Volume Two: Bandits in This World Chapter 126: Even Vulgar People Have Good and Evil

Lin Peiyou squatted on the ground, looking somewhat aggrieved, or perhaps... pitiful.

"Boss, I don't accept this." After a long silence, he finally spoke.

Lin Changtian frowned. "What is there to not accept? You disgusted someone, and you won't even let them kick you to vent their frustration?"

"How was I disgusting!" Lin Peiyou jumped up as he said this, looking pouting and indignant. "When I did this in the Western Border, people would always praise me, saying, 'Young Master is so adorable!'"

He gestured with his hands, and as if he felt that wasn't persuasive enough, he added, "My tutor, the general, the clan elders, and even my mother all say I'm a harmless little bunny—the cutest kind, commonly known as the Rabbit King."

"Oh, if that's the case, you should ask your father why he's the only one who doesn't spoil you, why he chooses to play the villain and... bully a cute little bunny." Lin Changtian suppressed his nausea. He had wanted to vomit, but the glimmer of hope in the boy's eyes made him abandon that thought.

*Ugh, I must not vomit. I must disgust him right back...*

Lin Peiyou pondered for a long time, then finally spread his hands, signaling that he didn't quite understand.

"Because... you might be a wolf cub—no, a dog cub—wearing a rabbit's skin," Lin Changtian said, putting away his smile and speaking with a straight face.

The young man stared at him blankly, saying nothing for a long while.

This made Lin Changtian feel a pang of guilt; he felt his words had been a bit too harsh, grinding this bunny’s fragile heart into powder. So, he opened his mouth, intending to offer some comforting words, such as, "You really are a cute little bunny, the kind that looks great whether braised or steamed."

"How can a rabbit's fur be worn over a wolf-dog? The tails are so different, how could it possibly be hidden..." the bunny interrupted him, his eyes sincere and so pure it was heartbreaking.

At that moment, Lin Changtian couldn't help but feel a bit of pity. He stroked his chin, contemplating the outcome if Lin Peiyou were truly a Rabbit King.

*Hmm, I could probably eat my fill of spicy rabbit heads, right?* Lin Changtian blinked, and tears of sympathy for the rabbit pack began to leak from his mouth...

Unfortunately, all of this was misinterpreted by Lin Peiyou.

The youth pondered for a long time, then suddenly turned pale and burst into tears. To the astonishment of Lin Changtian and Liu Shiyong, he sobbed, "I understand. I understand everything now."

"Understand what?" Lin Changtian thought to himself, *Oh no, could this kid's IQ have actually increased? Did he realize I was teasing him?*

"Boss, your intentions are so deep! You specifically chose such an inappropriate metaphor to warn me. No wonder, no wonder..." Lin Peiyou collapsed on the ground, his eyes vacant, as if he had suffered a devastating psychological blow.

Lin Changtian was stunned by this sight and blurted out, "So you really did understand!"

"I understand, I understand." Lin Peiyou wiped away his tears and forced himself to say, "A rabbit's fur cannot cover a wolf-dog. Even if I can fool people for a moment, the tail will eventually show! No wonder the old man is always beating and scolding me, looking so disappointed... It turns out I am not my father's biological son!"

Lin Changtian: ...

Liu Shiyong was fuming. He glared fiercely at Lin Changtian, the meaning clear: if you don't talk your way out of this today, I will fight you to the death!

"How can you say that? Strictly speaking, some wolves and dogs don't have very long tails; if you find a way to cover it, it won't show. Look at the bright side: a dragon gives birth to nine sons, and each is different. If that's the case, who can say that a wolf can't give birth to a rabbit? In the worst-case scenario, acknowledging a thief as one's father is always an option..." Lin Changtian stroked his chin, convinced this insight was perfect and hit the nail on the head. It would surely make this rabbit submit sincerely.

The result, naturally, was that Lin Peiyou’s barely stopped crying started all over again because of his teasing.

"You rascal!" Liu Shiyong was so angry his face turned purple. Seeing the hysterical Lin Peiyou, he gritted his teeth and gave him a slap.

The sound was crisp and had a good texture; he was, after all, a child from a wealthy family, and the skincare regimen had started from a young age...

"Young Master, be serious! Do you understand now... look how happily this bastard is laughing!"

Lin Peiyou looked up, his large, watery eyes fixed on Lin Changtian.

The laughter ceased abruptly, stuck in his throat.

"Alright, alright. Since you're leaving tomorrow, I'll forgive you," Lin Changtian said solemnly, his expression so earnest that it was impossible to tell who was right and who was wrong.

Lin Peiyou nodded habitually, then narrowed his eyes, looking at Lin Changtian with suspicion.

Even if he were duller, he would have understood by now.

"Since I'm the one leaving... shouldn't it be that I get to mess around and then you forgive me? How did it become you tricking me and then forcing me to apologize?"

Lin Changtian was shocked. Why had this guy’s IQ improved? He feared he wouldn't be able to fool him in the future.

Liu Shiyong couldn't watch anymore. He stepped forward and said to Lin Changtian, "Enough. If you keep talking, General Lin Yuan will surely bring his troops to Sishan to demand an explanation."

"What crime would he charge me with?"

"He'd ask..." Liu Shiyong glanced at him and said leisurely, "How you managed to turn the heir of a Wolf King into a 'Bunny Master'."

Lin Changtian’s mouth dropped open. He probed deliberately, "Let's be clear, I didn't see him 'entertaining guests' here in Sishan. Your young master... does he have a history of digestive issues? Or is the Lin Yuan household so short on funds that they sent him here to learn how to 'perform'?"

