Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

"Brilliant!"

A nearby disciple’s eyes lit up.

"If he’s still heartbroken over this bug’s ’love,’ then let’s just give him a whole pile of bugs!"

"Then he can pick whichever one he wants! He can fall for any mantis he likes!"

"Wouldn’t that cheer him right up?!"

"Exactly! Let’s do it! It’s not like we have any other options! This is terrifying!!!"

"Still, we should wait for him to wake up and see. Maybe now that the bug’s dead and gone, he’ll just get over it."

"No wonder they call Wang Xiedi ’Mr. Wa’! It all makes sense now!"

"I get the feeling Mr. Wa’s reputation is always getting dragged through the mud, isn’t it?"

"What are you talking about? It’s the absolute truth! I’ll @ the other ’Mr. Was’ who are just like him down below. They’re exactly the same, I swear!"

...

Meanwhile, on Lin Qingfeng and Su Ling’er’s return journey, the scene was even more bizarre than it had been on the way there.

Senior Brother Lin Qingfeng had released several wraiths he had subdued in his soul banner, while Ji wielded a spiritual whip, lashing this new group of "laborers."

The Guixi Sect disciples no longer carried the coffin themselves. On the way back, these ghastly, resentful souls were the ones carrying the jade coffin forward.

If any dared to disobey, the spiritual whip would descend upon them without mercy.

Lying in the coffin, Su Ling’er watched this scene, unsure whether to be happy or sad.

Right now, she just wanted to get out of this godforsaken place. To escape!

’I wonder if Wang Xiedi has succeeded yet?’

’Give me a sign already!’

’I need to find a way to make a miraculous recovery and burst out of this coffin!’

But her current environment was even worse than that of the forced-labor wraiths.

She was sandwiched between three corpses, and as the coffin swayed, she was forced into intimate, all-angles contact with them.

The dried corpse’s sharp fingernails would inadvertently scrape across her cheek.

The ghost bride’s jawbone clacked open and shut with the rhythm of the coffin, making a CREAK CREAK sound, as if laying a venomous curse upon her.

Their heads were even pressed together.

During a particularly violent jolt, Su Ling’er’s body lurched to the side.

The ghost bride’s skull lolled over with her, and a few of its desiccated finger bones shoved themselves perfectly into Su Ling’er’s mouth, which was slightly agape with terror!

"Ngh—!"

Su Ling’er’s eyes flew wide, and her stomach churned violently!

At the very front, one of the coffin-bearing ghosts seemed to notice something.

It glanced back at the jade coffin, only to be whipped back into place by Ji. It could only lower its head and continue onward.

As for Su Ling’er, her mind was now filled with nothing but endless despair...

Just then, through a small hole, she saw Senior Brother Lin Qingfeng seemingly checking some kind of message.

After a moment, an incredibly strange expression appeared on his face.

Lin Qingfeng was heard clearing his throat, then announcing in a tone that was half-suppressed laughter and half-grave sorrow:

"Everyone, I have some unfortunate news."

"Our sect’s Wang Xiedi... has had an accident."

"News just came from the Beast Taming House. Wang Xiedi entered the Beast Taming House for that Jade-faced Mantis."

"It turns out he only found the remains of the Jade-faced Mantis, which had been turned into fertilizer."

"At that very moment, he happened upon a nearby Grievance Beast that had just devoured a Spirit Fruit. Its power surged, and its aura flared outwards."

"Unfortunately, Wang Xiedi was caught by a wisp of that leaking aura and was knocked... out cold."

BZZZZ—!

Inside the coffin, Su Ling’er’s mind went blank.

’What is going on?!’

’What happened to Wang Xiedi?!’

’Didn’t I tell him to go find the Heart-Connected Fruit?’

’Why did he run off to save the Jade-faced Mantis?!’

’You really couldn’t give up on that Jade-faced Mantis, could you?!’

’You didn’t actually fall for it, did you?’

The sarcastic little voice in her head was stomping its feet in fury.

’Can’t you figure out what reproductive isolation is?!’

