This is just the beginning!
Lin Bai chuckled inwardly.
See? I told you emotions were the easiest to manipulate, especially those of a naive young Scholar like him, full of dreams. Just target his dreams, and every blow will land perfectly!
With the reward (Spirit +1) distributed, Lin Bai felt as if he had drunk a can of Red Bull; his spirits immediately soared.
The fatigue he had felt since transmigrating was swept away.
The effect was instantaneous.
Striving is so lame; golden fingers and transmigrators are the perfect match!
"Lin Bai, I considered you a confidant! Why would you concoct such a story to humiliate me?" Luo Congwen's eyes were red, and he was panting heavily, clearly enraged to the extreme. He glared at Lin Bai and said sternly, "You know the status of the Luo Family in Jiamucheng. If you had told me the original story properly, I might have let it slide. But if you continue to fabricate things randomly, I won't let you leave Luo Mansion."
My personal freedom is being restricted just for telling a story?
Were there no human rights in ancient times?
Having some understanding of social structures, Lin Bai knew Luo Congwen was telling the truth. At least within Jiamucheng, the Luo Family's young master could indeed do as he pleased.
But am I afraid?
If I were, I wouldn't have entered Luo Mansion in the first place!
Besides, I have my golden finger now.
Fortune is found in peril.
「...」
[Negative Emotion Subquest activated. Collect ten instances of negative emotions directed at you. Reward: Spirit +3.]
After the initial task was completed, the Emotional System immediately issued a follow-up.
Looking at the furious Luo Congwen, Lin Bai cupped his fists. "Brother Luo..."
Luo Congwen, still reeling from the story, cut him off coldly, "Don't call me Brother Luo. What right does a mere storyteller like you have to address me as a brother?"
"I am not a storyteller," Lin Bai stated calmly.
"Oh? And what impressive background could you possibly have then?" Luo Congwen sneered.
Lin Bai tapped the table leisurely. "I was summoned by your esteemed father."
"My father?" Luo Congwen was stunned.
Lin Bai sighed with a nod, silently pulling off a seniority gag. He continued, "Young Master Luo, don't you find my appearance here a bit too coincidental?"
Luo Congwen stared at Lin Bai, lost in thought. Then, his expression suddenly turned grim.
Lin Bai sighed again. "Brother Luo, you have the county examinations next year, yet you spend all day neglecting your proper duties, only thinking of seeking immortals and pursuing the Dao. Old Master Luo is worried that if you continue like this, you'll ruin your prospects, so he asked me to come and reason with you."
Luo Congwen snorted. "So, you concocted this story just to disgust me?"
"This isn't a story; it's something that truly happened. When Ning Caichen was found, what had become of him... was too gruesome to behold..." Lin Bai closed his eyes, as if unwilling to recall the horrific scene, and sighed. "Brother Luo, seeking immortals and pursuing the Dao isn't as wonderful as the storybooks make it out to be. Those who succeed in Cultivation are not necessarily virtuous. Before becoming Immortals, they are, first and foremost, human. And humans are driven by emotions and desires. Just like you, Young Master Luo—if you truly succeed in your Cultivation in the future, will you forget your parents?"
Luo Congwen remained silent.
"Obviously not," Lin Bai said, shaking his head. "Resources in the Cultivation World are limited. To seize the finite Magic Treasures, medicinal herbs, and opportunities for immortality, the law of the jungle is the norm.
Longevity itself is mankind's ultimate form of greed. If Cultivators truly sought tranquility and inaction, they would naturally live, age, sicken, and die, rather than scheme for longevity.
Seeking longevity is inherently an act of defying Heaven. The desires of Immortals who pursue it are even stronger than those of mortals. When mortals compete for resources, their weakness forces some restraint. But Cultivators, possessing abilities far beyond ordinary people—why would they restrain their desires?
Brother Luo, what does a vast fortune mean in the eyes of a Cultivator?
If you truly encountered a Sword Immortal, what makes you think they would give you special treatment? Wake up! Most of the time, Ning Caichen's fate is the ultimate end for naive and ignorant fools like you."
"I don't believe it!" Luo Congwen's expression was contorted.
"I have even more secrets of the Cultivation World. Foul-smelling zombies donning painted skins to seduce Scholars, then skinning them alive and digging out their hearts when they're lost in lust. Monsters transforming into Buddhas, laying traps for young Cultivators to absorb their Yang Gang Qi..." Lin Bai casually rattled off a few more plot summaries. In each, the young Scholar invariably fell prey to lust, that bone-scraping blade.
"Say no more." Luo Congwen looked at Lin Bai, his face expressionless. "You may leave. Tell Old Master Luo that my Dao heart is firm, and I will not turn back."
Heh, this kid! Lin Bai thought. Weren't you just thinking of detaining me? And now you're actively trying to send me away? Is that all the brains he has?
An ordinary person would have seized the opportunity to leave gracefully.
But Lin Bai was no ordinary person.
He possessed the pride of a transmigrator; his skills might not be lofty, but his audacity certainly was.
Staring at Luo Congwen, Lin Bai continued to play his fabricated role, speaking with painstaking earnestness, "Brother Luo, listen to my advice. The Cultivation World is too treacherous; it's not for you. Studying hard for the exams is the proper path. A Scholar who spends all day dreaming about Cultivation is even more of a laughingstock than a merchant. You'll very likely end up being ravaged like Ning Caichen and ultimately die a violent death..."
