The sunset slanted, casting a golden glow like blood, and the bustling city of Bo Le gradually quieted down.
Cao He, a “junior scholar,” finished his dinner, sat in quiet for a while, and then rose to leave as dusk approached, his steps hurried.
Once outside, he quickly glanced left and right, ensuring nothing was amiss before abruptly quickening his pace, turning into a nearby alley, occasionally lowering his head to avoid attention.
After circling the area thoroughly and changing directions several times, he finally pushed open the door of a large house and stepped into the hall, bowing his back and lightening his steps, careful not to disturb others or break the solemn atmosphere inside.
Such caution was not only to avoid becoming a target but also an instinctive gesture of respect, as the teachings of Master Su and others naturally commanded admiration.
Inside the hall, mats were laid out, and kneeling sat people of various backgrounds—scholars, retainers, wandering martial artists, and commoners. Despite their differing statuses, all were equally focused, exuding a faint sense of reverence.
At the head of the hall, Meng Qi was delivering today’s lecture on the theme of “mutual love and mutual benefit.”
“Heaven and Earth are impartial, treating all things as straw dogs—not out of cruelty or malice, but simply without special affection, treating everything equally,” Meng Qi, striving to refine the concept of “universal love,” even borrowed phrases from the yet-to-be-written Dao De Jing in this world.
“Heaven and Earth are impartial, treating all things as straw dogs—not out of special affection…” As a scholar, Cao He savored this sentence carefully, finding it increasingly profound. It was simple yet directly pointed to the essence of Heaven and Earth!
Master Su is truly a man of great talent, not only insightful into worldly affairs and aware of the accumulated ills of society, but also capable of perceiving the Dao of Heaven… Cao He quietly sat down, careful not to make a sound.
He noticed that the innermost circle included powerful figures like Zhao Bai and Wang Qi, along with a dozen solemn-faced martial artists and scholars, and nodded inwardly—these were the “Mohists” who followed the masters?
“And in today’s world, the noble oppress the humble, the rich humiliate the poor, and the strong bully the weak. Is this the way of impartiality? This violates the will of Heaven and will be punished by ghosts and spirits. After death, one cannot ascend to Heaven. Therefore, everyone must harbor compassion and mercy—not only loving oneself, but also loving others universally…” Meng Qi forced his way to this conclusion before adding, “Moreover, among the nobles and feudal lords, there are many whose ancestors became gods or immortals during the war against King Zhou. Before that, they were commoners—some gained opportunities, received great teachings, consumed immortal pills, or earned the rewards of spirits and deities. Are gods, immortals, kings, and nobles born of a special lineage?”
“Are gods, immortals, kings, and nobles born of a special lineage?” Cao He and others were stunned, feeling both fear and exhilaration, as if struck by thunder.
Meng Qi stopped at that point and continued, “As long as one diligently studies and practices, acting for the benefit of all, one will eventually be rewarded by spirits and deities, becoming a god or immortal, a king or noble. Destiny lies in human hands, not predetermined. This is ‘non-fate.'”
This inspired all present. Among Master Su’s “Ten Words of Truth,” the one they loved most and wished to hear was “non-fate,” which was closely tied to the concepts of Heaven’s will and the clarity of ghosts, forming a cohesive system. It was the foundation of valuing the worthy and seeking unity, and the premise of universal love and non-aggression.
Meng Qi appeared composed and confident as he spoke, but inwardly, he was trembling. The noble families in this world were too powerful, connected even to immortals and gods. For now, they could not be confronted directly, so the teachings had to be carefully restructured—not directly attacking them, yet remaining consistent and self-contained. It was truly difficult.
Just now, for instance, Meng Qi had argued that gods, immortals, kings, and nobles were not born of a special lineage, using this to support the idea of universal love. Yet, he also affirmed the efforts of the ancestors of the nobles, acknowledging them as descendants of immortals and divine beings, thus accepting their legitimacy and temporarily superior status, merely revealing the “path to advancement.”
He straightened his expression and continued, “Seeking benefit and avoiding harm is a natural instinct of human beings, nothing to be ashamed of. However, in our interactions, we must uphold the principle of universal love, conducting ourselves in ways that benefit both parties. Only when both benefit can universal love endure…”
Meng Qi spoke slowly, yet Cao He and others felt their ears could not keep up, as each word was profound and thought-provoking. But if they paused to contemplate, they might miss the next sentence, as if they wished they had ten heads to listen with!
As midnight approached, Meng Qi lightly tapped the nearby bell:
“That concludes today’s session.”
Cao He and others quickly rose, bowing in gratitude and respectfully bidding farewell to Master Su. They felt their hearts were full, their spirits enriched, having gained something unprecedented and experiencing an unparalleled sense of joy.
Just as Cao He was about to leave, he suddenly noticed someone standing in a nearby corner. His pupils constricted, and his body instinctively wanted to hide.
But the other person had already seen him and smiled, approaching. “Brother Cao also came to listen to Master Su’s teachings?”
Cao He forced a smile. “Didn’t expect to meet Master Zhou here.”
This was Zhou Xin, the strategist of Lord Bo Le. How could he appear here?
Zhou Xin chuckled. “Master Su is a man of vast knowledge, whose teachings are profound and insightful. How could I not come to listen?”
“Besides, I myself am also from a common background, and I genuinely agree with Master Su’s words.”
After a brief exchange, Cao He politely took his leave, while Zhou Xin, after departing from Zhao’s mansion, headed directly to Lord Bo Le’s residence.
Agreeing was one thing, but supporting was another.
Lord Bo Le paced slowly with his hands behind his back, while Zhou Xin recounted the Mohist doctrines he had heard over the past few days.
