At those words,
Silence fell over the fourth floor, as though even the air had frozen.
The former tranquility vanished, replaced by a deep stillness.
Yu Ke felt two gazes open slowly behind the beaded curtain. They seemed to pierce the beads and settle squarely on him.
He drew a deep breath, steadied himself, and continued, "Xie Guan was once fortunate enough to glimpse the Immortal Realm."
The aged voice asked slowly, with a trace of urgency and anticipation, "What... was the Immortal Realm like?"
"Were there immortals who lived forever? Ageless immortals who flew on swords across seas of cloud?"
"And in the moon palace, did celestial maidens truly dance?"
Yu Ke considered for a moment, then answered calmly, "Xie Guan saw none."
The aged voice caught. "No... immortals?"
Disappointment seeped into his tone.
But Yu Ke suddenly chuckled. "Though Xie Guan saw none of the immortals of legend, he saw life in all its myriad forms."
The middle-aged man spoke up, curiosity and puzzlement in his voice.
"Life in all its myriad forms?"
Yu Ke spoke slowly, his voice clear and firm:
"In that world, I saw people choose the worthy and capable, honor trust, and cultivate harmony. They cared not only for their own parents as parents, nor only for their own children as children. The old were cared for until the end of their days, adults had work suited to them, and the young were nurtured as they grew. Widowers, widows, orphans, those without family, the disabled, and the sick were all provided for. Men had their roles, and women had homes to return to."
As he spoke, his voice rang ever clearer, piercing the silence of the fourth floor.
"People hated to see goods cast away on the ground, yet had no need to hoard