The Literary Dao Villain System Urges Me to Ruin My Reputation

In this world, the Way of Heaven is recorded in writing, and words hold divine power. Scholars cultivate the literary path: essays and poems, calligraphy and policy proposals, couplets and allusions can all summon the world's might. A single quatrain can call wind and thunder, one policy essay can subdue mountains and rivers, and a painting or calligraphy can create an illusion. The ranks of scholars are: Licentiate, Bachelor, Provincial Graduate, Tribute Scholar, Presented Scholar, Hanlin Academician, Great Confucian, Literary Master, and Literary Sage. The higher the rank, the stronger the power of the literary path. People revere benevolence and virtue, and the conduct of a gentleman. Good deeds nourish the literary heart, and upright scholars all pursue a good name and prestige. The greater their prestige, the more firmly rooted their literary power. Hypocrites are everywhere in court and countryside. Many great Confucians and famous scholars appear righteous on the surface but scheme for personal gain in private, making them natural targets for face-slapping.