When Zhou Xin described the concept of “Shang Tong”—aligning actions and views with superiors who followed Heaven’s will—Lord Bo Le couldn’t help but exclaim, “Excellent! These people indeed possess great talent. The ideas of Heaven’s will, clarity of ghosts, valuing the worthy, and seeking unity all address current societal ills. I even feel inclined to forgo building a tomb and instead seek ascension after death. In ancient times, my ancestors gained great merit and were deified in their physical forms. With such resources, why not pursue greater ambitions?”
However, when Zhou Xin recounted the teachings of universal love and “non-fate,” Lord Bo Le’s expression darkened slightly. He mused inwardly, “They are still too idealistic. Human hearts are complex, desires endless, and selfishness ever-present. How can those in power possibly love universally? This must be constrained by the clarity of ghosts, yet even ghosts and spirits have their own biases! Moreover, it has been many years since any immortals or gods descended…”
“Still, to attract talent, gather people, and enrich my territory, pretending to embrace universal love is not out of the question, just as I now appear to value scholars and show them respect.”
He nodded slightly, signaling Zhou Xin to continue.
“Love others universally, and do not wage unjust wars for personal gain, causing suffering to the people…” As Zhou Xin spoke, he stole glances at Lord Bo Le.
As expected, Lord Bo Le’s expression changed slightly, and he said sternly, “Absurd! Arrogant and unrealistic! If we do not attack other nations, seizing their people, land, and treasures, how can we grow stronger? And if we do not grow stronger, in a world where other nations are growing stronger, can mere ‘defense’ truly protect us? Naive and foolish! Tomorrow, go ask them—can they really make all the feudal lords universally love and refrain from aggression?”
This was an ideal impossible to realize!
“Yes, my lord.” Zhou Xin was prepared and remained calm.
…
The next day, at Zhao Bai’s mansion, Zhao Heng delivered a lecture.
When the question-answering phase began, Zhou Xin immediately stood up and repeated Lord Bo Le’s question, concluding with, “I humbly request Master Zhao to resolve my doubts.”
This question also made Zhao Bai, Bai Song, and others grow serious. Indeed, relying solely on universal love and non-aggression could not ensure survival unless everyone was converted. In a world where others were growing stronger through conquest and plunder, their own position was precarious.
Zhao Heng furrowed his brow. This was the key point where he lacked confidence in the Mohist doctrines. As for the other teachings, as long as they were tied to gaining support, forming factions, and attracting talents, any ambitious and rational feudal lord or noble would at least pretend to follow them, performing the necessary actions for three months—just enough to complete a mission.
It seems this can only work in small states… he mused inwardly.
Seeing his silence, Zhou Xin repeated, “I humbly request Master Zhao to resolve my doubts.”
Zhao Heng racked his brain, struggling to find an answer. Just as he was about to secretly signal Meng Qi, the four people listening behind the screen already had the answer.
Meng Qi stood up, stepped forward, and declared loudly, “Non-aggression does not mean avoiding war altogether, but rather avoiding unjust wars and not causing suffering to the people for personal gain. It is justified to punish and attack!”
“Promoting the benefit of all and eliminating harm is precisely ‘punishment’ and ‘attack.’ Thus, in ancient times, when King Zhou ruled unjustly, King Wu punished him for the people’s sake, which was also ‘non-aggression.'”
“In today’s world, the feuding feudal lords are the source of chaos. If a wise ruler takes it upon himself to unify the world, eliminating all states, standardizing writing and chariot tracks, ending the chaos, and bringing peace to the world, would that not be ‘righteous’?”
Thus, the Mohist doctrines ultimately adapted to the present world of Fengshen!
Eliminating all states and unifying the world—would that not be ‘righteous’? Zhou Xin felt his mind ringing, unable to hear anything else. He left Zhao Bai’s mansion in a daze, unaware of how he had paid respects to Lord Bo Le.
In today’s world, no one had ever harbored the ambition to unify the world!
No, rather, since the establishment of states, the feudal division of lords had always been “the natural order of Heaven!”
Lord Bo Le held a bronze wine cup in his hand. Upon hearing Zhou Xin’s words, his eyes widened, his breath quickened, and his hands loosened, letting the cup fall to the ground with a clang.
Eliminating all states, unifying the world, standardizing writing and chariot tracks?
Suddenly, he felt a surge of excitement. Even though he had always harbored lofty ambitions, he had only ever thought of gathering retainers and waiting for opportunities to become a hegemon, like the previous “Six Hegemons,” or even replacing the Zhou royal family to become the Son of Heaven. But he had never imagined eliminating all states and becoming the true unifier of the world.
Because it had never been done before!
Taking a deep breath, he suddenly felt an inexplicable fear and his expression hardened. “Tomorrow, ask them to leave Bo Le immediately. No delays!”
He was still merely Lord Bo Le, not the ruler of the Han Kingdom. Even as the ruler of Han, such words would make him an enemy of the world!
Zhou Xin hesitated but, seeing his lord’s firm stance, dared not ask further and hastily withdrew.
In the now-quiet room, Lord Bo Le pondered for a long time before suddenly rising and addressing the air. “They have been inquiring about the affairs of the surrounding states these past days. They must have plans to go elsewhere, which is why they dared to speak so boldly…”
“These talents cannot be used by me, nor can they be allowed to serve others!”
His tone turned cold, hinting at murder. “I am Lord Bo Le, known for valuing scholars. I cannot act openly in this matter. Go to the Xiao Qian Cave on Yu Xu Mountain and ask them to handle it!”
“Yes, my lord.” A deep, hoarse voice suddenly answered in the empty room.
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