In order to maintain realism, players couldn't engage in private chats over long distances within the game.

Their options for communication over thousands of miles were limited to two methods: they could either interact via email on offline forums, or one of them could start an encrypted live broadcast online for the others to watch offline.

Neither method was particularly convenient, but it was still far more efficient than NPC communications.

Through their disjointed conversation, Lin Bai understood the Lonely Old Man's plan, and the Lonely Old Man, in turn, grasped Lin Bai's attitude.

They hit it off immediately.

However, the actual execution would depend on the players' actions and strategies.

Regarding this, Lin Bai didn't plan to interfere.

As long as it aligned with his mission objectives and offered him benefits, he was content to be a mere tool.

Players are playing a game; they should be allowed to experience its joys, shouldn't they?

Lin Bai relished this win-win scenario.

Provided it allowed him to live comfortably in this world, Lin Bai didn't mind coexisting peacefully with the players.

Of course, the primary condition was ensuring his own safety.

Just as Lin Bai had told the City Lord, the players' growth had to be restricted.

At the very least, their advancement needed to be slower than his.

Otherwise, when powerful players grew bored, he could transform from a storyline NPC into a boss, devolving from a tool into a mere toy.

...

"Excluding those in seclusion or wandering, Return to Dragon View currently has over one hundred thirty Golden Core disciples and more than two thousand disciples below the Golden Core realm who handle the various miscellaneous affairs of the sect..."

"The Master is named Dao Xu. He possesses Nascent Soul cultivation and is currently in seclusion, contemplating Taoist law. His eldest disciple, Qing Yu, who is at the peak of the Golden Core realm and could undergo his Tribulation to reach the Nascent Soul realm at any moment, is in charge of managing the sect's overall affairs..."

"Dragon Breath and the others have already gained Qing Yu's trust and are currently persuading him to mobilize all forces to ambush you..."

"Considering the speed of Golden Core cultivators, along with their planning and preparation, they should be able to reach Qian City in about fourteen to sixteen hours..."

"It's confirmed. Daoist Qing Yu is leading a hundred Golden Core cultivators to attack overnight. They intend to restore Return to Dragon View's reputation before the Five Evil Sects can act. Upon arrival, they will set an ambush on West Mountain. As soon as Dragon Breath lures you out, they will strike..."

"Our plan is to first... return to our own world. Then, when the cultivators from Return to Dragon View believe victory is within their grasp, we'll all log back in simultaneously and chant the incantation for Palm Thunder, catching them all in one fell swoop. Afterward, we'll select the Beggar Gang disciples with the highest cultivation levels to launch a swift surprise attack on Return to Dragon View..."

"Our travel speed is too slow. It would be even better if Storekeeper Lin could teach us the Wind Riding Art..."

...

At dusk, the Lonely Old Man frequently logged off to relay all the plans to Lin Bai.

Lin Bai mentally reviewed the strategy and found that the plan devised by the Lonely Old Man had a very high probability of success.

The only drawback was the Beggar Gang disciples' insufficient cultivation levels; they were entirely dependent on his Palm Thunder. If he failed, the entire Beggar Gang would undoubtedly disintegrate, relentlessly hunted by an enraged Return to Dragon View until they were forced to quit the game.

Another unpredictable element was Daoist Dao Xu of Return to Dragon View, who was in seclusion. Lin Bai was unsure of the power disparity between a Nascent Soul cultivator and a Golden Core cultivator.

Currently, it wasn't the opportune moment to wage war against Return to Dragon View, but events had progressed to this critical juncture.

If he didn't attack Return to Dragon View, the Five Evil Sects would target him instead.

Therefore, annihilating Return to Dragon View to establish his dominance was already the best available option.

The Beggar Gang relied on Lin Bai, but wasn't Lin Bai also, to some extent, relying on these Beggar Gang disciples?

...

As night fell, a notification of task completion finally appeared in Lin Bai's mind. He had earned a reward from the Great Language System: Vocal Techniques.

This was a true vocal mimicry skill, allowing him to imitate others' pronunciation and intonation. The System had directly granted him the Grandmastery realm, enabling him to flawlessly mimic men, women, birds, beasts, insects, and fish—so perfectly that the imitation was indistinguishable from the real thing.

Combined with Ventriloquism, Lin Bai could single-handedly perform a multi-character comedic dialogue.

