PS: Thanks to reader Cangliang Yese for the 10,000 Qidian coins! Congratulations on becoming this book's seventh Alliance Leader. Let's celebrate with flowers! ^-^
The rumors within the Dugu Clan were suppressed after their ancestor, Dugu Cheng, personally intervened.
But things outside the Dugu Clan's territory weren't going nearly so well.
Another Spirit Transformation Realm martial artist reported, "Patriarch, people in the martial world of Beiyuan Circuit are spreading this like wildfire. Some of them have even carried the story as far as Henan Circuit."
Dugu Yan's face darkened. He asked coldly, "Has anyone spread this within Dugu Clan territory?"
The martial artist hesitated. "Yes."
Dugu Yan snorted. "Then give them a warning. Let them learn what the rules are!"
The Spirit Transformation Realm martial artist looked as if he wanted to say something, but under Dugu Yan's hard stare, he held his tongue. He simply nodded. "I'll see to it at once."
Beiyuan Circuit had once been entirely Dugu Clan territory. But ever since Great Zhou arrived, the land under the clan's control had steadily shrunk. By now, they had been reduced to just one-fifth of what they once held.
It wasn't that the Dugu Clan had chosen to give up its territory. They'd had no choice.
At first, Great Zhou and the Dugu Clan each controlled half the circuit. But friction between their people had been inevitable. Unable to afford a direct clash with Great Zhou, the Dugu Clan had been forced to retreat again and again. Only after they had been driven back to their current sliver of land had Great Zhou's people stopped crossing the border.
That was when the Dugu Clan realized the truth: Great Zhou's people had been doing it on purpose all along!
They had deliberately provoked conflicts with the Dugu Clan, deliberately