14: Chapter 14 Initial Thoughts on the Three Teachings

By the twenty-seventh day of practicing the Hunyuan Fist, Lu Mingyuan's boxing stance had begun to take shape.

Every day at wei shi (1-3 PM), figures darted across the training ground, and the sounds of fists whistling filled the air. He could now complete all thirty-six forms of the Hunyuan Fist three times in one go, with a white-gold aura flickering around him—an external manifestation of his Chaotic Dao Foundation True Qi merging with his Physical Body's Qi and blood. When he finished, hot steam often rose like mist, particularly striking in the Zhongnan Mountain in late autumn.

However, a growing doubt festered in Lu Mingyuan's heart.

After his practice this day, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the center of the taiji diagram, staring blankly at the fallen ginkgo leaves. Qingfeng brought him tea and, seeing his distraction, softly asked, "Mr. Lu, are you tired from training?"

"Not tired," Lu Mingyuan shook his head. "It's just that... I can't quite figure something out."

"Can't figure it out?" Qingfeng tilted her head. "Grandmaster often says, if you can't figure something out, just ask him."

Lu Mingyuan smiled, taking the teacup. Yes, if he couldn't figure it out, he should ask—but some questions seemed to be impossible to even begin asking.

In the evening, he habitually went to the Scripture Pavilion to read. This had become a routine; no matter how busy he was, he would always set aside an hour to peruse the ancient texts. Today, he picked up "Zhuangzi: On the Equality of Things." When he read, "Heaven and earth are born with me, and the myriad things and I are one," his heart suddenly stirred.

He put down the book and walked to the window. In the twilight, the forests of Zhongnan Mountain were ablaze with color, distant peaks like dark eyebrows, and nearby bamboo shrouded in mist. He activated his Eye of Clarity, and three layers of vision appeared before him:

What his physical eyes saw was the aesthetic beauty of nature.

What his Eye of Clarity saw was the energy flow of earth veins, Spiritual Qi, and the vitality of plants.

And an even deeper layer—the "principles" embedded behind these scenes.

Daoism speaks of "Dao following nature," believing that all things are born from the Dao, and people should conform to nature, being pure and inactive. Thus, his observation of heaven and earth, his meditation and Qi cultivation, were all attempts to experience this state of "uniting with the Dao."

Confucianism speaks of "cultivating oneself and regulating the family," emphasizing human social responsibility and moral cultivation. Thus, he cultivated Noble Spirit, taking integrity and fortitude as the Foundation of his Heart-Nature, advocating for "inner sage and outer king."

Martial Dao speaks of "Dual Cultivation of nature and life," valuing Physical Body tempering and practical application. Thus, he practiced standing meditation and boxing, strengthening his Qi and blood, seeking the unity of body and mind, and entering the Dao through martial arts.

Each of these three paths had its rationale, and he was walking all of them. But as he walked, problems arose—

When he meditated among the bamboo, experiencing "purity and inaction," the Noble Spirit in his chest surged naturally, reminding him that "a scholar cannot but be broad-minded and resolute." When he sweated profusely on the training ground, tempering his Physical Body, he felt that this "bravery and fierceness" seemed to contradict the Daoist "gentleness and submissiveness." And when he read and cultivated his Qi, pursuing "inner sage and outer king," he would recall the "indomitable spirit" of the Martial Dao.

"Which path should I ultimately take?" Lu Mingyuan murmured to himself.

"Why not walk all three paths?"

Xuanweizi's voice came from behind him. Unbeknownst to Lu Mingyuan, the old Daoist had already stood in the pavilion, holding a scroll of the "I Ching."

Lu Mingyuan quickly turned and bowed: "Teacher."

Xuanweizi walked to the window, standing shoulder to shoulder with him: "I heard your murmur just now. Do you feel the three paths contradict each other?"

