You've guided well?

PFFT!

Who gave you the audacity?

You have no idea about our true thoughts. Among the 3,000 disciples of the Beggar Gang, at least 2,500 are waiting to bring you down in the future... Crispy Rice sneered internally.

However, thinking about the players' intentions, Crispy Rice had to admit that Lin Bai was correct. Players indeed weren't good news. Once their levels rose, they might genuinely trigger a catastrophe!

But he could never admit this in front of Lin Bai. It was related to their ability to learn Skills.

"Shopkeeper Lin, you're right. The troublemakers are only a small portion. Most of the Heaven-Descended are law-abiding; we can't judge everyone by the actions of a few," the Lonely Old Man said with an appeasing smile. "Prophecies can also be wrong."

Guo Yuan smiled faintly but said nothing. He didn't understand why Lin Bai was being so blunt. If the Heaven-Descended within the Beggar Gang learned his true intentions, the very ones he had integrated would likely become alienated and desert him. It was a situation with nothing to gain and everything to lose.

For the sake of cultivating the Heavenly Dao? That excuse was clearly a bluff! Back then, Lin Bai hadn't said such things at the City Lord's mansion.

"Prophecies don't err, but variables always exist." Lin Bai glanced at Crispy Rice and the others, then said with a laugh, "The Heaven-Descended are immortal. If we constantly treat them as enemies, we will eventually push them to oppose the world. Ultimately, the situation will spiral out of control. When that time comes, they can just dust themselves off and leave, while we, the original inhabitants, will be the ones to bear the losses."

"Therefore, my Righteous Gang deliberately recruited Heaven-Descended. We guide them slowly through various methods, intertwining their interests with those of us original inhabitants, eventually leading them to genuinely protect this world. Hearts can change, but interests are eternal. Crispy Rice, don't you agree?"

Is this an advertisement? The same thought crossed the minds of Guo Yuan and all the players.

"I was wondering why Shopkeeper Lin seemed so accustomed to such outrageous advertisements, just letting them be," Crispy Rice muttered in a private chat. "So this was his plan. It's completely impossible to refuse!"

"..." The Lonely Old Man frowned slightly, carefully pondering Lin Bai's true intentions. From beginning to end, Lin Bai has never seemed to care about the original inhabitants. Out of every ten sentences he speaks, you'd be lucky if one was true. There must be a deeper meaning to his words.

"Crispy Rice?" Lin Bai asked, pretending he hadn't heard their private chat and frowning slightly. "You don't agree with my viewpoint?"

"I agree, of course, I agree!" Crispy Rice snapped back to reality, realizing he hadn't answered Lin Bai. He quickly added, "You're right. We have indeed benefited greatly."

"Then you are surely willing to contribute to maintaining world peace?" Lin Bai nodded and asked with a smile.

"Of course," Crispy Rice replied without hesitation. What else could he say? Everyone in the Beggar Gang depended on Lin Bai for their livelihood. Could he dare to contradict his benefactor?

"City Lord Guo, what do you think?" Lin Bai turned to Guo Yuan. "My idea isn't bad, is it?"

Guo Yuan stroked his beard and chuckled. "The Heaven-Descended are a double-edged sword. Used well, they benefit us; used poorly, they harm both themselves and us. As a City Lord, for the peace of my people, I naturally hope to coexist peacefully with the Heaven-Descended."

"Exactly. Therefore, I founded the Justice League." Lin Bai surveyed the crowd, his voice suddenly rising an octave as he declared, "There are many Cultivation Sects, and with the opposition of good and evil, each has its own selfish intentions regarding the Heaven-Descended, leading to various disputes. However, by forming a league and maintaining a single ideology and voice within it, we can minimize such variables. This benefits everyone. What do you think, Sect Leaders?"

Where there are people, there will always be conflict. Trying to bind everyone with a single league is just a pipe dream! Xin Shang and the others scoffed internally. However, being under Lin Bai's roof, they had little choice but to eventually echo his statement.

"A unified voice might be possible within the League, but what about outside it?" Guo Yuan's thoughts differed from those of the Sect Leaders of the evil sects. He knew Lin Bai's capacity for stirring up trouble and had his own plans. Thus, he was eager for Lin Bai to cause chaos among the Heaven-Descended and in the Cultivation World—the bigger the mess, the better.

