Guo Yuan and the heads of various sects departed one after another.

In the reception hall, only the executives of the Beggar Gang and several officers from the Righteous Door were left.

"Okay, everyone left is one of us. We can speak freely and don't need to worry about our image anymore." Lin Bai surveyed the people in the room and stashed away Cupid's Bow.

Dao Xu, Crispy Rice, and others were taken aback. So he was actually minding his image before?

"Don't look at me like that." Lin Bai laughed. "I'm not dumb. I understand the importance of distinguishing between close allies and distant acquaintances. Our core will always be the Righteous Door and the Beggar Gang. The adverse effects of forcing them to join the Righteous Door were too great, hence the temporary formation of the Justice League. But fundamentally, the League is for our own growth. I might have been a bit harsh before, but don't worry. I have invested the most effort in you; I wouldn't suppress or limit you."

"..." Crispy Rice hesitated for a moment and privately asked Lonely Old Man, "Do you believe him?"

Lonely Old Man replied, "Does it matter? Aren't you taking this game too seriously? We're just here to play along."

Thus, all the players said in unison, "Thank you, Storekeeper Lin, for your trust."

Lin Bai chuckled and continued, "You all know that by practicing the Spoken Law Follows method, my goal is to become the Heavenly Dao. But the path to becoming the Heavenly Dao is full of obstacles and hardships. Therefore, I need powerful Protectorate Sects. The Seven Righteous Sects and Five Demonic Sects have maintained their positions in the Cultivation World for many years and will not idly watch me rise—you are my only hope.

"The complete prophecy of the nine ancestors of the Righteous Door is that a person descended from Heaven will bring a catastrophe, yet it is the best opportunity to become the Heavenly Dao. If missed, there will be no hope for the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, I do not intend to prevent the catastrophe. In essence, we are in this together."

"What about maintaining world peace?" Crispy Rice asked.

"We'll do it if it's convenient. But we must prioritize our own interests. Having a good reputation makes things easier, right?" Lin Bai glanced at everyone, chuckled, and said, "I know, those descended from Heaven aren't a monolithic bloc, and there are bound to be conflicts of interest. I believe none of you want to fall behind. Therefore, we must control public opinion so we can secure the world's support. Understand?"

...

"Storekeeper Lin's insight is truly profound!" Lonely Old Man looked at Lin Bai in admiration and said in the private chat, "Only we players can see the whole picture. In reality, lacking so much information, anyone would be completely manipulated by someone like him. The intelligence of NPCs is terrifying."

"Even from a player's perspective, you have to admit, everything he said is a fact," Crispy Rice said. "Even though everyone knows he's not entirely right, they still have to follow the path he sets. This is probably what they call an 'Open Conspiracy,' right?"

"Storekeeper Lin will definitely grow into the final boss," Lonely Old Man sighed.

...

Dao Xu closed his eyes and meditated on the side. Not looking at Lin Bai, his inner feelings of disgust lessened slightly, but his twitching ears betrayed that he wasn't as calm as he appeared.

Lin Bai turned to Dao Xu and said with a chuckle, "Dao Xu, don't always try to spoil my plans. Firstly, you're no match for me. Secondly, as I acquire more puppets, you'll have fewer opportunities to be used, and you can stay hidden in your card if you prefer. Thirdly, what if I do become the Heavenly Dao? You would be free, wouldn't you? There's a saying, 'When one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to Heaven.' If I attain the Heavenly Dao, it would be beneficial for everyone..."

Dao Xu grunted, expressing neither agreement nor dissent.

"Sect Leader, are the Cultivation Rules really true?" Daojing couldn't help asking.

"Absolutely true," Lin Bai said. "When the Heavenly Dao is formed, the gods of the various Laws will assume their positions. This is bound to happen. I wouldn't lie to you about this; after all, I intend to use these Laws to lead the transformation of the Cultivation World. Someday, when my cultivation is successful and I find the way back to the Righteous Door headquarters, I can take you to see the Sutra Depository of the Righteous Door. The research of the past patriarchs of the Righteous Door concerning the Heavenly Dao and the Laws are all there. You can see for yourselves…"

"Storekeeper Lin, can those descended from Heaven also cultivate these Rules?" Bitter Melon Vine asked. "You just mentioned that the Rules are the only means to restrain those descended from Heaven..."

