Chapter 52

The imperial palace houses a vast collection of books, many of which are stored in old bookshelves that have not been opened for years. The towering bookshelves are filled with various scrolls and scriptures. The Song people loved books and learning, and since the founding of the state, the emperor had ordered scholars to compile imperial collections, which numbered over ten thousand volumes. Not to mention the grand and comprehensive *Taiping Yulan*,

Even the grand Daoist anthology of the Song Dynasty, the *Wanshou Daocang*, was being compiled in the Longtu Pavilion. The saying "officials can cultivate well" was not just empty words. Chen Ang, while browsing through a bookshelf that Emperor Zhao Xu often visited, discovered many ancient and rare books that had long been lost, many of which contained the insights of previous practitioners on cultivating qi.

Many obscure inscriptions and tadpole scripts, due to the lack of translation, were hidden deep within the palace. Many halls and libraries that housed ancient artifacts and treasures also contained vast collections of books. To compile the imperial writings and collections of various emperors, the palace had gathered countless volumes from across the land. It could be said that eight out of ten of the world's knowledge was stored within the palace.

Many rare and ancient books, due to their obscure language, were left to gather dust in the deep palace. Chen Ang spent his days exploring the sea of books, enjoying a life of leisure and freedom. He ordered many of the abandoned bookshelves to be opened, and the scrolls inside to be aired out.

Even Emperor Zhao Xu had to comply with his wishes, commanding the scholars of the Hanlin Academy and the Longtu Pavilion to organize the books, effectively making Chen Ang the chief editor of this compilation. Examining ancient inscriptions and texts, and elaborating on the principles of heaven and man, Chen Ang directly facilitated the largest compilation of books in the Song Dynasty since the *Taiping Yulan*.

On one hand, the newly established Dianqian Command of the Imperial Guards was undergoing strict training and learning. Chen Ang even brought the accumulated eighth-level evolution potions from the *Endless* world, and personally created a divine skill for them, inspired by the martial arts of the Star War world, the *Xuanwu Zhen Gong*, which utilized the evolution potions to mutate their entire bloodstream.

On the other hand, Chen Ang did not interfere with the management of the Dianqian Command of the Imperial Guards but was instead engrossed in the compilation of ancient texts. His vast knowledge amazed many scholars, and he naturally became the chief editor of this compilation.

His position as the Grand Marshal of the Dianqian Command of the Imperial Guards was finally accepted by the Song people. Even the great scholars of the time believed that Chen Ang's knowledge surpassed all contemporary scholars by a margin. Whether it was oracle bone scripts, tadpole scripts, dragon patterns, or phoenix scripts, there was no form of writing or literature that Chen Ang was not proficient in. Every university scholar who had interacted with him was in awe.

The Grand Marshal, who was also a learned scholar, Chen Ang, was rarely known to be the same person as the two legendary figures who were famous in Bianliang. There were already calls in the court to recruit Chen Ang, the learned scholar. If Chen Ang were a white-haired old man, he could have entered the court as a prime minister based on his reputation.

As the classics compiled by Chen Ang spread from the palace, even a three-year-old child in Bianliang had heard of his name. For a time, the name of Scholar Chen spread throughout the land, and he was revered as one of the great scholars of the era. Even the exiled Scholar Dongpo had praised Chen Ang's knowledge in public, saying, "He alone occupies three parts of the world!"

For a time, the whole world praised the "Three-Part Scholar." When this reached Emperor Zhao Xu's ears, he became even more convinced of Chen Ang's divine identity and the possibility of martial arts leading to immortality.

As the annotations and rediscoveries of ancient texts continued, many lost classics of the various schools of thought were brought to light. When a half-scroll of the lost *Yue Jing* from the Six Classics of Confucius appeared, it shocked the scholarly world.

Many great scholars of the time volunteered, even abandoning their official positions, to participate in this unprecedented Confucian event. Historical records show that book collectors from the people drove carts loaded with scrolls from Kaifeng to Bianliang, one after another, the wheel tracks forming a continuous line.

Outside the palace, the books presented in the courtyard of the Hanlin Academy piled up to the height of a two-story building. Emperor Zhao Xu even had to dispatch the newly reorganized Dianqian Command of the Imperial Guards to guard these precious books day and night.

Every day, thousands of ancient texts were sent to the Longtu Pavilion for Chen Ang to review. The number of great scholars gathered in the palace was over a hundred, and the number of students coming to copy the books was in the thousands. Scholar Huang Shang, a direct scholar of the Longtu Pavilion, even had to open abandoned palaces to house the students.

Huang Shang, holding a bundle of old bamboo slips, struggled to read the text on the narrow windowsill. Whenever he had doubts, he would copy that section of text. Such records had already accumulated into a thick stack in front of him.

Beside him, a gray-haired scholar wearily put down the ancient scroll he was holding, blew out the fish oil candle in front of him, and whispered to the person next to him, "The emperor is sending troops to provoke the Western Xia day and night. Such reckless provocation is not the act of a wise ruler!"

Before the other person could respond, he hurriedly stood up and said, "Scholar Chen!"

"Pay respects to Scholar Chen!"

Chen Ang slowly walked over, nodded slightly to the two of them, and, seeing Huang Shang who was proofreading, instructed, "Come with me!" Huang Shang quickly stood up and hurried to Chen Ang's side, "Scholar, is there a problem with the proofreading of the classics? Or is there something unusual in the sections on qi cultivation, statecraft, spirits, or monsters?"

