Chapter 419 If There Is No God

There's a saying that goes, "Habit becomes nature," and it couldn't be more fitting for Chu Hengkong right now. He was already very familiar with the feeling of narrowly escaping death, so when he realized he was sinking into the sea, he didn't feel any burden at all, but rather a sense of familiarity.

This familiarity made his ascent much easier, allowing him to notice the colorful bubbles around him, mingling with memories that didn't belong to him. For example, he chatted with an elderly stranger, or was communicating with himself from a first-person perspective. Perhaps that had come at the cost of devouring Bai Yan with the Zanxin Soul Resurrection Secret Technique, but thankfully, the bubbles held no ill will towards him. They drifted around him, like a swimming ring, carrying him toward the surface.

He prepared himself mentally, leaped up with all his might, and looked towards the sea beneath the starry sky.

【Hi!】Shadow said to him.

Chu Hengkong drifted blankly along the shore, surrounded by a swarm of floating garbage. Shadow clutched a basket, picking through it with his clawed hands. Whenever he found something of interest, he tossed it into the basket with a childish cheer. The basket was nearly full, and one couldn't help but wonder if he would even examine the things he brought back.

He... was a shadow. No other adjective could be conceived. He was black. Thin. Very thin. His outline had no thickness. Like a piece of paper stuck to reality. Although the shadow lacked any visible features, Chu Hengkong felt that he was always smiling, like the lively and cheerful demon in the mural.

"I wasn't like this before!" the shadow told him. "I used to be very big, just like that guy you know, you know. Huge, except hairless. But then he fell on me, and that's how I became."

"Oh..." Chu Hengkong said with effort.

"You think I deserved it?" Shadow thought for a moment. "I was a little thoughtless back then... but I never give it a second thought! So whatever, it's fine the way it is now."

He seemed satisfied, setting the small basket aside and rambling on: "Are you surprised? Of course I know you've been here. This is nothing special. Karlsode was here a long time ago, Qixing Chongming was here too, and of course your good friend Dark Kingship... You're not the first, and you won't be the last."

"Woo woo woo." Chu Hengkong wanted to yell.

What did they talk about when they arrived? Shadow recalled, "Karsod and I had a pleasant chat. Qixing Chongming spat at me. As for the Dark Kingship... do you want to know?"

Oh wow.

I think so too. It’s best for good friends to have privacy.

He took out the spoils from the basket one by one, holding the old and tattered little things in his paws and examining them carefully. From time to time, he would carve a mark with his paws, and these little actions seemed to make him very happy.

Oh oh...Chu Hengkong asked.

"You're always so anxious, even more anxious than I am!" Shadow said, "The reason I came to you first is, of course, to answer the question that's on everyone's mind. You know, you're not very good at talking, right? That's why He always asks me for help."

He exaggeratedly covered his face, trembling all over: [The question is: Oh! Our world is in chaos, why are you just watching from up there! Why don’t you come and help us!]

I always say this question has two answers. You can choose the one you like. I'll start with answer 1.

He adopted a tone like a broadcaster, his pronunciation clear and melodious, his dark face radiating righteousness: "Little one, you must know that every action has two opposing sides, just as the giant has shadow and light. Even the wisest among us have made mistakes, and the right actions today may not necessarily be the source of tragedy in the future."

We can make the world a better place—but none of us can guarantee that what we consider "good" is the same "good" in the eyes of the other two, or that what we generally consider "good" is considered "good" in your eyes. And once we truly do it, I'm afraid you won't have a chance to refute us.

[This is the standard answer, applicable everywhere. Do you remember it?]

"Oh," Chu Hengkong said.

[Great! Now for the less standard answer 2.]

Shadow turned the basket and suddenly threw all the small things he had collected with great effort back into the sea. Chu Hengkong was swaying left and right in the waves, grabbing his forehead and laughing.

I think that part down there is always pretty good! Some little ones are determined to stop, while others are determined to move forward. Different thoughts, different perspectives, different choices—every moment brings something new, and every life can choose a different future. Diversity, richness, and individuality—that's what we call 'good'!

He lifted Chu Hengkong up and said with a sly grin, "By the standards of some little guys, I might be a 'bad spirit.' But I won't take sides. I'll cheer for both of you! Come on, come on, come on—Ouch!"

The shadow leaped up like a cat caught in a mousetrap. A bright ball of light crashed down, knocking him far away. Chu Hengkong fell from the shadow's claws and was gently lowered back into the sea by the light.

[I am a good original spirit] Guang said.

[You are a rigid spirit!] The shadow danced and laughed.

The light rumbled past, and the shadow ran away with a laugh, disappearing into the distance. After the light and shadow left, the sea became very quiet. The small objects that had been fished out of the sea sank silently again, and the atmosphere became lazy and gentle.

