Chapter Thirty-One: The Confucian Prime Minister!

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In a fleeting moment, from life to death, from prosperity to decay, a green leaf transformed into a fairy, then a flowering tree, then fruit, and finally back into a small paper figurine!
This technique was merely the "Transformation Method" from the General Compendium of Divine Talismans. Yang Nan had performed a minor trick, yet it left Fang Xuan spellbound. He stood stunned for a long while before suddenly clapping his hands and shouting, "What a marvelous skill! This fairy looked so real! Brother-in-law, transform another one for me to see!"
Seeing the child-like nature of his brother-in-law, Yang Nan was not surprised. "If you wish to learn, Ah Xuan, I will teach you another day. This Talisman Sect technique is but a small path and not to be taken too seriously."
Fang Qingyan, seeing her husband had a knack for coaxing children, covered her mouth and giggled. Nearby, Fang Da and Lady Yuan, seeing their son-in-law possess such magical means, could not help but smile in approval. Fang Xuan, hearing that Yang Nan was willing to teach him, was overjoyed. "Thank you, brother-in-law! I will certainly study with all my heart."
Fang Qingyan lovingly took his hand and said, "Brother Xuan, do not be presumptuous. Your brother-in-law’s learning is the orthodox path of the Military Sect. If you wish to study the Dao, you should follow the path of the Military Sect. Your brother-in-law is not even proficient in this Talisman Sect path; why would you want to learn that?"
Yang Nan had achieved the rank of Master in three years and Grandmaster in ten. Throughout the world, how many could compare? In Fang Qingyan’s heart, her husband was the most outstanding practitioner of the Daoist schools. If her younger brother were to study the Dao, could he truly go to study talisman arts instead of the Military Sect?
"Sister, I just thought it was fun. If I really went to study the Dao, Father would scold me to death, wouldn't he?" Fang Xuan was merely curious about the miraculous arts of the immortals. To truly abandon his home and family to study the Dao was not something an ordinary person could easily do.
Worldly wealth can be discarded, but the path of the immortals is forever hard to attain. If Fang Xuan truly wished to study the Dao, neither Fang Da nor Lady Yuan would oppose it. With Daoist arts at his disposal, worldly riches would be within easy reach; who would still care about the title of a Marquis?
"Ah Xuan, come here." Yang Nan called Fang Xuan to him and rolled up his sleeve. He saw that there was indeed an unusual mark on his wrist—not a sign of the Daoist arts, but a cloud-shaped imprint. By now, Yang Nan understood the classification of innate talent: the Military Sect focused on the "Military Aspect," emphasizing sharpness; the Dharma Sect focused on the "Daoist Aspect," emphasizing spiritual roots; and the Confucian Sect focused on the "Qi Aspect," emphasizing balance and composure.
The mark on Fang Xuan’s hand was neither Military nor Dharma; it was the rare "Confucian Aspect"! The Confucian Sect originally has no fixed aspect, but those who possess this mark can make progress in Confucian studies with incredible speed. It is common for child prodigies to study for ten years and become masters of the literary world. The progress of the Confucian path is far beyond that of the Daoist or Buddhist schools, though it is unrelated to immortality, focusing instead on benefiting the world.
Had Yang Nan possessed this mark back then, he would not have been sent away from home overnight by the old patriarch. With this mark, becoming a Grandmaster of the Confucian school was only a matter of time!
Seeing the mark on Fang Xuan’s hand, Yang Nan’s heart stirred. He asked, "Ah Xuan, do you wish to cultivate the Dao to become an immortal, or do you wish to benefit all living beings?"
A man’s ambition changes in a thousand ways. Not everyone wants to become an immortal, nor is everyone obsessed with fame and fortune. Ambition determines a person’s eventual achievements!
Fang Xuan was startled. He shook his head and sighed, "The path to immortality is rugged. Since ancient times, how many have truly attained it? It is nothing more than living a few hundred years longer. Besides, a man living in this world should harbor the intent to save it. Even if it means killing for the country like Father, protecting the borders and the people, that is the true path."
Hearing this, Yang Nan smiled. "Indeed! That Ah Xuan has such grand aspirations is truly a joy for both the Yang and Fang families."
Fang Da asked in surprise, "Son-in-law, what do you mean by that?" He had seen Yang Nan examining his son’s wrist for a long time and was genuinely nervous. If his only son were to truly leave to study the Dao, he would be abandoning the family. Even if the path of the immortals was supreme, how could he not be attached to his kin?

