The betting discussion before the Qing debate is over.

Zhao Rong returned to his seat with a stern face.

The little fox demon, who had just done what she thought was the most courageous thing in her life, followed Zhao Rong silently.

Su Xiaoxiao had a tense face. After taking another peek at Zhao Rong's expression, her eyes unconsciously narrowed slightly with a hint of smile in them. She coughed twice crisply.

Zhao Rong didn't turn around, but just kept walking forward.

"Zhao Rong, um...what is a furnace tripod?"

Zhao Rong turned his head suddenly, pursed his lips and stared at the little fox demon, silent.

Su Xiaoxiao pouted her lips, looked innocent, and stared at him.

Soon, Zhao Rong was defeated.

The young scholar frowned and said, "You really don't know?"

The little fox demon shook its head like a rattle.

Zhao Rong thought about it and found some words inconvenient to say, so he said sullenly: "It's a relationship closer than good friends."

Su Xiaoxiao blinked.

Zhao Rong couldn't bear it any longer, "Su Xiaoxiao, can you please stop doing these things that you think are for my own good?"

"Asking me to use my own friends as bets is the biggest insult to me, Zhao Ziyu!" Zhao Rong said seriously.

"Not friends, good friends," she corrected.

Zhao Rong nodded, "Yes, we are good friends... No, is there any difference? Can you grasp the key point of my words?"

"Yes, there is a difference." Her voice was weak, but her tone was firm.

Thinking of her willfulness and stubbornness just now, Zhao Rong took a deep breath, stared into her eyes, and said word by word, "This is just the first time, and it won't happen again."

However, seeing Su Xiaoxiao lowering her head, Zhao Rong's heart softened a little. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the little girl suddenly look up.

The two looked at each other.

"I know that disgusting bug has something you want, something you want very much, because... you just stared at him and ignored me, Zhao Rong, is it the imperial master's robe?"

"I sewed the clothes you liked this morning so that you no longer like them. I want to return one to you."

Zhao Rong didn't answer and sighed in his heart.

He was clearly planning to go gambling, but he got carried away and ended up getting this silly girl involved.

How could you be so stupid? But he still didn't say it.

"Xiaoxiao believes you can win!"

But the next second, the little fox demon suddenly looked scared and said timidly: "Zhao Rong, don't lose Xiao Xiao."

Zhao Rong narrowed his eyes, nodded and said nothing.

A bell rang, and the referee of the Confucian-Taoist debate, Mr. Liuyi, walked slowly onto the platform with a wine gourd on his waist.

Lin Wenruo walked up to Zhao Rong and stood beside him. Neither of them looked at each other, but instead cast their gazes at the group of people at Chongxu Temple opposite.

The young scholar looked cold and said, "I want him to die."

The tall scholar nodded, "Okay."

Then he continued, "But the premise is that the plan is successful, and we must win."

"Definitely." He said firmly.

This was the first time he was so serious since coming into this world.

…

"Both parties have agreed on the bet and have no objections. I hereby declare that today's Confucianism and Taoism debate officially begins. For the first round of the discussion, the Lanxi Lin family will select the candidates, and Chongxu Temple will set the questions."

On the high platform, Mr. Liuyi spoke loudly, and his voice instantly disturbed the smoke on the stage and echoed throughout the audience.

Under the stage, Chen Muzhi stood up, gently waving a black feather fan. After giving a smile to Zhao Rong and Lin Wenruo, he walked onto the stage in a dashing manner and spoke a few words to Mr. Liuyi.

Not long after, Qingjingzi heard the call from Mr. Liuyi, curled his lips, and stood up to go on stage.

Lan Yuqing and Qing Yuanzi, who were standing aside, smiled at each other.

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the stage, but the old man wearing a Nanhua scarf standing in front of the Taoist priests in Chongxu audience tilted his head to look at the scenery outside the lecture platform with an indifferent expression, gently turning a string of prayer beads in his hand.

At a certain moment, he raised his eyebrows slightly, turned his head to look at a young scholar who had been observing him, then turned his head back and ignored him.

When Zhao Rong saw that the mysterious old man had discovered him, he did not hide it and continued to follow his gaze to look outside the stage. The view in that direction was wide, and he could take in the scenery of the southern mountains of Zhongnan Mountain. The next moment, Zhao Rong raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips into a red line.

The two parties in the first conversation were Chen Muzhi and Qing Jingzi.

Before the conversation begins, both parties must announce their identities to each other. At this point, there is no need to hide anything.

Qingjingzi was the main party, and the topic he chose was "The Highest Good is Like Water" from the Tao Te Ching.

The argument held by Qing Jingzi is that "the highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without contention, and stays where people hate, so it is close to the Tao."

Therefore, as the guest party, Chen Muzhi had to question him and could only passively hold the opposite argument, that is, "the best is like water."

In this way, the advantages and disadvantages at the beginning are easy to see.

"The highest good is like water" is one of the core ideas of Taoism. Although Confucianism and Taoism have many disputes, they are surprisingly consistent in their views on water.

