The Tribulation Pulls the Red String (Seeking Subscriptions! Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Ling Qing asked again, "Tell me—if he had earlier endured the pain and given up being with his mother and Zhenniang, and instead striven to save the world, would his mother and Zhenniang still have died? Like you and me—what has become of our parents and families now?"

Lu Dongbin answered truthfully, "Master Zhongli enlightened my parents. They are now cultivating the introductory formulas and mental techniques. My brothers have all achieved success and fame, with flourishing descendants. In accordance with our parents' hopes, they have also begun serving as officials, benefiting the people of their respective regions."

Ling Qing asked, "You are one of the Eight Immortals, and Fei Changfang is also one of the Eight Immortals. Why were the fates of your two families so different? Is it because you are Emperor Donghua reincarnated?"

Without waiting for Lu Dongbin to answer, he answered his own question. "No. In fact, precisely because you are Emperor Donghua reincarnated, your tribulation is even heavier than Fei Changfang's. But the difference between your families lies in this: you shouldered your responsibility, so your parents and family did not have to bear your tribulation. He fled from his own tribulation, and so it naturally implicated his family as well."

Seeing Lu Dongbin remain silent, Ling Qing waited a while before continuing, "The Buddhists say: sentient beings fear the fruit, while bodhisattvas fear the cause. The Daoists also say that the Heavenly Dao moves in cycles; good and evil bring recompense. Do good deeds and ask not what lies ahead. If you perform good deeds, their good fruit may not fall upon you, but someone will ultimately benefit from it. And if you commit evil, Heaven's principles are clear and bright; retribution will come of its own accord. Mortals only grow fearful when retribution