Treating Everyone Equally

The eerie silence of the night was permeated with the stench of blood and death.

All was silent except for human voices. The terrifying sounds of battle had scared away all the animals. On the city walls, only weak cheers, heart-wrenching cries, and hysterical laughter could be heard.

Like a group of wounded night owls.

The medical team assembled by the city hall quickly climbed the city walls to treat the wounded, calm the mentally unstable soldiers, handle the remains of the dead, and confirm their identities.

The battle between the two armies was brutal and agonizing, but cleaning up the battlefield was heartbreaking.

Kang De sat in the car, the Humvee hidden in the shadows. He watched the reserve troops being mobilized and rotated, and watched as carriages carried the identified corpses down the wall. The conscripted laborers, their faces filled with fear and unease, cautiously carried tools and buckets up the city wall, and then carried stretchers to take the wounded down.

The soldiers lying on the stretchers were either unconscious, staring at the sky without saying a word, or howling like wolves. It was unclear whether they were doing it for themselves or for others.

What will become of these warriors who fought so hard, held their ground against a powerful enemy, and survived? Will their efforts and struggles tonight have been meaningful?

Nobody knows.

Kang De simply watched quietly as people descended the city wall stairs, all sorts of people passing by him. Some were no longer concerned with the outside world, while others noticed the steel behemoth hidden in the Shadow. This was a sight unique in all of Valentan, even in all of Goth, and indeed in the entire world.

They all knew what it was, and they knew who was sitting in the car.

The wounded soldiers had complex expressions. In the dim firelight, they stared at Kang De in the Shadow, helped each other up, and silently left. Some struggled to their feet, shouting and questioning in their direction. Many of their words were not kind, and most were completely incomprehensible. They were just ordinary people from another world, with limited education and questionable communication skills. After such an extreme battle, how could they possibly speak clearly?

Kang De sat silently, listening attentively.

He gazed at each departing person, meeting their eyes, regardless of whether they could see him clearly... Those figures, blurred and indistinct in the night, were people, but also seemed like more souls.

"Oh shit."

He grinned and chuckled silently.

"Novels are all liars! What's with all this talk about courage, domineering spirit, unity, and instantaneous command? What a joke... Are they even NPCs?"

They were just a group of ordinary people who were brave for their families and homes, but ultimately had their limits; they were fearful, anxious, and prone to venting their anger; they were a mixture of beauty and ugliness.

Someone walked over and knocked on the car window.

Kang De nodded, then the car lights came on, the window rolled down, illuminating Preston's face.

The brave and wise commander was now exhausted, but he forced himself to stay alert. He looked at Kang De with regret and sympathy in his eyes. As one of the few people in the city who could remain rational and reasonable, he was well aware of Kang De's plight and innocence.

Preston opened his mouth, then finally sighed deeply, "I'm sorry."

Kang De's expression was calm and composed, without sadness or anger. Faced with the elves' shameless and vicious attacks, and the insolence and hostility of the city's guards, he remained calm from beginning to end, without crying or raging. The sadness and bewilderment he showed in front of the Autobots were also restrained and measured.

Iron Son didn't understand what this restraint meant, while Hong San was both worried and afraid, but didn't know how to persuade him... Perhaps no one could persuade him.

Kang De asked, "Why apologize?"

Preston turned to look at the soldiers who were slowly withdrawing from the city walls and completing their troop rotation. "For them."

A hint of mockery appeared on Kang De's face. "Oh."

Preston turned around and met Kang De's gaze.

"What are you looking at?" Kang De said calmly. "Do you think I would accept that?"

"They are all ordinary people, pitiful and pathetic. I usually disdain to speak to them, thinking they lack morality, integrity, and ideals; they are vulgar, ignorant, and their behavior is detestable..."

Preston said softly, "But now that the elves are besieging the city, the fate of nobles and commoners is the same. Before the enemy's iron hooves, on this city wall, no one's life is distinguished by high or low status. At this moment, I actually envy these pitiful and pathetic people..."

