Surprisingly Enough(NOT), Common Sense Is Overpowered in Cliché Cultivation World

1.92 That time I became a plot device~

Looking at the scriptures shown in the water-mirror, He Shou nodded slowly.

"I understand it now."

Lou Ren opened one eye. "Do I even want to ask?"

"I understand that this stage makes absolutely no goddamn sense." He Shou leaned back with a scowl. "The scripture comprehension section is just as ridiculous now as it was in our time. Why are scriptures even written this way?"

"Hmph. I suppose it is not without reason that you always practiced only simple techniques." Lou Ren laughed.

Hong Zeiling said calmly, "Ancient scriptures are written this way for a reason. A technique manual tells you how to move qi, the pathway, the flow, everything necessary to successfully perform the technique. A scripture is different."

The hall quieted slightly.

In the water-mirror, the disciples were already reacting to their tablets in diverse ways, though most had a dull look in their eyes as if wondering why they were even there, just to suffer?

Hong Zeiling continued, "When ancient cultivators touched the higher laws of heaven and earth, what they perceived could no longer be described plainly. How does one write the stillness before motion? How does one describe a sound heard by the spirit but not by the ear? How does one explain a foundation that exists in the heart rather than beneath the feet?"

He gestured toward the scripture reflected in the mirror.

"So they used images. Bells, mountains, rivers, moons, bowls, thunder. These things are not the Dao itself. They are fingers pointing toward it."

Lou Ren nodded. "A manual teaches the hand. A scripture teaches the mind how to see. They are not the same thing."

"If you put it that way, it does make sense." He Shou rubbed his chin. "Even if it still sounds a little like bullshit to me."

"Compared to mortals, we cultivators are the very definition of bullshit," Lou Ren replied. "So this should not trouble you."

"Huh?"

Lou Ren continued, "Think about it. I was a mortal once. And in the eyes of any mortal, a cultivator who sweeps their hand and brings rain from a clear sky, or gestures once and raises a forest from bare earth, is nothing short of absurd. We exceeded the boundaries of what should be possible long before we began writing confusing poetry about it."

He Shou stared at him for a moment.

Then looked back at the water-mirror without comment.

Hong Zeiling spoke again. "There is also the matter of depth. If a scripture is too plain, it becomes useful only once. A Qi Condensation disciple reads it, understands a single movement, and then outgrows it. But if the scripture carries layered intent, the same line may guide him at Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and even Nascent Soul."

The young elder frowned. "The same sentence guides all those stages?"

"The same sentence," Hong Zeiling said. "At Qi Condensation, 'rootless mountain' may point toward stabilizing qi without relying on external force. At Foundation Establishment, it may point toward building a Dao foundation independent of borrowed strength. At Golden Core, it may point toward condensing an inner world that does not rely on the outer world's shape."

He Shou nodded and then looked back at the water-mirror.

"So the sentence grows as the reader grows."

"Precisely."

Hong Zeiling continued, "There is also the matter of protection."

"Is there even more depth to this?" The young elder blinked.

"The higher laws of heaven and earth are not harmless," Hong Zeiling said, his gaze remaining on the mirror. "To ordinary mortals, words are merely words. But to cultivators, true scripture can carry intent. A line written by a great cultivator may contain pressure, will, and traces of the law he perceived. If the true meaning were written directly, weaker disciples might not comprehend it. They might be injured by it."

Lou Ren nodded. "It is just like the various calligraphy scrolls and paintings hung around our sect. To a mortal, the sheer spiritual pressure bleeding from those strokes would cause nothing but trouble."

"Yeah, about that," He Shou muttered, leaning back. "Isn't that a massive pain for the newly initiated disciples?"

"Hah! Consider it a rite of passage," Lou Ren laughed. "They need to learn the dangers of this world early on."

"You truly have a rotten personality beneath the elegant persona, don't you?"

In the water-mirror, one disciple looked down at the jade tablet in his hand.

[When the cold flame blooms within dead ash, the spring wind shall pass through the sealed gate. Those who seek heat in fire shall miss the warmth hidden beneath snow.]

"I don't know what the fuss is about. Just fight fire with fire." The disciple quickly started to answer without much thought.

