Bai Haocang raised his eyebrows slightly.
In an instant, an unmatched, fierce sword intent filled the entire space.
"Chi!"
A faint sound was heard.
A tiny, almost imperceptible scar appeared on Elder Sun's face, inflicted by the invisible sword intent.
Elder Sun's tone faltered, and the entire room fell silent.
"Good! Good!"
"Sect Master, truly, you are an extraordinary talent. It seems that the Great Thousand Heart Intent Sword Manual has reached the level of perfection."
"However, during a meeting of the core elders, do you intend to use force to suppress me?"
Though Elder Sun questioned this, his tone had calmed considerably.
"You know this is a meeting of core elders. Behaving so recklessly, is that appropriate?" Bai Haocang's gaze turned cold once more.
"I'll ask you again, did you arrange Lei's actions?"
Elder Sun remained silent for a moment before saying, "Yes."
"You plotted to assassinate a sect genius, violating Sect Rule Eight - 'Thou shalt not harm thy fellow sect members.'"
"As the Sect Master, you should possess strength, character, and capability."
"Besides strength, do you think you meet the other two criteria?"
"Now, with your actions so conspicuous, causing harm to the sect's disciples recklessly, if you were to become the Sect Master and continue acting recklessly, it would lead to discord within the sect. The foundation of the Dalu Sect, which has stood for thousands of years, might be destroyed under your leadership."
Bai Haocang spoke with a stern voice, bringing up his earlier proposal.
Someone immediately said, "I agree with everything else, but let's skip compensating contribution points to Jiang Heng. It can offset the tenfold reward from the previous competition, so there's no need for a separate discussion on this matter. How about it?"
Bai Haocang looked at the other core elders.
The other ten core elders nodded in agreement.
"Very well, let it be officially announced."
"Starting today, Core Elder Sun Feiyu will forfeit one year of salary and have his eligibility for the Sect Master election ten months from now canceled."
"The meeting is adjourned!"
Elder Sun's face darkened, but he remained silent.
...
Jiang Heng was unaware of everything happening within the sect. He had no interest in it and focused entirely on his cultivation in the courtyard.
Under the terrifying efficiency of the Heavenly Perfection Art, the Qi and Blood Pills were being consumed rapidly, corresponding to the rapid growth of his potential points.
His cultivation was soaring.
True Qi Realm Fifth Stage, Sixth Stage, Seventh Stage...
Meanwhile, Mi Wenjie, after completing all his tasks as per Jiang Heng's request, arrived at Sect Master Wan's residence.
Five days had passed since Sect Master Wan's arrest.
During these five days, in accordance with the sect's punishment, Sect Master Wan had been executed, and his body had been returned to his residence.
Inside the spacious mansion.
The atmosphere was filled with panic and unease.
Guards and servants whispered to each other occasionally, discussing the events in the house and the way forward.
Upon seeing Mi Wenjie, they immediately bowed and greeted him before hurrying away.
Mi Wenjie remained composed and made his way to the memorial hall.
Only one of Sect Master Wan's sons, Wan Congwu, knelt in front of the memorial hall. He wore an expression of utter desolation and seemed unresponsive to Mi Wenjie's arrival.
"Where are the others? Summon them all, and I'll arrange for your relocation," Mi Wenjie said, breaking the silence.
Upon hearing Mi Wenjie's words, Wan Congwu finally snapped out of his daze and turned to look at him.
With lowered brows and lifeless eyes, he said:
"Before setting off, my mother wanted to see my uncle one last time. It will be a few days before she can return."
Mí Wénjié frowned slightly and then said calmly, "In that case, arrange a room for me, and I'll stay here for a few days, ensuring your safety."
Since he had taken their money, Mí Wénjié understood that he had to give something in return, so he wasn't particularly bothered.
Meanwhile, the wife of the leader of the Wan Gang, Wǔ Liǔfāng, arrived at the Tiān Jiàn Zōng, which was located over 200 miles away from Chuān Jiāng City.
Tiān Jiàn Zōng was another top-tier sect within the Qingzhou Fèng Hé region, besides the Luo Sect.
The sect's headquarters also sat atop grand mountains, occupying a vast area covering tens of miles, with seven peaks piercing the sky like swords.
After reporting her presence, Wǔ Liǔfāng waited at the foot of the mountain for half a day before being led by a menial disciple to a courtyard halfway up the third peak.
After all the hardships of her journey, she looked exhausted, and waiting at the foot of the mountain for nearly two hours had left her feeling weak.
Soon, a young man in a blue long robe emerged from an inner room.
"What brings you here?" The youth had an indifferent expression, seated at the head of the room, casually surveying Wǔ Liǔfāng.
