noffsinger Chapter 49 The Game of Cause and Effect
Chapter 49 The Game of Cause and Effect
The matter of Zhu Erdan has come to a temporary end, but Zhou Ning knows that Judge Lu will not give up so easily.
After leaving the village, he did not immediately head north, but instead found an inn in Guobei County to stay at.
He wanted to observe for a few more days to confirm that Judge Lu would not harm Zhu Erdan and his wife again before he could leave with peace of mind.
On the night of his arrival at the inn, Zhou Ning was meditating in his room when he suddenly felt a familiar gust of cold wind.
He opened his eyes, and Lu Pan was already standing in front of the window, his hands behind his back.
"Judge, what brings you here so late at night?" Zhou Ning rose and bowed.
Lu Pan turned around, looked at him, and said calmly, "I would like to play a game of chess with you."
Zhou Ning was taken aback: "Playing chess?"
Judge Lu nodded, took out a chessboard and chess pieces from his sleeve, and placed them on the table.
The chessboard is black, the pieces are white, and each piece has a faint glow.
"This is the 'Karma Game' of the underworld, with cause and effect as the thread and fate as the pieces."
Judge Lu sat down, gesturing for Zhou Ning to sit as well: "Do you dare to play a game of chess with me?"
Zhou Ning hesitated for a moment, then sat down opposite Judge Lu.
"This disciple's chess skills are poor; I beg the judge to show mercy."
Judge Lu did not answer, but raised his hand and placed a piece.
The white piece landed in the center of the board with a crisp sound.
Zhou Ning felt a momentary daze, as if he saw countless threads extending from the chess pieces, weaving into a huge net.
"This is..." he exclaimed in surprise.
"The web of cause and effect," Judge Lu said.
"Every move you make triggers a causal chain. Every move I make severs a causal chain. The outcome of the game depends on who can control more causal chains."
Zhou Ning took a deep breath, picked up a black piece, and placed it on the chessboard.
The moment the black piece fell, he seemed to see a thread extending from the piece and connecting to Zhu Erdan.
"Your move has landed on Zhu Erdan's fate," Judge Lu said calmly. "You want to protect him."
Zhou Ning did not deny it: "This disciple believes that Young Master Zhu should not have suffered those undeserved calamities."
Judge Lu snorted coldly and placed a piece on the board.
When the white piece landed next to the black piece, Zhou Ning felt the thread connecting Zhu Erdan tremble slightly, as if it had been cut by something.
"You can't save him," Judge Lu said. "His fate dictates that he must endure this calamity. Your forceful intervention will only make the ordeal worse."
Zhou Ning frowned: "Does the judge mean that Young Master Zhu is destined to be separated from his wife and children?"
Judge Lu shook his head: "I didn't say that. I only said that he is destined to face a tribulation. As for what this tribulation is and how to overcome it, it all depends on his own choices."
He paused, then continued, "You previously prevented me from making a deal with Zhu Erdan, and you also prevented me from giving his wife a head transplant. You thought you were helping him, but you were actually harming him."
Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "This disciple does not understand."
Judge Lu said, "Zhu Erdan's tribulation is the 'tribulation of inner demons.' As his wisdom greatly increased, inner demons also arose."
I gave him the Wisdom Pearl to help him suppress his inner demons.
"I performed a head transplant on his wife to help him eliminate the root of his inner demons, namely his obsession with her appearance."
He looked at Zhou Ning, his gaze piercing:
"You've ruined all of this. Now, Jurdan's inner demons will only grow stronger. Sooner or later, he'll be completely lost."
Zhou Ning fell silent.
He never imagined that Lu Pan's actions were actually to help Zhu Erdan overcome his tribulation.
"Judge," he said, "there is something I do not understand."
"You say that the root of Zhu Erdan's inner demons lies in his concern about his wife's appearance. But I believe that the real root is not his appearance, but his heart."
"If he truly loves his wife, he won't care about her appearance. If he does care, it means he doesn't love her."
A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Pan's eyes:
"You see things very clearly."
