Four Hundred Million
Tina was taken aback at first, then thought for a moment.
A chilling feeling.
She understood Kang De's unspoken meaning.
Forcing the proud knights to apologize to Hong San, whom they considered lowly and contemptible, was an immense humiliation for them. They couldn't do anything to Kang De, but they could take their anger out on Hong San.
When Kang De leaves the Glittering Sand Viscounty, Hong San will inevitably lose his backer. Without Kang De's protection, he will revert to his original state and once again become a despised and bullied inferior person in the Viscount's territory.
At that time, even if Knight Glenn wanted to vent his anger, Samuel would not stop him.
Upon realizing this, Tina was greatly surprised and also felt pity.
She looked at Kang De, whose expression was calm, and stammered, "Why... why bother?"
Kang De said calmly, "Even if I don't force that idiot to apologize to Hong San, I'll still make him bow down to me. That guy can't do anything to me, so he'll still take his anger out on the weak. Hong San still can't escape this fate. Or rather, do you think I should swallow my anger and accept his contempt and disdain without complaint?"
Tina sighed. "Of course not."
She had no right to demand anything of Kang De; she could only lament the endless chaos and disputes in the world.
Ultimately, everything in the world has its origin and cause.
Kang De said softly, "Why are elves so revered, their culture Fallout across the continent, and why do humans take pride in speaking Elvish and embracing Elvish culture? It's because their nation is powerful and dominates the world."
"I hear you all speak of Cathay with longing and admiration. Cathay is far to the East, mysterious and unpredictable, rich in resources. Its silk and porcelain are world-class treasures. Furthermore, martial arts have come from the East, promoting the development of Dou Qi and becoming a source of strength for the warriors of the continent. Logically speaking, Viscount Samuel should treat Hong San as an honored guest, inviting him to teach martial arts and train soldiers. Why do the knights of Glittering Sand Viscounty regard him as a joke? Why does Hong San also willingly belittle himself and prefer to live in the mud?"
He said quietly, "I think even if Cathay is engulfed in war, it's still far away. Even if the news gets there, the Imperial people's perception and attitude won't change so quickly."
Kang De's question made Tina fall into deep thought.
Her Highness is very intelligent.
After a moment, she came up with the only reasonable explanation. "You mean..."
Kang De slowly said, "If a person does not love himself, then others will not respect him either. I think the reason why Hong San ended up like this in Glittering Sand Viscounty is mostly because he despises himself. He can't blame anyone else."
Tina said softly, "Most of the reason?"
Kang De said, "I see that Hong San's clothing is different from that of the mainland; it is Eastern attire. However, judging from the fabric, it is made locally. It should have been deliberately made in the style of Cathay. He also has an Eastern hairstyle. Now it seems that it is not that he misses his homeland, but that someone likes him to dress like this."
The princess's expression changed slightly.
Kang De narrowed his eyes. "The elves are powerful, dominating all human nations. They are a noble and superior race, elegant, learned, and beautiful. If I were an imperial nobleman, and had an elf willing to serve me as a servant, my vanity would be greatly satisfied. I would want to show off to the whole country that I have an elf servant, and I would never let her wear human clothes."
"I want to see her dressed in traditional elven attire, maintaining her haughty demeanor, serving me diligently every day..." He looked at Tina, "As if the entire Dusk Moon Dynasty were prostrate at my feet."
At this point, Kang De smiled faintly, "Viscount Samuel, what a remarkable man."
The more amiable and eloquent he became, the more apprehensive Tina felt.
She whispered, "Kang De, you..."
"Don't worry."
He smiled and said, "I've said I wouldn't be a burden to you. I know what I'm doing. We're friends, but you have more important tasks to do—cooperate with this viscount. I won't act recklessly."
"Furthermore, I didn't feel angry or humiliated, because Hong San isn't my compatriot. Samuel's ways of playing games are his own business. As long as he doesn't mess with me, I can't be bothered with it."
Tina breathed a slight sigh of relief.
But I still feel uneasy.
While on the island, Kang De was very easy to talk to, without any airs or arrogance, which allowed her to roughly understand Kang De's temperament—how you treat him is how he will treat you.
They are both very easy and very difficult to get along with.
Because this world contains not only politeness and humility, but also arrogance and haughtiness.
For example, at the dock today, he was met with unwarranted contempt and ridicule from the Knight Glenn, so he immediately retaliated without taking action or escalating the situation. He simply used his words, along with the influence of Goth and the Viscount, to publicly humiliate the Knight Glenn.
This simple incident reveals Kang De's style of conduct and his logic of revenge.
You scorn and mock me, I will make you lose face.
Tina thought of the battle on the Holy Seal Archipelago. When Kang De realized that he would be in danger after the elves landed, he did not hesitate to devise a plan to use the Goth People to wipe out nearly five hundred elves on the Wings of Wayne, leaving no trace of trouble.
The incident at the dock just now had completely offended Knight Glenn, made the other knights lose face, and even embarrassed the Viscount... Given Kang De's previous proactive approach, who knows what he was thinking and planning.
I have a bit of a headache.
Tina sighed. "Kang De, I don't mean to interfere with or criticize your actions, but I still have to advise you: if you want to take any action, please discuss it with me. We're friends."
