Chapter 159.2 Can't Beat Him When It Comes to Rumors (2/2)
Chapter 159.2 Can’t Beat Him When It Comes to Rumors (2/2)
"Mo Sanshan, you know the plan this time around; this building is not easy to remove! The demons who follow other Parlor Lords are keeping an eye on us since we tried to make a move against Wang Ke this time. We might expose our plan prematurely if we go again. If that happens…!" The man in black felt worried.
"I know! Of course! But what can we do about this tower that Wang Ke is building?" Mo Sanshan asked, visibly annoyed.
"All the demonic disciples’ hands are tied right now! Could you give it a try…?" the black-robed man suggested.
"Your hands are tied? Does that mean my hands are not? Why don’t you guys go and destroy the tower before anyone notices!" Mo Sanshan questioned back with a stare.
"The Dragon Cultivation Town is circular, and his tower is right in the middle. There’s a high risk of exposure if we were to do that!" the black-robed man answered.
"Do you think I’m not worried about exposing myself too?" Mo Sanshan said.
"Then how? We planned this for such a long time! Our plans will go moot once the tower is built!" the man in black said anxiously.
Mo Sanshan’s face blackened. "Damn it. I would leave in a heartbeat if I wasn’t deep in this muddle already!"
"You have an idea?" the man in black asked.
Taking a deep breath, Mo Sanshan said in a deep voice, "There’s no other way. The demonic disciples spared Wang Ke, just like that; all of them looked like they lost their minds. If that’s the case, I will spread a rumor among the righteous disciples! Isn’t Wang Ke’s tower meant to serve the demons? Humph, I shall see how many of the righteous cultivators will support this construction!"
————-
Five days later, Zhang Zhengdao looked again for Wang Ke at the construction site.
"Wang Ke, where have you been in the past few days? Someone is trying to harm you!" Zhang Zhengdao urged.
"Ahh? I went to play Mahjong… Uhh, no, I went to spy and learn more about the demonic sect’s schemes! What do you mean? Who’s trying to harm me?" Wang Ke was surprised.
"We don’t know it either. But someone is spreading foul rumors against you in the righteous faction’s camps!" Zhang Zhengdao said.
"What rumor?" asked the other.
"They said that you built the tower not to spy on the demonic sect disciples but to serve them! They’re even saying that you being safe after being surrounded by demons five days ago is proof!" Zhang Zhengdao said.
"Uhhh? What’s the problem? Is that even a rumor?" Wang Ke asked.
Rumor? Isn’t that the blatant truth? How is that a rumor?
"So…?" Wang Ke asked, feeling puzzled.
"Then Tie Liuyun, Zhao Si, and their gang drowned the rumors!" Zhang Zhengdao answered with a weird look.
Wang Ke: "……………….!"
Zhang Zhengdao continued, "That day you told me to go back and get both Tie Liuyun and Zhao Si to investigate, to find out who else had heard what you said during the feast. Only then did they realize that the demons went after you because of their blunder. They said it had surely been difficult for you to get out of that bind! They also said that they were very sorry! They were overwrought with guilt! According to this, someone dared to use the incident as an excuse to slander you. That person was bombarded by Zhao Si and his fellow cultivators!" Zhang Zhengdao explained.
"Uhhh? I… I really bore a hefty cost!" Wang Ke said with a peculiar look on his face.
The cost I paid was to merely enjoy a few nights playing Mahjong. Does that count?
"Then, those who spread rumors about you refused to give up! They said that you’re working undercover sent by the demons! To oppose the righteous sect disciples!" Zhang Zhengdao recounted angrily.
"They said that I’m a spy?" Wang Ke frowned.
"Yeah, why else would the demons let you off so easily five days ago?" Zhang Zhengdao answered, "They were saying that you were already mingling with demons back in the Qing Capital some time ago, and that you helped them extract the draconic ley line. Anyway, their main point is that you seemed to be too close with Parlor Lords Zi Bufan and Zhu Hongyi. Some even claim to have seen with their own eyes that you’re a Branch Lord in the demonic sect!" Zhang Zhengdao said.
