Chapter 810: Chapter 271: Recruitment and Harmony (Happy Mother’s Day!) _2
Wen Ruanyu said, “Trust, in speech, is truthful and in action, loyal and faithful to commitments.”
“Words must be followed by action, actions must be decisive, promises must be kept, unwavering loyalty wins the hearts of all, thus demonstrating one’s virtue.”
“A gentleman focuses on the fundamental. Once the foundation is established, the path arises. Virtue is not solitary; it surely attracts companions. Trust brings peace of mind, and the people unite under a trustworthy nation. It is both a high standard of moral character and a great instrument for personal success.”
Just as he finished explaining, the Silent Ghost General could no longer hold on, his eyes closed, and he fainted on the spot.
“What a pity, what a pity.” The elderly Confucianist of Mo Pool was quite regretful and lamented.
He turned around and untied the bonds of the Green-faced Ghost General, allowing him to speak.
The elderly Confucianist of Mo Pool said gently, “I remember, you too received a single word, but fainted halfway through. I hope this time you’ll have a better performance.”
The Green-faced Ghost General was a veteran of the battlefield, a ghost who licked the blood off a knife’s edge. Hearing Zheng Shoumo speak in this manner, he struggled even more vigorously, shouting, “I’ve told you everything! Everything I know!”
The elderly Confucianist of Mo Pool nodded with a smile, “In a moment, we will bring out the City Lord’s Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll, hoping you haven’t lied.”
The elderly Confucianist sealed the Green-faced Ghost General again, and then successively lifted the prohibitions on the other three generals, allowing them to speak.
The three generals had personally witnessed the Silent Ghost General fainting and had tasted the agony of branding. This pain was not a superficial experience of the flesh but reached deep into the soul, truly heart-wrenching and unbearable!
This time, the elderly Confucianist interrogated each of them, and they revealed military intelligence they had not disclosed before, their attitudes becoming quite sincere.
Only when it came to the Peanut Ghost General, this ghost general trembled and said, “Masters, please allow me to report, Lord Silent did not stubbornly resist to the end. He had long wished to abandon darkness for light, but his innate talent and cultivation technique made him appear calm at all times and unable to speak.”
The Elderly Confucianist of Mo Pool: …
Ning Zhuo, Wen Ruanyu: …
The silent scene became a bit awkward for a moment.
The elderly Confucianist waved his hand and asked for the other four generals to be taken away.
He cupped his hands to Wen Ruanyu, seeking permission to perform magic.
Wen Ruanyu did not hesitate and nodded in agreement.
Thus, in the next moment, the elderly Confucianist of Mo Pool performed Confucian Skill—Recruitment and Harmony.
The Confucianist stirred his mana swiftly, consuming it while reciting words like a composition of fine literature.
Body Seal, Oral Seal, Heart Seal were the main techniques for casting magic.
Confucian cultivation, in particular, emphasized the Oral Seal.
Accompanied by the elderly Confucianist’s recitation, small silver white characters appeared in the air, joined together to form a piece of literary art.
These silver white characters flowed like water towards the Silent Ghost General.
The five brands on the Silent Ghost General were infused with the silver white characters, beginning to emit a gentle white light.
This white light rapidly spread from the five sources, converging on the ghost general’s surface to form intersecting lines.
Upon closer inspection, each of these silver white lines was composed of incredibly tiny characters. From a holistic view, these lines appeared to bind the Silent Ghost General completely.
The silver lines gradually dimmed, until they were entirely gone.
After several more breaths, the silver lines themselves also disappeared without a trace.
Finally, the large characters “Benevolence, Righteousness, Courtesy, Wisdom, Trust” branded on the Silent Ghost General’s body receded entirely. To the naked eye, there was no difference from before.
“Good, a success in one try, excellent.” Wen Ruanyu clapped once, praising aloud, “Elder Brother Zheng’s insights into ‘Recruitment and Harmony’ are so much deeper than mine. If I had performed it, I definitely wouldn’t achieve this outcome.”
Ning Zhuo was a bit surprised, “Old Sir Zheng is at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, while Senior Wen is at the Golden Core Cultivation level. Is that so?”
Wen Ruanyu nodded, “Naturally. Looking through the long river of history, we Confucian cultivators are a recent rising force. The reason we could rise and occupy a stronghold is because our cultivation techniques incorporate the Cultivation Hundred Skills.”
