Volume 3, Chapter 34 – Sister Xiaomu’s Teaching

According to what Xingyu Muxi said, once the Stronghold and the Kingdom were both worn out from fighting over the Northern Fortress, Eden could then take the Northern Fortress at the lowest possible cost.

But the problem was that doing so would be the same as silently putting themselves on the opposite side of both major factions.

Everyone knew how important the Northern Fortress was. To step in and take it right in front of the two factions like some fisherman profiting from their fight looked like an incredibly “stupid” thing to do no matter how you saw it…

Thinking this, Tianyin asked Xingyu Muxi about it.

“Sister Xiaomu, isn’t the Northern Fortress something both factions want? If we take it right in front of them, wouldn’t that only make them hate us? There’s no benefit at all, right?”

“Well, it’s true they’ll both resent us. But Xiaoyin, didn’t I say that after we take the Northern Fortress, neither of the two factions will attack us anymore~?”

Seeing Tianyin’s bewildered expression, Xingyu Muxi smiled as she explained.

“Xiaoyin, if two selfish people both want a treasure and keep fighting for it, and then one of them finally gets it, then that other person is going to feel extremely unwilling, isn’t she?”

“Mm… probably?”

“What do you mean probably? Of course she’ll be unwilling. But since the treasure has already been taken, that selfish loser has basically no chance left of taking the treasure back from the winner, right?”

“Mm… if nothing unexpected happens…”

“And if nothing unexpected happens, then the probability of taking it back is nearly zero, correct? So if that selfish loser, unable to obtain what she wants, ends up thinking extreme thoughts, wouldn’t that also be very possible?”

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Xingyu Muxi continued questioning her.

After thinking for a moment, Tianyin came to her own conclusion.

“If someone can’t get what she wants and ends up thinking something extreme… that can happen…”

“So that means there’s a very high chance of it happening, right?”

Xingyu Muxi asked again.

“Mm, a high chance…”

“Then, Xiaoyin, guess what kind of extreme thoughts that person might have if she really can’t get what she wants.”

“Eh?”

This honestly stumped Tianyin a little.

After all, Tianyin had not interacted with many people up until now, and even back in the real world she had never dealt with the kind of dark-hearted people Xingyu Muxi seemed to be describing.

So if she had to guess what kind of extreme thoughts such a person might have… Tianyin really couldn’t think of anything for a moment.

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But that didn’t stop her from guessing anyway.

“Something extreme… like using dirty tricks to steal the treasure back?”

“Well, that’s possible. But Xiaoyin, we said the chance of stealing it back is nearly zero~”

“Wuu… nearly zero…”

Tianyin didn’t know how to respond.

Seeing Tianyin fall silent in thought, Xingyu Muxi slowly spoke again.

“Xiaoyin, when someone is selfish to the extreme and there is something they desperately want but can never obtain, that person will develop a certain thought… since I can’t have it, then you shouldn’t have it either…”

Since I can’t have it, then you shouldn’t have it either…

Yes, if something like that happened, then the loser having such unwillingness and an urge to drag everyone down with them was extremely possible.

But after all of this… Tianyin still didn’t understand why Xingyu Muxi suddenly brought this up.

“Sister Xiaomu… So what does this have to do with what we were talking about earlier?”

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“Of course it’s related, Xiaoyin. I’m teaching you the perspective you should use to understand the relationships between all the major factions~”

Hearing Xingyu Muxi say this, and recalling the previous conversation, Tianyin finally began to understand what Sister Xiaomu meant by “the perspective to understand faction relationships.”

“Sister Xiaomu, you mean that the relationships between factions can be viewed the same way as relationships between people?”

“That’s right, Xiaoyin. Even though the Eight Great Factions look like they are divided into the opposing sides of order and chaos, and within each side there are neutral, good, and evil distinctions…”

“In reality, Xiaoyin, the relationships between the Eight Great Factions are nowhere near as clear-cut as they seem.”

“It’s just like relationships between people. They appear black and white on the surface, but once individual interests are involved, even two people on opposing sides can smile and join hands~”

Xingyu Muxi’s words sounded harsh, but that was exactly how faction relationships worked.

“Xiaoyin, do you know why the previous situation where the seven factions joined forces to fight the Graveyard happened? Even though they used the excuse of maintaining world peace, in truth, it was simply for their own interests.”

“For… interests?”

“That’s right. Because of interests, opposing factions can unite against the Graveyard. And because the Graveyard threatened their interests, they were willing to put aside their differences and join together.”

“Wuu…”

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Tianyin didn’t know what words could describe her feelings at the moment, but she understood that she had to listen carefully to everything Sister Xiaomu was saying.

Because faction relationships were essentially the same as relationships between people with different personalities.

“Well, after saying all that, Xiaoyin, the reason I want to take the Northern Fortress during the later stages of the Kingdom–Stronghold conflict is because I’ve already thought everything through~”

At this moment Tianyin recalled the question Sister Xiaomu had asked her earlier about a selfish loser.

“Sister Xiaomu, you mean… when the Kingdom and the Stronghold reach the late stages of their struggle, when neither side is certain they can take the Northern Fortress, they’ll also fear that the other side might take it instead?”

“That’s right, Xiaoyin~”

Seeing Tianyin gradually understand the key point, Xingyu Muxi felt relieved and continued.

“Because both sides fear the other getting the Northern Fortress, neither will retreat easily even when they are exhausted… and that is when the appearance of an outside force like us can ease the situation~”

“And that is what’s called the extreme method of rather letting no one have the treasure than letting the other side get it. And this… is the best solution…”