Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Wait, what?

'When did I go out and enlighten the world? How come I don't know about it? I couldn't even leave the sect gates before! My entire world was confined to the sect grounds!'

The flicker of doubt in Lin Qingfeng's mind vanished in an instant, replaced by a faint sense of melancholy.

'Enlighten the world? Overcome obstacles?'

'Even though most of those "obstacles" were just things I threw Spirit Stones at, doesn't spending money like that take guts?'

But... then again.

'Sigh, I really have worn myself out for this sect!'

'That Ji, Shi Gandang, Shen Nong, and the rest of them... they have no idea how hard I work! Sigh, I pour my heart and soul into this sect's development, but no one understands me!'

'Everyone thinks I'm slacking off, just coasting, and dumping all my responsibilities on others! Who could possibly know my suffering? Feasting on exotic delicacies every day and soaking in the Spiritual Spring—it's all a trial to temper my Dao heart, a critical indulgence in defiance of my Heart Demon!!!'

'It seems that in this cold, heartless Cultivation Realm, you're the only one who understands me, Little Junior Sister!'

Lin Qingfeng looked at Su Ling'er, his gaze softening with a hint of appreciation.

'Granted, the girl's logic is a little warped sometimes, and her methods are a bit extreme. She really put this group of disciples through the wringer.'

'But her heart is in the right place.'

'In a world this cold and indifferent, to have someone constantly scheming up new ways to make money for her senior brother... what more could a man ask for?'

He gave a slight nod, casting an approving gaze at Su Ling'er.

'Only my junior sister truly understands me.'

Su Ling'er swayed on her feet.

'It's here!'

'Eldest Senior Brother's approval!'

'It was a gaze layered with infinite, profound meaning.'

Her previous anxiety vanished, replaced by an even more resolute conviction.

'Eldest Senior Brother is telling me that while the recent purge was a bit hasty, the underlying goal—to make the disciples deeply understand the sect's cruel nature—was absolutely correct.'

'It's just that now isn't the time to reveal our true intentions to the demonic sects and the Demon Venerable behind them. We must learn to wear a mask, to hide the blade behind a smile.'

Su Ling'er took a deep breath and whipped around to face the unsteady disciples.

The sinister look on her face vanished instantly, replaced by an expression of utmost reverence.

"Did you all hear that?!"

"Every word from Eldest Senior Brother just now was a pearl of wisdom, every sentence infused with the Dao! If Eldest Senior Brother weren't so compassionate, if he hadn't already grasped the secrets of the heavens, why would he ever waste his energy guiding the likes of you?"

She cupped her fists and bowed deeply to Lin Qingfeng, her posture a picture of humility.

"I am but a foolish girl. Everything I have done is thanks to Eldest Senior Brother's peerless instruction! Without his guidance, how could I have possibly grasped these profound truths?"

"The fact that you are able to stand here and listen to Eldest Senior Brother's teachings is a blessing you've earned over lifetimes! Now hurry up and thank him!"

The lips of the undercover agents from the righteous path twitched uncontrollably.

'She changes faces faster than you can flip through a book.'

'A moment ago, she was a living King Yama, ready to squeeze every last drop of blood from us, and now she's acting like a tail-wagging sycophant?'

'Double standards!'

'Blatant, shameless double standards!'

'To us, she comes down like a hammer, like she wants to dismantle our bones and sell them for spare change. But to this Eldest Senior Brother, she's all meek and subservient, brown-nosing so hard it's deafening.'

'And this is a so-called prestigious righteous sect?'

'Even corrupt mortal officials at least put on a show of being courteous and respecting their subordinates.'

'This Miss Su, on the other hand, can't even be bothered to pretend. She might as well have "bullies the weak and fears the strong" tattooed on her forehead.'

'Miss Su, could you be any more of a hypocrite?'

'We're all fellow sect members! Why do you work us like donkeys while you're practically wagging your tail for Eldest Senior Brother?'

'Fairness! We want fairness!'

'Fine, even in their original sects, office politics and sucking up were commonplace.'

'But at least we were discreet about it! Who does it this brazenly, openly licking boots in front of everyone?'

'Has this Guixi Sect become too lazy to even pretend to be hypocritical?'

'And they have the nerve to call themselves a prestigious righteous sect! You've brought shame upon all righteous Cultivators!'

Meanwhile, the few undercover agents from the demonic path looked at the constipated expressions on the faces of the righteous path agents, their hearts filling with scorn and contempt.

'A bunch of idiots.'

'Aren't double standards perfectly natural?'

'Exploit those beneath you, bleed them dry. Fawn over those above you with every fiber of your being. If you don't live like that, how do you expect to survive in the demonic path? You'd have been dead in a ditch long ago!'

'They don't even have that little bit of sense. They deserve to be used as stepping stones!'

'This Miss Su is the one who truly understands the art of survival!'

One of the demonic agents acted decisively. He immediately stepped out from the ranks and, mimicking Su Ling'er, bowed deeply to Lin Qingfeng.

"Eldest Senior Brother has worked tirelessly, single-handedly propping up this sect! It is only thanks to your protection that we newcomers have this opportunity today! Miss Su is absolutely right. It is our honor, a blessing of three lifetimes, to be able to share your burdens!"

The other demonic agents who were slower on the uptake quickly followed suit, unleashing a torrent of frenzied praise upon Lin Qingfeng.

'After all, this is how a demonic sect is supposed to be!'

'Fairness? Dignity? In the face of absolute power and status, they're all bullshit!'

'Only by being like Miss Su can you thrive in a dog-eat-dog place like a demonic sect and climb to the top!'

"Eldest Senior Brother, your elegance is unmatched, your presence extraordinary! Simply by standing there, you make us feel the vastness of the Great Dao! I would go through fire and water for you!"

