CHAPTER 66: 066 LIN BAI THROWS OUT BAIT

That’s right. It’s a tongue twister! Although reciting a tongue twister before casting a spell seemed a bit foolish, it wasn’t as if he was short on silly antics these days. To the Players, he was already practically a lunatic. What image did he have left to speak of? Moreover, since transmigration, he didn’t know if the Players were having fun, but he himself certainly was... From a certain perspective, everyone was playing; it was just that the Players had many lives, while he only had one.

If only a System for immortality would appear! Then I wouldn’t have to be so cautious and could be as reckless as the Players!

Gazing at the brilliant Starry Sky above, Lin Bai mused, Forty-six words, twenty-three times ’Damn it.’ The power should be sufficient this time!

After pondering for a moment, he began to chant the Spell: "In front of the hill stands Cui Thick Leg; behind the hill stands Cui Leg Thick. They met by the hill to compare their legs, who knows if Cui Thick Leg’s leg is thicker, or Cui Leg Thick’s leg is... Ptooey! MBD!"

Alright, reciting it all correctly in one breath really isn’t easy!

Taking a deep breath, Lin Bai focused his mind: "In front of the hill stands Cui Thick Leg; behind the hill stands Cui Leg Thick..."

He had, after all, pondered it for a full day, silently reciting it countless times in his mind. This time, he succeeded on the first try.

PHEW!

A scalding surge of Inner Strength flooded from his Dantian into the meridians of his left hand.

He aimed at a poplar tree by the roadside and, with a thrust of his palm, a bolt of lightning as thick as an arm shot out.

CRACK!

With a sharp snap, the poplar tree, as thick as a water bucket, was struck by lightning and instantly split in half. The fractured surface was charred black, emitting plumes of dark smoke.

GULP!

Lin Bai swallowed hard, startled by the immense power. The incantation is twenty-three times longer than ’Damn it,’ but this power... it must be over a thousand times greater!

He hastily checked his Inner Strength; it had diminished by about one-thirtieth.

Purely in terms of Inner Strength consumption, this Palm Thunder’s might is comparable to stacking ’Shock Hundreds of Armor’ eight times... Back then, if Daoist Priest Qingfeng had been hit by a Palm Thunder like this, he probably would have died on the spot!

Lin Bai smacked his lips, gazing at his palm. The Spell is a bit short. If I were to recite something longer, like the ’Chu Shi Biao,’ and had enough Inner Strength, it could probably pass for a Heavenly Tribulation! No, wait. The enemies are Players; they can resurrect. Making it overwhelmingly powerful is actually useless. This is good enough...

[Love Words Endlessly: Love is an indispensable component of humanity, the fount of happiness, the essence of joy. What language is more wondrous than words of love? Please maintain a constant stream of sweet nothings for the next 24 hours. Reward: Ventriloquism]

"MBD!" Lin Bai couldn’t help but curse as a new task popped up from the Great Language System.

These past two days, he had been tormented to the brink by the tasks requiring kind words and harsh language.

Sweet nothings? If I have to speak like that for another whole day, I’ll definitely go insane! Besides, what blasted use is Ventriloquism? Wouldn’t it be better to get a third-stage incantation for Palm Thunder? No, that’s not quite right either! The Spell for my right hand is ’Damn it,’ and for my left, it’s the tongue twister. Both palms are already assigned. A third stage would have to be channeled through the soles of my feet. Recite an incantation, lift my foot, and kick out a bolt of lightning... That would be even more damaging to my image!

"I’ll shelve this for now!" Lin Bai sighed with regret. "When I eventually meet someone I fancy, I’ll just use these sweet nothings to woo her for a day."

The Great Language System had been active for two days before Lin Bai decided to put its tasks on indefinite hold. Although its future rewards might be even better, sweet nothings weren’t something to be uttered casually. Speaking them to a man would make Lin Bai seem like a pervert, while speaking them to a woman could invite trouble far outweighing any reward. It simply wasn’t worth it for Ventriloquism.

「...」

After he had planted two trees, the Emotional System stopped assigning tasks. Lin Bai now only needed to actively collect the emotions of others and wait for the two trees to blossom and bear fruit.

With no new Maps being unlocked, the progress bar for the Everything has shortcomings System was advancing at a snail’s pace; it was practically in a cooldown state.

His sworn brother and his Disciple were each developing independently and didn’t require Lin Bai’s immediate attention.

As for the Cooking God System, after rewarding him with Spoon Skill, its next task required Lin Bai to prepare thirty-six different dishes to earn Fire Gong—a task he was even more reluctant to touch.

The only remaining manageable task was from the Peerless Divine Doctor System, which required a Dan Fang. The reward from this God Doctor System was a Revitalizing Pill, undoubtedly a type of Pill Medicine for restoring vitality and healing injuries.

A healing Pill Medicine of this nature would be extremely useful to Lin Bai. After all, with the increasing number of Players, he couldn’t guarantee he would remain unscathed forever. He was unwilling to use the medicinal supplies scavenged from Zhou Jiang; who knew what side effects those Pill Medicines might have?

Seven Systems, and in less than ten days, he had run out of tasks for most of them. Is this what they call a System wholesaler? Pretty underwhelming!

