Chapter 297: 297 Do the opposite of its way
Hu He officially took office.
On the first day, a press conference was held. In the presence of numerous indigenous people and players, the basic policies of the Justice League were announced to the public.
First: The Justice League is sacred and inviolable. Those who offend the League will be punished, no matter how far they may be.
Second: Within the territory controlled by the Justice League, all individuals and organizations interacting with the League must adhere to the rules established by the League.
Third: The Justice League advocates for peace and encourages any group or individual to cooperate with the League in all possible ways.
Fourth: Any group or individual can join the Justice League by application.
Fifth: League members must proactively protect the League's interests and abide by its laws. Otherwise, they will be expelled.
Sixth: The League advocates freedom of speech, freedom of the press...
...
The press conference lasted for about two hours.
Hu He, whose image had been intentionally crafted by the players, looked dashing and capable, without a trace of the coquettishness a demon fox would typically possess. She appeared exceptionally competent.
「That day.」
The cover of *Justice Weekly* featured Hu He.
Previously, *Justice Weekly* was directly printed in simple paperback editions in other cities through player broadcasts. But now, with the Magpie Bridge connecting Kyoto, Qinglong City, and surrounding main cities, the exquisitely printed publications from color printers could spread rapidly.
Hu He, previously unknown, appeared as the spokesperson for the Justice League and quickly surpassed Xu Longyun, Little White Fox, and Jiang Qingqin in the hearts of the common people.
After all, Hu He's image itself was perfect.
At this point, the world's attention was focused on the Justice League. With this powerful wave of publicity, it would have been difficult for her not to become famous.
The last weak link among Lin Bai's five disciples had finally been filled.
...
After Lin Bai settled down, the world returned to prosperity. It seemed even the sky-descended people had become more agreeable.
Using the Magpie Bridge required a fee, but even ordinary people were happy to spend their savings to experience its convenience and speed, to travel to cities they had never visited before and broaden their horizons.
Merchants relied even more heavily on the Magpie Bridge.
With the Magpie Bridge available, using the old transportation methods was practically courting death. Transporting goods across cities with large amounts of manpower and resources cost far more than using the Magpie Bridge.
To cope with the constant flow of merchants and travelers, Zhen City had at least a hundred Magpie Bridges operating simultaneously outwards. Despite this, the Magpie Bridges were still constantly bustling, and the Bridge Protectors hardly had a moment's rest.
The Taiyi Country Government Office, the Justice League, and the Magpie Bridge Protectors were all raking in profits.
The faces of those using the Magpie Bridge also brimmed with happy smiles...
...
As Hu He's fame was manufactured, the last remaining weakness among the five disciples was addressed. The task from the Aspiring Mentor System, for his disciples to make a name for themselves, was finally completed.
Lin Bai received a new item: the Ruler.
The Ruler was about a foot long, made of bamboo, and looked ordinary. Its description stated it was used to punish disciples, and they could not dodge it.
Meanwhile, the Aspiring Mentor System also issued a new mission:
[Your disciples have made a name for themselves. Congratulations, you have taken another step on the path of being a great teacher. The number of disciples you can teach has increased to 36.
An ancient saying goes, "Blue is extracted from the indigo plant but is bluer than the plant it comes from." Only when your disciples surpass you can your success as a teacher be proven. Let one of your disciples' achievements surpass yours. Reward: Imbue (You can imbue one of your Skills into a disciple for their use; it can be retracted).]
Let one of the disciples' achievements surpass my own?
Lin Bai stared at the new mission, a headache forming. Another mission as difficult as scaling the heavens! I'm so outstanding; how could those foolish disciples possibly surpass me? It's easier said than done!
However, the combination of the Imbue ability and the Mind Reading Ability is enough to make the Path of Laws appear convincingly genuine. As the missions progress, the rewards from the System are becoming increasingly practical. But to have a disciple's achievement surpass my own?
SIGH.
Lin Bai sighed and turned his attention back to the Ruler. The Aspiring Mentor System now allowed him to take on up to thirty-six disciples.
Once he announced this news, the temptation of a fifty percent increase in cultivation speed would fill the disciple slots in minutes. But when disciples misbehaved, he couldn't just tie them up with Bind the Immortal. What would become of his dignity as a master then?
