Chapter 227: Upheaval in the Beggar Sect

Inside and outside the game, a frenzy had completely taken hold.

The *Xianxia World* forum was flooded with the Righteous and Evil Kill Order.

"I knew Lin Bai would have a day like this; he was jumping around too happily. If he acts like this and the game world's NPCs remain indifferent, then the officials wasted their time designing such precise and rigorous intelligence."

"The Justice Alliance touched the cake of the Seven Righteous Sects and the Demonic Five Sects, which is why they brought such big trouble upon themselves. If Lin Bai had honestly managed the Beggar Sect, this disaster wouldn't have happened."

"Managing the Beggar Sect? Lin Bai is being suppressed from all sides; the Beggar Sect is already finished. At a time like this, the Beggar Sect is a burden; Lin Bai won't take them along to fly."

"The reason the Seven Righteous Sects are moving against Shopkeeper Lin isn't just because he touched the cake above, but also because of the Justice Gate behind him. A single Lin Bai isn't worth such a massive mobilization. After all, Shopkeeper Lin's strength on the surface is only at the Spirit Transformation stage; sending one or two experts might be enough to kill him. The Seven Righteous Sects are showing their attitude to the Justice Gate behind Lin Bai: live your reclusive life honestly and no one will bother you, but once you dare to show your head, we will suppress you at any cost."

"Lin Bai's surface strength is only at the Spirit Transformation stage, and all his Skills have been made public. If he can still survive this encirclement from the entire world, and even retreat unscathed, I will really have to doubt the rationality of this game, which claims to pursue realism."

"Don't forget, Lin Bai has the Justice Gate behind him. Perhaps this time we can force out the Justice Gate, the true mastermind behind the scenes."

"The main combat power of the Justice Alliance is Golden Core, the high-level combat power is Spirit Transformation, and there is Nascent Soul in between. What role do you think players can play in this feast? Cannon fodder? Or are we just watching the show, or are we communication devices for passing messages? As players who were supposed to be the main body of the game, we are reduced to doing chores in this frenzy; don't you feel sad?"

"I don't feel sad. I don't want to analyze the situation, and I don't care about the prospects of the Beggar Sect. I just hope the game opens for public beta, even if I have to go in there and be a megaphone..."

"Plus one. Damn the officials; pray that I get selected in the next account draw."

"Once the Righteous and Evil Kill Order is out, it feels like this broken game has reached its final stage."

"It's not the final stage; maybe it's a prequel. You have to think about it this way: after being stirred up by Lin Bai, all the famous and unknown NPCs and sects have appeared. Once the Justice Gate is forced out and the high-level cultivators of both sides fight, it's very likely to turn the Cultivation World into a pile of Ruins, exhausting the high-level combat power and completely erasing the gap between NPCs and players. Future development should be like this: a struggle between laws and traditional cultivation, with players building a new cultivation civilization upon the Ruins."

"So this is a Ruins game! The neighboring *Shenmo Dalu* expresses its disagreement."

"If you disagree, hold it in. The Justice Gate has already brought out the printing press; players can completely introduce technological civilization. Remember the speculation that Lin Bai returned from the future to save the world? A war lasting tens of thousands of years, civilization completely destroyed, Lin Bai chosen to travel back from the future to save the world, but instead triggering a war in the Cultivation World—it can form a perfect logical loop."

"I don't admire walls, I only admire you."

"I don't want to play a Ruins game at all. Maybe the officials' plan is to make a war game: the reclusive Justice Gate and the Seven Righteous Sects fight, and players choose a faction to engage in a confrontation lasting decades. After all, how can there be so many quests in a peaceful world? Only when both sides fight is there an opportunity."

"It doesn't conflict with what I said; both sides turned the world into Ruins, people from the future invented a time machine and sent Lin Bai back..."

"Are you just going in circles here?"

"A thousand words condensed into one sentence: I want to enter the game, I don't want to just watch the fun from the outside..."

"Plus one."

Jiamu City.

Xu Longyun stood before the window, gazing in the direction of the Chaoyuan Sword Sect.

She, who usually kept her emotions hidden, had her face filled with worry at this moment.

Zhao Tong stood by her side and asked softly, "City Lord, the Righteous and Evil Kill Order has been issued. Should we shut down the Beggar Sect's businesses?"

Xu Longyun shuddered, turned her head, and said, "Zhao Tong, since when does the Taiyi Kingdom have to listen to the orders of the Seven Righteous Sects?"

Zhao Tong looked at Xu Longyun, wanting to speak but hesitating, and finally couldn't help but say, "City Lord, *Justice Weekly* reports that Lin Bai's official lover is Jiang Qingqin; you won't have a result with him. Moreover, Lin Bai is in such a situation; continuing to be close to him will likely invite disaster. Under the Righteous and Evil Kill Order, no rules apply to Shopkeeper Lin. If the people of the Evil Path know your relationship with Shopkeeper Lin, they will likely capture you to force him to submit. Even for your own safety, you cannot be too close to him at this time."

Xu Longyun frowned slightly and fell into silence.

