Chapter 329: Turning Hands into Clouds

Suddenly.

The Mobile Phone on the table rang. The caller ID showed the General Manager Jin he had just called. Zheng Tong froze, then turned his head to look at the livestream screen.

On the screen.

Lin Bai sat at the head of the Blood Sect's main hall, saying nothing.

The sect leaders of the natives and the high-level players entered the main hall one after another. After paying their respects to Lin Bai, they each found their own places in the hall and stood there.

Lin Bai looked down with an expressionless face, not saying a single word.

"The call came first, and next they should be sending someone over. If I take Lin Bai's place during this time, there should be enough time." Zheng Tong muttered, ignoring the phone that kept ringing, and lay into the Game Capsule to go online and replace Lin Bai.

It is impossible for a person to exist online and offline at the same time. He had to make Lin Bai return to this body; otherwise, once someone came over, he would be exposed immediately...

Entering the game.

Zheng Tong sat in the main hall and looked down.

Below, heads were moving.

When had Zheng Tong ever experienced such a scene? His throat bobbed as he swallowed continuously. Subconsciously, he looked at 【Harmful Horse】 and private messaged: "Old Ma, there's a call offline. I have to go offline for a moment. What should I do here?"

He finally remembered the True Speech Art that Lin Bai had warned him about. He weighed every word as he spoke, not daring to make a single mistake, and tried his best to use questions.

In just that instant, the Temperament of 【Falcon of Heaven-Shocking】 above seemed to have undergone a slight change. 【Harmful Horse】 did not know if it was his own illusion.

But this 【Falcon of Heaven-Shocking】 was clearly the one he was familiar with. He frowned slightly: "Just find an excuse to go offline. You are Lin Bai now; who would dare to manage you?"

【Falcon of Heaven-Shocking】 nodded. Facing the people in the hall, he imitated Lin Bai's movements and said: "Everyone, I have something to attend to and need to go offline for a moment..."

As soon as the words left his mouth.

His entire body stiffened.

Damn True Speech Art!

It's impossible to guard against!

【Harmful Horse】's expression changed abruptly. He glared at Zheng Tong. *You idiot, if you're going to play Lin Bai, then play the part properly. What kind of stupid things are you saying? *

However.

Hearing this sentence, he could be certain that Zheng Tong had not undergone Soul Possession.

But he still needed to confirm it from offline. He just felt that Zheng Tong, after being possessed by Lin Bai, was somehow not quite right.

Luo Xue and the others' expressions dimmed, and they sighed silently. They knew the person above had already changed.

This is half-Soul Possession, right!

The difference was too obvious; there was no fear of misidentifying him at all...

But for the same body to change people in an instant—it didn't matter during a meeting, but if it were during a battle, wouldn't that cause a huge disaster?

Could a Lin Bai like this really lead them to reach the peak again?

The few of them looked at each other.

A feeling of anxiety inevitably began to spread in their hearts...

"As expected, he's a fake. I said so, right? How could an NPC perform Soul Possession on a player?"

"However, Falcon of Heaven-Shocking just used the Fazhe Zhidao. I'm afraid Lin Bai's Soul Possession still brought him many benefits."

"Taking Lin Bai's place to stabilize the situation is likely a strategy for the consortium to make a fuss."

"But this guy is stupid enough to say words like 'go offline' in front of the natives. Would Lin Bai say 'go offline'?"

"A guy who got lucky. I really wish it was me who was possessed by Lin Bai's clone back then! Fazhe Zhidao, just thinking about it is awesome..."

"Regardless, the rise of Falcon of Heaven-Shocking is unstoppable. Possessing the Fazhe Zhidao, even if he's stupid, he will be strongly supported by the consortium."

"I knew he couldn't be Lin Bai."

"Poor Brother Lin Bai, failing even after possessing such scum. I really hope Brother Lin can come out of the Tribulation Transcendence soon and teach these bastards who use his name to make a scene a lesson."

"If only Brother Lin Bai had possessed me back then. I would definitely be willing to offer my body and let him do anything he wants with it."

"Pah, if he's going to possess someone, he should possess me. When it's dawn, I'm going to the Shengji Sect to tell Brother Lin about this."

"I'm going too. The Blood Sect is controlled by the consortium; there's no point in staying here. It's better to go outside the Tribulation Transcendence and watch Brother Lin undergo it."

The natives who did not know the truth changed their expressions one after another. They whispered to each other, feeling that they had been deceived by the Heavenly Descended.

But remembering the law mastered by that Heavenly Descended, they suppressed the anger in their hearts. They dared to be angry but dared not speak, and besides, their sect leaders had not expressed their stance.

"I..." Zheng Tong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but because of the existence of the True Speech Art, he eventually swallowed all his words back. Thus, he dropped a sentence: "Wait here, I will be back soon."

He hurriedly turned back to the rear hall and chose to go offline.

"Old Ma, it seems there's no need to investigate." 【Fish Paddling】 shrugged, "I was almost bluffed by him just now."

