Chapter 221: Benevolent Manager Lin

Lin Bai suddenly launched an attack against the Beggar Sect players, and the audience in the bullet comments began a passionate discussion.

Most were gloating.

After all.

Everyone had been jealous of the Beggar Sect for a long time and wished they could take their place.

The players present finally began to feel nervous; they suddenly realized that Lin Bai was right—the things they usually made a scene and watched could just as easily be done by level-one alt accounts.

They didn't even need players; the natives could replace them.

The various comments scrolling through the bullet screen made them realize a deep sense of crisis: Lin Bai could find someone to replace them at any time, but without Lin Bai, they were nothing...

"Old Gu, what do we do? Lin Bai is playing for real." 【Baiyin】 was still using a private stream, and he asked Gugao Laoren for a strategy.

"Let it be," 【Gugao Laoren】 replied.

"What?" 【Baiyin】 asked, confused.

"The Beggar Sect has been expanding in a disorderly fashion following Lin Bai's footsteps; it was bound to encounter this situation sooner or later. Players are used to being free and loose. In reality, they have work, laws, and company regulations, and most will abide by them. But in a game, how can you expect them to follow the rules? It's just a game; if they aren't happy, they can just go somewhere else! Unless they take a big fall, the players' mindset won't change."

【Gugao Laoren】 temporarily gave up on thinking about Lin Bai's identity and analyzed the current situation with Baiyin on the bullet screen: "We used money to integrate the Beggar Sect players. For the sake of money, they might temporarily follow our orders.

But what if we lose money one day? What if people from a large Group poach them? If that happens, the Beggar Sect will surely fall apart. In the end, most players don't respect us at all. And Lin Bai spread his influence too wide in such a short time; he didn't give us any time to integrate the Beggar Sect, so this current situation is not surprising at all."

"Ultimately, it's because we took too big a step," 【Fengzi Nan】 said. "If we had led the players to this point, we would have had real prestige. Unfortunately, we don't. In the eyes of most, we are just a group of lucky people who entered the game early and got to know Lin Bai."

"I just want to know what to do about the current situation?" 【Baiyin】 asked.

"We do whatever Lin Bai does," 【Gugao Laoren】 said. "They don't understand that the core cohesion of the Beggar Sect isn't the players; it's Lin Bai. We aren't their babysitters; there's no need to clean up their mess."

"If we ignore them, who will listen to us in the future?" 【Baiyin】 asked. "We were the ones who asked them to read the ad copy; they were just trying to help the Beggar Sect fulfill its advertising contracts."

"You're overthinking it. As long as Lin Bai is here, there will be plenty of people who listen to us," 【Gugao Laoren】 said. "This is an opportunity for us—an opportunity to purge the Beggar Sect and make it united. Lin Bai is actually helping us."

Looking at the final payment notice in his inbox, 【Gugao Laoren】 struggled for a long time before making his final choice; he could not resist the temptation of huge profits.

After a moment's pause, he continued typing on the screen: "Laobai, don't think so much. If a person isn't ruthless, they can't stand firm. The Justice Alliance is already formed. If we want to keep playing in this game, we must lower our status at this stage and treat ourselves as Lin Bai's lackeys, not as players with our own consciousness. As long as Lin Bai still considers us the high-level management of the Beggar Sect, we are the high-level management. Lin Bai can't direct everything; let the people below develop the habit of listening to our orders, and prestige will naturally be established."

"... Calling you Heavenly Descended is giving you too much credit. In my eyes, you are just a bunch of parasites clinging to me," Lin Bai said with Zhaofeng. "My original intention in establishing the Beggar Sect was to create a sect to protect me. Are you qualified?"

"Making a mountain out of a molehill."

"You're the one hogging the spotlight, and you didn't give us a chance to show what we can do!"

"If you don't let us level up, how can we become a qualified protection sect?"

"Baiyin, Deng Li Buduo, you are the leaders, say something!"

"I've been playing games for over a dozen years and have never felt so stifled, being lectured like a grandson by an NPC."

"One day, when I level up, I'll definitely torture Lin Bai thousands of times."

"Exactly, doesn't he have the ability to be reborn from a drop of blood? Let's not kill him, just keep letting him revive, and then keep killing him."

"He's just an NPC, yet he's bullying players. He's getting too big for his boots..."

The players complained in private chats, but on the surface, they didn't say a word. Lin Bai was in a fit of rage; jumping out now would be suicide.

They wouldn't shed tears until they saw the coffin.

Listening to the players' private chats, Lin Bai snorted to himself: "Baiyin, Kuguateng, Deng Li Buduo, Wo Bushi Xiaohao... you few, come out."

Those he named were the high-level members of the Beggar Sect who had joined this expedition. A dozen or so players walked out and stood at the front of the line, each feeling uneasy, wondering what awaited them.

