章 54: Heated Debates and Wisdom Sharing
"Very well... Out of respect for King Guo, I shall entertain your curiosities for a bit. What is your first question?"
Mo Yangling gave the group of old men in front of him a confident smile. His wild hair rested firmly against the back of the cushioned chair provided to him, whilst his palms gripped the armrests.
He was as relaxed as could be. Even if he was not a scholar and not all that accustomed to debates, he also trusted that he would win no matter what. Why?
Because he wasn't alone. Behind him stood the giants of his world, the knowledge of all the books and poems he had read nestled within his soul.
The gathering of Scholars was not just facing a lone monk, but a man carrying the legacy of an entire world.
Even if the Monk couldn't remember every writing and every aspect or concept that philosophers of past times had debated, he still vividly remembered most texts that he had read.
For all his flaws, the Monk's memory was impeccable. No matter how many staves or punches to the head he took, that fact had not changed at all throughout his life.
Currently, his mind was clearer than ever, he felt as if he could easily go back in his memory as if going back in time and re-reading something for the first time.
'Amitabha... This is not going to be much of a debate, but a show of intellectual force.'
Off to the side, the Third Princess, Guo Cuifen, was seemingly quite excited to see him. She looked almost giddy actually.
Her father gave her a sideways glance, before shaking his head and turning back towards the Monk.
'This daughter of mine has some odd ideas... Maybe I should encourage this? For all of his oddities, Sage Mo has proven to be both wise and powerful... Certainly a good match for my daughter, some would say he's too good a match even...'
By that point, the Monk marrying the princess of a kingdom could be seen as 'Marrying Down' in the hierarchy, as someone of his talent and intelligence could easily have any woman he wanted.
Of course, that would only apply if he managed to convince the Scholars in that Grand Room that he was indeed worthy of the title he had been bestowed.
'For both our sakes, I hope that you do not embarrass yourself here, Mo Yangling. Otherwise, I won't be able to forgive your earlier transgression...'
And King Guo knew that the Monk wouldn't be given an easy time. He had managed to antagonize all the scholars in the room with his tardiness. The forces behind the Scholars made sure that the best-suited men were sent over...
Their intentions were pretty clear. Demolish any notion that Mo Yangling could be considered a sage of any kind.
"I shall ask the first question..." Cai Qing was the first to step out, his long white beard and white robes swaying slightly as he stepped forward.
He looked like the quintessential scholarly old man, even carrying around a large brush, which was said to be his main weapon as a cultivator.
"It is claimed that you have mastered the concept of impermanence, but how could one so young master such a concept, when having seen so little of life and death?"
Right off the bat, the Caizhi Kingdom's scholar went in for the kill, wanting to discredit the very basis of Mo Yangling's title.
There was no pussyfooting around to be found, and all of the scholars seemed to whisper among themselves and nod at the question asked, awaiting an answer.
"Your lack of imagination shows right on the first question.
At the end of the day, this concept can be understood just by witnessing the change of seasons, from summer to autumn.
All you have to do is go outside once per season. Open your eyes, and you should see flowers bloom, and flowers fall. It is as simple as that."
The Monk responded with the same confident smile as before as he remembered quite a few old sayings from back in his world that could have fit.
Cai Qing seemed to be taken aback by Mo Yangling's answer and just how pointed it truly was. Not only that, but he was completely right in his words.
"W-well, I cannot argue with you. You proposed a very creative way to observe this phenomenon. But to claim that you fully understand a Universal Law at your age... It's still preposterous."
The white-bearded scholar still decided to emphasize his point of the Monk being too young. He clearly had some sort of strategy in mind, and he clearly expected a different kind of answer from the young sage.
Unfortunately, Mo Yangling wasn't deterred by his way of questioning. He didn't even care in fact. He responded from his own understanding.
"Universal law does not discriminate based on age, and one's comprehensive capabilities and mindset are the only real limiting factors in understanding one."
Cai Qing blinked a few times, clearly not expecting that response either. He had wanted the Monk to get defensive about his age, as one would expect.
