[[Path to Fame, have ten thousand people acknowledge your Artifact Refining skills (Completed); Reward: Earth's Core Fire (Available for extraction at any time)]

[Path to Fame, Tailor a weapon for a reputable person and have it recognized by the world; Reward: Mid-Level Magic Tool Theory]

[Make a couple out of two people of fame (Completed); Reward: 5 Matchmaker's Red Threads (Delivered)]

[A couple needs to be promoted, love needs to be publicized, create a love story between your crafted couple that makes the world envious; Reward: Rush Moon (Target more than two people, Rush Moon can exile one person, forcing them to separate)]

...

A task completion hint abruptly appeared in Lin Bai's mind after he had helped a Golden Core Monk from the Blood Shadow Sect named Xuan Hong upgrade his Blood Sucking Sword.

Lin Bai was thrilled. As expected, there are shortcuts for any task.

Let ten thousand people acknowledge his Artifact Refining skills? He had no idea when he would complete this task if he kept doing it the old-fashioned way—Artifact Refining in silence then selling crafted weapons.

But by putting on such a dazzling show in public, even if his Artifact Refining skills were inferior to the master crafters of the Spirit Artifact Pavilion, to ordinary people, if he could splendidly upgrade weapons of cultivators who could fly to the sky and escape into the ground, then he was a genuine Artifact Refining grandmaster...

After all, real Artifact Refining grandmasters sat loftily at the top, either researching skills or studying Cultivation. Who, other than him, was down-to-earth enough to perform Artifact Refining for ordinary people on the street?

According to the current societal norms, he was a self-promotion expert, a grassroots Artifact Refining expert, and certainly not formally recognized by real Artifact Refining grandmasters as he went about upgrading the common people's kitchen knives...

Regardless, in the eyes of Qian City's residents, he was a renowned Artifact Refining grandmaster.

As for the next challenge, Lin Bai decided to put that aside for a while. After all, he didn't rely on Magic Treasures for fights, and the rewards from the Matchmaker System tailored better to his battle style.

The newly acquired five Matchmaker's Red Threads were enough for him to tackle possible high-level Cultivators from the Avatar Realm or another Realm higher up.

The reward for the new task was "Rush Moon." Aimed at more than two people, "Rush Moon" can be used to exile one person – indeed, a great skill for group battles!

After all, the system didn't say that it could only be used once. As long as the enemies outnumbered two, he could continue to use "Rush Moon" on them until only one of them was left.

Just like in this fight with the Five Evil Sects, Xin Shang and his men hid in their Sect's formation, perfectly countering Cupid's arrow. With "Rush Moon," no one would be able to block his arrow anymore.

The rewards of the Matchmaker System were indeed combined skills, fitting perfectly for him.

Otherwise, with only the Matchmaker System, he could already fill the world with love...

「...」

The disciples of the Beggar Gang at the square stirred.

There were no secrets among Players; the news about Crispy Rice hitting the City Lord with a stick finally circulated.

To maintain secrecy, only a few higher-ups of the Beggar Gang knew about Crispy Rice's mission. Now that the news had unexpectedly leaked, it immediately provoked an uproar among the Players.

「...」

"Holy crap, is Crispy Rice crazy? Why did he upset the City Lord at such a time?"

"We've finally gained a foothold in Qian City..."

「...」

Most of the Players were complaining about Crispy Rice in private chats. They couldn't see any benefit from this incident. Accustomed to the game's current pace, most Players didn't want any surprises. After all, being a disciple of the Beggar Gang was like having a job for them, and a rather lucrative one at that.

"What happened?" asked Lin Bai, as if he didn't know.

"Storekeeper Lin, for some reason, our Gang Leader, Crispy Rice, attacked the City Lord during an interview," said a Beggar Gang disciple. "Please make preparations in advance, Storekeeper Lin. If things go bad, we might consider changing the Gang Leader. We can't let his mistake ruin the bright future of our Gang!"

"True. Lonely Old Man is more suitable as the Gang Leader than him."

The Beggar Gang disciples who had no idea what was going on chimed in agreement.