"Yes," Lu Mingyuan admitted. "Daoism speaks of inaction, Confucianism speaks of action, and Martial Dao speaks of courageous advance. These three... seem difficult to reconcile."

Xuanweizi did not answer directly. Instead, he opened the "I Ching" in his hand and pointed to the image-text of the "Qian Hexagram": "As Heaven maintains its vigor through movement, a gentleman makes himself strong and untiring. This is the spirit of Confucianism—vigorous and active, striving upwards."

He then turned to the "Kun Hexagram": "As the Earth's condition is receptive devotion, a gentleman carries the outer world with broad virtue. This is the essence of Daoism—gentle and inclusive, bearing all things."

"What about the Martial Dao?" Lu Mingyuan asked.

"The Martial Dao in the 'I Ching' is 'Thunder coming forth from the earth, Yu.' The sound of thunder shakes the earth, and all things are invigorated and awaken—this is courageous advancement, breaking the old and establishing the new." Xuanweizi closed the book. "You see, a single 'I Ching' already contains these three Realms."

He turned to Lu Mingyuan: "The reason you feel a contradiction is that you are still looking at it with a 'discriminating mind.' Daoist inaction is 'inaction' after reaching the extreme of 'action'; Confucian action is 'action' after understanding the limits of 'action'; Martial Dao's courageous advance is 'advance' after understanding 'retreat.' These three are originally three facets of one body; how can there be a contradiction?"

Lu Mingyuan looked thoughtful.

Xuanweizi continued: "For example: when you practice the Hunyuan Fist, the first form, 'Chaos First Opens,' requires the fierce and powerful vigor of opening heaven and earth—this is Martial Dao. The second form, 'Yin and Yang Differentiation,' requires grasping the balance of hard and soft, knowing when to advance and when to retreat—this is Daoism. The third form, 'Five Elements Rotation,' requires overall planning and endless vitality—this is Confucianism."

He paused: "The spirit of all three schools is present in one set of boxing forms. When you practice, do you ever feel a contradiction?"

Lu Mingyuan shook his head: "Not only no contradiction, but I feel... a complete unity."

"That's it," Xuanweizi nodded. "Truth becomes clearer through debate. Your confusion is because you've begun to ponder these principles. If you merely blindly followed one school, you wouldn't have this trouble."

Outside the window, the last trace of sunset vanished behind the mountains, and the first stars appeared.

Xuanweizi walked to the desk, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote eight large characters on Xuan paper:

"Principles are one, but manifestations are many; all methods return to the source."

"These are the words of Zhu Xi, the great Confucian scholar of the Song Dynasty, meaning that the underlying principle is one, but its expressions vary." Xuanweizi put down the brush. "Applied to cultivation, it means 'the Great Dao is one, but there are myriad methods.' Daoism, Confucianism, Martial Dao, and even Buddhism, Mohism, Legalism... all schools' methods are paths to the Great Dao. The only difference is which path one takes, and which segment of the scenery one sees."

Lu Mingyuan gazed at the eight characters, and the fog in his heart gradually dispersed.

Indeed, why must he choose only one path? His Chaotic Dao Foundation could encompass all methods, Noble Spirit could serve as a pillar for his Foundation, and his Martial Dao Foundation could strengthen his Physical Body—these three were already indispensable parts of his cultivation journey.

"Teacher, you mean... Junior can cultivate them all?"

"Not 'can,' but 'should,'" Xuanweizi said with a serious expression. "You bear the Opportunity of the one that escaped, and your Chaotic Dao Foundation is destined to follow the path of integrating myriad methods. If you cling to one school or faction, you will squander this heaven-sent Opportunity."

He pointed to Lu Mingyuan's Dantian area: "Your Dao Foundation is 'Chaos.' Chaos is the undifferentiated state from which all things can evolve. It's like a blank canvas on which you can paint Daoist landscapes, write Confucian essays, or draw Martial Dao diagrams—or you can combine all three to create an unprecedented masterpiece."

