Chapter 400: You can’t win…

Trees still need the earth, and the earth must also be rooted in space.

Li Qi walked through the crowd, raising his voice and saying, “Cultivation requires teachers, and learning requires Seniors; everything must be built upon those who came before.”

“What we call sycophants are merely those who resent others for having what they lack and hate themselves for not possessing it. There is a son of Liu Donghe here; Confucianism speaks of filial piety and respects the father-son relationship. To say that Liu Donghe’s son has never benefited from his father’s Legacy is probably impossible, so then is he also a sycophant?”

Li Qi continued fluently, “If this is called sycophancy, and that is called sycophancy, then only you noble individuals in this world have never been sycophants. Is that what Your Excellency means?”

Li Qi stepped forward and refuted them, helping the Lingxiao Flower Goddess out of her predicament.

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess looked at him with gratitude. After all, she was just a flower goddess; when it came to debating, she was probably not as good as the Confucian Cultivator in front of her.

Confucian scholars were renowned for their eloquence. In the past, when Shaman Dao and Humanity openly debated for supremacy, almost all those representing Humanity were from the Confucian or Logician schools, because these two schools were the most articulate and well-versed in quoting classics within Humanity.

However…

On this point, Li Qi was also not bad.

He came from the Invoker lineage, and Invoker were an important source of ritual officials for Shaman Dao… Before the separation of Humanity and Shaman Dao, they were actually the ancestors of the Logician school.

The Invoker had many rules during their sacrificial ceremonies.

According to different ranks, there were different rituals to follow. Therefore, ritual officials were particularly adept at distinguishing matters of rank. This skill, after the separation of Humanity and Shaman Dao, became the source of the later Logician school.

The Logician school itself was a Dao Orthodoxy dedicated to distinguishing 'names' and 'positions', and was a direct Legacy of ritual officials.

The Ritual Patriarchs and Invoker were also the most numerous factions of ritual officials, so Li Qi could actually be considered eloquent.

“Oh? Who is this?” The Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar heard someone refute his words. Seeing that it was a seventh-rank junior, he did not resist or show displeasure, but rather a curious expression.

“Your Excellency should focus on the debate. My identity is not important. Or does Your Excellency think that if some important figure were standing behind me, you wouldn’t dare offend them, so you need to ask first?” Li Qi replied with a smile.

The Confucian Scholar shook his head and laughed, “Ha, you brat. Fine, whoever takes the stage, regardless of identity, just focus on the debate. Don’t always bring up your backing to pressure people, otherwise, as you said, the person who brings them up ‘deceives others by not having them,’ and the person being pressured ‘hates them for not being willing to use them.’ ”

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess gently flicked her sleeve, her displeasure growing even stronger.

The conversation between Li Qi and the Confucian Scholar had already determined that her actions were disgraceful.

But she did not speak.

After all, Li Qi was helping her now.

Unlike Liu Canzhi, although she didn’t have the eloquence, she at least had the sense not to cause trouble.

“Good, it’s fine that Your Excellency is willing not to discuss these things. Then let us continue. Your Excellency seems to disagree with my view?” Li Qi took over the conversation and said.

He had to speak quickly and open up the topic so that everyone would shift their attention from ‘the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s failure’ to ‘the debate between the two.’

Changing the subject is often very useful.

The Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar seemed to notice this, but he didn’t say much. Instead, he said to Li Qi, “Indeed. What you said is nothing more than sophistry, like ‘a white horse is not a horse.’ Naturally, I cannot agree.”

“How can sycophancy and acting with borrowed influence be compared? The saying ‘a white horse is not a horse’ confuses the name and reality between color and entity, replacing a universal phenomenon with an individual case, thus leading to a fallacy. And the technique you used, young man, is nothing more than that.”

“You used the father-son relationship to obscure the despicable act of sycophancy, just like ‘a white horse is not a horse.’ Young man, if you intend to use such rhetoric to defend the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, I’m afraid you’ve made a mistake.”

Li Qi listened to his words and nodded.

Indeed, the other party was still skilled; everything he said was correct, but he dismantled Li Qi’s rhetoric cleanly in an instant.

However…

Just dismantling it was useless.

Li Qi immediately replied with a chuckle, “Answering a question with a question, dismantling my words to refute my words, is that all Your Excellency is capable of?”

“Alright, then I won’t concern myself with your petty tricks. I’ll discuss it with you from a logical standpoint,” the Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar said casually.

He didn’t think too deeply; the junior in front of him was only a seventh-rank, not worth his full effort. If he truly debated seriously, regardless of the outcome, he would have already lost a point from the start.

