Chapter 256: Breaking the Shackles

“People often say there are four ways to nourish Acquired Qi: studying sacred texts, receiving transmissions, breath cultivation, and consuming elixirs. Among these, studying is considered the highest path. Because by reading the works of sages, understanding great principles, one can cultivate Vast Righteous Qi. This Qi, when perfectly refined, is said to rival Innate Qi itself. Of course, that’s just talk. No one has ever witnessed it. Take Brother He as an example. His Destined Scripture is the \textit{Classic of Documents}, a reader of sage writings. Yet as we all saw, his foundation isn’t lacking, but it only isn’t lacking compared to rogue cultivators or demonic practitioners…”

Fang Cun spoke very seriously, but he didn’t use overly profound language.

Compared to “preaching the Dao,” his approach felt more like a “discussion” at this moment.

“So, how should I improve?”

He Zhenzhang listened blankly, unsure how to reply to save face. He ventured a quiet question. “But didn’t we actually discuss this very issue quite a while ago?”

Fang Cun smiled and glanced at him. “Back when you took me to the Night Market to buy pills, you told me studying to understand principles is the foundation of refining Qi. That as humans, the more we stand upright and act righteously, the more ‘Qi Presence’ we cultivate. That the more books we read, the more principles we grasp, the purer our Internal Breath becomes. You gave Sister Meng as an example then: her firm Dao Heart, her dedication to upholding righteousness and banishing evil – her Internal Breath was exceptionally pure and profound, her cultivation rapid… And I remember you lamented that despite mountains of copybooks and countless volumes read, you still couldn’t match her…”

He Zhenzhang was stunned. Had Fang Cun really remembered even this?

Such platitudes – which disciple at the Academy wouldn’t spout them? They could lecture endlessly for days on end! If simply lecturing like this aided cultivation, wouldn’t everyone under heaven be a genius?

Fang Cun chuckled at his expression. “Who told you the pivotal secrets of cultivation couldn’t be hidden within these worn-out proverbs?”

Not just He Zhenzhang, but Meng Qing’er, Yu Qingli, and the others also showed surprise.

The world of Qi refining commonly said that talent was heaven-sent, that a person’s Innate Qi varied inherently from birth. Those blessed with abundant Innate Qi naturally had a firmer Dao Heart, allowing them to easily surpass ordinary people in cultivation and seeking the Dao, like the late Immortal Master Fang Chi or Meng Zhixue back at White Xiang Academy. But if Fang Cun said the crucial secrets of cultivation lay within such common talk… it was perplexing. Was he suggesting Meng Zhixue had encountered a bottleneck because her Dao Heart was no longer as pure as before?

Everyone knew that couldn’t be true.

Of the former Five Disciples of the Nanshan Alliance, any might potentially waver or fall astray.

But everyone agreed Meng Zhixue would be the last to change.

“It is not that abundant Innate Qi causes a firm Dao Heart, but that a firm Dao Heart strengthens one’s Innate Qi!”

“It is not changing one’s beliefs that alters the Dao Heart; it is the Dao Heart becoming clouded that causes beliefs to change!”

Fang Cun patiently explained to them: “The Heart has no form; the Heart is inherently unreasonable. The Three Poisons and Seven Afflictions are hard to avoid. We are born amidst the dust of the mortal world yet seek to transcend it. In a single breath, a thousand distracting thoughts arise. If we guard it too tightly, constrain it, our minds are stifled, our will hindered. If we simply let it loose, indulge it, our minds run wild, become chaotic, leading us astray, obscuring the boundless sky.”

“Therefore, in my view, the key to our cultivation lies in one’s Heart and Intent…”

“Innate Qi is the Qi of the Heart!”

“If we can clarify our Dao Hearts and free our thoughts of obstruction… then…”

He paused slightly before concluding: “Then everyone’s Innate Qi could measure exactly three inches and three-tenths!”

“What?!”

Fang Cun’s words sent shockwaves through the room. Even these classmates, who held deep trust in Fang Cun, couldn’t help but look utterly aghast.

……

“While Second Young Master Fang was gathering everyone to preach the Dao with his meager cultivation?”

“Was it just laughable mimicry? Childish play?”

Just as Fang Cun sat exploring the path of cultivation with his fellow disciples in the pavilion, many Qi Refiners nearby became aware and expressed disbelief. Their first reaction was ridicule. Preaching the Dao involved prestige. Throughout Qingjiang Prefecture, who dared claim they were qualified? Never mind Light Condensation – among Golden Core Realm experts, only a handful of venerable elders might attempt it…

How could this Second Young Master Fang, previously known only as Foundation Establishment Realm, preach any Dao?

Moreover, given the turbulent undercurrents swirling throughout Qingjiang Prefecture, where did he find the leisure to “preach the Dao”?

“Before this, there were rumors that Second Young Master Fang helped people gain enlightenment, even opened the path to the Light Condensation Realm at the Leshui and Yun Huan Sects. Though it sounds mysterious, it might hold truth. Now that he boldly sets himself up to preach, perhaps he truly possesses some insights. No harm in having our scouts attend. If there truly is substance, we can react swiftly…”

Amidst such skepticism, numerous Qi Refiners began converging on Xiyun Pavilion from all directions.

Those with deeper cultivation could listen privately from afar, but that amounted to eavesdropping. Especially when it was declared a Dao preaching, such stealth could invite condemnation. Therefore, most chose the same approach: refraining from rudeness toward Second Young Master Fang and instead discreetly sending trusted disciples to investigate.

Arriving at the pavilion, these disciples, harboring either disdain or doubt, ascended slowly. As they quietly approached and caught snippets of the dialogue, subtle shifts began to appear on their faces.