“For example, the traditional four arts of the literati—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. And the Six Arts of the Gentleman: rites, music, archery, chariot driving, calligraphy, and mathematics. These can all cross boundaries and leverage greater powers.”
“It is because of these cultivation techniques that Confucian cultivation is not solely measured by cultivation level. Sometimes, some Confucian cultivators possess profound knowledge of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and literary works and can accomplish deeds that high-level cultivators cannot.”
Ning Zhuo reflected on his own experiences of employing military arts on the battlefield to directly enhance his combat power, deepening his understanding.
The Silent Ghost General slowly awoke, still with a calm expression.
The elderly Confucianist of Mo Pool directly lifted his restraints, setting him free.
This move was quite bold, but Wen Ruanyu did not attempt to stop it at all.
The Silent Ghost General stared at the three of them, and his body reflected a silvery white radiance. He half-knelt on the ground, bowing to the three, expressing his submission through the most direct action.
Sun Lingtong, seeing this scene, couldn’t help but exclaim, “What is this ‘Recruitment and Harmony’ that’s so effective? It’s almost like your Life Hanging Divine Power, Little Zhuo.”
“But controlling divine powers is exceedingly difficult, while ‘Recruitment and Harmony’ is just Confucian magic that even this old man could master!”
Ning Zhuo, however, had a different view, communicating secretly, “There is still a distinction.”
“My divine power, regardless of whether the enemy is willing, can forcibly control their body and actions as long as it is planted, and it can be accomplished in an instant.”
“But ‘Recruitment and Harmony’ requires extensive prior arrangements. This method of cultivation might also have other difficulties. Otherwise, Wen Ruanyu, a true inheritance Golden Core, would not have ceded the position to let Zheng Shoumo, a Foundation Establishment, act.”
“I indeed have a growing interest in Confucian cultivation, truly hoping to deepen my understanding when there is time in the future.”
Sun Lingtong laughed, “Little Zhuo, what sect or technique are you not interested in?”
Ning Zhuo was taken aback, “Learning more is never detrimental.”
After witnessing the Confucian cultivation, the two broadened their horizons, discovering that it differed from what they had imagined.
The Silent Ghost General was recruited, yet the other four generals could not withstand the branding torture continuously; they could only brand an additional character after a time. Therefore, even though the Peanut Ghost General had expressed his surrender, he was still detained.
Wen Ruanyu and the others inquired of the Silent Ghost General but failed to uncover any clues.
To this, the elderly Confucianist of Mo Pool analyzed, “Being dispatched into the inner city for a deadly battle, Lord Wangchuan would not divulge important information.”
“But on this account, the Golden Core ghost generals dispatched over are also not valued.”
“Precisely because of this, there’s more possibility for recruitment.”
Regarding the Silent Ghost General, Ning Zhuo felt a tinge of pity.
He had hoped to burn him, thus extracting spiritual nature capable of cultivation.
However, since he had already submitted, he naturally held more value to White Paper Immortal City at the moment.
“Currently, the Ghost Tide incessantly assaults the city; a major battle is inevitable.”
“Let the Silent Ghost General continue to contribute. When he falls in battle, I can then take over, not in a rush for now.”
Having gathered no leads, Ning Zhuo decisively put the investigation on hold, staying all day at Cangyang Villa for cultivation.
He had the four treasures of a soul cultivator and by using them consecutively, his soul foundation surged with each use.
Breaking through from ten thousand souls to one hundred thousand souls, and further advancing beyond that, with undiminished speed.
On the other hand, Ning Zhuo also maintained the cultivation of the Three Superior Sect Techniques, but unfortunately, progress was still slow in Demon-infused Bloodline Technique.
Ning Zhuo possessed comprehension, and backed by innate talent, had already exceeded normal people’s understanding in Demon-infused Bloodline Technique.
But everything fears comparison.
From his viewpoint, the understanding progress in Demon-infused Bloodline Technique was indeed too slow! It couldn’t compare with body cultivation, and body cultivation couldn’t catch up to soul cultivation.
“Jiao Ma, Jiao Ma, your family members have come to visit you.” When Ning Zhuo’s soul foundation reached three million souls, he received a report from the Paperman Puppet.
The visitor was the head of the Jiao Family, who immediately berated Ning Zhuo, “Ma, what are you doing, failing to enter the Yang Enhancement Institute and still in Cangyang Villa?”
“Speak!”
“Are you still pining for Qing Yan’s daughter?”