Chapter 191: The Good-Tempered City Lord

"City Lord, Shopkeeper Lin previously mentioned issuing the second issue of Justice Weekly. We two have come to discuss this with you, to understand the true views of Qian City and the Taiyi Kingdom regarding the Cultivation World and us Heavenly Descended." Lao Mi cupped his hands and bowed to Guo Yuan.

There were three people in the room: the City Lord, Zhao Wenshi who dealt with players long-term, and a player with the name 【Strategist】 floating above his head.

Looking at the player beside the City Lord, Lao Mi secretly felt fortunate; it was a good thing that when Lin Bai held the meeting later, all players had turned off their live streams.

Otherwise, he feared his Love Stick would have had no chance to strike.

"In such a rush?" Guo Yuan asked in astonishment.

"Shopkeeper Lin said we need to build momentum before the expedition." Lao Mi examined the room's layout, showed the City Lord the stack of organized materials in his hand, and said, "City Lord, you also know that I am the Chief Beggar, and I am usually responsible for the Beggar Sect's affairs. The Justice Alliance wants to change the situation between the Cultivation World and the common people, to make cultivation and people's livelihoods align. I also want to take this opportunity to discuss future cooperation between both sides with the City Lord, to see how we can maximize benefits and achieve a win-win situation for both."

"Good!" Guo Yuan pondered for a moment and agreed.

Just now, he had learned the news of Lin Bai performing Weapon Refinement for ordinary people, and Guo Yuan thought that was an unnecessary move.

A kitchen knife that could cut through iron like mud was not much different from an ordinary kitchen knife when chopping vegetables; instead, it would cause a huge waste of resources and might even lead to incidents because of it.

However.

He ultimately felt this was a good start, a way to pull the Cultivation World down from the clouds.

The Heavenly Descended were destined to bring change to the world, but no one knew in which direction the future path would go.

Therefore, everything Lin Bai did could well be treated as a pilot project.

If it succeeded, it would be promoted outward.

If it didn't succeed, it didn't matter; there would still be experience to draw from. Moreover, Lin Bai had gathered all the focus, so his own pressure would be much lighter. It was just right to use the mouths of Lao Mi and his companion to understand what Lin Bai actually wanted to do.

As for whether Lin Bai would harm him, Guo Yuan had not considered it. He had already offended the Cultivation World; if he offended the authorities as well, was he truly prepared to become a public enemy of the world?

"Please sit." Guo Yuan pointed to a chair nearby. "Someone, serve tea."

Lao Mi and Deng Li Buduo exchanged a glance and sat on the chairs nearby: "City Lord, let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point!"

"Fine." Guo Yuan nodded.

"I wonder what the City Lord's view is on the Cultivation World? Do you think they occupy social resources and constrain the path of social progress?" Lao Mi toyed with the Love Stick in his hand, using the topic to create an opportunity.

Asking such a sharp question right from the start?

Guo Yuan was stunned for a moment and asked in return: "Are you planning to publish these in Justice Weekly?"

"Yes." Lao Mi smiled and nodded. "As the official oversight of the Justice Alliance, your attitude determines the development direction of the Justice Alliance..."

Guo Yuan was silent for a moment, looked at Lao Mi, and said: "Since the founding of the Taiyi Kingdom, the common people and the Cultivation World have kept to their own spheres and not interfered with each other; everything has been under the state's control. But with the Heavenly Descended arriving in the world, changes that should be made must be made. As for what kind of changes this will bring, this old man is of shallow learning and cannot see it clearly; it must be left to time to decide..."

Well played!

He said so much, yet it was as if he said nothing at all.

After hearing this bit of diplomatic talk, Lao Mi smiled indifferently: "I understand. The City Lord means we cannot be impatient and must proceed gradually, right?"

Guo Yuan glanced at him and said: "Chief Lao, do not misinterpret my words. My meaning is: neither support nor oppose. Just as the state treated the Cultivation World in the past, so it treats you Heavenly Descended now. You may do what you wish, but everything must be under official supervision and cannot overstep the laws of the state."

