Chapter 169: The Shit-Stirrer Should Take Responsibility

"..." Qingyu swallowed, feeling that his many years as acting temple master had been a waste.

"Sect Leader, should we continue practicing 'speaking the law into existence'?" Daokong, who had been stuck at the Golden Core stage for many years, was also enlightened by Lin Bai's words. Since he couldn't wait for the cardboard, he simply interrupted his practice of "speaking the law into existence" and asked.

"You should still practice it." Lin Bai smiled as he looked at him. "I also balance the practice of many Dao laws. As the saying goes, if the east isn't bright, the west will be. Opportunity always favors those who are prepared. Set your goal at the mountaintop and work hard to climb; even if you don't reach the peak in the end, you will certainly gain more and see more beautiful scenery than others."

Those who cultivate the Heavenly Dao are truly selfless! Daokong bowed in return: "Many thanks for the Sect Leader's teachings!"

"Damn, that's so blood-boiling. If I weren't a player, I'd be moved by Shopkeeper Lin too." 【Da Luo Golden Immortal】 entered the private chat channel.

"Don't get emotional. Didn't you guys just say you couldn't bear to kill Shopkeeper Lin? Still don't see it? Shopkeeper Lin has achieved success in his cultivation; in his eyes, all players will become ants. Who knows how he'll treat us?" 【Deng Li Buduo】 said coldly.

"Brother Deng, you haven't actually developed feelings for Lin Bai, have you? They are NPCs in the game; we never considered them human from the start!" 【I Am Not A Smurf】 laughed. "Compared to Shopkeeper Lin, we are the true Heavenly Dao, treating everyone as ants from the very beginning."

"Shopkeeper Lin probably doesn't know that his so-called laws are hidden skills prepared by the game for us players. Think about that, then look at the blood-boiling Shopkeeper Lin—don't you think he's pathetic? His entire destiny has been predetermined." 【Madman】 looked at Lin Bai with pity and sighed.

Pathetic? You guys don't know a damn thing!

Lin Bai rolled his eyes silently, stood up, and looked around at everyone: "I must make a name for myself so that you all can soar upward with me. This battle shall be the first battle for me to make my name. Qingyu, find a few disciples with fast feet and rush to Medicine King Valley, Chaoyuan Sword Sect, Hundred Flowers Valley, and Spirit Tool Pavilion. In the name of the Righteous Sect, invite them to Qian City to eliminate demons and defend the Dao. Tell them the Righteous Sect is holding the Gancheng Cup enemy-slaying competition, taking this opportunity to clear out the Demon Sect and redefine the sect rankings. Let us compare which sect kills the most evil demons and heretics in this competition!"

Who do you think you are, daring to redefine sect rankings?

With the things you've done and the words you've said, it's already giving you face that these sects aren't kicking you while you're down!

Is this a pure heart?

This is pure stupidity!

Qingyu looked at Lin Bai and asked: "What if they don't come? We don't have the authority to command them..."

"If they don't come, it means they forfeit. The Righteous Sect will be the number one Righteous Sect outside Qian City. Don't overthink it; just send out the invitations," Lin Bai said proudly.

"Alright!" Qingyu agreed sheepishly. Send them he would; he was just a Puppet now, and it wasn't him who would be embarrassed.

"Madman, are there any Beggar Sect disciples left in Qian City who haven't been controlled by the Evil Five Sects?" Lin Bai looked at the players again and asked.

"Yes," 【Madman】 said. "When the Evil Five Sects came, many of us weren't logged in and avoided their capture."

"Notify them to spread the news of the Gancheng Cup so that every citizen of Qian City knows about it. Find some Beggar Sect disciples to open a betting pool and enrich the citizens' spare time."

Ignoring the game terminology of "logging in" used by 【Madman】, Lin Bai said, "This is an opportunity to promote the Righteous Sect. Who is righteous and who is evil cannot be decided by us alone; it must rely on public opinion and propaganda. In the past, cultivation sects were high and mighty, of no benefit to the people's livelihood. The Righteous Sect cannot follow the same path. We must be grounded, mingle with the people, and let the people like us so that our status will be unshakable."

"Sect Leader Lin, is that really necessary?" Qingyu finally couldn't listen anymore. "Too much interaction between cultivators and mortals is detrimental to cultivation..."

"I am different from you; I cultivate laws," Lin Bai glanced at him and smiled. "Laws require participation and experiencing the world. Blindly staying away from the mundane world will instead slow down my cultivation."

The Super Sect Leader System requires hosting or participating in an event and achieving the top spot at the same level.

Now.

With the Evil Five Sects invading, Lin Bai naturally had to seize this opportunity!

Perhaps the geographical location of Huilong Temple really is rich in Spirit Qi, making cultivation twice as effective with half the effort. But Lin Bai's cultivation doesn't rely on Spirit Qi, and only the Spirit Fields of Huilong Temple are useful to him. Staying in this unpopular place would indeed slow down his mission progress.

