Awakened: The Spirit King!

"Using false evidence, they were trying to splash muddy water on your character and make the citizens of this city against you."

After withdrawing his gaze from his young master, Xie Ye put his hand inside his robe, and when he pulled it out, Xie Yang and Xie Yong saw a slim record book in it.

Under their gaze, Xie Ye put it on the table before starting the conversation yet again, his expression grim, "Master, Young master's reputation outside of the Northern Province isn't good."

He glanced at Xie Yang once again. "You might not know since you have been here your entire life, but every gossiper in the capital had heard your name at least once, and for the many young nobles and ladies, you're a wolf in sheep's clothing, a characterless man."

Not tensed at all, Xie Yang joked, "Never thought I would become so famous doing nothing. Just wow!"

Xie Ye's eye jumped. Did he not get what I meant by my words?

His young master wasn't famous in the empire, but infamous, a rotten egg no mother wanted her child to become involved with!

"Rumors about you being an arrogant young master are plenty. Still, they are less in number than the ridiculous stories in which you abuse servants, kill at the slightest disagreement, use your father's authority to deal with officials, force yourself on pretty ladies, and share your bed with men and women. The worse part is that people believe that you're a menace to society."

Bam!

While Xie Yang remained calm, Xie Yong's temper flared up, and he smashed the table apart with a single palm strike, breaking it into two unequal parts, one big and one small.

Most dishes slid down to the ground, but Xie Yang protected the best one for his stepbrother, keeping them afloat with his spiritual energy.

"Obviously, he isn't like that!" Xie Yong Hollered.

While placing one bowl after another next to Xie Ye, Xie Yang chuckled, "People don't concern themselves with what's the truth. As long as they get to watch a good show, they will believe in anything, even if it's ridiculous. Father, you don't need to get angry over how people perceive me. They don't mean much to either of us. Let them judge me as they like.

What they say won't change the truth or interfere with my life."

"That might not necessarily be true." Xie Ye interrupted Xie Yang. "This matter is more serious than you think, young master. The last time I went to the capital, I investigated this matter. Many people with authority are involved, and they don't seem to have good intentions.

Before I could reach its depth and find the shameless bastard who was splashing muddy water on you, an issue popped up, requiring my presence in the north. I couldn't help but drop everything as it was a matter related to your life. I thought about dealing with the person instigating it when I've free time.

Today, people entered the city just to spread rumors about you being a Ghost Cultivator who had snatched his wife's vitality to become healthy and his subordinate's achievements to gain the emperor's recognition. Ridiculously enough, some of our citizens believed them after a few backs and forth. Before the situation could go out of control, I dealt with it.

But this might not have happened only here but other cities as well."

Neither Xie Yong nor Xie Yang was happy after hearing what Xie Ye said, and their expression fell, becoming darker.

Although these rumors weren't going to harm him immediately directly, sooner or later, they will become deadly blades that will put an end to Xie Yang's reputation.

"What does this have to do with the record book?" Xie Yang questioned while pointing at the book on the table.

Xie Ye replied, "This matter is too ridiculous and tricky. I've recorded everything I have investigated so far in it."

Xie Yong raised his hand and flicked his finger; the book jumped up and floated into his hand.

He went through it, and his expression fell by three more degrees.

"What does it says?"

"Nothing but a bunch of bogus!"

He had only said this much when the door opened again, and a familiar chubby figure entered the room.

"Bad news, city master! Young master reputation is at stake!" Xie Manor's highest rank steward said while breathing raggedly; his disheveled and out-of-breath appearance expressed that he had run here from somewhere far away.

Xie Yang helped him to a seat and poured water for him in a cup. "First, take three deep breaths and drink this cup of water to calm down, then explain it to us in detail."

"Oh, okay!"

Among the household members of the Xie Manor, the manor's steward was the first person to discover that someone was trying to paint Xie Yang black.

At that time, because the rumors about him were too ridiculous and popping up in the faraway capital where we don't have much authority, the steward didn't take action to nip it in the bud.

"It wasn't without reason that I thought taking no action would be better than taking action. After all, people would've believed that they were true if we had forcibly suppressed them. Faced with the present situation, that would've been better.

I never thought months later the rumors in the forbidden capital would spread, from one person to another, from one city to another, then reach all five provinces of the empire, pushing Young Master Yang in the center of a massive wave of controversy. The disciples of many sects and the scions of many noble families believe these rumors.

Some of the more arrogant ones have already entered the city and demanded to have a match with him. If he doesn't appear and fight them, the rumors will turn more ridiculous, and more people will believe in them."