“You say everyone uses borrowed strength, but there’s a fundamental difference between borrowing strength and sycophancy. Those who borrow strength, if they have a conscience, will inevitably feel gratitude and appreciation. Using the father-son example, a benevolent father leads to a filial son. It is because the son benefits from the father’s influence and feels appreciation in his heart that proper etiquette is maintained. By using etiquette to restrain inner goodness, the world can then be peaceful.”

“As the wise once said: ‘Etiquette flows from the superior to the inferior, and from the elder to the younger. Therefore, if a father is not benevolent, his son will not be filial; if an elder brother is not friendly, his younger brother will not be respectful; if a husband is not righteous, his wife will not be compliant.’ A father becomes benevolent through etiquette, and a son feels appreciation through etiquette, ultimately leading to a benevolent father and filial son, and great joy for all. This is borrowing strength and Legacy.”

“But the sophistry you speak of is not like this. The Lingxiao Flower Goddess has no appreciation in her heart, only the intention to exploit. If there were appreciation between father and son, the son would not leave his father, nor would he abandon his original father because another father is stronger or wealthier. The same applies to spouses, siblings, and master-disciple relationships.”

“But sycophants have no feeling or appreciation in their hearts. Confucius said: ‘If one’s own conduct is upright, others will follow without command; if one’s conduct is not upright, others will not obey even if commanded.’ Therefore, this is the difference between borrowing strength and sycophancy.”

“Such a petty person as the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, without etiquette or feeling, clings when there is value and discards when there is none. When clinging, she can utter any sweet words, and when discarding, she can commit any ruthless act. Such baseness deserves to be expelled from the Upper Garden! What face does she have to still flaunt her power and sway her sleeves here? She is simply defiling everyone’s eyes and tarnishing the reputation of all flowers!”

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess trembled with anger.

The surrounding people also began to whisper, their gazes shifting back and forth between the Lingxiao Flower Goddess and the Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar.

She was trapped; this round, the opponent had the upper hand.

This Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar had been polite when debating with Li Qi earlier, but when it came to the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, he directly pointed his finger and cursed.

Li Qi felt a headache coming on.

Clearly, this Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar knew the key point and was not fooled by Li Qi at all. Li Qi’s little tricks probably just made him want to laugh.

Debate with Li Qi? What’s the point of debating? Is it useful?

He was here to drive away the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, not to argue with Li Qi!

Directly cursing the Lingxiao Flower Goddess and making others understand her baseness was the main point.

Li Qi saw this, but he could only smile bitterly, completely helpless.

Fifth-Rank Cultivators were definitely very stubborn. Stubbornness was synonymous with ‘firm Dao Heart.’

The source of their values was definitely not obtained from a certain person or thing; such values originated from their own hearts, gained through their own insights, not transmitted by others.

Therefore… they were also exceptionally stubborn, or rather, patient and resolute.

Conclusions drawn purely from one’s own heart are the most solid and least susceptible to external influence.

After these words were spoken, the surrounding onlookers also turned their gaze towards the Lingxiao Flower Goddess.

And at the same time, some people gathered around the Lingxiao Flower Goddess.

These were people she had lured over through various means to write praises for her. Once these people had written their articles, there was no turning back.

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess used Liu Donghe’s authentic calligraphy as bait to entice them to take her side. If they switched to the opposite side now, they would become treacherous villains.

This was the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s method: easily binding some people to her side.

They had previously written articles praising the lingxiao flower. Unless they admitted they were talking nonsense and lying, it would be difficult to change their allegiance. So now they were in a dilemma, only able to feign defeat and retreat to the side. Besides boosting morale, they could do nothing else.

Anyway, if they lost, they just had to hide away; there was no need to let their reputation be ruined along with the Lingxiao Flower Goddess.

And besides these people, there were also some of the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s original supporters standing on her side.

These were the true die-hard supporters.

At this moment, someone stepped forward: “Nonsense! You say Lingxiao disregards etiquette and has no appreciation, but are only your Confucian etiquette and laws correct in this world?!”

Just as this person was about to say something, Li Qi gasped and quickly gestured to the Lingxiao Flower Goddess!

Seeing this, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess reached out, persuaded the person to stop, poured him some wine, and whispered a few words to him.

Only then did the person unhappily stop and remain silent, preparing to watch Li Qi perform.

On Li Qi’s side, however, he was startled and broke out in a cold sweat!

Holy cow! This person is really bold!

Discussing the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, or debating the good and bad of the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, that’s all fine, all minor matters.

But if someone brings up the idea of ‘only Confucianism is correct,’ that’s a Dao dispute, damn it.

If a Dao dispute escalates, people will die! Absolutely two will die here today.