As for Qingyu's worry that sects like Hundred Flowers Valley wouldn't come to help?

It's better if they don't!

Anyway, the "Gancheng Cup" is being held and the invitations have been sent out. If they don't come, it counts as a forfeit; the Righteous Sect will be the champion by default!

Lin Bai is quite good at fooling the system.

Qingyu and the others didn't understand what the "Gancheng Cup" was, but 【Longxi】 and the others were all too familiar with it.

Moreover, Lin Bai had always been avant-garde, so they didn't even have a shred of doubt and naturally shifted their thinking to advertisements and sponsorships.

With the "Gancheng Cup," there will be a "Kun City Cup" in the future...

Shopkeeper Lin is worthy of being the official designated money-pit NPC; he will never let them down.

"When attacking Huilong Temple outside Qian City, the tactics formulated by the Beggar Sect were good, but you suffered because you were too fragile. This time, when fighting the Evil Five Sects, we will still use the Lightning Storm tactic," Lin Bai continued. "The Golden Core True Persons in the sect don't need to take action; they will be responsible for guarding these Heavenly Descended. Let them chant the incantations for Palm Thunder, striving to severely damage the Evil Five Sects in the first round and give them a show of force."

"Yes," 【Madman】 and the others said, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Sect Leader, don't worry, we definitely won't hold you back this time."

"Qing Meng, prepare more pills for the warriors going on the expedition." Lin Bai looked at the Daoist priests of Huilong Temple who were already stunned and smiled. "Time is short, and I haven't finished refining some practical pills here. Once this battle is settled and we have coordinated with each other, we should be considered a true family. At that time, we will strive to research some more practical pill formulas for use in battle. There are many people in the world who cannot stand the rise of the Righteous Sect, and we will have no shortage of battles in the future. Since war cannot be avoided, we will do everything possible to reduce casualties."

"Yes, Sect Leader," Qing Meng and the others cupped their hands dryly, suddenly not knowing whether to be grateful to Lin Bai or resent him.

"That's about all I can think of. Does anyone have anything to add?" Lin Bai looked around at everyone again and asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

Whenever there were conflicts with the Demon Sect in the past, everyone would negotiate and exercise restraint, trying to minimize the conflict as much as possible.

Suddenly encountering a warmonger like Lin Bai who couldn't wait to rush out and wipe out the Evil Five Sects completely, they were truly a bit unaccustomed to it!

The only consolation was that Lin Bai didn't need them to rush up and act as cannon fodder.

From this point of view, Lin Bai as Sect Leader was indeed better than Qingyu.

"If there are no questions, everyone disperse and prepare!" Lin Bai waved his hand and said. "Huaxi Furen, stay behind and reveal more information about the Evil Five Sects to me, such as how many Yuan Ying True Persons they have, what spells or Dharma Treasures they are good at..."

"Yes."

Huaxi Furen answered with a smile and stayed behind.

Having become Lin Bai's Puppet and staying at the Righteous Sect with Qingyu, the Profound Nether Sect was destined to have no place for her. If Lin Bai could really make a name for himself in one battle, it would be even more beneficial for her.

Qian City.

City Lord's Mansion.

"Several Sect Leaders, coming to my Qian City to cause trouble, are you planning to provoke a dispute with the Taiyi Kingdom?" City Lord Guo Yuan looked at the several Demon Sect leaders who had come to his door, unafraid, and spoke first with a cold face to question them.

"City Lord Guo has quite the air." The Blood Shadow Sect leader, Xin Shang, was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in a black robe with a feminine appearance. He looked at Guo Yuan with cold eyes, his voice also carrying a feminine tone. "Reasonably speaking, it is the City Lord who is at fault first. Although we are defined as a Demon Sect, we have never committed any offense against the Taiyi Kingdom, and we have followed your rules when entering the city-state.

This time, when the Heavenly Descended entered the world, we also consulted the City Lord's opinion before competing fairly with those so-called righteous sects for the Heavenly Descended."

But what did the City Lord do?

"At the recruitment fair, the Heavenly Descended were carved up by several so-called righteous sects, while the envoys of our own sects were slaughtered to the last. The City Lord broke the rules first; even if we took the City Lord's head, the Emperor of Taiyi Kingdom would have nothing to say!"

"..." Guo Yuan frowned slightly. "The matter of the recruitment fair was indeed my oversight. I had no idea Lin Bai was such an arrogant person."

"We already know the ins and outs of the story; the City Lord need not repeat it." Pei Yanzong, the Sect Leader of the Canyang Sect, interrupted Guo Yuan and said, "Lin Bai killed my only son; in our eyes, he is already a dead man. Today, we have come to the City Lord for the redistribution of these Heavenly Descended."

"How so?" Guo Yuan asked.

"We will not make things too difficult for the City Lord. Of the four Basic Cities under Qian City, all Heavenly Descended who arrive within the next year shall be distributed among our five sects. Is that acceptable?" Xin Shang said. "Huilong Temple was destroyed by Lin Bai alone, and the balance between the Righteous and Evil Paths has been broken. Our strength has already surpassed sects like Chaoyuan. Surely the City Lord is willing to cooperate with us to compensate for our losses this time!"