"Considering this is your first offense, stand aside. You are pardoned," Lin Bai glanced at them and said.

"What?"

【Baiyin】 and the others were stunned, looking at each other, doubting they had heard correctly.

Lin Bai ignored their reaction and looked at the main force: "As for you, don't say I didn't give you a chance. In the Yanyinjianchang, you will fight each other. Half of you who survive to the end can remain in the Beggar Sect. As for those who fall, after you revive, you will be killed twenty times in a row and sent to the Xuantie Kuang to mine for three months. Depending on the harvest of those three months, it will be decided whether you can return to the Beggar Sect."

A violent commotion broke out among the players. Being chosen to go on an expedition with Lin Bai meant they were the highest-level group.

Dying twenty times meant losing twenty levels in a row, which was equivalent to kicking them directly out of the first tier.

And then mining for three months.

What's the point of playing the game anymore!

【Gugao Laoren】 might compensate them.

But what about after three months?

Who knows how many players will rise up during those three months.

By then.

Even if they returned to the Beggar Sect after mining for three months, what would they be?

This decision by Lin Bai was equivalent to directly cutting off their future in the game and ruining everything for them...

"Manager Lin, I don't accept this," 【Tie Tou Xian】 shouted with a dark face. "We only did what we were supposed to do for the sake of the Beggar Sect's interests. Why are we being given such a heavy punishment?"

"The Beggar Sect's interests?" Lin Bai looked at him and said, "From the very beginning, I told you that the Beggar Sect is my protection sect, and everything is for the purpose of serving me. As far as the Beggar Sect is concerned, I am Heaven.

If I am wronged, you must avenge me; if I want to bully others, you are the Sword in my hand. Only when it doesn't affect me do you have interests. For the sake of your own interests, you interfered with my work and pointed my Sword at me. Giving you three months to correct yourselves is already very merciful."

"Even if what you say makes sense," 【Xiashan Hu】 said, "we were the ones who broke the rules first, but the orders were given by Baiyin and the others. Why are they fine?"

"Exactly, exactly," the players echoed one after another.

They didn't worry about scarcity, but about inequality. Before Lin Bai passed judgment, he had singled out 【Baiyin】 and the others, making them feel extremely unfair.

【Baiyin】 and the others had dry throats and dared not face the players' raging anger. Lin Bai had seemingly pardoned them, but he had also put them on the spot.

Not to mention the half sent to mine coal, even the half who stayed behind would likely view them as a thorn in their side.

This move by Lin Bai.

Completely drove a wedge between these high-level members and the players below.

"Because I need them; they are more useful than you," Lin Bai said. "Just as in the rules I set for you, in the martial arts arena, those who remain until the end are surely the strong. My method of selection is the most impartial; I only want the strong, useful people, and those who will not betray me. The strong possess the power to be forgiven. Of course, those who remain only have this one chance. If they commit the same mistake next time, they will still receive a similar Judgment. Now, have I made myself clear enough?"

"Clear enough." 【Xiashan Hu】 glared fiercely at Lin Bai. "Then I choose to quit the Beggar Sect."

"Very well, return what you have learned from my Beggar Sect." Lin Bai glanced at him and said to He Qin beside him, "Send two people to cripple his martial arts. The Heavenly Descended are not afraid of death, but death comes with a price. Kill them until they can no longer use their martial arts and techniques."

"..." 【Xiashan Hu】's complexion changed instantly.

The complexions of many more Disciples who intended to quit the Beggar Sect changed as well; killing them back to the newbie village was even more ruthless than sending them to mine.

This was clearly forcing them to delete their accounts!

The scene was deathly silent.

Even the private chats went quiet; the arrogant momentum of the players was completely suppressed.

At the beginning of the game, deleting an account was no big deal, but after two months of progress, the loss from deleting an account was far too great.

Why go that far?

Wasn't it just breaking the rules once?

Was it necessary to be so extreme?

Offending customers to death—isn't your Game Company going to make money?

"Shopkeeper Lin, is there no room for negotiation?" 【Xiashan Hu】 asked.

"Without rules, there is no standard," Lin Bai said indifferently while receiving the overflowing Negative Emotion in his mind.

As soon as these words were spoken.

The players exploded once again.

【Xiashan Hu】 braced himself and retorted: "Shopkeeper Lin, you exempt whoever you want and punish whoever you want; is this what you call having rules?"

"I am the rules," Lin Bai glanced at him and said. "The goal of my lifelong cultivation is the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao is the rule of the world; my words become law, so whatever I say, that is what it is."

What a tyrannical, demonic style!

He Qin and the others looked sideways frequently, sighing inwardly: if a person like you truly achieves the Heavenly Dao, it would simply be a misfortune for all living beings!

Since ancient times, evil cannot prevail over justice.