These words struck Lu Mingyuan like a thunderclap, shaking him to his core.

To create an unprecedented masterpiece...

Once this thought arose, it spread like wildfire, impossible to suppress. He recalled his three months of cultivation: the chaotic evolution during Foundation Establishment of his Dao Foundation, the upright resolve when cultivating Noble Qi, and the Fusion of nature and life during Martial Dao practice—each Breakthrough deepened his understanding of these three paths.

And what if... he merged these three paths?

Not a simple superposition, but a true, organic Fusion. Using the Chaotic Dao Foundation as a vessel, Noble Spirit as the framework, and the Martial Dao Foundation as the flesh and blood, to construct a completely new cultivation system.

"Teacher..." Lu Mingyuan's voice trembled slightly. "Is this... possible?"

A profound light flashed in Xuanweizi's eyes: "Whether anyone in ancient times achieved it, I do not know. But if no one has done it before, why can't you be the first?"

He patted Lu Mingyuan's shoulder: "Of course, this is just a preliminary idea. To truly integrate the three teachings is not the work of a day. You need to understand the essence of each school more deeply, you need to constantly verify it in cultivation, you need to take many detours, and you may even fail. But—"

The old Daoist smiled slightly: "Truth becomes clearer through debate, and the Dao becomes wider as you walk it. If you don't try, how will you know if it's impossible?"

Lu Mingyuan took a deep breath and bowed heavily: "Junior... is willing to try."

"Good," Xuanweizi nodded. "Then from today onwards, your lessons will be adjusted."

"Please instruct me, Teacher."

"Every morning, continue to meditate and observe the heavens, experiencing the Daoist 'purity and inaction.'"

"At noon, study Confucian classics, cultivate Noble Spirit, and contemplate 'inner sage and outer king.'"

"In the evening, practice Martial Dao techniques, strengthen your Qi, blood, muscles, and bones, and comprehend 'Dual Cultivation of nature and life.'"

"And at night—" Xuanweizi paused, "sit in quiet reflection, cross-referencing what you've gained during the day, seeking possibilities for Fusion. Even if it's just a trace of insight, write it down."

Lu Mingyuan committed these words firmly to heart.

After Xuanweizi left, he sat alone in the Scripture Pavilion until late into the night. Spreading Xuan paper on the desk, he picked up his brush and wrote three terms:

Dao—Purity, Nature, Inaction.

Confucianism—Uprightness, Action, Self-Cultivation.

Martial Arts—Bravery, Physical Strengthening, Combat.

In the middle of the three terms, he drew a circle, and inside the circle, he wrote the two characters "Chaos."

Then he began to ponder: How could these three be unified in Chaos?

Purity and inaction, and upright action, seem contradictory, but if "inaction" means not acting recklessly, and "action" means acting when appropriate, could they be unified in "acting according to the situation, being still when appropriate, and moving when appropriate"?

Bravery and physical strengthening, and purity and nature, seem to conflict, but if "bravery" is an external manifestation and "purity" is an internal state of mind, could they harmonize in "external movement and internal stillness, physical movement and spiritual calm"?

After much thought, the paper was covered with disorganized ideas, but no firm conclusion.

But Lu Mingyuan was not discouraged.

Truth becomes clearer through debate. If he couldn't figure it out today, he would think about it tomorrow; if he couldn't figure it out this year, he would think about it next year. As long as he started thinking and trying, the path would always broaden.

Outside the window, the moon was at its zenith.

He put away his paper and brush, blew out the oil lamp, and walked out of the Scripture Pavilion. The cool late autumn night wind was particularly refreshing on his face. Looking up at the sky, the Milky Way stretched like a silk ribbon, and the stars sparkled.

The Dao is in the starry sky, Confucianism is in the human heart, and Martial Arts are in the bones and muscles.

And what he had to do was to put them all into the Chaos within his chest.

This path was very difficult.

But it was worth a try.