Chapter 91: The Art of Spreading Rumors
This was undeniably a treacherous move, yet also undeniably a brilliant one.
First, this news possessed all the explosive elements that martial arts enthusiasts loved to hear. The two prominent figures, Shi Guanyin and "The Man Who Cuts the Sky with His Plain Hands," were placed at opposite ends of the story—the latter, in particular, enjoying unparalleled prominence—and then amplified with the martial arts world's favorite moral and ethical narratives. This ensured that the news would spread rapidly throughout the country, becoming known to everyone in Jinan and reaching Bianjing within two days, attracting countless eyes. Under such scrutiny, Jinan would inevitably be at the center of the storm, and no one would dare to act rashly.
Secondly, Shi Guanyin, who has been hiding in the shadows, will be thrust into the limelight by Xie Huailing. Whether she truly intends to kill Xie Huailing is irrelevant, whether she is in Jinan is irrelevant, even her own will and whether she will become enraged are all unimportant. From the moment Xie Huailing places her on the opposite side, she is left with only one path: to actually kill Xie Huailing. If she doesn't come, her reputation will be ruined. A demonic figure like her will no longer even be feared in the martial world.
Furthermore, as Shi Guanyin becomes increasingly entangled, her sons Wuhua and Nangong Ling cannot easily escape either. Xie Huailing doesn't have direct evidence against these two, but is she such a morally upright person? Is she some kind of procedural justice champion who insists on evidence? She even fabricated evidence against Cai Jing; why wouldn't she dare fabricate evidence against these two brothers? With this commotion, they are destined to be unable to escape, and as long as they don't run, Xie Huailing has plenty of ways to use them.
Finally, and most importantly, since Xie Huailing hadn't managed to extract the benefits she wanted from the Southern Prince's Mansion, she wasn't going to let them go back so easily.
When she released the news, she deliberately left a blank space, suggesting that "Stone Guanyin" might have someone helping her, allowing people to speculate. This speculation meant that Xie Huailing could easily pin the blame on the Southern Prince's Mansion if she wanted to. So what if they were royalty? If they were so deeply involved in the affairs of the martial world, making a scene would reach the Emperor's eyes, and even if they didn't die, they would be severely punished. The princess naturally understood the pros and cons, and she also knew that she had to play another game with Xie Huailing.
From then on, she was on the same path as Shi Guanyin. The choice was either to join forces with Shi Guanyin to kill Xie Huailing, or to be completely finished off by Xie Huailing. At the same time, she also had to gamble on whether Xie Huailing had any backup plans, or whether his death would drag them all down with him.
This is actually a rather pessimistic situation, but that princess has lived cautiously for so many years, grasping at everything she can, and not hesitating to take ruthless measures time and time again. How could she possibly give up?
As for other aspects, whether they will be exposed or not... Thanks to the reputation of Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou as "the number one loyalty and righteousness building in the world," no one would doubt that this news is fake. Please, this is Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou! Shi Guanyin's reputation is already terrible, why would Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou fabricate this? Anyone who hears this statement will only think that the person who said it has something wrong with their brain, and would never imagine that Xie Huailing's bottom line and morality are so precarious.
In conclusion, this is a brilliant plan. The Divine Marquis's Mansion won't interfere in Jinan, and Xie Huailing can spread rumors as she pleases; who can stop her? The only risk is that she's risking her life to force others into this scheme—whether she'll be ruined or it will backfire. However, Xie Huailing has her own preparations for this, so there's no need to elaborate.
She wasn't worried about her safety at all, not just with an almost arrogant confidence, but to Xie Huailing... if her plan had any flaws, then she deserved to die.
Once you've made a move, don't regret it or worry about it. Winning is winning, and losing is losing.
.
As the news spread, Ren Ci and Ye Shuzhen learned early in the morning that Shi Guanyin had made outrageous remarks and threatened Xie Huailing. However, they did not disturb Xie Huailing's sleep, nor did they come to his door; they allowed Xie Huailing to sleep peacefully until the afternoon.
It wasn't that Xie Huailing had given prior notice, nor that someone had stopped them for her; rather, it was a landmine she had planted for Nangong Ling and Wuhua that easily detonated. For the entire morning, Ren Ci and Ye Shuzhen were preoccupied with their own problems.
