584: Chapter 584 The Palace Master and the Ancestor have been detained? This is a lie! Spreading rumors against them!

Hearing the price Xu Ruyu mentioned so casually, even a powerhouse like Xuan Mingzi felt his legs go weak, nearly falling to his knees.

60.07 million.

They had scraped together 50 million by selling everything they owned, and now it had increased by over 10 million.

Where was he supposed to find another 10 million? Even selling the mountain gate wouldn't be enough.

But could he refuse to redeem them? Moreover, he himself was currently trapped by the Grand Array; if he dared to say no, their entire Sect would be finished!

Inside the light screen, Ancestor Xuan Yin closed his eyes.

His lips were moving, but it was impossible to hear what he was saying.

Perhaps he was cursing, perhaps he was chanting sutras, or perhaps he was simply sighing.

He no longer wanted to know.

He only knew that the biggest mistake he had made in his life was not leading people to besiege the Hehuan Sect, but rather his habit of talking tough.

Zhao Yan shouted from the side, "Sect Master, this move of yours is truly brilliant! It's even better than keeping them in the Grand Array as target practice!"

Zhao Yan grinned, laughing while shaking his head.

Xu Ruyu did not respond.

He looked at Ancestor Xuan Yin's ashen face through the light screen, and the smile on his lips slowly faded.

"Being charitable is not my style.

My style is—if you punch me once, I hit you ten times.

If you curse me once, I'll make you lose everything.

A fair trade, no deception for young or old.

Moreover, compared to making them pay some Spirit Stones for redemption, this is already very merciful.

If they had captured us, I imagine we would have had no choice but to head for reincarnation."

His voice was soft, but every word reached the inside of the light screen clearly.

Xuan Mingzi slumped on the ground, holding his head, his shoulders twitching.

He didn't know how to explain this to the Disciples back at the hall.

50 million had already drained all of Frost Hall's resources; now that there was another 10 million, how could they pay? If they didn't, the Old Ancestor couldn't come out.

If he didn't come out, Frost Hall would lose its main pillar.

Without its main pillar, Frost Hall wouldn't be far from dissolving.

Ancestor Xuan Yin stood there like a stone pillar tilted by the wind.

His silhouette appeared very lonely under the reflection of the light screen.

He was full of regret.

Regret for coming to besiege the Hehuan Sect, regret for being trapped by Xu Ruyu, and regret for his loose tongue and tough talk.

But what he regretted most was meeting Xu Ruyu.

A person he couldn't afford to provoke, couldn't defeat, and couldn't win an argument against.

Outside the light screen, Xu Ruyu stretched and yawned.

"Grand Elder, keep an account.

Frost Hall owes us 60.07 million Spirit Stones.

When they deliver it, we'll release them.

If they don't, keep them locked up. We aren't in a hurry, and neither are they."

The Grand Elder nodded and made a note in the ledger.

Xu Ruyu turned and walked toward Ningyin Hall.

Xiao Nianyin followed him, with the Grand Elder behind her.

After a few steps, Xu Ruyu stopped again and said without turning his head, "By the way, if Ancestor Xuan Yin still wants to curse, he's welcome to.

Each curse adds ten thousand, with no upper limit.

The more he curses, the more Spirit Stones we get.

Our Hehuan Sect is very, very poor right now, so we certainly don't mind having more money."

A dull thud came from within the light screen, as if someone had punched a stone wall.

No one knew if it was Ancestor Xuan Yin hitting the wall or hitting his own head.

When the news reached Frost Hall, the Hall Master Xuan Mingzi was eating porridge.

He had gone to the Hehuan Sect to redeem the others, only to be detained along with the Old Ancestor by Xu Ruyu; the one left in the hall to preside over affairs was his Junior Brother, Hall Master Xuan Qingzi.

Hall Master Xuan Qingzi's Cultivation was not high, only at the Body Integration Early Stage. Usually, he was only responsible for managing the warehouse and sweeping the courtyard, never interfering in major Sect matters.

The messenger Disciple ran into the main hall, his voice cracking: "Junior Martial Uncle! Something terrible has happened! The Hall Master and the Old Ancestor have both been detained by the Hehuan Sect! Xu Ruyu wants more money! Another ten million!"

The bowl of porridge in Hall Master Xuan Qingzi's hand fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

His mouth hung open, his eyes wide as copper bells.

