Chapter 275: Trigger Of The Insurrection
Deep within the uninhabited mountains of the Crimson Snow Sect’s territory, inside a hidden mountain grotto, a certain secret chamber witnessed its second meeting within the span of a week.
Just like before, Elder Shen took the lead, presiding over the meeting confidently.
The number of attendants was higher this time, so much so that many Elders couldn’t find an empty seat. At the back of the chamber, many stood in clusters, their nervousness evident despite the masks, hoods, and long cloaks they’d donned before coming here.
When Elder Shen’s victory speech began, they all listened intently, contemplating whether it would be worth it to jump on the bandwagon heading towards the insurrection against Sect Master Xuan Zi.
"I see many newcomers today. Since you’ve managed to find this place, you surely know a thing or two about what happened a day ago, during the public duel. I’ll keep things simple and give you all a summary of our achievements so far."
The newcomer Elders received most of Elder Shen’s focus. This speech was tailored for them. After all, the ones who had been present in the earlier secret meetings were already in the same boat. They didn’t require any persuasion.
"Despite the twists and turns during the duel, of which I’m sure you’ve heard numerous exaggerated accounts, our original plan was not affected in the slightest," Elder Shen began, raising his chin in the air proudly.
"Disciple Chen Yan, the contestant from our side, proved himself to be unworthy of further investment and unreliable in some crucial moments of the duel. Such an outcome was not beyond our consideration, and hence, we arranged for him to play a more suitable role—the role of a martyr."
Not many of the Elders present were fooled by this flowery term. Rather than being called a martyr, Chen Yan’s fate was akin to a sacrificial lamb that had outlived its usefulness.
"However, from my perspective, this is an excellent development. This disciple was not only headstrong and arrogant, but his interests also didn’t align with ours.
He kept many secrets from us to mask his true goals, introduced some unforeseen factors in the contest without informing us, and influenced by his narrow vision, he thought he could simply use us and get away with it.
Ultimately, he became ill-suited for his original role in our plan.
In comparison, the performance of his two opponents could be called perfect. They stuck to their plan, worked with perfect understanding of each other and the situation, and did not back down even when the risks rose far beyond their expectations!
This inspired us to push for a radical change of plans. To fill in the role that Chen Yan could not play, why not recruit one of these loyal-natured disciples?"
Elder Shen’s rhetorical question stunned many of the newcomers. To the younger generation of Elders, who had little to no experience with the eccentric perspectives of long-lived cultivators, such a maneuver was not easy to digest.
’Your plan, which was a culmination of decades of preparation and untold grievances, was nearly foiled by two brats in the Physique Transformation realm. As a result, you were insulted and shamed in front of thousands of disciples, and faced a heavy penalty...
Instead of harboring a grudge against those brats, instead of taking revenge, you’d rather reward them? You’d trust them to perform for you in such a crucial role?’
Perhaps sensing the doubts of the crowd, Elder Shen chuckled.
"Are you surprised? Do you think it’s not viable? But what if I told you that I’ve already proposed it to one of them, and it was accepted?"
Murmurs of disbelief broke out at the far end of the secret chamber. Those who had come here in small groups lowered their heads and exchanged their views among themselves.
"Of course, abrupt actions rarely come with ideal consequences. It would’ve been perfect if the Voidboat ticket fell into our hands after the duel.
That way, our new ’chosen one’ would’ve been fully under our control, and the negotiation of future benefits could’ve gone a lot better for our side. Unfortunately, that accursed sect master of ours forced us to hand over the true ticket to her."
Elder Shen’s voice was filled with regret. Failing to prevent this development was what he regretted the most. Qing Hua was now a free bird, and her ambitions lay in the boundless skies.
"Anyway, let us move our focus to the Sect Master himself. Caught within our plans, he has made some grave errors.
Firstly, he openly sided with disciple Han Xuhan and Qing Hua without any consideration for the real results of each round of the duel. No sect master can play such a tyrant, however powerful they may be.
Otherwise, the lineage of orthodox sects would be no different from the evil ones.
His open display of bias is a testament to the theory that he was the one pulling the strings behind disciple Han Xuhan, not a minor figure like Qing Hua. Throughout the duel, I’ve collected multiple elements of proof incriminating him as well.
Even though it’s mostly dependent on deductions, the logic cannot be denied. I reckon it would be enough to convince Plane Inspector Fang Xie to temporarily suspend Xuan Zi’s authority as the master of the Crimson Snow Sect’s outer court, so that a proper investigation can be done."
That got a reaction out of the crowd. Many were excited, nodding at their close associates. But some weren’t so easily convinced.
Their collective whispers carried a tone of reluctance and doubt. For them, Elder Shen had a few more things to say.
"His other mistakes include not killing Chen Yan on the spot. Don’t tell me you heard his reasoning for it and took it to be true!"
Sensing the shock of the crowd, Elder Shen sneered.
"Indeed, disciple Chen Yan was already a lost cause. A newly ascended Soul Reformation realm cultivator with no experience in handling spiritual corruption... How could he have any chances of clawing his way back to clarity?
Chen Yan’s fate was sealed by the time that round ended. He was simply hanging on to life like a mortal criminal struggling on a hanging noose, delaying the inevitable.
It is a supreme law among all orthodox sects that any Soul Reformation realm cultivator in a similar state must be executed at the earliest instance. The talk of sentiments and misfortune is cheap, but the safety of the other disciples is priceless.
Who doesn’t know that spiritual corruption spreads like wildfire?
How dare Xuan Zi compromise the safety of the thousands of disciples in the outer court? Is isolating Chen Yan and keeping him alive worth it?"
The angry tirade covered the minor flaws and falseness in his explanation. Even if his audience were to observe his five passions and spiritual state, they’d not notice any element of deception!
As for the consequences of deceiving them, Elder Shen wasn’t worried at all. Chen Yan would die anyway. If he refuses to, they’d make sure of it anyhow. Xuan Zi wouldn’t be able to prolong his life once Fang Xie entered the equation.
Elder Shen relaxed his tone, feeling somewhat amused as he continued.
"Another notable error of his was to spare us all, despite suspecting that we’ve been plotting his fall. Why, you ask?
It’s most likely because he thought punishing us too harshly could become a trigger for the insurrection.
Such indecisiveness and unwillingness to face reality simply go to show how undeserving that man is for a role as important as a sect master. He’s an even bigger fool than Chen Yan, dreaming about reviving some dead orthodox path that could destroy our own legacy, forcing the outer court to suffer through capricious and irrational changes!"
The intensity of Elder Shen’s tone jumped up once more as he prepared to wrap up the speech on a high note.
"Every Elder here knows how bizarre and inexplicable the changes he has forced on us are. Centuries of tradition, cardinal rules set out by our ancestral masters, and countless elements of their legacies have been discarded with no explanations.
Who among us is happy with his changes? Which Elder hasn’t complained about the things he has to teach the new disciples these days?
Who doesn’t know that the quality of disciples produced by the outer court has been declining with each generation since Xuan Zi’s takeover?
To top it off, he has been committing crimes without any care for the law, dragging the fate of our sect further down into the abyss.
He’s collaborating with a monstrous abomination imprisoned inside a fragmented realm. He’s protecting a future abomination. He’s been killing the Elders who oppose his tyrannical ways.
He’s even stealing precious resources from the Treasury that have nothing to do with his own cultivation! Can he explain any of it?
How much longer do you intend to sit and watch as we inch closer to destruction?
Have we not presented you all with a perfect opportunity to act? If you still hesitate, you’ll not just be dooming the future of the Crimson Snow Sect, but also yourselves!"
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