……

“Second Young Master Fang, what are the Three Poisons of the Heart?”

“Greed, Hatred, Delusion!”

“And the Seven Afflictions of Intent?”

“Joy, Anger, Worry, Thought, Sorrow, Fear, Shock!”

“But… these are merely human nature?”

“Naturally, they are human nature. Otherwise, why call them ‘hard to avoid’?”

“If we can’t avoid them… what then?”

“From the outset, we shouldn’t even have the thought of avoidance!”

Fang Cun turned his gaze to He Zhenzhang. “Brother He, what, above all else, does your heart truly desire?”

Feeling the eyes of many upon him, He Zhenzhang shifted uncomfortably. “Naturally, it’s to vanquish evil and uphold righteousness, holding the world in my heart! I wish to carry the principles of the sages, inherit the Vast Great Dao, enlighten the people, cleanse the world of impurity…”

Fang Cun cut him off. “No. That isn’t what you truly desire.”

He Zhenzhang’s discomfort deepened, many justifications flashing through his mind. Yet, he decided to be truthful before Fang Cun. He glanced helplessly at Meng Zhixue and gave a bitter smile. “I did try long ago to emulate Sister Meng, to be that righteous shield against evil. But I simply couldn’t match it! How could anyone imitate someone as Dao-determined as her?”

Fang Cun’s smile remained gentle. “Each person is born unique; why force sameness? If your heart truly isn’t set on it, trying to copy her is like mimicking a tiger by drawing a cat! Furthermore, your cultivation path will only become thornier. To the root of it – my question stands: what do you genuinely yearn to do?”

He looked straight at He Zhenzhang. “Like indulging in fine wine and pleasures… like lingering amid flowers deep in slumber…?”

A noticeable spark leapt into He Zhenzhang’s eyes, but it quickly dimmed. He asserted staunchly:

“No! My Destined Scripture is the \textit{Classic of Documents}! How could I ever stoop to such things?”

He sounded increasingly righteous, yet also increasingly hollow.

Fang Cun chuckled. “What decrees one with the \textit{Classic of Documents} cannot ‘linger amid flowers’? If a man cannot even pursue what his heart genuinely yearns for, how can he possibly grasp the profound truths of the Great Dao? Brother He is a proper man, aspiring only to learn the philosophies of sages, fearful of being condemned as neglecting his true duties. But when others condemn my extravagance, could it not equally be that I lament their blindness?”

These words struck He Zhenzhang profoundly. He stared wide-eyed at Fang Cun, stunned into silence, the words “heresy!” teetering unspoken on his lips – unspoken only because Fang Cun’s words had pierced directly to his core.

Around them, the steadily growing crowd of Qi Refiners listened in stunned silence. They found the discourse utterly unheard of, yet strangely fascinating. Many quietly found places to sit. Others felt the words begin to resonate deep within their own hearts…

“So… frolicking in romantic haunts can actually boost cultivation?”

Nearby, Meng Qing’er looked at He Zhenzhang, somewhat startled. “Then what about me?”

“What suits Sister Meng may not suit Brother He; what suits Brother He need not suit you…”

Fang Cun smiled and turned to Meng Qing’er. “And what does your heart truly yearn for?”

“I…”

Meng Qing’er met Fang Cun’s gaze, answering much more earnestly than He Zhenzhang. “I want to be… a Core Disciple of the Yun Huan Sect… No! Stronger than them! I… I love the Soul-Snaring Arts of the Yun Huan Sect, especially the ‘Toppling Mortals’ techniques! I yearn to master them to the pinnacle… I want all the men in the world to like me… And then… I don’t want their affection! I just want to ignore them… and kick each one away!”

“Kick them away… only to have them return doggedly, unable to be shaken off even when kicked…”

Every man in the nearby vicinity stared at Meng Qing’er, their expressions profoundly peculiar and disturbed.

Even Fang Cun’s expression flickered briefly, complicated before he nodded with a faint smile.

Meng Qing’er gasped, shocked. “Even… this? But that’s… being a bad woman!”

“The Heart knows no inherent good or evil. Intent holds the potential for corruption or clarity. Only within the space between Heart and Intent does one find the path to Dao clarity!”

Fang Cun looked steadily at Meng Qing’er. “Seeker Qing’er, by immediately condemning your own desires, you barricade the door. How then can you glimpse the authentic self?”

Meng Qing’er stood frozen, as if a colossal, hitherto unseen gate had suddenly swung open before her.

“But… Second Young Master Fang… this… this cannot be right!”

Meng Zhixue, listening with growing distress, could no longer contain herself. “If… if everyone truly followed the urges of their heart without regard for benevolence, righteousness, or morality… wouldn’t that… wouldn’t they all become utterly selfish, calculating, vile creatures?”

“The human heart instinctively holds concepts of good and evil! Who said being true to oneself inevitably breeds selfishness?”

Fang Cun turned to her, his smile gentle yet potent. “Seeker Zhixue, search deep within. Are you stalled now, trapped, because your concerns have multiplied, thoughts tangled, no longer maintaining the pure, clear clarity of your past? Since discerning the ultimate ‘best’ action eludes you, why not cease striving for perfection? Change the question: which choice allows you to rest easy? Which aligns truly, without concealment, with the inner voice? What is it you genuinely wish to do?”

“The heart truly needs no self-imposed torment… It needs only…”

“Hold fast to the First Intention… Then…”

Fang Cun breathed a soft, seemingly effortless sigh, radiating an aura of profound insight as he lightly tapped his own chest:

“Break the shackles!”