Chapter 168: The Tongue of Bewitchment

Yes!

Except for NPCs, no one wants Lin Bai to settle down.

Players need fresh and exciting storylines.

Because this means fame, means sponsorship, means more game resources, means faster leveling up...

Quietly grinding levels—how could that be faster than killing monsters to level up?

The system also doesn't want Lin Bai to settle down; otherwise, it wouldn't issue so many fame-seeking quests.

Lin Bai himself doesn't want to settle down either.

Aside from the quests he had already planned being completed step by step.

Over these past two or three days, his strength has hardly increased at all, and even the income from background emotions has slowed down significantly.

This is clearly not the result Lin Bai wants.

The battlefield suitable for Lin Bai has never been among the mountains and wilderness.

Therefore.

Stability or whatever is the most annoying thing; it hinders the rapid development of society.

Side hall.

All the high-level members of the Righteous Sect were summoned here.

Lin Bai sat in the main seat.

Beside him were the highest-ranking Daoxu and Daojing.

In the lower seats were the deacons of several major departments, such as Qingyu, Qing Meng, Qinglin, and Qingzheng.

In the lowest seats were player representatives such as 【Longxi】, 【Crazy Man】, 【Silver】, 【I Am Not A Smurf】, 【Great Luo Golden Immortal】, and 【Deng Li Buduo】.

【Lao Mi】 is the Chief Beggar of the Beggar Sect, and 【Gugao Laoren】 is responsible for coordinating the outreach affairs of the entire Beggar Sect; it was destined that the two could not enter the Righteous Sect, as daily leveling training would delay many things.

Therefore.

After weighing the options, they returned to Qian City with Jiang Qingqin and the others that same day.

Those who remained in the Righteous Sect were all players keen on leveling up, commonly known as hired thugs.

"... That is roughly how things stand. As everyone knows, the Beggar Sect is my protective sect, and the Heavenly Descended are the top priority for our future layout of the world; every single Heavenly Descended is a treasure. Now, the five evil sects disregard the rules of the Jianghu and have forcibly detained our Heavenly Descended, wanting to force me to submit. To put it mildly, they are cutting off the roots of our Righteous Sect; to put it bluntly, the evil sects are bullying us, the Righteous Sect, as if we have no one!" Lin Bai sat in the head seat, his expression pained, "Tell me, can we swallow this insult?"

Daoxu and the others were practicing the "Words Follow the Law" technique, so it was inconvenient for them to speak; each of them was deliberating on how to use pleasant language to resolve this matter.

Ever since practicing "Words Follow the Law," the Taoists of Huilong Temple have become much more composed, and they have learned to think thrice before speaking.

Unlike the quiet Taoists, the players, who feared nothing but a peaceful world, had already excitedly slammed the table: "No, absolutely not."

"Screw their mothers!"

"They've bullied us to our faces; if we don't give them a taste of their own medicine, they won't know how many eyes our Shopkeeper Lin has."

The suddenly excited players left the Taoists of Huilong Temple feeling somewhat at a loss.

Since when could newly initiated Disciples be so presumptuous?

They are afraid of Lin Bai, but are they afraid of you?

Daojing frowned and slammed the table hard. Just as he was about to get angry, he suddenly remembered he was practicing "Words Follow the Law." He paused, stammered a few times, and said: "The best state of life is to be comfortable and peaceful. And the best way to make oneself happy is to let go."

Uh!

The air suddenly fell into silence.

Lin Bai looked at Daojing with a strange expression and subconsciously stroked the little fox's head, thinking to himself, fine, he really hasn't done anything decent.

When the people of this world know the truth in the future, they will surely hate him to death!

It can't be entirely blamed on him either.

It was the system that made the first move; the quests they issued were clearly meant to tear this world apart, and he was just an executor...

"Both are NPCs; Shopkeeper Lin messes around and I don't feel anything, but why does it feel so jarring when the old Taoist says such gentle words with an angry expression?"

"He's not as handsome as Shopkeeper Lin!"

"Shopkeeper Lin's emotional control is better than his; even when Shopkeeper Lin is killing people, he still wears a smile when he's 'delivering warmth'..."

"Yeah, by comparison, Shopkeeper Lin is so scary; he seems more like a player than an NPC."

