Free Web NovelChapter 95: Chapter 83: Karma Has Good and Evil
After all, men of the cloth do their best not to get entangled in karma.
This isn’t to say one must become completely cold and heartless.
Sometimes, if you come across someone worth helping, and it doesn’t cost you too much, you still lend a hand.
In Zhi Tan’s case, however, Xu Lei felt no strong impulse to intervene.
Years ago, Hui Ming had brought Zhi Tan, a wandering orphan, back to Tianming Temple.
He had bestowed upon him a Dao Seed and a Cultivation Technique, and the temple provided him with a monthly stipend of silver coins and other benefits befitting a True Monk.
But he didn’t cherish any of it.
After leaving the mountain, he fell back into his old ways and couldn’t even manage to live like a normal person.
’A man like that? Why bother pulling him up?’
’You might not even be able to lift him, and just end up getting your hands dirty.’
Buying him a roast chicken was the full extent of Xu Lei’s benevolence.
「Three days later.」
Xu Lei arrived in the city where Qi Yang was currently located.
However, he had yet to see Qi Yang.
Instead, he happened to run into another acquaintance.
It was Zhi Neng.
Xu Lei met Zhi Neng at a pier.
It seemed he wasn’t doing very well for himself either; he was just a cargo hauler at the docks.
Perhaps due to years of manual labor, his muscles were quite developed.
But his skin had become dark and weathered, and he looked much older than Xu Lei.
At that moment, Zhi Neng, who worked for the canal transport, was carrying a large sack of goods from a boat to the shore.
Xu Lei saw him.
But with his back slightly hunched, he didn’t recognize Xu Lei, who was dressed in plain clothes.
Seeing Zhi Neng like this, Xu Lei couldn’t help but feel a pang of astonishment.
He hadn’t expected that just as Zhi Tan was doing poorly, Zhi Neng wasn’t faring much better.
But on second thought, it was understandable. Zhi Neng had lost all his Magical Power before he left the mountain.
Although Hui Ming had given him fifty taels of silver, without a way to earn a living, that money was bound to run out.
After putting down the sack of goods from his shoulder, Zhi Neng saw a middle-aged man approaching.
He quickly scurried over, a fawning smile on his face, and asked for an advance on his wages, explaining that he needed to pay his mother’s medical bills.
"Your old mother has reached her age. Just let her go!"
the middle-aged man said. "Old people die eventually!
You’re not from some rich family, so why pretend to be such a filial son?
Is it worth bankrupting your family for an old woman on death’s door?
There’s no guarantee she can even be cured!
And even if she is, how much longer can she live?
Sigh, fine, fine.
You’re really getting on my nerves!
Let’s get this straight: I’m only advancing you one month’s wages!
Don’t even think about asking for another advance. It’s not happening!
Dammit, I don’t even know if I’m helping or hurting you by doing this!
Now get lost! Get lost!
This is the last time!"
Xu Lei quietly followed behind Zhi Neng.
He watched him return home.
It turned out that Zhi Neng had started a family and had a son and a daughter.
His wife wasn’t particularly beautiful, but she was a skilled homemaker.
Today, however, it seemed the couple was arguing.
It was about whether to continue paying for Zhi Neng’s mother’s treatment.
Hearing their parents arguing inside, Zhi Neng’s son and daughter, who had been playing, the five-year-old boy and three-year-old girl grew bewildered and anxious.
"Who are you?" Seeing Xu Lei enter, the son protectively pulled his little sister behind him.
"I’m an old friend of your father’s," Xu Lei said with a smile. "Since it’s our first time meeting, let this uncle give you two a red envelope."
With that, Xu Lei handed them two bags of silver.
Then he turned and left.
"Daddy! Daddy!" The son and daughter were stunned when they saw the silver in the bags.
Even though they were young, they knew what silver was!
Money!
You need money to buy anything!
Candied hawthorns, clothes, shoes—everything costs money!
They hadn’t eaten candied hawthorns in a very long time.
Not since their grandmother got sick.
"What’s wrong?"
When the husband and wife came out to see, they too were instantly stunned.
"So much money?"
the wife said, dumbfounded. "An old friend? What old friend do we have?"
Zhi Neng, however, bolted out the door.
At this point, Xu Lei wasn’t using his Magical Power, nor was he sprinting away.
After all, there was no need to waste Magical Power for no reason.
Thus, Zhi Neng managed to catch up to him.
"Martial Uncle, it’s you!" Zhi Neng was startled when he saw Xu Lei. He had originally thought it was his master, Hui Ming.
He never expected it to be Xu Lei.
After all, back in the day, he hadn’t been very respectful toward Xu Lei and didn’t even call him Martial Uncle in private.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei simply said, "I was just passing by. It was a chance encounter. A small gesture, nothing more to say."
"Martial Uncle, thank you."
Zhi Neng’s eyes turned red as he choked up. "I used to be a Cultivator, so I understand that karma is unpredictable and should be avoided when possible.
Regardless, I am truly grateful for what you’ve done this time.
In my youth, when I cultivated under Master, all I knew was that cultivation was bitter.
But I never imagined that after entering the world, I would learn that it’s not just cultivation that’s bitter.
Living as a person in the Mortal World is also bitter and difficult.
As the saying goes, ’a single coin can stump a hero’.
And I’m no hero.
Please, don’t say anything. Rest assured, I know the rules. I won’t pester you and hinder your cultivation.
I know you acted out of pure kindness and don’t expect anything in return.
And besides, I don’t know what I could possibly give you to repay you right now.
Oh, right! Martial Uncle, wait for me. A while ago, when my wife and I visited her family in the countryside, I came across an ancient object.
It looks ordinary, but it also seems a bit unusual.
