Chapter 40

As the incident unfolded.

Gu Jinnian's passing of the examination had spread throughout the entire capital.

Passing the examination was not a big deal.

However, causing a strange phenomenon was a major event.

Especially since, in the eyes of the capital's citizens, Gu Jinnian was a person who did not study or have any skills.

But the news genuinely surprised the citizens of the capital.

For a time, the rumors about Gu Jinnian's alleged harassment of the Minister of Rites' granddaughter became even more confusing.

Although Gu Jinnian had a bad reputation, it did not mean that the Gu family had a bad reputation. The old man was a great general who had fought for the country and was now granted the title of Duke, enjoying a very good reputation among the people.

It was precisely because of this that various discussions reappeared, and many citizens believed that Gu Jinnian might have been wronged.

This was the public opinion.

It changed every day, and it was highly polarized, with both positive and negative comments.

However, amidst the excitement in the capital and the joy of the Gu family,

Xiaoxi Village had gradually returned to peace.

The news of Gu Jinnian passing the examination had spread, and people were shocked, but they quickly calmed down. After all, for them, whether they could be selected was the main concern.

No matter how others were selected, it had nothing to do with them.

And at the South Gate entrance.

Gu Jinnian held a token and walked across a wooden bridge.

Ahead was Xiaoxi Village.

Gu Jinnian looked at the token in his hand.

It was clearly inscribed with the character 'Heaven'.

He was somewhat puzzled and very curious.

Gu Jinnian frowned, unable to figure it out for the moment, and continued walking inside.

There were still twelve hours before the examination ended.

He had to make the most of his time.

If he couldn't even enter Daxia Academy, it would be embarrassing.

After ten years of hard work, was this it?

Determined, Gu Jinnian continued forward while also observing the ancient tree in his mind.

Two talent fruits had already formed on the ancient tree.

One was fully ripe, and the other was almost ripe.

He was more curious about the fruits.

Therefore, without any hesitation, he used his will to pluck one.

At that moment,

A fruit fell.

A pure golden talent fruit fell from the tree, and instantly, a mysterious and profound message flooded his mind.

Accompanied by an overwhelming surge of righteous energy, it infused his physical body.

It felt like a sudden enlightenment, opening the eight extraordinary meridians.

"Righteous energy?"

Gu Jinnian was slightly surprised. He did not expect that the talent fruit would contain righteous energy.

Scholars needed to read books to gather the righteous energy of heaven and earth.

However, righteous energy could not remain in the body for long, so they needed to read books daily and study diligently. Only when they opened the Confucian meridians in their body could they gather righteous energy within.

This was the first realm of Confucianism, reading and gathering energy.

Once they entered this realm, righteous energy would always be present in their body. This energy, when used to write articles, could contain essence, energy, and spirit, allowing others to instantly understand the meaning of the text when reading it.

This was called resonance.

Even ordinary people, even those who could not read, could understand the general meaning of the poem or text.

This was the benefit of gathering energy.

Moreover, having righteous energy in the body could cultivate a pure yang body, making it difficult for evil spirits to approach.

The continent of Shen Zhou had many demons. These demons were extremely vicious, and some powerful ones could turn a thousand miles into a wasteland or cause devastating floods, harming the people.

Ordinary people found it difficult to deal with them. Even ten thousand iron cavalry could kill the demons but could not stop them from causing chaos.

However, if a great scholar were invited to write an article, it could effectively suppress the demons and prevent disasters as much as possible.

This was why scholars had such a high status.

Not only were they recognized by heaven and earth, but they also had significant roles, capable of governing the country and preventing natural and human disasters.

For the current Gu Jinnian,

He was still far from gathering energy.

Normally, it would take at least three years of reading, and not just rote reading, but understanding the principles and gathering energy through reading.

However, the surging righteous energy from the talent fruit allowed Gu Jinnian to skip the steps.

After a quarter of an hour,

With the Confucian meridians in his body opened, the righteous energy infused his body, and Gu Jinnian officially completed the gathering of energy.

He stepped onto the path of Confucianism.

"Hmm."

In Xiaoxi Village,

Feeling the changes in his body, Gu Jinnian couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Upon entering the first realm, Gu Jinnian clearly felt an unprecedented sense of comfort, a feeling he could hardly describe.

Mainly, it was his mind.

If his mind were a library, then before, the library was in chaos, with tens of thousands of books randomly placed, and the bookshelves were all over the place.

But now, with the entry into the first realm, the library was neatly organized, the bookshelves lined up, and all the books were perfectly arranged and categorized, no longer in chaos.

"This must be the clarity of thought."

In an instant, Gu Jinnian understood the situation and marveled at the power of Confucianism.

Confucianism would not make a person smarter, but it could make their thinking more meticulous, greatly improving efficiency.

