Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

He ignored the real beggars cowering in the corner, nor did he consider finishing anyone off. Instead, with a clear goal, he furtively approached one of the thug "beggars" whom Su Ling’er had knocked out with a single punch.

This person had an extremely average face, the type you wouldn’t notice in a crowd. His build, however, was quite similar to Jiang Shi’s.

Jiang Shi then took a grimy little porcelain bottle from his robes. He deftly uncorked it, aimed it at the thug "beggar’s" face, and flicked his wrist.

PFFT— A pinch of grayish-yellow powder landed on the man’s face.

Immediately after, a bizarre scene unfolded that made Su Ling’er’s eyelids twitch.

The thug "beggar’s" face began to swell and bloat at a frantic, visible rate!

Countless dense, crimson bumps instantly erupted on his skin. His eyelids swelled larger than walnuts. In just a few breaths, an unremarkable, average face had completely transformed into a pig-like face with unrecognizable features!

[Item Name: Pockmark Powder (Disfigurement Edition)]

[Quality: Crude]

[Effect: A powder made from a mixture of several potent allergenic herbs. Upon contact with skin, it rapidly triggers a severe allergic reaction, causing extreme facial swelling that renders the features unrecognizable. Side Effect: May be accompanied by an unbearable itching sensation and an intense experience of social death.]

Su Ling’er froze, her entire body tensing up at the sight.

’I... I actually thought he was just an ordinary beggar with some spine?! I never expected him to be some sort of extraordinary person with such methods. No wonder he dared to stand up for these other poor souls.’

While she was reeling from the shock, the chat in Jiang Shi’s livestream had already exploded into an ocean of glee.

[HOLY SHIT! Mr. Jiang is finally using that scummy gadget for good!]

[+1! I thought this "Pockmark Powder" was only good for trolling people in the main city! Today really opened my eyes!]

[The light of justice! Shining down on the world!]

[Guys, isn’t the real point this heroine?! That punch she threw, I felt my own jaw dislocate just watching through the screen!]

[What’s this heroine’s deal? Is she a master from some hidden sect? Or a reclusive warrior drawn out by the Heaven-Ascending Run?]

[Could she be that female Immortal from the Guixi Sect we saw today?]

[Bullshit! Did you guys forget that Immortal flew down from the sky using Sword Control? Has this chick used a sword at all?! The whole time it was BAM BAM, two punches. She’s obviously a martial arts master who practices Iron Sand Palm!]

[Would an Immortal pummel someone with their fists?! Is your idea of an Immortal’s fighting style that lame?! I’d bet fifty cents she’s the top dog of some martial world sect!]

[This heroine’s power... whoops! It’s just insane!]

Jiang Shi understood the chat’s frenzy perfectly. He turned his back, and from an angle Su Ling’er couldn’t see, his hand swiped rapidly through the air, causing a virtual panel to pop up instantly.

[Importing model... fine-tuning data... confirming generation...]

A faint light flashed across the contours of his face. A moment later, a face identical to the unconscious thug "beggar’s" before the disfigurement appeared on Jiang Shi.

When he turned back around, the shock in Su Ling’er’s heart rose to a new level.

’This man... is also a master of disguise! So he was prepared for this all along! He’s really gone to great lengths to find a way out for these displaced people!’

Having done all this, Jiang Shi, without any hesitation, began stripping the clothes off the unconscious thug "beggar" in front of everyone. At the same time, he sprinkled some knockout powder on the man to make him sleep more deeply.

Seeing this, Su Ling’er’s breath caught in her throat. She subconsciously turned her head away, feeling her cheeks grow slightly hot.

’N-No... this man’s actions... How can he be so unrestrained?! In broad daylight, under everyone’s gaze, to just...’

"It’s done, Lady Hero."

When she somewhat unnaturally turned her head back, Jiang Shi was already dressed in an equally tattered but well-fitting beggar’s outfit, and the sleeve for his right arm now hung limp and empty.

"Lady Hero, what do you think?" Jiang Shi gave Su Ling’er a one-handed fist-and-palm salute. Even his voice was a close imitation, carrying a sort of street-level coarseness.

"Mm... a perfect likeness," Su Ling’er praised sincerely. Although she couldn’t sense any Spiritual Power fluctuations from him, this masterful Disguise Skill, combined with a bit of caution, should be enough to prevent him from being exposed too early.

"Lady Hero, if you would," Jiang Shi said, extending his good hand with a calm expression. "Tie me up, just like them."

Su Ling’er was silent for a moment before nodding. "Your method is clever, but it is indeed dangerous. Once you’re in jail, you will likely suffer a beating."

As she spoke, she took a dull-colored stone whistle from her storage pouch and handed it to him.

"This is a Communication Whistle. If you’re in a life-or-death crisis, crush it, and I’ll be able to sense your location."

[Communication Whistle]: A communication whistle from a mysterious heroine. Allows her to sense your location. After a short wait, the heroine will arrive on the scene. Note: It’s best not to use this inside a maze formation.

Jiang Shi’s eyes lit up instantly!

’Hot damn! An item to summon the heroine?! This is a total win!’

He was ecstatic internally, but his face remained impassive. Instead, he put on a carefree air, solemnly accepted the stone whistle, tucked it into his robes, and gave Su Ling’er a fist-and-palm salute. "Thank you, Lady Hero! My life and safety on this venture now depend entirely on you!"

In the livestream chat, the screen promptly filled with a flood of comments.

[Lifeline +1!]

[KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL! Mr. Jiang, you have to investigate deep and bring the heroine along for a rampage!!!]

[MR. JIANG IS THE GOAT! (voice crack)]

[This move, this move is sacrificing himself for righteousness. Pure profit, no loss!]

...

「Anhe Government Office, Back Hall.」

City Lord Zhao Decang sat upright and proper, holding a vermilion brush as he stared thoughtfully at a bamboo scroll of official documents.

"Advisor," Zhao Decang said, setting down his brush and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What do you make of this new Guixi Sect? What’s their game?"

The advisor at his side pondered for a moment. "Replying to you, My Lord, in this humble one’s opinion, Immortal sects are all cut from the same cloth. Compared to the Celestial Furnace Sect before them, I imagine... there won’t be much of a difference."

"Is that so?" Zhao Decang’s knuckles tapped lightly on the desktop. "I’m not so sure."

He stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the last sliver of sunset on the horizon. "They orchestrated a bizarre event like the city-wide ’Heaven-Ascending Run,’ and even let the common folk take part in such a spectacle. When did the Celestial Furnace Sect ever care about the joys and sorrows of us mortals in this city?"

Hearing this, the advisor also grew hesitant. "You have a point, My Lord... The Guixi Sect’s way of doing things is indeed... indeed a bit... unconventional."

A lofty Immortal sect went to the trouble of organizing a long-distance run for the city’s mortals just to create a tourist attraction. Isn’t that meddling a bit too much in worldly affairs? And what does the sect get out of it? Just the excitement?

The advisor couldn’t fathom the profound intentions behind the Immortal sect’s actions.

Just as the master and servant were lost in their own thoughts and the hall was completely silent—

BOOM—!!!

A world-shaking explosion suddenly erupted from outside the government office!