Without waiting for Lao Mi to ask, he continued: "Chief Lao, Justice Weekly controls public opinion and cannot be entirely controlled by the Beggar Sect. I will send people to be stationed in the Beggar Sect to be responsible for reviewing the articles published in Justice Weekly. I hope you can cooperate."

Starting the supervision right from the beginning.

These official NPCs are truly sharp; they don't dare to easily let the power of discourse be held in the hands of outsiders!

Sure enough, if one wants to play to their heart's content, one cannot do it without controlling those in official positions.

"That is only right." Lao Mi nodded and continued to ask, "City Lord, are you optimistic about the prospects of the Justice Alliance? What impact will the new model promoted by the Justice Alliance have on people's livelihoods?"

"There is a good side, and there is a bad side!" Guo Yuan continued to speak in diplomatic generalities. "After all, the Justice Alliance has only been established for one day; it is too early for you to ask this question..."

When they entered the door, 【Strategist】 had already opened a live stream to ride the Beggar Sect's popularity. Watching Lao Mi and the City Lord talk nonsense back and forth, he sent a private message to Deng Li Buduo: "Deng Cancan, what are you guys doing?"

"An interview!" Deng Li Buduo gave him an annoyed look. "Call me Deng Cancan again and I'll get angry with you!"

To maintain secrecy, the players in the City Lord's Mansion only live-streamed ordinary daily routines.

Moreover, Qian City still had the Beggar Sect, a major consumer of traffic; their live stream audience was not large, especially now that Lin Bai was outside doing volunteer Weapon Refinement, which had attracted all the popularity.

Even though 【Strategist】 had opened a live stream, there were only twenty or thirty people in the stream.

Half of these twenty or thirty people had stayed behind only because they saw Deng Li Buduo and Lao Mi appear in the frame while passing by.

Looking at the sparse "Any questions?" comments on the live stream screen, 【Strategist】 said: "I don't believe it. A real interview? Does it require a Chief and a personal disciple to be dispatched? You guys must have another mission, right?"

"Mission my foot." Deng Li Buduo would not reveal Lin Bai's plan to an outsider. He looked at the Strategist and changed the subject: "Strategist, the Beggar Sect is going to take an economic route in the future. Does the City Lord's Mansion have any inside information? Reveal it to us in advance, and I'll take charge of giving you a share of the profits..."

The City Lord was chatting enthusiastically with Lao Mi, while 【Strategist】 and Deng Li Buduo were exchanging glances and private messages.

The scholar had been somewhat guarded before.

But when Lao Mi started talking about the impact of economics on society and the Cultivation World, starting from the development of the Beggar Sect, his guard went down, and he even pricked up his ears to listen to their conversation.

He had never thought that someone could turn economics into a systematic field of study.

Previously, the City Lord had discussed with him how to transform the ingenuity of the Heavenly Descended into plans beneficial to the state, and this thought flooded his mind once again.

Aside from the characteristic of being Undying and Indestructible, the Heavenly Descended truly all possessed great talent; if used in the right place, it was indeed beneficial to the state.

"... The economic base determines the superstructure. Once the superstructure, such as politics and culture, does not match the economic base, society will experience a rupture, which will then trigger a revolution to make them match. The role the Beggar Sect plays at this moment is to serve as a bridge, using the special status of the Heavenly Descended to break the barriers between the Cultivation World and the common people, thereby allowing the entire country's economy to take flight..."

Lao Mi looked at the City Lord, who was listening intently and completely captivated by him. He silently tightened his grip on the Love Stick in his hand and dragged the materials in his hand toward the City Lord: "City Lord, I have combined the characteristics of several cultivation sects and derived several macroeconomic variable formulas, which might allow the City Lord to have a general understanding of the future..."

Lao Mi's plan had been precisely calculated by the Beggar Sect's think tank: to dismantle the City Lord's guard step by step through ordinary topics, then use knowledge from the Real World to arouse his curiosity, and finally strike successfully.

When playing games and doing missions, players could exert two hundred percent of their energy, much more seriously than when studying or working.

