The most important thing in life was to be happy.
The most important thing about being a Fishman was making other Fishmen unhappy.
At least, that was all Lu PingAn had seen these past few days. Mutual slaughter was far too commonplace, mutual consumption far too ugly. Beating people up and robbing them without killing or eating them already counted as great kindness.
In those previously "simple" village lives, Lu PingAn had merely sensed a hint of malice beneath the "peace"... If he had not displayed enough strength, he would probably have ended up as someone's extra meal.
But he did not hate them too much. He saw those villagers more as beasts... Beasts without education or civilization. Was it not only natural for them to bare their fangs at the strong and bite the weak?
"What an utterly disgusting city. Can this really be called 'people'..." Even Lu PingAn was beginning to doubt his own reasoning. Fishmen were clearly intelligent humanoid creatures, yet they basically did nothing human.
Was this a city? Was this a society formed by connections between individuals?
"AAAAAAAH!" A scream erupted right before Lu PingAn's eyes. A big fish tore into a small fish, too lazy even to spit out the bones.
Robbery, murder, rape—the most heinous crimes in human history were simply commonplace here.
Guards? The guards were the main perpetrators of crime. Only newly arrived country bumpkins would expect them to uphold justice.
Then who maintained order? Who bore the responsibility of protecting the weak?
As Lu PingAn understood it, a city could not possibly be built if there were truly no order at all.
And he really did find order, except it was gray—or even black.
"You haven't even paid your protection fee in full, and you expect us to protect you?