"..." Guo Yuan was silent.

"If the City Lord does not agree, we will have no choice but to demand an explanation from the Emperor of Taiyi!" Shen Kuang, the Sect Leader of the Xueli Sect, looked at Guo Yuan and said, "We will ask him if he has completely leaned toward the Seven Righteous Sects?"

Idiots!

The Heavenly Descended have entered the world, yet you are still clinging to the old rules. You probably won't even know how you died!

Guo Yuan remained calm: "Sect Leader Xin, the matter of the recruitment fair was indeed my lack of consideration, and I should make some compensation. The Heavenly Descended are unruly, ignore the laws, and are of no benefit to society. I have no right to interfere with who they belong to, nor do I care to. But do you truly have the confidence to take down Lin Bai?"

"That is no cause for the City Lord's concern," Xin Shang sneered.

"Lin Bai claims to be a World Walker of the Justice Sect," Guo Yuan continued. "Yet I have scoured the classics and never found a single word about the Justice Sect. Lin Bai fought over a hundred Golden Core Cultivators of Huilong Temple alone, and the Dao Method he used was bizarre..."

"City Lord, what exactly are you trying to say?" Xin Shang frowned.

"Lin Bai is even more lawless and disregardful of rules than the Heavenly Descended," Guo Yuan took a deep breath and said. "Moreover, his background is mysterious, and he has no ties in this world. If it were anyone else, having offended you, they would not go on to offend Huilong Temple as well. But Lin Bai has no such scruples, as if he wants to be the enemy of the whole world."

"Most of the trouble in Qian City is caused by him. To be honest, in private, I call him a 'shit-stirrer'; the perfectly good situation has been stirred into a mess by him. If you can truly kill Lin Bai, that would be fine, but if you fail, the ones who will suffer are the people of Qian City, and he likely won't care about the Taiyi Kingdom either..."

"Are you implying that we are inferior to Lin Bai?" Shen Kuang frowned and interrupted him.

"That is not what I meant," Guo Yuan glanced at him and said. "What I want to say is that the matter of the Heavenly Descended can wait until after you have killed Lin Bai. I dare not promise to let you recruit the Heavenly Descended for a year, but I can guarantee this."

"If you win, I am willing, in my capacity as City Lord, to act as a bridge between you and sects like Chaoyuan to discuss a distribution plan for the Heavenly Descended that both sides can accept."

"Otherwise, if you are defeated by Lin Bai, no matter how much I promise, it will be of no use. Instead, Lin Bai will come looking for trouble with me, inviting disaster for nothing."

"The City Lord fears Lin Bai, but does not fear us?" Xin Shang looked at Guo Yuan with a sinister expression.

"You still act according to reason. Lin Bai's style of conduct is too bizarre; it is impossible to guess what he wants to do. You likely do not know yet that Lin Bai spread a divine ability called 'Words Follow the Law.' When the Heavenly Descended of the Beggar Sect were practicing it, they made Qian City a mess. And that so-called Incomplete Dao—first it destroyed Jiamu City, then it destroyed Qian City. The people in the city are suffering, and I am being driven mad by them..."

Guo Yuan turned the conversation into a complaint about Lin Bai with a bitter face. After venting his grievances, he said, "One Lin Bai is already like this; if he really has the Justice Sect behind him and he escapes, I, a mere small City Lord, fear I cannot withstand his retaliation! If you do not believe me, you have captured many Beggar Sect Disciples; you can ask them if what I say is true. Therefore, until the outcome between you and Lin Bai is decided, all I can do is remain neutral. I ask you Sect Leaders to understand."

"..." Shen Kuang opened his mouth, just about to speak.

He was interrupted by Xin Shang, who snorted: "The City Lord remaining neutral is enough. Everything will be settled once we behead Lin Bai."

"Then it is a deal." Guo Yuan let out a long sigh and cupped his hands, "In that case, I shall await your good news. Sect Leaders, do as you please with the Heavenly Descended, but I ask that you restrain your disciples and try not to harass the people in the city. It would be best to set the battlefield outside the city to avoid gossip..."

After the leaders of the five evil sects left.

A scholar quietly appeared behind Guo Yuan, his expression somewhat complex: "City Lord, are we just selling Lin Bai out like this? Under Lin Bai's restraint, the Heavenly Descended have not caused much turmoil in Qian City. I heard that the Heavenly Descended in Yinmucheng used various means to hollow out the City Lord."

"Otherwise, tell me what to do?" Guo Yuan snorted with dissatisfaction. "All the disasters were caused by that brat; if he doesn't bear the consequences, who will? Should the Taiyi Kingdom clean up his mess? If he can't even pass this hurdle, he is unworthy of being favored by the County Princess. Lin Bai said he is the Heavenly Mandate Person who meets the calamity; causing him some trouble is more beneficial to his growth..."

(End of chapter)