The Spirit Master World Shaken, Muddying the Waters

Meng Shu's eyes filled with confusion. "Your Highness, what do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

Bai Wanwan smiled. "Senior, when you take Yiran to the Star Dou Great Forest, you'll naturally understand if anything happens."

"If everything goes smoothly, then it was merely an offhand remark from me."

Meng Shu thoughtfully stroked his beard. He asked no further questions, merely committing the matter to memory.

Meng Yiran watched Bai Wanwan speaking in riddles. Though she had her doubts, she did not press the issue, just like Meng Shu. Instead, she put on a mysterious expression and leaned forward slightly. "Sister Bai, Qian-jie, have you heard the rumor spreading through Suotuo City?"

"What rumor?"

Qian Renxue propped up her head with one hand and asked somewhat casually.

"Clear Sky Douluo has fallen!"

"According to the rumors, for some unknown reason, he came into conflict with Chen Xin. The two Titled Douluo fought fiercely for three days and three nights. In the end, because of an old illness in his body, Clear Sky Douluo died while retreating."

Meng Yiran recounted it with a serious expression.

Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan exchanged glances before turning their eyes back to Meng Yiran.

"We've heard about this as well."

"As they say, there's no smoke without fire. This matter is most likely true. Clear Sky Douluo may truly have fallen."

Bai Wanwan slowly ate a pastry, yet her voice carried a thoughtful air.

It was as though she were analyzing whether the news was true or false.

"Mhm, mhm~"

"My grandfather said the same thing."

Meng Yiran nodded, then turned back to glance at Meng Shu.

Bai Wanwan and Qian Renxue exchanged smiles. No one knew better than them whether the news was true or false.

After all, they were the ones who had spread it.

Time slowly passed.

The group chatted for a while longer. Only after night had fully fallen did Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan return to the King's Mansion.

Meng Shu, meanwhile, took Meng Yiran back to the Gai Shi Long She Family.

Late at night.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Within the magnificent, grand hall, Ning Fengzhi stared at the information in his hand with tightly furrowed brows, yet he said nothing.

Below him, to the left and right, Chen Xin and Gu Rong were likewise reading the information in their hands.

The hall was very quiet.

After a long while.

Ning Fengzhi set down the information and looked at Chen Xin. "Uncle Sword, what do you think of this news?"

"It could be true."

Chen Xin slowly set down the information in his hand. "Tang Hao's condition at the time seemed very wrong to me. He clearly possessed the aura of a Level 95 Titled Douluo, yet he could not display the strength he should have had."

"Before using Ring Detonation, he had the strength to counterattack, but I suppressed him almost throughout the entire battle. The first eight Spirit Rings on his body also seemed somewhat shattered."

"Suppose he already had an old illness, and before fighting me, he had fought someone else in a major battle. If he used Ring Detonation in that battle and exploded his first eight Spirit Rings, adding new wounds to a body already burdened by an old illness, then fought me again before those eight exploded Spirit Rings had recovered, Tang Hao's condition at the time could be explained."

"As for Tang Hao's final method of exploding his 100,000 Year Spirit Ring, in my view, it was a move that injured the enemy for eight hundred while damaging himself for a thousand. His body was already incapable of supporting the explosion of that 100,000 Year Spirit Ring. Furthermore, I did not hold back at the time, and my final sword qi wounded him as well."

"With all these factors combined, it is entirely possible that they triggered Tang Hao's old illness and led to his death."

Chen Xin's voice was exceptionally calm, like a sheathed sword with all its sharpness concealed.

"If Tang Hao truly died at your hands, then this matter will be truly troublesome."

"Although Tang Hao was expelled from the Clear Sky Sect, his ties to the sect remain like bones broken yet still connected by sinew. The current sect master of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Xiao, is still Tang Hao's eldest brother. If Tang Xiao ignores Tang Hao, that is one thing. Otherwise, sooner or later, this debt will be placed on the head of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Gu Rong's voice was somewhat heavy as he looked toward Ning Fengzhi in the seat of honor.

Ning Fengzhi said nothing. He reached for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Tea beside him and calmly took a sip, seeming utterly unruffled even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him.

From Chen Xin's analysis just now, Ning Fengzhi had grasped a key point.

Tang Hao's state at the time had been abnormal. If it was truly as Chen Xin said—if Tang Hao had previously fought someone else and had been forced to explode eight Spirit Rings—then who had fought Tang Hao?

Although Chen Xin had said that all those circumstances combined could very well have triggered Tang Hao's old illness and caused his death, Ning Fengzhi had inferred another possibility from the scattered clues: their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had been dragged into this by someone.

However, there was currently no way to prove that possibility.

Unless they could find Tang Hao's corpse and see whether he had truly died from the outbreak of his old illness or some other cause.

Otherwise, they could not prove whether someone had dragged them into this.

And the blame for Tang Hao's death would inevitably fall upon the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

After all, Tang Hao and Chen Xin's conflict, their fierce battle, and Tang Hao's injured retreat were all indisputable facts.

Not long after Tang Hao retreated, news of his death began to spread.

If they could not produce any evidence at all and simply claimed that Tang Hao's death had nothing to do with Chen Xin, no one would believe them.

The current situation was that every piece of circulating evidence pointed toward Chen Xin. Even Chen Xin himself believed it was entirely possible.

Tap~

Ning Fengzhi placed the teacup in his hand down with a soft sound. "Since this fire has already been lit, let it burn hotter and drag others into it as well."

"Send people to fan the flames in the dark. Reveal that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan once had poor relations with the Clear Sky Sect, that Yu Yuanzhen also appeared in Suotuo City that day, and that when Tang Hao died, someone saw faint flashes of lightning."

"Drag in those two kings as well, along with the imperial family's Guest Elders and other people or factions."

"Leak only a little information, with some guidance added. There is no need to be too detailed. As the news continues spreading, it will naturally become more and more complete."

"Remember, have them spread several different rumors and guide things from multiple angles."

As his words fell, Ning Fengzhi revealed an inscrutable smile.

Well, did it matter whether they had truly been dragged into this?

It did not matter at all. They only needed to muddy the waters and drag everyone into them.

Confuse the truth, and let the Clear Sky Sect analyze for itself which was true and which was false.

Their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect admitted that Chen Xin had clashed with Tang Hao and fought a fierce battle. As for Tang Hao's death, apologies—if you casually pick one of the many rumors circulating throughout the Spirit Master World and claim it was the work of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, then our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will not acknowledge it.

Unless you can produce evidence.