novelraw Chapter 334: Laid to Rest
Chapter 334: Laid to Rest
Long Shouzhuo picked up the teapot and refilled Su Zhan's cup halfway with hot tea once more.
"As for your request regarding establishing communication with the City Lord's Residence, this old man has indeed heard it. This matter is of great importance. Before discussing specific channels, allow this old man to say a few more words and first explain to you the current situation and rules of Black City. Would that be acceptable?"
Su Zhan gave a slight nod, his demeanor showing considerable respect. The old man before him had managed to establish himself in Black City and preside over the Dragon Rise Society;
his insight and experience were certainly not ordinary. Respect between people is mutual. Since the other party treated him with such an attitude, he would respond in kind.
"President Long, you are too kind," Su Zhan said with sincere earnestness. "I am new here and know very little about Black City. I truly need guidance from a senior like you. Please, speak freely. I am all ears."
Long Shouzhuo gave a gentle nod and asked in a mild tone, "It seems you already have a preliminary impression of Black City. In your eyes, what is the nature of this chaos and freedom?"
Su Zhan pondered for a moment before replying, "The chaos lies in what meets the eye: rules yield to strength, and conflict is the norm. The freedom lies in the fact that the shackles of identity seem to have been broken here. Aberrants and Awakened individuals can share the same room, and even as we are now, I, an Aberrant, sit across from you, an Awakened senior, drinking tea. This would be unimaginable in the outside world. The sharp contradictions between races are blurred here."
"Well said," Long Shouzhuo stroked his beard and nodded. "In Black City, a bigger fist is indeed the ultimate truth, but this truth applies to everyone equally. Humans will turn their swords on other humans for profit, and Aberrants will similarly raise their claws against their own kind for survival. From an environmental perspective alone, this place can indeed be called a rare paradise for Aberrants. Logically, such a place so suitable for Aberrant survival should have long been completely overrun by Aberrants, leading to rampant proliferation. Yet, as you have seen, while Black City has a large number of Aberrants, it is not out of control. A dynamic balance is still maintained. Do you know why this is?"
Su Zhan's mind raced, and he ventured a guess, "Is it because the City Lord's Residence regulates things from behind the scenes?"
"Exactly!" A glint flashed in Long Shouzhuo's eyes. "You are new, so you may not yet know this ironclad rule. Any Aberrant who has resided in Black City for a full month, regardless of strength, will receive an official notice from the City Lord's Residence. From the date the notice is issued, that Aberrant must, in each subsequent month, kill at least one other Aberrant and submit the proof to the City Lord's Residence for verification. Failure to complete this task results in forced expulsion from Black City, never to be allowed entry again. For Aberrants already accustomed to surviving under Black City's bloody rules, this measure is not considered particularly harsh. Killing one's own kind is already the norm here. Therefore, the vast majority of Aberrants can complete this task. This regulation is more like a safety valve ensuring the Aberrant population does not expand infinitely. It is this seemingly not-too-difficult baseline task that, accumulated over the years, has maintained the mortality rate of Aberrants within Black City at a fairly high level, effectively curbing their disorderly proliferation. Yet, even so, Black City's allure for Aberrants remains unparalleled. Look across the entire Daxia nation—where else can you find a place like Black City that neither hunts you down for being an Aberrant nor provides a relatively fair environment for combat and survival? Nowhere. Precisely because of this, Aberrants from the outside world continue to pour into this place in an endless stream. The City Lord's Residence uses this rule as a sieve, weeding out the weak and keeping the strong. Those who can adapt and survive long-term are invariably individuals with resilient temperaments and ruthless methods. Moreover, this 'one per month' is not set in stone. The City Lord's Residence closely monitors the total number and strength distribution of Aberrants within the city, dynamically adjusting this quota. Over the past year, the Aberrant population has tended towards stability, hence this quota has not changed, remaining at one per month."
After listening, Su Zhan slowly nodded and said in a deep voice, "I see. Using rules to drive internal consumption among Aberrants, maintaining balance while also screening for the strong... The City Lord's methods are indeed ingenious. I have learned much." He seemed thoughtful and raised another key question. "President Long, what you just said is indeed brilliant—using internal consumption to curb Aberrant proliferation. However, to my knowledge, the survival and power enhancement of the vast majority of Aberrants ultimately depend on hunting humans and absorbing Life Essence. How is this issue resolved in Black City? Could it be that the City Lord's Residence can prohibit all Aberrants from attacking humans? That would be difficult to completely eradicate, I'm afraid."Long Shouzhuo seemed to have anticipated Su Zhan would ask this. Gently rubbing the prayer beads in his hand, he slowly said, "You've hit the nail on the head. Prohibiting attacks on humans? Naturally, it cannot be completely eradicated. Friction in the shadows never stops. However, the City Lord's Residence uses a more... pragmatic method to greatly alleviate this contradiction at its root. The City Lord's Residence explicitly decrees that any person who dies within Black City's territory—whether from vendetta killing, conflict, accident, or natural causes—their corpse is to be uniformly collected by a subordinate agency of the City Lord's Residence. After processing... the sale of flesh is completely legal."
Even with his steady temperament, Su Zhan's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this. Public sale of flesh? And completely legal? This truly exceeded his previous understanding.
Long Shouzhuo noted Su Zhan's subtle reaction and continued, "When flesh can be obtained with money, the primitive impulse for Aberrants to hunt living humans to obtain survival resources is naturally greatly reduced. After all, a transaction with a clear price tag is far more cost-effective and safer than risking being killed in a hunt."
"I see... Transforming an irreconcilable survival need into a tradable commodity. When the most basic survival resources can be obtained through non-violent means, the most direct opposition between Aberrants and humans is indeed greatly weakened." Su Zhan slowly let out a breath, his eyes showing comprehension as he nodded. "In this way, the so-called equality truly has soil to take root... The City Lord's move, cutting the problem at its root, is indeed ingenious." He had to admit that this mysterious City Lord was not only unfathomably powerful but had also reached a masterful level in his understanding and control of human nature. Using the coldest, most realistic methods to maintain a delicate balance in this lawless land. Could this method... be implemented outside of Black City? Absolutely impossible. Su Zhan could almost immediately imagine the public outrage that would erupt if anyone dared to propose this policy in any other city in Daxia. Corpses... especially the remains of relatives, carry immense weight in the hearts of the Daxia people. Laid to rest. This is a tradition carved into the bones. Preserving the whole body is giving the deceased their final dignity. Many ancient customs are closely related to the integrity of the corpse. Dying without a whole body is, in many cases, itself an extremely malicious curse.