Chapter 94: The Situation

Lin Bai chatted with the little fox as if no one else were around; within a few sentences, he had already reached the topic of meeting the parents.

Xu Longyun and Jiang Qingqin looked at each other, both feeling a bit bewildered. Whenever they communicated with Lin Bai, the conversation would always veer off track within a few words, as if Lin Bai's way of thinking was simply not on the same wavelength as theirs.

Jiang Qingqin pointed at her own head and looked at Xu Longyun, her eyes filled with confusion.

After recalling everything Lin Bai had done since arriving in Jiamu City, Xu Longyun nodded with certainty.

Xu Longyun coughed and said, "Shopkeeper Lin, you can chat about your business with the fox spirit when you have free time. Shouldn't we discuss serious matters now?"

Seeing Lin Bai and the little white fox chatting so happily, Xu Longyun felt inexplicably stifled and suddenly didn't want to warn him about the dangers of Demons.

A guy like this deserved to suffer a bit so he would know what was right from wrong and what a normal way of communicating was!

"What serious matters?" Lin Bai asked.

"Do you remember when I told you a few days ago about the Chaoyuan Sword Sect, Hundred Flowers Valley, and other sects setting up recruitment points in Qian City?" Xu Longyun asked.

"I remember," Lin Bai said.

"Many Heavenly Descended were abducted by people from Evil sects on their way to Qian City," Xu Longyun said.

"Evil sects?" Lin Bai was stunned for a moment. Since entering this world, he had never heard of Evil sects, nor had he heard of any Evil sect beginner villages; he hadn't expected them to pop up now.

"Yes, people from the Demonic Path," Jiang Qingqin said. "Judging by their methods, it should be the Blood Shadow Sect."

"Why don't they come directly to Jiamu City to snatch people?" Lin Bai asked curiously.

"You don't know?" Jiang Qingqin's reaction was even stranger than Lin Bai's.

"He truly doesn't know many common facts," Xu Longyun said, glancing at Lin Bai before explaining, "The twenty-two Basic Cities of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are the foundation of humanity. Any Evil sect or Demon that dares to enter a Basic City to cause trouble will inevitably be hunted down by the Righteous Seven Sects until they are dead—this is a rule set by the Righteous Seven Sects."

Back then, to establish this rule, several great wars between the Righteous and Evil paths were triggered, and no one knows how many people died.

Since then, to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and sacrifice, almost no one from the Evil Path has entered the Basic Cities again.

And to maintain the stability of the Basic Cities, the Righteous Sects have a tacit understanding that those above the Golden Core realm do not enter the Basic Cities unless necessary; even when being hunted, they will mostly bypass the cities..."

So that's how the beginner village came to be?

Lin Bai was lost in thought.

No wonder he had caused such a stir in the beginner village without encountering any experts coming to suppress him...

He secretly glanced at Xu Longyun; fortunately, this woman hadn't reported him as an Evil sect member.

It was also thanks to his persistence in putting conscience first since he transmigrated—not killing, not robbing, and even magnanimously forgiving Daoist Qingfeng who had come to his door for a Provocation.

Otherwise, if he were branded an Evil sect member by Xu Longyun and hunted by the entire Righteous Sect, he feared he would have been snuffed out before he could even make a splash.

It seems.

In the future, the Justice Sect must still maintain its reputation and insist on being kind to others without wavering...

"Although the Heavenly Descended have fickle personalities and are hard to control, it cannot be denied that their aptitude is excellent," Xu Longyun continued. "Once they are utilized by Evil sects, in time, they will surely bring a catastrophic disaster to the Righteous Sects."

That's true!

In the eyes of players, there is no distinction between Righteous and Evil; as long as it's fun to play, that's fine. Who cares which sect they join?

If the Righteous and Evil paths set up stalls to recruit disciples like a job market, the Righteous Sects might not necessarily be able to outplay the villains!

Lin Bai pondered for a moment and asked, "So?"

"So, Jiang Shimei came to Jiamu City in advance," Xu Longyun said, smiling as she looked at Lin Bai. "If any Heavenly Descended want to go to Qian City, Jiang Shimei is responsible for escorting them along the way. Now that almost all the Heavenly Descended in Jiamu City have been recruited under your command, we summoned you to ask for your opinion."

Lin Bai didn't see the smile in Xu Longyun's eyes and looked at Jiang Qingqin with disdain: "Her?"

"..." Jiang Qingqin's face flushed instantly. She puffed out her chest and said, "What's wrong with me? Don't look down on people. Yesterday, I was just caught off guard by your preemptive strike and fell for your trick. If we have a fair and square duel, you might not necessarily be my match."

"Are you sure?" Lin Bai recalled her martial arts and chuckled lightly.