Kang De smiled and said, "I understand."
There was a hint of perfunctoriness in his smile, especially since Tina had already experienced Kang De's madness on the Holy Seal Archipelago. On the surface, he calmly said, "I have a plan," but in reality, his plan was either to kill, to set fires, to kill by setting fires, or to have knights dressed as women kill and set fires.
Because of various precedents, Tina was uneasy, fearing that Kang De was brewing some big news again.
Hearing Kang De's quick agreement, which seemed almost perfunctory, the princess pressed further, "Then can you tell me, what are your plans regarding that Hong San?"
"Can."
The topic has returned to its initial point.
Kang De snapped his fingers, "The root of the conflict is that the knights' contemptuous and mocking attitude has affected me, which makes me very unhappy. The origin of everything is Hong San's self-deprecating attitude."
Tina couldn't help but defend him, saying, "His country was destroyed, and he was stranded in a foreign land. Perhaps he just wanted to survive. Perhaps no one taught him how to be self-respecting and strong... Kang De, my father once told me that only a small number of people in this world are born noble and do not understand the hardships of ordinary people. Nobles may have no worries about food and clothing and may be high above others, but they cannot use their own standards to ridicule others, because some people are simply trying their best to live."
Kang De nodded in approval, "Your father is good."
Tina glared at him—how could you praise my father like that?
Kang De continued, "I understand, I know he may have his reasons, he has his own reasons for becoming this way, but it's meaningless, because the past is what it is, we can't change it, no one can change it, but the present is different, and the future will be different too."
He frankly told Tina, "You ask me what I want to do? I want to change his situation, not just because he has black hair and yellow skin like me—that's not important. What's important is that I can't stand it."
"I can't stand people living like dogs, humbling themselves. I can't stand people mocking and insulting others at will. Since you can't stand it and have the ability to change it, why not do it? Tina, if I turn a blind eye to what I can't stand on my very first day on the continent, what will become of me in the future?"
Tina paused, then sighed softly, "There are countless examples of this, such as Hong San, and the injustices suffered by the Cathayan on the mainland. Even Goth experienced many such cases."
Kang De asked, "Is it more than four hundred million?"
Tina paused for a moment, "Huh?"
Kang De said calmly, "That's not much."
Ignoring the bewildered princess, he said, "Hong San doesn't understand the principle that a man's knees are worth gold, that's alright, I'll teach him! He doesn't understand that knees aren't for kneeling, that's alright, I'll tell him! Hong San doesn't know how to change his situation, that's alright, I'll show him the way! He doesn't know what it truly means to live, that's alright, I'll tell him how to live!"
Kang De leaned forward, looking at Tina with an aggressive air.
Decisive and resolute.
"If he still refuses to change after I tell him all this, if he still chooses to belittle himself, if he still prefers to live in the mud, then so be it. Let him stay and be humiliated and punished by that idiot knight. That's why I put him on the hot seat!"
"What, do you think I'm interfering in or manipulating his life?"
Kang De coldly replied, "If he'd rather be controlled by his current life, rather be treated as a plaything and a joke by these imperial people, then I can control him too, it doesn't matter, right?"
The sound of the Knight Cleveland coughing came from outside.
Kang De suddenly came to his senses and saw Tina's somewhat complicated expression.
"... Sorry, I got a little excited," he said. "Trust me, it'll be fine."
Tina looked at Kang De, as if she wanted to say something, but only sighed softly, not knowing where to begin.
An awkward silence fell over the car, Kang De opened the window.
The first thing he noticed was Hong San, who was following not far behind the car.
As if by conditioned reflex, the Cathayan revealed a clever and obedient smile, like a dog about to run to its master. Kang De simply waved his hand, and the man stopped.
The convoy had left the port area and was heading towards the core town of the Viscountry. The core of the Glittering Sand Viscounty was Glittering Sand Town, which was prosperous due to commerce. They had now entered the town and could see pedestrians along the way.
Farmers carried empty baskets, leading livestock laden with bundles of firewood on their backs; perhaps they were going to exchange them for something in town. Women carried baskets filled with food on their heads and held chickens in their arms, heading out of town. Sausage shops lined the streets, large strings of sausages hanging, the shopkeepers calling out their wares. Along the way, there were wine shops, shoe stores, taverns, and tailor shops. This bustling town was in full swing, and people watched the Viscount's entourage with awe.
When they saw Kang De gazing outwards, they were all startled.
Kang De smiled kindly at them, and they smiled back and bowed to him.
The convoy traveled north until it arrived at the estate of Glittering Sand.
When it was Kang De's turn to get off the bus, Hong San rushed forward in three quick steps.
He humbly extended his hand. "Sir, let me help you."
Kang De had no right to interfere, and he waved his hand impatiently, but Hong San seemed to misunderstand this gesture as agreement. As if he had received some great honor, Hong San eagerly reached out to help him up.
Their hands were clasped together.
Kang De immediately felt a hidden power emanating from Hong San's body, reaching towards his own, and then withdrawing as quickly as it touched him, like an illusion.
He glanced at Hong San.
The other party remained calm and respectful, with a fawning smile on their face.
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PS1: 3500 words... First update, please vote! How come it keeps getting longer and longer?