One of Us

Si Ming paused for a moment, then sighed, "They finally made their move... Why do people love to court death? Isn't it better to live a peaceful life?"

Si Jingyu said, "After all, we have encroached on the interests of the Aristocratic Clan, so taking action was only a matter of time; it was to be expected."

The existence of the Heavenly Martial Alliance has undoubtedly harmed the interests of many forces, with the most severely affected being the Aristocratic Clan. Not only are outsiders no longer able to join them, but even the Lineage themselves have been divided.

For example, the offspring of the branch line originally had no choice but to endure being bullied by the main line in order to protect the Lineage's secret techniques. But now that they have the Heavenly Martial Alliance as a better option, they can learn Higher Vehicle martial arts without having to compromise. Naturally, no one is willing to be inferior to others. Many talented clansmen simply leave the Lineage and go out on their own.

In comparison, sects were not significantly impacted; in fact, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. This is because sects are open, while aristocratic Aristocratic Clan are closed. Moreover, sects are much fairer than aristocratic Aristocratic Clan. Unless you are a relative of the sect leader, all disciples have the same status when joining a sect. However, in the Aristocratic Clan, the main line discriminates against branch lineages, and members of the clan discriminate against outsiders, simply because of their surname. Even if you work like a slave for someone, you may not receive the rewards you deserve.

When the Mohist School Grandmaster launched his martial arts revolution, the reason he attacked the major sects of the Su State was because the Mohist School itself was a large sect that absorbed those who were not active in the martial arts world. However, the Si Ming sect did not do the same. The Heavenly Martial Alliance was just an alliance, and the Ming Cult still only had a few members and had not expanded its membership. Therefore, there was no conflict of interest between the Ming Cult and the martial arts sects.

Si Ming asked, "Since this is an expected development, you should have prepared a countermeasure, right?"

Si Jingyu laughed and said, "Such a small problem doesn't require preparation to find a solution. There are only two approaches: one is to negotiate with the powerful Aristocratic Clan, to feign friendship on the surface while secretly retaliating. We should resolve all conflicts under the circumstances. Given enough time, we can build up our strength and defeat them with ease. The Aristocratic Clan will have no choice but to accept their fate."

Si Ming shook his head and said, "They only need to feign compliance because they lack ability. Since we have the advantage in terms of force, why give them face? It's either submission or death. Give them a slap in the face and let them clearly realize that they have no right to speak right now."

Si Jingyu said, "Since you've chosen to act swiftly and decisively, then it's simple. Just issue a mission. As long as you're prepared for a storm, the Aristocratic Clan won't just surrender; they'll definitely put up a last-ditch effort."

"Even a fish on the chopping board will wag its tail a few times, let alone Aristocratic Clan? They have that right, so I grant it."

That afternoon, a new mission appeared at the Heavenly Martial Alliance headquarters and its various branches. The mission first listed the major crimes committed by the Jin Lineage in Donglang County in recent years, including coercing and enticing the annexation of land, disregarding human life and oppressing villagers of other surnames, and lending money at usurious rates to force people to sell their children. Corresponding witnesses and physical evidence were provided. Finally, a series of names of the Jin Lineage leaders were listed, with a number after each name representing a corresponding contribution value.

Three days later, the heads of the Jin Lineage patriarch and all the elders were delivered to the headquarters of the Heavenly Martial Alliance.

Those with a keen eye immediately realized that although the Heavenly Martial Alliance did not impose any constraints on its members and were nominally equal partners, the leader of the Heavenly Martial Alliance unknowingly possessed terrifying power, surpassing even that of the martial arts world's leader.

Chapter 348 One of Us Came Out

Dou Tianming pushed open the door and entered, only to find that the leaders of the other fourteen sects had arrived, except for his Mount Huang Sect. He quickly apologized to everyone.

The initiator of the secret meeting, Kou Feng, the leader of the Mysterious Sword Sect, greeted them, "Why is it only the young sect leader who has come to the meeting? Where is your sect leader?"

Dou Tianming explained, "Master is unwell and unable to attend, so I am doing it in his place. Is it not necessary for Master to attend this meeting?"

