Halfway through, Hu Guzhu and the Dan Masters from Yan Cui Valley received news from Tian Shui Square. After reading the contents of the message, Hu Guzhu breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the methods of the City Lord's Mansion were also unpopular, and Gu Yao's situation was not as bad as he had thought.
He had faith in Gu Yao's alchemy skills and did not want him to be suppressed by the City Lord's Mansion. He also did not want him to carry a bad reputation and become a stain in the future. At the same time, he worried that his grandson would be implicated. That's why he decided to go support him as soon as he learned about the situation there.
Tian Shui Square.
Earlier, there was controversy due to Gu Yao's actions, but soon after, a voice gradually spread among the cultivators. Those who criticized Gu Yao's actions were asked why they didn't condemn the merchants who raised the prices of elixirs so high.
Why didn't they criticize the Dan Masters from the City Lord's Mansion and other powers? They haven't even shown themselves, how many elixirs have they refined for the frontline battle? These people only vent their anger towards Gu Yao because he doesn't have strong backing. They just pick on the weak.
Some even listed the shops that sold elixirs at the highest prices. Unfortunately, Duo Bao Ge ranked first on the list. Besides, the shop's staff had an arrogant attitude and looked down on ordinary cultivators, which was not a secret. Many low-level cultivators were insulted by them, and not many people didn't know which power was behind Duo Bao Ge. So, shouldn't the forces supporting the City Lord's Mansion put more effort into helping the frontline cultivators?
Others brought up Gu Yao and accused him of not valuing the lives of cultivators who fought against the sea beasts. Some then mentioned Duo Bao Ge and challenged them to lower the prices of their elixirs. They said that if Duo Bao Ge could do that, they would definitely join in criticizing Gu Yao. They asked if he dared to do it. They also asked which sect he belonged to and where their Dan Master was. Why didn't they call him over or send some elixirs?
With all these factors, the blame on Gu Yao gradually weakened, and the crowd no longer targeted him.
Gu Yao, who was preparing to set off to kill the sea beasts, heard about the situation in the square and blinked his eyes, asking, "Is it Jiang Shixiong's doing?"
It was obvious that someone was pushing behind the scenes; otherwise, the public opinion could not have changed so quickly. Moreover, Star Moon Chamber of Commerce also had some influence here, but outsiders were not aware of it. Star Moon Chamber of Commerce was quietly making a fortune.
Jiang Yan smiled and glanced at Chi Changye, then said, "More or less. The City Lord's Mansion's methods are indeed excessive, and you, Gu Yao, are a member of our Tianfu Academy. You also came out with us as a team. It is necessary to protect your reputation as long as you are not affected."
This is what he is worried about, and it is also what Chichang Ye is worried about. That's why Chichang Ye came here to find him as soon as possible, to quickly reverse the public opinion outside. If the City Lord's Mansion throws Gu Yao onto the pyre, then let the City Lord's Mansion taste this taste for themselves. Although it cannot shake the position of the City Lord's Mansion, it's still possible to disgust them.
Jiang Yan didn't do much either, he just had people from the Star Moon Chamber of Commerce and Tianfu Academy change their identities and infiltrate various places in the market. As long as they mentioned a few words during other people's conversations, someone would spread it out. Compared to Gu Yao's current alchemy, the elixirs in those shops were already ready-made. They would rather hoard them than lower the prices.
Do those merchants dare to say that they have few elixirs in stock? Even if there are few, they would organize people to transport them from the inland, which is faster than Gu Yao's on-site alchemy with just personal strength. Personal strength has its limits, no matter how great it is.
Sure enough, with a little guidance, the outside discussions became lively.
Fortunately, Gu Yao was not greatly affected, which made Jiang Yan very happy. Gu Yao's current achievements were not accidental, his mentality was very good.
"It's okay. Who can avoid being criticized by others? As long as you stand high enough, those opinions will automatically disappear." Gu Yao waved his hand as if he didn't care. He had experienced these things before. When you stand high enough, there will be plenty of people applauding you from behind. When it happens again, Gu Yao will remain calm and his state of mind will not fluctuate too much.
"Yes! Well said!" Lu Qiusheng slapped Gu Yao's shoulder, this statement suited his temperament. Those attacking Gu Yao from the outside actually had many jealous and envious people. "Let's go, let's go. We're setting off. Let Junior Gu see the might of his Senior Brother!"
Gu Yao held back his laughter. It's not like he hadn't seen Lu Qiusheng's fighting style before. Didn't he see it firsthand in Ganggu Town?
The passers-by said their farewells and left Tianshui Marketplace. On the way, there were occasional greetings from people to Jiang Yan and Gu Yao. Truly smart people wouldn't follow suit from behind. Who would offend Gu Yao and go find someone else for alchemy? Although most elixirs could be bought with spirit stones, it wasn't guaranteed that high-quality elixirs could be obtained with just spirit stones. Therefore, the benefits of befriending Gu Yao were even greater.
Even if they really forced him to go to the City Lord's Mansion to refine elixirs, could those elixirs fall into the hands of those cultivators who were attacking him so fiercely? Dream on!
