Chapter Seventeen: I Hold Nothing But Contempt for All That Is Grand

“No need.”

“Really? But you look quite troubled right now, are you sure you’re alright?” The little devil asked with a sly, smiling face.

Lu Mingfei didn’t answer. He only gazed absentmindedly at his uncle and aunt, frozen in time, his eyes lowered slightly as he softly asked, “Hey, don’t you think it’s strange? Why is it, in times like these, the two who suffer the most… are the ones who did nothing wrong? Why are those who ought to feel the deepest pain, who most deserve punishment, able to inspire admiration for humanity’s light just by making up their mind, making us feel there’s hope for them, that they should be forgiven?”

“…”

“It’s so odd, really so odd. She’s the true culprit behind everything, she should pay the price, yet she’s still shielded from harm. She’s made so many mistakes, for so long, but all it takes is one act of repentance, one moment of remorse, and people change their view of her… I can’t even tell if her regret is genuine.”

“…”

The little devil didn’t answer Lu Mingfei’s soul-searching question, but someone else did.

“That’s precisely why, in Fontaine, the opera house is needed for trials—judgment must be handed down by an absolutely impartial third party, and criminals can only have their sentences reduced by good behavior in prison.”

Furina’s voice was faint, tinged with apology as she continued, “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have advised you the way I did before. I thought you would find satisfaction in the justice of a trial, but I misjudged your feelings. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“This isn’t your fault.” Lu Mingfei forced a gentle, strained smile.

Beside him, the little devil watched as Lu Mingfei smiled at his uncle and aunt—a smile that gradually twisted his own expression. To be honest, he truly couldn’t understand how someone who, moments ago, was so angry could now speak with such an expression.

Hopeless! Brother really is hopeless!

He’s probably going to have another episode!

“I’ve come to terms with it. In this world, there are people who possess resources, power, and authority beyond those around them. Whenever they wish, they can use these things to inflict suffering on those weaker than themselves.”

“The only thing that can counter them is an even greater, grander power and authority. The weak can only passively endure pain; even resistance is just a tragic, laughable song.”

“They don’t even need to commit grave sins. A single moment’s lapse can bring undeserved suffering to countless innocent, ordinary people. If they refuse to repent, they can turn others’ lives into hell.”

“But even if they do turn others’ lives into hell, what does it matter?”

“Their own lives remain unchanged. They feel no need for remorse. There is no price to pay. They can continue to live freely, right up to the day of some distant, uncertain judgment. Until then, they enjoy their lives as always.”

“And even when judgment finally arrives, they can still rely on their own power and privilege to evade it—just as my aunt relies on my uncle, just as the one who insulted my parents relied on their own family. Powerless as I am, there’s nothing I can do… If I don’t want to be affected by this, I must have strength and authority to match them, and the resolve to resist…”

Lu Mingfei’s golden eyes flashed again, as though a resolve had taken root in him. He looked at his aunt as if seeing the embodiment of all those who once trod him underfoot. Countless thoughts and memories surged through him, and finally he said,

“To all those lofty and mighty, I hold nothing but contempt.”

The little devil stared blankly at Lu Mingfei. He could never have expected that the brother who just now said, “This isn’t your fault,” could then utter such words. He didn’t understand, couldn’t comprehend.

“Brother, you’re…”

“Heh…”

Lu Mingfei chuckled. He looked at Lu Mingze, small and fragile, pitiful and lost, and answered,

“I’m someone who occasionally goes mad.”

“And besides, if there’s no forgiveness, what is judgment for?”

“Let forgiveness be the domain of redemption, and judgment the domain of justice. The two sides of the scale are sin and consequence; the two ends of humanity are damnation and salvation. Judgment and humanity should encompass both. A beautiful soul is worthy of praise, but it should not be tainted by the mire of sin. The path ahead is already illuminated—I will keep moving forward.”

With a sharp step forward, Lu Mingfei shattered the motionless world around him like countless fragments of broken glass. Time began to flow again. He looked at his aunt and said, “I will reclaim everything that should have been mine, and you… you will pay your price.”

…

Beneath the setting sun, the young man stepped lightly from the house. Shielding his eyes with one hand, he looked up at the sky in the distance, a look of relief and ease gradually spreading across his face.

“Mmm~” Lu Mingfei stretched mightily, then casually pulled the deformed key he’d forcibly jammed into the lock out of the keyhole, shut the door gently behind him, and left—carrying only his backpack and money, nothing else.

“Brother, is that all there is to your judgment?”

“She’s grown accustomed to the life of a lady. Losing the money that sustains that lifestyle will be harder for her to bear than death itself, since she can’t bear to lose face.”

“But even so…”

“There’s an anomaly in space here. I’ll come back often to investigate. Seeing me will put a lot of psychological pressure on her. Consider it an added penalty.”

“…”

The little devil’s expression twisted oddly, but after thinking about Lu Mingfei’s recent state of mind, he let it go, or perhaps he was already used to it. He strongly suspected this so-called spatial anomaly was nothing but Lu Mingfei’s own invention, just an excuse.

But so what?

Having episodes on a regular basis is still better than descending into madness with no purpose at all. At least this way, communication seems possible; at least he appears more like a normal person.

“Still, I never expected my aunt to have over three million stashed away—not even counting what she’s already spent. Just how much money do my parents send every year? If they’re so well-off, couldn’t they have found someone else to raise me? Why did it have to be her?” Lu Mingfei muttered as he walked.

“Maybe… maybe they simply don’t care about you?”

“…Maybe so.”

The boy, strolling under the sunset, fell silent. Leaving this home was a relief for him, but the truth he discovered after that liberation brought him no joy.

If his parents were merely busy with work, surely they could have kept in touch, not just sent money to his aunt’s family each year and left him to such a life with no other word.

Perhaps…

Perhaps they truly don’t care about me?

But Lu Mingfei didn’t sink into silence, for he had already found a new destination for his heart.

“Furina, I have money now. If you come here, I can take you to buy all sorts of nice things, and we can travel everywhere together.”

“Thanks! But I think that’s probably a distant dream, sigh~”

“What a pity.”

“Mm.”

Listening to Furina’s voice tinged with regret, Lu Mingfei suddenly realized—she was the Hydro Archon of Fontaine. In her world, she was the leader of a nation, one of the Seven ruling powers, wielding authority and resources beyond his imagination.

To think he’d been so pleased with three million that he’d even said such things to her. He really was…

“Brother, are you alright?”

Seeing Lu Mingfei suddenly lower his head with a sigh, his face lost and desolate, Lu Mingze grew very worried about his mental state.