Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Lin Qingfeng looked at his junior sister, who was brimming with fighting spirit, and nodded in satisfaction.

'Not bad. Looks like my junior sister finally understands what sustainable harvesting is all about. Once the spring winds blow, a fresh new crop will be ready.'

'She's teachable. Now *that's* a proper guide for the sect.'

After confirming his junior sister's ideological awakening, Lin Qingfeng finally turned to face the group of "new disciples" who had been standing so still they were about to turn into terracotta warriors.

"Junior brothers, thank you for your hard work for the development of the Guixi Sect."

The moment he spoke, his voice was as smooth as jade, but it sent a shiver down the spines of the undercover disciples. Their knees went weak, and they nearly dropped to the ground to kowtow to this "living King Yama."

'Senior Brother, we beg you, please have mercy!'

'In our old sects, we "pledged our bodies to the Great Dao." Here, you're "squeezing lamp oil from our very skin and bones"!'

'And the way your junior sister was looking at us just now... she wasn't looking at fellow disciples, she was looking at a pile of walking Spirit Stone Pouches!'

"The path of Cultivation is, by its very nature, one of defying the heavens. You must contend with the heavens, struggle against the earth, and battle with yourself."

Lin Qingfeng stood with his hands behind his back, expertly finding the best angle to strike a pose. Sunlight spilled across his profile, plating it with a holy glow. He even mentally added a few special effects for himself.

"The trials you endure today, the blood and sweat you shed, will all become the foundation upon which you ascend to the Great Dao in the future! The Guixi Sect is a renowned and righteous sect. We walk the grand and proper path, and what we seek are determined individuals like you, who are unyielding in the face of adversity! By joining the Guixi Sect, you are already a great step ahead of disciples from any other sect!"

His speech was powerful and resonant.

Yet in the plaza, the undercover disciples all hung their heads, gritting their teeth. They didn't dare look up, afraid they couldn't hide the grief and indignation in their eyes.

'A renowned and righteous sect? The grand and proper path?'

'Senior Brother, you must have some kind of misunderstanding about the word "righteous"!'

'What kind of righteous sect works its new disciples like cattle? Twenty-four hours a day, nonstop, without a moment's rest, and you have the gall to call it "tempering their will"? And then you withhold all the Spirit Stones from the completed missions! It would've been one thing if you took a portion, but you took everything!!'

The hearts of the righteous path's spies were bleeding.

'This is an utter insult to the "righteous path"! If this is considered righteous, then what were our old sects? Charities? The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, dedicated to universal salvation?'

'Sure, our righteous sects also conduct obedience tests, withhold some Spirit Stones, and apply pressure, but never to this extent! You don't even leave us the scraps! If it weren't for the restrictive seals, I would've been long gone! And I have no idea why those other dozen or so disciples are still here. Are they masochists?'

'Some of them are even looking at Senior Brother and Miss Su with approval, reverence, and admiration?'

'Seriously, what's wrong with you people? Are you actually thinking of paying with your own Spirit Stones just to do missions for this demonic sect? Could you be any more ridiculous? Or has this demonic sect already mastered such advanced brainwashing techniques?'

And the ones with looks of approval, reverence, and admiration were, in fact, the spies from the demonic path.

'It seems the crude ways of killing and fighting are no longer in vogue on the demonic path. Just look at the Guixi Sect! Wearing the most righteous disguise to commit the most cruel acts! They package "breaking bones and sucking marrow" as "tempering one's character," and elevate "ruthlessness" to "the Dao is unfeeling"!'

'But it is a bit strange. Why does the demonic path even need to pretend these days? Even an existence as profound and deep-rooted as the Guixi Sect needs to disguise itself as a righteous sect. What are they plotting?'

'Dressing up demonic practices as righteous trials, framing exploitation as tempering... using such methods to twist the truth and sow confusion, even now. Does this mean the demonic path must stay true to its roots? Is that really necessary?'

'No! That can't be it! There must be a deeper meaning behind the Guixi Sect's actions!'

'The Guixi Sect's power and foundation are unfathomable, so their ideological level must be far beyond our own!'

'We may not understand why the Guixi Sect is doing this, but it must be necessary. An existence like the Guixi Sect is doing it, so how could it be wrong?'

'Impossible!'

'As expected. I must report back to my sect. We'll have to act cautiously from now on, and disguise our operations as a righteous sect.'

Lin Qingfeng's gaze swept over the crowd, like a butcher picking out a prime cut of pork... ah, no, like a master selecting a prime talent. His eyes finally settled on Lu Ping, the one with the trait.

"You. Step forward."

A chill went down Lu Ping's spine, but his face remained calm as he stepped out of the line as ordered.

Lin Qingfeng sized him up. He was somewhat interested in this [Go with the Flow] trait.

Before anyone could react, Su Ling'er immediately took a step forward. Her eyes sharp, she took the initiative to add more information for her senior brother.

"Senior Brother! This junior brother, Lu Ping, reached the eightieth step during the Asking Dao Ladder trial!"

"The eightieth step, you say..." Lin Qingfeng pretended to ponder. "Very good."

He looked at Lu Ping again, and this time, his words held a genuine sense of expectation.

"Lu Ping, your character and perseverance—the sect has seen it, and I have seen it."

"Cultivate well. Do not waste your innate talent. In the future, serve the Guixi Sect, serve me. The Great Dao is within your reach, long life is attainable, and your future is limitless."

