Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Inside the bamboo cottage, however, Su Ling’er had not stepped out.

She was facing a bronze mirror, trying her best to make herself look weaker.

She knew perfectly well that with First Senior Brother’s and that alchemy fanatic Lu Wu’s skills in Alchemy, if she faked some external or internal injury, the wound would probably heal the moment a pill touched her lips.

And then she’d be dragged back up to keep working.

After all, she had personally experienced First Senior Brother’s pills. They were dark and grubby, looking like poisonous dregs, yet their effects were frighteningly good.

Aside from the fact that swallowing three at once was a bit of a choking hazard.

But this also proved that faking a physical injury was useless.

It had to be an illness that pills couldn’t immediately cure, one whose cause couldn’t even be easily identified. Only then could she hope to stall First Senior Brother.

It would be even better if she could also attract the attention of the other important figures in the sect.

Therefore, what she would feign was—a sickness of the heart.

’After all, a sickness of the heart can’t be cured by pills alone, right?’

’It... shouldn’t be that easy to solve, right?’

Su Ling’er schemed to herself as she began her performance for the day.

...

「In First Senior Brother’s immortal cave.」

The ever-busy Lin Qingfeng was lying on his Frost Jade Bed, having just finished a tense and exciting round of a built-in mini-game.

He glanced at his Cultivation, which was just a step away from the Nascent Soul realm.

"’When I reach the Nascent Soul realm and have to face the Heart Demon Tribulation, I’m curious to see what kind of Heart Demon the system will cook up for me,’"

he thought with great interest. "’When the time comes, I’ll be sure to ’critique’ it thoroughly.’"

After handling his personal affairs, he habitually opened the sect map to check on the disciples’ activities.

On the map, the dot of light representing Wang Xiedi had already left the Transmission Hall and was diligently moving toward the Hundred Herbs Valley.

’Hm, Junior Brother is quite self-motivated.’ Lin Qingfeng nodded in satisfaction.

But in the next second, his gaze was drawn to another dot of light, and his eyes instantly sharpened.

The cursor representing Su Ling’er was still stubbornly fixed in her bamboo cottage, completely motionless!

!

!!!

’What is the meaning of this?’

’What are you doing?’

’Damn it! Why isn’t she working yet?!’

Lin Qingfeng shot up from his bed.

’Is she slacking off again?!’

’By this time of day, shouldn’t she have already gone to the Transmission Hall to accept a mission and start contributing to the great revitalization of the sect?’

’So young, yet no ambition! All she knows how to do is slack off! This is outrageous!’

’Simply outrageous!’

’At least corporate drones get paid to poop on the clock! You, on the other hand, are just slacking off for free in your pigsty!’

’This is a corrupting influence in the sect!!!’

’If you don’t work hard, when will I, your First Senior Brother, ever get to drive a luxury spiritual treasure car and live in a palatial immortal mansion?!’

’When will I be able to leave the mountain gates and unify the Cultivation Realm!!!’

’The entire reason our sect hasn’t unified the martial world is because Junior Sister isn’t working hard enough! She must be strongly condemned!!!’

’As the saying goes...’

"’When Junior Sister toils and suffers, First Senior Brother drives Land Rovers!’"

"’While Junior Sister works overtime each day, First Senior Brother finds new girls for play!’"

"’As long as Junior Sister’s overtime is a blaze, First Senior Brother’s buying Maybachs for days!’"

"’If Junior Sister works with drive and zeal, First Senior Brother gets a new Ferrari deal!’"

"’Rely on yourself, not on others—doing missions is all that matters!’"

’Sigh, a woman must be strong. Doesn’t Junior Sister understand the simple concept of "no pain, no gain"?!’

He shook his head, his heart aching with grief.

"’If only I could get a success guru to light a fire in these NPCs’ minds and push them into a frantic rat race.’"

Left with no choice, First Senior Brother had to take matters into his own hands.

’My ever-so-busy self has to go and push my junior sister to work hard again.’

’My life is so hard!’

He sighed, and with a flicker of his body, he vanished from the immortal cave.

Lin Qingfeng decided to pay a personal visit to properly correct his junior sister’s burgeoning laziness.

’If my junior sister is this lazy, when will I ever make a name for myself!’

Lin Qingfeng arrived at the bamboo cottage and began to knock on the door.

"KNOCK! KNOCK KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!"

He even rapped out a rather rhythmic beat.

However, there was no response from within for a long while.

He frowned and increased the force of his knocking. "BANG! BANG BANG! BANG BANG BANG!"

This time, Su Ling’er’s weak reply finally came from inside. "Who... Who’s there?"

The door was slowly pulled open a crack. Su Ling’er leaned against the frame, her face ashen, her eyes vacant and lifeless, and even her lips were pale.

"G-Good morning, F-First... Senior Brother..."

Before she could finish, her body suddenly went limp, and she looked as if she was about to collapse to the ground.

Lin Qingfeng was quick. He subconsciously reached out, grabbed the sash on her back, and once again lifted her up like a briefcase.

He took the opportunity to probe her body with a wisp of Spiritual Power, only to find her meridians clear and her Spiritual Power abundant. She didn’t seem injured at all.

"Junior Sister, what’s... wrong with you?"

Dangling in midair, Su Ling’er was speechless!

’Can’t you just help me up properly?!’

’Stop picking me up like a package or a grocery basket every single time!’

’Is this how you treat a sick person?!’

’If someone else fell, would you just yank them up like this too?!’

Appearing frail, she could only say weakly:

"F-First... Senior Brother... I’m... I’m a girl, you know... Can’t you... show a little tenderness... just once?

Can’t you just help me up properly?

My... my head is almost hitting the ground..."

Lin Qingfeng’s expression froze.

’Me? Show you tenderness?’

’Those other times I touched you, you shrieked as if you’d been defiled! Anyone who didn’t know better would’ve thought I was doing something to you!’

’Lifting you like this is just easier!’

But he couldn’t say that out loud, so he could only reply perfunctorily:

"Next time for sure, next time for sure."

He set Su Ling’er down, letting her lean against the doorframe, before putting on a stern face and beginning his lecture:

"So, Junior Sister, what’s your deal?

Why aren’t you working hard?

Do you know how much the sect loses because you don’t work?

How much of an asset drain it causes?"

"Look! Just look!

Even the new junior brother knows to go to work first thing in the morning, but you’re hiding in your room!

Our sect is ashamed to have a slacker like you!"

"And look at everyone else in the sect! Which one of them isn’t contributing to the sect tirelessly, without sleep?

And you?

Out of a twenty-four-hour day, you get at least eight hours of sleep! You’re only working for a mere sixteen hours, so how can you be slacking off?"

"I, your senior brother, am very disappointed in your current state!

As the saying goes, ’only by enduring the bitterest of hardships can one rise above others.’ If you don’t endure hardship, how will you ever rise above others?"

First Senior Brother rattled on and on, and Su Ling’er almost fainted from listening to him.

’I look this weak, shouldn’t you be asking how I’m feeling first?’

’Why did you immediately jump down my throat and start lecturing me?!’

’Also, there are so many people in the sect. The sect suffers a loss just because I take a little break?’

’Do you even believe the words coming out of your own mouth?’