Sword God Reborn

Chapter 209 : Back in the day

"Fair and square with incitement and fabrication..."

Zhuge Seola pondered Cheon Mubaeck's words.

Fair incitement and fabrication.

"What on earth is that..."

Zhuge Seola made a crying face and bumped her forehead on the table.

It was difficult to grasp the true meaning of the words.

Was there any other word that fit so well together?

If someone else had said it, she would have rebuked them for saying something so ridiculous.

"There's no way Young Master Cheon would have said that for no reason."

Zhuge Seola's face, as she lifted her forehead, was very serious. Of course, seeing the red mark left on her forehead, it was a little funny.

There must be a reason.

How long had she been lost in thought?

Suddenly, she heard a presence outside.

"Are you resting?"

It was Cheon Mubaeck. Zhuge Seola was startled and looked around.

She almost instinctively checked her appearance.

'Thank goodness. It's not pajamas.'

Fortunately, it was still daytime, and she was not in her pajamas like last time. Although it was a slightly comfortable attire, wasn't it much better than last time when she had a conversation in her pajamas? Zhuge Seola hurriedly tidied up, neatened herself, and after clearing her throat a few times, she said.

"No. What is it?"

"I have something to talk about regarding tomorrow's debate."

In an instant, a slight disappointment appeared on Zhuge Seola's face.

It was a very strange change of emotion even for her to feel.

'Disappointed? What? What's disappointing?'

Of course, was there any other reason to visit her room in person other than to talk about what needed to be done?

Zhuge Seola suppressed her embarrassment, wondering what she had been expecting inside, and why she was feeling disappointed.

"Yes, come in."

"I'm sorry to disturb you while you're resting."

"No, I was just thinking about this and that."

At those words, Cheon Mubaeck glanced down.

The table and the few books on it. And the brush and paper.

Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head.

"I thought we should talk about how to proceed tomorrow."

"I was just thinking about that too. What... what does it mean to win fair and square with incitement and fabrication?"

"Literally."

Cheon Mubaeck grinned.

"Literally?"

"Jae Seok-geon's side's voice is small, and their numbers are few."

"That's right. That's true."

"On the other hand, the Kong Family Mansion's side's voice is loud, and their power is great. No, the majority supports the Kong Family Mansion's opinion. In the end, Jae Seok-geon's side's content will be dismissed and their logic will collapse. In the meantime, the head of the Kong Family Mansion will be silent."

Although it was a guess, Zhuge Seola deeply sympathized. The probability that it would be as Cheon Mubaeck said was very high.

"But it won't end quickly, and it will take quite a while. Because the scholars' discussions are not something that ends cleanly and early."

"The more time it takes, the more time it will take for Young Master Cheon to achieve his goal."

"That's right. In the end, there are two options. To end the World Debate early and have the head of the family meet me as promised, or to pressure the head of the family based on the truth in the debate and arrange a meeting."

"Pressure the head of the family?"

"What do you think is the reason why the head of the Kong Family Mansion opened the World Debate?"

"Well, because the content is controversial..."

Zhuge Seola, who was saying that, her eyes widened as if she had thought of something.

Something was strange.

'If you just dismiss it, it's over, right?'

Of course, as a scholar, just dismissing it was not the attitude a scholar should have.

The head of the Kong Family Mansion would not be such a terrible person.

Still, was there a need to hold such a grand thing as the World Debate so noisily?

In fact, had there ever been a World Debate in the history of the martial world?

"Could it be that he's trying to gain justification by opening the World Debate?"

Cheon Mubaeck smiled brightly. At that smile, Zhuge Seola somehow felt like a student who was being praised. It wasn't bad. Rather, it was good. Because her shoulders were unnecessarily lifted.

"In any case, since the content has already been brought up, the hypothesis that Confucius might be a martial artist will continue to spread."

It was a confident voice. Zhuge Seola realized one thing.

"You're sure that Confucius was a martial artist."

"That's right. To be precise, the expression 'martial artist' is not appropriate. Because that was not an era where the martial world, the people, and the government were separated."

