Ahem!

Lin Bai coughed.

Daojing, standing next to him with a dark face, awkwardly lifted the wooden sign in his hand. It read, "Elder Daojing."

Dao Kong then also held up his wooden sign.

"Tiger Martial Arts Field Housemaster Qing Lin," "Pill Appointment Chamber Housemaster Qing Meng," "Spirit Says Housemaster Qing Zheng," "Sutra Depository Housemaster Qing Shui," "Outer Sect Housemaster Qing Lian"...

That's right.

To allow the Players to quickly identify the NPCs' roles, Lin Bai had deliberately made them display signs with their names.

The resentment rolling through his mind like a waterfall let Lin Bai know this wasn't exactly a popular move.

However, who cared?

Establishing authority through small things, getting subordinates accustomed to his ways... This is a necessary growth process for a leader. Am I supposed to have heart-to-heart talks with each of them?

...

"Pfft! This is too damn humanized!"

"I feel an odd sense of familiarity with this."

"Lin, the Storekeeper is making the game revert to its roots. As it turns out, NPCs *should* have their names displayed above them. It's just common sense."

"It doesn't conflict with realism. After all, they're using wooden signs."

"Wherever he goes, destruction follows. Lin, the Storekeeper is really obsessed with the 'art of incompleteness,' isn't he?"

...

Flying shuttles, Sword Boats, and Floating ships landed in the plaza before the mountain gate.

The Players disembarked one after another, their faces alight with excitement. Lin, the Storekeeper, taking over Return to Dragon View meant they had truly stepped into the Cultivation World. There was no reason not to be happy.

...

"...Lin, the Storekeeper, possesses an imposing demeanor! First, he vanquished Return to Dragon View outside Qian City, and then single-handedly seized the entire stronghold. Such combat prowess is rarely seen throughout history. He is truly a dragon among men!"

"To follow Lin, the Storekeeper, is a blessing I've accumulated over three lifetimes. If there's one person in this world I would trust, it must be Lin, the Storekeeper."

"Everyone hopes to meet their destined person in the prime of their life. Upon seeing you, Daoist, I finally understand what the 'prime of life' truly means."

"Daoist, though you are silent, I can still sense the majesty of your spirit through your resolute countenance. You are like the purest cloud drifting above snow-capped peaks, bringing peace to the hearts of all."

"Lady Hua Xi, from the first moment I saw you, your beauty captured my heart, leaving me sleepless. Even if I were so poor as to have nothing left but my life, I would still willingly give that life to love you."

...

As the Players disembarked from their vessels, Lin Bai, the Taoists of Return to Dragon View, even the dazed Dao Xu and Lady Hua Xi—every notable native—was simultaneously bombarded by an overwhelming wave of flattery.

Having spent an entire day showering their companions with sweet nothings, the Players were thoroughly sick of it. Finally encountering strangers, they naturally wanted to switch things up and inject some novelty.

Once cultivation of Spoken Law Follows began, if it was interrupted before a Skill prompt appeared, all previous effort would be wasted. Naturally, the Players didn't want a full day and night of work to go down the drain. After all, Lin, the Storekeeper, had only "spread warmth" for a day and a night before entering the second stage of cultivation. Now, at this most crucial juncture, no one was willing to give up.

As for whether this would offend Lin, the Storekeeper? Lin Bai himself was a madcap; if the beam on top is crooked, the ones below will be too. They were practicing the Martial Arts Lin Bai had assigned, an act of proactive dedication. Surely, Lin Bai wouldn't expel them from the gang over such a triviality. Besides, the Players could communicate privately amongst themselves; practicing Spoken Law Follows didn't hinder their personal interactions at all.

...

The Taoists of Return to Dragon View had never witnessed such a spectacle. They stood frozen in place, utterly bewildered.

Are these the heaven-sent individuals they had been eagerly anticipating? They had considered Lin Bai eccentric enough, but compared to these beings, he seemed relatively normal... Some Taoists had initially schemed to use these heaven-sent people to cause trouble for Lin Bai, but upon observing their behavior, they instantly abandoned the notion.

...

"Hahaha, the NPCs are completely baffled!"

"Lin, the Storekeeper, definitely didn't expect all of us to be cultivating Spoken Law Follows."

"Turns out, teasing these intelligent NPCs is pretty fun."

"It's time to let Lin, the Storekeeper, experience the awkwardness of not being able to communicate with us..."

"Undercover plots take too long. I really want to betray the gang now; hanging out with the Beggar Gang is so much more fun!"

...

While the Players continued their barrage of "warmth," they were also hooting and laughing in their private chats.

A game isn't limited to a single playstyle. As long as it brings them joy, they'll do whatever makes them happy!

