Why the bug I wrote became a core gameplay mechanic?!
Chapter 629 - 612: Tricked!

Chapter 629: Chapter 612: Tricked!

"Reverse Heaven" is ultimately just a game, not real cultivation, so it’s easy to fall for it and also easy to wake up.

If it were real cultivation, with a master testing your willpower, maybe many poor kids from rural backgrounds would really grit their teeth and work in this mine for a year or two before realizing the truth.

But "Reverse Heaven" is a game, so the time required for each gameplay in the game is generally fixed.

For a gameplay with no fun like this, ten minutes might be barely acceptable, but if it runs longer than that, players will easily realize something’s off.

"Oh no, I’ve been scammed!"

"What should I do? Can I fight these guards? They all seem much stronger than me."

The more Chen Tingquan thought about it, the more something felt wrong, so he tried to walk out of the mine, pondering if he could beat the guards if they tried to stop him.

Shouldn’t he be able to win?

However, stepping outside the mine’s boundary, something unexpected happened to Chen Tingquan.

Guards indeed came toward him, but they didn’t turn hostile or trigger a fight; it merely prompted a narrative dialogue.

"You want to leave? Your master wants you to temper your mind and strengthen your body here. If you leave now, you won’t be able to join the sect again. Are you sure you want to go?"

Honestly, a player with a confused mind might indeed be coaxed back by these simple words.

After all, the other party did not become violent, and seemed earnest and well-intentioned.

But Chen Tingquan had already decided and insisted on leaving.

After going through two or three different lines of confirmation, the guard’s attitude suddenly changed.

However, they still didn’t use force; they just stopped pretending.

"You figured it out in just a day? Not bad, you’re a lot smarter than those fools.

"Go ahead and leave, but don’t say too much."

Chen Tingquan was stunned for a moment. He looked at the dialogue options and clicked each one.

"You’re not restricting my freedom?"

The guard laughed: "Why would I restrict your freedom? The sect’s law stipulates that cultivators can’t freely kill commoners, nor can they detain, enslave, or persecute them. Is it worth it for me to break the sect’s laws because of you?"

Chen Tingquan was shocked: "You mean this isn’t detaining, enslaving, or persecuting me?"

The guard responded confidently: "Of course not!

"Think about it yourself, did the guard ever restrict your freedom? You could leave at any time; wasn’t it your voluntary decision to stay?

"And the minerals you mined were split fifty-fifty, wasn’t that agreed from the start? We didn’t break our word, right? We didn’t withhold any of your wages, did we?

"As for the food you bought, it’s all clearly priced, there’s no coercion involved.

"This is nothing more than a normal cooperation and employment relationship."

Chen Tingquan was even more taken aback: "But that white-bearded old man tricked me! He said that after enduring the trials here, I could join the sect! Doesn’t sect law handle such a matter?"

The guard’s expression was somewhat strained: "He tricked you? Not really.

"He isn’t from our sect but from another small one, though he’s just an ordinary Outer Disciple, he does have the qualification to take in disciples.

"He said that only after passing the test could you join the sect. You left after digging for just a few days without passing the test. What’s incorrect about not being able to join the sect?"

Chen Tingquan felt something wasn’t right, but for the moment, he couldn’t figure it out.

"But he also said, ’The spirit stones handed over to the sect are converted into the elixirs, meat of celestial beasts, and magic artifacts needed for disciples’ cultivation, eventually returned to the disciples.’"

"Isn’t that still a lie to cheat me!

"Doesn’t the law manage such fraud?"

The guard seemed unsurprised, only giving a slight smile: "Oh? This statement didn’t deceive you, did it?

"These spirit stones are indeed handed over to the sect.

"Once handed over, they’re indeed converted into the elixirs, meat of celestial beasts, and magic artifacts needed for disciples’ cultivation.

"And eventually, they do indeed reach the disciples.

"But...

"You haven’t passed the test and haven’t become a sect disciple, so naturally, you ’temporarily’ can’t enjoy these benefits yet."

Chen Tingquan was utterly dumbfounded.

A scam! A high-level scam!

This was a real Immortal Jump, a literal immortal had jumped him!

And indeed, he couldn’t exactly call it deception; it was just exploiting a loophole in the law, playing word games.

This place indeed didn’t detain, enslave, or persecute him; the white-bearded old man just dangled a carrot, and he willingly became a drudge.

Just like going to work at a company where the boss dangles a carrot, saying, "Work hard, and next month you’ll be promoted and get a raise," the same principle applies.

What does "work hard" mean? What defines "working hard"?

It’s all at the mercy of the boss’s words.

The white-bearded old man works the same way. He called it "testing mind," but what kind of mind is considered to have passed the test?

Clearly, there’s no specific standard. If Chen Tingquan keeps mining here for decades, the white-bearded old man can always say the test isn’t over, just like a boss can always pick at some detail, saying, "You didn’t do a particular job detail well."

So, this is standard carrot dangling.

