Xyrin Empire-Chapter 683: Harsh Measures are Needed to Deal with Cultural Conflicts
Chapter 683: Chapter 683: Harsh Measures are Needed to Deal with Cultural Conflicts
As time passed, one by one, the players made their unfortunate exits, and the e-sports competition gradually entered the crucial stage where a few heavyweight players vied for the championship throne.
Now, entering the second arena are two very familiar figures: Kyo Kusanagi and Bashen An.
Please refrain from trash-talking the players, I’m begging you!
These two archenemies, whose every encounter inevitably erupts into a major battle, were now appearing on this kind of platform, deciding their fate with an e-sports game—it was jaw-dropping. Only the ruthless Time-Space Administration could turn such an event into reality. Now, the match had begun, but Kyo Kusanagi and Bashen An hadn’t even taken their seats. Instead, they were staring at each other across the table, as if trying to dominate with their presence before the start.
"Hmph, today is destined to be the day you fall. Bring it on, I’ll give you a three-move head start!" boasted Kyo Kusanagi, confidence oozing from every word.
Bashen An replied without showing any weakness, "Boring, I’ll give you three moves. Make your move!"
"I can stand still and let you hit me."
"Go ahead, use cheat codes to get unlimited rage! I won’t resist!"
"Use whatever super moves you want! If I so much as flinch, I’ll consider it my loss!"
"You go first!"
"No, you first!"
Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched from below: Kusanagi playing as Bashen An, Bashen An playing as Kusanagi—what on earth were you two doing?
"Time Over!"
Audience: "..."
Both of you jerks get down here!
The match continued in this exasperating atmosphere, and what was the final result again... Uh, anyway, I remember it was something like this:
The Human Race’s Undead defeated the Trolls’ Human, the Horde was utterly dejected because the Alliance suffered a defeat, Qijia She’s Bashen An defeated Kusanagi’s Qijia She, after which Qijia She, defeated by Qijia She, went to the Resurrection Office and used Kyo Kusanagi to defeat Kyo Kusanagi, a Human player from New Eden taught a lesson to a Human under the control of a Protos player in the second arena, and after the Protos player was defeated by a Protos opponent, it incited an uproar among the Protos spectators. So in the second round, they rallied and used Humans to defeat the Human player...
As things progressed to the second half, the situation was like this: The Trolls’ player using the Protos Clan defeated Qijia She’s Insect Race, Kyo Kusanagi defeated Bashen An’s Kyo Kusanagi, the Dark Night Elves’ Beastman was defeated by the Dark Night Elves, after Chris defeated Chris, Chris entered the finals, after Lianna’s Lianna was defeated by Lianna, Shenle Qianhe entered the finals, Second Order Hongwan’s Dizzy unfortunately lost to Dizzy, and the audience outside the arena divided into several groups. The Horde chanted for the Alliance, the Alliance chanted for the Horde, Humans planned to take down Humans, Protos maintained their Silence, fighters from the King of Fighters World shouted, "Long live El!" The Stormwind City delegation began waving Lianna’s banners; Tex Finley was carried off midway through the match due to acute mental disorientation leading to a protective shock, while Sarah Kerrigan with her amazing determination completed the live broadcast for the latter half of the match. Zeratul led a group of Protos elders handing out flyers outside the arena, calling for calm, but their efforts were not entirely successful when one elder suddenly shouted "For a world of clear blue!" and stormed off, and the Shadow City dispatched a large number of city management officers to suppress the hot-blooded King of Fighters combatants, declaring that if the Holy Mother Ship was weakened for even a day, they would protest for a day. Sandora ate her way through every snack stand outside the arena during the tournament, Qianqian’s eyes were drawing circles of mosquito repellent, and I dared not imagine what bizarre inspiration today’s events would bring her, but probably an even more ruthless world destroyer had already been set in motion.
As for me, as you can see, I still hadn’t sorted out who won that match just now...
But one thing is for sure—if I take it any more seriously, I’ll lose.
Should I feel relieved that Bubbles wasn’t part of this competition?
