CHAPTER 121: UNDERHANDED SCHEMES

Players can’t keep secrets. After all, players come from all over the world, and offline communication is never as fast as online.

Having entered the game for more than ten days, they had initially adapted to its mechanics and no longer treated it entirely as a regular game of leveling up and killing monsters.

The game was currently at its peak popularity, and any new development would spark intense discussion among them. This concerned their future development. To maintain their advantage, they had to constantly pay attention to in-game news.

In this game, where a single move could affect the entire situation, playing solo was a dead-end.

「...」

"Shopkeeper Lin, about the recruitment event..." Mainstays of the Beggar Gang, such as Lonely Old Man and Crispy Rice, gathered in front of Lin Bai to ask for his opinion.

"You can just make the arrangements. You don’t have to ask me about everything." Lin Bai smiled. "I’ve already laid a good foundation for you; the rest is up to your efforts. If the Beggar Gang wants to grow, you mainstays—the Gang Leader, Vice Gang Leaders, the Nine-Bag Elder—must carve out a name for yourselves in the Jianghu."

"This disciple recruitment event, where you’ll interact with both Righteous Factions and Evil Sects, is an opportunity for you to enter the public eye." He glanced at the few people who had followed him and smiled. "Forcing Daoist Qingming to sit down and negotiate tonight was a good move. Use your advantages, expand the Beggar Gang’s influence step by step, and strive to make the Beggar Gang the number one gang in the world."

After resolving the Beggar Gang’s crisis, the mission issued by the Chief Supporting Role System changed to: help Big Brother advance his career, with a reward of 10 Qi Yun. Consequently, Lin Bai decided to let go.

The main force of the Beggar Gang consisted of Players. He then imparted the ’Nine-Days True Scripture’ and the ’Dragonfall Palm’.

Over sixty disciples of the Beggar Gang had come to Qian City. Most of them had learned the complete ’Nine-Days True Scripture’, and almost half had nearly mastered the ’Dragonfall Palm’. Although Players needed proficiency to use the ’Dragonfall Palm’, their Inner Strength grew quickly, they were numerous, and they were willing to work hard to grind their proficiency.

Lin Bai, with over a hundred years of Inner Strength, could single-handedly suppress and beat seven disciples of the Blood Shadow Sect. One day of cultivation for a Player was equivalent to a year for an ordinary person. So after five days, the sixty-plus disciples of the Beggar Gang would collectively possess over three hundred years of Inner Strength. It was estimated that it wouldn’t take long for their proficiency with the ’Dragonfall Palm’ to increase as well.

Faced with such a force supporting him, even he would probably have to give them a wide berth.

When the Beggar Gang disciples united, their sheer power would be enough to give the NPCs of Qian City’s major sects a run for their money.

Letting such a core group stagnate, keeping them at home gathering dust instead of developing themselves, wasn’t Lin Bai’s style! If he controlled their Skills and then their gaming experience too tightly, and things went wrong, these players might turn on him.

「...」

Besides, Lin Bai also had to find ways to increase his own strength. Otherwise, once the Players matured, he wouldn’t be able to show off anymore.

From the Players, Lin Bai knew the Temperament Fruit had taken effect. In their private chats, nearly half of them had mentioned his change. The +10 Personal Charm from the Temperament Fruit also likely played a decisive role in his smooth negotiations with Daoist Qingming.

Unfortunately, the collection of positive Emotion Value was too slow; only the disciples of the Beggar Gang were stably providing him with it. Otherwise, he could have taken eight or ten Temperament Fruits, boosting his Personal Charm to the point where everyone loved him and flowers bloomed in his presence, and he could conquer the world purely based on his Personal Charm.

As for the consortium establishing a strong presence and rapidly developing in the Novice Village, Lin Bai paid it no mind; he couldn’t control it even if he wanted to. After all, his energy was limited. The world was vast and filled with talented individuals. He couldn’t possibly handle everything himself. When necessary, he had to compel the NPCs to act. This was their world. Only by letting the Players throw this world into chaos, making the NPCs suffer and learn the hard way, could he then fish in troubled waters and reap the benefits.

「...」

Currently, Lin Bai had activated eleven Systems. Most were either developing on their own or had been sidelined by him due to their ineffectiveness. The only Systems that could rapidly boost his strength were the God of Craftsmen System and the Peerless Divine Doctor System, along with the Everything Has Shortcomings System, which had rewarded him with the Art of Separation.

