I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

The sun was blazing, but the atmosphere of the Jianghu gathering gradually dropped to freezing point.

After Killer Xiao left, the rumors about Lei Yi didn't die down. Instead, they spread like wildfire. Groups of people from the underworld gathered together, pointing fingers and whispering about Lei Yi.

"Look, that's Lei Yi. I heard that he didn't hesitate to kill innocent people in order to practice his evil skills!"

"I saw it with my own eyes. He was ruthless. Those whose internal energy he drained away were turned into mummies!"

"It's really scary. I didn't expect him to be so vicious at such a young age!"

……

Various versions of the rumor, exaggerating the situation, portrayed Lei Yi as an unforgivable evildoer. Standing in the crowd, Lei Yi felt as if he were being scrutinized by countless pairs of eyes, each one like a sharp blade, piercing his flesh.

He clenched his fists, trying to suppress the anger and humiliation in his heart. He knew that the more he defended himself now, the worse it would get.

"Lei Yi, I'm going to teach those gossipers a lesson!" Dongfang Liuli's beautiful eyes flashed with anger. She really couldn't stand these people slandering Lei Yi.

"Liuli, don't be impulsive." Lei Yi held her hand and shook his head gently. "The clear will be clear, and the turbid will be turbid. Rumors stop at the wise. There's no need for us to argue with these people."

Dongfang Liuli bit her lip. Although she was indignant, she knew Lei Yi was right. In the current situation, the more they cared about it, the more they fell into Killer Xiao's trap.

However, the power of rumors is far more terrifying than they imagined.

Some sects that were originally on good terms with the Lei family also began to avoid Lei Yi, fearing that they would get into trouble.

"Master Lei, it's not that I won't speak up for you, but this matter is of great importance, and I have to consider my disciples as well..."

"Young Master Lei, you should go back and avoid the limelight first, and wait until things calm down before you talk..."

Listening to these former friends and partners speak such cold words, Lei Yi's heart gradually sank. He realized how vicious Xiao's move of cutting off the source of his support was!

From a distance, Sect Leader Lu took in all of this. Seeing Lei Yi isolated by the crowd, his once resolute expression began to waver.

"Could it be that I really have misjudged him? Will forming an alliance with him bring harm to my sect..."

Sect Leader Lu frowned, a mixture of emotions welling up in his chest. He admired Lei Yi's talent and generosity, and he remembered how Lei Yi had trusted him in times of crisis, sharing crucial information with him. However, with rumors spreading everywhere, Lei Yi had practically become the target of public criticism. Did he really want to risk his entire sect for a hollow promise?

"Master, let's have less contact with the Lei family. There are so many rumors about him in the martial arts world now..." The eldest disciple beside him observed his expression and suggested cautiously.

Sect Leader Lu waved his hand, signaling him not to continue, but the balance in his heart had already begun to tilt.

As night fell, the noise of the Jianghu gathering gradually died down. Lei Yi sat alone in the room of the inn, flipping through a book in the dim candlelight, as if he didn't care about anything that happened during the day.

"Dong dong dong."

There was a knock on the door. Lei Yi put down the book in his hand and said calmly, "Come in."

The person who came was none other than Sect Master Lu. He had a serious expression on his face, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Master Lu, you are visiting me so late at night. Is there something important?" Lei Yi stood up to greet him, his tone calm, as if he didn't notice anything unusual about the other party.

Sect Leader Lu looked at Lei Yi's calm expression and secretly admired him. He took a deep breath and said, "Young Master Lei, I came here today to discuss the matter of forming an alliance with you."

Lei Yi smiled slightly and motioned for Master Lu to sit down and discuss in detail.

"I know there are rumors flying around about me right now, and Sect Leader Lu must be worried," Lei Yi said straight to the point. "But, I want to tell you, Sect Leader Lu, these rumors are deliberately spread by someone with the intention of alienating us and causing us to lose our composure."

"Young Master Lei, I believe in your character, but..." Sect Leader Lu looked troubled. "There is no smoke without fire. Young Master Lei, do you have any evidence to prove your innocence?"

"The innocent are innocent. I, Lei Yi, am upright and honest. Why should I prove anything to others?" Lei Yi's tone was calm, yet it revealed an unquestionable firmness. "As for the evidence, I believe it will soon surface."

Lei Yi walked to the window, looked at the flickering lights in the distance, and continued, "Master Lu, you and I are both intelligent people. We should understand the principle of the lips and teeth being cold. Now, someone wants to take advantage of this opportunity to disrupt the martial arts world. If we don't join forces, we will only be defeated one by one."

Sect Leader Lu fell silent. He knew that every word Lei Yi said was true, and he had analyzed the current situation himself, but the power of the rumor was too strong, and he was confused for a moment.

"Master Lu," Lei Yi turned around and stared at him with stern eyes, "If you and I can join forces, we can not only break the impasse, but also take this opportunity to restore order in the martial arts world!"

Sect Leader Lu suddenly looked up and saw the high-spirited young man in front of him. The last trace of hesitation in his heart disappeared.

"Okay!" Sect Leader Lu nodded heavily, "I believe you!"

