Zhang Junbao forgot about Li Boyang, but he didn't, and deliberately reminded him.
"But……"
Li Boyang interrupted him after he had only said two words: "Stop with the 'buts'. Stop dawdling like a woman. Go out and explore, and come back to your master when you feel tired."
"Alright, I'll leave tomorrow."
After Li Boyang's reminder, Zhang Junbao immediately recalled the scene in the abbot's meditation room. He was going to the Quanzhen Sect, not only because of Master Jueyuan, but also because of Abbot Juekong.
After seeing Zhang Junbao agree, Li Boyang nodded and then looked at Liu Bowen, suddenly asking:
What is meant by "the times"?
Liu Bowen was taken aback for a moment before he realized what was happening. Although he didn't understand why his teacher was suddenly testing him, he still answered honestly:
"The so-called 'timing of the world' refers to the trend of the world's movement, and the so-called 'trend of the world' refers to the various forces that drive the world's trend."
Indeed, if we compare the current situation of the world to the ocean, the wind direction is the time of the world, the current that moves with the wind is the trend of the world, and grasping the trend is being a trendsetter.
Li Boyang nodded and then asked, "What does it mean to 'understand the world'?"
Liu Bowen said again:
"To understand a nation's situation, one must observe its wealth, population size, terrain, military strength, the wisdom or folly of its rulers and ministers, the fortune or misfortune of the times, and the support or opposition of the people. Only then can one know the rise and fall of a nation."
Indeed, to determine the rise and fall of a power, one must assess its economic situation, the well-being of its people, the location of its territory, the size of its army, the wisdom of its ruling class, and the favorable circumstances of the times.
Li Boyang nodded again and asked, "All things in the world are decided by choices, so how can they be resolved?"
Liu Bowen pondered for a moment and said solemnly, "When faced with two evils, choose the lesser; when faced with two benefits, choose the greater."
The crux of the problem lies in choosing the lesser of two evils, which is not easy. When faced with a doomed outcome, ordinary people usually hesitate and eventually find themselves in a hopeless situation.
The fact that Liu Bowen could ponder such a simple question before giving a solemn answer suggests that he could do what he said he would do.
Finally, Li Bo asked, "If you want to govern the world, you must first govern the hearts of the people. But how do you govern the hearts of the people?"
The root cause of chaos in the world is that people's hearts cannot be governed. The reason why people's hearts cannot be governed can be summarized in four words: rampant desires. The reasons for rampant desires are numerous, so this question is difficult to answer.
Liu Bowen said eloquently: "To govern people's hearts, one must first govern the chaos. Governing chaos is the technique, governing the heart is the foundation."
Li Boyang said with some emotion:
"You've completed your apprenticeship."
Calling Zhang Junbao and Liu Bowen to the study together was actually a way of releasing them both.
The reason why Liu Bowen was sent out to teach at this time was related to Zhu Yuanzhang's circumstances.
After being expelled from Huangjue Temple, Zhu Yuanzhang joined the rebel army under Guo Zixing and became a squad leader. It can only be said that Zhu Yuanzhang was indeed the chosen one, as he quickly attracted Guo Zixing's attention and was given important responsibilities, eventually rising to the position of general.
Zhu Yuanzhang's rapid rise to power naturally offended many people, resulting in the loss of Haozhou. Guo Zixing's subordinates had long resented Zhu Yuanzhang's meteoric rise and pinned the blame for the loss of Haozhou on Zhu Yuanzhang.
Because of the loss of Haozhou, Zhu Yuanzhang was forced to sign a military pledge that he would have to relinquish his position as general of Haozhou if he did not regain it. This was the most difficult time, and it would be most effective to let Liu Bowen come out of seclusion to help Zhu Yuanzhang. It is a very simple principle: it is better to provide help in times of need than to add flowers to brocade.
“Graduation? But Master, there is no wise ruler in the world worthy of my assistance.”
Unlike Zhang Junbao's reluctance, Liu Bowen was very clear that if he wanted to live up to his learning, he needed to find a wise ruler, so he was not opposed to leaving his apprenticeship.
His teacher often discussed the state of the world with him, and should know that he was not optimistic about the current power dynamics. Therefore, he was somewhat puzzled as to why his teacher would choose this time to let him graduate.
Li Boyang revealed a mysterious smile and said, "The enlightened ruler has already appeared, but you just haven't noticed."
If we're talking about grasping the overall situation of the world, even the great strategist Liu Bowen in front of me is probably just a primary school student.
There's nothing we can do about it; Li Boyang was a later figure, and since he didn't participate in the historical process and the butterfly effect wasn't significant, no one could compare to his grasp of the overall situation.
Who is it?
A hint of joy appeared on Liu Bowen's face. He did not doubt whether his teacher's judgment was wrong, but simply sighed inwardly.
A teacher is a teacher after all; he always keeps abreast of the world situation and has never found anyone who can stand out in his mind.
"No rush, go pack your things first, and I'll tell you when you leave tomorrow."
After announcing the news of Liu Bowen and Zhang Junbao's completion of their apprenticeship, Li Boyang felt a void in his heart, as if something had disappeared.
At this time.
Three uninvited guests arrived outside the courtyard.
These three were naturally Chi Bi Lie, who had mastered the Sun God Technique, and his two disciples.
"Fire Wolf, how accurate is the information you got? Are you sure this is the place?"
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Chapter 114 Showdown with Chibile
“This is it. I swear, it’s the right place. This little courtyard is notorious in Dengfeng Town. Two days ago, several more corpses appeared here every day, scaring away all the neighbors.”
Fire Wolf pointed his right hand directly at his head, swearing that this was indeed Li Boyang's home.
"Master, should I go and call the owner out?"
Xueying stroked his chin with one finger, looking as if he was deep in thought.
People in the martial arts world of this era are still quite particular; they'll tell you the reason before killing your whole family, to make it seem like they have a legitimate cause.