People in the Qin Dynasty, entertained during the Warring States period

Famous scholars are very suitable for compiling dictionaries, elaborating on literary terms, playing with logic, defining concepts, and creating ideas.

Unfortunately, after Gongsun Long, the School of Names led by Gongsun Linglong in the later period became sophistry, and the good aspects were basically not inherited.

It's no wonder that netizens jokingly call Gongsun Long the patriarch of argumentative people.

The East is not the West, and in the early days of the intellectual explosion, there weren't many people arguing.

Unlike Socrates, Epicurus, and a whole host of other philosophers who spent their days arguing, pondering concepts, logic, language, and sophistry.

The main point is to disregard practicality; as long as my argument is reasonable, I don't care if I die.

A prime example is Socrates, who could have lived but chose to drink poison and die.

It can only be said that you should not have crossed the river, yet you did. You died while crossing the river; what can be done about it?

"And as you all have said, famous people are primarily concerned with the reality of their fame."

"So, how can we simplify Mr. Gongsun's argument about 'a white horse is not a horse' so that everyone here can understand it?"

"Please let me name it first."

Gongsun Long asked, "What's the name?"

Cao Ze said, "This word is called 'Logic'."

Gongsun Long asked, "What kind of logic are you referring to?"

Cao Ze said, "In a broad sense, it refers to the regularity of objective things..."

Once he started speaking, Cao Ze realized that he seemed to have even more terms to explain.

To save time, he gave a live explanation of the terms needed for logic, thinking, rules, reasoning, etc.

Fortunately, it's not complicated to understand.

Elder Mu Xuzi of the Taoist Family Sect spoke first, saying, "The so-called Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things. Is this not the logic of the Tao?"

The military strategist Wei Liao said, "My ancestor Cao Gui once said, 'Strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will wane on the second attempt and be exhausted on the third.' This is the logic of warfare."

Cao Ze thought to himself, "Wow, he really knows how to give examples."

"Indeed, you have all clearly grasped the basics of logic."

"Now, let me use logic to explain Mr. Gongsun's theory of 'a white horse is not a horse'."

Chapter 92 Morning Tour of Beihai, Evening Tour of Cangwu

Cao Ze had a huge wooden board erected on the Hundred Schools Forum, and with a charcoal pencil, he wrote four characters stroke by stroke: "A white horse is not a horse."

The four characters are divided into three parts using small circles: White Horse, Not, Horse.

"The reason why you all think that Mr. Gongsun's statement that a white horse is not a horse is incorrect is because you believe that a white horse belongs to the category of horses, therefore a white horse is a horse, is that right?"

As Cao Ze spoke, he drew a large circle and wrote "horse" on it. Then, inside the large circle, he drew a small circle and wrote "white horse" on it.

Many people below the podium nodded in agreement. In their view, this was just how the world was, and Gongsun Long was challenging their common sense and understanding, making it difficult for them to accept.

Even Gongsun Long himself was taken aback upon seeing such a concise statement, muttering, "A white horse is not a horse..."

One of the disciples of the Hundred Schools said directly, "Isn't this a case of 'a white horse is a horse'? Master Gongsun is wrong!"

Cao Ze chuckled, "Mr. Gongsun is not wrong either. It's just that Mr. Gongsun extended the conclusion that a white horse is not a horse based on his own concept, while I extended the conclusion that a white horse is a horse based on logic. A small flaw has led to the difference in our conclusions."

Everyone seemed to understand but not quite.

Gongsun Long was somewhat confused for a moment; he understood, yet he didn't quite understand.

Cao Ze continued, "The reason why we say that Mr. Gongsun is right is because of his understanding of the word 'non'."

"非" here can be interpreted as either "not" or "not equal to".

"The word 'non' that Mr. Gongsun mentioned refers to the latter, thus he believes that a white horse is not a horse. Conversely, if it refers to the former, then Mr. Gongsun Long is wrong."

"Ah, this..." Many disciples of the Hundred Schools were stunned. In their daily lives, there was no difference between "not" and "not". Who would care about such a minor flaw as being contradictory?

Zhao Qian, who had always been honest, suddenly had an inspiration and was about to jump out and argue with Cao Ze, but under Cao Ze's unintentional gaze, he shrank back.

Gongsun Long went straight to the most crucial question: "What do 'equal to' and 'not equal to' mean?"

"In logic, 'equal to' means completely identical, without the slightest difference. If there is even the slightest difference, then it is not equal to."

Cao Ze glanced at the people from various schools of thought around him, and some of them were still somewhat confused.

What he considered common sense and undisputed was something that people two thousand years ago needed to gradually accept and understand.

He said he understood.

So he continued, "For example, Mr. Gongsun's white horse named Ta Xue is a unique horse in this world."

"Even God, even the Goddess of the Nine Heavens, could not create a horse exactly the same as the one in the picture."

Then, Cao Ze began to give examples using numbers, flowers, and various common things.

Soon, disciples from all schools of thought began to apply what they learned to other situations.

Li Si, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "According to Mr. Cao Ze, everything in the world is unique. The concepts of 'equal to' and 'not equal to' only apply to things that transcend reality, such as numbers."

Cao Ze laughed and said, "That's right, that's why we're talking about logic."

