CHAPTER 120: 120 LIN BAI’S ADVANTAGE IS DISAPPEARING

"What if the Ruoxie Sect still tries to rob us halfway?" Peng Ze asked.

"We will keep retreating. If they are still not satisfied, we will have no choice but to settle things by force," said Lin Bai. "But by then, we will have justice on our side and can legitimately strike back at them."

"And the third point?" Daoist Qingming asked.

"The third is to let the sky-descended understand the unique characteristics of each Sect, so they can choose the one they like," Lin Bai said. "For instance, the Spirit Artifact Pavilion is proficient in Artifact Refining and can attract the sky-descended by showcasing their prized Magic Treasures. Medicine King Valley produces an abundance of Pill Medicines, so they can attract sky-descended who love Alchemy. Hundred Flower Valley is skilled in beauty and Shaping techniques; they might attract female sky-descended..."

"And here I thought it was some clever idea!" Zhao Yi sneered. "It’s just a common strategy. Isn’t it still about us showcasing our power?"

"Not power, but uniqueness," Lin Bai smiled. "There are so many sky-descended, and they won’t all arrive at the same time. Does Senior Brother Zhao intend to demonstrate a sword routine for every single one he meets?"

[Resentment from Zhao Yi; +1+1+1]

"Senior Brother Lin, what should we do then?" Jiang Qingqin asked.

"Only the sky-descended understand the sky-descended," Lin Bai smiled. "The core members of the Beggar Gang are all sky-descended. You all just need to clear the road between Foundation City and Qian City, and lure the Evil Sects in to recruit Apprentices. The rest can be left to the Beggar Gang to plan. I believe you have all seen the advertisement for Mu Ming’s milk as well. The members of the Beggar Gang aren’t interested in the open and hidden struggles of the Cultivation World, but they are quite proficient in the ways of commerce.

Letting them arrange the selection process for the sky-descended choosing their Sects will not only ensure that we can highlight the unique features of the Sects behind you, Senior Brothers, but also prevent you from overworking yourselves. Moreover, it guarantees that each Sect recruits the Disciples they truly desire..."

...

"A recruitment fair!" said Crazy Man.

"An intermediary service," said Bitter Melon Vine.

"A new advertising business," said Lonely Old Man.

"Are we going to make more money again?" The Players quickly realized the new business opportunity and excitedly discussed it in the team channel.

...

"Damn! Lin, the Storekeeper is actively drumming up business; the Beggar Gang is unstoppable on its money-making path!"

"Take one step ahead, and you’ll always be ahead. That’s the Beggar Gang for you."

"Can the brothers from the four Novice Villages under Qian City show some backbone? Don’t join Lin, the Storekeeper’s recruitment fair; let him stumble for once!"

"Not likely. Lin, the Storekeeper is working through the higher-ups. Didn’t you see he persuaded the major Sects first? If you want to Cultivate, you can’t get around the Beggar Gang."

"Why do you only see Lin, the Storekeeper making money and not the good things he’s doing for the majority of Players?"

"He’s opened up the path from the Novice Villages to high-level cities. If this plan succeeds, it will prevent Players from wasting time in the Novice Villages and allow them to directly enter the class selection process."

"He lured the Evil Sect into Qian City, allowing Players to freely choose the class they like. It won’t be passive like now, where you’re either abducted into an Evil Sect or can only choose a Righteous Faction. Lin, the Storekeeper has done a good thing!"

"Yeah! I just thought of it. The Players in Qian City and the four Novice Villages below are in for a treat!"

"I really wish Zhen City would also adopt Lin, the Storekeeper’s strategy. The Skills learned in the Novice Village are genuinely useless; it’s a total waste of time."

"First, it was Jiamucheng taking the lead because of Lin Bai, and now it’s Qian City. Wherever Lin, the Storekeeper goes, he makes that place thrive! Truly a man of destiny."

"This is probably the last time. Players have already figured out Lin, the Storekeeper’s tactics and methods. During this closed beta, a larger number of Players are entering, many organized by large corporations. Organized Players and unorganized ones can’t be compared. As far as I know, many financial groups have already invested heavily in the Novice Villages, buying up skill training spots like martial arts halls and blacksmith shops."

