I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

This is merely informing, not requesting.

[Under a mysterious and terrifying force, they were forced to...]

You learned from them the cause of Father Yan Zheng and the nun's death.

To ensure your survival, Father Yan Zheng chose to follow the rules of Twilight Street—"a life for a life"—by sacrificing himself to spare the gangsters from their pursuit of you. The nun was there to witness and vouch for you.

[The gangsters then used this incident to pressure the nun, questioning her credibility and ability to vouch for her. They accused her of having an affair with the priest and threatened her with the children in the nursing home.]

To prove her credibility and to gain their pity, she committed suicide in front of everyone.

The gangsters, having enjoyed a good show, decided to let you and Aponia go, thus allowing you to survive.

You simply listen in silence, and when someone tries to lie or shirk responsibility, "He" will point it out, and you will punish that person—they will feel their throats burning, as if they have swallowed a raging fire.

After the story was told, the gangsters involved were filled with unease, fearing that you would use that strange power to retaliate against them.

However, you did not directly punish those beings; you simply listened silently to everything, and then, according to "His" will, you informed them of the "new rules" for Twilight Street.

Firstly, no crime may be committed during the day, and murder and robbery are strictly prohibited.

Secondly, one must not trespass on another's property at night; private areas are sacred.

Thirdly, maintain amicable transactions; resolve all matters through negotiation first, and fight last; all money should be acquired legitimately.

Fourthly, children represent hope; under no circumstances should they be targeted.

Fifthly, books and knowledge are the ladder to changing one's life; one should set aside at least one hour each day for reading.

Sixth, every individual and household must be guaranteed a minimum amount of living necessities. Furthermore, no one should be forced to do things they are unwilling to do.

Seventh, maintain cleanliness and tidiness, politeness and humility, discard filth and dirt, and abandon rude and impolite behavior.

Finally, the church is a sacred place, the dwelling place of "He" on earth. Therefore, regardless of the kind of struggle or conflict, when one comes before "He," one must lay down one's weapons and prejudices, and "He" will grant seven days of protection to everyone.

[You told everyone about "His" rules without missing a single word or making a single mistake, and then said nothing more.]

Naturally, these seemingly restrictive "rules" displeased some people, but under your strange power, everyone remained silent, neither agreeing nor objecting.

Of course, there were also some people who, in a fit of anger or acting rashly... who spoke up first.

--------

"Do you think new rules are new rules just because you say so?"

A minor gang leader and another person exchanged a subtle glance, then the gang leader slammed his fist on the table and stood up, the loud noise immediately attracting everyone's attention.

But when Xi Wang's golden pupils looked at him, his neck shrank slightly. That inexplicable power was terrifying, but... at this moment, he could not show cowardice.

"Ha... [No sins shall be committed in broad daylight], you priest, don't you even consider where you are? If we're really going to be honest, what here isn't a little dirty?"

He pointed to the broken statue behind you.

"Where are we going to get the money to buy supplies from outside? Don't you have any self-awareness? Even the statues in your church, or even this church itself, every piece of glass, every brick, every plank of wood—aren't they all stained with dirt?"

He was telling the truth; most of the church's building materials were sourced locally from Twilight Street, and the church itself only provided funding.

"What? According to you, shouldn't we tear everything down and throw it away? After all, according to you, even if we sell it, the money we get will be dirty. Oh no... even if we exchange items normally, it won't work. Nothing in the entire Twilight Street should be left behind, because according to you, everything here is dirty."

"Therefore, it should be corrected."

Xi Wang said so.

"Heh, now you're not saying anything? You're such hypocrites, you bunch of self-righteous clergy... hypocritical bastards."

Seeing that he didn't elicit a further reaction from you, he exchanged another glance with someone, and only after the other person nodded imperceptibly did he continue.

"You want us to guarantee everyone's living supplies? That's hilarious. Why doesn't your so-called 'god' conjure up food for us? Like, bread and red wine? I've never tasted red wine before, I'd really like to try it."

Xi Wang did not respond.