"Wow, this is delicious!" exclaimed the golden-haired girl walking beside me, holding a handful of oddly shaped kebabs in one hand, and a woven bag that could probably hold thirty to fifty pounds of rice in the other, munching away with grease all over her mouth, "Ah Jun, why don’t you try some of this?"
I turned to look at Sandora’s bright sea-blue eyes twinkling with allure and almost succumbed to their charming glow, barely managing to suppress the urge to be smitten and quickly turning away, "I’m not hungry."
I absolutely cannot forget the agony that ensued the moment I carelessly overlooked Sandora’s dietary preferences.
What can Sandora eat? That question is as foolish as asking what she cannot eat. Theoretically, anything on the periodic table is fair game; she could start with hydrogen and work her way down to Ununoctium, then backtrack and casually combine elements to her liking. And I forgot this commonsensical fact, swayed by her enthusiastic recommendation of a barbecue dish and entranced by the gleam in her big, sparkling eyes...
How shall I put it? The barbecue in Sandora’s hands reminds me of the high-energy cuisine she once proudly introduced. Ingredients so inconceivable, each possessing effects so astounding, that if dropped on the ground, they could burn a hole the size of an egg.
Once again, I marvel at the wonders of the world. The multi-universe really has all sorts of bizarre species, doesn’t it? How do they even consume such things?
The assembly area was as crowded as ever, but today the surroundings were noticeably more orderly than the previous two days. After initial issues due to lack of experience, Shadow City’s commanders and the assistant managers from various worlds were gradually getting the hang of organizing such vast gatherings. At least they’d figured out how to prevent certain situations, and under the guidance of increasingly adept guides, the order during the festival was becoming quite satisfactory.
After spending half the day wandering around with the two girls and visiting several interesting places in the morning under the pretense of an "incognito inspection," I must admit that we truly just enjoyed ourselves today.
Before we realized it, we had reached the edge of the assembly area and entered the intersection with Shadow City’s Inner City. Qianqian’s desire to explore was still burning bright, but I was starting to have second thoughts. The festival’s peculiar celebrations indeed were fun, but everyone needs a reprieve from aesthetic fatigue. I’m not always as endlessly energized as Qianqian; after milling around all morning, it was indeed time to rest.
So, agreeing to let Sandora, who was about to feel hungry again, accompany Qianqian to All Realms Food Street, I left the assembly on my own and headed towards Shadow City, intending to drop by Silvia’s shop to see if I could scrounge up some snacks.
Ten minutes later.
"Should I say, ’As expected, I find you here’...?"
Inside Silvia’s little shop, gazing at the Red and White Witch sitting at the window seat, brewing tea with her personal tea set while sampling the shop’s desserts and basking drowsily in the sun, I resigned myself to the inevitable and heaved a deep sigh.
"Ah, don’t take it so seriously, the patrol has already ended for today."
With her morning duties concluded, Ling Meng had switched into tea-drinking mode, her voice carrying a languid, cushy tone. Although I was sure she had settled in here before her patrol had ended, the sight of her basking in the sunlight made me let out a resigned sigh. It was useless to expect Ling Meng to have any sense of propriety, just as it was pointless to hope for Dingdang not to fail her exams.
Defeated by my companion’s careless demeanor, I shrugged my shoulders, carefree as I awaited the arrival of my coffee from Silvia. After all, I am not like Ling Meng, who brazenly brews her own tea in someone else’s shop!
"It’s already the third day of the festival."
After a moment of silence, Ling Meng suddenly murmured.
"And, it’s been ten days since we came here."
"Eh, homesick?" I asked, somewhat puzzled as I looked at the million-yen-faced Ling Meng, wondering why she would suddenly utter such a thoughtful remark. Had she, in a rare moment of integrity, finally remembered that she’s the owner of the Boli Shrine?
"Slurp-sluuuurp~~" The girl lifted her teacup, sipping the steaming brew, her massive bow bobbing at the back of her head. "Well, I’m getting a little worried."
"If the Red and White Witch of Boli Shrine and the strongest guardian demon of Fantasy Country are both absent, I wonder how long those creatures can stay well-behaved?"
"It can’t be that bad, can it? Although the demons appear rather individualistic, they have lived peacefully for so many years. They must be somewhat accustomed to it by now."
