Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

"My god, who is he spying on? Or is he stalking someone? Is he trying to start some new meme again?!"

One moment, Wang Xiedi was crouched low, slinking along the base of a wall. The next, he was performing a textbook tactical roll into a bush, convinced he was the epitome of stealth.

"Don’t let him see me! I’m scared I’ll become part of the meme!!!"

"You’re a guy, and you’re scared too?"

"Holy shit! It’s not like there’s a shortage of perverted memes about him, is there?! Let’s go, let’s go!"

And so, thanks to the terrified "courtesy" of the crowd, Wang Xiedi enjoyed an unobstructed path all the way to the outskirts of the Spirit Beast Garden.

Everyone detoured around him, terrified Wang Xiedi would notice them.

...

Inside the bamboo house, the atmosphere was tense.

After a "heated discussion," the sect’s core figures had finally reached a consensus.

The alchemy maniac, Lu Wu, was the first to step forward. He wiped his usual crazed grin off his face, replacing it with an expression of profound grief.

He then sighed at Su Ling’er, who lay on the bed, and said:

"Junior Sister, regarding your condition... we’ve done all we can.

This illness came on so aggressively... It appears no ordinary elixir can cure it.

Alas... I’m afraid... you don’t have long for this world."

Shi Gandang also stepped forward. His voice was like a booming bell, yet his tone was filled with sorrow:

"This is... the sign of a lamp running out of oil!"

Shen Nong was even more direct, stating with a grief-stricken face:

"Don’t you worry, Junior Sister. We’ll make sure your funeral is a grand affair. You may now go in peace."

Su Ling’er’s ears were ringing.

’Wait... How did you all just sentence me to death?!’

’Why are you already planning my funeral?!’

’Don’t tell me I actually have some terminal illness?’

’I... I’m clearly still alive and well!’

’I’m just pretending to be sick!!!’

’Why do you make it sound like I’ll be six feet under by tomorrow?!’

’Are you here to diagnose me or to curse me to death?!’

"Junior Sister—! Oh, the tragedy!"

"Rest assured, I used to be a professional mourner. At the funeral, I’ll cry even more than your own family!"

"Consider it a complimentary service from your senior brother. I won’t charge you any Spirit Stones, so please, don’t stand on ceremony. I may not have been able to give you anything in life, but I’ll make damn sure you have a dignified departure in death!"

One of them wailed at the junior sister, putting on a tearful performance from the side.

Su Ling’er was so stunned by them she felt like her soul was about to leave her body.

’Do you always jump to conclusions so recklessly?’

’What Senior Brother Shen Nong said before about a "sickness of the heart" sounded perfectly fine to me!’

’You should think more along those lines!’

’I can still be saved!’

’Don’t just send me off to the great beyond, hey!’

She used all her strength to squeeze a weak voice from her throat:

"I... I feel... I feel like you could still try to save me..."

However, her weak protest was dismissed by the others as the delirious rambling of someone experiencing a final burst of energy before death.

Lin Qingfeng stepped forward, looked at her with a grief-stricken face, and then waved to the others.

"You see? Our junior sister has started spouting nonsense. I’m afraid she’s no longer lucid."

"Sigh..."

He turned to the others and began to discuss the arrangements.

"So... sea burial or cremation? Or... should we just give her the whole package?"

"Yes, yes,"

the crowd chimed in.

"Our poor junior sister. She’s completely delirious."

"Don’t worry, Junior Sister. We’ll make sure you have a splendid send-off."

"Junior Sister... where in the Guixi Sect do you want to be buried? Siguoya? The Demon-Locking Tower? We need to pick out a plot with good feng shui for you ahead of time. You’ve always been so diligent, how about we bury you under the Transmission Hall?"

’Wait, this is how you’re choosing my burial plot?’

’And you want to bury me under the Transmission Hall?!’

’My heavens!’

’Do you want me to keep doing missions even after I’m dead?’

’You people are monsters! Aaaahhh!’

"Alas, we should begin the preparations. We must ensure the Holy Daughter has a dignified departure!"

Chatting amongst themselves, the group filed out, leaving only Lin Qingfeng and the completely petrified Su Ling’er.

’Wait... Don’t go!!!’

’I’m really okay... probably...’

’How on earth did you decide I’m about to die?!’

’Why did you just start planning my funeral on your own?!’

’It’s really not that serious!’

’Why do I feel like I’ve successfully captured their attention... but the price is that I’m about to die?’

’No!’

’I don’t want to be cremated!’

’How about... you just kick me out of the sect instead?’

’There’s no need to prepare a funeral for me!’

’Come back!’

’All of you, come back, hey!’

’Can’t you just listen to me for one second!’

’I’m really not that sick!’

The little voice inside Su Ling’er was screaming itself hoarse, but Lin Qingfeng had already walked to her bedside. He sighed with an incredibly sorrowful tone:

"Rest assured, Junior Sister.

In your final days, I, your senior brother, will ensure you have a grand ceremony. I guarantee that I will send you off peacefully, in front of everyone.

I will even personally scatter your ashes into the sea, so you may drift freely in the ocean."

’THAT’S NOT IT, SENIOR BROTHER!!!’

Su Ling’er’s internal screaming grew even louder.

’How have you already moved on to discussing scattering my ashes?!’

’I can really be saved!’

She struggled, crying out to her senior brother in a weak voice:

"Senior Brother... I really... can still be saved... really..."

"I understand. You just don’t want to make your senior brother too sad."

But her senior brother acted as if he hadn’t heard, turning his back, unable to bear looking at her any longer.

His shoulders even began to tremble slightly, as if he were holding back tears.

"Alas... Junior Sister, just... go in peace."

"Don’t worry. After you’re gone, I have already thought of your epitaph."

’You’ve even thought of my epitaph?’

’Senior Brother, be honest. Have you been waiting for me to die this whole time?’

...

「Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Spirit Beast Garden.」

Wang Xiedi took a deep breath and continued his infiltration.

He noticed that none of the senior disciples he’d encountered had spotted him. In fact, whenever he got close, they always seemed to move farther away.

This only served to boost his confidence in his own god-tier stealth skills.

With the sect’s upper echelon focused on their critically ill junior sister, it was the perfect opportunity for him to retrieve the Heart-Connected Fruit and show what he was made of!

As he circulated the Ten Thousand Forms Red Dust Scripture, he felt his entire body surge with power!

It was the power to bravely take responsibility!

The power of a real man!

He executed a tactical roll here, a nimble dodge there. His movements were as smooth as flowing water, a style all his own.

There was just one problem. The Heart-Protecting Mirror on his chest, polished to a brilliant sheen, continuously reflected dazzling glints of light under the morning sun.

From half a mile away, one could see a bright spot of light flashing and dancing wildly between the bushes and trees.

But Wang Xiedi remained completely oblivious. After completing a series of what he considered to be perfect evasive maneuvers, he crouched steadily in a bush and whispered confidently:

"Perfect!"

Then, he poked half his head out of the bush, cautiously observing the situation ahead.

Just then, a group of people emerged from the direction of the Beast Taming House, preparing to leave the Spirit Beast Garden.

Leading them was a sturdy-looking spirit ox.

But what shocked Wang Xiedi was that the spirit ox was carrying an extremely magnificent... jade coffin?!

’What’s going on?!’