Aiming the Sword Northeast

"An abysmal record, an abysmal record!"

Yun Zimo hurled the scroll in his hand to the ground. It was filled with the "good deeds" committed by that outer-sect steward, Mo Cheng, and the Mo Clan!

Yun Zimo had only just taken over the Punishment Hall, and the sect's records had been fully opened to him. But as he read through them, his anger flared!

"What's wrong? Who's upset you this time?"

Yun Yun entered the archives, picked up the scroll from the floor, and casually flipped through it before setting it on Yun Zimo's desk. She already knew all about these things.

"Big sister, an entire bookshelf in this archives is filled with shameful dealings. I don't understand how..."

Yun Zimo stopped when he realized what he was about to say. He glanced at Yun Yun, whose expression remained calm, and decided not to continue. He returned to the seat of honor and slumped over it, lost in thought.

"How we could all turn a blind eye and let these parasites and tumors in the sect run rampant, even allowing them to flaunt the Misty Cloud Sect's name while doing as they pleased?"

Yun Yun voiced what Yun Zimo had wanted to say.

"Zi Mo, our Misty Cloud Sect is a sect devoted to cultivation, but it is still just a sect. The army stationed at the foot of the mountain and the person in the Imperial Capital don't see it that way. We are a force powerful enough to topple the imperial throne—one they'd love to eliminate, yet have no choice but to rely on."

"Three dynasties, eight hundred years..."

"Only by giving them a handle to use against us can we ease the Imperial Family's apprehension and live in peace."

Yun Zimo felt that Yun Yun was twisting the issue, but he had to admit there was some truth to what she said. After all, the Misty Cloud Sect wasn't like the neighboring Golden Goose Sect, which was directly controlled by Mulan Valley, nor was it like the Chu Yun Empire, where numerous sects of all sizes kept the Imperial Family in check.

"All right, all right. I'll give it some serious thought."

In a foul mood, Yun Zimo forced a smile as he walked Yun Yun to the door. He wanted to be alone for a while.

As he read and reread the scroll in his hands, Yun Zimo couldn't shake the feeling that things shouldn't be this way. No matter how many excuses there were, the enormous tributes collected every year and the endless list of lives lost could not be faked.

"Law Enforcement Team! Assemble!"

Growing angrier by the moment, Yun Zimo picked up the seal. The tokens carried by the Misty Cloud Sect's Law Enforcement Team members instantly vibrated, and a message appeared on them.

In less than half a quarter of an hour, all the Law Enforcement Team members under the Punishment Hall had gathered at Misty Cloud Square, ready to move. They only needed Yun Zimo's order; they were confident they could defeat any enemy who dared come at them.

"Target: the Mo Clan in the northeast of Jia Ma!"

"Move out!"

Clad in a black-and-white brocade robe, the Punishment Hall Master's seal at his waist and his cape sweeping behind him, Yun Zimo strode toward the mountain gate with a frigid expression. The Law Enforcement Team members followed close behind like ghosts.

"The Punishment Hall is on official business. Open the mountain gate at once!"

Yun Zimo didn't slow down. He used the Sect Master Token to contact the gate directly, and the official order shot toward Yun Yi, who was guarding the mountain gate, like a flying sword.

"Sect Master, we..."

Yun Zimo and his men descended the mountain and disappeared into the distance. Two figures nearby watched them go.

"Let him go..."

Yun Yun sighed. The more time she spent with Zi Mo, the more his influence began to rub off on her. It wasn't that his childish ideas made her laugh, but... she, too, had begun to feel that the world shouldn't be this way!

At least, the world she could see shouldn't be this way...

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The Dou Qi Wings on Yun Zimo's back beat against the air. His broad cape snapped in the wind, yet showed no sign of tearing or coming loose. Dozens of figures raced across the ground, moving almost as fast as Zi Mo flying low overhead.

The group traveled through mountains and forests, doing their best to avoid encountering anyone uninvolved. Before long, they entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range. They carefully steered clear of the powerful magical beasts along the way, then stopped to hunt and rest before setting off again.

"Once we get back, I'm definitely equipping the Punishment Hall with flying magical beasts!"

Seated in the cabin of a flying beast, Yun Zimo gazed out the window at the clouds drifting past. He couldn't help envying the flying beasts that came standard for the young men of the Ancient Clan in the books.

By the time the sun dipped toward the horizon, they finally spotted a massive black city far in the distance.

Salt City lay where the central, eastern, and northeastern regions of the Jia Ma Empire met. Its excellent location made it a thriving commercial hub. Since it fell under the jurisdiction of the eastern provinces, it was known as the largest city in the east. Its visitors came from all manner of backgrounds, and the city had long been guarded by imperial troops in force.

"Not one member of the Mo Clan on the list is to escape. Kill anyone who resists!"

Yun Zimo made a grand entrance into Salt City with more than ten men. He was making such a show of it that he might as well have been telling the Mo Clan that the newly appointed Punishment Hall Master had arrived.

"What?!"

