Chapter 227: Tiance Discourse
Chapter 227: Tiance Discourse
“Our Xiangshan Academy is divided into three main halls. The left formation is the Civil and Martial Hall, which emphasizes the equal importance of both civil and martial arts and practices them simultaneously. The middle formation is the Literary Brush Hall, which advocates prioritizing civil studies before martial arts. The right formation is the Literary Sword Hall, which pursues the way of the sword and advocates prioritizing martial arts before civil studies. The students from all three halls wear the same robes, but pay attention to the shoes on their feet. Young Master Mu, Feixue takes her leave. I wish you success.”
After bowing and saluting, the woman in white, Wen Feixue, quickly withdrew.
Suddenly, besides the five high-ranking members of the academy on the high platform, only Mu Feng remained.
Dang, dang, dang…
A melodious bell sound rang out, and the vast Tiance Platform fell silent inside and out. The assessment officially began.
The students sitting cross-legged on the Tiance Platform were solemn and respectful. Those who arrived late and could only watch from a distance below the platform, along with the visitors, were also completely silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Upon learning that this was the entrance assessment for Mu Feng, the once-in-a-thousand-years Jianning First Scholar, people had rushed over to witness it.
Hu…
A cold wind blew across the high platform.
Before the echoes of the bell had completely faded, a woman in white walked up to the high platform carrying a tray. She approached Mu Feng, bowed, and said, “Young Master Mu, please randomly select a Policy Discourse.”
Policy Discourse?
Mu Feng glanced over and quickly understood what was happening.
On the silver tray lay a semi-transparent red cloth. Through the cloth, one could see several wooden plaques, each faintly inscribed with a few lines of text.
After pondering for a moment, Mu Feng lifted the red cloth, randomly selected one wooden plaque, and handed it to the woman in white before him.
She bowed once more, took the plaque, and walked over to the expressionless Old Woman. The latter glanced at it and said calmly, “Today’s Tiance Discourse is: What is the greatest? Disciples of each hall, you may begin.”
The Old Woman’s voice was soft and calm, but it clearly reverberated throughout the entire Tiance Platform.
“Disciple Ouyang Wu of the Civil and Martial Hall greets Young Master Mu!”
As soon as she finished speaking, a student from the Civil and Martial Hall in the left formation stood up first. On his left sleeve were embroidered two books, and on his right sleeve, two long swords, symbolizing the balance of civil and martial arts, both cultivated to a remarkable level. After bowing, he asked in a clear voice, “Dare I ask, Young Master Mu, in all of heaven and earth, what is the greatest?”
With Ouyang Wu’s question, everyone’s eyes immediately turned to the high platform, fixed on Mu Feng, waiting to see how he would debate.
The Tiance Platform was the sacred ground of the academy for lecturing and spreading teachings, as well as the place for student assessments. Debates on the Tiance Platform were also known as the Tiance Discourse. Each Policy Discourse provoked deep thought. Some discourses had been passed down for a thousand years and were still widely discussed; others evolved with the times, adapted according to different trends and dynasties.
“Young Master Ouyang, what do you think is the greatest?”
After a moment of thought, Mu Feng did not answer directly. Instead, he retreated to advance, countering with a question.
The assessment method of Xiangshan Academy was unexpected and even significantly increased the difficulty of the assessment. However, this public debate, following ancient traditions, also allowed people to see the charm of the old system.
Fair, objective, and just, it involved direct demonstration and was highly persuasive…
This was the charm of such an ancient system. Every student who successfully passed the assessment undoubtedly possessed genuine talent. They did not need to be eloquent, but they had to be deeply learned and broad-minded.
In the Ancient Era, the ancient sages traveled across various states and roamed the world, using such public debates to persuade their opponents and expound their respective ideas. Back then, a hundred schools of thought contended, embracing diversity and inclusion, which gave rise to philosophies such as Legalism, Mohism, Confucianism, and Daoism, laying the foundation of culture. In later generations, regardless of which dynasty ruled, they all swayed among these different schools of thought.
