Chapter 144: Lin Bai Acts for the Public Good

Finally.

The Hundred Flowers Valley and other sects only stabilized the situation and freed themselves up by teaching players sect mental cultivation methods in advance.

……

"Zhao Ang, you stay in Qian City to pacify the Heavenly Descended. I am returning to the sect to report the situation here to the Sect Leader." Tong Cha rubbed his throbbing temples to soothe his anxious mood, "See how to settle these Heavenly Descended?"

"What if Lin Bai comes knocking?" Zhao Ang asked.

"Figure it out yourself." Tong Cha glared at him, "If I have to worry about everything, what do I need you for?"

"……" Zhao Ang looked sheepish and silently provided a wave of Negative Emotion for Lin Bai.

A Sword light shot up into the sky.

Tong Cha flew his Sword back to the Chaoyuan Sword Sect, taking Huangye Lang with him.

He already knew that the Heavenly Descended could transmit messages rapidly among themselves.

Taking Huangye Lang would allow him to know the movements in Qian City in a timely manner, and he could also use Huangye Lang's mouth to let the Heavenly Descended understand the true face of the Chaoyuan Sword Sect.

Perhaps.

Once they realized the wonders of the Chaoyuan Sword Sect's Spirit Qi, they would stop clamoring to stay in Qian City and compete with the Beggar Sect.

Flying in the air, Tong Cha's mood was somewhat heavy.

Originally, the righteous and evil factions were at peace, but after being stirred up chaotically by that troublemaker Lin Bai, the balance was bound to be broken; it was certainly impossible to cultivate as peacefully as before.

The Cultivation World was going to be in chaos again.

The Heavenly Descended were also a nuisance; although their aptitude was heaven-defying, they were too unruly. If they could not be made to truly pledge allegiance to the sect, rashly teaching them high-level techniques might end up bringing disaster to the sect instead.

This was also the reason why he did not dare to take all the Heavenly Descended back to the sect.

……

Wang Jintian of the Spirit Tool Pavilion and Cao Ru'an of the Medicine King Valley made the same decision as Tong Cha; the mess Lin Bai had caused was too big, and it was no longer something that could be decided at their level.

……

After settling the affairs of the Beggar Sect, Lin Bai was invited to the City Lord's Mansion.

City Lord Guo Yuan had originally intended to let Lin Bai play freely, but who would have thought that in just two days, he would have poked a hole in the sky bigger than heaven itself.

Looking at Lin Bai, Guo Yuan's face was as dark as water: "Shopkeeper Lin, I only handed the distribution of the Heavenly Descended to you out of respect for the County Princess, but what have you done? Do you know how much trouble you have caused me?"

"City Lord, please forgive me." Lin Bai bowed slightly and said apologetically, "Under those circumstances, I believe the old City Lord knows. Those sects were bringing rhythm in an ignorant manner, and I am a young and hot-blooded person. Seeing a group of clowns jumping around in front of me, how could I endure such humiliation? I simply killed them all to satisfy my heart."

"You are satisfied, but where does that leave the people of my Qian City?" Guo Yuan said angrily, "Do you know how much loss my Qian City will suffer if the five evil sects attack?"

There were no emotional fluctuations from Guo Yuan in Lin Bai's mind, indicating that he was not truly angry.

Old fox!

Lin Bai cursed inwardly and smiled: "The old City Lord doesn't really think that the Heavenly Descended can peacefully integrate into this world, does he?"

Guo Yuan remained calm: "What do you mean by that?"

Lin Bai looked at Guo Yuan with a smile and said: "Even Xu Longyun knows that the Heavenly Descended are the root of troubled times. The City Lord is old enough, surely you can see at least that much!"

Guo Yuan twisted his beard: "I truly cannot see it. I am a City Lord, I only seek the stability of the people and the prosperity of the nation."

Lin Bai looked at the old City Lord in surprise and said: "What a coincidence, so do I. To tell you the truth, old City Lord, when I first came down from the mountain, my master specifically instructed me to strive for the stability of the people and the prosperity of the nation..."

Guo Yuan's hand twisting his beard suddenly stiffened, and he almost pulled his beard out.

If his composure were not deep enough, he would have already smashed the inkstone beside him at him.

Too shameless!

How could there be such a shameless person in the world.

You must know.

He had all the information on Lin Bai since he appeared in Jiamu City right beside him.

Just the information about Lin Bai's master from the Righteous Sect had already changed into several versions from Lin Bai's own mouth.

The image of his master kept changing, entirely to serve the current situation...

Scoundrel!

Guo Yuan cursed inwardly.

……

【Resentment from Guo Yuan; +1+1+1】

【Admiration from Zhao Xing; +1+1+1】

Ignoring the surprised look from the scholar, Lin Bai snorted inwardly. He thought this old guy really didn't show his emotions on his face, but look, he still broke his defense!

Suppressing the anger in his heart, Guo Yuan said calmly: "Shopkeeper Lin and I share the same beliefs, but your actions are running in the opposite direction!"

"That is not the case." Lin Bai shook his head and said, "Old City Lord, my actions are precisely for the sake of the national economy and the people's livelihood..."

