Listening to the words of the Great Freedom Celestial Demon, a thought flashed through Zhang Chen’s mind. He recalled a phrase from his previous life: Establish a destiny for the people, set a heart for the world. Inherit the teachings of past saints, open peace for the world. The so-called Great Dao is probably like this, and it must be pursued unwaveringly, practiced continually, and ultimately one might glimpse the legendary true nature.
Yet this is not Zhang Chen’s path. In his view, the teachings of saints are too illusory — benevolence, righteousness, morality, propriety, integrity, and shame. These are the ways of the saints. Zhang Chen knows he lacks the mindset of a saint and cannot demand himself to adhere to a saint’s standards.
If a person lives like a saint, it would be too exhausting.
"So what kind of rule should I establish and pursue unwaveringly?" Zhang Chen fell into contemplation.
The principles spoken by the Great Freedom Celestial Demon are lofty, but such principles require even the most gifted individuals to spend ten or dozens of years of insights to attain enlightenment. Zhang Chen cannot afford to wait that long.
"So what is my path? I am not of Confucianism and do not need to follow Confucian rules. I am not of the Legalist School and naturally do not need to follow Legalist rules. I do not belong to the Hundred Schools of Thought, so I cannot adhere to their rules. Those rules are too outdated, too pedantic, and being imposed on me would be nothing less than a chain." Zhang Chen continually interrogated his inner self.
The so-called enlightenment is actually a guideline for being human, a set of human standards.
"Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, morality, integrity, and shame are too false and grandiose for me. Which rules should I follow?" Countless thoughts flickered through Zhang Chen’s mind.
Zhang Chen pondered for a whole night, and by dawn, he still hadn’t figured it out. However, after a night of inner interrogation, he had gained some insights.
The donkey cart continued its leisurely journey, occasionally encountering some refugees fleeing for their lives. These refugees walked with bitterness in their expressions amidst the Yellow Sand, dragging family and kin as they gradually formed into a group.
When the Yellow Sand on the ground sprouted green again and the desolate land was filled with lush green grass, piercing screams echoed. Zhang Chen followed the sound and saw a dozen burly men wielding steel knives surrounded a family of five, slaughtering and massacring the unarmed men, women, and children.
"Judging by their skills, they seem like they retired from the military, reminiscent of the Northern Land’s army. They should be the defeated troops fleeing from Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, who either lost a battle or were washed away by floods and seized the opportunity to escape the battlefield. Look at the steel knives in those strong men’s hands; they are obviously standard weapons from Prince Pingbian’s Mansion." Despite his young age, Chengyu was knowledgeable, and he spoke up.
At that moment, the dozen burly men with steel knives were taunting the family of five. The man continuously kowtowed and begged for mercy, but one of the burly men kicked him to the ground. Another burly man then attempted to grab the young girl among the five, causing the man to shout furiously, "I will fight you all!"
He pulled out a nearby pickaxe handle and attempted to charge forward desperately, but in the next moment, his heart was pierced by a steel knife.
"Father!!!"
"Husband!!!"
"My son!!!"
A piercing scream erupted, moving observers to tears.
"Finish off the old ones. This girl can have fun for a few days," the leading strong man sneered.
As his words fell, his subordinates grinned hideously, holding steel knives, advancing towards the family. At that moment, a drop of blood inexplicably emerged from the ground and entered the body of the dead man. The next moment, the man’s eyes suddenly opened and transformed into a blood shadow, lunging at the strong men opposite.
A massacre without suspense unfolded, and within moments, it was over, leaving behind a field of corpses.
"Father! Are you all right?" The young girl gazed at the man standing amidst the green grass, her eyes filled with joy but also fear.
The Blood God Child glanced at the young girl, turned into a drop of fresh blood and vanished without a trace into the sand. The man’s figure went limp and collapsed, losing all vitality.
"Father!" The girl’s scream was shrill and piercing as she rushed to the corpse and wailed helplessly.
In the distance, cries and sobs echoed while the surrounding refugees watched with numb expressions. Zhang Chen stood there dazed, staring at the scene before him, deep in thought as if electrified.
"I think I know the path I need to take in the future! And I know how to achieve enlightenment," Zhang Chen sat on the donkey cart, pondering deeply.
"Did you truly understand?" The Great Freedom Celestial Demon curiously inquired from the side.
