But, Junior Sister, You're Different

"Junior Sister, I know you still have questions."

"Are you wondering why your senior brothers and sisters are trying so hard... to encourage you?"

"Because this is the 'tradition' of our Gui Xi Sect."

Of course, this "tradition" had only been established today. When it would be scrapped depended on the circumstances.

"We're simply passing on to you the 'conviction' we had when we walked this path ourselves."

"We want you to understand that on this lonely path to the Dao, you are not alone."

"The entire sect is your strongest support!"

"Do you understand now?"

Lin Qingfeng spread his arms as if embracing the whole world. His dark robes fluttered gently in the breeze.

At that very moment, the light fell just right, making Senior Disciple Brother seem truly magnificent and noble.

Su Ling'er: "..."

I understand!

I understand all too well!

You're torturing me! You're the harbingers of my doom!

And the "entire sect is my support"?

Could you make the senior brothers and sisters behind you look a little more lively?

Could you make them look like normal people?!

And the "entire sect is my support"?

Are you worried I won't run fast enough, so the whole sect will chase me down and turn me into a "human-shaped flying sword"?

You devil, do you have even a shred of conscience?!

This sect is beyond saving!!!

Su Ling'er took a deep breath and once again wore an expression of sudden enlightenment.

"Senior Disciple Brother, I... I understand everything!

"You're all doing this for my sake. I'm truly... truly so moved!"

When are you flies finally going to buzz off?!

And so, Senior Disciple Brother and Junior Sister finally reached the herb garden, followed by a group of AFK disciples.

Seeing this brand-new task, Junior Sister's taut nerves relaxed a little.

At least it was better than facing endless fallen leaves and a water vat that could never be filled.

She looked toward the herb garden and saw several figures who weren't sect disciples, but spirit beasts.

Several burly spirit beasts that looked like wild boars were pulling plows and working diligently in the fields.

Wherever they went, the soil was neatly turned over, then smoothed out on its own.

Beside the herb garden, a single water monkey lounged with a blade of grass in its mouth, keeping an eye on the plowing boars to make sure none of the spirit beasts slacked off.

Only now did she truly see how the Gui Xi Sect used spirit beasts to till its herb garden.

Last time, she had only hurriedly glimpsed a few spirit beasts in the garden and hadn't noticed what they were doing.

Now she could see everything clearly.

But Su Ling'er's steps stopped where she stood.

She looked down at the task on her jade slip, which required her to turn over the herb garden, then at her own hands. It felt as if a stone were lodged in her chest, leaving her stifled and uneasy.

Why were they using spirit beasts to turn over the herb garden?

Why did she have to do it herself?

Did they consider her no different from these spirit beasts?

She was at least a cultivator at Qi Refining Great Perfection!

After thinking it over, she understood.

That's right!

It had to be!

Everything the sect had done so far was part of one scheme, each step leading into the next.

First, they made her spirit grow numb through endless repetitive labor.

Then they sent her to work where these spirit beasts were doing their jobs.

They were trying to make disciples with cultivation realize where they stood!

No matter how powerful their cultivation was, they were nothing but tools the sect could discard at will.

Their status was no different from that of these enslaved spirit beasts.

The only difference was that the beasts looked like animals, while they looked like people.

Step by step, they were taming the new disciples, turning them into spirit servants who could only obey their masters, leaving them without the slightest sense of self.

They might even take it upon themselves to act as overseers when no one was watching, supervising those lower down the hierarchy and making them serve the sect.

She felt just like that water monkey watching over the boars.

No, the water monkey was probably like Senior Disciple Brother right now.

And she was nothing but one of those plowing boars.

Heavens above!

This sect's methods for manipulating people's hearts are truly vicious!

If I weren't so perceptive...

If I weren't a spy sent by Qing Xu Temple...

If I were just an ordinary Junior Sister who wanted to join an Immortal Sect, I'd probably have been completely tamed by this Demonic Sect before I even noticed!

What other darkness was hidden behind this Demonic Sect?

How many more truths were being kept from the light?

"Junior Sister."

A voice sounded behind her. Lin Qingfeng had suddenly appeared behind her once again.

His voice startled Junior Sister so badly that she broke into a cold sweat.

Senior Disciple Brother, why are you back to this bad habit again?

Could you stop appearing behind people out of nowhere?!

Junior Sister felt helpless.

For some reason, Senior Disciple Brother seemed to especially enjoy suddenly appearing behind her.

She couldn't understand it.

As expected, the Evil Cultivators of the demonic path had strange, illogical ways of thinking.

Lin Qingfeng clasped his hands behind his back. His gaze swept over the spirit servants, but his face betrayed not the slightest hint of anything unusual.

"You're wondering why they can have their spirit servants do the work, while you have to do everything yourself?"

Of course I know!

This is your Demonic Sect's elaborate scheme, a way to control the minds of us new disciples, step by step!

But she still put on an expression that said, "This disciple is ignorant. Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

Lin Qingfeng gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, though inwardly he sighed.

I don't have a choice either.

Those are the disciples' private property, acquired after they spent money. They bought them with spirit stones, and all the proceeds belong to them.

Spirit servants can certainly do the work, but they don't earn Contribution Points for the sect. That's all the players' own production, used to harvest Spiritual Grass and other spirit plants.

This is a sect task. The public fields that need turning belong to the sect.

Besides, the task rules say you can't have spirit servants do it for you, and you can't use any outside help. You have to do it yourself, with your own hardworking hands.

Otherwise, how are you supposed to earn all five hundred thousand Contribution Points?

And how else is our sect supposed to prosper?

Ah, forget it.

I'll just have to rely on my dependable Senior Disciple Brother here to talk this up until you're convinced and happily set off to work, feeling as refreshed as if you were basking in a spring breeze.

Then he found the perfect angle and once again clasped his hands behind his back, gazing up at the sky.

He cleared his throat, and a look of compassion appeared on his face.

"You've only seen the surface, not the root of the matter."

"They use spirit servants to till their fields for 'personal gain,' and keep whatever they harvest for themselves."

"That's a lesser path. There's nothing wrong with it, but it lacks vision."

"But Junior Sister, you're different."

"What you're turning over with your own hands is the sect's 'public field.'

"Every drop of sweat you shed pours your heart and soul into strengthening the sect's foundations.

"The Spiritual Grass grown here will one day be made into pills, bestowed upon every meritorious member of the sect."

"They pursue the lesser self, while you follow the path of the 'greater self.'"

"Junior Sister, you're so clever. Surely you understand the importance of this distinction by now?"

"Rest assured, the sect won't treat you unfairly!"

Hurry up and finish this job.

Once you see the rewards, I'm sure you won't be so gloomy anymore!