Chapter 0: The Difficult Path Ahead (3)
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White Peach made her grand entrance in Sky Sword City, instantly drawing the attention of players everywhere.
The cold wind howled, but it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the peanut gallery.
A large crowd had gathered near the city gates, not only to catch a glimpse of White Peach but also to snap screenshots and upload them to the forum.
Earlier, a player had posted, “A red pillar of light has appeared over the East Sea! Something big must be happening!”
Before long, someone replied, claiming they had uncovered the truth.
A series of gruesome photos indeed shocked the players.
No one could have guessed that the illustrious Flowerless Palace—a prominent sect among the seven great Immortal Gate factions—was secretly practicing such chilling dark arts while pretending to be a proper cultivation school.
To achieve their ends, they lured fishermen to the sacrificial sites and then brutally slaughtered them in unfathomable ways.
Ironically, during one such event, most of the Flowerless Palace members ended up dead due to an unfortunate mishap.
And yet, that ruthless Second Palace Master, White Peach, who had butchered nearly seven thousand fishermen, wasn’t harmed at all! It made people wonder if karma really existed or if this rogue would ever get her comeuppance.
White Peach didn’t think to repent for her crimes; instead, she teamed up with Luo Ying and others to head to Heavenly Sword Sect, plotting to turn Sky Sword City into a second Flowerless Palace.
Her intentions were downright despicable!
As this post went live, it exploded among the players.
Especially the female players who had once joined the Flowerless Palace—now in a frenzy to change their affiliation, fearing the stench of the Palace’s bad reputation might bring them misfortune.
In no time, White Peach and her Flowerless Palace were as doomed as rats crossing a street, with everyone wanting to throw a stone.
“Ugh, I remember thinking the Flowerless Palace was a legit immortal faction, and their dresses were pretty, so I joined. Turns out I didn’t know their true colors at all. Who would’ve thought they were up to so much filth behind the scenes?
Why doesn’t White Peach just vanish? She’s a literal executioner, having killed thousands without an ounce of shame, parading about in public. What a thick-skinned witch!”
“Isn’t Luo Ying the leading inner disciple of Heavenly Sword Sect? How is she even associating with White Peach? Does she think we’re all idiots, or are they in cahoots?”
“Hey, I heard Luo Ying took part in the bl**d sacrificial ritual too. I’m not one to gossip, but if she made it back alive from the Flowerless Palace’s sacrificial site, she must’ve had a hand in it, or at least know a lot of innocents who bit the dust on her watch.”
“I see those two coming back to Heavenly Sword Sect to stir up trouble. I’ll say it straight: if Ling Xiaozu doesn’t take them down, things are bound to go sideways at Heavenly Sword Sect.”
“Did you see? Two players are tagging along behind Luo Ying! They must know the inside scoop!”
“Ha, look at those two clowns protecting White Peach—it’s obvious they’ve been bought off. Players are just out for the benefits, they don’t care about right or wrong. If they can level up by taking out a few NPCs, it’s all good for them.”
“Sure, the Flowerless Palace scandal isn’t directly our problem, but it’s still disgusting! An executioner strutting around after killing so many fishermen? If this were the real world, no way she’d be swaggering around like that!”
“Exactly! Players have a duty to uphold justice in the game world. Otherwise, if similar events happen elsewhere, we’ll be the ones eating dirt.
Guess that’s why the game developers wrote this plot line—to ignite our sense of justice!
Justice may be late, but it never fails to show up!
Brothers and sisters, even if we can’t enter the Small Thousand World of Heavenly Sword Sect, as long as White Peach shows her face, we’ll report her location. If we get a chance, let’s eliminate her! Who knows, we might score a title like ‘Agent of Justice!’”
“Ha! I like the sound of that.
Even if there are NPCs protecting White Peach, we can’t let her slip away. Let’s treat her like a boss and take her down!”
Watching the forum drama unfold, Lin Nan and Fatty fell into contemplative silence.
Fatty huffed, “Why do I feel like someone’s orchestrating all this?”
Lin Nan whispered, “I suspect there’s a cult of believers among the players.”
Fatty exclaimed, “Is that true? I didn’t notice before. How is it that just as the Flowerless Palace’s fiasco ends, a bunch of strange folks pop up?”
“Because the Divine Clan is trying every trick in the book to weaken our power. If two years later, we’re still as scattered as we are now, wouldn’t it be a piece of cake for them to wipe us out?”
Fatty shrugged, “Well, here’s hoping we’re just overreacting. Man, I came to play a chill game and slay some monsters, but now I’m more stressed than in real life!
Maybe this is my first life after all.
Reality is just a pressure-free simulation!”
Once in the Small Thousand World, those trailing loose cultivators could no longer follow.
However, disciples of Heavenly Sword Sect had already caught wind of White Peach’s appearance in the city, so she and her entourage faced a second round of gawking.
Perhaps it was Luo Ying’s inner discipleship that commanded respect, or maybe the enforcers’ presence made onlookers hesitant to voice their opinions.
Most merely watched silently as the group shot towards the Main Peak, disappearing into the swirling mist.
“An Luo, I need to take the Second Palace Master to meet the Sect Leader. You won’t stop me, will you?” Luo Ying asked.
An Luo replied hastily, “Of course not! But my only request is that we stay close to the Second Palace Master at all times, both to maintain order and ensure her safety.”
“Fine, do as you please.”
Ling Xiaozu met the four in a side hall.
An Luo formed a protective barrier around them, not wanting anyone to get the silly idea of interrupting while the Sect Leader was in discussion.
As he expected, a number of disciples gradually gathered nearby, whispering among themselves, perhaps hoping the Sect Leader might take out White Peach on the spot in a fit of rage.
If that were to happen, it would bring immense satisfaction, a real feel-good moment.
Among them were numerous inner sect players.
Some were busy posting photos online, while others had started live streams, aiming their cameras at the side hall door, hoping to capture some exclusive footage belonging to the Small Thousand World.
No matter the ruckus outside, the side hall remained quite tranquil.
White Peach respectfully handed over the Great Palace Master’s handwritten letter to Ling Xiaozu.
He took a whole incense stick’s worth of time to read it, and during that time, despite his centuries of experience leading Heavenly Sword Sect, his expression shifted multiple times.
Clearly, the letter hit hard.
“White Peach, you’ve been wronged,” Ling Xiaozu sighed.
White Peach’s tears, which she had been holding back since entering Sky Sword City, burst forth instantly.
“Luo Ying, please take White Peach down to rest. This matter is extremely serious; I need another two days to think it over.”
“Understood, Master.”
Fatty and Lin Nan exchanged relieved glances, as if a heavy weight had finally lifted from their shoulders.
“There are still some rational people in this world, unlike those fools who believe every rumor,” Fatty commented.
Lin Nan nodded, “Let’s hope everything goes as smoothly as we predict.”
Back at Falling Clouds Peak, the exhausted four went to bed early.
But just as dawn began to break, an unexpected situation unfolded at the foot of Falling Clouds Peak.
…
P.S.: After the climax, we’re hit with subscription fatigue, right? You folks aren’t thinking this is the end, are you?