"The cold flame is the hidden spark of life preserved within extinction. The dead ash is the body after all worldly attachments have been burned away. The spring wind is the returning breath of heaven and earth, opening the sealed gate of renewal. Therefore, this scripture teaches that only by abandoning the visible fire and seeking the silent warmth beneath death can one comprehend the principle of rebirth after destruction."

The jade tablet remained silent for half a breath.

Then it flashed red.

[INCORRECT.]

Then suddenly, above every jade tablet, new lines appeared simultaneously.

[EACH DISCIPLE HAS TWO CHANCES TO ANSWER.]

[AFTER TWO FAILURES, THE DISCIPLE WOULD BE ELIMINATED.]

[TIME REMAINING: THREE INCENSE STICKS.]

The atmosphere in the scripture hall changed at once. Disciples who had been preparing to guess immediately froze.

He Shou leaned back and snorted. "Too impatient."

Lou Ren nodded. "The tower does not punish ignorance, because that is the common state for us all, but it punishes those who think they are too clever. That disciple saw flowery words and answered with other flowery words, haphazardly, without any deeper comprehension."

The green-robed elder smiled faintly. "This stage exposes false comprehension very quickly. Many disciples believe that if their answer sounds profound, it must be correct. The tower is not fooled by that."

Ling Xin ignored the discussion and looked at the water-mirror.

Her gaze found Ning.

He stood before his jade tablet, silent and very still.

Ling Xin did not speak immediately. She just watched him. She knew that expression well; she had seen it before, more than once.

She had seen it when Ning encountered an alchemy recipe that said "use a suitable amount of Moonlight Essence Dew" without explaining what suitable meant. She had seen it when he read a pill refinement note that described heat control as "between the anger of summer and the regret of autumn." She had seen it when an old manual claimed the correct timing for adding spirit herbs was "when the cauldron's breath resembles a sleeping dragon."

Ning hated that kind of writing. He wanted words to do their job, which was to convey exact things in exact terms.

"Your disciple hasn't moved yet. I thought this stage would be more up to his speed." Lang Feilang spoke, glancing at her friend.

Ling Xin slowly covered half her face with one hand.

"He hates this."

Lang Feilang looked faintly amused. "Scripture comprehension?"

"Not exactly. Just the vague phrases." Ling Xin sighed. "Though, to be fair, it is less that he cannot derive meaning from them. The problem is the opposite. He derives too many different meanings from vague phrasing, so for him the difficulty is not finding an answer but deciding which of the several reasonable answers is the intended one."

Hong Zeiling nodded. "Recognizing one's own confusion is better than mistaking it for enlightenment. A disciple who admits he does not yet know can still search for the answer. A disciple who mistakes confusion for comprehension may walk straight into error without ever realizing it."

The mirror briefly showed several disciples answering correctly. Lei Dong wrote with a composed, practiced ease that suggested familiarity.

"Those from cultivation clans have an advantage here," Lou Ren observed. "They were taught from a young age how to approach scripture, how to read intent rather than literal meaning. That kind of foundational training is not easily replicated."

The mirror then shifted to Xiao Fan.

Xiao Fan stood before his jade tablet with a frown. 

"He seems to be struggling considerably," He Shou said. "He should just trust his gut answer."

Hong Zeiling watched Xiao Fan for a moment. "Xiao Fan is also a member of the Xiao Clan, but from what I have read about him in the reports, he doesn't seem to have benefited much from his upbringing."

Case in point, Xiao Fan quickly stopped trying to brute force the comprehension.

"Tsk. I will try another way." Xiao Fan made a decision.

He turned and walked directly toward Ning.

The elders blinked.

Ning was still staring at his jade tablet when Xiao Fan arrived beside him.

"You probably have some idea about this, don't you?" Xiao Fan said. "So spill."

Several disciples nearby turned their heads. The directness of the approach had apparently not gone unnoticed.

Ning looked at him. "You certainly have a gentle way of asking someone for help."

"You gonna help me or not?" Xiao Fan just grumbled.

"How audacious of him! I like it." He Shou leaned forward in the observation hall and laughed.

"Is that allowed?" The young elder asked in surprise.

Lou Ren looked toward Hong Zeiling as well.

