602: Chapter 602 Difficulty in Having All Three Sexes

"That guest over there, please come over and sit as well."

"Oh no, I've been discovered."

Zhou Yan, who had considered his hiding spot to be flawless, was forced to stand up from behind the rock.

He looked at the three children and the white-bearded old man, mentally organizing the information he had gathered on the four of them.

Xiao Rou was a normal child, while Xiao Hu was a brat, though both were still within the range of ordinary people.

The fellow named Xiao Zhi was not simple; with that smug expression and the strength to slap Xiao Hu into the air, he was clearly someone out of the ordinary.

This deadpan look was exactly the same as when Long Tianxing first appeared; one look and you could tell he was no small fry.

However, this guy didn't seem to have seen through his disguise either.

Finally, there was the white-bearded old man. He had actually seen through Zhou Yan's exquisite disguise at a single glance. It must have been the work of the Mahayana of Love, or perhaps he was someone who had been specifically targeted.

"You're already so old, yet you're still listening to stories with children. How shameless." Xiao Hu looked displeased.

However, as if afraid of Xiao Zhi's might, although he was dissatisfied with Zhou Yan, his only action was to shift his bottom further away from him.

"Sorry about that, I've taken up your time. But since the old gentleman has kindly invited me, I do indeed want to hear what kind of story could attract the three of you... er, anyway, let's all listen together."

After saying some polite words, Zhou Yan sat cross-legged. Xiao Rou even made some space for Zhou Yan, forming a sharp contrast with Xiao Hu.

As for Xiao Zhi, he maintained that deadpan Long Tianxing look, keeping his gaze fixed on him for a long time without saying a word, only looking away when the old man began to tell the story.

"Hahaha, I know this young friend has many questions, but please listen to the old man finish the story first."

"If you still have questions then, you can ask them along with these three little friends."

"Ahem, the story we are going to tell today is about three seeds."

The old man quickly got into the swing of things, telling the story vividly.

Not knowing if it was because this place was similar to a two-dimensional world, he saw a dialogue box appear next to the old man, in which the story was being narrated in the form of an animation.

Zhou Yan didn't know if the three children beside him could see it, but they had all quieted down to listen carefully, so he didn't dare to ask.

"A long, long time ago, a child was born."

A deep, aged voice full of charm rang out, and the animation in the dialogue box began to move.

"Inside his body lived three seeds: one in his belly, one in his chest, and one on the top of his head."

"The child slowly grew up."

"One day, he was hungry, and the seed in his belly woke up and roared, 'I want to eat!'"

"This voice was crude, direct, and unreasonable; it only knew how to make the child survive."

"Eat when hungry, sleep when tired, and hit back when bullied."

"It was like a ball of fire, burning the child with energy."

Xiao Hu's eyes lit up as he listened, and he muttered softly.

"Now that's what life is all about."

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he was glanced at by Xiao Zhi.

Xiao Hu could only cover his mouth, not daring to make another sound.

"Later, the one in his chest woke up too," the old man said. "That day, the child fell, and his mother picked him up and gently patted his back."

"His heart warmed, and he heard a soft voice: 'Someone loves me, and I must love others in return.'"

"This voice was very soft, teaching the child to care for others."

"He would feel sad seeing small animals get hurt, and would want to cry when he saw others crying."

"He learned to share his candy with others and learned to ask, 'Are you also very sad?' when he was bullied."

Xiao Rou placed her hand on her chest without speaking.

"The one on top of the head woke up the latest." The old man looked at Xiao Zhi and said, "It wasn't until the child began to ask, 'Why is the sky blue?', 'Why do people die?', and 'Who am I?' that the seed opened its eyes."

"It didn't speak; it just shone, like a lamp."

"It taught the child to think about the principles behind things, to distinguish right from wrong, and to stand at a high place to look at himself and the world."

"It didn't say 'I want', but 'I should'."

The corners of Xiao Zhi's mouth twitched, revealing a Long Tianxing-style CEO smile.

The old man patted his knees, focusing the attention of the three.

"The one in the belly is called Beast Nature, the one in the chest is called Human Nature, and the one on the top of the head is called Divine Nature."

"These are the three powers that reside within the child's body."

He looked at Zhou Yan, and Zhou Yan's heart skipped a beat.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

"Let's start with Beast Nature." The old man held up his first finger. "Beast Nature teaches people how to survive."

"A beast doesn't understand grand principles, but it knows how to forage for food, how to avoid danger, and how to protect its young."

"Beast Nature gives people courage and strength; when danger comes, you don't just stand there waiting to die—you run, you fight."

"Many people look down on Beast Nature, thinking it is crude."

"But without Beast Nature, humans would have frozen to death tens of thousands of years ago."

