god" in the conferred gods?

Humans are born with a "God", but lose it after death. Animals have no "God" - when they are deified, they are enshrining the "God" of heaven and earth!

……

Perhaps it was because Fu Yuan had been silent for too long, or perhaps everyone was unable to accept Fu Yuan's ideas. After a period of silence, Lu Linglong spoke up and turned the topic to Zhang Chulan.

Like Fu Yuan, Zhang Chulan also witnessed a gathering of extraordinary people for the first time.

With Fu Yuan's long speech before him, Zhang Chulan couldn't remain silent either. Adding to the crowd's cheering, he soon got drunk.

The atmosphere on the scene became increasingly heated.

Those who did not want to join in the fun dispersed, talking and thinking about Fu Yuan's words.

Fu Yuan and Du Xiaozhai sat together, both silent and thinking.

After a while, Du Xiaozhai patted his towering chest and said, "I'm so scared! I find that when I'm with you, I always see scary things."

Fu Yuan was stunned: "How could it be?"