CHAPTER 82: 082 THE INITIAL FORMATION OF BEGGAR GANG

With Lin Bai’s description, the image of the Righteous Door became increasingly vivid, touching all the players present and inspiring great confidence in them. As expected, Lin Bai successfully garnered a wave of positive emotions.

Even the three Directors nearby were moved.

The Director of the Zhang Family Punch Palace quietly said to his son beside him, "Dasong, in the future, our martial arts hall should also follow the Righteous Door’s rules for recruiting disciples!"

Zhang Jinsong glanced at his father with a troubled expression and whispered, "Father, let’s forget it! We don’t have Storekeeper Lin’s abilities, nor his wisdom. If we take in a wicked disciple who might kill his master, we might genuinely lose our lives. Storekeeper Lin dares to accept a group of people who want to kill him as his subordinates; would you dare?"

"..." Director Zhang was taken aback for a moment, then decisively shook his head. Never mind a group of them; even one would cause him sleepless nights.

However, this didn’t stop him from casting an admiring gaze at Lin Bai. Disregarding Lin Bai’s relationship with the City Lord, his boldness and methods alone made him a person worth befriending.

Righteous Door? Is there such a sect? Why haven’t I heard of it before!

「In the night.」

Xu Longyun’s brow furrowed slightly; she was equally puzzled. Upon returning, I’ll have to send word to Father and have him investigate this thoroughly. If such a sect truly exists, it might not be a blessing for the nation. Lin Bai’s personality is flighty and malicious; it’s highly probable his master was blind when recruiting him, or perhaps expelled him from the sect under the pretext of ’upholding justice in the world.’ Thinking it through, everything seemed to fall into place. Otherwise, for such a powerful sect, with a disciple wandering the world, it’s unlikely all their skills would be half-baked. Deng is simple-minded and honest, so Lin Bai can easily manipulate him. However, given Lin Bai’s character, his own master might not be able to control him...

Inexplicably, Xu Longyun felt she had discovered the truth.

If he were facing a group of normal assassins, Lin Bai would absolutely not dare to play things this way. The moment he learned the news, he would have shamelessly sought out Xu Longyun to mobilize the City Guard Army and exterminate them all.

But players were different. As long as they were given hope, goals, and skills, they would become the most loyal subordinates.

Of course, they were also the most unstable subordinates, potentially turning on him and stabbing him in the back at any moment.

However, Lin Bai wasn’t worried about this. Unless they never chatted privately and, when they acted, maintained absolutely no emotional fluctuations, they would have no secrets from him.

Most importantly, he needed a player force of his own. His fame was growing, and so was the number of players. Relying on himself to fight alone was becoming unsustainable; he needed players to deal with other players.

"Are there any other questions?" Lin Bai asked.

"Will the Beggar Gang expand outwards?" Lonely Old Man asked.

"Naturally." Lin Bai nodded. "The Righteous Door travels the world; we won’t be confined to one corner. The entire world is our stage. To be honest with you all, my goal is to become the next Sect Leader of the Righteous Door, so naturally, I want to forge my own core faction."

[Resentment from Crispy Rice; +1+1+1]

Lin Bai glanced sideways at Crispy Rice, somewhat puzzled by what on earth this guy was thinking, as his emotions kept shifting.

"Alright, I’ll join the Beggar Gang," Lonely Old Man said, glancing at Crispy Rice before cupping his fists towards Lin Bai.

"I’ll join too."

"Me too."

Numerous players echoed their agreement. Compared to the grand vision Lin Bai painted, the other places in Jiamucheng to learn skills suddenly lost their appeal.

Furthermore, Lin Bai had thoughtfully hired external teachers for them, ensuring they wouldn’t miss out on learning skills.

Even the five Chop Wood Brothers were no exception. Defeating bosses was one thing, but learning skills was also very tempting! Once they learned Lin Bai’s skills, they could go on a rampage and make significant contributions to the players’ cause of resisting NPCs.

Of course, among the players enthusiastically signing up for the Beggar Gang, a few were still conflicted.

Crazy Man hesitated for a moment, then stepped out from the crowd and removed his mask. "Storekeeper Lin, we are Hidden Guards of the City Lord’s Mansion and hold official positions. Is it really appropriate for us to join the Beggar Gang?"

