Chapter 173 A Sweep of Confucianism

Fu Zi's choice was beyond Wei Yuan's expectations, but upon careful consideration, it was extremely appropriate. Although Fu Zi's realm was in no way inferior to Lao Zi's, their choices were different, even mutually contradictory. Lao Zi chose to be carefree and non-interfering, embodying the highest virtue, while Fu Zi spent his life traveling among the various states.

Lao Zi would not have chosen to live.

For the sake of order in the world, one life should have one death.

Fu Zi would have chosen to stay.

Because of the suffering of the people, seeing them born, he could not bear to see them die.

Both of them were motivated by the desire to benefit the people, but their different paths led them to make completely different choices. It is clear that both of them were acting from the heart, without any thought for themselves. What difference is there between withdrawing from the world and entering it?

The aged Fu Zi turned his gaze from the book and said with a smile, "No need to trouble that one."

"If he were to see me standing alive before him, he would be frightened. If I were to see the Duke of Zhou before me, I would also be startled."

"In this era, I will help when I am needed. At other times, I am content to be an ordinary teacher, teaching children. That is enough for me."

The old, yet still tall and imposing, Fu Zi reached out and stroked the books beside him, sighing, "Confucian scholars ruin the country."

"I never imagined that later generations of Confucian scholars would become like that."

He had already seen the history and records of the human world and knew what the so-called scholars after him were like and what they had done. Even if Qilin was a homebody, he was one of the five great guardians of the Ruins of Return. Even if he was weak, that was only in comparison to the Daoguo realm experts of the Clear and Turbid Worlds.

He couldn't fight against those in the Daoguo realm.

But collecting some historical records from the human world without being noticed was easy.

Even if the Lord of the Ruins of Return noticed this, it wouldn't matter. He could just say that he was missing his early years in the human world. Although his teacher had passed away and his old friends were gone, he still had some affection for that land.

Therefore, it was only natural to collect some records and see what had happened in his homeland, right?

Even if the old silver coin, the Lord of the Ruins of Return, noticed something, Qilin knew him well enough to know that he would remember and remind himself to be patient, patient!

This person's character was such that he would grasp at small gains and forget righteousness, and he was extremely cautious, cautious to the point of death.

It was said that he had encountered a madman when he was arrogant.

The madman had traded blow for blow, beating the once arrogant Overlord of the Ruins of Return to the point of near death, resulting in the Overlord losing his former dominance. Now, even if he suspected that Qilin was a problem, he would endure it until he successfully advanced and reached the peak of the Ten Great Daoguo Realms before taking action.

But was it possible for the Lord of the Ruins of Return to successfully advance?

Of course, it was possible.

As for how high that possibility was?

Qilin could only chuckle.

Currently, Canglong and Pi Xiu were undoubtedly traitors.

Baihu looked like he was born with rebellious bones.

Zhuque was guarding the outside.

Himself?

Of course, he would follow the wishes of his teacher and Senior Brother Yuan.

If they wanted him to help the Lord of the Ruins of Return, he wouldn't mind lending a hand.

However, with his strength, he would probably only be able to add a shovel of dirt to the Lord of the Ruins of Return's coffin.

Qilin collected a large number of records. After Fu Zi's true spirit was awakened, he began to read them, devouring them for over a month. Then, he asked Qilin to collect historical materials. After reading those, Fu Zi's expression was sorrowful and bitter. He then asked Qilin to collect Confucian classics written after his death.

This time, the collected books were even more numerous and thicker than the historical records!

Fu Zi examined them like he used to check his disciples' essays and studies. After carefully reading them, Qilin saw his teacher's face filled with great sadness and disappointment. Finally, he sighed with weariness for several days. Then, one day, Qilin heard the sound of swords from outside and rushed back.

He saw Fu Zi use his sword to smash all the Confucian classics in the room.

The fluttering fragments of books fell like white snow. When Fu Zi walked out, his expression was still calm and resolute, just like it used to be.

Now, Fu Zi held a book in his hand, looking into the distance. Wei Yuan shook his head and said, "What came later is no longer Confucianism, especially the philosophy of Neo-Confucianism. The rites that Teacher pursued were actually order, but on the surface, they were etiquette. The core was actually benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. It's just that most of us can't achieve benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, so we need rules to help."

"Later generations of some schools excessively pursued rules and neglected the core."

