Impressive! Players really are a different breed, capable of anything—even sending out undercover agents. Lin Bai had always struggled to understand the locations of the different sects in this strange world. After all, he wasn't a player and didn't have a map display. None of the sects had ever invited him to visit their territory, not even Hundred Flower Valley, despite the immense benefits they had received from him.

Of course, even if sects like the Morning Yuan Sword Sect extended an invitation, Lin Bai felt he wouldn't dare to visit. He could confront them in the open, but walking right into their territory? If they harbored any malicious intentions, it would be like shepherding himself into the tiger's den. It was rumored that Medicine King Valley had 3,000 Golden Core cultivators, wasn't it?

Now, it was great to have players at the forefront, exposing information about every sect. At the moment, only the Beggar Gang had the capability to send out undercover agents; no other sect could. They lacked the resources and hadn't earned the players' trust.

"Have the disciples captured by Return to Dragon View send intelligence back whenever possible," Lin Bai ordered. With the evil sects he had defeated drawing the attention of factions like the Morning Yuan Sword Sect, and without players spreading the word, news of the recruitment fair might not travel quickly. This should give them a few days of breathing room.

But Return to Dragon View was different. After all, the conflict between him and Return to Dragon View didn't just involve players; there was also a Spiritual World Gap! Because of this, he needed to be particularly wary of Return to Dragon View at the moment.

"Understood," Lonely Old Man answered. Although Crispy Rice was technically the Gang Leader of the Beggar Gang, Lonely Old Man presided over all gang matters, big and small, and no one found it strange.

After a pause, Lonely Old Man asked, "Shopkeeper Lin, our Beggar Gang stole all the limelight at the recruitment fair. The other four sects combined only managed to recruit just over 2,000 of the 'Descended Ones.' Shouldn't we take precautions? I'm worried they might move against us."

"And the evil sects you annihilated will surely seek revenge on the Beggar Gang," Crispy Rice said. "Shopkeeper Lin, Golden Core cultivators are too powerful. Although the Beggar Gang has many members, currently only about 60 of us have learned the Nine-Days True Scripture. If a Golden Core cultivator shows up at our doorstep, we'll probably be helpless."

If this were a real Beggar Gang, such a huge mess created by Lin Bai would have caused its members to scatter long ago. But the players didn't care about such things. They even thought this was a story mission and hoped for more chaos! The bigger the commotion, the greater their rewards.

"The Nine-Days True Scripture and Dragonfall Palm can be made available to all Beggar Gang disciples," Lin Bai said, glancing at them. "I can also teach you the saber technique Six Color Frost, the Qinggong technique Curve Body Single Shadow, and the body protection Cultivation Technique Golden Middle Cover. Let all disciples practice them. Little Deng is the exception; he cannot practice other Martial Arts until he has mastered Dragonfall Palm."

With the Card System, Lin Bai didn't value Martial Arts as much as before. Besides, with a powerful enemy at their doorstep, the Beggar Gang disciples truly needed to enhance their strength. Human strength has its limits; he couldn't always be the one charging into the fray.

The players' faces lit up with joy, providing Lin Bai with a wave of positive emotions. Only Dumbelldore watched Lin Bai quietly, feeling as if he, a direct disciple, was being intentionally singled out.

But seeing the envious gazes from the other players, he instantly felt reassured. Perhaps the Righteous Door had special requirements for direct disciples!

The players had anticipated Lin Bai imparting Cultivation Techniques. But players were greedy; they wanted more than just a few Martial Arts. With the Beggar Gang facing a crisis, it was the perfect time to try and get more out of Lin Bai.

Lonely Old Man put on a troubled expression. "Shopkeeper Lin, even with these Martial Arts, we might still be unable to handle Golden Core cultivators! Could you consider teaching us your Palm Thunder technique?"

Even though they suspected Palm Thunder was acquired through Spoken Law Follows, they still clung to the hope of learning the Palm Thunder skill directly from Lin Bai. Then, they would only need to practice it to proficiency.

"No," Lin Bai said, having gleaned their intentions from their private chat, he decisively played along. "Palm Thunder isn't a Martial Art; it's a byproduct of Spoken Law Follows. If you want to learn Palm Thunder, you must practice Spoken Law Follows yourselves. Once you succeed in cultivating it, you'll naturally learn Palm Thunder, and you can even customize the incantation."

It really is a hidden skill! Having received Lin Bai's confirmation, the players instantly grew excited, discussing it animatedly. Learning Palm Thunder became a top priority. A customizable incantation for Palm Thunder—could there be a cooler Martial Art?

「...」

To deceive others, one must first deceive one's own. Lin Bai needed the Beggar Gang disciples to set an example for the people of Hundred Flower Valley. If they spoke kind and gentle words for a day but failed to learn Palm Thunder, it would mean the fault lay with them. What did that have to do with him? Were hidden skills supposed to be that easy to learn?