There seem to be some inscriptions on it that resemble secret Buddhist Sect texts.
I’m just not sure if it’s a cultivation item.
After all, my Magical Power is completely gone.
And I didn’t dare to rashly go back looking for you and Master.
I was too ashamed to face you again.
But since you’re here today, Martial Uncle, why don’t you take it and see if it’s useful?
It’s not doing me any good sitting here, anyway."
「A few minutes later.」
Zhi Neng ran back to his house.
And then ran back out.
When he saw Xu Lei again, he was holding a pale green, leaf-shaped object.
This was the thing he had been talking about.
Xu Lei was rather surprised by his offer.
Xu Lei truly hadn’t expected Zhi Neng to try and repay him.
Giving away a little bit of silver coins as Charitable Giving was nothing to him.
He had done it mainly because he saw Zhi Neng’s deep filial piety and couldn’t bear to see an old acquaintance in such a difficult situation.
"Hm? It really is a Magical Artifact!"
As Xu Lei took it, he found its texture was as hard as iron. When he channeled his Magical Power into it, the small, pale green iron leaf began to emit a faint glow. "An unexpected surprise," he said. "In that case, I’ll accept this. Thank you, Martial Nephew Zhi Neng."
"It’s really a Magical Artifact? That’s wonderful."
Zhi Neng also said, "At least I had something to give you, Martial Uncle.
And thank you for still being willing to call me Martial Nephew.
What happened back then... this Martial Nephew was too naive. I hope you can forgive me, Martial Uncle.
By the way, Martial Uncle, how is Master?
Is he... is he doing well?"
"He is doing very well."
Xu Lei nodded. "But your master and I have moved to a different temple. We’re no longer at Tianming Temple.
You don’t need to waste your time trying to find us at Tianming Temple in the future.
And this might very well be the last time we see each other."
Zhi Neng nodded. He, of course, understood the ways of Cultivators.
「Half an hour later.」
Xu Lei had already parted ways with Zhi Neng.
In a forest outside the city, Xu Lei shouted, "Rise!"
He tossed the pale green iron leaf he had just obtained into the air.
It immediately floated in front of him.
The secret inscriptions covering the entire leaf pulsed with a faint golden light.
Then, the leaf suddenly grew larger, becoming like a small boat.
It was just large enough for him to stand on.
Xu Lei leaped onto it, and it shot away with a WHOOSH.
It moved like lightning, its speed unparalleled!
"This Magical Artifact is actually a Speed Magical Artifact."
Xu Lei exclaimed in pleasant surprise. "And it’s so fast!
The amount of Magical Power it consumes isn’t even that high. It’s incredible!
I never thought I’d have such a gain this time!
Truly, karma is unpredictable!"
Xu Lei now had a much deeper understanding of those three words.
So-called karma wasn’t only bad; it could be good, too.
It was just that the thing was uncontrollable, which was why Cultivators like them avoided it whenever possible.
In short, by helping Zhi Neng this time, Xu Lei had profited.
He felt pretty good about it.
Afterward, Xu Lei jumped back to the ground and stored the artifact in his Qiankun Cloth Bag.
Then, he continued on his way, following the trail of Qi Yang.
Now that he had this extremely fast Speed Magical Artifact, Xu Lei felt a greater sense of security.
After all, he had one more life-saving tool at his disposal!
And with such speed, it was the perfect tool for intercepting someone and snatching their prize!
If things continued like this, with Xu Lei’s power growing and Qi Yang’s waning, it wouldn’t be many years before Qi Yang would be slain by Xu Lei!
At that time, Xu Lei would finally be free from the burden of the Black Seal.
However, to Xu Lei’s surprise, when he sensed Qi Yang’s location again, he discovered that Qi Yang had already left the city.
And he was still on the move.
It seemed he was searching the world for Spirit Monsters, or perhaps something else.
Xu Lei couldn’t figure it out.
「Three more days passed.」
Over these three days, after some thought, Xu Lei decided to continue tailing Qi Yang.
Of course, Xu Lei was in no hurry. He just followed from a great distance.
Getting too close might lead to being discovered.
By following from far away, there was no way Qi Yang would ever notice him.
Unexpectedly, however, instead of seeing Qi Yang find another Spirit Monster, Xu Lei ran into yet another old acquaintance.
It was Zhi Jian!
He was now dressed in fine clothes, with smooth and delicate skin.
Although he also looked quite a bit older than the current Xu Lei, he seemed to have become a "winner in life" with a successful career and a happy family.
Of the three who had left the mountain to return to secular life, he was doing the best.
Xu Lei did not meet with Zhi Jian.
Instead, he observed from the shadows and discovered that Zhi Jian was indeed still with the young woman from back then, and they seemed to be very much in love.
Afterward, Xu Lei made some inquiries with the locals.
He learned that after Zhi Jian returned to secular life, he married the young woman.
However, it seemed their union wasn’t exactly approved of by the young woman’s elders.
The elders in her family had originally wanted their daughter to marry into a better family.
But since she was already pregnant and the deed was done, her family didn’t try to break them up.
But they also didn’t provide Zhi Jian with many resources.
Still, the young woman’s family background was a factor, so when Zhi Jian started his business, things went smoothly for him.
As for where his initial capital came from? ’He must have worked hard to cash it in before his Magical Power was completely depleted.’
In any case, Zhi Jian had now become one of the local great merchants.
He owned restaurants and various other businesses.
He and his wife also had a daughter together.
He had truly reaped a double harvest in family and career.
After learning all this, Xu Lei prepared to leave.
He had just happened upon him and wanted to satisfy his curiosity, nothing more.
He had never intended to meet Zhi Jian face to face.
But unexpectedly, just as Xu Lei was about to leave that day, Zhi Jian appeared directly in front of him.
