Revelation of the Way of Heaven

Chapter 417 The Fisherman's Troubles

"So it has a very good social welfare system," Qin Xiaochuan suddenly realized. This is equivalent to everyone receiving regular relief payments. As a college student in the 21st century, he knew that such a high-welfare society needed to be built on the colonization and exploitation of other countries. However, Yunmengze is an independent world without the concept of a country, so it should not have the corresponding resources to guarantee such high welfare. If that's the case, then isn't this act of distributing magic crystals equivalent to printing money infinitely in Huaxu?

Qin Xiaochuan had taken political classes in high school and knew that doing so would only lead to inflation. He couldn't help but ask, "If that's the case, wouldn't prices in Yunmengze keep rising, and your magic crystals keep depreciating?"

Qin Xiaochuan's prediction was correct. Old Man Yang nodded and said, "Prices will indeed rise, but the rate of price increases cannot keep up with the rate at which Donghuang Taiyi bestowed magic crystals upon us. Therefore, no living being will have to worry about survival."

"Doesn't this mean that you can live a comfortable life without doing anything? Wouldn't that mean that many people would become lazy? Where would the entire Yunmengze find the wealth to support all living beings?" Guo Shiyi understood the crux of the matter and raised her question.

"Didn't I tell you? Getting something for nothing will deplete our blessings. If we use up all our blessings in this life, we might not be able to be reborn as humans in the next life. We'll only be able to become those fish in the lake, where the strong prey on the weak. With this mindset, no one wants to get something for nothing. Moreover, the magic crystals that Donghuang Taiyi gave us can only allow us to barely survive. If we want a better life, we can only accumulate more merit. The best way to accumulate merit is to work hard to earn magic crystals," Old Man Yang explained.

"Why do you say that earning magic crystals is accumulating merit?" Qin Xiaochuan asked, puzzled. According to his understanding, people in this world do not value magic crystals, and even regard them as a scourge. Now, they say that earning magic crystals is accumulating merit. Isn't that a contradiction?

Old Yang took a puff of his pipe, the smoke obscuring his face, and said, "The way of Heaven is to take from those who have more than enough and give to those who have less than enough; the way of man is to take from those who have less than enough and give to those who have more than enough. Even children in Yunmeng Marsh understand this. When Donghuang Taiyi bestowed the magic crystals upon us, he was actually following the way of Heaven, distributing the wealth of the originally rich to the poor. Although the rich seem to have done nothing, they are accumulating merit by helping the poor in this way."

Hearing what Old Man Yang said, Guo Shiyi was still confused. She asked Qin Xiaochuan, "Why is it that when Donghuang Taiyi bestows magic crystals upon everyone, he is taking from those who have more and giving to those who have less? I don't understand. Do you understand?"

Qin Xiaochuan replied, "It's very simple. Distributing magic crystals will cause them to depreciate. If there are 100 people, one rich person has 1000 magic crystals, and the rest of the poor people each have 10 magic crystals, the total wealth is 2000 magic crystals. If we distribute 20 magic crystals to each person, that is, a total of 2000 magic crystals, since the total material wealth of the entire Yunmengze has not changed, the magic crystals will depreciate by half. It's equivalent to the rich person having 1020 magic crystals, and their actual wealth becoming 510 magic crystals before the distribution, while the poor person's wealth becomes 30 magic crystals, and their actual wealth becoming 15 magic crystals before the distribution. In this way, isn't it equivalent to taking from the surplus to give to the deficit?"

"Oh, I see. In that case, there will never be a gap between the rich and the poor." Guo Shiyi understood immediately and grasped the rules of how this world works.

"That's right. In fact, many problems in this world are caused by the gap between the rich and the poor, such as involution, complacency, materialism, and sluggish consumption. Eliminating the gap between the rich and the poor would eliminate many problems. The goddess Nuwa once spoke of the principle of Yin and Yang. If the problem of material distribution is solved, people will focus their attention on building spiritual civilization. With the guidance of spiritual civilization, Yin and Yang will naturally be in harmony. People will be spiritually rich, and they will not lack the material necessities for survival. No one will be anxious about the future. They can concentrate on doing what they want to do, become their true selves, and realize their life values. Isn't this the ideal utopian society?"

Qin Xiaochuan grew increasingly excited as he thought about it, saying, "This is probably why Yunmengze has remained prosperous for thousands of years. And look at the Wu Clan of Wuyuan Land; they clearly possessed the greatest strength, yet they couldn't escape the fate of rapid extinction. Could this be the secret of the workings of Heaven?"

Qin Xiaochuan felt as if he had grasped something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He just stared at the sky in deep thought.

Guo Shiyi also looked thoughtful. She said, "I used to listen to my master explain the Tao Te Ching. There is a passage in the text that says, 'The sage acts without acting, teaches without speaking, lets all things arise without refusing them, gives birth to them without possessing them, acts without relying on them, and accomplishes his work without claiming credit. It is precisely because he does not claim credit that his achievements do not depart from him.' I didn't understand it then, but now I see that Donghuang Taiyi's actions are exactly like that. He clearly did nothing but harmonize Yin and Yang, yet the entire Yunmeng Marsh has always remained prosperous."

"You're absolutely right. I'm becoming more and more convinced that the path I've chosen is the right one. Perhaps one day in the future, Huaxu will be like Yunmengze, where different races can live in peace, the gap between rich and poor can be eliminated, class antagonism can be eliminated, and everyone can live the life they want." Qin Xiaochuan said excitedly. He couldn't wait to find Da Siming and retrieve the Yin-Yang Mirror.

"It's definitely possible. With the rapid development of technology, it won't be long before we can at least meet everyone's material needs. All that's left is to guide people towards spiritual and cultural progress," Guo Shiyi said firmly from the side.

"Yes, this is the ideal and career that we should pursue." Qin Xiaochuan held Guo Shiyi's hand and looked at her excitedly.

Old Yang, puffing on his pipe, looked at the two men through the smoke, puzzled. He couldn't understand why they had suddenly become so agitated. He could only cough and say, "Gentlemen, if you really need magic crystals, I can give you some. But let's forget about going fishing together."

Hearing what Old Man Yang said, Qin Xiaochuan could only pull his thoughts back from the distant future to the present. He smiled and said to Old Man Yang, "Didn't you also say that we can't get something for nothing? I think it's better for us to earn our own living. Besides, you've helped us so much, so we should repay you. Maybe we can help you solve the problem of not being able to catch fish."

"It would be best if the fishing problem could be solved, because many people make a living by fishing. But I haven't helped you at all, so how can you say I've helped you?" Old Yang asked, puzzled.

"Your detailed explanation of this world to me is the greatest help you can give us; otherwise, we'd still be wandering around aimlessly," Qin Xiaochuan said. "Besides, following you, sir, will at least give us a place to stay."

"I live in a fishing village more than ten miles away from here. If you don't mind being a little embarrassed, I would be very happy to welcome you all," said Old Man Yang warmly.

After Qin Xiaochuan gave Han Kexin a brief explanation, the group followed him back to the fishing village.

The author "Xiaoyao Yixiaosheng" recommends reading "The Revelation of Heaven's Way" using the "Renren Bookstore" APP. Download and install it.