novelapdf Chapter 343 Rumors and Gossip
Chapter 343 Rumors and Gossip
A few days ago, two demon kings suddenly led their demon beasts to attack Yanxing Market. In order to protect it, Master Fuyan, who was guarding the rear, immediately dispatched Zhang Lingyu and another Golden Core cultivator to provide support after receiving the message.
Although he successfully repelled the beast tide, Zhang Lingyu still suffered some injuries.
One of the demon kings was actually a centipede that had cultivated for a thousand years. Its poisonous hook at the back of its tail was fast and ruthless. If it weren't for the inner armor protected by the ever-changing Spirit Puppet Box, it would have been pierced through to the core.
When the poison invades the heart, even if the person doesn't die on the spot, they will be left with a chronic illness that will take several years to cure.
Although he dodged the poisonous hook, Zhang Lingyu was momentarily caught off guard during the battle and inadvertently inhaled a trace of the centipede's natal poison mist.
Once this poison enters the body, it feels as if the internal organs are being roasted in a furnace, causing unbearable pain. Furthermore, a chilling sensation rushes straight to the Niwan Palace, suppressing the consciousness completely.
Fortunately, Zhang Lingyu had a solid foundation, and the amount of poisonous fog he inhaled was not large. The Burning Yuan Heart Flame stored in his heart and lungs acted in time, and he also took an antidote pill, which forced all the poisonous fog out of his body.
However, the weakness afterward is unavoidable, and it will take at least half a month to recover.
He should have informed the others and returned to the Fragrant Valley to heal his wounds, but now, with a gloomy expression, he hurriedly entered the main hall, clutching a jade slip, and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen... something terrible has happened. Recently, a rumor has been circulating throughout the heart of Zhao..."
"Rumors?" Everyone looked at Zhang Lingyu with strange expressions.
Since the war with Chu began, how many rumors and gossips have circulated throughout Zhao?
Today this True Lord falls, tomorrow another True Lord will fall...
The most outrageous incident occurred a few days ago when a Qi-refining family, having somehow heard that the Chu Kingdom had invaded Xuanwu County, openly rebelled as a clan. When the northern authorities learned of this, they directly dispatched a Golden Core cultivator to exterminate the entire clan.
It was later discovered that they were just a group of rogue cultivators who were taking advantage of the chaos of war to rob people and were mistaken for demonic cultivators.
In other people's mouths, these Golden Core cultivators have died countless times, and all the rumors and gossip are just laughable.
"Fellow Daoist Yuyao, you've been a clan leader for decades, you need to stay calm and collected in the face of adversity... don't act like a child and make a rash decision..."
"Yes, yes, it might be another trick used by the Chu Kingdom to undermine morale. As a Golden Core cultivator, we can't be the first to lose our composure."
Who would have thought that Zhang Lingyu's words would actually ease the atmosphere somewhat, and the Golden Core cultivators seemed to have found some amusement in it, chuckling softly.
"Alright, alright, since there are such rumors, let's listen to them and see what new tricks the Chu Kingdom has come up with this time."
Master Fu Yan waved his hand, stroked his beard, and looked at Zhang Lingyu, saying, "Fellow Daoist Yu Yao, why don't you speak?"
"Yes, actually I also think it's too fake."
Zhang Lingyu's expression remained unchanged as he replied:
"It is said that in addition to Blood Dragon Village and Flower Fragrance Valley, there are more than ten Golden Core level sects and families in our Zhao Kingdom that are also secretly colluding with the Chu Kingdom."
"Before the Chu Kingdom launched its full-scale attack, more than ten families had already signed the Netherworld Blood Pact with the Blood Flame Sect. Apart from Blood Dragon Village and Flower Fragrance Valley secretly opening the pass, the rest were waiting for the right moment to coordinate an attack from within and without."
"The rumors also mentioned more than ten Golden Core sects and families involved in the collusion, namely the Huang family of Yuhu County, Master Yunli of Yunlong Sect in Qingzhu County, and the Guo family of Danxia County..."
After the names of the more than ten families who had secretly colluded with the State of Chu were revealed, the entire room fell silent.