Lonely Old Man, who was standing next to Lin Bai, stepped forward and gestured for silence with a downward press of his hand, "Everyone, please quiet down and listen to Storekeeper Lin's arrangements."

His words caused quite a stir.

The crowd of onlookers burst into an uproar; the long queue that had formed quickly dispersed, and no one thought about Artifact Refining anymore.

They respected Cultivators, but the City Lord was their local magistrate, directly impacting their lives. Since the Beggar Gang's Leader had offended the City Lord, they naturally didn't want to get involved with the Beggar Gang anymore.

The Cultivators from the Five Evil Sects were also shocked by this unexpected news.

What was going on? Did Lin Bai have a conflict with the officials? Was the Justice League breaking apart?

Some of the more astute ones had already dashed back to their strongholds to report the situation to their gang leaders.

"Everyone, please remain calm." Lin Bai took the opportunity to put away his Blacksmith set and, using Wind Control, floated into the air. He surveyed the whispering commoners around him and said, "Fellow townsfolk, I had intended to do some practical things for you all, but who could have foreseen such an unexpected situation?

Later, I will go to the City Lord's Manor to personally understand the situation. If Crispy Rice is guilty, then let the City Lord determine his crime. His Lordship, the City Lord, is wise and powerful; I trust he will not implicate the entire Beggar Gang due to one person's transgression. Therefore, everyone, please continue your business dealings with the Beggar Gang without concern. As for the free Artifact Refining I promised, I'm afraid it cannot proceed. My sincerest apologies. Once the Beggar Gang's affairs are settled, I will find another opportunity to make it up to you."

"Sect Leader Lin, please go ahead," a wealthy man in the crowd called out loudly. "If the City Lord assigns blame, we will naturally help the Beggar Gang plead your case to him."

Over the past month, members of the Beggar Gang had been generously spending money in the city, and many wealthy merchants had already shifted their business focus towards the Beggar Gang. Naturally, they wouldn't stand idly by and watch the Beggar Gang fall.

Besides, they understood the nature of these people who descended from the sky; they knew they wouldn't truly perish. Thus, they were happy to step up and act as benefactors at this moment.

"Thank you." Lin Bai gave him a fist-and-palm salute. Holding Little Fox, he elegantly flew towards the City Lord's Manor.

To be honest, he also wanted to know what the effect of Pan Jinlian's Bamboo Pole was, and whether it would work on Players.

This was the first time he had used a System Prop on a Player.

And Players, in the final analysis, were just bundles of programming code, their real bodies residing in the real world. Who knew whether his System Props could affect Players!

If he could affect Players, he would finally have the confidence to establish a true foothold in this world.

Of course, it might also bring greater disaster.

After all, any incident involving gamers while playing a game could spell disaster for any profit-driven gaming company...

When he gave Pan Jinlian's Bamboo Pole to Crispy Rice, Lin Bai hadn't thought too much about it.

Perhaps he had, but he had always managed to suppress his impulsive urges...

This wasn't his first time challenging the game officials' bottom line, but undoubtedly, this instance was potentially the most severe.

In any case, Lin Bai was somewhat apprehensive at this moment.

If Pan Jinlian's Bamboo Pole truly affected Crispy Rice, would it be like in The Matrix, where the game officials might deploy antivirus programs against him?

Or would they simply erase him from the backend?

Or perhaps, through this event, he would uncover some truths about the game world.

Strictly speaking, this was the first real confrontation between the System behind him and the game officials—a contest of technology...

「...」

"Master, is there something wrong with the Staff of Love?" Little Fox, sensing Lin Bai's seriousness, poked her head out from his embrace and timidly asked.

"It's fine." Lin Bai rubbed Little Fox's head and chuckled.

Saying this, he picked all the ripe Temperament Fruits from the tree and tossed them all into his mouth. He had gained quite a bit of favorability from his recent obligatory Artifact Refining session, which had hastened the ripening of several fruits.

Before any unpredictable changes occurred, he might as well consume all the Temperament Fruits. What if he got kicked out of the game and returned to Earth?

It would be a waste not to eat them.

Little Fox smacked her lips but remained silent. She didn't dare ask for anything Lin Bai didn't offer her.

Lin Bai smiled and took out a Spirit Fruit and held it to her mouth.

