Chapter 45: Following the Procedure Directly
Chapter 45: Simply Follow the Procedure
“Afterwards, I only stayed in the Taoist temple for half a month. I had just reached the stage where my writing reflected my character and I successfully entered meditation when the old Taoist said that our fate had come to an end. Whether we would meet again depended entirely on destiny.”
“Then, before leaving, he even tapped me once. When I came to, I had already left the virtual realm, and I found that I had acquired a scripture called The Classic of Constant Purity by the Supreme Lord Laozi.”
At this point, Qu Wu took out a scripture from his bosom.
Glancing at the scripture, even though Bear Yan only caught it out of the corner of his eye, he clearly sensed Qu Wu’s nervousness—he was obviously afraid Bear Yan might seize the scripture for himself!
Thinking this, Bear Yan shook his head and said, “Since this item ended up in your hands, it is because fate has bound it to you.”
“Don’t worry that we would snatch your opportunity. The reputation of Great Xia is far beyond what a single scripture can compare to.”
“This is the Supreme Lord Laozi, after all. Director, aren’t you tempted? The old Taoist said before leaving that it could be shown to others, and if one is destined, it might even enhance their wisdom.”
“No need to test us. There really is no need. I understand your caution and your current feelings. I can only say that once you get used to it, you will naturally trust us,” Chu Xuan looked at Qu Wu’s transparent trial and shook his head.
Bear Yan, however, took a different approach and reassured Qu Wu.
“This scripture is undoubtedly valuable, but it’s not the best!”
“I once explained in a general treatise that the virtual realm divides into two categories. One is the True Realm, evolved based on reality; the other is the Profound Realm, evolved from myths, legends, and fantasy stories.”
“If it is rooted in reality, then this scripture was likely authored by Ge Xuan, who wrote it under the pseudonym of the Supreme Lord Laozi. Ge Xuan, in the real world, was ultimately just a virtuous Taoist.”
Bear Yan left the rest unsaid, but Qu Wu understood.
In the real world, when have Taoists ever been the ultimate authority?
In reality, the emperor comes first!
The emperor himself is the greatest!
Fuxi, Nüwa, Yan Emperor, and Huangdi stand as the foremost figures on the reality side.
As for who among these four is the strongest, even in the future it remains a private debate, with no official consensus.
Next come the legendary ancestors with mythological hues: Suiren, Chaoshi, Ziyi, the Five Emperors, Yu the Great, and the First Emperor, all in that order.
Following them are the great emperors of history—Liu Bang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Li II, Emperor Zhao Da—and the most outstanding scholars like Laozi, Confucius, Sun Tzu, who form the third tier.
As for Ge Hong, in the realm of reality, he doesn’t even rank in the fourth tier!
Taoists, after all, are outsiders.
No matter how powerful, their influence in the real world is extremely limited.
In the True Realm, no matter how you look at it, Taoists aren’t the top dog!
“If this scripture comes from the fantasy side, then its author should be the Supreme Lord Laozi himself. It was said that during his westward journey, the Supreme Lord Laozi passed by Mount Kunlun and recited it to the Queen Mother of the West, who then passed it to the Emperor of the Golden Palace, who passed it to the Emperor of the Eastern Flower, who then passed it to Ge Xuan, who finally wrote down this scripture.”
If the Supreme Lord Laozi’s original lecture was genuine and fully effective, how much of that effect remains when the Queen Mother of the West retells it?
When the Emperor of the Golden Palace retells it, how much efficacy is lost?
Not to mention when the Emperor of the Eastern Flower retells it again!
And finally, Ge Xuan put the scripture into written form.
So, how much of the Supreme Lord Laozi’s true intent remains in this written version is a question in itself.
Of course, such blunt truths aren’t suitable for straightforward people like Bear Yan, so it fell to the toolman Chu Xuan to step in.
“According to myths and legends, the Queen Mother of the West ranks just below Haotian, Taiyi, and the Jade Emperor among the top gods and immortals.”