「...」

"Shopkeeper Lin, I heard from Little Deng that you're planning to appoint Incomplete Promoters? I wonder if we're capable enough for the role?" Lonely Old Man asked again.

The players speculated that 'Peering into Heavenly Secrets' must be a detection-type skill. In the game, health bars weren't visible. Perhaps after comprehending an Incomplete Skill, they could detect NPC or boss health bars or abilities in advance? In any game, identification and detection skills were considered Divine Techniques.

Lin Bai glanced at Dumbelldore and said, "Little Deng, do you remember the conduct I taught you? Without my permission, certain matters are not to be spread around."

Although he knew the players were livestreaming, he still had to issue a warning. Behaving like a true native of this world could help him gather more information. Moreover, it would prevent the players from leading him by the nose.

"Understood, Master," Dumbelldore replied respectfully, though he didn't really take Lin Bai's admonition to heart. In his mind, as the number of players increased, Lin Bai had been relegated to the status of a plot NPC and a skill-dispensing NPC, much less important than before. Players might complete tasks given by NPCs, but there was no real need to respect an NPC. No matter how realistic the game, an NPC was ultimately just a string of data.

"Being an Incomplete Promoter isn't as simple as you think; there's a hidden Cultivation Technique within it as well." After admonishing Dumbelldore, Lin Bai turned to Crispy Rice and the others. "However, since you already know, go ahead and spread the word. Let every disciple in the Beggar Gang practice it! If any of you can comprehend the Way of Incompleteness from it, that will be your own fortuitous encounter.

But I must tell you beforehand: being an Incomplete Promoter isn't just a title. It means embodying incompleteness in every aspect of your life—the weapons you use, the clothes you wear, even the objects you see. If you can make them incomplete, do so. Persevere, and only then will you have a chance to comprehend the Way of Incompleteness."

「...」

"This is a quantity-based task, isn't it!" Crazy Man exclaimed.

"Seems like it," Bitter Melon Vine said.

"It's simpler than Spoken Law Follows. Just break things whenever you see them," Silver said. "We've been doing that all along. Incompleteness is the Beggar Gang's specialty, after all!"

"Let all Beggar Gang disciples practice it then. It's something we can do easily enough," Lonely Old Man said. "I reckon Spoken Law Follows and the Way of Incompleteness can't be kept secret for long. Any player entering the game will probably try to learn them. From now on, when we're with Shopkeeper Lin, unless our 'Gold Daddy' sponsors request a major broadcast, let's avoid livestreaming. Otherwise, if the hidden skills of the Righteous Door are leaked, we'll suffer a huge loss."

「...」

Listening to the players' private chat, Lin Bai smiled encouragingly. "These two abilities may seem simple, but they are difficult to master. If any among you succeed in mastering one of them, I can make an exception and induct you into the Righteous Door, teaching you more methods to cultivate the principles of the Great Tao."

The Everything Has Shortcomings System only required Lin Bai to find 49 Incomplete Promoters, but he had just set up nearly 3,000. Once Lonely Old Man disseminated tonight's discussion, the reward from the Great Demon Solution Book should arrive instantly. At this point, Lin Bai was less interested in the Martial Art rewarded by the Incomplete System and more in the massive Incomplete Promotion Team. Once he grasped the true essence of incompleteness, every item they rendered incomplete would grant Lin Bai an additional day's worth of Inner Strength. A single day's Inner Strength might not seem like much, but with nearly 3,000 Beggar Gang members, if each person made just ten items incomplete per day, he could gain over 30,000 days' worth of Inner Strength. He wasn't sure if items damaged by players who learned the Way of Incompleteness through livestreams would count towards his total. But if even one-third of the Beggar Gang disciples persisted, the Inner Strength he stood to gain would be astronomical. This was much faster than the Inner Strength provided by the 'Be a Good Teacher' system. Lin Bai felt like he'd found another system bug. Gaining centuries' worth of Inner Strength in a single day—which player could possibly keep up with his cultivation speed? With his Inner Strength increasing so rapidly, he'd no longer have to worry about running out of 'mana,' and there would be no need to concoct any Pill Medicine to increase Inner Strength at all... In the Cultivation World, there were inevitably all sorts of hidden old monsters. Given the rate at which he was stirring up trouble, relying solely on system rewards and the Inner Strength feedback from Dumbelldore simply wasn't enough. This method was far more gratifying. Unfortunately, aside from his Palm Thunder, he lacked any large-scale offensive techniques. Although using players to create a Lightning Storm was potent, if the players were eliminated first, his own power would instantly plummet. Ultimately, that was an external force. He had no idea when the Everything Has Shortcomings System would reward him with a true Immortal Technique, or an even more powerful Martial Art...

「...」

Tonight's gains had already been substantial. But Lonely Old Man wasn't ready to give up. He glanced at the Little White Fox in Lin Bai's arms and asked tentatively, "Shopkeeper Lin, could we also have a pet like Xiao Bai?"

