Chapter 529
"Thank you, big brothers."
Before long, the group arrived at the morgue where the bodies were stored. The air conditioner inside was blowing cold air, which lowered both the psychological and physical temperature of the people.
Aizel noticed a sad-looking Sarkaz woman in the corner and found it very strange.
Because the Sarkaz and Sarkaz are sworn enemies, Laterano City will never allow the Sarkaz to enter.
Considering the other person might be a deceased relative, he didn't reveal his identity and shoo them away for the time being. After leaving the Requiem Church, Aizel would report to Federico.
Andon opened the freezer containing the body, then gestured for him to speak privately.
Shi Lei cast Jade Shield on both Cecilia and Aizel, not worried about the opponent using a diversionary tactic.
He left Xi and Lappland behind, while he followed them alone to the garden outside the church.
"Speak, what do you want to ask me?"
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PS: As mentioned before, and I'll reiterate here, this book is nearing completion and is expected to finish within 5 major chapters. The author will revise it carefully and release it all at once, instead of updating daily. Please be aware of this.
Chapter 603 Where is the Way Home (4K)
"Speak, what do you want to ask me?"
Before speaking, Andon looked around to make sure no one else was in the garden, and then he began to speak:
"Mister Zhongli, may I tell you a story?"
Shi Lei had no idea why he had been called here alone, so he remained silent instead of answering.
Andon observed for a moment, then began to speak:
"I have a Sarkaz friend who was born in the Iberia Tide Stone Town..."
People who start by recounting their 'friend's' experiences are often the ones who are the protagonists of their own stories.
Shi Lei was amused by this remark, and feigned a sore throat by coughing twice and covering his mouth. Seeing the questioning look in the other person's eyes, he raised his hand and gestured:
"Don't worry about me, you continue."
"My friend was an abandoned child who was raised by the local bishop. He spent a happy time in the Tide Stone Town, and his life was relatively carefree."
One day, the Tide Stone Town was attacked by a large number of Sea Creatures. He traveled a long way to Laterano to seek help in order to save the villagers, but was refused. When he returned to the town, the village had been reduced to ruins.
He felt guilty for failing to save the villagers and was even more furious at Laterano's inaction.
Since Laterano claims that all Sarkaz are bound by and protected by the Commandments, why won't they offer assistance to Sarkaz outside of Laterano?
Are these so-called precepts merely tools created to rule over the common people? My friend and I can't understand it, we really can't understand it...
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei disregarded whether the story was actually his or his friend's personal experience. After confirming certain details, he asked in return:
Have you ever done charity work?
Andon nodded in response.
"Yes, I usually distribute some daily necessities to people in need for free. I try my best to help those who can't support themselves survive."
Andon did not explicitly state that the person he helped was actually Sarkaz forbidden from entering Laterano City. He simply mentioned it in two sentences, indicating that he had done charity work.
"Since you've already done it, that makes things easier. If a kind person claims they will provide money every month to raise an orphan to adulthood, but one day the orphan encounters trouble and needs a large sum of money, is the kind person obligated to provide that money in response to the orphan's plea for help?"
Andon quickly realized what was happening and his face showed displeasure:
"You... you're using a fallacy!"
No, not at all.
Shi Lei pointed out the major flaw in the story just now:
"A kind person provides financial assistance, just as Laterano provides protection. You yourself said that your friend lives in Iberia and needs to travel a long way to get here."
Laterano may have its own reasons for refusing aid; you'd have to ask the Pope for the specifics.
I understand the suffering your hometown endured. But you've targeted the wrong person. Shouldn't the culprit who turned Tide Stone Town into ruins be Sea Creatures? I can't understand why you don't seek revenge against Sea Creatures but instead harbor resentment towards Laterano.
It's like an orphan encountering trouble and instead of confronting the troublemaker, they hate the kind person who didn't give them money. This kind of selfish thinking is really unreasonable.
Did kind people cause the orphans' trouble? Did kind people owe the orphans something? Did Laterano cause this disaster? Did Laterano owe your friend something?
