Ten years of lectures to welcome all the scholars in the world!
This news spread from the city of Su through various channels. In the end, it spread through the entire Country of Zhao. The countless people who questioned Wang Lin were all dumbfounded when they heard this news.
Su Dao had also given lectures before, but it was only for one year.
However, this Wang Lin said that it would be ten years. This kind of thing couldn't be described as heroic, it was arrogant to the extreme!
The so-called lectures were like challenges in the martial arts world. He welcomed all the scholars in the world to challenge him at any time during these ten years!
After this matter spread out, after a short period of silence, it set off a fierce backlash. Countless scholars and nobles who questioned Wang Lin, as well as the emperor of the Country of Zhao, all of the Country of Zhao flocked to the city of Su.
Thousands of kilometers away from the city of Su, there was an inn next to the official road. There were many people in the inn, including many scholars. They were all talking about Wang Lin's lecture at the city of Su.
"Did you hear? Su Dao's disciple, Wang Lin, said he would give lectures for ten years!
Ten years!
This shocked the world, especially the people who questioned him before. "
"Hehe, everyone knows about this. I think this Wang Lin has some talent, but he is not qualified to be called a great scholar of the Country of Zhao."
"I don't think so. If he can say something like ten years, he can't just say it randomly.
I heard a few days ago, dozens of scholars went to visit him and came back convinced. "
A light snort came from a table near the window. There were four people sitting there. Three of them were young people and one was an old man.
The old man drank tea and listened to the discussions around him. His expression was calm, but there was a hint of disdain.
"A mere Elementary Scholar and he dares to give lectures!
Teacher shouldn't have accepted him back then!
The title of great scholar should belong to me, Su Yi! "
Similar things were happening everywhere in the Country of Zhao. The closer one got to the city of Su, the more things like this happened.
In the city of Su, the door to Su Dao's mansion was wide open and never closed for ten years.
Wang Lin sat calmly in the courtyard of the mansion, drinking osmanthus wine. He looked coldly at the hundreds of scholars in front of him.
Four months had passed since he announced that he would be lecturing for ten years. Within these four months, more than a thousand people had stepped into the mansion.
Today, hundreds of these people came one by one. They filled the courtyard, and some stood outside the door.
In fact, there were countless horse carriages outside. Inside those horse carriages sat numerous old men.
Even further away, as time passed, many Zhao Guowen arrived at Su City in the past four months.
"My name is Dong Yun, and I was an Elementary Scholar of the same generation as you. Now that I've entered the official path, I'm a court official. I've come here today because I have a question for you."
A middle-aged scholar walked out from the crowd. His expression was one of arrogance as he stood there with his back ramrod straight.
The middle-aged scholar looked at Wang Lin and clasped his hands. "I don't understand. What is the meaning behind the changes of the Heaven and Earth? I hope Teacher can tell me."
Wang Lin drank a mouthful of wine. "You were born in spring, grew up in summer, got sick in autumn, and closed your eyes in winter. To me, the changes of the Heaven and Earth refer to life, old age, sickness, and death!"
The middle-aged scholar was startled by Wang Lin's answer. He asked, "Then why are there life, old age, sickness, and death?"
Wang Lin slowly said, "Because you are still alive."
The middle-aged scholar was stunned. After a long time, confusion appeared in his eyes. He didn't understand.
"The moment you closed your eyes and died, you thought back to your entire life, from birth to death. This process cannot escape the changes of the Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter seasons.
Send the guest out! "
Wang Lin waved his sleeve, and a servant immediately walked out. The middle-aged scholar's heart trembled, and he seemed to understand something.
An old man with a dispirited expression clasped hands toward Wang Lin and said, "Dare I ask Teacher a question? I'm very knowledgeable, and I think I'm a cut above everyone else. In the past, when I met other people in my hometown, no one was more knowledgeable than me. But why is it that other people have become officials, while I've been down and out for thirty years?"
"The State of Zhao has mountains, and some are high, and some are low. The highest mountain doesn't necessarily form a peak, and the lowest mountain doesn't necessarily form a mountain range. If you compare mountains to mountains, why don't you look at them? They are all mountains!
Send the guest out! "
The crowd was in an uproar. The countless scholars' hearts trembled, and they began to ponder.
A young man couldn't squeeze through the crowd, so he shouted, "I want to ask Teacher a question. Why does it rain in this world? And what is rain?"
"That's a good question!"
Wang Lin stood up, took the jug of wine, and walked up a flight of stairs. When he reached the highest point, he looked down at the crowd. What was happening today was not normal. So many people had come at the same time. Wang Lin even looked into the distance and saw more people rushing in from the streets outside the mansion.
The entire city of Su was bustling. Almost all of the scholars who came here, other than those who had come a few months ago, were here.
Finally, Wang Lin's gaze fell on a restaurant outside the mansion. From his position, he could see a middle-aged man sitting inside the restaurant.
This person was wearing luxurious clothes, and his expression was dignified without being angry. He sat there drinking wine, and there were many guards behind him. His cold gaze fell on the Su Mansion across from him, and on Wang Lin, who was standing on a high platform.
