The video of Jin Lou launching a sneak attack and injuring someone spread across the internet overnight, setting off a firestorm of public opinion.
In the early hours of Sunday, copies of the video were taken down en masse within a short period.
Then, seizing on the takedowns, numerous independent media accounts found a new topic to cover.
The hook of a "ninth-grade martial artist injuring someone in a sneak attack" had already been enough to draw attention. Now the videos were being removed, too.
All these developments added a layer of conspiracy theories to the affair.
And with conspiracy theories came even more discussion.
Li Yuan took a look and could more or less guess what had happened.
The temporary takedowns had most likely been initiated by the Xia Family's public relations firm.
They had deliberately created conspiracy theories to add fuel to the fire.
The Jin Family clearly wanted to let the matter cool down while exaggerating the facts.
Once public discussion had largely run its course, they would step forward to explain away those exaggerations.
In doing so, they would blur the specifics and cover up some of the actual facts along with them.
But the Xia Family's PR firm had already seen through that tactic.
Quelling public outrage was far harder than stirring it up.
Besides, this incident was inherently attention-grabbing.
Ordinary people were always wary of martial artists committing violence.
Martial artists already enjoyed better lives and preferential treatment.
If they still used their strength to bully the weak, public outrage was bound to erupt.
And this time, the culprit had reached the ninth rank of the Martial Dao.
He stood among the most powerful martial artists in the world.
If even martial artists like him refused to follow the rules, how could people feel