"Shut up now, huh? Heh... What else? Children? Oh, you know they're the hope for the future, but don't you think about it? Instead of blaming us, why not blame those parents who fled? They knew how terrible things were here, yet they still brought their children here. The problem should be with them, shouldn't it?"

You slightly raise your head and meet his gaze.

"Oh? Finally, you're giving me some feedback, aren't you? I thought you were like that statue, made of stone and unable to move, and who knows when you'd break."

He said sarcastically.

"Let me think why this topic has caught your attention... Oh right, is it because of the children? Because of that [sanatorium] you used to go to? No way, really? Is it really because of the children? If so, you shouldn't have left them there, because you knew exactly what they would become."

"Oh, I know, it's because of that nun, right? If I remember correctly, you and she seemed to get along quite well, and she's beautiful too... What a perfect couple you are, just like the previous one."

boom!

The hand that was loosely holding the cross pendant suddenly clenched, and the gold in his pupils flashed for a moment. A raging flame appeared out of nowhere, burning all the clothes on the man's body. The intense heat left large areas of burns on his body, and the intense pain made him let out a heart-wrenching howl, the sound of pain echoing in the church.

"...Given that you were only instructed to say these things, you don't have to suffer any more pain."

Xi Wang stared at his terrified face, his golden pupils calm yet full of majesty, each word clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Given that your words did not involve any further insults and that the matter you raised remained merely verbal, I will only offer you some [admonition], which I hope you will keep in mind."

"Yes Yes……"

He responded in terror, curled up on the ground, trying to cover his naked body, which was covered with large areas of burns, and spoke shakily while enduring the pain.

"And you."

Xi Wang shifted his gaze to the person who had once met his eyes.

!

He instinctively gripped the weapon hidden at his waist.

"Testing the waters is understandable, but pushing others into danger is unacceptable. Therefore, a half-month penalty is required."

"Cough..."

The man suddenly clutched his neck, his face flushed red, his voice became strange in an instant, and his breath became scorching hot, as if a ball of fire was stuck in his throat, making him lose the ability to speak or move.

"Gentlemen, this is an announcement, not a discussion."

Xi Wang glanced at the others and spoke softly, with an unquestionable tone.

"He is watching over you and me, therefore, this rule must be followed. If anyone transgresses it, I will punish that person according to His word."

After that, Xi Wang stopped speaking, and the gold in his pupils gradually dimmed, turning back to its normal color.

"........."

The scene remained silent for a long time. Everyone looked at each other, and seeing that Xi Wang had no intention of speaking again, someone cautiously stood up and asked him softly if he could leave.

Xi Wang glanced at him, nodded silently, and stopped talking and paying attention to them.

The group left in a sorry state.

After that, new rules came into effect on Twilight Street.

Chapter Nine: Changes and Expansion of Twilight Street (6053)

The news that "Twilight Street is no longer chaotic" has surprised many. Twilight Street was known for its extreme xenophobia and internal strife; its inhabitants were either living in comfort or, more accurately, in a state of misery.

After all, in a place where you could be robbed at any moment just by walking on the main road, be completely robbed if you walk down a side street, and lose your life if you turn into an alley, "chaos" should be the main theme here.

The outside world has tried to clean up this place, but the extreme xenophobia of the locals has rendered all their efforts futile. The place remains a chaotic mess, to the point that eventually no one wanted to bother with it anymore, except for some special organizations like the Red Cross and churches, who are still trying to improve the lives of the people here.

Specifically within Twilight Street, the "Red Cross" eventually evolved into a sanatorium, while the "church" became a church. Both were "outsiders allowed to stay," and they often banded together for mutual support and assistance.

However, over time, the Red Cross and the Church gradually gave up on changing the situation, adopting a "provide only material support, and nothing else" approach—there was no other way; Twilight Street was simply "too violent and too barbaric."

In the end, many people even felt that the mess here wasn't so bad, as it could help outsiders deal with some "garbage" or some troublesome things—like refugees.

[The number doesn't need to be large; just put them in in small batches and let Twilight Street slowly "digest" them. This will greatly reduce the refugee pressure on other countries and also earn a good reputation—"Look, I've taken in so many refugees, aren't I kind? Come to me!"]

