Chapter 5: Stirring Up Trouble!
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As a former member of the player community, Wei Wenxuan naturally knew what players were most interested in.
Those commonplace trinkets, the kind everyone has, don’t spark even a flicker of interest in players. If some streamer were to broadcast their daily grinding all day, they’d likely be dumped by the audience, who craves novelty like a kid craves candy.
In contrast, players are all over hidden plots, secret dungeons, and boss monsters that require relentless effort or incredible luck to uncover. They’re practically fanatical about it!
Especially those jaw-dropping hidden quests that sound like they come with a “save the world” subplot attached. The thrill of curiosity, the pride of achievement, and the unique bragging rights have players absolutely hooked, practically fawning over the chance to be the sole savior of the universe.
So, if Wei Wenxuan wanted to further the influence of Extermination of Immortals by leveraging Little Musashi’s d*ath, he had to make the players deeply feel that Extermination of Immortals was not just some minor organization lurking in the shadows, playing small tricks and causing havoc.
Nope! They were visionaries, with their sights set on the past and future. Despite being outmatched compared to the big shots of the other immortal sects, they’d never forgotten their mission—to fight against heaven, earth, and humanity.
Their current goal was singular: to abolish the Heavenly Path before the impending cataclysm and to extinguish the ridiculous endeavors of the three races in their pursuit of immortality.
Sure, it sounded a bit absurd and some details didn’t hold up under scrutiny.
But players eat this stuff up!
Previously, aside from joining immortal sects to grind and level up, it seemed players had nothing else to do. But now, Wei Wenxuan had opened a new window for them, revealing the game’s infinite possibilities.
Joining Extermination of Immortals would mean embarking on a path of opposing all the powers across the continent. High prestige? Check! Difficulty? Phew! It’s like starting a strategy game at max difficulty, going one against seven.
Now, that’s what I call exhilarating!
Moreover, the reason Wei Wenxuan had to torture Strong Brother was to show that players could join the Extermination organization—just with a sky-high entry requirement. Only those with iron-willed determination, who could stand firm against any challenge, could even entertain that possibility.
Of course, this also boosted the prestige of Extermination of Immortals.
The glances players cast at him and Strong Brother now undeniably brimmed with a hint of desire.
If a survey were conducted at that moment to see which faction players wanted to join, “Extermination of Immortals” would definitely rank at the top, quite possibly claiming first place.
This little performance by Wei Wenxuan didn’t just snag him over twenty thousand Cold Value points; it also left Players with a profound impression of how badass Extermination of Immortals was.
Let’s just say, Lin Nan was rocking her roles as director, screenwriter, producer, and actor—a resounding success in her arrangement!
From then on, the name “Extermination of Immortals” practically became synonymous with the ultimate game goal in the eyes of many quirky players, promising a continuous influx of Cold Value.
Even if each person contributed just a tiny fraction, it would add up, meaning no additional effort was required, and she could still rake in hundreds daily.
Of course, she wasn’t going to just sit back and count the loot.
After all, only she knew the true face of the Extermination organization—it was as shabby as could be.
Her top enforcer, Wei Wenxuan, doubled as the Demon-Slaying Squad leader.
Her second enforcer, Little Musashi, was currently in a state of faux-d*ath—revival would have to wait for the right moment, making sure to earn another wave of Cold Value in the process.
And her third enforcer, Strong Brother, well… he wasn’t really doing much of anything. But having him around did give the other players a glimmer of hope for joining Extermination.
Therefore, she urgently needed to expand her ranks. While she had no idea when she could fill the lofty claims she’d made earlier, having more people was better than having no one.
Without delay, once Wei Wenxuan exited the Chaos Forest, she’d put him under system management, letting him continue battling and leveling up.
But there was something she’d just realized she’d overlooked.
Given the clandestine nature of Extermination of Immortals, it wasn’t exactly wise to expose it to the masses.
As for the live stream, she’d act as if she knew nothing.
However, there were over twenty players present besides Strong Brother, including Cold Little Rain.
In the eyes of an NPC, players might as well be commoners.
Logically, after learning the secret of Extermination of Immortals, Wei Wenxuan shouldn’t let them leave straightforwardly.
To maintain the high profile of Extermination, sacrifices had to be made.
With that thought, Wei Wenxuan raised his long sword at an angle, a wave of killing intent suddenly spreading.
As the first player to join the Extermination organization, Strong Brother was on cloud nine. His live-stream chat was flooded with “Strong Brother is awesome!”
But then, he felt a sudden cold creeping from the top of his head down to his toes.
Looking up, he found the Demon-Slaying Squad leader, Wei Wenxuan, glaring coldly at Cold Little Rain and the others.
cr*p, is he going to eliminate witnesses?
It made sense—Extermination, as a group opposed to the Heavenly Path, couldn’t afford to be exposed given the current situation. Naturally, it was better for unimportant people to know as little as possible.
