The old monster’s secret to happiness
A long time ago, there was a big mountain. The mountain was covered in greenery, and the peak was perpetually shrouded in swirling mist. Halfway up the mountain, there was a cave, and inside that cave lived an old monster.
This old monster was tall and terrifying in appearance. He knew 108 different forms of magic, and his skills were formidable. However, he was not happy at all, always wearing a long, sullen face.
Every day, he would eat and sleep, then sleep and eat again. When would this kind of life ever end? After all, he had a very long lifespan.
“Sigh, this is so boring, there’s no joy in it at all!” he grumbled.
One day, the old monster grabbed a not-too-thick, not-too-thin cloud from the cave entrance and rode it out on a journey.
18,000 years ago, the old monster had caused trouble in the mortal world, and an old immortal had come to stop him. The two of them ended up in a fierce battle.
The old immortal wielded a feather duster, while the old monster fought with a Seven-Star Tiger-Headed Blade.
The sky turned dark, the earth quaked, and the seas roared as they fought for 81 rounds.
The old monster lost and became the old immortal’s defeated foe.
Enraged, the old monster rammed his head into a mountain, splitting it in two. He uprooted countless innocent trees by the riverbank and leaped and splashed around in a lake, causing the overflowing water to flood many fertile fields.
Later, exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, with tears and snot all over his face, he returned to his cave.
And so, he remained there for 18,000 years.
Bored, terribly bored, he couldn’t stand living like this any longer.
Yes, he had to go find that old immortal.
He traveled 108,000 miles, arriving in half an hour.
The old immortal lived by a lake, surrounded by lush green grass and three or four ancient trees. The old immortal’s home was a simple cottage. In front of the cottage lay a three-eyed divine dog, alert and vigilant. When it spotted the old monster, it immediately started barking furiously.
“Stop barking, I’m not here to fight your master,” the old monster said. But the three-eyed dog wouldn’t stop.
The old immortal was happily holding a large water jug, preparing to leave. Seeing the old monster, he was startled and asked, “Are you not convinced? Have you learned some new skills and come to challenge me again? I don’t have time for a fight today.”
“I’m not here to fight,” the old monster said.
“Then what do you want?” the old immortal asked, surprised.
The old monster lowered his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, and said, “I want to ask how I can become happy. Would you be willing to teach me?”
The old immortal laughed heartily and said, “Come with me!”
The old monster hesitated for a moment but decided to follow.
The sun blazed in the sky, and the two of them each chose a lotus leaf to use as a parasol to shield themselves from the sun.
The old immortal walked in front, the old monster behind, both riding the wind.
It hadn’t rained in days, and below them, everything was parched. The crops in the fields were desperately thirsty, their stalks gaping for air but still unable to breathe.
The old immortal stood on the cloud, lifted his water jug, and poured water down as he traveled.
The water from the jug turned into rain…
The old monster watched, mesmerized. The old immortal gave him a stern look and said, “Why aren’t you helping?”
The old monster didn’t have a water jug, so he ran to the river, drank until his belly was round, then leaped back onto the cloud and puffed out his cheeks to spray water down below.
The water also turned into rain.
The crops, now well-watered, laughed with joy.
The old immortal slung the empty water jug over his shoulder and said, “Let’s go to my place, have some tea, crack a few melon seeds, and chat. We haven’t seen each other in a long time.”
The old monster hesitated and said, “Old Immortal, do you really mean what you said?”
The old immortal replied, “Of course.”
“But you still haven’t taught me the secret to being happy,” the old monster grumbled, feeling like the old immortal was teasing him.
“You’re so dense! Haven’t you figured it out yet?” the old immortal said with a smile, pointing to the cheerful crops below.
“Oh, I get it now! When you help others, you find happiness!” The old monster finally understood. No wonder he was already feeling much better.
The old immortal burst into hearty laughter.
And the old monster laughed too—after all, it had been 18,000 years since he last laughed.
“Ha ha ha…” His laughter chased away all the sorrow, anger, hatred, and bitterness in his heart, leaving the old monster feeling utterly content.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