"The young master is a child of gold and jade; how could he touch such lowly matters? What 'entertaining guests'—that's nonsense!" Liu Shiyong snorted, thumping his cane on the ground. Since he couldn't beat Lin Changtian, he had to vent his frustration somehow.

"Then why call him 'Bunny Master'?" Lin Changtian scratched his head, confused.

The old man was speechless for a moment, then seemed to recall something and laughed. "I tell you to read more books, but you never listen! It’s for the sake of rhythm—calling him the Wolf King first and then the Bunny Master sounds so imposing!"

Lin Changtian’s mouth twitched. He looked up and laughed; what a hell of a cultural difference.

"Boss, you're still teasing me even when I'm about to leave..." Lin Peiyou, seeming to have regained his senses, said with a look of grievance.

Lin Changtian laughed it off, pulled him into a hug, and grinned wickedly. "What are you talking about? This is a big brother's love!"

It was flamboyant enough that he might as well have had "adolescent angst" carved into his face.

"Boss, you have to give me some advice," the youth said, breaking free from Lin Changtian’s embrace and looking at him expectantly.

"That, of course, I have." Lin Changtian pursed his lips and said very seriously, "Read more books, read more newspapers, eat fewer snacks, and sleep more."

The youth’s face turned red, and he waved his hands hurriedly. "That's not it! Do you have any methods related to governing a country? I've been here for so long... and I've mostly learned things that aren't serious."

Lin Changtian frowned, feeling genuinely annoyed. This kid really didn't know how to talk.

What did he mean by "mostly learned things that aren't serious"? As if there was anything "serious" in Sishan to begin with...

"Tell me, who taught you 'serious' things? I'll go smash their house right now!" Lin Changtian said with murderous intent, looking menacingly fierce.

"Senior Liu Qingshan."

The murderous intent vanished instantly, and even the fierceness disappeared, leaving only the man himself.

"Oh, I see. You should have said so earlier. Sishan has many pure-hearted people; we really should teach you some useful methods."

"But Senior Liu’s teachings were too broad; I didn't understand them," Lin Peiyou said, spreading his hands with a melancholic look.

Lin Changtian’s expression tightened. He said very seriously, "Don't tell me that old thief started by teaching you advanced techniques like the 'Guanyin Sitting on the Lotus' or the 'Old Man Pushing the Cart'?"

"What are those?" The youth was bewildered. He always felt Lin Changtian spoke strangely; perhaps this was just the culture of the Central Plains.

"Nothing, just some tricks for subduing dragons and tigers," Lin Changtian muttered, his voice barely audible.

To his surprise, Lin Peiyou had sharp ears. He heard him, his eyes lit up, and he shouted, "That sounds so powerful! I want to learn those!"

Lin Changtian was conflicted. Should he give this innocent youth an adult class, or... pick up the conscience he had long since discarded? After much deliberation, he decided to painfully choose the latter.

"Do you remember why you came to Sishan?" Lin Changtian straightened his robes; it was time for his solo performance.

The youth didn't hesitate for a second. "Wasn't it because you tricked me? I was foolish enough to think you were a good person."

"A good person? Good people don't live long," Lin Changtian laughed, hands behind his back. "But they live happily. At the very least, they don't have to calculate while they're alive, and they don't have to worry about their regrets after they're dead."

Lin Peiyou’s expression shifted repeatedly as he looked at him earnestly. "Boss, are you a good person or a bad person?"

Lin Changtian didn't blink. "Definitely a good person. Because I'm handsome enough. There's a saying in the Central Plains: one's values follow one's facial features."

The youth curled his lip, wanting to retort: "If judgment were based on looks, then I would be the truth of the Northern Territory."

"I'm joking. In this world, no one wants to be a good person, and no one wants to be a bad person. It's just that things are beyond our control. From the moment we are born, the so-called variables are already set in stone."

Lin Peiyou froze for a moment, pondered for a while, and then said to himself, "Boss must be a good person. I've seen you punish the wicked to protect the good, help the poor, and discipline evildoers."

"Then why don't you ask what I did afterwards? I'll tell you: I abandoned them and walked away." Lin Changtian laughed, his smile looking very ironic.

The youth didn't understand and looked to his boss for guidance.

"I left, gaining a false reputation, and people called me a hero—it was very imposing. But the local losers held a grudge, and the honest folks lived in constant fear. Then, another hero would come along to uphold justice, and all that was left on the ground were a few more corpses."

The youth was slow-witted. He shook his head, still not understanding.

Lin Changtian laughed helplessly. "You really are a strange one. It doesn't matter if you don't understand now; you will later. Just remember one thing: don't dwell on good or evil, just consider yourself an ordinary person."

The youth understood this time. He bowed low, taking it as an expression of gratitude for his mentor's guidance.

"If I never understand, and even cause disaster because of it, will you come to help me?"

Lin Changtian turned his head away, not looking at him, and stood with his hands behind his back. "I'm your boss. If I can win, I'll definitely go. If I can't... little brother, you're on your own."

Lin Peiyou stood stunned for a long time, his face turning green, and he made a huge fuss behind his back.

No one paid him any mind. Liu Shiyong didn't speak either; he was also pondering—having lived to this age, was he good or evil?

As for Lin Changtian, he had long since walked away laughing, muttering as he went, "I don't even know myself, where would I find the answer for you?"