News Spreads, Panic Takes Hold

Zhou Ziyang was the first to stand up and said coldly, "Impossible! Although Cangsongzi has a bad temper, he is a tough guy."

Back when the demonic path besieged the Cangwu Sect, his entire family died at the hands of Devil Cultivator. How could he possibly defect to the demonic path? Alliance Leader, in my opinion, this is a counter-espionage plot by the demonic path!"

"A counter-espionage plot?" Ling Yue, the sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect, spoke calmly.

"Sect Leader Zhou makes it sound so easy. We have witnesses and physical evidence, including the spirit seal, secret letter, and bone talisman. If this is truly a counter-espionage plot, the demonic path has invested far too much."

"What do you mean by that, Sect Leader Ling?" Zhou Ziyang's face darkened. "Do you think I'm favoring an internal traitor?"

"I didn't say that," Ling Yue glanced at him sideways, "It's just that some people shouldn't be so quick to defend others; who knows if there are any ulterior motives behind it?"

"You!"

"Alright!"

Zhang Jianchen slammed his hand on the table, and the hall fell silent instantly.

He swept his gaze across the crowd and said in a deep voice, "Whether it's a counter-espionage plot or not, we'll know after the interrogation. Elder Bai, interrogate him thoroughly and make sure he gets his mouth shut. I want to see if he has anyone backing him."

"As the Alliance Leader commands."

For the next two days, the Law Enforcement Hall interrogated the suspects day and night.

At first, Cangsongzi vehemently denied the accusation and kept crying out that he was innocent.

But as the punishment intensified, he finally couldn't hold on any longer in the early hours of the third day and gave in.

This loosening of control unleashed a massive, earth-shattering wave.

He not only admitted to communicating with demons, but also implicated a whole string of other people.

"Zhou Ziyang of the Purple Yang Sect has long had a secret agreement with the Demon Emperor!"

"Ling Yue of the Heavenly Sword Sect secretly passed on our army's deployment map to the Demonic Path!"

"And there's Elder Ge from the Pill Cauldron Sect, who's in charge of military rations and pills, and he's secretly sending messages to the Demon!"

"..."

Each name represents a core member or high-ranking member of one of the major righteous sects.

Each name was like a bombshell, sending panic through the entire righteous camp.

When the news spread, the entire camp was thrown into chaos.

Cangsongzi's confession was like a drop of cold water falling into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar.

Rumors are spreading throughout the righteous camp.

"Have you heard? Sect Leader Purple Yang Sect has become a demon!"

"No, it's the Heavenly Sword Sect! Cangsongzi confessed himself that Sect Master Ling handed over the defense map to the Demonic Path!"

"And the Pill Cauldron Sect! No wonder the pills have been coming in short quantities lately; they've been secretly supplying them to the Demonic Path!"

"My God, even the seven core sects have traitors, so doesn't that mean there are traitors among us?"

"How can we fight this battle? The Devil Cultivator might find out our location tomorrow!"

"..."

The monks were filled with unease and were discussing the matter amongst themselves.

The previously high morale visibly plummeted.

The patrolling disciples lost their spirit, the training formations were sparse, and even the scouts who went out to investigate became hesitant and timid.

The conflicts between sects have been brought to the forefront.

Outside the Purple Yang Sect's camp, whenever disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect passed by, they would be stopped and questioned by the Purple Yang Sect disciples, their words filled with suspicion.

The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect were not to be outdone, and retorted that the Purple Yang Sect was the real traitor.

The two sides nearly came to blows several times, but the law enforcement team managed to keep them from getting into a fight and causing a fatality.

The Pill Cauldron Sect became the target of public criticism.

Each sect had to check the pills repeatedly when receiving them, for fear that they might have been poisoned.

Some sects simply refused to accept the pills from the Pill Cauldron Sect, preferring to use their own reserves rather than take the risk.

The elder of the Pill Cauldron Sect was so angry that he fell seriously ill and stayed at home.

Inside the central command tent, the meeting was in complete disarray.

"Alliance Leader! This is slander! Utter slander!" Zhou Ziyang slammed his fist on the table, his face flushed red. "That old scoundrel Cangsongzi himself is a traitor, and he wants to drag others down with him! My Purple Yang Sect has been loyal and virtuous for generations, how could we possibly collude with the demonic path?!"

