Arming the Mind and Studying

Looking at what he had written, Chu Qiguang thought with satisfaction, *If I gathered a bunch of ordinary commoners to do this, the authorities might wipe us out before long. But reshaping the thoughts of cat monsters is much easier.* *First, the authorities won't notice anything amiss with them. Second, unlike humans, they haven't been deeply poisoned by feudal ethics, making the task of reforming them vastly simpler.* After finishing writing, Chu Qiguang mused, *Relying on violence alone is no way to lead these cat monsters for long. I need to arm their minds with ideology, give them a fresh start as cats—perhaps they might truly transform from cat monsters into cat-people.* Pondering as he went, Chu Qiguang revised his notes. After all, this was his first time undertaking something like this, and Qiao Zhi's advice had been vague. He was feeling his way forward in the dark. *** The day after Chu Qiguang moved into the small courtyard, the fracture in his hand finally healed enough to no longer interfere with his martial training. From that day on, his life grew increasingly full and busy. By day, he attended classes and practiced at Yinglue Academy, laying a solid foundation for his martial arts. Upon returning in the afternoon, he had to socialize. At times, he would cadge a meal from small landlords like Wang Cailiang and Jin Fugui; at other times, he visited Daoist Fayuan at the Daoist temple, dropped by the county yamen to get in good with Reckoner Li, or chatted with Young Master He Xian of the magistrate's household. Meanwhile, he had to make time to browse the ancient books in the Hao family library—especially those concerning history—searching for clues regarding the Secret Register of the Purple Mansion, which was Chu Qiguang's greatest concern. Whenever he came and went from the Hao residence, he also made sure to ask after Hao Yongtai, seeking opportunities to draw closer to the Hao family. Come nightfall, he lived and ate alongside the cat monsters in the courtyard. First he meditated, then practiced martial arts, and after that gave the cat monsters ideological-political lectures, held grievance-airing meetings, and listened to their thought reports. When morning arrived, he would leave the courtyard once more to attend classes at Yinglue Academy. Just the day before yesterday, he had even attended Hao Yongnian's funeral and offered a stick of incense to him. Watching Hao Yongnian being laid to rest, Chu Qiguang had murmured softly, "Brother Hao, thank you for looking out for me back then. Have a safe journey, and don't hold any lingering attachments. I'll be sure to help look after the Hao family for you, so you can rest in peace." Chen Gang, following behind him, had thought, *Brother Gou truly is a veteran great demon. He killed the man, yet he can still offer incense without batting an eye. I've only just joined the trade; I still have much to learn from him.* In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed in this fulfilling rhythm. Chu Qiguang's martial arts progressed at a breakneck pace. He could already unleash 210 consecutive airburst punches, drawing ever closer to the 300 punches needed for the second stage. However, his silver steadily dwindled, shrinking from the previous nine hundred taels to just over five hundred taels. Less than four months remained until the martial examinations. *** That day, the moment class ended at Yinglue Academy, Chu Qiguang waited at the gate with Chen Gang. Seeing Hao Yongtai emerge, he went up to greet him. They had agreed to head back together today so Chu Qiguang could borrow and read books from the Hao family's collection. The two laughed and chatted along the way, with Chu Qiguang deliberately steering the conversation toward martial arts. Having received Qiao Zhi's tutelage, his martial knowledge far surpassed that of most martial artists in Qingyang County. He constantly brought up anecdotes and insights that intrigued and astonished Hao Yongtai, casually hinting at a background that included a formidable master. Furthermore, Chu Qiguang actively sought Hao Yongtai's advice on things the other man knew. Through this back-and-forth, they naturally established a dynamic of mutual learning and consultation, leading the martial-arts-loving Hao Yongtai to genuinely enjoy talking with him. Chu Qiguang thought to himself, *Our rapport should be just about high enough. Soon I'll find a chance to recommend Gold Wine—the upgraded version of Naobaijin—to him. Then, through Hao Yongtai, I can connect with the Wu family, cling to the thigh of the future Senior Grand Secretary, and become one of Great Han's rising stars!* Bringing Chu Qiguang to his family's library, Hao Yongtai sighed with admiration. "Brother Chu is truly diligent. Ever since I took up martial arts, I haven't visited this library in ages." The library before them was ten times the size of Ergou's entire home. Chu Qiguang swept his gaze over the Hao family's rows of bookshelves and the richly ornate, tasteful decorations all around, marveling at the sheer wealth of these filthy-rich moguls. Hearing his words, Chu Qiguang chuckled and said, "Haha, what can I say? I simply have an interest in the history of the past." Hao Yongtai looked at Chu Qiguang with a hint of concern. "Still, studying so hard and reading so many books, will your health hold up, Brother Chu?" Chu Qiguang was slightly taken aback, then chuckled. "As martial practitioners, pulling an all-nighter for a few days here and there is nothing we can't handle." But seeing the concern on the other man's face, he added, "Rest assured, Brother Hao. If I truly feel unwell, I will certainly take a break." Through their recent interactions, Hao Yongtai had also come to know of Chu Qiguang's passion for history books. After a bit more polite conversation, he said, "Make yourself at home, Brother Chu. I'm off to practice my martial arts. When you're ready to leave, just let the servant outside know, and he'll show you out." Once Hao Yongtai left, Chu Qiguang followed his original plan and began leafing through historical records and classics one by one, both searching for traces of the Secret Register of the Purple Mansion and examining the history of this world. *While educating those cat monsters, I also happen to need a better grasp of this world's history. After all, no investigation, no right to speak. Grounding theory in reality is the best way to get to the true essence of this world's dynasties, which will make my ideological-political lectures much more convincing.* *If I had data from the county yamen, then when reforming these cat monsters' minds, slamming down page after page of cold hard statistics would be even more persuasive.* Most of the history books and ancient texts before him were dull and dry, yet Chu Qiguang still read them with relish. Bolstered by the comprehension and memory granted by the Daoist second stage, his learning pace was exceedingly swift. As the volume of his reading steadily grew, he seemed to see a vibrant yet brutally cruel world constantly shifting and evolving before his eyes, with heroes, ruthless schemers, petty scoundrels, and noble gentlemen taking the stage one after another. Opening another history book of the previous dynasty, he read... Chu Qiguang frowned slightly. *The dynasty before Great Han could roughly be called 'Long'—the Dragon Dynasty. It was an era when the East Sea dragon clan took dominion over the Central Plains, ruling the human race in a savage and brutal manner, treating both humans and demons as food and slaves. Racial and class conflicts were extraordinarily fierce. Throughout their rule of just over a century, beacon fires burned across the realm, and people rebelled almost every year.* *In the end, more than two hundred years ago, Taizu of Great Han overthrew that court, drove the dragon clan back into the East Sea, and founded the present-day Great Han.* *From then on, the dragon clan ran rampant across the East Sea, and in recent years they have frequently harassed the southeastern coast, raiding Great Han's merchant vessels...* Looking over the records on the "dragons," Chu Qiguang marveled, *Are the dragons of this world actually like this?* *It's a pity this dynasty lasted only a brief hundred years, and so many historical materials were lost that many things have no surviving records.* Time slipped away as he immersed himself in his studies. After the sun dipped below the horizon, a servant came in to light the lamps for Chu Qiguang and brought his evening meal. "Young Master Chu, the young master instructed us to bring you your evening meal. Please enjoy."