"Heaven and Earth are impartial, treating all things as straw dogs. They operate without interference or preference," Lin Bai smiled. "I can cultivate, Little White Fox can cultivate, Daojing and Dao Kong can cultivate. If even a stubborn stone awakens its spirit intelligence, it too can cultivate. Since you have all come to this world, you can naturally cultivate."

PHEW! The multitude of players heaved a collective sigh of relief. As long as they could cultivate, it would be no fun watching such a powerful and enjoyable hidden skill go unused.

"However, there's only one corresponding divine entity for each Law. Most people might be wasting their effort, so you should be mentally prepared," Lin Bai continued.

"Since all things are equal, can I cultivate too?" Dao Xu suddenly asked.

"The resentment in your heart would prevent you from even passing the first trial," Lin Bai shook his head. "Being a puppet is always a sore point for you; it will bother you whenever you think about it. Initially, I told Qing Yu and the others they couldn't cultivate because I didn't want them to waste their time. But when Qing Yu and Flower Stream secretly began to comprehend the Great Path of Love behind my back, I didn't bother to interfere. Dao Xu, you certainly have no hope of mastering Spoken Law Follows, but you could give the Love Principle a shot. You meet the conditions."

Saying this, Lin Bai turned to look at Pei Yanzong.

Not mentioning it was one thing, but now that it was brought up, Dao Xu couldn't maintain his composure, his face flushing red. "I would love to cultivate the Love Principle, but you'd have to arrange a proper partner for me..."

Lin Bai cut him off, asking, "What about Ge Feiyun?"

"..." Dao Xu was taken aback. "You're going to target her as well?"

"The Beggar Gang and the Righteous Door are our foundation, and the Justice League is our strategic deployment; none of them can be allowed to collapse. Those sect leaders are not of one mind with us. Placing a few of our own people around them can influence their decisions at critical moments and keep us informed of their movements," Lin Bai said seriously.

...

Crispy Rice shot a glance at Lin Bai and couldn't resist complaining in the private chat, "Does Storekeeper Lin have some misunderstanding of the term 'our own people'?"

"Black-hearted, ruthless, and thick-skinned, resorting to any means necessary... I always said Storekeeper Lin would become the final BOSS," Lonely Old Man praised.

...

Dao Xu remained silent for a long time, seemingly stunned by Lin Bai's shamelessness.

Lin Bai waited for Dao Xu's reply. He still had two Gold Cards capable of sealing Nascent Soul cultivators and didn't want to waste them. Having only two reliable bodyguards always left him feeling insecure.

His battle with the Five Wicked Sects made him realize his own strength was still insufficient. More security measures were always a good idea. If possible, he even considered turning Xin Shang into a puppet. The Blood Mist and Sky Curtain combat style was just too effective.

"You're sending her as an undercover agent. How am I supposed to cultivate the Love Principle with her?" Dao Xu looked at Pei Yanzong, then at Lin Bai, ultimately unable to resist the devil's temptation.

"Turning everyone into puppets is too risky," Lin Bai said with a chuckle. "We can proceed slowly, gradually turning all the sect leaders into puppets of the Righteous Door. Once they're all 'our people,' the Justice League will effectively be the Righteous Door. At that time, you can openly cultivate the Great Path of Love with Ge Feiyun."

"How would we do it?" Dao Xu pondered for a moment, then asked.

"We'll approach her quietly, then find an opportunity to shoot her with an arrow. That way, she'll fall hopelessly in love with you," Lin Bai said. "Then, under the pretext of eloping to share a blissful life together, you'll persuade her to willingly be sealed into one of my cards. After that, you'll convince her to return as an undercover agent."

"Will that work?" Dao Xu frowned.

"You must believe that the power of love is immense," Lin Bai smiled.

