Rumormongers Deserve to Have Their Tongues Cut Out

"Everyone, a mother claims her daughter was violated, yet she can't even say what day it happened. Do you find that believable?"

People in the crowd began murmuring.

"Right, that doesn't make sense..."

"If something happened to your own daughter, how could you forget the date?"

Shi Meng took another step forward and looked at the burly man who had shouted about "Old Li's son."

"Second, you said I captured Old Li's son from the east side of town and refined him into a Soul Tool, killing him in the process. Fine, then tell me: which street does Old Li live on?"

The burly man froze. "I... how would I know?"

"You don't even know where they live, so how do you know their son was refined to death?"

"I... I heard about it!"

"From whom?"

"From... from other people!"

Shi Meng smiled. "You heard it from other people, and that was enough for you to stand here shouting? Then tell me, what's Old Li's son's name?"

Sweat began beading on the burly man's forehead. "It's... it's Li..."

"Li what?"

"Li... Li Goudan!"

Shi Meng turned toward the crowd. "Does anyone on the east side have the surname Li? Is anyone named Li Goudan?"

An elderly man in the crowd shook his head. "There are only three families surnamed Li on the east side. Old Li has two sons, and both are perfectly fine. I haven't heard of anyone being taken away."

The burly man's face instantly went white.

Shi Meng took another step forward and looked at the person who had shouted about "Widow Wang's daughter."

"Third, you said I used Widow Wang's daughter from Southside as a cultivation vessel, and she went mad afterward. Fine, then tell me: where is Widow Wang now?"

The man stammered, "She... she moved away!"

"Where did she move?"

"She... she went back to her parents' home!"

"Where is her parents' home?"

"It's... it's..."

Shi Meng sighed. "You don't even know where Widow Wang's parents live, yet you dare claim her daughter went mad? Then let me ask you something else: what's her daughter's name?"

The man was utterly speechless.

Shi Meng turned toward the crowd. "Did everyone hear that? One can't explain when her daughter entered the academy, another doesn't even know where the family lives, and the third doesn't even know the daughter's name. You've been used as weapons, and you're still counting the money for the people who sold you out?"

A stir ran through the crowd.

The "victims" all lowered their heads, afraid to meet Shi Meng's eyes.

Shi Meng walked up to the disguised Ma Hongjun and looked down at him.

"You two spread these rumors, didn't you? Ma Hongjun? Oscar?"

"Y-you... how did you recognize us?!"

Ma Hongjun was terrified. They had thought their disguises were seamless, so how had he recognized them at a glance?

"With that enormous gut and that flashy red hair, I'd have a hard time not knowing who you were..."

At Shi Meng's words, everyone behind him burst out laughing.

Ma Hongjun opened his mouth, wanting to deny it, but under Hu Liena's charm skill, he lost control and confessed outright:

"It... it was Tang San who told us to do it..."

Oscar turned and ran.

But after barely two steps, Zhu Zhuqing was already blocking his path.

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing. She simply stared at him.

Oscar's legs gave way, and he dropped straight to his knees.

"D-don't kill me! We did it! We were wrong!"

Shi Meng turned to face the commoners watching.

"Did everyone hear that? The people from Shrek spread these rumors. They used you as weapons."

The onlookers began cursing them, profanity flying thick and fast.

The two from Shrek and the "victims" were all subjected to a torrent of abuse, as though drenched in dog's blood, and none dared meet Shi Meng's eyes.

Shi Meng walked up to Ma Hongjun.

"You had quite a good time spreading those rumors, didn't you?"

Ma Hongjun trembled all over. "Shi... Shi Meng... don't do anything reckless... I'm from Shrek..."

"From Shrek?" Shi Meng smiled. "You demolished your own academy and pinned it on us. I haven't even settled that score with you yet, and you've already come to disgust us again?"

(Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo: Lord Shi really has such thick skin! We can't hold a candle to him.)

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Meng's hand came down.

First Soul Skill: Time's Continuous Slash.

The pointer became a sword, and blue light flashed.

Ma Hongjun's tongue was severed at the root, blood spraying across the ground.

Ma Hongjun screamed, his mouth full of blood, and collapsed. He rolled across the ground in agony, but could only let out garbled howls.

"Rumormongers deserve to have their tongues cut out!"

Without even looking at him, Shi Meng turned and walked toward Oscar.

Oscar knelt on the ground, trembling all over, his tongue so tangled that he could not even beg for mercy coherently.

"Were you in charge of spreading rumors or acting as a shill?" Shi Meng asked.

Oscar could not speak.

Shi Meng crouched and looked him in the eye.

"If that tongue in your mouth can't speak properly and only causes trouble, there's no point keeping it."

Before he finished speaking, the pointer slashed down again.

Oscar's tongue was sliced off with precision and fell to the ground like a limp worm.

Oscar covered his mouth, unable to speak, and could only make muffled whimpers.

The surrounding commoners were so terrified that they all fell to their knees.

"Spare us, Holy Son! Please spare us, Holy Son! We were forced into it! The people from Shrek paid us to come here and put on an act!"

Shi Meng stood and swept his gaze over the people kneeling across the ground.

"Get up, all of you. Don't do this again. Now disperse."

They froze for a moment, then showered him with thanks and scrambled away, stumbling and crawling.

Shi Meng glanced at Ghost Douluo, who nodded.

These wretches spread rumors and tried to harm Lord Shi. They've already earned themselves a path to death.

All the tongues that needed cutting had been cut.

Shi Meng turned to Hu Liena, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing.

The girls had not said a word from beginning to end.

Hu Liena clapped her hands. "Nicely done, little junior brother."

Ning Rongrong nodded. "They deserved it."

Xiao Wu's rabbit ears twitched. "I've been sick of the sight of them for ages."

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but the corners of her lips lifted slightly.

Qian Renxue stood at the back, her blue eyes calm, though the corners of her lips also curved slightly.

Shi Meng turned to Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.

"Uncle Chrysanthemum, Uncle Ghost, dump these two back at Shrek. Tell them that if there's a next time, I won't stop at cutting out two tongues."

Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded with a smile. "Understood."

Ghost Douluo grabbed Ma Hongjun in one hand and Oscar in the other, then vanished in a flash.

Shi Meng returned to Dream Academy, sat on the sofa, and let out a long breath.

Hu Liena brought him a cup of milk tea. Shi Meng took it and had a sip.

"Little junior brother, what do you think about what happened today?"

Shi Meng set down the cup and thought for a moment.

"That bunch from Shrek can't stir up any real waves anymore. It's only a matter of time before they move to Heaven Dou City."

"Then are we just going to let it go?"

"Let it go?" Shi Meng shook his head. "Of course not. We're going to Heaven Dou City too."

Ning Rongrong leaned closer. "What's in Heaven Dou City?"

What was there?

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the nearby Sunset Forest, of course.

But he did not intend to say that aloud.

"You'll find out what's there when the time comes."

With that, Shi Meng returned to his room.

Shi Meng had not interfered with Tang San obtaining the Eight Spider Lances this time.

Tang San's rebirth had made things somewhat interesting, but it had also introduced quite a few more variables.

Shi Meng closed his eyes and sensed the authority of time within him.

After his Soul Ring's breakthrough, his authority had filled up again. He could alter causality once more.

Shi Meng slowly opened his eyes, his lips curling into a smile.

"This time, let's give him something really spectacular."