Over the next few days, Shuzhou seemed much calmer.
But to those with ulterior motives, all sorts of strange undercurrents still lurked in the shadows.
The matter of the Xiao Family's medicinal herbs being robbed was spread by travelers who had stopped at the post station that night.
For a time, it stirred up all manner of speculation, broadly divided into three kinds.
Or rather, in the eyes of three different groups, there were three versions of events they were willing to believe.
Those who roamed the martial world paid more attention to Blade Maniac Liu Lang heading south and Evil Demons from the Phantom Sound Sect appearing.
Thus, they were more willing to believe that the Northern Prefecture Herbs Shipment carried by the Xiao Family concealed legendary heavenly treasures.
The wildest rumor claimed, "There was a Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Ginseng in that batch of herbs, meant specifically to prolong Old Marquis Xiao's life."
Who knew which bastard had come up with such an idea? He even made it sound utterly convincing, saying that Old Marquis Xiao had long been bedridden with illness and was waiting for that ginseng to save his life.
The common folk scoffed at this.
"I think they're old birthday stars eating arsenic—they think they've lived too long!"
"They didn't even bother asking what kind of family the Xiaos are before daring to provoke them in Shuzhou. Just wait and see. They'll probably be seen in prison before long."
In the eyes of Shuzhou's people, the Xiao Family had stood tall in Shuzhou for two hundred years. What treasure did their manor lack?
They had received countless immortal pills and spiritual medicines from the emperor himself. How could they possibly be short of a single Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Ginseng?
So, they felt those martial world folk were plainly courting death,