Lately, however, Noe seemed like a man who had lost his soul. He spent his days sighing, consumed by regret over the death of the River God. He blamed himself constantly—if only he hadn’t challenged the deity, if only he hadn't prophesied the rainfall. Had he kept silent, he wouldn't have provoked the River God into committing the sin that ultimately cost him his life.
Whenever Trung Hau sought advice now, Noe would simply say: “Do not ask me anymore. I am but a fool whose words only bring harm. Ask the Holy Spirit within you; He is the Spirit of Wisdom, and He holds every answer you need.”
After being turned away repeatedly, Trung Hau stopped asking. Instead, he began to practice communing with the inner Spirit: “O Holy Spirit, Divine Spirit. I am so lonely. I have no friend to share with, no one to teach me. Please, help me.”
He sat in silence, listening to the resonance within his heart. He learned the two signs to identify the Divine Voice: first, the inner Spirit’s voice manifests by the left ear, while the external Spirit speaks by the right. Second, the message is always accompanied by an indescribable sense of peace that leaves no room for fear.
The inner Spirit spoke: “Peace be with you, for I am always with you. It is your destiny to walk alone. Whenever you stay with someone for too long, misfortune will befall them—even if that person is a Lucky Star.”
The voice continued, “A Lucky Star is born to be a teacher, a guide, a signpost for many other stars. But once the Lucky Star has fulfilled its duty as a guide, the traveler must depart. Only then can the Lucky Star continue to guide those who follow.”
Hearing this, Trung Hau felt a profound sadness. It meant he would soon have to leave Noe and continue his solitary journey. But this time, he would not truly be alone. He walked with the Holy Spirit—a God-tier System capable of providing everything from basic stats to counsel on any problem.
One day, Trung Hau approached Noe, his face tight with anxiety. “Teacher, the gods are planning a punishment for you.”
Noe replied calmly, “Praise the names of the gods. If I have done wrong, I must accept the penalty. Do not worry for me. When Heaven punishes, it still leaves a path for life; when man punishes, there is no path left.”
Seeing the boy’s distress, Noe asked gently, “Is it time for you to go?”
With tears welling in his eyes, Trung Hau bowed his head. “Yes. I am so sorry... it is because of me that you have encountered such misfortune.”
Noe sighed once more. “It is alright. If it wasn't you, it would have been someone else. My only regret is that I do not understand... Why does a good deed turn into an evil result? No matter. To meet is fate; to part is destiny. I will not force you to stay. Just let me know when you are ready to leave.”
Trung Hau nodded, turning to walk away. But he suddenly stopped and turned back. “The Holy Spirit within me asks: Do you wish to know why? He is willing to explain it to you.”
Noe smiled. “Oh? That would be wonderful.”
“The Spirit says He wishes to use this opportunity to teach me a lesson, using your failure as a case study,” Trung Hau explained. “The Spirit asks: ‘Teacher, how does one overcome evil?’”
Noe answered without hesitation, “By using good to overcome evil. Do not return evil for evil, and do not let evil conquer you.”
Trung Hau smiled sadly. “The Holy Spirit knew you would say that. That is the teaching of most religions: strive for kindness to accumulate merit. But reality is different. In the mind of the wicked, they think: ‘Since that person is good, I can beat, rob, or kill them; when I ask for forgiveness, their goodness compels them to love and forgive me.’ This means the evildoer always profits from the righteous, while the righteous man is always the one who loses.”
A surge of irritation and hurt rose in Noe’s chest. It stung to hear that his lifelong kindness had been a tool for exploitation. “I don’t understand,” he said sharply. “Explain it clearly.”
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Trung Hau paused, listening to the inner voice. “The Holy Spirit says this: Imagine a fisherman asks you where the fish are. Because you are kind, you show him. Because you are too kind, you warn him not to overfish. But the fisherman ignores you, wipes out the entire population, and then returns to you in 'repentance,' asking for a new spot. If he does this ten times, and repents ten times, will you keep showing him the fish?”
Noe fell silent. Indeed, such a fisherman was a parasite—wicked and boundlessly greedy. If Noe refused to help, he would be called unkind; if he helped, he would only be fueling the destruction.
“Indulgence breeds a parasite—an ingrate,” Noe admitted. “So, one must stop.”
“Relative Goodness creates Evil,” Trung Hau continued. “Or rather, the wicked will always bully the kind, just as a bully seeks out the gentlest child to strike. The more people who act with 'passive' kindness, the more the wicked will flourish.”
Noe muttered to himself, “Generation and Overcoming... Does Good and Evil also follow the Laws of the Five Elements? If not Goodness, then what restrains Evil?”
Following the Spirit’s guidance, Trung Hau drew a circle in the sand, then a five-pointed star within it. He drew arrows to represent the flow.
“The outer circle is Inter-generation—where one state gives rise to the next. Fire creates Earth, Earth creates Metal, Metal creates Water, Water creates Wood, and Wood creates Fire. The inner star is Inter-overcoming (restraint).”
He replaced the elements with concepts:
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Fire = Goodness
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Earth = Evil
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Metal = Repentance
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Water = Law
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Wood = Justice (Equity)
“In Inter-generation: Goodness gives rise to Evil (through indulgence/exploitation). Evil eventually leads to Repentance (the consequences of evil lead to fear or change). Repentance gives rise to Law (a reformed person sets rules to avoid falling again). Law produces Justice. And Justice fosters true Goodness.”
Noe stared at the diagram for a long time. “According to the cycle, Earth overcomes Water. If Earth is Evil and Water is Law, shouldn't Law restrain Evil? Why does Evil overcome Law?”
Trung Hau waited for the Spirit's whisper. “Look at Wood overcoming Earth. Wood is Justice. Only when the Law is filled with Justice can it overcome Evil. If the Law (Water) lacks Justice (Wood), the wicked will simply exploit the loopholes to become more villainous than before.”
“Like a legendary judge who is incorruptible, the wicked tremble because the judgment is just. When the Heavenly Way is strict and fair, goodness can truly flourish. Where there is Law without Justice, the bad only get worse.”
They talked for many days. Finally, Noe said with a wry smile, “It is quite unfair. Why is your Holy Spirit so generous with answers, while mine demands I trade my hard-earned merit for every word?”
Trung Hau replied, “I have already paid the price, Teacher, and I will continue to pay it. The price is a life of solitude and very little love. You, however, have everything—you are welcomed, praised, and thanked wherever you go. Our paths are very different.”
Noe sighed. “I am sorry. I didn't consider that. I won't ask anymore; I would hate to become the very parasite we discussed. Come, let us eat.”
Weeks later, Trung Hau left a letter of gratitude and departed alone. He thanked Noe for everything—for the help, and for guiding him to find his Higher Self and his Spirit.
The letter ended with a single line: “The price of wisdom is loneliness.”
Noe tucked the letter away. He had thought he was the one helping the boy, but in the end, it was the boy who had saved him. Noe whispered a blessing into the wind for Trung Hau’s journey.