However, firstly, Lin Bai wasn’t very interested in the Art of Separation. Secondly, even if he gained full popularity in Qian City and held an exhibition of flaws, gathering more than four thousand people wouldn’t be easy. He might as well take advantage of the Beggar Gang’s efforts to build its reputation and focus his specialized attention on the God of Craftsmen System and the God Doctor System. It would be best if he could also tinker with a few more Dan Fang or create some Magic Treasures. After all, in the eyes of outsiders, there was little difference between the Beggar Gang and him.

「...」

Lin Bai delegated the planning of the recruitment fair to Crispy Rice. He then took Master Refiner and Miracle Doctor Flower, along with his own disciple Dumbelldore, to assist him in Artifact Refining and studying Dan Fang. The two Players were professionals, and Lin Bai hoped to gain some inspiration from them. As for Dumbelldore, he didn’t need to socialize; he just needed to practice his martial arts and fulfill his duty as a "power bank."

"Little Flower, this is the Dan Fang for the Revitalizing Pill. Refine it yourself first to get familiar with the process," Lin Bai wrote out the Dan Fang for the Revitalizing Pill and handed it to Miracle Doctor Flower. "Once you can successfully refine the Revitalizing Pill, try to improve upon its Dan Fang. Strive to research a unique Dan Fang. I remember you’re quite skilled at researching poisons; you could try to create a Dan Fang for a Poison Pill based on this Dan Fang. If you can research a new Dan Fang, I will teach you the Controlling Fire Technique."

Miracle Doctor Flower had learned the Basic Pill Refinement Technique from Lin Bai, but unfortunately, he had no Dan Fang, so he couldn’t even grind his proficiency. Suddenly, Shopkeeper Lin gave him a Dan Fang for the Revitalizing Pill, naturally making him overjoyed. Now, having received a new task to research a new Dan Fang, with the Controlling Fire Technique as a reward, he was even more ecstatic. After contributing a wave of positive Emotion Value to Lin Bai, he happily went off to grind his proficiency in refining the Revitalizing Pill.

"Shopkeeper Lin, what about me?" Master Refiner asked, rubbing his hands together as he looked enviously at Miracle Doctor Flower. He had already maxed out his basic Blacksmith Skills in Jiamucheng.

At first, watching Lin Bai practice blacksmithing from novice to expert in the Blacksmith Shop, he had thought Lin Bai was also a half-baked craftsman. He had even considered switching sects to the Spirit Artifact Pavilion upon reaching Qian City to formally learn Artifact Refining, but he couldn’t bear to lose the benefits from the Beggar Gang. Unexpectedly, Lin Bai actually gave him the ’Basic Theory of Magic Treasures’, which made him see Lin Bai in a new light. It could be said that among all the Players, apart from Dumbelldore, he was the second one to wholeheartedly believe in the Righteous Door.

"You’ve seen my Arrow of Rejuvenation, and I’ve also taught you the ’Basic Theory of Magic Treasures’. Next, help me research a fire-attribute Magic Treasure." Lin Bai smiled at Master Refiner. "If you succeed, I’ll reward you as well."

"Does the Arrow of Rejuvenation count as a Magic Treasure?" Master Refiner recalled the Blood Shadow Sect’s senior disciple who had been dominated by the Arrow of Rejuvenation, a dark expression crossing his face.

"It provides long-range support, can heal, and can harm enemies. Why wouldn’t it count as a Magic Treasure?" Lin Bai said. "Don’t be constrained by the techniques of those Artifact Refining sects. If you follow their path, no matter how proficient you become, you’ll never surpass them. What we in the Righteous Door advocate is pioneering innovation and maintaining fresh ideas. Only then can you possibly become a true master."

Master Refiner looked at Lin Bai, his expression somewhat odd. After a moment, he stammered, "Shopkeeper Lin, if the Arrow of Rejuvenation can be considered a Magic Treasure, I have a design for a Flame Spray Gun that should also qualify as a Magic Treasure."

Dumbelldore glanced strangely at Master Refiner but said nothing.

"Let’s hear it," Lin Bai said.

"Craft a sealed container, fill it with flammable oil, design an ignition switch, flip the switch, and ignite the oil..." Master Refiner looked at Lin Bai, his voice growing softer as he spoke. At this moment, he felt a little guilty, as if he were trying to fool an NPC. Shopkeeper Lin is so astute; he’ll definitely be angry with me!