"We can expand the League bit by bit, making everyone recognize and join us." Lin Bai nodded, pleased with the support. "For example, this time, I hosted the Qian City Cup and invited Sects like the Hundred Flower Valley. They didn't come as promised. However, I believe they've heard about the Justice League from the Heaven-Descended and must deeply regret not coming to our aid. They must be in a precarious position, feeling extremely uneasy. As our power grows, we can seize this opportunity to visit them in person and persuade them to join the Justice League..."

HISS!

Xin Shang and the others drew a sharp breath, suddenly understanding why Lin Bai had kept them around.

What peace? What persuasion? In the end, aren't we just going to be used as his enforcers? Isn't it still a matter of might makes right? Screw your Justice League!

"What if they disagree?" Guo Yuan asked, momentarily taken aback.

"We appeal to their reason and move them with emotion," Lin Bai stated solemnly. "If they still refuse, we can only resort to the methods used against the Waning Sun Gate. In the face of a greater cause, one shouldn't sweat the small stuff. For the sake of all people in the world, I, Lin, am willing to bear this bad reputation. When peace eventually reigns, I trust they will understand my earnest intentions."

"..." Guo Yuan.

Understand your ass! Seeing Lin Bai's impassioned, tragic demeanor, veins throbbed on Dao Xu's forehead, and he cursed Lin Bai vehemently in his heart.

Xin Shang and the others exchanged glances, realizing their defeat was not unjust. The Righteous Door had truly cultivated a genuine Devil's Head!

"Sect Leaders, what are your thoughts?" Sensing the surging negative emotions from backstage, Lin Bai smiled and turned to Xin Shang and the others.

"Shopkeeper Lin is entirely selfless, and I admire him. I am willing to contribute my humble efforts to the Justice League," Xin Shang forced a painful smile and said, cupping his fists.

We can't beat him in a fight, and we can't outtalk him. What else can we do? Dragging a few more sects into this mess is better than us suffering this indignity alone... If things escalate in the future and the Seven Righteous Sects and Five Devil Sects come to deal with Lin Bai, we can just up and leave. Are we really expected to care about those so-called prestigious and righteous sects?

"I am also willing," Zhao Tulong muttered gloomily.

The remaining two also voiced their agreement. They had figured out that when Lin Bai posed a question, there was effectively only one answer they could give.

And he claims it's not a one-man show?

"In that case, we shall rest in Qian City for a day to handle some miscellaneous matters and see if any sects proactively surrender. If not, we will take the initiative and go out to recruit. As long as we persist, spreading the ideals of the League, our League will undoubtedly grow larger and eventually sweep across the world."

Lin Bai looked at everyone, made a fist in a rallying gesture, and declared, "From today onwards, our Justice League is officially established! Crispy Rice, later, find a few disciples from the Beggar Gang to forge some Tokens. Distribute them to the Sect Leaders as symbols of alliance. Also, find some clever Players to design a flag for the League."

"Yes," Crispy Rice replied.

Everything is decided by you. What's the difference between this and just merging into the Righteous Door? Zhao Tulong, after all, was a Sect Leader accustomed to pride and arrogance. The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He couldn't help but ask, "Shopkeeper Lin, you still haven't told us the charter for joining the Justice League, have you?"

Xin Shang and the others cast admiring glances his way.

"I have!" Lin Bai glanced at him. "Promote the Cultivation of Rules, integrate the Heaven-Descended, and guide them onto the righteous path."

"And the rights of the members?" Zhao Tulong pressed.

Lin Bai paused for a moment before saying, "All member Sects within the League are as one body. An attack on any member Sect is considered a threat to the Justice League, and other League members have an obligation and responsibility to support any besieged Sect.

"Resources among Justice League members will be prioritized for allies, and benefits will be shared.

"If a member is deceived or treated unfairly by another member within the League, they can appeal to the League Committee, which will conduct a fair arbitration and deliver a judgment and penalty.

"Time is limited, so let's tentatively agree on these points for now. What do you think?"

Xin Shang and the others looked at each other but remained silent.