Gu Yao always responded very well to people who greeted him, and the little black cat squatting on his shoulder attracted a lot of attention. Some people who saw them leaving the market knew that their destination was the front line of the battle against sea creatures, so those who had originally planned to rest immediately set off as well. After Gu Yao and his group disappeared, many teams gradually ran out of the ± Fang City.
Some of these people went there with the purpose of getting to know Gu Yao, hoping to lend a hand in times of crisis and gain favor. Some went with an attitude of watching the show and taking pleasure in other people's misfortune, not believing that a pill master like Gu Yao could have much combat power, and wanting to see if he would hold back his teammates. There was also a team that had undisclosed motives and quietly followed Gu Yao and his group shortly after they left.
In the City Lord's Mansion, Ruan Xinhui's mood became worse again. She was initially pleased with the criticism against Gu Yao from the outside. She wanted to see if he could maintain a calm attitude after causing everyone's anger. But she did not expect that the fire would soon turn towards Duobao Pavilion. Annoyed, she angrily smashed the cup in her hand.
"Those poor wretches, if they don't have spirit stones, they shouldn't buy elixirs. I bet they'll die soon!" Ruan Xinhui sneered and said. Want to force Duobao Pavilion to lower its prices? Dream on! If you have the ability, don't come to Duobao Pavilion to buy.
Typical double standard!
"Where is Gu Yao? Where is he hiding? Wasn't he supposed to go out and kill sea creatures? In the end, he's just a coward!" Ruan Xinhui cursed.
"Miss," just as she was cursing, someone rushed in from outside to report, "I just saw the people from Heavenly Court Academy and Gu Yao's group leaving the market, and those people followed them. Miss, just wait for good news."
Ruan Xinhui instantly felt delighted, as if she had drunk a glass of iced tea on a scorching summer day, a refreshing feeling deep in her heart. "Haha, I want to see if he can come back alive, who let him challenge me!"
Elder He also received the news and squinted his eyes coldly. Too many geniuses were not a good thing. He had tried to approach Chi Changye, persuade him to join the City Lord's Mansion, and hinted that he could go to Changxian Gate after making significant contributions, but it had no effect. Was this person unable to understand or pretending to be deaf and dumb?
Compared to Gu Yao, he felt that Chi Changye was a greater threat. Now most people were focusing on Gu Yao and overlooking Chi Changye, which was not a good thing. Besides, the City Lord did not like being in a situation that was beyond their control.
Judging from bone age, he was at most in his twenties. A Jin Dan cultivator in his twenties would still be considered outstanding even within Changxian Gate. Thinking about his own situation, Elder He's eyes flashed with envy. People who were too much of a genius always made others feel uneasy.
Actually, Chi Changye is no longer here. What kind of situation can Gu Yao expect to face? How much self-defense power does Dan Master have?
Gu Yao will hurry to the designated stronghold later, just before they set off, an urgent message came here, saying that the sea beasts attacked, so they rushed here.
Looking down from above, even Gu Yao, who has seen the scene of the Zerg invasion, couldn't help but gasp. The sea beasts below were densely packed together, with a mixture of salty and foul smells. The scene was indescribable. Perhaps for someone with a weaker will, seeing such a scene and being overwhelmed by the unpleasant smell, they would probably want to leave with weak legs.
Gu Yao simply took a deep breath and did not show any other reactions. Chi Changye let go of his worries and whispered, "There are many people following behind, and their goals may not be the same. Be careful."
Even with him watching, he still hopes that Gu Yao will be more cautious. He doesn't want to see Gu Yao get hurt.
Gu Yao glanced back and sensed several auras behind him. He naturally noticed that among them, there were auras filled with ill intentions. Coldness flashed in his eyes, but when he looked at Chi Changye, he smiled and said, "Brother Ye, don't worry. I will first protect myself before hunting down the sea beasts."
"Mhm," Chi Changye nodded, not thinking that this idea was wrong. The path of cultivation is difficult, but first one must survive in order to have a chance to advance.
And he believed that with Gu Yao by his side on the path, it would be much happier and easier. If Gu Yao had the same mindset as him, it would be even better.
Lights of various colors flickered below, and many cultivators who had arrived earlier were already hunting down the beasts. Jiang Yan, with experience, looked around and pointed to a spot below, saying, "Let's go there and make it our base, gradually advancing and clearing out the sea beasts."
"Okay, let's listen to Senior Jiang." The others agreed. The position there was high and had a wide view, so they didn't have to worry about sudden attacks from the sea beasts.
As the group flew down with their flying tools, various attacks were launched before they even landed. Because that high ground was already occupied by sea beasts, they had to reclaim it first.
With a loud bang, Gu Yao saw a hard-shelled crab-like sea beast below. Its claws were shattered by the explosion, but its large pincers were still swinging in the air. The defense of this hard shell was indeed extraordinary, but soon a sword aura accompanied by a thunderous boom descended, instantly splitting the sea beast into two neat halves, and even the surrounding sea beasts were affected, causing a large area of death.
The Tianfu Academy cultivators who had seen Chi Changye's action were fine, but the disciples of the Tianhai Sect who had not witnessed it were dumbfounded and almost forgot to continue attacking.
In a short while, they cleared out this high point, but the smell was still unpleasant. Several cultivators dealt with it by pouring water and roasting, taking useful parts of the sea beasts' bodies, while burning the rest to ashes.