The public opinion in the Eastern Region and the Three Continents exploded and began spreading uncontrollably to the other three regions.

On a small scale, the supporters of Qin Ruqing reacted strongly.

They could not tolerate the earlier slander against Qin Ruqing and the Qin family, especially after seeing Qin Ruqing’s haggard appearance in the interview.

They began a fierce counterattack against the previous accusations of the so-called “old residents of Yingzhou.”

On a larger scale, the three questions raised in the interview were incredibly sharp and probing.

On a smaller scale, they concern the reputation of a high-ranking family and a silver-ranked family.

On a larger scale, they touch on the beast tide battle from a hundred years ago, raising suspicions that personal grudges might have led to the collapse of the defense line, the fall of Yingzhou, the scattering of many families, and the displacement of countless people.

The implications were enormous and frightening.

Forget about Huicui Building; no one cared about tea houses or taverns anymore.

People stopped listening to stories, seeking news, or even discussing the Hundred Clans Conference.

All discussions were focused on Fairy Ruqing.

And on those three questions.

The first question: Why did the Qin family’s Ancestor Kongyun die in the secret realm while the Fang family’s ancestor emerged unscathed?

The Fang family is suspected to have obtained a divine elixir manual in the secret realm.

The second question: Where did the Fang family’s advanced alchemy formulas come from?

They were once a sword-cultivation family.

Why have they suddenly specialized in alchemy without ever mentioning it before?

The third question: Regarding the past battle in Yingzhou. Why did the Fang family not aid the Qin family during the urgent battle and instead move south?

The southern region was relatively calm, and no one called for help.

The impact of these questions was explosive!

They involved two former high-ranking Yingzhou families, one of whom died while the other remained unharmed.

These two were not only friends but also relatives.

One family got a divine elixir manual and kept it secret, remaining silent about the deaths of their relatives.

They turned against each other after leaving the secret realm, ending their familial ties.

If there were no issues, who would believe it?

The most crucial point was the Yingzhou battle.

It was previously believed that the Qin family was at fault, that their negligence caused the defense line to collapse.

But if the Qin family’s line was subjected to pressure it shouldn’t have faced, and that pressure was artificially created, the situation was serious.

Tea houses and taverns buzzed with conversations like these:

“Hey, did you hear?”

“Of course, who hasn’t heard of this by now?”

“What do you think? Do you believe Fairy Ruqing or the Fang family?”

“It’s hard to say. Believing or not is another matter, but after this incident, the past events seem suspicious. Why did the Fang family not support the Qin family and instead move south? Fairy Ruqing’s claims can’t be dismissed as nonsense—they are based on real events! The Fang family was originally a sword-cultivation family, and now they specialize in alchemy. That’s a fact!”

“So, even if Fairy Ruqing might not be telling the whole truth, it’s clear that the Fang family has issues.”

“So, you still believe Fairy Ruqing, huh?”

The person sighed, “Well, the Qin family is pitiful. Everyone on their defense line died, and there’s no one left to speak up for them. Seeing that girl with red-rimmed eyes, it tugs at my heartstrings.”

“It’s really an unjust calamity. Even if the Qin family did make some mistakes in the past, they’ve already downgraded themselves and are now called the Nanling Qin family instead of Yingzhou Qin family. It’s hard for a talented junior like her to be assassinated and slandered…”

“Hey, don’t put it like that. Even if they made some minor mistakes, the current problem is that the Qin family might have made no mistakes at all. Don’t be quick to blame Fairy Ruqing.”

“I’m just making a comparison. You’re really…”

Of course, there were also doubts about Qin Ruqing’s accusations.

Some people thought her claims against the Fang family might be baseless, and perhaps she fabricated the details.

After all, someone who topped the gold ranking likely has some scheming ability.

The public had both supporters and critics, but clearly, there were more doubts about the Fang family.

People eagerly awaited a formal response from the Fang family or the Celestial Bureau to address the three questions.

Oh, and there was a strange phenomenon: the previously loud voices of the “old residents of Yingzhou” had mysteriously disappeared.

The old folks who frequently caused trouble and were survivors of the Yingzhou battle also vanished.

At Huicui Building, the discussions took a slightly different turn.

Of course, they were still discussing the first interview segment of the jade slips, but their focus seemed to shift to Fairy Ruqing’s appearance and expressions—specifically her face.

The building’s atmosphere was chaotic, with people packed in every corner.

Especially in the main hall’s theater area, it was shoulder to shoulder.

Amid the noisy crowd, this was the loudest spot.

Listening closely:

“Can’t you move faster? It’s a high-ranking family! Is your stock supply so slow? The jade slips with Fairy Ruqing’s tearful eyes—can you get them in stock now?”

“Forget about the tears, prioritize the mocking smile. That smile—hurry up with it! If you don’t, I’ll give you a mocking smile right here!”

“Tears, tears, tears—just two words!”