If that spiel he just gave was heard by the NPCs of the seven major immortal sects, it would certainly lead to a bloody storm.
Extermination would be seen as a thorn in their side.
So, to avoid trouble, killing witnesses seemed the best option without knowing the real intentions of these players.
But hey, we’re all players here!
The ones who love to stir up trouble and never take the high-and-mighty NPCs seriously!
Plus, there were already hundreds of thousands of viewers who had just witnessed everything!
Even if he killed these twenty-some people, what would that accomplish?
Ah, this is a disaster…
How do I explain this to the NPCs?
Cold Little Rain had dropped a few levels already; if she got sliced by Wei Wenxuan again, she’d lose half her experience!
Strong Brother was practically scratching his head bald out of worry.
“Captain!”
Seeing Wei Wenxuan about to act, Strong Brother hurriedly stepped in front of him.
“Captain, they’re my brothers! Absolutely reliable! They won’t spill a single secret about Extermination!”
Wei Wenxuan’s sword paused.
He coldly regarded Strong Brother, “Do you realize that if the higher-ups of the three races catch wind of what I just said, the world would likely erupt into another bloody storm, dragging many innocent lives into it?
And even so, you still want me to let them go?”
The live stream exploded with chatter.
“Big Brother, the anti-immortal ideology of Extermination has already topped the forums! I bet all players know about it now. No matter how cool you are, you can’t just k*ll every player!”
“Ugh, he’s an NPC; he wouldn’t know any of this.”
“Poor Little Rain! She unwittingly became the scapegoat for all players. But why do I want to laugh at this?”
“If Wei Wenxuan knew about the forum and the live stream, he’d probably turn Strong Brother into minced meat.”
“Haha, that’s the player advantage! Poor NPC, your so-called secret is old news around here.”
“Moment of silence for Little Rain! I really can’t see how Strong Brother is going to defend them. If he annoys Wei Wenxuan, he might take him down with the rest—after all, he’s ruthless!”
Strong Brother wiped the cold sweat off his forehead at Wei Wenxuan’s questioning glare.
Suddenly, an “epic” idea hit him.
“Captain, Extermination has lofty ambitions and aims to stand against heaven and earth, and it’s an organization I genuinely respect and strive to support!
But have you ever considered that to achieve our goal of slaying immortals, we must not only face counterattacks from the higher-ups of the three races, but even the ordinary folk among them will question our actions!
Now, with the great calamity approaching in a millennium, can Extermination alone really save the three races from doom?
If we spread our ideals quietly and rally the lower tiers of those races to our side, when the crucial moment comes, Extermination will have the response of the masses!
The seven immortal sects and the high-ups of the three races would be like castles in the air. Over time, Extermination will rise, gaining the upper hand among the three races, uniting their strength against the great calamity!
So, isn’t it time for Extermination to shift strategies?
Keeping everything under wraps can hide our tracks, but we need to step out from behind the curtains. Only then can the three races truly unite for the right to survive across the continent, not just to cater to a select few’s desire for immortality!
Captain, what do you think of my logic?”
Wei Wenxuan paused.
Holy cow, why does it seem everyone around me is evolving into a master of overthinking?
Although he wanted to refute him, he suddenly found that he was making a great deal of sense.
He couldn’t bring his sword down now.
Yet in Strong Brother’s eyes, his desperate rambling seemed to have made some impact.
Wei Wenxuan was deep in thought. Would he really reconsider his earlier decision to k*ll witnesses?
“Strong Brother is awesome!
You’re planning to encircle the city from the countryside, ready for a big battle?”
“You almost had me convinced; imagine how easily it’d fool an NPC!”
“Whoa, this is classic theory, tested by history! Others learn it at school; Strong Brother’s going above and beyond with practical applications!”
“NPC is totally baffled, haha!”
Under Strong Brother’s tense gaze, Wei Wenxuan slowly sheathed his weapon.
“Your ideas have indeed opened my eyes. Fine, I’ve already memorized the faces of these twenty-some people. Even if they scatter across the continent, I’m confident I can take them down within seven days.
Letting them live now simply gives you a chance to prove yourself.”
Strong Brother heard this and quickly suppressed his joy, urgently replying, “I’m ready for your orders, Captain!”
【Ding! Your main quest has been updated】
【1. Within three years, become the top-ranking disciple of Sky Void Academy.
2. Secretly establish a sub-sect of Extermination, the Anti-Immortal Cult, and recruit followers. Within ten days, you must enroll a total of ten NPC followers fully committed to Extermination. (Failing to meet this requirement will disqualify you from the Extermination organization.)】
Cold Little Rain, “…”
Goofy internet users, “…”
Strong Brother, you’re about to attain immortality, aren’t you?!
P.S. A 3000-word chapter, please vote for your monthly ticket!
