A mere two days after the news of Ye Fan's promotion and Elder Hu's rise in power had settled, a ripple of unease began to spread through the righteous sects. Whispers, initially faint and isolated, coalesced into a booming storm of rumors that threatened to engulf Ye Fan's carefully cultivated heroic persona.
These rumors painted a diametrically opposed picture of the celebrated hero. Tales of Ye Fan's depravity, his obsession with ensnaring beautiful women, and his secret dealings with demonic forces spread like wildfire across the land. Accusations of theft, deceit, and even the cold-blooded murder of innocent cultivators fueled the firestorm.
