Chapter 148: Unintentional Planting of Willows Leads to Shade

The Beggar Sect Disciples kept this operation confidential, yet they still started a livestream; after all, they had signed many advertising contracts, and their sugar daddies had requirements for exposure.

This is also the reason why Beggar Sect higher-ups like Gugao Laoren are so keen on stirring up trouble.

Starting the livestream early counts as a warm-up.

And maintaining the mystery of the operation will certainly draw a huge crowd of viewers to the Beggar Sect tomorrow.

In the Real World, the game Xianxia World still has no announcement regarding the release of the fifth batch of pioneer accounts, yet the game has consistently maintained an ultra-high level of popularity.

It can replace sleep, and one can maintain a clear mind and memory while in the game; this point alone is enough to drive most people crazy.

Since the game opened, its popularity has radiated into every industry.

The forums are flooded with a large number of posts analyzing the game world.

Many scientific researchers have begun to criticize the Game Company for wasting heaven's gifts, saying that such advanced technology is actually being used for a game; if it were used for scientific research, it would be enough to push world technology forward by a huge margin and benefit all of humanity.

There are conspiracy theorists.

They suspect that the Real World is likely to encounter an unprecedented disaster, and in the end, everyone will live in the servers as game characters to continue the development of civilization...

This kind of conspiracy theory post actually has quite a few supporters.

After all, the West simultaneously released the Shenmo Dalu game, and it looks very much like a game has dragged all of humanity into it...

Consequently.

People from all walks of life are calling for the Game Company to fully open the public beta, and some have even held protests in the real world.

But the Game Company turns a deaf ear, continuing to do as they please, completely ignoring the voices of the public on the forums.

However, none of this can affect the popularity of Xianxia World.

Even the most boring life-skill players have livestreams that attract many viewers.

Some people watch the livestreams like movies, some use them to analyze the composition of the game world, and others are perfecting strategies for entering the game...

And among the numerous livestreams, the Beggar Sect's is the most attractive.

After all, the Beggar Sect is the largest in scale, and it seems they have grasped the main storyline of the Righteous Sect.

Advertisers want the Beggar Sect to drive traffic to their products.

Lin Bai's supporters want to see him show off his skills.

Conspiracy theorists hope the Beggar Sect can secure a shelter in the game for humanity in advance...

Those who oppose the Beggar Sect look forward to Lin Bai taking a big fall...

In short.

Everyone is looking forward to the Beggar Sect's next move.

"The formation is the same as when we fought Lin Bai; it's highly likely that either Huilong Temple or the heretical sects are attacking."

"There's no news on the forums; the Beggar Sect Disciples are really good at keeping their mouths shut!"

"If you had the money, you could keep your mouth shut too."

"I feel like the Beggar Sect people are the only ones actually playing the game; the rest are progressing too slowly."

"It's Shopkeeper Lin who is playing the game; the Beggar Sect players are just tools."

"When are players not tools? In any game, players accept quests from NPCs, complete them for rewards, find cats, find dogs, find daughters, mine ore, pick herbs—there's nothing players won't do. If you swap it for the real world, players are the best laborers."

"The Beggar Sect shouldn't be this aggressive. They are intensifying the conflict between players and NPCs, which will increase the difficulty for those entering the game later. Why can't they develop steadily and step-by-step?"

"With Lin Bai there, the Beggar Sect can't develop step-by-step. I, for one, hope the Beggar Sect can truly carve out a world that belongs to the players."

"It's impossible, unless the Righteous Sect can truly suppress the world with the power of one sect. Otherwise, what Lin Bai is doing now is a path to death. The more aggressive the Beggar Sect is, the stronger the backlash from the NPCs will be. After all, they aren't ordinary game NPCs; it's like an alien invasion. Even if we might compromise with them temporarily out of curiosity or other reasons, in the end, for the sake of our own interests, we will find ways to expel or eliminate them."

"To the game world, players are indeed a cancer."