The fate of a Demon King like Lin Bai is destined to be destroyed, right?

By then, the fate of them, the vassals of the Demon King, probably won't be good either!

What kind of sins have they committed!

"Before I descended the mountain, my master once told me that the Heavenly Descended are the root of a chaotic world and will trigger a catastrophe for the current age. His mission for me was to drive away the Heavenly Descended and protect the peace of the world." Lin Bai looked at the unconvinced and resentful players and said, "But I do not believe it. I believe that since heaven and earth allow you to descend, there is a reason for your existence."

"My Jiamu City has secretly observed many Heavenly Descended; although your behavior is erratic, in my view, your conscience is not yet extinguished. Therefore, my protective sect chose you. I believe that under my influence, you can gradually merge with the people of this age and eventually become a member of this world..."

Conscience?

Look at the things you have done; which one of them has a conscience?

The players wore expressions of grief and indignation.

The natives were even more silent. Are you joking? You yourself are not upright; how could you influence people into being good?

"All along, you have done quite well. Your fresh and alternative thinking has brought many changes to this stagnant world; I am very gratified. I believe that under my guidance and our joint efforts, the Justice Alliance will sweep across the whole world and eventually coexist peacefully with everyone. But you have truly disappointed me. You are so weak, yet you dare to make decisions without authorization on the battlefield and challenge my status."

Lin Bai looked at the players, filled with infinite emotion. "In the future, once you grow up, who else will be able to restrain you? I know you feel wronged; your actions did not cause much loss. But rules are rules. Have you ever heard of the idiom 'kill the chicken to warn the monkey'? If the monkey is disobedient, one must kill a chicken in front of it as a warning. Unfortunately, you are the chickens used to warn the monkeys..."

"What kind of logic is this? I can be bad, but you must be good!"

"Too unreasonable."

"Damn it! I can't even find a reason to refute this."

"Damn, Shopkeeper Lin is so frank; he even gives a righteous reason for torturing people."

"He cultivates 'words become law' and a Pure Heart; he won't lie. Since he says it like this, this is what he thinks."

"But I still feel very wronged; it's so damn stifling!"

"Although I cultivate the Heavenly Dao which views all living beings as equal, I still cannot achieve true selflessness and lack of ego; I am still swayed by the kindness deep in my heart. Therefore, when I established the Justice Alliance, I basically didn't kill many people; I would subdue them if I could, and reform them if I could."

Lin Bai looked up at the sky, as if lamenting his own lack of excellence. "Therefore, this time, I have given half of you a chance. The other half can return to the Beggar Sect after three months. You have excellent talent; three months will not have much impact on you, and you can make up for it by cultivating hard for a few days."

I have said all I have to say; everyone, cherish this hard-won opportunity!

In the future, when my 'words become law' is perfected and I treat all things as straw dogs, I fear there will no longer be so much kindness in my heart.

Begin!

After one stick of incense, if there is no result, everyone will go mine!"

【Resentment from Xin Shang, Ge Feiyun, He Qin...; +1 +1 +1】

【Resentment from Daoxu, Pei Yanzong...; +1 +1 +1】

【Sorrow from Jiang Qingqin, Xiaobai, Hu He; +1 +1 +1】

Lin Bai's words gave everyone a great shock.

"Mental illness isn't scary; what's scary is having a mental illness and having grand ambitions!"

"If Shopkeeper Lin's actions can be called kindness, then there are no bad people in the world."

"The natives' complexions have changed too; these poor guys must have been scared to death by Shopkeeper Lin!"

"Compared to Shopkeeper Lin, Xin Shang and his lot are unworthy of the name Evil Five Sects; they aren't even fit to carry his shoes."

"From Lin Bai's perspective, he hasn't done anything wrong, and in fact, he has been very restrained; the villains in movies and TV shows are nothing like him."

"The most terrifying thing is that he doesn't consider himself a villain, but instead believes that what he is doing is correct."

"I think Lin Bai is right. Why can't others cultivate 'Words Manifesting into Law'? It's because others have thoughts, scruples, and a sense of shame, but Lin Bai acts with ease, like a robot, cultivating for the sake of cultivation. I suspect that 'Words Manifesting into Law' is gradually extinguishing Shopkeeper Lin's conscience, eventually turning him into a Heavenly Dao that cannot distinguish between good and evil. Although Lin Bai is spreading the laws, it is possible that 'Words Manifesting into Law' is Lin Bai's exclusive technique..."

"Players cannot listen to Shopkeeper Lin forever. If he wants to change the players, he will surely be disappointed time and again. When his disappointment reaches its peak and he can no longer tolerate it, he will definitely embark on the path of eradicating the players. This is something that will inevitably happen; players and Shopkeeper Lin are destined to be at odds. Lin Bai is undoubtedly the ultimate boss!"

(End of this chapter)