"No problem. You can remain in your government posts but keep your hearts with the Beggar Gang." Lin Bai glanced at them and said, "If any players commit crimes and misdeeds, you can crack down on them mercilessly, even to the point of forcing them into the Beggar Gang. It’s better for conducting affairs when we have our people on both sides. Currently, the Beggar Gang is too weak. Only by recruiting widely can it rapidly develop and grow stronger."

"..." Crazy Man, Well Does Not Move, and Not Settling For Less—the Hidden Guards—were all stunned. Good heavens, he’s truly unscrupulous! Are you a player or an NPC after all? Could the Righteous Door actually be an Evil Sect?

Only Lonely Old Man’s eyes lit up. No wonder I lost; an NPC like this is beyond what I can handle at my current stage!

The three Directors exchanged glances, an inexplicable chill running down their spines. Storekeeper Lin is certainly audacious! Has he grown too arrogant, relying on the City Lord’s favor? Should we pretend we heard that or not?

[Resentment from Zhang Jinhuai, Mo Chuansheng, Wu Jindao, Zhang Shutang, Zhang Achun...; +1+1+1]

[Resentment from Xu Longyun; +1+1+1]

The sudden flood of resentment notifications stunned Lin Bai. Damn it, why is the City Lord’s young lady here too? I’m helping you deal with the players, so what on earth are you resentful about?!

However, the fact that the City Lord hadn’t emerged to ruin his plans was proof enough that everything he was doing was still within her limits of tolerance. Xu Longyun rushing out of the City Lord’s Mansion to watch the spectacle probably also meant she intended to protect him. It seems the matter of the Revitalizing Pill should be over.

"Storekeeper Lin, I am a blacksmith’s apprentice..." Artifact Master stepped forward, but Lin Bai cut him off after just a couple of words: "Just register as a disciple of the Beggar Gang and continue learning your skills at the Blacksmith Shop!"

He looked towards Zhang Shutang, who was standing nearby, and asked, "Master Zhang, is that all right?"

"No problem." Zhang Shutang paused, then nodded numbly. In Jiamucheng, Lin Bai could now seemingly conjure clouds and rain with a turn of his hand, having long since become someone Zhang Shutang could only look up to. Zhang Shutang was even considering finding an excuse to return the money for the furniture he had made for Lin Bai back then...

"Once you’ve mastered the basic techniques, I will then teach you the arts of Alchemy and Artifact Refining," Lin Bai said with a smile. "The Righteous Door possesses all sorts of secret manuals. In the future, for the Beggar Gang to become the world’s number one gang, craftsmen like you will be indispensable. The crossbow you designed, and the poison that Flower Divine Doctor concocted, are both very effective."

At his words, Artifact Master and Hua Divine Doctor were simultaneously shocked. Good heavens, he actually remembered everyone!

However, what was past was past, and they weren’t worried that Lin Bai would settle old scores. In fact, Lin Bai’s promise to teach them skills made them somewhat excited. They both cupped their fists simultaneously: "Thank you, Storekeeper Lin."

「As they spoke, a faint light began to appear in the east.」

Lin Bai turned to the Directors he had invited for support, smiled, and cupped his fists. "Directors, it’s almost dawn. Let’s disperse. You’ve all worked hard tonight. Please go back and rest. Another day, I, Lin, will host a banquet to thank you for your assistance tonight."

"You’re too kind," Director Mo hurriedly replied, returning the courtesy. "Storekeeper Lin, can you truly handle them? If not, should I have my disciples seal their True Qi...?"

Seal their True Qi? Lin Bai paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "There’s no need. I trust them. Besides, with their current meager abilities, they are truly no match for me. Inviting you all here was merely to pressure them into joining the Beggar Gang..."

Director Mo laughed heartily. "You’re right. This old man was overthinking. Storekeeper Lin, your sword strike that produced blade energy tens of meters high demonstrates a cultivation level that has likely surpassed this old man’s by an immense degree. In that case, we won’t disturb you any longer with managing the gang’s affairs. Farewell!"

"We won’t see you out," Lin Bai replied, cupping his fists.

"The Beggar Gang has just been established. If you need any assistance, Storekeeper Lin, feel free to send someone to inform my Zhang Family at any time. I, Zhang, will certainly do my utmost. I also have some experience in gang management," Director Zhang said, cupping his fists and making a promise.

"Definitely, definitely," Lin Bai replied with a smile.

Amidst the polite exchanges, the NPCs took their leave one after another.

A mission success notification also appeared in Lin Bai’s mind: [Big Brother’s Dilemma... (Completed); Reward: 10 Qi Yun (Distributed)]