"It's like eating requires bowls and chopsticks, but in the end, they made the bowls and chopsticks more and more exquisite and magnificent, with all kinds of rules, where a single wrong step was not allowed. This was so they could eat well, but they neglected that these were just utensils for holding food. Rules are meant to help people better connect with benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, not to put the cart before the horse."

Moreover, the Confucianism of later generations had changed from a free school of thought.

It had become a tool for the emperor to control people's hearts.

In the end, it was just something to restrain and domesticate people. The so-called high-ranking officials were all spineless cynics, not worth mentioning. If Fu Zi saw them, he would probably wield his long sword and beat them until they were running for their lives. In Wei Yuan's view, these could hardly be considered the Confucianism he had learned.

Throughout later generations, one thing that all the so-called Confucian masters had to do was—

Comment on the Analects!

They used their own language and their own thinking to deconstruct Fu Zi's original thoughts.

They pieced things together, putting their own meanings on Fu Zi's words, distorting and exploiting his name.

Then they did the very thing that Fu Zi despised the most.

Although Wei Yuan's feelings toward Buddhism were ordinary, he had accompanied Xuanzang through his life and knew that Buddhism had a saying about the Age of Degenerate Dharma, where demons would occupy the Buddha's temples, wear the Buddha's robes, distort Buddhist teachings, and then bring disaster to the world, destroying the Buddha's efforts.

But if Buddha was replaced with Fu Zi, it seemed there was no difference.

And it had already happened in history.

How many Confucian cynics there were!

Fu Zi stood up and walked forward, looking at the bright sunshine and beautiful scenery. The old man, like he did when he stood by the river and lamented the passage of time, said in a gentle voice, "Over the past millennia, Confucianism has gathered a lot of dust, and it has also brought a lot of dust to the human world and the Divine Land. It can be said to be extremely poisonous."

"Hahahaha, don't worry, A-Yuan. I won't feel pain in my heart, nor will I feel so frustrated that I can't live my life because of this. I won't be upset by it."

The old man saw the worry in his disciple's eyes, smiled, and then said:

"It's just starting over again."

"It's not the first time, not the first time."

The old man smiled, his smile fading as he looked towards the human world.

Without that youthful and passionate feeling, he simply said, "How can one who does not sweep his own house sweep the world?"

"It's time to sweep the dust from the house of Confucianism."

"After cleaning up Confucianism, then we can clear the dust of Confucianism from the Divine Land. If the son is not taught, it is the father's fault. The things left behind by those disciples should be resolved by me, the first one. If the younger generation has problems, then the elders should come out and guide them onto the right path."

"They all bowed to me."

"This is precisely the teacher's responsibility."

A sweep of Confucianism, followed by sweeping away the great influence of Confucianism on the human world.

What memories did ancient Confucianism leave for the Yanhuang people? It was the sense of family, nation, and world that was almost imprinted in their blood, the sense of honor and disgrace of sacrificing one's life for righteousness, the pride of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, and the heroic ambition of revenge. This was the Confucianism when Fu Zi was still alive. In the thousands of years that followed, what remained were the three obediences and four virtues, the shackles that the masters of Neo-Confucianism placed on people's necks.

Even Qilin felt how difficult this was and couldn't help but say, "This is really not simple."

Fu Zi laughed heartily.

He reached out and rubbed the head of his youngest disciple, saying gently:

"But, before me."

"There was no Confucianism."

Qilin was stunned.

Fu Zi had already taken his steps far away.

Qilin subconsciously turned his head and saw that Fu Zi's back was still the same as it was back then. It was as if thousands of years could only make the old man look older, but could not leave any traces on his spirit. The wind and frost of a thousand years remained, and the man remained the same. Qilin was stunned and lost in thought. For some reason, his nose tingled.

The unworthy younger generation actually made the teacher do such a thing again.

The Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period were originally one era, but it was Fu Zi who divided them.

……………………

Wei Yuan suddenly thought of a question, stopped, and said, "Teacher, I have another request."

"There is a talented but unruly fellow."

"If you have the time, could you teach him? I think, if there is anyone in the world with enough insight to bring out his potential, it would only be you."

Fu Zi was surprised.

At this moment, in the Great Wilderness—

"Heavy, so heavy!!!"

"Damn it, why are you heavier than before!"

"You stinky old man, do you only eat and not excrete!!!"

Carrying Hudi, Wu Zhiqi, feeling that Hudi was getting heavier and heavier, could no longer bear it and burst out cursing!

Ahead, there were already stars and myriad phenomena, the place where the Heavenly Emperor was!

ps: Today's first update... three thousand words