The accumulation of negative emotions was much faster than positive ones. He now had more Spirit Fruits than he could eat, so giving Little Fox some to try was no issue.

Little Fox's loyalty had already reached its maximum; he wasn't worried about her betraying him.

As for himself, he had consumed so many Spirit Fruits that he no longer felt any changes in his body. He wondered if he had reached a limit and become immune.

"Thank you, Master." Little Fox was overjoyed and swiftly swallowed the Spirit Fruit. She had coveted Lin Bai's fruits for a long time.

Upon consuming the Spirit Fruit, Little Fox involuntarily let out a moan of comfort, then exclaimed in surprise, "Master... no, Master, this fruit... can it... aid in Soul Condensation?"

Soul Condensation? Lin Bai was taken aback. Do people in this world call increasing mental strength Soul Condensation?

"What's the use of Soul Condensation?" Outside the City Lord's Manor, Lin Bai stopped and asked. His knowledge of cultivation was still too lacking.

"You don't know?" Little White Fox asked in surprise.

"I cultivate Laws. I only have a superficial understanding of cultivation matters," Lin Bai said with a smile.

"Mother once said that above the Divinity Transformation Realm, one must cultivate the Divine Soul to resist the Yang Lightning during Tribulation. The higher the degree of God Soul Condensation, the greater the chance of successfully passing the Tribulation." Little White Fox looked at Lin Bai with envy and continued, "Once God Soul Condensation reaches a substantial state, even if one fails the Tribulation, one can still survive in the world as a Divine Soul, perhaps cultivating into a Yin God, reincarnating, or even performing Body Snatching..."

"So that's how it is!" Lin Bai froze.

These days, he had consumed countless Spirit Fruits. Logically speaking, his God Soul Condensation should be extremely high!

Body Snatching? Reincarnation?

Could it be that the Emotional System also concealed a method for him to reincarnate?

Indeed, he hadn't explored these Systems deeply enough!

"Yes," Little White Fox said. "In the Cultivation World, any Pill Medicines or heavenly materials and earthly treasures beneficial for Soul Condensation will attract countless powerful experts to fight over them. Master, you actually eat such fruits like candy! If those powerful experts found out, they would surely die of jealousy..."

Suddenly, Little Fox realized something and became nervous. "No, Master, you must never let them know you possess heavenly materials and earthly treasures for Soul Condensation! Otherwise, it will definitely bring a fatal calamity upon you!"

"Don't worry. These fruits were all teleported to me by the old ancestor of the Righteous Door. They can't steal them even if they wanted to," Lin Bai said, patting Little Fox's head with a chuckle.

Little Fox hesitated for a moment, then said, "Master, please don't give me those fruits anymore. Xiao Bai can't help you with much, and if I eat the fruits your Sect provides you for Soul Condensation, I'll feel even more indebted to you, Master."

"It's fine; the Righteous Door has plenty of these fruits." Lin Bai smiled and whimsically took out another Spirit Fruit, placing it by Little Fox's mouth. They were just Spirit Fruits. By accumulating negative emotions, he could get as many as he wanted. Feeding his pet wasn't a waste; besides, it could also increase his affinity with Foxes.

"I won't... Mmph... eat!" Little Fox had intended to refuse, but the moment she opened her mouth, a fruit was already stuffed inside.

The fruit melted the moment it entered her mouth. By the time she wanted to spit it out, it was too late.

Little White Fox raised her head, looking at Lin Bai with tear-filled eyes, and choked out, "Master, why are you so good to me? Even my own mother wouldn't treat me this well!"

Because you won't betray me!

Lin Bai muttered to himself, then smiled gently. "You are my disciple. If I'm not good to you, who else would I be good to? Your Master aims to become the man who embodies the Heavenly Dao. As my disciple, you're too weak; I can't afford to lose face because of that."

"..." Little Fox paused, her small expression quickly turning serious. "Master, rest assured, Xiao Bai will definitely work hard on my cultivation and won't hold you back."

While the two were talking, Dumbelldore walked out of the City Lord's Manor, taking three steps and looking back with each one, muttering to himself. He seemed quite regretful for not being able to witness firsthand the City Lord's affection for Crispy Rice.

