Chapter 685: Parting Ways

Chapter 685: Parting Ways

"Liu Jinxun, the so-called 'Great Confucian Order' is essentially 'Confucian exterior with Legalist core,' running counter to the Confucian ideal of 'governing the world and comforting the people.' If it were truly implemented, it would only plunge the entire Ming Empire into chaos, with not a single benefit!"

"Pei Xingjian, stop spouting nonsense here and making wild accusations! The 'Great Confucian Order' and 'governing the world and comforting the people' are clearly part of the same lineage, and it further consolidates and elevates that tradition."

In the midst of the gathered crowd, a young man in spotless white Confucian robes shone like a bright moon encircled by stars, his every gesture exuding wealth and elegance.

"Look closely: now the imperial family is in decline, the Martial Order runs rampant with brute force, and the Buddhist and Taoist schools delude the masses with blind faith. If we do not implement the 'Great Confucian Order' and establish our dominant position among the sequences, what will you rely on to govern the world, and what will you use to comfort the people?"

"Governing the world seeks peace and clarity; comforting the people hopes for rest and recovery! What you want is nothing more than to depose all other orders and exalt Confucianism alone—how is that any different from the Strategist Order that stirs up war to achieve its own ends?"

Locked in a war of words with the white-robed scholar was a young man in plain, shabby clothes, unkempt and slovenly in appearance.

Though the number of companions following him was far fewer than those on the opposite side, each had a resolute expression and an imposing presence that did not waver in the least.

"Pei Xingjian, the Strategist Order is the founding order of our Ming imperial house—how dare you slander it so casually?"

"Exactly, the imperial founding order is Strategy, but Strategy is not limited to the imperial family. Such a clumsy trick of switching concepts is useless before so many eyes. Besides, this is the New Donglin Academy, not the court—why wouldn't I dare to speak?"

In his youth, Pei Xingjian was like a drawn sword, his words sharp and unstoppable.

"As for you, Liu Jinxun, though you have clearly chosen the path of scholarship, here you are publicly licking the boots of the imperial family. Could it be that you hope to one day enter officialdom, cling to imperial power, and seek a smooth road to advancement?"

Pei Xingjian spoke rapidly, crossing his arms with a cold sneer. "Though I suppose it suits you—born as the direct descendant of a powerful clan, official rank, order status, social standing—everything comes to you without effort. Why would you need to work? If you ask me, you never should have entered the academy at all. Why not just enjoy the blessings of your ancestors? Why squeeze in with us mud-footed folks?"

This string of barbed words instantly heightened the tension in the scene.

The two groups of students, led by Liu Jinxun and Pei Xingjian respectively, ground their teeth, clenched their fists, red-eyed, standing on tiptoe and craning their necks, ready to stir.

Among them, some seasoned veterans of conflict ducked down, groping for loose stones and clumps of dirt on the ground.

Liu Jinxun watched the restive crowd coldly: "Pei Xingjian, you accuse me of switching concepts, but aren't you just shifting the blame now?"

"Poverty or wealth at birth is a decree of fate; no one can change it. Stirring up conflict based on background is utterly meaningless. Only the level of reason is a choice of the heart. Our scholarly achievements from the great clans have never been inferior to yours by half!"

"Fine, you say the level of reason is a choice of the heart—well said! Then today, let us truly debate the level of reason!"

Pei Xingjian paced around, surveying the crowd, and stopped before Liu Jinxun.

"I ask you: since it is the 'Great Confucian Order,' what is the 'greatness' of the Confucian Order?"

"You ask knowingly…"

Liu Jinxun's brows furrowed slightly; the other's disdainful expression and aggressive tone made him uncomfortable.

"Naturally, it is the dominance of the empire's order."

"In other words, hegemony."

"Do not take a partial truth for the whole."

"But you cannot deny that to achieve dominance over the empire's order, you must completely crush the other sequences."

Pei Xingjian blinked. "Is that not the case?"

"Within the empire today, sects, Taoist temples, Buddhist monasteries, academies, imperial power, sorcerers, craftsmen—every order is locked in chaotic warfare, contending and seizing, bringing devastation to the people and making life unbearable. That is the situation we face."

Liu Jinxun avoided Pei Xingjian's piercing gaze and likewise looked around.

"What you say is true: to seize absolute dominance and carry out the enlightenment of all people, we must defeat the other sequences…"

Liu Jinxun turned back to face his opponent: "Are we not now doing the same thing—uniting together to resist external enemies? Are we not rebuilding the empire's order?"

