Chapter 600: Amnesty and Unity Canon |
Inside the prison, Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar took a branding iron.
The front half of the branding iron was placed inside a charcoal furnace, heated until it glowed red. At the very tip, a character had been engraved.
Upon closer inspection, Ning Zhuo discovered that it was the character “Benevolence”.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar held the “Benevolence” branding iron and walked to the front of Silent Ghost General.
Silent Ghost General was bound tightly and unable to move. He merely stared calmly at Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar did not hesitate in the slightest. He directly pressed the branding iron onto Silent Ghost General’s forehead between the brows.
Hiss…
The red-hot iron seared the center of the ghost general’s forehead, producing a stream of black smoke.
For a moment, the air filled with the smell of burning.
Silent Ghost General lowered his head weakly, his breathing becoming rough.
Seeing Ning Zhuo’s slight surprise, Wen Ruanyu explained at the proper moment, “In Confucian cultivation, there are the Five Constants: Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Trust.”
“Benevolence means loving others. It is the root of Confucian teaching.”
“If one desires to establish oneself, one should help others establish themselves. If one desires success, one should help others succeed.”
“A benevolent person possesses a kind heart and virtue as steady as a mountain. They bestow kindness, grant tolerance, accumulate goodness as their foundation, and maintain a compassionate heart toward all things…”
Ning Zhuo listened attentively.
Both Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar Zheng Shoumo and Myriad Manifestations True Inheritor Wen Ruanyu were Confucian cultivators.
Ning Zhuo was not familiar with Confucian cultivation, so hearing experts explain it naturally made him listen carefully and study diligently.
Seeing that Silent Ghost General merely continued to breathe heavily, Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar took another branding iron from the furnace.
This one differed from the previous one—the front bore the character “Righteousness”.
Pfft.
Zheng Shoumo pressed the branding iron against Silent Ghost General’s left shoulder, releasing another burnt smell.
The intense pain caused Silent Ghost General to suddenly raise his head and stare at the ceiling, yet his expression remained calm, and his gaze stayed tranquil.
Seeing this, Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar became interested. “Good. That gaze is quite admirable. I hope you can maintain such spirit next.”
Ning Zhuo: …
Wen Ruanyu continued explaining, “Righteousness means what is proper—the principle that binds the righteous path.”
“A gentleman places righteousness above all, establishing himself and practicing the Dao through it.”
“Righteousness does not lie in strength but in the heart. Even when encountering hardship, one should maintain integrity and never abandon one’s original intent…”
“A righteous person acts according to fairness rather than personal gain. Their upright spirit stands firm, and their heart remains undistracted.”
Ning Zhuo secretly memorized all of this.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar set down the Righteousness branding iron and took out the third one, marked with the character “Propriety”.
Following the same method, he branded the character onto Silent Ghost General’s left shoulder.
Silent Ghost General tightly shut his lips, clenched his teeth, and still did not utter a single sound.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar looked him up and down and praised sincerely, “Indeed a tough man!”
Wen Ruanyu once again explained to Ning Zhuo, “Propriety means respect—it governs the conduct of people in the world.”
“It is also said: Propriety is order, the fundamental pattern of Heaven and Earth, and a great matter of the state.”
“And again: Propriety is the heart that respects others and the method by which one treats things. When practicing propriety, one moves like the wind, holding reverence in the heart, maintaining dignified conduct, ensuring all actions remain proper…”
In this aspect, Wen Ruanyu seemed to have studied most deeply.
He even added some of his own understanding. “Rituals are not hypocrisy. They are the unity of inner respect and outward expression, following both heavenly principles and human morality—knowing when to advance or retreat, weighing importance, and distinguishing right from wrong…”
Ning Zhuo gained greatly and immediately cupped his hands in thanks.
He recalled the battle at the Nether Flood Dragon River, where Wen Ruanyu had fought with profound mastery of propriety. At the time, many water ghosts and Yin Soldiers had actually laid down their blades and started observing etiquette, allowing themselves to be slaughtered.
“Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, Trust… Benevolence, Righteousness, and Propriety have appeared. Next should only be Wisdom and Trust.”
Ning Zhuo saw the pattern. He had also long noticed that many branding irons were stuck into the charcoal furnace, though the characters at their tips were hidden within the fire.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar returned the iron but did not immediately take out the fourth.
Turning to Wen Ruanyu, he said, “Lord Wen, this enemy general is indeed the toughest man I have ever encountered. After applying three characters, he has not even furrowed his brow or groaned once. I fear the remaining two characters will also fail to pry open his mouth.”
“I am ashamed.”
“I boasted earlier, yet now I have been slapped in the face.”
“It seems this old man underestimated the heroes of the world.”
Wen Ruanyu frowned. “What should we do then?”
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar replied, “I still have a method. We can make use of this man’s toughness to extract more intelligence.”
