Observatory, Eight Trigram Platform.

The white-robed, white-haired, white-bearded supervisor sat in front of the desk, holding a cup of wine, silently gazing at the northwest direction of the capital.

On the left, there was another table filled with delicious food. Sitting in front of it was Chu Caiwei, with a goose-egg face, big eyes, delicate features, and a hidden sweetness.

As she ate and talked non-stop, she asked, "Master, when can I reach sixth rank and become an alchemist?"

The supervisor smiled and replied, "When you stop focusing on eating and concentrate on cultivation, the opportunity will come."

Chu Caiwei hesitated and said, "Then it's unlikely to happen in this lifetime."

After swallowing her food, she continued, "By the way, fake silver is easy to burn and explodes when thrown into water. It can't be preserved properly. It's not good to report to the emperor."

The supervisor said lightly, "The emperor is full and satisfied. Just let him go."

Chu Caiwei stuck out her tongue and said, "I dare not say that, you can tell him yourself."

The supervisor smiled kindly.

"Master, Fourth Brother is going crazy. You should do something about it. He keeps going outside the city, saying that the door to the alchemy secrets has opened to him."

"..."

"Master, I think Xu Qi'an, the little catcher, is pretty good. Can't we bring him to the Observatory? Oh, you don't know who he is. He's the one who broke the tax and silver case..."

"..."

"Master, what is grafting?"

The supervisor sighed, "Caiwei..."

"You said, Master."

"Can't you keep your mouth shut while eating?"

"Oh."

A few seconds later...

"Master, why do you keep looking over there?"

"Caiwei, the master has some regrets."

"What regrets, Master?"

"Why can't the master use the Confucian ban technique?"

"Hehe..." Chu Caiwei's face looked proud, but suddenly the food on the table rotted and emitted a foul smell in an instant.

Her small mouth pouted, and she looked like she was about to cry. She couldn't breathe from the heartache and said, "Master, I'm sorry. Please turn back."

The supervisor still gazed at the northwest direction, smiling and saying, "Master will teach you another lesson. In the field of alchemy, most transformations are irreversible."

Chu Caiwei wiped her tears and left crying, "I won't come to accompany you, this old man, anymore."

...

In the elegant pavilion by the bamboo forest, the dean, Zhao Shou, said in a deep voice, "Within thirty zhang of this place, it is forbidden to approach."

As he spoke, he waved his sleeve, and his clear qi expanded, covering an area of thirty zhang around the pavilion.After finishing these tasks, he turned around and looked at the three scholars who had been summoned.

Li Mubai held a teacup in his hand, his face serious. "I asked around, and there were no students near the Yasheng Academy at the time, nor was there anyone who could have entered it."

"The handwriting on the stone tablet does not belong to any student of the academy. I don't think our academy could teach someone to write such ugly characters."

At this point, Li Mubai was a little uneasy. If it wasn't a student of the academy and was inside the academy today, besides that cheap disciple, who else could it be?

"Knock, knock..."

At this moment, Zhang Shen knocked on the table. This scholar put away all his cynicism and refuted his friend expressionlessly.

"Handwriting can be disguised, and ugly handwriting can be even more so."

Chen Tai suddenly asked, "So, what is the reason for disguising the handwriting? The tablet has been standing there for more than ten years, and teachers and students of the academy have all tried it and are willing to be the hero. There is no reason to disguise the handwriting."

"Moreover, Xu Ci and Xu Ningyan happened to be on a mountain hike at the time."

After the three scholars discussed, they didn't speak for a long time.

Li Mubai took a sip of tea and sighed, "To establish a heart for the heavens and the earth, to establish a mission for the people, to continue the studies of the ancient sages, and to open up an era of peace for all generations... I am ashamed. I have given up on my official career for years and only want to leave my name in history."

"Brother Chunjing has integrity and is full of talent." Zhang Shen raised his thumb and praised him, then said, "Let me guide you in poetry."

Li Mubai immediately changed his mind, "It is not contradictory to serve the country and the people and to leave one's name in history."

Dean Zhao Shou was stunned and stared at Li Mubai. His eyes flickered with clear light, and he exclaimed, "You are about to reach the Life Establishment stage?!"

"!!!" Chen Tai and Zhang Shen were shocked.