“I humbly believe that heaven and earth are the greatest!”
Faced with Mu Feng’s counter-question, the student named Ouyang Wu did not retreat. Holding his head high, he continued in a solemn voice, “No matter how majestic the mountains, they have bases; no matter how vast the empire, it has borders; even the immense, endless ocean has shores. Only heaven and earth—who has ever seen their boundaries? For millions of years, who has reached the ends of heaven and earth?”
“Yes, heaven is vast, earth is boundless—who has seen the ends of heaven and earth?”
“Hmm, well said, heaven and earth are the greatest!”
…
As soon as Ouyang Wu finished speaking, people began whispering and discussing among themselves.
Their gazes toward Ouyang Wu, this disciple of the Civil and Martial Hall, held a bit more respect. Then, they all turned to look at Mu Feng on the high platform, waiting to see how he would refute this.
“Well said, that makes sense! Since ancient times, people have said heaven and earth are vast and boundless!”
Mu Feng nodded. Unexpectedly, he did not refute it outright with confidence. Instead, he smiled and said, “However, Young Master Ouyang, if I may be so bold, I have a question: between heaven and earth, which is actually the greatest?”
Silence!
Upon hearing Mu Feng’s words, the entire Tiance Platform fell silent. Everyone reflected inwardly.
Heaven is vast, earth is boundless—no one has ever seen the boundaries of heaven and earth. One could say both are infinite. But if something is the greatest, it must be unique. As Mu Feng said, then which is truly the greatest—heaven or earth?
After a moment of silence, Ouyang Wu bowed toward Mu Feng on the high platform and sat down without another word.
Ouyang Wu, known as a rising star of the Civil and Martial Hall, had taken the initiative to challenge, but after just a few sentences, he was left speechless, unable to justify his own argument, and had no choice but to sit down in defeat.
First round: Mu Feng won!
“A Jianning First Scholar of this generation—truly extraordinary!”
“Composed and calm, deeply learned. What’s even more remarkable is his clear thinking and meticulous reasoning. Impressive!”
…
Looking at Mu Feng, who remained neither arrogant nor humble, calm and steady on the high platform, people whispered among themselves again.
Today, upon hearing that this was a public assessment for Mu Feng, the Jianning First Scholar, people had rushed over early in the morning to witness his brilliance. A Jianning First Scholar was indeed a Jianning First Scholar—such a title was not something just any scholar could earn. Mu Feng certainly did not disappoint them.
A person’s reputation is like the shadow of a tree!
Looking at the composed Mu Feng on the high platform, the thousands of students below glanced at each other. No one dared to stand up easily again. For a while, the vast Tiance Platform experienced a rare tranquility.
“This academy, with its thousand-year heritage, truly houses hidden dragons and crouching tigers—it is no ordinary place!”
Mu Feng stood quietly on the high platform. Although he had won one round, he did not dare to look down upon the thousands of students below.
Learning knows no bounds, whether in civil studies or martial training.
Among the seemingly ordinary students below, there might be a future great scholar or a Grandmaster!
Mu Feng looked down calmly at the thousands of students. Unbeknownst to him, in the crowd, several pairs of eyes lingered on him for a long time.
“Disciple Yang Liu of the Literary Brush Hall greets Young Master Mu!”
After a short period of calm, a female disciple from the Literary Brush Hall in the middle formation gracefully stood up. She bowed to Mu Feng and said calmly, “In all of heaven and earth, tangible things that can be seen or touched must have their own size. Heaven has its limits, earth has its boundaries—it’s just that they are so vast that we ordinary mortals do not know them. This humble woman believes that heaven is great, earth is great, but principle is the greatest. I wonder what Young Master Mu thinks?”
Heaven is great, earth is great, but principle is the greatest!
As soon as the female disciple in white, Yang Liu, finished speaking, the Tiance Platform fell silent once again. Everyone fixed their eyes on Mu Feng on the high platform, waiting to see how he would argue this time.