"Of course, you can't use Palm Thunder," Jiang Qingqin hesitated for a moment before muttering, "And you can't use the Wind Riding technique that travels a thousand miles in an instant."

"..." Lin Bai was silent for a moment. "City Lord, are there no other people in the Righteous Sect?"

Swish!

Jiang Qingqin's face turned even redder, and she glared fiercely at Lin Bai.

"It's not that there's no one," Xu Longyun shook her head and sighed. "The Heavenly Descended are extraordinary. In this matter, both the Righteous and Evil paths are probing each other; neither side dares to act rashly. If one side dares to gather all the Heavenly Descended under their own banner and break the balance, it will surely trigger a fierce counterattack from the other side, leading to another bloodbath. The current situation is delicate, and everyone is seeking stability..."

"..." Lin Bai was stunned.

Xu Longyun looked at Lin Bai and said teasingly, "Only the Justice Sect of Shopkeeper Lin would dare to defy the world and gather all the Heavenly Descended of a Basic City under its banner."

"He gathered all the Heavenly Descended into the Justice Sect?" Jiang Qingqin finally reacted, looking at Lin Bai in disbelief.

"Yes," Xu Longyun looked at the dark-faced Lin Bai with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "This World Walker of our Justice Sect formed a protective gang the day before yesterday, recruiting only Heavenly Descended. Even the Dark Guard of my City Lord's Mansion were absorbed by him as external personnel."

"What kind of sect is the Justice Sect?" Jiang Qingqin asked with a frown.

"A hidden sect, said to have existed for ten thousand years," Xu Longyun smiled. "But I have scoured all the records of the Righteous and Evil paths from the past ten thousand years, and there isn't a single word mentioning the Justice Sect. As for the specific situation, you can only ask this World Walker of our Justice Sect."

Did I trap myself?

Lin Bai was silent.

Sure enough.

If you don't keep up with current events and don't understand the trends of the world, it's easy for trouble to arise. Why is there no internet in this goddamn world?

Even if there's no internet, a newspaper would do!

"Shopkeeper Lin, do you regret it? I thought your Justice Sect feared nothing and had full confidence in handling everything! I can see now that you truly don't understand the skullduggery between this heaven and earth!" Xu Longyun looked at Lin Bai with a smile that wasn't quite a smile and sighed, "Don't worry, I helped you suppress the news of you forming a protective gang and didn't report it. It's not too late to distance yourself from them..."

Lin Bai looked at Xu Longyun, about to speak.

Suddenly.

A ding sound.

Another system came online in his mind:

"Super Sect Leader System: One person does not make a forest, a single thread does not make a line. To survive in the Xianxia World, a sect represents heritage, momentum, and power. The stronger the sect, the more say you have."

【Initial Task: Establish a sect; Reward: 10 Merit points】

【Confirm the sect as the Justice Sect? (Yes) (No)】

Lin Bai hesitated for a moment, then decisively chose yes.

At this very moment.

He finally understood that these systems in his head were forcing him to move forward, unable to take a single step back; they were simply making him stir up trouble.

The Beggar Sect was prepared for his big brother, and it was the source of his Luck.

It was impossible to disband it just because of a word or two from Xu Longyun!

Now, a Sect Leader System had popped up, rewarding Merit.

Since he already had Luck, how could he not want Merit as well?

In myths and legends throughout history, Luck and Merit have always been Divine Artifacts that protect the body!

Neither of them could be discarded.

Furthermore.

Once he took a step back, everything he had managed so far, including the grand image he had built for the Justice Sect, would likely collapse.

By then.

I am afraid even Xu Longyun would abandon him!

After all.

Xu Longyun did not belong to any sect.

Behind her was the state and the common people of the world; players born destined to bring chaos to the world were naturally her enemies.

The righteous and evil factions were testing each other, and was the official authority represented by Xu Longyun not also testing things cautiously?

A disruptor like him, who did not belong to any faction, was likely the very person truly worth winning over by Xu Longyun...

【Establish a sect (Completed); Reward: 10 Merit (Distributed)】

【Choose a mountain gate for your sect; Reward: Merit (Distributed flexibly based on the comprehensive geographical location of the mountain gate)】

Having figured everything out, Lin Bai's wavering mind instantly settled, and he said proudly, "Regret what? The Justice Sect has been obscure for ten thousand years, which is why it lost its voice in the pugilistic world.

Do you still remember what I said?

My master once told me that the Heavenly Descended are the root of the chaotic times, and told me to act according to my heart; if I truly caused a disaster that could not be cleaned up, the old men would come out of the mountains to settle it for me. I have made my decision now: not only will the protector sect not be disbanded, I will also make the name of the Justice Sect known and officially open the gates to accept disciples..."

(End of this chapter)