Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

After all the students had copied down the seven questions from the blackboard, Sun Shisheng erased them and began the formal lesson, "Now, let's start the formal lesson. You guys are going to ordinary universities, and you'll be studying advanced mathematics. That's where we'll start."

As Sun Shisheng explained, everyone gradually entered a good state and began to immerse themselves in the ocean of mathematics.

The restless hearts of Su Jie and the others gradually calmed down.

Mathematics truly required calmness.

Ordinary people facing advanced mathematics might not understand at all, instead becoming agitated and even prone to irritation.

But the students who could enter Minglun Martial School, especially those admitted to the inner court, were top talents, at least not dull-witted. Therefore, their logical thinking was relatively stringent, and the difference among them was merely how quick or slow their responses were...

...

After class, Sun Shisheng, like other teachers, quickly left, while Su Jie and the others headed to another classroom for their next class.

The next lesson was on painting.

The heaviness felt in history class needed the natural landscapes of biology to ease it; the restless minds unleashed in biology class needed the rigid logic of mathematics to refocus.

The rigor of mathematics, in turn, needed the cultivation of art to become flexible.

The teaching method of Minglun was truly interconnected.

Under Su Jie's prompting, everyone seemed to understand the educational significance of Minglun and held even greater admiration for the school, even feeling a deeper sense of belonging.

The art class was held in a park filled with lush green grass, abundant flowers, and their teacher was already waiting under a large plum tree.

In front of her, many easels had already been prepared.

The students took their seats in turn.

"This class is led by me. You can paint freely, just paint whatever you want," said Cao Jingjing, her face wearing a gentle, serene smile. "However, do not present me with mere children's doodles. Although abstract, such doodles also represent what they want to express, and you too need to portray your genuine inner thoughts."

"Yes!"

The crowd responded in unison.

"You can whisper to each other, discuss amongst yourselves, or even shout out loud. There are no rules; just express your inner thoughts by the end of the class," said Cao Jingjing before sitting in meditation under the plum tree, her eyes closed and her breathing long and steady, merging with nature like a sleeping fairy, whom nobody dared to disturb.

Zhang Manman glanced at the white paper, the palette of paints, and brushes below, then looked at Su Jie, who was staring at his blank canvas.

"Su Jie, what are you planning to paint?"

"Still thinking," Su Jie replied, pondering his inner thoughts.

What to paint to express his inner thoughts?

Looking around, many had already started to paint, and some had even begun portraying the teacher, Cao Jingjing, meditating under the tree.

Zhang Manman looked around and muttered, "They just want to suck up, I guess."

Su Jie did not respond but picked up his brush, dipped it in paint, and recalling the day's experiences, he began to paint on the white paper.

"Painting is a means to express one's inner thoughts, so just as Teacher Cao Jingjing said, you just need to paint what you want to paint," said Su Jie.

"Is that so?" Zhang Manman mused, then also started painting.

In a blink, most of the class time was over. T%his- con^te*n-t or&i^gi$n+a@t+e@s fr-o.m% M1@VLEMPYR,* My Vir^t+u@a@l- L*ib.r.ar.y@ E.mpire.

All students had finished their paintings.

Among these students, many had never touched painting before, but each was a genius and managed to produce both realistic and expressive art.

Among them, more than ten people painted the figure of Cao Jingjing sitting under the plum tree and meditating.

Cao Jingjing, expressionless, dutifully critiqued these four individuals.

"Painting is a way for the human heart to express emotions through the hands.

"You," she said, "your painting looks like me, but it lacks spirit. It doesn't express any emotion. Is your mind blank?"

"You just wanted to flatter me for a high grade," she said to another.

"You, it's somewhat acceptable, with a hint of admiration...tsk tsk, I don't oppose teacher-student relationships, but you likely won't have a chance," she addressed another.

"And you, you're just copying what you see," she told the fourth.

These four were bluntly critiqued by Cao Jingjing and blushed, especially the boy who had a crush on her, who turned even redder and lowered his head.

The other students also cast playful glances.

This one is really daring.

But in Cao Jingjing's eyes, this daring individual who expressed his inner feelings was much better than the other three with various motives. His spiritual cultivation in the future should progress faster than the others.

She then went on to critique the other students' works, focusing not on how they were painted but on their inner thoughts while painting.

"Your portrait of the principal is not bad, with respect mixed with admiration, but it's somewhat hollow," Cao Jingjing said as she looked at Chen Tian Yuzi's portrait of Sun Shisheng. "You don't know the principal well, having met him only once in the math class earlier, right? It's hard to tell if it's admiration or worship."

"Of course, I understand—"

"After all, when I was young, I used to call the principal 'Boss,'"

"Hm~ I'm still young now," she added.

