Chapter 257: Rumor 4

Times have changed; Old Wang truly doesn't take Luo Lan seriously anymore.

Back then, he wasn’t afraid when that guy was lurking in the shadows, so why would he fear him now that he’s out in the open? With Brother Karida backing him up, what could a mere Luo Lan do even if he returned?

But in reality, it turned out that Winnie was right on the money...

Old Wang had only enjoyed a few days of peace before rumors began to spread like wildfire through the Rose.

Not just in the Rose, but also in Aurora City and even the distant Holy City, an unbelievable story was being whispered from ear to ear.

Wang Feng, the prodigy who recently gained prominence at the Rose Holy Sanctuary for inventing 'Thor's Messenger,' 'Eagle Eye,' and mastering advanced casting techniques, was allegedly a spy for the Nine Gods, affiliated with Dandelion!

Once this rumor started, it spread like wildfire, for it held water!

How could there be a young man under twenty who simultaneously invents new runes, practices casting, and develops new magical potions?

Other geniuses might dabble in interdisciplinary work, perhaps crossing over from runes to casting or vice versa, but who would bridge the gap to magical potions, two fields as unrelated as they come, let alone excel in all three? This was already an incredibly implausible scenario.

But the rumor provided an explanation: these so-called inventions were actually technological secrets of the Nine Gods. This traitor spy used them to gain Karida's trust, even going so far as to alter Wang Feng's identity, and the entire Luo Lan incident was orchestrated to further solidify Wang Feng's credibility.

This made the situation even more intriguing.

Initially, Karida helped Old Wang resolve his identity issues, but now it has become evidence of their deep entanglement.

Some even dug up old rumors from the Rose, suggesting that Karida and Wang Feng had a secret affair. Though not particularly handsome, it was said that he had certain special talents that attracted many beautiful women, and these stories were told with such vivid detail.

With all these rumors swirling together, the tide began to slowly turn.

For now, no one has confronted him, but as Wang Feng walked through the Rose Holy Sanctuary, everyone looked at him with a strange glint in their eyes.

Old Wang didn’t care at all; he truly wasn’t afraid of such things. If spreading some rumors could make the Nine Gods abandon their assassination plans, that would be like burning incense to pray for good luck.

The work of the Autonomous Council continued as usual. It had been several days since his return. Previously, he was busy dealing with various matters, but now things were a bit more relaxed, and it was time to visit some connections in Aurora City.

Changmao Street remained bustling with mixed residents.

Two beastmen were pulling a cart loaded with magic potions in boxes, five thousand bottles in total. They had been waiting for this batch of goods for days.

It was noon, and there were few people in Tai Kun’s Black Iron Bar. Seeing Wang Feng, Tai Kun greeted him with a broad smile: "Brother Wang Feng, you left without saying goodbye and were gone for over two months, which really worried me and Lord Udagan. We sent many people to look for you, but those useless ones couldn’t find any clues. It was only later, when we saw your heroic deeds in the Ice Spirit Kingdom on the Light of the Holy Sanctuary, that we finally felt relieved. Ha ha ha, Brother Wang Feng, you are indeed an extraordinary person. In the blink of an eye, you accomplished great things in the Ice Spirit Kingdom and gained much attention. I truly admire you."

"Brother Kun, don’t believe those rumors," Old Wang said with a smile. "What I did can hardly be called great deeds. The real accomplishments were made by others; I was just an observer, enjoying the spectacle."

"Humble, that’s true humility! No wonder you’re someone who accomplishes great things," Tai Kun laughed heartily. "Now that you’re back, my mind is at ease! Don’t go back home yet. I’ll call Ban Cha and Xiao Hei. Let’s have a good gathering tonight to welcome you back!"

"We must drink! While I was away, Fantasi mentioned that his delivery volume was a bit low. There have been continuous troubles from the Rose side. Thanks to your support, Brother Kun, you extended his delivery deadlines several times. Otherwise, if I had to pay a penalty, I’d have to pawn my pants."

While Old Wang was away, business with the beastmen had its ups and downs. Lin Yuxiang kept pressuring Fantasi from the Rose side, while also withholding money from the potion disciples, causing chaos and delays in deliveries. Fortunately, the beastmen didn’t break ties over this.

"I really can’t take credit for that. How much can my bar use? The main issue is that Lord Udagan’s demand isn’t keeping up. But Lord Udagan said that since Fantasi is the person you designated, Brother Wang Feng, we must trust him, all for your sake." Tai Kun laughed heartily. "Previously, that Lin something from your Rose actually came to talk to me, trying to take over your business from Fantasi. Ha ha, I kicked him out directly. If it weren’t for his status as a Holy Sanctuary disciple, I would have beaten him up! Honestly, among humans, besides you, Brother, all the others with a bit of status are the same arrogant bastards, thinking too highly of themselves. They should take a piss and look in the mirror!"

"Ha ha, that’s why you’re a brother. Everyone thinks alike. I also found that kid annoying and had Old Hei help us beat him up."

"That’s good. Call Hei Wukai tonight too. In your Rose Holy Sanctuary, you two get along well!" Tai Kun paused, lowering his voice slightly. "Brother, there are many rumors outside saying you’re a spy for the Nine Gods. Is everything okay on your end?"

"They’re all baseless slanders," Old Wang said nonchalantly. "Those cowards from the Nine Gods couldn’t kill me with assassins, so they resort to these despicable tactics. Do they think I’m scared? No way! They won’t succeed in defaming me!"

Tai Kun smiled, unsure what to say.

Honestly, in a place like the League of Blades, where various factions are intertwined and internal conflicts are rampant, the most terrifying thing is rumors. Whether they are true or false isn’t the only criterion for judging them. As long as you have enemies, they will seize upon such rumors and make them seem real.

And it was clear that with Wang Feng’s current fame and his bold move to raise Karida’s banner, there were far too many enemies within the ranks, both the League of Blades and the Holy Sanctuary might very well target him.

On the side of the Holy Sanctuary, Karida and her faction might still be able to hold their ground, but the Blade Council was a different system altogether. Karida’s influence did not extend that far, and in terms of nominal authority, the Blade Council ranked higher than the Holy Sanctuary, after all, the Holy Sanctuary was merely a part of the League of Blades.

What if the Blade Council decided to take action against Wang Feng?

"Brother." Tai Kun patted Old Wang on the shoulder, speaking earnestly: "I don’t know how the Blade Council will view this matter, and I don’t have the power to sway them, but privately, my connections are quite extensive. If anything happens, come to me. I can’t promise much, but getting you secretly to the sea should be no problem. That area is a no-man’s land controlled by neither the Nine Gods’ Blade nor the Sea Clan. If worse comes to worst, you could become a pirate and roam the seas, where no one would find you—it could be quite an adventure!"

This was purely a thankless task; even with Tai Kun’s extensive network, it was extremely risky. Moreover, he didn’t mention Udagan, clearly indicating this was just Tai Kun’s personal idea.

Old Wang could tell that this guy truly considered him a good friend, and he felt a small sense of gratitude. Honestly, orcs were really quite loyal.