Chapter 200: Another Sudden Enlightenment in the Dao of Cause and Effect

Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Another Sudden Enlightenment in the Dao of Cause and Effect

Chu Fan operated on the principle that less trouble was better. He wanted to get to the Celestial Dao Palace as soon as possible. The sooner he found the Hundred Flowers Wanderer, the more hope there would be for Yun Xi’s treatment, and the sooner she could be free from this weakness and danger.

That was why he had tried to keep as low a profile as possible along the way.

But not looking for trouble didn’t guarantee a smooth journey.

He had slapped that Heir of Liao partly because he couldn’t stand it anymore, and partly to make a statement.

But he could imagine that the matter would likely lead to more trouble.

Logically, the best way to avoid that trouble would be to take Yun Xi and leave He Yi State City now.

But after traveling for a whole day, Yun Xi was already tired. Chu Fan worried that if they continued to push on, it might aggravate the Death Qi in her body.

After leaving the inn, he found another one in a different district.

Unexpectedly, this inn was also full.

"Shopkeeper, if I may ask, why are all the inns in the city full today?"

"Where are you from, sir? How could you not know about the big event happening in the State City?" the Shopkeeper asked, somewhat surprised.

"I’ve indeed come from far away. I’m heading to the Capital City and just passing through, so I really don’t know what’s going on," Chu Fan said.

"The day after tomorrow is the two-hundredth birthday of Duke Chen, Lord Xing Yihuo. Lord Xing was once the Grand Secretary of the court and has many students and former subordinates. Even though he has since resigned and retired, he still holds the title of Crown Prince’s Junior Tutor."

"So, many people are here to celebrate his birthday?"

"Celebrating his birthday is just one reason. The main thing is that the Crown Prince has come to He Yi State. Many people are here for him. I heard that the Crown Prince left the Capital City this time not only to celebrate Lord Xing’s birthday, but also to inspect the Empire on behalf of the Emperor."

"It seems this Duke Chen is highly favored by the Celestial Family," Chu Fan remarked.

"Besides being the former Grand Secretary, Duke Chen is also the Crown Prince’s maternal uncle and the Empress’s older brother. When the current Emperor was still the crown prince, Lord Xing was his Study Companion. Do you understand now?"

Chu Fan nodded. No wonder.

With that, he took out a twenty-tael gold ingot. "Shopkeeper, my wife is frail. We’ve had a long and dusty journey just to get to this State City, hoping for a good night’s rest. But we’ve checked more than ten inns, and all of them are full. Please, could you do us a favor and see if you can find a place for us to stay for just one night? We’ll leave first thing in the morning."

Staring at the gold ingot, it was impossible for the Shopkeeper not to be tempted.

The Shopkeeper glanced at Yun Xi leaning against Chu Fan’s shoulder, sighed, and said, "I can clear out one of the staff’s rooms for you. Would that be acceptable?"

"Thank you!"

As long as there was a place for Yun Xi to rest, Chu Fan didn’t care about the conditions.

The Shopkeeper had an attendant lead Chu Fan and Yun Xi to the back courtyard, into a room that reeked of sweat and feet.

Chu Fan handed the attendant a silver ingot and asked him to arrange for a basin of hot water and some food.

After the attendant left, Chu Fan tossed aside the original bedding, took out a fresh set from the Juntian Mirror World, and helped Yun Xi onto the bed.

Chu Fan began to clean the room.

"I’m sorry you have to endure this," Chu Fan said apologetically.

Yun Xi shook her head. "I’m not some delicate noble lady. I’ve roughed it before. At least there’s a bed here."

"I just didn’t expect the shopkeepers in the Central Domain to be so greedy. That gold ingot you gave him could probably buy a whole residence in this city, couldn’t it?"

Chu Fan smiled. "Money is just a worldly possession. Even though I gave him that gold ingot, he won’t get to enjoy any real advantage from it."

Hearing this, Yun Xi’s eyes filled with worry. "The Crown Prince of the Hua Xu Empire is in this city, so there must be countless Hidden Guards around. If that Heir of Liao finds us here, will it be a huge problem? Chu Fan, maybe we should just leave tonight."

