Four days later, in the afternoon, a fine drizzle fell ceaselessly over Xiushui Commandery's capital.
In a study at the Shangguan Clan residence, Shangguan Shenhao's mood was as oppressive, gloomy, and cold as the weather outside.
Lei Yuan, the Academy Master of Zhengyang Martial Academy, had kept his word. Three days earlier, he had expelled every inner and outer disciple connected to the Shangguan Clan.
And just that morning, Seventeen Sects led by the Formless Divine Sect, Astral Immortal Sect, Supreme Mystic Sect, and Southern Heavenly Gate, along with 103 martial academies, had sent a jointly signed letter to the Shangguan Clan.
Effective immediately, they would refuse all Shangguan Clan descendants and subordinates. Any discovered would be expelled at once.
The number of martial academies was considerably greater than the seventy-nine Academy Master Lei Yuan had mentioned before.
Almost every orthodox sect in Eastern Province had joined in, completely cutting off the Shangguan Clan's access to the Blood Source Diagram Pillars.
The Shangguan descendants who had entered the major sects, along with three clansmen serving as commandery and county officials, had all written to ask what had happened, urging Shangguan Shenhao to apologize and provide an explanation as soon as possible to quell the Formless Divine Sect's anger.
Otherwise, their positions would become extremely awkward-
Two of the more vehement ones had even threatened to sever ties with the Shangguan Clan if its head insisted on continuing to act so recklessly.
Those words filled Shangguan Shenhao with anger and resentment.
Those bastards! Had they forgotten who had given them their prospects? Who had supplied their spirit medicines?
But this was only one of several matters troubling him. What gave Shangguan Shenhao an even greater headache was the price gouging by cargo boat owners, boatmen, laborers, and trackers at every dock