Lin Xiaohe’s time on Viltara Star had been far from pleasant.
She had been tailing that female summoner, hoping to track down Neptune’s lair, only to discover that the woman was nothing more than a small-time nobody. This ritual had been her most successful one yet—a complete fluke, the kind of dumb luck that could never be replicated a second time.
Giving up on the tail, Lin Xiaohe instead roamed Viltara Star’s local network with Xinbao.
Viltara Star was just like countless other planets in the Fifth Star Ring—a happy hunting ground for all sorts of cults and sects. Besides Neptune and the Ninth Heaven, there were also strange niche groups like the Lying Flat Sect, the Zombie Sect, and other oddball factions.
To win over followers, these sects not only posted all sorts of speeches on the local network but also held private conventions. Some would hand out “doctrine packages” to attendees, which contained not only their religious texts but also nutritional supplements, supermarket coupons, and the like.
This had given rise to a peculiar phenomenon—professional followers and part-time followers.
The professional ones were devout believers, willing to die for their sect and even donate their entire life savings. The part-timers were different. They might follow Neptune today, switch to the Lying Flat Sect tomorrow, and join the Ninth Heaven the day after. Which sect they pledged allegiance to depended entirely on what freebies that sect’s offline convention happened to hand out.
“Hehe, just from the doctrine packages I get at these sect conventions, I can feed my whole family.”
“Have you ever thought about actually believing in one? My neighbor next door seems like he’s about to awaken.”
“Pfft, I don’t have that kind of luck. Before the Zerg came, I was just an ordinary person. As for those who’ve already awakened or are about to—they’re the ones fate chose. I don’t believe fate’s going to be kind to me.”
A flicker of resignation passed through the young boy’s eyes as he spoke, but then his face lit up again. “Oh well, who cares? Just take it one day at a time. They’ve got their mission—I just want to live a simple, ordinary life.”
As the young boy and his companions chatted, they noticed a strange figure.
The person was completely wrapped in a flowing crimson cloak, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female. She sat cross-legged on a stone pillar by the roadside, her wide cloak draping down over the edges, shimmering with a faint, iridescent sheen.
Though she hadn’t said a single word, her aura was so striking that passersby couldn’t help but slow their steps.
“What sect is this?”
The two lowered their voices, practically whispering.
“No idea. Wanna go check it out?”
They tiptoed over and sat down on the ground about ten meters away from Lin Xiaohe.
“Is this the right pose? Where do I put my hands?”
“Are you seriously that dumb?! Can’t you see she’s got her hands resting on her knees?”
“Oh, oh, got it!”
As a seasoned part-time follower, the young boy had sharp imitation skills. The pose he struck was almost identical to Lin Xiaohe’s.
Now that was professional part-timer quality!
The three of them sitting like that quickly caught the attention of pedestrians passing by. When their gazes swept over that crimson figure, they felt their breath catch—and before they knew it, they found themselves copying the young boy, picking spots nearby to sit down.
Soon, the entire road was completely clogged.
Even the traffic officers on duty didn’t dare disturb this mysterious ceremony.
An hour later, Lin Xiaohe had had her fill of browsing the local network and decided it was time to head back to the Sixth Star Ring. The moment she opened her eyes, she found herself facing a dense circle of people sitting right in front of her.
They were all frozen in the exact same posture—like copy-pasted clones.
Why does this pose look so familiar?
And why are they all staring at me like that? Especially that young boy at the front—his eyes are like those of an anglerfish in the deep sea!
Feeling a bit creeped out, Lin Xiaohe stood up, ready to leave this strange place.
Everyone’s eyes followed her movement in perfect unison—a little too perfectly, with an eerie synchronicity.
Suddenly, Lin Xiaohe stopped in her tracks.
She turned her head and followed the hand that had grabbed hold of her cloak, her gaze landing directly on a pair of eyes burning with desperate longing.
“Hm?”
A flicker of panic stirred in her heart. Had someone seen through her identity? Were they all followers of the Star Sprout Sect?
What should I say? Should I maintain that aloof, mysterious, and powerful image?
The young boy took several deep breaths, finally summoning the courage to spit out three words.
“The doctrine package.”
Huh?!
Lin Xiaohe had just been online, so of course she knew exactly what a “doctrine package” was. But why on earth should she give him one?!
Her face hardened into a stony, expressionless mask.
No one—no one—was getting a single cent out of her! The Weasleys were still working for her for free, after all. Sure, she’d paid them in Star Sprout Coins, but those were basically whatever she said they were. She could mint as many as she wanted!
The young boy saw her reluctance and stomped his foot in outrage. “No way! What kind of sect are you from? Are you seriously trying to stiff us?! All of us sat here with you through your whole ritual, and now you’re trying to wriggle out of it?! Have you no shame?! Aren’t you afraid your god will punish you?!”
Lin Xiaohe silently scoffed. As the god in question, I’m not about to punish anyone!
This was the first time the young boy had ever encountered a missionary as shameless as a dead pig that didn’t fear scalding water. Terrified that he’d worked for nothing, he clung tightly to her cloak. “Boo hoo hoo… I’ve got elders above and little ones below! My eighty-year-old grandma is counting on me to save her! Please, I beg you—don’t hold back my doctrine package! I’m willing to convert!”
Lin Xiaohe’s temples throbbed with irritation. Her spiritual power swept across the local network, and in an instant, she found the young boy’s identity. “Chen Kuan, twenty-four years old, unmarried. You’ve only got one younger sister at home. Where exactly are these ‘elders above and little ones below’ coming from?”
“Eh?!” Chen Kuan’s heart skipped a beat. Did she actually have real skill, or was she just bluffing to trip him up?
Lin Xiaohe looked at his money-grubbing antics and felt a mixture of exasperation and amusement.
What exasperated her was that he’d dared to pull this scam on her.
What amused her was how much this scene reminded her of her younger self!
She dug through her pockets. Not a single coin.
Awkward.
“Ahem. Here—for you guys.”
Thankfully, her little sweetheart Doudou came through, generously offering up a big handful of beans.
Chen Kuan stared at the plump little beans in his palm, then raised his head in disbelief to look at Lin Xiaohe.
He didn’t say a word, but his expression screamed volumes.
Seriously?! This?!
Lin Xiaohe gave a slight shove, prying his hands off her cloak. “Take it or leave it.”
Chen Kuan ground his teeth. “Dare you tell me the name of your sect?”
Lin Xiaohe let out a cold laugh.
Hah. Yeah, no. Too embarrassed to say it.
With a flash, she was back at the Otis Grand Hotel, checking out in a hurry like a dog was nipping at her heels.
“Will you be coming back?” The lobby manager stared at the photo on the desk, his voice trembling slightly.
“Not sure.” Lin Xiaohe left a single bean on the front counter. “For you.”
She gave the lobby manager a deep, meaningful look, then smiled. “Make sure you live well, alright?”
His eyes glistened at the corners, and he nodded firmly. “Mm!”
He wiped the newly pinned Star Sprout Party badge on his chest and said solemnly, “We’ll always guard this path we came from!”