"How so?" Guo Yuan glanced at the inkstone and pressed down his restless hand.

"The City Lord truly does not understand the character of the Heavenly Descended!" Lin Bai sighed softly and said, "Old City Lord, do you know why the Heavenly Descended came to this world?"

Guo Yuan was stunned: "I would like to ask Shopkeeper Lin to explain in detail?"

"I didn't know before either, but after establishing the Beggar Sect, I gradually figured out their nature." Lin Bai smiled, "The Heavenly Descended came to this world without any special purpose. They are just here to play, to pursue excitement, and to experience a different life..."

"How so?" Guo Yuan's brows furrowed.

"Put yourself in their shoes. If you possessed an undying and indestructible body and heaven-defying talent, and went to a world that didn't belong to you, would you care about their red tape and moral norms?" Lin Bai asked.

Guo Yuan pondered for a moment and shook his head: "Naturally not."

"That's right." Lin Bai looked at Guo Yuan and said, "They are the same. Therefore, most of the Heavenly Descended come with the mentality of playing in the world. To make themselves comfortable, they can do anything. The City Lord should know that when they first arrived, the various strange behaviors they performed in the Basic City were simply them being new and releasing their nature."

"Releasing their nature?" Guo Yuan pondered.

"Yes, once you figure out their pulse, it is much easier to control them." Lin Bai smiled, "They want to find excitement, so we provide them with ways to seek excitement; they want to experience life, so we let them experience life; they want to eat good food, so we serve them delicious delicacies. It's only a few thousand people; in such a large country of ours, we can just treat them as raising a few playboys."

"What does this have to do with you single-handedly wiping out five evil sects?" Guo Yuan asked strangely.

"Of course it's related," Lin Bai said. "Is there anything more exciting than a battle between righteous and evil in the Cultivation World? Letting the Heavenly Descended fight the people of the Cultivation World to the death is far better than letting these Undying and Indestructible people wreak havoc on the common folk!"

"I think you are being sophistical," Guo Yuan said. "You likely don't know the modus operandi of those evil sects. Wiping them out at a recruitment fair will invite their storm-like, thunderous retaliation..."

"That is why I did not let the Heavenly Descended learn from evil sects!" Lin Bai sighed wistfully. "The City Lord already knows they came seeking excitement. Entering prestigious righteous sects still leaves them with masters to restrain them."

"If they learned the techniques of those evil paths, would the City Lord not fear that these talented Heavenly Descended would wantonly slaughter commoners for the sake of quick cultivation? They have no feelings for the billions of people in this world; one could even say they view their lives as mere grass."

Lin Bai looked up at Guo Yuan and asked, "Does the City Lord truly wish for such things to happen?"

Guo Yuan was startled: "So, you used the name of a recruitment fair to lure the evil sects in and wipe them out?"

"Correct." Lin Bai puffed out his chest and said righteously, "Driving the tiger to swallow the wolf achieves several goals at once. It finds a target for the Heavenly Descended and cuts off their desire to join evil sects. As long as this righteous-evil war starts, if anyone joins an evil sect in the future, they will be targeting the Beggar Sect or the Heavenly Descended who joined righteous sects, and it will have nothing to do with the common people anymore."

"..." Guo Yuan and the scholar Zhao Xing exchanged a glance, and for a moment, they could not tell if what Lin Bai said was true or false.

"City Lord, I know you don't believe me, but if you investigate slightly, you will know that everything Lin has done since coming down from the mountain has been aimed at the Heavenly Descended." Lin Bai's gaze swept over the two, and he said, "There may be oversights, but Lin has done the utmost within his power, even going so far as to make himself a target. All Lin seeks in his actions is peace of mind. Otherwise, with Lin's abilities, I could have easily stayed out of it; why would I invite so much trouble upon myself?"

Guo Yuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly stood up, cupped his hands toward Lin Bai, and said: "Shopkeeper Lin is of high integrity; I, Guo, admire you."

Damn it!

Not a shred of emotion!

Admire my foot!

Lin Bai cupped his hands in return: "The City Lord is too kind."

The scholar Zhao Xing asked: "Since Shopkeeper Lin wiped out the evil sects to cut off the path for the Heavenly Descended to enter evil ways, then why did Huilong Temple..."

"They didn't know what was good for them. In the midst of the chaos caused by the Heavenly Descended, they still attacked me for their own selfish interests. Naturally, Lin will not be polite to them." Lin Bai gave a disdainful snort, looked at the two, and said, "Lin was ordered by my master to come down the mountain to save the world, for the purpose of sorting out the Heavenly Descended. This matter is as difficult as ascending to heaven; one wrong step leads to eternal damnation. No amount of caution is too much, so naturally, I will not gamble my own life on the big picture of Huilong Temple. City Lord, rest assured, if Huilong Temple holds you accountable, just push the responsibility onto me."

A smile appeared on Guo Yuan's face as he twisted his beard and said: "That won't be necessary. Shopkeeper Lin is worthy of being the person chosen by the Yunyang County Princess. This old man is completely convinced."

