The Creatures That We Are
Chapter 1284: Existence

Chapter 1284: Existence

Cerulean Dog nodded with a smile.

Gao Yang was the only one who wasn’t shocked.

When they first saw Cerulean Dog, Gao Yang had guessed that Little Tian could be another projection. After the boy’s death, Chen Ying had comprehended Sensory at level 6 rather than level 1, which meant that Little Tian had transferred his energy directly to Chen Ying. Gao Yang had looked into it, but found nothing.

When he learned that Cerulean Dog was a projection of the owner of this place, and that he possessed special energy that could delay White Dew’s demise, it was a natural conclusion that Little Tian came from the same source.

The others quickly figured out the link and settled down.

Chen Ying, on the other hand, didn’t care at all about the why. She tightened her arms around Little Tian and sobbed, “I’m sorry, Little Tian... I wasn’t able to protect you. Sister should’ve protected you...”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Sister. Don’t blame yourself.” Little Tian’s eyes brimmed with tears. “It’s more important than anything that Sister’s still alive.”

“Little Tian.” Chen Ying let go to cup his face, looking at him from different angles. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

Little Tian shook his head sadly. “Sister, I’m Their projection just like Brother Cerulean Dog. Although I didn’t know this when I was in the world of the Mist...”

“You’re not anyone’s projection!” Chen Ying snapped.

Little Tian met her eyes.

“You’re Little Tian! My family! I’ll take you home!” She grabbed his hand, but couldn’t move him at all. Trying to pick him up didn’t work, either. The meek little boy was merely standing in place, yet he seemed to weigh tonnes.

“Ah... ugh...” Chen Ying clenched her teeth and exhausted all her strength, almost pulling her muscles and tendons, but he didn’t budge.

Little Tian gently wiped the tears from her face. “I didn’t die, Sister, because I was never alive. I’ve always belonged here.”

“No... no...” Chen Ying shook her head, tears overflowing from her eyes.

“Don’t be sad, Sister. Don’t feel guilty. I was happy every day I was with you.”

Chen Ying wound her arms around him again. “If you belong here, I’ll stay, too. I’ll stay with you, Little Tian. I’ll never leave you again...”

“No.” Little Tian extracted himself from Chen Ying’s arms. “I’m only a projection, not Little Tian.”

“No...you’re Little Tian... You’re my Little Tian...” Chen Ying sobbed, reaching out to hold the boy again, but he stepped back. The simple motion hit her like a dagger to the heart.

“Why...why...?”

“Jump, Sister,” Little Tian said.

Chen Ying looked utterly lost.

“Jump, Sister,” he repeated.

Shock flashed through her eyes.

“Jump, Sister,” he implored.

Then a deep sadness replaced the shock.

Chen Ying slowly rose to her feet and took a deep breath. She hopped, eyes fixed on Little Tian.

She landed and fell to her knees.

She wasn’t scared, but she was forced to accept the undeniable, immutable truth. She looked at Little Tian gently and sadly, tears running down her face like a serene creek. “I didn’t have anything. I didn’t pity myself. But God did. They gave me one candy, then more. I was happy and content. But then They take the candies from me one by one...”

“Why? To make me see how pitiful I am...? What-what have I done wrong...? Why would God do this to me...?”

“Sister.” Little Tian shook his head. “You’re sad not because you made any mistake or because God is punishing you.”

“Then... why...?” Chen Ying asked in a small voice like a helpless child.

“Because this is part of happiness.”

She stilled, looking up at him.

“Sister.” He pointed at her heart. “This is where the real Little Tian is. No one can take that from you, not even God.”

He smiled at those behind her. “Goodbye, brothers and sisters.”

“Little Tian!” Chen Ying cried out and reached for him, but he was gone.

Lovely Lamb couldn’t contain her heartbreak. She threw herself into Heavenly Dog’s arms and bawled. Heavenly Dog put his headphones on her. The others stood around the lone sphere of light hovering over the sorrowful desert, unsure of what to do.

Chen Ying picked herself up and sat down where Little Tian had sat, putting her hands on the table he had touched and closing her eyes. After a stretch of silence, she opened her eyes. Her sorrow receded like tides, leaving behind a damp, serene beach.

She looked up at Cerulean Dog. “I know what the question is now, Cerulean Dog. Little Tian told me.”

“I’m all ears,” Cerulean Dog said.

She looked down at the dining table. “The ocean does represent life, but the desert does not represent death, only a different form of life.”

“Life comes in different forms. The ocean is one. The desert is one. You and Little Tian are in one form in Li City and another form here. Humans are limited. We can only understand and sense lifeforms that are similar to us.”

That made everyone think.

“If we’re going to give all life forms one descriptor, the one I come up with...” Chen Ying paused, her eyes bright, “...is existence.”

“The question of this room is existence.”

No one argued otherwise, and no one offered praise. It felt like hearing a teacher explaining the optimal solution to a problem; all they had to do was listen.

“And someone told me the answer long ago.” Chen Ying smiled. It was a sad yet resilient smile. She smoothed her hand across the dining table. “In this very place. It was a girl who loved painting her toenails.”

Many pairs of eyes dimmed, but Adept Horse broke into a smile instead. He wasn’t sad to hear about the girl he loved. He only felt pride.

A few seconds later, Chen Ying said, “The answer is acceptance.”

She rose to her feet and continued, “There are countless existences in the world. We can only accept everything as part of existence. We have to accept its birth and passing, accept its restraint and unpredictable nature, accept its reincarnation and permanence... There is no other way.”

Cerulean Dog smiled noncommittally.

“Acceptance...” Zhang Wei murmured with dejection. “That feels pessimistic.”

“It’s not pessimistic,” Vermilion Bird disagreed.

“It’s not optimistic, either,” Adept Horse said.

“Then what is it?” Zhang Wei asked.

“Clarity,” Gregor shared his thought. “Perhaps acceptance is the true strength.”

“You’re right!” Liao Liao let out a bitter laugh with realization. “When I learned that the world is doomed, I thought that I was only able to endure for so long because I could not accept death, but that’s not it. I only get to this point because I’ve accepted my eventual death, or I would’ve given up or gone mad.”

Zhang Wei came to the same realization when he thought back to what he had been through. “Yeah, I’ve accepted that, too!”

He declared at Cerulean Dog, “That’s right! That’s our answer! We accept death! We have nothing to fear! Tell your master to come on out and meet death!”

Wang Zikai nodded with approval. Good, you’ve finally learned one-tenth of my coolness.

Cerulean Dog put his mask back on and became polite and aloof once more.

“Come with me to the last room, honored guests.”