Hao didn't sleep that night. He spent it cultivating - slow, steady, the long way.
Sure, a single cup of instant noodles could've launched him into enlightenment with zero effort… but lately, that didn't sit right with him.
It just felt wrong. Like skipping the story just to read the ending.
Maybe that's why, over time, he began to notice something strange.
Sometimes, the older customers would drop by. They'd walk in, greet him, chat, and browse the shelves… buy other products, but never once reach for a single cup of instant noodles.
At first, Hao paid it no mind.
But the more it happened, the more it lingered in his head.
Weren't they the ones always chasing faster breakthroughs? A path to immortality? A way to ascend to higher realms?
So why skip the most effective product in the store?
He had two theories.
One - just like him, maybe they didn't want the shortcut anymore. Maybe they too felt that enlightenment without effort was empty.