Little Fox opened her mouth to call out to Dumbelldore, but Lin Bai pinched it shut. At the same time, Lin Bai's voice sounded in her ear, "Ignore him."

Little Fox nodded her head adorably.

Shortly after Dumbelldore left, two guards from the City Lord's Manor flew down from above, escorting Crispy Rice. Spotting Lin Bai, they paused and assumed a defensive posture.

One of them frowned slightly and asked impassively, "Sect Leader Lin, are you planning to intercept someone at the City Lord's Manor?"

Crispy Rice, whose meridians had been sealed, opened his mouth but couldn't speak. He cursed in frustration via private chat, Damn it, even speaking can be restricted! This stupid game is so inhumane.

Lin Bai gave Crispy Rice a reassuring glance and then cupped his fists towards the guard. "Sir, you misunderstand. My subordinate was ignorant and caused this. I, Lin, am here to offer my apologies to His Lordship, the City Lord."

"Hmph! Attacking a City Lord is a grave offense. If apologies were effective, wouldn't anyone dare to try and assassinate the City Lord?" the guard snorted coldly, no longer paying Lin Bai any mind, and escorted Crispy Rice directly into the City Lord's Manor.

Lin Bai landed on the ground, stated his purpose, and had the gate guard announce his arrival. Shortly thereafter, he too was led inside.

「...」

Lin Bai arrived at the reception hall of the City Lord's Manor.

Guo Yuan was currently scolding the guards who had brought Crispy Rice in. "I told you to invite him, not to arrest him! Look what you've done! Quickly, release the restrictions on Gang Leader Lao!"

The guards dared not delay and hastily released Crispy Rice's restrictions.

The instant the restrictions were lifted, the City Lord was already in front of Crispy Rice. He grasped his shoulders, his large hands patting him up and down, asking as he did so, "Gang Leader Lao, my subordinates were rough. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Thank you for your concern, City Lord. I'm fine." Crispy Rice didn't shy away. Instead, he gave Guo Yuan a bashful glance, took two steps back, and said softly, "There are outsiders present. Please, City Lord, be mindful of your image."

The Scholar and the guards were dumbstruck.

Lin Bai entered the room just in time to overhear Crispy Rice's private chat mutterings: HOLY CRAP, what the hell? Did I actually get flustered from being touched by an old man? But he's just an NPC, right? No, that's not right. How could the Staff of Love affect me? I, your father, like living people, I like Rice! Yes, it must be that I subconsciously consider him one of us, that's why I'm having these thoughts. For the old City Lord to make such intimate gestures in front of so many people... the Staff of Love is too tyrannical! Still, looking at it from another angle, the old City Lord must have been quite handsome in his youth, much more pleasant to look at than Rice...

Little did Crispy Rice know, while he was muttering to himself, his eyes kept stealing glances at Guo Yuan, completely unaware of his own actions.

Damn!

It really worked!

Moreover, upon overhearing Crispy Rice's private chat monologue, Lin Bai stumbled, nearly tripping over himself.

Especially when he heard Crispy Rice trying to rationalize this abnormal phenomenon, his heart instantly started racing. HOLY CRAP, I've struck gold!

Guo Yuan also realized at this moment that it wasn't the time or place for flirting. He glanced around, then looked at Lin Bai and said, "Sect Leader Lin, I know you've come for Lao Mi. However, it's all a misunderstanding. We got carried away in our conversation, and Lao Mi unintentionally made a slip-up. It's nothing serious. Sect Leader Lin, please, you may leave."

As he spoke, he glanced at Crispy Rice and continued, "However, I must borrow Gang Leader Lao from you for a while. We need to have an all-night discussion about economic issues. I wonder if Sect Leader Lin would be willing to part with him?"

A disastrous affair sparked by lust at first sight!

Seeing the glances exchanged between Guo Yuan and Crispy Rice, Lin Bai decided to play matchmaker for this pair of lovebirds. Although he was curious about what might happen between them at night, the thought that they were two men quickly extinguished his interest. He chuckled and nodded. "It's good that it's nothing serious. Please, City Lord, do as you wish."