Beginning of Cultivation
Chapter 50: Found the answer

Chapter 50: Found the answer

The surroundings in the Chu residence were exceptionally tranquil, truly a suitable place for retirement. In the middle of the courtyard, seven individuals were seated around a pile of documents, their eyes focused as if deeply contemplating something.

Hours had passed, yet no one had come up with any better ideas. It was understandable, for if it were simple, the other leaders would have known about it long ago, and they wouldn’t have to rack their brains over it.

"Ah, these issues are indeed challenging. We cultivators spend our days and nights in secluded cultivation. These social development issues are really beyond our grasp." Dao San Qian lamented.

However, Jun Wu Xiao did not completely agree with this perspective. He said:

"That’s not entirely correct. Though we cultivators do not engage much with human society, our starting point is a human. The knowledge we possess may not be the newest or the best, but we still have a basic understanding of humanity. Moreover, after decades with nothing else to ponder, our understanding of humanity may well exceed that of many others."

The others couldn’t refute him, although they were cultivators just like Jun Wu Xiao, their understanding of humanity didn’t match his. Perhaps it could be said that they weren’t as concerned about this issue as much as Jun Wu Xiao.

"Ah, not everyone is like you. After all, you were the first among us to cultivate, and daring to cultivate even before humanity could, naturally sets you apart. Although I also dared to practice without knowing the results in advance." Yue Guang said.

Jun Wu Xiao, seeing the looks on everyone’s faces, realized they didn’t grasp the issue as well as he did. At that moment, he also recognized that it wasn’t appropriate to use himself as a benchmark for others, as everyone is different, with diverse goals.

"My apologies, perhaps the issues you pay attention to differ from mine. Just like I understand humanity better than you do, you may understand other issues better than I do. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Would you like to hear a new thought I’ve had?" Jun Wu Xiao proposed.

Curiosity was piqued among the crowd. Jun Wu Xiao’s statements had often surprised them before. This time he might truly reveal something useful. Chu Wu said:

"Don’t beat around the bush. Just tell us."

Seeing their curiosity, Jun Wu Xiao decided not to tease them and said:

"Alright, then I’ll tell you. Do you remember when I previously mentioned the negative aspects of human selfishness and greed?"

The group momentarily paused, recalling a meeting with some researchers when Jun Wu Xiao had indeed discussed such topics.

Sheng Yuan quickly responded:

"I know, I know. These things have been formed and passed down through the consciousness of many generations because survival in nature used to be exceedingly difficult. Am I right?"

Jun Wu Xiao nodded and said:

"Exactly. Moreover, I have also spoken of the greatness of humanity. In times of survival struggle, selfishness and greed developed in a negative direction. People only cared about themselves and disregarded others. The consequence, as we have clearly seen, was the very slow social development back then.

In those times, there were also outstanding visionaries, individuals who took it upon themselves to do everything, to stand against an era to express radical ideas that would overturn the societal norms of the past. But what was the outcome?

Many of these visionaries were indeed killed by the selfishness and greed of society back then. Many were hindered by these things. However, they truly were unparalleled geniuses, even if the era was against them, they still completed tremendous research efforts, and they could create knowledge that could change humanity.

Think about it, if society back then had supported them more, and endorsed them rather than being determined to crush them, how much greatness could they have achieved by the end of their lives?

The current era is different. Humanity is governed by wise rulers, officials are outstanding individuals who serve the nation and the people, and the populace no longer worries about food, they even have opportunities to educate everyone. Something gradually develops in the subconscious, maybe humans don’t realize this change, but it exists."

He suddenly stopped, increasing everyone’s curiosity even more. Yue Guang stared at him and said:

"You, go on, don’t stop halfway like that."

Seeing their eagerness, Jun Wu Xiao couldn’t help but find it amusing, he continued:

"That thing is their thinking. From my observations upon visiting the capital, people cooperate very well with each other. Compared to when I was born, it has far surpassed those times. People begin to care about the common good, start to focus on cooperation, and begin to respect each other’s opinions.

Moreover, they start to think about the unimaginable, in the past, when they did not have enough food to eat and had to face continuous wars and oppression from officials, the only thing they could think about was how to survive.

But now it’s different, food is plentiful, officials are kind to the people, and wars no longer exist because the world is united, so what they think in their minds is not about survival but how to make life better, to create something better.

It is precisely because of such thoughts that they began to invent things to aid their daily lives. If walking was slow, they made bicycles; if transporting goods by horse was too difficult, they created trains.

Thanks to this way of thinking, more and more bizarre but highly useful items are being created. Moreover, in today’s society, people do not dismiss new ideas. On the contrary, they are active in cooperating with each other. If a genius can achieve the unimaginable alone, how far can a genius supported by everyone go? The results are unimaginable, aren’t they?

People still possess greed and selfishness, but the negativity of these traits has been significantly reduced, though it is still far from good enough. In my view, if we implement reasonable policies, we can overcome this issue."

Finally, everyone understood. It turns out that what they had been searching for these past few days was thinking, something intangible that they had found hard to conceive.

Chu Wu, realizing they had finally pinpointed the crucial point, happily said:

"Ha ha, good, good. If this issue is discussed with His Majesty, then in the future, the kingdom, no. It should be said that human civilization will advance even more rapidly."

Finding the answer brought everyone relief. Now, they planned to cultivate a little and then rest, as they needed to go to the royal palace the next day.