Bribing members of the Beggars' Sect wouldn't take long, and bribing an elder was merely a matter of offering a small reward from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. She had orchestrated a scenario where, after hearing about Shi Guanyin and herself, the Beggars' Sect elder would immediately point to Nangong Ling, claiming that he had overheard Nangong Ling secretly calling Shi Guanyin "mother." Every word was carefully crafted by her; no further evidence was needed. Ye Shuzhen, whose life had been ruined by Shi Guanyin, reacted instantly and precisely.
What followed was a natural progression. Ren Ci loved his son and his wife. With the elders speaking righteously and swearing oaths with their own lives, the crowd was indignant and their opinions were overwhelming. He had no choice but to investigate. He ordered his men to first arrest and confine Nangong Ling, and then conduct a thorough search.
By the time Wuhua learned of these events, it was too late. He was also implicated; the elder insisted he had heard Nangong Ling call him "brother," so he was also arrested and confined to another location. Xie Huailing wasn't worried about them escaping; as long as Shi Guanyin still needed them, she wouldn't allow them to leave the Beggars' Sect.
When Xie Huailing woke up, the Beggars' Sect was already in a daze due to the series of changes. Although they were worried about her, they only had the energy to send a few elders to discuss the matter with Shaman. Shaman quickly dismissed these people.
However, there were still other people waiting for her.
"Miss Xie." Lu Xiaofeng was so impatient waiting for her that he wanted to dig up ant nests in the flower field outside. He lay casually on the couch, his eyelids drooping. "You can sleep so much. You can sleep through anything. I've been waiting for you until the flowers have withered."
Xie Huailing was actually still a bit sleepy, but she woke up because she was hungry. She hadn't eaten much and had been working non-stop for so long, so she should have been exhausted by now. It was only because of her strong willpower that she was able to get up and eat again. She replied casually, "Then you should wait a little longer. After a year, the flowers will bloom again."
Lu Xiaofeng, who had been rebuked by her again, shook his finger and said in a pretentious manner, "I can wait another year, but Miss Xie, the situation waits for no one. Don't waste your efforts."
"What are you babbling about? I can't understand you. Bring me my bowl. If you're not going to eat, get out."
Hua Manlou couldn't help but laugh out loud, and Lu Xiaofeng, who had failed to pretend to be cultured, had no choice but to give her the rice bowl, and then he and Hua Manlou each picked up a bowl.
They had all already eaten; in fact, no one but Xie Huailing would be eating at this hour. But she said they would leave if they didn't eat, so the two of them still needed to fill their stomachs. They sat side by side opposite Xie Huailing, looking unusually well-behaved for a moment.
But Lu Xiaofeng would break down after only a couple of bites. He always spoke with his expression first, which drew attention and made people unable to help but listen to what he said, especially when he had something on his mind: "You eat first, just listen to my questions."
After finishing his sentence, he got straight to the point, not feeling the need to exchange pleasantries with Xie Huailing, or that this was something he couldn't ask in person. He asked, "Is the whole story about Shi Guanyin that's causing such a stir in the city true? Is she really planning to harm you?"
Xie Huailing ate the food in her mouth with a bitter taste, in order to maintain her vital signs. She swallowed slowly, took a sip, and then replied even more slowly and vaguely, "It can't be fake."
Since Shi Guanyin was going to come anyway, it couldn't be fake. Xie Huailing wasn't exactly lying to them.
Lu Xiaofeng's expression turned serious, and Hua Manlou also put down his chopsticks and looked at her with genuine concern that couldn't be faked. He pondered for a moment and said, "I think, Huailing, you already have a plan in mind, don't you?"
Xie Huailing bowed her head. She couldn't reveal the plan to them, but she could give a subtle hint: "Don't worry, it would be troublesome if she didn't come to me. I've been waiting for her for quite some time now."
Lu Xiaofeng understood what was going on. He exchanged glances with Hua Manlou, and then, remembering the uproar about Nangong Ling that morning, he knew perfectly well that there was no need to ask any more questions. He immediately felt much more relaxed.
He disliked the struggle for fame and fortune in the martial arts world, but his friend was deeply involved, causing him to worry. Now, he finally regained his composure and laughed, "If I had known it would be like this, I would have waited until after your mealtime to come. On the way, I was even talking to Hua Manlou about why Shi Guanyin insisted on disfiguring you. You don't know, but I heard people talking about this as soon as I woke up this morning. Everyone had a different version of the story, and each one was more outrageous than the last."
