Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shi Tie strode forward, glanced at the mess and the wounded, his face so grim it could drip water: "What happened? Speak!"

Old Wu and Sun San Niang had never seen anything like this before. Their legs went weak, and they stammered out the whole story.

Upon hearing this, Shi Tie laughed in exasperation: "Just for a piece of trash? You've fought like this? Have you all wasted your cultivation? What's the first rule of the alliance? No internal strife! Are you treating it like a fart?"

He waved his hand dismissively: "Arrest them all! Take the injured to get treatment! The uninjured, all of you, take them back to the courtroom to await trial! Sun Sanniang, Wu Laojian, you two come with me!"

The enforcement disciples rushed forward like wolves, confiscating weapons, sealing cultivation levels, and subduing all the disciples from both factions involved in the fight. The Iron Sword Sect and Green Bamboo Gang members were ashen-faced, knowing they had committed a grave offense.

The news quickly reached Qingyun Mountain.

Inside the Liuyun Palace, Shen Mo was listening to Han Lin report on the progress of the Blackwater Marsh Mining Company contract, while Su Xiao supplemented the Shadow Guard with the latest intelligence.

A law enforcement disciple hurriedly entered and knelt on one knee to report the conflict at Fengming Hill.

Upon hearing this, Han Lin's white brows furrowed: "Another border dispute! And it even escalated to violence, with bloodshed! Sect Leader, this matter must be dealt with seriously to serve as a warning to others!"

Su Xiao said coldly, "The alliance is newly established, and such small conflicts are most likely to shake its foundation. If not handled properly, disputes will inevitably arise in the future."

Shen Mo put down the jade slip in his hand, his face revealing neither joy nor anger: "How are the injuries of the assailant?"

"Reporting to the sect leader, the two seriously injured have received initial treatment from the accompanying Dan Hall disciples and are out of danger. Several others sustained minor injuries," the enforcement disciple replied.

"Issue the order," Shen Mo said calmly, "bring all those involved back. The injured shall be sent to the Pill Hall for proper medical treatment. The ringleaders, Wu Laojian and Sun Sanniang, as well as those who initiated the fight and caused serious injuries, shall be taken to the side hall of the Enforcement Hall for safekeeping. The rest of those who participated in the brawl shall be gathered in the outer courtyard of the Enforcement Hall for safekeeping, and shall not be neglected."

"Yes!" The enforcement disciple accepted the order and left.

Half an hour later, in a side hall of the Enforcement Hall, Wu Laojian and Sun Sanniang knelt on the ground, dejected. Beside them knelt the disciple from the Iron Sword Sect who had stabbed someone with a bamboo pole and the female disciple from the Green Bamboo Gang who had knocked someone unconscious with a stone.

The four men were ashen-faced and trembling. Shi Tie, clutching his axe, stood to the side like a guardian deity, glaring menacingly.

Accompanied by Han Lin and Su Xiao, Shen Mo entered the side hall. He did not sit down, but stood in front of the four of them, his gaze calmly sweeping over them.

"Are you familiar with the alliance rules?" Shen Mo asked, his voice not loud, but it made the four of them tremble.

"I...I know..." Old Wu's voice trembled.

"If you knew it, why did you knowingly commit the crime?" Shen Mo asked.

Sun Sanniang cried out, "Alliance Leader, please be wise! It was...it was the Iron Sword Sect that attacked first and stole our grass..."

"Bullshit! You pushed them first!" Old Wu said urgently.

"Enough." Shen Mo interrupted them, his tone still calm. "Right and wrong will be judged by public opinion. But the fact remains that the fight resulted in injuries. The alliance is still unstable and needs to be maintained by ironclad rules."

"Do you know how many people would have died if the illegal team hadn't arrived in time? If everyone followed suit, how would the league be any different from the scattered rabble it once was?"

The four men lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to utter a word.

Shen Mo remained silent for a moment before issuing his verdict: "According to the alliance rules: Zhao Si, a disciple of the Iron Sword Sect (the one who stabbed the other), and Xiao Juan, a disciple of the Green Bamboo Gang (the one who smashed the other), intentionally injured each other, causing serious injury to their fellow disciples. Their cultivation is hereby abolished, they are expelled from the alliance, and will never be employed again."

The two were struck dumb. On this earth, having one's cultivation destroyed, in this world, living is worse than death!