Hong Zeiling was quiet for a moment. "The tower did not forbid discussion."

Another green-robed elder smiled. "Most disciples simply assumed it was."

He Shou's grin widened. "Ha."

Lou Ren sighed. "You enjoy this far too much."

"Of course I do. Every disciple in that hall has been suffering alone because they assumed that was the correct way to suffer. Then Xiao Fan simply walked over and asked someone for help." He Shou shook his head with something that was almost admiration. "Straightforward to the point of being profound."

Lou Ren glanced at him. "You only say that because it sounds easy."

"That is true. But we all have our domains where we are good at, so there is no shame in asking those who are good at it for help."

For once, Lou Ren had no reply. Despite being a brute, He Shou was not an idiot. He understood where his strength lay, and how to maximize it and cover his weakness.

Ling Xin's gaze shifted back to Ning, who did not look particularly surprised by Xiao Fan's approach. Her disciple had an extremely effective poker face when he chose to use it.

Hong Zeiling nodded. "It is also part of the test."

The elders turned toward him.

"Comprehension is not always a solitary act," Hong Zeiling said. "The Dao may be perceived alone, but it may also be sparked through debate, comparison, and the questions of others. A disciple who cannot admit confusion cannot seek understanding. A disciple who refuses to ask wastes whatever wisdom might have been shared freely."

In the mirror, Ning looked at Xiao Fan, then at the disciples gathering nearby.

Zhang Feng had already wandered over. Wei Zhusang joined a moment later, still turning his own half-formed thoughts over quietly. A few other disciples edged closer as well.

Ning rubbed his forehead. "Our scriptures are all different," he said, "so I cannot give you a direct answer. And to be clear from the start, I may still be wrong about all of this."

He looked around at the gathered faces, then at their respective scriptures.

"But here is what I have noticed."

He raised one finger.

"Pattern one. Contradiction is probably the message. A lot of these lines describe impossible things. Lamps without flame. Fists that do not strike. Seeds hearing rain before clouds arrive. Boats crossing rivers without water. That is not an accident. The impossibility is deliberate. The scripture is forcing you to stop reading literally."

Wei Zhusang's eyes sharpened slightly.

Ning raised a second finger.

"Pattern two. Action survives even when the object loses its defining trait. A lamp without flame still illuminates. A fist that does not strike still breaks armor. A seed beneath stone still grows. A boat without oars still crosses. So perhaps the object is not the key. The function is."

The gathered disciples became quieter.

Ning raised a third finger.

"Pattern three. Short answers seem to fare better than long ones. It may be because people who genuinely understand something can usually point to it clearly."

A disciple nearby quietly erased half of what he had been building toward.

Ning raised a fourth finger.

"Pattern four, and this one I think is the most likely. The scripture matches the person. A sword disciple can find sword intent. A body cultivator can find force. An alchemist can find transformation. A formation disciple can find structure. The answer only needs to be true to your own path."

Wei Zhusang nodded slowly. "That would explain why every fragment is different."

"Exactly," Ning said. "Which means copying someone else's answer is useless. But hearing how they think may still help you find your own angle."

He paused, then raised a fifth finger.

"Pattern five. This may not only be about the final answer. We each have two attempts. If the tower only wanted perfect first answers, it would give one attempt. Two attempts means it expects people to be wrong initially. The important thing is whether the second answer improves."

For a moment, there was silence, taking in Ning's conjectures.

"What?" Ning just blinked at the crowd.

"Nothing. It's just you really seem to have thought a lot, brother Ning." Zhang Feng spoke.

Inside the observation hall, the elders had gone quiet.

Lou Ren's expression held clear approval. "Not bad. He is comprehending the rules to pass rather than going at it headfirst."

He Shou also nodded, "I guess Xiao Fan made the right choice. From the earlier round, it could be seen that Ning is a type who doesn't mind helping others, or even forming groups, so he wouldn't refuse the answer."

Hong Zeiling shook his head. "In his records, there was mention of him being a genius, so it's not strange."

Ling Xin's lips curved faintly. "He still has no idea which pattern is actually correct, though."

Hong Zeiling said, "Perhaps that is precisely why it is more impressive."