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Yang Nan shook his head and smiled. "Father-in-law, the mark on Ah Xuan’s wrist is not a Daoist aspect, but a Confucian one. As long as Ah Xuan studies Confucianism, he will surely become a Grandmaster. He will be able to achieve the same miraculous transformations. Those with the Confucian aspect are all destined to become Confucian Grandmasters. Ah Xuan’s future achievements will surely not be below that of my grandfather!"
Fang Da and Lady Yuan were both shocked and overjoyed. What kind of person was the old Duke Yang Pu? He was one of the world’s three great Grandmasters, whose lifelong achievements were unparalleled!
Though Fang Xuan had been exceptionally clever since childhood, who could have imagined he had such destiny?
Fang Qingyan asked from the side, "Husband, Ah Xuan has studied hard under tutors since he was young. Why has there been no sign of anything miraculous?"
Yang Nan laughed. "Qingyan, reading and being a Confucian scholar are two different things. A Confucian Grandmaster can be well-read and possess peerless literary talent, but a reader is not necessarily a Confucian scholar. The Confucian arts are a study of 'Righteous Qi,' and their power can rival Daoist magic. My grandfather rarely used Confucian arts, but if this art is mastered, a hundred ghosts would retreat. If Ah Xuan can receive guidance from a Confucian master, he will surely succeed!"
A Confucian scholar resonates with the literary energy of the stars. A gifted child can write thousands of words at once, while a useless old scholar, even with a lifetime of study, is in vain!
Reading is not like cultivating the Dao; it does not require a lifetime of bitter toil. It depends on innate talent, not time!
Great Confucian scholars in this world often far surpass ordinary Grandmasters in their youth! Such things are frequently seen. With this discovery, Yang Nan was truly surprised and delighted—the thing he had been thinking about finally had a resolution!
Fang Xuan asked, surprised and delighted, "Brother-in-law, where does the miraculous power of Confucian arts lie? Why don't you demonstrate it for me to see?"
Fang Qingyan chided him with a smile, "You little monkey, asking your brother-in-law, a Daoist, to use Confucian arts? That’s like herding sheep on Nanshan and trying to shear them on Xishan!"
Asking a Daoist to practice Confucianism was indeed a difficult request for an ordinary person, but for Yang Nan, it was no problem at all.
Yang Nan smiled faintly. "Not necessarily. I have studied under my grandfather since I was young and have seen a bit of Confucian arts. Today, I will let you all see." He took out the "Scroll of the Sages," calm and collected, nurturing his "Haoran Qi" (Righteous Qi), and recited clearly: "The Sage says: Those who wish to cultivate themselves must first rectify their hearts; those who wish to rectify their hearts must first make their intentions sincere; those who wish to make their intentions sincere must first extend their knowledge; the extension of knowledge lies in the investigation of things."
As Yang Nan read, a golden light erupted from his body. In that instant, he seemed to transform from a Daoist of ethereal grace into a great Confucian scholar well-versed in poetry and books. His robes and cap fluttered, his sleeves billowing with literary grace. He looked every bit a disciple of the Sages!
In a trance, Yang Nan appeared as a scholar in pristine robes, filled with profound wisdom, glowing with golden light and awe-inspiring dignity!
That aura, which forced all evil to retreat, was grand and vast, like the rolling clouds of the horizon, stirring awe in the hearts of all!
The three members of the Fang family were stunned. Only then did they realize the difference between a reader and a Confucian scholar. The sheer force of this righteous, upright, and composed aura was enough to command respect!
A scholar is not necessarily a weakling who cannot even truss a chicken!
Yang Nan put away the scroll and smiled warmly at Fang Xuan. "Confucian arts are divided into 'Form Arts' and 'Heart Arts.' Brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting can all be used as Confucian tools. As long as one has Righteous Qi in their heart, combined with these arts, they can drive away demons and uphold the path with ease! In the past, my grandfather relied solely on the Righteous Qi in his chest and his proud character, without using any magic, to suppress the demons of the world. With him here, the demons never dared to run wild. Ah Xuan, do not look down on the Confucian school. The world’s righteousness lies in Confucianism. The Demon Sect fled overseas, and the Daoist and Buddhist sects are paths of seclusion. Only the Confucian school is the path that engages with the world. A man in this world should seek to benefit the common people. If you are willing to learn, I will pass this 'Scroll of the Sages' to you, to honor my grandfather’s dying wish."
Before Fang Xuan could answer, Fang Da looked shocked and said decisively, "Son-in-law, how can you be so reckless? This 'Scroll of the Sages' is one of the three holy objects of the Confucian school. How can you give it to Xuan'er so easily? This is a matter of great importance; it must not be done lightly."

