Chapter 1580: The Foundation of Education (Pleading for Monthly Tickets)
His attention was drawn away by the little cuties at Long Qilin's home, and only then did Long Qilin breathe a sigh of relief—Qin Mu probably wouldn't pursue the matter of the term "old master" any further.
Qin Mu brought these little monsters—neither quite bird, nor quite beast, nor quite dragon—on a tour around the city, observing the customs and culture of Yankang. With these little creatures to keep him entertained, the journey was quite relaxing.
One little one ran up to his shoulder and peered curiously into his ear canal, quite fascinated.
Two others crawled into his hair to hide, but soon started fighting fiercely over this "bird's nest."
"Master, the Beast Realm has also developed very quickly over these years."
Long Qilin walked beside him, saying, "The Beast Realm has vast territory, with the most beast clans on the far side of the Ancestral Court. I helped Long Xiao build many divine cities. On the far sides of the Primordial Realm, Mystic Capital, and Nether Capital, we've also established quite a few cities. And also..."
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I discussed with the Emperor and used the strategy of reducing troops while increasing campfires—we've relocated some of Yankang's population to the far side of the Primordial Realm, establishing many divine cities there. That place is called Little Yankang."
Hearing this, Qin Mu let out a long breath.
Little Yankang in the Beast Realm was Yankang's escape route.
"The plan to reduce troops while increasing campfires keeps the Heavenly Court from detecting the decrease in Yankang's population. Combined with using the Book of Life and Death to erase traces of their existence, we can move these people to the Beast Realm without anyone knowing, establishing a second Yankang."
Long Qilin said, "I also have considerable influence in the Beast Realm. Over these years, I've been attempting to awaken the wisdom of the beast clans there. Blue Yutian—Sage Blue—has some beast clan disciples, all primordial ancient beasts. Building Little Yankang was accomplished with their help."
Qin Mu nodded, feeling deeply gratified.
Blue Yutian had been teaching in the Ancestral Court, and many primordial ancient beasts had followed him, awakening their intelligence, learning to cultivate, and evolving into a new race—the beast clans.
After the Beast Realm was opened, Qin Mu had Long Qilin follow Long Xiao there. Those beast clans also went with Long Qilin to the Beast Realm. Qin Mu's purpose was to have Long Qilin operate in the Beast Realm, building another sphere of influence.
The Beast Realm was located in the dark side of the myriad worlds, with harsh conditions. But if war broke out, the Beast Realm would ironically become the final pure land.
The fewer people who knew about this, the better. That was why Qin Mu had to send the most trustworthy person to handle it. Long Qilin's absence from public view all these years was precisely because he was managing this matter.
"I used a reverse summoning divine ability with the beast clan powerhouses to summon Yankang people to the Beast Realm. Progress has been slow over the years because we also had to guard against Long Xiao, keeping him from finding out. But fortunately, we've made some small achievements."
Long Qilin laughed. "Master, when will you visit Little Yankang in the Beast Realm?"
Qin Mu smiled. "I trust your work. Pi, in my heart, you've long become someone who can stand on your own."
Long Qilin's heart blossomed with joy. He very much wanted to wag his tail, but over these years in the Beast Realm, his status was second only to Long Xiao's. His position had made him somewhat reserved.
Qin Mu patted his big head, and Long Qilin immediately couldn't hold back—his tail wagged vigorously twice, thoroughly satisfied.
Qin Mu toured this divine city for a week, also visiting the vegetable markets, workshops, elementary schools, and academies. He extended his divine consciousness, hearing all the conversations of the people throughout the city, assessing the public sentiment.
"This divine city is good. Though there are some underhanded dealings, it's generally moving upward."
Qin Mu suddenly said, "We've seen the divine city, but how are things developing below?"
He walked to the edge of the city and looked down at the land below, where there were also many villages and towns.
Long Qilin followed him down to the land. Qin Mu walked through the countryside, arriving at a town, and asked, "Do the children all have names?"
