009, if I am unwilling, not even heaven and earth can force it upon me!

Summoning all his courage, Wang Yu stepped directly onto the first step of the final ascent of the Eighteen Bends. With his mind prepared, he was ready to face the hundred soul-searching questions from the greatest sage of all ages. As he expected, this sage, who had devoted his life to the pursuit of self-restraint and the restoration of proper rites, made no exception. Just like his disciples, the moment Wang Yu set foot on the first step, three characters appeared before him.

What is Rites?

These words, however, carried neither oppression nor intimidation. They stood in the air with quiet simplicity, yet emanated an overwhelming sense of order, a strict hierarchy of propriety and respect. Instinctively, one would straighten their attire, compose themselves, stand upright and dignified, and answer the question earnestly.

Wang Yu found himself unconsciously influenced. By the time he realized what was happening, he was already standing below those three large characters like a student before his teacher, gazing up at them with reverence.

A surge of resistance rose within him. Even if this was the teacher of ten thousand generations, the supreme sage of the Confucian tradition, such a violation of one’s will was deeply unpleasant. To bow in respect was one thing—it was deserved. But such respect should come from the heart, not be forced. To compel me to bow? I refuse. So what if you are the most honored of sages? If I am unwilling, no one but my parents and teachers has the right to force me.

Wang Yu straightened his back and lifted his head.

What is Rites?

According to current Confucian interpretation, rites are divided into three categories: the law of rites, the customs of rites, and the ceremonies of rites. The law of rites refers to the legal codes by which a nation governs its people, laws established by the sovereign to bind both rulers and subjects. The customs of rites refer to the spontaneous order of society, the conventions that have become customary, akin to morality. As it is said, “Laws must accord with human feelings, just as government must follow local customs.” The ceremonies of rites are the specific outward expressions of rites. As stated in the Book of Rites: “Virtue, benevolence, and righteousness are incomplete without rites; teaching and correcting customs are insufficient without rites; disputes and arguments cannot be resolved without rites; the relationships of ruler and subject, superior and subordinate, father and son, elder and younger brothers are unsettled without rites; service to teachers and learning cannot be intimate without rites; administration and military command, office and law, cannot command awe without rites; prayers and sacrifices, offerings to spirits, lack sincerity and solemnity without rites. Therefore, a gentleman manifests respect, restraint, and humility to illuminate the meaning of rites.”

In truth, the Confucian concept of rites is quite reasonable, and Wang Yu agreed with much of it. However, he believed that rites should not be neglected, but neither should they be made the sole standard for all things. Establishing order is right, but making rites the only criterion is excessive.

Yet, there was a problem—Wang Yu certainly could not answer this way. Such an answer would be courting disaster.

For Confucius, who devoted his life to restoring rites, if you denied his rites, he would not hesitate to act with severity. Did people really think Confucius was a harmless old man? On the contrary, he was a formidable figure of great strength, nine feet tall, who could have charged into battle. Moreover, there was precedent—he had ordered the execution of Shaozheng Mao.

Thus, Wang Yu naturally would not deny rites. To gain approval, the best answer to this question was to elevate it to the highest ideal.

Facing those three quietly ordered characters hanging in the air, Wang Yu replied, “Rites are principle; rites are the Way. They can serve as the law for all ages, the standard for all things, the method for achieving inner sagehood and outward kingship.”

Clearly, Wang Yu had drawn from the Neo-Confucian philosophy of Cheng and Zhu, deifying rites, raising them to the level of the heavenly principle. With such high praise, he did not believe he could fail to win approval.

As expected, the moment his words fell, the three tranquil characters trembled violently, barely maintaining their order as they faded away, their dignity undisturbed.

The disappearance of the three characters signaled that Wang Yu had passed the first step.

At that moment, outside the heavenly staircase, at the foot of Mount Tai, a surge of purple energy swept across the sky and descended onto the steps. Upon seeing this, Ziyou could barely contain himself.

“He moves Heaven and Earth with his words, receives the blessing of the Ancestor, purple energy fills the sky?”

How could this young man possibly win the Master’s approval? Such an upstart, seeking to ascend in a single bound, disrespectful of rites and indifferent to his elders, speaking with such insolence—yet he could stir the Master and gain the recognition of the principles of Heaven and Earth?

The reason Confucian cultivators could move Heaven and Earth with their literary spirit was that the Ancestor had inscribed the teachings of Confucius into the great principles of the world. Thus, when Confucian practitioners comprehended Confucian principles, they were also comprehending the Way itself. By means of Confucian doctrine, they could evoke celestial phenomena, awaken the spirit of literature, and astonish sun and moon, mountains and rivers.

Without the Ancestor’s achievements, no matter how profound a disciple’s understanding, if it was not inscribed upon the Way, they could not draw upon the power of Heaven and Earth nor possess any supernatural abilities. At that point, they would be no different from ordinary people.

Therefore, seeing Wang Yu able to summon purple energy from the heavens, Ziyou’s composure was shaken. Fortunately, as befitted a true disciple of the Ancestor and current head of the Confucian school, his cultivation of character was deep, and he quickly regained his calm.

Once composed, he still believed this youth must have some hidden flaw. After all, Zhu Bingli had already recounted all of Wang Yu’s circumstances and previous insults.

After hearing the story, Ziyou concluded that Wang Yu was a great villain and hypocrite. His usual humility and gentle manners were merely an act for others to see, and at critical moments his true nature would be revealed.

In truth, this was an injustice to the original Wang Yu. The change in personality was only because the original had died and Wang Yu had taken his place. With a new soul, his behavior naturally differed. As a modern man, Wang Yu would never be as humble and mild as his predecessor. In Ziyou’s eyes, such a transformation was the work of demons and hypocrites, a threat to be driven out or even destroyed.

Though the Master believed in the innate goodness of human nature and that all could be taught, Ziyou held that some people were beyond redemption, harboring ugliness at their core, and such should have no place in the Confucian tradition. Now, Wang Yu was counted among them.

Thus, the more outstanding Wang Yu’s performance, the more determined Ziyou became to expel him. If not for certain concerns, Ziyou might have struck him down already.

Wang Yu, unaware of Ziyou’s inner turmoil, only knew that a band of purple energy had descended and now floated behind him, unlike previous times when it had merged directly into his body. It seemed hesitant, as if observing him.

Wang Yu was speechless. This world was truly extraordinary—everything seemed to possess intelligence, even these miraculous phenomena appeared sentient.

After venting his frustration, Wang Yu, though puzzled, did not dwell on it. If it did not come to him, so be it—he was not going to beg.

With that, Wang Yu stepped onto the second stair.

Again, three characters: upright, proper, but now suffused with a gentle, loving radiance.

“What is Benevolence?”

What is Benevolence?