"What did you say? The Hall Master has been detained? The Old Ancestor too? An extra ten million? On what grounds?"

The Disciple knelt on the ground, his forehead hitting the floor with a thud.

He recounted the events—how Ancestor Xuan Yin had cursed Xu Ruyu after coming out, how Xu Ruyu had turned hostile and locked everyone back up, demanding another ten million Spirit Stones.

After hearing this, Hall Master Xuan Qingzi's face turned from white to green, from green to purple, and finally to an indescribable grayish-brown.

He stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair, but didn't even bother to pick it up.

"Shameless! Untrustworthy! Despicable villain! The Hehuan Sect is going too far!"

Hall Master Xuan Qingzi paced in the hall like a trapped beast that had been confined for too long.

After a dozen laps, he suddenly stopped, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

"We can't let this go. Although our Frost Hall isn't large, we cannot be bullied like this.

Go, send messages to the Tianxuan Sect, Tianji Sect, Tianquan Sect, and the North Pole Ice Soul Palace.

Say that Xu Ruyu has broken his word, is detaining people for extortion, and has committed heinous crimes.

Ask them to step forward and jointly pressure the Hehuan Sect."

The letters were sent out.

Five days later, representatives from the major Sects gathered at Frost Hall.

From the Tianxuan Sect came the Junior Brother of the new Sect Head, surnamed Wang. He was a middle-aged scholar holding a folding fan, fanning himself elegantly, though the dark circles under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion.

From the Tianji Sect came an Elder surnamed Liu, with gray hair and deep wrinkles on his face, looking as if they had been carved with a knife.

From the Tianquan Sect came the young Sect Head himself, surnamed Zhou, fair-skinned and looking like a scholar, but his brow was currently furrowed into a knot.

From the North Pole Ice Soul Palace came Xuanbingzi's Junior Brother, surnamed Song, who also had a loud voice.

There were also more than ten Sect Heads and Elders from smaller Sects, packing the Side Hall of Frost Hall to capacity.

Hall Master Xuan Qingzi sat in the main seat and recounted the Hehuan Sect's "evil deeds" with much embellishment.

He said Xu Ruyu took the Spirit Stones but wouldn't release the people, that Xu Ruyu went back on his word, that Xu Ruyu humiliated the Old Ancestor, and that Xu Ruyu was the greatest blight on the Cultivation World.

He became more excited as he spoke, spit flying everywhere. Finally, he slapped the table and stood up, his voice rising and echoing through the hall.

"Everyone, Xu Ruyu is so arrogant that he no longer respects our Righteous Path Sects!

We must unite and pressure the Hehuan Sect!

Let him know that the Cultivation World is not ruled by him alone!"

Sect Head Zhou of the Tianquan Sect spoke first.

He didn't stand up, but simply raised his head and glanced at Hall Master Xuan Qingzi.

"Pressure? How? By sending troops? Our people haven't even been redeemed yet. If we send troops again, who will go? You or me?"

Hall Master Xuan Qingzi's face flushed.

"Not troops. We will manipulate public opinion. Spread Xu Ruyu's evil deeds throughout the Cultivation World, so everyone under heaven knows what kind of thing the Hehuan Sect is.

When the time comes, we won't even need to lift a finger; Xu Ruyu's reputation will be ruined."

Sect Head Zhou fell silent. The others were silent too.

This tactic of manipulating public opinion was minor and ineffective, but it was better than doing nothing.

The scholar from the Tianxuan Sect nodded, stopping the swaying of his folding fan.

"This is indeed a way. The Hehuan Sect already has a bad reputation; we'll just add fuel to the fire and see how Xu Ruyu handles it."

Others chimed in one after another.

Thus, a campaign of public opinion against the Hehuan Sect began.

In the following days, people throughout the Cultivation World's teahouses, taverns, markets, and docks were all discussing the Hehuan Sect.

Sound transmission Jade Slips flew everywhere, and Flying Sword messages were like snowflakes.

Some said Xu Ruyu was untrustworthy and wouldn't release people after taking Spirit Stones; some said Xu Ruyu was brutal and bloodthirsty, using Righteous Path Alliance Disciples as target practice; some said the Hehuan Sect was a den of iniquity with chaotic relationships between men and women, a blight on the Cultivation World; and some even said Xu Ruyu was lecherous by nature, not even sparing the Saintess of the Taixu Sect.