Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 315: Result 173, designed Hou Yuduan

Ji Yanzhi's face brightened with a smile, just as he was about to speak...

"However, from the text itself, the senior clearly had a history with this County Lord named Hong Zhanpeng, so the records are somewhat biased, and the assessment contains many subjective elements. Am I right in guessing this?"

Faced with Hou Yuduan's question, a hint of shame appeared on Ji Yanzhi's face, and he remained silent for a long time, effectively responding to the question with his silence.

As a follower of Confucianism, one must adhere to what feels right in the heart. His hint of shame was an acknowledgment of Hou Yuduan's words, but it did not mean he felt there was something wrong with his recordings, he simply didn't know how to explain.

"Of course, anyone who writes will have subjective elements, and this isn't necessarily due to the senior's bias. Moreover, after a thousand years, the true nature of these events can no longer be clarified. It's already remarkable that someone still remembers them."

Moreover... "In my view, such records are good. The reputation of loyal officials and filial sons not only educates people but also nourishes the righteous Qi of heaven and earth, guiding people towards loyalty and goodness. It's certainly better than the chaotic tales of troubled times, which incite evil thoughts and criminal acts."

Ji Yanzhi's complexion changed dramatically as he stared at Hou Yuduan for a long time.

As a follower of Confucianism, whose intelligence far exceeds that of ordinary people, Hou Yuduan's shown sharpness and wisdom had not seemed so extraordinary to him. What truly shocked him was that Hou Yuduan, residing in a land ruled by the Demon Path, was still able to maintain his integrity and cultivate Confucianism with Vast Righteous Qi without guidance.

Master said, 'He who stays near vermilion gets stained red; he who stays near ink gets stained black.' The initial stage of cultivating Confucianism greatly depends on the environment. This is why places like Yangzhou and Yanzhou have academies almost everywhere, with Bailu Academy even establishing many branches in other states on the Righteous Path, specifically to train more disciples of the Confucian Sect."

This is Yongzhou, after all, where everyone values martial prowess under the rule of the Demon Path. Not to mention academies, even books are not easy to come by.

Hou Yuduan's cultivation of Confucianism and Vast Righteous Qi in Yongzhou is sufficient to prove the steadfastness of his conviction and even more so, his talent, far surpassing any other student Ji Yanzhi had encountered before.

As their conversation continued, this young man, at most sixteen years old, truly amazed him with his words and deeds.

Especially that last remark, evaluating the content of the records, even made him, a grand scholar of the Second-grade Dongming Realm, gain some insight.

The reputation of loyal officials and filial sons not only educates people but also nourishes the righteous Qi of heaven and earth, guiding people towards loyalty and goodness. It's certainly better than the chaotic tales of troubled times, which incite evil thoughts and criminal acts.

Ji Yanzhi withdrew his gaze, with Hou Yuduan's voice still echoing in his mind.

"You, a mere student of Confucianism, think you can educate people? You're far too overconfident!"

Hou Yuduan's expression stiffened as he saw the slight contempt in Ji Yanzhi's eyes, and he retorted a bit defiantly, "Judging people by their cultivation would equate us, cultivators of Confucianism, with vulgar martial warriors. Although my cultivation is low and my Confucian Qi is slight, I also wish to promote our Confucianism and educate the people, contributing my humble efforts. There's no overconfidence in that."

Ji Yanzhi's eyes flashed as he countered, "Master has cultivated for two thousand years, pioneering the path of Confucian cultivation, establishing the Haoran Holy Sect, earning the appreciation of the Divine Dynasty, supported by the dynasty's full resources, exhausting his life's work in promoting Confucianism across the world for five hundred years, yet he didn't succeed in educating the populace. The Divine Dynasty collapsed, and the world returned to disarray. Yet you, just a mere Confucian student, dare make such bold claims!"

"Being so young, you should be down-to-earth, read more, enhance your cultivation of Confucianism. With strength, you can slay demons, eradicate tyranny, punish evil, and uphold goodness, practicing the ways of our Confucian Sect and promoting our Confucian traditions. Only then would you be truly serving the people. Talking about educating the populace is just empty talk. Be careful not to sprain your tongue in this fierce wind."

"I've searched through the records, during the pinnacle of the Divine Dynasty under Great Yu, praised as a golden age, there were countless capable individuals. No matter how many demons were slain or tyrannies eradicated, it just brought fleeting peace to one region, useless to the thirteen states of the world."

Demons are a product of mutual hatred among people.

In my view, to truly bring peace to the world, we must prioritize educating people through the teachings of the Confucian Sect, eliminating greed, hate, and delusion from their hearts, guiding them towards goodness. This way, we can resolve human conflicts, eliminate mutual hatred, and tackle the root cause of the emergence of demons. It's killing two birds with one stone!"

Hou Yuduan was slightly agitated; these were thoughts he usually couldn't share back in Zhaoyang County. Either no one would understand, or no one would be willing to discuss these things with him. Finally having spoken, he felt a great sense of relief.

While he rebutted Ji Yanzhi, Hou Yuduan did not oppose all his words. After a moment of silence, feeling slightly overzealous, he respectfully bowed to Ji Yanzhi, adding modestly,

"Of course, Rome wasn't built in a day, and a tall building begins from the ground. I'll remember the senior's encouragement, read more, enhance my cultivation, so that I'll be able to implement my ideas more smoothly in the future."

At this moment, Ji Yanzhi could barely hide his excitement on his face.