Houtu sat on a stone stool, gazing at the humans in the distance. Though their behavior was strange, they were full of life, and her eyes gradually grew distant and profound.
She turned around, suddenly looking utterly serious as she stared at Zhao Gongming.
"Martial Nephew."
"Tell me... what is the meaning of being alive?"
"Living beings are born, then die, over and over. What... is the meaning of it all?"
Zhao Gongming, who had been cracking melon seeds, froze. He was completely dumbfounded.
"Wait... Martial Uncle."
"We were just talking about how to scam people with a stretcher. How did we suddenly get onto such a heavy topic?"
"Isn't that a bit of a leap?"
Zhao Gongming set down the melon seeds and thought carefully for a moment before tentatively answering.
"I think... being alive means having fun things to watch."
"Like just now, watching Zhu Rong and Gong Gong fight. It was brutal, but also hilarious."
Houtu shook her head, clearly unsatisfied with that answer. Her brow furrowed even more.
"And after the fun, there's still emptiness. And death."
Seeing Houtu get stuck in a rut,
Zhao Gongming's eyes darted around. Suddenly, he stood up and walked to the threshold of the courtyard.
Then he started twitching like a lunatic, repeatedly hopping back and forth across the threshold.
He jumped outside. "Oh no, I'm dead!"
He jumped back in. "Oh no, I'm alive!"
He jumped outside. "Oh no, I'm dead again!"
He jumped back in. "Oh no, I'm alive again!"
As he hopped around, Zhao Gongming wore an absolutely punchable expression. Pointing at his own head, he taunted her loudly.
"Well? How about it?"
"Come hit me, you idiot!"
"This is just how I am. When I'm alive, I like doing ridiculous things like this. What are you