[Honesty is the First Element: You have experienced the charm of lies. The truth is often the hardest to hear, and reality the most painful to accept, yet the world cannot exist without truth. Speak what is, as it is. This will allow you to truly see the world. Please speak only the truth for the next 24 hours. Reward: Truth-telling Technique (Once a day, you can compel one designated person to speak the truth).]

Once the lying task was completed, the Great Language System immediately launched a new one.

Then, Lin Bai fell silent.

He could effortlessly utter warm words, abusive language, sweet nothings, and even lies. While the process might be somewhat awkward, it wouldn't cause him any significant loss.

Only truth was Lin Bai's Achilles' heel. Truth was always the most hurtful and the easiest way to offend people.

But the Truth-telling Technique looked incredibly tempting!

Although it could only be used on one person per day, this spell, if wielded skillfully, could undoubtedly turn the tables. In this world, how many people were truly as they appeared on the surface?

Do it! Lin Bai made up his mind immediately.

Exchanging one day of speaking the truth for the power to make others speak the truth at any time—it was worth it, no matter how he calculated it!

He, Lin Bai, a distinguished master of systems, when had he ever been afraid of offending people?

Speaking bluntly was also one of his strengths, and it could conveniently help him gather negative emotions!

But before undertaking the task, certain matters needed to be clarified. After all, Lin Bai was no longer a solitary figure.

He first found the Little White Fox, who was diligently practicing her cultivation. "Xiao Bai, we are about to face many formidable enemies. I must cultivate Spoken Law Follows. During this process, if anything I say offends you, please don't take it to heart, because none of it will be real."

"I understand!" The Little White Fox recalled the endless stream of sweet nothings in the forest the previous night, and her small face flushed inexplicably. "Master, you don't need to emphasize it to me. I don't mind anything you do to me."

"That's good." Lin Bai smiled, glanced at the Little Fox, and then at the daily tasks in his Pet System. He cleared his throat lightly. "Xiao Bai, I think you should go relieve yourself!"

Although the affinity with Foxes wouldn't decrease, there was no harm in increasing it as much as possible.

The Little White Fox's face reddened slightly. She reverted from her human form to her fox form and, with a few leaps, disappeared from Lin Bai's sight. She had been trained by Lin Bai to be quite thick-skinned, but after her transformation, she had suddenly become aware of shyness. There were certain things she didn't want Lin Bai to see...

...

"Qing Qin, for the next day, I will be cultivating Spoken Law Follows. If I say anything inappropriate, please don't take it to heart," Lin Bai found Jiang Qingqin and instructed her.

"It's fine, say whatever you want. I won't be able to hear it anyway," Jiang Qingqin glanced at Lin Bai and said with a smile.

"Are you returning to the Hundred Flower Valley's encampment?" Lin Bai asked.

"Yes." Jiang Qingqin nodded and looked at Lin Bai with a hint of pride. "After our conversation today, the knot in my heart unraveled. My spiritual energy has been stirring all day, and I feel like I'm about to undergo Core Formation. I know the cultivation technique for Core Formation, but there are some precautions I'm unclear about. I need to go back and ask my master, and have her protect me during the process. Although I disapprove of my master's actions, she is, after all, my master. You won't mind, will you?"

"That's wonderful news! Why would I mind you achieving the Golden Core realm?" Lin Bai laughed.

"Then, what kind of woman do you prefer?" Jiang Qingqin's face suddenly turned red. She clasped her hands together, not daring to look at Lin Bai. "You know, the Hundred Flower Valley's cultivation technique allows for one opportunity for Shaping after achieving the Golden Core. I can transform myself into the type of woman you like..."

Lin Bai was stunned.

Jiang Qingqin said shyly, "Back when Xiao Bai transformed, you made so many requests of her. You can tell me yours as well."

"Xiao Bai is a fox; she didn't know what form she should take, so I guided her. You're already perfect. Your current appearance is wonderful; there's no need for any changes," Lin Bai said, relieved that he hadn't started the truth-speaking task yet. Sweet words flowed effortlessly from his throat.

"Then I'll just make some slight modifications based on my current appearance." Jiang Qingqin looked at Lin Bai, her eyes seemingly brimming with honey. She moved closer to him and whispered, her voice barely audible, "Actually, even if you don't tell me, I know what you want. I know my own shortcomings. I'll make myself a bit... larger..."

"..." Lin Bai instinctively glanced at her chest. "Just don't let it affect your combat ability."

"You're terrible!" Jiang Qingqin shot Lin Bai a playful glare and gave him a light hug. "I'm leaving now. I'll give you a surprise when we meet again."

