219 How Much Do You Know About the Past? Part One

Chen Changsheng had finished with his story. After a moment of silence, the area erupted with discussion. The gazesdirected towards Ji Jin were now rather complicated. Previously, this Seniorhad harshly asked if, among the countless methods of comprehending theReflecting Monolith from ancient times up until now, there existed a correctpath that deviated from the ocean. But now it would seem that the method whichthe Duke of Wei had used to comprehend the Heavenly Tome Monolith back then wascompletely different from the orthodox methods. How could he respond? Ji Jin’s face grew unsightly, as he had also just recalled the legend aboutDuke of Wei viewing the monoliths. He could not deny the existence of thisstory. While the history books had no records of it, the Mausoleum of Booksdid. As a Monolith Guardian, he had personally seen them. The Duke of Wei trulyhad comprehended the Heavenly Tome Monoliths as being laws, which was why helater on became the protector of the rites of Zhou, the admonishing king,before finally becoming a trusted minister. Only Ji Jin was unwilling to beconvinced by this junior. With a heavy voice, he said, “When the Duke of Weisaw the lines of the Monolith Inscriptions and understood them as laws, hestill formed his ideas by observing its shape, and then used these ideas tostimulate his spiritual sense.” Everyone grew restless at these words. Several young examinees at the back ofthe crowd shook their heads. The shape and idea spoken of in the threemainstream methods were completely different from the shape and idea said justnow. The Duke of Wei had never cultivated once in his entire life. He had onlyrelied on his courage and insight, not any sort of spiritual sense. With thesewords, it seemed like Ji Jin had just resorted to sophistry. Seeing people’s reactions to his words, Ji Jin got even angrier. But before hecould say anything else, Gou Hanshi spoke up once more.   “I have also thought of a story. This story was recorded in the “Tales onReturning to the Origin”, not within the Daoist Canon. I read it when I wassmall. If it wasn’t for Chen Changsheng bringing up the Duke of Wei, I probablywould have forgotten about it. This story was about the Leader of the Way, whoposed a question to a woodcutter.” Everyone was astonished. The Leader of the Way asked a question to awoodcutter? How had they never heard of this before? Gou Hanshi continued, “In those days, the world was strife-ridden. Theteachings of the Way had not yet been established, much less the Orthodoxy, butthe first leader of the Way was already a powerful expert at an extremely highlevel of cultivation. He had entered the Mausoleum of Books to view themonoliths multiple times, attempting to comprehend a part of the true meaningof the Heavenly Dao each time. But although he obtained some gain every time,he found himself well short when he wanted to ascend to the summit of themausoleum. On a certain day, the Leader of the Way was stroking a monolithwhile looking at the peak of the mausoleum, filled with regret that his careeras a Daoist had finally reached its limit, that in this life, it would beincredibly difficult for him to proceed another step. Then, to his surprise, hesaw a woodcutter descending from the mausoleum summit, a bundle of firewood onhis back. The Leader of the Way was struck by the oddness of this scene. “If Icould not reach the top of the mausoleum,” he thought to himself, “The otherexperts of the continent who have similar cultivations also can’t reach it. Inthat case, how did this woodcutter, who clearly can’t cultivate and whose bodyis aged and feeble, walk to the mausoleum summit as he pleased?” The hut fell into silence once more. Their minds had all been mesmerized bythis never before heard story. “Could it be,” they thought to themselves, “Thatthis woodcutter was really an expert of the Heavenly Dao, that perhaps he hadeven entered into the legendary Realm of Grand Liberation?” “The Leader of the Way sincerely asked for instruction. The woodcutter repliedthat his ancestor had made their living off cutting wood from this mountainsince ages ago. The Leader of the Way strenuously inquired, how was he able tofind his way through the mausoleum? After a long period of hesitation, thewoodcutter brought the Leader of the Way in front of a monolith. He told himthat the path through the mausoleum was all on this monolith, that he wouldejust need to walk according to its instructions…After he said these words, thewoodcutter descended from the mountain.” Gou Hanshi paused, then continued, “The Leader of the Way pondered before thatmonolith for dozens of days and nights, but he failed to find any sort of pathamongst those lines. Then, one night, he had a sudden realization. He gavethree hearty laughs, and with a brush of his sleeves, he flew straight to thesummit of the