Looking at Wang Lin, the middle-aged man's eyes were gloomy. When he looked at Wang Lin, it was as if he was looking at Su Dao.
Beside him sat two young men wearing daoist robes. Their eyes were closed and their expressions were calm.
"If Su Dao dies, he will also die. My country of Zhao doesn't need a grand scholar!
However, he can't die to us mortals. I'll have to trouble you two immortals, and I'll definitely satisfy all your requests. "
One of the two young men in daoist robes had an arrogant expression as he slowly said, "A mere mortal, if you want him to die, then he will die."
Wang Lin drank a mouthful of wine. His expression was free and easy as he looked at the young man who asked the question.
"I once heard a phrase in my dream, and I'll give it to you. The rain is born in the sky and dies in the earth. The process of flowing in between is a lifetime!"
After he spoke, an uproar broke out. Even the people outside could hear it. Most of the old men in the carriages outside were moved. A few of them silently got up and clasped their hands at Wang Lin. Then they called their servants and left.
Just this one sentence let them know that the title of grand scholar wasn't just for show!
"I heard that Sir has followed Su Ru for more than 10 years and is very knowledgeable. I want to ask why there are celestials in this world and why they treat us mortals like ants."
An ancient voice rang out from outside the courtyard. The scholars in the surroundings scattered, only to see an old man slowly walking over.
This old man clearly had a high reputation. Although Wang Lin didn't know him, many people here did, and they all respectfully clasped their hands.
"Celestials are powerful, and their power fuses with their heart, making their heart infinitely large. That's why they view mortals as ants. However, if you have thoughts and your thoughts are infinitely inclusive of the heavens and earth, understanding all truths, then you will still see celestials as celestials. Without that sense of awe, so what if you see celestials as ants?" Wang Lin drank a mouthful of wine and laughed.
The old man's body trembled. After muttering for a bit, he clasped his hands at Wang Lin.
With the help of his followers, he turned around and left.
As the scholars asked questions and Wang Lin laughed as he drank the osmanthus wine, more and more scholars left. They would sometimes look back at Wang Lin with a sense of respect they had never felt before.
However, even though there were many people leaving, there were even more people coming in from the outside.
"Sir, there is an auspicious saying, 'hearing the zither from the root of your ears' …" Before Wen Tu could finish, he was interrupted by Wang Lin.
"Wang has forgotten what he learned. What he comprehended was the truth of the heavens and earth. He has his own thoughts. Don't ask about it again!"
"Sir, Su Ru has spent his life searching for the theory of karma. This theory of karma has been unknown for thousands of years. No one has seen the root of it. I want to ask Sir, have you comprehended it? Can you tell me so I can comprehend it as well?"
"Karma is karma. There is no need to comprehend it. It can only be experienced, not spoken. If you understand it, then you understand it. If you don't, I can explain it to you for ten years and you still won't understand!" Wang Lin raised his head and drank the wine in one gulp before throwing it to the side.
"Big Fortune, bring the wine!"
Big Fortune was proud and no longer felt heartache. He quickly took out a pot and ran to Wang Lin's side.
"I want to ask Scholar Wang, you said before that if your thoughts are infinitely big, you can encompass the heavens and earth. Without fear, you can see immortals as ants. Can you do this?"
The person who spoke was a gloomy old man. He stared at Wang Lin from the crowd and spoke in a hoarse voice.
Wang Lin recognized him. He was Su Dao's first disciple, Su Yi, who had become an official of the dynasty!
"Why not?" Wang Lin laughed as he drank a mouthful of wine.
However, just as he spoke, one of the two young men sitting next to the middle-aged man in Taoist robes suddenly opened his eyes. His body flickered and a thunderous roar echoed. He turned into a ray of light that broke through the heavens and earth. He quickly flew over the crowd and charged at Wang Lin.
"Ignorant ant, disrespecting an immortal. You must be punished with death!"
The gloomy voice contained a sense of majesty. The moment he spoke, the heavens and earth rumbled. The expressions of the scholars changed greatly and they all knelt down in terror.
"Immortal!"
"It's actually an immortal!"
"Wang Lin disrespected an immortal, and now an immortal has come to punish him. This is what he deserves!"
As the ray of light closed in, the sword energy inside was extremely cold. The young man in the daoist robe held a sword in his hand. His gaze was filled with contempt and disdain as he swept the sword in all directions and closed in on Wang Lin.
Just as the young man in the daoist robe closed in, Wang Lin revealed a powerful expression without any fear and let out a roar at the sky.
"You dare!?"
Following the words, a righteous aura burst out from his body, forming an invisible pressure that encapsulated the Heavens and Earth.
The heavens and earth rumbled and countless bolts of Thunder roared. As the lightning intersected, it was as if the world was going to be torn apart. The originally bright world suddenly changed colors!
This sudden change caused the expressions of the countless scholars kneeling below to change drastically. It also caused the wine cup in the hands of the middle-aged man in the restaurant outside the mansion to tremble, and his face immediately turned pale.
"Impossible!!"
The young man in the Taoist robe beside him suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.