This Ruler seems like a good tool. I need to test its power. "Cannot be dodged?"
Lin Bai's Divine Sense spread out over Zhen City. He located Ye Song. With a few Flashes, he appeared nearby, took aim, and threw the Ruler at him.
Four of my five disciples are close to me. When experimenting with new tools, of course, I should pick the one I'm not as familiar with...
Ye Song was holding a cultivation booklet for Spoken Law Follows and asking a player named Self-Crossing about the signs of passing its first level.
Ye Lan stood beside him, staring at the sky, bored.
Suddenly, a WHOOSHING sound cut through the air.
They both turned simultaneously and saw the flying Ruler.
Ye Song raised his hand to swat the Ruler away. However, the moment he did so, he was suddenly frozen in place. He obediently extended his left hand, palm up.
Ye Lan lifted her arm straight. A black light shot from her palm towards the Ruler. But the instant the black light touched the Ruler, it dissipated naturally, as if it had never existed. Before Ye Lan could launch a second black light, the Ruler was already in front of her. It swiftly bypassed her and, SMACK, struck Ye Song's palm.
"ARGH!" Ye Song couldn't help but cry out in pain.
SMACK!
"ARGH!"
SMACK!
"ARGH!"
The Ruler struck three times. Ye Song cried out with each impact, his expression contorted and fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
The surrounding players stared in stunned silence.
Ye Lan watched the Ruler strike her master's palm. Her vacant eyes blinked a couple of times, and her usually deadpan face showed a hint of amusement.
Lin Bai waved his hand, recalling the Ruler. Only then did Ye Song return to normal. He rubbed his palms vigorously, hopping in place and fuming, "Which bastard ambushed me?!"
AHEM.
Lin Bai cleared his throat lightly and Flashed in front of Ye Song, holding the Ruler. "It was I, your master, who struck you."
"Master!" Ye Song's eyes darted to the Ruler in Lin Bai's hand. His brow twitched several times, and he couldn't help but swallow nervously. "What kind of Divine Artifact is that?"
"After accepting you as my disciple, I, as your master, gained some insight into the way of a master and condensed it into this Ruler. It's specifically for disciplining unruly disciples." Lin Bai looked at Ye Song, pointing the Ruler at him as if about to strike.
Ye Song immediately stood at attention, extending his left hand.
Then, both of them froze, dumbfounded.
Ye Lan blinked, gloating, "Master, so it's your turn today. Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may conceal misfortune. How could your cultivation speed just increase by fifty percent for no reason?"
"Shut up!" Ye Song's face darkened as he snapped.
Lin Bai looked at Ye Song and retracted the Ruler.
Ye Song could move again.
Lin Bai raised the Ruler once more.
Again, Ye Song instantly stood at attention, obediently extending his left hand, awaiting the strike like a marionette.
This repeated several times.
Ye Song was on the verge of tears. "Master, can we please stop fooling around? So many people are watching!"
AHEM.
Lin Bai coughed and returned the Ruler to the Mastership System. "You are my disciple, and I am your master. Your master finally obtained an Instrument of Rules. Shouldn't I test it on you?"
"An Instrument of Rules?"
Ye Song was stunned. He looked at the Ruler again, recalling the terror of being dominated by that small bamboo strip. He suddenly felt like he had boarded a pirate ship.
The benefit of a fifty percent increase in cultivation speed isn't so easy to obtain. Lin Bai has five disciples in total, and the other four have ambiguous relationships with him. It figures this damned Instrument of Rules was prepared just for me... DAMN IT!
At this thought, Ye Song's expression became even more unsightly.
"Yes, an Instrument of Rules." Lin Bai nodded with a smile. "Tell your master, what did it feel like when I struck your palm just now? I saw that you, a Mahayana Realm cultivator, almost burst into tears."
Taking a deep breath, Ye Song calmed his turbulent Dao heart and said with a woeful expression, "When the Ruler strikes the palm, all defensive True Qi becomes ineffective. Moreover, though it seems to strike the palm, it actually feels like a lash to the Divine Soul. The pain is simply unbearable..."
