37: Chapter 37: The Mystery of the Demon Clan and the Storm of Public Opinion

That half of the Demon Mark was like a brand; although Peak Master Luo Qingyi had forcibly concealed it, it had burned an irreparable black hole in everyone's hearts.

In the central square of the Qingheng Sect, the atmosphere was as oppressive as a coming storm.

The once heated competition was urgently called to a halt. The referee Elder announced a suspension with a pale face. The crowd did not disperse; instead, they gathered even more tightly, and their whispers converged into a suffocating torrent.

"I knew there was something wrong with that group from Hengchuan Peak!"

"That fighting style of only seeking to survive—how does that look anything like a Righteous Path Disciple? It turns out it's that Demon Race 'cowardly' Dao!"

"No wonder they aren't afraid of death; the Demon Race has tough lives!"

"It's too terrifying. We've actually been eating in the cafeteria with a bunch of Demon Race members this whole time..."

The Elders of various peaks sat on the high platform, their expressions varied.

Some were shocked, some were fearful, and more felt that excitement of "finally catching them in the act."

An Elder who usually looked down upon the "Performance Hell" of Hengchuan Peak took this opportunity to stir up trouble:

"Senior Brother Sect Head, this matter is of great importance! That Shen Xingzhou of Hengchuan Peak openly displayed a Demon Mark on the arena; this is a blatant trampling of the Sect's bottom line!"

"What's even more terrifying is their 'fighting style.' Not only does it corrupt the minds of Disciples, but now it seems clear that it is an evil technique specifically developed by the Demon Race to preserve their effective strength!"

"For the sake of the Sect's reputation, we must immediately freeze the pilot qualification of Hengchuan Peak and apprehend all those Demon spawn for a strict investigation!"

The direction of public opinion shifted overnight from "ridicule" to "fear" and "crusade."

Hengchuan Peak became like a rat crossing the street, despised by all.

At the temporary base of Hengchuan Peak, the atmosphere was so stagnant it felt like it could drip water.

Shen Xingzhou sat in the shadows of a corner, his face pale, gripping a teacup that had long since gone cold.

Although Peak Master Luo Qingyi had brought him back and temporarily blocked the direct arrest by the Law Enforcement Hall, he knew that the real crisis had only just begun.

Just then, that familiar blue light screen unfolded again.

This time, the System's interface style had changed drastically. It was no longer simple combat data, but had turned into various red and green waveforms and pie charts.

[New Function Online: Sect Public Opinion Monitoring Panel · Lite Version]

[Current Network-wide (Within the Sect) Hot Word Cloud]: Level 1 Hot Words: Demon Race, Hengchuan Peak, Demon Mark, Cheating; Level 2 Hot Words: Cherishing Life, Evil Technique, Seal, Purge the Sect.

[Sentiment Analysis]: Fear/Disgust: 51% (Red Alert Zone); Confusion/Spectating: 29% (Yellow Swing Zone); Support/Neutral: 20% (Green Safety Zone, and continuously falling).

[Impact Prediction]: Overall Sect Credit Rating: B- → C+ (showing a cliff-like downward trend); Hengchuan Peak Pilot Renewal Probability: Plunged from 61% to 23%.

Capital Chain Risk: If the credit rating falls below C, the Sect may initiate asset freezing procedures, and Hengchuan Peak will face a cutoff of resources.

Shen Xingzhou looked at that shocking "51%" fear value and felt his throat go dry.

So, this is public opinion. This is not just verbal abuse; these are real, lethal blades. Every person pointing fingers behind his back is tempering this blade with poison.

"System... can these data points be salvaged?"

"As long as a judgment is made by humans, there must be loopholes in the algorithm." He gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse.

"Of course you can." A brisk answer broke the deathly silence.

Su Ciyao walked in carrying a stack of Jade Slips, without a trace of fear on her face, but instead carrying an excitement as if she were about to start a major undertaking.

"Boss, the current situation is indeed terrible. But in the public relations world, this is called the golden window for 'crisis public relations.'"

She slammed the Jade Slips in her hand onto the table, "Since they want a Demon Race, then I will show them a different kind of Demon Race."

"What are you trying to do?" Shen Xingzhou frowned, "The Demon Mark is a fact; it cannot be whitewashed."

"Whitewashing is cooking the books; we don't do that." Su Ciyao's eyes were sparkling, "What we need to do is 'redefine.'"

Her fingers operated the editing Formation rapidly, "The current point of public opinion is: 'He is a Demon Race, therefore he is bad.' I want to break this logical chain and replace it with: 'Regardless of what he is, he saved our lives.'"

On the screen, a new video began to generate. It was no longer the terrifying close-up of the Demon Mark, but those ignored combat scenes:

——In the individual competition, Senior Sister Xie Handeng used scrap armor to block a fatal blow, saving the life of a Tianlei Peak Disciple.

——In the team battle, Hengchuan Peak Disciples used their bodies as a wall to block the poisonous smoke for Dan-Yao Peak.

——In the resource integration competition, that simple yet resilient Formation protected the entire defensive zone.

At the end of the video, the image froze on Shen Xingzhou's tired profile, still calculating data. On a black background with white text, the copy that Su Ciyao had thought about all night appeared:

[You may hate his lineage and suspect his origins. But you cannot deny—in that competition where someone should have sacrificed their life, it was he who saved your people.]