"Being all-natural is quite good too!" Lin Bai muttered to himself as he watched Jiang Qingqin's departing figure, reining in the thoughts she had stirred within him.

The great battle was imminent, and he could not allow his emotions to cloud his judgment.

Moreover, to be honest, Jiang Qingqin was infatuated, but the Hundred Flower Valley still loomed behind her.

Even though she repeatedly spoke of staying with the Beggar Gang permanently, how could she truly sever ties with the place that had imparted its skills to her?

If that were truly possible, the Hundred Flower Valley would have been devoured long ago.

Lin Bai wasn't optimistic about this relationship. Given the nature of the Beggar Gang's disciples, once they tasted power, they would inevitably unify all the surrounding sects of Qian City.

Players and native sects were inherently adversarial.

Furthermore, if no new players joined, the Beggar Gang could be considered a dominant force; their unification of the area would be almost inevitable.

Besides, System tasks were compelling their leader to become the world's number one.

...

Under the players' manipulation, Daoist Qingyu, the acting master of Return to Dragon View, led more than a hundred Golden Core disciples towards Qian City in a grand procession.

Dragon Breath had misjudged Daoist Qingyu. Given the involvement of the Spiritual World Gap and the "heaven-born individuals," Return to Dragon View would never seek peace with Lin Bai.

Their backing was the Heavenly Dao Sect, the foremost righteous faction.

They possessed their own pride and confidence.

Killing Lin Bai before the Evil Sects could, thereby gaining fame for Return to Dragon View and, incidentally, re-dividing the "heaven-born individuals," was in Return to Dragon View's best interest.

Whether righteous or evil, factions in the Cultivation World established their standing and reputation through relentless struggle, not by concession.

Daoist Qingyu had thoroughly investigated the events of the recruitment fair and deduced that Lin Bai's strength was roughly comparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator.

He primarily relied on Palm Thunder and some artifact-breaking weapon.

By isolating Lin Bai from the aid of the "heaven-born individuals," even at the cost of a few magic treasures, over a hundred Golden Core cultivators would be more than enough to overwhelm and kill him.

What ultimately convinced Daoist Qingyu to attack was Dragon Breath's persuasion.

Even before the recruitment fair, Dragon Breath, who had endured great hardships to reach Return to Dragon View, had advised him that only an all-out assault could kill Lin Bai. However, he hadn't taken it seriously at the time.

After all, Qing Ling had been in charge of the overall situation back then.

But he would never have imagined that Lin Bai would actually dare to eliminate Qing Ling along with the five evil doors.

The same strategy proposed by a single individual consistently raised no suspicions. Moreover, Dragon Breath had been within Return to Dragon View throughout, leaving Qingyu with no discernible reason to suspect betrayal.

...

At the same time, the Lonely Old Man was also hastily leading the members of the Beggar Gang in preparations for the decisive battle against Return to Dragon View.

The three thousand disciples of the Beggar Gang had reassembled and were given new tasks and confidentiality rules.

For players, confidentiality rules were practically non-existent.

After all, their every move was monitored, let alone the mobilization of three thousand individuals.

The Lonely Old Man hadn't intended to hide their movements from the city's inhabitants either. It was acceptable for others to know the Beggar Gang was undertaking a new operation, as long as outsiders remained unaware that their target was Return to Dragon View.

He needed a one-night head start. Once the battle with Return to Dragon View truly began, it would be too late for other players and sects to intervene and cause trouble.

The Lonely Old Man knew this action would make the Beggar Gang a public enemy, but the current situation was forcing his hand. If the Beggar Gang didn't strike, Return to Dragon View and the five major evil doors would eventually attack them.

Since it was unavoidable, it was better to take the initiative.

In the game, controlling resources was paramount. As long as the Beggar Gang maintained their lead, others wouldn't be able to catch up.

Like Lin Bai, the Lonely Old Man also harbored the dream of building the game's number one gang, even if he wasn't its Gang Leader.

Currently, they were leveraging Lin Bai to strengthen themselves.

In the future, once the Beggar Gang grew powerful enough, they could just as easily cast Lin Bai aside. If they could fight Return to Dragon View, they could fight the Righteous Door. Who decreed that one had to join the Righteous Door to learn skills?

...

The Beggar Gang possessed a token from the Supervisory Immortal Office, allowing them convenient passage through the city gates. Wave after wave of Beggar Gang disciples, carrying bows and arrows and brandishing torches, exited the city gates and vanished into the mountain forests.

