Chapter 68

"Here is the third-floor array repair center of the official residence, Yue Heng. It's not convenient to talk much on the way, but now we have a few questions for you," said the elderly scholar with a mustache.

As long as they weren't here to cause trouble, Yue Heng felt relieved. "As long as I know, I will answer without reservation."

The mustachioed old man couldn't wait to ask, "How did you come to understand the difference between heaven and earth?"

He's taken the bait!

Yue Heng put his mind at ease and smiled. "Actually, heaven and earth are not mysterious. I have read some documents and ancient texts. According to the legend, Pangu split the chaotic space with one axe, and today the illusion gave me a particle that can freely create. I immediately thought of this. Heaven and earth are not simply different in terms of flatness; they should originate from this chaotic world. However, because human capabilities are limited, I simply categorized the things that cannot be touched as heaven and the things that can be touched as earth."

The second old man with a goatee squinted and asked, "Why do you say the earth is round and the sky envelops the earth?"

Yue Heng answered, "It's a simple principle. When looking at a distant ship from the sea, you see the sails first; standing on a high mountain and looking far into the distance, you can't see the end of the sky; there has never been a description of the end of the world in any documents or texts; and there is the daily sunrise in the east and sunset in the west. If the earth were not round, these phenomena would be impossible to explain. Moreover, I have read some books on craftsmanship, which also hint at this. After comparing various sources, the truth becomes clear, but no one has spoken it out."

The two old men nodded in agreement. After hundreds of years of geographical exploration and the development of craftsmanship, the masters of craftsmanship can now barely overlook the land and gaze at the stars.

Yue Heng, a scholar, could access books on craftsmanship because the craft techniques were being systematically reorganized and opened to the public, with many basic principles and knowledge being made easier to understand. Many outsiders could learn and even achieve significant success through self-study, which was a reform in the craft profession.

In the past, when a craftsman made an explosive crossbow driven by a beast soul, the master would guide the apprentices to make it according to the blueprints, only aiming for a similar shape.

Now, the shooting accuracy, wind correction, core formulas, and parameters of the explosive arrowheads are gradually being opened to the apprentices, placing more emphasis on the principles of knowledge.

Therefore, after the reform, the number of craftsmen has increased, and the industry is thriving. In the past ten years, there have been rumors of a ninth-level master craftsman planning to advance to a tenth-level divine craftsman, which would have been unimaginable in the past.

The elderly scholar asked curiously, "You are a scholar, why are you so interested in the craft techniques?"

Yue Heng smiled. "I have participated in the spring exams five times in the past and only passed this year. I once realized a principle: if you read the Book of Songs thoroughly, even if you can't write poetry, you can still recite it. Later, I met a spirit master friend who, despite being a spirit master, had knowledge of literary classics, martial arts, and craft techniques. I then understood that broadening one's horizons, drawing on various sources, reading extensively, and traveling widely are the correct ways for a scholar to cultivate."

The three old men were speechless, looking at each other, unsure how to continue.

The scholar suddenly sighed deeply. "Broadening one's horizons, drawing on various sources, reading extensively, and traveling widely—these are the principles of both static and dynamic cultivation. A narrow-minded person can only see a small world, while what is written in books is far less than what one can experience personally. For hundreds of years, scholars have always believed in the cultural heritage passed down, but who realized that without personal practice, most of the cultural heritage is far from reality? No wonder 'being present' and 'the path of the heart' are so difficult to learn, and no wonder only the literary master Ji reached such heights in hundreds of years, while later scholars were so inadequate..."

The mustachioed and goateed old men looked solemn, their gazes on Yue Heng changing.

The two old men were not scholars and could not comment on this view, but thinking about their own craft, they also gained some insights. If the craft had not been reformed and each family had kept their secrets, they might not have achieved the current glory.

The current predicament of scholars is indeed caused by the scholars themselves.

The scholar's words were too heavy, and Yue Heng felt his scalp tingle, especially when the scholar suddenly bowed deeply to him, which startled him.

"Sir, you can't do that..."

"Yue Heng, thank you for your words. If I, Liu Jingtang, can make further progress in the future, I will thank you again!"

"Sir... you are the one who is blinded by your position, and I am just a bystander... These are also what my spirit master friend told me..."

"Great! A bystander sees clearly what the one involved cannot! Most scholars are lost in their own interests, while martial artists are always more courageous in competition. The craft reform has been ongoing for a hundred years, and even the spirit masters of noble families understand this. Unfortunately, few people can enlighten the scholars, and even fewer scholars can see through these things. Alas, what a pity!"

Seeing that Liu Jingtang insisted on attributing the credit to him, Yue Heng could only smile bitterly and accept it.

The mustachioed old man wanted to continue asking, "What about the theory of lightning and wind..."