Only after you understand these questions will you realize how absurd and ridiculous your friend's unfounded hatred is. I think you can understand my explanation, right?
"No, it wasn't me, it was my friend..."
Andon wanted to continue explaining, but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't find a reason to refute it, and the light in his eyes dimmed slightly.
Shi Lei understood that the other party would find it hard to accept; people like this, who get stuck in a rut, are not uncommon.
"Okay, okay, your friend, your friend. As the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. Sometimes, if you take the first step wrong, everything afterward will be wrong. Fortunately, this isn't a big deal; there's always time to correct the mistake."
Andon clenched his fists inwardly, as if in a death throes, uttering the facts he had witnessed firsthand:
"But Laterano is not as wonderful as I imagined. My friend, no, before I came, I heard it was a land of bliss, filled with Holy Music and glory."
He knew Zhongli had already seen through his deception, and continuing to lie would seem insincere, so he told the story from his own perspective:
"The propaganda here is so good, but can it really give ordinary people a chance to turn their lives around? Don't be fooled by the glittering surface of Laterano City. In reality, there are a large number of non- Sarkaz Tribe Members in the Slums who are almost suffocating under the weight of their fate."
Can you see the Caprini woman watering the plants over there in the garden, wearing a veil? She had offended a nobleman and was branded a harlot and a blasphemer. She struggled to escape from the burning house, her skin badly burned.
She only wanted a peaceful life, occasionally enjoying moments of leisure and pleasure. But would the Sarkaz Saint in the Grand Cathedral acknowledge an outsider like her as a sister?
The citizens of Laterano would greet most of the poor with a sympathetic smile. Perhaps they would demonstrate their so-called benevolence and virtue by giving alms.
But when it comes to important matters, they will only stand by and do nothing, and will always only stand by and do nothing!
Excuse me for interrupting.
Because he doesn't need to sleep at night, Shi Lei can guarantee at least eight hours of reading time every day.
This not only broadened his horizons but also cultivated his ability to think independently.
As Andon became increasingly agitated, Shi Lei immediately spotted the key point, interrupted, and pointed out the contradiction:
"Your methodology is very problematic."
The first thing is that Laterano didn't send anyone to rescue Tide Stone Town. The second thing is that Laterano was internally corrupt and rife with racial discrimination. Just as a kind person might donate supplies to help the poor, it doesn't preclude them from having a chaotic personal life or character flaws. There is no strong causal relationship between these two things.
The racial discrimination and lack of opportunities for the underprivileged you mentioned aren't unique to Laterano.
I've been to many countries, and I can tell you definitively that, except for Liyue, they're all the same.
Ultimately, the root cause is simply that the aristocratic class or social elite class controls the most profitable industries.
Ordinary people cannot become rich overnight, so they naturally cannot cross the barriers of class.
I can tell you've been holding a grudge because Laterano didn't send anyone to help Tide Stone Town.
You should redirect your hatred towards Sea Creatures, or let go of this hatred altogether.
Your constant indignation about the injustices of Laterano shows that you don't feel a sense of belonging here.
If that's the case, why not leave here and go see other countries?
If you have nowhere to go or still can't understand, take some time to visit Liyue City.
That was a country I built single-handedly; there were no elites or aristocratic classes there.
Liyue City not only to the Sarkaz, but also to other races such as the Sarkaz, Ursus, Feline, and Kuranta. Infected and non-infected coexist peacefully. If everyone dies equally, then life should be the same.
Ultimately, racial discrimination is nothing more than a tactic created by the nobility and elite to divert attention from class conflict. It's understandable that you, being in the thick of it, can't see it clearly. Feel free to visit Liyue anytime; you can even settle there if you wish. As long as you follow the rules and don't cause trouble, you're always welcome."
All people are equal in death, and should be equal in life as well.
