Chapter 308: 308. Chapter 305: Accountability

308. Chapter 305: Accountability

Ding Huan was indeed furious; he had founded the Blue Star Sect because he faintly sensed his Dao needed to be passed on.

Thus, to ensure its transmission, he established extremely stringent sect laws.

The laws of transmission were laid out in the very first clause of the general precepts.

Now someone was destroying his legacy—how could he tolerate it? That was why his tone toward Liu Yinzhu had been harsh.

If the backup plan Geng Qianxing had left on the Third Heaven Star Continent had not yet been found, Ding Huan would have returned himself to cleanse it.

Liu Yinzhu left the Third Dao City in haste with Lou Buzhi and several elders; Ding Huan continued his seclusion in the city governor's mansion.

Logically, the governor's mansion should have been Geng Qianxing's place of cultivation.

But Ding Huan felt that if any problem existed, it would be found within the governor's mansion, so he had to use it to locate the true source of the issue.

This time, Ding Huan set up a Dao-rhythm牵引阵, intending to use Zhou Tian's Great Cosmic Art to activate the Great Computation Art.

……

While Ding Huan was computing the methods Geng Qianxing had planted in the Third Dao City, Liu Yinzhu had already returned to the sect.

The first thing Liu Yinzhu did upon returning was to convene a grand assembly of sect elders and stewards.

Compared to the desolation of its founding days, the Blue Star Sect was now bustling beyond measure.

The sect had expanded again and again.

The sect now had over five thousand disciples; though only Liu Yinzhu and Sang Yuhe remained as Star Realm experts, the number of Star-Imbued cultivators had reached twenty-one.

"I attended the Third Heaven Star Continent Sect Assembly hosted by the Third Dao City, an assembly spearheaded by our Ding Sect Master…"

At these words, everyone in the Blue Star Sect's grand hall straightened their chests.

They knew that this sect assembly had occurred because their Sect Master, accompanied by a group of Earth Immortal Peak experts, had wiped out Geng Qianxing's cultivators and expelled the Divine Clan.

Thus, even though Ding Huan's cultivation wasn't the strongest, calling him the foremost figure on the Third Heaven Star Continent was no exaggeration.

Now, whenever Blue Star Sect disciples traveled abroad, they were met with looks of envy and respect wherever they went.

"We can say that Blue Star Sect's present glory is almost entirely the result of our Sect Master's personal efforts."

"All of us sitting here, enjoying the respect of the entire Third Heaven Star Continent, owe it to our Sect Master's sacrifices…"

Liu Yinzhu's words abruptly halted:

"Yet some among us, benefiting from our Sect Master's boundless grace, are here severing his legacy, destroying Blue Star Sect's foundation, and burying our future."

At these words, everyone's heart skipped a beat.

They finally understood: today's meeting was not about praising the Sect Master's achievements.

Indeed, Liu Yinzhu's gaze suddenly fell upon Mo Huiping:

"Huiping, you are my direct disciple… strictly speaking, you are now only nominally my disciple."

"Master…" Mo Huiping, hearing this, instantly grew fearful.

Liu Yinzhu ignored Mo Huiping's cry and continued:

"Because you now cultivate the Small Cosmic Art, and the Small Cosmic Art is the Sect Master's cultivation method."

"Thus, strictly speaking, you are the Sect Master's disciple. No—rather, all of us are the Sect Master's disciples."

Hearing it was not about blaming her, Mo Huiping finally exhaled in relief.

But Liu Yinzhu had not finished:

"Mo Huiping, you are now a sect elder—who did you assign to handle the sect's disciple recruitment?"

Hearing her master directly call her name and mention disciple recruitment, Mo Huiping felt unease rise again.

"Disciple recruitment is entirely handled by Jia Daoyuan."

After speaking, Mo Huiping turned to a man seated in the back and said: "Jia Steward."

A handsome man rose: "Jia Daoyuan greets Liu Sect Master and all elders. I have indeed been responsible for disciple recruitment over the past two years."

Liu Yinzhu coldly said: "Is your criterion for recruiting disciples how much they offer you? How many talented youths have you turned away these past two years? How many useless wastes have you admitted?"

"The future and foundation of Blue Star Sect lie entirely in new disciples—and you are digging up its roots, burying Blue Star Sect."

Only now did everyone realize Liu Yinzhu's target was this steward in charge of recruitment.

"Sect Master, this… I am innocent! Over the years, I have worked diligently; every disciple admitted to Blue Star Sect was thoroughly questioned and repeatedly verified…"

Jia Daoyuan, though nervous, still spoke respectfully.

"Lou Buzhi—wasn't it you who recruited him originally?" Liu Yinzhu looked toward Lou Buzhi seated to the side.

Lou Buzhi rose and bowed to Liu Yinzhu: "Yes, Sect Master. He rejected me because I couldn't provide what he demanded."

Seeing Lou Buzhi stand up, Jia Daoyuan inwardly cursed: How did this guy get connected to Vice Sect Master Liu?

If he'd known this guy knew Vice Sect Master Liu, he would have let him in.

Jia Daoyuan grew uneasy and hurriedly said:

"Sect Master, I admit I did reject him back then—I confess I was biased, because his attitude was so terrible it threw me off balance."

Liu Yinzhu's eyes flickered with revulsion: "So your fault lies solely in having wronged Lou Buzhi once?"

"Yes, Jia Daoyuan accepts punishment." Jia Daoyuan's confession was sincere.

He also glanced at Mo Huiping, hoping she would speak up for him.