"Storekeeper Lin, may I ask what that bow of yours is?" Lonely Old Man suddenly asked.

"It's the Bow of Love, a Magic Artifact crafted by the thirteen patriarchs of the Righteous Door. My master gave it to me before I left the mountain to assist me in cultivating the Great Path of Love. When I meet someone I like, I shoot her with an arrow, and she will be briefly infatuated with me," Lin Bai glanced at him and explained casually. "Then, I can make my move, seizing the opportunity to cultivate the Great Path of Love, and eventually, true lovers will be united."

Lin Bai never forgot to embellish the backstory of his Righteous Door.

"..." All the players were stunned.

Bitter Melon Vine clicked his tongue. "Seriously? Turns out there isn't a single normal person in the Righteous Door. They're all a bunch of freaks!"

"My master said that with my dedication to cultivation, finding true love on my own would be too difficult," Lin Bai sighed. "This was a decision born of necessity."

"That's not true! Master has the best personality; so many people like Master!" The Little Fox indignantly defended Lin Bai. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Master, did Jiang Qingqin fall in love with you only because you shot her with your Arrow of Love?"

"No." Lin Bai shook his head. "I won her over with my personal charm. After I entered the world, I realized my master was wrong; many people actually like me. I can cultivate the Love Principle even without the Arrow of Love. So, the Bow of Love became a weapon for me, and it's quite handy..."

Dao Xu's mouth twitched unconsciously. Too damn handy! he cursed inwardly.

...

"Sect Leader, can the Bow of Love help me too?" Daojing couldn't help but ask. "I know I won't achieve much cultivating Spoken Law Follows, so I also want to cultivate the Love Principle. But after centuries of cultivation, I've forgotten how to win a Daoist partner's affection. Sect Leader, could you use the Arrow of Love to help me..."

"No problem," Lin Bai replied with a smile. "When you meet someone you fancy, tell me, and I'll shoot her for you."

"Thank you, Sect Leader," Daojing was overjoyed.

"But there's one condition: the Daoist partner you choose must be beneficial to the development of the Righteous Door. The Arrow of Love is difficult to craft; it can't be wasted on you," Lin Bai glanced at him and admonished.

"Naturally," Daojing chuckled. "Who wouldn't want a powerful Daoist partner?"

After hemming and hawing for a long time, Dao Kong also requested, "Sect Leader, please lend me a hand as well. I don't think I have much talent for Spoken Law Follows."

"Yes, yes, for both of you," Lin Bai nodded with a smile.

"Storekeeper Lin, is the Arrow of Love effective on us Descended Ones?" Crispy Rice asked expectantly.

Dao Xu and the others sought Daoist partners to cultivate the Love Principle, but in the players' eyes, a couple bound by the Arrow of Love was essentially a free bodyguard, achieving the same end as Lin Bai's cards, albeit through different means.

"It's effective on everyone," Lin Bai said.

"Can we make the Bow of Love ourselves?" Lonely Old Man asked.

"Once you have the skills of a Righteous Door Ancestor, you should be able to make it," Lin Bai looked at him and said. "This is a Divine Artifact; there's only one in the entire Righteous Door."

"Ah, that's truly a pity. Storekeeper Lin, if we meet a suitable person, please trouble yourself to shoot an arrow for us as well!" Lonely Old Man said.

At the same time, he said in the private chat channel, "Guys, I really want to gank Storekeeper Lin! With his Divine Artifacts, we could operate independently. The Righteous Door's assets are so abundant."

"Yeah!" Bitter Melon Vine agreed. "Boss Lonely, you're not planning to scheme against Storekeeper Lin again, are you?"

"The time isn't right," Lonely Old Man said. "Our levels are too low, and more importantly, we haven't truly gained Storekeeper Lin's trust yet. It's not a good time to make a move. Let's wait; maybe the Righteous Door will give Storekeeper Lin even more Divine Artifacts!"

...

