CHAPTER 67: 067 HYPE

Dumbelldore snapped back to reality. Staring at the expletives filling the screen, he blurted out, "Bloody hell!"

CRACK!

A bolt of lightning flashed.

)

Just as Dumbelldore had managed to recover, he was zapped into a frazzled state once again.

"Profanity warrants punishment!" Lin Bai, compelled to unleash the lightning, glared irritably at Dumbelldore and admonished him.

Struck by a lightning bolt out of nowhere, the awe Dumbelldore felt from the poem vanished instantly, and he was jolted back to his miserable reality.

The bullet screen comments exploded again:

"Hahaha! Deng Cancan getting zapped is a daily occurrence."

"The phrase ’Bloody hell’ is reserved for me, your master. Children shouldn’t use foul language; you need to work on strengthening your moral character."

"Who’s the programmer behind the City Lord? I must burn incense for him; his skills are far superior to my literature professor’s!"

.

"The real genius is the writer behind Shopkeeper Lin’s lines. How many golden phrases has he come up with in the past two days?"

"With such talent, working as a game company’s copywriter is an utter waste!"

"It’s not that I want to be one, it’s just that they pay so much!"

The sudden flash of lightning startled Jimmy Navada and his family. They instinctively huddled together, a flicker of terror in their eyes as they looked at Lin Bai. This was the innate fear of yin-aligned entities towards yang lightning.

Jimmy Navada watched Lin Bai, a deep anxiety in his eyes. He had no idea how many tricks Shopkeeper Lin had up his sleeve. With such abilities, he could easily subdue my family and me. There was absolutely no need to deceive Dragon Breath into marching to their deaths. At this moment, in my heart, Shopkeeper Lin’s mystique has far surpassed that of the former Daoist Master Li.

Song Shiqing was also startled by the lightning. He collected himself, glanced at the afro-sporting Dumbelldore, but showed no particular surprise. Who would dare open a shop in the Dreadful Mansion without considerable skill? Unlike Luo Congwen, he had no interest in cultivation.

Inserting the two lines into the entire ci-poem, Song Shiqing recited it twice. He could find no fault with it. Astonished, he looked up and asked in disbelief, "Shopkeeper Lin, did Xu Longyun truly complete this?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Lin Bai replied.

"She’s a woman, and busy with official duties. How could she possibly possess such talent?" Song Shiqing murmured, still finding it hard to believe. "It hasn’t even been three days, has it?"

"Masterpieces are born of nature, and the gifted stumble upon them. Perhaps it was a stroke of serendipity!" Lin Bai smiled. "Brother Song, it has always been said that in literature there is no first, and in martial arts no second. Who can say when someone might have a flash of brilliance? City Lord Xu has made an excellent start. We should publish the Heavenly Remnant Collection as soon as possible, so more people can participate and let these dust-covered pearls shine once more!"

"’Masterpieces are born of nature, and the gifted stumble upon them.’" Song Shiqing’s eyes lit up, as if he had found some solace in these words. He cupped his fist in salute to Lin Bai. "I understand, Shopkeeper Lin. I shall return at once to complete the poems, and we will release the Heavenly Remnant Collection tomorrow."

"Remember to credit City Lord Xu for completing ’Magpie Bridge Immortal’," Lin Bai reminded him.

"Rest assured, Brother Lin." Song Shiqing gave Lin Bai a peculiar look and chuckled. "I, Song, would not stoop to claiming another’s work as my own."

「That night.」

The complete version of "Magpie Bridge Immortal" spread throughout the literary circles of Jiamucheng and also reached the real world where Dumbelldore resided.

Jiamucheng had a small population, so while the excitement was palpable, it didn’t create significant waves for the time being.

In the real world, however, the calls for a public beta of the game grew increasingly louder. It wasn’t just gamers; scholars from literary and historical fields, and even influential figures from various industries, began to turn their attention to this game.

As time went on, Immortal World revealed more and more of itself. It was as if an entirely different, alternative, yet genuine civilization was being laid bare before everyone, showcasing immense commercial and research value.

Although Lin Bai’s behavior sometimes resembled that of a bugged NPC, many people remained convinced that this was a real world.

In the City Lord’s Mansion, Xu Longyun had completely lost her composure. Resembling an enraged lioness, she slammed her hand on the table for the first time in her dealings with Lin Bai. "Lin Bai, what on earth do you think you’re doing?"

