Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

"Not only that." Shen Mo's gaze was deep. "We'll make them reap what they sow. Didn't they want to damage our credibility? I'll let this 'counterfeit money' be the evidence that nails them to the spot, the fuse that ignites the alliance's united hatred. Furthermore..."

He looked at Su Xiao: "The connection with Zhou Tong hasn't been severed yet. He probably knows more than just this. Take good care of him and let him atone for his sins."

"Perhaps, we can use him to send some more 'interesting' news to the Xuan Yin Sect, or even its allies."

Su Xiaoxin understood and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate understands. I will certainly not disappoint the sect leader."

Shen Mo stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the deep night outside. His voice was calm yet carried an undeniable power:

"With the alliance newly established, demons and monsters are bound to jump out and test the waters. Good, let's take this opportunity to clean up the mess and set the record straight. Let everyone see what the consequences will be for those who oppose the Qingyun Alliance and undermine its foundation."

He turned and glanced at the three men: "Elder Han, announce to the public that the Black Crow Ridge robbery was committed by ruthless bandits. I have ordered the Battle Hall to pursue and eliminate them with all its might. The contribution point exchange system is operating normally. All losses will be borne by the Alliance, and no member will be allowed to suffer any harm. Junior Brother Tie,"

"I'm here!" Shi Tie said, puffing out his chest.

"Strengthen the defenses of all transport lines, especially the route leading to the Baibaoge hub. Maintain a facade of relaxed overt but covert security, and adopt a highly vigilant posture. In addition, draw reliable and skilled individuals from the War Hall to assist Junior Sister Xiao in her operations."

"Yes, sir!"

"As for Chen Hao," Shen Mo looked at Han Lin, "go and appease him. Tell him that the Alliance will give him an explanation for this matter. Ask him to cooperate in handling the 'specially made' jade coins properly. The Alliance will compensate the Hundred Treasures Pavilion double for its losses."

Han Lin bowed: "Yes, Sect Leader, you have considered everything carefully."

The flickering candlelight inside the hall cast long shadows of the four people onto the wall, resembling four sharp swords about to be drawn from their sheaths.

The aftermath of the Black Crow Ridge robbery spread like ripples from a boulder thrown into a lake.

In response, the Alliance Council issued a strongly worded announcement, characterizing the incident as "robbery by ruthless bandits" and declaring that Elder Shi Tie of the War Hall had personally led a "fierce crackdown" to safeguard the trade routes.

Baibaoge also followed suit with a statement, declaring that it would "spare no effort" to recover the losses and provide "generous compensation" to the families of the victims and the affected merchants, while strengthening its future transportation security capabilities.

This series of combined measures quickly stabilized public sentiment. At least on the surface, the panic was suppressed, the market remained bustling, and long queues still formed in front of the exchange points.

However, beneath this deliberately maintained calm surface, the undercurrents are becoming increasingly turbulent.

The clues that Su Xiao gleaned from Zhou Tong were like poisoned bait thrown into a still pond, quietly spreading and disturbing the shadows hidden at the bottom of the water.

Inside the hall, only one "whale oil ever-burning lamp" was lit, its light concentrated on the large jade table, while the surrounding area was hidden in shadow, making it seem even more secluded.

Shen Mo sat in the main seat, toying with the charred jade fragment he had brought back from the scene, which bore the mark of a variant of the "Hidden Bee Talisman." His fingertips slowly traced the uneven scorch marks. His eyes were calm, revealing no emotion.

Han Lin, Su Xiao, and Shi Tie sat on either side, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on their faces.

"Zhou Tong's family has been secretly moved to a fishing village in Yunmengze and is under the watchful eyes of the Shadow Guards, so they are safe and sound."

Su Xiao's voice remained as cold and calm as ever, as if he were stating a trivial matter unrelated to himself. "He himself has been 'persuaded' and is willing to atone for his crimes through meritorious service. As instructed by the sect leader, he has been subjected to the necessary 'treatment' to ensure that he can no longer transmit any false information and to make him 'believe' that his family is still under the control of the Xuan Yin Sect and that he must continue to cooperate."

The so-called "handling" and "persuasion" are certainly not gentle or sentimental methods. But no one will show a shred of pity for a traitor who betrays his fellow disciples and intends to destroy the foundation of the alliance.