Long Qilin said, "They've all been named. I take the surname Long, Yan'er takes the surname Zhu. The boys take my surname, the girls take hers. The eldest was born early—a boy, named Changli. The second is a girl, named Hongyu. The third has a quick tongue, named Tanxuan..."
Qin Mu walked through the town, noticing that the towns were mostly populated by elderly people with some children, but very few able-bodied young adults. He frowned.
He then went to the town's elementary school and sat in on a few classes. His frown deepened.
The people in this town were dressed far less brightly and beautifully than those in the divine city. Their living conditions were also much worse, as was their food.
What was even more frightening was the elementary schools and academies. The teachers instructing the children were all very ordinary ability users, without much talent. They taught the children half-heartedly, and some teachers barely understood the material themselves.
He went to ask an elder in the town. The elder said, "The young people have all gone to the divine city, or to the mines and the supervisor's workshops. Some have crossed mountains to go to the lower capital. We might not see them once or twice a year."
"Then what about the elementary schools and academies in the countryside..."
"There are fewer people now. The schools can't keep running. Many closed down long ago. Our town is relatively large, so we can still keep ours going. Families with some money send their children to the city for education. Those without money can only stay here, learning a bit of skill so they won't starve."
Qin Mu stood in the dilapidated elementary school, somewhat dazed, murmuring, "It's only been a hundred years... only a hundred years..."
Long Qilin said cautiously, "Master, their lives are already immeasurably better than they were a hundred years ago."
Qin Mu shook his head. "This is not what I want. Let's keep walking—let's see what's ahead."
He arrived at a rural village, which looked even more dilapidated. Qin Mu didn't stay long, directly asking where the village's elementary school was.
"It closed down over ten years ago." Someone led him to the ruins of the rural school.
Qin Mu continued walking with Long Qilin, traveling through the countryside. Above their heads hung the glorious divine city, extremely prosperous. Below them were the dilapidated towns and villages, left with only the old and young.
He passed through many cities and villages of Yankang, his brow never relaxing.
As night deepened, Qin Mu stopped. Long Qilin had his little ones build a campfire, and everyone sat around the flames.
Long Qilin said, "Master, this is actually inevitable. The development of divine cities will inevitably attract the able-bodied young. In the divine cities, they have opportunities—they can work, they can study, they can find greater chances for advancement. But the divine cities don't need the elderly and children, so the old and young can only remain in the countryside. This is fairness, but it is not justice."
Qin Mu nodded. "I understand. This reasoning was actually taught by me to you."
Long Qilin breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Since Master understands this principle, you should know that the faster Yankang develops, the more different social classes will emerge. Some people, through their own abilities and talents, earn a lot of money, rise to prominence, and hold high positions. Some fall a step behind but can still thrive, never worrying about food, clothing, shelter, or transportation. And some, because they couldn't become ability users, can only remain in the countryside. Yankang—learning for application, promoting only the worthy, unity of knowledge and action, only the useful can achieve—isn't this exactly Master's ideal?"
Qin Mu nodded. "I understand. These principles were also taught by me to you."
"Then why is Master frowning?"
Long Qilin asked, puzzled, "Yankang's development over these hundred years has all followed your philosophy, following the sage's way of letting the people use it themselves. Why does Master still have worries in his heart?"
Qin Mu let out a turbid breath and said in a deep voice, "Everything can operate according to fairness—except education."
Long Qilin was startled, then said, "Yankang's education makes no distinctions. Whether from poor or wealthy families, the divine abilities and supreme techniques they can learn are the best available. Yankang holds nothing back. Isn't this fair?"
Qin Mu added a piece of firewood to the campfire. The flames illuminated his face, flickering between light and shadow. "People's aptitudes differ in quality, their comprehension differs like clouds and mud, their temperaments also differ. After they grow up, their achievements differ, their social classes differ—this is correct, and it should be so. But education must not have social classes."
"If parents are dull and fall into poverty, their children are not necessarily dull. If a child has extraordinary talent but is born into a poor family, and because of their family's poverty cannot receive a good education, wasting their brilliance and reducing them to mediocrity—that is the greatest injustice! That he becomes ordinary because of his family's poverty is fair, but it is not just!"
