Chapter 173
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Chapter 173: Mu Lin Being Pursued by Eight or Nine Noble Ladies
Not only did Yan Yunyu use Spirit Stones to boost her own narrative, but she also actively spread the rumors further.
When she instructed her maid Xiaoxue, the maid immediately nodded and said, "Yes."
After responding, she did not leave immediately but cautiously suggested, "Miss, should we clarify in the rumors that Chu Lingluo has no ties to Mu Lin? Chu Lingluo’s mother would assist us."
Yan Yunyu shot Xiaoxue a glance before shaking her head. "Don’t overreach. Even if she doesn’t act at first, Chu Lingluo’s mother will piece things together later. I won’t make an enemy of Chu Lingluo."
"And it’s unnecessary."
"???"
"Yes."
Though confused, Xiaoxue obeyed and left to carry out the orders.
…
Yan Yunyu refrained from further meddling, but Chu Lingluo’s mother shrewdly grasped the situation after observing her moves.
"That vile rumor has won over the cold clan’s disciples. Denials alone won’t stop it—we must muddy the waters instead."
"Send word that Mu Lin isn’t just pursued by Lingluo and Yan Yunyu, but also Ji Xue, Blood Cherry, Wei Man, Yu Rushuang… Include girls from the Merfolk, Fox Demons, and Feather Tribe too."
Instinctively, Chu Lingluo’s mother had mastered crisis management: chaos stifled truth.
The tactic proved effective.
Rumors spread like wildfire, while refuting them dragged like a slog. Factual denials would fail—especially since Chu Lingluo did fancy Mu Lin. But muddying the waters worked perfectly.
One noble lady’s affection sparked envy.
Two provoked bitter jealousy, with onlookers crediting Mu Lin’s ancestors’ luck.
Three bred doubt.
"Is Mu Lin truly worth so many noble ladies’ attention?"
"This has to be fake!"
Three caused skepticism, but eight or nine? Pure absurdity.
"Eight or nine noble ladies chasing him? Who does he think he is—a True Lord?"
"My version’s wilder: someone supposedly cut family ties for him!"
"Pale compared to mine! I heard a girl murdered her kin to marry Mu Lin!"
"??? Nonsense!"
As rumors spiraled, skeptics finally spoke up.
Chu Lingluo’s mother seized the moment—denying earlier would’ve seemed defensive, but now, with doubt widespread, her rebuttal gained traction.
"I always said this was nonsense! Two noble ladies obsessed with one cold clan’s disciple? Only fools would believe it!"
Collective pushback soon convinced most it was all lies.
In the end, most young ladies withdrew from the muddy rumors by issuing clarifications.
The only one who didn’t release any denial statement was Yan Yunyu.
"What a fortunate turn of events!"
…
When the messy rumors finally subsided, only Yan Yunyu remained entangled.
The noblewomen who had plotted this became furious upon realizing their scheme had failed.
Chu Lingluo’s mother, however, appeared rather smug.
Her countermeasures also impacted Mu Lin.
At minimum, the girls accidentally implicated by these rumors and their admirers now resented Mu Lin.
It became clear he’d face multiple pursuers once entering the Tower of Illusions.
"???"
This unwarranted calamity left Mu Lin utterly confused.
He immediately summoned Yan Yunyu to demand answers.
"The original rumor aimed to smear Lingluo’s reputation. What followed was Chu Lingluo’s mother fighting back to clear her daughter’s name. Seems she succeeded."
"…True enough. She did succeed."
Facing Mu Lin’s unreadable expression, Yan Yunyu neither stayed silent nor added fuel to the fire, instead defending Chu Lingluo:
"Everything after the first rumor was Chu Lingluo’s mother’s doing. The girl herself isn’t involved."
"I see."
…
Amidst widespread resentment and intelligence gathering, time flowed onward until the Southeast League Examination day arrived.
"Whoosh…"
Tens of thousands flooded Yuhu Academy’s plaza that morning – rich magnates, influential figures, talented youths, and non-humans.
The massive crowd created festive excitement throughout the academy.
But this excitement excluded Mu Lin.
His vicinity resembled plague-stricken ground, radiating palpable aversion.
Most people not only avoided conversation but glared at him with burning anger.
"That’s the creep who sullied Lady Rushuang’s reputation?"
"Wei Man pursuing him? What nonsense!"
"Hey! You’re taking the exam too, right? Beat him senseless when you get inside!"
"Consider it done."
While many seethed, others found dark humor in the situation.
This included examinees from Longyou Heshan Academy.
Though they’d schemed to provoke Yuhu Academy into action, seeing Mu Lin become everyone’s target made their efforts seem redundant.
"His talent for causing trouble surpasses our schemes. The whole crowd’s after him already."
"Forget about him. With this much hostility, he’s finished anyway."
Longyou Heshan members dismissed Mu Lin as doomed – a view shared by most candidates.
Meanwhile, delegations from the Merfolk and Fox Demon Clan aiming to ally with humans emphasized protecting their maidens’ virtue.
Elders explicitly warned their star candidates to avoid Mu Lin completely, or immediately eliminate him if approached.
"True power brings possessiveness. To win such favor, you must remain wholly devoted."
"We understand, Elder."
Surveying the sea of hostile faces, Yan Yunyu arched an eyebrow.
After brief hesitation, she advised: "Mu brother, perhaps reveal your true eleven-year-old form?"
