Chapter 193: Surviving a Great Disaster Doesn’t Necessarily Bring Good Fortune

Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Surviving a Great Disaster Doesn’t Necessarily Bring Good Fortune

Gu Nuan Nuan saw Cao Cao’s confusion and explained with a smile, "I said we didn’t need to dirty our own hands over a bad person, but I never said we had to keep putting ourselves out for her. Think about it. If it weren’t for you, wouldn’t she have fallen off long ago?"

"You’re right." Cao Cao immediately perked up.

"So you did nothing wrong. You just let her meet the end she deserved. Actually, all things considered, she still got a great deal. Heh, in the last life, not a single person on that bus survived. This time, even though she fell, the rescue team is right here and an ambulance is on standby. Her chances of survival are actually pretty high." Gu Nuan Nuan pouted, a little vindictively. "She’s getting off way too easy."

"Master, you don’t have to be upset. Even though she took advantage of us and might survive, her face was slashed with a huge gash—she’ll probably be disfigured. And her right foot... it was completely crushed under the bus. I’d say unless she gets her hands on a regeneration pill from the Cultivation World, there’s little to no chance of it ever going back to normal." Cao Cao couldn’t bear to see its master unhappy and quickly tried to console her.

"Is that so? HAHA! Then I can rest easy," Gu Nuan Nuan laughed, completely unabashed. "Even if she survives this disaster, it doesn’t mean good fortune will follow. To live, but spend every day, every hour, every moment regretting that she ended up crippled and disfigured over mere material possessions... for someone like her, that agony is probably worse than a swift death."

She could already picture it: if that woman survived, she would spend her future days blaming the heavens and everyone else for her misfortune. ’Serves her right.’ It wasn’t that Gu Nuan Nuan lacked compassion; she just utterly despised such a venomous heart.

"The Heavenly Dao is fair," Cao Cao said with an air of great solemnity.

"The Heavenly Dao... What is the Heavenly Dao? Does it really exist?" Gu Nuan Nuan was skeptical.

"Of course it does!" Cao Cao blurted out. "In fact, every world we’re in is constrained by the Heavenly Dao. One of the most important Heavenly Dao Rules is karmic retribution. The threads of karma don’t just end after one lifetime; it’s nearly impossible for anyone to escape the cycle where good is rewarded and evil is punished. It’s just like paying back a debt—what you owe must be repaid. That’s why people in the Cultivation World are so unwilling to incur karmic debts. If they can repay it now, they absolutely will not postpone it."

"Is that right?" Gu Nuan Nuan fell silent.

"Mhm. That’s why you never lose out by being kind. Take this time, for instance. All the people who were rescued have unknowingly incurred a huge karmic debt to us and your uncle. It doesn’t matter if they know we were helping from behind the scenes; the Heavenly Dao will remember. It will always arrange for them to repay us, directly or indirectly," Cao Cao said earnestly, bobbing its main stalk emphatically.

"No wonder they say that clever schemes can backfire and cost you everything," Gu Nuan Nuan sighed. "So it’s true that sometimes losing out is actually a gain." She fell into contemplation. Cao Cao didn’t disturb her, only speaking up when it saw Zhang Wei Qiang nearing the top of the cliff. "Master, your uncle is about to reach the top."

"Ah—" Gu Nuan Nuan snapped back to her senses. ’Uncle’s been down there for so long; he must be starving and parched by now.’ She quickly grabbed the small basket of food and water and ran toward the edge of the cliff. Before she got close, she saw that her uncle had already climbed up. An old man and two children who had come up with him were now surrounded by an emotional crowd.

Upon seeing that his father and nephew were indeed safe and sound, Manager Shao quickly turned his grateful gaze to Zhang Wei Qiang and thanked him profusely. "Zhang Wei Qiang, if it weren’t for you, I dread to think of the consequences, or what a terrible blow this would have been to our family. Once I tell my older brother and his wife, we will be sure to pay a formal visit to express our gratitude."

"That’s right! This time, even I owe you one. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have mattered if I went home and beat that little grandson of mine to death! Good lad! If you ever need anything in the future, you come find me, Lu Jianrong. As long as it’s within my power, I’ll never say no!" Lu Jianrong clapped Zhang Wei Qiang hard on the shoulder, his laughter booming.

Gu Nuan Nuan squeezed through the crowd and, without a word, thrust a water flask in front of her uncle. "Uncle, drink some water first, then get something in your stomach."

"Heh heh, it’s always the girls who are so thoughtful," the old man, clearly Manager Shao’s father, praised with a hint of envy. The little boy beside him stared with wide, shining eyes at Gu Nuan Nuan and her basket. Meanwhile, another young girl nearby wore a look of disgust and began scanning the crowd for someone.

"Would you all like some? I have plenty of food left."

Gu Nuan Nuan saw there was still plenty of food in her basket and decided to make a good impression on the old man. ’I don’t know who they are, but he’s clearly someone important.’ With that in mind, she generously placed a meat-filled steamed bun into the hands of both the old man and the little boy. To avoid looking too obvious, she didn’t even skip the girl who was scowling at her, offering her a boiled egg as well.

"Thanks, young lady." The old man didn’t hesitate, immediately bringing the bun to his lips for a bite.

"Thank you," the little boy said. He was clearly famished too, and after his polite thanks, he began to wolf down the food.

The little girl glanced at the egg in her hand, then at the meat-filled buns the other two had. Her eyes locked onto the last remaining bun in the basket. "I want that one," she demanded rudely, reaching out to grab it.

"No, that’s for my uncle. Just eat your egg," Gu Nuan Nuan said, quickly shielding the basket and handing the last meat-filled bun to her uncle.

"Don’t eat that! It’s mine! I’m not eating this stupid egg, I want meat too!" Seeing that Zhang Wei Qiang was about to take a bite of the bun, the little girl, Liu Li, panicked and lunged forward to snatch it. The others all stared, their expressions turning odd as they looked at her.

"Whose child is this? How can she be such a brat?" Lu Jianrong scowled at Liu Li, clearly displeased.

Zhang Wei Qiang was left in an awkward position, the bun frozen halfway to his mouth, unsure whether to eat it or not.

Gu Nuan Nuan’s temper flared. In a flash, she pushed Liu Li aside, grabbing her hand and roaring, "I’ll teach you to steal my uncle’s food! Hmph! If you don’t want the egg, fine! Give it back to me. You can just go hungry!"

"You’re a bully! You and your uncle are both bad people! He killed my mom! You obviously had meat, but you gave me this stupid egg just to get rid of me!" Seeing she was being held fast by a girl her own age and couldn’t break free, Liu Li clutched the egg tightly and burst into aggrieved tears.