Chapter 292
The story I told Lin Yin was the one Seventh Master had once told me during the incident involving Ding Ruoning and her mother.
After hearing it, Lin Yin said, “I don’t think the disciple did anything wrong. The poor man took the wallet, and the wealthy man falsely accused the young man. The disciple only revealed the truth. He couldn’t have known the young man’s ship would sink.”
“If the disciple was wrong, wouldn’t that encourage people to protect themselves by staying out of everything and avoiding all unnecessary trouble?”
I nodded. “That is where atheism and belief in ghosts and gods collide. Within human society, the disciple’s actions were entirely correct. He possessed a strong sense of justice and had no idea that his righteous act would kill the young man.”
“But have you considered this? If he had known the young man’s ship would sink, do you think he would still have warned the wealthy man? If you were the disciple, would you have warned him?”
Lin Yin froze for a long while, then shook her head. “No…”
“Why not?” I answered for her. “Because once you know the young man’s ship will sink, the wealthy man’s false accusation is actually saving him through forces beyond our sight. Better to let the wealthy man accuse him than allow him to die in the disaster.”
“The problem is that the disciple didn’t know the ship would sink.”
“But according to those of us who believe in ghosts and gods, the Heavenly Dao knew. Heaven arranged for the poor man to find the wealthy man’s wallet and for the young man to be misunderstood. In doing so, it was saving the young man while also helping the poor man escape his predicament.”