My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 479 - 324: The initiator of chaos (Thanks to ’Japan-Korea Selection Luo State Preceptor’ brotherhood alliance leader for the reward!)

Chapter 479: Chapter 324: The initiator of chaos (Thanks to ’Japan-Korea Selection Luo State Preceptor’ brotherhood alliance leader for the reward!)

Beside the solitary pavilion on the bamboo grove clearing, a lesson seemed to be underway, conducted with a natural flair.

Inside the pavilion, on the floor tiles still covered with withered yellow bamboo leaves, an old man with his head covered by a Nanhua turban and dressed in plain white robes sat cross-legged.

Sitting casually among the dust and fallen leaves, he held a string of wooden beads, rolling them with the thumb of his right hand.

Zhao Rong looked on from a distance.

Tao Yuanran’s expression was mild, and he spoke unhurriedly and calmly.

Meanwhile, on the open ground around the pavilion, scattered in an orderly manner, Qian’er and Lingfei were sitting side by side on round cushions.

With their backs to Zhao Rong, their postures were upright, resembling the tall, straight bamboos around them, and also like two sheathed swords, listening intently to the words of the Daoist gentleman in the pavilion.

The two women, one taller and the other shorter.

One with her hair coiled elegantly, reserved and cool.

The other wore a fairy-like hairstyle, charming and cute.

This eye-catching pairing also seemed to emit an aura that was hard to ignore.

From Zhao Rong’s perspective from the woods in the back, the Residence Students around them seemed to have an unspoken agreement to not come close, maintaining a certain distance.

This accentuated the positions of Qing Jun and Qian’er.

This was also one of the reasons why Zhao Rong noticed them at first glance.

At this moment,

Zhao Rong stood under the shade at the edge of the bamboo grove clearing, his gaze filtering through the gaps in the leaves, observing this serene and intriguing Daoist lesson.

Clothed as a student, his presence was somewhat inconspicuous.

Zhao Rong took a few steps forward, listening with interest.

"The highest virtue is not virtuous, and thus possesses virtue; the lowest virtue never loses virtue, and thus lacks virtue."

Tao Yuanran’s voice was serene as he continued:

"The highest virtue does nothing and yet leaves nothing undone; the highest benevolence acts but with no effort; the highest righteousness acts and does so with effort. When the highest propriety acts and is not reciprocated, then it raises an arm and throws it away..."

Zhao Rong listened for a while.

What he did not expect was Tao Yuanran was elaborating on "action and inaction."

Well, although on the surface it was about ’morality, benevolence, righteousness,’ the underlying focus was still on the difference in philosophy between ’Daoist inaction and Confucian action.’

This was a major point of contention between Confucianism and Daoism.

And this topic was also the subject of the third debate in the Great Discussion on Confucianism and Daoism in Zhongnan Country.

Back then, Zhao Rong, as a Confucian Scholar, had held the perspective of ’inaction.’

Tao Yuanran, as a Daoist gentleman, however, held the viewpoint of ’action.’

And at that time, since it was a debate discussion, the goal was to out-debate the other party, making them unable to respond, not to convince them.

Thus, the emphasis was less on thoroughly logical argumentation.

It leaned more towards quick wits, rhetorical skills, and profound scholarship.

But now,

This old man wearing the Nanhua crown, in front of this solitary pavilion in the bamboo forest, had returned to his true beliefs, teaching the Daoist principle of inaction to around a dozen Residence Students from Taiching Prefecture, including Qing Jun, in the esteemed capacity of a Daoism Teacher.

Well, while also taking a jab at Confucianism, no, two jabs...

"...with the loss of Dao comes virtue, with the loss of virtue comes benevolence, with the loss of benevolence comes righteousness, with the loss of righteousness comes propriety..."

Now, as he gradually made out Tao Yuanran’s words clearer,

Zhao Rong lightly pursed his lips.

The discourse of Tao Yuanran was easy to understand.

It was because humans had lost their originally pure essence — ’Dao,’ that the Sages taught them about virtue.

As hearts changed, and people then lost their virtuous nature, the Sages taught them benevolence.

Later, as people also lost their benevolent hearts, the Sages taught them righteousness.

Now, as hearts are not as they used to be, people have lost even righteousness.

Therefore, to revive the ancient Dao, the Sages taught propriety as well.

Here, the question from Tao Yuanran’s mouth was, which Sages or category of Sages established the proprieties.

