Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

“Well, I don't know, all grown-ups are like this, worried every day, sighing, afraid of that. ”

Pepe said, "But we kids don't. We kids are never afraid of anything, let alone Shannua. You're such a kind and fun alien star! ”

“Perhaps your race is too weak. ”

It's been thinking for a long time, and it concludes, "You float in the universe, like dust floating in the air, and everything around you is stronger than you, and all living and abiotic can swallow you in one bite. No wonder you panic all day, you're scared to death.

“But now you don't have to be afraid, now that you have me, I will protect you, I... in your words, very ‘powerful', even the most horrible storm in 4D space can't hurt me, can't hurt you who are not protected by me, we can live happily ever after, just like the people in the story. ”

Peppe opened his mouth and wanted to tell the truth about Shannua - even with the protection of a void hunter and the development of new starship and shield technology, many people would still be caught in the storm, torn apart and wiped out in the void as they made the four-dimensional jump.

But despite telling so many stories, it is difficult for Shannua to understand the concepts of "individual” and “community”. For the vast majority of its long life, it is solitary, in itself a cyclical ecological circle. For it, as long as the subjects of the community are preserved, the individuals who have lost their lives will be continued on other individuals, so there is no need for pain and sadness - just as it will not be saddened by the loss of hundreds of tentacles, it can be broken by tentacles and can be renewed by death, what does that matter?

“Yeah!”

Pepe gave up explaining, following its meaning, sweet silk smiled, “At that time, my ancestors wandered in the stars and suffered so much all the way, until we met a previous generation of empty hunters, we did not count as a stable day, now with the protection of Shannua, we have nothing to fear.

“Only, after all, we are a small carbon-based life that has not yet evolved completely. In the dark years of wandering in the stars and oceans, the genes of fear are already deeply hidden in our cells, which is why adults get nervous. Afraid of that, it's pathetic to do something that children don't understand all day long! ”

“Perhaps. ”

And it couldn't help but hesitate and finally throw out one of the long-thinking, most incomprehensible questions, "Pepe, can you tell me why you call me 'Shannua’? ”

“Hey?”

Pepe stunned for a moment.

“‘Void Hunter’ is the name you use to define my race, which is strange but understandable. ”

And it said, "But why is my name Shannua, you know what" Shannua "means? ”

Of course Pepe knows.

“Shannua” is the protagonist of the story series "One Thousand and One Nights", a brutal king on an island of ancient Earth, betrayed by the Queen, deeply hated all the women in the world, after killing the Queen, always married a bride every day, killed her in the morning, for more than three years, more than a thousand innocent young girls tragically died under the wrath of King Shannua.

Later, the daughter of the Chancellor, Shan Ruzod, voluntarily married the king in order to save the innocent girl. She told the king a story every night. She would grasp the rhythm just right. Every time she talked about the best part, it was at the dawn of the chicken chirp, this way to attract the king and make him desperate to kill her. Thus, the story was told one thousand and one nights later, the king was finally moved by her, renouncing the brutal evil, and Shan Ruzod was old.

“‘Shannua' is the name of a… ‘tyrant’, very cruel. ”

It said, "But I am not a cruel tyrant. I am your protector. Why do you call me Shannua?" ”

“Well, I really don't know. ”

Pepe couldn't help but surrender again, “This is a name that came to pass a long time ago, before I was born, no, before my parents' parents were born, they called you that —— you know, our lives are so short compared to yours, so I don't know why people called you 'Shannua’ a long time ago. ”

“I don't like that name. ”

It mumbled, "I've been a nightmare before, and I've never felt anything wrong with that name, but after listening to Pepe tell your story, I suddenly got the feeling that I don't know how to say it, I don't want to call it 'Shannua’ anymore, I don't want to be a tyrant. ”

“What do you want to call it? ”

Pepe asked.

“‘Happy Prince’. ”

It said, "Pepe, you know what a happy prince is? ”

“Of course, the story of The Happy Prince, or am I telling you! ”

Pepe couldn't help laughing, “The Prince of Happiness is a beautiful statue, adorned with stones and gold foil, with another kind heart, all boasting and praising it, winter came, the poor man shivered in the bitter cold wind, suffering from the frost and snow rain, the Prince of Happiness couldn't bear to see this scene, let the passing swallow take away the gold foil and gemstone from him to help the poor, become ugly himself, eventually pushed down, re-melted —— the story ended badly. ”

“But I still like the story, and I like Happy Prince more than Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. ”

And it said, "And the story ended well, and in the end, Happy Prince and Swallow were sent to God's garden to live happily ever after." ”

“Hey?”

Pepe opened his eyes again, "Shannua, do you believe in God? ”

“If ‘God' refers to a heterogeneous life form that goes beyond the cognitive range of small primate carbon-based intelligent life such as' man ’, then of course it exists. When I crossed the four-dimensional space, I perceived the existence of many‘ gods'. As for whether there was a garden in their realm that could accommodate happy princes and swallows, I don't know. Hope so? ”

And it said, "And I don't like it when you call me Shannua. Can you call me Prince Happy?" ”

“This is no good. The 'Dream Maker' didn't say I could change your name at will. If I did, Dad, they'd have to make a big fuss and teach me a solid lesson. But I can ask Dad why they called you 'Shannua’ and ask if they could change your name. ”

Pepe said, "Until then, I can call you 'Prince Shannua’. Ha, that's a nice name, too. Is that okay, my Prince Shannua? ”