This is utterly absurd! Not to mention they've been feuding with Sects like the Hundred Flower Valley for thousands of years; it would be charitable enough not to kick them while they're down, let alone offer mutual aid! The mere clause stating that an attack on a League member is a threat to the entire League is unacceptable to them. Besides Lin Bai's Righteous Door, which Sect actively courts trouble and faces daily attacks? To them, this clause sounded like: all Sects' resources are to be prioritized for the Righteous Door, and if Lin Bai stirs up trouble, all League members are obligated to help him clean up his mess...

Shen Kuang sighed in frustration. "Shopkeeper Lin, who will be on the League Committee?"

"The Sect Leaders of all member Sects, the Gang Leader of the Beggar Gang, and our very own City Lord Guo." Lin Bai smiled as he looked around. "Of course, since I established the Justice League, as the Alliance Hierarch, I should naturally possess veto power. No objections to that, I presume?"

Objections? Massive objections! How audacious can he be? How capable does he think he is? Veto power, really?!

Looking at the Bow and Arrow in Lin Bai's hand, Xin Shang and the others nodded in unison. "That's perfectly reasonable..."

The more formal this alliance becomes, the more at ease we feel, at least knowing Lin Bai won't resort to underhanded tactics against us. However, everyone understood that Lin Bai's Justice League wouldn't last long. It was best to play along for now, wait for someone who couldn't stand him any longer to take him out, and then they could all return to their own paths.

Therefore, everyone present tacitly avoided mentioning the Seven Righteous Sects and the Five Devil Sects.

However...

Before the alliance dissolves? Xin Shang swallowed, looked at Lin Bai, and asked tentatively, "Shopkeeper Lin, if the Medicine King Valley refuses to join the alliance and we defeat them in battle, can we demand war reparations?"

Zhao Tulong and the others' eyes instantly lit up.

Brilliant! Give them a taste of their own medicine! How could those renowned righteous factions possibly agree to join a Justice League that already includes us? A battle will be inevitable! It wouldn't be bad to leverage Lin Bai's schemes to gain some benefits for our own Sects! War reparations—what a fine-sounding pretext!

"Naturally. Wars incur losses; I can't let you all contribute your efforts for nothing." This was precisely what Lin Bai had been waiting for. He knew the Justice League was largely a farce; what mattered was their collective participation.

Once these people got a taste of the benefits, they would voluntarily safeguard the League's interests without any prompting from him.

And what about the Sects that were plundered? Once you've been robbed, wouldn't you want to recoup your losses from someone else?

As long as he was alive, continuously organizing activities and intimidating them enough to prevent troublemaking, and then getting these factions mobilized, the Justice League wouldn't disband. It would only grow larger.

Lin Bai believed the System behind the scenes wouldn't let him rest. Instead of quietly completing tasks alone, why not drag everyone into the madness together?

"Does anyone have anything else to add?" Lin Bai asked.

"Shopkeeper Lin, can we learn the Taoist laws of the member Sects within the Justice League?" The Lonely Old Man raised his hand.

Xin Shang and the others instantly tensed. Joking aside, if a Sect's Cultivation Techniques were leaked, it would be a grave matter.

"No. Every member Sect within the League is an independent entity. The League must protect the interests of each member, so how could it actively harm them?" Lin Bai glanced at the Lonely Old Man and rebuked him sternly, "No one should entertain such thoughts in the future."

Xin Shang and the others simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

"Understood." The Lonely Old Man nodded sheepishly. He glanced at the dazed Pei Yanzong standing behind Lin Bai, not taking Lin Bai's reprimand to heart at all.

He believed that with Shopkeeper Lin's methods, these people would sooner or later become his own.

"Fellow Sect Leaders, the Heaven-Descended of the Beggar Gang have learned the skills of the Righteous Door, so it's not convenient to assign them to you," Lin Bai said apologetically to Xin Shang and the others. "When the next batch of Heaven-Descended arrives, you will have priority in selecting them. What do you think? Ultimately, the Heaven-Descended are the future mainstream. Their cultivation speed is fast, and they are immortal. In the future, difficult tasks would be better suited for them, which can reduce our casualties. We can't stop eating just for fear of choking; we must still impart skills to them when appropriate..."