“Bro, that’s six words…”

“Move aside, I have money! I’m from Shangzhou, and I have plenty of it…”

“Can you guys do a priority shipping option for an extra fee? One hundred spirit stones is just nonsense. If you can get me the jade slips now, I’ll pay five hundred or even a thousand for them!”

“……”

The Huicui Building manager raised his voice to try to drown out the clamoring:

“Everyone, please stay calm. The new batch of jade slips is already in production. It will be available by tomorrow at the latest. No, tonight. Tonight, we will have them in stock!”

“You’d better deliver!”

As for those who had settled down at Huicui Building, they were relatively quiet.

Most of them had already secured their jade slips and were busy admiring the screen.

“Wuwuwu, her eyes are red, she looks so distressed. I’m heartbroken for Qingqing.” — These were the sympathetic ones.

“Damn it, why didn’t she cry? That expression really makes you want to ravish her. I’ve watched it at least a hundred times. If Huicui Building could give me a jade slip with Fairy Ruqing actually crying, I’d be willing to spend all my cultivation resources for the year!” — These were the ones with special tastes.

“Ah, that smile, so proud yet with a hint of disdain, and in that disdain, a touch of contempt. It’s the kind of look you give to trash! Who understands? I really want her to look at me like that in person!” — The unique and odd Dragon Ao Tian faction.

“Fang family, just die!” — The extreme combat fans.

In a picturesque pavilion by the water.

Director Daju the Head Director in Southern Region stood with his hands behind his back.

After a while, he couldn’t help but turn around and saw Fifth Lingyu holding a jade slip, one hand resting on his chin, the other playing with the slip.

“You bought one too?” Director Daju sat down and commented, “That girl has been quietly making big moves. I thought she would be resentful about the Fang family’s assassination attempt, but I didn’t expect this.”

Resentment.

Fifth Lingyu thought of her expression from that day and smiled faintly.

There was no resentment; she never had expectations, so she wouldn’t be disappointed or resentful.

When she heard about the assassination attempt by the Fang family, she had no reaction.

Given the current situation, she must have had her own plans.

— My own matters, I will handle them myself.

“Do you think there really was a problem with the Beast Tide War?” Director Daju asked.

Fifth Lingyu didn’t hesitate much. “Of course I trust her. I’ve seen that there were issues with the Fang family for a long time; it’s just that the Feng family is indecisive and hesitant.”

“This situation will surely give the Feng family a headache,” Daju said with a hint of glee.

He was pleased to see that Feng Qinxue was having a hard time.

The issue with the Yingzhou battle from years ago was problematic.

The Eastern Region Celestial Bureau had downgraded the Qin family’s status.

If the Qin family was indeed wronged, then the Eastern Region’s Celestial Bureau would have made a mistake.

How could they save face?

Admitting the mistake wasn’t an option, and pretending nothing happened wouldn’t work either.

Fifth Lingyu looked at Daju and said, “Are you just planning to watch from the sidelines?”

“Huh? This is an Eastern Region matter. The Eastern Region isn’t under our Fifth family’s jurisdiction. Isn’t it fine to watch the fun?” Daju responded with confusion.

Fifth Lingyu tapped the table, unusually serious. “If the Fifth family had truly tried to win her over back then, the current level of sincerity would be insufficient.”

“Actually, we could offer the same conditions as the Feng family. Right now, she seems close to our Fifth family partly because the Feng family still wants to protect the Fang family. Qin Ruqing is concerned about this, and partly because I’ve shown her some goodwill early on.”

“But this goodwill is too shallow.” Fifth Lingyu said with a rare sneer. “She is very cautious, values benefits, and emotional appeals mean little to her. Moreover, our relationship isn’t deep. Our verbal goodwill is nothing more than empty words to her, and she doesn’t take it seriously.”

“So, to genuinely win her over, the Fifth family needs to take some concrete actions.”

Head Director Daju was surprised. “It seems you understand her very well.”

Fifth Lingyu smiled, handling the jade slip in his hand. “Understanding is not quite right. We’ve interacted a lot, and her personal traits are very distinct.”

“What kind of benefits would it take to move her?”

“Give her what she needs most and values the most. She has just gone through defamation. Although the Fang family has raised doubts, there’s no solid evidence. Right now, she needs strong support. If the Fifth family can step in to support her, the situation will stabilize. No matter what explanation the Fang family eventually provides, people will reassess the past events.”

“Besides, everything she has done seems aimed not at targeting the Fang family but at protecting the Qin family.”

“After the grand meeting, in five years, the Void Realm will open. Once she enters the Void, who knows how long she’ll stay there. Once she leaves, do you think the Fang family will let the already exposed Qin family go?”

“So, making such a big fuss, from the beginning, she probably intended to expose the Qin and Fang families’ issues to the public for scrutiny.”

“No matter the outcome, the Fang family won’t dare to act recklessly anymore.”