"It has nothing to do with the Yunyang County Princess; Lin is only doing what is within his duty," Lin Bai smiled. "Regardless, what Lin has done has ultimately brought a certain level of risk to Qian City. I ask the old City Lord to bear with it."

"That goes without saying," Guo Yuan laughed. "The Taiyi Kingdom has stood for a thousand years with a deep foundation; it is not something those small sects can shake. If Nephew Lin truly encounters danger, you may hide in the City Lord's Mansion, and this old man will naturally protect you."

"Many thanks, City Lord," Lin Bai hurriedly thanked him. Regardless of whether it was true or false, as long as he said these words, he could turn the fake into reality when the time came.

"Nephew is too polite," Guo Yuan looked at Lin Bai. "I brought you here tonight not just for the matter of the evil sects. I have some other questions regarding the Heavenly Descended; may I ask Nephew to clarify?"

"City Lord, please ask." Lin Bai put away his previous arrogance and became a refined gentleman who respected his elders again. With the Temperament Fruit as a foundation, his every move carried grace.

"Nephew just mentioned driving the tiger to swallow the wolf to give the Heavenly Descended something to do and keep their fighting within the Cultivation World, but I observe that your Beggar Sect seems to have a trend of taking root among the common people!" Guo Yuan asked with a smile.

"The City Lord's eyes are like torches; you saw the key to the problem at a glance." Lin Bai smiled and cupped his hands to Guo Yuan, saying, "This is the second plan I have prepared for the Heavenly Descended. The reason the Heavenly Descended are causing trouble in this world is simply because our world is unfamiliar to them, and they have no feelings for it. My letting the Beggar Sect take root among the people is a process of letting them integrate with the commoners and develop feelings."

Lin Bai paused. "To develop feelings out of thin air would take until the year of the monkey. It is different with the addition of advertisements from their own world. Economic circulation has always been one of the most effective ways to accelerate communication between strangers. As long as they can obtain benefits from this world, they will actively protect it."

"Makes sense." Guo Yuan nodded affirmatively. "Has Nephew ever thought about what to do if one day the Heavenly Descended wipe out the Seven Righteous Sects and become too powerful to control? You also know that they are all highly talented. If their numbers continue to increase, once they grow up, the Seven Righteous Sects might not be their match."

"That is why we must constantly incite wars to weaken their strength!" Lin Bai said. "It is not without loss for them to die once. If they die a few more times, perhaps a few days of cultivation will be wasted."

"Just that?" Guo Yuan frowned.

"Otherwise?" Lin Bai asked back. "Old City Lord, I am just a young man in my twenties who has been in contact with the Heavenly Descended for less than a month. It is already quite good that I have thought of these strategies. Does the City Lord expect me to arrange everything for the Heavenly Descended from beginning to end? You think too highly of me; it is uncertain whether I can even live until then! Let's just take it one step at a time!"

"It was this old man who failed to consider that." Guo Yuan smiled and asked, "Nephew, the City Lord's Mansion has also recruited some Heavenly Descended this time. How do you think we should settle them?"

"Those who can be attracted by the City Lord's Mansion must be those who love power. Just issue them some small official positions," Lin Bai said. "I know nothing about officialdom; the City Lord is more proficient in this than I am, so there is no need to ask me. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave. The Beggar Sect has two thousand new members, and there is still a huge mess waiting for me!"

"Go!" Guo Yuan waved his hand at him with a smile and said, "Half an hour ago, Tong Cha, Cao Ru'an, and Wang Jintian left Qian City one after another to return to their sects. Perhaps tomorrow or the day after, those sects might send more important people to coordinate the matter of the Heavenly Descended. Nephew, be careful when dealing with them. Being too rigid is easy to break; when you should bow your head, you must bow. If you truly make yourself a lone wolf, you will end up accomplishing nothing!"

"Many thanks for the reminder, City Lord; this junior understands." Lin Bai cupped his hands and turned to leave.

After Lin Bai left.

Guo Yuan turned to the scholar beside him and asked: "Zhao, what do you think?"

"A little fox," the scholar smiled. "It is highly probable that he was coaxed out by the elders of his sect. However, what he said about the characteristics of the Heavenly Descended is indeed worth using."

"You underestimate him; he said it on purpose for me to hear," Guo Yuan sighed and said, "Currently, Lin Bai's influence is limited to Qian City. He is worried that the Heavenly Descended in other towns will lose control and eventually become impossible to manage. That is why he specifically reminded this old man, so that other towns can avoid taking detours when dealing with the Heavenly Descended."

"Is he that clever?" The scholar was stunned.

"In one recruitment fair, although he made many enemies, the Heavenly Descended of the Beggar Sect grew larger and larger. If he is not clever, what are the people of those other sects? Stupid pigs?" Guo Yuan looked wistfully outside the hall and sighed, "Moreover, his background has not been fully revealed even now! All that talk about being ordered to sort out the Heavenly Descended—I fear that in the end, the one who benefits will be the Justice Sect hiding in the shadows. The foundation the Justice Sect has revealed is too deep..."

(End of chapter)