In the mirror, Ning lowered his hand.

"So," Xiao Fan said, "which one is right?"

Ning looked at him. "I just finished saying I am not sure."

Xiao Fan frowned.

Then slowly, his expression shifted into something less frustrated and more thoughtful.

"You are not sure," he said.

"Yes."

"But you said all of them might work."

"Because they might." Ning just seemed confused. "But since we are all here, we can just go by the trial-and-error method. We can use our first chance to verify the correct way to pass the trial..."

Ning had just spoken when he heard the words.

"I see. I understand it now."

Suddenly, Xiao Fan turned back to his jade tablet without further explanation.

The words before him still read:

[The fist that does not strike breaks the armor before impact. The warrior who advances without stepping arrives before the battle begins.]

Xiao Fan stared at them. "If this scripture is really less about being absolutely correct and more about how one perceives the scripture from their viewpoint and understanding then, I know what to do."

"The fist that does not strike is not a stronger punch. It is resolve, pressure, and timing that exist before the punch. In battle, victory can begin before contact. If my heart retreats first, I lose before I move. If my will advances first, my fist follows naturally."

The jade tablet went still.

For one breath, there was no reaction.

Then golden light spread slowly across its surface.

[PASSED.]

Xiao Fan exhaled.

Then, everyone went wild.

"Xiao Fan passed!" With that, the answer was clear.

Around them, the other disciples had begun talking.

"What does yours say?"

"Mine mentions a seed beneath stone that hears the rain before clouds gather."

"Hidden growth, maybe? Something that moves before it is visible?"

"Mine speaks of a sword without an edge."

"Intent over form?"

"Mine says an empty bowl remembers the sound of thunder."

"Whatever you do, do not write anything about lightning. Someone already got struck for that."

The scripture hall had changed.

It was no longer a hall of isolated disciples. It had become more of a room of discussion.

Some failed their first attempt. Some forced grand language and paid for it. But more disciples began to pass.

By speaking from their own path, in their own terms, about the principle their particular fragment was pointing toward.

In the observation hall, Hong Zeiling watched with a faint smile.

"That," he said, "is the true purpose of this stage. To teach them that comprehension cannot be borrowed," Hong Zeiling said. "A borrowed answer has no root. Flowery language without personal understanding collapses the moment it is examined. But when disciples speak from their own path, when a sword cultivator answers with intent, a body cultivator with force, an alchemist with transformation, different gates may all open into the same hall."

Lou Ren nodded. "The Dao is vast. False answers fail not because they are short or long or even more prose-like or not, but because they are hollow."

..

Ning blinked his eyes, watching Xiao Fan attain a look of enlightenment and pass the test in one go.

Did I just get used as a plot device? Ning blinked his eyes. Truly, wonders never seem to cease with the protagonist around.

Of course, not all was bad. At least Ning knew what to answer now. Using his knowledge of tropes, he had quite a few ideas about how one could pass this stage or even what this wanted to do, so it was not hard for him to notice the patterns.

And now, he knew how to approach it properly through Xiao Fan. As expected of the protagonist, he didn't even hesitate before trying to contact others, not wondering if it was grounds for elimination.

"A bell is not important because it is shaped like a bell, but because it resonates. A mountain is not important because it has roots, but because it is stable. A river is not important because water moves, but because it carries flow. The scripture is saying that form is only the outer shell. The true Dharma is the principle that remains when form is removed."

[Passed]

"Well, that was anticlimactic, and could be told in just one sentence," Ning muttered, seeing this.

Then he watched others also complete this trial quickly.

Also, was it just him, or had the number of people around him increased quite a lot? Especially those he had teamed up with in previous round where more proactive.

Soon, the time allocated was over, and the tower's voice rang out.

[THE FIRST PART IS CONCLUDED.]

[THE NEXT TRIAL SHALL REVEAL YOUR ACCUMULATION.]

[DISPLAY THE UTMOST OF THE TECHNIQUES YOU HAVE MASTERED. ONLY THE TOP TEN WOULD BE ALLOWED TO GO TO THE THIRD PART OF THE TRIAL.]

Ning looked at his panel, then at the announcement.

"Let's just hope it's as simple as it appears."

...

Thanks for reading~