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Fang Xuan did not understand the gravity of the situation, but how could Fang Da not know the weight of the scroll in Yang Nan’s hands? This was far more precious than any Source Crystal or Yin Spirit Iron!
There were only three Confucian holy objects left in the world, and every one of them was an incredibly powerful magical artifact!
Yang Nan smiled. "Father-in-law, rest assured. I am no longer a member of the Confucian school; I cultivate the Dao and seek only longevity. The position of Head of the Huyang Academy will eventually have to be passed to someone else. I had originally intended to find a Confucian student with natural literary talent to receive this scroll. Now that Ah Xuan has this innate aspect, the 'Scroll of the Sages' has found a rightful successor. Even my grandfather received it from the previous Confucian Grandmaster, didn't he?"
Confucian holy objects are not passed down through generations. A Grandmaster will only choose the person with the best Confucian aura to pass the scroll to; it cannot simply be passed to one's own descendants. If not for this, how could the three holy objects fulfill their purpose?
Worldly holy objects belong to those with virtue, and Yang Nan was merely keeping this scroll in custody. To give it to Fang Xuan now was keeping it within the family.
Fang Da pondered Yang Nan’s words for a moment and nodded. "Then it depends on Xuan'er’s future destiny!"
Yang Nan said warmly, "I will go to Qingming Mountain soon to find a Confucian master to teach Xuan'er. In a few years, Xuan'er will be the head of our Confucian Heart Sect. By assisting a wise monarch to unify the world, he will create a prosperous era! This is also an act of supreme merit. Ah Xuan, are you willing?"
Fang Xuan was overjoyed. "Brother-in-law, I am willing!" To become a Confucian Grandmaster and one of the world’s three great masters—who wouldn't want that? He had long since cast the previous Talisman Sect techniques to the back of his mind.
With the matter settled, Yang Nan had finally passed the test of his father-in-law and mother-in-law. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since Fang Da had not seen his daughter for eight years, they had much to talk about, and Yang Nan spent his days enjoying family life in Fang Qingyan’s company. With the eldest daughter of the Marquis returned, talented women, old friends, and famous scholars from Nanzhou came to visit one after another. Fang Qingyan was known as the "Miracle Doctor," and high-ranking officials also came seeking her help. The Marquis’s residence was bustling with activity. Yang Nan, finding it bothersome, hid in his room to begin refining the Source Crystal Yin Spirit Iron!
This Source Crystal Yin Spirit Iron was a divine object of heaven and earth, appearing like a block of ice crystal, shimmering with light and containing an endless supply of spiritual energy. Such divine iron was hard to come by unless by chance. Holding the small, exquisite piece of divine iron, Yang Nan sighed, "I truly don't know where my father-in-law obtained such a rare treasure. Even powerful cultivators rarely see such a thing. It is truly a timely gift for me; it is extremely precious!"
A giant spiritual vein takes ten million years to condense a single block of this iron, showing how vast its spiritual energy must be. Finding a quiet spot in the Marquis’s residence and ordering the Shrimp Commander to guard the door, Yang Nan summoned his Black Snake Dharma Weapon. The weapon instantly transformed into a black snake and swallowed the Source Crystal Yin Spirit Iron in one gulp.
Yang Nan projected his soul, merging it completely with the weapon, and began to operate the *True Explanation of the Rakshasa Yin Soldiers*, manifesting threads of magical power to envelop the divine iron. His power, like silk, continuously drew the powerful spiritual energy from the iron and infused it into the weapon. The black snake began to glow, growing and shrinking, looking highly eerie.
The method of refining a Dharma Weapon recorded in the *True Explanation of the Rakshasa Yin Soldiers* was truly miraculous; it could forcibly absorb spiritual objects into the weapon, and then slowly grind them down with the weapon’s own sharpness. Once the object was fully absorbed, the task would be complete.
Even so, after a month of refining, Yang Nan had only managed to absorb half of the Source Crystal Yin Spirit Iron. However, the black snake weapon had changed drastically—it had grown two front claws and two horns on its head, looking neither like a dragon nor a snake, appearing mysterious.
With the crescent moon like a hook and the black light like an arc, Yang Nan held the weapon in his hand and realized that the material and sharpness of the Divine-grade Yin-corroding blade were completely different from before. Controlling the weapon felt as natural as moving his own arm, and it was incredibly agile when executing techniques!
Such heaven-sent divine iron is rare indeed. How could he have expected his father-in-law to possess such a treasure?