Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Ma Tietou’s mind was racing. ’What do I do... I’ve never heard of anyone like her in Anhe City. Maybe she’s here for the Heaven-Ascending Run. After all, so many capable and unusual people have shown up today, a lot of them new faces... If she’s an outsider, then maybe...’

Ma Tietou seemed to remember something and shot his head up. "Heroine! There’s something you don’t know! The truth is... the truth is, we have our own hardships! Just think about it! The ones who used to run this part of Anhe City were the Immortal Masters from the Celestial Furnace Sect and the Daoist masters from Qingxu Temple. They were so high and mighty. When have they ever spared a glance for ants like us?"

He slammed a hand on his thigh as he spoke. "The authorities, too... they just turn a blind eye! No one cares, no one asks... We... we able-bodied men, it’s not like we haven’t tried to find work! But look around this city! Isn’t every single trade packed to the gills?"

"We can’t compete with those who have connections, and we can’t outdo those with talent. To put it bluntly, we’re just a bunch of trash discarded by the world! Who doesn’t want to live like a decent human being, with a bit of dignity? But can you eat dignity? We had no other choice... that’s... that’s how we ended up like this!"

Before he could finish, Jiang Stone cut in coldly from the side, "Oh, here we go. The classic sob story. What’s next? ’I didn’t want to be this way, the world forced me to’?"

However, the name Ma Tietou had unintentionally mentioned made Su Ling’er’s heart skip a beat.

’Qingxu Temple... How long had it been since she’d heard those two words...’

A complex and bittersweet feeling instantly flooded her heart. She remembered the Sect Leader who had tried to kill her and the others. She remembered the junior brothers and sisters of the outer sect who, just like her, had struggled at the very bottom of the path of Cultivation, all for a sliver of a chance at immortality...

’What happened to them? Were they dismissed and sent home? Did they end up wandering somewhere else? Or are they still pursuing that faint hope on the path to becoming Immortals?’

And while Ma Tietou was just playing the victim, his words contained a kernel of cruel truth. High-and-mighty Immortals really wouldn’t casually interfere in the workings of the mortal world. The suffering of mortals was for the imperial court and its officials to manage. Cultivators were supposed to seek transcendence, not involve themselves in worldly affairs.

Besides, no matter how miserable their lives were, it wasn’t the work of demons or heretics. Logically and ethically, a Cultivator shouldn’t intervene by force. ’But... now that I’ve seen it, how can I, a righteous hero, simply stand by and do nothing?’

Su Ling’er took a deep breath, suppressed the churning emotions in her heart, and regained her cold and detached demeanor.

"Are you finished?" She slowly raised her fist. "Are you saying that just because you live without dignity, you have the right to trample all over someone else’s?"

Ma Tietou was struck speechless and could only resume kowtowing. "No, no, no... Heroine, please calm your anger! It’s my fault, all my fault..."

"I don’t think you know you were wrong. I think you know you’re about to die." Su Ling’er had completely lost her patience. "Save the rest of your words for the rats in the jail."

...

Justice had seemingly triumphed over evil, and the villains appeared to be defeated. But strangely, the oppressed, disabled beggars in the courtyard remained unmoved... The entire yard was still deathly silent.

The beggars just silently huddled in their corners. Some didn’t even lift their heads, still cradling their bowls of half-cold porridge and sipping it mouthful by mouthful, as if the thrilling fight just now was nothing more than a passing breeze that had nothing to do with them.

They wanted to prove that they were being obedient, that they hadn’t done anything out of line.

In their eyes, everything that had happened today seemed meaningless. After all, this heroine who had suddenly appeared might be powerful, and she might have defeated Ma Tietou right now. Even if he ended up dead, then what?

The heroine would eventually leave. The sun would still rise tomorrow, and their lives would return to the same old track. Perhaps a new "Mr. Ma" would appear. Perhaps the men who were beaten today would return tomorrow with even more vicious revenge. Or perhaps the people they cared about would be...

Nothing would change... Nothing could be changed... Hope was something that had died completely the moment their limbs were broken...

...

Jiang Stone looked at the unmoving crowd of beggars in the yard, then at the churning wall of comments in his livestream chat, and immediately began typing:

[Jiang Stone]: "My loyal viewers! I love to keep it real!"

[Jiang Stone]: "What we saw today is definitely just the beginning of the shady dealings in Anhe City! This is only the tip of the iceberg! Do you want to see your old pal Jiang go deeper into the lion’s den and uncover an even deeper darkness for you? If you do, get the likes over 100,000, and I’ll risk my life for your entertainment!"

The chat instantly exploded, flooding the screen.

[Support Mr. Jiang! Fuck ’em up! We gotta teach these NPCs a lesson!]

[100,000? Who are you looking down on? Bros, let’s get it to a million! Show Mr. Jiang what real support looks like!]

[Some measly illegal operation dares to act so brazenly in front of us viewers? How outrageous! Watch me turn on my auto-clicker!!!]

Seeing the like count skyrocket, Jiang Stone felt his confidence soar. He turned, and with his good hand, made a one-handed fist-and-palm salute to Su Ling’er. He spoke with great passion, like a true champion of the people. "Heroine! In my humble opinion, there is far more to this matter than meets the eye! The authorities are bogged down by bureaucracy, and there might even be corruption within their ranks. They may not be able to get to the bottom of this!"

He then raised his arm to the group of disabled beggars in the courtyard and bellowed, "Brothers! Tell me, am I right or am I right!"

However, the only response he received was dead silence. The beggars, as if avoiding a plague god, silently picked up their bowls and shuffled another few inches away, terrified of getting involved.

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Jiang Stone’s face, but he still made a one-handed fist-and-palm salute to Su Ling’er. "Heroine! This humble one is willing to brave the danger and be taken with them to the authorities’ prison! I will observe these filthy criminals up close to find out for you if they have even bigger secrets! I am willing to risk life and limb for the sake of all of us displaced people!"

Su Ling’er looked at the beggar before her, who spoke with such righteous conviction despite having a broken arm, and felt a stir of admiration. Still, she was worried. "Your idea is a good one, but it’s incredibly risky. If you’re recognized, you won’t be able to protect yourself. Besides, they’ve all memorized your face. How do you plan to blend in?"

"Don’t you worry, Heroine. This old hermit has a few tricks up his sleeve!" Jiang Stone said with a mysterious smile.