Just then, the inn attendant brought the hot water.

Chu Fan took out a clean cotton towel and began to help Yun Xi wash up. After so many days, her initial shyness had faded into familiarity, and she had long grown accustomed to him attending to her like this.

"Don’t worry, we haven’t done anything wrong. If it comes down to it, we can go find that Duke Chen or their Crown Prince to seek justice. And if there is no justice to be found, I’m not afraid to throw this city into chaos," Chu Fan said, a flicker of killing intent flashing in his eyes before vanishing.

"But this is the heartland of the Hua Xu Empire, after all."

"Silly girl, rest easy. We’ve survived far more desperate situations. What else is there to fear? Just get some rest after dinner. Leave the rest to me."

"Chu Fan, I’m dragging you into this."

"Silly girl, don’t you ever say that again. We’re husband and wife; we’re one. How could you be dragging me down? If my life were hanging by a thread right now, would you abandon me?"

"Of course not."

"There you have it!"

When the attendant brought their food, the two of them ate a simple meal. After coaxing Yun Xi to sleep, Chu Fan sat cross-legged by the bed.

It had been like this every day for the past half a month.

He would sit cross-legged and meditate all night, his goal, of course, being to comprehend the Dao.

Finding the Hundred Flowers Wanderer and breaking the third seal on the Juntian Mirror—he was pursuing two goals at once, and he couldn’t afford to neglect either.

Cause and Effect.

Back in the Miracle Secret Realm, he had already gained some enlightenment regarding the great Dao of Cause and Effect. At the time, the Little Monk Hui Ke had even tried to persuade him to become a monk.

The Enlightenment Realm was difficult to enter; it required a fortuitous opportunity.

With no other choice, Chu Fan could only reflect on his own experiences, trying to fit them into the framework of Cause and Effect to understand the relationship between them.

’The Red Blood Mansion was destroyed. That was a strand of Cause and Effect between myself and the Red Blood Mansion. But was it only between me and them?’

’Of course not. From the very beginning of its founding, the Red Blood Mansion’s way of doing things had already planted the seeds of cause.’

’They did as they pleased in the Eastern Domain, seizing whatever they wanted by force and trickery to strengthen themselves. This led to the animosity of the Six Sects and Eight Gates toward the Red Blood Mansion.’

’Their occupation of the Cloud Horse Jade Mine was a cause. Their bribery of Li Mosheng and those other traitors was a cause.’

’Master and my senior brothers dying at the Cloud Horse Jade Mine was an effect, but it was also a new cause.’

’Later, Yun Xi and I disguised ourselves as members of the Six Sects and Eight Gates to kill Red Blood Mansion disciples, and as Red Blood Mansion members to ambush disciples of the Six Sects and Eight Gates, constantly deepening the hatred between them.’

’This was both a cause and an effect.’

’Everything in the world has a cause and an effect. But in truth, aren’t they just countless causes entangled together, ultimately forming countless effects?’

’It’s like a giant, densely woven net, with threads crisscrossing everywhere.’

’Or perhaps, this world is itself a world made of Cause and Effect. Cause and Effect determines the developmental laws of all things.’

And at that very moment, a flash of inspiration struck Chu Fan’s mind. Abruptly, he fell into a state of sudden enlightenment.

His consciousness once again arrived in a sea of chaos. Perhaps it was because his mind was so focused on this one train of thought.

In this chaotic expanse, every time he thought of a "cause," a point of light would appear. Countless rays of light would extend from that point in all directions, forming another point of light not far away called "effect." This "effect" point would flicker, at one moment an effect, the next a cause, and then shoot out countless more rays of its own.

Gradually, countless points of light spread out, creating a dense web of innumerable lines and intersections that illuminated the entire chaotic void.

When he submerged his consciousness into any one of these points of light, countless images would immediately flash through his sea of consciousness.

’Is this the world of Cause and Effect?’ Chu Fan was incredibly excited.

But at that very moment, a sudden voice shattered his enlightenment.

"So they really are here! Charge in! If there’s any resistance, kill the man on the spot and drag the woman out for me!"