Teaching Without Discrimination

"You can actually do that..."

The driver spoke in a daze, not even noticing the cigarette ash falling to the floor.

He looked like an idiot.

"But..."

"This'll be tricky."

"It's so obviously fake, I'm afraid even my boss won't be able to cover for me."

The driver had a headache over it. He took a hard drag on his cigarette, looking troubled. Only after a long while did he make up his mind and slap the table. "Fuck it, I'll just give the boss another half!"

"If I can't get this done, there really won't be any chance of working together again."

"I'm just worried the boss will poach him outright and ditch me..."

"No, no, the boss probably wouldn't."

The driver kept reassuring himself. In just a few drags, he smoked his cigarette down to the filter and irritably threw it to the floor.

But his agitation was still plain to see.

Monitor A and Monitor B wisely chose to keep their mouths shut, like two statues that did nothing but breathe.

Finally, Yu Sheng finished his expansive, minutes-long speech.

He looked toward the camera.

The driver was still somewhat dazed and failed to react for a moment.

Yu Sheng frowned slightly.

He simply jumped off the Dog Demon and stood in front of Zhao Zicheng and the others again.

"To think such a vicious demon beast would harm my comrades!"

"If I hadn't arrived in time..."

The sight stunned not only the driver but even the Dog Demon.

In that instant, reason actually overcame its bestial nature, and it stared blankly at Yu Sheng, the person who had been about to kill it.

"Fuck!"

"Does this menace think he's shooting a movie?!"

The driver finally reacted and hurriedly made the camera swing wildly, as though it were having a seizure.

Yu Sheng's voice cut off abruptly.

The Dog Demon's eyes reddened. With a savage roar, it lunged at Yu Sheng again.

And thus brought its brief life to a satisfactory end.

Following the usual pre-death convention, if it could look back on its life, its memories would probably have gone something like this...

By chance, I underwent Demonization. A blessing.

Brimming with ambition, I went out to hunt for food. Met a ruthless fellow on the road. Captured.

Released.

Ambition rekindled. Hunted for food.

Met another ruthless fellow. Died.

Perhaps that was its short yet eventful life.

Liu Qingfeng sat in a corner, quietly watching the entire process. His gaze briefly swept over the camera, and he looked thoughtful.

As for the many other students...

They no longer had much to say about it.

They simply took it as one of Yu Sheng's daily bouts of madness. Perfectly normal.

If Yu Sheng suddenly became serious one day, smiling and chatting with everyone, they might instead wonder whether someone had possessed him.

Or whether a demon beast had taken over his body.

Yes, absolutely!

There wouldn't even be any need to interrogate him. They could just shoot him, with no risk of getting it wrong.

Inside the surveillance room.

Monitor A's expression changed several times. In the end, he gritted his teeth and once again fought back against fate.

"I still don't understand!"

"Perhaps everything you said before was right."

"But at least they truly cared about the Human Race and were willing to sacrifice and give of themselves for it."

"But Yu Sheng is clearly selfish. I'm afraid the Human Race means absolutely nothing to him. By cooperating with him like this, won't you end up raising a true devil?"

"If you can't give me an explanation I can accept, I'll report the whole truth exactly as it happened, even if it costs me this position."

Monitor A spoke with great seriousness.

He even dared to look the driver straight in the eye. Though still somewhat timid, he did not look away.

The driver smiled.

But this time, the mockery was gone from his gaze as he looked at Monitor A. Instead, he gradually became just as serious. "Whether he's selfish or not, as long as the Ink Pavilion's rules remain unchanged, he'll keep saving the Human Race."

"So what if he's selfish?"

"I know. You think that since the Ink Pavilion protects the entire Human Race, and countless pioneers have sacrificed and given of themselves for it..."

"Those who come after them should do the same."

"The pioneers have the right to say that. The countless soldiers at Demon-Suppressing Pass have the right to say that."

"But... the civilians who've always been protected, including people like you, drawing salaries and working comfortable jobs in the rear, have no right to say it."

"Taking the moral high ground and demanding that others risk their lives... that's wrong. It's even less befitting of the Human Race."

The driver slowly shook his head. "He likes money, so give him money. Kill demons for money, and he'll do it."

"Save people for money, and he'll do that too."

"As long as he wants something and has value of his own, the Ink Pavilion will naturally tailor a unique set of rules for him."

"Even if one day he truly wants nothing, and even starts slaughtering the Human Race, someone from the Ink Pavilion will naturally deal with him."

"But as long as he hasn't turned his back on us, he remains one of the Human Race."

"In fact, if he saves people and kills demons, he's a hero."

"Even if he's a selfish, self-serving hero."

"But even if he saves just one person in his entire life, he'll still have done more than most of those humans who stand on the moral high ground criticizing others while doing nothing themselves."

"Of course, that doesn't include you."

"You... have the backbone of the Human Race. I believe that."

"I'm just saying, this is what makes the Ink Pavilion so compelling."

"Teaching without discrimination."

"The selfish and self-serving can still be guided toward good, but trash... really is just trash."

This was the first time that day the driver had been so serious and solemn.

His voice kept echoing in Monitor A's ears.

After a long while, Monitor A finally let out a long breath and gave the driver a slight, earnest bow. "Thank you for the lesson."

"Perhaps when I get back this time, I should resign from my clerical job and spend some time at Demon-Suppressing Pass."

The driver nodded in satisfaction, then quickly returned to his earlier flippant manner with a grin. "But a rookie like you would probably get killed instantly at Demon-Suppressing Pass."

"You'd better come train with our Reserve Corps for a couple of years first."

"At least your chances of getting killed instantly would be a little lower."

Monitor A gave the driver a suspicious look. For some reason, he suddenly had the feeling... that this fellow's long, solemn lecture had only been an attempt to poach him.

But he soon gave a carefree smile.

His skills and abilities hardly warranted that.

As for Monitor B, who had remained silent throughout, he merely clenched his fists tightly. Excitement and hot-blooded fervor flashed through his eyes, but in the end, he stayed quiet.

He said nothing.

"Has the convoy gone past?"

In the provincial capital, Pavilion Master Lin dialed a number and asked calmly.

"Yes, people from the Dark Pavilion are already following them."

"We can act at any time."

A middle-aged man spoke on the other end of the line.

Pavilion Master Lin glanced at his watch. Only twelve minutes remained until the agreed time. "Follow them for another ten minutes. Whether we manage to lure out a big fish or not, close the net."

"Yes."

The man answered and hung up.

Pavilion Master Lin casually put down his phone and turned on his computer, frowning slightly, looking nervous one moment and solemn the next.

Though he had remained unruffled even when dealing with the Myriad Gods Church, he now looked as though he were facing some grave decision.

On the screen...

Was a peaceful little courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with vegetables, which were relentlessly attacking the demon beasts streaming toward them from the other side.

Every so often, a little sun slowly rose.