Up to now, except for having suffered losses at the hands of the unconventional Lin Bai, the Beggar Sect had been thriving in Qian City, and the Beggar Sect's think tank had played no small part.

Using the prepared against the unprepared.

The City Lord had no defenses at all and leaned down to examine the so-called macroeconomic variable formulas; the scholar and 【Strategist】's gazes were also drawn to the materials.

No one thought that the foot-long bamboo pole in his hand could be a lethal weapon.

Lao Mi chattered on, explaining the role each sect could play in the Beggar Sect's economic layout, while his right hand gripped the bamboo pole and, under the guise of scratching an itch, smashed it toward the City Lord's head with lightning speed.

No sooner said than done!

Bang!

The moment Xiao Pan's bamboo pole landed on the City Lord's head, Lao Mi was sent flying by the scholar who had reacted in an instant; he spat out a mouthful of blood, his head tilted to one side, and he died on the spot instantly.

Clatter!

Five or six people dressed in guard uniforms appeared from nowhere and shielded the City Lord.

Deng Li Buduo didn't react in time before he lost control of his body, freezing there with only his facial features able to move.

An expert!

He looked at the scholar and the guards who had suddenly appeared in horror, clicking his tongue incessantly.

No wonder the City Lord brought him everywhere; it turns out he's a bodyguard, and this guy must have at least Nascent Soul cultivation!

It's a good thing we didn't come up and strike hard, otherwise, nine times out of ten, we would have fallen short of success.

"This subordinate is incompetent and failed to protect you well; I ask the City Lord to forgive my sin." The scholar's face was livid; his gaze swept over the corpse of Lao Mi on the ground, he glared at Deng Li Buduo, then knelt on one knee to plead guilty to the City Lord.

The Strategist was dumbfounded: "What the hell, what are you guys doing? You went through all this trouble just to hit the City Lord with a bamboo pole? Are you crazy?"

……

"What the hell!"

"What the hell!"

"Is Lao Mi crazy? Does he want to represent the Beggar Sect and break ties with the City Lord's Mansion?"

"What a scene!"

"One is the Chief Beggar of the sect protected by Shopkeeper Lin, the other is his Disciple; these two are biting the hand that feeds them and are going to screw over Shopkeeper Lin!"

"Shopkeeper Lin is finished; he's even offended his only partner."

"How do you know this isn't Shopkeeper Lin's plan?"

"He just integrated the Justice Alliance; was he kicked in the head by a donkey to let these two take a bamboo pole and knock a bump on the City Lord? What good does offending the City Lord do him? Besides, Shopkeeper Lin is still outside doing Weapon Refinement for free!"

"I've been looking forward to players causing some trouble for a long time. Why be so rigid while playing a game? It's finally here. Lao Mi hit him well; I'm really looking forward to Shopkeeper Lin's expression when he finds out about this!"

"Miracles happen in small live-streaming rooms!"

"These two are undercover agents; the great foundation the Beggar Sect worked so hard to create has been wiped out by this one strike, ruined in the hands of these two idiots..."

"I thought that bamboo pole looked wrong just now, but I didn't expect him to hit the City Lord on the head with it."

"The City Lord was stunned by the hit, hahaha!"

……

The scholar looked up and saw the City Lord staring straight at the corpse of Lao Mi on the ground, his brows furrowed tightly, ignoring even the blood seeping from his forehead, and he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious: "City Lord, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Guo Yuan subconsciously pursed his lips and asked, "Zhao Xiansheng, Lao Mi will come back to life, right?"

"City Lord, what is wrong with you? The Heavenly Descended are Undying and Indestructible, how could they possibly die?" The scholar frowned slightly and looked at the guard beside him: "Zhao Yi, you must quickly take men into the city, capture the resurrected Lao Mi, and throw him into the prison. Assassinating the City Lord is a crime with no pardon..."

