This must be the virtue Master spoke of!

Listening to Lin Bai's sanctimonious reasoning, the Little White Fox felt she had learned something.

Moreover, she came to a conclusion: before performing such virtuous deeds, one must possess formidable Martial Power; otherwise, the other party wouldn't grant an opportunity to display such virtue.

「...」

Qian City.

The Beggar Gang Branch.

The disciples of the Beggar Gang, recently released, bustled about preparing a banquet to entertain the various Immortals, treating them as if they were family. The Beggar Gang was wealthy and never ambiguous in their dealings.

At this moment, beneath the plaque of the Beggar Gang Branch, two new signs had appeared: "Justice Weekly Magazine" and "Justice League Qian City Office." Along with the pre-existing Supervisory Immortal Office Assistant Office, the Beggar Gang Branch had effectively become the administrative hub for Qian City's Players.

「...」

"Sect Leader Lin, let's get straight to business. There's no need for a meal," Xin Shang said, sitting restlessly in the main hall. "Frankly speaking, we've been out for quite some time, and there are many matters to attend to in our Sects!"

"Sect Master Xin is right. My sect also has many chores to attend to. Besides, this is Qian City. With several major sects and thousands of Golden Core disciples gathered here, it could create a misunderstanding. I'm afraid the City Lord might misconstrue the situation," Shen Kuang chimed in, forcing a smile.

Ge Feiyun and Zhao Tulong nodded in agreement.

Having experienced the terror Lin Bai inspired, they always felt like they were walking into a tiger's den when with him, especially with his ever-present Bow and Arrow. The arrowhead, occasionally aimed at their hearts, was incredibly unsettling.

"Do you all look down on me, Lin Bai?" Lin Bai surveyed the group, his brow furrowing slightly. "Since we've decided to form the Justice League, we should dedicate ourselves to perfecting it, striving to consider the interests of every member, not just go through the motions. Your haste gives me the feeling you might betray me at any moment."

"Sect Leader Lin, our Sects are right where they've always been; where could we possibly run?" Xin Shang said with a bitter smile. "Furthermore, even if our sects united, we would be no match for you, let alone if we were separate. How would we dare to be perfunctory with you? The truth is, we're not very familiar with the charter of this league. Staying here won't be of much use. Just draw up the terms and send someone to inform us when you're done."

"Sect Master Xin is correct; that's precisely what we mean," Zhao Tulong said, wiping the nervous sweat from his brow. "There's no need to consult us."

"How could that be acceptable? I, Lin Bai, always conduct my affairs with utmost fairness. When I say it's a league, it is a league, and the rights and interests of every member within it will be respected." Lin Bai looked around at everyone and chuckled. "If the league becomes my one-man show, what difference is there between that and directly annexing you all?"

[Received resentment from Xin Shang, Ge Feiyun, Zhao Tulong... +1+1+1]

Dao Xu's eyebrows twitched; he fought hard to suppress the urge to retort. He couldn't afford to draw Lin Bai's fire again.

"As for City Lord Guo, you need not worry at all. The City Lord particularly enjoys supporting juniors. The Beggar Gang's ability to establish a foothold in Qian City is largely thanks to his assistance; he won't make things difficult for us," Lin Bai said with a smile. "I've already sent someone to invite the City Lord. Given his special status, it's not convenient for him to be involved in the affairs of the Cultivation World. I intend to invite him to act as a third-party supervisor for the league's internal decisions, ensuring absolute impartiality. After all, we are operating on Qian City's turf; we must show some respect to our host."

What damn junior are you?

He'd probably love for you to throw the entire Cultivation World into chaos!

Besides, since when do official figures get to supervise the affairs of our Cultivation World?!

The Sect Leaders screamed these retorts in their minds but, on the surface, nodded repeatedly, affirming that Sect Leader Lin was absolutely right.

Crispy Rice, Lonely Old Man, and the other key leaders of the Beggar Gang who were present looked at the domineering Lin Bai, increasingly admiring his audacious and uninhibited style.

As they spoke, City Lord Guo Yuan and his strategist, Mr. Zhao, were escorted into the guest hall by members of the Beggar Gang.

Lin Bai rose to greet Guo Yuan, his face wreathed in smiles. "Old City Lord, sending an envoy would have sufficed. For you to come in person—you overwhelm me with such honor."

You're trying to kill me with praise!

Guo Yuan glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "Shopkeeper Lin, a hero in his youth, single-handedly defeated the Evil Five Gates. Moreover, with several esteemed Sect Leaders present, if I, Guo, did not come personally, word would spread that I am ignorant of etiquette. That would make me a laughingstock and needlessly invite disaster upon Qian City. At my age, I cannot afford such an oversight."