"Míng Xuān, your brother-in-law, he's been killed, killed by the Luo Sect. You must help him seek revenge!" Wǔ Liǔfāng said with a sorrowful expression.
"Life, death, sickness, and old age are part of the human condition. Once someone dies, they're gone. You should mourn him." Wǔ Míng Xuān, the young man, remained as indifferent as ever.
Wǔ Liǔfāng was stunned, looking at the familiar yet strange Wǔ Míng Xuān. "Míng Xuān, what are you saying? That's your brother-in-law, your sister's husband. How can you speak like this?"
Wǔ Míng Xuān furrowed his brow. "I have immersed myself in the practice of martial arts. The affairs of the secular world are long behind me."
"Don't talk about Wàn Hǎipéng, even if it were you, what does it have to do with me?"
"If you came to talk about this, you can leave. I won't have time to see you again."
With that, he turned around, preparing to leave.
Behind him, Wǔ Liǔfāng's face contorted in grief and anger. "Wǔ Míng Xuān!"
"What if the things you and your brother-in-law did together are exposed? How would you like that?" she asked.
Wǔ Míng Xuān halted, his face still calm. "What do you mean?"
Wǔ Liǔfāng's face darkened. "What do I mean? I know everything about your collaboration, plotting to seize the sect's assets, killing sect disciples, even wiping out several wealthy merchants' families to seize their wealth. Do you want me to be more explicit?"
"In the year 3017 of the Taì Suì calendar, the Tiān Jiàn Zōng was associated with a local escort agency in Chuān Jiāng City. They were transporting a batch of valuable goods when the escort was robbed and destroyed, leading to a compensation of one hundred thousand taels of silver to the employer. In reality, the so-called valuable goods were nothing more than low-quality fabric, and most of the compensation ended up in your hands."
"In the year 3018 of the Taì Suì calendar, a core disciple of the Slashing Moon Sect was traveling outside. Your brother-in-law provided intelligence and set up a trap. You, masked, killed the disciple, seizing the eighteen thousand taels of silver and over three hundred Qi-Blood Pills he carried."
"In the year 3018 of the Taì Suì calendar..."
"Enough!" Wǔ Míng Xuān's face grew dark, and he shouted.
But Wǔ Liǔfāng continued to sneer.
"What's the matter? Can't bear to hear more?"
"Tell me, if all of these deeds were exposed, how do you think the imperial court would handle you? How would the sect handle you?"
"You, the genius core disciple of the Tiān Jiàn Zōng, would fall into hell overnight!"
Wǔ Míng Xuān advanced step by step toward Wǔ Liǔfāng, his face as cold as ice.
"What? Do you want to kill me?" Wǔ Liǔfāng taunted. "I am your own sister, and not only do I know your crimes, but your brother-in-law also left behind a detailed list. Killing me won't help you."
As she spoke, Wǔ Liǔfāng shivered and slowly retreated.
"Ah!" Wǔ Míng Xuān suddenly stopped in his tracks, sighed, and said with emotion, "Enough! Consider it a parting gift. I promise to avenge him, but after this, we have no further connection. Destroy the evidence as well, how about it?"
Wǔ Liǔfāng immediately breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "Alright! Brother, you help me seek revenge, and from now on, I won't trouble you again!"
"Fine! Tell me the details of the matter - who are these people, and what strength do they possess?"
Wǔ Liǔfāng immediately shared all the information she knew.
"A disciple from the inner sect and another from the outer sect, both stationed at the Red Rock Mine outside Chuān Jiāng City?"
Wǔ Míng Xuān chuckled easily. "With their level of strength, they won't stand a chance against me. You can rest assured; I will eliminate them."
"However, to avoid any connection between you and me, you should return first. I'll set out in a couple of days."
Wǔ Míng Xuān gave a few more instructions before arranging for someone to escort Wǔ Liǔfāng down the mountain.
As soon as the other party left, his face immediately darkened.
"Now, I am the future seed of the Tiān Jiàn Zōng, with a bright future ahead. I cannot let these dirty deeds from the past be associated with me again."
"Wàn Hǎipéng, you should die!"
"Wǔ Liǔfāng, you should die too!"
He had no intention of keeping his promise to kill Jiāng Héng and the others. After all, they were disciples of the Dà Luó Zōng. If he were found out after killing them, it would be troublesome.
Without sufficient benefits, he had no intention of taking such risks.
...
After descending the mountain, Wǔ Liǔfāng rested in a small town not far from the Tiān Jiàn Zōng for one night.
The next morning, she rode towards Chuān Jiāng City. As she moved further away from the town, the number of pedestrians on the road dwindled.
Before long, as she reached a remote mountainside, Wǔ Liǔfāng suddenly heard a rush of strong wind behind her, as if something was rapidly approaching.