...

The Players' private chats revealed a great deal.

Regarding the Players' malicious tastes, Lin Bai was speechless. Truly undisciplined and unorganized, they completely disregarded him!

"Lin Bai, what are they doing?" Qing Yu, lines of exasperation forming on his face after his fruitless attempts to communicate with the Players, approached Lin Bai and asked. He'd interacted with Dragon Breath and the others before; he remembered them not being this unhinged!

"Cultivating!" Lin Bai's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Crispy Rice, Sticky Rice, and the others. Suddenly channeling his Inner Strength, he bellowed, "Everyone, stop your cultivation! Your method is wrong. Spoken Law Follows isn't practiced like this. You're wasting your efforts; you won't succeed!"

"Wrong?"

The Players were instantly dumbfounded. The chorus of "warmth" abruptly ceased.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Lin, the Storekeeper, we've been cultivating exactly according to the method you provided!"

"No wonder there hasn't been a Skill prompt all day..."

...

A cacophony of complaints erupted at once.

Lonely Old Man looked dejectedly at Lin Bai and cupped his fists. "Lin, the Storekeeper, please teach us the correct cultivation method."

"The cultivation method *is* correct." Lin Bai swept his gaze over them and chuckled. "However, you all ceased your cultivation because of a single sentence from me. Your inner resolve isn't firm enough. Therefore, even if the method is correct, for *you*, it's wrong. Spoken Law Follows tests one's mental fortitude above all. Those with irresolute minds cannot master it."

With that single sentence, cries of despair echoed all around.

"Holy shit!"

"Lin, the Storekeeper, how could you do this?"

"We painstakingly persevered for a whole day and night, and you ruined everything with a single sentence!"

"This is infuriating! I want to kill Lin Bai!"

"I was even wondering if it was a trap. Who knew Lin, the Storekeeper, actually did it on purpose? What a massive troll!"

"I didn't complain just now, so that doesn't count as an interruption, right?!"

...

[Anger from Lonely Old Man, Lao Mi, Rice, Zhao Yi, Sun Lie... +1+1+1...]

[Joy from Jiang Yuru: +1+1+]

Private chats buzzed with various complaints.

Innumerable streams of energy surged into the charging ring on Lin Bai's wrist, and the negative emotions he absorbed skyrocketed.

The Taoists of Return to Dragon View were utterly bewildered, completely oblivious to what had just transpired.

"Lin, the Storekeeper, you've gone too far..." Lonely Old Man looked at Lin Bai, his face etched with grievance.

"Too far?" Lin Bai snorted, his expression instantly darkening. "Do you remember why I established the Beggar Gang in the first place? It was for you to be my Righteous Gang! But in all this time, what exactly have you done that benefited me? Outside Qian City, you were routed and utterly disgraced! I conquered Return to Dragon View, and you just waltz in to enjoy the spoils?"

"..." Lonely Old Man opened his mouth but was rendered speechless.

"If this continues, am I supposed to wipe your asses and spoon-feed you too?" Lin Bai swept his gaze over the crowd, his voice harsh and expression severe. "Did you genuinely believe that conquering Return to Dragon View meant peace would reign supreme? In Qian City, I offended the Blood Shadow Sect, the Waning Sun Gate, and the other three of the five great Evil Sects. Do you think they'll just let it slide? When they come to kill me, will you still be trailing behind, watching the spectacle and reaping unearned rewards? And that's not even mentioning the Heavenly Dao Sect backing Return to Dragon View..."

Daojing's, Dao Kong's, and the other Taoists' faces turned as black as the bottom of a wok. Ostensibly, Lin Bai was reprimanding the disciples of the Beggar Gang, but every word mentioning Return to Dragon View was a dagger to their hearts! What troubled them even more were the facts Lin Bai laid bare. The Heavenly Dao Sect was one thing; it was their backing Sect. Even if they intervened, it would be to help them. But if the five Evil Sects attacked, they likely wouldn't show any courtesy to the former Taoists of Return to Dragon View either. That bastard Lin Bai was dragging them all down into the abyss with him!

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm the one who caused all this trouble?" Lin Bai's gaze grew increasingly frigid. "Let me remind you once more: do not forget your identities. You are my Righteous Gang! And what is the purpose of a Righteous Gang? It is to clean up any mess I make, no matter how enormous. Otherwise, what use do I have for you?"

The expressions of all the Beggar Gang disciples turned exceedingly grim.

He wasn't wrong, logically speaking. But you're just an NPC! A mere tool for bestowing Skills and advancing the plot! Do you really think you're some kind of lord now?

Outwardly, the Players remained silent. In their private chats, however, they were already cursing Lin Bai to high heaven and even discussing when to assassinate him.

