The second round of the "Guardian Sword" competition is about to begin.
The crowd rushed to the arena, while Xie Mulang and Qin Lushu stayed at the Honglu Temple to clean up the mess, and Yun Wei went to the arena alone.
Yun Wei did not sit back down in the stands.
He stood silently below the arena, just like the group of men in black robes, only on the other side of the arena.
Just then, an old but kind voice rang out beside me, "Young friend, why don't you sit on the stage?"
Yun Wei turned his head and saw that the person who came was Xie Mulang's uncle, who was also the head of the Xie family and one of the four elders of Bili City.
The old man's face, lined with deep wrinkles, showed the marks of time, yet his eyes remained sharp and clear.
Faced with such an old man, Yun Wei naturally wouldn't say it was because some people in the stands disliked him.
He raised the corners of his mouth and smiled slightly, "I was feeling a bit sleepy after sitting for so long, so I thought I'd stand down here for a while to clear my head."
The old man looked him over carefully for a moment, then smiled and said, "You young people are so hot-blooded. The ground is cold after the snow, be careful not to catch a cold."
After saying that, the old man turned around, leaned on his cane, and went back to the stands.
The time for the competition arrived quickly.
Huo Mingchan appeared alone at the entrance of the arena, looking somewhat strained.
At that very moment, Isaac strode over to Yun Wei's side from the other side.
Yun Wei glanced at the other party's expression and knew that it must have been done.
However, he had no idea who the other party had transformed into, which made him quite curious.
"clang--"
With the sound of a gong, the competition officially began.
The three guests from the East Sea boarded in an orderly fashion, while only Huo Mingchan from the Bili City side was present.
The referee was aware of the incident at the Court of State Ceremonial, so his smile was stiff as he simply announced, "The second match shall now begin."
Huo Mingchan casually twirled his sword and stood still on the field.
A visitor from the East Sea also came out, drawing his sword to greet them.
After exchanging a glance, the two moved simultaneously, their figures disappearing mysteriously and then reappearing in an instant.
The man in black knelt on the ground, like Diao Chan worshipping the moon, while Huo Mingchan's body was upside down, just like a finger in meditation.
The scene seemed peaceful and serene, but their sword tips had already collided in mid-air, producing a crisp clanging sound.
After that attack, the two continued to disappear and reappear simultaneously. Each time they reappeared, the tips of their longswords would almost collide, a very dangerous situation.
For a moment, the only sounds on the field were the frozen images and the clanging of swords.
Watching their ever-changing figures, Yun Wei couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder Brother Xie often disappears in the blink of an eye; it turns out he learned it from here."
Isaac, however, remained fixed on the arena and replied in a low voice, "This martial art relies on changes in terrain to conceal one's presence and move unpredictably, catching the opponent off guard... However, I feel there's something contradictory about it..."
Yun Wei, who was also watching with tension, casually asked, "What's the contradiction?"
In fact, he didn't understand martial arts at all; he just thought the stances looked cool and sharp.
This made him miss the young man from the Qin family; at least with him by his side, he could listen to his eloquent explanations.
Isaac said, "Because this martial art is supposed to be defensive, but the moves are a bit too ruthless, it feels a bit out of place."
Yun Wei was somewhat taken aback upon hearing this.
His maternal grandfather's collection of books naturally included the Mozi. He had once flipped through it, but he couldn't really get into it. He felt that the writing was too obscure and difficult to understand, far less elegant and profound than the Zhuangzi.
There is also a text in the junior high school textbook that comes from the "Mo Jing" (墨经), which tells the story of Mozi and Gongshu Ban debating against the state of Song in front of the King of Chu.
His understanding of Mohist thought remained limited to the most classic concepts of "universal love" and "non-aggression."
As the saying goes, "The school of non-aggression and the school of universal love are the guiding principles of life."
...
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two on the stage still hadn't determined who was better.
Even Xie Mulang and Qin Lushu, having finished dealing with the aftermath at the Court of State Ceremonial, rushed to the competition venue, travel-worn and exhausted.
The two spotted Yun and Wei standing by the arena from afar, so they followed and stood together.
"Ugh, this is exhausting!" The young man, who was used to slacking off, couldn't help but roll up his sleeves and rub his lower back, complaining to Yun Wei, "You have no idea what a mess it was in the temple back there. Some people didn't take their medicine and suddenly had an attack. The scene was...tsk tsk tsk..."
Yun Wei had already observed the various behaviors of the people in the temple, so he was not surprised and simply smiled.
Xie Mulang coughed lightly, interrupting Qin Lushu's complaint, and said in a low voice, "Lushu, you were too loud just now."
The head of the Huo family was very concerned about his reputation, and the other party wanted to dig this shameful matter out of everyone's minds. However, his nephew kept bringing it up in front of others.
The young man quickly stopped talking and looked up at the stands, only to meet Huo Miaodan's gaze, who had a stern face.
The other person's face was gloomy, like a spoiled rag that could be wrung out.
"Ugh, what bad luck," Qin Lushu cursed inwardly.
He quickly put on a nonchalant expression, shifting his gaze from the other person's face, and after a few moments, looked back at the arena.
Seeing the two fighters evenly matched, Qin Lushu sighed, "Grandmaster Uncle, how long are they going to keep fighting like this?"
"It'll be soon," Xie Mulang said, but his voice was not joyful. "Neither of them has even scratched the surface of sword intent. Brother Huo... even if he wins this round, it's hard to predict what will happen next."
Yun Wei had been listening intently to their conversation, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Is there some explanation for this?"
Xie Mulang asked, "Brother Yun, are you familiar with the four characters 'universal love and non-aggression' advocated by the Mohist school?"
Yun Wei quickly replied, "I've heard a little bit. Just now, Isa and I were wondering why the Mohists, who advocate peace, have such ruthless swordsmanship."
Xie Mulang shook his head and patiently explained, "Peace cannot be achieved by mere words, and the Mohists are not just pedantic scholars who only offer empty advice. On the contrary, their 'Mohist Knights' are spread throughout the seven kingdoms, and they are more adept at using violence to suppress violence and punishing the wicked."
"Those who can coexist with love should be spared; those who are unreasonable should be eliminated. Although the 'Guardian Sword' is named for protection, offense is the best defense. Only by using the sword in your hand to quell the injustices of the world can you forge the sword into a plowshare and let the horses graze freely." The handsome young man in black said with utmost seriousness.
Yun Wei was somewhat surprised when he heard what Xie Mulang said.
Humanity in the end times has learned countless lessons through blood and tears, and only then did it truly understand the principle that "dignity lies only on the edge of a sword, and truth lies only within the range of a cannon." As it turns out, the ancient philosophers of more than two thousand years ago had already seen it so clearly.
Just then, Qin Lushu interjected, "Hey, I know that. The Han Feizi says, 'Scholars use words to disrupt the law, and knights use martial arts to violate prohibitions.' In the pre-Qin period, Confucianism and Mohism coexisted. The knights here actually refer to Mohist knights!"
At this point, the young man with rosy lips and white teeth suddenly covered his mouth.
His eyes widened, and he whispered to the crowd, "Oh no! That idiot on stage loves reading Han Feizi, which contains a lot of criticism of the Mohists..."
But don't forget, this battle is used to determine who is superior, and it is precisely the sword intent that integrates the essence of various schools of thought!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com