Chapter 4: Human Affairs, Immortal Affairs (1)
It was a day where the sky had become fully bright and clear before the red sun had risen to the middle. Two hours had passed since class had begun. The low table Wei Yuan was originally using had been switched out for an ordinary study table, and the empty book shelves that lined the side walls were now packed with bound books. The master and disciple were the ones who authored the books. One shelf belonged to Zhang Sheng, and the other Wei Yuan.
When the scholar was rescued, the only possessions he had owned were the clothes on his body. The Wei estate barely possessed any books either. In fact, they were all calendars and account books. Thus, Zhang Sheng was the one who had written the first real books at the beginning of the boy’s formal education.
Most of the books Wei Yuan had written were copies of his books. They served two functions: familiarizing him with the classics, and honing his calligraphy. Not all of them were copies, however. The boy had written a few books that contained his true thoughts and ideas.
Right now, these books weren’t sitting at the bookshelves. Zhang Sheng was going through them.
Wei Yuan’s literary works were immature as a matter of course, but a reader could tell that the author truly possessed his own ideas and didn’t fall into the pitfalls of conventions and cliches. What was even more remarkable was his ability to make a coherent argument.
Zhang Sheng could also tell that the boy’s literary works were starting to gain an edge of their own. At this moment, it was impossible to say if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Wei Yuan sat as still as a statue while his master read his work. Some time later, Zhang Sheng finally recovered his senses and watched the disciple he had taught for three whole years closely. He said, “I have taught you the three thousand affairs of humanity. You will learn of the affairs of immortals when you join a sect. Three years, ten hours every day without fail. To be honest, I have taught you the foundation and essence of everything I learned. All that is left for you to do is to keep practicing until every minutiae is perfect.”
Zhang Sheng paused for a moment before continuing in a serious tone, “There is one thing you must remember, however. It is never easy to judge right or wrong when it comes to human affairs. The Dao of choosing what to take and what to leave behind lies within the heart. I’ve taught you how to consider every aspect and weigh the pros and cons accordingly, but you are the one who must make the final decision. This is something neither I nor any sage can teach you.”
Wei Yuan nodded in response.