This was exactly what Andon wanted to hear. His next words sounded like a question to someone else, but also like a question to himself:
"The hatred between the Sarkaz and the Sarkaz has lasted for thousands of years. So long that the reason why the two races slaughtered each other has been buried in the long river of history."
The Sarkaz took pleasure in attacking Sarkaz caravans, while the Sarkaz took pride in piercing the Sarkaz's chest.
Can this hostility, cultivated over thousands of years, really be easily resolved?
Why not?
Shi Lei's rhetorical question was like a wake-up call:
"You want to let go of racial hatred, and others want to let go of racial hatred as well. Those who are willing to let go of these things gradually accept living together with each other."
Those who haven't let go of racial hatred are not welcome in Liyue City. Through this long process of selection, a home free of hatred can be built."
Andon chuckled self-deprecatingly upon hearing this, for he had never imagined it could be like this.
Or perhaps it should be put another way: an ideal country where one could never create such an atmosphere even if one devoted one's entire life to it.
This is a path never before imagined; only Mister Zhongli could have accomplished it across this vast land.
"Indeed, this is a completely new choice. I'm starting to develop a strong interest in Liyue."
Shi Lei knew he couldn't save everyone; he had only built Liyue City to house former Rhodes Island members.
But as more and more people joined, he gradually realized that everyone actually lacked a place like Liyue to belong:
"This land has always been like this. If everyone has nowhere to go, then I will create one."
"!!!"
Upon hearing this, Andon was greatly encouraged, feeling that seeking out Zhongli was absolutely the right choice.
He steadied his breathing with excitement, straightened his robes, and wanted to kneel down to express his heartfelt respect:
"Sir, you are truly righteous; please accept my bow!"
Shi Lei has extensive experience in receiving thanks; he can tell what someone is going to do just by looking at their initial gesture.
He summoned a transparent Jade Shield Wall, placing it directly in front of Andon's knees to prevent him from kneeling:
"Get up, don't kneel. In this world, besides kneeling to heaven, earth, and your parents, there is no one you deserve to kneel to."
"But..."
"I'm not worth your kneeling."
Andon stared blankly at the man before him, feeling that the other man was so towering at that moment. Who else in this world, besides him, was worthy of the title of Sage?
Andon was completely convinced!
He admitted that his thinking had been too stubborn in the past, and that he shouldn't have persisted in exploring the wrong path.
If you start off on the wrong foot, you're destined to never get the right answer, so it's no wonder he's becoming increasingly confused.
According to Mister Zhongli, Andon's confusion is two completely different things and should not be confused.
Racial discrimination and the hardships faced by immigrants are problems that exist in almost every part of the world. Andon asked himself if he had the ability to correct or change this situation.
Therefore, this dilemma remains unresolved. At least for now, there is no solution.
The remaining question is the direction Andon should explore and verify next.
He could let go of his hatred and not blame Laterano for not sending anyone to rescue him, but he wanted to know why!
This point needs to be verified with the current Pope.
Seeing that the other person was deep in thought, Shi Lei turned to look in Xi's direction and asked:
"Any other questions?"
"No, thank you very much."
Andon clasped his hands together and bowed deeply in sincere apology:
"Mister Zhongli, I will personally organize a funeral for La Signora. Felia later. Please leave the rest to me; I guarantee it will be handled properly."
Shi Lei, considering his upright and good attitude, as well as his experience in doing good deeds, gave him a verbal warning:
"There was a group of people who tried to kidnap Cecilia from the Central Hospital, but the specific reasons are unknown."
If you're with them, it's not too late to stop. Take everyone and get out of here, and do more good deeds to help others in the future.
I'm here as a guest, not to enforce the law in another city. But I've got that girl under my wing. Anyone who dares to lay a finger on her will be in for a world of trouble.
After saying that, Shi Lei turned and left, not caring whether Andon had any connection with the people at the hospital.
Anyway, once those people are arrested by the Notary Office, how to deal with them is a matter for Laterano.
Watching his departing figure, Andon bowed deeply in reverence, just as he always did before a statue of a god.