Building a sect from scratch.

Chapter 87 I'm going to compete with you lucky guys!
“It’s a bit like a feeling of warmth and joy, like cabbage,” Zhao Qing pointed to the cabbage that was busy eating, and said, “Cabbage is so cute, round and fluffy!”

Bai Cai was just at the age where its ears were standing up, one ear drooping halfway and the other standing upright. When it heard Zhao Qing mention itself, it only twitched the ear that was standing up, without raising its head at all, and was wholeheartedly competing with the dog food that Bai Chenxue had specially made for it.

"I see."

Jin Li, unsure whether he understood or not, gave up after receiving the answer and changed the subject: "I observe that these houses and pavilions are strange and magnificent, with varied styles, and do not seem like a sect or school. This place is probably not the main campus of the Taiyin Sect, is it?"

Bai Chenxue proudly said, "This is our players' territory! Apart from the NPCs' houses, all the houses belong to us players! Everyone has different tastes, so of course they're all different!"

Jin Li had heard Bai Chenxue's "crazy ramblings" before, but she still didn't remember some of the terms, let alone understand: "NPC?"

Bai Chenxue continued to try to explain to Jin Li, whom she thought was an AI, the "fact" that their "AI" was AI, saying, "It's a name. AIs like you are NPCs, and we are players!"

"This child isn't very bright."

Jia Xiaoren pointed to his head at Zhao Qing, his face full of helplessness.

But in fact, Bai Chenxue, who has played many games, has her own set of logic.

Many people might think it's silly to have genuine conversations and interactions with NPCs in games, but Bai Chenxue still enjoys her own way of playing—even game NPCs that only react mechanically to keywords, she imagines as independent individuals. In her world, those virtual data seem to have truly come to life; she often confides her confusion and troubles to these data groups, and also shares her joys and happiness with them.

However, most of the time, these data clusters can only listen silently, unable to provide accurate and targeted responses. This is because the compression of game packages in most games on the market makes them unable to handle highly intelligent AI.

Until the appearance of "Ten Continents Chronicles", Bai Chenxue discovered that the NPCs in it could respond to any conversation!
Even if she tells the NPCs that this is a game world, the NPCs will look at her like she's an idiot!
Of course, Bai Chenxue didn't like being treated like a fool, but she was shocked by the intelligence of the game NPCs in "Ten Continents Chronicle" - they could even understand what "game world" meant, and they could also understand the meaning of "player"!
While Zhao Qing stared in disbelief, Bai Chenxue had already rambled on for quite a while, finally summarizing to Jin Li very bluntly: "So, if you ever need any missions or anything like that, you can just come to me! We've got some connections now, haven't we? It's better to benefit me than others!"

“Well, since that’s the case, I see you’re quite fond of these younger ones of mine. Why don’t you take care of them for a few days so they can get to know you ‘players’ better? Once I move to the Taiyin Sect, I’ll bring them back.” Jin Li paused, then asked, “Would this count as a mission?”

This time, amidst the stunned expressions of all the surrounding players, Bai Chenxue nodded vigorously, exclaiming with delight, "Count it! Of course it counts! As long as there's a reward, it's a mission!"

"Reward... well, I have quite a few treasured century-old bamboo rice, I'll send you some later."

Bai Chenxue immediately cheered, "Wow! Great! Thank you, senior!"

The surrounding players screamed with envy:
"I'll go head-to-head with you lucky guys!"

"Draw your sword, you lucky one!"

"Look at me, senior! I'm cheaper than Cai Cai! And I can't even eat as much as she can!"

"Me! Me! Me! I'm cheaper!"

"You incompetent dog! I'm the cheapest, look at me! I'd even pay a single grain of rice!"

However, amidst the chorus of voices filled with envy, Zhao Qing precisely grasped a key point: "Senior, you said you want to move to our Taiyin Sect?"

Jin Li nodded frankly: "Fellow Daoist Baili's promised salary is truly excellent. Besides, your Taiyin Sect worships the Taiyin Goddess. There's no reason for me to refuse, neither morally nor logically." This was overheard by Wang Ergou, who had rushed over. He immediately broke down in his defenses: "Senior, whatever Senior Sister gives you! I can give you as much! Why don't you come to our Chang'an Sheyi! I'll have all the members enshrine the Taiyin Goddess in their homes! If that's not enough, I'll build a statue of the Taiyin Goddess in the entire square! A statue over ten meters tall!"

"Hmm..." Jin Li found Wang Ergou's appearance somewhat amusing. He deliberately pondered for a moment and said, "Fellow Daoist Baili promised more than ten Taiyin Essences per month, and tripled during festivals. In addition to spiritual springs and pill subsidies, food and lodging are also provided. It is said that there are also performance bonuses and rewards. Although I don't know what they are, they sound like a pretty good deal."

Upon hearing this, many players who had initially been watching the spectacle found themselves caught up in the excitement, their guard suddenly broken.

"Holy crap! Free meals and accommodation? Triple pay on holidays? Plus performance bonuses? This is way better than my current company!"

"I'm so jealous! Even as a pet dog, I don't get the same treatment as the hamsters in the game!"

"It's a golden bamboo cat! What the hell is a hamster?!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ergou instantly calmed down.

No, we really can't compete. If it were just the essence of Yin, it wouldn't be that we couldn't afford it. This stuff can be exchanged in the prestige shop. If we work hard for two days, we can get one. If he mobilizes the members of the community to try their best, we can afford to pay Jin Li's salary every month.

The problem is, he can't guarantee anything else!
Where do players get things like spiritual springs and pill subsidies? Players have to rely on experienced players to painstakingly research the books in their sect's library to get pills! Even then, the pills they refine are utterly terrible; even a dog would shake its head at them. If you take them to Guangcheng Immortal Abode in Taiping Town, the two Du brothers are too embarrassed to laugh and simply say, "Fellow Daoist, we don't accept waste pills here..."

"That……"

Wang Ergou, with a thick skin, managed to ask with difficulty, "So your net worth... is indeed worth it, haha. Do you have any outstanding nephews or nieces whose net worth isn't as outrageous as yours?"

“My juniors have already agreed to Fellow Daoist Baili,” Jin Li smiled. Perhaps seeing Wang Ergou’s miserable expression, he suggested, “However, there are still quite a few demon cultivators in Xizhu Hill. Although their cultivation is lower and they are timid, they can handle some odd jobs. I wonder if you would be willing?”

Wang Ergou was overjoyed: "Yes, yes! What chores? As long as they're willing to come, they'll be the mascot of our community! We're too busy worshipping them to let them do chores!"

"Since that's the case, I'll talk to them about it tonight, and you can come find me at Xizhuqiu tomorrow, how about that?"

"There's no time like the present, I think—oh dear!"

Wang Ergou was worried that things might get complicated and wanted to unilaterally change the date to today, but Zhao Qing stepped on his foot hard. He immediately realized what was happening and changed his tune without changing his expression, saying, "I think tomorrow will be sunny and clear! With a gentle breeze! It will definitely be a good day! Tomorrow is great! Hahaha, great!"

Jin Li couldn't help but laugh out loud, and simply nodded, saying, "Then it's settled!"

"It's a deal! It's a deal!"

……

(End of this chapter)