Complete in Oneself—Why Seek Outside?
When those words came from the mouth of a seven- or eight-year-old girl, they carried a child's characteristic bluntness and innocent charm, yet also a cold, detached insight into the essence of things. For an instant, the air around them seemed to grow still, as if even the wind had stopped.
"..."
The old woman was equally stunned.
She stared blankly at Annie, who was smiling as she gazed into the distance. For a long while, she didn't move. No one could tell what she was thinking.
The wrinkles on her face seemed to deepen.
Gradually, something complicated and hard to describe began to roil in the depths of her usually calm, cloudy eyes. There was astonishment, contemplation, and a hint of inexplicable emotion.
"Sigh—"
But in the end, it all turned into a long sigh, laden with boundless feeling.
"I have to say..."
"You... certainly have a..."
"rather unusual way of looking at things."
She gave a faintly amused smile, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the rough edge of the railing as she pondered.
"Still..."
"What you said isn't without reason."
Yes, she thought Annie's words held some truth and depth. But she didn't really agree—or perhaps she simply didn't want to agree.
"In the myriad worlds and the vast sea of stars, even if you and I cultivate into immortal gods and transcend our mortal bodies, we're still not so different from mayflies that live for a day or ants burrowing underground, not before the mighty forces of heaven and earth or the boundless expanse of time and space."
"Sometimes, eternal life is a torment, too!"
"Perhaps the Heavenly Emperor took this into consideration when he established the order of the Three Realms?"
"Come to think of it, it's laughable..."
"Even ants can follow