"Confucianism has three realms: establishing virtue, establishing merit, and establishing words. The first realm is establishing virtue, which should be understood as moral standards. Set your own rules and goals, like the different branches of Confucianism, where some cultivate benevolence and others cultivate righteousness. This is the process of setting your goals and rules. Once you have a target, the second realm is establishing merit, which should be understood as practice, continually verifying through action the rules and goals you’ve established, and acting according to these rules. Validate whether the original rules set were correct with real actions, continuously evaluating the goals, and examining one’s own heart. After repeatedly acting according to one’s rules, after constant validation, through extensive trials and tribulations, see if you remain unwavering in each test, thus achieving enlightenment. The final phase is establishing words, which is the work of teaching. These words shouldn’t be viewed as writing books for posterity but as influence. With one person influencing all, after confirming accuracy, use one’s influence to affect the world, employing thousands to refine one’s Way." Zhang Chen’s eyes seemed to flicker with fire:
"What is called writing books for posterity is merely one form of establishing words. If one enters the court, one can be a prince or a minister, grasping the great trends, using the people as verification. This process can also be called proving the Way, considered as the third step of establishing words."
Establishing words should be understood as influence!
"From setting goals and rules, then acting according to them, constantly evaluating changes in one’s heart, validating if these rules are accurate — this process is individual cultivation. Afterward, whether writing books, teaching the world, or entering the court as an official and educating a region, it is all part of proving the Way. The so-called Third Realm of establishing merit is actually a process of proving the Way!" All fog in Zhang Chen’s heart dissipated: "Chen Sanliang has already achieved enlightenment, and now he has begun to teach the masses, to practice his grand path, Chen Sanliang is in this realm."
"Through validation at the realms of establishing virtue, establishing merit, and establishing words, continuously strengthening one’s inner heart, refining it like steel, unwavering like mountains and rivers, all of this is proving the Way, constantly cultivating one’s heart, refining it." The thoughts in Zhang Chen’s heart surged like a great river:
"Such is the correct proving process. The establishing virtue, merit, and words mentioned online in later generations have been distorted by others, too much emphasis on benefits. The real establishing virtue, merit, and words is enlightenment, the method of understanding one’s heart, not to gain fame and honor or become a tool of moral paradigms. Its true core is cultivating the heart, maintaining it unwavering, from start to end, the cultivation is personal, not doing all these things for fame or wealth. If one cultivates virtues with a focus on benefits, influencing those around to view oneself as a moral paradigm, building achievements that the world remembers, and finally writing books for posterity, this is a lower form, merely a hypocrite."
"A so-called moral paradigm, uses one’s morality to influence those around, achieving fame, and spreading through the world, is just a supplementary aspect in one’s proving process, attached things. One is a means, a purpose, the other is self-validation, both cannot be spoken of in the same breath." Zhang Chen’s mind was erupting with countless thoughts like a volcano:
"As I tread the Immortal Path, how should I set rules for myself? And constantly verify them? Amend them?"
"What are my rules?" Throughout the journey, Zhang Chen continually questioned himself, until witnessing the slaughter before him, he felt touched in his heart:
"I think I understand my rules! And know the purpose of my cultivation."
"My Way is the righteous path, in the continuous process of ’performing righteous deeds,’ questioning my heart, repeatedly verifying my original intention, constantly questioning my heart, ultimately achieving enlightenment." Understanding this, Zhang Chen felt immediately comforted.
"Many situations in this world always need someone to act, someone to administer."
"Within my capabilities, to manage and rectify injustices, this is perhaps the significance of cultivation for us cultivators. While pursuing personal integrity is also good, it ultimately doesn’t align with the spirit instilled in my soul by my past life’s experiences, the spirit of ’drawing the sword to help when seeing injustice,’ helping a nation at its collapse. The genes left by numerous revolutionary martyrs, ingrained in my bones, were honed by five thousand years of my past life’s influence. When one possesses the ability, one should address injustices, the strong should speak for the weak." Zhang Chen’s eyes were filled with a trace of reminiscence, recalling how in his past life, during a nation’s collapse, numerous wealthy magnates could have stood aside, even if the state fell, they could still remain lofty capitalists, yet for the fate of the nation, they sacrificed everything, even their lives, to contribute.
"My Way, I think I’ve discerned it. In this damn world, someone should rise for the oppressed. In the past life, that elder swept through mountains and rivers, paving a great path for the poor commoners. I, Zhang Chen, dare not compare with that elder, but I can do what little I can. This is the Way I need to practice, the rules I need to uphold!" A gleam shone in Zhang Chen’s eyes, as his Essence, Qi, and Spirit underwent drastic transformation:
"Righteous path! Proving the Way!"
At this moment, Zhang Chen’s magical power began to surge, the Civil and Martial Fire started to operate, the Jade Liquid and Golden Core began to transform rapidly, with the Essence, Qi, and Spirit of his entire being also undergoing transformation.