"You really don’t sound like a Monarch, too optimistic," even the unconscientious Ling Meng pointed out incisively, "It’s good to think positively, but we really should worry a bit about the situation back home. Demons are not so easily cohabitative, and peace-loving ones that don’t attack humans simply do not exist. If they knew both Yukari and I were away, they would surely start causing trouble."
"You’re not one to worry about such things," I quipped.
"Slurp slurp~~ Of course I’d prefer a peaceful sleep, but if some serious chaos breaks out in Fantasy Country, it would be a real headache for me. The fox got badly hurt, and even though it doesn’t look like the work of a demon, I still feel like something happened, slurp slurp~~. I do believe what the Prophet said, but it would really ease Yukari’s mind if I could go back soon to check on things. Then I could relax completely and enjoy my tea."
So in the end, you’re just venting here because Yukari has been nagging you these past few days, right?!!
"Well, that being said, it’s really peaceful now—"
Boli Lingmeng cradled her teacup, letting the steam warm her face, and sighed contentedly, "Want some tea? It’s 20% off~~"
You might as well wrap yourself up and put yourself on sale.
No wrong, this girl has already wrapped herself up and put herself on sale!
I mean, maybe I should wonder if the spirit of the red and white attracting incidents resonates with my own trouble-magnet nature. Boli Lingmeng, who just had a moment of peace in the world, barely finished her thought when a faint commotion came from afar.
By the sound of it, it seemed to be the nearby shopping street.
"Oh, are they starting to argue again?"
Silvia, holding a plate of chocolate pastries, slowly turned her head to look outside the shop, muttering with an air of resignation.
"Starting to argue again?" I glanced at her in surprise, "Has someone been causing trouble here recently?"
"It’s not exactly trouble," Boli Lingmeng dispiritedly placed her teacup down, "It’s just that two merchants from different worlds have been bickering over some cultural issues around this time every day. Ah, what bad luck, usually I’d just ignore them, but today you had to be watching."
So what she means is she’s long been aware of troublemakers on the shopping street and has been ignoring them every day, and now she’s casually mentioning it in front of her current boss!
Worried about the possibility of trouble during the festivity, I dragged a reluctant Ling Meng out to the shopping street. By the time we arrived where the noise was coming from, a sizable crowd had already gathered, including people from various worlds. Thankfully, though they were arguing fiercely, it seemed they hadn’t come to blows yet: otherwise, the committee members would have had to step in by now.
At the scene, Ling Meng finally started to act like she was up for the job, pulling out the city management armband from her pocket and slipping it over the sleeve of her armpit witch clothes. The girl waved her Spirit Coin Bundle in one hand and a megaphone in the other, shouting loudly, "Move aside, move aside! City management is here! Those found instigating trouble, obstructing traffic, and disrupting the spiritual civilization of Shadow City and the harmonious society of the Empire get docked five points for the first offense, business license revoked for the second, and mandatory repatriation to their original world plus a major violation for the third. For details, refer to Chapter 3, Article 14 of the Shadow City Public Security Administration Punishments. Out of my way, I need to catch my breath first."
This iconic shout from Ling Meng proved effective. The onlookers quickly dispersed like birds and beasts, and it seemed the name of the God of City Management had spread among these independent people.
Once the crowd cleared, the two arguing parties were revealed before us.
Two middle-aged men, each wearing distinctly different outfits from other worlds, one clothed in a wide robe with large sleeves, and the other in tight leather gear. Although their attire didn’t clearly indicate their status in their respective worlds, the stalls they stood behind suggested they were "Otherworldly Traveling Merchants" who had temporarily set up shop in Shadow City to capitalize on the extraordinary business opportunities during the festive period.
Currently, both seemed a bit stunned, evidently not yet adjusted to their suddenly changed surroundings after their heated argument. But upon catching sight of Ling Meng, they promptly realized what was happening, then exclaimed in unison, "Good heavens! The red and white demon!"
The witch was instantly irate: "I’ll revoke your licenses!"
I pushed Ling Meng back and stepped forward to ask about the reason for their dispute. The answer was both amusing and exasperating: it was all about the color of their clothes.