Li Mubai smiled and stroked his beard, "I suddenly realized and became enlightened."

The other two scholars were immediately jealous after being pointed out by Dean Zhao Shou. They suddenly noticed the subtle changes in Li Mubai's aura.

The Life Establishment stage of the third rank is a realm where one searches for the purpose of life. Some people study for fame, some for profit, and some for the benefit of future generations... Everyone has their own way.

Dean Zhao Shou's way is to create a new school of Confucianism, to break the shackles of thought for millions of scholars, and to find a new path.

Therefore, he cannot break through to the second rank until he achieves this goal.

The others did not ask about Li Mubai's life goal because at this point, he himself was in a vague state.Zhang Shen and Chen Tai exchanged a glance and silently decided to enter closed-door cultivation in the Yasheng Academy from today on and not come out.

"From today on, students are forbidden from entering the Yasheng Academy." Zhao Shou's eyes, filled with divine radiance, swept over the present scholars and said, "This matter must not be leaked. I will make it clear to you three."

The three scholars nodded slightly at each other.

Zhao Shou gathered his strength and said, "A gentleman should keep his mouth shut."

...

The two rode swiftly and as they approached the capital, the brothers slowed down and let their horses trot.

They rented inferior horses, only slightly better than ordinary horses. The advantage was that they were cheap, but the disadvantage was that they lacked stamina and could not maintain a high speed for a long time.

If the horses ran to death, they would have to pay more than ten taels of silver. The brothers were both very mindful of their wallets.

Xu Xinnian finally asked the question that was on his mind, "Big brother, should you explain it?"

He was referring to that shocking saying.

"What do you want me to explain?" Xu Qi'an asked back.

"Big brother, you only had a basic education. How could you say such shocking words?" Xu Xinnian raised his chin proudly and said, "Only scholars can say such words."

Look at how proud you are... thinking that being a scholar is the only way to be knowledgeable. I, on the other hand, graduated from nine years of compulsory education and the police academy. I am also a seasoned keyboard warrior with a deep understanding of keyboard culture. If we were to compare our knowledge, you scholars would only be my juniors!

Xu Qi'an really wanted to spit out this sarcasm.

After a moment of contemplation, he changed his wording, "Cijiu also thinks that there are some problems with the current Confucianism. But when I asked you what scholars should do, your answer was still a standard response that fits the times."

This sentence made Xu Xinnian fall into deep thought.

"This is the limitation of thought. As scholars, you are influenced by a certain way of thinking for a long time, and eventually become shaped by it. Even if you realize that it's not right, it's hard to break free." Xu Qi'an talked eloquently, "We can use another term: mental imprisonment."

"Mental imprisonment..." Xu Cijiu murmured these four words.

"The dean of the Yalu Academy is also mentally imprisoned, influenced by Cheng's academic ideas. He wants to break through and find a new school of thought, but he is trapped in the vortex himself. How can he lead scholars around the world to break free from the vortex?"

A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled.

"Only those who are outside the vortex can truly achieve it."

"Perhaps it's because I haven't read many books that I can take an unconventional approach, be innovative, and not be bound by Cheng's Neo-Confucianism.""Of course, I also have ideological constraints, constraints from the 21st century. It's just that no one has given me a wake-up call..." Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

Ideological constraints are essentially the three views, which are formed by the times. When you are in this era and influenced by it, you won't think there is a problem. Only when the time span reaches a certain distance can you see the problem clearly.

Xu Cijiu didn't speak for a long time. He began to ponder and contemplate. After a stick of incense had burned, he looked at Xu Qi'an with a bright expression and said, "Big Brother, your words have enlightened me."

"Big Brother is really amazing."

"He has a strong understanding..." Xu Qi'an made an evaluation in his mind, but on the surface, he didn't care and even showed a mocking expression. "It's a pity that you didn't inherit the excellent genes of our Xu family, but instead inherited those of the Li family."

"Big Brother is so annoying..." Xu Cijiu suddenly didn't want to talk to him anymore.

If their mother heard this, she would be so angry that she would slam the table and curse, "This little brat clashes with me in personality."

PS: Let us mourn the martyrs and compatriots who unfortunately passed away in the epidemic. I was going to take a day off today to express my sadness, but I decided against it. We will keep them in our hearts.