Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Still seething with anger, Shi Tie pointed at Zhao Hu and cursed, "Merit? You're talking to me about merit? Without the sect leader's strategic planning and the alliance's backing, what merit do you, Zhao Hu, have? You'd be dead somewhere long ago!"

"You've only accomplished a little bit, yet you dare to bully your fellow disciples and question the rules of the sect? Who gave you the audacity?"

He turned to the disciples in charge of enforcement and roared, "What are you all standing there for? Tie this bastard up! Take him to the side hall of the punishment room and lock him up! Let him await his fate!"

"Yes!" The enforcement disciples rushed forward like wolves and tigers, and lifted up Zhao Hu, whose face was ashen.

Shi Tie then looked at Zhou Bin, whose mouth was bleeding, and softened his tone: "Zhou Bin, you've been wronged. Go to the Pill Hall to treat your injuries first. You'll still receive your contribution points, and you'll be exempt from this month's tasks. The sect will give you an explanation for what happened today."

Zhou Bin quickly bowed and said, "Thank you very much, Elder Shi!"

Shi Tie's gaze swept over all the disciples of the Battle Hall, his voice icy: "Listen up, all of you! The Alliance Rules and Sect Discipline aren't just pictures on the wall! Anyone who dares to violate them will suffer the same fate as Zhao Hu! Don't even mention Zhao Hu; even if I were to commit a crime, the Sect Leader would punish me severely! Go back and reflect on your actions!"

The disciples were so frightened that they scattered in a panic, and the courtyard was instantly empty, leaving only a mess and a strong smell of alcohol.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching the entire Qingyun Sect by the next morning. Internal strife had erupted among the Battle Hall disciples; Zhao Hu, drunk, had assaulted a fellow disciple and was personally apprehended by Elder Shi! This was the first disciplinary incident within the Qingyun Sect since the regulations were promulgated!

Everyone watched with wide eyes, eager to see how the sect leader and the alliance would handle the situation. Would they raise the issue leniently and then let it go? Or would they truly be impartial and incorruptible, as the regulations stated?

Inside the Liuyun Hall, Shen Mo had just finished listening to Han Lin's report on the feedback regarding the regulations when Shi Tie stormed in and told him about Zhao Hu's matter.

Han Lin stroked his beard and pondered, "Sect Leader, although Zhao Hu made a mistake, he is, after all, a veteran of the Battle Hall and has rendered meritorious service. Now that the alliance is newly established and under the spotlight, if the punishment is too severe, it may discourage the old brothers... Could we perhaps give him a lighter sentence and observe his future behavior?"

Although Shi Tie was angry, he was still protective of his own, and muttered, "Sect Leader, Zhao Hu is a bit of a rascal, but he's a master at fighting... How about we lock him up in confinement for a few months and fine him a hefty amount of contribution points?"

Su Xiao stood to the side, not saying a word, just looking at Shen Mo.

Shen Mo remained silent for a moment, then walked to the window and gazed at the disciples practicing in the training ground outside. He slowly said, "Elder Han, Junior Brother Tie, do you know why the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect, despite their thousand-year history, have been plagued by internal strife and unable to become a unified force?"

He turned around, his gaze sharp: "It's precisely because they established their rules late and weren't strict enough! Merits and demerits are unclear, rewards and punishments are ambiguous! Those who have made merit are arrogant, and those who have made mistakes are indulged! Over time, even the greatest foundation will rot from within!"

He walked to the table, his finger lightly tapping the scroll of the "Provisional Regulations for Arbitration of Disputes in the Qingyun Alliance": "Legislation is not difficult, enforcement is not. If we grant Zhao Hu special treatment today simply because he is an elder and has rendered meritorious service, what difference does it make whether these regulations are enacted or not?"

"In the future, who will care about these written agreements? How is my Qingyun Sect any different from those corrupt sects?"

He looked at Shi Tie, his tone heavy: "Junior Brother Tie, the Battle Hall is the sect's blade. The blade must be sharp, but even more importantly, it must be steady! If the hilt is crooked, it won't hurt the enemy, but our own people! If we tolerate one Zhao Hu today, ten or a hundred Zhao Hus will emerge tomorrow!"

