49: The medicine cured the disease quickly; his benevolent heart and virtue earned him a good reputation (Part 2)

"Elwin, what are you doing..." Lin Zhou's Divine Thought carried a trace of confusion as he descended beside Elwin, who was supervising the distribution of medicine on the city wall.

Giving precious medicine to those wild creatures or even the kin of hostile Examinees seemed... too benevolent?

In this cruel assessment world, resources should be used on the cutting edge.

Elwin turned around and bowed slightly toward the Void Realm.

His eyes were clear and firm, carrying a compassionate sentiment: "My Lord, you once taught us that the benevolence of the Hundred Schools of Thought lies in 'Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself,' and even more so in 'Treat the aged of others as we treat our own, and the young of others as we treat our own.' The Order of the Legalist school lies in defining boundaries and punishing evil while promoting good, but it does not mean we must exterminate everything outside those boundaries."

He pointed outside the fortress at the creatures who were stumbling and wandering in the gray fog, temporarily restored to clarity by the medicine, and looking around blankly, and spoke slowly:

"These creatures, whether wild or abandoned, are not actively evil; they are merely caught in this terrible plague, like being trapped in a quagmire, unable to help themselves. They are also victims of this disaster. Since we have the ability to give them a hand, why should we watch them sink and eventually turn into undead, becoming the power of our enemies?"

"Moreover," Elwin's tone became deep, carrying a glimmer of wisdom, "My Lord, your ambition is to spread civilization and establish Order. The difference between civilization and barbarism may lie in the fact that we not only care about the people within our walls but also hold a sense of compassion and responsibility for the suffering beings outside the walls. Today, we extend a helping hand to save them from fire and water; perhaps in the future, this bond of kindness will turn into unexpected rewards. Even if there is no reward, at least we will have no regrets in our hearts, and we will be worthy of the great Dao of 'Benevolence' you taught us."

His words were like flowing spring water, causing Lin Zhou to fall into deep thought.

He came from the modern Earth and had received humanitarian Education, but after becoming a god and experiencing many battles and competitions, his way of thinking had unconsciously taken on more utilitarian and realistic colors.

Elwin's words were like a beam of light, shining into his somewhat dusty heart.

Yes, the Hundred Schools of Thought, especially the Confucian school, had 'Benevolence' as its core.

If one only spoke of benevolence to their own people and was ruthless to enemies and outsiders, what was the essential difference between him and those gods who regarded their kin as tools and wantonly plundered and killed?

Was the Way of Civilization he pursued merely to make himself and his kin live better?

No, that was not it.

The true meaning of civilization lay in inclusivity, progress, and bringing light and Order to more places.

This might be one of the reasons why the Temple of Civilization chose him.

"You are right, Elwin." Lin Zhou's divine oracle contained approval and a trace of realization, "It was my lack of consideration. Benevolence should not have boundaries. You did very well in this matter! Continue to do so, and save as many innocent creatures as possible."

"I will follow your divine oracle!"

A relieved smile appeared on Elwin's face; he felt that his Lord's Dao seemed to have deepened by another level.

Consequently, under Elwin's promotion, Furnace Fortress not only provided treatment internally but also began to provide limited 'medical aid' externally.

Packages of medicine were shot with crossbows at the infected but non-aggressive wild deer herds, mountain goats, and even the remnants of Kobolds and Goblins who had lost their gods and were shivering in the ruins.

This move initially caused some minor controversy within Furnace Fortress.

Some Dwarf Warriors felt it was a waste, and some Elves thought it was unnecessary.

However, under Elwin's explanation and by leading by example—especially after seeing that the treated wild creatures not only did not attack the fortress but instead lingered on the outskirts, seemingly treating this place as a safe haven, and even occasionally driving away scattered undead—these controversies gradually subsided.

News could not be kept secret.

Soon, the news that "Furnace Fortress possesses a special medicine that can cure the undead plague" and is "willing to provide external aid" spread like wings among the surviving creatures in the Blackrock Mountain Range, and... among other Examinees who were struggling in this star realm!

At first, other Examinees were skeptical.

In such an assessment environment, who would give precious resources to competitors?

This must be a trap!

But as time passed, some Examinees who were truly at their wits' end, whose kin were dead or injured, and whose own Origins were about to be eroded by the plague rules, held the mentality of treating a dead horse as a living one.

They sent out their remaining, best-conditioned messengers, who cautiously approached Furnace Fortress and sent signals for help.

To their disbelief, Furnace Fortress actually responded!