This was the change in his body, while the righteous energy possessed mysterious abilities and could nourish the physical body, transforming it into a pure yang body, unafraid of evil spirits.

The benefits were truly numerous.

The only drawback was that it could not extend one's lifespan.

However, just as Gu Jinnian thought everything was over, a majestic voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

The voice was loud, like the voice of the great way, like a sage imparting wisdom, making his heart tremble, like the sound of a great bell, awakening him.

"Heaven sees as the people see, heaven hears as the people hear."

The gentle sound enlightened him. To others, Gu Jinnian looked like a dazed person standing there.

But in reality, it was the voice of a sage, imparting the true essence of Confucianism.

For a full half an hour,

Finally, Gu Jinnian awoke from the enlightenment.

At that moment,

Gu Jinnian's entire demeanor had changed completely.

Righteous energy could only allow him to enter the realm of gathering energy, but it was easy to be out of balance.

He needed to read books to elevate his inner self and stabilize his realm.

This was perfectly addressed by the ancient tree, not only providing him with righteous energy but also the voice of a sage, imparting wisdom and resolving doubts.

"Even with the sage's words to resolve doubts, I still need to read books continuously, understand the principles, and practice the truth to be worthy of the Confucian realm."

"I must not be complacent."

Gu Jinnian thought to himself.

The words of the sage were still in his ears. A true scholar was not only judged by their realm but mainly by their virtue.

If a person, although a great scholar, lacked virtue, they were prone to mistakes, ranging from mental derangement to divine retribution.

This situation occurred frequently, all due to a lack of virtue.

Some great scholars advanced by performing great deeds, such as disaster relief or contributing national policies, earning the favor of heaven and earth, writing books to impart wisdom, and gaining recognition from other scholars, thus advancing to the rank of a great scholar.

This was why all scholars wanted to enter the government.

In their position, they could fulfill their duties.

Think about it, a common teacher, no matter how well they taught, unless they taught a sage, could not have a significant impact on the country.

But if a government official wrote a reform article, it could have a huge impact.

If successful, their reputation would skyrocket, and a new book would be sought after by scholars.

When you are successful, every word you say is golden.

Advancing to the rank of a great scholar was almost certain.

But this kind of advancement was not perfect, lacking virtue, and could easily lead to problems.

"This ancient tree must have a terrifying origin."

Soon, Gu Jinnian realized something.

The ancient tree in his mind could not only produce fruits containing righteous energy but also the voice of a sage.

Upon careful consideration, this thing must have a terrifying origin.

Most importantly, Gu Jinnian thought of another matter.

Would the fruits from other branches be like the talent fruits?

If so, could he develop in a versatile direction?

Immortal cultivation was one thing.

Gu Jinnian valued martial cultivation more.

Being both a scholar and a martial artist was the way to go.

What is a true sage?

First, they explain the principles to you. If you don't listen,

Then they will beat you until you do.

Moreover, this was a world where immortals and martial artists coexisted, and personal strength could not truly oppose a dynasty.

The idea that one person could match a million soldiers was clearly impossible.

But this impossibility was because of the realm below the eighth.

If he could reach the eighth realm,

It would be different.

Whether it was the Daxia Dynasty or not, the entire Shen Zhou continent would bow at his feet.

If he couldn't reach the eighth realm, he would be satisfied with reaching the seventh realm in his lifetime.

Having absolute self-preservation ability.

Even if the court wanted to deal with him, they would have to think twice.

The emperor had the favor of the nation, which couldn't be resolved, but causing trouble would be easy.

If it came to a fight, he would play a guerrilla war, breaking the enemy's camp today and breaking another camp tomorrow. As long as they couldn't kill him, he would be a nightmare, making them doubt their lives.

At that moment,

Gu Jinnian was filled with hope.

He liked the ancient tree even more.

However, just as Gu Jinnian regained his composure and was about to search for the second stage,

A figure slowly approached him.

It was a man in a green robe.

The man was extremely handsome, not inferior to Gu Jinnian, with a calm demeanor and his hair tied up.

Feeling someone approaching,

Gu Jinnian frowned slightly.

But he did not make any other moves, standing there calmly.

After all, if the other person was stronger, running would be useless.

If the other person was weaker, there was no need to run.

"Su Huaiyu, I have seen the Prince."

Soon,

The handsome man appeared before Gu Jinnian.

He was calm, bowed to Gu Jinnian, and introduced himself, though his voice was not loud.

"Are you Su Huaiyu?"

Hearing the man introduce himself, Gu Jinnian was somewhat surprised.

He did not expect Su Huaiyu to be so handsome.

This almost threatened his own good looks.

"Indeed."

"Your Highness, it is not convenient to speak here."

"Please move."

Su Huaiyu spoke, slightly serious.

"Alright."

Gu Jinnian nodded, not thinking much about it, and followed Su Huaiyu away.

A short while later,

The two appeared at the entrance of a tavern.