Chapter 868 - Act

Li Huowang’s words clearly had an underlying meaning, which Chan Du naturally picked up on.

Chan Du clasped his hands together and gave a slight bow. “Amitabha. As a monk, I do not speak falsehoods. Since I’ve already stated that the Great Qi is under your care, I will not go back on my word.

“However, even though the Righteous Monastery is the state church of the Great Qi, it cannot control the hearts of all people. Others may dare to believe in the deeds that the monks of the Righteous Monastery do not.”

As he spoke, four monks used their staffs to carry an old man over, setting him down in front of Li Huowang.

As soon as he was brought over, the old man revealed everything he knew, as if any delay would lead to unbearable suffering.

“I don’t know! I really don’t know who spread those rumors!”

“They said that the Tianchen Kingdom had no intention of fighting against the Great Qi and that a fake Bodhisattva deceived the people of Great Qi. They claimed that we were being manipulated to work and suffer for the benefit of others!

“They also said that the fake Bodhisattva caused all the disasters in Great Qi!

“That’s all! I swear, that’s all I know! I truly don’t know anything else!

“I won’t dare anymore! I really won’t dare!”

“Rumors...” Li Huowang hadn’t expected the first move from the other side to be such a low blow of half-truths mixed with lies.

It now seemed that the Tianchen Kingdom had indeed made a move, but instead of confronting him directly, they intended to play tricks from the shadows.

They understood now that directly opposing him wouldn’t benefit them. Even if they won, it would result in mutual destruction.

As such, they decided to spread rumors to erode the morale of the Great Qi and undermine his authority. If he couldn’t command the Great Qi, things would take a turn for the worse.

Li Huowang could tell that this was the work of Bei Feng. If not Bei Feng, then it was the doing of the Sitting Oblivion Dao from the Tianchen Kingdom.

He pondered for a moment and then turned to Chan Du. “Abbot, since they’ve made their move, has Great Qi’s Surveillance Bureau come up with an answer?”

“I’ve already instructed them to stay vigilant and prevent the spread of these rumors.”

Li Huowang shook his head. “That won’t work. You can’t block rumors. The more you try to suppress them, the more the people of Great Qi will believe them.

“And even if you manage to suppress them for now, so what? They can always come back and spread them again. We have no advantage in this regard.”

“Then... what should we do?”

“Leave it to me,” Li Huowang said as he walked toward the exit.

Rumors were one of the tools used in Sitting Oblivion Dao. Since Li Huowang understood how they used them, he could also unravel them.

If they want to spread rumors, I’ll help them spread more!

Li Huowang pulled a mask over his face and changed his appearance to that of an ordinary man.

He tucked his hands into his sleeves, hunched his neck, and made his way to the western market. As his thoughts shifted, his robes transformed into worn-out cotton clothes.

Both the eastern and western markets were bustling places that sold a wide variety of goods. The selection has improved a lot compared to the past. Even a small amount of rice used to cause a commotion.

Li Huowang didn’t linger in the open and quickly slipped into a secluded alley in the eastern part of the city.

After navigating a few turns, he opened a disused drainage well, revealing a dimly lit path beneath. This was the black market—a place where items that could not be sold publicly were traded.

As long as there were no major issues, the military authorities would turn a blind eye. Even if this black market were shut down temporarily, others would pop up elsewhere.

This was the perfect place for rumors to spread. Though some people were deliberately speaking in hushed tones, Li Huowang’s sharp hearing caught every word.

“Hey, did you hear? We’re suffering like this because of that Bodhisattva.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! The Bodhisattva brought us food. I saw it with my own eyes!”

“That’s all a lie! I heard that this Bodhisattva is part of the Sitting Oblivion Dao, and they’re known for deceiving people!”

Li Huowang shifted closer and glanced around shiftily before whispering, “Hey, you guys heard that too? I’ve also heard more than you might know.”

The two people who were chatting leaned in closer. “Really? What else do you know?”

Li Huowang looked around nervously again, then lowered his voice further. “I’m only telling you two, don’t spread this around, alright? I heard that not only are all the disasters in Great Qi caused by that Bodhisattva, but even the changes in the heavens and earth are his doing!”

The two men gasped in shock with widened eyes. “Really?”

“I’m telling you, he’s choosing people! If you’re chosen, you’ll be taken to heaven to become an Immortal. But the rest of us? We’ll have to fend for ourselves!”

“Really?” By now, five or six more people had gathered around with shocked expressions.

As they continued to gossip, Li Huowang quietly slipped away and moved on to the next target.

With each of Li Huowang’s actions, these rumors, which were initially vague, gradually gained more details.

At first, he simply added to them. Soon, however, the rumors veered off in entirely new directions and became increasingly absurd.

“Hey, did you hear? I heard that Bodhisattva is the reincarnation of Danxi.[1] With one breath, the heavens shake. With another, the earth crumbles!”

“You’re wrong! I heard that Bodhisattva is the Jade Emperor himself, on a journey to face his tribulations. Once it’s over, he’ll return to the heavens!”

“How does each version get crazier than the last? Are these really true?”

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Li Huowang listened from a distance. He felt a sense of calm as he heard the final, absurd versions of the rumors. The Tianchen Kingdom’s first move had been neutralized.

When dealing with rumors, neither explaining nor ignoring them was effective. The best strategy was to make an even bigger rumor that drew more attention. Another option was to distort the original meaning of the rumor.

No matter how twisted they were, people who believed in rumors would never question their validity.

However, once the rumors became too ridiculous, they ceased to be regarded as rumors and instead transformed into idle gossip devoid of any substance.

Li Huowang wasn’t about to let rumors from another kingdom destabilize his own territory.

He was curious to see what the other side would try next.

If they continued using Sitting Oblivion Dao’s tricks, Li Huowang was ready to face them directly. After all, he had a stockpile of False Qi at his disposal, just waiting for a chance to be used.

However, the next move from the other side took Li Huowang by surprise.

1. An ancient Chinese physician ☜