"SCRAM!" Luo Congwen was beside himself with anger, slamming his teacup to the ground. He pointed at Lin Bai, his lips trembling. "I told you to scram, didn't you hear me? Immediately! At once! Disappear from my sight!"
[Anger from Luo Congwen, +1]
With these successive gains, Lin Bai was even less inclined to leave. He looked stubbornly at Luo Congwen. "Brother Luo, I cannot leave. I swore a military pledge to Old Master Luo that I wouldn't leave until I persuade you. Otherwise, Old Master Luo won't give me my payment. So, let's continue our discussion about the Cultivation World!
Desperate diseases require desperate remedies. The reason you yearn for Cultivation is your lack of understanding of the Cultivation World. I know many more tragic tales of Cultivators; let's take our time, and I'll tell them to you..."
It was as if Luo Congwen's lungs had been pierced.
His face dark, Luo Congwen fished out a silver note from his sleeve and thrust it at Lin Bai. "Take the money and SCRAM!"
[Anger from Luo Congwen, +1]
"Old Master Luo promised me one hundred taels," Lin Bai said, looking at the silver note without batting an eyelid.
SWISH!
Three more silver notes appeared, each a fifty-tael denomination.
"Two hundred taels!" Without allowing any argument, Luo Congwen stuffed the silver notes into Lin Bai's hand, gritting his teeth. "Take the silver and disappear at once!"
And just like that, I've got the capital to open a restaurant!
Lin Bai smiled, leisurely tucked the silver notes into his clothes, and cupped his fists to Luo Congwen again. "Brother Luo, your Dao heart is indeed firm. Truly admirable. I shall take my leave now. Even if the business deal falls through, goodwill remains. If Brother Luo wishes to hear more stories in the future, feel free to find me anytime!"
After saying this, Lin Bai rose and walked out. The Emotional System once again harvested a portion of anger from Luo Congwen.
「...」
Lin Bai was in an excellent mood.
The rewards from the golden finger were secondary; the crucial part was the confidence it instilled in him.
Lin Bai's original plan hadn't been nearly this audacious. He had genuinely intended to build a good rapport with Luo Congwen and proceed cautiously. After all, a transmigrator only has one life; if squandered, it's gone for good.
But after the System attached itself to him, it merely issued a few simple tasks that forcibly turned him into a radical risk-taker.
Most importantly, he had succeeded.
Not only had he completed the task, but he had also acquired start-up funds for his future endeavors.
This unexpected taste of success swiftly eroded Lin Bai's firm willpower, causing him to quickly become lost in the wonderful sensations brought by his golden finger.
Lin Bai wasn't worried about his scheme being exposed. Luo Congwen, who was wholeheartedly focused on Cultivation, didn't have a good relationship with his father.
Theoretically, the young Scholar wouldn't bother his father to verify such a trivial matter.
Taking a step back, even if his con was somehow exposed, Lin Bai believed he could handle it.
Through his 'experiment' with Luo Congwen, he'd found the System's tasks surprisingly easy to manage.
Perhaps by the time Luo Congwen figures things out, I'll have already grown into a formidable figure the Luo Family can't afford to offend!
It had to be said, a golden finger truly endowed one with immense confidence.
「...」
House servants rushed past Lin Bai one after another, chattering excitedly, as if something major had occurred.
Lin Bai stopped one of the courtyard guards. "What's happened?"
The guard recognized Lin Bai, knowing he had been spending time with their young master recently. Not daring to be disrespectful, he stopped and said deferentially, "To answer your question, sir, everyone's gone to see the lecher."
"Lecher?" Lin Bai was stunned. They have those in ancient times, even in broad daylight?
Seeing Lin Bai's confusion, the guard patiently explained, "Young Master, you haven't been out recently, so you might not be aware of the situation outside. Over the past couple of days, many strange things have happened in the city. Someone's chickens were senselessly hacked to death, someone else jumped from the city tower and died, and others have been molesting young ladies and married women on the streets, causing widespread panic. The city's constables have been driven mad trying to apprehend the culprits, arresting people everywhere. And look, they just caught another one..."
What in the world?
Lin Bai was dumbfounded.
Is there another new transmigrator? Or do other people have Systems too?
He couldn't help but speculate along these lines.
After all, he had only transmigrated to this world seven days ago, and just today, he himself had been saddled with what felt like innumerable Systems!
The bizarre incidents the guard described... both transmigrators and System holders were capable of such acts.
A System could issue any kind of bizarre task, and if one carried it out recklessly, their behavior would undoubtedly make them look like a complete lunatic.
Seeing Lin Bai standing there dazedly and no longer asking questions, the guard hesitated for a moment, cautiously backed away a few steps, then turned and ran out of the courtyard to join the crowd.
Lin Bai snapped back to his senses and quickly followed. During his three days at Luo Mansion, it seemed he had missed a lot.
If those troublemakers outside are indeed like me, it could actually be a good thing.
Whether their experiences turn out to be good or bad, they'll offer valuable lessons for my own future development. At the very least, I can learn to avoid many pitfalls.