CH 138

Fang Shaoyu looked at Fang Yun, his inner energy surging, his thoughts becoming more agile, and he kept pondering in his heart.

"Up to now, there has been no pure strategist Semi-Saint among the Ten Nations, because the Confucian, Legalist, Military Strategist, and Mohist schools have dominated the world. The original alliance of the strategists ultimately failed to achieve its full potential. Although the founder of the strategists, Guiguzi, taught many high disciples such as Sun Bin, Su Qin, Zhang Yi, Pang Juan, Yue Yi, and Mao Sui, he ultimately stopped at becoming a Great Scholar and became an Empty Sage. Most of his disciples became Great Scholars, and only Sun Bin truly became a saint, and that was through the Military Strategists. During the period of war and chaos in the Ten Nations, although our strategist school had eloquent tongues, it was difficult to write books and establish theories, and the credit was taken away by the Confucian, Legalist, and Military Strategists. A few strategists had to major in Confucian, Military, and Legalist studies, and minor in strategist techniques, in order to become saints."

"Now that the thousand-year agreement has failed, and the three clans are waging war, it is the best opportunity for our strategist school to rise! Once we persuade the barbarians to join us and fight against the Demon Clan together with the miscellaneous schools, our strategist school will surely produce a Semi-Saint, and the miscellaneous schools will also be able to produce a Sub-Sage, ending the era of the Confucian, Military, Legalist, and Mohist schools dominating the world. We must let the world know that our strategist techniques also have the power to save the human race!"

"My prominent family in the Qing Nation has been planning for decades to divide the Jing Kingdom with the Wu Nation. We were supposed to succeed in five years. This year's Dragon Boat Literature Meeting and the Book Mountain should have been a foregone conclusion, enough to dissolve the will of the literati in the Jing Kingdom. But you, Fang Yun, appeared! You have greatly strengthened the cohesion of the literati in Jiangzhou, made them realize that the younger generation of the Jing Kingdom is better than that of my Qing Nation and the Wu Nation, and even gave them hope for the rise of the Jing Kingdom."

"This Fang Yun, who is trying to destroy my Qing Nation's decades of planning and block the foundation of the Path of the Saints of our strategist school with his own power, is ridiculous! A great talent of the human race? Ridiculous! If we can unite with the barbarians, what does it matter if ten Fang Yuns die! If we can exterminate the Demon Clan, what does it matter if a hundred Fang Yuns die! Our strategist school is not like those stubborn Confucian and Legalist people!"

"In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there was the contention of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and the Confucian school rose to power. Now that the three clans are in power, it is the best era for our strategist school and the miscellaneous schools! We do not seek to replace the Confucian school, but only to stand alongside the Legalist, Military, and Mohist schools. This competition for the Path of the Saints does not allow for any mercy! Twenty years ago, the Great Scholars of our strategist school made a vow outside the Hall of All Saints. If we cannot persuade the Demon Barbarians within fifty years, we will give up this idea and not compete for a thousand years! Fang Yun, how dare you block our strategist school!"

"The Confucian school pacifies the world with literature. The Military Strategists are enemies of ten thousand people. When our strategist school comes out, it must have the power to pacify a clan! Even if this Fang Yun has a mysterious mentor to protect him, and is valued by the Eastern Saint, he must retreat before the eternal Path of the Saints of our strategist school! The competition for the Path of the Saints, whether successful or not, spares no one!"

Fang Shaoyu's heart became more determined, and his courage to write became purer.

Fang Yun stood still, looked at Fang Shaoyu, and slowly said, "I don't want to do stupid things, but if you do stupid things, someone has to teach you a lesson!"

Fang Shaoyu smiled and walked towards the stage, saying as he walked, "Fang Yun, I heard that you have a deep prejudice against the Willow Mountain. You think he is harmful to the Jing Kingdom, but there is one thing I don't understand. Last winter, hundreds of tribes of the Grass Barbarians and Sand Barbarians fought against many nations of our human race. The Wu Nation is powerful and naturally did not lose an inch of land. The Gu Nation, whose national strength is similar to that of the Jing Kingdom, also did not lose an inch of land. Why is that?"