"It is the oldest guardian of mankind."

The old man then held up his second finger.

"Human Nature teaches people to live like a human."

"When you are in pain, you know others will be in pain too; when you are happy, you know others will be happy too."

"Because of Human Nature, there is a connection between people, allowing them to form families, villages, and nations."

"People learn to sacrifice themselves for those they care about."

"A person without Human Nature is lonely, even if they are alive."

"What difference is there between such a life and that of a lonely beast?"

The old man then held up his third finger.

"Divine Nature is the hardest to explain."

"Have you ever had a moment like this..."

"No one is watching you, yet you still tell yourself not to do bad things."

"Doing something might be good for you, yet you don't do it because you feel it's wrong."

"That voice that says 'No' is Divine Nature."

"Divine Nature is like a mirror, allowing the child to jump out of their own body and look at themselves from the outside."

"It makes people practice restraint, self-discipline, and pursue things higher than just 'surviving' and 'living well'."

"It pulls people upward to reach for those things that are shining brightly but remain untouchable."

The old man was silent for a while, then closed his three fingers into a fist.

"Beast Nature, Human Nature, and Divine Nature are like the three legs of a tripod; if one is missing, it will tip over."

"Beast Nature is at the very bottom; it is the horse pulling the cart."

"The horse has strength, so the cart can run. But the horse must be led by someone, otherwise, it will charge around recklessly and drive the cart into a ditch."

"The one leading the horse is Human Nature."

"Human Nature is in the middle; it is the driver of the cart."

"The driver knows when to speed up and when to slow down, knows which potholes to avoid on the road, and knows to reach out and help those traveling the same path."

"But the driver also needs a direction, otherwise, they are just running blindly."

"The star that points the direction is Divine Nature."

"Divine Nature is at the very top; it is the North Star."

"It hangs high, telling the driver where to go, when to turn, and when they have strayed from the route."

"But a star can only point the way; it cannot run for the horse, nor can it drive for the driver."

"Without the horse and the driver, no matter how bright the star is, it can only add a bit of light to the wilderness, and cannot be called the North Star."

He paused, then emphasized his tone.

"Remember, Beast Nature has no right or wrong, only strength and weakness."

"Human Nature has no absolutes, only warmth and coldness."

"Divine Nature has no temperature, only direction."

"When these three powers are balanced, the child is a complete person."

"Possessing the drive of wildness, the warmth of human emotion, and knowing why they are alive."

The old man's tone suddenly sank.

"But what if they become unbalanced?"

He spread out his two hands, one pressing down and the other lifting up.

Then, the animation in the dialogue box changed as well.

"If Beast Nature overwhelms the other two, a person will turn into a beast."

"Only desires remain; they grab when hungry, hurt people when unhappy, and their minds are filled with 'I want, I want, I want it all'."

"They no longer care if others are in pain, nor do they think about what should or should not be done."

"What is even more terrifying is that their brain is still a human brain."

"A beast doesn't know how to use schemes to harm people, but a person dominated by Beast Nature will use all their intelligence to satisfy their filthiest desires."

"They will cloak their greed in the guise of reason and find righteous excuses for their cruelty."

Hearing this, Xiao Hu scratched his bottom uncomfortably.

"If Divine Nature overwhelms the other two, a person will turn into an ice sculpture."

"Only reason and rules remain; they can see through everything, but feel nothing."

"They don't need to eat, don't need companionship, and are not moved by anyone's joy or sorrow."

"They become a precision machine, calculating all the rights and wrongs in the world, yet miscalculating their own heart."

"They can stand on high and overlook the masses, but they can never walk among them to share a hot meal."

Xiao Zhi's smile had vanished, and he returned to his cold face.

"If Human Nature overwhelms the other two, a person will turn into a child who never grows up."

"Submerged by too much emotion, they can feel everyone's pain but don't know how to protect themselves."

"Without the armor of Beast Nature or the yardstick of Divine Nature, they are like an exposed wound that hurts whenever the wind blows."

"She is too kind, kind to the point of weakness."

"When hurt, she won't resist, only asking if she did something wrong."

"Her heart is filled with love, but she lacks the teeth and claws to protect it."

Xiao Rou pursed her lips and began to rub the corner of her clothes again.

The old man sighed.

"None of these three imbalances lead to a good ending. The most fatal thing is that these three powers never balance themselves."

He stood up, walked to the three children, patted their heads one by one, and then looked at Zhou Yan.

"The story ends here. So, Zhou Yan... do you have anything else you want to ask?"

Watching those four pairs of eyes looking straight at him, Zhou Yan's heart tightened.

"No way, that's it?"

"You just put on two slides, and then start lecturing me with grand principles? How am I supposed to understand this?"