yready #757 - Small Destiny
#757 - Small Destiny
Without a word, Daoist Evening Glow took out a yellowed book from his storage ring and handed it to Li Chengfeng.
It wasn't some kind of secret manual, just a book, a Confucian cultivation method, the writing on it already faint and blurred.
Li Chengfeng took the book and flipped it open, and sure enough, principles and truths flashed through his mind.
He was certain this was definitely a Confucian cultivation method.
He respectfully bowed to Daoist Evening Glow and then departed.
Not far from there was a private school, which had been abandoned for a long time.
Because this place was in a remote part of town, mostly inhabited by poor people who rented farmland, there were many children, but they were exploited by the landlords and unable to attend school.
Li Chengfeng came to this village and found the village chief.
The village was small, with only a little over a hundred people, the villagers all making a living by farming, and the village chief was a simple and honest old man.
Seeing that Li Chengfeng was a scholar, the village chief immediately said respectfully, "This scholar, are you here seeking lodging?"
Li Chengfeng shook his head and explained his purpose: "Village chief, I want to teach and educate people here."
Hearing this, the village chief shook his head with some difficulty: "Of course, you're welcome, but our village is too poor to afford your teaching fees.
After paying the rent and the landlord's dues at the end of the year, there's basically nothing left."
Li Chengfeng said with a smile: "I don't want money, just enough food to eat, a place to live, and enough clothes to keep warm."
The village chief immediately nodded upon hearing this: "Really? That's great!"
He was so excited that his beard trembled, and he immediately called a village meeting to welcome the teacher, Li Chengfeng, to settle in the village.
The villagers were also very happy, and they immediately cleaned up the dilapidated village school again for Li Chengfeng to use.
More than a dozen children curiously sized up Li Chengfeng.
They were all simple and honest, and not very old, the oldest only fourteen or fifteen years old, and the youngest only five or six.
Li Chengfeng smiled and said to them: "From today onwards, you will all learn to read with me.
In the future, you can study and take the imperial examinations, cultivate and become immortals; even if you don't want to cultivate, being a bookkeeper is much better than farming."
The children immediately said respectfully upon hearing this: "Thank you, teacher!"
This was an opportunity to change their fate, and they secretly resolved to study hard.
Li Chengfeng knelt down on the simple platform to show respect for education, and then helped the children, who were kneeling on the ground, up one by one.
He began the first lesson of the day, which was to teach them to write their own names.
These children didn't really want to study in their hearts.
They would rather play outside or help with household chores than deal with words.
The characters they wrote were crooked and twisted, like mischievous little elves jumping around randomly on the paper.
But Li Chengfeng was very patient.
While teaching them to write, he also gained insights into the lives of ordinary people.
If he used Daoist magic, these children could immediately finish reading all the books, and he wouldn't need to explain them to them again and again.
But now, he had to seriously explain them to them, explaining the meaning of each word in detail.
As he understood and explained the words, a special artistic conception flowed through his heart.
Although he was now an ordinary person, he felt a different kind of feeling.
He realized that these fonts, these words, were all inheritance, all civilization.
Although these children may not be able to cultivate, as long as they learn the characters well, they can make a living and have a better future.
Therefore, Li Chengfeng not only lectured attentively in class, but also assigned homework to the children after class to help them consolidate what they had learned.
At the same time, he opened up a field in the backyard and planted some vegetables to be self-sufficient.
After all, the people here were not wealthy, and he hoped to do his part to reduce their burden.
Here, Li Chengfeng taught while studying the Confucian cultivation method.
He read it over and over again, savoring the deep meaning within.
He had been here for a month and had read it three hundred times.
Words are like this; reading it once doesn't reveal its meaning at all, it needs to be chewed repeatedly to comprehend its true essence.
As Li Chengfeng studied it day after day, the yellowed book seemed to be endowed with life, the words on it leaping like flames, and then slowly drifting from the pages, gathering in the air into a dazzling rain of words.
Under the moonlight, Li Chengfeng's eyes were bright, and the shock in his heart was indescribable, but he forced himself to calm down, not allowing this surprise to interrupt his cultivation.
This ancient book was called "The Art of Destiny," and it discussed the destiny of people.
Its specific author could not be traced, but when Li Chengfeng was immersed in it, not understanding its meaning, the floating words actually arranged themselves to form a striking character for "Destiny."
This "Destiny" did not refer to fate, but rather emphasized human destiny—that is, individuals changing their predetermined fate and going against the heavens through their own efforts.
The book elaborated in detail on the two sides of destiny: the art of heavenly destiny and the art of human destiny, the former concerning changing the fate of others, and the latter focusing on rewriting one's own destiny.
Confucianism has always been keen on exploring reincarnation, destiny, and other profound theories, but few have succeeded.
This "Art of Destiny" that Li Chengfeng obtained was obviously the painstaking work of a great Confucian scholar, but unfortunately, he died before he could complete it, and his wisdom and insights could only be passed down in fragments to inspire future generations.
Li Chengfeng abandoned his past knowledge and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the study of Confucianism.
He did not pursue the unification of all laws, but inadvertently comprehended this cultivation method—the Lesser Art of Destiny.
This Lesser Art of Destiny was exactly what the great Confucian scholar created with all his efforts.
Although he had successfully written it, he regrettably passed away before he could perfect it and transmit it to a jade scroll.
For hundreds of thousands of years after that, this cultivation method traveled to many places, eventually falling into the hands of the old Daoist, and then passed on to Li Chengfeng by Daoist Evening Glow.
In the process of reading "The Art of Destiny," although Li Chengfeng gained some insights, he initially felt that these insights were of little use.
After all, for cultivating introductory cultivation methods, it's like a blank sheet of paper, which needs to be pure and flawless.
And cultivating the "Lesser Art of Destiny" is even more so, requiring maintaining a blank state of mind.
The great Confucian scholar at the time also cultivated a wide range of things, and relied on his own insights and the true meaning of destiny, experiencing a lifetime of ups and downs, before writing this "Lesser Art of Destiny."
The calligraphy in the book was all the great Confucian scholar's insights and thoughts, but there were no real cultivation results.
Therefore, rather than calling it a cultivation method, it was more like a semi-finished product.
Although there were some very wonderful descriptions of destiny in it, it could not truly achieve changing fate against the heavens.
However, Li Chengfeng suddenly gained enlightenment.
Confucianism is like this; once you have an enlightenment one day, then you will enter the Dao.
There are various poems and songs of great Confucian scholars in Confucianism, but what Li Chengfeng comprehended was the Tree of Destiny and the "Lesser Art of Destiny."
This mortal world heart-refining actually allowed him to obtain the "Lesser Art of Destiny," which was something Li Chengfeng never dreamed of.
Destiny is indeed wonderful; when you give up everything, you may be doomed forever, or you may start over.
The Lesser Art of Destiny came from the Dao rhythm of destiny, flowing within his body, allowing Li Chengfeng to feel unprecedented power and mystery.