"When the time comes, will you, as the elder of the Battle Hall, behead him or not?"

Shi Tie shuddered and lowered his head: "Sect Leader... I understand!"

Shen Mo said in a deep voice: "Issue the order: Zhao Hu, a disciple of the Battle Hall, caused trouble while drunk, assaulted a fellow disciple, questioned merit rewards, and violated the alliance rules and sect regulations. According to the law, all his contribution points for the next six months will be deducted, and he will be demoted to an outer patrol disciple to atone for his crime! If he commits another offense, he will be expelled from the sect!"

"This ruling shall be communicated to the entire alliance as a warning to others!"

Han Lin's heart skipped a beat; this punishment was extremely severe! Half a year's contribution points, for a cultivator who relies on resources for cultivation, almost meant cutting off the possibility of progress for more than half a year.

Demoted to patrolling the outer perimeter, he went from being a core combatant to a marginal figure.

But he knew that Shen Mo had made up his mind, so he bowed and said, "Yes! I will take care of it right away."

Shi Tie also clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I'll go and announce it myself! Let those little brats see what happens when they break the rules!"

The verdict caused an uproar throughout the Qingyun Sect. Some felt the punishment was too harsh and felt sorry for Zhao Hu; many more were awed, completely abandoning their disregard for the regulations.

"Even an old man like Zhao Hu is punished so harshly..."

"The sect leader is serious now!"

"I really need to be more careful from now on..."

Upon hearing the verdict, Zhao Hu was struck dumb, collapsing to the ground. After a long while, he kowtowed three times towards the direction of Liuyun Palace, his face filled with tears of regret.

He knew that the sect leader was giving him a chance to turn over a new leaf; otherwise, according to the rules, it wouldn't be unreasonable to strip him of his cultivation.

That afternoon, Shen Mo summoned all the inner disciples to the lecture hall.

He stood on the high platform, looking down at the young and solemn faces below, his voice resounding throughout the hall: "Today's punishment of Zhao Hu is not because I have no regard for past favors, but because the rules are ruthless! The alliance is not an alliance of one person, and the sect is not a sect of one person!"

"To achieve great things, one must abide by the law! Merit must be rewarded, with no expense spared! Mistakes must be punished, without leniency even towards relatives and friends!"

"From this day forward, all members of the Qingyun Sect must remember: the sect rules and regulations are paramount! Whoever violates these ironclad rules will be severely punished! We hope that all disciples will take this as a warning, diligently cultivate, uphold their duties, and jointly protect the sect!"

"We will heed the Sect Leader's teachings!" The disciples below the stage responded in unison, their voices echoing throughout the surrounding area. After this incident, the words "rules" were truly etched into the hearts of every Qingyun Sect disciple.

Change is subtle yet very real.

In the past, minor squabbles among disciples might end with a few words and a shove, but now, the slightest verbal altercation is immediately followed by a fellow disciple reminding them: "Watch your words! Watch your actions! Have you forgotten what happened to Zhao Hu?"

Both sides immediately fell silent and withdrew. When handing over tasks and calculating contribution points in the task hall, complaints about unfair distribution almost disappeared. Instead, people focused more intently on studying the task descriptions and figuring out how to complete them more efficiently and safely to earn more contribution points.

Even when going to the Pill Hall to collect pills or to the Weapon Hall to repair magical artifacts, the queues became much more orderly, and the phenomena of cutting in line and arguing disappeared.

An invisible force called "rules" has begun to quietly constrain everyone's behavior.

This change naturally spread to the newly established Alliance Council.

For the first few days, the council hall was deserted. Representatives from various factions seemed to be observing, wanting to see how the Qingyun Sect would treat outsiders if they were so ruthless to their own people. But soon, the situation changed.

On the morning of that day, as soon as the deacon on duty in the council hall opened the door, he saw several groups of people already waiting outside.

There were simply dressed rogue cultivators, managers of small sects, and even two disciples from the Green Bamboo Gang and Iron Sword Sect who had been beaten bloody before because of the Wind Chime Grass.

However, this time, they were not there to fight. Instead, they were each accompanying their sect's newly appointed acting leader (gang leader), holding jade slips in their hands, clearly there to conduct business.

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