(Second update)
During this time, one piece of gossip after another had come out of Heaven Dou City, leaving its ordinary citizens utterly stunned.
Following the string of incidents involving Yang Ming, news had recently spread that the Elephant Armor Sect had been exterminated, instantly becoming the center of public attention.
Many people recalled how, some time ago, Huyan Zhen, the Heaven Elephant and sect master of the Elephant Armor Sect, had tried and failed to kill Yang Ming in the street. Yang Ming had then left him with those harsh words:
"Sect Master Huyan, one day I'll definitely visit the Elephant Armor Sect and ask for your guidance!"
The gossiping masses had initially assumed Yang Ming was merely barking without the power to back it up. Yet less than a month later, news came that the Elephant Armor Sect had been wiped out. Naturally, many connected the two events and suspected Yang Ming was responsible.
But before long, another rumor emerged: imperial troops had departed from Heaven Dou City, charged straight at a satellite city, and uprooted the Elephant Armor Sect, which had occupied that city for centuries.
This explosive rumor dispelled the public's suspicions of Yang Ming. At the same time, it sparked speculation and concern from every side. Many feared this was the beginning of Xue Ye's purge of troublesome forces within the empire, causing quite a few factions to feel threatened as undercurrents began swirling through the country.
However, more recent news had directly slapped the faces of everyone making such baseless guesses.
The empire's propaganda department had posted an official notice explaining the recent speculation among the various factions. The imperial army's march toward the satellite city had not been intended to attack the Elephant Armor Sect, but to eliminate the Fiends there.
What were