The Game with Fairies

“He’s only been in Tianjiao City for three days, yet he’s already identified the greatest calamity facing our sect.”

Shen Yan’s bitter, soft lament left Ruan Mei puzzled.

“Is the miss referring to the fact that this young man noticed the discord among our sect’s Helmsmen?”

Isn’t that something anyone with eyes could see?

Ruan Mei didn’t understand why her mistress held this young man in such high regard.

But she saw the young girl under the moonlight shake her head bitterly, “It’s not that. The discord among the Helmsmen is just an overt conflict.”

“What Muyang said earlier was a veiled criticism of our sect’s noble doctrines, suggesting that even the Helmsmen don’t believe in them.”

“He was referring to our sect when he talked about a loosely united group based on interests…”

Shen Yan said softly, “Our sect’s doctrine is Salvation to all sentient beings, to save all beings.”

“But in reality, among the Helmsmen and Banner Masters, very few truly believe in this doctrine.”

“Everyone is here for their own interests, and they fight for those interests.”

“Once faced with a major setback, it will all fall apart…”

Shen Yan spoke softly.

Ruan Mei, however, was incredulous, “Does that young man really mean that? Could it be that the miss is overthinking?”

She couldn’t believe that a young man from a remote small town could have such insight.

Shen Yan sighed, closed her eyes, and recalled the earlier conversation, saying, “It’s not overthinking. Muyang indeed meant that.”

Especially his last gesture of pointing to his chest and saying “I believe it,” which was almost a clear indication.

The chest is where blood oaths are sworn.

The young man’s words clearly meant—if the Blood Lotus Sect’s doctrines were truly noble and revered by all, why would there be a need to bind the followers with blood oaths?

Blood oaths are a means by which the Blood Lotus Sect ensures unity and prevents traitors.

But it was precisely because of this brutal blood oath that the various Helmsmen and Banner Masters of the Blood Lotus Sect became so disloyal and disunited.

Shen Yan sighed softly, “The hidden dangers of the blood oath were discussed with me by my father when he was alive.”

“My father’s view is almost identical to Mu Yang’s. Loyalty gathered through a blood oath is nothing but false loyalty.”

“The moment our sect chose to use a blood oath to unite people’s hearts, we may have forever lost the true loyalty of our followers.”

“Because the existence of the blood oath constantly reminds everyone—you are being forced to be loyal.”

“Perhaps this is why the various Helmsmen and Banner Masters seem loyal to the sect yet always have different thoughts and schemes.”

Shen Yan spoke softly, “And the fact that the Helmsmen and Banner Masters each have their own agendas, unable to unite, is the greatest calamity our sect currently faces…”

After Shen Yan explained, Banner Master Ruan Mei was somewhat confused.

“That kid… has such insight?”

This was the first time she had heard the young lady speak of these things, and she didn’t quite understand them.

According to the intelligence, Li Muyang, a country boy, was just a naive child who had a falling out with his family over a marriage issue and left home after making harsh statements in public a year ago.

How could he have become so perceptive in just one year?

Ruan Mei was still skeptical, thinking that perhaps her young lady was overthinking it.

Yet she saw the girl under the moonlight chuckle, shaking her head, “Maybe I really did pick up a treasure.”

“Not only is he physically strong and full of vitality, but he also has such a keen eye. If he is cultivated, perhaps he could become a towering pillar of our sect in the future…”

From then on, Shen Yan would often invite Li Muyang for casual chats and drinks during her free time.

She showed exceptional courtesy to this new member with the Martial God Tyrant Body.

There were even some romantic rumors in the city suggesting that Miss Shen had taken a liking to this new fresh-faced handsome guy…

As for Li Muyang himself, he didn’t really care.

He spent his days playing games, taking medicinal baths, and then chatting with Miss Shen during breaks, leading a regular and stable life once again.

He could easily handle the strange questions that Miss Shen often came up with.

Just bragging and chatting, could Miss Shen be more difficult than the troll netizens from his previous life?

Li Muyang, who had spent a long time in forums and chat groups, was a master of online nonsense and political rhetoric.

