Simulated immortality allows me to calculate talent stats.

The young man's gaze was unfocused, somewhat vacant; his sharp brows were furrowed with melancholy, which ultimately coalesced into an unwavering resolve.

You arrive at the foot of the attic, smiling and bowing: "I found your words quite interesting. May I come inside for a chat?"

The young man glanced at you with surprise and disbelief, seemingly not expecting anyone to agree with his words.

【"please."】

You strolled into the pavilion and went up to the second floor.

The furnishings are clean and simple: two walls of bookshelves, double windows, a rustic small table, a stove for boiling water, and a pot of autumn tea.

You sit down opposite the young man, accept the tea he offers, and take a sip.

Looking out the window, one can overlook the cityscape of Canglan and admire the rolling white waves of the Nulan River.

"This place offers a wide view and excellent scenery."

[You give your approval.]

The young man, unconcerned, lowered his head to ponder, then asked, "Do you think what I said earlier was correct?"

[Having received no reply, the young man frowned and looked up.]

"What's wrong with it?"

The young man looked out the window: "This is Canglan City, home to the Canglan Sword Sect, the holy land of sword cultivators. And I..."

"He is the leading figure of our time."

His tone was calm, merely stating a fact, yet the content of his words was shocking.

[The current chief of the Canglan Sword Sect is undoubtedly the strongest among the younger generation in the world.]

"I first touched a sword at the age of three, mastered basic swordsmanship by six, studied top-level sword manuals at eight, grasped the essence of swordsmanship at twelve, and understood the meaning of swordsmanship at sixteen."

"Everyone calls me a born swordsman, with the potential to reach the realm of a sword immortal."

"Yet he deviated from the norm, abandoning swordsmanship for literature, and squandering his natural talents."

The young man, noticing your surprised expression, smiled helplessly and said, "Do you think I'm bragging?"

You shook your head, your tone odd: "No, I just think this title is rather unique."

【"Hahaha."】

The young man laughed heartily, patted the table, and the gloom between his brows dissipated somewhat.

"Unique, absolutely fucking unique."

"Is this why you gave up kendo?"

The young man chuckled, speechless. "It's not that bad."

I think it's necessary.

[The young man looked down upon Canglan City: "With war raging across the land, Canglan City is only able to maintain its stability thanks to the Sword Sect. But how many people are displaced, starving, suffering from the ravages of war, and losing their homes and families?"]

"So you want to quell the chaos."

"That's right."

"So where do you think the source of this chaos lies?"

"Powerful clans, corrupt officials, ruthless warriors, court nobles wielding power, and an incompetent emperor..."

You interrupted him: "In short, the Great Cang is completely rotten; it cannot be rebuilt without destruction."

The youth remain silent.

After a moment, he sighed softly, "I can't bear to see the people suffer..."

"Since you cannot bear to see it, why not use the sword in your hand to purge the court of corrupt officials, or even change the dynasty and bring peace to the world?"

The young man stared at you in astonishment, seemingly shocked by your outrageous remarks, or perhaps looking at you as an alien.

"Brother, do you know that breaking into the Central Court is far more difficult than passing the imperial examinations?"

The young man poured himself a cup of tea, holding the porcelain cup: "Don't be fooled by the chaos and rebellion that has gripped the world. Yongzhou, Bingzhou, Jingzhou, and Yangzhou have all established their own power, carving out their own territories in the southwest."

"But the foundation of the Great Cang Dynasty, which has lasted for ten thousand years, remains unshakable."

"A rebellious army cannot rebuild from the ashes; it can only exacerbate the hardships of the people and add to the decay of this dynasty."

The frown on your brow isn't a sign of questioning the other person's judgment, but rather a question of why that conclusion was reached.

As the current chief disciple of the Canglan Sword Sect, his understanding and insights are undoubtedly deeper than mine.

You wanted to press for more information, but the young man avoided the topic.

"Decades, or even centuries later, the chaotic armies will have exhausted their strength and be buried in the dust of history, but Da Cang will still be Da Cang."

