On the fifth day of the public outcry, the tide in Heaven Dou City had completely turned.
The once bustling entrance to the Pill Pavilion branch has become deserted, with only occasional low-level Soul Master glancing at the signboard with hesitant and suspicious looks in their eyes.
The shopkeeper stood behind the counter, looked at the empty street outside, sighed, and closed the ledger.
When the news reached Godwind Academy, Feng Lingtian was in Feng Qingxuan's study reviewing the recent sales records of the Pill Pavilion.
Sales figures plummeted, from a rapid decline in the first three days to almost a standstill in the last two days, the curve starkly clear.
"The impact of public opinion is spreading faster than I anticipated." Feng Lingtian put the records back on the table.
Feng Qingxuan sat opposite him, his expression unchanged. "Rumors spread faster than the wind."
"Yes," Feng Lingtian said, "But the Spirit Hall has been building up momentum for so many days without making a move, which is something to be taken seriously."
Feng Qingxuan glanced at him. "What do you think they're waiting for?"
"They're probably waiting for the Heaven Dou Royal Family's attitude." Feng Lingtian leaned back in his chair. "If the Royal Family publicly supports us, they'll have to think twice before taking action. So they have to wait for the Royal Family to make their stance clear first."
Feng Qingxuan pondered for a moment, just about to speak, when footsteps sounded outside the door. A student knocked and entered to announce, "Dean, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School has arrived and is waiting in the reception room."
Feng Qingxuan stood up and glanced at Feng Lingtian. Feng Lingtian had no intention of following him out; he simply tilted his head to the side.
The study and the living room were separated by only one wall, with a side door that was not usually used and covered by a thick curtain. When the curtain was down, it was right next to the wall, but when it was lifted, you could hear what was happening on the other side.
Feng Qingxuan didn't say much, and went out.
Feng Lingtian stood there for a while, waiting until the footsteps stopped and the clatter of the tables and chairs subsided before walking to the side door and lifting the curtain a crack.
Feng Qingxuan's voice came from the other side, clear and steady. " Sect Master Ning has come in person; I am sorry for not greeting you sooner."
" Dean Feng, you're too kind." Ning Fengzhi's voice was gentle and unhurried. "I've come today because I have a few words I'd like to say in person."
Feng Qingxuan didn't waste time with pleasantries and went straight to the point. " Sect Master Ning, please speak."
"The recent events at the Pill Pavilion were discussed in court today," Ning Fengzhi, taking a sip of his tea before putting it down and continuing.
"The rumors spread by the Spirit Hall have reached Heaven Dou City. Some are advocating for putting pressure on the Godwind Academy and Pill Pavilion together with the Pill Pavilion Spirit Hall —this was proposed by someone from the Ministry of Rites, but the Crown Prince nodded in support in court."
Ning Fengzhi paused, then added calmly, "But I suppressed it later."
Feng Qingxuan nodded. "Thank you for your Sect Master Ning."
"Of course," Ning Fengzhi put down his teacup, "but there's something I think you should know—"
Qinghe... no, it's the Crown Prince's side. After the court meeting, they changed their attitude again, mentioning several times that they wanted to contact the Pill Pavilion, saying it was to 'learn about pills'.
He glanced at Feng Qingxuan: "I didn't reply. After all, the Crown Prince's attitude... changed rather quickly."
Feng Qingxuan sensed the weight of those words and didn't press further, simply saying, "Thank you for the reminder, Sect Master Ning."
Ning Fengzhi waved his hand and stood up. "Right now, the royal family can only stay out of the fray. As for whether the Spirit Hall will take action, and when—you need to be prepared yourselves."
Feng Qingxuan saw him out of the reception room, and the sound of their footsteps gradually faded away in the corridor.
Feng Lingtian lowered the curtains in the study and stood there thinking for a while.
As a time traveler, he naturally knew that Xue Qinghe at this moment was Qian Renxue, the young master of the Spirit Hall.
However, the Ning Fengzhi himself could sense that the Crown Prince was "not right" indicates that Qian Renxue's disguise was beginning to crack.
When Feng Qingxuan pushed the door open and came back, she glanced at him and said, "You should have heard everything clearly just now. The news Ning Fengzhi sent is quite significant. Tell me your thoughts."
Feng Lingtian sat down opposite him at the desk and remained silent for a moment before saying, "The Crown Prince has a problem."
Feng Qingxuan did not interrupt him and waited for him to continue.
"Initially, they advocated cooperating with the Spirit Hall to put pressure on the Pill Pavilion, but after being suppressed, they immediately changed their attitude and wanted to contact the Pill Pavilion."