"There were no horses in the world originally. Our ancestors discovered many living creatures of different sizes, in red, yellow, white and black colors, but with the same characteristics, and then abstracted them and named them horses."

"If we were to say which of these is the most representative, it would be the Dao of Taoism and the Li of Confucianism."

Immediately afterwards, Cao Ze explained the meanings of abstract and concrete in logic.

Li Si cupped his hands and said, "Li Si has learned a lot."

After Cao Ze introduced the concepts of equality and non-equality in logic, and right and wrong in concepts, most people already knew exactly where Gongsun Long's statement that "a white horse is not a horse" was wrong.

Using logical reasoning, Gongsun Long is right: a white horse is not a horse, and a white horse is not the same as a horse.

Using conceptual judgment, that is, not meaning "is it not", then Gongsun's statement is completely wrong.

The circle that Cao Ze drew on the wooden board explains a lot.

As the third generation of a renowned family, Gongsun Long had a strong ability to learn.

"Logic...what a logic."

Gongsun Long was not disappointed; on the contrary, he became even more excited and even danced with joy.

“Young friend Cao Ze, you have said what I have always wanted to say, but I did not know how to express it.”

"Lao Tzu said the Tao, and this logic is no less profound than Lao Tzu's Tao!"

Cao Ze suddenly sensed a powerful aura emanating from Gongsun Long, causing him to involuntarily take two steps back.

He had only felt this kind of aura from Lu Goujian not long ago.

Jing Ke exclaimed in surprise, "This is the peak of the Grandmaster level?!"

Zhao Yan, who had just understood what Cao Ze said, changed his expression slightly, and two people wearing black iron masks appeared beside him instantly.

Cao Ze glanced over and saw two top-tier experts. They seemed to be from the Iron Blood Alliance. It seemed that the Iron Blood Alliance of Zhao was under the control of Zhao Yan.

The Iron Blood Alliance, composed of royal families from various countries, consists mostly of members selected from the royal families who are loyal to the royal family, followed by orphans. Their loyalty is beyond doubt.

The great Confucian scholar Kong Chuan was quite frustrated; this old fellow was getting more and more formidable.

When will he be able to be like his ancestors, who could resort to violence when they couldn't win an argument? Or should he go find Zhao Yan, rent a chariot, and ram Gongsun Long to vent his anger in advance?

Kong Chuan tried to find joy even in his suffering.

Just when Cao Ze thought that Gongsun Long would break through to the Grandmaster level in one fell swoop, he found that the momentum that had just been unleashed was slowly subsiding.

Gongsun Long sighed and waved his sleeve, "This is not my understanding. What a pity, what a pity..."

If he were to comprehend logic on his own, becoming a grandmaster would be a piece of cake, and it wouldn't be impossible for him to even become a celestial being, a rare talent in a century.

Alas! Alas!

But then Gongsun Long came to his senses and looked at Cao Ze with a deep gaze.

"Young friend Cao Ze, did your online teacher teach you all this?"

If everything Cao Ze comprehended on his own, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he instantly became a Grandmaster and went straight to the Great Grandmaster realm, just like how he only had a sudden realization before breaking through to the Great Grandmaster realm.

Cao Ze replied without hesitation, "That's right, he is indeed my teacher."

"A learned scholar yearns to see such a person... but it is impossible!"

Zhao Yan stood up and said, "Where is your teacher, sir? I will certainly visit him in person!"

Even though Zhao Yan didn't know much about cultivation in the martial world, he was aware of the power of a Celestial Being.

It is no exaggeration to say that one person can bring prosperity to a nation.

Several hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period rose to power because of their connection with the divine.

However, in the past hundred years, since the rise of the Qin state, no other extraordinary beings have emerged.

It seemed as if heaven and earth were revealing something.

Cao Ze certainly knew where the netizens were, but unfortunately...

"Your Majesty, my master travels to the North Sea in the morning and to Cangwu in the evening; I have no idea where he is."

Zhao Yan said unwillingly, "Where is Beihai? Where is Cangwu? I will send people to find them!"

Cao Ze was speechless for a moment, then pondered, "The *Qi Xie* is a record of strange tales. The *Xie* says: 'When the Peng bird migrates to the Southern Ocean, it stirs up the water for three thousand miles, rises ninety thousand miles on a whirlwind, and departs after six months of rest.'"

“I once heard my teacher say that the North Sea is located in the far north, opposite the Southern Ocean. It is covered with ice and snow all year round, up to three thousand feet thick, and its breadth is unknown. Sometimes it is as bright as day, and sometimes it is as dark as night.”

"As for Cangwu... the teacher didn't mention it."

Zhao Yan murmured to himself, "The Arctic...is it a fairyland? Could your teacher be an immortal?"

Cao Ze dared not speak recklessly on this matter; who knows what might happen?

"No, the Arctic is not a fairyland, it's just extremely far from here. My master is just a mortal who has traveled a lot and drifted to the Arctic at sea."

Zhao Yan sighed, "What a pity, what a pity... Let's go back to the palace."

Gongsun Long believed from the bottom of his heart that Cao Ze's army must be of divine talent.

Many disciples of the Hundred Schools shared the same view as Gongsun Long.