The cultivators looked at Zhang Lingyu in disbelief. They knew that these forces had been entrenched in the Zhao Kingdom for hundreds or even thousands of years, and almost every one of them was well-known. Apart from the Six Sects, they were the backbone of the Zhao Kingdom.
They participated in every battle against beast tides and even incursions by demonic cultivators into the border.
Of course, people like Blood Dragon Village, Flower Fragrance Valley, and the Huang family of Jade Lake County were secretly engaged in shady dealings.
Your claim that they rebelled is somewhat believable.
As for other forces...
If this is indeed the case, then what is the point of the six clans of Zhao fighting? The sudden betrayal is enough to change the entire course of the war!
"Absurd, utterly absurd!"
After a long silence, an extremely angry roar resounded throughout the hall. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man in black, his face full of rage, shouting:
"I have deployed all my sect's disciples to the front lines to resist the beast tide, yet someone dares to spread such rumors about me behind my back. How could I possibly associate with those Blood Dragon Stronghold people?"
There was no other reason than that this person was none other than Master Yunli of the Yunlong Sect in Qingzhu County, one of the dozen or so forces that had signed blood pacts with the Blood Flame Sect in the rumors!
Perhaps due to extreme anger, the old man's body trembled violently, his face turned red, and he coughed incessantly, clearly aggravating his injuries.
"Yes, yes, Senior Yunli is a very upright person. How could he possibly collude with the demonic path? This rumor is simply a joke!"
"Yes, yes, Senior Yunli is a very upright person. How could he possibly collude with the demonic path? This rumor is simply a joke!"
"Indeed, this must have been deliberately spread by the demonic path to sow discord among us. If they were going to fabricate something, they should at least make it sound plausible; this is full of holes!"
"We urge Senior Fu Yan to send a message to the Six Sects, instructing them to thoroughly investigate this matter. We are fighting on the front lines; we cannot allow our innocence to be slandered without cause!"
Although only Master Yunli is on the list and is currently in the area, it's hard to guarantee that the next rumor won't involve them.
"Rest assured, Elder Master, I will definitely report this to the sect and clear Zhenren's name!"
Such an absurd rumor was clearly not believed by Master Fu Yan either. He turned to Zhang Lingyu and asked:
"Fellow Daoist Yuyao, where did this rumor come from?"
Zhang Lingyu glanced at the Golden Core cultivator beside him who had gone with him to aid Yanxing Market. The latter stepped forward and said, "Fellow Daoist Yuyao and I went to aid the market. After repelling the beast tide, we returned to the market to assess the losses. I heard this rumor from the market."
"It is said that this rumor first spread in Xuanwu County five days ago. At first, everyone just laughed it off, but for some reason, it spread like wildfire and now all the major and minor forces in the Zhao Kingdom know about it."
"That's right. According to our guess, someone must be stirring things up in the dark, most likely a demonic cultivator hiding in various counties," Zhang Lingyu echoed.
actually not.
These so-called "rumors" were not fabricated by the demonic cultivators to sow discord in the Zhao Kingdom; they were clearly intelligence obtained by Zhang Lingyu from the intelligence system!
Since we can't say it outright or hint at it directly, we can only resort to this method.
As for why the news spread in Xuanwu County, it was because he received intelligence and secretly dispatched Mo Wuyai, Wang Menghan, and Zhang Yuanyao in disguise to spread it.
From the so-called fabrication to its dissemination, the mastermind behind it all was himself!
Rumors are now spreading throughout the entire Zhao state, and all factions, large and small, find them utterly absurd and laughable—something Zhang Lingyu had already predicted.
Anyone who saw the news would think it was a joke.
But it is precisely the most authentic one!
Regardless of whether it's true or not, with such a huge impact, the Six Sects will definitely investigate thoroughly, and naturally, they will also have their doubts.
Seeing Master Yunli's sullen expression and his attempts to conceal his inner panic, and listening to everyone's attempts to comfort him, Zhang Lingyu sneered inwardly.
"Now that the seeds of doubt have been sown, they will soon blossom and bear fruit."
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