Ning An's Wild Wish System

”So, what is good, and what is evil?”

This is the last question Ning An received before closing the live stream, and also the most asked one.

Ning An was silent and did not reply, just quietly closed the stream.

He had his own view of good and evil; everyone has their own view of good and evil. Perhaps most are just overly simplified, but everyone’s view of good and evil cannot escape the ten words:

No absolute good, no absolute evil.

Like Zhao Yamei’s three tenants, who just came out of prison—does that make them unforgivable villains?

Tracing cause to effect, where did these results come from, while the causes were never eradicated. How absurd, how laughable!

Three tenants, three supposedly ordinary lives, yet they ended up trapped here.

An elderly man, seventy-five, with a face full of irritation, as if he would start arguing with you any second.

A muscular man with tattooed arms, covered in tattoos, and muscular, with a fierce appearance and ten years of prison experience. Just talking about it can be enough to make a child stop crying.

A gloomy younger brother constantly keeping himself in darkness, always with his head down, entirely wrapped in clothes, his complexion hidden, muttering to himself, seemingly ready to stab you at any moment.

The elderly man most loved cooking, especially Sichuan cuisine. According to his words, he had suffered enough bitterness in this life, and with Sichuan cuisine being hot and spicy, it symbolizes a vibrant and fiery life.

The muscular man, despite his large build, was actually quite meticulous. He applied for a job as a security guard in Tianbo District, and got along well with the elderly residents, even teaching them wellness exercises, indirectly solving the noise problem of square dancing.

And the gloomy younger brother, though he appeared ready to stab someone, actually preferred cats and dogs. He registered as a delivery rider and would cash out his earnings after each delivery, using the money for pet hospitals.

Nothing else, there were too many stray cats in Tianbo District, and he estimated it would take him over half a year of deliveries to pay off all the sterilization surgeries.

This world is like this; absolute good and evil can only exist in textbooks.

Even a sage like Confucius would not embody absolute good or evil; only labels from posterity exist.

The absolute good and evil in textbooks are all flat depictions, purity seen through filters. In the three-dimensional world, good and evil are never absolute.

...

The next day, Changchun Temple opened as usual.

”Brother Sect Leader, when are we going to see Officer Xiaoli?”

”Yeah, I’m really curious—how did Officer Xiaoli earn that first-class merit?”

”Can we ask the court for something special? I can’t contain my curiosity anymore!”

”...”

Seeing the cheeky comments in the stream, Ning An rolled his eyes: ”Thanks a lot, everyone. Like the court is my family business, I say something special, and they hold court today, right.”

The stream viewers chuckled devilishly.

”Quick, pass it on, Brother Sect Leader said the court is his family business.”

”Wow, Brother Sect Leader, savior of the suffering. Can you make the judge favor me a bit when I go to court? Just a little, so I win every time.”

”Phew, really shameless, you can even say such a request. Unlike me? I only ask that when I appear in court, they let me be the judge and write the verdict myself.”

”You guys dare to think big! A bunch of Indonesian Chinese, all of you need a firing squad!”

Just as the stream was bustling with excitement, the first incense burner of the day arrived at Changchun Temple.

At the entrance of Changchun Temple, a somewhat hunched figure appeared.

Ning An looked up to see an elderly man walking in from the entrance.

While walking, he reached into the innermost pocket of his clothes to pull out a bag.

The bag opened, inside was an instant noodle packet, which, when opened, contained stacks of loose change.

Although he felt some heartache, the elderly man still counted and took out 450 yuan, placing it in front of Ning An.

”Daoist Master, I’ve come to make a wish.”

This 450 yuan reduced the thickness of the noodle packet by half.

Which meant that the elderly man’s savings were possibly half spent on this.

Ning An did not take the money but asked with concern: ”Sir, what brings you here?”

Judging by his appearance, the elderly man seemed quite old, likely a local villager.

For many, this 450 yuan might be insignificant.

But for such an elder farmer, this might well be half of his savings.

Using half his savings to come to Ning An and offer three incense sticks to make a wish, even if the wish were to come true, it ultimately comes at a cost.

Ning An didn’t know what wish the elderly man would make; if it turned out to be too extreme, costing too much, and he couldn’t withstand it, his body might give out, making it a pyrrhic victory.

Upon hearing Ning An’s question, the elderly man didn’t hold back, showing his stained teeth, grinning: ”Daoist Master, don’t laugh at me; I’ve come to wish for a spouse.”

”I’ve been single in the village for over sixty years; nearing the grave without knowing that joy. I thought I’d give this a try here.”

Gasp!

The stream viewers collectively sucked in a breath.

”What? Did I hear wrong, he came to Academy looking for a spouse?”

”No way, Sir, why don’t we just wash up and go to bed? With our savings, not to mention finding a spouse, even getting a one-time service would be difficult.”

”Sir is a man of emotion, using half his savings for incense, focusing on a ’succeed or die trying.’”