Chapter 119: A Gentleman Is Diligent in Action and Impartial, Not Partisan

Over the past seven days, Song Mu had finally come to understand the unique hardships of a scholar. The morning classes focused on the classics, blending ancient wisdom with current affairs to broaden one’s knowledge and memory. The afternoon martial arts sessions, however, were full-throttle affairs, designed to exhaust one’s internal scholarly energy and push the physical body to its absolute limits.

Although every student had undergone the tempering of scholarly energy and possessed a relatively robust physique, the frequency of these drills left them visibly drained. Even at night, they were not granted rest; they had to complete their daily assignments while racing to recover their energy. Enduring constant muscle soreness and both physical and mental exhaustion was far more grueling than the days of solitary, quiet study.

"Brother Jingzhao, how is your stone-pushing coming along? Do you think you can reach ten meters today?"

During another afternoon session, Kong Zong asked with a look of resignation. Song Mu shook his head with a bitter smile.

"It’s not that simple. Besides, I suspect Master Xiao is using some kind of trick."

"A trick?" Kong Zong frowned, then his expression shifted to one of sudden realization. He stared at Song Mu with wide eyes. "You’re right. Yesterday, Xue Kaiwen clearly pushed his stone to the very end, but he just couldn't nudge it that final meter. I heard he gave it his all, only to end up with a relentless nosebleed."

Song Mu felt a sense of helplessness upon hearing this, as he had felt something amiss himself the previous day. His scholarly energy had clearly pushed the stone to the finish line, but at that final meter or two, an immense resistance would suddenly emerge. His energy consumption would spike, yet the stone wouldn't budge an inch. It wasn't a failure of their own power; it was clearly Master Xiao intervening to obstruct the stones.

Against the methods of a Juren-ranked scholar, the Xiucai students had no way to reach their goal, and consequently, they were forced to run laps as punishment. Once he understood this, Song Mu realized Master Xiao’s true intention: he wasn't trying to let them pass easily. Instead, he was using these repeated cycles of exhaustion to force their bodies to reshape and their scholarly energy to stabilize.

The process was undoubtedly painful, but the results were undeniable. Song Mu could feel that his energy had become much more refined through this constant cycle of release and condensation. His mindset shifted; he began to treat it as a daily training exercise, deciding to experiment with his telepathic power to see if he could make any breakthroughs. He had been studying the insights left by Tao Fengming over the past two days and had made small improvements, though he had lacked the opportunity to put them to the test.

With these thoughts in mind, the group gathered on the training grounds. Everyone looked haggard, worn down by the daily torment of the afternoon martial sessions. Master Xiao threw the sandbags before them as usual, and with a simple gesture, the students donned them and began their laps.

"You should all reflect! The students I taught two years ago managed to reach ten meters within seven days. Today is the eighth day, and you haven't even touched the mark!"

As the students sat down to catch their breath, Master Xiao lit a stick of incense and lectured them. His tone was cold and severe, leaving the students gritting their teeth. Each of them silently resolved to reach the target that day.

Song Mu began to regulate his breathing, slowly sensing his scholarly energy as Master Xiao had taught them, and guided it out of his body. A slender thread of energy drifted out, attaching itself to the ten-pound stone and pushing it forward. The others did the same; white threads of energy wound around their respective stones, pushing them through the swirling mist of energy.

This time, Song Mu did not rush. While releasing his energy, he also projected a thread of telepathic power. This power, distinct from scholarly energy, acted more like a manifestation of the mind. While he lacked the cultivation to use it for direct attacks, it was perfect for scouting or sensing the environment. In the hands of a more advanced scholar, this power could even be used to conjure illusions or weapons within a mental realm, capable of unseen lethality.

Song Mu lacked such mastery, but he could use it to uncover Master Xiao’s methods. He soon noticed the difference. Perhaps because of the grueling training, the students moved faster than before, their efforts fierce. Within moments, over a dozen students had pushed their stones past the five-meter mark, with Xue Kaiwen leading the pack at eight meters.

It was then that Song Mu felt a fluctuation emanating from Master Xiao. Before their very eyes, waves of energy seeped into the ground. Song Mu realized the truth: Master Xiao was channeling his energy through his feet, sending it silently into the earth to emerge directly beneath the stones. He wasn't even touching their energy; he was simply tethering the stones from below, forcing them to burn through their reserves. To handle a dozen students simultaneously with such ease—the power of a Juren was truly terrifying.

Song Mu sighed inwardly but maintained his energy flow. Soon, the incense burned out, and the students were forced to run laps again. An exasperated Kong Zong caught up to Song Mu. "What is going on? Why does the energy consumption become so extreme right at the end?"

Song Mu lowered his gaze, a plan forming in his mind. He leaned toward Kong Zong and whispered, "Brother Zuhai, listen to me..."

As they ran, Kong Zong listened intently. After a moment, he frowned and asked, "Will this work?"

"It will, but since we are pitting ourselves against the Master, we need more people involved."

Kong Zong nodded, slowed his pace, and went to speak with Zhang Yiqi, while Song Mu accelerated to talk to Cui Kexin. The students around them nodded, their eyes burning with anticipation. Having been humiliated by the Master for days, they were eager for a chance to fight back.

By the end of the ten laps, Song Mu had rallied over a dozen students. They prepared themselves and sat back down at the starting line.

"A gentleman should be modest in speech but quick in action. He seeks the cause within himself, but do not forget that a gentleman seeks harmony, not uniformity..." Master Xiao recited from the Analects before lighting another stick of incense. "If you fail to reach the goal today, you can all sleep on the training grounds."

Master Xiao added this final threat, and the students exchanged knowing smiles before entering a state of deep meditation.

Soon, they began to channel their energy, pushing the stones as they had before. Their movements appeared no different than usual. Master Xiao watched closely, but when he saw they were moving even slower than before, his expression flickered. Nevertheless, he channeled his energy into the ground and waited.

Suddenly, Master Xiao felt a surge of energy beneath his feet. One of the stones seemed to be pushing with immense force. He instinctively increased his resistance, but in that split second, the pressure increased tenfold. As Master Xiao poured his focus into countering that specific surge, he momentarily neglected the others.

At that instant, Song Mu opened his eyes and shouted, "Now!"

At his command, over a dozen stones broke free of their invisible tether and surged across the finish line.