Well, the answer was rather obvious, almost to the point of direct insult...

You going to insult again?

Tao Yuanran was actually emphasizing the Daoist concept of ’inaction without inaction.’

Denying the Confucian Scholars’ active ’action.’

It is well-known that Confucian values ’morality, benevolence, righteousness.’

Yet, for the Daoists, it was not so; they solely revered "the Dao."

Tao Yuanran believed that the reason Confucians revered ’rites’ now was due to insufficiencies in Dao, virtue, benevolence, and righteousness.

Confucian scholars had always been actively ’striving for achievement,’ resulting in only ’rites’ remaining now.

At this moment, the voice of the elderly man in the Nan Hua kerchief came again.

"When the world possesses the Dao, why question the rites? For rites are but a thin façade of loyalty and righteousness and the foremost harbinger of chaos!"

When discussion of ’rites’ becomes a daily necessity, loyalty is scarce and chaos is imminent.

Zhao Rong stood silently, reflecting.

The implication of Tao Yuanran was quite clear.

It meant that the system of rites was itself the source of unrest.

The result of Confucian scholars’ active ’striving for achievement’ was a failure after failure.

In a nutshell, the ’non-action’ that the Daoists believed in, that in the ’action-oriented’ world of Confucians, right, and also the Mo Family among others,

in their active ’striving for achievement,’

the world...was on a downward trajectory.

Yes, it was very stable, without even the slightest inclination of the moral climate improving.

Until now, living in an era where rites and music had collapsed, thundering ominously.

Looking around, surveying the entire Xuanhuang Realm,

both up and down the mountains, it was now far from peaceful, with undercurrents surging.

Displaying an increasingly chaotic tendency...

Well, to put it nicely, it was the eve of a period of great contentions.

To put it crudely, the era of great upheaval was approaching, and it was unknown how many lives would suffer.

And about this point, not only did the various scholars of the Hundred Schools see it,

Clear-sighted people could all see it, it had become a widely accepted consensus within the Xuanhuang Cultivation World.

After all... it had been ten thousand years since the last time.

It seemed urgently necessary for someone who was a sage inside and a king outside to appear in the world.

However, regardless, Zhao Rong felt that Wangque Continent was still alright for the moment, feeling quite stable.

Could it be because he ’awakened’ too late?

Had he missed an even more peaceful and tranquil era?

No, Zhao Rong felt he had awoken just in time, fortunate to be Qing Jun’s childhood companion and husband, fortunate to have met a clumsy fox demon that hadn’t been led astray by bad people.

Therefore, Zhao Rong thought the main reason might be...

He already had a family.

Qing Jun and little Xiao were both in Du You City, both by Zhao Rong’s side.

There’s a saying about a wife and children making a warm bed...

He was now just missing one element to achieve Perfection, no, two elements, including the warm bed.

It was just that Qing Jun had kept the jade in their son’s canteen, and Zhao Rong couldn’t enter the canteen without obtaining the jade, and if he didn’t enter the canteen, he couldn’t check his son’s meals, and if he didn’t check the safety of his son’s canteen meals, how could he sleep soundly at night?

Well, thinking it over, Zhao Rong also felt anxious, suddenly not feeling so stable anymore.

Hiss, the tense atmosphere of a chaotic era arrived abruptly.

At this moment, Zhao Rong, situated within this era of great chaos, wore a solemn expression.

Thinking, after Qing Jun and Qian’er finished their class later, he needed to have an urgent, heartfelt talk with his wife.

Perhaps after hearing it, she might become anxious too? Then it might... just... let Zhao Rong stop being anxious.

Zhao Rong nodded gently.

Although he thought this, he still kept his attention on the developments around him.

At this moment, his ears were filled with the teasing and mocking tone of the elderly man sitting cross-legged in the pavilion.

While the bamboo forest was silent, only the sounds of falling leaves, and Tao Yuanran’s conversationally clear voice could be heard.

"The day we discuss rites is the day we lose the Dao. Now that Confucian scholars are asking about rites, surely, the world must be in great chaos."

Seen from afar, the elderly man in the Nan Hua kerchief lowered his head, rolling a Flowing Bead with his thumb, seemingly slowly shaking his head.

Tao Yuanran suddenly looked around and said,

"So what will they use next, to salvage this era with collapsed rites and music?"

"Gentlemen, has the Mountain Master of Linlu Academy not taught you?"