Chen Tian Yuzi pondered for a moment and responded, "Is that so? Indeed, I shouldn't admire someone divine like the principal; I should worship him!"

This time, Chen Tian Yuzi seemed to have become a fanatic of Sun Shishang's teachings, and his thoughts had undergone changes.

Cao Jingjing advised, "Admiration is fine, but do not become obsessive, as that would result in losing oneself."

The school's aim was not to cultivate fanatics.

Then, Cao Jingjing moved behind Zhang Manman, looking at the painting she had created—a woman in a warrior outfit standing atop a mountain, clouds drifting below her. The woman raised her right arm high, her head thrown back in a powerful howl, exuding a vigor that was assertive yet not overly rigid.

"Not bad, it has an indomitable spirit, but it is not rigid; it is firm yet gentle." Cao Jingjing was indeed impressed and felt that Zhang Manman quite suited her taste. "If she can maintain this, mastery won't be far off."

Finally, she approached Su Jie's back.

Su Jie, the class leader, was the last whose work she examined; she wanted to see what kind of painting this genius who had learned Zhao Xinglong's Eight Extremes Thunder Fist and a special breathing technique could produce, and what his inner world was like.

However, the moment she saw Su Jie's painting, she frowned deeply.

Because on the paper, there was only black.

Black was where all the colors had merged into one, becoming indistinct to the observer.

But relying on her profound spiritual cultivation, Cao Jingjing still discerned some clues beneath the darkness—countless layered images.

There were tigers roaring in the forests, cranes dancing in the heavens, monkeys leaping through the woods, and a proud rooster crowing at daybreak...

There was an old farmer, smiling contentedly as he toiled under the scorching sun with his hoe...

There were warriors protecting their homeland against invaders...

All of these were the meanings behind the martial arts!

Having such a mixed and vast scope was a great taboo in martial arts training.

But in Cao Jingjing's eyes, each representation of martial intent in the painting had its own method; even at the center of the transformation, it seemed there was a person forming a unique fist gesture, merging thousands of martial arts into it, evolving myriad wonders.

The various states of human life seemed to converge within that single punch.

To assimilate endless martial arts for personal use was something Cao Jingjing had seen in her own master, Chan Yinsha, but Su Jie was different.

In terms of quantity, Su Jie was too young to have been exposed to so much martial arts; but in terms of quality, it was comparable to her master's "Power Subdues Thousands."

The difference probably lay in Su Jie's relative immaturity and the different meanings both sought to express.

It's no wonder her father had said so back then...

He was indeed not mistaken.

"Su Jie, why did you cover your paper in black?" Zhang Manman came over, unable to help commenting after seeing Su Jie's entirely black painting.

"Excellent."

However, Cao Jingjing remarked, "But too mixed, as shown by your painting turning black, merging together yet losing all vitality."

"Umm..."

Zhang Manman was speechless; could simply blackening the paper still be considered "excellent"?

Was teacher Cao Jingjing being deliberately profound, or was there something deeper in Su Jie's painting?

It must be the latter.

Su Jie spoke up, "Teacher's evaluation is very accurate; I still have much to learn. While unity is good, it has lost its liveliness, like a stagnant, fetid puddle of water, unable to stir up any waves."

"So, do you know what you should do next?" Cao Jingjing asked slowly, a smile on her face.

"The paper is too small to contain all my ideas, so it all ends up black," Su Jie answered.

"So, expand the size of the paper?"

Cao Jingjing shook her head, "That's not a good solution. No matter how large the paper is, as long as it's still paper, it will always have a limit, an inevitable fact."

"Transform the finite into the infinite."

Su Jie suddenly spoke out, surprising himself, then thanked Cao Jingjing, "Thank you for your guidance, teacher."

Cao Jingjing shook her head again, "This is not my guidance."

Transforming the finite into the infinite?

Indeed, this was not her idea.

Her original intent was for Su Jie to cast aside other thoughts, focusing on one to simplify then gradually add others.

Yet, Su Jie seemed to have grasped something else.

Most people only choose one from amongst thousands.

He wants to take everything.

Although greedy, there was also an audacious spirit in that attitude.

Cao Jingjing couldn't help but look forward—

If it were anyone else, Cao Jingjing would reprimand them first, but Su Jie's case was indeed special.

Especially since even entering the first stage of deep sleep was difficult, yet he had managed to bring his vitality to 1.7!

This was truly rare.

In Cao Jingjing's view, it was highly likely that Su Jie bypassed the deep sleep stage, his usual sleep possibly entering a state similar to meditation, yet not entirely so.

After all, the spiritual cultivation practiced complied with most people's conditions, but there were always a few exceptional individuals.

Just like her master and her master's friends, who were such special cases!