Feng Lingtian tapped his fingers lightly on his knee. "This change is too fast. It doesn't seem like the effect of someone's true attitude being dissuaded; it's more like a test—"
The first test was to gauge the royal family's bottom line; the second, to probe the depths of the Pill Pavilion.
Feng Lingtian raised his head and continued his analysis, "Moreover, Ning Fengzhi that the Crown Prince nodded in agreement with what the people from the Ministry of Rites had raised."
If the Crown Prince truly opposes Pill Pavilion, he can express his opinion directly without needing others to raise it and then seconding it himself.
This roundabout approach suggests he's hiding something.
After listening, Feng Qingxuan remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "You mean, the Crown Prince might not be the real Crown Prince?"
"At the very least, it can be said that his current stance is not quite in line with the stance that a true crown prince should have." Feng Lingtian did not give a definitive answer.
"Whether he was switched or not is hard to say, but there must be someone manipulating him behind the scenes. And judging from his attitude towards the Pill Pavilion, this manipulator's stance is biased towards the Spirit Hall."
Feng Qingxuan glanced at him. "If the Crown Prince is from the Spirit Hall..."
"Then we need to be even more prepared," Feng Lingtian continued. "Now that Sect Master Ning has shielded us from the pressure from the royal family, the Spirit Hall won't let it go so easily."
They've been building up momentum for so many days, waiting for the right moment. Now that the royal family is silent, that moment has arrived for them.
Feng Qingxuan looked at him. "Then who do you think will come?"
Without hesitation, Feng Lingtian replied, " Ghost Douluo."
Why him?
"Among the Titled Douluo under Bibi Dong's command, the most famous are Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo."
Dealing with uncooperative forces is not a task suitable for Chrysanthemum Douluo. Both in terms of methods and reputation, Ghost Douluo is far more appropriate.
Feng Qingxuan nodded without refuting.
Two days later, before dawn, heavy footsteps echoed outside the gates of the Godwind Academy.
The student guarding the gate rubbed his eyes, pushed open the side door, and glanced inside. His face instantly turned pale.
A row of people wearing the Spirit Hall's standard armor stood outside the door. The person in the lead wore a dark gray cloak, his face half-hidden in the shadow of the hood, making his features unclear, but the aura emanating from him sent chills down one's spine.
When the student stumbled back into the courtyard to report, Feng Lingtian had already woken up.
He stood at the second-floor window, looking towards the entrance, and saw the silhouette of the dark gray cloak slowly moving in the morning mist. A guess formed in his mind.
It's Ghost Douluo.
Bibi Dong indeed sent him.
When Feng Qingxuan put on his outer robe and came out, Ghost Douluo had already entered the front yard.
He didn't bring many people, but each of them exuded a powerful aura. A faint chill lingered on the stone floor of the courtyard, as if something cold and sinister was rising from the ground.
Ghost Douluo stopped in the center of the courtyard, neither walking in nor speaking. He raised his head, revealing a pair of deep eyes in the shadows beneath his hood, looking towards the main building.
Feng Qingxuan stopped at the entrance of the main building, followed by Dugu Bo.
" The Spirit Hall is handling this matter," Ghost Douluo began, his voice neither loud nor soft, as if stating something perfectly ordinary. " The Pill Pavilion is suspected of endangering the Soul Master World. Following a joint report from the common people, the Spirit Hall has been ordered to investigate."
His gaze swept over Feng Qingxuan, then fell on Dugu Bo behind him, paused for a moment, and then looked away.
Feng Qingxuan chuckled lightly and replied in a neither loud nor soft tone, "Doesn't your Spirit Hall know best whether the Pill Pavilion poses a threat to the Soul Master World?"
The courtyard fell silent for a moment.
Ghost Douluo didn't reply; his expression was obscured by the shadows beneath his hood. The silence lasted for two or three breaths, then he slowly lowered his hand and made a very subtle gesture towards the person behind him.
The group behind him took a step forward.
The chill on the stone floor intensified, and a few withered leaves were pushed by the invisible air currents, sliding along the ground towards Feng Qingxuan's feet.
Feng Qingxuan did not move, and Dugu Bo behind him also stood in place with his hands hanging at his sides, but his fingertips were slightly bent, ready to release his Soul Power at any time.
Feng Qingxuan didn't speak again, he just stood there. His meaning was clear enough—no matter how many steps they took forward, he wouldn't give way.
Ghost Douluo did not speak again.
The two men faced each other across half the yard, one pushing forward, the other refusing to back down.
The morning mist on the horizon gradually dissipated, and the sunlight fell, casting long, straight shadows of the two people in the courtyard.