Chapter 53: Becoming a Disciple of Chen Xianzhang

Li Jie did not explain his suspicions to Fang Yi. For some time afterward, the mysterious swordsman from that night never appeared again. Li Jie remained on high alert throughout the journey, but all his vigilance proved to be in vain.

However, this incident served as a reminder to him; even useless precautions were better than realizing danger only when it struck. Traveling by fits and starts, the two finally arrived in Xinhui County. Along the way, as various underworld figures had mysteriously vanished, Li Jie had gone out several times to investigate only to return empty-handed, and eventually, he simply stopped searching.

Xinhui County was situated in the southern part of the Pearl River Delta, under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou Prefecture. Upon entering the county seat, one could see crowds of pedestrians moving at a somewhat leisurely pace, accompanied by the endless cries of peddlers hawking their wares along both sides of the street. Due to its proximity to the sea, many vendors were selling various kinds of seafood.

After settling in briefly, Li Jie asked the inn's waiter for directions to the residence of Master Baisha. Chen Xianzhang was absolute star-material in those parts; if you asked someone who the county magistrate was, they might not know, but if you asked who Chen Xianzhang was, virtually everyone knew him without exception.

Seeing that Li Jie was dressed as a scholar, the waiter immediately recognized him as a seeker of knowledge. "Young Master, Master Chen lives in Renxian Lane, Baisha Village, which is quite a distance from the city. Seeing that it is getting late, I advise you to set off early tomorrow."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Will you need a ox-cart tomorrow? Our humble inn provides transport, though there is an extra charge."

Li Jie nodded and arranged his itinerary for the following day. Exhausted from the long journey by boat and carriage, he decided to take a thorough rest today to recover his energy before visiting Master Baisha the next day. Scholar Zhou had written a letter of recommendation for him; though Li Jie did not know its exact contents, Scholar Zhou had given him a general idea, which essentially amounted to heaping extravagant praise upon Li Jie.

The next day, Li Jie put on a brand-new scholar's gown, tied a square cloth cap around his head, strapped a long sword to his waist, and headed out. Feeling slightly uneasy, he brought Fang Yi along so she could wait for him nearby.

Baisha Village faced the Peng River and backed against Mount Xiaolu. In front of and behind the village, green sweetflag and slender bamboos swayed gently in the breeze, creating a picturesque landscape. Outside the village ran Tiansha River, filled with sparkling, snow-white sand, which gave Baisha Village its name.

Upon returning to Baisha Village, Chen Xianzhang had built a sizable study hall to the south of Mount Xiaolu, naming it the "Chunyang Terrace." It was famous far and wide, attracting numerous students and scholars who came in a continuous stream, their numbers bustling like a marketplace.

In the open space of the academy, Chen Xianzhang was lecturing the scholars on the *Classic of Changes*. Master Baisha had a lean face and piercing eyes; although advanced in age, his voice was full of vigor. The surrounding scholars were utterly spellbound by his exposition. Li Jie quietly found an empty straw mat and sat down, leaving only Chen Xianzhang's voice echoing through the courtyard.

"The governing principle lies in understanding, while the driving force lies in action. Understanding is Qian comprehending the great beginning, and action is Kun producing and completing things. There has never been a Qian separated from Kun, nor a Kun separated from Qian. To abandon Kun in pursuit of pure Yang is to fall into empty imagination; to abandon Qian in pursuit of pure Yin is to act without understanding. Neither represents true Qian nor true Kun."

A disciple raised a question: "When ordinary people go about their daily lives and speech, it is not true understanding; how can they bring it into effect?"

The master replied: "It is merely a matter of familiarity through sight and hearing, with the mind drifting blankly along with conscious thoughts, never genuinely emanating from the inner master."

This passage roughly taught everyone to unify knowledge and action, seeking truth from within oneself—which was the core of Chen Xianzhang's philosophy of mind. Afterward, Chen Xianzhang asked the assembly:

"What insights have all of you gained?"

A young scholar stood up and replied: "Scholars live for themselves, rising with the sun to work, resting with the sun to sleep, wandering freely between heaven and earth."

Hearing this, Chen Xianzhang smiled, nodded, and praised it as not bad.

Another middle-aged scholar bowed and replied: "The gentleman delves deeply into the Dao, desiring to attain it through self-realization. Once attained, his dwelling is secure; with a secure dwelling, his foundation is profound; and with a profound foundation, wherever he turns, he meets its source. Therefore, the gentleman desires to attain it from within himself."