"Our struggle is to force all parties into a state of coexistence and to quell internal strife, not to achieve dominance for one side! A miss is as good as a mile!"

"Such leniency, even if we achieve temporary coexistence now, will only lead to chaos again in the end. Only by occupying absolute strength can we curb the ambitions of other sequences and truly win a lasting peace!"

"That is an unrealistic fantasy! Of the Six Arts of the Confucian Order, only 'Archery' and 'Charioteering' have sufficient combat power, yet they are still no match for the Martial and Taoist orders. If we resort to the old method of slow erosion and infiltration, the Buddhist, Yin-Yang, and Strategist orders are no weaker than us in cunning. Offensively and defensively we have no absolute advantage—what will you use to seize absolute dominance?"

"Pei Xingjian, do not inflame fears here. Though the Martial and Taoist orders are strong, pride goes before a fall. The Yin-Yang and Strategist orders may be deep in wisdom, but they are but scattered sand. The other sequences are nothing to fear—they will sooner or later be driven out of the empire!"

"Anyone can talk empty theories! When it comes to the actual clash, will the Confucian Order rely on you? Or on these pampered young masters behind you?"

Facing a sea of mocking glances and sneering laughter, the young man in white stepped forward, his handsome brow and eyes filled with righteous spirit and calm.

"If it can achieve the greatness of the Confucian Order, I, Liu Jinxun, will be the first to die!"

As these words fell, the entire crowd was struck by the young man's imposing aura.

The companions behind him, each flushed and trembling, raised their right arms one after another.

At first, the voices were chaotic, shouting their own hometowns and surnames, but gradually they became unified and finally converged into a thunderous roar.

"First to die!"

"First to die!"

In the crowd that kept retreating, on the verge of collapse, the young Pei Xingjian stood at the forefront, his face full of shock and awe.

This was the first time in his struggles with these sons of wealth that he had been rebutted so utterly speechless, so completely defeated.

Burning with shame and anger, Pei Xingjian blurted out: "Liu Jinxun, don't put on such a righteous front! Aren't you only like this because this essay was written by the headmaster himself? You are nothing but a sycophant!"

"If I am a sycophant, then you are a clown seeking attention!"

Watching his opponent flounder, Liu Jinxun revealed a proud smile: "Pei Xingjian, you oppose the teachers at every turn, flaunt your contrarianism, play the role of a fearless thorn—but in truth, you just want to draw everyone's attention and earn the admiration of your classmates!"

Pei Xingjian's face turned ashen: "You—you slander me!"

"Slander?"

Liu Jinxun gave a cold snort. From his sleeve, he pulled out what seemed to be a dark brick—its corner still clinging with green moss, clearly freshly pried from the courtyard wall.

"I'll not only slander you, I'll beat some sense into you! Brothers, attack!"

Pei Xingjian's eyes flew wide; he tried to retreat but someone had grabbed his collar. He could only watch helplessly as a mud-stained grey brick loomed larger in his vision.

Smack!

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

Whip-like strikes, too fast to follow, lashed mercilessly across Pei Xingjian's back, tearing the skin open.

"Pei Xingjian, you waste your days refusing to study the Six Arts properly, leading disturbances everywhere, disrespecting your teachers, dishonoring your classmates—do you think there is no one in this New Donglin Academy worth your respect, that the academy's rules cannot restrain you? That you may say whatever you wish, do whatever you please?"

"Headmaster, all academy students may speak freely—that is a rule you set. How can I be considered insubordinate?"

At this moment, Pei Xingjian's face was swollen and bruised, his nose crooked. Every word he spoke made him tremble with pain, yet he remained stubborn.

"Moreover, I have never shown the slightest disrespect to my teachers and classmates. Quite the opposite—precisely because I respect them deeply, I engage so fervently with them in discussing the doctrines and ideals of our Confucian Order."

"Are you sure it was merely discussion and debate, not picking a fight?"

"Of course not—"

Pei Xingjian jerked his head, producing a crisp crack; it locked at an odd angle and would not move.

"A gentleman uses words, not fists. I plan to pursue the 'Rite Arts'—how could I ever engage in such uncivilized, rude behavior?"

"You mean to say you have done nothing wrong, but rather acted well?"

Pei Xingjian smirked obsequiously: "Not exactly well—average at most. I still have much to learn from you…"

"Then can you tell me, old man, what happened to Liu Jinxun's eyes? Did you not strike them?"

Hearing this, Pei Xingjian instinctively turned his head, and there knelt Liu Jinxun beside him, sporting two blackened eye sockets, staring back.