Zhao Rong had read many books written by sages and had seen many praises of water, all of which were in line with the Taoist principle of "the highest good is like water".

For example, "A wise man is like water, and water has Confucian spirit", "A gentleman must watch when he sees a big river"; "Water is the water to which a gentleman compares his virtue"

Even a certain Confucian sage's theory that "human nature is good" is another way of expressing "the highest good is like water."

The root of all this is that in a time so long ago that it is unknown, the sages' books recorded that the Confucian sage once met the Taoist master beside a big river, performed the disciple's etiquette, and listened to the Taoist master talk about water...

Therefore, Qingjingzi was indeed smart in choosing this topic for debate. After all, there are countless discussions about water in books, which can be easily used as evidence.

The debate begins.

After both sides made their arguments, Qing Jingzi held the rosary in his hand but did not turn it. He said in a deep voice: "When people are at the top, water is alone at the bottom; when people are at the easy place, water is alone at the dangerous place; when people are at the clean place, water is alone at the dirty place. When water is at the place that everyone hates, who would argue with it? This is why it is the highest good."

Chen Muzhi raised his chin slightly, gently waved his feather fan, and said leisurely: "Human nature is like a turbulent river. If it is released from the east, it will flow east, and if it is released from the west, it will flow west. Human nature is neither good nor bad, just like water is neither east nor west."

…

Although Chen Muzhi was at a disadvantage from the start because of his argument, Qing Jingzi lost in less than half a minute.

Zhao Rong and Lin Wenruo looked at Qingjingzi, who was speechless and dumbfounded by Chen Muzhi's argument on the stage, and smiled at each other.

Chen Muzhi adopted the Confucian style of debate, seized a loophole in Qingjingzi's argument, and used his spear to attack his shield.

Didn’t you say that “the highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without contending, and stays where people hate, so it is close to the Tao”? In other words, water actually has only one quality, which is “benefit”. It benefits all things.

Therefore, Chen Muzhi summarized the other party's point of view as "The highest good is like water, which seeks profit only."

However, water does not intentionally "benefit all things", it just flows according to its own laws, and as a result, it accidentally "benefited all things". It is precisely because of this carelessness that it has become what you call the highest good.

So water just goes with the flow.

Hence the contradiction.

If people want to be as virtuous as water, they must first be profit-seeking; then "not competing"; and then "staying in a place that people hate"; but these are all damaging their own interests for the sake of reputation, sacrificing themselves to please people, these are not going with the flow, but going against nature.

If water is called "the best", then these people can be called "the best evil".

Chen Muzhi seized a small loophole of the opponent and continued to expand it, pursuing him relentlessly and aggressively.

In fact, based on Zhao Rong's previous debate experience and the perspective of an observer, Chen Muzhi's logical reasoning had weaknesses and could not withstand excessive scrutiny. However, Qing Jingzi had no time to react to all of this on the stage and could only respond passively. He had already lost half of his momentum and was defeated in less than half a quarter of an hour.

The first round of discussion was won easily.

After Mr. Liuyi announced the winner, Chen Muzhi walked down the stage with a flushed face to the applause of the audience.

Zhao Rong and Lin Wenruo looked at each other and stepped forward to greet them with a smile.

Chen Muzhi took a few deep breaths and said in a calm tone, "Yu, I am glad I have fulfilled my mission."

Zhao Rong couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The first match was actually the part he was most worried about. He was worried that Chen Muzhi would become proud and underestimate his opponent. Now it seems that this did not happen, and everything is developing in a good direction.

According to the plan, the shrewd Lin Wenruo would take the stage in the second game, but he was not too worried about this. He was only afraid that the opponent would directly choose him as the "superior horse" in the second game, which would disrupt his plan.

Soon, the second round of discussion began.

The people are selected by Chongxu Temple, and the topics are selected by the Lin family of Lanxi.

The other side sent Qing Yuanzi, who had a very long beard on his chin, to the stage. After a moment, Mr. Liuyi slowly announced the name of the opponent chosen by Qing Yuanzi.

"Lin Wenruo."

Zhao Rong curled his lips slightly. The opponent really regarded him as a superior horse. In the second game, he chose Lin Wenruo. Everything was going according to plan!

During these days, Lin Wenruo and Chen Muzhi have been studying their opponents carefully, almost thoroughly studying every conversation of their opponents in the past, so that they know themselves and their opponents well.

Now, according to the agenda of that night's dinner, the plan has been successfully completed by more than half.

As long as they win one more game, they will achieve complete victory and change the world for Zhongnan Kingdom, which has been suppressed by a Taoist temple for thousands of years!

Upon hearing this, Lin Wenruo straightened his clothes and solemnly went on stage. Even though he knew his opponent very well, he did not slack off at all and gave it his all.

Zhao Rong showed a slightly relaxed smile, but then restrained it and calmly waited for the applause and final victory.

But what he never expected was that a quarter of an hour later when thunderous applause rang out, a tall scholar staggered off the stage.

The tall scholar was staggering, muttering absentmindedly: "He, he went to the Jixia Academy..."

The second round of discussion, the debate on existence and non-existence, was lost.