The young commander watched the departing people and the figures on the city wall. "Because they know nothing... Because of the elves' insidious schemes, they blindly turned their fear and madness into hatred and transferred it onto you, without feeling ashamed or uneasy, but rather taking it for granted."

"But I cannot do that."

"I am not usually a kind and gentle person. I am not harsh or merciful towards servants and commoners. Looking back on the past, I don't recall many of my actions that could be considered virtuous. But at least now, I cannot blame everything on you like they do. Instead, I feel ashamed and uneasy. I know you are innocent, yet I am powerless to do anything about it..."

Kang De listened silently.

"I just..."

The young nobleman hesitated, a troubled look on his face, as if he were organizing his thoughts, perhaps also wondering why he suddenly wanted to say such a thing, but he did it anyway.

"I just want to tell you that they do this not simply because they are inherently evil, shameless, and immoral. In the past, although they were rude, they didn't make a living by stealing, robbing, or cheating. Although they lacked ideals, they still worked every day and supported their families. The reason they reveal such ugly behavior today is because the cruel war and the impending fear have caused them to lose their guard and become terrified. And these..."

Preston said slowly, "It's all our responsibility."

He lowered his eyes, hiding his features in his hair, and bowed slightly.

"It is the country's nobles who failed to protect Goth and her people, allowing the vulnerable and powerless populace to expose their ugliness in the face of war and death. It is all our responsibility."

The nobleman, whose surname was Valentan, apologized once again. "I'm sorry."

After a long pause, Kang De withdrew his gaze and looked ahead. "What's the point of saying this now?"

Preston smiled wryly. "Not now, but in the future."

"My brother once taught me that when faced with the evil and wickedness displayed by ordinary people, it is better to have pity than to be harsh or disgusted, and then to take responsibility."

"Compassion is pity for their suffering and understanding of the root of their actions and thoughts; responsibility is recognizing one's duty as a nobleman: we are born noble and of exceptional birth, can we do something for them?"

He paused here, looked at Kang De, and said earnestly, "You will become one of us, Your Highness Kang De. I only hope that when you think of today, or encounter a similar situation in the future, you will not only see their pitifulness and hatefulness, but also feel compassion and understand the root cause."

"You will become Princess Tina's husband, and with your abilities, you will surely become one of the decision-makers of this country in the future, with a position and responsibility far exceeding mine... At that time, may you be merciful and just."

Kang De was taken aback by these words.

It wasn't because of Preston's words; as an Earthling, the ideas he formed back home were superior to Preston's. The goodness of the world could never be entrusted to the goodwill and responsibility of a privileged class, and social peace and stability depended on the rule of law, not the rule of men—these were the lessons he learned.

He only heard familiar words.

Compassion and justice.

That Dragon of Space and Time, the head of all gods, was a benevolent god symbolizing mercy and justice. After granting Kang De the most basic abilities of time and space, the immense divine power within the Crimson Scroll became like a stagnant pool, no longer stirring at all, and ignoring Kang De's plea for him to look at Valentan.

Does this mean that so-called justice and mercy mean I should kindly and tolerantly forgive these people's stupidity and idiocy, no matter how outrageous their actions are?

--Pah!

I came all the way from Earth, gave up being the protagonist of an urban fantasy novel, and am stuck in this crappy city getting beaten up by elves. I've fought tooth and nail for these people, and if it weren't for me, Valentan would have fallen twice already. In the end, I'm the one who gets resentment and hostility from these people, and they expect me to be understanding towards them?

Once this thought arose, endless anger and resentment began to stir, almost bursting forth.

Given his temperament, if that fellow on the city wall had been spouting nonsense, he should have smashed his head with an axe and walked away, not caring about the lives of these people. If those soldiers were looking at him strangely, he should have glared at them and cursed them back. The only reason he had suppressed his raging anger was because the country was called Goth, and he had a princess friend and a knight friend.

Remaining calm and composed is the greatest act of mercy and justice... What more do you want from me?

What do they have to do with me? Why should I be considerate of them?

Kang De was deeply moved, and his emotions underwent a dramatic change.

