Chapter 414 - 395: Can’t You All See the Trap in This?

Chapter 414: Chapter 395: Can’t You All See the Trap in This?

"Do you have to slay a Demon King, or perhaps find an ancient treasure for the sect, to be worthy of having such peerless beauties by your side?"

Su Ling’er: "..."

She felt like she was the only normal person, a complete misfit among this crowd.

’How should I know what kind of major contribution?! Eldest Brother gives gifts whenever he feels like it. As long as he’s happy, there’s no rhyme or reason to it! And can’t you people have more normal tastes?!’

’Why is every single one of you so indiscriminate, just like Junior Brother Wang Xiedi? Are all your tastes this perverted? Could the sect’s environment be subtly influencing them? This is terrifying!’

(Wang Xiedi: That’s not true, Senior Sister! I’m not like that!!!)

Faced with everyone’s persistent questions, she could only continue to prevaricate. "The magnitude of one’s contribution is not for you to judge, but lies in the heart of the sect."

"When the time is not right, your deeds are in vain, even if you slaughter gods and demons. When the time arrives, even plucking a weed by the roadside can be an act of supreme merit."

"You all need only cultivate with a peaceful heart and abide by the sect’s rules. When the time comes, you will naturally understand."

...

Su Ling’er watched the "newcomers" who were practically drooling with envy over the Xenomorph and Gaye, and a wave of helplessness washed over her.

’This won’t do! These people’s minds work in a strange way! I have to make them feel the blatant class oppression of a demonic sect, both mentally and systematically!’

She glanced at the sky. The sun was already beginning to set in the west.

’Sigh...’ she sighed to herself.

’It’s getting late. Most of these three hundred-plus people are mortals. They need to get some food in their stomachs.’

’Cultivators can abstain from food, but mortals need their daily grain. Perfect. I can take them to *that* place and let them experience firsthand what "inequality" truly means!’

"Everyone, keep up! I’m taking you to eat!"

Su Ling’er took the lead once again, sighing all the way as she led the massive group toward the Dining Pavilion.

The moment the three hundred-plus people heard they were going to eat, their spirits lifted. The mortals, in particular, were famished after a long day of being frightened and forced to walk.

When they saw the magnificent building called the "Dining Pavilion" in the distance and smelled the waves of fragrant food wafting from it, they all grew incredibly excited, their steps becoming a little lighter.

Meanwhile, the undercover Cultivators planned to use this opportunity to investigate the Guixi Sect’s true standard of food. After all, a sect’s cuisine was a reflection of its foundation and resource reserves.

The group walked into the Dining Pavilion, and the sight before them left everyone stunned once again.

The interior of the Dining Pavilion was enormous, roughly divided into three distinct areas.

Near the entrance was the [Mortal Food Area]. The environment was a bit noisy, with steam rising from dozens of large, ordinary iron pots. Although most disciples were out on training excursions, making it less boisterous than usual, there were still twenty to thirty disciples eating here, or "AFK-training" by the stoves, cultivating some kind of culinary art.

Separated by a magnificent screen was the [Spiritual Food Area]. This place was quiet and elegant. The tables and chairs were all made of spiritual wood. On the wooden plaques hanging on the wall, dish names and their staggering prices were written in vermilion: [Steamed Dragon Saliva Fish: Eighty low-grade Spirit Stones], [Braised Fire Crow Heart: Sixty low-grade Spirit Stones]...

And in the deepest part of the Dining Pavilion were several [Private Rooms] constructed from Exorcism Divine Thunder Bamboo. Their doors were shut tight, giving them an air of nobility and mystery.

Su Ling’er looked at the familiar scene and sneered inwardly.

’Look at this! The demonic sect’s classic "carrot and stick" routine! I’ll show you! Here, you’re nothing but the donkeys turning the millstone!’

She pointed to the three areas and began her lesson on "class division." "This is our sect’s Dining Pavilion."

"The outermost area is the [Mortal Food Area], meant for newcomers like you and those who don’t wish to spend too much on food to fill their bellies. While many things here are free to eat, some items still require Spirit Stones to purchase."

"The middle area is the [Spiritual Food Area]. Only disciples who have performed meritorious service for the sect and are wealthy are qualified to dine here."

"As for the innermost area," she glanced at the private rooms, "that is a place exclusively for esteemed guests. It’s not a place someone of your standing can even dream of. A single dish there costs thousands or even tens of thousands of Spirit Stones."

"Remember! Right now, you are only fit to eat in the [Mortal Food Area]! If you want to taste Spiritual Food in the future, if you want to sit in those private rooms, then you’ll have to sell your lives to the sect! You’ll have to trade your blood, sweat, and Spirit Stones for that insignificant privilege!"

’Do you hear that? This is blatant exploitation! They’re treating you like donkeys with a carrot you can never reach dangling in front of you, making you turn the millstone for the sect until you die! Quick! Feel the injustice and despair, then rise up and rebel... ah, no, I mean, flee this place!’

However, her speech, filled with such painstaking good intentions, was once again perfectly understood by the crowd behind her!

Far from feeling oppressed, those who were new to the path of immortality were moved to tears.