Xie Huailing, who was actually the author of the initial version, feigned curiosity and was also concerned about the efficiency of the rumor's spread: "How did it spread?"
Lu Xiaofeng waved his hand and said, "How else can they spread the word? They all say that Shi Guanyin is overestimating herself, that she's not as pretty as you and is jealous of you, so they praise you as if you were a celestial being. If this continues, you'll become the most beautiful woman in the world."
"Ah..." Xie Huailing touched his face and sincerely realized his shortcomings.
She realized she had been too modest; none of those storytellers dared to tell her stories, and that was where others excelled—it truly made her feel inferior. After much painful reflection, she sincerely replied, "Isn't that so?"
The chopsticks fell to the ground with a "clatter," or perhaps it wasn't the sound of the chopsticks, but the sound of someone's slap. Lu Xiaofeng picked up his chopsticks, then looked at Xie Huailing's face and pondered carefully: "Hua Manlou, do you remember? Actually, when we first met at Chief Ren's birthday banquet, you asked me a question, asking me what I thought of Miss Xie."
Hua Manlou continued, "I remember, you said back then that you couldn't let go of appearances."
Then Lu Xiaofeng went to see Hua Manlou, grabbed Hua Manlou's sleeve, and said with deep regret, "Was I wrong, or was I too shallow? I can let go of it now."
Xie Huailing could only offer two words to Lu Xiaofeng regarding his change in attitude: "Tasteless."
Lu Xiaofeng laughed heartily, quite pleased to see Xie Huailing suffer a verbal defeat. His beard twitched as he chuckled, "In the end, it's good that Miss Xie can appreciate herself. A beautiful appearance is common in the martial world, but an interesting soul is one in a million."
Xie Huailing raised her eyes and said, "I know you're insulting me, but I'll take it as a compliment. Everyone has their own strengths, and my personality has its uses too."
“That’s right, it’s best that Huailing thinks that way.” Hua Manlou smiled gently, his eyes crinkling slightly.
Whatever he said, it sounded good when he said it earnestly. Xie Huailing nodded in agreement, then asked, "Did you send anything else?"
Lu Xiaofeng thought for a moment and then said, "The rest are just speculations, like whether Shi Guanyin was bribed by the Six and a Half Hall. Don't you think that's possible?"
Xie Huailing stopped what she was doing. She had been poking at the bottom of her bowl with her chopsticks, waging a great struggle between getting hungry soon and pinching her nose to eat a little more, until she heard Lu Xiaofeng's words, which interrupted her thoughts. Her expression froze, as if she had wandered off into her own world, frozen like a wooden sculpture.
After a few breaths, she revealed a look of near realization, and pounded her heart with her hand, saying, "I knew I forgot something. There's no end to learning! I forgot to smear the Six and a Half Hall!"
Lu Xiaofeng typed a question mark, and then heard Xie Huailing say, "That's right, how could we forget them for such a good thing? We've been away from Bianjing for too long, and we're not used to bothering them anymore."
"...Is that something I need to get used to?" he exclaimed.
Xie Huailing sighed deeply, her eyelids drooping, looking utterly sorrowful: "Of course, this is something I need to get used to. How many people in the world are my natural punching bags? Besides, even if I don't ask them for help, things will still fall on them anyway. That's reputation. So I might as well do them a favor. That's doing a good deed every day."
Hua Manlou nearly choked on his tea, unsure whether to laugh or not, and turned his head away, covering his mouth. Lu Xiaofeng, on the other hand, exclaimed dramatically, still unable to believe what he had just heard. He blinked and saw Xie Huailing carefully considering his words: "Well said. With you around, Master Su's reputation is completely ruined."
“This is called ‘everyone has their own unique talents.’” Xie Huailing said calmly. “From another perspective, with me around, no matter what my cousin does, as long as he looks at me, he will find that he is still a saint.”
Hua Manlou was truly choked this time, coughing as he leaned against the corner of the table, while reaching for his handkerchief. Lu Xiaofeng hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, before finally realizing, "Master Su is truly the greatest hero under heaven!"
This is what they mean by "those who achieve great things must first endure hardship." He was filled with awe.
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