Initially, Qin Xuan and the others were not expected to reach a consensus so quickly, yet by the very next morning, the news that the Sovereign of Shu Yun Kingdom, Luo Xiaofeng, in an act of utter depravity, had ruthlessly slaughtered the Tang Clan without regard for right or wrong, spread like wildfire from the White Cloud Manor, carrying with it accusations that even Ye Jingyu could never have imagined...

In any case, the ruler of Shu Yun Kingdom was no longer the benevolent and loving ruler he once was, but a ruthless demon...

Within just a few days, this news swept through the entire Shu Yun Kingdom like locusts, even reaching the Tianyuan Empire thousands of miles away...

This once again proved the powerful intelligence network of Baiyun Manor...

Suddenly, the entire Shu Yun Kingdom was in a state of panic and chaos...

Baiyun Manor seized the opportunity, raising the slogan of "purging the court of corrupt officials and restoring national prestige," recruiting soldiers and horses everywhere, and winning over the hearts and minds of the people... It must be said that Baiyun Manor enjoys a high reputation among the people of Ninglang County. At least in the hearts of ordinary citizens, Baiyun Manor represents justice. They frequently provide relief to the poor and often help ordinary people kill thieves. Furthermore, many of Baiyun Manor's disciples come from ordinary families, so many people only know Baiyun Manor and are unaware of the Shu Yun Kingdom…

This is evident from the fact that Qin Yan could speak so amicably with Ye Fugui…

Although Ye Jingyu sees Baiyun Manor as a group of complete hypocrites, in the hearts of ordinary people, they are a great benefactor. People…

Now that the world is in chaos, Baiyun Manor, having just stepped forward, immediately gained the support of most people in Ninglang County. Even under the coercion of Baiyun Manor disciples, the county magistrate of Ninglang County chose to side with Baiyun Manor, confirming some rumors circulating, such as the ruthlessness of the Shuyun Kingdom's ruler…

This further confused the people, after all, (Full text novel reading, all at 1.m. Literature Network)

The words of a county magistrate are far more terrifying than ordinary rumors…

In Tian County, the situation is similar to that in Ninglang County. Normally… The local people, who had benefited from the Heavenly Sword Sect's kindness, spontaneously supported the sect and resisted the imperial army upon hearing that His Majesty intended to eradicate it…

Within just a few days, the Shu Yun Kingdom was in chaos. Tianjun and Ninglangjun had completely slipped from Shu Yun's control, and remnants of the Tang Clan in Bajun were also creating disorder. Even Shujun and Yunjun were gripped by fear and unease due to the instigation of certain individuals…

Faced with this chaotic situation, both Baiyun Manor and the Heavenly Sword Sect believed that Luo Xiaofeng would immediately launch a punitive expedition. However, they waited for a full month, but there was no sign of any action from the Shu Yun Kingdom. Aside from stockpiling 100,000 troops on the border, there were no other actions taken…

This puzzled the higher-ups of Baiyun Manor. What exactly was Luo Xiaofeng planning? Was he already in a state of panic?

However, Qin Xuan and the others gradually realized something was amiss. Their spies in Shu and Yun counties were being cut off one by one. They knew less and less about Shu, Yun, and even Ba counties. Meanwhile, within their own territories, the Baiyun Manor lord was rebelling for personal gain…

They even claimed that His Majesty's reputation was so great that only the masterminds would be held accountable, while all others who repented would be pardoned…

The people are easily swayed, and while there are shrewd individuals among them, they are powerless to change anything. Whether in Ninglang County or Tian County, the majority of the people still sided with the two major sects. They didn't understand what rebellion represented. They didn't understand what royal power represented. They only knew that in times of trouble, the people of Baiyun Manor or Tianjian Sect had helped them; they only knew that under the rule of Baiyun Manor or Tianjian Sect, their lives were happy…

But now, this happiness had been shattered, shattered by the imperial army. Therefore, most of them firmly stood on the side of the two major sects…

It seemed they knew… Despite all attempts at persuasion, a month later, Luo Xiaofeng, the ruler of Shu Yun Kingdom, personally led an army of 100,000 to attack Ninglang County, and dispatched his trusted general Xiao Geng with an equally large army of 100,000 to attack Tian County…

No one could have imagined that what began as a matter of the imperial court reducing the power of a few major sects would escalate into a nationwide war, nor could anyone have foreseen the immense influence these sects wielded among the common people…

Furthermore, no one could have imagined that all of this would occur simply because of a few casual words from Ye Jingyu…

And yet, as the culprit behind all this, Ye Jingyu… He had a shred of self-awareness, spending his days frantically cultivating and desperately trying to avoid this conflict. He didn't want to die, much less die with Baiyun Manor. Although he had become a core disciple of Baiyun Manor, he still harbored no goodwill towards it whatsoever…

If it weren't for the strict security of Baiyun Manor, where no one was allowed to leave without the manor lord's orders, he would have packed his bags and left long ago. Why would he have waited until now…

For over a month, perhaps due to being too busy, Qin Xiao hadn't taught Ye Jingyu a single martial arts move. It was practically a… The most irresponsible master in the world—Ye Jingyu didn't complain at all. He hadn't become an apprentice to learn martial arts; he only wanted to temporarily escape the persecution of people like Qin Yuting…

For over a month, although he hadn't successfully refined his Qi, he felt his strength had increased significantly. At least, stones weighing several hundred pounds were like toys in his hands…

And through studying some of the martial arts manuals from Baiyun Manor, he had gained some understanding of martial arts techniques and was no longer the guy who only knew brute force…

Another half month passed in a flash. Although Baiyun Manor had won the hearts of the people, it wasn't a regular army, and its leadership consisted mostly of martial arts practitioners who knew little about military strategy. As a result, it suffered a series of defeats. Fortunately, Baiyun Manor was located in the westernmost part of Ninglang County, rather than near the southern part of Shu County; otherwise, Luo Xiaofeng would have already driven it to the manor…

Even so, it was only a matter of time before the imperial army reached it. The people of Baiyun Manor had lost their former pride; they all looked worried and preoccupied. Even Qin Yuting, that woman, had no interest in causing trouble for Ye Jingyu…