Elwin personally met with the messengers of the first group of seekers.

After confirming that the other party was indeed at the end of their rope and posed no threat, he generously gifted a sufficient amount of [Plague-Clearing Soul-Stabilizing Powder · Enhanced Version] without putting forward any harsh conditions, simply saying: "My Lord is compassionate and wishes for the light of civilization to dispel all disasters."

When those messengers brought the medicine back and saved their own dying core kin, and even stabilized their own soon-to-collapse Divine Fire, huge gratitude and disbelief erupted in their hearts!

This was truly providing charcoal in snowy weather!

It was salvation in a desperate situation!

"Lord of Civilization... Lin Zhou..." These Examinees muttered this name, their hearts filled with complex emotions.

There was gratitude, shame (some might have coveted Furnace Fortress before), and even an indescribable shock.

In this age of gods, where the Law of the jungle prevailed and people could fight to the death over a little bit of resources and points, was there really such a "foolish" person willing to unselfishly help competitors?

But it was precisely this "foolishness," this "Benevolent Heart" that transcended simple interest calculation, that deeply touched many people.

Soon, more help signals were sent to Furnace Fortress.

Elwin did not turn anyone away; as long as he confirmed that the other party really needed help and posed no immediate threat, he would provide medical aid as appropriate.

Of course, for those who clearly had the capacity and tried to cheat for medicine, he would refuse without hesitation.

Furnace Fortress, a place that was originally considered a "hard nut to crack" and a "conquest target" in the eyes of many Examinees, quietly underwent a change in image.

It became a "pure land" in the chaotic star realm, a "safe haven" radiating the light of civilization and Order!

Lin Zhou's name for "Benevolence" spread rapidly throughout the entire assessment star realm as the rescued Examinees and creatures spread the word.

And the direct benefits brought by all this also began to appear.

First, there was a massive amount of Power Of Faith from all sides, which was purer and more devout!

This faith came not only from his direct kin but also from the rescued wild creatures and the remaining kin of the Examinees!

Although the faith provided by individuals was not much, the accumulation of sand into a tower and the confluence of streams into a river caused Lin Zhou's Divine Power accumulation speed to soar again!

Secondly, there was invisible prestige and networking.

Those rescued Examinees might have suffered heavy losses in strength now, but everyone who could enter Xinghai University's assessment was a Genius from their respective Star Domain.

They would keep this life-saving grace in their hearts.

In the future, this might become a valuable help to Lin Zhou.

Finally, some of the rescued wild creature groups with higher spirituality (such as a surviving mountain gryphon flock) even took the initiative to migrate to the cliffs near Furnace Fortress under the leadership of their leader.

Although they did not directly submit, they clearly regarded this place as a sanctuary and began to spontaneously patrol the territory, driving away scattered undead, becoming a natural outer barrier for Furnace Fortress.

[Notification: Due to spreading benevolence and saving all spirits, the Hundred Schools of Thought has gained widespread recognition, civilization points + 2000!]

[Current civilization points: 6790 points]

[Notification: Understanding of the Hundred Schools of Thought has increased to 12%! The effect of the Benevolence Domain has slightly improved!]

Looking at the points that had become abundant again in the Temple of Civilization and the increased level of understanding, Lin Zhou felt deeply moved.

He did not expect that Elwin's decision, made from his own heart, would bring so many chain benefits.

Perhaps this was another layer of meaning to "The benevolent are invincible"?

It did not mean that the benevolent had invincible combat power, but that the path of the benevolent could better gather people's hearts and receive the favor of the world.

However, just when Furnace Fortress was rejoicing because the plague was under control, and Lin Zhou was immersed in the joy of improved strength and prestige, a new and severe challenge had quietly arrived.

Among the Examinees saved by Lin Zhou, not all were grateful.

There were also those who, after recovering their strength, looked at the thriving Furnace Fortress and Lin Zhou, who had already become the hegemon of this star realm, and developed other thoughts in their hearts.

Especially when news like "Lin Zhou is suspected of having obtained some kind of powerful Civilization Legacy," "His kin has huge potential," and "Possesses a special medicine formula" spread along with his name of "Benevolence," it aroused strong covetousness from some interested people.

On this day, an Examinee [Horton] who had previously received medical aid and claimed to be from the "Purple Crystal Star Domain" arrived at the outskirts of Furnace Fortress again, bringing his Harpy kin who had already recovered most of their strength.

But this time, his attitude was completely different from when he was begging for help before.