Casually humoring Miss Shen a few times was enough to make her happy and satisfied.

And because of Miss Shen’s happiness and satisfaction, Li Muyang’s treatment got better and better.

The spiritual medicines added to his wooden tub became more and more potent.

In addition to the four maids, Shen Yan even personally arranged for six martial men to follow Li Muyang’s commands, protecting him whenever he went out for leisurely strolls.

Now, Li Muyang had the freedom to come and go as he pleased, able to wander almost anywhere in Tianjiao City that wasn’t a key restricted area, and even take walks in the mountains outside the city.

There were no personal restrictions on him.

However, such treatment, perfect for gathering intelligence and undercover work, was something Li Muyang did not cherish.

He was very perfunctory in his role as an undercover agent, never actively seeking out intelligence in Tianjiao City, and behaved very honestly and dutifully.

He rarely even stepped out of the gate, spending most of his time comfortably taking medicinal baths in the courtyard.

In the game, Li Muyang’s tiger, the Lord of Mount Wu, which had evolved to the third stage, finally awoke and became even stronger.

But Li Muyang no longer provided resources for the Lord of Mount Wu’s evolution.

Before the Lord of Mount Wu tackled the time-limited stages, he would scout the terrain and then control the Emerald Blade Mantis to lurk nearby.

After controlling the Lord of Mount Wu to clear the time-limited stages, Li Muyang would make the Emerald Blade Mantis appear, devouring the spiritual medicines that the tiger had seized.

The tiger, Lord of Mount Wu, was already known to the Blood Lotus Sect, but Li Muyang kept his strongest trump card, the Emerald Blade Mantis, tightly concealed.

Even if the Blood Lotus Sect planned a siege in the future, they would only target the Lord of Mount Wu and not notice the terrifying mantis lurking in the forest.

In this way, relying on the third-tier Lord of Mount Wu to continuously fight and seize resources from the Blood Lotus Sect, the Emerald Blade Mantis, which could originally only hunt leopards and other fierce beasts in the mountains, quickly accumulated enough Evolution Points and once again cocooned itself to sleep, beginning its evolution towards the sixth tier.

In reality, Li Muyang had been in Tianjiao City for a month.

Writing a letter back every three days, Li Muyang, who simply reported his observations and intelligence, finally included the ultimate secret that the Demon Refining Sect was most concerned about—the source of the Blood Lotus Sect followers’ unending resurrection—in his letter.

And after this letter was sent back, it immediately caused a huge stir among the elders of the Demon Refining Sect.

……

“The Four Directions Cauldron draws on the earth’s energy, allowing Blood Lotus Sect followers to resurrect after death?”

“Severing the earth’s energy might disperse the power that seals cultivators’ abilities outside Tianjiao City?”

Li Muyang’s information was ambiguous and vague.

But the powerhouses of the Demonic Sect, being at the pinnacle of the cultivation world, quickly understood the implications with just a hint of information from Li Muyang.

“To sever the connection between an ancient immortal artifact and the earth’s energy, at least a Purple Mansion realm cultivator with perception is needed…”

“And a top-tier high-grade spiritual weapon is required…”

“Moreover, this top-tier high-grade spiritual weapon is likely to be damaged…”

The elders looked at each other.

This meant that to completely quell the unrest of the Blood Lotus Sect, at least one Purple Mansion powerhouse would have to risk going to Tianjiao City…

Who would be willing to do that?

“Let’s stick to a steady approach and try to defeat the Blood Lotus Sect’s army first, driving them away…”

After a night of heated debate, the elders returned to their original plan.

Relying on the endless supply of mortal troops to overwhelm the Blood Lotus Sect’s army to death.

Although over the past two months, more than a million mortal troops had been mobilized, costing the Demonic Sect a large amount of silver and causing significant losses.

But compared to the risk of a Purple Mansion powerhouse venturing into Tianjiao City… The powerhouses of the Demonic Sect decided to burn some more silver and give it another try.

Perhaps by mobilizing more mortal troops, they could break through the Blood Lotus Sect’s teetering defenses?