Zhao Tong continued, "According to what this subordinate knows, the City Lords of Yimu, Binghuo, and Dinghuo cities shut down all the Beggar Sect's businesses the moment they learned of the Righteous and Evil Kill Order, and even forbade them from selling *Justice Weekly*. A large group of the Heavenly Descended of the Beggar Sect who protested were thrown into prison..."

"Let nature take its course," Xu Longyun said. "No, put the government's seal on the Kitchen God Rice and do not allow it to open to the public in the near future. You send people to guard it and do not allow anyone to go in and harass Song Jinnan's family. If anyone has designs on the Kitchen God Rice, tell them that the Kitchen God Rice has been confiscated by the government and has nothing to do with Lin Bai anymore!"

"What about the Incomplete Dao in the city?" Zhao Tong asked.

"No need to pay attention to them," Xu Longyun said. "Their target is Lin Bai. With Lin Bai gone, they won't attack the commoners in the city. I will be going out for a while in the coming days; all matters, big and small, in Jiamu City are to be decided by the Deputy City Lord."

"Yes," Zhao Tong replied.

Qian City.

Guo Yuan held Lao Mi by the shoulders, standing in the back garden of the City Lord's Mansion, admiring the koi in the pond.

In the pavilion behind them, exquisite pastries and fruit platters were laid out.

A maid stood to the side holding a wine pot, occasionally stealing a glance at Lao Mi's back, a trace of disdain unconsciously appearing in her eyes.

"A-Lao, once the Righteous and Evil Kill Order is issued, Lin Bai has become a street rat that everyone wants to beat. I expect he won't be able to hold on for long. Have you ever thought about leading the Beggar Sect to break away from his control?" Guo Yuan asked. "The Beggar Sect has *Justice Weekly*, which is enough to influence the world, and businesses spread across four cities. If you become independent and control thousands of Heavenly Descended, you will be enough to become a powerful overlord."

"Old Guo, how could I not want to control a sect on my own?" Lao Mi picked up the wine cup at his side, took a sip, looked at the koi in the pond, and suddenly sighed, saying bitterly, "But I am the Beggar Sect Master in name only, while the Beggar Sect Disciples mostly come for Lin Bai's reputation. Lin Bai also planted Gugao Laoren and the 'Madman' in the sect to control the actual power. I, this sect master, am a figurehead; I am just a Puppet. Only here with you can I enjoy a moment of tranquility. To want to control the Beggar Sect, how is that easy?"

Lao Mi did not feel that he was influenced by the Love Stick; he had always believed that he was controlling the City Lord through the Love Stick.

He was the Chief Beggar, but in reality, the tasks were arranged by Lin Bai, and the executors were Gugao Laoren and the others. Even the advertising revenue of the Beggar Sect was something he received much less of than Gugao Laoren.

Being a player as well, how could he be convinced?

And Lin Bai's Love Stick made Guo Yuan obsessed with him; he saw the foundation of the Taiyi Kingdom and also saw the opportunity to rise. Therefore, Lao Mi had been cultivating his relationship with Guo Yuan these days, wanting to use Guo Yuan's status and position to complete his great cause.

As for how Gugao Laoren and Gengmi viewed him, Lao Mi no longer cared. What he needed was to make a name for himself, not to be a marionette for Lin Bai.

Now, the opportunity had finally been seized by him.

It was worth him playing along with this old man for so many days.

Guo Yuan laughed heartily: "In the past, with Lin Bai around, controlling the Beggar Sect was naturally not easy. Now, Lin Bai is unable to take care of himself. Within Qian City, no one can escape my control! As for Gugao Laoren and the 'Madman', if they are obedient, that's fine. If they are not, just find an excuse to send them to the big prison."

Lao Mi smiled slightly: "We still need to discuss this matter at length. I want to control the Beggar Sect in my own hands, but I don't want to fall out with Lin Bai."

"Why?" Guo Yuan asked.

"Unless he completely falls, otherwise, if I want to maintain the Beggar Sect, I still need to borrow the terrifying traffic on him," Lao Mi said. "The Beggar Sect's money mostly comes from outside the heavens. The City Lord's Mansion's financial resources are not enough to support the entire Beggar Sect's operation. If we lose the financial resources from outside the heavens, even if I control the Beggar Sect, it won't be long before the Beggar Sect dissolves."

"This matter is indeed a bit difficult!" Guo Yuan frowned.

"Old Guo, you have managed Qian City for many years; is there anything that can stump you?" Lao Mi cast a flirtatious glance at Guo Yuan and drew circles on his chest with his finger. "Time is tight; help me take down the Beggar Sect first, and we can discuss the rest later! Gugao Laoren can be moved, but the advertising department cannot..."

Once the Righteous and Evil Kill Order was out, it meant that Lin Bai had become the ultimate focus of the game. I don't know how many eyes would be staring at him; there would be no shortage of advertisements at this time.

This time, Lao Mi wanted to kick Gugao Laoren and the others out; he wanted to take the lion's share.

From today on.

He wanted to be a Beggar Sect Master in name and in deed.

"Old Feng, this is our opportunity." Gugao Laoren also didn't expect things to change so quickly. Although most players on the forum were bearish on the Beggar Sect, he didn't think so.