The players used private chats to discuss Daojing unscrupulously.

Daojing could not hear the private chats, but he could read their eyes. His old face turned bright red in an instant, and he closed his eyes and sat back down helplessly.

As expected, Fazhe Zhidao is not something a normal person can practice; the requirements for one's state of mind are too high.

If it hadn't been confirmed by Qingfeng that Lin Bai had indeed gone crazy like this in Jiamu City and caused a sensation throughout the city, he would have thought this set of cultivation methods was fabricated by Lin Bai to deceive people.

Too shameful.

Glancing at Daojing, a trace of apology flashed in Lin Bai's eyes, and he kindly offered a suggestion: "Elder Daojing, practicing 'Words Follow the Law' requires extremely high control over one's emotions. No matter what happens, even if you are very angry, you must be calm and composed to have a chance at success. I personally suggest that you carry a charcoal pencil and a piece of cardboard with you; some things that are inconvenient to say can be expressed in time."

The eyes of Daojing and the others lit up immediately.

As expected.

The Sect Leader's experience is still the most extensive.

Daojing hurriedly bowed to Lin Bai to express his gratitude. He pondered for a moment and said: "The Sect Leader's wisdom is as dazzling as the stars in the sky, always able to bring new inspiration to people at any moment!"

With Huilong Temple taken by one person and stimulated by a group of Heavenly Descended, Daojing and the others, who considered their aptitude poor, were determined to walk the path of Fazhe Zhidao.

Shame can also stimulate a person's fighting spirit.

……

The corners of Qingyu's mouth twitched involuntarily, and he muttered, "What kind of mess is this!"

"When it's inconvenient to write, you can also prepare some simple Wooden Tablets to carry on your person, with short phrases written on them like 'Hello,' 'Get lost,' or 'Don't disturb me while I'm eating,' to use for communication." Lin Bai smiled and continued to offer suggestions.

What is meant by setting rules?

What is meant by influencing trends?

Through tireless, repetitive promotion and widespread announcement, one can turn a falsehood into the truth.

Three people can create a tiger.

Once enough people believe it, the false becomes true.

When that time comes, he will be the authority, the originator...

Daojing understood and gave a wink to the young Daoist priest serving behind him.

The young Daoist priest nodded and said, "Master, your eyes are full of wisdom; every blink conveys a different meaning."

Everyone has dreams.

The cultivation of the God of Law has pulled everyone onto the same level; who would be content to fall behind?

What if one were to ascend to the heavens in a single step?

It's just saying a few nice words; there's no need to pay any price...

Today.

You are my master, but tomorrow I will be the God of Law you cannot afford to climb up to...

……

Daojing and the others had not yet had time to rejoice over finding the knack for cultivating "speaking the law into existence."

Lin Bai slammed the table suddenly, pulling the topic back: "Right, we cannot abandon them. For a sect to have cohesion, it cannot give up on a single person."

He looked at Deng Li Buduo and nodded at him, "Just as I said in Jiamu City, once someone has entered the Justice Sect, no matter how poor their aptitude or how terrible their character, a master cannot expel them from the sect."

Today, I will repeat this statement again. Everyone must keep this in mind: no matter how perilous the situation, even if you are fighting to the very last person, you must not abandon your fellow disciples. Only in this way will the Justice Sect become increasingly powerful."

Daojing and the others looked at Lin Bai in astonishment. Good heavens, do you not even use transitions when you speak?

Qingyu looked at Lin Bai with profound meaning. He had cultivated in Huilong Temple since he was young and had also been told by his master to treat Huilong Temple as his home and to protect the Disciples below. Yet, he had never heard such impassioned and inspiring words as these from Lin Bai.

Later, when he became the Sect Leader, he had weighed the pros and cons for the sake of stability and had never even thought about protecting every single person!

If every Disciple of Huilong Temple had been instilled with such ideas when they entered the temple.

Back then.

In the battle outside Qian City, perhaps they would not have lost!

Lin Bai taking charge of Huilong Temple might not be a bad thing.

……

"Shopkeeper Lin is truly passionate!"

"Although he is just an NPC, I don't know why, but hearing this, I am still very moved. What should I do if I can't bear to kill him in the future?"