Then, select the "high-value targets" from among the people who come and leave them behind. As for the rest of the unnecessary troubles, slowly and gradually force them to Twilight Street to deal with them, and then repeat the above operation.

This is a very practical and cost-effective move, isn't it?

However, this "chaotic place," which the world tacitly allowed to exist, suddenly became peaceful and tranquil one day.

Whether it was the once filthy, neglected streets or the disastrously poor security... everything had changed, become different. Even the gangsters who were always fighting and killing had become polite, making one wonder if this place had suddenly become some kind of "strange place," or perhaps been taken over by the Honkai.

Meanwhile, observant people noticed that the people on Dusk Street... had become more difficult to deal with, or rather, more cunning.

Instead of using the simple and efficient "physical" means and threats they were once adept at, they have begun to employ "rules"—rules that are generally accepted. They even know how to use simple words and seemingly reasonable demands to solicit subsidies from other countries.

At first, this wasn't obvious, but as time went on, people outside noticed that the people of Dusk Street were becoming visibly more difficult to deal with, as if they had suddenly become more perceptive.

No... no, it should be said that they have become "united".

A group of gangsters, consisting mainly of violent criminals, suddenly "united," pooling their resources—originally used against other gangs within their own ranks—to focus on a common enemy.

Not only that, they seem to have amassed their strength and begun to "expand" outwards.

This doesn't refer to the area of ​​Twilight Street itself, but rather to the businesses operated by these gangs—those dirty, criminal businesses—which were gradually moved from Twilight Street to other parts of the outside world and began to rapidly transform.

Meanwhile, relying on their seemingly sudden enlightenment, the abundant martial virtue cultivated over a long period in Twilight Street, and their unusual "unity," the gangs that were originally fighting amongst themselves in Twilight Street began to "expand" recklessly in the outside world.

In the underworld, countless gangs were swallowed up. Even the old, powerful gangs were dealt with and destroyed by the guys from Twilight Street with an almost absurd level of efficiency. They also seized control of countless shady businesses.

[Not only that, they also learned to cultivate relationships with powerful figures or oligarchs, gaining or losing their support through concessions... or directly contacting certain restless governments, exchanging favors for their tacit approval or support.]

It's worth noting that those guys from Dusk Street are very polite during the day. Despite coming from that chaotic place and being unable to hide their menacing aura, they maintain excellent manners during the day. It's hard to find fault with them. Even if they are reprimanded or insulted, they won't retaliate. They will simply communicate and debate with each other like gentlemen, and their behavior is exceptionally law-abiding, making it virtually impossible to find fault with them.

However, when night falls, their methods become despicable and unscrupulous. Assassinations are commonplace, poisoning is a basic practice, and explosions are frequent occurrences. Moreover, their actions are swift and decisive, leaving virtually no trace.

People from the outside world suddenly discovered that Twilight Street was such a terrifying and troublesome place. More importantly, they had to endure frequent and inexplicable disasters, which would create refugees. And if the number of refugees became too large, some countries would be unwilling to accept them.

So, where will these refugees ultimately be accepted?

Yes, that cannibalistic place, that "garbage can" that everyone tacitly allows to exist, that "chaotic place"—Twilight Street.

This allowed Twilight Street's power to grow stronger and stronger. Coupled with its clever concessions, Twilight Street quickly became a force that was difficult for anyone to control.

[Even in some special places, in places where government functions have been lost, the gangs of Twilight Street have directly taken over the collapsed government, assumed the social functions that should have been the government, and started to manage the people who had fallen into chaos.]

More importantly, they actually did a pretty good job!

Aside from the initial use of violence to quell public panic, no one died as a result. Even those injured were treated by doctors, and if anyone went too far, the perpetrator would be retaliated with equivalent injuries... and treatment as well.

In the end, the people being managed actually felt... that being managed by them was actually not bad?

Gang members would assign jobs based on each person's strengths; if someone couldn't do that, they'd go to a "factory." There was always something needed to do. Although the "wages" were low and some jobs were dangerous, surprisingly, most people didn't think it was a big deal.

At least we can survive, right? — That's what many people think.