Chapter 47: Wishing to Buy Osmanthus Flowers and Bring Wine, Yet It Is Never Like the Journeys of Youth

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Wishing to Buy Osmanthus Flowers and Bring Wine, Yet It Is Never Like the Journeys of Youth

The sudden question caught Zeng Anmin a bit off guard. Fortunately, he was already mentally prepared and had anticipated that his father might grow suspicious of him.

"Questioning the heart?" Zeng Anmin’s expression changed. He stared at Zeng Shilin with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Dad, did you use the heart-questioning technique on me? When did this happen? Do you really have that little faith in me?

"Fine! I’ll go burn joss paper for Mom tonight and tell her all about this. I’ll ask her to pay you a visit tonight to question your heart!"

As Zeng Anmin spoke, his eyes even turned a little red. Still not feeling vindicated after saying that, he added, "And about that time you went to the Imperial Music Bureau! I’m going to tell Mother about that, too!"

At these words, Zeng Shilin’s expression froze. Zeng Anmin’s threat made his scalp tingle. He forced himself to meet his son’s heartbroken gaze, feeling a twinge of guilt. His chest tightened particularly at the mention of the word "Mom."

Facing his son’s slightly accusatory stare, Zeng Shilin let out a light cough. "Ahem. Let’s set that matter aside for now. How is your recent progress in the Confucian Dao?"

Since his father had chosen to change the subject and drop the issue, Zeng Anmin naturally knew to quit while he was ahead.

At the mention of his Confucian Dao Realm, Zeng Anmin felt somewhat helpless. He rubbed his aching forehead and said, "I haven’t made an inch of progress since entering the Purple Mansion. These days, I’ve tried reading more, talking with people, and traveling around, but I still haven’t gained any new insights."

After saying this, he muttered, "I wanted to hurry up and step into the Sixth Grade so I could use the heart-questioning technique on others. It would make handling cases so much easier."

Zeng Anmin’s words darkened Zeng Shilin’s expression. "Hurry up and step into the Sixth Grade? Reaching for what is beyond your grasp with such a mindset will make it difficult for you to ever enter the Sixth Grade in this lifetime!"

After saying this, he felt he might have been too harsh. Softening his tone, he advised earnestly, "Once the Confucian Dao enters the Purple Mansion Realm, there is no longer a process of accumulation. All that remains is the Enlightenment of the supreme teachings of past sages, the Enlightenment of all things between heaven and earth, and the planning of your own actions."

He paused here, then chuckled. "But there’s no rush. I was stuck in this Realm for over three years myself."

"Is there no other way besides Enlightenment?" Zeng Anmin asked doubtfully, toying with the Jade Pendant left to him by the girl from the Profound Array Department. "Can’t it be faster?"

Seeing his son’s impatience, the father’s just-relaxed face darkened again. He said sternly, "When it comes to matters of the state of mind, you either comprehend it or you don’t. If you don’t, others can explain it a thousand or ten thousand times, and you still won’t grasp it."

Having gone through that phase himself, Zeng Shilin naturally knew how anxious his son was right now. He frowned, his expression serious and carrying a hint of warning. "You absolutely must not rush this. Do you understand?!"

"Fine," Zeng Anmin curled his lips, answering somewhat absentmindedly.

His father’s expression cleared slightly as he spoke with earnest gravity:

"When you have time, make a trip back to Shuidu Academy. Read more of the original manuscripts written by past sages in the Hall of Sages.

"Confucianism is like life. You’ve been taught the principles of life since childhood, but truly comprehending them is delayed for a long time. It could be five years, ten years, or perhaps you may never figure them out in your entire lifetime.

"When you are taking action and it verifies a principle you learned in the past, you will experience a sudden epiphany. You will develop new insights and a deeper understanding of it, and you will speak from the heart, moved by that meaning.

"And the words spoken from the heart are your insights—insights that belong uniquely to you alone.

"Even if you express them using the words of past sages, the insight remains uniquely yours.