Players like the First Sword Immortal of the Chaoyuan Sword Sect did not manage to pry any news from the Beggar Sect Disciples.

Compared to the tight-knit Beggar Sect Disciples, they were at a disadvantage; rashly trying to probe for the Beggar Sect's inside information would most likely result in being casually killed by the Beggar Sect Disciples.

Killing in the game is no big deal, and since Tong Cha is not here, even if they were killed and lost levels by Beggar Sect Disciples, they don't believe Zhao Ang would dare to stand up for them.

But with the Beggar Sect making such a big move, there is a nine-out-of-ten chance there will be a major scene.

The First Sword Immortal contacted Huangye Lang to inform him of the situation here.

But the Chaoyuan Sword Sect didn't know what was happening either; the Beggar Sect's movements were too fast, and most sects couldn't keep up with their rhythm at all.

However, Huangye Lang gave them an idea: don't worry about what the Beggar Sect is doing, just follow them and join in the fun.

If they are advertising, you advertise too; if you don't have traffic, can't you just leech off theirs?

They need to make the Chaoyuan Sword Sect's NPCs adapt to new combat styles; otherwise, these NPCs will continue to discuss countermeasures slowly and drag down the pace. The Beggar Sect will only grow larger and further squeeze their living space; they must be made to realize the severity of the problem.

The First Sword Immortal and the others were enlightened. Without consulting Zhao Ang, they flew off to log out one by one to contact advertisers. The novice village players under Qian City were overshadowed by the Beggar Sect; they hadn't even tasted the sweetness of getting advertising fees yet!

Come to think of it.

The few guys who took the fertilizer advertisement were also leeching off the Beggar Sect's traffic at the time, and they succeeded, which proves that leeching traffic is feasible...

In order to drag more players into the water, before logging out to contact advertisers, the First Sword Immortal, Jue Ye, and others contacted players from the Spirit Tool Pavilion, Medicine King Valley, and Hundred Flowers Valley separately to share this great plan.

If there's money to be made, everyone should make it.

The Beggar Sect couldn't possibly be so overbearing as to eat the meat themselves and not even let others drink the soup!

That would provoke public anger.

Zhao Ang, Peng Ze, and Sun Lie all felt that something big was about to happen. After much thought, they plucked up the courage to come to the Beggar Sect together, bringing their trepidation to ask Lin Bai for information.

The ferocity Lin Bai displayed at the recruitment fair was etched deep in their hearts; the group had long since lost the courage they once had when they came to the Beggar Sect to pick a fight.

Coming here now, they were as humble as they could possibly be.

Sun Lie respectfully bowed to Lin Bai: "Shopkeeper Lin, I wonder why the Beggar Sect is deploying on such a large scale outside the city? Is it that the heretical sects are about to attack?"

Lin Bai scanned the few of them and shook his head: "No."

"Shopkeeper Lin, if there is truly something going on, you can tell us," Peng Ze said with a fawning smile. "After the battle at the recruitment venue, our few sects and the Beggar Sect can be considered grasshoppers on the same rope; we ought to help each other out..."

"That's right," Zhao Ang chimed in. "If the evil sects come to invade, we can also help."

"First, it is not an invasion by evil sects; second, your strength is too weak, I don't think much of you." Lin Bai spoke the truth while weighing his words, trying his best to farm the count of truthful statements on these weaklings. Guo Yuan would tolerate him, and he wasn't afraid of offending these rookies to death.

【Resentment from Zhao Ang, Peng Ze, and Sun Lie; +1+1+1】

"Brother Daoist Lin, even if our strength is insufficient, we still have our sects behind us..." Sun Lie's mouth twitched, and he suppressed the anger in his heart as he spoke.

"It's too late." Lin Bai shook his head, glanced at him, and said, "Besides, your sects won't sincerely help me; they might even kick me while I'm down. In this world, the only person I can trust is myself."