Normally, Mo Huiping would have stood for him.

But now she dared not—she knew her master well; clearly, he was truly enraged.

She might not escape unscathed this time.

With her own safety in jeopardy, how could she possibly speak for Jia Daoyuan?

Seeing Mo Huiping refuse to defend him, Jia Daoyuan felt a deep unease—he knew he was likely losing this lucrative post.

"Yan Elder, ascend the Heart-Truth Platform." Liu Yinzhu did not press Jia Daoyuan further, but spoke to Yan Mei beside him.

Yan Mei is the Enforcement Elder of the Blue Star Sect. He works with extreme care and meticulousness; no one can escape from under his nose.

The moment he heard "Heart-Questioning Platform," Jia Daoyuan's composure completely collapsed.

He finally recalled one thing: the reason the Third Heaven Star Land was able to catch every hidden cultivator from Jiuyuan and the God Clan in one net this time was precisely because of the Heart-Questioning Formation.

The Heart-Questioning Formation was created by Ding Huan. How could the Blue Star Sect possibly not have one?

"Sect Master, I was wrong. This matter was my own greed. Over the years I have been taking benefits from the disciple recruitment. Everything I have is right here. I am willing to accept punishment."

Jia Daoyuan rushed out, threw himself on his knees, and dared not utter another word of nonsense.

"Elder Yan, according to the sect's laws, how should Jia Daoyuan be judged?"

Liu Yinzhu ignored Jia Daoyuan kneeling on the ground and instead looked toward Yan Mei at the side.

Yan Mei stood up and said slowly: "The first article of the sect's general code states: those who cut off the sect's foundation, those who cut off the sect's inheritance—kill without mercy…"

Hearing the words "kill without mercy," Jia Daoyuan was stunned.

They want to kill him?

"For those held jointly responsible, if it was unintentional and they were unaware of the situation, then they shall be stripped of all sect posts and expelled from the sect.

If it was deliberate—knowing the situation and failing to report it, and having taken benefits—kill without mercy. Knowing but not daring to report, and having taken no benefits—abolish cultivation and expel from the sect…"

Hearing Yan Mei speak to this point, Mo Huaping's face also changed.

She truly did not know the situation, but even so, she would still be stripped of her post and expelled from the sect.

"Sect Master, spare my life! I didn't know there was such a law…" Jia Daoyuan was utterly terrified.

Yan Mei said coldly: "You, an executive in charge of recruiting disciples, actually have the nerve to claim you don't know the sect's laws—and the very first article of the general code at that. Men, drag him out and execute the law on the spot."

"Yan Mei, I am a disciple of the Huangshen Sect of the Ascension Realm. Do you dare touch me?" Seeing that his death was certain, Jia Daoyuan howled.

Yan Mei walked up to Jia Daoyuan, raised his hand, and slapped him across the face.

Half of Jia Daoyuan's handsome face was nearly obliterated by Yan Mei's slap:

"Huangshen Sect? Very impressive, are they? Heh. If the Huangshen Sect dares to provoke my Blue Star Sect, I guarantee the Huangshen Sect won't see the sunrise of the next day."

Jia Daoyuan was stunned. That's right. The Blue Star Sect was the number-one sect of the Third Heaven Star Land; the Huangshen Sect truly could not threaten the Blue Star Sect.

His thinking was still stuck on the Huangshen Sect's hollow reputation as the number-one sect.

"Elder Yan, spare my life!" Jia Daoyuan truly did not want to die—his bright life had only just begun.

Several enforcement cultivators rushed up, sealed Jia Daoyuan's cultivation, and dragged him straight out.

Yan Mei said again: "Bring everyone who recruited disciples alongside Jia Daoyuan to the outside of the sect's main hall and execute the law on the spot."

Hearing Yan Mei's words, many elders and executives in the hall felt a chill run down their backs.

This Yan Mei enforces the law without the slightest regard for personal feelings.

Under normal circumstances, the first step of enforcement is to throw the offender into the dungeon, the second step is to interrogate and gather evidence, and only the third step is to convict and then execute.

Yan Mei simply skipped the first two steps—without even asking a single question, he killed them outright.

Still, those who understood the reasoning knew Yan Mei's killings were not greatly amiss, because these people following at Jia Daoyuan's side could not possibly have been unaware of Jia Daoyuan's profiteering through disciple recruitment.

Since they knew and did not report it, their deaths were more than deserved.

Jia Daoyuan's shrill, miserable screams came through, unsettling everyone's hearts.

"Mo Huaping, step forward." Liu Yinzhu looked toward Mo Huaping.

The reason Yan Mei had not dealt with Mo Huaping earlier was that she had left her for Liu Yinzhu to handle, as a way of giving her face.

"Sect Master, this disciple knows her fault." The moment Mo Huaping came out, she hurriedly dropped to her knees.

She could not leave the sect. If she left the sect, her life would be over right here and now.

Only after having cultivated the Small Universe Art did Mo Huaping realize that, compared to the Small Universe Art, every other cultivation method was trash.

Once she was no longer a disciple of the Blue Star Sect, where would she go to find the follow-up cultivation methods of the Small Universe Art?

The follow-up cultivation methods of the Small Universe Art were all continuously perfected by the Sect Master.

True, one could also create one's own follow-up methods for the Small Universe Art, but Mo Huaping knew she did not have that ability.

"Go to the Heart-Questioning Platform and state whether you knew of Jia Daoyuan's affairs." Liu Yinzhu said in a calm tone.