If Someone Won't Save Themselves, Who Do They Expect to Save Them?

Afterward, Murong Huai glanced at the old couple and handed them five Gold Soul Coins.

"Elder, take this money and get your wife treated. Then leave Heaven Dou City."

Seeing the Gold Soul Coins in Murong Huai's hand, the old man swallowed. His hand trembling, he reached out and took one coin, then repeatedly kowtowed to Murong Huai.

"Thank you, young master. One Gold Soul Coin is enough. This old man is deeply grateful for your kindness. Thank you..."

Seeing this, Murong Huai said nothing. He pocketed the remaining four Gold Soul Coins, turned, climbed into the carriage, and left.

Inside the carriage, Qian Xunji said to Murong Huai, "Huai, you did well just now. I was worried you'd kill that Xue Xing outright."

At this, Murong Huai said scornfully,

"So what if I killed him? What could the Heaven Dou Empire do?"

Qian Xunji shook his head. "Sigh. They wouldn't dare do anything, but killing a prince's heir would still cause plenty of trouble."

"Then won't crippling one of his legs today cause trouble?"

Qian Xunji waved a hand. "Who cares? His leg's broken, so it's broken. Your teacher can clean up after you. It'll be fine."

"Oh, all right. I reckon there'll be quite a bit of trouble these next few days, and not just this. Let's leave it all to Teacher to sort out."

Far away in the Pope Palace in Spirit City, Qian Daoliu suddenly sneezed without warning.

Achoo!

Qian Daoliu rubbed his nose. "Strange. I'm a Peak Douluo, so how could I sneeze? Father once told me that one sneeze means someone's thinking of you, two means they're cursing you, and three means you're coming down with a cold. Someone must be thinking of me!"

Achoo!

Qian Daoliu sneezed again, just as unexpectedly.

"Hm? Two sneezes. That must mean two people are thinking of me. Yes, that's it."

The next day, Heaven Dou City.

Murong Huai and the others woke up and had breakfast on the second floor of a high-end hotel. Outside, all kinds of vendors sold their wares, their cries blending together. The sweet fragrance of fresh fruits mingled in the air, leaving a lingering taste.

They called it breakfast, but the food was an extravagant spread of delicacies. Murong Huai said helplessly,

"Senior Brother, you don't seem like someone who wastes food. Why go so overboard with breakfast? We've still got a birthday banquet at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect later."

At this, Qian Xunji waved a hand and explained, "No, no. You youngsters don't understand the ways of the world. Those big factions may hold grand banquets, but the portions are so tiny they'd barely feed sparrows. And the banquets go on for three or four hours at a time.

"I didn't eat at the first banquet of my life. After that, each time I went, I ate less and less."

"Oh? Why didn't you eat at the first one?" Bibi Dong asked, blinking.

"Because my first banquet was my hundred-day celebration," Qian Xunji said with a smile.

"That makes sense. Then I won't hold back!" Murong Huai dropped all pretenses, grabbed a chicken leg, and started wolfing it down.

"Hey, couldn't you eat a little more elegantly, Huai?" Qian Xunji shook his head helplessly.

"Come on, you eat what tastes good, however you like. There's nothing shameful about it. I reckon those rules were made by people who'd eaten their fill and had nothing better to do."

Murong Huai didn't care in the slightest.

What, I worked my whole life back on Blue Star. Now that I've transmigrated, can't I enjoy myself?!

Qian Xunji nodded in agreement. "That's true. Let's eat!"

Outside the hotel, at a fruit stall, a group of men who looked like household servants came over. The steward at their head casually picked up an apple from the stall and took a bite.

"Well, these fruits are fresh. Take them all back."

With that, the steward tossed the half-eaten apple onto the ground and ordered the men behind him to carry off all the fruit.

The stall belonged to a young couple. Seeing the fruit being taken away, the husband stepped up to the steward and bowed obsequiously.

"Sir, about the cost of all this fruit..."

The steward nodded. "Right, we're buying fruit for the Xiao Mu Marquis Mansion. Of course we should pay."

As he spoke, he fished a Copper Soul Coin from his pocket and tossed it to the man. The man caught it, stared in disbelief, then hurriedly grabbed the steward.

"Sir, did you... did you give me the wrong amount?"

"The wrong amount? No, I didn't."

"But one Copper Soul Coin isn't enough for all this."

Hearing this, the steward sneered.

"Heh. It's your good fortune that the Marquis gets to eat your fruit. That one Copper Soul Coin is the Marquis's way of showing you favor."

Hearing this, the man realized they meant to rob him outright and hurriedly said,

"Sir, sir, that's too little. Please give us a little more!"

At this, the steward shoved him away, then kicked him.

"Damn it, I gave you a Copper Soul Coin to show you favor, and now you're getting greedy!"

"What are you doing?!"

The man's wife stepped forward to stop them. Seeing this, her husband hurriedly grabbed her and pleaded,

"Sir, please, this is a year's worth of income for my whole family. Please give us a little more. I'm begging you."

"Get lost! Take it all!"

At his words, the men carried off every last piece of fruit from the stall. The woman couldn't hold back and shouted,

"Put it down! Put it all down!"

"Damn it, you filthy commoner! Beat her!"

At the steward's command, several men rushed forward and began beating the woman. Seeing this, her husband immediately dropped to his knees and begged for mercy.

"Sir, please, stop beating her! Take the fruit, just don't beat her!"

"Get lost! Beat her to death!"

"Ah..."

The woman was beaten until her flesh was mangled, while her husband kept kneeling and kowtowing, begging for mercy.

"Sir, please, be the bigger man and stop..."

The steward raised his hand and sent a blast of Soul Power that knocked the man flying.

"Bah! Worthless commoner!"

All the vendors nearby kept their heads down, not daring to resist.

On the hotel's second floor, Murong Huai had watched the whole thing from the window. He made no move to help. Instead, he turned back to his seat and continued eating.

Seeing this, Qian Xunji furrowed his brow and asked,

"Huai, why aren't you stepping in to help?"

"Why should I help them? Just because they're being bullied?" Murong Huai retorted.

"Why wouldn't you?"

At this, Murong Huai shook his head.

"Because they've already given up on themselves. Why should I save them?"

"Given up on themselves? What do you mean?"

"When faced with bandits coming to rob them, they didn't even try to stop them from taking their things. They just kept begging.

"When someone was beating his wife, the man didn't protect her. He only knew how to kneel and beg for mercy. He never fought back. Someone like that doesn't even have the heart to resist. Saving him would be pointless. If he'd so much as cursed at them, I'd have gladly stepped in." Murong Huai spoke with disdain.

"Then, Brother Huai, why did you save that old couple yesterday?" Bibi Dong asked.

"Because that couple, though old, still had fight in their eyes. They dared to resist. When someone hurt his family, that old man knew he couldn't beat the other person, but he still dared to fight back. That made him worth saving.

"Though it might not bring him a good outcome—in fact, he might even die—would begging for mercy bring him a good outcome? Someone who doesn't dare resist or fight for their own rights isn't worth saving. So how could they be saved? Someone who gives up on themselves isn't worthy of pity. So how could they be pitied?

"If someone won't save themselves, who do they expect to save them?

"Let's eat."

Hearing Murong Huai's words, Qian Xunji sank into thought. "Not daring to resist... giving up on themselves... Are people like that beyond saving? Just how many such people are there on the continent?"