Chapter 1454: Discussing the Literary Dao

With the fall of the Cloud Mist Immortal Mountain, the Mysterious Gate had fallen into a panic.

"The Demon Gate is bearing down on us. If we leave them unchecked any longer, I fear our entire foundation will collapse!"

"Must we really seek aid from the Literary Dao?"

A heavy silence fell over the crowd.

In truth, the many elders of the Mysterious Gate had pondered this very question, just as the cultivators of the Literary Dao had known this day would inevitably come.

"They are waiting for us to come begging!"

"What else can we do?"

"These Demon Gate ghost cultivators appear and vanish like phantoms. Time and again, our Mysterious Gate has suffered devastating losses. Are we supposed to just watch as the situation spirals out of control?"

"Sigh..."

The many elders of the Mysterious Gate let out heavy sighs. Having fallen into such a dire state, resolving this on their own would cost them far more than a few casualties.

It was clearly a losing proposition.

They turned the matter over in their minds.

Someone finally spoke up. "At worst, I'll just throw away my pride!"

"I will go entreat them!"

Seeing this, the rest of the elders could only sigh in helpless resignation, silently agreeing to the plan.

...

An endless flight of stone steps led up to the Purple Bamboo Grove.

The Daoist of the Mysterious Gate stepped forward, climbing toward the Purple Bamboo Grove one step at a time.

With every step upward, the pressure bearing down on his shoulders grew heavier.

By the end, he was panting heavily, completely drenched in sweat.

The Purple Bamboo Grove was not a place just anyone could enter.

Yet, just as he finally reached the edge of the grove with immense difficulty, someone walked out to meet him, offering only a single sentence.

"Please return. Teacher Kong is not in the grove."

The Daoist froze for a moment before replying, "I can wait."

He simply had no desire to climb those stone steps a second time.

Ning Bufan looked at him and said, "I am not joking with you. Teacher Kong is truly not in the grove."

"I know."

"Therefore, I will simply wait right here."

Hearing this, Ning Bufan said no more. "Then wait as you please."

With that, he turned and headed back into the grove.

The Daoist of the Mysterious Gate finally had a moment to catch his breath, only hoping that Kong Ru would return soon.

...

In the Mortal World.

Right at the feet of the emperor, an academy had been established.

With the rise of the Literary Dao and the arrival of a Literary Sage, the academy was built to impart knowledge and resolve doubts.

This was an experiment on Kong Ru's part. He wanted to see if the Literary Dao could be used to govern a nation. If so, he could reshape the minds of countless people and eliminate the flaws he had witnessed.

Wu Yin, despite being a woman, had spent years maneuvering and finally seized the imperial throne.

With the aid of the Literary Dao, she had firmly secured her position.

Such fortune was exceptionally favored by the heavens.

Even Wu Yin found it hard to believe that everything had fallen into place so quickly.

According to her own calculations, it should have taken at least several more years. Yet now, it had all been accomplished in a single thought.

All of this was entirely thanks to that Sage.

At this very moment, Kong Ru was sitting inside the Imperial Observatory within the Imperial Palace.

Across from him sat a young woman. The two held black and white stones, taking turns placing them on the board.

Tong Nianyi shook her head slightly, letting out a soft sigh.

Kong Ru smiled warmly. "It seems I have the upper hand."

Tong Nianyi nodded in concession. When it came to the Dao of chess, she was indeed no match for the Literary Sage sitting before her.

"Teacher Kong, your philosophies are a rare treasure in this world. I simply wonder... what was your true purpose in coming here?"

Kong Ru pondered for a moment before replying, "I wish to prove a certain principle."

"What principle?"

"If this world had no Spiritual Energy, no demons, and no immortals or Buddhas... in a realm populated by nothing but mortals, would it be more harmonious?"

"That sounds like a purely ideological matter," Tong Nianyi remarked.

"That is why I am spreading my ideology."

A look of understanding dawned on Tong Nianyi. "Then what kind of world does Teacher Kong wish to build?"

"A world of Great Harmony."

Tong Nianyi shook her head. "That is nothing more than a fool's dream."

"I am well aware."

Kong Ru sighed softly. "Absolute Great Harmony may be impossible, but the world can still strive toward it. To achieve that, the minds of the people must first be united. That is exactly what I am doing right now."

Hearing this, Tong Nianyi finally set her mind at ease.

"I pray that Teacher Kong achieves his desires."

"Thank you for the blessing."

Once the game of chess came to an end, Kong Ru took his leave.

Tong Nianyi sighed softly, unable to stop herself from pondering the unforeseen changes this great rise of the Literary Dao might bring.

At that moment, Wang Yingying returned to the upper floor. Seeing Tong Nianyi lost in thought, she decided to ask.

"What do you think of this Literary Dao?"

Wang Yingying thought it over for a moment. "It has its pros and cons."

"Tell me more," Tong Nianyi said.

Wang Yingying explained, "The Literary Dao we see today is indeed a massive tide. When it comes to governing a nation, it is incredibly useful. But as the years go by, this path will inevitably root itself deeply into every home in the empire. When that time comes, the people's obsession with the Literary Dao will grow increasingly severe, perhaps even plunging them into demonic deviation."

"From what I have seen, as long as this Teacher Kong is here, he might be able to stop such things from happening. But if he leaves one day, it will spiral out of control, and the dynasty will inevitably suffer a backlash."

Tong Nianyi nodded in agreement. "But he is bound to leave. He couldn't possibly stay here forever."

Wang Yingying gave a slight nod and immediately offered a solution.

"Then we simply find someone like him to sit in that position in his stead!"

Tong Nianyi looked out, a plan already forming in her mind.

The two women were thinking the exact same thing.

And so, a few days later, a young boy knocked on the front doors of Kong Ru's estate.

When Kong Ru laid eyes on the boy, it took only a single glance for him to understand everything.

"It is only right."

Kong Ru gave a slow nod. Since he was destined to leave, it was only fitting that he resolved any future troubles he might leave behind for this world.

He knew the inherent flaws of the Literary Dao.

...

Chen Changsheng had returned to this realm.

He had heard the news of the Cloud Mist Immortal Mountain. When he returned to the spot where the Wine Tavern once stood, he saw nothing but ruined walls and shattered debris. The old tavern was long gone, leaving behind only a pile of broken wood that had rotted away under the wind and rain of the past few years.

He tipped up his conical straw hat and searched the area, his gaze ultimately settling on the distant Qingyu Mountain.

There was a bamboo house up on that mountain.

Inside lived a mother and daughter.

Chen Changsheng stepped forward, making his way up the mountain.

When He Qing once again laid eyes on the man in the azure robes, her eyes reddened.

"Senior Chen!"

"Senior Brother, and the elders... they're..."

Chen Changsheng comforted her, while He Yulu stood to the side, letting out a long sigh.

He Qing cried bitterly that day, weeping until she was completely exhausted and fell asleep.

Once he had settled her down, Chen Changsheng stepped out of the house.

He Yulu seemed to have been waiting for a long time. She offered him a cup of tea.

Chen Changsheng thanked her.

He Yulu let out a heavy sigh. "When the ghost cultivators of the demonic path destroyed our Cloud Mist Immortal Mountain, I just so happened to be away delivering a letter. That was how I escaped the disaster. I never imagined that when I returned, everything would be reduced to this."