“Even if the Supreme Lord Laozi returned to his origin and became the highest of the Three Pure Ones—and this version of the Supreme Lord is the foremost of the Three Pure Ones—he still was never the top deity on the fantasy side.”
“Throughout history, who besides Taoists have acknowledged the Three Pure Ones as the supreme gods? Do monks acknowledge it? Do Confucian scholars acknowledge it? Do the common people acknowledge it? Go ask your parents if they recognize the Three Pure Ones as the highest gods, or believe they can be equated with the Heavenly Lord.”
“As for the rest, don’t be fooled by Taoist scriptures—they’re just bragging. It’s the Taoists boasting. If you want, you can create gods by boasting, but no one will acknowledge your tales.”
Hearing Chu Xuan’s straightforward words, Bear Yan couldn’t help but look up at the sky, but after a long wait, no lightning bolt suddenly struck Chu Xuan down.
“As long as it’s not the top, as long as it’s not the most valuable and effective treasure, it’s not worth Great Xia shamelessly snatching it yourself. Understood?”
“Understood!” Qu Wu nodded repeatedly.
In short, though the Classic of Constant Purity is famous and powerful, it’s really just that.
On the reality side, it can’t compare to The Art of War, The Analects, Tao Te Ching, the Book of Changes, or Zhuangzi...
On the fantasy side, after being retold by the Queen Mother of the West, the Emperor of the Golden Palace, and the Emperor of the Eastern Flower, how much of the Supreme Lord Laozi’s original meaning remains in Ge Xuan’s written Classic of Constant Purity is still questionable.
“Besides, I have also awakened a talent,” Qu Wu said.
Hearing this, Bear Yan straightened up and grew more serious.
“I was a teacher before, a volunteer teacher. So my talent is related to that.”
“I can transmit the knowledge I possess completely to others, allowing them to grasp it to the exact same degree the moment they receive it.”
“Moreover, I can actively adjust their proficiency with the knowledge. The closer their proficiency is to mine, the greater the energy consumed.”
“Can you transmit to multiple people at once, or is it one-on-one? How much energy does it consume?” Chu Xuan asked calmly.
“It can be one-to-many. I once quietly transmitted my understanding of fractions—fifth-grade elementary math—to my students at a level of 60%. They all mastered it, but I collapsed on the spot and had to drink bone broth for three days straight to recover.”
Only three days?
Giving knowledge to dozens of people at once and only collapsing for three days before recovering?
“We need talents like you in the Administration Department!”
“Our Research Institute also lacks talents like you!”
“His talent fits the Administration Department better. In the short term, he can cultivate a large number of qualified teachers with extraordinary knowledge. In the future, he can also serve as a master transmitter, which suits the Administration Department well,” Chu Xuan said earnestly, looking at Bear Yan.
After speaking, he deliberately scratched his head in front of Bear Yan, and a few strands of hair appeared on his hand.
For the sake of those few hairs, Bear Yan didn’t continue to argue with Chu Xuan—after all, you get back what you put in.
“No conflict. The Administration Department and the Research Institute are truly brother units. You could join the Administration Department and still have a nominal position in the Research Institute; it won’t interfere.”
A moment later, after Qu Wu had fully departed, Bear Yan said seriously, “Qu Wu is just the beginning. How to deal with these ancient sages, how to manage the relationship between these sages and our contemporary Great Xia, is an important subject. You must be fully aware!”
“Sages? What if we encounter unworthy ones?” Chu Xuan asked.
“Unworthy ones don’t qualify as sages and don’t deserve respect. Just follow Great Xia’s laws and proceed according to protocol!”
The status of the Three Pure Ones is like something out of a web novel—excessively exalted.
At some unknown point, whenever the Three Pure Ones appear, they are automatically the top tier, naturally surpassing Fuxi, Nüwa, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and other ancestors.
But in folk mythology, the Three Pure Ones’ position and strength have always been moderate. They were never supreme gods, except in stories written and boasted by Taoists themselves.
(End of chapter)