A moment later, Blue-Faced Ghost General, Bone-Club Ghost General, Peanut Ghost General, and Fang-Tusk Ghost General were all brought into the prison chamber.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar said, “Your leader is indeed a tough man. Even after three characters were branded on him, he remained silent.”
“Watch carefully. I hope that you will also maintain such toughness next!”
As he spoke, he took out the Wisdom branding iron and fiercely branded it onto Silent Ghost General’s thigh.
Silent Ghost General’s body trembled in pain, yet he still made no sound.
However, upon seeing this scene, the other four ghost generals all changed expressions drastically. One struggled desperately and let out muffled sounds, but they remained restrained and could not move freely.
Wen Ruanyu again explained to Ning Zhuo, this time transmitting through spiritual sense:
“Wisdom means the ability to know and act—the intelligence that perceives and comprehends.”
“Those who know are inferior to those who love it; those who love it are inferior to those who delight in it…”
“A wise person possesses clear mind and bright vision, understands the changing times, perceives subtle signs, plans thoroughly, and acts decisively…”
Ning Zhuo nodded inwardly, delighted.
“I’ve learned something new.”
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar could not help but give Silent Ghost General a thumbs-up. “Good. You are the toughest prisoner I have ever seen.”
“I have never seen anyone endure all five characters consecutively. I hope you can break that record.”
Pfft.
In the next moment, the Trust branding iron was pressed onto Silent Ghost General’s right thigh, burning the character deeply into the flesh.
Wen Ruanyu said, “Trust means keeping one’s word and honoring loyalty and agreements.”
“Words must be carried out; actions must yield results. One keeps promises faithfully and remains loyal without wavering. Only then will the hearts of the people gather around.”
“A gentleman attends to the root; once the root is established, the Dao emerges. Virtue never stands alone—it always has neighbors. When trust exists, people feel at ease; when a state possesses trust, the hearts of the people return. It is both the pinnacle of moral character and the foundation for one’s standing in the world.”
Just as he finished explaining, Silent Ghost General finally could not endure any longer. His eyes closed, and he fainted on the spot.
“What a pity, what a pity.” Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar felt great regret.
He turned and removed the restraint from Blue-Faced Ghost General so he could speak.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar spoke gently and politely, “If I recall correctly, you also received one character before, but fainted halfway through. I hope you will perform better this time.”
Blue-Faced Ghost General was a battlefield veteran who had survived countless bloody fights. Hearing Zheng Shoumo speak like this made him struggle even more violently.
“I already told you everything! I said everything I know!”
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar nodded with a smile. “Later, we will request the City Lord’s Heart-Dissecting Inquiry Scroll. I hope your words prove truthful.”
The old scholar sealed Blue-Faced Ghost General again, then successively removed the restrictions from the other three generals so they could speak.
Having personally witnessed how Silent Ghost General had fainted, and having themselves experienced the pain of the branding iron, they were thoroughly shaken. The pain was not merely physical—it penetrated the very depths of the soul, truly heart-rending and unbearable.
This time, as the old scholar interrogated them one by one, they revealed military intelligence they had previously withheld. Their attitudes became extremely proper.
Only when it came to Peanut Ghost General did things change.
The ghost general trembled as he said, “My lords, please hear me. Lord Silent did not stubbornly resist to the end. He already intended to abandon darkness and embrace the light. It is just that his talent and cultivation technique make his expression always calm and prevent him from speaking.”
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar: …
Ning Zhuo, Wen Ruanyu: …
The silence in the room became extremely awkward.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar waved his hand and ordered the other four generals to be taken away again.
He cupped his hands to Wen Ruanyu and requested permission to cast a spell.
Wen Ruanyu did not hesitate and nodded in agreement.
Thus, in the next moment, Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar performed the Confucian spell—Amnesty and Unity Canon.
The old scholar stirred his mana, rapidly consuming it, while reciting continuously as if reading a magnificent piece of prose.
Body imprint, mouth imprint, and heart imprint—these were the primary techniques for casting spells.
Confucian cultivators, in particular, emphasized the mouth imprint.
As Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar recited, small silver-white characters condensed out of thin air and gathered together, forming an elegant literary passage.
These silver-white words flowed like a stream toward Silent Ghost General.
The five brands on Silent Ghost General’s body were infused with the silver characters and began emitting gentle white light.
The light spread rapidly from the five sources and merged across the ghost general’s body, forming crisscrossing lines.
Upon closer inspection, these silver lines were actually composed of extremely tiny characters. From a distance, however, they looked like cords binding Silent Ghost General completely.
The silver light gradually faded until it disappeared entirely.
After another dozen breaths, even the silver lines themselves vanished.
Finally, the large characters Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Trust branded onto Silent Ghost General also faded away. To the naked eye, he looked no different from before.
“Good. Completed in one attempt.” Wen Ruanyu clapped once and praised, “Brother Zheng’s understanding of the Amnesty and Unity Canon is far deeper than mine. If I performed it, I could never achieve such results.”