"No need for ’as far as I know’—it’s true. The Deer Mountain Group is one of the lucky ones in this test phase; they’ve secured nearly two hundred accounts. All two hundred accounts entered Yinmu City. Within a single day, through a monetary offensive, they bought out all the martial arts halls, thereby controlling all the Novice Players within Yinmu City and forming a massive guild."

"Compared to the Deer Mountain Group, Lin, the Storekeeper’s manpower in Qian City is far from adequate."

"If you have enough people learning Skills simultaneously with a clear division of labor, it’s incredibly easy to clear the path from Novice Villages to advanced cities. So, it’s really hard to say who will develop faster."

"Other major financial groups are doing the same. However, they’re not as lucky as the Deer Mountain Group. They don’t have as many accounts, but by throwing substantial amounts of money around, they can also make the NPCs in the Novice Villages submit."

"That’s the downside of intelligent NPCs; they can genuinely be swayed by money..."

"Isn’t Lin, the Storekeeper using the same tactic?"

"Lin, the Storekeeper is an NPC, after all. No matter how far he goes, a day will come when he’s overthrown. But what about the major financial groups? Who’s going to topple them?"

"Pay-to-win is unbeatable! They use money to squeeze the survival space of ordinary Players. They’re far more shameless than Lin, the Storekeeper."

"+1"

"+1"

"I’m already oppressed by capitalists in real life; I really don’t want to work for them in a game too. Suddenly, I don’t feel like playing this game anymore."

"Exactly! It was a good Xianxia game, and they’ve forcibly turned it into a pay-to-win game. My excitement has dropped significantly."

"Don’t be so pessimistic. Don’t the financial groups also use money to attract new Players? It’s not like they’re making you grind for them for life. They can only control the Novice Villages. Do they really think they can control higher-level cities too? Once you make it to the advanced cities, just shake them off and go solo!"

"Besides, when the sky-descended people form large groups, don’t you think it will provoke a backlash from the native NPCs? Whether it’s the state or the Sects, they all fear a ’tail wags the dog’ situation, right?"

"Financial groups entering the game has its pros and cons. We’ll have to see how they manage things."

"This game is becoming more and more like the modern world invading the Immortal World."

"Didn’t Lin, the Storekeeper say it? The arrival of the sky-descended signifies a calamity. He was sent out by the Righteous Door to face this tribulation."

"I thought it was a confrontation between the Righteous Faction and the Evil Sect, but it turns out to be a clash of civilizations between two worlds. The developers are geniuses!"

"Wrong. It’s a confrontation between humans and intelligent AI. If humans lose, we could face total annihilation, and the intelligent AI will broadcast it to the world. I’ve always said, this game, aiming for hyper-realism, is the game company’s final test for intelligent AI."

"The more you talk, the more it sounds like a conspiracy theory. Is it really so hard to just enjoy a game peacefully?"

"Anything can happen. After all, the West has the Continent of Gods and Demons; the game has already spread worldwide. If, one day, everyone who enters a gaming capsule can never log out, I wouldn’t be surprised."

"HOLY SHIT, don’t be so terrifying! We finally have a game that can replace sleep and extend life, and your conspiracy theories are ruining the mood! You’d be a global menace!"

"If the game had problems, how could the government allow it on the market? Those major financial groups have incredibly powerful connections. If there were a conspiracy, would they still pour money into it?"

...

"Lin, the Storekeeper, please allow us some time to consider," Daoist Qingming said, standing up. "This matter is of great importance, and it’s not for us to decide alone. Once everyone has discussed it and reached a consensus, we will give Lin, the Storekeeper our reply."

"That is perfectly understandable." Lin Bai smiled and clasped his fists towards them. "Please, take your leave. I shall not escort you far."

"You are too courteous, Lin, the Storekeeper," Daoist Qingming replied.

The moment they left, a notification for a completed task flashed in Lin Bai’s mind: [Eldest Brother’s Business Crisis (Completed); Reward: 30 Qi Yun (Issued)]