Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 335: A Hall Full of Heroic Spirits
Scholars of Heaven and Earth? Lu Zheng thought to himself that this mountain village really had some background. After being suppressed by the local gods for so many years, it was still able to cultivate warriors and scholars of Heaven and Earth.

Lu Zheng couldn't help but say: "It is truly rare for you to become a worldly scholar in such an environment."

Yang Xu smiled upon hearing this and said, "Actually, I'm not very talented, but following the legacy of my ancestors and for the sake of the village, I had to study hard. I didn't become a scholar until I was over thirty. Over the years, my literary talent has been growing slowly, and I'm having trouble keeping up with my studies..."

In recent years, in addition to studying, Yang Xu also had to be on guard against the invasion of gods, demons and ghosts, and worry about the affairs of the village, making it difficult for him to calm down and study.

For example, there was a water shortage in the village recently. Although he did not show up in public, he also offered some suggestions and was always on guard, worried about a more serious disaster. He had no time to read or rest.

Hearing that someone had solved the problem, Yang Xu felt relieved, but he still went to meet Lu Zheng and the others with a tired mind.

Yang Xu asked curiously, "I don't know much about Anguo. I heard that if you pass the imperial examination in Anguo, you can enter the government. Why did Master Lu come to Chu to travel?"

Lu Zheng said slowly: "Officialdom is not a good place. I prefer to be free and easy. I want to go out and broaden my horizons..."

"I see. Master Lu is a man of character." Yang Xu nodded slightly. "But Chu State isn't a good place. It's far inferior to your An State... I heard that your An State doesn't have any gods."

Lu Zheng explained, "There are some, but not many. The righteous gods are not worshipped by the common people. The imperial court has a special place for worship, and they have no power to govern the local areas."

Yang Xu said dimly, "That's much better than here. The local gods exploit the people even more than the officials do."

Lu Zhengdao said, "I've seen and heard along the way that the people of Chu are indeed living a worse life."

Yang Xu sighed, "When I was young, I secretly visited the nearby villages. The people there actually lived worse off than we do... Even though there are always gods bringing disaster, if we don't invite the gods here, we will be free from oppression for generations."

"But I don't know how long I can endure this kind of life..."

The ancestors of the mountain village had thought about moving away from the State of Chu, but the journey to other countries was too long and they had already offended the local gods. Relocating the entire village would mean there would be no way to survive.

Yang Xu showed a trace of worry. Their small mountain village had been struggling to contend with the local gods for so many years.

There are few outstanding young people among the younger generation today.

Everyone was worried, worried that the village would be destroyed or eventually succumb to those gods.

Lu Zhengdao said, "It seems the local city god holds a grudge against you."

Yang Xu couldn't help but say, "They just want to see us bow our heads, but if we bow our heads, our lives will probably be worse than before."

Yang Xu paused, then said solemnly, "I have something I would like to ask you, sir."

"Wait a minute." Lu Zheng said.

Yang Xu said, "Mr. Lu is so young, yet he has already reached such a high level of Confucianism. I believe he has a thorough understanding of the classics. I would like to ask how I can improve my literary spirit."

It is a rare opportunity to meet such a great scholar. Yang Xu does not want to miss this opportunity. He wants to discuss Confucianism with Lu Zheng and learn from him.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment after hearing this and said, "I wonder what kind of books you usually read?"

Yang Xu replied, "The Four Books and Five Classics, some classic annotations, and other classics..."

Yang Xu glanced sideways at the bookshelf not far away. "Those books were left by our ancestors. Some of the classics are even incomplete..."

Lu Zheng took a quick look and saw that they were all common books.

Lu Zheng said, "Everyone has a different understanding of the words of the sages. I don't know how to explain it... but I can give you one thing."

"What?" Yang Xu couldn't help but feel curious.

Lu Zheng raised his hand, took out a pen and paper, and wrote directly on the neat white paper, releasing a strong aura.

Yang Xu felt this pure breath and couldn't help but have his eyes flashing with brilliance.

He looked at what Lu Zheng had written and murmured, "I am good at cultivating my great spirit."

Yang Xu's eyes were burning as he felt the literary aura contained in this written treasure, which possessed a power he had never seen before.

"Is it righteousness?" Yang Xu asked in surprise.

Lu Zheng smiled and nodded. "I may not have spent as much time studying as you have. I may not be good at anything else, but at least I have learned the spirit of righteousness. You can keep this sentence and slowly comprehend it."

"This..." Yang Xu said excitedly, "This is too valuable."

A literary treasure written with great righteousness is a rare and precious thing.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Meeting is destiny. We are kindred spirits, so we shouldn't be so reserved."

Yang Xu was moved and ashamed when he heard this, and said, "Then I will shamelessly accept it!"

Yang Xu picked up the cultural treasure carefully, fearing that it would be stained by tea if he placed it on the tea table.

However, his worries were unnecessary. Ordinary cultural treasures could withstand water and fire, so how could this cultural treasure that contained righteous spirit be easily defiled?

Yang Xu solemnly put the treasure away and said to Lu Zheng, "You two, follow me."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng and the other person followed Yang Xu out of the room.