Li Qi didn’t want to be one of them, so he quickly interrupted such talk.

Moreover, he also noticed some clues.

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s loyal supporters… seemed to have no Confucian scholars among them. At first glance, most were alchemists and others who earned their living through their skills, as well as a small number of monks.

Looking further, another group of the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s supporters was the White Horse Temple. The monks should have avoided suspicion, so they didn’t come today, only a small portion came to show support.

It was precisely because of this that they blurted out such a topic that could trigger a Dao dispute without thinking.

For this reason, Li Qi had to speak first, even if he couldn’t find anything to say, he had to quickly seize the initiative.

So, Li Qi spoke before the Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar could: “Your Excellency need not worry about those things. It’s just that there was indeed something that clouded Your Excellency’s judgment, leading to a misjudgment of the Lingxiao Flower Goddess, and thus the conflict today!”

The Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar’s face had already darkened, but upon hearing Li Qi’s words, he looked at Li Qi: “Oh? Young man, what is your insight now?”

Li Qi cupped his hands and said, “Your Excellency previously stated that because one has benevolence in their heart, their actions are礼 (li/propriety), thus leading to kindness and filial piety, and the world achieves great harmony. May I ask Your Excellency, what is benevolence?”

“A gentleman who is not benevolent will not succeed; without righteousness, he will not live. Benevolence and righteousness are the nature of an Daoist Master. This is the origin of benevolence,” the Confucian scholar answered solemnly.

The understanding of benevolence and righteousness was of utmost importance to the Confucian school, so when answering this question, he appeared very serious. This was a sign of respect and importance for his own Dao.

So, Li Qi said, “What Your Excellency said is that those who are not benevolent lose their original heart; prolonged restraint will lead to excess, and prolonged pleasure will lead to depravity. Only the benevolent find peace in their benevolence and are always content, while the wise profit from benevolence and do not change their principles. Although there are differences in depth, none can be taken away by external things.”

“Then, is the power that the Lingxiao Flower Goddess relies on like greed and evil? Does she deeply desire and must obtain it?”

“Everyone knows that the lingxiao flower has not relied on any backing to act arrogantly. What does that have to do with having no benevolence in her heart?”

“What Your Excellency said, that she only dared to return with Liu Donghe’s support, in my opinion, just means she is rather timid and lacks confidence, so she didn’t dare to speak up. Not fearing power is certainly admirable, but should one be despised for not being able to do so?”

Li Qi was quoting a famous saying, meaning to acknowledge the restraint of benevolence on one’s nature, which can allow a person to harbor appreciation in their heart.

So, the question arises: The Lingxiao Flower Goddess is said to be opportunistic and sycophantic. Are her actions truly driven by greed and desire for sycophancy?

He was just trying to make excuses for the Lingxiao Flower Goddess.

At this point, Li Qi already felt a headache. He couldn’t logically refute the other party and could only try to guess and make excuses for the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s character… which meant he had completely fallen into a disadvantage.

“How is it not?” The Confucian scholar raised his head and asked.

Clearly, in his eyes, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess was exactly that kind of person.

Then, he continued, “Young man, you still don’t know the Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s character. Let me tell you, in the past, she had a bad reputation in the Upper Garden. She ignored those obscure minor flower goddesses but was keen on attending the banquets of the great flower goddesses, which was disgraceful. In the past, when she was Sixth-Rank, sunflowers, crape myrtles, and hibiscus all suffered humiliation from her, while the three Fifth-Rank Flower Goddesses, Xinyi, Wangyou, and Yingtao, were often befriended by her.”

“And after that, when she climbed onto the Buddhist wall of the White Horse Temple, did Xinyi, Wangyou, and Yingtao still receive invitations from her?”

“The Lingxiao Flower Goddess is more evil than good, and her nature is resolute, but what she detests is poverty and low status. She is truly despicable!” The Fifth-Rank Confucian Scholar loudly accused.

At this, Li Qi was speechless.

No way.

He couldn’t out-argue this Confucian scholar. After all, he was a Fifth-Rank. Not to mention his cultivation, just his knowledge and experience were above his. Being able to last a few rounds was already quite good…

He cupped his hands in salute, shook his head helplessly, and retreated.

Let the Lingxiao Flower Goddess die; he had done his best.

However…

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but tremble when she heard Li Qi say, “just rather timid and lacking confidence.”

She watched Li Qi cup his hands, shake his head, and withdraw from the circle.

For hundreds of years, she had never imagined…

Just one sentence could shake her Dao Heart.

Someone nearby suddenly noticed something and asked in confusion, “Flower Goddess, your Qi… why is it chaotic? What’s wrong with your cultivation?”