In the brawl that had just erupted, though Pei Xingjian was ambushed and smacked in the face with a brick, the battle-hardened youth gritted through the pain and did not fall. With both fists flying, he swung wildly, hammering Liu Jinxun's face again and again.

As for those pampered rich kids who were howling under Liu Jinxun's incitement, they still couldn't shed their outwardly strong but inwardly weak cowardly nature; the sight of a little blood made them lose their nerve. Despite their numerical advantage, they were thoroughly routed by our side, scattering in disarray.

“This time in the literary contest, I was ill-prepared and came off a bit worse. Fortunately, we still won a great victory in the martial contest, so I didn't lose face.”

Pei Xingjian's thoughts raced, and he felt a surge of smug satisfaction.

“But the headmaster seems to be in a furious temper today. If that bastard Liu Jinxun adds insult to injury, I'll be in real trouble.”

Just as Pei Xingjian was sighing and preparing to confess, a hoarse voice sounded in his ear.

“To answer the headmaster, this injury was something I accidentally caused myself in the chaos just now, and has nothing to do with Junior Pei.”

Pei Xingjian looked stunned, and saw that amid the two dark bruises, two inconspicuous black eyeballs were shifting left and right, the pride in their depths undiminished.

This bastard!

“Liu Jinxun, are you sure?” the old man asked in a low voice.

“Absolutely!”

“Pei Xingjian, do you think so too?”

Seeing the old man turn to look at him, Pei Xingjian obediently lowered his head: “Headmaster, this student knows he was wrong.”

“You're lucky this time.”

The old man snorted: “Get lost! If there's a next time, you can pack your things and get the hell out.”

“Right away.”

Pei Xingjian hunched over, curled into a ball, pushed off with his feet, and actually rolled away on the spot.

“You lawless little bastard.”

In the curse that sounded above his head, Liu Jinxun clearly detected a hint of amusement, and his heart suddenly felt an inexplicable pang of bitterness, stifling his chest and making his nose sting.

At that moment, Pei Xingjian, who had rolled away, scrambled up on all fours, but instead of immediately running off, he turned to look back.

Suddenly, their eyes met.

Pei Xingjian raised his hand and made a strange gesture at Liu Jinxun.

An outsider might not understand its meaning, but as a fellow student of the New Donglin Academy, Liu Jinxun naturally knew that it was a customary secret code among the students.

Its meaning was simple, only two words when spoken.

I submit.

Liu Jinxun grinned, and all the inexpressible emotions instantly dissipated like smoke.

“Do you think you're upholding righteousness and feeling proud?”

The old man's tone turned stern again: “You're quite something, daring to bully junior students under my banner. If the guards hadn't arrived so quickly, were you planning to kill a few people to establish your authority?”

“No, I wasn't.”

“Now you say no, but where was that fiery spirit when you were making excuses for Pei Xingjian just now?”

Slap!

A whip shadow fell, and a piercing pain tore through the skin, drilling straight into the bone.

“As senior students, instead of setting an example, you imitate the gangster chivalry of those martial thugs, brawling and making trouble out of nothing.”

“Did you understand the pros and cons in my policy essay? Did you think through the crucial points? You dare to spout nonsense in public without understanding anything. It's fine if you yourself don't strive for progress, but don't implicate and mislead your fellow students!”

Whip shadows fell continuously, blood splattered everywhere.

Liu Jinxun raised his head and clenched his teeth, letting the searing pain wrack his body, still not uttering a sound.

“You—”

An iron rod was thrown onto the ground, which was covered with sweat and droplets of blood.

“Stinking temper, stubborn nature, harsh on others and even harsher on yourself. I really don't know how such a disposition was formed. Someone like you will suffer greatly once you leave the academy!”

“Then I won't leave the academy; I'll serve by your side for life.”

“Obstinate and unyielding.”

The old man shouted sternly: “Liu Jinxun, do you know your mistake?”

Liu Jinxun, covered in blood, tremblingly knelt upright, hands on his thighs, back straight, expression firm.

“What do you mean?”

“Teacher, I have done nothing wrong.”

As the words fell, his black hair turned white, and the blood on his body turned to dust.

Across decades, it seemed as if the images of a young and an old Liu Jinxun overlapped and merged, kneeling before the old man and speaking the same words.

“Even Pei Xingjian once admired me, and even he doesn't support your current ideas. Why do you still abandon us and insist on going your own way?”

Liu Jinxun's voice trembled: “Teacher, do you truly believe you have not made a single mistake?”

“What mistake could I have made?”

