The Moonshade Sect was located on three long and large mountain peaks.
Below the mountain peaks was were the outer disciples, mission hall and disciplinary hall were located.
The middle peak on top of the mountain was the core of the sect, it was were the sect master and important powerful elders had their residences.
There was also the ancestral hall and treasuries located in the middle peak. On the left mountain peak was the inner disciples mountain and on the right was the the core disciples mountain.
.....
Ancestral Hall on the middle peak mountain.
The sect master and his two grand elders were having a meeting regarding how they were going to settle their compensation from the imperial family.
"We should demand more territories from Imperial Domain and a prefecture.
I hear the the Xun prefecture is full of resources, this is our chance to get our hands on it" The left grand elder suggested.
He was a bulk looking man in battle robes, he was as tall as a giant and radiated a blood thirsty aura which frightened those around him.
"I disagree, we should make the emperor kneel before us and beg for forgiveness at our ancestral hall.
This will strengthen our image and authority, besides when we pretend to forgive him,
We'll be the ones with all the cards in our hands in the future.
And to top it off, we already have the largest territory in the imperial capital, if we demand for more, I'm afraid we might anger the big three sects" The right grand elder countered.
The right grand elder was a scholarly looking middle aged man with a moustache, one could tell he was a cunning and shrewd old man just by taking a single glance at him.
The sect leader tapped his middle finger on the table as he listened to the two grand elders who were only below him in status.
This elders were really cruel, they were talking about the benefits of the death of his son without any sympathy or grief.
But as the sect leader, he also knew it was important to prioritize the sect over every other matter.
Benefits of the sects should always come first, he can make another son anytime he wanted, but such opportunities like this one rarely came.
This was their time to corner the empire and get as much benefits as they could.
The ancestor of the sect sat at a slightly higher elevated platform behind the sect leader.
He brushed through his white beard in satisfaction, this young ones really knew how to handle their stuffs.
He really didn't have to do much.
As he was smiling, he suddenly frowned.
The mood in the hall also changed, they all saw the surviving elder from their campaign flying from the horizon.
"Why is he alone? Where are the supreme elders and the other elders?
And why is he looking so injured and disheveld" murmuring and whispering filled the hall as those present discussed it in hushed tones.
The sect leader and grand elders frowned, thei could tell the extent of the injuries and they knew it was bad.
But who could have done this? Where they ambushed by the big three or what?
They wondered among themselves.
They attributed this to the big three doings and couldn't help but feel aggrieved.
To them nobody in the empire would dare to touch them. The force they sent out was enough to suppress any of the peak two stars sect so they didn't even think it was them.
They didn't believe Gu Shang could have done this. He was just a general of a middle tier empire, it might be impressive to some, but not to them.
They looked down on the empire and didn't think they have any force that could resist them.
The injured elder landed and coughed another mouth full of blood.
The other elder rushed and fed him pills.
"Brother, what happened? Who did this to you?" They barraged him with this sort of questions.
"Shut it, all of you" The left grand elder suddenly roared bringing the silence back.
"What happened?" The sect leader asked calmly.
"Reporting to my lord, we have failed the mission.
The other elders were all killed by the Grand General, and it only took him less than three breathes to decimate all our forces.
He only left me alive to 'cough.. cough.'... to... deliver a message.
That crafty boy led the first supreme elder into admitting we were planning to rebel and using that justification,
He said that by sunrise tomorrow, the sect leader should go and renew his allegence towards the imperial clan or he would destroy us by time should we refuse to comply.
My lord, this servant persevered to bring you the message because this is our opportunity, I hope the sect uses it well"
He fell on the ground dead after saying that.
The right grand elder roared furiously, "Very well, since he believes he's all that, then I'll go to his manor to personally witness his bravery.
He took a large sword and planned to leave but the sect leader stopped him.
A greedy and ambitious fire burned in the eyes of the left grand elder and sect master.
This was their opportunity.
"Lately, there've been reports about various sects in the lower realm overthrowing the empires and ruling the lands, it's this our opportunity" The right grand elder suddenly spoke.
"What does this have to do with our current situation?" The bulky left grand elder was confused.
"Ancestor, do you think we should take it? Will the big three sects allow us to do so?" The sect leader asked the old man behind him.
The old man went into deep thought for a while before saying, "As long as we give them enough, it'll all be alright.
This a good opportunity, we have to size it!" The ancestor said loudly.
"I'll quickly leave to negotiate with the big three, you guys should prepare our forces" The ancestor ordered before taking off and disappearing.
The left grand elder scratched his head in confusion. He was all brawn and no brain, he couldn't comprehend the situation and didn't understand the opportunity they were talking about.
"Hey what's going on?" He asked the right grand elder.
The right grand elder couldn't help but tut continuously, " tse tse tse, you really are a no brain and all muscles, aren't you?
What's so difficult to understand here?
The Grand General who is a member of the imperial hierarchy has just accused a three star sect within it's territory that they are planing a rebellion without evidence.
He goes on to kill representatives of the sect with the justification of crushing a rebellion.
He also brazenly threatens us to renew our allegence or face destruction.
He's doing all this without any sustainable evidence, and the only witnesses that could testify have been killed by him.
With all this excuses, it could be said that the empire are trying to frame us and get rid of us without any evidence.
Everything we do will be considered self defense from now on, the oath we made some eons ago doesn't matter anymore, because it's the imperial family whose attacking us instead.
This means the imperial family are breaking ties with us.
If so, then whatever we do would be right because we have a justification.
Using this justification, we can get rid of the imperial family and rule the territory on our own" The right grand elder patiently explained.
The left grand elder took in deep breaths, their plan was too audacious and ambitious, but he liked it.
The sect leader couldn't help but sneer, " the little victory he had over the forces we sent might have boosted his ego.
However the right grand elder still has not hit on the essence of our justification" The sect leader suddenly said whiles tapping on the arm rest of his chair.
The right grand elder was confused.
"The driving force of our justification is the Grand General asking us to renew our allegence, this means that until we swear a new one, the old one can be considered void since the imperial clan has decided there is a problem with the previous one and can't trust it anymore, do you get it?'' He asked the right grand elder.
"Does this mean that, even without my previous reasons, this alone can stand since our previous oath to the empire has become void.
This also means that, from now till they decide to renew their allegence, we answer to no one and are currently a foreign force on the lands of the empire.
This..this alone is enough" the right grand elder said with excitement.
That brat is indeed young in the ways of the world. If they were the stronger side and we were a thorn on their side, this would have been a perfect excuse for them, but the audacity of the weaker side to pull this card was very funny.
"Spread the rumor about the threat the Grand General made. I want every man, child, woman and older person to hear it.
I want even the unborn babies in their mothers womb to hear it. Let the entire empire know that the Grand General has threatened to destroy us by sunrise tomorrow if we don't renew our allegence. Moreover his blaming us of a crime he has no evidence off.
Left grand elder, prepare our forces for tomorrow. You'll lead them into the imperial capital to destroy the imperial family for attempting to frame us" He gave his orders.
....
Rising Phoenix Manor
Gu Shang stood in a courtyard, wearing black robes, he looked handsome and carefree as usual.
His gaze was locked on the ground beneath him, with his hands behind his back.
A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth as he continued to watch the ground.
"Are you going to take the bait?"
The ground below him was finally revealed, The ground of the floor was actually painted as a chess board and Gu Shang stood in the middle of it.