Chapter 24

Can humans and demons coexist harmoniously?

If this question were posed to a disciple of the Shu Mountain Sect in any xianxia setting, they would definitely not be able to answer; not only could they not, they would even shout 'Heretical devilry!' and then slash at the questioner with a sword.

It should be said that in almost all myths, legends, and novel settings related to monsters, monsters are inherently evil breeds—eating human flesh, drinking human blood, wearing human skin, absorbing yang energy, stealing essence, deceiving emotions—in short, their very existence seems to be about opposing humanity and causing destruction.

One saying about the Demon Race is that they harbor a deep grudge against the Sea of Blood.

The second explanation of the Demon Race is that it's just a racial war.

The third explanation of the Demon Race is that it's a zero-sum situation: you have, I don't.

But actually, if you think about it carefully, you'll discover a problem:

How can tigers, leopards, wolves, sheep, rabbits, fish, birds, even flowers, grasses, trees, etc. —these completely different species—all be counted as part of the Demon Race?

But the emergence of humanity is something Di Jun cannot tolerate!

Because humanity's status as the protagonist of heaven and earth truly tramples the concept of 'racial equality' to pieces:

The more the enemy opposes me, the more it shows I'm doing right, because I've hit his sore spot!

The more a friend opposes me, the more it shows I'm doing right, because this friend is a fake friend!

Tata kai! Tata kai! Keep rubbing tata kai! Everyone who opposes me is an enemy; it's definitely their fault, they just don't understand me, absolutely not my problem!

【You just tore off the tiger skin of the Zixiao Palace, and now you're sweating profusely……】

Or rather, why are all other living beings besides humans considered 'demons'? Why must demons be enemies of humanity?

【Species equality? Truly laughable, you protagonist have popped out!】

【'If you were the Heavenly Emperor, facing the issue of humanity and the Demon Race, what would you choose?' Di Jun asked thus, his tone filled with anticipation.】

What racial equality? I'm the protagonist personally certified by the Heavenly Dao—can't I even understand my own position?

What exactly is this race classified by what standard?

Zhao Si doesn't doubt at all that if prehistoric humanity truly ascends to rule with the status of heaven-and-earth protagonist, the above things will absolutely happen!

In fact, even Di Jun himself admits that the implementation of this has poor results.

After a lifetime of promoting 'Demon Race equality' and 'loving one another as one family,' the result is that you now produce a true 'heavenly dragon person,' and you expect me to stay calm?!!

【Di Jun, who firmly believes in your Zixiao Palace background, finally confided his pain and resentment to you.】

Truly innately evil! You don't obediently offer treasures and then use your life to give me experience, yet you dare to fight back?!

Do you even know what a heaven's mandate protagonist is? You're just a bunch of NPCs, yet you dare to defy heaven…

Think carefully about the common setting in xianxia fiction: cultivators capturing demon beast cubs can actually be understood as kidnapping children, often after slaughtering their whole family and then seizing them by force.

Cultivators clearing dungeons to slay demons and seize treasure can actually be understood as breaking into a home to steal and kill.

After all, the universal exemption formula:

Thinking this way, after the Demon Race possesses human consciousness, not targeting humanity would be strange.

Di Jun being mocked isn't without reason; the shaping of the 'Demon Race' collective consciousness also hasn't deeply penetrated people's hearts.

【'What did the teacher do?' Di Jun seems to be asking you, and also himself.】

What? You dare to resist? Using sharp teeth and claws and poison to injure people?

But the ideal is plentiful, the reality is meager, because the objective difference between tigers/wolves and lambs exists in the primordial era; dragons and phoenixes also absolutely do not consider themselves the same kind as snakes and birds, let alone Guang Chengzi and others who claim to be high-ranking innate demons.

The vast majority of demonfolk's conflicts arise this way; there's no hatred without cause, especially when everyone in the world except me hates me, then perhaps I'm truly not innocent.

【Di Jun's resentment is deeper and vaster than the East Sea; he cannot comprehend what this 'heaven's mandate protagonist' is, nor can he understand what madness the Heavenly Dao has gone through to actually create a hierarchy based on species differences.】

According to your theory, Nüwa is also a demon, the Three Pure Ones are also demons, Hongjun is also a demon, even Pangu becomes part of the Demon Race…

But as a magnanimous lord who embraces the world, he himself has no racial consciousness; from the name of the Heavenly Court he established—not 'Golden Crow Heavenly Court' or 'Bird Clan Heavenly Court,' but 'Demon Race Heavenly Court'—we can see that, at least in his definition, no matter which race, all are within the concept of 'demon.'

He is undertaking an endeavor that could fundamentally change the primordial landscape; he attempts to erase the different racial consciousnesses since antiquity, and to shape a more abstract, broader 'Demon Race common collective consciousness' to replace the conservative 'tiger clan,' 'dragon clan,' etc., small racial consciousnesses.

【'The inequality between innate divinity and acquired life actually stems only from cultivation; as long as one's cultivation is strong enough, there is fundamentally no inequality, and all gaps can be made up by power.'】

【Your choice: (?)】

How come on the highway, aside from me, everyone is going the wrong way? (Confused)

After ruling out the possibility that some mechanical deity forcibly intervened, forcibly making all species set aside predator-prey conflicts and collectively confront humanity, there can only be one answer:

And class, is a synonym for oppression and exploitation…

Cultivators forming gangs to seize the heavenly treasures guarded by demon beasts can actually be understood as mafia-style home invasions…

Because demons are innately evil, seizing demon cubs as mounts incurs no psychological burden, so killing demons to make pills is just and proper, so the heavenly treasures guarded by demons are our human cultivators' fortuitous gains.

【But humanity, after being stamped by the Heavenly Dao, truly is 'demon above demon'! This is a genuine essential inequality, not something cultivation can compensate for.】

Is there a possibility, I'm saying possibly… that everyone's unprecedented united front against humanity isn't because everyone overate and got bloated, but because humanity truly has serious problems, thus provoking public anger?

Of course, this is after all just a possibility, and not absolute…

Di Jun only hopes that the primordial world has class distinctions, not racial distinctions!

Even if it truly exists, that would merely be individual behavior; the entire protagonist race would exist as a large ruling class, with only individuals betraying the class, not the class betraying the class.

【'Is it that the Heavenly Dao has changed, or was it always like this?' Di Jun muttered, and it's clear his Dao heart is very unstable……】

After all, with you being the protagonist recognized by the Heavenly Dao, other species become NPCs; would a true protagonist really regard NPCs as people?

As Di Jun, representing the current ruling class of the primordial world, expecting him to have the will to eliminate class is naturally impossible, after all he truly has vested interests.

They mock Di Jun, and they're right to do so:

【Fortunately, Di Jun also didn't intend to really extract anything from you; after finishing explaining the reason for slaughtering humans that you've always been curious about, Di Jun tossed the question back to you.】

【'Taiqing once said, the Heavenly Dao is not benevolent, treating all things as straw dogs—meaning the Heavenly Dao is impartial, showing no special mercy or favor to anyone or anything—but now the Heavenly Dao, why has it changed?'】

【A: Kowtow, heaven's will cannot be defied, having many humans as dogs is a good thing! B: Open slaughter, heaven's will cannot be defied? Heavenly dragon people, die for me! Exterminate every single human, leaving none! C: Defy heaven, the Heavenly Dao is not benevolent, treating all things as straw dogs; if the Heavenly Dao has favoritism, then it is the Heavenly Dao that is wrong!】

……

(End of chapter)