"..." Sun Lie frowned slightly, feeling that Lin Bai's state today seemed a bit off, as if he had eaten gunpowder; he didn't care about anyone's face when he spoke at all—it was too abnormal!

Pre-battle stress?

The three looked at each other in dismay.

Peng Ze cupped his hands again: "Since Shopkeeper Lin has no intention for us to help, the few of us will take our leave first."

"Since you've already come, you want to scout for information, and I want to find someone to talk to, why don't we drink and chat happily? As the saying goes, saying too much leads to mistakes; perhaps I might leak some inside information about tomorrow to you!"

The Beggar Sect Disciples were either going to the mountains and forests to deploy or working overtime in the Lianqi Gongfang to refine pills and forge weapons.

Lin Bai couldn't even find someone to talk to, and worried that after a day, he wouldn't have enough truthful sentences, so he had to set his sights on these few rookies.

Lin Bai's abnormality made the few of them mutter in their hearts.

They couldn't understand Lin Bai's intentions.

The few looked at each other, and Zhao Ang reached out to wipe the cold sweat seeping from his forehead, saying: "Better not, the Heavenly Descended are still stationed at the camp, there are many things to be busy with..."

Lin Bai interrupted him, a Hammer suddenly appearing from his palm, threatening as a matter of course: "You can't beat me."

Zhao Ang and the others were stunned, looking at the suddenly hostile Lin Bai, their regret evident in their expressions.

【Terror from Zhao Ang, Peng Ze, and Sun Lie; +1+1+1】

"Xiaobai, go to the Alchemy Room and get some wine and food; I will eat and drink with the three people opposite me." Lin Bai flipped his hand, put the Hammer away, and pointed to the pavilion in the courtyard: "Please."

He weighed his words, and to ensure truthfulness, he even omitted the hypocritical title of Brother Daoist.

"Please."

The three looked at each other, showing bitter smiles, and were forced to follow Lin Bai toward the pavilion.

The little white fox went off to have the people in the Alchemy Room prepare wine and food.

Lin Bai sat on a stone stool first: "Sit, don't be reserved; bring out the courage you had when you few came to the Beggar Sect to cause trouble that day."

"Brother Lin, the matter that day was our fault; Zhao apologizes to Senior Brother Lin." Zhao Ang's expression changed abruptly, and he bowed to salute Lin Bai.

Sun Lie and Peng Ze also thought Lin Bai was going to settle old scores, so they followed suit to apologize, regretting to the heavens that they had come to the Beggar Sect to inquire about the situation.

"I don't blame you," Lin Bai smiled. "If you hadn't come to cause trouble that day, the Beggar Sect wouldn't have developed so much in such a short time."

"Yes, yes." Sun Lie and the others provided Negative Emotion to Lin Bai and sat scattered around the table.

"Actually, you came a step too late; the City Lord was just here, also asking what the Beggar Sect intends to do, and I told him the truth," Lin Bai looked around at the three, rambling on. "If you hadn't come to the Beggar Sect and gone directly to the City Lord's Mansion, you might have been able to scout out the information."

【Panic from Zhao Ang, Peng Ze, Sun Lie, and others; +1+1+1】

"Don't be afraid, just relax; I just want you to keep me company and talk," Lin Bai shook his head. "Unless you harbor evil intentions toward me, I won't kill you."

Zhao Ang and the others' hearts jumped; having just sat down, they jumped up abruptly, explaining hurriedly: "Shopkeeper Lin, we really just wanted to come and understand the situation of the Beggar Sect; we really have no malice."

"Sit," Lin Bai gestured again. "You are called Zhao Ang, from the Chaoyuan Sword Sect; you have a senior brother named Tong Cha, who gave me a Broken Wind Sword that day..."

"Yes," Zhao Ang said trembling with fear.

"You are called Sun Lie, from the Spirit Tool Pavilion." Lin Bai turned to Sun Lie again, smiled slightly, and pointed to the scattered rockery: "The rockery over there was scattered by me using a move called Tunyuchulai; at the time, it was to test the move..."

