《An Ancient's Leisure》Chapter 1

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Little Johnny Jordan. He was the runt of the litter, the spoiled kid who monopolized the love of his parents. His older brother and sister found him annoying but put up with him because he was their brother.

The child wasn't excessively talented in anything, but if he was to receive top marks in anything, it would be his enthusiasm. He didn't play that well, but nonetheless, he loved the game, and for that, the heavens favored him.

One day, he was in the backyard of his childhood home. It had just rained, and Little Johnny breathed in the air; a child who had recently become an adult… he was content…

Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of an ant crawling over a leftover piece of food, and a though struck him; how high were the heavens? He pondered the question. Was it the height between him and this ant, was it the height between the ant and the leftover donut it was gathering? Or was it something unimaginable…

That’s when a beam of white light struck him and he disappeared…

He reappeared a moment later, but in that moment, the world had changed.

Little Johnny was a returnee.

…

…

It was a world of cultivation. Of mortals reaching for the heavens. And Johnny had managed to reach the peak.

Having lived millions of years, he had reached the highest point of cultivation and became an ancient. Throughout those years he watched the flow of karma and the growth of gods; and all that he saw… it was good. All that he saw… it gave him faith… faith in heaven’s rule.

Johnny had watched as those who have committed the gravest of sins, plunged into hell. And he had watched as they suffered, as they looked up at the heavens with tears in their eyes, and he watched as the heavens forgave their sins, time and time again.

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At that time Johnny had wondered why; as those sinners were lifted up from the dirt, Johnny saw their essence and the inevitability of their next fall. Their redeeming quality wasn’t in themselves, that they had changed, but in the vastness of the universe, in the forgiveness from god. So why allow it at all? Why allow tragedy to befall man time and time again?

And in that moment, Johnny saw god and he understood. He let out a bitter smile as he thought, I would allow it too… They’re just kids…

Even as an ancient, he was miniscule before heaven’s rule.

As a child, if your toy was stolen, you would wonder why that was allowed, how people could be so cruel. But under heaven’s law, the thief would have that right, and it was also the right of the world to offer justice. But throughout it all, under heaven, there would be no sin. It was just the ebb and flow of tides, the cycle of karma… it was nature.

And so, Johnny got his answer. How high were the heavens? So high that Johnny would never see its limit.

It was to the point where Johnny wondered what harm there could be in living a life of evil; would it not just be part of nature?

But unfortunately, Johnny’s dreams of living a life of debauchery and sin could go no further than the thought. He was still under heaven’s rule, and heaven’s rule was an unbreakable law.

With all that he saw, all that he had experienced, it would be impossible for him to live a life of evil. Is an ant not an ant? And can a man truly go against his own nature?

If he had the right and if heaven allowed it, man could commit many unspeakable acts against nature. But Johnny didn’t have that right.

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In fact, even though he had reached the peak of cultivation, he wondered what right he did have? His nature wouldn’t allow evil and he never saw himself as a good man, so he had no inclination towards saving the world. So what good was he? What was his part in heaven’s plan?

Then, Johnny woke up. He found himself in his backyard, where he was all those millions of years ago.

But this time, he had another question; one that he could not for the life of him figure out the answer to. What the hell am I supposed to do? Johnny thought, his face distraught.

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