Chapter 1580: The Foundation of Education (Asking for Monthly Votes)
His attention was drawn to the little cuties of the Dragon Qilin family, and Dragon Qilin finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Qin Mu probably wouldn’t pursue the matter of the term “Old Patriarch” anymore.
Qin Mu took these little monsters—half-bird, half-beast, half-dragon—and wandered through the city, observing the customs and lifestyles of Yankang. With these little creatures to amuse him, the journey was quite relaxing.
One little fellow ran up to his shoulder and peered curiously into his earhole.
Two others hid in his hair, soon starting a fierce fight over this “bird’s nest.”
“Patriarch, the Beast Realm has developed very quickly over the years.”
Dragon Qilin accompanied him, saying, “The Beast Realm is vast, with the most beast tribes on the back side of the Ancestral Court. I helped Dragon Xiao build many divine cities. On the back sides of the Yuan Realm, Xuan Du, and You Du, many cities have also been established. And…”
He hesitated for a moment, then said, “I discussed with the Emperor and used the strategy of reducing troops while increasing camps to relocate some of Yankang’s population to the back side of the Yuan Realm, where we built many divine cities. That place is called Little Yankang.”
Hearing this, Qin Mu let out a long sigh.
Little Yankang in the Beast Realm was Yankang’s retreat.
“The plan to reduce troops and increase camps prevents the Heavenly Court from noticing the decrease in Yankang’s population. Combined with using the Book of Life and Death to erase their traces of existence, these people can be secretly moved to the Beast Realm to establish a second Yankang.”
Dragon Qilin continued, “I also have considerable influence in the Beast Realm. Over the years, I’ve been trying to awaken the intelligence of the beast tribes there. Blue Yutian, the Blue Sage, has some beast tribe disciples, all ancient colossal beasts. They helped greatly in building Little Yankang.”
Qin Mu nodded, feeling deeply gratified.
Blue Yutian had taught and spread his teachings in the Ancestral Court, attracting many ancient colossal beasts who awakened their intelligence, learned cultivation, and evolved into a new race—the Beast Tribe.
After the Beast Realm was opened, Qin Mu sent Dragon Qilin to follow Dragon Xiao there. These beast tribes also followed Dragon Qilin to the Beast Realm. Qin Mu’s goal was for Dragon Qilin to manage the Beast Realm and establish another sphere of influence.
The Beast Realm lay in the shadowy side of the myriad realms, with harsh conditions, but if war broke out, it would become the last pure land.
The fewer people who knew about this, the better, so Qin Mu had to send his most trusted person to handle it. Dragon Qilin had not appeared for so many years precisely because he was managing this.
“I used reverse summoning techniques with the beast tribe experts to summon Yankang people to the Beast Realm. Progress has been slow over the years because I also had to guard against Dragon Xiao, keeping him unaware. But thankfully, we’ve achieved some results.”
Dragon Qilin smiled and asked, “Patriarch, when will you visit Little Yankang in the Beast Realm?”
Qin Mu chuckled, “I trust your work. Pi, in my heart, you’ve long become someone who can stand on your own.”
Dragon Qilin’s heart blossomed with joy. He wanted to wag his tail, but over the years in the Beast Realm, his status was second only to Dragon Xiao, and his position had made him somewhat reserved.
Qin Mu patted his big head, and Dragon Qilin couldn’t help it—his tail wagged vigorously a couple of times, satisfied.
Qin Mu toured this divine city for a week, visiting the market, the workshops, the elementary schools, and the universities. He extended his divine consciousness, listening to the conversations of the people throughout the entire city to gauge public sentiment.
“This divine city is good. Though there are some underhanded dealings, the overall trend is upward.”
Qin Mu suddenly asked, “We’ve seen the divine city, but how is the development below?”
He walked to the edge of the city and looked down at the land below, where many villages and towns lay.
Dragon Qilin followed him to the ground. Qin Mu walked through the countryside and arrived at a town, asking, “Do the children all have names?”
