Chapter 629: A gentleman polishes jade

Li Qi used a lie to suppress all the Fifth-Rank Privates with the army.

The others didn’t know how to refute him; after all, they had never encountered a Third-Rank, and the power of a Third-Rank was something they had never seen before and couldn’t comprehend.

All their knowledge could only support their understanding: “This is so profound, it must be a Third-Rank; a Fifth-Rank definitely can’t simulate it.”

It was precisely this partial understanding that allowed these Fifth-Ranks to be fooled by Li Qi; they could only bow before the power of a Third-Rank and finally concede.

Since Li Qi also seemed very confident, and they had no way to refute him, they could only accept it.

Thus, Li Qi left the crowd and quickly moved forward.

Without having to lead a large army, advancing alone and lightly equipped, his speed was indeed much, much faster. Perhaps… he really could arrive alone.

At this moment, that Balancer, the Child of Destiny of two Sixth-Rank worlds, a Fifth-Rank created by the harmonious blending of Yin and Yang, looked up in Li Qi’s direction.

All the Fifth-Ranks present seemed to have been deceived; it seemed only he had seen through it.

The commander was lying.

Li Qi had no way to prove it, nor could he find evidence to support his actions, so he simply chose to lie and deceive everyone, just to make others make way for him. That claim about being a Third-Rank was false.

The Balancer discovered this, but he didn’t expose it. Instead, like the other Fifth-Ranks, he was ‘deceived’ and let Li Qi go.

He looked around, seeing the worried expressions of the others, and he too adopted a worried look, his brows tightly furrowed.

However, he also knew in his heart that among these Fifth-Ranks, there were probably a few who were just like him, right?

They all knew Li Qi was lying, but they willingly let themselves be deceived.

Why?

He didn’t know. Perhaps everyone who understood, understood?

The commander himself must have known, right? After all, he glanced at him before he left.

After looking around, the Balancer began to focus on his journey.

Thinking about these things was useless; they had other tasks to do.

——————

Meanwhile, on the other side, while Li Qi was traveling alone, Liu Junyi was in seclusion.

Indeed, Li Qi’s guess was perfectly accurate.

Six months ago, Liu Junyi delegated all authority, allowing his staff to make decisions, while he himself began secluded cultivation, fully focused on breaking through to Fifth-Rank.

However, progress was quite difficult.

Logically, his Breakthrough should have been a natural progression, but the timing was off, which might affect his future Dao.

But now, he couldn’t worry about such things anymore.

However, at this moment, he felt even more confused.

The more intense the war outside became, the more chaotic his heart grew, and with a chaotic heart, his cultivation became scattered, making Breakthroughs difficult to sustain. He had to spend a lot more effort to collect his thoughts.

Especially one day ago, Shaman Dao suddenly launched an attack.

Although Liu Junyi was in seclusion, he was still paying attention to the situation outside, ready to react at any time. So, he sensed Li Qi’s intention the moment the front line suffered a setback, and he even vaguely guessed it then.

Li Qi had reached Fifth-Rank.

Thus, Liu Junyi made a bold decision.

He continued to shrink the defense line, and then sent all his combat power to the front line.

At this time, Gansong City had only Liu Junyi; all combat power had already gone to the front line.

He cultivated alone in this empty stronghold, and all of this was by his command.

The staff strongly disagreed at the time, but Liu Junyi, in the name of the Right Martial Guard General, intimidated the staff, forcing them to concede and allow him to remain alone in the city.

It was exactly like Li Qi.

In this case, there would be two outcomes.

First, if Li Qi was unwilling to come alone, then according to Liu Junyi’s calculations, Shaman Dao would absolutely not be able to hold on, as he had sent out all of Gansong City’s defensive forces.

Shaman Dao’s large-scale attack could not last long against the war fortress. Li Qi would definitely die outside before he could arrive; there would be no mistake.

Sending all of Gansong’s defensive forces was a risky move, but it was very effective. With Gansong’s local defensive forces, the Shaman Dao on the front line could at most hold out for two days, and then they would have to retreat, otherwise there would be internal strife.

If he didn’t do this and continued to let these elites guard Gansong, the front line outside would be difficult to defend.

If the front line couldn’t be held, Gansong would be even more dangerous. It would be better for everyone to go to the front line to hold back the main army, forcing Li Qi to penetrate deep alone and confront him.

If Li Qi chose to penetrate, his speed in leaving the front line and rushing here would definitely not be enough. All of Gansong City’s defensive forces were incredibly formidable. As long as he exchanged spatial distance for time, and incidentally kept Li Qi out of the battlefield so he couldn’t participate, victory on the front line was a foregone conclusion.

This was the first consideration.

The second was if Li Qi was willing to leave the main army alone, single-handedly rushing towards Liu Junyi. As long as Li Qi could perceive that the army’s speed was absolutely insufficient, with Li Qi’s character, he would definitely come alone.

After forcing Li Qi to advance alone, this was when Liu Junyi began to pressure himself.

