Conflict

Bow down.

Kneel.

As a modern person, I can hardly find these things anymore.

During festivals and holidays, when worshipping ancestors, people kneel and kowtow several times.

The rest can only be seen in TV dramas -- oh, you can sometimes see them in so-called traditional Chinese culture classes, like a monkey show, it's quite amusing.

However, between living people, the act of kneeling and kowtowing, aimed at enslaving, humiliating, and controlling others, destroying and eroding one person's dignity to satisfy another's desire for control and a sense of accomplishment, is an act of kneeling and kowtowing.

It has long since disappeared into the dustbin of history.

Kang De couldn't have imagined it.

In my lifetime, I have never been able to witness this spineless, undignified kneeling and kowtowing.

And the person being worshipped... was himself.

You should know that on Earth, in China, even most beggars no longer kowtow.

Seeing people of similar skin color and language bowing and kowtowing to you so obsequiously, while a group of foreigners stare at you with curious and cynical looks, the impact of such a sight is unimaginable.

My face feels burning.

China people actually have a very strong sense of national pride.

Because we were once beaten, because we once had our glory.

Therefore, upon hearing various stories about the so-called "extremely poor quality of China tourists," one feels deeply ashamed, hurls insults, and may even become a Western-worshipping dog—the most pathetic thing about humanity is that we habitually and arbitrarily judge the people of a region or even a country, as if the people of that region and country all look exactly the same and possess the same level of education and even moral character.

They would never consider that China people like this are actually a minority, and that many more China people are becoming better. They would also never believe that some foreigners are also lacking in manners; they would rather believe that all foreigners are noble, elegant, and polite.

Although she knew in her heart that the Cathayan in front of her was also a native of another world, and theoretically no different from these mainlanders... she still felt very uncomfortable.

Kang De instinctively took a step back.

Samuel and his entourage, witnessing all this, had a flicker of emotion in their eyes.

After a moment, Kang De slowly said, "Get up."

Hong San replied crisply, "Yes!"

And then he scrambled to his feet, his face beaming like a dog.

Looking at him like this, Kang De felt a wave of nausea. He had thought that meeting an Easterner with the same skin color and speaking a similar language in a foreign world would make him feel very close and happy, and he would even have many questions for him... But seeing Hong San like that, he felt disgusted.

He said coldly, "Didn't your parents teach you the principle that a man's knees are worth more than gold?"

Hong San nodded and said, "Yes, yes, you are right. I was just very moved. Being far from home, to meet such a distinguished person as Master Kang made me feel very close to him, so I knelt down..."

He seemed adept at reading people's expressions, and upon hearing Kang De's words, he appeared to have guessed Kang De's thoughts. As a result, Hong San immediately straightened his back and stopped being as obsequious as before.

Samuel smiled and said, "Mr. Kang De, Hong San was a shipwrecked refugee who was rescued by Glittering Sand's merchant ship many years ago. I saw that he knew some Eastern martial arts, so I left him in Glittering Sand and asked him to be my son's martial arts instructor, and also to help train the soldiers."

"I think having a fellow countryman to host and serve you will help avoid some misunderstandings and mistakes regarding cultural customs. So, for this period of time, he can be your guide and attendant. Is that alright with you?"

I don't think that will work.

Kang De felt disgusted.

What the hell is this?

His impression of this Cathayan was extremely poor.

Go somewhere cool and stay there.

Just as Kang De was about to refuse, he noticed a pleading look in the eyes of Hong San, who was standing to the side.

He saw the contemptuous looks in the eyes of those imperial people, as if they were looking at a toy. Even though he was his son's martial arts instructor, there was no respect in the child's eyes.

He recalled the disdain the knight had shown when they had locked eyes earlier.

This Hong San must have had a very hard time in the Glittering Sand Viscounty.

Upon thinking of this, his heart softened, and he nodded. "Thank you for your kindness."

"Don't mention it. Like I said, Goth's friends are my friends."

Viscount Samuel nodded to Kang De, and when he looked at Hong San, although his elegant and polite manner remained unchanged, his tone and expression had subtly changed.

He said calmly, "Hong San, I'm leaving the matter of entertaining Mr. Kang De to you."

Hong San nodded and bowed, saying, "Yes! You can rest assured!"

He speaks the Continental Common Language very fluently... even more fluently than the Zhendan Language.

Then, the Cathayan turned to look at Kang De, and subconsciously revealed a fawning expression.

Kang De had already given up on looking at him.

Viscount Samuel then introduced several members of his family to Kang De: the little boy named Lynch, his second son; the knight who had greeted Cleveland earlier, Lost, his eldest son; the girl in the blue dress Hannah, his daughter; and the others, who were knights loyal to his family.

The idiot who had looked at him with disdain earlier was named Glen.

The others were all extras. Kant was already annoyed by Hong San's matter and was not in the mood to remember their names... He only remembered their laughter and their eyes earlier.

I'm very upset.

"Please allow me to host a banquet at Glimmering Sand Castle to welcome my friends Goth, who have traveled from afar, and also His Excellency Kang De," Samuel said politely. "Please."

The first mate stayed behind to coordinate with the port office and conduct a series of rest and resupply activities, while Tina and her group, including the captain and the head lady-in-waiting of Bedela, went to visit the Glimmering Sand Castle.

There were also twenty elite Goth sailors.

Goode's side had prepared two carriages and some horses. Knight Lost looked at Kang De: "Lord Kang De, would you like to travel by carriage or on horseback?"

Kang De said calmly, "Either way is fine."

Old Wang's family is wealthy, and he's been to horse farms before, so he knows a little about riding. With his current physical condition, even if his riding skills are limited, he shouldn't embarrass himself.

Knight Lost nodded impassively. "Very well, Knight Glenn, prepare a horse for Mr. Kang De."

The foolish knight who had previously stared at Kang De approached, leading a horse with a mocking smirk. The horse was very tall and occasionally shook its head, suggesting a fierce temperament.

With ill intentions.

Kang De was in a bad mood and gave him a cold look. His mental energy involuntarily spread out. For some reason, the Knight Glenn felt a chill in his heart, as if he were being watched by something terrifying.

He immediately realized what was happening, and a surge of anger rose within him, as if he had been insulted. Just as he was about to retaliate, Hong San stepped in front of Kang De, blocking their view, and bowed and scraped, saying, "Lord Glen, let me handle this."

Glen snorted coldly.

Hong San led the horse over, knelt down on the ground, arched his back, and looked up at Kang De.

"Master Kang, please mount your horse."

The knights watching this scene let out another low chuckle.

Kang De flew into a rage and said coldly, "Get up!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the tall, arrogant horse neighed and retreated in alarm.

Just then, Tina, who was being helped into the carriage by Cleveland, suddenly called out, "Mr. Kang De, please get in. I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

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PS1: Second update, 6,000 words today...

PS2: Also, kneeling etiquette existed in China before the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, which is undeniable. Although the Manchu Qing dynasty was a bunch of bastards, they at least made their criticisms accurate. There are records of kneeling etiquette in the Zhou Rites, and various paintings before the Yuan dynasty also record its existence, as well as sculptures from the Northern and Southern Dynasties. However, the act of kneeling and kowtowing was indeed distorted by the Yuan and Qing dynasties into a tool for enslavement, which is infuriating. There will be a storyline related to Cathay in the future, and I'm going to be a righteous indignant youth for once.