"Eldest Senior Brother and Miss Su are truly divine! After hearing your words, it was like the clouds parting to reveal the sun; I am enlightened! I used to think the trials were just suffering, but now I understand—it was a manifestation of your love for us!"

"That's right! Every word from Eldest Senior Brother contains the ultimate truth, and his every breath resonates with the Celestial Dao! Only today have we learned what the true bearing of an Immortal looks like!"

"Indeed!"

"Such noble character from Eldest Senior Brother! And Miss Su has clearly mastered his true teachings—those bags of Spirit Stones that were taken from us were obviously proof that we are severing our worldly attachments!"

"Eldest Senior Brother is mighty! Miss Su is brilliant!"

"I could die without regrets, having joined the Guixi Sect!"

For a moment, flowery praise and shameless flattery filled the air. Each compliment was more philosophical than the last, each boast more exaggerated, as if Lin Qingfeng were the very incarnation of the Dao, the walking embodiment of cosmic truth.

The demonic agents scrambled over each other, their praise growing ever more elaborate. They found increasingly clever angles and used ever more gorgeous words, extolling Eldest Senior Brother and Miss Su to an unprecedented, unrepeatable degree! They were making them out to be greater than the author of the Primordial Dao Scripture!

The undercover agents from the righteous path were completely dumbfounded.

'Hey... weren't you guys acting like you were on death's door a minute ago? Why are you suddenly so fired up?'

'Have you all lost your minds?'

'You've been tortured all day, robbed of all your money, and worked to the brink of death, and now you're supposed to be grateful?'

'Go through fire and water? When you were told to enter that tower one more time, your legs were shaking!'

'Is this what a bunch of masochists look like? You even seem sincere about it!'

'Or maybe... you're all just incredible actors!'

'Or is this some kind of demonic technique? If you stay in this environment long enough, do the weak-willed just get automatically brainwashed?'

Watching the demonic disciples vie to pledge their loyalty, and seeing Lin Qingfeng's calm acceptance of it all, a chill crept into the hearts of the righteous agents.

'We're doomed.'

'Now we're the ones who aren't saying anything. Don't we stick out like a sore thumb?'

'Are they going to single us out as heretics and drag us away to have our "Dao hearts tempered"?'

At this thought, they couldn't hold back any longer.

While mentally cursing the spineless sycophants who had started the bootlicking, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and reluctantly force out a few praises of their own.

'The circumstances are stronger than the man.'

'What's a little dignity compared to survival!'

"Eldest Senior Brother... is indeed... far-sighted."

"Y-yes! Eldest Senior Brother... uh... his Magical Power is boundless! His fortune is as vast as the heavens!"

Lin Qingfeng looked upon this harmonious scene. Although some of the compliments were still awkward, he was thoroughly satisfied.

'Not bad, not bad at all.'

'Little Junior Sister is really an excellent guide. She's clearly got a knack for training people.'

'She not only screened for high-quality labor but also conducted the obedience test all in one go.'

'This bunch of Palu... ah, no, disciples... they were a bit resistant at first, but after a bit of "tough love," don't they have a real sense of belonging now?'

'Even with every last coin stripped from them, they're still so obedient and sensible. This is great!'

Lin Qingfeng was in high spirits. He felt it was time to take this energized, free labor force to the next location to collect the sect's "newbie benefits" and continue to make them feel eternally grateful!

'You should learn from this too, Little Junior Sister!'

He turned and led the crowd toward another palace hall.

"Let's go. Follow me to the Knowledge Hall."

Su Ling'er and the crowd of agents followed closely at his heels.

Soon, the group arrived before the "Knowledge Hall," a place Su Ling'er knew well.

The hall's interior was as dim as ever, but... it was far too quiet.

The wooden desk that usually sat in the center of the hall, with Deacon Qian Buyu slouched behind it, was now empty.

The desk and chair were still there, but the person was gone.

The previous collaboration with the Yin Yuan Pavilion had ended, and the final payment was settled.

Since there was no longer a need to collect information about the new recruits' matchmaking and worldly affairs, the registration post at the Knowledge Hall had become obsolete. So, Lin Qingfeng had removed this "functional NPC" to avoid wasting Spirit Stones.

Su Ling'er, however, was dumbfounded. 'Why is Mr. Qian from the Knowledge Hall gone?'

'What happened?'

'But... every one of Eldest Senior Brother's actions holds a profound meaning that ordinary people cannot fathom.'

'This was clearly a... declaration to me!'

'A declaration of what?'

A flash of insight struck Su Ling'er's mind, and all the clues instantly connected.

'That's it!'

'Eldest Senior Brother is declaring that the screening phase is now over!'

'Mr. Qian was removed because Eldest Senior Brother's objective has been brought to a perfect conclusion!'

'And the one who brought it all to conclusion was me!'

'It was I who perfectly executed Eldest Senior Brother's will, screening out our true, valuable people from the three hundred-plus recruits of varying quality!'

'Like that steady-minded Lu Ping!'

'As the executor and supervisor of this entire process, I have received Eldest Senior Brother's highest approval. Naturally, there's no longer any need for a registration post like the Knowledge Hall!'

'He's entrusting everything to me!'

'This is a sign of his immense trust in me! A silent reward!'

'Eldest Senior Brother is using this to tell me: "Su Ling'er, you have already passed the test."'

'You are no longer the one being tested; you are now the one who tests others, replacing Mr. Qian of the Knowledge Hall!'

'Eldest Senior Brother! I completely understand!'

...

[Yunzhou Realm "Sword Testing Conference" Event Announcement Countdown]

[00 Days : 10 Hours : 22 Minutes : 12 Seconds]