When Li Qi arrived, if Liu Junyi could not break through to Fifth-Rank and be strong enough to resist Li Qi, then he would lose.

Liu Junyi knew this was very risky, but…

Let it be risky. After half a year of seclusion, he knew himself that even if he focused entirely on seclusion, he wouldn’t be able to successfully advance.

A gentleman labors with his mind; he couldn’t abandon outside matters and cultivate in seclusion alone.

So, it might as well be like this now.

Let’s have a duel.

The outcome of the external battlefield could no longer be decided. Now, the dramatic victory or defeat rested on the shoulders of two individuals.

Li Qi, single-handedly and with formidable Aura, and Liu Junyi, who had pushed himself to the brink.

A duel between two people could actually determine the outcome of the entire war zone.

This truly was…

A coincidence.

The operations of both sides were basically evenly matched, and the forces they controlled were roughly equivalent. To be honest, the combat power of Human Dao and Shaman Dao in this war zone was essentially the same.

Neither side made any mistakes; both their respective operations were pushed to the extreme, back and forth, and they couldn’t even use schemes.

For them, schemes were meaningless; winning with unexpected moves was impossible. They could only use overt strategies, defeating the opponent with straightforward strategic planning.

Therefore, after a series of overt strategic confrontations, the result was… a draw.

In a draw, the last bit of leverage could only be the commanders of both sides.

That is, Liu Junyi and Li Qi.

Liu Junyi, who could once fight three Li Qis, was still a Sixth-Rank, while Li Qi had become a Fifth-Rank.

So, what lay before Liu Junyi now was an extreme choice.

Advance to Fifth-Rank in the time it took Li Qi to arrive.

Or… be instantly killed by Li Qi upon meeting him.

Liu Junyi absolutely believed that Li Qi wouldn’t waste a single word with him. With the greater good at stake, reminiscing was merely indulging an opponent. The first thing he would do upon arrival was to kill Liu Junyi and then dismantle Gansong.

Liu Junyi and Li Qi both understood these things very clearly.

All calculations had been exhausted, and all usable strategies had been attempted. What remained was the most primitive, least technical, hand-to-hand combat.

Who would have thought that a major war between two armies would ultimately be decided by their two commanders personally throwing punches?

It was quite laughable, but…

Liu Junyi also realized that perhaps, this could also be an Opportunity?

Right?

Thinking this, his agitated heart miraculously calmed down.

“A gentleman’s righteousness: he does not avoid what is difficult, nor does he follow what is easy; he only follows where righteousness lies. He begins his work at dawn and reflects on himself in the evening, until his life ends; this can also be called upholding his profession.”

Liu Junyi softly recited the words of the sages.

“He only follows where righteousness lies; until his life ends, this can also be called upholding his profession.”

Isn’t this talking about the present moment?

It’s just that he had been too hesitant, hadn’t he?

For the past six months, although he had said things like ‘wait until I reach Fifth-Rank’, actively placing all the pressure on his own shoulders, this made the other Human Dao soldiers choose to trust him.

And they trusted him without hesitation. So, these people went to their deaths one after another, just to buy Liu Junyi time for his Breakthrough.

But did Liu Junyi himself believe it?

Even though he was a Genius, even though he was more outstanding than most people, even though others firmly believed he could break through to Fifth-Rank…

Yet, he himself still had doubts.

Is Fifth-Rank that simple?

His Dao Heart wavered. Facing the mountain- and sea-like pressure, facing the reality of ‘if I don’t break through to Fifth-Rank, I will lose’, facing the Human Dao soldiers who were sacrificing themselves one after another to buy him time for his Breakthrough, Liu Junyi’s own Dao Heart was turbulent.

Although ‘calming the mind’ seems simple, facing such a situation, how many people can truly calm their minds?

Liu Junyi’s Dao Heart was actually very firm, but now… when whether or not he broke through was directly linked to the victory of the vanguard battle, even he felt immense pressure.

“I am still too useless,” Liu Junyi lamented.

To speak of the Dao without fully understanding one’s nature is like wanting to forge a vessel without carving the jade.

He himself hadn’t grasped his own nature, so how could he talk about the ‘Dao’?

To want to forge a vessel without carving the jade is but a pipe dream.

So, let’s carve the jade then.

Let the vanguard battle, let Li Qi come personally, to carve the jade for Liu Junyi himself.

If it shatters…

Then let it shatter.

Thinking this, Liu Junyi’s heart miraculously calmed down.

In the face of ‘shattered jade’, he seemed to truly be able to calm his mind.

In Liu Junyi’s mind, the words Liu Donghe spoke to him when he first chose Confucianism appeared.

“Junyi, if you want to walk the path of a gentleman, do you know what a gentleman does? Even a great Confucian does not dare to call himself a gentleman.”

Liu Junyi didn’t know what this meant at the time, only saying: “If a gentleman can rectify the world and aid the people, bringing about great harmony, then I will certainly be a gentleman.”

Because of this answer, Liu Donghe laughed heartily, and then began to train Liu Junyi according to the standards of a gentleman.

