63: Group to kill monsters

It was the fourth day of the long holiday in Gusu Province.

A Harmony-series bullet train was speeding between cities and fields.

Inside the business class carriage, the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Sixteen young people, who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen, occupied most of the carriage.

They were dressed casually, no different from ordinary students, but the spirit in their eyes was out of place with the drowsy passengers around them.

“Lin Xiao is something else, isn’t he? He took down three Black Armored Demon Mantises by himself in Gusu?”

Liu Lian crossed his legs, his face full of eagerness.

“Those are Peak Qi demonic beasts. Converted into contribution points, that’s a huge sum! I can’t let him earn it all by himself.”

Fang Yuan, next to him, clenched his hand when he heard this.

“When we go this time, we must steal back the limelight!”

“Steal what limelight?”

The outdoor Streamer, Han Li, was adjusting his streaming equipment, responding without looking up.

“We’re going to slay demons and eradicate evil, to uphold the Righteous Path. Can’t you be more serious? Can’t you have some awareness as Cultivators?”

Liu Lian scoffed.

“Oh, please. You talk a good game. Someone who didn't know would think the Dean possessed you. Just don’t wet your pants first when we see the demonic beasts later.”

“Me wet my pants?”

Han Li clipped his phone onto the stand, displeased.

“Are you kidding? When I, Han, ventured alone into that haunted house, I didn't even bat an eye at the red-clothed female ghost. A few small demonic beasts are nothing!”

“Come on, if it weren’t for the Dean’s talisman that time, the grass on your grave would be three feet high.”

As the two bickered, several classmates around them joined in the teasing, filling the carriage with a lively atmosphere.

But this liveliness, in the ears of the other passengers, took on a completely different meaning.

“Slay demons and eradicate evil?”

“Black Armored Demon Mantis?”

“Cultivators?”

A middle-aged man in a suit carefully shifted his position, moving a little further away from these young people.

He looked at these students, his expression exactly like someone who had stumbled upon a large-scale pyramid scheme team-building event.

Are young people nowadays really so severely afflicted with chuunibyou?

Are their parents even supervising them anymore?

Han Li didn’t care what others thought. After setting up all his equipment, a bold idea popped into his head.

This trip to Gusu was a collective action by sixteen students from Kunlun Cultivation Academy!

What did this mean?

This was immense traffic!

This was the best live streaming material!

“Family members, I’m planning to start a stream to record our righteous journey this time. No objections, right?”

Han Li looked around.

“No problem, just make sure to film me, this handsome guy, looking extra cool.”

Liu Lian immediately straightened his back and even primped his yellow hair in a showy manner.

“It would be best if you could record my heroic posture of instantly killing a demonic beast with one sword, from 360 degrees without any blind spots!”

The other classmates also expressed their agreement.

They also wanted their family and friends in the Mortal world to see that they weren't wasting their time, nor were they deceived.

They were doing something big enough to change the world!

“Alright!”

With permission, Han Li immediately opened his live streaming software.

【Anti-Fraud Fighter Old Han】

As this ID lit up, dozens of old fans gradually streamed into the live broadcast room.

“Yo? Old Han, you finally decided to stream? I thought you got arrested?”

“Missing person returns? Old Han, what happened with that haunted house last time? Why was there no follow-up?”

“What fraud are you exposing today? A Qi Gong Great Master or a fortune teller?”

Sporadic bullet comments floated by, all familiar old faces.

Han Li cleared his throat, revealing his signature smile with two small fangs.

“Family members, long time no see! Did you miss me?”

He skillfully interacted with the audience.

“Don’t worry, Streamer me didn’t get arrested. I just went to a… well, a refresher course for a while. Today’s the first day of vacation, and I couldn't sit still, so I’m going to show everyone something good.”

The bullet comments immediately became lively.

“Refresher course? Old Han, you actually go to study? Learning how to fight fraud more scientifically?”

“See something good? How good? Is it as exciting as that haunted house last time?”

Han Li looked at the bullet comments and mysteriously lowered his voice.

“Exciting? I’m telling you, this time the scene will be a hundred times bigger than that haunted house! Last time was just small-time stuff, this time, it’s for real!”

He turned the camera to Liu Lian and Fang Yuan beside him.

“Let me introduce you, these two are my classmates and my comrades for this mission.”

Liu Lian immediately winked at the camera: “Hello, family members! I’m a Kun—*cough cough*—I’m Old Han’s classmate, my name is Liu Lian, aren’t I handsome?”

The audience in the live stream was even more amused.

“Hahaha, Old Han, you even found two actors?”

“This little blondie is quite energetic, which film academy is he from?”

“Comrades? What are you going to do? Demolish illegal buildings?”

Han Li pulled the camera back to himself.

“Family members, no more jokes, let’s get serious.”

His expression became solemn.

“We are currently on a bullet train heading to Gusu. According to reliable intelligence, monsters have recently been spotted near Gusu University Town, harming many innocent common people.”

“Therefore, our purpose in going this time is to…”

He spoke slowly, each word strong and resonant.

“Exterminate evil and uphold the Dao!”

In the live broadcast room, there was a three-second silence.

Immediately after.

The bullet comments exploded.

“???????”

“Did I hear that right? Exterminate evil and uphold the Dao? Old Han, did you get hacked?”

“Holy cow! The funniest joke of the year has been born! A professional anti-fraud Streamer who exposes feudal superstitions is now telling me he’s going to slay demons and eradicate evil?”

“Old Han, did you get scared silly when you went into that haunted house last time? Or should we crowdfund for you to see a psychiatrist?”

“It’s over, it’s over, family members, this world has finally gone crazy in a way I don’t recognize. The end of anti-pseudoscience is metaphysics, right?”

“The deceiver turns out to be myself? Old Han, this move of yours is like, if you can’t beat them, join them?”

Mockery, doubt, humiliation.

All sorts of bullet comments, like a tide, instantly flooded the entire screen.

In the eyes of the audience, this was simply the most absurd thing under the heavens.

A Streamer who relied on denouncing “ghosts and monsters” and always had “believe in science” on his lips, was now spouting “demons and monsters.”

What is this if not hypocrisy?

What is this if not a fraud?

Isn’t this abandoning his own base for the sake of traffic?

In the carriage, Liu Lian and Fang Yuan also leaned over and saw the bullet comments. Fang Yuan’s face was a bit red, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Liu Lian, on the other hand, pouted and muttered softly.

“These Mortals, what do they know?”

Han Li, however, wasn’t angry.

The smile on his face hadn’t even changed.

He had already anticipated this reaction.

It doesn’t matter.

You don’t believe me, right?

You’re cursing me, right?

Once we get there, I will make all of you shut up.

He spoke to the camera unhurriedly.

“I know everyone doesn’t believe me, it’s okay.”

“You can curse me, you can mock me, you can even report me.”

“But please, don’t scroll away.”

“Because next, I will use facts to tell you that this peaceful world you live in is just an illusion.”

“And we…”

Han Li’s camera slowly panned across the young and resolute faces behind him.

“Are the ones responsible for shattering that illusion and protecting you.”

His words were impactful.

But what he got in return was even more intense laughter and a barrage of “hahaha” bullet comments in the live stream.

Han Li stopped explaining, turned off the interaction with the audience, and simply let the camera quietly record everything.

He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.