"Come with me to see the emperor; I have an important task for you," Chen Ang said slowly, looking at Huang Shang, "The way of heaven is to diminish what is excessive and supplement what is insufficient. Therefore, the void overcomes the solid, and the insufficient overcomes the excessive. Its meaning is broad, its principles profound, and its implications deep. The images of heaven and earth are divided, the signs of yin and yang are intense, the causes of change are apparent, and the signs of life and death are clear."

"You have been diligently reading and proofreading the *Wanshou Daocang* day and night, and you have already grasped the true meaning of the Daoist scriptures. When I roughly examined you, I found that your internal and external skills were already quite advanced, but the qi was too coarse, and the cultivation was not refined enough. You have a broad knowledge but lack precision. You should focus on refining the classics, and within ten years, you will surely achieve great success. In the future, you will be a great synthesizer of Daoist learning and a martial arts master!"

Huang Shang, shocked, clasped his hands and said, "I am still in a fog. Sometimes I can feel a breeze under my arms and a lightness in my body, but I only know some breathing and health-preserving techniques. Although I am proficient in internal and external skills and Daoist practices, I have never practiced them. I only have a sense of health and longevity, how can I be called a martial arts master?"

Chen Ang said calmly, "The Yellow Emperor toured the north of the Red Water, ascended the Kunlun Mountain, and looked south. On his return, he lost his black pearl. He sent Knowledge to search for it but could not find it. He sent Li Zhu to search for it but could not find it. He sent Chigou to search for it but could not find it. Finally, he sent Xiangwang, and Xiangwang found it. The Yellow Emperor said, 'Strange, only Xiangwang could find it!'"

This is a reference from the *Nanhua Jing* (Book of Heaven and Earth), which says that only the formless and thoughtless 'Xiangwang' can attain the Dao. 'Xiang' is vague and indistinct, a state of chaos, and the most natural way to attain the Dao is to harmonize qi with qi, thus achieving a state of great unity in the interplay of existence and non-existence, reality and void.

Chen Ang cited this passage to explain that Huang Shang's mastery of martial arts principles, achieved in a state of confusion, was a natural and profound way of attaining the Dao, like 'Xiangwang.'

"You have already grasped the essence of Daoist learning by reading the *Wanshou Daocang*. When your wisdom is fully developed, you will naturally master the most profound martial arts principles. Remember, the most profound principles of martial arts are not found in secret manuals but in the Daoist and Buddhist teachings of the world."

"Dao Mo understood the ultimate martial arts through the Buddhist scriptures, and Xianzi read the *Nanhua Jing* to create the Xianzi martial arts. Since ancient times, extraordinary people and sages have appeared one after another, mastering the principles of the world without a teacher. This shows that the principles of the world are hidden in the universe, as described by the sages. You are not ignorant of martial arts but have directly grasped the essence of martial arts, understanding its spirit and forgetting its form."

Huang Shang, reaching out in confusion, said, "Since I started practicing breathing techniques, I have felt lighter and healthier, and I can jump three zhang high. When I see the imperial guards training and the palace experts, I can discern their strengths and weaknesses. I did not realize I had developed such skills, but my ambition lies in writing and passing on the Daoist tradition, not in martial arts."

"Do you think martial arts are crude?" Chen Ang asked.

"Killing with a sword is not the act of a gentleman!" Huang Shang sighed.

"I taught you to proofread ancient texts to refine your learning and master the great Dao, to learn from the ancient sages and abandon the pursuit of fame and fortune. I did not expect that your calm and detached nature would make you lose your drive and courage," Chen Ang sighed.

Seeing that Huang Shang had no intention of advancing in martial arts and had lost the spirit of combat, it was no wonder that he, despite his deep-seated blood feud, had only just created the *Jiuyin Zhenjing*, a supreme martial arts manual. If not for his hatred, he might have written *Jindan Yaizhi*, *Xingming Guizhi*, or *Xinyin Jing*, Daoist classics.

Combat is the primary purpose of martial arts, and the struggle for life is the first principle. The way of martial arts lies in competition: competing with heaven, earth, and people, and surpassing oneself. Unlike the calm and detached internal alchemy, the path of martial arts is more intense and direct, transcending oneself and elevating life through competition.

Chen Ang's path to the Dao is like standing on a precipice, where a single misstep could lead to a fatal fall. Only the spirit of competition in martial arts, the struggle for supremacy, is the fastest and most suitable path for him. Although he does not intend to fight others, he constantly competes with himself, striving, exploring, and challenging fate.

Even in exploring the world and elevating oneself, it is achieved through constant self-competition. The spirit of striving and active exploration is what Chen Ang truly values.

Huang Shang's calm and detached spirit, though commendable, does not align with Chen Ang's vision of promoting martial arts development and accumulating martial wisdom. Fortunately, Huang Shang is in the court, and his life is tied to the honor and disgrace of the Song Dynasty. His loyalty to the court is very high.

When the conflict between the court and the martial world intensifies, he will inevitably be forced to act, becoming a feared henchman of the court, a tyrant who oppresses the martial world, and a villain who commits countless evils.

Chen Ang can even imagine that in the future, when the martial heroes rise against him, Huang Shang will be his most capable accomplice. Such a grand and tumultuous era will promote the development of martial arts, with countless extraordinary skills and masters emerging.

Only by pushing the martial world to the brink of no return will there be heroes who can turn the tide, and the martial world will overcome its divisions, exchange knowledge, and work together to promote the development of martial arts.

In a world of great competition and the flourishing of a hundred schools of thought, Chen Ang hopes that the martial world will rise up in a spectacular rebellion, creating a glorious era of martial arts.

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