Sick

Though there were a few twists and turns, the whole thing wasn't hard to understand.

Wu Wei quickly got the picture.

It was basically just a matter of switching the victim and the perpetrator around.

Standard procedure.

Different species, but they insisted on dating anyway. Professor Chi had really brought this on herself.

And when people brought their own downfall upon themselves, they got what they deserved. Wu Wei couldn't even bring himself to feel sorry for her.

"Wu Wei, tell me. Was I wrong?"

"Professor Chi" glared at Wu Wei, murderous intent radiating from her.

Wu Wei shrugged, unfazed. Then he answered seriously, "From your perspective, you weren't wrong."

He genuinely believed that.

Every species had its own way of life.

People ate pork, beef, and mutton and always took it for granted. They didn't think there was anything wrong with it, and neither did Wu Wei.

Fox spirits were naturally promiscuous, but that was simply their nature. It didn't make them unforgivably evil.

In fact, humans eating animals and monsters killing or even eating humans were all perfectly natural.

The difference was simply that we stood on different sides.

So right and wrong were meaningless.

"But in this world, people often care about sides, not right and wrong. You're a monster, and I'm human. I'm certainly not so saintly that I'll consider things from your perspective. If you're trying to persuade me, all I can say is that you picked the wrong person."

Just as Chi Yu had been led astray by "Professor Chi," Wu Wei had had a wonderful mother growing up. She'd taught him many things, including how to see the world.

Even now, Wu Wei's worldview continued to evolve, but certain fundamental principles would never change.

For example, he was human.

He would never consider things from the perspective of another species.

Whatever suffering the monsters endured had nothing to do with him.

"Professor Chi" didn't want to persuade Wu Wei, but she knew that if she didn't, she might well die today.

"Of course right and wrong matter. If good and evil become indistinguishable one day, if black and white are turned upside down, what value will this world have?"

"Because the people in this world aren't all dead yet, it obviously still has value. Right and wrong have never been all that important. I know there are plenty of bad people among humans, and plenty of good monsters, but that's never mattered. The legendary hero Xu Hanwen is just a story. The bloody truth is that you and Professor Chi once truly loved each other, but because your views on species were different, you eventually chose to kill her.

"And our laws say that murder is punishable by death."

"How many monsters have humans killed? Why hasn't anyone paid with their life?" Professor Chi's voice grew more and more shrill.

Wu Wei's smile faded, and his tone turned colder. "Who told you humans haven't paid for it? Throughout history, human powerhouses have suffered terrible casualties fighting the monster clans. If you knew anything about the history of humans and monsters, you'd understand that things are the way they are today only because we successfully fought back."

"Back then, you were nothing but our food. This world belonged to us. The immortals and gods made an agreement long ago."

"Professor Chi" had completely lost control of herself.

Wu Wei's gaze sharpened. He'd heard those words again.

Lan Meng had told him the same thing: this world had originally been a paradise where the divine immortals had left the monsters to dwell.

Now "Professor Chi" had confirmed it too.

That seemed to suggest that such an agreement really had existed in ancient times.

Where there was light, there was darkness. If monsters were real, then surely the gods and immortals had their place too.

Unfortunately, they had always been impossible to find.

Wu Wei sneered inwardly, his tone turning mocking. "An agreement made by the immortals? Did they ask any of us humans?"

"You weren't worthy of having a say."

"Too bad the humans who weren't worthy of helping draw up that agreement drove you monsters into hiding. Isn't that humiliating?"

It certainly was humiliating.

"Professor Chi" lunged at him, only to be driven back by the white light flashing around Wu Wei.

"Ahhh! You have a protective treasure on you!"

"Lucky for me, I know people at Night Emperor Academy."

My mom even used to be the vice president of Night Emperor Academy. Should I be proud? Wu Wei thought.

At the mention of Night Emperor Academy, "Professor Chi's" fury instantly subsided.

"Wu Wei, I admit I got carried away just now. I've calmed down now, so we can talk this through."

"Professor Chi" now believed Wu Wei was a student from Night Emperor Academy, sent on a mission to eliminate her. Usually, agents like that had the authority to grant exceptions to the law.

She had to try to persuade him.

"I know I violated one of your greatest taboos by killing 'Professor Chi.' I also know that people can't just kill whoever they want in human society, so I've been quietly making amends all these years. You can look into my record. I've donated to three Hope Primary Schools. I'm a leading figure in the biology department at Imperial Capital University. I've shed blood for humanity and made contributions to it. I'm asking for leniency. Spare my life."

Wu Wei believed that "Professor Chi" was telling the truth.

He even believed that her remorse was genuine, though it might have been nothing more than fear.

Too bad.

"You really do look like a stray dog now," Wu Wei said, shaking his head.

"Professor Chi": "..."

"If you'd known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"

"I regret it now."

"If regret were enough, why would we need the Six Fan Gate and Night Emperor Academy?"

"I've been making amends. If you let me live, I'll do even more for humanity in the future. Give me a chance. I want to speak to your superior."

She knew that many humans were sympathetic to monsters.

There had always been no shortage of bleeding hearts, from ancient times to the present, among the elite and the common folk alike.

And sanctimonious do-gooders were even more common.

After all, they weren't the ones who had been hurt.

Wu Wei smiled, then told "Professor Chi" a story.

"I once read a novel about a war between two countries. One of them massacred more than three hundred thousand civilians from the other country in a place called Jinling, then denied it after the war.

"Many people condemned this, but plenty of others could always find a different angle to look at things from. One director made a film from the perspective of an invader. He focused on the remorse and guilt of a soldier who had taken part in the massacre, trying to find the humanity and redeeming qualities in him, then called on the victims' compatriots to forgive him.

"Tell me, is there something wrong with that director?

"Do you think I'm the same kind of sick?"

Wouldn't it be better to just live like a normal human?

Who the hell did you think you were, God?