"Hmm. Then, the head of the Kong Family Mansion's intention is to obtain public opinion by opening the World Debate."

Zhuge Seola pressed her temples. In the World Debate, the Kong Family Mansion side would inevitably be at an advantage.

"There's a reason why Jae Seok-geon's side can't make a strong argument. They have to prove that Confucius was a martial artist, but if they attack like that..."

"That's right. Although Jae Seok-geon's school and academic style are different, if you go back, he inherited Confucius's teachings."

"It's difficult."

"If the debate continues to be boring like this, in the end, the public opinion will likely be decided that Confucius and the martial world are not related. Of course, it has nothing to do with me. I just need to meet the head of the family."

In fact, he had thought of secretly climbing over the wall in the middle of the night.

But in any case, Cheon Mubaeck was a guest, and since he did not know where the sacred object was in the Kong Family Mansion, it was clean and certain to receive it legitimately.

But would the head of the Kong Family Mansion meekly hand it over to a martial artist who had climbed over the wall?

It was better to arrange a meeting and meet one-on-one.

"If this continues, it will take a long time for Young Master Cheon to achieve his goal through the head of the Kong Family Mansion."

"So I have to pressure them to meet me first."

"And that's incitement and fabrication?"

At her somewhat displeased look, Cheon Mubaeck smiled and said.

"I will not claim a lie."

"What?"

"That era was an era of blood and barbarism. If you left the city, looting, slaughter, and robbery were frequent. Even in the villages where you stayed for a while, it was common for people to suddenly change and attack with swords. It was not an era where it was shameful to kill people and eat human flesh."

"...Because it was so long ago."

"In such a barbaric era, Confucius traveled the Central Plains. And he spread his teachings. To the lawless and vicious people who did not know benevolence and propriety. Poor commoners? It was a world where such commoners would attack travelers, take everything, and even take human flesh. How could it be possible with just words? There must have been a reason why he could travel the rough Central Plains while protecting himself from robbery and crime."

"...Uh. That's right."

"Confucius was nine feet tall, and his father was also a military officer."

"...!"

"The martial world and the military at that time were not strictly divided. A general was a martial artist, and a martial artist was a general."

"Then Confucius also learned martial arts..."

"He must have. Do you know Zilu among Confucius's disciples?"

"Yes. He was a famous ruffian, but he was impressed by Confucius and received his teachings..."

"A ruffian at that time is no different from the Unorthodox Alliance now. If he was a ruffian with a notorious reputation throughout the Central Plains, to be precise, he was a person similar to Dokgo Pae of the Great Dragon Gang."

"...!"

"Does a person like Dokgo Pae look like a person who would be impressed by a single word and become a scholar?"

"No, no."

"That's right. Confucius subdued Zilu with force."

"Uh..."

Can it be interpreted that way?

"And he edified him."

"...Edification."

Zhuge Seola muttered in a reluctant voice. Because it was a different meaning from the edification she was thinking of.

"He traveled the rough Central Plains with numerous disciples. Don't you imagine that scene a little?"

The sight of the nine-foot-tall Confucius and the equally fierce Zilu. The sight of him leading numerous disciples.

"Somehow, when I hear what you're saying, Young Master Cheon, a scene of martial artists who admire and follow a strong martial artist comes to mind."

"A good intuition."

This was definitely a guess. But Zhuge Seola felt a strange trust in Cheon Mubaeck's words. As if he were a person who had seen that era in person, a vividness was dynamic.

"Still, for Confucius, a Confucian scholar, to be a martial artist..."

"As I said again, at that time, there was no distinction of being a martial artist, so to be precise, he was not a martial artist. He was a scholar. But a scholar who was also outstanding in martial arts. A scholar who was born with both literary and martial arts. Like you, Young Lady."

Zhuge Seola thought deeply. If he was nine feet tall at that time, he might have been a naturally born martial artist. Was a nine-foot-tall person common even now?