The old man who had just drawn his bow and shot at the moon shed all his wild abandon and heroism, leaving only a stubborn old man.

“You carefully cultivated Emperor Jiaqi Zhu Yiyan for thirteen years in the capital, yet he still hasn't shed his unbridled wildness; what he seeks in his heart is still to restore the Zhu Ming imperial house by any means necessary!”

“You intervened to protect the legal order, supporting the merchant class to oversee the Ming legal code, yet Shang Sigu still chose to rebel, desperate to put you to death!”

“You wanted to reform the Confucian order, letting Pei Xingjian and Yang Baize slaughter so many aristocratic families. Don't forget, they once stood steadfastly behind you, facing even mountains of knives and seas of fire without flinching!”

These consecutive accusations seemed even more powerful than the sword qi falling from the celestial orbit, causing Zhang Fengyue's figure to sway and stagger backward.

A strong hand caught the old man's retreating form.

Li Jun stood beside Zhang Fengyue, a bloody knife wound across his chest, his right hand gripping a twisted and deformed law ruler.

As for Shang Sigu, the only trace left was the flickering number before Li Jun's eyes.

“You left the New Donglin Academy, and from then on I had no headmaster. But I still considered you my teacher, the idol I would follow for life. Yet every one of these deeds you have done makes me realize that you, too, can make mistakes.”

Liu Jinxun no longer knelt; he stood up.

“Cutting off the sequence, severing the connection between heaven and earth—these are just thoughts and wishes of yours alone, but now you want to impose them on everyone in this world. Teacher, in your heart, have you ever considered us at all? Have you?!”

“You don't understand, Jinxun.”

Zhang Fengyue didn't want to look into those burning eyes any longer; he closed his eyes and raised his head, his tone pained and resigned.

“It's not that I don't understand you; it's that you have never understood me.”

Liu Jinxun's eyes were bloodshot; he raised his hand, fist clenched, pounding his chest, producing muffled thuds as blood flowed from his mouth and nose.

“In your eyes, the only student who can satisfy you is Pei Xingjian; I never had a place. Even though I followed you out of the academy and into the court, serving you respectfully all my life, still you say I am wrong, that I don't understand!”

“You are not my headmaster, nor my teacher! You are just Zhang Fengyue, Grand Secretary of the Great Ming Empire, the greatest sinner of the Confucian order!”

Liu Jinxun, like a madman, lunged forward, as if willing to risk his life to die together with Zhang Fengyue.

Li Jun stepped forward, sideways, and thrust the twisted law ruler in his hand without mercy.

Pfft!

Liu Jinxun did not dodge or evade, letting the cold light pierce his chest, allowing the collapsing force to crush his heart.

Li Jun. Do you not know, if I had intended to kill you that day, you would not have left Jinling so easily! I have never feared your Martial Order.

Li Jun nodded in silence, and Liu Jinxun smiled at the sight, his fading gaze drifting over Li Jun’s shoulder to the grim-faced old man behind him.

In a voice so faint that only Li Jun could hear, he spoke.

“Don’t… don’t let him, be too weary.”

Liu Jinxun fell to his knees, and there was no more breath.

Li Jun did not look at the text appearing before him; he poured all his accumulated points into forging body and tempering martial art: “Ten Thousand Miles of Mountains and Passes.”

The changes brought by refinement and advancement occurred quietly within him, but Li Jun had no heart to examine them. He simply took a deep breath, raised his right arm level with his shoulder, and the drifting scarlet eye did not settle between his brows this time, but upon his shoulder.

Dark golden plates pressed against his arm and flowed, coalescing in his palm into an Embroidered Spring Blade.

This time Li Jun needed no armor; he needed only a blade that nothing could withstand.

One that would let him utterly hack apart this tough-skinned old Daoist of Longhu Mountain!

Above the heavens, the shattered peak did not fall, but was held aloft by intersecting giant swords.

From the wreckage of the collapsing mountain, a helmeted and armored figure shot forth, its aura startlingly similar to Chen Qisheng’s!

The Daoist in armor held a sword; the bare-chested martial artist gripped a blade.

There were no more dazzling spells and talismans—only silver-white thunder and black-red lightning flaring between heaven and earth!

Clang!

The wind and rain, long muted, surged once more, sweeping the old man’s wide robes, and watermarks instantly filled the furrows of his face.

Zhang Fengyue opened his eyes with effort; such a simple motion seemed to drain the last of his strength.

“You are most like me—how could I not understand you…”

A faint sigh, but it could no longer catch up with the departed soul.