"So that's how it is!" Lin Bai's eyes suddenly lit up. He stroked the Ruler, a delighted look on his face.
Seeing Lin Bai's joyful eyes, the corner of Ye Song's eye twitched again. He mustered his courage and said, "Master, may I make a request?"
"Speak," Lin Bai said.
"Is it too late for me to leave the sect now?" Ye Song asked, his face pained, looking at the Ruler with lingering fear.
"Dream on! What do you take the Righteous Door for? A place you can enter and leave as you please?" Lin Bai glared at him, then Flashed away, adding, "Stay in the Righteous Door with peace of mind. Your master will spur every one of you on to success."
"Master, if I were Lin Bai, I wouldn't let you quit either," Ye Lan said faintly. "He has five disciples, three wives, and one mother-in-law. If you quit, who else could he use his Ruler on?"
"You know nothing!" Ye Song shot him a glare. "He has even condensed an Instrument of Rules! It proves the Path of Laws is absolutely real. Only an idiot would quit such a sect." He hid his hands behind his back and said proudly, "Besides, do you think I endured those strikes from the Ruler for nothing? Three strikes from the Ruler shook out many impurities from my Divine Soul. How could an Instrument of Rules be merely for punishment?"
"The Divine Soul has always been pure. Since when did it have impurities?" Ye Lan looked at Ye Song, skepticism in her vacant eyes.
"There weren't any before because there was no Instrument of Rules," Ye Song snorted. "You haven't been struck by an Instrument of Rules, so how would you know there aren't any?"
...
"Master, bringing cultivation to the common people was the right decision." At the Alliance headquarters, Xu Longyun put aside the official documents in her hand, her eyes filled with reverence as she looked at Lin Bai, who had suddenly arrived. "The Magpie Bridge currently connects only Kyoto, Qinglong City, and Zhen City, yet the national treasury has already become much fuller. Transporting resources is convenient, and the living costs for the common people have also decreased. It's hard to imagine how prosperous Taiyi Country will become once the Magpie Bridge network is fully established nationwide! Master, all of this is your achievement."
"It's everyone's achievement," Lin Bai replied, overjoyed at having acquired a new Divine Artifact. "I couldn't have accomplished such a great undertaking alone."
A sweet smile graced Xu Longyun's lips. "Master, you don't need to be overly modest. You've ushered in a new era. Without you, everyone's focus might still be on how to deal with the sky-descended people! And the final result would likely be the entire world thrown into utter chaos by them!"
"Perhaps," Lin Bai replied dismissively.
"Every time I think about how the Righteous Seven Sects and the Demon Five Sects controlled the Cultivation World yet made no contribution to society, I get a stomach full of anger. Civilization has stagnated for millennia precisely because it was suppressed by this group of selfish individuals," Xu Longyun huffed, dissatisfied.
"Have you learned about the civilization of the sky-descended people?" Lin Bai asked with a smile.
"Yes." Xu Longyun forced a smile and nodded dejectedly, then regained her spirits. "Master, if things continue at the current rate, it won't be long before the world only knows of the Justice League and not the Righteous Seven Sects. We have still encroached upon their fundamental interests. Those people won't let this matter rest easily. We must remain vigilant..."
"I think they should be the ones wary of me," Lin Bai said, giving Xu Longyun a strange look.
"..." Xu Longyun's breath hitched. She shook her head. "Master, we still cannot be careless. The sky-descended people are restless. If they want to establish a foothold in this world, they won't allow true peace. They will definitely try to stir up trouble. Openly, they can't deal with you, so it's highly probable they'll resort to underhanded schemes in secret. You are the foundation of the Justice League. If you fall, the Justice League will disintegrate."
"Are you suggesting we should take the initiative to attack?" Lin Bai asked with a smile.
"Master, I'm not joking," Xu Longyun said, looking at Lin Bai earnestly. Suddenly, she asked, "The Old Ancestor of the Righteous Door isn't coming back, right?"
"..." Lin Bai asked curiously, "What makes you think that?"
"It's not just me who thinks so." Xu Longyun rubbed her temples. "If the Ninth Ancestor hadn't truly appeared in my mind, I would even suspect that the Righteous Door doesn't exist in this world at all."
