Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Only then did he notice that not only did the four identical-looking old men have vacant, lifeless eyes, but their speech was also identical, down to the very last word! ’These aren’t fucking quadruplets; they’re clearly four... damned creepy things!’

A powerful sense of unease washed over Lu Ping, making him want to retreat.

"Uh... um, Seniors, I... I think I might be in the wrong place. How about... I just head out?" he said, cautiously trying to back away.

In response, four equally cold, emotionless voices rang out in unison: "No!"

Two of the "Mr. Qian"s had already blocked his escape route, appearing behind him as if they had teleported.

Then, the four "Mr. Qian"s once again spoke in unison, beginning to endlessly repeat the phrase that made his skin crawl:

"New disciples for initiation, please proceed to the area ahead and squat down with your hands on your head..."

"New disciples for initiation, please proceed to the area ahead..."

Lu Ping: "..."

’Fine.’

’He was now one hundred percent certain this place was a demonic sect—and the kind that was twisted to its very core!’

’Are they really hitting me with this kind of crude "obedience test" right at the front gate?’

’Even though righteous sects sometimes use things like sect missions, punishments, or scoldings to test a disciple’s obedience, you guys are being way too direct! Forcing prospective disciples to squat in a corner with their hands on their heads right off the bat? How is that any different from training monkeys?!’

He was outmatched. What else could Lu Ping do?

He could only raise his hands in a helpless gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay, stop chanting, please! I surrender! I don’t mean any harm. I’ll go squat over there now, alright?"

And so, under the watch of those four emotionless gazes, Lu Ping shuffled over to the side of the "constipated-faced" Cultivators and copied them, putting his hands on his head and squatting down.

He couldn’t help but mutter quietly, "There are already a few guys squatting here. When the hell is the guide going to show up?"

The four unwavering voices answered him: "Squat with your hands on your head and await the sect guide."

Lu Ping was speechless. ’Fine. If I have to wait, I’ll wait.’

’He looked at the guys next to him, figuring they must have been waiting for quite some time. He had just arrived, so the so-called "guide" should be here soon, right? They wouldn’t actually make new disciples squat here for a whole day and night, would they? That would be completely inhuman!’

’He figured this whole thing would be over by tonight, at the latest.’

Watching the four "Mr. Qian"s seemingly disperse and vanish back into the woods, Lu Ping couldn’t help but want to strike up a conversation with his fellow sufferers to build a little camaraderie.

He quietly leaned toward the person next to him, and was just about to speak. "Hey, buddy, are you guys—"

"BANG—!!!"

A loud bang erupted from the ground right in front of him!

The four "Mr. Qian"s had suddenly reappeared out of nowhere. One of them was holding a wooden stick and viciously striking the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust!

Lu Ping was so startled he nearly jumped three feet in the air!

Then, those four demonic voices rang out again, though the script had changed: "While awaiting the guide, there will be no talking amongst yourselves! No communication via Divine Sense!"

"Maintain the squatting position with your hands on your head! Otherwise, dinner will not be provided tonight!"

Lu Ping: "???"

’Are you fucking serious? Are you guys actual door gods?! You’ve just been standing there staring at us this whole time?! We can’t even say a single word?!’

’And withholding dinner? Dinner??? No way. It can’t be! This obedience test... is it going to last until tomorrow?!’

’The guide for this Guixi Sect is a total fucking Evil Cultivator! Tormenting new disciples like this right from the start?!’

...

「Meanwhile, in a side hall of the City Lord’s Mansion in Anhe City.」

At that moment, the "sect guide," Su Ling’er, was staring at the pile of problems she had to deal with, feeling a massive headache coming on.

Rat meat passed off as lamb skewers... gutter oil mixed into dishes... medical shills, bar shills, teahouse shills... and this one, cheating customers on weights and measures... begging scams...

Su Ling’er clutched her forehead in anguish, slumped back in the Grandmaster’s Chair, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

’Just what kind of hell are the people of Anhe City living in?’

She began to imagine an ordinary citizen, startled awake each morning by the sound of his child’s suppressed coughs. He would open his eyes with no work lined up for the day, knowing his child’s illness could wait no longer.

He’d want his child to eat something good, but all he could offer was a spoonful of thin gruel made from old rice mixed with sand, perhaps accompanied by a single, pitch-black fried dough stick cooked in gutter oil from a street corner vendor—a vendor who had already cheated him on the weight with a rigged scale.

Even after that, he would still have to go out and look for manual labor, where he might be harassed by beggars faking disabilities or extorted by local ruffians.

And today, he would finally resolve to take his child to a doctor, only to be deceived by a "warm-hearted" medical shill who would lead him to a so-called miracle doctor. There, he would spend nearly ten times the actual cost on fake medicine that only treated the symptoms, not the root cause. The child’s condition wouldn’t just fail to improve; it would worsen, because they had missed the optimal window for proper treatment...

’It’s too terrifying...’

But while Su Ling’er was agonizing over these issues, the atmosphere in the [City Guard Channel] on the other side was heating up.

This gang of players was excitedly discussing how to put Su Ling’er on the throne so they could govern a few cities themselves. They had even picked out a dynastic name—"Cyber Immortal Dynasty"—and were getting more and more hyped as they chatted.

Suddenly, with a "DING," the avatar of a player named [Ten Paces, One Kill] grayed out without warning.

Immediately after, a furious message exploded in the channel.

[Ten Paces, One Kill]: Fuck! I fucking got sent back to the respawn point!

The cheerful chatter in the channel came to an abrupt halt.

[One Sword to Rule the World]: ???

[The Light of the Righteous Path]: No way, bro. We’re out here cracking down on crime and corruption, how’d you even manage to wipe? Don’t tell me you went after the guy selling fake medicine and decided to sample the goods yourself?

[Ten Paces, One Kill]: Sample my ass! I was on the outskirts of the city! I’d heard a rumor that today was the day some of the rich young masters from Anhe City use refugees for target practice. I even smeared mud on my face to blend in and see if it was true! And since refugees aren’t protected by Daqian Law, I figured the story was probably legit.

[Ten Paces, One Kill]: And it turned out to be true! Those bastards are completely inhuman! They saw my silhouette and just started shooting, no questions asked! I figured a wise man knows when to back down, so I immediately tried to reveal my identity!

[Big Brother]: And then? Did they stop?

[Ten Paces, One Kill]: Like hell they did! I was turned into a human pincushion before I could even identify myself!!! Why’d so many of them draw their bows to kill one guy?! Were they competing for the kill count or something?!