The two of them arrived at the White Cloud Templeâs Radiant Dawn Hall as they chatted.
Most of the players received their Demonic Sect quests from their sect elders. After looking around the hall that was packed with people, Shen Jingbin dragged her brother towards Song Yuqingâs residence with incomparable joy.
As a Celestial cultivator sect, White Cloud Temple had an otherworldly feel about it. With his position as the Sect Leader, Song Yuqing had an even more sagely look about him.
Sitting upright upon a reed cushion, he wore green daoist robes with his hair tied up into a high bun, preventing any strands from obstructing his face. His eyes were cast downwards, a serene look on his face.
Shen Jingbin held a great of respect for people like him, so she very cleverly gave a bow towards him.
âYouâve come, my disciple.â Song Yuqing gave a very satisfied nod of his head after Shen Jingbin finished her bow and said, âIs this person a disciple of the Swordmaster Pavilion?â
Sensing Song Yuqingâs gaze land on him, Shen Jingchen hurriedly imitated Shen Jingbin and gave him a bow. It was said major NPCs were very intelligent, and from the looks of it, that really seemed to be the case.
âI heard that you were the one who discovered the remnants of the Shinra Sect. Is this true?â
News truly traveled quickly.
Shen Jingbin silently cursed in her heart, but wore the same expression as she respectfully replied, âYes.â
Song Yuqing gracefully stood up from the reed cushion, then straightened his robes. After which, he gave Shen Jingbin a meaningful look and said, âI noticed your peculiar attributes from the first time I met you. Since then, Iâve felt that youâd definitely be able to gain some achievements in the future.â
Shen Jingbin was amazed by Song Yuqingâs eyes that were filled with emotion!
Howâd he manage to pull off such a complicated expression?
Song Yuqing continued without any concern for how she was feeling, âIn the past, Humans, Celestials, and Demons used to live together harmoniously. Hostilities amongst our three races wouldnât have progressed to such a stage if it werenât for the Shinra Sect.â
The two of them nodded their heads.
The great war between the Celestials and the Demons was the initial starting point for the game. However, when the game was released, the administrators only explained the structure of the world and the state of the battle, while its cause was only mentioned in passing. Previously, players who played for the story brought up this issue, but were provided with the same short and cruel reply as always: âPlease investigate the cause of the great battle for yourselves.â A short while later, this answer caused a storm of criticism amongst the questing population of the player base.
However, the number of serious explorers and questers within the game werenât many. Knowing the reason behind the great war wasnât essential to enjoy the meat of the game either, so even after two years of service, the number of players who investigated it were few.
But from the looks of things, it seemed as if the great war was going to be the highlight of the story once again. Itâs no wonder the administrators wanted players to investigate it for themselves.
Upon seeing the bewildered looks on their faces, Song Yuqing paused for a moment before saying, âThere are numerous phenomena in this vast world. In the past, the Humans, Celestials, and Demons walked their own separate paths and coexisted in harmony. However, desire is a truly terrifying thing. At some point, delusions arose from the three races and gave rise to a vain attempt to unify heaven and earth. These individuals founded the Shinra Sect and named themselves the emissaries of the heavens. They claimed that they were here to carry out heavenâs will, and would eliminate any evil. They feasted on the flesh of young children, drank the blood of virgins, and pillaged and slaughtered all who opposed them.â
When he heard that, Shen Jingchen couldnât help but ask, âIs the Shinra Sect really that terrifying? Didnât the six great sects ever think of banding together to fight against them?â
âItâs embarrassing to admit, but even though the six great sects coexist peacefully together, our relations with one another are merely average. At the start, we werenât concerned when the Shinra Sect made its first appearance. We felt that they were just some small-time troublemakers. Afterwards, the situation slowly turned grave. However, no one wanted to be the first to speak under these circumstances, for fear of giving the impression that they were the ones asking for help. Doing so would forfeit their chance to obtain leadership of the coalition, and would land them in a subordinate position amongst the other sects. As time went by, the six great sects were forced into an extremely sorry state. In the end, they had no choice but to join hands and seal the entire sect.â
Shen Jingbin gave a stab as she quietly added, âYour problems will come back to bite you if you donât nip them in the bud.â
Song Yuqing choked and said, âDonât you think weâve been trying to do that? But the Shinra Sect pulled out some strange martial arts from god knows where, preventing us from wiping them out.â
Bullshit. Youâre all NPCs, neither of you can get rid of one another.
âBut what does this have to do with the great war between Celestials and Demons?â
âAfter the war with the Shinra Sect was over, the Sect Leaders from Dragonkin Tower and Nymph Abode found out that the Leader of the Shinra Sect was actually someone from Mara Hall. And, although everyone got a share of the spoils from Shinra Sect, Mara Hall obtained the most benefits. During the war, Dragonkin Tower and Nymph Abode lost no small amount of outstanding disciples. Overcome with rage and humiliation, the two sects started a dispute with Mara Hall and Lich Palace. Demons were always an irascible bunch, they canât stand being criticized for no reason. This ultimately led to both sides lashing out, giving rise to the great war between Celestials and Demons. Nowhere was safe from the ravages of the war. How could our White Cloud Temple and the Swordmaster Pavilion not be affected once war broke out? And thus, we entered the fray as well.â
âThe great war between Celestials and Demons has been at a standstill for many years. Now, with the reappearance of the Shinra Sect, the six greats have joined hands once again. We canât let a repeat of the tragedy from a hundred years ago happen another time.â
âMy disciple Nutjob, listen carefully. We sealed the Shinra Sect in the Extreme Abyss. It is a place rich in negative qi and grudges. As evil practitioners, their violence grows in proportion with the concentration of negative emotions. Their eventual reappearance in this world will definitely lead to a huge calamity. As the Lead Disciple of our White Cloud Temple, you ought to represent our sect and carry out heavenâs will.â
Once he said that, a notification from the system popped up.
âQuest: âInvestigate The Demonic Sectâ â Clear The Demonic Sectâs Dungeons (0/3). Will you accept this quest? Yes/No.â
Once Shen Jingbin accepted the quest, Song Yuqing settled himself back onto the reed cushion and shut his eyes, then said, âOld fogeys like us have been living for far too long. Our era has passed, itâs time for the younger generation to replace us. Be on your way.â
Shen Jingbin clasped her hands towards him and left.
The moment they stepped out of White Cloud Temple, Shen Jingchen asked, âWhat quest did you get? A quest given by the Sect Leader should be special, right?â
âItâs nothing special. Itâs the same unlocking quest that you guys received.â Shen Jingbin waved her hand as she said, âBe mindful of the time, itâs almost time for us to return.â
âAlright, alright. Iâll store some stuff in the bank and log off.â Shen Jingchen hopped onto his mount and shot her a coquettish glance before he said, âDonât forget to raise your levels after the competition is over, your big bro will accompany you on a dungeon run. Muack~â
Shen Jingbinâs body trembled as she felt goosebumps appear due to his behaviour.
PS: Weâre accepting fanart! Yaâll can send in your artwork to[email protected]
PPS: If youâre part of Volareâs discord and want dat cool Nutjob Army tag, just sound off in the TMK channel đ