"The dignified Gu Nation, for the sake of temporary gain, scraped the land three feet deep, offered annual tribute to the barbarians, and became a vassal state of the barbarians. The dignified fifty-year-old king was scorned by the world as the 'Child King'. They did not lose an inch of land, but they lost the hearts of the people, the foundation of the nation, and the future!"

There was a hint of sadness in Fang Yun's eyes.

This Holy Origin Mainland is much larger than the ancient China of that world. The Ten Nations are scattered everywhere. Due to the failure of the thousand-year non-war agreement, they lost external pressure and internal strife continued. After the expiration of the thousand-year agreement, internal and external troubles erupted together, and many people suddenly found that the Demon Barbarians were so powerful. Various pessimistic thoughts emerged one after another.

Unlike the Jing Kingdom, where the pro-war faction has the upper hand, the Gu Nation is exactly where the pro-peace faction has the upper hand.

This Fang Shaoyu mentioned that the Gu Nation paid tribute to the Sand Barbarians, not ashamed but proud, thinking that they had temporarily preserved the foundation of the human race. But Fang Yun knew very well that bloody history had proved that such a pro-peace nation would surely be destroyed.

After saying that, Fang Yun thought of three famous sentences from that world.

"Weak countries have no justice, weak countries have no diplomacy." This was said by Lu Zhengxiang, China's first generation diplomat.

"Truth is only within the range of a cannon." This was said by Bismarck, the famous Iron Chancellor of Germany.

"With…"

Fang Yun suddenly had a thought in his heart. The third sentence was extremely heavy, and he found it difficult to use that sentence now, so he kept it in his heart and would say it at the right time.

Fang Shaoyu sneered, "Ridiculous! Ignorant! The miscellaneous schools and the strategist school use the things of the Gu Nation in exchange for the peace of several prefectures. No one dies, it's a great merit. It's clearly a gain, how can there be a loss."

Fang Yun slowly said, "The Six Nations also thought so back then, and then Qin unified the world."

Fang Shaoyu was furious, and some of the students from the strategist school also changed their faces.

The unification of the Six Nations by Qin can be said to be the eternal pain of the strategist school.

In the strategist school, it goes without saying that the alliance faction that supported the Six Nations was completely defeated.

Among the faction that supported Qin, Zhang Yi failed, and Fan Ju was killed by Sun Bin thousands of miles away because he harmed Wu Anjun Bai Qi.

The last famous minister of the alliance faction, Cai Ze, made some achievements, but tragically encountered many extraordinary talents such as Han Feizi, Li Si, and Lv Buwei. Let alone competing for sainthood, it was already difficult to save himself.

It can be said that the only mistake of the strategist school was to compete with the Confucian, Legalist, Military, and Mohist schools, and was eventually destroyed by the four major schools, and it was not until now that they had the opportunity to re-establish.

The miscellaneous schools far surpassed the strategist school, took the path of inclusiveness, and as a result, there were continuous Semi-Saints throughout the ages, and the foundation of the Path of the Saints was solid. Now they are seeking to go further.

Feng Shaoyu remained silent, stepping onto the stage and entering the range of the literary duel. He then looked at Fang Yun and smiled slightly, "The six nations sought peace by ceding land, while the Gu Nation didn't lose an inch of territory. How can these be discussed as the same thing! Fang Yun, how about this, as long as you admit that the Left Chancellor did nothing wrong and retract your poem 'The End of the Year', we will end this literary duel. We will also have the monarch of Jing Kingdom issue a decree acknowledging you as the most talented scholar in the world. How about it?"

His words seemed to contain a mysterious power. Fang Yun's eyes suddenly became dazed, but they cleared up in an instant.

The Presented Scholars and Imperial Scholars who saw this were greatly surprised.

Feng Yuanjun exclaimed loudly, "I didn't expect that the 'sweet talk' of a Presented Scholar from Qing Nation would be useless in front of a Talented Scholar from Jing Kingdom. This literary duel, Qing Nation has already lost without even competing."

Feng Shaoyu, however, remained calm, "Just now, I was merely testing Fang Yun. We, the Legalists, enjoy doing so, and you all know this. Fang Yun, I am a Presented Scholar, I cannot deceive you with The Courage to Write. If the power of my War Poetry surpasses that of a Talented Scholar, then how about we compete in talent?"

"Shameless!"

"People from Qing Nation really have no shame!"

"Go back to Qing Nation!"