Wang Ke was a little surprised. These are all blatant truths! Other than me being a spy, the rest are okay! What kind of a rumor is this?
"Then…?" Wang Ke asked.
"Then, a disciple from the Golden Crow Sect clarified things for you," Zhang Zhengdao reported, "He said to have just received a letter from his senior apprentice-brother. The letter said that you risked your life facing both Parlor Lords, and that you were also beaten up by a demon, vomiting lots of blood and suffering gruesome injuries. Thanks to this, many of their fellow disciples were rescued! Those who spread rumors against you must be harboring evil intentions; many think they are moles from the demonic sect! And so, it triggered a massive operation to uncover all the ones undercover! They managed to capture three of them!" Zhang Zhengdao said.
Wang Ke was stunned. Seems like the issue was settled?
"Then…?" Wang Ke asked.
"There is no more ‘then.’ The Golden Crow Sect disciples clarified things on your behalf; what else can there be? Also, Tie Liuyun and Zhao Si have been fervently spreading stories about your good deeds! Who would try to slander you and draw trouble onto themselves?" Zhang Zhengdao said.
Wang Ke replied with a weird tone, "Ohh!"
"Someone is trying to harm you! And all you say is ‘ohh’?" Zhang Zhengdao said anxiously.
"What else can I do? I’m still safe and sound, am I supposed to cry for help? Do you know how much heart and soul I poured out to entertain the demons so I could build this tower? Quick! Go and do your job!" Wang Ke urged.
"Poured your heart and soul? To entertain the demons? Why do I feel that you’ve only been feasting or playing Mahjong? Does that count as pouring out your heart and soul?" Zhang Zhengdao asked while feeling at a loss.
"You know nothing!" Wang Ke stared at his companion and said, "I’m building social connections! How can the construction run so smoothly if I don’t spend time with people?"
Zhang Zhengdao looked doubtful.
"Better get on with your own things! The Dragon Gate Assembly is near. Have you scared off all those who bought insurance?" Wang Ke asked.
"Uhh, not yet!"
Wang Ke scolded him, "Not yet? Then what are you waiting for? Damn you! Any loss will be paid back from your pocket!"
—————-
Outside the Dragon Cultivation Town, on a mountain peak—
Mo Sanshan watched in frustration as Wang Ke and Zhang Zhengdao chatted.
"Hall Lord, we have failed on every front as we spread rumors against Wang Ke. We can’t beat him when it comes to rumors!" one of Mo Sanshan’s subordinates reported.
"We can’t beat him in rumor mongering?" Mo Sanshan said after taking a deep breath.
"Yeah, it’s freaky even! We went out to spread rumors, and we were flooded back with scolding when we said anything bad about Wang Ke. Although some of the righteous disciples are looking forward to seeing him fail, the cowards stay in the back, hiding! All those who were willing to speak up are his supporters! Whenever we say his name, they give us a thumbs-up! We… We really can’t cause any ripples with such rumors! It’s as though Wang Ke has some sort of divine protection around him. What should we do?" the subordinate said, feeling discouraged.
Mo Sanshan rubbed his temple again, "How? How the hell! How did he make both the righteous and demonic sects trust in him so blindly just by bluffing his way around? Why?"
"We don’t know either!" His men lowered their heads.
Mo Sanshan’s eyelids twitched rapidly. Wang Ke was like a super sticky medicine patch on his body that he could never clean off! The latter would also spend every day mixing around with the Golden Core demons. Mo Sanshan couldn’t even find an opportunity when he was alone.
A mere Innate Stage cultivator made him, the cunning head intelligence agent, feel so helpless!
"I can’t let this go on! It won’t be long for the tower to be finished!" Mo Sanshan said frustratingly.
I can’t let this drag on! The tower is growing taller every day! Our master plan will be wasted if this continues!