’Even if you don’t, just look at that Jade-faced Mantis! It doesn’t even look human!’

’How on earth did you mistake it for a beautiful woman?!’

’And all for this stupid little thing?!’

’For one damn bug, you... you’re done for?!’

’You let a bug derail our noble quest!’

’Doesn’t that mean I stalled for time for nothing?!’

’Doesn’t that mean I faked this illness for nothing?!’

’Doesn’t that mean this funeral was held for nothing?!’

’You... Wang Xiedi!’

’I worked so hard to buy you time, and what were you doing?!’

’Just thinking about your stupid mantis!’

’All this suffering I’ve gone through in this coffin... it was ALL—FOR—NOTH—ING! Aaaargh!’

’...Wait!’

Su Ling’er suddenly seized on a key piece of information in Lin Qingfeng’s words.

’...A Grievance Beast devoured a rare Spirit Fruit?’

’Its power surged?’

’Its aura flared outwards?’

’Wang Xiedi was knocked out by that aura...’

’That Spirit Fruit... could it be the [Heart-Connected Fruit]?!’

This thought made her heart sink to the depths.

’Wang Xiedi!!!’

’The Heart-Connected Fruit!’

’You let our only hope slip away, all because of a bug?!’

Amid her anger, Su Ling’er also felt a sliver of relief.

’But this way, they probably won’t punish him for trespassing in the Beast Taming House. At worst, they’ll just think you’re a hopeless pervert...’

’At least his life isn’t in danger.’

’But even though you’re safe, all this effort was for nothing, and I’m still so pissed! Aaaaargh!’

’Aaaaargh—!’

Su Ling’er roared madly in her heart, so angry she nearly threw open the coffin lid and jumped out.

’Since the plan has failed, there’s no point in me continuing to fake this illness!’

She had to get out!

Immediately!

Right now!

"Cough... cough cough..."

She began to let out weak coughs from inside the coffin.

"Se... Senior Brother..."

She used all her strength to make her voice sound like the last gasp of a dying person.

"I... I think... I’m feeling much better..."

Hearing this, Lin Qingfeng walked over to the coffin and knocked on its side.

"Oh? Junior Sister, what did you say?"

"I said! I’m cured!"

Su Ling’er’s voice was a little louder now.

"Just now, in the coffin, I suddenly had an epiphany about the nature of life and death! My heart-sickness... my heart-sickness has been cured without medicine!"

"Thank you all for your concern! Can you let me out now?"

Hearing this, the players crowded around, their faces full of disbelief.

"An epiphany? What a coincidence."

"I don’t think so. Could it be she heard about Wang Xiedi’s ’heroic deeds’ and was shocked out of her mind?"

"I think she’s just trying to slack off! Her plan to get out of work by faking sickness failed, so now she’s trying to bluff her way through with an ’epiphany’!"

Lin Qingfeng also said with a solemn expression, "Junior Sister, an illness of the Dao heart isn’t something that just goes away because you say so."

"Your condition flaring up and down like this is a sign of an unstable Dao heart."

"As your senior brother, I think you should lie in there a while longer to consolidate the results of your epiphany."

"I’m really cured!"

Su Ling’er was on the verge of tears from anxiety.

"I swear! I feel full of energy right now!" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"It was the yin energy from those three... er, three ’fellow Daoists’... it balanced the excessive fire in my body, bringing my yin and yang into harmony. That’s why I’m cured!"

However, no matter how she explained, everyone pretended not to believe her.

In her desperation, Su Ling’er could only play her final trump card!

"I... I can do double the missions today!!"

"No! Triple! I’ll do triple my usual sect missions today to prove I’m completely recovered!"

As soon as she said this, the surroundings fell silent.

All the players revealed satisfied smiles.

Lin Qingfeng stroked his chin and pondered for a moment.

"Hmm... It does sound like you’ve certainly regained your motivation."

"Since Junior Sister has reached such a level of awareness, then as your senior brother, I will trust you this once."

"Open the coffin!"