Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

"..."

"..."

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

Su Ling’er stared at the scene before her.

Eldest Brother Lin Qingfeng was also, for once, completely petrified.

’This... What in the world is going on?!’

A storm raged in Su Ling’er’s heart.

’Have those fiends from the Beast Taming House secretly been conducting fusion experiments between humans and demon beasts?!’

’Did they modify a demon beast’s face to look human just to satisfy some... unspeakable, twisted fetish?!’

The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Given the way this demonic sect operated, something like this was completely within the realm of possibility!

Just then, that fiend named Yan Buliu sidled up to them again.

He looked at the scene, gave a wry smile, and then made a gesture Su Ling’er didn’t understand.

In reality, Yan Buliu was taking a screenshot.

He then casually posted the explosive image to the sect’s channel.

The title was: **

After posting, he chuckled, gave Eldest Brother and the others a wave, and slipped into the Beast Taming House to discuss the Spirit Fruit business with Wang Xian, leaving a legend in his wake.

In an instant, the sect channel exploded.

[Yan Buliu: [Screenshot]]

[Yan Buliu: The new junior brother is named Wang Xiedi... You guys get it.]

[Shen Nong: He’s not an undercover agent sent by the Dawa Sect to slander us, is he?]

[Yan Buliu: Nah, just a native NPC.]

[Lu Wu: Holy shit! His first move is already something us mere mortals can only dream of!]

[Flame Wolf: Isn’t this that one plotline with Shinpachi from Gintama? HEY!!! I have a really bad feeling about this.]

[Lu Wu: Holy shit! I remember now! Isn’t that the part where Shinpachi accidentally touches the Bread Demoniun, then starts imagining it as a young girl and falls into a short-lived first love? No way, no way! It can’t really be happening, can it?]

[Shen Nong: Well, if they’re calling him Mr. Wa, it’s not impossible. It’s his own fault for having a name like that.]

[Lu Wu: Bump this up! Don’t let the Guild Leader see!]

[Ji: +1]

[Yan Buliu: +1]

[...: +1]

Meanwhile, at the center of the incident, Wang Xiedi finally came to his senses. He scrambled out from under the mantis.

’I... What have I done?!’

’An insect?! Was that an accident?! Or... a collision of fates?!’

The Heart-Protecting Mirror had taken a blow, and Wang Xiedi’s mind felt dazed as a result.

"My... That was my first time..."

Su Ling’er’s scalp tingled with horror.

’Why... How could he make an accident sound so much like the opening scene of a romance novel?! Then again... I guess he’s not wrong.’

Just then, the Jade-faced Demon Mantis tilted its head and let out a "CHIRP CHIRP" sound.

’No... What is this?!’

’What the hell did the Beast Taming House even create?!’

But in that instant, Wang Xiedi’s expression became incredibly strange.

A faint light flashed from within the Heart-Protecting Mirror.

And so, the "CHIRP CHIRP" sound was seemingly translated in Wang Xiedi’s ears into the shy words of a young girl:

("...I know this is sudden... but that was my first time, too.")

’Huh? What’s going on?’

Wang Xiedi was baffled.

’Can I understand the words of a spirit beast? And this mantis is sentient? Does that mean... I have to take responsibility?’

His grandfather’s words echoed in his mind again: a man must always be brave enough to take responsibility!

’Since she’s sentient, then I...’ Looking at the mantis before him, Wang Xiedi kept replaying his grandfather’s words, forcing himself to accept the situation.

Then, the faint light flashed from the Heart-Protecting Mirror again, and Wang Xiedi froze.

The mantis before him seemed to have changed its appearance.

He didn’t know if it was the Heart-Protecting Mirror or his own mind playing tricks on him. Why did the mantis seem to be getting prettier and more delicate the longer he looked? Why was he seeing the face of a young girl on it?

(Mantis-girl)

’Could this be a manifestation of her inner soul? Is she crying out to me for help through this ugly shell?’

The female mantis continued to "CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP," which he heard as: ("Actually... actually... just now... Thank you. For letting me... experience this feeling... at the end of my life...")

’The end of her life? What does she mean?’

’No matter what, Grandfather said that once you’ve done something, even if it wasn’t your intention, you must take full responsibility!’

Lin Qingfeng leaned closer to Su Ling’er. "Hey, what’s up with this junior brother? Do you have any idea what’s going on?"

Su Ling’er was just as shocked. How could she possibly understand!

’This is so wrong! What kind of weirdo did the Sect Leader send to be an undercover agent?!’ She felt like the entire world had gone mad!

"I... I think... Junior Brother might have been... repressing himself for too long?"

"Repressed?" Lin Qingfeng nodded thoughtfully, seeming to agree with her. "You’re right, that’s very possible. I think someone once said that all psychological problems stem from... uh... repression." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"No, I have to see what this mantis looks like through his eyes."

Eldest Brother then pulled a purple crystal—a drop from a previous event boss—out of his storage pouch and aimed it at Wang Xiedi.

[Purple Crystal: Wolf’s Peep]

A purple light shot out, projecting an illusory screen above the crystal. Displayed on the screen was the very scene that Wang Xiedi was seeing!

Su Ling’er and Eldest Brother leaned in for a look and immediately gasped.

In Wang Xiedi’s point of view, the Jade-faced Demon Mantis had transformed into a pitiably beautiful... mantis-girl with a human face?!

"Oho," Lin Qingfeng let out a sound of admiration. "Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. Fucking awesome. How did he manage to see it like that?"

"But... our junior brother doesn’t have bad taste. She’s actually pretty cute. Nice beauty filter."

"It’s just that this whole plot feels kinda familiar, you know?"

"Huh?!" Su Ling’er stared at her Eldest Brother in astonishment.

’Cute?! You call that cute?!’

’A human face on an insect’s body, and you don’t find that bizarre?! Is there something wrong with you?! Everyone in this demonic sect, from top to bottom, has a warped sense of aesthetics!’

On the screen, the "mantis-girl" chirped shyly, as if asking: ("You... you’ll take responsibility for me, won’t you?")

Wang Xiedi’s expression became incredibly resolute. He answered with conviction, "I... I... I will!"

This scene shattered Su Ling’er’s worldview all over again.

"Eldest Brother,"

"How about... when we have a moment, we just kick him out of the sect and send him down the mountain?"

’Let him hurry up and leave this godforsaken place with his intel!’

’If he stays any longer, his Dao heart is going to be twisted into a pretzel!’

"No," Lin Qingfeng refused flatly. "We’re short-staffed right now. Let him stay."

His junior sister looked at her Eldest Brother with disbelief.

’Short-staffed! There are so many people in the sect! Like hell we’re short-staffed!’

Just then, the Beast Taming House overseers finally arrived. They roughly looped a chain around the Jade-faced Mantis and began to drag it away by force.

"CHIRP! CHIRP CHIRP!"

("You have to come save me! Don’t leave me in this den of demons...")

"No!!"

Filled with grief and fury, his eyes wide with rage, Wang Xiedi was about to charge forward, but Lin Qingfeng’s reflexes were faster. He grabbed him and held him back.

Wang Xiedi kept reaching desperately towards the Beast Taming House, looking like a man possessed.

But he was powerless.

In the end, he was forcibly dragged away from the chaotic scene by his Eldest Brother and Junior Sister, one on each side, his cries echoing behind him.