"It's just become even more dilapidated, and the people are living in misery."

You took a sip of tea: "So you want to study, pass the imperial examinations, become an official, and change the world?"

The young man smiled happily and said, "Brother, you understand me."

Actually, I don't really understand it either.

You discover that the world is far more complex than you imagined: an unshakeable, millennia-old dynasty, successive uprisings and rebellions, the emerging tomb of a military genius, and the predetermined fates of Pang Hai and Xu Hui…

The person before you stands at the level of the Canglan Sword Sect, able to see secrets you are unaware of.

[Then why did the Yongzhou Sword Palace and the Jingxin Sword Hall, who could also see this, make such drastically different judgments?]

[Those with "extensive knowledge and excellent memory" and "information masters" meticulously analyze and process information.]

You need to come up with a solution that connects all the issues.

If the Great Cang Dynasty is unshakeable, then what are the various factions plotting?

Perhaps when you find the answer, all the mysteries will be dispelled.

The young man was clearly unwilling to delve deeper into the topic, and you couldn't press him further, so you looked at the books placed on his table.

Confucianism.

In this world, besides martial arts, there are also Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and immortality.

The first three stages focus on body tempering, qi cultivation, and spiritual observation; the path diverges from the fourth stage onwards.

The four realms of Taoism are for foundation building, while the four realms of Confucianism are for self-cultivation.

As for Buddhism and Taoism, Buddhist practitioners are mainly located in the Western Pure Land of Buddha, while Taoist practitioners are ethereal and mysterious.

Therefore, under the vast heavens, Confucianism is the most revered, and Taoism is the most profound.

As for martial arts practitioners, they are the most vulgar.

[Confucianism emphasizes self-cultivation, establishing oneself in society, serving in the imperial court, and attaining high office.]

[The Daoist realm upholds the laws of heaven and earth, comprehends nature, and attains longevity and immortality.]

Therefore, martial arts practitioners who only know how to fight and kill, and who indulge in violence and malice, end up being crude and inferior.

"Are you trying to switch to Confucianism?"

The young man shook his head and scoffed, "Sword cultivation can't save the Great Cang, let alone pedantic Confucian cultivators?"

Alright, let's all stop criticizing each other. Sword cultivators looking down on Confucian cultivators are just like any other roadside cultivator.

"Confucianism, Legalism, Military Strategy, and Mohism are intertwined... I wish to understand the principles of all these schools of thought and find a way to save the Great Cang."

You opened your mouth, wanting to say that you had a clear path to point out to you, but then you realized that not only were the times different, but even the rules of the world were different, so you couldn't simply apply a fixed method.

[Afterwards, the two of you talked for a long time, and you gained a different perspective on many aspects of the world from the young man's point of view.]

You also know the young man's name, Lü Zhen.

"Then I wish Brother Lü a speedy success in the imperial examinations, that he may enter the cabinet, reform the country, and remove the silt to bring forth new life."

"Thank you for your kind words. My conversation with Brother Wen today was very enlightening. His imaginative and insightful remarks have greatly benefited me, and I plan to go into seclusion to study them."

[Lü Zhen escorted you to the door, bowing respectfully.]

You turn to look at Lü Zhen, who is preparing to close the pavilion doors and retreat into seclusion to meditate, and suddenly chuckle.

"Brother Lü, I offer you two words, hoping that on the day you break through your barrier, you will find the way to save the people of the world."

Before you could finish speaking, you drew your sword.

Full of passion and spirit, he unleashed his power with "unrestrained sword energy."

The sword energy, capable of shattering gold and jade, landed on the black sword monument, using the sword as a brush.

[Lu Zhen was astonished by the extreme intensity of your sword energy, and then attracted by your handwriting.]

The composition is extraordinary, the layout is magnificent, resembling a vast marshland with dragons and snakes; the lines are desolate and slant to the left, engraving two characters.

【"Longchang..."】