After a while, or perhaps a long time, since time doesn't exist in a world without light and shadow, a large, furry creature came to the shore, wanting to take a nap. He stared at Chu Hengkong for a moment, then slowly found a fishing net.

[Oh...oh.] He said dazedly, [You've gone to the wrong place again, little one. You always make things so difficult for yourself.]

oh oh……

He listened for a while, trying hard to recall.

"I probably didn't ask Him for help." He said firmly, "He's just talking nonsense again. He always likes to tell lies."

…

Chu Hengkong was speechless for a moment, and he smiled innocently.

He was always so fickle. Sometimes he was the first to jump up and protest, and other times he couldn't wait to slip down. We argued about this several times, occasionally even bumping into each other. In the end, everyone decided that not going down was the best option for now... or at least the best option we could all accept.

He put his fishing net into the sea and was stunned for a while, or maybe he took a nap.

“Look,” He said slowly. “Things are right here. ‘Good’ and ‘bad’ depend on your perspective. You used to live over there, and now you live down there. Which side do you prefer?”

oh!

Chu Hengkong responded without hesitation, and he looked very happy.

I'm glad you like it here too.

He reached his furry hand into the sea, catching something: "You've heard too much... stuff that has nothing to do with life. It's hard to get back on your own. I need to find a friend to pick you up. Xiaohua? Xiaohua, are you there?"

"I'm here~"

He fished out a small flower with cartoon-like facial features. The flower smiled at Chu Hengkong.

"Come on, let's go back!"

Then the world turned upside down, and he fell from the other side of the sea, landing in the dark and obscure deep grass and trees. Chu Hengkong sat up suddenly and heard the crisp chirping of birds in the forest.

He sensed a faint sense of familiarity; he had been to this place not long ago. This was the deepest part of the Jingsha City-State, where the Old Divine Tree had bestowed honors upon them a dozen days earlier. Back then, they had entered under the leadership of Benintic, and the first thing they had seen was a small, talking flower, one of the ubiquitous sights in the city-state...

He stared with wide eyes at the smiling flower not far away.

"Are you sober now?" Xiaohua said.

Chu Hengkong moved his mouth slowly, his thoughts as muddled as a lump of porridge. It took a great deal of effort for him to finally articulate his guess: "World Tree...?"

"World Tree is a point name. Old friends usually call me Fanxinhua," Xiaohua corrected. "It's more than just one flower—every flower can be me. I even greeted you when you first arrived in the city-state."

Chu Hengkong paused for a moment, remembering how the same flower had chatted with them and welcomed them when he first arrived at the Third Vein. They'd also encountered it during the Inspiration Mushroom incident, and they'd also seen it at the amusement park... There were simply too many flowers like this in the city-state, and he couldn't tell if they were the same one.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Why?"

"I'm busy too!" Xiaohua sighed. "The little wizard and the little giant are watching me, not to mention there are things under the sea that are plotting evil. If I come out first, they will be eager to come out. I have to help the stone seed heal its wounds first - it took me a lot of effort!"

"What about the situation in the city-state?"

"My 'city-state' is this Senluo Secret Realm," Xiaohua said with a gloomy face. "Compared to me, Xiao Jingsha is very healthy!"

Chu Hengkong thought of the various heretics within the Senluo Secret Realm and suddenly realized that the renowned World Tree had likely been in a state of near-death struggle for a long time. If the Jingsha City-State was plagued by internal and external troubles, the Senluo Secret Realm had probably already evolved to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms stage.

“This is really…”

"If it really comes to the end, I'm afraid I'll have to go back to my old ways as a little beast and sacrifice my life to bury Little Jingsha." Xiaohua frowned. "But the path I insist on means I can't interfere in the internal affairs of other forces. What should I do? Having you here this time is really a big help to me!"

Chu Hengkong looked at the sighing flowers in front of him, and thought of Chongming who appeared at the end, and shook his head repeatedly: "In the end, the Supreme Being is not much freer than the Original Spirit."

"That's why everyone needs you." Xiaohua said with a smile, "You are the future of the world~"

He thanked the little flower and left the depths of the grass in the teleporting divine light. The flourishing heart flower waved its leaves at him with a smile.

He thought of the giant spirit and the shadow, and of Chongming and the lush heart flowers. Thinking about these extremely powerful but not rash existences, he felt for a moment that he was free as if he had no restraints.

When the divine light disappeared, he appeared at the door of the bookstore. The owner had just walked out of the store and looked at him in surprise.

"Akong, what on earth are you..."

"I just had a chat with the original spirit and the world tree." He told Velvet.

Velvet looked at him worriedly.

"You'd better wake up first," she said.

(End of this chapter)