mausoleum. There, he comprehended the entirety of the HeavenlyDao, and founded the Daoist school. Even after he’d reached his later years andhad finally returned to the sea of stars, he still could never forget how hecould never see the path on the Heavenly Tome Monolith that the woodcutter hadseen…” This story had also come to an end. Only silence surrounded the monolith hut. Ji Jin’s face extremely unsightly as he retorted. “Leaving aside what sort ofmethod the woodcutter used to see the path in the inscriptions and onlyspeaking about the ‘Tales of Returning to the Origin’ that this story wasrecorded in…What sort of book is ‘Tales of Returning to the Origin’? If it isnot to be found in the Daoist Canon, how can we trust it? Don’t tell me yourandomly made up a story to prove that I was wrong?” Chen Changsheng shook his head. “The ‘Tales of Returning to the Origin’ is acollection of the First Leader of the Way’s conversations from the one hundredyears before he returned to the sea of stars. As for the why it wasn’t includedin the Daoist Canon, it’s because one thousand five hundred thirty-seven yearsafter the establishment of the Orthodoxy, the descendants of the first Leaderof the Way attempted a schism within the Way. They were then accused of the sinof treason, and their traces were purged. That is why this book is not includedin the Daoist Canon. However, it is still a true part of the Canon. Theoriginal copy is still probably in Li Palace. We can consult it at any time.” Gou Hanshi had wanted to say exactly this. He exchanged glances with ChenChangsheng for a second, and slightly nodded his head. They were both youngpeople that had read the Daoist Canon in depth, so they could respond off ofeach other. It really was a good sort of feeling. While the troubles, or evengrudges, between Chen Changsheng and the Mount Li Sword Sect were hard toresolve, Gou Hanshi held no enmity for him. Chen Changsheng also saw Gou Hanshiin an increasingly better light. The reason why they liked each other waslargely because of their knowledge of the Daoist Canon. Everyone knew that Gou Hanshi’s knowledge of the Daoist Canon was profound.After the first night of the Ivy Festival, Chen Changsheng’s reputation in thisfield had also become widespread. At this moment, the former narrated while thelatter supplemented. And when Chen Changsheng explained that the original copycould be found at the Li Palace and could at any time be consulted, everyonethere believed it without a doubt. At this point, Ji Jin’s face had grownextremely unsightly, and even seemed a little ashen. “Enough.” Accompanied by a cold voice, a white-robed Monolith Guardianappeared. This Monolith Guardian’s hair was all white and his age advanced. Those youngexaminees who knew him spoke in disbelief. “Mister Nian Guang.” Chen Changsheng had to ask Gou Hanshi before he understood. This Mister NianGuang had originated from the Temple Seminary. He had cultivated since he was achild and had become rather well-known in the cultivation world. Yet, for somereason, after he had obtained qualifications from a certain Grand Examination,he had entered the Mausoleum of Books and took the vows to become a MonolithGuardian, and never again emerged. Nian Guang looked at Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng and indifferently said,“Neither the Duke of Wei nor the woodcutter cultivated, yet the two of you arecultivators. When you view the monoliths, it is for the purpose of asking theHeavenly Dao, not for laws or finding the real path up. Sir Ji Jin’s words arenot necessarily without reason. Of course, for you two to persevere in openinga new path is truly a courageous course of action, and not necessarilyinappropriate.” From hearing these words, everyone there understood that this virtuous andupstanding personage had come to settle the dispute. Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng clasped their hands in respect and said nothingmore. Nian Guang then turned to Ji Jin with a slight frown. His voice seemed to takepity on him, yet also seemed o angry. “Back then, you only took a few years tocomprehend the first seventeen monoliths of the mausoleum, and we all praisedyou for your mind as tranquil as water. But now, what has happened to you? Evenif your alma mater paid offerings to our cultivation, how could you waste timeon such ordinary affairs from outside the mausoleum?” Ji Jin had attempted to humiliate Chen Changsheng not just because of theurgings of outside forces, but also because he himself had wanted to. Now thatNian Guang had appeared, he was still unreconciled, yet also knew that therewere no words that would let him take back control. H coldly e said, “TheOrthodoxy seems to really value this young one. They actually allowed someonelike you, who has been wronged by the Orthodoxy Academy, to appear.” Nian Guang frowned. Ji Jin turned towards Chen Changsheng