The truth is that his master had just exchanged a martial art from the Heavenly Martial Alliance and was busy in seclusion to comprehend it. He had never known before that his master was a martial arts fanatic.

Kou Feng smiled and said, "Young Master Dou has gradually taken over the affairs of the Mount Huang Sect in recent years, and it is only a matter of time before he takes over as sect leader. It is not inappropriate for you to take over. Please take a seat."

After greeting the other thirteen sect leaders, Dou Tianming found an empty seat and sat down. After all, those present were all major sects in the Western Martial World. Apart from the Mysterious Sword Sect in the martial world, the other sects were between first-rate and second-rate. Their leaders were also renowned figures in the martial world, and as a junior, he had to show them respect.

Kou Feng said in a deep voice, "I have gathered you all here not for any other reason than for the sake of our Heavenly Martial Alliance. I believe you all know what happened a few days ago. The Donglang Jin Lineage was a well-known force in the martial arts world, but they were wiped out in less than three days. Although the outside world is saying that it was done by our Heavenly Martial Alliance, praising us to the skies, you should all know that this matter has nothing to do with us. It was all done by the Alliance Leader alone."

"Yes, although the Jin Lineage did wrong in destroying my Heavenly Martial Alliance branch, there's no need to wipe out the entire family, is there? Such actions are far too domineering and violate the rules of the martial world. Besides, what if there's some misunderstanding? Shouldn't people be given a chance to explain? But he didn't even ask any questions, just issued a mission and convicted people, eliminating the upper echelons of the Jin Lineage. Who dares to say there aren't any innocent people involved?"

"Even if you don't give the Jin Lineage a chance to explain, you should at least consult us. We are allies, not subordinates! He is only the leader of the Heavenly Martial Alliance, not the leader of the martial arts world. How can he wipe out an entire family based on his own whims?"

"I think even the leader of the martial arts alliance doesn't have his airs. To be honest, the previous leaders of the martial arts alliance were all respected and held the title to resolve disputes in the martial arts world, without any real power. But this guy? The Heavenly Martial Alliance has almost become his personal fiefdom. I think what he wants to do is not to be the leader of the martial arts alliance, but the emperor of the martial arts world, with his golden words deciding life and death!"

"That's right, today it's the Donglang Jin Lineage, tomorrow it might be you or me. Framing someone is easy enough. Once the mission is announced, everyone only cares about contribution points; who's going to listen to your explanations?"

"Hey, that's going too far. After all, the Jin Lineage was in the wrong first. But the Alliance Leader is indeed too power-hungry. He holds all the power in his hands. Even emperors need officials to govern the country. He nominally makes us branch leaders, but in reality, we're just number keepers. We don't even have the authority to issue missions."

Because Si Ming assigns tasks with a specific target, it's impossible for branch managers to falsify the numbers. For example, if someone actually only has 1,000 contribution points, but you write 10,000 for them, where do the extra 9,000 contribution points come from?

If you're exchanging heavenly materials and earthly treasures for contribution points, then you have to send the rare and precious heavenly materials and earthly treasures worth 9,000 points to headquarters. If it's Anomalies, then you have to send the Anomalies thing to headquarters. In any case, you have to have something of real value.

As for tasks like annihilating bandits, eliminating Anomalies, and providing instruction, the branch has no authority to issue them. You can do it or not, it's up to you. After all, the Heavenly Martial Alliance isn't an organization that takes maintaining world peace as its mission.

Of course, it's not that the branch has no power at all. For example, if they pass off inferior ginseng as 100-year-old ginseng, the headquarters is too lazy to care about such trivial matters. As long as it's not too outrageous, they'll turn a blind eye and let it go. Anyway, at most, it's only a few hundred contribution points difference.

The crowd chimed in, listing the leader's numerous crimes with vehement and righteous indignation, as if he had committed some unforgivable act.

Dou Tianming was also somewhat tempted. He didn't feel anything about the Jin Lineage being wiped out. After all, the other party had taken the initiative to provoke the Heavenly Martial Alliance, and they deserved to die. As a member of the Heavenly Martial Alliance, he naturally didn't feel any sense of shared sorrow. In fact, from what he saw, the members of the Heavenly Martial Alliance were all proud of this.