"Thank you, Alliance Hierarch," Xin Shang and the others quickly expressed their gratitude.

"Damn, so this is how they assign us quests!" Crispy Rice couldn't help but exclaim in a private chat. "I thought once the Justice League was formed, we'd become irrelevant!"

"How could that be?" said the Lonely Old Man. "The Immortal World is so vast. By the time Shopkeeper Lin's Justice League expands, the Players outside will have leveled up countless times. Can Shopkeeper Lin fight them all alone? Even if he doesn't guard against us, he won't suppress us."

"It's like weapons of mass destruction," Bitter Melon Vine chimed in, glancing at Lin Bai. "Every nation knows that researching them could destroy the world, yet every nation does it. It's unavoidable. We are now equivalent to weapons of mass destruction. It's not something Shopkeeper Lin can ban just because he wants to. This is human nature; the more intelligent an NPC becomes, the harder it is for them to escape this fact."

What a vivid analogy! Lin Bai chuckled. But you guys are feeling a bit too good about yourselves. My weapon of mass destruction has never been you; it's the System!

"Gentlemen, any further questions?" Lin Bai asked again.

"None," Xin Shang and the others shook their heads.

"Crispy Rice, have someone escort the Sect Leaders to their rooms to rest. After the great battle outside Qian City today, the Sect Leaders have expended considerable energy. They should recuperate tonight; there will be much to do in the coming days," Lin Bai said with a smile. "The Beggar Gang members will stay. We need to discuss the second issue of the Justice Weekly. Public opinion and propaganda represent our image; this aspect absolutely cannot be neglected."

"Yes," Crispy Rice responded.

Xin Shang and the others, who had stood up and were about to leave, paused upon hearing this.

"Is there something else?" Lin Bai asked.

"Alliance Hierarch, about Justice Weekly's previous portrayal of us..." Shen Kuang looked at Lin Bai, hesitating.

"I know. That was strategic propaganda; it doesn't count," Lin Bai said with a smile. "I plan for the second issue of Justice Weekly to focus on the Justice League. Since you Sect Leaders are members, it's naturally unsuitable to project a negative image. Later, I will arrange for reporters to interview you. We will use facts to speak and strive to restore your reputations."

"Thank you, Alliance Hierarch," Xin Shang and the others said, relieved, thanking him once more.

"The City Lord will also need a special feature interview," Lin Bai said, turning to Guo Yuan. "After all, you represent the official support for us..."

DAMN!

Guo Yuan's face immediately darkened, and he nearly yanked off his beard. He had thought he was just making a token appearance, but Lin Bai had this waiting for him! Announcing to the world in such a grandiose manner that he supports the Justice League would mean the Taiyi Country was intervening! He was in a real bind, like having mud fall into his trousers—even if it wasn't actual filth, it looked just as bad, and he'd be stuck with the blame. If trouble arose, his superiors would surely hold him accountable...

Guo Yuan forced an awkward laugh. "Shopkeeper Lin, for the Justice League, I'm merely a nominal member. I can't offer much help, so there's no need for a special interview for me!"

"Old City Lord, you are mistaken." Lin Bai gave him a meaningful look. "My purpose in establishing the Justice League, aside from the charter previously mentioned, is also to make Immortal Techniques serve the livelihood of the people.

"When ordinary people fall ill, they should also be able to afford Immortal Pills. When the Cultivation World researches Magic Artifacts, they should also develop items for civilian use, like Magic Treasures for farming or vehicles for transportation.

"Cultivation cannot remain aloof and inaccessible. Only by being grounded and relatable can we make the common people truly accept our Justice League! Otherwise, how are we different from the lofty Seven Righteous Sects?"

After delivering this grand-sounding speech, Lin Bai looked at Guo Yuan and sent a voice transmission: "City Lord, agree to this. Those without stable means lack steadfast commitment. We need to give the Heaven-Descended something to do, allowing them to integrate into society this way. Once they have their own livelihoods and connections here, they will naturally want to protect this place."

"..." Guo Yuan was stunned. He looked at Lin Bai and managed another awkward laugh. "Very well, I shall agree to it."