The video was released and, through the underground live broadcast network, instantly spread throughout the entire Sect. Although the various Peak Masters were suppressing the news, the low-level Disciples had their own whispers.

Shen Xingzhou watched the real-time data on the System panel jump. That green curve, which had been plummeting all the way, suddenly paused, then began to slowly rise.

[Real-time Public Opinion Update] "Gratitude to Hengchuan Peak", "Counterattack of the Bottom-tier", "At least no one died" related barrage comments: ↑ 40%; "Demon Race deserves to die", "Burn them to death" related barrage comments: ↓ 10%.

[System Analysis:] Survival instinct has overwhelmed ideology. For the low-level Disciples, staying alive is more important than excluding the Demon Race.

However, although the external storm of public opinion had calmed down slightly, internal turmoil had begun.

In the cafeteria, the originally lively meal became silent. In the eyes of several Disciples watching Shen Xingzhou walk in, there was a hint of evasion and fear.

"Senior... Peak Master Shen." A usually clever little Disciple pushed the meat in his bowl to the side, his voice trembling, "My family... back home they believe in the Righteous Path, I... I want to leave the Peak."

Shen Xingzhou stopped. He was not angry, just felt a part of his heart go empty.

On the System panel, the data for [Internal Trust Level of Hengchuan Peak] made him feel a stinging pain.

[Overview of Hengchuan Peak Disciple Sentiment] Trust in Host: 62% (although passing, wavering is intensifying); Hesitant/Watching: 23%; Fearful/Excluding: 15%.

"Do you want to leave?" Shen Xingzhou turned around, looked at the little Disciple, and asked calmly, "I can let you go. I do not force anyone to stay."

"But remember this. The wages issued these past few days were earned with my life; you are alive until now because my ledgers are accurate, not because your lineage is pure."

The little Disciple was stunned, and the few Disciples around him also lowered their heads. Yes, if they hadn't come here, they would have long since become dry bones in the wilderness; how would they have the opportunity to despise the "Demon Race" here?

"I... I won't leave." The little Disciple gritted his teeth and picked up his bowl again, "Demon Race is Demon Race; as long as I can eat my fill, that's fine."

Shen Xingzhou said nothing more, just silently walked back to his seat. Trust is a thing much harder to earn than money. But he must win it back, otherwise everyone will be buried with him.

The final moment of the three-day deadline. The official investigation notice from the Law Enforcement Hall was delivered into Shen Xingzhou's hands. It was not a simple summons, but a heavy premonition of a verdict.

[Law Enforcement Hall Notice] Given that the person in charge of Hengchuan Peak, Shen Xingzhou, "suspected of using Demon Race power" during the competition, the Elder Council has decided: The announcement of the Sect competition results is temporarily suspended. The person in charge of Hengchuan Peak must submit a "Complete Report on Combat Losses and Karma Data during the Hengchuan Peak Pilot Period" to the Law Enforcement Hall and the Sect Head within three days. This report will serve as the sole defense basis for determining whether Hengchuan Peak has a "systemic evil technique invasion."

Law Enforcement Elder Lu Guhuai stood at the entrance of the Law Enforcement Hall, watching Shen Xingzhou come to receive the notice, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold smile.

"Peak Master Shen." He adjusted his cuffs slowly and deliberately, "Don't you love calculating accounts the most? Then I will give you a chance."

"Use your ledgers to speak to the entire Sect. If you can prove that those 'cowardly' behaviors of yours were truly for the Sect's benefit, and not to preserve the effective strength of the Demon Race... then I will respect you as a man."

Shen Xingzhou took the notice, feeling that the paper was as thin as a cicada's wing, yet as heavy as a thousand jun. This was not asking him to make a report. This was asking him to take his only weapon (data) and face the condemnation of thousands.

Returning to his Immortal Cave, Shen Xingzhou slumped into his chair. In his mind, the description of the main quest, which had been quiet all along, suddenly refreshed. The red font carried an unquestionable despair.

[Main Quest Additional Clause Triggered] [Quest Name: The Final Financial Report of Life and Death] [Quest Objective:] Before the official Sect review begins, submit a complete report sufficient to support the rationality of the "low combat loss, high performance" model. [Core Requirements:] Must be logically self-consistent; Must prove "Cherishing Life" = "Greatest Karma to the Sect"; Must clear the influence of "Demon Race forces" on tactics (at least logically). [Failure Penalty:] Hengchuan Peak pilot qualification completely cancelled; all Hengchuan Peak Disciples treated as "Demon Race accomplices"; Host's personal identity transferred directly to the Central Continent Inspection Bureau for disposal.

Shen Xingzhou stared at the words "transferred to Central Continent for disposal" and felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to his scalp. Even if he were restored to the sacrificial order, he would still die at the hands of the Sect, and perhaps he could still leave behind a whole corpse. But transferred to Central Continent? That was the "Inspection Envoy" from Central Continent who had been watching him all along. That man whose gaze was like looking at a lab mouse. If he fell into his hands, I fear even "death" would be a luxury.

"It's even colder... than the sacrifice." Shen Xingzhou gave a bitter smile, his fingers trembling, and slowly clicked on the blank [Report Editor]. "To prove that a monster is a good person... this account is truly hard to calculate."