Xiaoxiao.

Chapter 192 Rumors 4

Ling Sheng was filled with doubt and unease, and he keenly sensed that the atmosphere around him had become unusually strange.

People who used to know him well now avoid him like the plague, and even his close friends now treat him like a monster.

At first, Ling Sheng was puzzled by this, but when even his father pointedly warned him to be more careful in the next few days, to go home as soon as possible after work, and not to go out for social engagements as usual, he finally realized that things were no small matter.

Just then, a memory suddenly flooded my mind.

When I finished my shift today, a colleague complained bitterly, saying that people would talk behind his back if he went out now, that he had encountered a leader who harmed his compatriots, and that he had falsely conveyed imperial edicts.

They were all seasoned soldiers who were used to being disobedient.

In addition, these people have powerful backgrounds and are considered "three no's" – they are difficult to manage, dare not manage, and cannot manage.

Therefore, although he noticed that the other guards were also giving him strange looks, Ling Sheng pretended not to hear them and paid no attention to them.

But looking back now, the truth is not so simple.

Ling Sheng was horrified to discover that, somehow, he had suddenly found himself on the opposite side of everyone.

This result was like a bolt from the blue, instantly striking him so hard that he was terrified and his face turned ashen.

Throughout history, those who have incited public anger have rarely met a good end.

Whether the reason is their own cold-heartedness or they are forced to do so by pressure from their superiors, once they cross the bottom line of the majority and trigger a massive public outcry, what awaits them is an abyss of no return.

Thinking of this, cold sweat poured down Ling Sheng's forehead.

Ling Sheng has always believed in one principle: as long as he can firmly hold on to Zhu Xian's strong "thigh," then the glory and wealth of this life will be as easy as getting something into his pocket.

However, to his surprise, this powerful ally would one day abandon him.

Although the origin of this rumor is still unknown, only the Lord has the ability to spread it so recklessly throughout Noguchi Ridge.

Thinking of this, Ling Sheng felt a chill run down his spine.

He never expected that fate would be so cruel. Still immersed in the great joy of his promotion, he suddenly became a rat that everyone wanted to kill!

Although nothing is finalized yet, all of this is still just his speculation.

Judging from the reactions of those around him, Ling Sheng believed that his guess was almost certainly correct.

He has always walked cautiously through the world, trying his best to avoid making enemies of the vast majority of people, for fear of accidentally standing on the opposite side of everyone.

Who would have thought that a seemingly ordinary order would instantly make him the target of public criticism?

He once thought that as long as he followed the lord's lead, there would be no problem, but he forgot an idiom—"When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked."

On that terrible night, the hands of every guard in the city were stained with the blood of their compatriots.

However, when they saw the anger gradually shifting towards them, everyone chose to protect themselves.

They forgot how they had lost their humanity that night, only caring about raising their merciless knives.

They forgot their own bloodlust and lost all sense of kinship.

Now that they've calmed down, they finally realize that the severity of the problem has far exceeded what they can handle.

They finally got scared!

But what's the use of being afraid?

Just when they were living in constant fear, a rumor came like a timely rain, instantly resolving their enormous crisis.

"Ling Sheng has betrayed the Lord's trust. In order to demonstrate his authority, he forged an imperial edict on the day he took office as Grand Commander and wantonly slaughtered his compatriots!"

For these people, who were practically terrified by everyone's stares, this rumor was like a long-awaited rain after a drought. Like withered trees sprouting new life!

They didn't care whether the news was a rumor or true; everyone spontaneously started spreading it.

Thus, the remaining members of Noguchi Ridge gradually shifted their anger towards Rei.

As more and more rumors detrimental to Ling Sheng gradually emerged, Ling Sheng completed a perfect transformation from an "innocent messenger" to the "mastermind behind the incident"!

Looking at the information gathered by his subordinates, and seeing that the vast majority of people in Noguchi Reservoir now believed that Ling Sheng was the mastermind behind the massacre that night.

A relaxed smile finally appeared on Zhu Xian's face, and Kuang Zheng, who was hiding in the shadows, gained a new understanding of Zhu Xian's cold-bloodedness.

As the mastermind behind all this, Kuang Zheng's original intention was to use the anger of the people of Yekou Ridge to weaken Zhu Xian's authority, thus giving the seven elders who had been holding back their anger an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Xian showed no regard for their fellow disciples and was not afraid of provoking public anger, and decisively issued the order to clear the area.

To be honest, Kuang Zheng, who was present at the time, was stunned when he heard the order. He couldn't believe that someone would be so willing to sacrifice the lives of their compatriots for the sake of power.

Has human nature become so evil?

At this moment, Zhu Xian once again shattered his worldview!

As things unfolded, just as Kuang Zheng had predicted: although the rally that night was suppressed, the anger in people's hearts only grew stronger.

Just as he was preparing to watch the show, Zhu Xian suddenly put forward Ling Sheng as a scapegoat!

This disrupted Kuangzheng's entire plan once again.

In retrospect, Zhu Xian's sudden promotion of Ling Sheng to Grand Commander that night was actually to give him, the scapegoat, enough weight.

The position of Grand Commander, whose power is second only to the lord and the seven elders, is enough to make people blinded by greed.

This discovery gave Kuang Zheng a lingering sense of fear, changing his impression of Zhu Xian from one-sided ruthlessness and coldness.

This is a formidable opponent, as ruthless as a snake and as cunning as a fox.

In the future, when facing him directly, I must be extremely careful.

The guards weren't brainless; rather, this outcome was in their best interest.

Only by convincing everyone that they were following Ling Sheng's orders and were forced to act under his repeated coercion could they succeed.

This way, everyone can extricate themselves from this incident.

That's why the guards' stories were so remarkably consistent.

This completely consistent tone not only increased the credibility of the rumors, but also completely confirmed that Ling Sheng was the mastermind behind the whole incident.

Seeing the overwhelming anger in everyone's eyes, they became even more convinced of their own belief.

Deep down, they felt they were simply following orders and had no control over their own lives.

But Ling Sheng was completely different from them. In order to increase his prestige, he not only issued that cruel and ruthless order, but also coerced and bribed them.

Therefore, without a doubt, Ling Sheng is the ruthless mastermind behind the scenes!

When a deadly danger suddenly strikes, whether it is birds, beasts, or humans who consider themselves superior, their first instinctive reaction is to do everything they can to protect themselves.