Ning Zhuo was somewhat surprised. “Old Master Zheng is only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, yet Senior Wen is a Golden Core cultivator. Is that really so?”
Wen Ruanyu nodded. “Naturally. Throughout history, Confucian cultivation arose later. The reason it could rise rapidly and claim its place is because its cultivation methods incorporate many cultivation arts.”
“For instance, the traditional four scholarly arts—zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. And the six gentlemanly arts—ritual, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. These can cross disciplines and unlock greater power.”
“Because of this integration of cultivation arts, Confucian cultivators are not judged purely by cultivation level. Sometimes a Confucian cultivator deeply skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, or scholarship can accomplish things that even higher-level cultivators cannot.”
Ning Zhuo thought of how he had used military strategy on the battlefield to drastically increase combat power, and his understanding deepened further.
Silent Ghost General slowly awakened, his face still indifferent.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar directly released his restraints, allowing him to regain freedom.
This action was extremely bold, yet Wen Ruanyu did not stop him at all.
Silent Ghost General looked at the three of them carefully.
Silver light shone faintly across his body.
He then knelt on one knee and bowed to the three of them, expressing his submission through the most direct action.
Upon seeing this, Sun Lingtong could not help but exclaim, “This Amnesty and Unity Canon is ridiculously useful! It’s almost like your Divine Ability—Life Hanging by a Thread, Little Zhuo.”
“But controlling a divine ability is extremely difficult. Yet this Amnesty and Unity Canon is merely a Confucian spell—even that old man can learn it!”
Ning Zhuo disagreed slightly and replied secretly, “There are still differences.”
“My divine ability works regardless of whether the enemy is willing. Once planted, it can forcibly control their body and actions instantly.”
“But Amnesty and Unity Canon requires a lot of preliminary preparation. Cultivating this spell likely has its own difficulties. Otherwise, Wen Ruanyu, a true-inheritance Golden Core cultivator, would not step aside and allow Zheng Shoumo, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, to perform it.”
“I truly have gained a lot of interest in Confucian cultivation. I hope that in the future I will have time to study it more deeply.”
Sun Lingtong laughed. “Little Zhuo, which cultivation path or technique are you not interested in?”
Ning Zhuo paused. “Learning more is never a bad thing.”
Through this encounter with Confucian cultivators, the two broadened their horizons and realized that Confucian cultivation differed greatly from their previous imagination.
Silent Ghost General had been recruited, but the other four generals could not endure the branding iron. They would need to wait some time between each character. Thus, although Peanut Ghost General had already declared surrender, he was still imprisoned.
Wen Ruanyu and the others questioned Silent Ghost General but gained no useful leads.
Ink Pool Old Confucian Scholar analyzed, “Those sent into the inner city to risk their lives would not be entrusted with important intelligence by the Forget River Lord.”
“But precisely because of this, even Golden Core ghost generals sent here are not highly valued.”
“And because of that, there is a greater possibility of persuading them to surrender.”
Ning Zhuo felt a little regret regarding Silent Ghost General.
He had hoped to burn him and extract spirituality containing innate talent.
However, since the ghost general had already surrendered, his value to White Paper Immortal City was now greater while alive.
“The ghost tide is constantly attacking the city. There will surely be great battles.”
“Let Silent Ghost General continue contributing. If he dies on the battlefield in the future, I can still take over then. There is no need to rush.”
With no further clues, Ning Zhuo decisively suspended the investigation and stayed in Zangyang Detached Residence to cultivate.
He possessed the Four Treasures of Soul Cultivation and used them continuously, causing the foundation of his soul to surge repeatedly.
He broke through from the Ten-Thousand-Person Soul to the Hundred-Thousand-Person Soul. Even after reaching that stage, his progress did not slow down at all.
At the same time, Ning Zhuo continued cultivating the Three Sect Supreme Techniques.
Unfortunately, his progress in the Demonic Blood Tendon Technique remained slow.
Ning Zhuo possessed good comprehension and also had the Early Wisdom talent supporting him. In truth, his understanding of the Demonic Blood Tendon Technique had already surpassed most people.
But everything becomes troublesome when compared.
From his perspective, the progress of the Demonic Blood Tendon Technique was simply too slow. It could not compare to the speed of his body cultivation, and his body cultivation could not even begin to catch up to his soul cultivation.
“Jiao Ma, Jiao Ma, someone from your family has come to visit you.”
Just as Ning Zhuo’s soul foundation reached Three Hundred Thousand Person Soul, a Paper Puppet reported to him.
The visitor was the head of the Jiao Family.
The moment he saw Ning Zhuo, he began scolding him harshly.
“Ma’er, what are you doing? You actually failed to enter the Strength-Nourishing Institute and are still staying in Zangyang Detached Residence?”
“Speak!”
“Are you still thinking about Qing Yan’s daughter?”