"..." Lin Bai mentally praised her insight and asked, "How did you figure that out?"
"Everything the Righteous Door has done defies logic," Xu Longyun said, looking at Lin Bai and sighing inwardly. "Master, everything you do is based on Laws. But if we assume there are no Laws, then everything points to a different conclusion: you aren't cultivating the Heavenly Dao, but rather intend to conquer the entire world using it. Or, to put it another way, you are a different type of sky-descended person, one hostile to the current ones..."
As expected of the woman I chose, truly intelligent! Lin Bai thought. But even if Xu Longyun has guessed the truth, I can't lose the foundation I've worked so hard to build.
Lin Bai looked at Xu Longyun and presented the Ruler in his hand. "Stop letting your imagination run wild. Without Laws, everything I do is meaningless. Besides, I've just condensed an Instrument of Rules from the Laws of the Master's Path."
"An Instrument of Rules?" Xu Longyun was also stunned.
"Yes, I'll tell you more later. I came to see you about something else." Lin Bai smiled faintly and put away the Ruler. "The sky-descended people are indeed restless—not just the ones on our side, but also those from the Continent of Gods and Demons. One day, our two worlds will collide. Therefore, my Cultivation of the Heavenly Path cannot stop."
"Do you want me to help you practice Spoken Law Follows?" Xu Longyun's face flushed slightly as she stole a glance at Lin Bai and asked.
"No, it's something else," Lin Bai said. "The Magpie Bridge, Bind the Immortal, the Milky Way... The further I journey down the Way of Love, the more it seriously interferes with my Cultivation of the Heavenly Path. I need you to inform Duke Zhenguo to have Taiyi Country cease all propaganda about me being Cupid. I've heard that some common people have already started spontaneously building temples to worship me. If this continues, I'm afraid the Heavenly Dao might fall into someone else's hands."
The Righteous Seven Sects wanted to scheme against his Laws, Xu Longyun and the others didn't want him to achieve the Heavenly Dao, and he had a new mission from the Matchmaker System—so Lin Bai decided to take the opposite course of action.
"I think being Cupid is quite good!" Xu Longyun muttered. "Cupid's Laws are so powerful; they can save the world too!"
"It's different. All of Cupid's Divine Skills serve love and cannot harm people." Lin Bai frowned. "Only the Heavenly Dao's Spoken Law Follows, by establishing rules, can truly prevent the undying and indestructible sky-descended people from coming to this world. Go contact Duke Zhenguo and explain this. Later, I'll have *Justice Weekly* issue a formal statement about it. Once the Magpie Bridge network construction is complete, I will stop cultivating the Great Path of Love."
...
Ancestor Yuan Qing did not return to the Heavenly Dao Sect but instead stationed himself in Taichu Country, at a subordinate sect called Mysterious View. This place was closest to Taiyi Country, allowing them to respond promptly to any moves by the Justice League.
Not only the Heavenly Dao Sect, but also the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Holy Extreme Sect, and other sects made similar choices. They sent a portion of their members back to their respective sects to manage affairs, while the remaining members almost all stayed near Taiyi Country.
「At this moment.」
Beside Ancestor Yuan Qing lay all the latest issues of *Justice Weekly*. Next to him stood more than ten high-ranking members of the Heavenly Dao Sect, all of them Mahayana Realm cultivators. Their Divine Souls were restrained, and they each possessed an ethereal, immortal-like bearing, as if Immortals descended to the mortal world.
To Ancestor Yuan Qing's left was a young Taoist with rosy lips and white teeth. A vertical mark, resembling an opened third eye, adorned his brow. He was the new generation's prodigy of the Heavenly Dao Sect, the legendary Daozi. The Daozi had his eyes closed in meditation, his revealed cultivation surprisingly at the Hollow Realm, far surpassing other prodigies of his generation by an entire level.
Inside the main hall, there was only one player: Far-Sighted Hawk, the one leading the Jinlong Finance Group's venture into the game. Facing the numerous Mahayana Realm cultivators in the room, his demeanor was not the least bit inferior. Upon closer inspection, one could see his attention was not on Ancestor Yuan Qing, but on the Daozi beside him.