荔枝影院

Edited by: Michyrr

‘The modest gentleman has a character as soft and gentle as the luster of jade.’

The objects of the Confucian Sect were just like the luster of beautiful jade, the majority of them having an extremely gentle nature. It was very unusual to hear of one that could reduce someone’s lifespan.

But both Master Zhu and Li Junxian seemed to take this as a natural fact.

“Senior Brother, I know that you’re trying to help, but just as the Buddhists say, if I do not enter hell, who will?” Li Junxian altered the way he addressed Master Zhu as he firmly stared. “What does it matter if my lifespan is reduced? As long as Junxian can realize the dream of the Confucian Sect, Junxian will have no regrets. Senior Brother, please fulfill my wish and grant me the Crown of Confucius!”

With his last words, he revealed the stunning name of that object he sought!

The Crown of Confucius!

Li Junxian had ritually bathed himself and come to Master Zhu’s classroom precisely to ask his assistance in obtaining the legendary crown of the Supreme Sage, Confucius.

One hundred sages had flourished in the Spring and Autumn Era, and this era had been the golden age of the Confucian Sect. But no matter how strong the Confucian Sect had been, not even it was capable of resisting the torrent of time.

In the long river of time, much about the numerous sages had been lost, transformed into myths and legends. Very few people knew that the founder of the Confucian school, the Supreme Sage, Confucius, had left behind a sacred object. This was the Crown of Confucius.

This was the only object left behind by the Supreme Sage. It never rotted or decayed, no matter how many years passed.

Just like how the Confucian Sect that emphasized martial strength possessed the Noble Sage Sword, the Confucian school possessed the Crown of Confucius. Master Zhu was the holder and protector of this sacred object.

“Haaah...”

Master Zhu sighed.

“Since your mind is made up, I cannot stop you. But since you have come to make this request, you must also know that one must undergo the Punishment of the Seven Admonitions to obtain the Crown of Confucius. Your chances of survival are slim. Even so, do you still want to go?”

“Junxian is willing!” Li Junxian replied without hesitation.

The classroom fell silent as the two of them stared at each other.

After what seemed like an eternity, Master Zhu finally broke the silence.

“Since that is the case, come with me!”

Master Zhu turned around, pushed open the small door in the back of the classroom, and walked through.

After a few moments of silence, Li Junxian stood up and followed Master Zhu through the door.

In the back of the plum forest was an ancient hall. Though it had been renovated many times, one could still see that the core of the hall was incredibly old and had not been altered once.

Unlike the other buildings in the plum forest, this building was completely silent. The area for several dozen feet around it had been swept clean of dust. But several hundred powerful Golden Guards stood around the building, all of them facing outward.

‘Sacred Ground of Confucianism! Intruders Will Be Executed!’

A large stone stele had been erected in front of the hall, and eight words had been written in large print, with a jade seal stamped beneath. This was clearly a sign left behind by the Great Tang imperial household.

“The Crown of Confucius is a holy object, and no one is able to steal it. But though I said this to him, Emperor Taizong still erected this stele and dispatched soldiers to guard this place.”

Master Zhu stopped in front of the stele.

“Come on. The path to the crown will be more difficult than any battle you’ve ever been through.”

Master Zhu walked past the stone stele, and Li Junxian, after slightly pausing, followed.

Creeeak!

The doors were pushed open, revealing the passage within the hall.

This passage was about as tall as a man and around four feet wide. The insides were nearly pitch-black, lit by the dimmest of lights. It was nigh impossible to see the situation inside.

“Starting from here is the Path of the First Sage, and this is where the Punishment of the Seven Admonitions will take place. Whether you can obtain the Crown of Confucius will depend on your luck. But I must advise you again that the Path of the First Sage is incredibly dangerous. While your Confucian Sect possesses formidable martial strength, it’s fallen far behind when it comes to learning and the cultivating of the spirit. This is why nearly all of the generation after generation of its leaders that have come to this hallowed hall have failed.

“Over the last one thousand years, only three people have been able to take the Crown of Confucius. If you want to turn back, you still have time!” Master Zhu sternly said.

Clap!

Li Junxian said nothing, letting his actions answer for him. He stepped forward, over the threshold, and quickly entered.

Master Zhu mentally sighed and said no more.

......

“This is the Path of the First Sage...”

It was dark within the passage, but someone at Li Junxian’s level of cultivation had long ago been freed from the restraints of darkness. At this time, standing in the passage, Li Junxian’s mind was brimming with various thoughts.

The Path of the First Sage!

This was a nightmarish place for the Confucian Sect. Just as Master Zhu had said, at least thirteen leaders of the Confucian Sect had tried to force their way through this path, only to return in defeat with their lifespans reduced.

The Crown of Confucius!