"Right now, everything in Yankang is good, but in education, it is not just. If education becomes stratified, then over time, the poor will only get poorer, with no hope of ever turning things around. That is what makes my hair stand on end. Yankang's reform moving in this direction is not what I want."
Qin Mu pondered. "Reform is meant to give people hope, not to solidify these social classes. The Heavenly Sage Sect had three hundred sixty halls, but not a single school hall. After I became the Heavenly Sage Master, I established schools. The students in those schools back then all came from poor families at the bottom of society. If we could do it back then, why can't we do it today?"
His brows knitted tightly. "The voices of the poor are low, their voices are small. Even if they cry out loudly in the wilderness, the people in the divine cities cannot hear them. But someone must speak for them—not to beg for their own advancement, but to beg for justice for their descendants. I am the Imperial Preceptor, the tallest person in the divine city. If I don't speak up, hah, who else will speak for them?"
Long Qilin frowned, thinking for a long time, then said, "I've noticed that Master has been troubled these past days. It seems a great battle is approaching. If education reform is also implemented now, it will inevitably hurt many people's interests and cause instability at the upper levels."
Qin Mu stirred the campfire and said in a deep voice, "The Heavenly Court wants to move against the Nether Capital, then take Wuyou Village, then take Yankang, restoring the rule of the demigods and leaving people with no ability to resist. At this time, education reform in Yankang will indeed cause some chaos. But what I seek is not a temporary victory or defeat—I seek Yankang's long-term prosperity, its everlasting triumph! Reforming education now will bring a hundred or thousand years of flourishing. Otherwise, today's upper class will become tomorrow's Ten Venerables. This cannot go unexamined."
He let out a low laugh. "Right now, in the myriad worlds, the demigods devour people. That's why Yankang must overthrow demigod rule. If in the future, people devour people, that would be the real joke! In this position, one must attend to this office's affairs. I am the Imperial Preceptor; I must attend to my office's affairs. Education reform is imperative. I will submit a memorial to the Emperor, asking her to promote Ancestor Wen Yuan to take charge of this matter. Ancestor Wen Yuan has always been down-to-earth, but he must also walk through the countryside for a few years to clearly see the situation there."
Long Qilin looked at him and suddenly smiled. "Master is still the Master of old. Since this matter is settled, perhaps Master should take a journey through the myriad worlds."
Qin Mu looked at him in surprise.
Long Qilin smiled. "The Heavenly Court is promoting the Heavenly Currency to control the world's economy. Back then, Master established the strategy of casting currency to establish the nation. A hundred years have passed—Master should go see the situation in the myriad worlds."
Qin Mu thought for a moment, then said, "Whether Yankang's great cause can succeed depends on the will of the people—not just the will of Yankang's people, but also the will of the people across the myriad worlds. Alright, let's take a journey through the myriad worlds!"
He stood up. Long Qilin's little monsters were still sleeping. Little Tubo made a shushing gesture and gathered the little creatures up.
Long Qilin spread his ears wide, letting him carry the little ones and place them inside his ears.
The two headed toward the nearest divine city. Along the way, Qin Mu had already written his memorial. Upon reaching the divine city, he immediately ordered it sent by express courier to Yankang's upper capital.
Ling Yuxiu reviewed memorials through the night. When she saw Qin Mu's memorial, she pondered for a moment, then ordered someone to go to the Ancestral Court to summon Wen Yuan.
"The cowherd rarely comes back, but he didn't come to see me—he only sent a memorial..."
She shook her head. The memorial spoke not only of education reform but also of the Nether Capital matter, asking her to send people to find Venerable Ling, Venerable Yue, Lang Wan, and Emperor Kaihuang and others.
Ling Yuxiu suppressed the little thoughts in her heart, thinking, "The battle of the Nether Capital cannot afford any mistake, or Yankang will be in danger!"
She immediately ordered people to search for the whereabouts of these Venerables, thinking, "The cowherd didn't come back—where has he gone now?"
—Tearfully begging for monthly tickets~