Dragon Qilin replied, “They all have names. I take the surname Dragon, and Yan’er takes the surname Zhu. The boys follow my surname, and the girls follow hers. The eldest was born early, a boy named Changli. The second is a girl named Hongyu. The third is articulate, named Tanxuan…”
Qin Mu walked through the town and noticed that it was mostly elderly people with children, but very few young adults. He frowned.
He then went to the town’s elementary school and listened to a few classes, his frown deepening.
The clothing of the townspeople was far less bright and stylish than that of the divine city’s residents. Their living conditions and diet were also much poorer.
More frightening was the quality of the elementary and university schools. The teachers were ordinary cultivators with little talent, teaching the children half-heartedly, and even the teachers themselves had only a superficial understanding of the subjects.
He went to ask an elderly man in the town. The old man said, “The young people have all gone to the divine city, or to the mines and factories, or over the mountains to the lower capital. We might see them once or twice a year at most.”
“Then, the elementary and university schools in the countryside…”
“With fewer people, the schools can’t sustain themselves. Many closed long ago. Our town is relatively large, so we can still keep them running. Families with some money send their children to study in the city. Those without money can only stay here, learning a little skill to avoid starving to death.”
Qin Mu stood dazed in the dilapidated elementary school, somewhat disoriented, murmuring, “It’s only been a hundred years… only a hundred years…”
Dragon Qilin cautiously said, “Patriarch, their lives are actually countless times better than they were a hundred years ago.”
Qin Mu shook his head and said, “This is not what I wanted. Let’s keep going and see what’s ahead.”
He arrived at a village in the countryside, which was even more dilapidated. Qin Mu didn’t stay long and directly asked where the village’s elementary school was.
“It closed down over ten years ago.” Someone led him to the ruins of the village school.
Qin Mu continued walking with Dragon Qilin, traveling through the countryside. Above them hung the dazzling divine city, magnificent and prosperous. Below lay the decaying villages, left with only the old and young.
He passed through many cities and villages in Yankang, his brow never relaxing.
As night deepened, Qin Mu stopped. Dragon Qilin and his little monsters built a campfire, and everyone sat around it.
Dragon Qilin said, “Patriarch, this is inevitable. The development of divine cities attracts the young and strong. They find work there, can study, and have greater opportunities. But divine cities don’t need the elderly or children, so the old and young have to stay in the countryside. This is fairness, but not equity.”
Qin Mu nodded. “I understand. I taught you this principle myself.”
Dragon Qilin sighed in relief and smiled, “Since the Patriarch understands this, you should know that the faster Yankang develops, the more different social classes will emerge. Some, through their own abilities and talent, make a lot of money, rise to prominence, and hold high positions. Others, though a step behind, can still thrive, lacking nothing in food, clothing, or shelter. And some, because they couldn’t become cultivators, are left in the countryside. Yankang’s philosophy—learning for application, promoting the talented, unity of knowledge and action, only the useful achieve success—isn’t this the Patriarch’s ideal?”
Qin Mu nodded. “I understand. I taught you these principles too.”
“Then why is the Patriarch frowning?”
Dragon Qilin asked, puzzled, “Yankang’s development over the past hundred years has followed your philosophy, following the sage’s way of the people using it themselves. Why is the Patriarch still worried?”
Qin Mu exhaled a breath of turbid air and said solemnly, “Everything can operate according to fairness, except education.”
Dragon Qilin was taken aback. “Yankang’s education makes no distinction. Whether from poor or wealthy families, the best cultivation techniques and knowledge are taught. Yankang holds nothing back. Isn’t this fairness?”
Qin Mu added a piece of wood to the campfire, the flames illuminating his face in flickering light and shadow. “People’s talents differ in quality, their comprehension varies like clouds and mud, and their temperaments differ. As they grow, their achievements and social classes differ. This is correct and should be so. But education must not have classes.”
“If parents are dull and fall into poverty, their children may not be dull. If a child is exceptionally gifted but born into a poor family and cannot receive a good education due to poverty, wasting their talent and becoming ordinary—that is the greatest injustice! For them to become ordinary because of their family’s poverty is fair, but it is not equitable!”