He placed a piece on the board and continued, "Then what do you think I should do?"
Zhou Ning thought for a moment and said, "This disciple believes that the judge should let Zhu Erdan face his inner demons himself. If he can overcome his attachment to his wife's appearance and truly love her, the inner demons will naturally dissipate. If he cannot, that is his own choice. The judge's forced intervention will only backfire."
Judge Lu remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he sighed, "You're right."
He raised his hand and collected all the chess pieces on the board.
"I have lost this game."
Zhou Ning was taken aback: "The judge hasn't finished making his move yet..."
"No need to elaborate," Lu Pan interrupted him. "I have already foreseen the ending."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked up at the night sky with his hands behind his back.
"Zhou Ning, you and Yan Chixia are both people who stick to their principles. But sometimes your 'rigid principles' are indeed closer to the Way of Heaven than my 'flexible principles'."
He turned around and looked at Zhou Ning:
"I promise you, I will no longer interfere in Zhu Erdan's affairs. Let him face his inner demons on his own. If he can overcome them, that is his fortune; if he cannot, that is his fate."
Zhou Ning was overjoyed and quickly stood up to bow, saying, "Thank you, Judge."
Judge Lu waved his hand: "No need to thank me. I just think what you said makes sense."
He paused, then continued, "However, there is something I need to remind you of."
"Please speak, Judge."
"The people of Montenegro have their eyes on you."
Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "This disciple understands."
Judge Lu shook his head: "You don't know. They're targeting you not because you're Yan Chixia's disciple, nor because you ruined their plans. It's because..."
He paused, his gaze becoming profound: "Because you possess something they desire."
Zhou Ning was taken aback: "What is it?"
"Uprightness," Judge Lu said.
"The righteous energy within you is helpful to the Black Mountain Demon's cultivation. If he can obtain your righteous energy, his cultivation will reach a higher level."
Zhou Ning frowned: "The righteous energy within this disciple's body is still very weak."
"Faint, but pure," Judge Lu said.
"It is precisely because it is pure that it is precious. The Black Mountain Demon cultivates evil arts and needs righteous energy as a guide to suppress the backlash within his body. Your righteous energy perfectly meets his needs."
He walked up to Zhou Ning, took out a black token from his sleeve, and handed it to him.
"This is my token. It can save your life in a moment of crisis."
Zhou Ning accepted the token and solemnly said, "Thank you, Judge."
Lu Pan nodded, and his figure gradually faded away.
"Remember, the journey to the North is fraught with peril. But if you return alive, I will tell you something about Yan Chixia."
His voice disappeared in the night wind.
Zhou Ning stood by the window, holding the black token in his hand, remaining motionless for a long time.
What about Yan Chixia?
What exactly is Master hiding?
He shook his head, dismissing these distracting thoughts.
No matter what his master was hiding, he was still his master.
This will never change.
The following morning, Zhou Ning left Guobei County.
He did not go to Zhu Erdan's house again, but went directly north.
When he reached the city gate, he saw Zhu Erdan standing by the roadside, seemingly waiting for him.
"Young Master Zhou." Zhu Erdan greeted him, carrying a package in his hand:
"This is some dry food my wife prepared for you to eat on the road."
Zhou Ning took the package and smiled:
"Thank you. Young Master Zhu, how is your wife?"
Zhu Erdan nodded: "Much better. She was able to get out of bed and walk around yesterday, and she even made me breakfast today."
His eyes were full of tenderness.
Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat.
It seems that Zhu Erdan has overcome his concerns about his wife's appearance.
"Young Master Zhu, what does your wife look like...?" he asked tentatively.
Zhu Erdan smiled and said, "She is still herself. No matter what she looks like, she is my wife."
Zhou Ning nodded, a weight lifted from his heart.
"Young Master Zhu, treat her well. I'm leaving."
He cupped his hands in greeting to Zhu Erdan, turned around, and strode northward.
Behind him, Zhu Erdan stood at the city gate, watching him leave until his figure disappeared into the morning mist.