Sect Master Ling Yue sneered, "Sect Leader Zhou, don't be so quick to distance yourself. Why does Cangsongzi bite you when he doesn't bite others? Flies don't land on eggs without cracks."

"Ling Yue! Explain yourself!" Zhou Ziyang glared angrily. "Your Heavenly Sword Sect is also mentioned in the confession! You're covered in shit yourself, and you still have the nerve to criticize others?"

"I have acted uprightly and honestly, and I am not afraid of being investigated," Ling Yue said calmly. "However, some people deliberately delayed the arrival of reinforcements in the last vanguard battle, which resulted in the loss of three elders of my Heavenly Sword Sect."

Looking back now, it was probably intentional, wasn't it?

"You're talking nonsense!"

"Enough!"

Zhang Jianchen let out a sharp shout, his aura slightly unleashed.

The hall fell silent instantly, and everyone reluctantly shut their mouths.

Zhang Jianchen sat in the main seat, his face extremely grim.

He saw it clearly; this was a scheme by the demonic forces to sow discord.

Cangsongzi was most likely a pawn who deliberately exposed himself, with the aim of sowing discord among the righteous sects and causing them to distrust each other.

It's one thing to be able to see things clearly, but it's another to be able to calm things down.

Once a rift develops in people's hearts, it's like a cracked mirror—it's hard to mend.

"Alliance Leader, please say something," Zhou Ziyang said in a deep voice.

"Does Cangsongzi's confession count? If it does, then investigate thoroughly and find all the traitors! If it doesn't, then quickly clarify the situation and restore the innocence of my Purple Yang Sect!"

"That's right." Ling Yue nodded. "If things stay uncertain like this, morale will plummet, and how can we fight a war like that?"

Zhang Jianchen rubbed his temples and said in a deep voice, "Cangsongzi's testimony is difficult to verify and cannot be trusted. However, until the suspicion is cleared, those involved will not be involved in core matters for the time being."

"What?!" Zhou Ziyang stood up abruptly. "Alliance Leader, you actually believed that old scoundrel's nonsense?"

"It's not that I believe him, it's for the greater good," Zhang Jianchen said calmly. "Until the truth is revealed, it's best for everyone to temporarily avoid suspicion."

"I disagree!" Zhou Ziyang roared. "On what grounds should a mere slanderous accusation strip my Purple Yang Sect of its power? Alliance Leader, this is favoritism!"

"Master Zhou, please calm down."

At this moment, Wang Heng spoke up, his voice steady. "The alliance leader is also trying to stabilize morale."

This is just a temporary reprieve, not a conviction. Once the truth is uncovered, your innocence will be cleared.

The most urgent task is to stabilize the situation and not let the demonic forces laugh at us.

"Third Elder, you make it sound so easy," Zhou Ziyang said coldly. "If it were your Cangwu Sect being slandered, could you remain calm?"

"You!" Wang Heng frowned.

The situation inside the hall reached a stalemate once again.

Zhang Jianchen looked at the arguing crowd and sighed inwardly.

The Righteous Dao Alliance appears large, but in reality, its members each have their own agendas.

There were old grudges among the seven major sects. They usually lived in peace, but these grudges would immediately surface when trouble arose.

The demonic attack struck right where it hurt.

"Go back now," Zhang Jianchen waved wearily. "We'll discuss this later. Send the order: all units must strictly guard their camps. No one may engage in conflict without orders. Those who disobey will be dealt with according to the law."

The meeting ended unhappily.

Stepping out of the main tent, Zhou Ziyang stormed off in a rage.

Ling Yue's expression was also unpleasant as he led his men back to the camp.

The leaders of other sects also had their own thoughts and discussed the matter extensively along the way.

Wang Heng stayed until the very end, and whispered, "Alliance Leader, this can't go on. If morale collapses, we can't fight this battle. The Demonic Path is clearly trying to sow discord among us; we can't fall for their trap."

"I know." Zhang Jianchen stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and looked at the gray sky outside. "Once people's hearts are scattered, it's difficult to win them back, but it's not impossible."

"What does the alliance leader mean?"

"The one who tied the knot must untie it." Zhang Jianchen turned around, his eyes resolute. "What they're fighting over isn't right or wrong, it's face, it's trust. I'll personally go there, visit each and every one of them, and clear things up."