"Heavens! Did you hear that? The Mortal Food Area... actually has a lot of free food!" an sharp-eyed mortal shouted excitedly, pointing to a "New Item Tasting" sign in the Mortal Food Area.

"For real? Let me see! My god, not only is it free, but you can even get Spirit Stones for eating some of it? This... This Guixi Sect is practically a charity!"

"The rich eat better, the poor eat regular food... isn’t that normal? It was the same at the grand restaurants in Pingyang City where I’m from. But here, they even provide us with free meals! And the food we had at the entrance earlier was just as delicious as what you’d get at a restaurant! This is what an Immortal sect is! I was born a person of this Immortal sect, and I’ll die a person of this Immortal sect! Though it’s probably best not to die!"

"Waaaah... I’m so moved! At the [Iron Bone Sect] I originally wanted to join, I heard outer disciples have to spend their own copper coins to buy food! Compared to this, it’s like heaven and earth!"

The cultivators from both the righteous and demonic paths, on the other hand, were so shocked by the Guixi Sect’s "inhumanly extravagant" wealth that their scalps tingled.

’That food over there, that’s... Spiritual Food! They actually made Spiritual Food into everyday dishes and clearly marked the prices?!’

’Eighty Spirit Stones for a single fish?! Do they think Spirit Stones are cabbages?! Back in my old sect, a whole month’s salary, from doing missions nonstop, would only be about a hundred Spirit Stones! Is that only enough for one meal here?!’

(Su Ling’er: I used to only get three!)

’The Guixi Sect... is truly loaded! What a miserable life I used to live! I had to suck up to the deacon elder just for a monthly stipend of twenty Spirit Stones!’

’Sigh! My old sect has ruined my life! I beg the Celestial Dao to send down a divine thunderbolt and blast that pathetic sect of mine into oblivion! Set me free!’

And so, a bizarre scene unfolded.

Everyone below, mortals and Cultivators alike, bowed deeply to Su Ling’er and praised her in unison: "Thank you for your guidance, Miss Su! We know our status is low. To be able to fill our stomachs in the Mortal Food Area is already a blessing from the heavens! We would never dare to dream of anything more!"

"Rest assured, Miss Su! We will dedicate ourselves to the sect and strive to earn the right to taste Spiritual Food as soon as possible!"

Su Ling’er almost choked.

’What the?! Can’t you see the exploitative logic of the demonic path hidden in all this?!’

’Are you really willing to accept such unequal treatment?!’

’Haven’t you realized that they’re deliberately using the Spiritual Food Area and the private rooms to tempt you, all so you’ll work yourselves to death for the sect like donkeys turning a millstone?!’

’It’s over. These people’s brains have been completely addled by the ’benefits’! This won’t do. I have to use some drastic measures and give them a taste of true suffering!’

’What should I do? What should I do?’

’That’s it!’

An idea flashed in Su Ling’er’s mind. She remembered the dark culinary creation that Eldest Brother had once used to test her—the [Abyssal Squirming Brain]!

She remembered that not only was that stuff free, but you even got a reward for taste-testing it!

She immediately began searching the tasting area of the Mortal Food Area. Finally, in a corner, she saw a disciple with a vacant look in his eyes.

He was sitting cross-legged behind a stall. On his stall sat a plate of... a black, continuously squirming, unidentified object. Next to it stood a sign.

Su Ling’er’s heart leaped with joy. ’Found it!’

She strode over, ready to follow her Eldest Brother’s example and subject these three hundred-plus people to the same kind of "carrot and stick" test. The only difference was, she only had the stick, no carrot!

However, when she saw the words on the sign clearly, her smile froze.

The sign read: [Abyssal Squirming Brain (New Formula, Improved Texture)], Tasting Price: One Spirit Stone per serving.

Su Ling’er’s mouth twitched. ’What? Wasn’t this thing that looks impossible to swallow free before? Didn’t they even pay you to eat it? They’re actually charging for this disgusting dark culinary creation?!’

’There’s no other way! To save these three hundred-plus souls from going astray, to make them understand the wickedness of a demonic sect!’

Gritting her teeth, Su Ling’er took out a small pouch from her storage bag, the pain written all over her face.

She angrily pulled out over three hundred low-grade Spirit Stones and slammed them onto the stall!

"Three hundred and twenty-four Spirit Stones! Give me three hundred and twenty-four servings!"

In the distance, the new disciples watched this scene, their faces filled with confusion.

They only saw that after walking a lap around the Dining Pavilion, the aloof Miss Su had actually opened her own purse and taken out a large bag of faintly glowing stones!

’Those must be Spirit Stones!’

Miss Su was actually buying a serving of what looked like very high-class food for each of the three hundred-plus people who had just joined the sect!

In an instant, everyone’s heart was once again filled with shock and emotion.

’Miss Su... To make sure that we newcomers could have a good meal, Miss Su actually... actually went to such an expense!’

’Those are Spirit Stones! The legendary currency used only by Immortals! And she just spent so many for our sake!’

’How can we ever repay such kindness?! As long as our future missions aren’t life-threatening, we will spill our blood and brains for Miss Su and the Guixi Sect without hesitation!’

Su Ling’er felt the gazes on her back growing somewhat scorching. When she turned around, she was met with a tidal wave of grateful looks.

Su Ling’er: "?!!!"