"What opportunity? Aside from Jiamu City, the business in the other three novice villages has been completely sealed off. We wasted so much money, and you actually think this is an opportunity?" the madman asked.

He only wanted to play the game happily, but a perfectly good Xianxia game had been forcibly dragged into suspense, horror, and a mix of all sorts of conspiracy theories.

His brain was almost unable to process it all.

Furthermore, he felt a deep heartache over the Beggar Sect's investment; who could have imagined that an industrial chain just laid out would be severed just like that due to an unexpected incident.

This forced the madman to wonder if the Game Company was taking the opportunity to amass wealth and swindle their money.

"It's better that it's all stopped!" Gugao Laoren said. "How much of our focus did the industries Lin Bai set up divert? Aside from the advertising department and Justice Weekly, I plan to withdraw all irrelevant industries. Everyone should take this opportunity to grind their levels; refine pills when you should, refine weapons when you should. For us, level is everything. Meanwhile, the advertising department will operate at full capacity. During the phase where Lin Bai is being hunted, we will aggressively take on advertisements—we'll earn as much money as we can."

"Are you planning a one-off deal?" the madman asked.

"Two-pronged preparation," Gugao Laoren chuckled. "I plan to tell Lin Bai that under the Righteous and Evil Execution Order, in order to preserve the Beggar Sect's strength, we are taking the Beggar Sect underground to recuperate. Externally, we will claim that the Beggar Sect does not want to be implicated by Lin Bai and has proactively severed ties with him. In the future, if Lin Bai wins, the Beggar Sect will still be the Beggar Sect. If Lin Bai dies, the separation will become real..."

"..." The madman was stunned.

"Lao Feng, in a while, large financial groups will move in, and the Beggar Sect's advantage will become smaller and smaller. Earn enough money first and get your levels up. In the future, if we start over elsewhere or switch to another sect, we will still have better opportunities," Gugao Laoren excitedly explained his plan to the madman.

Just at this moment.

There was a commotion outside.

The anxious voice of Kanzhu No. 1 came from outside: "Old Gu, log off quickly. The City Guard is taking action against the Beggar Sect."

"What?" The madman stood up abruptly. "Is this your so-called opportunity?"

"Of course it's an opportunity," Gugao Laoren laughed dismissively. "Why log off? Let them arrest us. Once Guo Yuan takes action, won't we be even more convincing to Lin Bai's side? When the time comes, we will announce our separation from Lin Bai, and the City Lord will naturally release us. What crime is there in being a Heavenly Descended? We just followed the wrong person, that's all..."

Gugao Laoren's optimism lasted until he saw Lao Mi and the City Lord inside the prison.

Watching the two being lovey-dovey together, he felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding, but still clinging to a glimmer of hope, he used a private chat to tell Lao Mi his plan, hoping to gain his cooperation.

Lao Mi looked with pity at Gugao Laoren, whom he had locked in prison, smiled wickedly, and sent a private message: "A good plan. I've adopted it. Lao Gu, just stay in prison and wait peacefully for my good news!"

In an instant.

Gugao Laoren's expression changed drastically: "Lao Mi, you're crazy."

"I'm not crazy; it's your own Positioning that is wrong," Lao Mi smiled triumphantly. "In name, I am the Chief Beggar, aren't I? You've earned enough; it's my turn. I will talk to the people in the advertising department one by one. Among players, what real charisma is there? It's nothing more than how much money is given. I think they will agree. Besides, apart from Lin Bai, I also have the City Lord as my backing. You probably don't know how deep the foundation of the Taiyi Kingdom is. Playing with me is much more promising than playing with you..."

Gugao Laoren's face sank abruptly. He had never imagined such a plot. In the game, he actually felt a sense of stifling frustration that made him want to vomit blood.

He gripped the prison bars and looked at Lao Mi: "Lao Mi, do you know what you are doing? You were controlled by Lin Bai long ago. The Love Stick is bidirectional. Don't you think your obsession with the City Lord is abnormal? Lin Bai's Skill can influence reality..."

"Do you believe that?" Lao Mi shook his head and looked at Gugao Laoren with pity. "You don't really think I was bewitched by an old man in the game, do you? How ridiculous. It's just a game, yet you actually took it seriously. Making up such a laughable reason, you are destined to fail!"

"Fuck!" Gugao Laoren hammered the bars heavily, his eyes bloodshot. "Lao Mi, you will regret this!"

"I won't regret it," Lao Mi said. "First, the Chief Beggar was always me. You all looked down on me, thinking I had just stumbled upon good luck, and overstepped your authority to exercise the Chief's power for me. By what right?

Second, I haven't broken the law. You don't think that if I frame you in the game, a judge will support you, do you?

Third, I know that if Lin Bai hangs, I won't be able to hold up the Beggar Sect, but I don't need to. I'll earn enough of this quick money. I might switch accounts and continue playing happily.

As for you, you should be switching accounts earlier than me! After all, given my relationship with the City Lord, he likely won't let you out. Come to think of it, I should thank you for helping me manage the Beggar Sect so well!"

(End of this chapter)