Heaven Dou Outer City's rumors exploded overnight.
The first news came from several taverns on Outer City West Street.
Large numbers of low-ranking Soul Masters, mercenaries, and caravan guards gathered there.
They had all kinds of information, and their mouths were quick.
Some said Spirit Hall had discovered a secret land of Immortal Herbs in Sunset Forest and wanted to keep it all for itself.
Some said Tang San was a commoner genius who had been framed as an assassin by Di Yao because he refused to join Spirit Hall.
Others said Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang had merely found Spirit Hall's tyranny intolerable and spoken a few fair words for his disciple, only for Di Yao to label him an accomplice in the Resource Case.
The rumors grew more outrageous with every retelling.
By noon, it had become, "Di Yao colluded with Spirit Hall to hunt down a commoner master and disciple in order to steal Tang San's opportunity."
Outside the Spirit Hall Branch, many low-ranking Soul Masters gathered at a distance to discuss it.
"Is it true? Isn't Di Yao Spirit Hall's newly risen genius?"
"So what if he is a genius? What wouldn't Spirit Hall do?"
"I heard Tang San is only six or seven years old. His Hidden Weapons were just for self-defense, yet they called him an assassin."
"Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang is a theory Grandmaster, at least. Just because he has no Spirit Hall backing, they can bully him like this?"
When those words reached the temporary base, Hu Liena's face turned frighteningly cold.
She slapped an intelligence report onto the table, anger lacing her voice. "They really dare make this up."
Dugu Yan sat beside her, frowning as she listened.
"Didn't Tang San's Hidden Weapons injure people? Isn't that conclusive evidence?"
Hu Liena sneered. "Rumors don't