...

"What are the Beggar Gang members planning?" Zhao Yi noticed the Beggar Gang's movements, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. He immediately found a player and asked.

"No idea." No.1 Sword Immortal shook his head. They had also noticed the Beggar Gang's actions, logged off, and checked the forums, but there was no news, nor were any Beggar Gang members live-streaming.

"Are the Evil Sect members about to attack?" Sun One Day frowned and asked, simultaneously initiating a private chat. "Are there any players left in those few Evil Sects? Why is there no activity at all?"

"What players? Lin Bai wiped them all out long ago," Lord said. "When Lin Bai recruits next, perhaps we should plant a few undercover agents. Otherwise, we're too passive. The NPCs of our sects are like blind men, relying entirely on us for information. They're so inept. It always feels like the Beggar Gang is one step ahead of us, as if we're not even playing the same game."

"One step behind, always behind. Our NPCs can't hold their own like Lin Bai does!" No.1 Sword Immortal said impassively. "Are there any players from Fiore City who haven't come over yet? Tell them to find a way to join the Beggar Gang!"

"None of you know?" Zhao Yi asked.

"Senior Brother Zhao, wouldn't we find out if we just followed them and took a look?" No.1 Sword Immortal replied, undisguised contempt in his eyes. "Senior Brother Zhao, if you're afraid of dying, then let us go..."

"Fine, you go then," Zhao Yi said after glancing at him. "Contact me immediately if you get any useful information. It would be best to inform Senior Brother Tong about the Beggar Gang's unusual activities. He's at the Morning Yuan Sword Sect; perhaps he knows something. I'll go to the other sects to gather information..."

...

The Beggar Gang's activities were too conspicuous. Guo Yuan didn't summon Lin Bai; instead, he and his advisors rushed to find the Beggar Gang. Upon locating Lin Bai, he asked bluntly, "Storekeeper Lin, what are you planning to do now?"

"Annihilate Return to Dragon View." The arrow was nocked; it had to be fired. Lin Bai was racing against time to complete his tasks and didn't intend to delay for days as he had with the lying task.

"Attack Return to Dragon View?" Guo Yuan was stunned. A wave of exhaustion washed over him. He didn't understand why the Commandery Princess had chosen such a person—so prone to stirring up trouble, giving him no chance to breathe!

"Yes, we've arranged an inside-outside coordinated plan. We've lured the Taoists from Return to Dragon View to Qian City and intend to capture them all. I hope the City Lord won't tell anyone else."

The Great Language System's task had a quota, so Lin Bai didn't mind speaking a few more truths to the City Lord.

The old City Lord and Return to Dragon View were not aligned. He was one of the few NPCs who could hear Lin Bai speak the truth without major repercussions.

Guo Yuan took a deep breath and said, "I just warned you yesterday, 'What is too rigid will easily break.' Why don't you ever listen?"

Lin Bai looked at the City Lord. "Because I didn't take what you said seriously at all!"

"You..." Guo Yuan was momentarily speechless, glaring at Lin Bai. "Fine. Since you didn't take my words seriously, why did you tell me about the Return to Dragon View matter? Are you so certain I will support you?"

Damn, how should I answer this?

After a moment's thought, Lin Bai smiled and said, "Because you asked me!"

The City Lord was so angry he laughed. "So if I ask you, you'll just tell me?!"

Lin Bai nodded. "Yes."

Guo Yuan stared intently at Lin Bai, then sneered and asked, "Fine. Tell me, where is the Righteous Door?"

Lin Bai looked at Guo Yuan, shook his head, and chuckled. "There's no such thing as the Righteous Door in this world. I made it all up to deceive you..."

[Resentment from Guo Yuan; +1+1+1]

"..." Guo Yuan snorted. "Lin Bai, you'd better watch yourself! Causing a commotion is one thing, but I don't want you playing with fire, and I certainly don't want you bringing disaster upon Qian City. Otherwise, I don't care what mission you're supposedly carrying; I'll be the first one who won't spare you."

Having said that, Guo Yuan stormed off angrily.

Watching Guo Yuan's retreating figure, Lin Bai sighed silently to himself. See? Telling the truth really does offend people! If it were yesterday, I definitely would have sweet-talked the old City Lord into a state of delight. And choosing the battlefield outside the city, isn't that being considerate of Qian City's commoners?