"Storekeeper Lin, we were cultivating Spoken Law Follows to improve our strength as well," Lonely Old Man defended awkwardly.

"Spoken Law Follows relies on mental fortitude, opportune encounters, and a component of luck," Lin Bai glanced at him. "A single sentence from me, and you're already filled with doubt and hesitation. Tell me, what will you do when you've cultivated for three days, or even ten days, or a month, and still have nothing to show for it? Will you continue to blame me, just like now? If that's the case, you might as well stop now. At least then, your resentment towards me might be somewhat lessened."

You're the founder of the Cultivation Technique! If you say it's wrong, of course, we'd believe you without a shred of doubt! Lonely Old Man cursed inwardly. Who knew an NPC could be this shameless!

"Enlightening you sooner was for your own good," Lin Bai sighed. "Not everyone can master the Principle of the Great Tao. If you're not cut out for it, you'd be better off diligently cultivating some Martial Arts that you *can* practice. At least then you'd be somewhat useful, instead of constantly holding everyone back. Otherwise, when enemies attack, do you want to die repeatedly, just like you did against Qing Yu in Qian City? Or will you wait until their Slaughter Knives are at your throats, still shamelessly trying to sweet-talk your foes...?"

...

MBD! He clearly disrupted our cultivation, so why do we still feel like he's making perfect sense?! But we're Players! Do you think saying all that will stop us from pursuing hidden Skills?

The Players grumbled internally more than ever, becoming even more resolute in their decision to continue practicing Spoken Law Follows.

Nearby, Jiang Yuru had a sudden epiphany. All one needed to do was find ways to interfere with the heaven-sent people's Spoken Law Follows at critical moments. This would not only strike at their Dao Hearts but also indirectly hinder their growth, preventing them from fully utilizing their terrifying innate talents. This must be Lin Bai's true intention in teaching Spoken Law Follows to the heaven-sent people!

Zhao Yi, Sun Lie, and the others silently contributed their negative emotions to Lin Bai, lost in thought. Being swayed by a single sentence from Lin Bai meant their own Dao Hearts weren't firm enough either!

...

"You've all seen it. Return to Dragon View is now history. From this moment on, this place is the Outer Sect of our Righteous Door." Lin Bai looked at the Beggar Gang disciples and continued, "I plan to select the most promising disciples from the Beggar Gang to join the Righteous Door's Outer Sect, where they will cultivate Taoist law and Martial Arts. Then, based on your performance and contributions, I will choose from among them those who can enter the Righteous Door's Inner Sect. I hope you will all cherish this opportunity."

An uproar swept through the Players.

"Storekeeper Lin, won't all Beggar Gang disciples be able to learn the Taoist law and Martial Arts of Return to Dragon View?" Lonely Old Man asked in astonishment.

"Of course not." Lin Bai glanced at him. "If everyone learned the same Taoist law and Martial Arts, why would I bother distinguishing between the Beggar Gang and the Righteous Door? I established this rule merely to give you upward motivation. Fairness implies a lack of competition, and without it, neither the Beggar Gang nor the Righteous Door will progress very far. Cultivation has always been a process of survival of the fittest!"

...

"Storekeeper Lin has probably forgotten that Players can teach each other Martial Arts!"

"He really thinks he can control all the Players."

"An NPC is an NPC. No matter how intelligent, they'll never understand that Players can always find loopholes to exploit."

"Actually, this is a good thing for us. With Storekeeper Lin managing the Righteous Door, the Beggar Gang will be entirely under Player control, making it much more convenient to get things done. Who knows, maybe in the future, we can build it into the world's number one gang! Coordinating from within and without, we could even overthrow the Righteous Door with a flick of our wrist."

"Exactly, exactly! Still, Lin, the Storekeeper, has a point. If the Beggar Gang wants to develop, it really needs proper planning. Mindlessly cultivating Spoken Law Follows all at once isn't really appropriate."

...

Fools! A faint smile touched the corners of Lin Bai's lips. What I want is for both sides to develop in tandem! One for Qi Yun, the other for Merits! Whichever side flourishes, it benefits me. Besides, you've probably overlooked something: good resources are only found where I am... Compared to Cultivation Techniques, resources are far more crucial in cultivation!

"Storekeeper Lin, how many people will be selected for the first batch to join the Righteous Door?" Lonely Old Man asked.

"Five hundred," Lin Bai glanced at him. "You and Lao Mi will decide on the personnel. After you've conferred and compiled a register, Qing Yu, you will be responsible for assigning them different masters to teach them Taoist law and Martial Arts, so they can swiftly begin their cultivation..."

