The story I told Lin Yin was one Seventh Master had told me during the incident involving Ding Ruoning and her mother.
After listening, Lin Yin said, "I don't think the apprentice did anything wrong. The poor man took the wallet, and the rich man wrongly accused that young man. The apprentice merely told the truth. He didn't know the ship that young man was going to board would meet with disaster."
"If the apprentice was wrong, wouldn't that be encouraging people to look out for themselves and avoid getting involved whenever possible?"
I nodded. "That's the clash between atheism and belief in spirits. Within human society, the apprentice's behavior was absolutely right. He had a strong sense of justice, and he didn't know his righteous actions would get that young man killed."
"But have you considered this? If he knew the ship that young man was boarding would meet with disaster, do you think he would still have alerted the rich man? If you were that apprentice, would you still have alerted him?"
Lin Yin froze for a long moment, then shook her head. "No..."
"Why not?" I spelled it out. "Because knowing beforehand that the young man's ship would meet with disaster meant the rich man's false accusation was actually saving him through the unseen workings of fate. So rather than let the young man die at sea, it would be better to let the rich man falsely accuse him."
"The problem is that the apprentice didn't know the ship would meet with disaster."
"But in the understanding of those of us who believe in spirits, the Heavenly Dao knew. It sent down its will, having the poor man pick up the rich man's wallet and the young man be wrongly accused. In truth, it was saving that