Several others then expressed their views. Some received praise, while others were met with stern reprimands. When everyone had finished speaking, Li Jie stood up and answered:

"One who attains from within is not burdened by external things, nor by eyes and ears, nor by moments of haste or peril. The soaring of kites and the leaping of fishes—their mechanism resides entirely within me; it is not obtained from books, but gained from my own self."

Upon hearing Li Jie's reply, a sharp gleam flashed in Chen Xianzhang's eyes. Stroking his beard, he nodded in satisfaction. Recognizing that Li Jie possessed profound internal energy and that his answer perfectly aligned with his own philosophy, Chen Xianzhang felt the urge to take him on as a disciple.

"Splendid! Not obtained from books, but gained from my own self. Observing books from the perspective of the self allows one to gain benefit everywhere; but if one lets books overwhelm the self, closing the volume leaves one completely lost."

Seeing Chen Xianzhang's joy so vividly displayed, the gathered crowd found it hard to believe. In their eyes, Master Baisha had long since reached a state of emotional detachment where he was neither swayed by external gains nor saddened by personal losses. For him to react so strongly to an unfamiliar scholar today was utterly unimaginable under ordinary circumstances.

Li Jie stepped forward and said, "Thank you, Master, for the praise. This student, Lin Pingzhi of Fuzhou Prefecture, has come specifically to seek instruction!"

"He is Lin Pingzhi? That Lin Pingzhi of 'tomorrow and tomorrow'?"

"It must be him; there can hardly be a second Lin Pingzhi in Fuzhou Prefecture."

"Seeing him is better than hearing of him a hundred times!"

Hearing the murmurs around him, Li Jie paused slightly. Once the surrounding chatter subsided, he continued:

"Additionally, Master Zhou Xingwen asked me to convey his regards to you. I will present a letter to you shortly."

Upon learning the purpose of Li Jie's visit, Chen Xianzhang said, "Oh? Xingwen is your teacher? It is touching that he still remembers this old fogey; he is most thoughtful."

"Master Zhou is my classical tutor. Whatever achievements I have made in the imperial examinations are entirely due to his guidance."

Chen Xianzhang chuckled upon hearing this and said, "I know what Xingwen's standard is; there is no need to flatter him so. I have also heard of your exploits; seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation. Not bad, not bad!"

With a wave of his broad sleeves, he announced that the day's lesson was concluded, told Li Jie to follow him, and turned to leave.

Following a narrow path all the way to a side hall, which was sparsely furnished with nothing more than tables and chairs, Chen Xianzhang sat at the head of the room and asked:

"Where did you acquire such profound internal energy?"

Li Jie was startled by the question. In his eyes, Chen Xianzhang had seemed like an ordinary person, with nothing special about him other than a demeanor that set him apart from others. Hearing Chen Xianzhang instantly pierce through the veil of his martial arts, Li Jie wore a look of astonishment, thinking to himself that this great Confucian scholar must also be a martial artist, and one who had likely attained the realm of returning to the natural and unadorned.

Noticing Li Jie's startled expression, Chen Xianzhang chuckled softly. "What? Did you think all Confucian scholars were weaklings incapable of binding a chicken? Although most people in the imperial court dislike military men and are unversed in martial arts, it is not devoid of those with profound martial skills. Otherwise, how could one overawe the realm and govern the four quarters?"

"My martial arts are a family heritage. I happen to have a considerable talent for the martial path, and my progress has been rapid since I began practicing."

"It appears your family martial arts are quite extraordinary. At such a young age, your internal energy already surpasses your peers, and even compared to the older generation, you are not far behind. In time, you will become a grandmaster. What is even rarer is that you have also achieved considerable success in scholarship."

"I dare not accept such high praise from a Grandmaster. This student hopes to follow the Grandmaster in further study hereafter."

"Oh? Then answer me a question first: How do you view the teachings of Cheng and Zhu? If your answer satisfies me, I will impart everything I know to you without reservation."

"This student believes that a scholar should not merely seek knowledge in books, but seek it within his own mind. He should observe the subtle mechanisms of movement and stillness, of existence and non-existence, nurture what resides within himself without letting sights and sounds disturb it, discard the fragmented trivialities of eyes and ears, preserve a complete, empty, and wondrously round self, and upon opening any volume, he will grasp it all."

Chen Xianzhang nodded in satisfaction and instructed Li Jie to perform the master-disciple ceremony the following day, formally taking him on as a disciple.