Three Questions for All Under Heaven: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism

In the spring examination of Hongzhi Year Seventeen, Zhang Chen of the Langya Zhang clan was a leading candidate for the top spot. Upright and principled, he aspired to govern the country and bring peace to the world. But the tides turned overnight. His father was falsely accused of "using witchcraft to curse the emperor," and the entire family was thrown into prison under a cloud of injustice. Zhang Chen fell from the heights into the mire, and his Confucian faith collapsed around him. At the brink of despair, Shou Chen, a Daoist priest from Xuandu Temple, came to his rescue and took him to the vast Yunmeng Marsh. The Confucian scholar shed his blue robes and embarked on the path of Daoist cultivation: practicing breathwork and guiding qi, drawing talismans, and discerning the qualities of medicinal herbs. Amid the misty waters of the marsh, he sought to understand the true meaning of "the Dao follows nature." Yet the blood feud against his family haunted him, and his Confucian desire to help the world had not died. He was constantly torn between revenge and transcendence. By a twist of fate, he met Abbess Jingxu of the Cihang Convent. Together, they fought a soul-devouring demon orchid at an ancient Lanruo Temple, and with the aid of the Mind-Cleansing Spring, he faced his true self. Later, he honed his skills in the demon market of Yunmeng, using the wisdom of both Confucianism and Daoism to overcome one crisis after another. His righteous Confucian spirit resonated with Daoist clarity, while Buddhist compassion gradually took root in his heart. He began to understand that the Three Teachings were not irreconcilable: "With a heart detached from the world, act for the sake of the world." That was the path meant for him. When the shadows of the capital fell once more, and Wen Zhibi, his Confucian rival, fixed his gaze on Yunmeng, Zhang Chen, carrying the wisdom of all three teachings, would finally leave the marsh behind. With the sword in his hand and the Dao in his heart, he would uncover the truth behind the false accusation and forge a cultivation path all his own, between the suffering of the people and his personal journey toward the Dao.