449 Chapter 449: Escape (1/2)
With Ling Dan over my shoulder, I reentered the stealth field that Melina's device generated and urged the kids.
”Okay, let's go. Let's get the hell out of here.”
Adrian and Melina were still staring at me, unable to comprehend what had just happened. I sighed and gestured with one free hand for them to move.
”We don't want to be still around when they find out that their prisoner is missing from his cell. Hurry.”
”Oh, right.” Adrian snapped out of it and led the way. A second later, Melina followed, as if in a daze. She glanced at the unconscious Ling Dan propped up on my shoulder.
”Is that really necessary?”
”Yeah. Did you think he'll come along if we ask him to? Didn't you see how he was literally trying to kill me?”
”I saw.” Adrian's lips twisted into a sneer. ”Ungrateful bastard. If you didn't need him, you would have killed him in retaliation, right, Brother Richard?”
”Uh, what?” I raised my eyebrow at his bloodthirsty declaration. I mean, he wasn't wrong, but that vengeful thought didn't cross my mind. No doubt I would kill an enemy if his actions and aggression warranted it, but I wasn't edgy enough to put it in such a manner. ”It depends on the situation, I guess? I don't kill unless absolutely necessary.”
Unlike what edgelords espoused, murder was not the solution. You couldn't just go around killing everyone without any hesitation, or what difference would there be between you and a villain? I was aiming to be a hero, not an evil overlord with the desire to conquer the world or something. It wasn't as if I was completely averse to killing – if I felt as if my life or the lives of the people close to me were being threatened, I wouldn't hesitate to slay my enemy. I had done that many times before – against Assassins and whatever.
But the way Adrian made that remark disturbed me. I wasn't some bloodthirsty murderer like some of the edgelords who infested the comment section, or like Chen Fan (or Chen Bei Xuan) or Qin Xuan. Seriously, I was a little taken aback over how these bloodthirsty, ruthless cultivators just killed whoever so much as annoyed them, even over the most trivial of matters. Chen Bei Xuan, in particular – he killed a dude just because the guy refused to bow to him. JUST FOR REFUSING TO BOW TO HIM. Like, what?!
And this was supposed to be the protagonist? What made him any different from the ”evil” grand masters and greedy families he was supposed to be defeating?
Not to mention both Chen Fan and Qin Xuan went around wiping out entire families (I had a sneaking suspicion that the author of Rebirth of the Urban Mad Immortal Cultivator just straight-up ripped off Rebirth of the Urban Immortal Cultivator – not that I was in any position to criticize anyone, given how I was just blatantly copying Battle Frenzy and a ton of other anime, web comics or manga). Was there really a need for that? man, good thing China had strict gun control, or you would see a spike in school shootings if every reader buys that whole bullshit of ruthlessness, strong eat the weak, might makes right, etc.
”Killing should always be a last resort,” I told Adrian. ”When you think there's no other choice, when it comes down to protecting yourself or your loved one, then you take someone's life. However, it should never be a decision made lightly. Webnovel and Qidian writers make it sound so bloody fucking easy, but it's not. They never consider the repercussions. One you take someone's life, it's irreversible. The victim is never coming back – there is no such thing as resurrection magic. Death is permanent. The loss you inflict on their loved ones is tremendous. Think back to your dad. How would you feel if someone kills your parents over a stupid reason such as 'offending' him or just because he happens to be part of the Stuart family, despite not having anything to do with the murderer's grudge?”
If some motherfucker like Chen Bei Xuan or Qin Xuan just decided to wipe out the entire Stuart bloodline, killing Adrian, Sacha, Stewart, Cecilia and their relatives just because of something Lionel did, just to make a stupid point and establish their tyrannical reign over the Federation, I was pretty sure I would go take revenge. I would admit to being extremely hypocritical here, aiming to kill Chen Fan or Qin Xuan out of vengeance for my murdered friends, but partly also because I couldn't allow such a ruthless tyrant to sit on the throne. Who knows how many other families and their innocent relatives he would go eradicate on a whim just because, I don't know, one person tried to kill him?
This was just the height of stupidity. Tyranny never endured. Even the Qin Emperor's dynasty collapsed eventually when he tried to rule by terror and ruthlessness. I honestly didn't know what went on in those Qidian authors' heads.
”I'll kill him!” Adrian shouted, completely missing the point. I would have buried my face in my palm if I wasn't half-carrying Ling Dan's body.
”Okay, sure, and you'll be justified in doing that. But that wouldn't bring your parents back to life, would it?”
”Uh…” Adrian trailed off. ”No…”
”Exactly. Prevention is better than cure. Too many edgelords just throw out stupid comments at the side demanding for this person's death or that person's death without considering the consequences or the morality of it. Now, if you have no choice, and if it comes down to kill or be killed, if it involves the lives of yourself or your loved ones, then yes. You are justified in killing. But if there is absolutely no reason for you to kill, if you have the chance to leave the dude alive without anyone else being threatened or in danger, then why resort to murder? Just incapacitate him and leave him to justice. And don't believe that whole 'leaving them alive just so they can return to attack you in future' bullshit that the edgelords beyond the fourth wall spout. I'm not saying let them go. I'm saying, lock them up and leave them to the authorities instead of taking justice into your own hands and becoming the very same criminals that you condemn. We are civilized human beings, not raging psychopaths who murder every antagonist dumb enough to cross our paths.”
”Uh, so kill only out of necessity, and don't make the decision lightly?” Adrian asked, finally understanding the point.