Rumors Stop with the Wise

A few days later, Heaven Dou City.

The long queue in front of the Golden Spatula Pavilion stretched from dawn until dusk, showing no signs of shortening.

Inside the hall, the crowd surged. Golden holographic chessboards flickered in succession, while the sound effects of clashing pieces intertwined with the exclamations, sighs, and cheers of players, merging into a boisterous ocean of noise.

A young spirit master had just won a match; he excitedly slapped the table, stood up, and stretched. His name was Zhang Lei, a level thirty-seven agility-attack system battle spirit grandmaster who made a living in a small mercenary group in Heaven Dou City.

"Satisfying! Five wins in a row today, I'm on a roll!" Zhang Lei loosened his wrists, his face glowing with excitement.

A familiar mercenary nearby leaned in and lowered his voice. "Old Zhang, have you heard? There's a rumor going around the city lately. They say this Battle of the Golden Spatula is problematic—that it's a conspiracy by its founder, Yi Chen, to overthrow the order of the continent..."

Zhang Lei paused, then scoffed. "I heard it. Someone was rambling about it to me at the tavern yesterday. I thought he was going to say something profound, but he just kept repeating the same few lines: the game is addictive, it ruins the traditional cultivation system, the founder has ulterior motives..."

He shook his head, his tone dripping with disdain. "People who say these things probably haven't even played a few rounds of Battle of the Golden Spatula.

I've been playing for almost a month. While my spirit power hasn't skyrocketed directly, the activity of my mental power is clearly higher than before, and my reaction speed has improved significantly.

A few days ago, during a mission, I dodged several attacks I wouldn't have been able to avoid otherwise. Isn't that a tangible benefit?"

"But they say this game will allow ordinary people to obtain spirit rings and spirit bones, and eventually, no one will be willing to cultivate through hard work anymore..."

"Isn't that better?" Zhang Lei interrupted him. "For us ordinary spirit masters with average talent, when did we ever have the chance to touch ten-thousand-year spirit rings or top-tier spirit bones? Now that there's another path to choose from, what's wrong with that?

As for those geniuses with exceptional talent, they can still cultivate just fine; it doesn't conflict. It's just an extra choice, not a forced requirement."

The mercenary thought about it, felt that the logic held up, and stopped asking.

Similar conversations were playing out in every corner of Heaven Dou City.

In a tavern in the south of the city, several mercenaries argued over the merits of the Golden Spatula while drinking. When neither could convince the other, they simply started two games to settle the score with actual combat.

In a blacksmith shop in the north of the city, an old blacksmith hammered away at farm tools while listening to his apprentice excitedly recount how he had made a comeback from a losing position using an Assassin lineup yesterday, occasionally chiming in to ask about equipment synthesis tips.

In a teahouse in the city center, several minor nobles sipped tea while studying the latest lineup rankings, debating which pieces were overrated and which were underrated.

Although the rumors about "conspiracies" and "overthrowing order" were widespread in certain circles, most ordinary players were more concerned with whether they could win a few more games today or how to optimize their current lineup.

On the second floor of the Golden Spatula Pavilion, in a VIP room.

Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling scene below with a satisfied smile on his lips.

Behind him, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were seated at a chessboard, engaged in an intense match.

"Grandfather, have you heard? There are some rumors about the Golden Spatula circulating in the city lately," Dugu Yan said without looking up as she moved a piece.

Dugu Bo snorted, his tone filled with contempt. "I heard. I don't know which death-seeking fool is pulling strings behind the scenes, concocting those hole-ridden ghost stories. Overthrowing order, ulterior motives—I've lived for so many years; can I not tell what's good and what's not?"

He turned around and looked at the two young women. "What do you think?"

Dugu Yan looked up, thought for a moment, and said, "I don't think those rumors make any sense. The Golden Spatula is indeed helpful to my cultivation. Although it doesn't directly increase spirit power, my tactical thinking and adaptability are much stronger than before. And..."

She paused, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Even if there were a conspiracy, that would be a matter for Senior Yi Chen. With his strength, if he really wanted to do something bad, would he need to go through all this trouble?"

Dugu Bo paused, then burst into laughter. "Well said! If that kid really wanted to do something evil, he could just reveal his level 99 cultivation, and the entire continent would tremble. Would he need to scheme? The people who made up these rumors must have been kicked in the head by a donkey!"

Ye Lingling listened silently from the side without interjecting. She looked down at the pieces on the board, her fingers gently stroking a golden equipment icon, her eyes filled with a thoughtful expression.

"Lingling, what do you think?" Dugu Yan asked.

Ye Lingling remained silent for a moment before saying calmly, "Rumors stop with the wise. Those who have played the Golden Spatula know whether it's useful or not. Those who join in the clamor without even touching the game aren't worth worrying about."

Dugu Yan nodded, feeling that her words made sense.

Meanwhile, in the backyard of Shrek Academy, Yi Chen was lying on a rattan chair under an ancient tree, basking in the sun with a glass of iced fruit juice in his hand, as content as a cat napping in the light.

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu were sitting at a chessboard, conducting their daily training. However, the two girls' attention was clearly not focused; they kept stealing glances at Yi Chen, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"If you have something to say, just say it. Isn't it uncomfortable to hold it in?" Yi Chen said lazily with his eyes closed.

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu exchanged glances, and finally, Ning Rongrong spoke up first. "Master... we heard that someone is badmouthing you lately. They say the Golden Spatula is some kind of conspiracy, and that you want to overthrow the order of the continent..."

Yi Chen opened his eyes, glanced at her, then closed them again, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "Oh, that? Let them talk."

"Master, aren't you angry?" Xiao Wu couldn't help but ask. "They are slandering you like that!"

Yi Chen took a sip of his juice and said slowly, "What's the use of being angry? You can stop one person's mouth, but you can't stop the mouths of the world. Besides..."

He opened his eyes, a meaningful smile curling the corners of his lips. "Have those rumors actually affected the promotion of the Golden Spatula?"

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu were stunned, then shook their heads in unison.

Not only had it not been affected, but more new players had registered in the last few days.

It seemed that those rumors had actually made more people aware of the Golden Spatula, leading them to try it out of curiosity.

"So, let them talk." Yi Chen closed his eyes again, a hint of lazy amusement in his tone. "The more fiercely they spread it, the more people will know about the Golden Spatula. It's free publicity; why turn it down?"

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu looked at each other and then laughed simultaneously.

They realized they had been worried for nothing.

Their master didn't even consider those clowns worth his attention.