"In this world, even if people say the exact same words, they won’t have the exact same insights. Everyone’s insights are different.

"That sentence will be your catalyst to step out of the Purple Mansion and enter the Gentleman Realm.

"By then, your every word and action will have an impact on the people around you.

"Even the Vast Righteous Qi within your Purple Mansion will no longer only affect evil spirits and ghosts."

Zeng Shilin paused here, then continued to teach by personal example. "Just like when I interrupted Qi Linxian’s Instant Movement Array. Vast Righteous Qi has a certain suppressing effect on all Extraordinary Power in the world.

"The miraculous nature of the Confucian Dao only slowly begins to reveal itself after reaching the Gentleman Realm."

Hearing his old father’s words, which were practically the equivalent of chewing his food for him before feeding it into his mouth, Zeng Anmin fell deep in thought, his gaze drifting into his memories.

He could naturally understand his father’s painstaking efforts. He was using the most simple and clear language of this era to explain the method of advancement.

To put it plainly, it was about the principles learned from books in childhood that one didn’t understand back then. Later in life, when a specific event occurred, it would suddenly remind one of what the teacher had said in class during their youth. One’s mind would violently tremble, and only then would the principle be truly understood.

"Upon first reading, one does not understand the meaning within the book; upon rereading, one has already become a person within the book."

Zeng Anmin suddenly recalled a quote from his past life.

He truly had profound Enlightenment regarding this sentence.

In his past life, there was an article in his textbook called "Clove Knot".

"Everyone experiences many unhappy things in their lifetime. When one is over, another comes; therefore, the clove knot appears year after year. Knots can never be fully untied, just as the problems in life can never be completely solved. Otherwise, wouldn’t life be too dull and tasteless?"

When he first studied it, he was only in the sixth grade of elementary school. How could he grasp such nuanced wisdom? He merely memorized it in a daze.

Two decades later, by a stroke of chance, he opened that textbook again. With just a single glance, he stood rooted to the spot for a long time, unable to snap out of his reverie.

As he recalled this in his mind, Zeng Anmin’s state of mind slowly began to undergo a transformation.

"What are you spacing out for? Listen carefully to your father..."

Zeng Shilin was still talking when he suddenly noticed his son staring blankly into space. Looking a bit displeased, he furrowed his brows. He was just about to harshly reprimand him when his pupils violently shrank.

His expression then turned slack with shock.

"I wish to buy sweet osmanthus and carry wine as before, but in the end, it is nothing like my youthful wanderings."

Zeng Anmin slowly returned to his senses. With a complex expression, he spoke straight from the heart.

BOOM!!!

Following that single sentence, he suddenly felt thunder rumbling through his Sea of Consciousness.

Zeng Anmin blanked for a moment, then his expression changed. He hurriedly sank his focus into his Sea of Consciousness.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the phantom of the Dragon Inspection Map still stood right in the center. However, the mass of Vast Righteous Qi to the right of the Dragon Inspection Map’s phantom was now churning incessantly.

Like clouds and mist, it was undergoing an astonishing transformation.

Finally, the mighty righteous qi slowly changed color.

One wisp of azure qi, two wisps of azure qi...

BOOM!!!

The wisps of azure qi drifted about and eventually formed a sentence.

"I wish to buy sweet osmanthus and carry wine as before, but in the end, it is nothing like my youthful wanderings."

Every character carried an ancient, majestic charm.

After this sentence was fully formed, the azure qi slowly condensed back together, becoming utterly inseparable.

This...

Zeng Anmin abruptly opened his eyes and stared blankly at his dad.

He wondered if he had just broken through.

Confucian Dao, Sixth Grade, Gentleman Realm??!

His Vast Righteous Qi could now exert a certain influence on the people around him?!

Wasn’t this a little too fantastical?

He wanted to open his mouth to ask something. But at this moment, his dad’s gaze was even more blank and dumbfounded than his own.