The previous battle between the capital and the beasts of the Myriad Beast Mountain had seen the Desolate Hall, in league with numerous factions, effectively seal off all news from the capital. Outsiders had no idea what had transpired. The resurgence of the beasts, coupled with the Great Qin’s military’s prolonged inaction, had led many to feel disappointed and misunderstood towards them.
Just then, a post from someone in the capital suddenly appeared online, instantly capturing the attention of countless individuals. Liu Neng’s失态 (shi tai – losing composure) was precisely because of this post. He knew that if this matter were handled even slightly poorly, all the groundwork he had laid online for the Desolate Hall would vanish into thin air. More importantly, everything the poster said was true, and this was the Desolate Hall's biggest vulnerability. The coercion of the capital and the demon race into a deadly battle, while the Desolate Hall watched coldly and refused to help, was no secret among Imperial-level powerhouses. Furthermore, the video on the official website of the Desolate Hall disciples battling demonic beasts was, in fact, a live recording he had orchestrated with a captured beast on the spot.
“Investigate! Investigate quickly! Find out who posted this and send someone to eliminate them immediately!” Liu Neng’s eyes burned with ferocity and killing intent. He would never allow anyone to tarnish the image of the Desolate Hall that he had so carefully crafted.
Online, everyone’s gaze was fixed on the post. People eagerly commented, though the majority were accusations and insults, as the Desolate Hall had already garnered a significant number of blindly devoted fans.
“楼主 (lou zhu –楼主), please don’t deliberately distort the facts. The capital? Great Qin? Heh, is this because you’re jealous of the Desolate Hall’s immense prestige? What battle between the capital and the demon race? I’ve never heard of it. If you’re going to smear the Desolate Hall, at least say something realistic.” Qiao Luobi, the head of the Desolate Hall Fan Club, was the first to speak. She had firmly committed to the Desolate Hall and fiercely attacked any unfavorable comments. She was an internet celebrity streamer with tens of millions of followers. After becoming the head of the Desolate Hall Fan Club, her follower count had surged to over a hundred million in a single day, which thrilled her. She could not only follow her idols but also achieve immense fame – a win-win situation.
After her initial outburst, Qiao Luobi, still uneasy, directly posted in the fan group, attaching the link. “Sisters, someone is slandering our Desolate Hall’s young lords. Go get them! The fan club’s primary tenet is to always protect the Desolate Hall’s image!”
“Understood! Your Highness Qiao Luobi, who dares to slander the Desolate Hall? This is courting death!” someone immediately responded.
“My forty-meter-long saber is already thirsty and restless. Ladies, charge! The young lords of the Desolate Hall are too kind. We absolutely cannot let them know about the malice of some people!” Instantly, countless people flooded the post, spewing all sorts of abuse.
“How dare you slander the Desolate Hall? Doesn’t your conscience ache? The young lords of the Desolate Hall have sacrificed so much for us humans without asking for any reward. Why are you people so petty? Can’t stand to see others do well, right?”
“Exactly! Great Qin, heh, Great Qin is already a thing of the past. Where was Great Qin when the various forces rose up and seized territory during the resurgence? And where was Great Qin when the demonic beasts awakened? Now that things have finally stabilized, they’re coming out to stir up trouble? And you call yourself an ordinary person from the capital? I bet it’s the Great Qin officialdom creating alt accounts to deliberately provoke people!”
“Great Qin has changed. It’s no longer the Great Qin that protected us and dedicated itself to us. This is understandable, after all, with the great changes in the world and the limitless potential of human martial power, any Imperial-level powerhouse can wipe out an army. Great Qin is no longer as strong!”
“It’s okay that they’re not strong, and we are all Great Qin people after all. But this move is hard to accept. Can’t stand to see others better than them? What wrong has the Desolate Hall done? Silently dedicating themselves to humanity, while Great Qin? Heh, just barely clinging to existence.”
“Let’s not say that either, after all, we are all Great Qin people. Let’s give Great Qin some face, haha.”
With the mobilization of the Desolate Hall Fan Club, the situation completely reversed. Even if someone wanted to speak a few words of fairness, they were instantly drowned out by the Desolate Hall’s blind fans. Seeing the online data, Liu Neng’s heart settled, and his excitement was unconcealed. These ants were too easily deceived. Their Desolate Hall had sacrificed nothing, yet they gained so many blindly devoted fans speaking up for them.
“Great Qin, Li Xiaotian, heh, you’re too naive if you want to play with our Desolate Hall!” Liu Neng sneered. When the previous post appeared, he knew it was the work of the Qin Lord and Li Xiaotian. After all, his actions were equivalent to openly stealing the hearts of the people of Great Qin, so naturally, they would be anxious.
“Fortunately, these mortals in modern times are foolish enough to resolve everything for me,” Liu Neng muttered, filled with smug satisfaction. As long as he could make Li Xiaotian unhappy, he would be happy!
At this moment, the online situation was completely controlled by the Desolate Hall Fan Club, and the capital remained silent, giving the impression of lacking conviction. The Desolate Hall, meanwhile, proceeded with its original plan. Furthermore, to strengthen the bond between the Desolate Hall and its fan club, Liu Neng specifically persuaded the Hall Master of the Desolate Hall, Huang Wuya, to announce the Desolate Hall’s disciple recruitment plan to the world through a live broadcast across the entire network.
Instantly, the entire network erupted. Especially those who had already decided to become devoted fans of the Desolate Hall were overjoyed. The Hall Master of the Desolate Hall was broadcasting live! That was a Hegemon-level powerhouse! Their strength was terrifying, and the fact that they were willing to lower themselves and broadcast in such a common manner was exciting and touching to them.
“I never imagined that the leader of an ancient hegemonic force would be willing to broadcast live for ordinary people like us! It’s so exciting. You know, it’s hard for us to even meet an Imperial-level powerhouse on a regular basis, let alone a Hegemon-level one.”
“This is the Desolate Hall, a Desolate Hall dedicated to humanity. For them, status and strength are not important. As long as it is for humanity, even the Hall Master of the Desolate Hall is willing to lower themselves.”
“Exactly. I ask you, which leader of any major faction can do this? Even some of our modern factions, heh, of course, they are nothing now, but before the great changes in the world, their so-called Kings were all high and mighty, often surrounded by thousands of soldiers or the like, just showing off. Compared to the Desolate Hall, they are far inferior.”
Someone seemed to be subtly guiding the narrative, intentionally provoking dissatisfaction towards certain factions.
“Let’s talk about that Dragon Hall or whatever they call themselves. They even boast about being the number one force of modern humanity. Heh, that King was even from our Great Qin, yet when the world changed, he directly hid. He only showed up briefly to act cool, and then hid again. This operation is truly unworthy of the title of number one.”
Online opinions were being manipulated, and many people followed suit without thinking for themselves. Simultaneously, the time for the Desolate Hall Master’s live broadcast was confirmed for noon tomorrow, causing countless people to anticipate it.