"To what is the City Lord referring?" Lin Bai played dumb, maintaining a calm demeanor despite Xu Longyun’s evident fury.

"’Magpie Bridge Immortal’?" Xu Longyun gritted out. "What do you take me for? Someone who chases after fame and reputation? Lin Bai, let me tell you, not everyone is willing to be manipulated by you!"

"Ah, so it’s about that." Lin Bai feigned understanding, rising to give Xu Longyun a deep bow. "If the City Lord is angered by this, then I, Lin, apologize. I should not have acted so presumptuously."

"It’s not about you acting presumptuously by completing the poem; it’s that you shouldn’t have used my name!" Xu Longyun said, catching her breath. "You’re not helping me build my reputation; you’re tarnishing my good name!"

"City Lord, is one person’s reputation more important than the livelihood of an entire city’s population?" Lin Bai sighed. "The Heavenly Remnant Collection is about to be published. Without some buzz, how can we capture the interest of the realm’s scholars? Jiamucheng is already known as the Broken City, and the people’s grievances are mounting daily. We’re already in a situation that’s difficult to back out of."

"You shouldn’t have used my name," Xu Longyun repeated.

"The City Lord is the most suitable person," Lin Bai interrupted her again. "If I were to complete the ci-poem, the Heavenly Remnant Collection would attract undue suspicion. If some unknown person completed it, the effect would be greatly diminished."

"And using my name wouldn’t diminish the effect?" Xu Longyun asked coldly.

"Of course not," Lin Bai replied with a smile.

"Give me a reason," Xu Longyun demanded.

"Because the City Lord is a woman," Lin Bai stated.

"..." Xu Longyun was stunned into silence.

"What would those scholars think if they knew that the finishing touch to ’Magpie Bridge Immortal’ was penned by the City Lord—a woman who isn’t even part of the literary world?" Lin Bai pressed.

Xu Longyun stared blankly at Lin Bai, saying nothing.

Lin Bai chuckled softly before continuing, "Throughout history, most literary men have been proud and arrogant. If these incomplete works were never finished, that would be one thing. But once someone completes them, elevating the poem to a timeless classic, the glory is no less than that of the original author. If a great literary master completed it, everyone would find it perfectly natural. But for it to be completed by an obscure woman... that would be an embarrassment to the entire literary world."

Xu Longyun snorted. "You don’t have to keep emphasizing ’obscure’!"

"Once word spreads that the City Lord completed a poem, those esteemed scholars, for the sake of their own prestige, will surely want to compete," Lin Bai said confidently. "And when scholars and students across the land see that even someone like the City Lord can complete such poems, won’t they be eager to try their hand at it? What if they succeed!"

Xu Longyun’s brow twitched again, and she couldn’t help but clench her fists. The urge to kill him resurfaced. What did he mean, ’even someone like the City Lord’? Did he think she was that incapable?

"Therefore, it is most fitting for the City Lord to be credited with completing the first ci-poem," Lin Bai said, looking at Xu Longyun and cupping his fists. "For the people of Jiamucheng and its future, I implore the City Lord to bear this... fame. No one could generate more appeal for hosting the Heavenly Remnant Festival than the person who completed the first piece."

Right now, for a major consumer of Inner Strength like himself, especially when using abilities like Palm Thunder, the daily amount supplied by Dumbelldore was no longer sufficient. It was much quicker to earn it through Remnant Value tasks. After all, the Inner Strength reward for the next task was over seventy years’ worth. Although he didn’t understand why Inner Strength was measured in years, once he received the reward, his cultivation level would be equivalent to that of a centenarian. Dumbelldore would need at least a hundred days of practice to catch up. Securing this Inner Strength quickly was crucial to maintain a safe distance from the Players. He was too famous now; who knew when Players might decide to come and try to ’farm’ him as a boss...

After a long silence, Xu Longyun finally sighed. Looking at Lin Bai, she asked, "I understand your reasoning, but why are there rumors circulating that you and I are secretly in love but cannot be together, and that I completed the poem in a moment of profound emotion? Was this also your idea?"

Damn it! Lin Bai’s eyes widened. So that’s what Song Shiqing’s strange look meant before he left! That fellow must be a transmigrator from Earth too! He even knows how to generate romantic hype! Brilliant!

Lin Bai gave an embarrassed smile and said, "Completing a poem out of the blue would seem too contrived. Adding a story makes it much more believable. Besides, we can’t let the City Lord bear all the burden alone, can we..."