"Come to think of it, there's nothing strange. There's Shaolin, a Buddhist martial artist. There's also Wudang, a Taoist martial artist. What reason is there for there not to be a Confucian martial artist?"

"..."

As time passed, Zhuge Seola had no choice but to nod her head.

It was not just a subjective thought and guess.

Cheon Mubaeck retraced the content of numerous ancient books that actually existed one by one and proved their factuality. To the extent that even an unknowing person would feel that it was plausible.

Only then could Zhuge Seola understand what Cheon Mubaeck meant by fair and square incitement and fabrication.

"To boldly base it on the truth and to exaggerate a little more. So isn't it a fair incitement and fabrication? Because it's not fabricating with lies."

"..."

It's some kind of sophistry...

It was so plausible that Zhuge Seola could not think of a rebuttal.

If it were to incite and fabricate by making up non-existent facts, she wouldn't know.

If it were to base it on the truth, to assert it a little more strongly, and to unfold the logic.

Wasn't it a fair incitement and fabrication?

'...What am I thinking?'

Feeling as if her way of thinking had changed, Zhuge Seola looked at Cheon Mubaeck with a sullen face.

"Moreover, since the person saying that is a martial artist with deep knowledge, it will feel plausible. If you exaggerate based on the ancient books that clearly exist and make a strong argument, the opinion will gain strength."

"Ah..."

"It's not our specialty to refute the opponent's logic based only on the truth. We can't win against them that way."

Now she had a perfect grasp of what he meant. To incite the surroundings by adding appropriate seasoning based on the content that Cheon Mubaeck had just said.

A reaction like, 'That's plausible?' would be enough.

"So, Young Lady, please make a statement tomorrow."

"Me?"

Zhuge Seola was startled and her eyes widened. To fabricate and incite in front of all those scholars?

In an instant, Zhuge Seola's face turned pale. No matter how smart and articulate she was, how could it be an easy task to speak in front of the world's greatest intellectuals?

But Cheon Mubaeck just smiled. The moment she met that smile, Zhuge Seola felt her bewildered heart calm down.

"Don't worry. Because you're smart, Young Lady."

"If it's about being smart, I think you're smarter, Young Master."

"Hmm, then I'll correct myself. Because you're beautiful, Young Lady, you have to take on this job."

"...What?"

For a moment, wondering if she had misheard, Zhuge Seola stared at Cheon Mubaeck.

But she had not misheard.

"What does that mean..."

Her voice trembled at the hot feeling she felt on her face.

Cheon Mubaeck said calmly.

"Have you seen a female scholar here?"

"...No."

Cheon Mubaeck smiled bitterly.

"Unlike the martial world, it's a difficult thing to see a female scholar in this stubborn Confucian world. So if you make a bold statement, all eyes will be on you."

"Ah... then you're saying that you'll observe the Kong Family Mansion's reaction in the meantime?"

"To be precise, the more you incite and fabricate, Young Lady, the more the head of the Kong Family Mansion, who has been silent, will stir. At that time, I plan to apply pressure by releasing my internal energy."

"I see. You're saying that since you know the truth, you'll use that as an excuse to induce a meeting?"

Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head with a slightly impressed look.

He would pressure them with the fact that he knew all the truth of that time. He would also emphasize that he was a scholar who was not influenced by the Kong Family Mansion by implicitly revealing that he was a martial artist with his internal energy.

Then the head of the Kong Family Mansion would surely arrange a meeting with Cheon Mubaeck. To silence him, or to do something.

Zhuge Seola, who now understood, nodded her head.

Then she suddenly blushed, mumbled her lips, and barely opened them.

"But the part about being beautiful..."

Cheon Mubaeck smiled faintly and said.

"It's not an empty word. No matter how stubborn the scholars who have only delved into academics are, if a beautiful woman speaks articulately, they will pretend not to, but they will look and listen. It's the wisdom of the life I've lived."

"...Hmph, how long have you lived?"

While being younger than her.

But Zhuge Seola was not in a bad mood. No, rather, it was good. Anyway.

'He said I was pretty, right?'

Her face was hot.

(End of Chapter)