"You're a disgrace to scholars!"

"No wonder you're a Legalist, only caring about fame and gain, without a shred of scholarly integrity!"

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People from Jing Kingdom cursed loudly. Some from Qing Nation were angry, some remained silent. The Semi-Saint from the Xi family, Xi Molu, looked extremely uncomfortable. After hearing the conversation between Fang Yun and Feng Shaoyu, he realized that he might have been dragged into the dispute over The Path of the Saints by the Legalists.

Xi Yunxiao, the Semi-Saint of the Xi family, was a traditional Confucian scholar, barely related to the Legalists and Military Strategists, and had little to do with the Legalists and the miscellaneous schools.

Upon realizing this, Xi Molu suddenly understood why his Semi-Saint ancestor chose to retreat at this time. He didn't want to get involved in the dispute over The Path of the Saints. Even if that miscellaneous Semi-Saint was also from Qing Nation and had a great relationship with him, the dispute over The Path of the Saints could not be taken lightly.

"I get it now! The plans of the miscellaneous school and the Legalists were going smoothly, but then Fang Yun appeared. Ever since Fang Yun wrote 'The End of the Year' advocating for war and accusing the Left Chancellor, he has become a thorn in the side of both schools! How can they rest easy without removing this thorn!"

Xi Molu almost wanted to leave immediately, to escape from this dispute over The Path of the Saints. But remembering the life-saving grace of the Poetry King, the earnest expectations of the people of Qing Nation when he was sent off, and the consequences of his failure, Xi Molu eventually stayed.

The voices cursing Feng Shaoyu decreased.

"Fang Yun, are you sure you want to compete with a Presented Scholar?" An official from Jing Kingdom asked softly.

Fang Yun replied, "I'm just a Talented Scholar, naturally I can't compare to a Presented Scholar from another nation. But compared to a Presented Scholar from Qing Nation, I'm much stronger."

Feng Shaoyu sneered, "A mere Talented Scholar from Jing Kingdom, who just happened to win the first place in the Book Mountain competition, actually thinks he's the best in the ten nations. Arrogant! Not to mention a literary duel with Qing Nation, I alone can defeat you! You're bound to lose this literary duel, and after you lose, you won't be able to compete in Qing Nation. Be careful not to destabilize your literary palace!"

"There's no need for you to worry about me. Wait for me in Qing Nation after I become a Presented Scholar!"

"Feng Yuanjun, let's start." After Feng Shaoyu finished speaking, he suddenly shouted at the people of Jing Kingdom outside the stage, "I am Feng Shaoyu from Qing Nation. I want you to remember this day, the tenth of June, when I step on Jing Kingdom's top talent, Fang Yun, to complete this literary duel and make my name known in the ten nations! Jing Kingdom, you are all incompetent!"

Feng Shaoyu's voice was mixed with the power of his talent and The Courage to Write, which angered all the people of Jing Kingdom, and the cursing resumed.

But Fang Yun was not as angry as the others. He slowly said, "There's no harm in a literary duel or a literary war between two nations. But you repeatedly insult and provoke me with the abilities of the Legalists. So, I will follow the words of Sage Confucius, repay kindness with kindness, and repay grievances with justice. However you treat me, I will treat you the same way!"

Feng Shaoyu laughed loudly, "Good, I'm waiting for you to repay grievances with justice. But the premise is that you have the chance! It's a pity that a generation of Jing Kingdom's talent will lose to me. Are you really not going to kneel and beg for mercy?"

"Your lowly tactics can't shake my literary palace and talent, they will only make you lose more miserably!" Fang Yun stared at Feng Shaoyu.

Feng Shaoyu was about to speak when Feng Yuanjun suddenly shouted, "The literary duel begins!"

Fang Yun and Feng Shaoyu locked eyes.

Feng Shaoyu said seriously, "As the times change, the way of the Legalists is one of the strongest Paths of the Saints for the human race in the future. Anyone who tries to hinder us Legalists will be ruined! The first one will be you, Fang Yun!"

"From now on, I will make Qing Nation dare not provoke Jing Kingdom again!" Fang Yun said.

After the two finished speaking, a strong wind blew around them, their clothes fluttering. At first glance, their talent and literary palaces seemed to be on par.

(To be continued.)

PS: The next chapter will be updated before 22:00.