"Wu Youjian, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect, and Sun Sanniang, the leader of the Green Bamboo Gang, bear primary responsibility for their lax governance and ineffective discipline. They are each fined 500 contribution points! Their positions as sect leader (gang leader) are temporarily suspended and will be temporarily filled by their deputies. They must complete three Class A Alliance missions or ten Class B missions before they can be reinstated based on their performance."

Wu Laojian and Sun Sanniang were pale. Deducting contribution points was already a severe punishment, and temporarily suspending their authority was an even greater disgrace. They would have to complete a dangerous mission before they could be reinstated... But compared to the disciples whose cultivation had been crippled, this was at least a leeway.

"The root of this conflict is a piece of bellflower, which will be taken over by the alliance," Shen Mo continued. "All disciples who participated in the melee will be penalized with fifty contribution points! They must complete a Class C alliance mission to redeem their freedom."

Finally, he looked at the four men, whose faces were ashen: "The Alliance enforces the law, forgiving past transgressions but allowing no repeat offenses. I hope you will behave yourselves and atone for your crimes. If you break the law again, you will be punished for both crimes without exception!"

"Thank you... thank you Alliance Leader for sparing our lives!" Wu Laojian and Sun Sanniang kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down their faces. The two disciples whose cultivation had been crippled were also dragged away; their fate was sealed.

The verdict spread swiftly. The entire alliance, especially the smaller sects and independent cultivators, was terrified upon hearing the news. They truly realized how ruthless this young alliance leader was! He punished without hesitation, showing no mercy!

The penalty of losing contribution points is painful, and the punishment of having one's cultivation level destroyed is even more terrifying!

However, some astute observers noted that while the alliance leader imposed severe punishments, he did not exterminate the entire group, giving them a chance to redeem themselves. Furthermore, consolidating the resources within the alliance deterred others from attempting to seize them.

In an instant, all the restless thoughts within the alliance were thwarted by this decisive blow. Each faction intensified its efforts to rectify its rules and regulations, urging its disciples to abide by the alliance's covenant.

Outside the Hall of Enforcement, Shi Tie watched the group of dejected disciples being escorted to the Mission Hall for registration, grinning at his deputy beside him, "See? This is called making an example of someone! From now on, any brat who dares to cause trouble will have to think twice about whether their cultivation is strong enough to be crippled!"

Inside the Flowing Cloud Hall, Han Lin said with some worry, "Sect Leader, was the punishment too harsh? It might alienate the people..."

Shen Mo stood by the window, gazing towards the distant mission hall, and said calmly, "Elder Han, in chaotic times, harsh measures are necessary. The alliance is newly established, and people's hearts are restless. If we do not establish authority with strict laws and punishments, what is a wind chime grass today may become a spirit stone mine tomorrow."

"The earlier and stricter the rules are established, the less blood is shed. Only when they feel the pain will they understand the benefits of following the rules. This is the true nature of humanity."

Su Xiao said softly, "What the sect leader said is absolutely right. However, after this incident, the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect will probably have even more to say."

Shen Mo's lips curled slightly, revealing a hint of coldness: "Let them say what they want. It's none of outsiders' business to interfere in the internal affairs of my alliance. It's also good to let everyone see whether my blade as the alliance leader is sharp or not."

The scene of the Iron Sword Sect and Green Bamboo Gang disciples, their faces bruised and swollen, their heads hanging low, being escorted to the mission hall to "atone for their sins" lingered in the minds of many alliance cultivators.

The casual conversations after meals have shifted from boasting about the harvest from the secret realm and bragging about future prospects to quietly discussing the strict rules of the alliance.

"Have you heard? Zhao Si from the Iron Sword Sect, who stabbed someone, his cultivation was truly destroyed! He had to be carried down the mountain alive, like a lump of mud..."

"Xiao Juan from the Green Bamboo Gang, such a beautiful girl, her life is over..."

"Tsk, the alliance leader's move is ruthless!"

"Ruthless? If Elder Shi hadn't arrived quickly, more than just one or two would have died! If you ask me, this is how it should be dealt with! Without rules, there can be no order!"

"Exactly! Before, nobody cared, and people would fight tooth and nail over a piece of ore! Now that the alliance has set rules, it's a good thing!"

Rumors circulated in the marketplace, the mission hall, and among the various faction's outposts, and reverence and acceptance grew silently.

Mayday's latest work, "Stuck in the Ruined Gate, Making Myths," is exclusively published on Cola Novels!