"I always have a sense of guilt for using Shopkeeper Lin. In the future, when Lin Bai is abandoned by us, I wonder what he will think. Why is he an NPC! If he were a player, with such strong charisma, he would definitely have many followers!"

"All our sincerity fed to the dogs! Sometimes I think, players are really not good people; we shouldn't have appeared in this world."

……

Damn it!

Listening to the whispers of his companions nearby, Deng Li Buduo cursed silently. You lot probably don't know what kind of thing Shopkeeper Lin is!

What charisma? Not abandoning anyone?

Just a moment ago, he was trying every possible way to kick me out of the sect, and now he's using me as an example. You are worried about not being able to bring yourselves to attack Lin Bai, but you won't even know it when he sells you out in the future!

Longxi had the same thoughts as Deng Li Buduo. Ever since he was tricked by Lin Bai when he first entered the game, he would never believe another word that came out of Lin Bai's mouth.

Daojing and the others also fell into silence. Deep down, they were unwilling to risk their lives for Lin Bai and even disapproved of his rhetoric.

But at this moment, it was not appropriate for them to jump out and refute the new Sect Leader.

"The Evil Five Sects chose to provoke us at this time purely because they bully me for being young and bully the Justice Sect for being newly founded and unstable." Lin Bai sneered, "Therefore, we must not only fight this battle, but we must fight it beautifully. We will make this battle the founding battle of the Justice Sect. From now on, whether it is a Disciple of the Justice Sect or the Beggar Sect, as long as they report the name of the Justice Sect while walking the Jianghu, no one will dare to provoke them."

"Well said." Da Luo Jin Xian stood up, "Shopkeeper Lin, how shall we fight? We will cooperate with you."

"Qingyu, how many Golden Core Cultivators capable of fighting are left in Huilong Temple?" Lin Bai reached out to press down, signaling him to sit, then turned to look at Qingyu beside him and asked.

Qingyu looked at Lin Bai and sighed, "Sect Leader, last time outside Qian City, nearly thirty Golden Core Cultivators died at the hands of the Sect Leader. There are over one hundred and forty Golden Core Cultivators left in the sect. If we must go to battle, we should be able to mobilize eighty. We must keep people in the sect to maintain its normal operation and to guard the sect to prevent others from sneaking an attack."

"Eighty, is it!" Lin Bai nodded with satisfaction, "That is enough."

Qingyu's expression changed slightly. He hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage and said, "Sect Leader, since the Evil Five Sects dare to arrange a battle in Qian City, they must have made full preparations. Even if the Sect Leader has Nascent Soul cultivation, plus my master, I fear you are not the match of the Evil Five Sects alliance. I think this matter needs further deliberation. After all, the Heavenly Descended are Undying and Indestructible..."

"Being Undying and Indestructible is not a reason for us to sacrifice them. This time, if I sacrifice them because they are Undying and Indestructible, next time I could sacrifice you because your aptitude is inferior to the Heavenly Descended. As time goes on, will the Justice Sect still exist?"

Lin Bai interrupted Qingyu without hesitation, turned his head to look at him, and said, "Qingyu, considering you were originally the Sect Leader of Huilong Temple and do not understand the rules of the Justice Sect, I will forgive you this time. If you say such things again, I will seal Huaxi Furen into a card forever, so that you can never see each other again."

【Resentment from Qingyu; +1+1+1】

【Resentment from Huaxi Furen; +1+1+1】

【Joy from Da Luo Jin Xian, Wo Bu Shi Xiao Hao, Tie Tou Xian; +1+1+1】

……

Speaking the most righteous words while doing the most sordid things—that is just like you.

Qingyu shook his head, sighed, took the hand of Huaxi Furen beside him, and dared not say more.

"Qingyu's worries are reasonable." Lin Bai looked at Daojing and the others, "You were people of Huilong Temple before and have only merged into the Justice Sect for two days. Many of you are still full of resentment toward me. It is certain that you are unwilling to risk great danger to save a group of unrelated people. Especially since the people being saved are also Undying and Indestructible; if it were me, I wouldn't be willing either."

Daojing and the others looked at Lin Bai in surprise.

Several players were also stunned.