Dangling a carrot isn’t illegal; if you fall for it, you can only blame your bad luck.

Chen Tingquan felt a mix of laughter and tears, the world of "Reverse Heaven" is really strange!

To say it’s like typical cultivation settings, a place of the survival of the fittest? Not exactly, because this place still talks about law and can’t directly kidnap commoners into black coal mines to work; they have to trick them with sweet words;

To say it’s really fair and just and strictly obeys the law? It’s not that either, as these people all find ways to exploit the loopholes in the law by any means necessary, as long as they don’t violate the law, they’re fine, they operate purely at the lowest limit of the law.

It’s rather darkly humorous.

No wonder after flying a few steps, he reached the "sect."

Now, it seems it’s not a sect he’s reached, but a black coal mine. True sects in the cultivation world are indeed rare and couldn’t coincidentally be so close, but black coal mines being everywhere makes much more sense.

Chen Tingquan turned to leave, and then the guard said another sentence.

"Next time, be more discerning. Cultivators who take people into the sect do exist, but at least their appearance needs to be appropriate.

"Someone like you who can’t even differentiate between real and fake cultivator appearances is naturally good prey, who else will they target if not you?"

Having said this, the guard went back to deceive the other miners in the black coal mine.

Chen Tingquan was stunned, this sentence was specially voiced and scripted, clearly holding key information before leaving.

"In other words, that white-bearded old man is a fraud, a fake cultivator. No, more accurately, he’s like an informal worker from a small sect exploiting legal loopholes to trick and make extra money. Although he has this identity and can perform sword flights, he’s not a real cultivator with genuine skills and worthy of taking disciples.

"If I can meet those real cultivators who take in disciples, indeed, I can still join the sect and cultivate.

"Now the question arises, the guard said that the difference between real and fake cultivators is significant in appearance and is easy to distinguish, which is considered the first step into cultivation.

"But what exactly is the difference? Why can’t I see any?

"That white-bearded old man has the celestial and venerable look, isn’t that the standard immortal image? It’s really puzzling!"

Chen Tingquan frowned, feeling clueless.

Suddenly, he had a light bulb moment and suddenly realized.

"Ah! I get it!

"It’s the muscles, that white-bearded old man has no muscles!

"So no matter how celestial and venerable he looks, it’s all fake!"

Chen Tingquan’s mind suddenly cleared, everything made sense!

Previously in the opening of "Reverse Heaven", it clearly showcased the real appearances of cultivators and immortals.

Chen Tingquan noticed back then that even those immortals hunting demon beasts with spells and magic artifacts had extraordinary physical physiques, all had quite developed muscles, which seemed quite incongruous with cultivation attire.

Those body cultivators were even more ridiculous, mostly sporting double-door square builds.

So, like the white-bearded old man looking celestial and floaty, yet able to perform sword flights, in the world of cultivation, it’s rather substandard.

Flying swords here might just be a very common mode of transport and not an ability exclusive to high-ranked cultivators.

Instead, muscle mass more truly reflects a cultivator’s real level.

"Darn it, what bad luck!

"If I had known, I would’ve just gone for the 648 pack. Now I want to invest but there’s no place to do it, it’s tough!"

Chen Tingquan left the black coal mine, having no choice but to continue hunting while awaiting the arrival of a true immortal.

Luckily, the game isn’t overly unreasonable, after players experience the black coal mine event, another immortal soon arrives to take disciples.

This time, Chen Tingquan learned his lesson and carefully observed the immortal’s physique.

Hmm, the perfect double-door shape, all good!

This immortal’s waist was even broader than Chen Tingquan’s shoulders, thighs thicker than his waist, and arms bulkier than his thighs.

Although only a bit taller, his body was several sizes wider, standing before Chen Tingquan’s character like a small mountain, practically wanting to crab-walk horizontally.

"Master, please let me join the sect!"

After experiencing so much hardship, Chen Tingquan was truly moved to tears. Upon seeing these dialogue options, he eagerly selected them.

The double-door immortal gently stroked his rather exaggerated long beard and asked, "Cultivation is about defying heaven; do you have the courage to change your fate?"

Chen Tingquan hastily selected the dialogue: "I do! Master, I am willing to pay any price to defy heaven and change my fate!"

The double-door immortal nodded slightly: "Hmm, your mind seems resolute enough. In that case, just sign this one-on-one training agreement."

Chen Tingquan: "Ah?"

He saw the double-door immortal hand over a document, and after clicking to read it, the screen displayed its specific content.

Chen Tingquan slightly opened his mouth: "This... is...

"Cultivation Loan!"

Although the document is called a "Cultivation Training Agreement," much of its content directly relates to loans.

Although this double-door immortal will train Chen Tingquan, teaching him the mental methods and techniques necessary for cultivation, the resources required for training, including all oral, injectable, topical elixirs, or magic artifacts needed for cultivation, will all be Chen Tingquan’s responsibility.