Lin Bai scoffed, leisurely strolling back to his Chef’s Divine Food Stall, all the while pondering how to acquire a Dan Fang and concoct the Revitalizing Pill.

「...」

No sooner had Lin Bai departed than Zhao Tong appeared before the sundered poplar tree. Under the hazy moonlight, Zhao Tong’s expression was grim. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed repeatedly. He definitely held back. If Old Zhou had taken a hit like that, he wouldn’t just be recuperating; he’d be nothing but ash! I must report to the City Lord... Lin Bai’s strength has been severely underestimated...

He turned to run towards the City Lord’s Mansion, but his legs gave out after a single step, nearly sending him sprawling. After catching his breath, Zhao Tong cast one more look at the tree cleft in two, then activated his Qinggong, vanishing into the night with a few bounds.

「...」

When Lin Bai returned to the Chef’s Divine Food Stall, [Lady of L] had already departed. The Player Levels in Jiamucheng were still generally low, so even a short-range burst movement skill like Curve Body Single Shadow was difficult for them to follow. Moreover, most female Players weren’t as persistent as their male counterparts; if the fun waned, they would log off without a second thought.

"Master, you’ve returned." [Dumbelldore], having found his path to profit, greeted Lin Bai with utmost reverence, contributing a wave of positive Emotion Value upon seeing him.

"Mm," Lin Bai nodded. "Little Deng, how are you feeling today?"

"I’ve benefited immensely," [Dumbelldore] replied.

"Oh, really?" Lin Bai smiled at him. "Tell me, what insights have you gained?"

[Dumbelldore] opened his mouth but stammered, unable to speak. He was roaring internally, Do you absolutely have to press the issue? What insights did I gain? I damn well learned that enduring beatings and humiliation can make money!

"Little Deng, it seems your understanding isn’t deep enough yet!" Lin Bai chuckled, then said earnestly, "A gentleman endures what others cannot, tolerates what others cannot, and comports himself where others cannot. What I want to impart to you today is this: if you possess the capacity for tolerance, no conflict in this world is irresolvable."

「...」

(Player comment) "Lin Duidui has become a philosophy master!"

(Player comment) "Truly enlightening!"

(Player comment) "As expected of the man who wrote the Heavenly Remnant Collection!"

(Player comment) "I’m increasingly curious about the person behind Lin, the Storekeeper! What profound knowledge must have gone into creating such an intelligent AI!"

「...」

Watching the barrage of bullet comments, [Dumbelldore] was filled with a complex mix of emotions. You always manage to find such a righteous-sounding justification for your vile behavior! Your vast knowledge is completely misplaced!

Nevertheless, he humbly bowed, adopting a perfectly deferential posture. "Master," he said, "this time, I truly understand. I will hold myself to the standards you have set."

[Disciple’s moral character has improved. Cultivation feedback increased by 5%.]

What a bizarre evaluation criterion! The unexpected notification popping into his mind made Lin Bai chuckle. He nodded at [Dumbelldore]. "True courage lies in forbearance; a gentle approach to worldly affairs has great utility. Tolerance allows for creation and fortune; one who cannot endure is no true hero. Little Deng, remember what I’ve told you tonight. Go and practice your skills!"

"Well said! ’Tolerance allows for creation and fortune; one who cannot endure is no true hero.’" A hearty laugh resounded from outside the entrance as Song Shiqing walked in, applauding. "Shopkeeper Lin, you truly are no ordinary man!"

"Brother Song, a pleasure." Lin Bai gestured for [Dumbelldore] to leave and greeted Song Shiqing with a smile. "Brother Song, what brings you here at this hour?"

"I’ve come to deliver good news to Shopkeeper Lin." Song Shiqing’s gaze swept over Jimmy Navada’s family, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, before returning his attention to Lin Bai. He retrieved a bound volume from his robes and presented it to Lin Bai with both hands, saying, "Brother Lin, this is a proof copy of the Heavenly Remnant Collection, printed today. I’ve brought it for your review. If there are no errors, we’ll run an additional printing tonight, and it will be dispatched to the academies in all towns tomorrow."

Lin Bai skimmed through the volume, pausing at the page featuring "Magpie Bridge Immortal." "Brother Song," he said, "I’m afraid this page will need some revision."

Song Shiqing was taken aback.

"’If love between two hearts can last for an age, why need they stay together day and night?’" Lin Bai chuckled, his gaze shifting towards the City Lord’s Mansion, a glint of admiration in his eyes. "Last night, City Lord Xu himself completed this verse!"

Song Shiqing was speechless.

[Dumbelldore] was speechless.

Jimmy Navada and his family were collectively dumbstruck.

"""HOLY SHIT!""" """HOLY SHIT!""" """HOLY SHIT!""" ... The comments on [Dumbelldore]’s livestream instantly erupted with exclamations...

「...」

If I didn’t give you all a little bait, I was afraid you wouldn’t put your hearts into promoting the Heavenly Remnant Collection! Watching their astounded expressions, a hint of smug satisfaction touched Lin Bai’s lips. He thought silently, City Lord, starting tonight, your Fame is about to spread throughout the land!