"No need to send him to prison, send him to my room... *cough*!" Guo Yuan picked up the bamboo pole that had fallen on the table and said subconsciously. Soon, he realized he had spoken wrongly, coughed lightly, and explained, "He is, after all, the Chief Beggar appointed by Lin Bai, and this assassination didn't use a sharp weapon, so I fear there is a reason for it. At present, we should not be at odds with Lin Bai. Capture him and allow me to personally ask for the reason. Zhao, next time, there is no need to strike so heavily. Even if they are Heavenly Descended, there is still a loss if they are beaten to death; after all, we still have to deal with him in the future..."

He already tried to assassinate you, and you're still planning to deal with him?

The scholar felt it was becoming increasingly strange. He frowned slightly: "This subordinate will be careful."

Deng Li Buduo looked at the City Lord and clicked his tongue in wonder. It's already taken effect! The Love Stick is truly magical, though the effect seems less intense than Lin Bai's Love Arrow; the City Lord is actually still able to remain calm!

"Why did you assassinate the City Lord?" The scholar looked at Deng Li Buduo and demanded.

"I don't know!" Deng Li Buduo followed the script to help whitewash Lin Bai: "Master only asked me to cooperate with him to interview the City Lord; I don't know why he suddenly went crazy and attacked the City Lord..."

"No need to ask him. Lin Bai should be unaware of this matter. The Heavenly Descended are naturally unrestrained and fond of pranks; they are capable of doing anything." Guo Yuan took a porcelain bottle from his bosom, poured out a pill, and swallowed it. The bleeding stopped immediately. He waved his hand: "Let him go. Once Lao Mi is captured, I will ask him personally."

……

"What the hell, he can even endure this?"

"The City Lord's temper is too good!"

"It's not that his temper is good; it's that he knows Lin Bai wouldn't do such a thing. However, I'm afraid Lao Mi won't be able to keep his position as Chief Beggar."

"I thought he could screw over Lin Bai, but he ended up screwing himself. How stupid..."

"It's instantly boring."

"Why don't we have a guess on who will be the next Chief Beggar? I bet it's Gugao Laoren."

……

"City Lord, should I go and negotiate with Lin Bai to replace Lao Mi?" The scholar waved his hand to undo the restriction on Deng Li Buduo, turned to the City Lord, and asked.

"No need." Guo Yuan smiled lightly, picked up the stack of documents Lao Mi had left on the table, and asked, "Little Deng, were these theories compiled by Chief Lao?"

"Yes, other Beggar Sect Elders also contributed." Deng Li Buduo had been watching the City Lord's reaction. When he saw his gaze land on the paper drafts, there was actually a hint of infatuation. He secretly said 'overbearing' to himself and confirmed it: it was the look of love. Lao Mi's position as Chief Beggar was secure.

After going back, I might have to ask Lin Bai for a Love Arrow and cultivate the Dao of Love. It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman; what I want is this sweet feeling of love!

"A person of talent!" Guo Yuan stroked his beard and smiled: "Zhao Xiansheng, do not have so much hostility in your heart. It is nothing for a young person to play a prank occasionally; didn't it not take my life? It would be even more inappropriate to ruin his future over such a trivial matter. Little Deng, don't tell Shopkeeper Lin about Chief Lao hitting my head when you go back. I quite appreciate the plan Chief Lao made; I fear there will be mistakes if someone else is changed in..."

Damn!

Is this the power of love?

His head was smashed until it bled, and he's still defending him everywhere...

"Understood." Deng Li Buduo felt a bit sour inside and suddenly felt that his status as a direct disciple of the Justice Alliance wasn't so great anymore.

If I had known this, I should have let myself hit him with the Love Stick!

……

"What's wrong with this City Lord? A masochist, right!"

"Strategist, why don't you hit the City Lord on the head too? Maybe it can increase your intimacy with the City Lord and you'll get promoted faster!"

……

The Strategist looked at the bamboo pole in Guo Yuan's hand, lost in thought.

"By the way, notify Lin Bai. I will keep Chief Lao for a candlelit talk tonight to discuss the details of the cooperation with the Beggar Sect. If the Beggar Sect has other important matters, have him arrange for someone else to do them." Guo Yuan's gaze swept over the corpse of Lao Mi that hadn't refreshed yet, his throat rolled silently, and he said to Deng Li Buduo with a smile.

(End of chapter)