When the Mo Clan's First Elder, Mo Cheng, heard the report from his informant in the city, the wineglass in his hand slipped to the floor. He didn't believe for a moment that the Punishment Hall had come to Salt City just to look around.

"Just the day before yesterday, I personally went to Misty Cloud Mountain to deliver a congratulatory gift. Why would he come to Salt City? You go and... No, I'll go greet him myself!"

Mo Cheng quickly changed into formal clothes. He ordered everyone conducting experiments in the secret chamber to stop what they were doing, told the clan head to prepare a welcome, then hurried off with several promising younger members to the inn where the Punishment Hall had taken up lodgings.

"The Mo Clan really is something," one Law Enforcement Team member chuckled. "I just went out and counted. There are a hundred and thirty-two shops on this street, and eighty-three of them fly the Mo Clan's banner."

"That's just their commercial power. Know what people say about them in the underworld?"

"They kill and rob, heed no imperial banner, only the Mo Clan!"

Yun Zimo said nothing as he held his teacup, though inwardly he gave a few quiet laughs. This was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the Mo Clan.

But when he thought of the young Mo Cheng recorded in the sect's archives, he remembered a hot-blooded youth who could fly into a rage and single-handedly take down a band of bandits. And now...

"Forgive me for not having welcomed you properly, Hall Master. Please excuse my poor hospitality. My apologies, my apologies..."

Mo Cheng entered the "Moso Flower Garden" inn with an ingratiating smile. When he saw the Punishment Hall members in the lobby and Yun Zimo in his splendid clothes, his heart jolted, and his manner grew even more obsequious.

"Steward Mo, there's no need for formalities. The Hall Master knows how you've devoted yourself to the sect and labored tirelessly. He also heard that bandits are rampant in the eastern provinces, so he came in person to root them out. But not wanting to disturb your peace and quiet, he's staying here for the night."

Yun Zimo pretended not to hear Mo Cheng's flattery and continued to sip his tea. One of the Law Enforcement Team members beside him rolled his eyes and hurriedly struck up a conversation with Mo Cheng. They had done plenty of things like this to lull an enemy into a false sense of security.

"I wouldn't dare! It's the Mo Clan's good fortune to host the Hall Master. As for the bandits, I'll personally lead a team to wipe them out tomorrow. I've spent years learning their movements, and was just about to exterminate them all. I never expected to trouble the Hall Master by bringing him all this way."

Mo Cheng couldn't tell whether the other man was speaking truthfully, but he gritted his teeth and decided to wipe out the bandits with overwhelming force. He would feel the loss of that income later, but at least he could send these killers from the Punishment Hall back to the Misty Cloud Sect sooner.

"Steward Mo, your heart is truly as pure as a child's." Yun Zimo raised his teacup in salute. Wouldn't it be better to let the old fellow put what strength he had left to use? So he dropped the pretense that he hadn't noticed and added, "Once the bandits have been wiped out, I'll report this to the Sect Master and make sure you're commended!"

"You flatter this old man, Hall Master. If it's for the sect, I wouldn't hesitate to give my worthless life."

Mo Cheng spoke without thinking. The Punishment Hall members all wore different expressions, their eyes full of indifference.

Your life alone? If it's for the sect, then may the entire Mo Clan die...

The sky along the desert border had only just begun to brighten. On the outskirts of the major cities in the eastern provinces, the sounds of slaughter already shook the air. Bloodlust hung thick, driving passersby and cultivators to give the area a wide berth.

"First Elder, this is already the seventeenth bandit den..."

Mo Ling trailed off, gazing at the corpses strewn across the ground as he wiped the blood from his face.

"Ptooey! Bah!"

Mo Cheng spat out a mouthful of dark-red sand. After killing for so long, the ferocity in his heart had only grown stronger.

"Keep going. Do you really think there aren't people from the Punishment Hall nearby? They might know better than us how many bandit dens there are! They may even know about the connections between them. The only way to keep the Punishment Hall's fire from reaching us is to kill them all and then deny everything!"

After thinking it over all night, Mo Cheng was sure he understood why the Punishment Hall had come. Yun Zimo was simply a newly appointed official eager to make a name for himself. What could a wet-behind-the-ears brat possibly be plotting? The kid wanted results, so Mo Cheng would give him some—and use the opportunity to build a good relationship with him.

Yun Zimo's cape fluttered in the wind. He watched Mo Cheng hurry off toward the next bandit den without pause, his eyes filled with wordless, razor-sharp intent.

"Hall Master, we've located all eleven of the Mo Clan's secret passages. The other three great clans in Salt City have also agreed to attack the Mo Clan. The city lord refused to send troops, citing the fact that the eastern province's authorization hasn't arrived, but he has already ordered extra patrols today because the bandits are so rampant, to stop any fleeing bandits from escaping."

Yun Zimo nodded slightly. The net had been cast, and the Mo Clan's victory banquet was ready. Steward Mo, this hall master is celebrating your birthday in advance. You'd better like this grand gift...