Lin Bai looked around at everyone and smiled, "You have absolutely no need to worry about this. I am only dragging you over to bolster the momentum; I actually haven't thought much of your Dao Methods and Martial Arts?"

【From Daokong, Daojing... comes shame and annoyance; +1+1+1】

"You all know that what I cultivate is Law Power," Lin Bai smiled. "Last time I told you I had the cultivation of a Nascent Soul, but that was just a general term. As for which realm Law Power is actually equivalent to, even I do not know."

As my comprehension deepens, my cultivation grows at every moment.

Therefore, while nominally everyone is going to fight together, in essence, this confrontation with the Evil Five Sects is still my personal battle, just like how I took on Huilong Temple alone."

The expressions of Daojing and the others changed again. These heart-piercing words from Lin Bai were even more unbearable than having to face the Evil Five Sects; they had been completely looked down upon!

"Everyone, to cultivate Law Power, one must not only have a firm will and keep one's heart pure, but also possess a fearless heart to face all powerful enemies." Lin Bai's gaze swept across the faces of Daojing and the others one by one, carrying a faint smile. "Do you know why I made the cultivation method for 'Words Follow the Law' public, yet never worried that you would surpass me?"

Daojing and the others were stunned.

"Under the Heavenly Dao, all are ants. Throughout history, how many heroes and legends have turned into a handful of dust, while Heaven has always remained high above? When has it ever feared anyone?" Lin Bai chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. "Your hearts are filled with petty schemes and calculations. As long as these things remain in your hearts, you will forever be shackled within the realm of mortals. To comprehend Law Power, how could it be easy?"

Daojing and the others were stunned.

The players were dumbfounded.

"Holy crap, Shopkeeper Lin wants to become Heaven? When did this happen?"

"This is earth-shattering news!"

"A supernatural plot. I thought Shopkeeper Lin was just a plot NPC, I didn't expect him to be such a badass NPC!"

"It's confirmed this time, Shopkeeper Lin is the final BOSS. He wants to become the Heavenly Dao, and the players are destined to rebel against Heaven!"

"I didn't expect that at the end of the game, we would actually be fighting against Heaven. So exciting."

Daojing decisively interrupted the 'Words Follow the Law' practice he had been persisting with for a long time, and said unwillingly: "Sect Master Lin, is your heart truly devoid of emotion and desire? Have you never had selfish calculations? If you are truly Heaven, why bother saving those Heavenly Descended? Letting them fend for themselves would be truly treating them as ants..."

"The cultivation of 'Words Follow the Law' happens step by step; my realm is not yet sufficient." Lin Bai glanced at him and shook his head. "Having selfish desires is normal. But I dare to face my own selfish desires; do you dare?"

"..." Daojing was stunned. After a long while, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He shook his head in a daze and said with difficulty, "I cannot do it."

"If you cannot do it, don't force yourself. Besides the Heavenly Dao, we also have the Great Dao of Love." Lin Bai smiled and comforted him, "After resolving the Evil Five Sects, we will merge with sects like Hundred Flowers Valley in the future. Hundred Flowers Valley has many female cultivators. Elder can try the Love Dao then."

"..." Daojing did not expect to hear such words from Lin Bai's mouth; he suddenly raised his head to look at him.

Lin Bai wore a smile, nodded at him, and encouraged him softly: "Face your own heart."

Daojing's eyes struggled.

A moment later, his gaze turned firm.

Looking at Lin Bai, Daojing exhaled softly, as if his whole person had been reborn. He stood up and performed a solemn salute to Lin Bai: "Many thanks to the Sect Master for clearing my doubts. Poor Daojing has cultivated the Dao for many years, only today do I know the true meaning of the Dao! The Righteous Sect truly lives up to its reputation. From this moment on, Daojing is a lackey under Sect Master Lin, at your beck and call, without a single complaint."

Qingyu was lost in thought.

Daokong was lost in thought.

Huaxi Furen looked at Lin Bai in terror, her hand hidden in her sleeve trembling uncontrollably. She had not comprehended Law Power, yet she seemed to see a terrifying demon lord behind Lin Bai, looking down upon the world.

Perhaps the root of the chaotic world was not the Heavenly Descended, but this madman before her who dared to attempt to become the Heavenly Dao.

(End of chapter)