"City Lord, you jest," Lin Bai replied humbly with a smile. "Please, City Lord, take the seat of honor."

"The seat of honor is unnecessary. I am merely here to make an appearance. The Justice League is a new endeavor, and I wouldn't want to steal the show," Guo Yuan chuckled, cupped his fist in salute to Xin Shang and the others, then walked directly to the seat on Lin Bai's left and sat down without further ado.

"City Lord, in that case, I shall presume," Lin Bai said with a smile, saluting Guo Yuan.

"Shopkeeper Lin, you are too kind," Guo Yuan replied, observing Lin Bai, who still held his bow even while saluting—a detail noted in every intelligence report about him—and nodded with a smile. He couldn't afford to be careless.

The higher one's status, the more one fears being controlled, especially in such a humiliating manner. As the one governing Qian City, he absolutely could not afford any mishaps.

Facts had shown Lin Bai to be an utterly lawless individual. If it came down to it, Lin Bai likely wouldn't hesitate to act against him, regardless of his status as City Lord.

The aura of mystery around Lin Bai had deepened. Old City Lord Guo Yuan found him increasingly inscrutable and no longer dared to try and manipulate him rashly.

Lin Bai did not demur, taking the main seat with an air of natural authority. He looked around at everyone present. "Everyone's here, so let's dispense with the pleasantries and get straight to the point!"

He paused for a moment. "Everyone, I cultivate the Heavenly Dao Laws. My actions are guided by my true intentions, which can sometimes come across as domineering. If I have caused any offense, I ask for your understanding.

"The Justice League was formed on short notice, but I do not wish for it to be a temporary entity. After all, I, Lin Bai, intend for this league to replace the Righteous Door and carry on its mission. Therefore, I hope none of you will approach the drafting of the Righteous Door's initial charter with resentment."

"We wouldn't," Xin Shang and the others responded sheepishly.

"That's good." Lin Bai smiled and nodded. "There's no need for everyone to be so tense. Actually, I must thank Sect Master Xin for the reminder. Otherwise, given my usual methods, I might have truly made the Righteous Door an enemy of the entire world. Establishing a league is a good idea; it can serve as a slight buffer."

MBD!

Buffer, my ass!

The way you ruthlessly turned our near-dead disciples into Puppets and then casually fabricated a war reparations clause shows you never took us seriously in the first place!

The various Sect Leaders seethed inwardly, silently fueling Lin Bai with their resentment.

"To be frank with all of you, I, Lin Bai, was ordered to establish the Righteous Door to promote the cultivation of Laws, thereby creating a balance between cultivators and the Heavenly Descenders." Lin Bai cast a significant look at Crispy Rice and the others. "The Heavenly Descenders are exceptionally gifted and immortal. Their cultivation progresses by leaps and bounds. Initially, we can suppress them. But as time passes and they mature, should they develop malicious intent, I fear nothing will be able to keep them in check. At that point, they would likely bring catastrophe upon the world. And Laws... Laws are the only means by which we can maintain a balance against the Heavenly Descenders..."

HOLY SHIT, aren't Laws a hidden Cultivation Technique?

From Lin Bai's tone, are they an NPC-specific mechanic meant to counter us Players?

Then why is Shopkeeper Lin having us cultivate them? Is he messing with us?

That doesn't seem right. If Shopkeeper Lin saw us as enemies, why would he teach us Skills? There must be more to this...

Exactly! If NPCs considered us a walking catastrophe, they wouldn't let us grow. They could just deny us Cultivation Techniques, kill us to lower our Levels when we get too strong, and save themselves all this effort.

Stunned by Lin Bai's bombshell revelation, Crispy Rice and the other Players exchanged blank looks before briefly conferring in private chat.

Crispy Rice spoke up, "Shopkeeper Lin, we wouldn't do that! We're all law-abiding individuals; we would never bring harm to the world. You've known us for so long; you understand our character best."

"That's because I've guided you well. But what about the Heavenly Descenders outside Qian City? Do you know their dispositions? What if malicious individuals in this world try to exploit you?" Lin Bai glanced at them and shook his head. "One must always take precautions; it's better to be safe than sorry! From my interactions with you, I also don't believe you would cause such devastation.

"However, the prophecy of the Nine Ancestors of the Righteous Door states otherwise. Continuing to hide this from you has become a bottleneck in my cultivation of the Heavenly Dao. Thus, I've used the founding of the Justice League as an opportunity to gather you all here and lay everything bare.

"Through my observations and interactions these past days, I don't believe all Heavenly Descenders will turn to evil. The ones likely to cause catastrophe are probably only a fraction of your numbers. Surely, you understand that it would be disingenuous for us to simply welcome the sudden appearance of countless strangers into our world without any reservations..."