“Right now, Yankang is good in every way, but in education, it is not equitable. The division in education, if continued, will mean the poor become poorer, with no chance of ever turning things around. That is what sends chills down my spine. Yankang’s reforms heading in this direction are not what I want.”
Qin Mu pondered, “Reforms are meant to give people hope, not to solidify these classes. The Heavenly Sage Sect had three hundred halls, but none for schools. After I became the Heavenly Sage Sect Leader, I established schools. Back then, the students in those schools all came from poor, lowly families. If we could achieve that step back then, why can’t we do it today?”
He frowned deeply. “The voices of the poor are low and soft. Even if they cry out in the wilderness, people in the divine city cannot hear them. But someone must speak for them—not to beg for their own future, but to seek equity for their descendants. I am the National Teacher, the tallest figure in the divine city. If I don’t speak, hah, who else will speak for them?”
Dragon Qilin frowned, thinking for a long time, then said, “I’ve noticed that the Patriarch has been preoccupied lately, likely because a great battle is approaching. If education also undergoes reform now, it will inevitably affect many people’s interests and destabilize the upper echelons.”
Qin Mu poked at the campfire and said solemnly, “The Heavenly Court wants to move against You Du, then take Carefree Village, then Yankang, restoring the rule of the demigods so that people have no power to resist. At this time, reforming Yankang’s education will indeed cause some chaos. But what I seek is not a temporary victory or defeat, but Yankang’s long-term prosperity and invincibility! Reforming education now will bring a thousand years of flourishing prosperity. Otherwise, today’s upper class will become tomorrow’s Ten Celestial Venerables. This cannot be ignored.”
He let out a low laugh. “Right now, in the myriad realms, the demigods devour people, so Yankang must overthrow their rule. If in the future, people devour people, that would be a joke! In this position, I must handle its affairs. I am the National Teacher, so I must act accordingly. Education reform is imperative. I will submit a memorial to the Emperor, asking her to promote Patriarch Wen Yuan to take charge of this matter. Patriarch Wen Yuan has always been grounded, but he must also walk through the countryside for a few years to see the situation clearly.”
Dragon Qilin looked at him and suddenly smiled, “The Patriarch is still the same Patriarch. Since this matter is settled, perhaps the Patriarch should take a trip through the myriad realms.”
Qin Mu looked at him in surprise.
Dragon Qilin smiled, “The Heavenly Court promotes the Heavenly Currency to control the world’s economy. Back then, the Patriarch set the strategy of establishing the nation through minting. A hundred years have passed. The Patriarch should go and see the situation in the myriad realms.”
Qin Mu thought for a moment and said, “Whether Yankang’s great cause can succeed depends on the will of the people—not just the people of Yankang, but also the people of the myriad realms. Alright, let’s go and travel through the myriad realms!”
He stood up. Dragon Qilin’s little monsters were still sleeping. Little Tu Bo made a shushing gesture and gathered them up.
Dragon Qilin’s ears perked up, and he let the little fellow carry the monsters and put them into his ears.
The two headed for the nearest divine city. Along the way, Qin Mu had already written his memorial. When they reached the divine city, he immediately ordered it to be sent by urgent express to Yankang’s capital.
Ling Yuxiu reviewed memorials late into the night. When she saw Qin Mu’s memorial, she pondered for a moment and ordered someone to go to the Ancestral Court to summon Wen Yuan.
“That cowherd rarely comes back, but he didn’t come to see me—just sent a memorial…”
She shook her head. The memorial spoke not only of education reform but also of the You Du matter, asking her to find Ling Tianzun, Yue Tianzun, Lang Wan, and Kai Huang.
Ling Yuxiu suppressed her personal thoughts and thought to herself, “The battle for You Du cannot afford any mistakes, or Yankang will be in danger!”
She immediately ordered a search for these Celestial Venerables, wondering, “That cowherd didn’t come back—where did he go?”
—Tearfully asking for monthly votes~