"We still have to investigate. A person's Temperament cannot change that quickly." 【Harmful Horse】 said, "Soul Possession is a major matter. From the time Falcon of Heaven-Shocking was possessed by Lin Bai to his reappearance, half an hour passed. During that time, there was no news—no replies to messages, no replies to emails, and he didn't even start a livestream. It's best to get to the bottom of it."

"Hmm, being cautious is correct." 【Fish Paddling】 nodded.

"Lin Bai, the True Speech Art has ruined me." Returning to his own body, Zheng Tong said irritably, "I've been exposed. The natives no longer believe I am you."

"Is it important?" Lin Bai's image appeared in Zheng Tong's mind, "This is the effect I wanted. Your appearance perfectly solved the doubts that group of guys had about me. I don't understand your temper and disposition; no matter how I play the part, I will reveal flaws. Moreover, appearing in your identity makes doing things too slow; it requires all sorts of explanations. Only by letting them adapt to a two-faced you will the flaws no longer be flaws."

"What should I do next?" Zheng Tong glanced at the phone that had already hung up automatically and asked, "I am still under the True Speech Art. No matter who comes to investigate me, I will reveal the truth."

"Go to the forum on the main interface in the game, and I will handle it." Lin Bai said, "You squeezed me out of the game, isn't that what you did it for?"

"Fine." Zheng Tong agreed decisively.

At this moment, he was already riding a tiger and could not get off; he could only let Lin Bai do as he pleased.

Just at this moment.

General Manager Jin's call came in again.

Zheng Tong glanced at the Mobile Phone, lay into the Game Capsule, entered the game's main interface, and handed over control of his body to Lin Bai.

Lin Bai stretched his body, stepped out of the Game Capsule, picked up the Mobile Phone, and pressed the answer button: "General Manager Jin, were you looking for me?"

"Little Zheng, why did you call me just now?" A deep, masculine voice came through the receiver.

"General Manager Jin, in the game, after I was subjected to Soul Possession by Lin Bai, I gained Law Power. I just wanted to report this to you and ask for your instructions on what I should do next," Lin Bai said, weighing his words.

"After the call went through, why didn't you speak?" General Manager Jin asked.

"I was speaking the whole time, but it seemed you couldn't hear me on your end. Perhaps there was something wrong with my Mobile Phone!" Lin Bai said.

"If there was something wrong with the Mobile Phone, why didn't you use another method of contact? You should know that the Xianxia World is the company's most prioritized project..." General Manager Jin said.

"General Manager Jin, I wanted to at the time, but then I thought that my understanding of the Skill gained through Soul Possession wasn't comprehensive enough. If you asked me about it and I made a mistake, that wouldn't be good. Later, I returned to the game, thinking I would clarify the application of the Law after the Soul Possession before coming back to report to you."

Lin Bai said, "General Manager Jin, you also know that after logging off, one logs back in at the same spot. He Qin and the others were waiting for me to log in. As soon as I logged in, they attacked me without rhyme or reason. I simply used the Law to defeat them. At that time, they also mistook me for Lin Bai, so I just played along and pretended to be Lin Bai to return to the sect. As for what happened after that, you already know."

"For such an important matter, why didn't you report to your superiors before taking action? Acting rashly, do you know how much trouble you've caused the company?" General Manager Jin scolded.

"General Manager Jin, in that situation, if I had logged off to report the situation to you, it might have aroused the suspicions of He Qin and the others! After all, with Lin Bai's aggressive personality, he wouldn't compromise when facing players inferior to him," Lin Bai said. "Moreover, the NPCs remaining at the Blood Sect were in a fierce battle with our people; if they all died, it wouldn't be good. Your subordinate simply acted first and reported later, preparing to stabilize the situation first."

"At the time, General Manager Ma was by your side, why didn't you consult with him?" General Manager Jin said. "Do you have any idea that by rashly convening a full sect assembly in Lin Bai's name, you would catch so many people off guard? We could have been more prudent..."

A moment of silence.

Lin Bai said: "General Manager Jin, do I need to remind you? I have mastered Lin Bai's Law, and now I am the nominal number one person in the game."

"..." General Manager Jin was stunned.

"I want to take General Manager Ma's position," Lin Bai said straightforwardly.

"..." After a moment of silence, General Manager Jin said, "Little Zheng, do you know what you are saying?"

"General Manager Jin, do you know why I didn't speak for a long time after your call went through?" Lin Bai said. "My phone wasn't broken at all; it was just because I suddenly realized that my status might be different now. I must make everyone realize this point."

General Manager Jin, actually, after I took control of the overall situation in Lin Bai's identity, leaking the player's identity was also intentional.

Right now.

Jingke and Fengda should have already received the news. An employee who is slightly foolish but possesses the ability to change the landscape of the game world—I think they will like that."

On the other side of the Mobile Phone.

General Manager Jin's breathing suddenly quickened.

A moment later.

A hearty voice suddenly came from the receiver: "Little Zheng, it was my oversight, and you too. If you had shown your talent earlier, you wouldn't just be a small Security Department Manager."