Lu Ping lowered his head, his voice steady. "This disciple will follow Senior Brother's teachings."

'As long as you don't refine me into a corpse puppet, I'll agree to whatever you say.'

Having sold them the dream, Lin Qingfeng looked at the teetering state of this free labor force who loved to work without pay and decided he needed to pump them up a bit.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

'A wolf culture alone isn't enough; you need some humanistic care too. Judging by how my junior sister was acting before, she probably just made them work without giving them anything to look forward to. No wonder they all look like they've lost the will to live.'

"Forget it."

Lin Qingfeng dispersed the spiritual light at his feet and landed back on the ground, a gentle smile on his face.

"Considering you are all exhausted in mind and body from your first trial, I shall personally expound upon the Dao of our Guixi Sect and show you some of the sect's scenery."

The entire crowd was stunned by his words.

'What?! There's more?!'

Su Ling'er's heart skipped a beat, her eyes instantly turning worshipful and feverish. 'Senior Brother is going to take matters into his own hands!'

'Expound upon the "Dao"? He's going to make them understand the true cruelty of the Guixi Sect! I just wonder if these people can appreciate Senior Brother's painstaking efforts!'

A chill crept into the hearts of the undercover disciples.

'What is Senior Brother planning to do?'

'Is he about to start the sect's brainwashing session?'

'Is this what comes after the obedience test? No wonder he drained our stamina first. He's trying to weaken us so he can take advantage, isn't he?!'

"Th-Thank you, Senior Brother!" Helpless, their legs too weak to run and their Cultivation too low to resist, the disciples could only force themselves to bow.

Lin Qingfeng nodded in satisfaction, then turned to lead the way, his steps unhurried as he walked along the broad, smooth path.

Su Ling'er followed close behind, while the dozen or so battered and beaten soldiers staggered after them.

The group crossed the plaza, but instead of heading toward the magnificent-looking main halls, they turned onto a dark, narrow path.

As he walked, Lin Qingfeng pointed to the path, his tone profound. "Look around you."

"The path of Cultivation is just like the scenery of this sect. At first glance, it may seem arduous and cruel, but this is what they call... ahem, no construction without destruction. To build something great, one must first tear down the old."

"If you do not shatter your mortal coil, how can you reforge it into an immortal's frame? Just like this path, it may seem desolate, but it holds the opportunity for new life."

'Although your current conditions are harsh, as long as you're willing to work hard and endure, in the future... you'll have endless hardship to endure. Ah, no, that's not right... The future is always bright! Let's go!!!'

But to everyone else's ears, his words took on a completely different meaning.

The pupils of the righteous spies constricted in shock as they connected his words to their recent experiences.

'Is he implying that in the future, he's going to torture us until we're barely human and trample our dignity underfoot just to refine us into proper demonic puppets?!'

The demonic spies sucked in a cold breath. 'He describes "wiping out entire families and destroying all evidence" as "no construction without destruction," and makes "crippling someone's Cultivation" sound so fresh and refined!'

'Now *this* is the art of language! When I get back to my own demonic sect, if I want to cripple a junior brother or sister I don't like, I'll do it just like this! Not only do you get to act, but you also get to stand on the moral high ground. And watching their faces, full of silent rage... it must feel amazing!!!'

'Senior Brother is truly a role model for the demonic path!'

Su Ling'er followed alongside, her heart filled with so much admiration and worship it was about to overflow.

'Senior Brother is using allegory, offering praise that's actually a veiled threat!'

'Since Senior Brother has laid the groundwork, as his hand-picked guide and devoted follower, I have to help him out!'

'I hope you new disciples can understand the hidden meaning behind Senior Brother's words and get the hell off this mountain! Have some sense and turn back before it's too late!'

Thus, Su Ling'er spoke up. With a grave expression, she turned to the trembling junior brothers and sisters behind her and said grimly:

"Back in the day, the Guixi Sect was in ruins and waiting to be rebuilt. It was all thanks to Senior Brother, who single-handedly used his thunderous methods to suppress... er, that is, to *enlighten* all in his path!"

She deliberately dragged out the word "enlighten," making it sound almost identical to "sending one's soul to the afterlife."

"To bring the sect to its current state, Senior Brother exhausted himself! Who knows how many obstacles he dealt with, or how many fools who didn't know their place he buried!"

Su Ling'er's gaze swept over them as she continued in an eerie tone, "Those who stood in Senior Brother's way all became part of this sect's foundation, contributing their light and heat to the Guixi Sect... Do you understand?"

'I have to prop Senior Brother up! Since he has transformed into a fearsome dragon to save everyone, the only thing I can do is support him with all my might! I have to let that Demon Venerable in the shadows know that the Guixi Sect is still running entirely because Senior Brother is holding it up! And I need to hint to these newcomers that countless people have died in the Guixi Sect. If they stay any longer, they'll just be another "death"!'

The spies' scalps tingled with fear, and their legs trembled.

'Enlighten? Dealt with?! Foundation?!'

'We get it! We completely get it!'

'Don't tell me the "sect's foundation" is a *literal*, physical foundation! They're using living people as filler to suppress the sect's karmic fortune!'

'So the Guixi Sect is a deathtrap that devours people whole, leaving not even the bones behind!'

'Truly worthy of being a demonic, evil sect!'

Up ahead, Lin Qingfeng's steps faltered slightly. Three question marks slowly appeared above his head.

Lin Qingfeng: "???"