"Yellow stripes on a blue background are the symbols of cultists! Even in the Holy Capital, as a monk, I can’t turn a blind eye to such blatant blasphemy!"
"Nonsense! That black robe with red edges and white insignia you’re wearing is a death row prisoner’s uniform! I’d rather die than walk the streets in something like that!"
"You damned cultist!"
"You should be strung up on the gallows, you despicable thing!"
I listened on the side, breaking out in a cold sweat, realizing that once again it was the same old problem.
Indeed, this wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened, a disturbance arising from cultural conflict.
Shadow City, now known as the City of Ten Thousand Worlds and also the Holy Capital, has gathered who knows how many worlds and civilizations. Just the task of sorting out their various beliefs already made Bubbles cry and pout like a child. With so many cultural systems mixed together, it was inevitable that there’d be some conflict of beliefs, and a large part of the turmoil during the festivities in Shadow City was caused by this.
In fact, Shadow City had always had regulations in place to mediate or suppress cultural conflicts between races, such as separating two sharply conflicting races or gently persuading those in minor disagreements.
But how should I put it? After all, with so many birds, some from every wood, an organization as loose as Macro World couldn’t possibly be as orderly as the Imperial Vassal Army’s races. Disputes like today’s were still unavoidable, although the parties involved hadn’t come to blows due to local regulations.
"So you mean to say, you can’t stand the other party’s attire because it offends your own cultural taboos, right?"
I rubbed my forehead, pondering before asking. The two individuals in front of me nodded repeatedly, "We know there are regulations, but this guy has just been flaunting it in front of us, and it really lights a fire inside!"
"Okay, moving one of you to a different district over such an individual case doesn’t seem quite right, and there are just too many similar incidents. We need to come up with a permanent solution..." I mused aloud, "What you’re saying is, you think the other party should respect your culture?"
Nods.
"Then I acknowledge your commitment to your own culture."
Suddenly, their expressions brightened with surprise. Although it seemed they didn’t recognize who I was – the highest ruler of this place – to them, someone the God of City Management would defer to was definitely a high-ranking official. With the official’s statement, their "rights" were surely safeguarded!
"But," seeing the change in their expressions, I changed tack, "you want others to follow your cultural traditions, which is fine, but likewise, you also need to respect, or at least be aware of, other people’s cultural traditions, no objections to that, right?"
They looked at each other, puzzled, but still nodded: "Seems fair."
"Hey, why do I feel there’s something contradictory about this?"
Ling Meng whispered to me, pulling on my sleeve. I didn’t answer her but continued with a smile to the two before me, "Alright, then. You said it yourselves that you must first grasp other people’s cultural traditions before you can have the right to expect others to respect yours."
The two were clearly confused, but my words didn’t give them time to retort or ponder seriously. Moreover, faced with a theory that sounded quite logical, they ultimately nodded.
"Good, then you start by looking through this."
I nodded with satisfaction and took out two huge piles of stuff from my Personal Space.
Two tons of printed paper was dumped on the ground with a thud, shaking the whole ground twice like a small mountain had fallen. The two middle-aged men who’d been busy arguing were instantly dumbfounded.
"This is a compilation of cultural traditions of all the races participating in the festivities. Of course, these are just the table of contents. You start with these, and tomorrow I’ll send two Transporters to air-drop about twenty to thirty tons of additional details here – those are the in-depth materials, including about forty-two tons of annexes like pictures. By normal logic, to have others comply with your beliefs, you must first understand other cultures, respect is mutual... um, where do you want to start? I also have half a ton of abridged histories and over three tons of local customs summaries... Uh, Ling Meng, contact the medical center, we have two people here in need of emergency care."
No response came from the side, and when I looked back, I found a certain Red and White staring blankly at the mountain of documents and the flurries of paper landing on them. After a long while, she looked over here with admiring eyes, "You’ve won. So this is also a possibility!"
"From now on, that’s the rule. Anyone who doesn’t follow the Shadow City Cultural Management Regulations and makes a fuss over trivial matters, we’ll have them carry this stuff!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)
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