Unexpectedly, Lin Bai’s reaction completely surprised Master Refiner. He snapped his fingers. "Good, let’s make this!"

Isn’t that just a lighter? If it can spray fire, why can’t it be considered a fire-attribute Magic Treasure! Does it matter if it’s practical? If the Players fool him, he’ll fool the System. Let’s get the task reward first. Once he gets the System reward, he’ll be a true master of Artifact Refining. When he has real skills, then he can craft Magic Treasures like the Nine Dragons Fire Cover or the Fire Spear...

This works too? Dumbelldore was dumbfounded.

He swallowed and tentatively asked, "Master, what about me? How can I help?"

"Master the ’Dragonfall Palm’ to Great Accomplishment. Afterward, I’ll teach you new Martial Arts," Lin Bai glanced at Dumbelldore and casually instructed.

The Mentor System had been quiet for a while. However, after he taught the complete ’Dragonfall Palm’ to Dumbelldore, a progress bar for the ’Dragonfall Palm’ suddenly appeared next to Dumbelldore’s name. This made Lin Bai suspect that once Dumbelldore mastered it, the Mentor System would open up a slot for a second disciple!

Previously, the ’Nine-Days True Scripture’ Lin Bai had taught Dumbelldore was incomplete, and the Straight Saber Cut was just one of twenty-two saber techniques. It was highly probable that teaching these incomplete techniques made the System judge that he hadn’t fulfilled his role as a teacher, causing it to stagnate and leading him to mistakenly believe that virtue was the criterion for evaluating disciples. Although the name of this version of the ’Dragonfall Palm’ was incomplete, and the dragons it manifested were also incomplete, it was indeed a complete set of Martial Arts...

「At the Supervisory Immortal Office.」

After hearing an account of the challenge, the leaders of the five major sects fell silent.

Daoist Qingling frowned. "Junior Brother Qingming, you mean to say you didn’t even try to probe Lin Bai?"

Daoist Qingming looked embarrassed and said awkwardly, "Senior Brother, you didn’t see Lin Bai’s demeanor. Although he might not be on par with the Daozi of the Heavenly Dao Sect, he’s not far off. I wanted to glean more inside information about the Righteous Door from him, and somehow, I forgot about testing him."

"Righteous Door, Righteous Door! I say you’ve all been bewitched by that little rascal!" Daoist Qingling slammed his hand on the table angrily. "If you had sparred with him under the guise of a friendly match, at least we wouldn’t have come away with nothing!"

"Senior Brother, I couldn’t discern Lin Bai’s cultivation." Daoist Qingming looked strangely at his senior brother. "Fairy Jiang from Hundred Flower Valley said Lin Bai hadn’t formed a Golden Core, but I used my spiritual sense to scan Lin Bai and was completely unable to perceive his cultivation. I suspect either he has achieved Dao through Martial Arts, or his spiritual sense surpasses mine..."

"Achieved Dao through Martial Arts? His spiritual sense surpasses yours? Are you truly comparing him to a Daozi?" Daoist Qingling said. "A Magic Treasure can still block the probing of spiritual sense. Why are you so obtuse..."

"Martial Uncle Qingling, why do you harbor such strong animosity towards Shopkeeper Lin?" Jiang Qingqin looked at Daoist Qingling with confusion. "I think Shopkeeper Lin’s plan makes a lot of sense. Shopkeeper Lin has never shown any ill will towards us. Making an enemy of him, besides offending the Righteous Door, brings no benefits. Shouldn’t our priority be to find ways to recruit these Descended Ones for our sects?"

Daoist Qingling glared at Daoist Qingming and fell silent. Daoist Qingming, on his part, found his Senior Brother’s anger rather baffling; he clearly hadn’t done anything wrong that evening!

"I also think Shopkeeper Lin’s proposal is good," Sun Lie said leisurely. "The Descended Ones in the Beggar Gang are of one mind; it’s impossible to persuade them to join our sects. It might be better to use them to recruit more Descended Ones for our sects."

"But Lin Bai suggested letting the Evil Sects also set up in Qian City," Zhao Yi said coldly.

"What does it matter?" Sun Lie replied. "Isn’t it better to bring the Evil Sects into the open where they can be monitored, rather than having them secretly intercept the Descended Ones on the roads? Our aim is to use the Descended Ones to confront the Evil Door, not to compete with them on the road for recruits."