All the players held their breath. When Little White Fox transformed, 'Artifact Refining Master' had started a livestream. The image of the cute Beast-eared Lady had caused an uproar on the Immortal World forums. Owning a Beast-eared Lady as a pet had become the goal of every player. Now, Little White Fox's popularity among the players was no less than Lin Bai's, even showing signs of surpassing him.

After the Beggar Gang, the Beast Control Sect had become the new favored choice for players. The Beast Control Sect was a subordinate sect of the Beast Taming Sect. Unfortunately, there wasn't one in Qian City; players had to go to Zhen City to join the Beast Control Sect. After footage of Little White Fox's transformation spread, players in the Novice Villages near Zhen City were ecstatic. Now, they were completely focused on leaving their Novice Villages, heading to the Beast Control Sect to learn its arts, and adopting their own Demon Beasts! As for those who couldn't get into the Beast Control Sect or join the Beggar Gang, they were starting to consider how to capture Demon Beasts in the wilderness and tame them personally!

「...」

Before Lin Bai could speak, Little White Fox's fur bristled. She leaped from Lin Bai's arms, transformed into her human form, and glared at Lonely Old Man and the others. "Absolutely not! What do you take the Monster Race for? Why should the Monster Race become your pets? If anyone dares to capture Demon Beasts, I'll be the first to stop them!"

「...」

"WOW! So beautiful!"

"My Xiao Bai!"

"I don't care what it takes, I *have* to get my own Beast-eared Lady!"

"I want to hug her!"

"So adorable!"

"I'd do anything for her!"

"I think I'm in love!"

「...」

Little White Fox's transformation to express her anger completely backfired. No player paid any attention to her indignation. In fact, they exclaimed that a Beast-eared Lady was adorable even when angry—simply irresistible!

"Xiao Bai, come back," Lin Bai said, calling Little White Fox to him.

"Master," Little White Fox returned to Lin Bai's side dejectedly, clinging to his arm and pleading, "You won't agree to their request, will you? The Monster Race are happiest in the mountains and forests. None of us want to be pets for humans..."

"Xiao Bai, we don't intend to treat the Monster Race as pets," Lonely Old Man quickly explained. "We're different from others. We'll treat them as companions, care for them, protect them, and even be willing to sacrifice our lives for them. You've misunderstood us."

"Exactly, exactly! If you can't trust the people of the Beggar Gang, who can you trust?" Sticky Rice chimed in. "We'll treat them as well as Shopkeeper Lin treats you. If anyone dares to mistreat them or treat them badly, I'll be the first to object!"

"We can swear an oath!" Even Crazy Man, a hardcore grinder, raised his hand and pledged, "If possible, we'll even change the status of the Monster Race in this world! Anyone who dares to harm the Monster Race will be our enemy!"

"Exactly! That's right!" Silver affirmed.

The players all chimed in, seemingly becoming Xiao Bai's devoted fans in that instant.

Little White Fox was taken aback by their earnestness, looking at them strangely. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely!" all the players affirmed.

"The Beast Taming Sect is the Monster Race's greatest enemy," Little White Fox said, looking at the players indignantly. "If you can defeat the Beast Taming Sect, then I'll believe you."

"No problem," Crispy Rice declared. "From this moment on, destroying the Beast Taming Sect is the Beggar Gang's responsibility—the mission of every single Beggar Gang disciple!"

[System Notification: (Long-term Quest) Big Bro's Aspiration: Big Bro has a new dream and goal. As his loyal followers, how can you not help him achieve it? Assist Big Bro in destroying the Beast Taming Sect. Reward: Auspicious Qi.]

Damn it! Are you kidding me? Lin Bai was stunned. A single mischievous remark from the Little Fox, an offhand, placating promise from Crispy Rice, and just like that, he was saddled with a massive quest? So, 'Big Bro' had a dream imposed upon him! After provoking Return to Dragon View, the Heavenly Dao Sect was practically an enemy. And now, great, another one—the Beast Taming Sect! Earlier, Jiang Qingqin had said the Transformation Pill might provoke the Beast Taming Sect, and now, in the blink of an eye, there was a quest to destroy them? Was the system trying to railroad him into a mission to conquer the world? However, as for the reward, this Auspicious Qi... there wasn't even an explanation for what it was.

Seeing Lin Bai silent for a long moment, Little White Fox asked timidly, "Master, did I say something wrong?"

"No." Lin Bai shook his head, then smiled at Crispy Rice. "Big Bro, a promise is a promise. Since you're going to destroy the Beast Taming Sect, then get to it! Consider this a test I'm giving the Beggar Gang. If you can truly accomplish it, I don't mind merging the entire Beggar Gang into the Righteous Door."

"..." Crispy Rice was stunned.

Little White Fox was also dumbfounded. "Master."

Lonely Old Man looked at Lin Bai, then at Crispy Rice, and asked in their private chat channel, "So, does this count as us having a long-term quest now? Wasn't that a bit... rash?"