Chapter 403 - 384: You Have Fully Understood My Intentions

Chapter 403: Chapter 384: You Have Fully Understood My Intentions

’Seriously? The battle’s over, the boss has been turned into flower fertilizer and served up for dinner, and you’re only just now telling me the feast has started?’

’What’s with the lag? Did your brain signals have to take a lap around the entire Cultivation Realm before firing?’

He took a deep breath, suppressed the urge to roast them, and sent a reply: "Why didn’t you say so sooner? You’re only just now messaging me?!"

[Zhang San] replied instantly, his tone self-righteous: [We... we went to check out Leviathan Bank. They’re offering all sorts of financial products now. A bunch of robots are running the whole thing, talking about an 8% annualized return, limited-time flash sales, and a free limited-edition mini Ava-bot if you deposit for five years.]

[Li Si]: [Yeah, yeah! The robot was pitching to us with a totally straight face! Said we were ’premium clients’ and that we get a dedicated financial advisor. So we went and deposited a little money. We didn’t listen to the whole thing, just deposited some cash and left. Besides, I couldn’t get online anyway!]

Lin Qingfeng: "..."

’Alright, you win.’

’Running off to a bank to listen to a robot pitch financial products during a demonic invasion... what kind of dedication is that? That’s a dedication... utterly devoid of any refined taste.’

[Zhang San]: Besides, you changed your contact info, so we couldn’t reach you offline.

Lin Qingfeng: ’...Fine, my bad.’

[Lin Qingfeng]: "Alright, that’s enough chatting. I’m about to take my Junior Sister back to the sect. I hear you guys have recruited a ton of people. Seems like everyone’s been working really hard."

Closing the chat, Lin Qingfeng took a deep breath, straightened his white robes, and instantly resumed his noble air—that of a Banished Immortal gracing the mortal world, with every detail under his control. He then descended to land before Su Ling’er.

Su Ling’er saw the figure drifting down and quickly composed herself, bowing her head in respect.

Lin Qingfeng approached with steady steps and a profound gaze.

He actually had a million questions racing through his mind.

’How on earth did this girl get her hands on the city? I remember those other sect leaders tried everything—assassinating the City Lord, inciting revolts, proselytizing—every dirty trick in the book, and they came away with nothing. Sure, it’s mostly just a title and the stat bonus is tiny, so it’s not a huge deal, but how did she actually trigger the system’s recognition?’

’And Anhe City is only a few dozen miles from the battlefield. Those old monsters’ sects are bound to send people to investigate. It’s too dangerous to stay here. Should I have the entire city’s population evacuate to lay low?’

’But... what if we lose ownership of the city by evacuating? That 1% bonus to cultivation speed and Spirit Stone production isn’t much, but every little bit helps! Besides, this is the first city in the Daqian Dynasty to be captured by a player sect. I can’t lose that prestige! It would be a total joke if I came back, acted all impressive, and found out our city count went from one to zero.’

’Forget it, forget it. As long as my Junior Sister doesn’t lose the city, it’s fine. I’ll just leave that stele here. That should prevent any mighty experts who come looking from just slaughtering everyone.’

The moment he thought of his glorious image as the "wise, resourceful Senior Brother who has everything under control," Lin Qingfeng forcibly shoved all his questions back down.

’Are you kidding me? How could I ask? If I did, wouldn’t it make me, the Chief Disciple, look like I don’t know anything? Wouldn’t it seem like capturing this city wasn’t part of my plan?’

’Absolutely not! His prestige was his last shred of dignity!’

And so, he slowly approached, stopping in front of Su Ling’er. He reached out and gently patted her on the shoulder with the gratified air of an elder encouraging a junior.

"Junior Sister."

Su Ling’er’s delicate frame trembled. She looked up into her Senior Brother’s deep eyes, which seemed to see through everything.

Lin Qingfeng nodded slightly. "It seems you have fully understood my intentions. Your Dao has already reached completion."

Su Ling’er’s heart skipped a beat. ’Of course! Senior Brother knows everything!’

"The Great Dao is simple. Only through simplicity can one master impermanence. What you have done today, what you have comprehended, is not the path of Righteousness or Demons, but the Principle of the Void Return."

"Remember, a true expert is never bound by the superficial appearances of ’righteous’ and ’demonic.’ True righteousness is hidden in the heart. True evil is severed by one’s actions."

He watched as Su Ling’er’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, and nodded to himself. ’Great, it looks like she bought it.’

"Junior Sister, your Dao has long since begun to form."

Hearing her Senior Brother’s words was like a sudden, profound enlightenment for Su Ling’er!

She felt as if every pore on her body was breathing freely. All her previous confusion and uncertainty vanished in that instant.

’Of course! Of course Senior Brother saw right through it all! My ideas about ’purifying the sect’ and ’expelling the demonic roots’—they weren’t wrong at all!’

’The ’Principle of the Void Return’! So that’s what it means! Senior Brother is saying that regardless of whether one is righteous or demonic, all things eventually return to nothingness; only one’s true heart remains! He’s enlightening me, telling me not to be fooled by the bloody appearances of those other disciples, but to stay firm on my path of purification!’

’’True righteousness is hidden in the heart; true evil is severed by one’s actions’! Senior Brother is telling me that my heart is ’righteous,’ so no matter how ’demonic’ my methods are when I suppress the new disciples in the future, as long as my goal is purification, then my actions are part of the ’righteous path’!’

’Senior Brother... He... he’s paved the entire way for me! He even anticipated that my Dao heart might waver in the future! Waaah, Senior Brother is truly... I could just cry!’

Filled with joy and reverence, Su Ling’er gave a deep, respectful bow. Her voice was firm, almost fanatical. "Senior Brother is wise! This Junior Sister has been taught a valuable lesson!"

"From this day forward, my actions will not disappoint you, Senior Brother!!"

’Senior Brother! I will never let those malicious individuals tarnish your future plans!’

Lin Qingfeng looked at his Junior Sister’s pumped-up expression and smiled in satisfaction.

’As expected, Junior Sister’s comprehension is top-notch. I don’t have to explain a thing, and she figures it all out on her own. With that ability to create her own headcanon, she’s a rising star for the sect’s future development!’

’Looks like the position of ’guide’ is hers for the taking! I can’t help but laugh when I think about how she’ll have to guide that mountain of new disciples that piled up because she snuck out!’

"Mm, very good." Lin Qingfeng turned, his gaze sweeping over the distant wreckage, his back projecting an aura of profound mystery. "You can finish handling the affairs of this city. In a little while, it will be time for us to return to the sect."

He paused, then said in a meaningful tone, "The sect has many ’newcomers’ who need you to ’guide’ them."

’That whole pile of them! Junior Sister, I’m just going to watch and see how you ’guide’ them all! I’m not lifting a finger, that’s for sure! Do they think they can work me to death with that many people?’

’I’m leaving it all to you, my dear Junior Sister!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!’

He put a slight emphasis on the word "guide."

Su Ling’er understood instantly!

’Senior Brother is reminding me that my path of ’purification’ has only just begun!’

’Those new disciples who come later will be the whetstones to test my Dao heart! I absolutely cannot show any mercy!’

An intense fighting spirit erupted in her eyes. She firmly followed in Lin Qingfeng’s footsteps, her voice resonating with power. "Yes! Senior Brother! This Junior Sister will definitely complete the great task of ’guiding’ them!!"

’This Junior Sister will ’guide’ every last one of them right out the gates of the Guixi Sect! Senior Brother, you can rest easy and leave it all to me!!!’