Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

"Ahhh—!"

"Oh, Heavens! Why did you let my junior sister’s life be severed on her path to the Celestial Dao!"

"Oh, Earth! Why did you let my junior sister’s soul scatter at Guixi!"

"My Junior Sister, Su Ling’er! Her heart for the Dao was purer than snow, her will as unbending as bamboo! Throughout her life, her diligence was unmatched in the entire sect!"

"They all say the Celestial Dao rewards the diligent. Why, then, could it not tolerate a single soul who strove for greatness?!"

"Oh, Junior Sister! Why did you leave us all alone in this world!"

"This path of cultivation... I can no longer bear it! How I long to follow you—!!!"

The mourning wails, each word a cry of blood-soaked anguish, each note brimming with endless sorrow.

His voice was so sorrowful, his emotions so raw, that all the players present were left utterly stunned.

Quite a few people on site were genuinely swept up in the atmosphere.

"Senior Brother Ji is such a professional mourner. I’m starting to tear up!"

"Yeah, seriously! It’s breaking my heart. Poor Junior Sister died such a horrible death!"

"Oh, Junior Sister, how could you die so horribly!!"

Su Ling’er: "..."

’Thanks a lot, to you and your entire family!’

’I’m not dead yet!’

’And why are you all crying so convincingly this time?!’

Peeking through a small hole, she watched the figure sobbing uncontrollably and went on a frantic tirade in her mind.

’Does your family run a funeral home or something?’

’Could you please do something a living person would do for once?!’

’How can someone be so skilled at professional mourning?!’

Ji’s wails continued, each wave of sorrow more intense than the last.

Lin Qingfeng finally stepped forward, helped him up, and consoled him with a pained expression.

"Junior Brother Ji, my condolences."

"Our Junior Sister’s spirit in the heavens wouldn’t want to see you this distraught."

Su Ling’er was speechless.

’I... I’m a "spirit in the heavens" already?’

’I’m right here in this coffin, and suddenly I’m a "spirit in the heavens"?’

’Have you no shame?’

’You guys have got to be kidding me, right?!’

After comforting Ji, Lin Qingfeng turned to the crowd and shouted:

"And now, the eldest brother shall smash the basin!"

Su Ling’er was stunned.

’Eldest brother?’

’Who’s the eldest brother?’

She watched as Lin Qingfeng took a pre-prepared earthenware basin filled with burning spirit money from a nearby disciple.

He lifted the basin high over his head and then, with great force, smashed it to the ground!

"SMASH—!"

The basin shattered on impact, the crisp sound echoing across the plaza.

"Lift the coffin!"

At the loud command, the ape-like spirit beasts stepped forward once more and steadily lifted the jade coffin.

A funeral procession departed from the main peak’s plaza.

Eldest Senior Brother Lin Qingfeng, clad in mourning robes, personally led the procession, guiding the way for his departed junior sister.

Close behind him was Ji—sobbing so hard he looked on the verge of convulsing—along with several other core disciples of the sect.

Behind them, the ape-like spirit beasts carried the coffin, followed by a vast procession of the sect’s disciples.

Su Ling’er lay in the coffin, staring at its lid, her mind a complete blank.

’Wait... are we starting the procession already?’

’Where are we even going?’

’You haven’t even asked me where I want to be buried!’

The procession slowly "paraded" around the sect.

Ji’s wails echoed along the entire route, never once losing their intensity. His professionalism was simply dumbfounding.

By now, Su Ling’er was just numb and speechless.

She even began to ponder a philosophical question.

’If everyone thinks you’re dead and even throws a grand funeral for you, can you still be considered alive?’

...

The funeral procession continued onward, gradually leaving the sect’s central area. The surrounding mountain forests and trees grew sparse, replaced by a stretch of wilderness.

Su Ling’er peeked out from a hole in the coffin, and her heart suddenly sank.

’This road... I recognize it!’

’This looks like the path to the Yin Spirit Institute!’

’Don’t tell me... are they planning to bury me inside the Yin Spirit Institute?!’

She clearly remembered the last time she’d tried to approach the building, Mr. Qian had barred her way like an impassive gate guardian.

’So this time... will I finally get to find out what’s inside?’

Driven by her goal of buying time for Wang Xiedi and gathering intelligence—as well as a dash of morbid curiosity—Su Ling’er, lying in her jade coffin, was carried to a place she had never truly set foot in before.

The Yin Spirit Institute was just like the Dao-Querying High Platform that had materialized out of thin air during the last Golden Autumn Harvest Festival.

It stood starkly in the middle of the wasteland, seeming less a creation of human hands and more something otherworldly.

The Yin Spirit Institute was an ancient courtyard, its main gate crafted from massive, unidentified dark wood.

Carved upon it were ferocious totems depicting the Night Parade of Hundred Demons and starving ghosts devouring souls.

Every groove of the carvings radiated a sinister energy, perfectly matching the aesthetic of demonic Evil Cultivators.

Su Ling’er couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could this place be connected to the Ghost Spirit Sect that Master mentioned back at Qingxu Temple—the one that specializes in the path of ghosts?’ 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Above the courtyard gate hung a plaque carved from stone.

The three large words "Yin Spirit Institute" were written on it, their strokes so twisted they looked like crawling specters, enough to make one’s skin crawl.

And Mr. Qian still stood before the gate like a statue.

Not a trace of emotion could be seen on his perpetually deadpan face.

When the grand funeral procession arrived, he simply gave a slight raise of his hand, then silently stepped aside to clear the path, showing no intention of stopping them.

Su Ling’er, inside her coffin, was completely bewildered.

’What’s going on?’

’Why did he just move out of the way?’

’Shouldn’t he at least pretend we need some kind of pass to get in?’

’Do dead people get more respect than the living around here?’

’Does this mean if I come back to investigate next time, I’ll be stonewalled again?’

’Oh...’

’Then again,’ she thought, ’maybe it’s because Eldest Senior Brother is personally "escorting" me, and because of this massive funeral procession.’

’Could it be that one of those things, or the combination of both, is the requirement for entry?’

But what was a sinister and terrifying demon’s den in Su Ling’er’s eyes was a completely different scene in the eyes of Lin Qingfeng and the other players.

What they saw was a massive, shimmering screen indicating a dungeon.

[Sect Building: Yin Spirit Institute]

[This Week’s Dungeon: Clash of Red and White · Yellow Springs Road]

...

「Meanwhile.」

Although he was a bit confused by that grand "funeral" procession, Wang Xiedi quickly refocused his attention on the mission.

He still didn’t quite understand which great master of the demonic sect had died to warrant such a grand affair.

But right now, the mission was more important!

He dodged left and right, continuing what he considered to be a flawless infiltration.

The journey was unexpectedly smooth.

Every disciple he encountered along the way gave him a wide berth, keeping a distance of over a hundred zhang and detouring from afar.

Wang Xiedi couldn’t help but feel secretly pleased.

’So this is the defense of an Evil Cultivator sect? So lax! Nothing to write home about!’

He took a deep breath and slipped into the Beast Taming House.

’Senior Sister!’

’Just endure and feign your illness a while longer!’

’And you, the nameless Jade-faced Mantis. Since I, Wang Xiedi, am indebted to you, I will see this through and take full responsibility!’

’Even if I must brave a dragon’s den and a tiger’s lair, I will save you from your suffering!!!’

Wang Xiedi felt a rush of hot blood to his head, his body surging with power!

’Beast Taming House! Here I come!’