The Jin Lineage was a renowned Aristocratic Clan in the Western Martial World, with strength comparable to a second-rate sect. Yet, they were wiped out so easily. Everyone was a winner in terms of morality and martial prowess, and naturally, they gained a lot of face.

What truly captivated Dou Tianming were the countless martial arts manuals of the Heavenly Martial Alliance. Even now, his authority only allowed him to cultivate mid-grade martial arts, and even mid-grade martial arts were no less powerful than the sect's ultimate techniques. Therefore, he coveted high-grade martial arts, and even supreme-level martial arts. Several times, he dreamed that he was casually choosing martial arts manuals in the Flame Transmission Tower, and he would feel a sense of loss upon waking up.

Dou Tianming pondered that the other sect leaders were probably also after the martial arts manuals. The Jin Lineage's affair was just an excuse; ultimately, it all came down to self-interest. He had been the young sect leader for three years and was no longer a novice in the martial arts world. He wouldn't believe everything others said.

If we're really talking about morality, they have no grounds to stand on. In the end, all the martial arts manuals of the Heavenly Martial Alliance came from the Ming Cult, or rather, they were the private property of the Alliance Leader. Everyone here secretly wanted to take these private properties for themselves, but this couldn't be said openly, so everyone avoided talking about it.

Dou Tianming looked around and felt that everyone present was hypocritical. If they were not satisfied with the leader's power, they could simply leave the Heavenly Martial Alliance, since the alliance did not restrict them at all. However, while they criticized the leader's actions, they never mentioned the possibility of leaving the Heavenly Martial Alliance.

Ultimately, they are not against power, but rather want a share of it. Just like some people who denounce corrupt officials, what they oppose is not the act of corruption itself, but the situation where others are corrupt while they themselves have nothing to do with it. If one of their relatives becomes an honest official, they would probably complain that the other person is so stupid that they don't even know how to be corrupt.

However, I'm not in a position to judge others.

Dou Tianming snapped out of his reverie and found that everyone had reached a consensus.

Kou Feng said, "Since we all agree, let's go to headquarters together tomorrow to demand an explanation from the Alliance Leader. But let's make it clear that we're not trying to force the emperor to abdicate, nor are we trying to purge the court of corrupt officials. We simply want to seek protection for our sect and our disciples, so that we don't follow in the footsteps of the Jin Lineage. Besides, we are all members of the Heavenly Martial Alliance, and we have the responsibility and obligation to participate in the management of the alliance and do our part."

Dou Tianming thought to himself, "The last sentence must be the real purpose."

However, since this matter was advantageous to the Mount Huang Sect, he did not object. In the end, everyone present swore to stand together through thick and thin, and never leak the secret, and they pressed their fingerprints on the document.

After the secret meeting, Dou Tianming returned to a mansion under the Mount Huang Sect. Due to the existence of the Heavenly Martial Alliance, Pingyuan City had become extremely valuable, with housing prices tripling in half a year, making the local people very rich. It was only thanks to the Mount Huang Sect's wealth that they could afford to buy a house. Some third-rate sects in the martial arts world could only rent houses in Pingyuan City now.

As evening approached, Xue Huang, the leader of the Mount Huang Sect, finished his seclusion and learned the contents of the meeting from Dou Tianming. His expression changed immediately, and he hurriedly found a carriage and drove his prized disciple towards the headquarters of the Heavenly Martial Alliance.

"Master, don't you have high hopes for our operation? You must know that the fifteen sects attending this meeting represent all the major sects of the Heavenly Martial Alliance. If we work together and exert pressure, even the Alliance Leader will have to back down."

Xue Huang rubbed his forehead and said, "You're oversimplifying things. If it were really that easy to succeed, why would they wait until tomorrow to act? After the secret meeting, Kou Feng would have taken you to headquarters. What do you think they used that extra half day for?"

Upon hearing this, Dou Tianming realized what was going on, and his expression shifted between light and dark. "Really? Don't they even have this much confidence? Can they really tolerate their lives being at the mercy of someone else's decision?"

Xue Huang sneered, "Confidence? If you were truly confident, you wouldn't be so afraid to even mention someone's name!"