AHEM!

The Scholar, who had been observing from the sidelines all this time, thus drew everyone’s attention and said softly, "To be frank with you all, a few days ago, the Blood Shadow Sect, Waning Sun Gate, Blood Separation Sect, Mysterious Darkness Cult, and other sects have been in discussions with the City Lord. They wish to establish recruitment points within the city, just like you. However, the City Lord has been holding off on approving their requests due to their reputations."

"Since Shopkeeper Lin has also made the same suggestion, I think we might as well give it a try. Master Sun is correct; it’s much better to have conflicts out in the open than to fight each other in secret. If none of you have any objections, I will report today’s proceedings to the City Lord."

Daoist Qingling remained silent. Tong Cha, the representative of the Morning Yuan Sword Sect, also said nothing.

"Spirit Artifact Pavilion agrees," Wang Jingtian said, glancing at his disciple and raising his hand.

"Medicine King Valley agrees as well, I suppose!" Cao Ruan chuckled nonchalantly.

Jiang Qingqin gently tugged at her master’s sleeve from behind. Jiang Yuru sighed softly. "Hundred Flower Valley agrees."

"Martial Uncle Qingling, I don’t understand why you hold such a strong prejudice against Shopkeeper Lin," Peng Ze said, looking at Daoist Qingling with a smile. "But I think bringing the Evil Door into Qian City is a good thing. Don’t forget, Lin Bai single-handedly repelled seven members of the Blood Shadow Sect. Given the Blood Shadow Sect’s vengeful nature, once they enter the city, Shopkeeper Lin will likely have his hands full."

"By then, perhaps we won’t even need to lift a finger; Shopkeeper Lin will have enough trouble to deal with. If we insist on making an enemy of Shopkeeper Lin and provoke him enough that he decides to help the Descended Ones join the Evil Sects, we’ll end up losing more than we gain."

"Return to Dragon View agrees," Daoist Qingling huffed impatiently.

"Morning Yuan Sword Sect agrees," Tong Cha said blandly after looking around.

"In that case, let’s adjourn for today!" The Scholar sitting at the head of the table smiled, stood up, and cupped his fists towards everyone. "I shall go and report this matter to the City Lord’s Mansion."

「Later, outside the Supervisory Immortal Office.」

"Senior Brother, what’s wrong?" Daoist Qingming asked in confusion after they left the Supervisory Immortal Office.

"Lin Bai has occupied the Spiritual World Gap in Jiamucheng." Daoist Qingling’s face was exceptionally grim as he lowered his voice. "If we don’t eliminate Lin Bai soon, once he grows powerful, I’m afraid we’ll never be able to recover the Spiritual World Gap."

"..." Daoist Qingming paused. "Junior Brother Qing Feng, he..."

"Don’t mention that fool!" Daoist Qingling snorted. "If he had reported the news about the Spiritual World Gap being occupied to Return to Dragon View promptly, it wouldn’t have escalated to this irreparable state."

"Senior Brother, what should we do then?" Daoist Qingming finally realized the gravity of the situation.

"Find an opportunity to eliminate Lin Bai," Daoist Qingling said. "As for the Spiritual World Gap, keep it secret for as long as possible. In any case, it must not fall into the hands of outsiders."

"But Lin Bai said he is a Chosen One," Daoist Qingming stated.

"You believe whatever he says? So what if he’s a Chosen One?" Daoist Qingling retorted. "We have the Heavenly Dao Sect backing us, the leader of the Seven Orthodox Sects. To the current Cultivation World, the Seven Orthodox Sects are the heavens..."

「Elsewhere.」

At the Hundred Flower Valley’s encampment.

Jiang Yuru was also questioning Jiang Qingqin: "Speak. What are you hiding from your master?"

"Master, the Righteous Door truly exists, and it’s likely a major hidden sect," Jiang Qingqin said. "Besides Martial Arts, Lin Bai has also mastered the Alchemy Technique. Moreover, he knows Lei Fa and the Wind Riding Art. During the battle with the Blood Shadow Sect, I didn’t make a move. He single-handedly crushed seven members of the Blood Shadow Sect in an instant. And..."

She blushed and hesitated for a moment. Under Jiang Yuru’s puzzled gaze, she gritted her teeth. "And, he also taught me a peerless divine technique called ’Spoken Law Follows’."