"General Manager Jin, at that time my ability was only enough to be a small Security Department Manager, but now it's different. Times have changed," Lin Bai said. "If you don't seize an opportunity when it comes, it won't be yours anymore."

"You go back into the game and preside over the situation first. I will report your matter to the higher-ups, and I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer. Having worked at the company for so long, you should know that the Xinlong Group never buries any talent." General Manager Jin smiled. "Don't hide your light anymore; do what you need to do. I will notify General Manager Ma and the others to cooperate with you first."

"Then many thanks, General Manager Jin," Lin Bai smiled.

"No need to be polite with me. Perhaps before long, I will have to call you General Manager Zheng. When the day of your promotion comes, I will treat you to a good drink," General Manager Jin laughed. "Let's do this, I'll hang up first. I need to seize the opportunity on my end to report your matter upward. If I'm a step late and Brother Zheng flies high, it would be my dereliction of duty."

Beep! Beep! Beep!

A busy signal came through.

Lin Bai looked at the hung-up phone and curled his lip: "What a big deal!"

On the other side.

At the Xinlong Group Game Affairs Department, the pot-bellied General Manager Jin put down the phone and immediately dialed another number: "Department Manager Liu, call back the people sent to investigate Zheng Tong. I have already understood the situation; there is no need to go."

At the same time.

Xinlong Employee Apartment.

An auntie in charge of cleaning spoke to another cleaner with a terrified expression: "Lao Huang, do you think there is something unclean in the apartment?"

Lao Huang said: "What era is this? Where would there still be anything unclean? The building is full of people playing games; unless there is an emergency, they don't even leave their Game Capsules. You wouldn't be scaring yourself because there's no activity in the building and it's too quiet, would you?"

The cleaning auntie looked at Lao Huang, wanting to speak but hesitating. After a long while, she said: "Lao Huang, let me tell you, don't tell anyone else! I was on the third floor just now, calling my daughter, and suddenly I couldn't speak..."

Lao Huang's expression suddenly turned serious: "Lao Huang, hurry to the hospital to get checked. This isn't something unclean; suddenly being unable to speak could be a precursor to a cerebral hemorrhage."

"I know my own body; it's definitely not a cerebral hemorrhage." The cleaning auntie's face turned pale, and she said, "The situation at the time was that I could only open my mouth, but no sound came out, just like the Mobile Phone had been muted. You haven't experienced it, so you don't understand that feeling. Lao Huang, those Game Capsules look just like coffins. I'm afraid there isn't enough human vitality in this building; there is definitely a problem. I don't want to work here anymore..."

"All the problems are solved? And I might even get a promotion and a raise?" Listening to the phone recording, Zheng Tong was full of disbelief.

"I told you long ago that my ability is not on the same level as yours. Just rest assured and follow this Alliance Leader; you'll have plenty to eat and drink," Lin Bai said. "First, integrate the players in the game, show my ability step by step, and the next step is to control the consortium..."

At this moment, Zheng Tong admired Lin Bai so much he was prostrate, sighing: "Compared to you, I'm just a piece of shit..."

"Get into the Game Capsule, Zheng Tong. With your level of intelligence, I don't think you should be running around outside. Lie in the Game Capsule and browse the forums in the game!" Lin Bai said. "It won't be long before I can pretty much integrate the game world."

"Mm, I'll be responsible for keeping an eye on the trends in the outside world for you," Zheng Tong said honestly.

"Good," Lin Bai said. "Pay special attention to the news from Shenmo Dalu. If any special people or events appear, notify me immediately."

Afterwards.

Lin Bai logged in and used Flash to return to the Blood Sect Council Hall.

He looked around at everyone, paused for a moment on 【Harmful Horse】, nodded at him, then moved his gaze away and looked at Luo Xue and the others: "That's right, I am not Lin Bai. Lin Bai's Soul Possession failed; I am a Heavenly Descended."

The many natives were in an uproar.

Lin Bai waved his hand, and many messy NPCs were hoisted up by their own belts: "Although I am not Lin Bai, his Spirit Soul fragments merged into my body, and I luckily mastered his Fazhe Zhidao.

The real Lin Bai is trapped in the lightning tribulation and cannot come out. Therefore, I must be Lin Bai.

Before, we were weak and had to endure and develop. Now, with Lin Bai's name and Law, we don't need to endure anymore. When it's time to act, we act. I will lead you all to glory once again and carry forward the Justice Alliance. Everyone, resisting me is a dead end; you should always leave yourself a way out, shouldn't you?"

He paused, looked around at everyone, and said: "Therefore, I hope that no one will spread what happened today. Of course, even if it is spread, I will not admit it. From now on, I am the real Lin Bai. The previously shelved Justice Alliance project will be restarted; we must re-establish Lin Bai's reputation..."

【Fish That Skims】 looked at 【Falcon That Shocks the Sky】 talking eloquently above and gave a disdainful snort: "A petty person who has gained his ambition."

【Harmful Horse】 shook his head and said: "If it's really as General Manager Jin said, this guy is a character. Under inertial thinking, most people wouldn't consider so much in such a short time..."

(End of chapter)