"Whether something is considered correct or not is merely a summary of the experiences of those who came before, rather than the ultimate truth. There are many paths in the world; every person's path is irreplicable, and it isn't the case that only the paths of others are correct."
"Walking on someone else's path might be smooth sailing at first, but one eventually loses their own direction at some crossroad of life."
"We must be like lions, learning to be proactive, brave, and rebellious, and embracing our true selves."
"As expected of Big Sister Tang." Akabane Tsubaki's eyes lit up as she raised her hand to answer.
"I know about the infant!"
"The infant symbolizes the state of every person when they first arrive in this world—innocent and ignorant, curious about everything, and full of imagination and creativity. It is somewhat similar to the realms of 'extending intuitive knowledge,' 'following nature is called the way,' and 'unity of heaven and man' in Kowloon culture."
"Well, how should I put it." Akabane Tsubaki pressed her finger against her lower lip in a thinking pose.
"After experiencing the camel's endurance and the lion's passion, a person must return to the topic of 'self.' They no longer care about the gaze of society and begin to analyze the essence and truth of the world. They aren't happy because a desire is satisfied, nor are they depressed because their fighting spirit wanes; their heart returns to peace and tranquility."
"The center of the problem shifts from 'what should I do' to 'what do I want to do,' and then to thinking about who this 'I' actually is, becoming like an infant, viewing the world once more with curiosity and kindness."
"Only when a person deeply recognizes the laws governing themselves and objective things can they transcend themselves and reach this realm."
At this moment, the four girls present were slightly stunned.
The same thought occurred to all of them: the hard requirement for breaking through to grade 4.
Transcending the self.
Liberating the divine endowment.
They began to understand Xu Xiaoyou's various purposes tonight.
Xu Xiaoyou closed her eyes in thought.
She had been thinking about the issue of the divine endowment for a long time. Why couldn't she feel that layer of 'sluggishness'? Blind confidence was self-delusion; she wouldn't actually believe it was because her self-awareness was too clear. The danger of metaphysics was fatal in this world where most knowledge was contaminated, so she kept questioning.
To solve the problem troubling her, she had consulted many philosophy books—whether it was Kowloon philosophy or the postmodern systems of the Star of Art—but she still hadn't found the ultimate answer.
Only then did Xu Xiaoyou officially begin tonight's topic:
"If one's self-awareness isn't clear enough, even if the divine endowment is liberated, it will manifest in a highly contaminated state. Whether it takes a long or short time, the user will eventually fall into the madness of self-questioning due to mental contamination. From ancient times to the present, only one person has reached the unity of heaven and man and entered this infant state."
"The Pale Green Sage."
As the girl's words fell, a profound aura of life spread out. In the darkness, vines and tree roots brimming with vitality seemed to grow, and a friendly breath brushed over the heads of the girls like a kind elder.
Undoubtedly, this elder was the most mysterious, ancient, and powerful life in the world today.
His mental strength was as vast as a boundless sea, covering the entire world. If his name was spoken in any corner, he would notice it—just as he was kindly watching this scene right now.
"I wonder if the old grandpa likes eating sweets," Akabane Tsubaki said.
The profound life aura quickly dissipated, and the vines stretching into the darkness retracted.
The girls looked at each other, and Xu Xiaoyou nodded, continuing, "We will still have a long time to spend together in the future. Now is a good chance for us to understand each other better."
As she spoke, she snapped her fingers. Several empty wine glasses emitting cold air were pushed in front of the five of them. According to the girls' preferences, different liquors were mixed in the air and poured into the glasses, the ice clinking softly. Only Akabane Tsubaki's glass was filled with just one-third bamboo charcoal shochu, topped off with grape juice and cola.
Akabane Tsubaki's mouth twitched slightly.
"You must recognize yourself deeply. The hidden danger of not knowing yourself well enough is fatal."
The four were speechless, thinking that Xu Xiaoyou was the person least qualified to say that.
"Returning to the original topic: when the proposition of death cannot be avoided, what is the meaning of life?"
"Including me, we all must answer this question. This is very important."
Xu Xiaoyou added a few green olives to her drink, her slender fingertips rubbing the rim of the glass.