"It's just..." Sect Leader Lu had barely finished his words when a sudden commotion erupted from outside, accompanied by the wailing of alarms and the clash of weapons. Sect Leader Lu abruptly stood up and quickly rushed to the window. He saw flames blazing outside the inn. The once peaceful and harmonious gathering of the martial arts world had now descended into chaos. Amidst the flashing of swords and sabers, figures dashed about, screams and curses echoed incessantly. The once bustling market place had instantly transformed into a savage battlefield.

"What's going on?" asked Sect Leader Lu in surprise.

"It seems like someone wants to take advantage of the chaos." Lei Yi looked calm, and there was no panic in his tone. He walked to the door, pushed it open, and strode out.

Seeing this, Sect Leader Lu hurriedly followed him out.

Outside the inn, the chaos continued. Several masked men, armed with sharp blades, attacked anyone they saw, forcing the crowd to flee in all directions.

"It's the Lei family! They want to kill people to silence them!" Someone in the crowd shouted, and those who were already suspicious of Lei Yi became even more panicked and tried to avoid him.

Lei Yi calmly observed the situation around him. He noticed that the goal of these masked men did not seem to be to kill people, but to deliberately create chaos and put the blame on him.

"Young Master Lei, be careful!" Sect Leader Lu stood in front of Lei Yi and repelled a masked man who tried to launch a sneak attack with one palm.

"Master Lu, there is no need to panic. These people are just small characters." Lei Yi said, and with a move of his body, he appeared behind a masked man like a ghost. With a flick of his finger, a stone flew out and hit the masked man's wrist. The man felt pain and the sword in his hand fell to the ground.

Lei Yi's movements were clean and neat, and he was obviously a hidden master. This was completely different from the rumors in the martial arts world that he was just a dandy boy who was good at talking.

Seeing this, Sect Leader Lu's suspicion of Lei Yi gradually dissipated, replaced by deep admiration. He brandished his sword, forcing the other masked man back, and declared, "Master Lei, let's join forces and take down these scoundrels first!"

Lei Yi nodded, and the two of them stood back to back, cooperating tacitly to repel the masked men around them one by one.

The chaos soon subsided, and the masked men, seeing that the situation was not good, dropped their weapons and fled.

Lei Yi looked at the direction they disappeared in, with a hint of sneer on his lips. He knew that this was just the beginning and the real mastermind behind the scenes had not yet appeared.

"Mr. Lei, are you okay?" asked Sect Leader Lu with concern.

"I'm fine, thank you, Master Lu, for your help." Lei Yi bowed in thanks.

"Young Master Lei, you don't have to be so polite. Seeing injustice on the road, we should draw our swords and help. This is the duty of martial artists like us." Master Lu said with a firm look in his eyes, "Young Master Lei, I believe you. The agreement between us still stands."

Lei Yi looked at Master Lu with gratitude. He knew that he had finally gained the recognition of this senior in the martial arts world.

The night grew darker. In the inn room, Lei Yi stood alone in front of the window, looking at the dark night sky in the distance, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"Killer Xiao, do you think you can defeat me like this? I, Lei Yi, am not that easy to deal with." Lei Yi clenched his fists and thought to himself, "I will definitely find out the truth and bring you to justice!"

At the same time, in a secluded courtyard not far from the inn, Dongfang Liuli put down the letter in her hand, and a cold light flashed in her beautiful eyes...

The courtyard where Dongfang Liuli lived was so quiet that only the occasional cry of a night owl could be heard. In the dim candlelight, her brows furrowed slightly, and her slender fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a soft "tap-tap" sound.

"Jinling, Zuixianlou, Midnight..." Dongfang Liuli murmured softly. These were the details mentioned in the letter, pointing to a mysterious employer. This person was secretive, and the letter did not reveal his true identity, only that he was generous and would destroy Lei Yi's reputation at all costs.

"It seems that someone is secretly targeting Lei Yi, and he is not a small person." Dongfang Liuli thought to herself. Although she had found some clues, she always felt that things were not as simple as they seemed, and there seemed to be a bigger conspiracy hidden behind it.

Lei Yi was sitting at his desk, flicking through the information he'd bought from Jianghu Baixiaosheng by the dim candlelight. Most of it concerned recent rumors and gossip in the Jianghu, hoping to find some clues. However, after searching through all the information, he still had no clue.

"Who sent Killer Xiao? Why is he slandering me like this?" Lei Yi was filled with confusion and anger. He knew that rumors were like venom; once spread, they would spread rapidly and become difficult to control. If he didn't quickly uncover the truth and clear his name, he feared that everything he had painstakingly built would be destroyed.

Just as Lei Yi was thinking hard, Killer Xiao was sitting in a private room of a teahouse, plotting something with a man in black.

"How's it going?" The man in black spoke in a low voice, without any emotion in his voice.

"Master, everything is going according to plan. Lei Yi is now a pariah, everyone wants him killed." Killer Xiao said with a sinister smile, "In a few days, I will definitely bring him to ruin and ruin!"

The man in black nodded with satisfaction, took out a gold ingot from his pocket and threw it on the table. "Very good, there will be a generous reward after the task is completed."

"Thank you, master!" Killer Xiao took the gold, a greedy glint in his eyes.

As the night deepened, Lei Yi irritably pushed the information off the table, stood up, and walked to the window. Looking out at the bustling night market, a thought suddenly occurred to him, "Perhaps I can find some clues from those rumors..." He put on his black cloak, pushed the door open, and walked out towards the bustling night market...