Yang Xu arrived at the main hall of the ancestral hall and gently pushed open the tightly closed door. Bright moonlight streamed into the spacious hall, revealing hundreds and thousands of densely packed memorial tablets of various sizes.

Lu Zheng could sense that there was a formation in the hall, and a strange force was constantly flowing.

Yang Xu whispered, "Those enshrined here are all the ancestors of the village who died at the hands of gods, demons, and ghosts generation after generation."

"I dare not forget the teachings of my ancestors, nor the hatred of my ancestors, but the village is becoming worse and worse. Fortunately, the treasure given by the young master may allow the village to survive for a few more generations."

"Yang would like to thank you two on behalf of the villagers!"

Yang Xu turned around and was about to salute Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng supported Yang Xu and said, "Why do you say that? I didn't help much either."

Yang Xu said seriously, "Perhaps it doesn't mean much to you, but to us, it's a great favor. We will never forget it..."

Lu Zheng couldn't help but say, "You'd better not mention me, so as not to cause trouble."

Yang Xu was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then he thought that Lu Zheng was a scholar from Anguo. If what happened today were to be spread, it would inevitably bring trouble to the village and Lu Zheng and others.

Yang Xu then said, "I will talk to the villagers, but I still cannot forget your kindness... It's a pity that we, the humble people in the mountains, cannot repay you."

Lu Zheng smiled faintly, "No need to repay anything, because I have learned a lot from seeing you, which is something you can't learn from books."

Lu Zheng looked at the tablets in the hall, his eyes deep for a moment.

Yang Xu beside him said quietly, "The previous dynasty valued Shintoism, and so did the Chu State. The previous dynasty has fallen, so when will the Chu State..."

Lu Zheng said softly, "It's not Shinto's fault, it's that those who serve Shinto are not righteous... In a country where Confucianism flourishes, the people won't fare much better. That's because the powerful always use the words of sages to restrain the people, while doing whatever they want. Sometimes they even misinterpret the words of sages to govern the people. You can't say it's the sages' fault, right?"

Yang Xu pondered over what he had said and couldn't help but agree, "What Master Lu said is indeed quite reasonable... It's a pity that the gods of today aren't as compassionate to the people as those in legends. How can we change that?"

Lu Zheng said calmly, "Those who are not upright will naturally be destroyed. By that time, perhaps they will know how to change..."

Lu Zheng and Yang Xu chatted for a while, and then a villager came to report that the pangolin that had left earlier had returned and brought a large bag of property as compensation.

Upon hearing this, Yang Xu said, "Forgive me for not being able to leave the ancestral hall. Please ask Master Lu to deal with the monster."

Lu Zheng nodded and said, "It's time for us to leave. I won't bother you any more. See you in the future if there's a chance."

Yang Xu knew that this was a place of trouble, so it was not easy for him to keep Lu Zheng and the others, so he stood at the door and watched them leave.

Lu Zheng and his companion arrived at the village entrance and saw that someone was still blocking the pangolin outside.

When Pangolin saw Lu Zheng and the other two approaching, his eyes changed and he quickly said, "Sir, I've brought the compensation money. What do you think about this matter..."

The pangolin opened a bag in front of him, which shimmered with a faint luster of gold and silver.

Lu Zheng gave his belongings to the villagers, then said goodbye and went down the mountain.

The villagers and Pangolin were stunned when they saw the two men leave overnight.

Pangolin quickly ran up to Lu Zheng and said anxiously, "Sir, can I remove the mark you placed on me? You are such a magnanimous person, why would you bother with a little demon like me?"

When they arrived at an open place, Lu Zheng asked Qing Wan to use the jade talisman to summon Feiyun, and then the two of them flew away directly with the pangolin.

When the pangolin saw that the two men could fly on the clouds, he was immediately frightened and trembled. He thought he had met a real master!
Lu Zheng said calmly, "Don't worry, I'll release you when we get there."

"Where to?" the pangolin couldn't help but ask.

Lu Zhengdao said, "Leave Pingzhou and find a new place to live. You're good at digging holes, right? If there's a water shortage or drought somewhere, you can help find water. That would be considered a good deed... As for the mark, I won't remove it for you."

Considering that this little demon didn't commit any serious mistakes, Lu Zheng was too lazy to take action and decided to make the best use of it.

When the pangolin heard this, he was surprised and happy, and repeatedly promised to be a good demon in the future.

Qing Wan whispered, "Shouldn't we go find the City God?"

Lu Zheng shook his head upon hearing this, "That's not necessary."

The local gods and the villagers have had a feud that spans more than a dozen generations. Even if he tries to reason with them and make them willing to reconcile, the villagers probably won't forget the hatred.

Moreover, if he, an outsider, went there, it was very likely to have a counterproductive effect.

Some things are not suitable to be done now.

The piece of paper he left behind was enough to keep the village safe for many years.

As for many years later, as long as he is alive, things will not get worse.

After seeing such a mountain village, Lu Zheng also discovered that there are many ordinary people in this world who dare to draw their swords against gods and powerful people.

(End of this chapter)