This was very arduous, not just ordinarily arduous.

A gentleman takes Heaven, Earth, and all beings as his duty, poetry, books, rites, music, Yi, and Spring and Autumn as his lineage, the decline of the world as his sorrow, and assisting the world, educating, refining, and transforming as his joy.

He does not begrudge what he possesses, so that he may share it with those who do good;

He does not cease his discernment, so that those who dispute his Dao and obstruct his disciples fear him;

He does not initiate doubt, so that those with evidence from antiquity and insights from the heart precede him;

He does not belittle his achievements, so that the world and nations everywhere find what is appropriate and spread it widely.

Therefore, a gentleman is resolute and successful, gentle and profound, wise and discerning, trustworthy and sincere. He permeates like timely rain, thunders like lightning, and studies diligently without knowing old age.

What he pursues is Wisdom, Benevolence, Courage, and Art.

To govern the world and nations amidst turbulent currents, and to mend the deficiencies of Heaven, Earth, and all beings in times of subservience and despair.

How difficult is this? How high are the demands?

The wisdom sought is the wisdom that breaks through antiquity and connects Heaven and man;

The benevolence sought is the benevolence that shelters people and things, equal to that which covers and supports;

The courage sought is the courage that overcomes difficulties and reclaims honor;

The art sought is the art that rectifies systems and elaborates details.

Now, he seemed to understand.

There is a nation only when there are people, there are people only when there are teachers, there are teachers only when there is Dao, and there is Dao only when there is human nature.

Human Dao is maintained by teachers transmitting the Dao, and what is required for transmitting the Dao is human nature.

What Heaven imparts is called human nature; to follow one’s nature is called the path; to cultivate the path is called instruction.

Therefore, a gentleman cannot but know the ‘Dao’, and cannot but fully realize his ‘nature’.

Only the utmost sincerity in the world can fully realize one’s nature; being able to fully realize one’s nature, one can then fully realize the nature of others; being able to fully realize the nature of others, one can then fully realize the nature of things; being able to fully realize the nature of things, one can then assist in the transforming and nourishing processes of Heaven and Earth; being able to assist in the transforming and nourishing processes of Heaven and Earth, one can then form a trinity with Heaven and Earth.

To achieve this is called ‘knowing the Dao’, and this is called ‘fully realizing one’s nature’.

He had failed to ‘fully realize his nature’, and thus was plagued by various restless emotions, which in turn affected his own progress, causing a Bottleneck he had once overcome to reappear.

Now, as Li Qi drew closer and closer, he finally regained the calm state of mind he had during his studies at Imperial Academy.

Liu Junyi’s Dao foundation was his Dao Heart.

When the heart is settled, the Dao foundation is settled.

He was appointed commander by Human Dao, responsible for securing victory in the vanguard battle.

When the appointed one advances directly, the superior does not fear the enemy constraining his actions, and the inferior does not fear the multitude slandering him.

When the superior does not fear the enemy constraining his actions, his wise judgment is sufficient for self-determination.

When the inferior does not fear the multitude slandering him, he will not stop until he has dug out the roots of the matter.

Thus, all roots are obtained.

Yes, the key is here.

He was Human Dao, and what he sought was naturally ‘human harmony’.

What is human harmony?

When everyone is of one mind, a thousand li is like one room, ten thousand li is like one hall, inside and out are of the same Aura, above and below are of the same spirit; this is ‘human harmony’.

However, when the multitude trusted him deeply and willingly sacrificed themselves to buy him time, he was self-pitying and worried that he couldn’t do it…

When those above and below cannot be of one mind, human harmony collapses, and naturally, nothing can be accomplished.

Realizing this, as Li Qi’s location grew closer and his speed increased, Liu Junyi became calmer, even closing his eyes.

He felt it.

Although his eyes were closed, his gaze, his power, spread outwards.

As Heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-perfection.

Vigorous and ceaseless, the movement of Heaven; self-striving and achieving, the work of a virtuous gentleman…

No, this sentence is wrong.

Vigorous and ceaseless, the movement of Heaven?

Vigorous and ceaseless, the movement of Man!

Liu Junyi opened his eyes and suddenly stood up.

Now, with difficulties at hand, the great righteousness of defending the land rests upon him.

When the greatness of difficulty is dreaded, righteousness is upheld.

A gentleman upholds righteousness, integrity, and his land, and should naturally strive ceaselessly!

The confusion in his heart immediately vanished, and his Dao Heart became clear.

Although now was not the best time for a Breakthrough, and the state after the Breakthrough would not be the best, and it would also affect his future Dao, causing him to be unable to be ‘perfect’ forever.

But it didn’t matter—

Fifth-Rank achieved.

At that very instant, Li Qi, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, slammed down onto Gansong City.

Li Qi had arrived.

The moment Li Qi arrived, as he suddenly landed outside Gansong City and was attempting to dismantle the city wall, Liu Junyi also broke through.

Their Auras intersected, and in that instant, both became aware of the other’s presence.

What a… coincidence.