Chapter Thirty-Nine: Rumors, Intensifying.

Shortly after Chen Ming and Dugu Yan returned to their respective dormitories, rumors about the two began to spread quietly throughout the campus.

Teacher Niu, who was in charge of the poison-type simulated cultivation field, sought out Qin Ming. Under the guise of discussing business, he offloaded everything he knew before Qin Ming could even react, effectively dragging the resting instructor into the mess. The two then went together to report the incident to the three members of the Education Committee. Niu Dali had only seen Chen Ming carrying Dugu Yan, so he reported only what he witnessed, specifically emphasizing how Dugu Yan had glared at him. Though he did not embellish the story, his subjective interpretation was so strong that the Education Committee’s first thought was that the two were in a romantic relationship, rather than suspecting any unforeseen accident.

Consequently, the committee began assigning personnel to secretly investigate Chen Ming’s activities and search for eyewitnesses along the path to see what others might have seen. Once the news leaked, the rate of its spread exceeded everyone’s imagination. As the premier aristocratic academy of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was not lacking in elites, but the majority of the students were little more than insects and human-shaped creatures. The things these creatures could conjure up always surpassed the bounds of common sense.

Some who were just passing by and originally didn't care who was carrying whom became interested once they were questioned. Others who had actually seen Chen Ming carrying Dugu Yan felt their curiosity piqued even further by the inquiries. Those who saw it said they did, those who didn't see clearly said they did, and eventually, even those who hadn't seen anything claimed they had. The descriptions became increasingly exaggerated.

It is human nature for sentient beings to love a spectacle, and these aristocratic students were the type to never fear chaos. A perfectly normal observation became more mystical and absurd with every retelling. It started with Chen Ming carrying a shy Dugu Yan, but eventually devolved into rumors that Chen Ming was engaging in public indecency in front of other students. Although the committee quickly identified the few ringleaders who were intentionally trying to turn the matter into a scandal and had their parents drag them home to be disciplined with rattan canes, this act of "covering one's ears to steal a bell" only served to make certain people believe the outrageous rumors even more.

"Did you hear? Dugu Yan and that new student..."
"Did you hear? Dugu Yan and a boy by the main path..."
"Did you hear? The Poison Douluo’s granddaughter and some wild man..."

There were only five hundred students in the entire academy. Within a single night, half of them were gossiping about the affair. The other half only remained unaware because they lived in Heaven Dou City and hadn't heard the news from campus. However, that soon changed, as several aristocratic heirs—who were useless at everything except causing trouble—rushed to the city that night to share the "news" with their "out-of-the-loop" friends.

The thirst for gossip was unstoppable. The three members of the Education Committee could not step in personally, and their subordinates were unable to suppress the students' curiosity. Furthermore, while the committee’s men followed orders, they were not robots; while they were tasked with suppressing the rumors, they were secretly listening to them as well. In private, when no outsiders were around, those entrusted with the investigation were discussing the matter with great enthusiasm.

Entertainment was scarce in the Douluo Continent. These people, living near the capital, had already exhausted the usual amusements. Aside from the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament held once every five years, gossip was their primary source of stimulation.

Unexpectedly, early the next morning, someone from Dugu Bo’s estate arrived at the academy, notified the committee, and promptly took Dugu Yan away. Although Dugu Bo was not at his estate, there was a manager in charge—Dugu Bo’s brother-in-law, Dugu Yan’s great-uncle. Though he possessed no spirit power and was not a spirit master, he had served as the chief steward for decades, managing all affairs with meticulous order. Ordinarily, such a man would not be easily rattled by rumors, but he had been a witness to the event himself.

Yes, he was the elderly man who had been so agitated upon seeing Chen Ming and Dugu Yan together that Chen Ming assumed he didn't want to chase them. It wasn't that he didn't want to—he simply couldn't keep up! He wasn't a Spirit Master; he was just well-groomed and possessed a sense of gravitas from managing Dugu Bo’s affairs. After failing to catch them, he had exhausted himself climbing to Dugu Yan’s dormitory, only to find her hiding under her covers playing with her fingers. By the time he climbed back down the mountain, he was filled with rage and grievance but dared not speak of it.

He didn't return to the estate until late that night. He spent the entire night trying to contact Dugu Bo and resolve the situation, getting no sleep, only to head back to the academy at dawn to collect his charge. He thought he was acting quickly enough to stifle the rumors, but upon arriving at the foot of the mountain, he heard the students whispering and nearly fainted from anger. After much persuasion, he managed to convince the committee to let him take Dugu Yan home, though she acted like an ostrich, refusing to see her elder. It took every ounce of his effort to get her to leave.

Once home, he settled Dugu Yan and immediately sent multiple letters to the designated location for Dugu Bo. However, Dugu Bo had read his mail just days prior and, believing everything was fine, had retreated into deep meditation to recover his strength so he could return to the city and look after his granddaughter. No matter how many letters were sent, Dugu Bo had no way of knowing.

The matter continued to spiral. The scandals spread throughout the aristocracy of Heaven Dou City, eventually reaching the ears of Xue Ye, Xue Xing, and Qian Renxue, who was disguised as Xue Qinghe. Facing this gossip, even Qian Renxue, who hadn't paid much attention to Chen Ming initially, was taken aback. She immediately ordered her subordinates to upgrade the status of the invitation and gifts intended for Chen Ming, finding the upcoming meeting with him far more intriguing than before.