Gank me? Dream on! Players truly are ungrateful curs that can never be tamed! I still need you to help me conquer this world for now, so I'll tolerate you for a while. But wait until I'm truly powerful—I'll send every last one of you back to the Novice Village!

"Of course," Lin Bai, smiling broadly at the players, asked, "Are you particular about gender?"

"Not at all," the players shook their heads decisively and said in unison.

What a joke! Are they really expecting to date an NPC in the game and cultivate the Great Path of Love? In the end, they just want a bodyguard—the stronger, the better, of course...

...

Daojing and the others looked incredulously at the players, as if observing a group of perverts.

"That's great." Lin Bai chuckled and took out Pan Jinlian's Bamboo Pole. "Crispy Rice, I have a task for you!"

"Your command, Storekeeper Lin?" Crispy Rice unconsciously straightened his back. If his memory served him right, this was likely the first time Lin Bai had formally assigned him a task in the game.

"The theme for the second issue of Justice Weekly is the establishment of the Justice League. It needs to include detailed introductions of all the league members. You go interview the City Lord!" Lin Bai said.

"Me?" Crispy Rice was stunned, then a look of delighted surprise crossed his face. "Storekeeper Lin, are you giving me a press pass?"

"Storekeeper Lin, I think I'm more suitable to be a reporter than the Gang Leader!" Immortal Realm's First Papparazzi immediately grew anxious. "Have you forgotten me? I'm the one who introduced advertisements! And unlike the Gang Leader, who is busy with many affairs, my dream is to become a reporter. I can definitely make Justice Weekly number one in the world..."

"AHEM!" Crispy Rice glanced at Immortal Realm's First Papparazzi and said, "Storekeeper Lin, perhaps the press pass should go to him. If we want Justice Weekly to flourish, professional tasks should be handled by professionals. I'm not very familiar with this whole news business."

"The press pass will, of course, go to the most suitable person," Lin Bai grinned. "But you can still conduct interviews without a press pass; the City Lord's Mansion won't stop you. There's a specific reason I want you to go find the City Lord."

"What reason?" Crispy Rice asked, puzzled.

"You're the Beggar Gang Leader. For the foreseeable future, all Beggar Gang activities will be concentrated in Qian City. Building a good relationship with him will be beneficial for the Beggar Gang's development," Lin Bai looked at him and said seriously. "You just said you don't mind about gender for your partner. This bamboo pole in my hand is called the 'Staff of Love.' It can only be used once. Although it's not as good as the Bow of Love, its effect isn't bad. During your interview with the City Lord, pretend to accidentally hit him with the bamboo pole. A romantic bond should form between you and the City Lord. If you conquer the City Lord with love, it means we'll have someone on our side in official circles."

...

"HOLY SHIT!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

"A one-time-use Divine Artifact! Crispy Rice, you've hit the jackpot, kid!"

"What are you spacing out for? Accept the quest already!"

"Once you get the Staff of Love, try hitting Storekeeper Lin with it first! If you can spark some love with Storekeeper Lin, that would be the real jackpot! It would benefit everyone!"

...

The players' private chat channel instantly erupted.

Lin Bai glanced at Lumberjack No.1, who had suggested Crispy Rice hit him with the Staff of Love, and silently made a mental note.

"I'm willing," Crispy Rice said, looking at Pan Jinlian's Bamboo Pole, his face alight with excitement as he nodded.

"Remember, you only get one chance. If the Staff of Love hits someone else, it will be completely ineffective," Lin Bai cautioned gravely.

The Matchmaker System's mission required two people of renown to form a couple, so he couldn't afford to waste Little Pan's bamboo pole. If it was wasted, relying on Cupid's Bow to form a couple would be considerably more difficult. Even an ill-fated bond is still a bond!

"Storekeeper Lin, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Crispy Rice declared loudly.

"Don't get any funny ideas. Controlling the City Lord is vital for the Beggar Gang's development. If you mess this up, your tenure as Beggar Gang Leader will be over." Lin Bai handed Pan Jinlian's Bamboo Pole to Crispy Rice, his face stern as he warned again, "Don't disappoint me."