Qing Yu was taken aback. "Teach them the Taoist law of Return to Dragon View?"

"There is no Return to Dragon View anymore." Lin Bai turned back, a smile in his eyes as he looked at Qing Yu. "It's all the Cultivation Techniques of the Righteous Door. In the future, when we conquer the Blood Shadow Sect and others, their Cultivation Techniques will also belong to the Righteous Door. With the arrival of the heaven-sent people, change is imminent. Only by being all-embracing can we rapidly develop and expand in this chaotic world!"

Is *that* how 'all-embracing' is defined? Jiang Yuru and the others felt their hearts involuntarily tremble, an inexplicable sense of insecurity creeping in.

...

Lin Bai's forceful interruption of the Spoken Law Follows cultivation instantly quelled much of the chaos. The Players then shifted their focus to joining the Outer Sect of the Righteous Door. Although they could teach each other Cultivation Techniques, the title of a Righteous Door disciple sounded far more prestigious than that of a Beggar Gang member!

...

Qing Yu, Lonely Old Man, and other Players went off to discuss the recruitment of disciples.

...

Only then did Jiang Yuru and her companions find an opportunity to approach.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lin," Jiang Yuru said, greeting Lin Bai somewhat sheepishly.

"Greetings, Martial Aunt Jiang," Lin Bai replied with a smile, glancing at Jiang Yuru.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! Let's just address each other as 'Fellow Daoist.'" Lin Bai's increasingly formidable displays made such a title feel like mockery to Jiang Yuru; how could she possibly accept it? Forcing a smile, she demurred repeatedly, "Qing Qin was supposed to be the one to come this time, but she is in seclusion attempting a breakthrough to the Golden Core realm. Then, members of the Beggar Gang came to our door seeking assistance, so I personally led the escort here."

"Many thanks for your righteous assistance, Fellow Daoist Jiang," Lin Bai said with a hearty laugh. "All Righteous Factions in the world are one big family. Now, Return to Dragon View has been supplanted by my Righteous Door. I, Lin Bai, am not deeply familiar with the affairs of the Jianghu. For the Righteous Door to develop, we will need to rely on everyone's support. We should all interact more frequently in the future, wouldn't you agree?"

"Fellow Daoist Lin is absolutely correct. Once I return to Hundred Flower Valley and report to my Sect, I shall naturally come bearing generous gifts to congratulate the Righteous Door." Jiang Yuru, ignoring the stares of the Taoists behind her, said with a beaming smile, "If I'm not mistaken, the one standing behind you must be the esteemed Perfected Dao Xu of Return to Dragon View, correct?"

"Indeed. Perfected Dao Xu holds me in high regard. He voluntarily ceded Return to Dragon View to me and even humbled himself to become my personal guard. Seniors like him, who so generously support us juniors, are few and far between. I, Lin Bai, am truly grateful to him!" Lin Bai glanced at Dao Xu beside him and chuckled. "If it weren't for Perfected Dao Xu, Return to Dragon View would likely have suffered a bloodbath. How else could it be as peaceful and tranquil as it is now...?"

The corners of Daojing's and the others' mouths twitched. They all cursed inwardly, You clearly ambushed our Senior Brother! How can such a shameless bastard exist in this world? This is impossible to respond to!

Jiang Yuru faltered for a moment, then turned to the dazed, puppet-like Dao Xu and performed a respectful salute. "Perfected Dao Xu's magnanimity is truly admirable. Yuru is deeply impressed."

Now, Lin Bai alone had caused Return to Dragon View to undergo a complete regime change, even turning Perfected Dao Xu into a puppet. Jiang Yuru was already terrified of Lin Bai to her core. Even if she had to force herself, she had to play along with Lin Bai's awkward charade to demonstrate her compliance. She didn't know how Hundred Flower Valley would choose to deal with Lin Bai, but she, at least, could not afford to bring disaster upon her Sect through her own misjudgment of his actions.

"..." Peng Ze, Sun Lie, and Zhao Yi stared at Jiang Yuru in disbelief, as if seeing her for the first time. If only they possessed half her shrewdness, their relationship with Lin Bai might not have become so strained!

Monkey see, monkey do!

Peng Ze and the others also halted their cultivation of Spoken Law Follows and bowed to Dao Xu, declaring, "We juniors admire Perfected Dao Xu's magnanimity!"

After uttering those words, the three of them simultaneously heaved a sigh of relief. Whether Spoken Law Follows was effective or not, they had certainly developed thicker skins through this ordeal.

Zhao Yi suddenly understood what his Senior Brother Tong had meant by having him comprehend the ways of the world. At this very moment, he felt as if he had found the opportunity to break through to the Golden Core realm.

...