The four watched silently. They knew that this girl was somewhat neurotic, and no one could ever figure out Xu Xiaoyou's train of thought.
"I'll go first," Xu Xiaoyou said. "The meaning of my life is that even if I die or disappear, I hope to leave my mark on this world. I hope people remember my name and sing of my glorious deeds."
Xu Xiaoyou suddenly thought of a phrase, though she forgot where she had heard it.
She said, "I hope my will does not dissipate with death but remains in eternal silence with the light. I hope my existence is not erased by the dust of time but grows with time in its fullness. When the wind brushes over the waves of the sea of flowers, I will land on every piece of earth, like a newly born flower, blooming fully upon the ruins."
Akabane Tsubaki froze.
A newly born flower upon the ruins?
She seemed very familiar with this phrase. Where had she heard it before?
"Alright, saying these words righteously is quite embarrassing. Please, don't make it so awkward for me." Xu Xiaoyou looked calmly at the blue-haired girl.
Tang Xin smiled serenely. "Death isn't important to me. I only care about everything I have right now—the people close to me, my unfulfilled ideals, and that Eden where there is no sorrow and the birds sing amidst the flowers."
"This is the meaning of my life."
Angelina sighed, knowing she couldn't escape. She brushed back her messy silver hair and looked up with heavy dark circles under her eyes:
"Neither death nor life has meaning to me. To be honest, I have no expectations for tomorrow, and I don't care about what I have. I just follow my instincts. Wherever my instincts lead me, I go. I never worry about things that don't interest me. If I die, I die; being alive is fine too."
"Of course, if there were a way to die peacefully without any pain, I think I'd be very willing to accept it. After all, I have no regrets."
"This is actually quite good. Think about it—those people who talk all day about noble ideals and sacrificing themselves for civilization are still acting according to 'instinct' just like me. It's just that they're more grandiose, while I'm a little more pessimistic than they are." Angelina grinned, her fingertips pointing toward the galaxy.
Tang Xin pursed her lips slightly at those words, while Xu Xiaoyou wasn't surprised. Angelina didn't really care about being used last time; she truly didn't care about anything.
She might be interested in something on a whim, feel excitement during a fight with a strong enemy, feel the desire for the hunt hidden deep in her wolf-like genes, or feel the rage of wanting to tear someone apart when betrayed.
But once that interest faded, she would return to the embrace of nothingness.
"What a terrible way of thinking," Akabane Tsubaki complained. "Why would you think that way!"
"You'll understand naturally when you reach my age," Angelina said dismissively.
Bai Youyou drank the Red Pomegranate Ocean in her glass in one go, the cup's rim hiding the faint blush rising on her face.
"Death isn't necessarily inevitable."
"Treating death as an unavoidable proposition is inherently flawed."
"If there were a way—for instance, if a supercomputer appeared that could calculate all futures—then all the world's possibilities would surge, vanish, fall silent, and be revived like a rotating galaxy."
"In that case, life must possess some way to continue into eternity."
The atmosphere fell into silence. The sharp edge of silence was hidden in the light reflecting between the glasses. Talking about death and life, the girls all fell into deep thought, with a hint of confusion appearing in their eyes. Seeing the atmosphere grow heavy, Akabane Tsubaki suddenly stood up and grabbed a sandwich from the table.
"The meaning of life is just like this sandwich!"
This action stunned the four present, and they all looked over with interested gazes, wanting to hear what the girl had to say.
Akabane Tsubaki wasn't one to back down easily just because she was being watched. She puffed out her chest and summoned her courage.
"Look, life is like this sandwich. Birth and death are like the two pieces of bread; we can't decide them, but—"
Akabane Tsubaki changed her tone, pulling the two pieces of bread apart to reveal the ham filling, salad, and vegetables inside. "We can decide what filling to add between the two slices. Whether it's sweet or spicy, whether it's cream or Bugles, as long as we like it, we can put whatever we want inside."
"So, since this sandwich has to have two slices of bread no matter what and can't escape the fate of being eaten, we should think more about how to add the filling. Just as we should approach life positively and cherish everything we have now, using passion and action to make it full and rich before finally taking a big, happy bite."
After speaking, Akabane Tsubaki took a viciously large bite of the sandwich.
"That's the only way it tastes good!"
Rate on N.U.