The goateed old man pulled him back. "Don't ask anymore. Yue Heng, do you want to join our craft academy to study craft techniques? The theory of opposite charges attracting each other and heat driving wind has given us great inspiration for our beast soul machinery research, pointing us in a new direction. Think about it, if we can expand the heat from burning beast souls into electricity and wind..."

Yue Heng immediately thought of a jet engine powered by burning beast souls. Further thinking, the safe application of electricity could bring a qualitative leap to craft technology. These theories are still in their early stages in the Central Yuan world. Even the most sophisticated and complex beast soul carriages are just bulky and inefficient early steam engines, with significant room for improvement.

But he is a scholar...

Where is the excitement in doing basic physics research compared to plagiarizing poems from his mind?

Being covered in dirty oil is not as cool and romantic as a sword-wielding wanderer leaning on a railing and reciting poetry.

In the Central Yuan world, being a literary youth is not a disease but a tool for attracting girls!

"But, sirs, I am a student from a humble background, only skilled in reading and writing, and I have only a superficial understanding of craft techniques, far from being able to conduct research. Moreover, I have taken a solemn vow to the spirit of Fuxi, and yesterday a high-ranking military official invited me to join the military to write war poems and songs. I am not unwilling, but I cannot accept it..."

Yue Heng's words were a polite refusal, and by mentioning the military, he also hoped to make the other party back off. No matter how powerful the craftsmen are, they cannot match the martial artists, right?

Sure enough, when Yue Heng said this, everyone's expressions changed, and they murmured and fell silent.

It seems he is a great talent, proud, and it seems that those war poems and songs can be written at will, so he doesn't lack people to recruit him!

However, Yue Heng did not completely refuse. He continued, "Since I have become a member of the academy, I hope to have the opportunity to systematically study craft techniques at the craft academy in the future. I have long admired Mr. Gongshu and Mr. Mozi."

The two old men were delighted, each pulling one of Yue Heng's hands and welcoming him.

The goateed old man was named Lu Cheng'en, and the mustachioed old man was named Liu Shan. They looked unremarkable but were both fourth-level military craftsmen.

Lu Cheng'en followed the teachings of Lu Ban and had deep expertise in designing offensive military machinery. Liu Shan followed the teachings of Mozi and was skilled in defensive and living machinery. Both were highly respected instructors at the craft academy.

They agreed to wait for Yue Heng to settle in and then visit them at the craft academy for further discussions. The two old men then left reluctantly.

The remaining scholar, Liu Jingtang, smiled and looked at Yue Heng with increasing appreciation.

"Yue Heng, do you know who wrote the evaluation for today's illusion test?"

Yue Heng suddenly realized. "It was you, sir. I was wondering what 'nothing' meant and which hexagram I should live in at the dormitory."

Liu Jingtang smiled slightly. "Of course, you can choose any position. The array is a dead object and cannot draw conclusions. I suggest you try living in different hexagrams for a few days and choose based on your feelings."

Yue Heng felt relieved. "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

Liu Jingtang said, "I have been researching arrays at the county academy for over ten years, and I am responsible for the operation and maintenance of some monitoring arrays within the academy. The two craft instructors you met are my long-time friends. They are fourth-level military craftsmen and have deep expertise in arrays. If you are interested in arrays, after completing the normal array foundation courses, you can come to me. Perhaps your creative ideas will find a place here!"

Yue Heng was overjoyed. He knew that arrays were originally obtained from the Fuxi temple, studied and improved by scholars, and transplanted and engraved by high-level craftsmen, resulting in a large number of derivative arrays.

This was exactly what he had been seeking. It seemed that Liu Jingtang was the most powerful array master in the county academy, and with the two strong instructors from the craft academy, this might be the most valuable core wealth of the county academy!

A powerful literary symbol is a personal strength.

A powerful array is a symbol of national strength!

"This is a pass for the third floor. You can go anywhere except the most core areas. You can come to find me anytime."

"Thank you, Mr. Liu. I will take my leave."

Yue Heng respectfully received the third-floor pass from Liu Jingtang and put it in his bag, then politely took his leave. Liu Jingtang did not personally see him off but called a single-person mobile vehicle for Yue Heng to return on his own.

With the third-floor pass, Yue Heng felt very happy, as if the county academy was at his disposal.

However, he needed to solve the immediate problem of accommodation. If he didn't solve it, would he sleep outdoors tonight?

Returning to the Fuxi array dormitory area, with new students from various regions gradually enrolling, the place was already bustling. There were battles everywhere, with new students challenging senior students for dormitories, and senior students from last year challenging even stronger senior students.

Yue Heng thought, if martial artists fight for survival and craftsmen strive for excellence, all professions are subject to natural selection. If the scholars were still stuck in their old ways, what would be the point?

Where there are people, there must be competition!

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