Unfortunately, the Sage in front of him was not exactly concerned about his apparent youth. He had lived plenty in both of his lives to not consider himself a young man still.
"Any other questions?" The monk asked as he looked around the room, the Scholars all seemed to be quite taken aback, much like their representative.
Who could blame them? They were expecting to see a child fumble about with pre-written talking points prepared by the Guozhi Kingdom. Instead, he stood there, proudly with his hands resting by his sides, and his neck craned to the side.
"I shall ask next!" Another older man raised his hand from the crowd. A rather fat and short man, with a large nose and thick beard and moustache covering most of his face.
He did not introduce himself, nor did Mo Yangling care for his name. But his question was at least more interesting than the last...
"You seem to understand impermanence quite well... What is your view on life as a whole then? What would you say is the meaning of life if everything is truly impermanent?"
The age-old question. The meaning of life. It was something that alluded to humanity for as long as it had existed.
After all, it was a lot more reassuring to theorize on a possible meaning to life, than coming to terms with the fact that they were all likely nothing more than a mutation.
Of course, the Monk was not one to deny the belief in a higher power either. The thought was both reassuring and a possibility seeing as how he had ended up in a completely different world after death.
He could see both ends of the spectrum and could understand the widely differing views on the topic. And as for their relation to impermanence...
"To look for meaning in life is to look for a specific raindrop during a thunderstorm. Even when looking at the world with impermanence in mind, that fact still holds true.
The fragility of life can make it more memorable, and make everything mean more to you in the moment. But it can also take away meaning from your future, for you know it is all bound to turn to dust.
The true question here is... Is a lack of meaning really such a bad thing? And the real answer is that, once again, the answer depends on your mindset."
The Monk smiled as he remembered the shared amount of literature he had read regarding the matter.
Positive Nihilism. The prospect of understanding that life held no greater purpose, whilst also enjoying it all the more for it.
It was a concept that had greatly intrigued the Monk back in his training days.
And now, it seemed to be intriguing the many scholars present as well, they all looked at each other with shocked gazes, and murmurs were stilled as they all turned towards Mo Yangling.
"C-can you elaborate a bit on the last part? I'd like to hear more of your perspective..." The fat old man who had initially asked the question had also lost all hostility in his tone, his gaze turned into that of hunger.
He, much like most other Scholars there, wanted to know more. He wanted to hear more from the Monk's mouth.
"Amitabha, to put it simply... Man's entire life is an ongoing search for meaning, and this search is where both his greatness and his despair lie.
To end things on a more positive note though... There's a saying that my teacher used a lot during his time.
There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way."
The scholars stood aghast at the sheer wisdom rolling off the tongue of the young man in front of them.
Of course, they had no way of knowing just how many philosophers and great men of his world the Monk was quoting.
To them, it was all knowledge and understanding they had not heard of in that form. It felt fresh, it felt new.
And suddenly, they no longer felt like they were looking at a young poser on stage, but rather, a wise man. One much greater than all of them individually.
Even the likes of Cai Qing had their minds changed. The old scholar had come into the gathering fully looking to tear down the notion that Mo Yangling was a Sage.
But currently, he stared slack-jawed at the young man on stage, who clearly showcased his mastery and knowledge.
'This... This may truly be a learning experience for all of us then...' Cai Qing was, at the end of the day, a scholar first, and a member of the Cai Royal Family second.
Like with most Scholars present, the pursuit of knowledge stood above everything else.
Eventually, the next old man raised his hand, like a young student wanting to have his question answered as well.
The monk just nodded at him to go on, realizing that he had captured the audience properly already.
"I also have a question... Since you understand impermanence, what is your view on immortality? It is, after all, the primary goal for cultivators worldwide..."
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Heyy, sorry for yesterday! I both got sick(still am), and had more work on my hands than usual at my day job. Anyhow, hope this double upload makes up for it ;)
If you want to support me and read up Chapter 79 you can find me on Patr_eon by looking up 'VeganMaster'
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