One rumor was about Xie Yang taking Xie Ye's achievements as his own to fool the emperor into awarding him with a title and an alchemy pill!

Fooling the emperor was a capital crime punishable by death!

If he doesn't take action to clear his name, he might not get a chance later!

"I was wrong to act by myself and hide this from you, Master; please kill me."

The old servant dropped to his knees and smashed his head on the ground continuously.

He was a cultivator, so the bricks began breaking under his constant smashing, but because he wasn't using spiritual energy, he started bleeding.

When he was about to smash his head a third time, Xie Yang stopped him and glanced at his father meaningfully.

Xie Yong coughed and said imposingly, "Instead of smashing your head on the ground, how about you rack your brain to find a way to solve this situation. I will decide your punishment at a letter date."

The old servant shamelessly refused to stand up and roared, "I will do my best."

They focused on the matter at hand, and after the old servant listed several plans, Xie Yang decided he had enough for today.

"I have a better idea."

Three pairs of eyes turned towards him.

"What are you talking about?"

"There is nothing better than me taking action to clear my name. Since there is a tournament, invite everyone who went to the manor to challenge me there. I will fight them in a 1v1 knockout battle on the stage and defeat them to dispel the doubt in people's hearts! The truth is on the side of power.

The people will have no reason to disbelieve me when I defeat my opponents without showing off any sign of demonic possession or giving off an evil aura."

While Xie Yang's plan was fair and reasonable, not a single soul in the room was satisfied with it.

The steward stood up, dusted off his clothes, and after a few light coughs, he said, "Young master, I'm sorry, but while smacking their smug faces sounds good, and I would like you to do it too, it isn't plausible. Most of them are already in the second realm, some at level 15, and the White Sword of the Fourth Prince is also here. He is a level 19 spiritual cultivator."

"So what? None of them have a soul imprint, and I can defeat anyone in terms of spiritual techniques. If you don't believe me, I will step on them on the stage tomorrow. Then, I'm pretty sure you'll be amazed."

Spiritual cultivators in the first and second realms didn't have much difference.

The first could use low-level to medium-level spiritual techniques, while the latter could cast medium to high-level ones.

The difference was in their spiritual energy capacity!

However, the amount of spiritual energy Xie Yang possessed rivaled a level 16 cultivator, and his combat experience and control over it were unbelievable.

Thus, he didn't fear fighting a bunch of little kids!

"You're rather full of confidence, but I don't see how Talking big is magically boosting your strength. How long has it been since you started cultivating? One month? And you want to defeat people who have cultivated since young and are an entire realm above you?"

"Father, have you forgotten who I am?"

Xie Yang smiled at Xie Yong as fifteen gentle waves like harmless spring sprang into existence, each one the size of a small pond, indicating that they contained no less than a hundred units of spiritual energy.

The onlooker gaped at him with wide-opened eyes.

"You're already at level 15?!"

Xie Yang withdrew them and gave them a nod.

Xie Yong stared at him deeply, "But I can't sense a core in you."

Xie Yang laughed slightly, "Because I don't have one."

"Then, how is it possible?" Xie Yong questioned, remembering to breathe in oxygen.

As there was an outsider here, he decided against exposing his secret.

Xie Yang smiled again, "I will tell you when we are alone. Anyway, now that you know how strong I am, Do you still not think I can win against the spoiled brats of other families?"

Xie Ye packed up the four bowls of nutrition while saying, "With my understanding of Young Master's ability, I think there is a 100% chance that you will defeat those in the same realm as you. There is a troublesome fellow among them. You'll face trouble fighting the white sword of the royal family."

Since Xie Ye had said so, no one disbelieved Xie Yang's combat ability.

"The dice is already cast. I can only move charge ahead even if it means encountering the head of the snakes." Xie Yang said.

"Young master is great! I am sure he can beat the White Sword!" The steward pulled out a talisman pouch, and after examining it for a moment and determining there was a hundred unused talisman in it, he put it in Young master Yang's hand. "Please teach him a lesson for me. If you come across him, drown him with the power of wealth!"

The steward believed that he had caused great trouble by not telling his master about the rumors the moment he found about them and felt highly guilty for troubling his young master.

Thus, to reduce his guilt, he gave most of his talisman to him.

"I will, but you'll have to do me a favor." Xie Yang's confident smile was as pleasant as the gales of spring.

"Please say so."

Xie Yang said, "I don't only plan on defeating them but also using them as stepping stones to clear my name and make myself famous, so a situation like this won't arise again. List out which sect and family those troublesome fellows came from and their combat styles. This way, I won't be clueless about my opponents."

"I will gladly."