It was not an object that just anyone could take. The Confucian Sect’s long periods of dormancy, and its appearances for only brief moments in the several hundred years of a dynasty’s reign, were closely connected to this object.

Master, no matter what, I will realize the dream of our Confucian Sect. I won’t let anyone ruin this Harmonious World that we worked so hard for.

Li Junxian’s eyes turned steely as this thought came to mind, and he strode forward.

All was quiet in the dark passage, with the only sound being that of Li Junxian’s footsteps echoing off the walls.

Li Junxian was focused and vigilant as he stepped forward.

He had heard about the thunderous reputation of the Path of the First Sage since he was a child. There were many books in the Confucian Sect that talked about this path, but few of them described the exact details. Even those Confucian Sect leaders who had walked the Path of the First Sage rarely mentioned what actually lay within. They only vaguely mentioned that the Path of the First Sage represented the Supreme Sage. It stood for the path of thorns he had walked in becoming a sage, all the doubts and suspicion he had endured, the attacks and imprisonments.

Clap!

As he was pondering to himself, fwoosh! Flames burst up around him without any warning. The searing pain of the fire, like being gnawed by ten thousand ants, assailed every part of his body. Amidst the fierce flames, he could see corpses piled up like mountains, extending to the horizon.

These corpses were wearing armor, and the surroundings were littered with shattered weapons. War banners flapped amidst the flames. There were banners of the Great Tang and also banners from the surrounding foreign countries.

This was a fierce battlefield!

Li Junxian was alarmed, but before he could figure out what was going on, he heard soft groans.

“...Hungry! I’m so hungry!”

It was just one person at the start, but more and more voices joined in, and it was soon countless people who were wailing and howling.

“Junxian, distribute our food to them.” A familiar and elderly voice entered Li Junxian’s ears.

“Master?”

Li Junxian raised his head in shock. In the flame was a white-bearded elder who was leading several young disciples in Confucian robes as they distributed food to the emaciated people.

“Master!”

Both startled and delighted, Li Junxian rushed over.

Another voice spoke up. “Master, we don’t have much food. The disciples have only had one bowl of porridge per day over the last few days. If this goes on, the disciples won’t be able to go very far!” At the side of the white-haired elder was a youth wearing Confucian robes, his brow furrowed in worry.

“Senior Brother?”

Li Junxian’s eyes widened, and he came to a sudden stop.

“Junshan, we can’t worry about that much. We should alleviate as much suffering as we can!”

The elder sighed, a look of sorrow on his face.

“Junxian, remember this. Only by killing the body can you obtain humanity, and only by giving up the body can you obtain virtue. In order to realize the Harmonious World, you must be prepared to give up everything, even if it means your own life!”

The white-haired elder raised his head and looked at the distant Li Junxian.

“Master...” Li Junxian muttered.

The sight of that elderly and compassionate face, and the sound of that familiar and lecturing voice, made Li Junxian’s heart ache. Tears began to run down his cheeks.

“Hungry, so hungry...”

“I haven’t eaten for four days or taken a drop of water. Elder, take pity on me...”

More and more moaning beggars gathered, and the flames burned ever more fiercely. Their emaciated bodies gathered around the elder and the youths, crawling across the ground.

They quickly distributed all the food they had, but more and more starving people gathered. The sounds of their pleading crescendoed, and beggars even began to congregate around Li Junxian.

“Bastard, I’m done eating!”

Suddenly, one of the starving people took a spear and stabbed that Confucian youth from behind. The spear penetrated through his chest, and blood gushed out.

“Senior Brother!”

Li Junxian cried out in shock, his eyes going wide and his body turning cold. But just as he was about to rush over, he heard a furious voice.

“It’s all the fault of you damn Confucians! Look around you! This is all your handiwork! What Harmonious World? You only know how to feign benevolence and righteousness, but you’re not good for a single thing!”

That starving person waved around his spear and angrily fumed.

“Where’s the food?! Why is it only this much? You must be hiding some! Damn rotten scholars! Weren’t you all about taking responsibility for the world? Then offer your flesh for us to eat!”

Plush! Another infuriated starving beggar took out a sword and stabbed the Confucian youth. The crowd of beggars was getting more and more agitated, their hunger growing more and more out of control.

“You!”

These furious and savage faces both stunned and angered Li Junxian. Li Junxian immediately began to call on his Stellar Energy to push away these starving people.

But at this moment, Li Junxian’s master extended a hand and gestured at him to stop.

“Junxian, let them be! Only by killing the body can you obtain humanity, and only by giving up the body can you obtain virtue. If you don’t understand this, how can you realize the ideals of our Confucian Sect, returning peace to the world? One day, you will also encounter a scene like this.”

Li Junxian saw his master’s compassionate and smiling face in the flames, exactly the same as the one embedded deep in his memories.