Shen Mo nodded, gently placing the jade piece on the table with a soft "click": "Keep the Xuan Yin Sect line hanging for now. Now that Zhou Tong is alive, we need to maximize his value. Junior Sister Xiao, how's the reverse surveillance network coming along?"

"It's already in progress," Su Xiao replied, taking out a jade slip from his storage bag. He activated his spiritual power, and a phantom map of light spots radiating from Qingyun Mountain to the southern region appeared above the table.

On the map, the area representing the Qingyun Sect's territory is bright cyan, the Lieyang Sect and Tianjian Sect are red and silver, the Xuanyin Sect is pale green, the Baibao Pavilion is gold, and the other small and medium-sized forces are pale yellow.

At this moment, some tiny points of light are slowly moving on the map, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

"Based on the contact information and some information about the hidden agents provided by Zhou Tong, and combined with the clues previously obtained by the Shadow Guards, we have deployed control over the known peripheral infiltration nodes of the Xuan Yin Sect."

Su Xiao pointed his finger at several pale green dots of light, "The 'Yuelai Inn' in Luoxia Market, the 'Ghost Market' on the north bank of Blackwater Marsh, and several gathering points of scattered cultivators on the edge of the southern 'Miasma Rainforest' have all been brought under surveillance."

"Currently, no direct trace of 'Poison Scholar' or any higher-ranking Xuan Yin Sect member has been found, but the activity frequency of his associates has increased since the robbery, as if they are confirming something or waiting for further instructions."

She paused, then added, "In addition, two suspected new contact points have been discovered, one near the territory of the Blazing Sun Sect and the other adjacent to the border of the Heavenly Sword Sect. We have already increased our manpower there."

"Near the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect?" Shi Tietongling's eyes widened, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked. "Damn it! It really is related to those two old bastards!"

"Sect Leader, I think we should just send men to raid those sneaky hideouts! Capture a few prisoners, torture them severely, and see how they manage to hide then!"

Han Lin stroked his beard and shook his head, saying in a deep voice, "Elder Shi, please calm down. Startling them will only make things worse. We are currently in the dark while they are in the light, which is perfect for following the clues."

"Catching a few small fish and shrimp won't help; it will only make the real big fish retreat to the bottom of the water."

Shen Mo remained silent, his gaze lingering on the green dots on the map that were near the major sects, lost in thought. After a moment, he slowly spoke:

"Junior Brother Tie, your battle hall has recently increased patrols at various border outposts and important resource points, especially at checkpoints leading to the Lieyang Sect and the Tianjian Sect. The patrols are loose on the surface but tight on the surface."

"Double the frequency of patrols, but there's no need to make a fuss about it. Just make it look like a routine matter and that we're on high alert. If there's any provocation, don't hold back. Deal with it strictly according to the law, but make sure you're in the right."

"Understood!" Shi Tie grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth. "I've been itching to get started! Don't worry, Sect Leader, I guarantee the border will be as solid as an iron barrel; not even a fly will be able to get around!"

"Elder Han," Shen Mo turned to Han Lin, "externally, everything remains the same. All matters submitted by the Lieyang Sect and the Tianjian Sect, whether it be resource transfer, border demarcation, or disciple disputes, shall be handled in accordance with the Alliance's newly promulgated 'Charter' and 'Arbitration Regulations'."

"The terms and conditions will be followed exactly as they are, without exception or loopholes. If they try to argue, we'll argue with them; if they try to delay, we'll follow the procedures and expedite it; if they violate the rules, we'll punish them according to the regulations."

"No need to be polite or get angry, let's just stick to the facts."

A glint flashed in Han Lin's eyes as he understood Shen Mo's intention: "Does the sect leader mean... to use 'rules' as a weapon?"

"Not bad." A cold smile curved Shen Mo's lips. "Don't they like to use 'sect tradition' and 'need to ask for permission' as excuses? Then let's talk to them about the rules, down to the very end. The rules of the alliance are the greatest 'power'."

"Use this 'power' to overwhelm them squarely and squarely, making them obstruct us at every turn and unable to voice their grievances. If they comply, they will be tying their own hands; if they disobey, they will be giving others a handle to use against them."

"What we need is the principles of 'reason' and 'law.' Under this banner, we can move forward or retreat with ease."

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