Seeing his strange expression, Preston assumed he was deep in thought and puzzled, so he gave a calm and gentle smile and said softly, "Don't worry about it. Take your time to think about it, and you'll figure it out eventually."

Kang De did not notice the smile, nor did he know what it contained.

"To speak too frankly with someone you barely know is a great taboo," is an old China saying. But similar sayings exist in other Civilization. A serious and polite Goth nobleman, after experiencing a bloody and fierce siege with the city's defenses nearly collapsing, came to Kang De and said such things. Only he knew his intentions.

Kang De simply raised his head and looked into Preston's eyes.

"Haven't I done enough? Haven't I done enough? Isn't it good enough?"

Human hearts are not made of iron or stone; even a clay figure has some temper, let alone someone as hot-tempered as Kang De, who had never suffered such an injustice in his life.

The elves' despicable schemes, humanity's foolish gullibility, the negative emotions accumulated by the extreme defense, the oppressive atmosphere brought by the Dusk Warband... all these will inevitably erupt one day.

He had been barely holding back, his stance as a knight and Tina keeping him in check and directing his anger at the elves. But tonight, Preston suddenly came to him with words of pity and understanding, and his raging fury finally found an outlet, erupting uncontrollably.

What did I do wrong?

Why are they such bastards?

Why would you rather believe the elves than me?

"I risked my life for them, and this is what I got in return?"

"Don't they know that if it weren't for me, this city would have fallen long ago?"

The tone gradually rose from a suppressed and low pitch, and the voice became louder and louder.

Preston quietly watched Kang De, listening to his increasingly outrageous curses and venting, until he finally nodded slowly as he caught his breath. "Yes, you're right, they don't believe you."

Kang De laughed, half mockingly and half bitterly. "Because I'm a Cathayan? Damn racism, you white pigs, disgusting bastards..."

The young nobleman's tone remained calm. "No, not entirely because of that. The most important thing is that they don't understand you. You are so high above, so untouchable, that you arouse their curiosity and leave them bewildered. They know nothing about you, only awe and speculation... You are too arrogant."

"Arrogant?" Kang De's eyes widened, and he even laughed. "I'm arrogant? I'm fucking arrogant? Damn it, do you know who I am? Do you know who I am?"

Preston said calmly, "I don't know, but I can guess that you must be the most distinguished person in Cathay, with the noblest bloodline and background, standing above all others from birth."

Kang De burst into laughter. "You know everything now? Your imagination is too vivid! What did I do to give you this misconception? Did I look down on you? Did I look down on you? I eat the same food as you, and whether you're the mayor or a commoner, we all speak in the same tone. I haven't enslaved anyone, nor have I beaten or scolded anyone. I treat everyone equally, even the greens... I..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Preston said softly, "Those soldiers who defended the city alongside you didn't even know your name was Dong Zhuo."

Kang De's laughter stopped.

Under the cover of night, on the quiet streets, the Humvee drove slowly, with braziers burning on both sides, the light illuminating Kang De's face, which was indistinct in light and shadow. The interior of the car was very quiet.

Preston took his leave, and the group returned to the Vidal Chamber of Commerce, where Kang De's expression was as solemn as a statue.

After a long pause, he said softly, "Is that so?"

The Autobots were naive and inexperienced, while Hong San was shrewd as a devil; neither of them answered.

After a moment, Kang De said, "Hong San, speak."

Hong San, who had been hiding in the back seat, carefully considered his words before forcing himself to speak, "Master, well... oh right, Master, this is what my master said. He said that treating everyone the same doesn't mean being impartial; treating yourself the same as everyone else, that's what true impartiality is..."

Kang De remained silent, only offering a silent smile—yes or no, it was all meaningless now. Even Preston said things like "I hope you will in the future," but Valentan's fate was already sealed.

Amidst the city's pervasive fear and unease, the Humvee drove toward the Vidal Chamber of Commerce.

Under the lamplight, the leaders of the Heaven and Earth Society looked at each other, and finally nodded slowly, their hands clasped together.

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: So tired... Time for bed.