Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 368 This Master is Different

The formation of any rumor requires a process and some groundwork.

It's not like something completely unfamiliar suddenly becomes the center of everyone's attention one day.

Events and people may appear suddenly, but the curiosity, resentment, and anger in people's hearts have been accumulating for a long time, just waiting for the fuse to appear and then detonate the emotions that have been accumulating.

Chen Ye understood this principle, so he felt that Youluozi would need at least several days to slowly brew up some trouble before he could make a move. As long as he carefully inquired, he would definitely find a way to deal with it.

But Youluozi understood this principle better, so she chose a simpler and more direct approach: using the capture of the Fenxiang Sect by Chen Ye to stir up public opinion.

Moreover, because she knew many inside stories, the story she spun was so intricate that even the disciples of the Incense Burning Sect and the Yellow Springs Sect might find it plausible, as many details could be corroborated.

Therefore, when his subordinates told Chen Ye all the rumors they had collected, Chen Ye could only smile wryly.

Youluozi's move was too vicious, leaving him with no way to defend himself.

He truly deserves to be called the master of rumors; this rumor hit Chen Ye's biggest weakness—his background.

Even Mo Ci couldn't help but ask Chen Ye who his parents were, but Chen Ye simply couldn't explain.

You can't exactly say you're a time traveler, can you?
If you were to fabricate a backstory, it probably wouldn't fool those who live with you day and night.

Youluozi wanted to use this method to tell Chen Ye that she could turn black into white at will. Now she made Chen Ye Lu Xingzhou's son, and next time she could make Chen Ye the son of Wujiu Demon Lord and Lu Xingzhou.

Seeing the worried crowd, Chen Ye laughed and said, "Why are you all making such a sad face? Being Lu Xingzhou's illegitimate son is an honor for me."

Upon hearing this, Mo Ci's tense face instantly flushed red. He jumped up from his seat and cursed, "Why should I be Lu Xingzhou's illegitimate son?!"

Mo Ci's voice was full of resentment.

"You might as well call me your father! I'm the one who pulled you out of the filthy beggar's heap when you were starving to death!"

Mo Ci was probably the least likely to believe this rumor. Chen Ye knew nothing about cultivation at the time, and it was Mo Ci who taught him the basics. How could Lu Xingzhou's illegitimate son be completely ignorant about cultivation, let alone not even have a bottle of pills on him?

Moreover, Mo Ci was just being stubborn; in reality, his proudest achievement in life was not escaping the pursuit of the Qinghe Sword Sect, but teaching Chen Ye as his disciple.

Now that the credit has suddenly gone to that dead man Lu Xingzhou, Mo Ci cannot accept it in the slightest.

Seeing his master's face flushed with anger, Chen Ye wanted to comfort him but didn't know where to begin. He could only shake his head with a wry smile. The most insidious thing about these rumors is that the more you try to explain them, the worse they become. Even if Chen Ye could bring up his parents, it probably wouldn't stop those conspiracy theories.

At this moment, Mo Suixin cautiously observed Chen Ye and Mo Ci's expressions. Seeing that the argument had subsided slightly, she spoke up, "Sect Master, now that the Yunlu Immortal Sect has invited us to a face-to-face confrontation, we must have a way to deal with it. We can't just go there bearing the name of 'Lu Xingzhou's illegitimate son,' can we?"

Chen Ye took a deep breath, gathering his chaotic thoughts. His gaze regained its composure and sharpness. He said, "You don't need to worry. The Yunlu Immortal Sect won't care about such rumors. Whether it's me or not, this is a matter between me and the Fenxiang Sect. To put it bluntly, it's just a private feud between the two sects, and they can't be bothered with it. The so-called mediation is just because I arrested the Fenxiang Sect members. As the hosts here, they have to step forward and say something, putting on a show for the other sects."

"There's even less to worry about the Incense Burning Sect. Whether I'm Lu Xingzhou's illegitimate son or not, that Iron Sect Master knows it perfectly well. He wouldn't be foolish enough to use that as a reason to start a war; that would only make him a laughingstock. So this confrontation won't be affected by the rumors. At most, it will just cause some deviation in the Yellow Springs Sect's plan to make a name for itself." Chen Ye originally wanted to tell everyone in the most straightforward way that the Yellow Springs Sect was the fifth major righteous sect, and that the Incense Burning Sect should be inferior to the Yellow Springs Sect in every aspect.

With Youluozi's actions, Chen Ye actually became the "orthodox" of the Burning Incense Sect. While his fame diminished somewhat, his efficiency in gaining renown increased many times over.

In this way, everyone in the world will know the name of the Yellow Springs Sect, and the probability of becoming cannon fodder will be much smaller, which can be considered as achieving Chen Ye's goal.

However... this rumor will probably never be cleared up.

"Everyone, disperse. We can't keep the Yunlu Immortal Sect waiting too long, or it would be impolite."

Chen Ye walked out of the courtyard, only selecting Fang Hao to follow him.

Before he could even see Yu Shenxing waiting outside, Chen Ye stopped and asked Fang Hao, "Why did you remain silent just now, my disciple?"

Fang Hao was somewhat surprised, wondering why Chen Ye would suddenly ask him that question.

How could he, as Chen Ye's apprentice, possibly bring up such a thing?

After thinking for a moment, Fang Hao had no choice but to reply, "Master has already made up his mind, and I will follow his advice."

“I’ve taken on an apprentice, but he’s not just a yes-man.”

Chen Ye walked up to Fang Hao and said to him, "You should know the rules of my Yellow Springs Sect: trust those you employ and don't employ those you don't trust. If you can pass the test of hellish torture, then I will believe in your character."

"Moreover, you should have heard that my Yellow Springs Sect and the Crimson Serpent Demonic Sect have a long history. It's common for demonic cultivators to betray their masters and ancestors. Look at how I get along with my master; every day he gets so angry that he blows his beard and glares at me."

“Fang Hao, you are older than me and your cultivation is higher, but since you have sincerely kowtowed and become my disciple, I will devote myself to teaching you without reservation, in every aspect. But I also hope that you can regard me as your master, not as a capricious tyrant who will cut off your head at any time.”

The level of cultivation has never been a criterion for Chen Ye to determine the status of master and disciple. Now, Mo Ci is no longer as good as Chen Ye, but he is still the same master. Despite their bickering, their relationship has never changed.

Upon hearing this, Fang Hao was extremely surprised.

He had only been a disciple for a few days, had not yet made any progress, and could even be said to have had his doubts dispelled, yet Chen Ye already trusted him?
Fang Hao found himself unable to tell whether these words were true or false.

He spent the first half of his life in the dog-eat-dog, suspicious atmosphere of the Incense Burning Sect, and had long been accustomed to assessing the situation and protecting himself wisely.

Even his master Lu Xingzhou, who had been kind to him, only watched the infighting among his disciples with indifference, regarding it as a whetstone for them.

Lu Xingzhou wanted a disciple with both outstanding wisdom and talent to become the leader of the Incense Burning Sect, and only the final victor would gain his favor.

Is Chen Ye's master really different?

(End of this chapter)