"..." Sun Lie was dumbfounded, sitting and lying uneasily, increasingly unable to understand what play Lin Bai was performing.

Lin Bai was a ruthless person who could say sweet nothings to a fox all night just to complete a task; he didn't care about their reactions at all!

Moreover, he had already figured out the secret to speaking the truth.

First, narrate facts that have already occurred; second, keep asking questions; third, speak meaningless nonsense.

This way, he could always ensure that every sentence he spoke was correct.

"The moonlight is very good today!" Lin Bai looked at Sun Lie and asked with a smile, "How many years have you been cultivating?"

"Twenty-something years!" Sun Lie answered stammeringly.

"Where was your home before you started cultivating?"

"How many people are in your family?"

"Is your father also surnamed Sun?"

"Are they all still alive now? It's fine, if you encounter a question you don't like, you don't have to answer..."

"Zhao Ang, how many people are in your family?"

Endless Negative Emotion kept surging from the three of Sun Lie.

Lin Bai's questioning was like a threat, and also like an interrogation...

Yet they dared not leave, and dared not fight.

Lin Bai would have a Hammer in his hand one moment, and be playing with a few cards the next; they didn't dare to keep silent as Lin Bai had said.

An hour later, bloodshot eyes climbed onto the three's eyes, and their stable Dao Heart had a faint tendency to collapse...

They could only carefully choose questions they could answer to respond, and for those they truly couldn't answer, they made up lies to muddle through.

Originally.

The three of them thought this was a foolproof plan.

But what they didn't expect was that Lin Bai would circle back and ask the same questions again.

This was unbearable!

Under such nervous tension, who could still remember what they had just answered?

No.

Lin Bai remembered.

A single sentence, "No, that's not what you said just now," completely cast the three of them into the bottomless Abyss.

So much so that by the second half of the night.

The three of them, their Spirit on the verge of collapse, were already answering every question asked.

Lin Bai, who only wanted to complete the truth-telling mission, was overjoyed upon discovering this situation; it was a complete windfall, and he immediately shifted the line of his questioning: "Peng Ze, does your Medicine King Valley really have three thousand Golden Core cultivators?"

"Only more, not less?" Peng Ze said in a daze.

"Is your father surnamed Peng?"

"He really is surnamed Peng, my father is named Peng Duan, his nickname is Ergou, he is seventy-three years old this year, it really couldn't be more true."

"What is the formula for the Peiyuan Pill?" Lin Bai changed the subject and suddenly asked.

"Eight taels of hundred-year ginseng, three catties of raw rehmannia, three taels of hundred-year astragalus, half a tael of safflower..." Peng Ze said halfway, suddenly snapped back to his senses, and flew into a rage, "Lin Bai, you..."

Bang!

An iron anvil weighing over a thousand catties fell from three meters high out of thin air, emitting a loud boom.

Dust and smoke rose everywhere.

Peng Ze was dumbfounded.

Lin Bai calmly put away the stone block: "Old Peng, you've already said half, continue and finish it, otherwise, I really will beat you to death..."

The Peerless Divine Doctor System was most lacking in pill formulas; he would swindle one whenever he could, as this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A debtor doesn't worry about the number of debts, and a person covered in lice doesn't feel the itch!

Lin Bai didn't care anymore about whether he offended people or not!

Having beaten up Huilong Temple, the possibility of these sects becoming friends with him was too low...

The little white fox looked at Zhao Ang and the other two with sympathy, her mind filled with memories of that night when Lin Bai whispered sweet nothings to her; her little face was flushed, and her heart was full of relief...

Fortunately, the sweet nothings her master practiced his "words follow the law" with that day were love talk.

If it had been boring and aggressive nonsense like today, she estimated she would have long been forced to speak and then gone insane. Trying to hide was simply impossible.

(End of this chapter)