and Gou Hanshi and indifferently said,“These words and debate are ultimately meaningless. Your words may seem like adeluge of heavenly flowers, but they might turn out to be a pile of dog shit.Forty-four people from the Grand Examination entered the mausoleum this year. Iwould really like see who will be the first to comprehend this ReflectingMonolith in the end, and who will be able to comprehend the largest amount ofthem.” Tonight, Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng had come to view the monoliths bylantern light, not to take part in a debate. They were also not terriblyinterested in who would be the first to comprehend the Heavenly Tome Monoliths.As a result, they did not respond to Ji Jin’s provocative and disdainful words,nor did they say anything. However, that did not mean all their peers had sucha good temperament. A bright and especially frivolous voice rose up from the mountain path. “One hundred years ago, in place of the prior emperor, the Divine Empressascended to the summit of the mausoleum to offer sacrifices to the heavens. Asshe carried out this task, she happened to see the monolith that had been setbefore the Mausoleum of Books, upon which were inscribed the names of those whohad comprehended the Heavenly Tome Monoliths the fastest throughout history.This monolith displeased her, because to her, to view the Heavenly TomeMonoliths was to catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Dao. To decide who came firstand last and then write these names on a list was extremely vulgar. Hence, sheordered Sir Zhou Tong to personally take up a hatchet and hack off the names onthat monolith. I didn’t think that there would be someone who, despiteremembering the actions of that year, would talk such nonsense here within themausoleum tonight. Could it be that you resent the Empress’s decree? Or is thatyour ignorance has reached the extent where you fail to realize that yourproposal profanes the Mausoleum of Books?” Everyone knew about this piece of history. But truthfully speaking, while thatranking on the monolith was already no more, it existed within the hearts ofall cultivators. No one could forget those once highly-placed names, such asZhou Dufu, or His Holiness the Pope, or Wang Zhice. It was just as Ji Jin hadsaid previously, nobody cared that the listing was no more. It was only thatthis person coming up from the mountain path did not care for their opinionsand raised the Divine Empress’s decree up high. His pompous voice went so asfar as to render everyone speechless. As for denouncing the Empress’s decree,who would dare? Hearing this voice, Chen Changsheng shook his head. Gou Hanshi also recognizedthe voice and made a somewhat sour smile. The two retreated to the side. Theyknew that since that guy had arrived, seemingly ready to start a war of words,their turns would not come. Ji Jin did not know who was coming, but his face became extremely gloomy andseemed about to start dripping with water. Zhong Hui and his two companionsfrom Scholartree Manor also became extremely angry. Along with the appearance of the youth, the dusky light emanating from the oillantern on the tree abruptly got brighter. This was because the youth’s beltwas inlaid with dozens of precious gems, and also because the sword sheath athis waist was also embedded with a gem. The gems shined with light, just likethe youth’s handsome face. The eyes of the senior from Holy Maiden Peak also lit up. Tang Thirty-Six had arrived. He looked at the gloomy-faced Ji Jin and archedhis brow. “Could it be that you believe my words are unreasonable? Then whydon’t you go the Palace of Great Brilliance and ask the Divine Empress what shethinks?” Nian Guang frowned. His disapproval evident, he declared, “Enough.” When this virtuous and upstanding Monolith Guardian had previously spoken thewords “Enough”, Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng had spoken no more, but TangThirty-Six was not that sort of person. In actuality, his brows leapt up evenhigher as he said, “Sir shouldn’t think about glossing things over, nor shouldhe thinking about parading his seniority before me. This is the Mausoleum ofBooks. Fighting isn’t allowed, so why should I be scared of you?” Nian Guang paused at these words. Tang Thirty-Six turned back to Ji Jin. “Similarly, you can’t fight, let alonekill me. If I mock you with a few words, what can you do about it? Do you wantto trade insults with me? Don’t think I’m as taciturn as Chen Changsheng, or aflowery-speaking hypocrite like Gou Hanshi. With regards to insulting others,you really aren’t my match. If you aren’t satisfied, you can have yourdisciples and grand-disciples bang a gong at my side tomorrow when I’m viewingthe monoliths and comprehending the Dao and see if you can affect me theslightest bit. Did you really think I hadn’t prepared a pair of verycomfortable, velvet earplugs?”