Mo Liyue stared at Xing Yuan for a moment, then nodded, "Alright!"
She urged, "Ayan, hurry up, or we'll leave without you."
Mo Liyan shivered, his movements becoming even more swift. He particularly detested his elder sister's tendency to always follow through on her word. If they left on their own, it would be one thing, but they were taking his future wife with them.
Mo Liyan stopped holding back, the newly learned techniques circulating rapidly within him. For a fleeting moment, his physique even surpassed the peak of ordinary humans.
The few people before him soon found themselves outmatched, and Mo Liyan seized the opportunity to strike them down one by one.
"Alright, alright, let's go!" Mo Liyan stealthily glanced at Qian Yuwen's expression, then quickly took her hand and ran forward.
Qian Yuwen looked at Mo Liyan with a complex expression, but ultimately, her current predicament of being hunted prevented her from dwelling on it.
In contrast, the other two were far more at ease.
Xing Yuan proactively placed her hand into Mo Liyue's palm and said sweetly, "Sister~ hold my hand, so I won't get lost."
"Okay!" Mo Liyue raised an eyebrow slightly, her eyes full of amusement.
She found Xing Yuan's feigned demureness not at all manipulative, but rather quite endearing.
Shortly after they left, a group of people in sect attire arrived. The leader observed the surroundings for a moment before leading his disciples in the direction they had gone.
As they reached a stronghold of the Demonic Cult, someone immediately came to report, "Saintess, the carriage is ready. We can withdraw at any moment."
This person completely ignored the Young Master standing beside them. In fact, the vast majority of the Demonic Cult members recognized only the Saintess, not the Young Master.
For a long time, all affairs of the Demonic Cult were essentially decided by the Saintess. Out of respect for the old Cult Master, they would usually offer a semblance of deference to Mo Liyan, but in times of urgency, Mo Liyan was naturally overlooked.
However, Mo Liyan did not seem to mind this and directly entered the carriage with Qian Yuwen.
Mo Liyue, on the other hand, nodded calmly, appearing to have everything under control.
"Since the Young Master has been found, notify our brethren here to withdraw! As for those on the road, have them return to their respective branches. However, since they dared to lay hands on our Demonic Cult's Young Master and tarnish our reputation, regardless of the reason, we cannot let this insult pass."
Mo Liyue pondered for a moment and then said, "Issue my decree: this year's year-end assessment will be based on the trouble each branch causes for the righteous sects. Due to the special nature of this assessment, the top three will have the qualification to travel to the main headquarters, and I will do my utmost to fulfill their wishes."
"Yes!" The people at the stronghold responded respectfully.
"Saintess!" someone suddenly spoke up. Seeing Mo Liyue's scrutinizing gaze, he gave a somewhat憨厚 (simple and honest) smile, "I wonder if there are any rewards for killing those hypocrites from the righteous sects?"
The person beside him tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to be quiet, but he continued to stare fixedly at Mo Liyue.
Mo Liyue, however, chuckled, "Hmm… alright! Since you have this request, this Saintess will naturally fulfill it. Then, I shall issue another order: those who kill the most will have the same authority as the branch leaders."
"Thank you, Saintess!" He suddenly knelt on one knee, respectfully.
Mo Liyue nodded slightly, then turned and directly pulled Xing Yuan into another carriage.
Although they reacted extremely quickly and left few traces along the way, some sects, using their unique sect techniques, managed to track their movements and swiftly pursued them.
However, even though the pursuers were close behind, they were not helpless novices, and with many Demonic Cult members behind them, they were not at a disadvantage even if a fight broke out.
Soon, weary of the mice behind them, Mo Liyue made her first offensive move, severing the meridians of her pursuers. Her cultivation had reached the realm of a Lesser Grandmaster, only a hair's breadth away from true Grandmaster. Thus, these individuals were naturally no match for her.
Seven to eight days later, all members of the Demonic Cult received the Saintess's order. Those who were already at odds with the righteous sects' eyes lit up instantly. They could vent their personal grievances, gain the Saintess's rewards, and perhaps even be transferred to the main headquarters if they were lucky. Why wouldn't they seize such a golden opportunity?
The sects mobilized a large number of people to capture individuals in An Yan Town, while the Demonic Cult launched a surprise attack without warning. Before they could react, their homes were raided. Enraged, they immediately took up their weapons, believing they could defeat the Demonic Cult members.
Initially, it was just minor skirmishes. Although severe, they did not affect other regions. However, the prevailing trend of pugnacity in the martial world gradually expanded, with some individuals even causing trouble for the imperial court.
The emperor of this era was a wise ruler. He had initially maintained a peaceful coexistence with the martial world, finding it satisfactory. However, being attacked unexpectedly made him realize the unruly nature of these martial artists. Despite having many individuals within the imperial palace, at a critical moment, he discovered that half of them were charlatans, and another third were merely dabblers in martial arts who were there for sustenance.
The emperor was furious and immediately issued an edict for the Grand General to personally lead troops to suppress the martial artists.
Faced with overwhelming odds, especially with soldiers outnumbering the martial artists by an immeasurable margin, it was evident they were outmatched. Some immediately sought to negotiate peace.
The martial artists, possessing a certain pride, initially only had two minor sects attempt to seek peace with the court and pledge their loyalty. The emperor vehemently rejected their pleas for peace. Later, after the Grand Tutor's earnest persuasion and concern about inciting public outrage leading to a desperate counterattack, he compromised. He decreed that as long as they admitted their mistakes and contributed eighty percent of their assets to the national treasury, their requests for peace would be accepted.
The major sects were furious. This was utterly outrageous! To hand over the foundations they had built over generations – who would willingly agree to this?
However, some smaller martial arts families considered paying to save their lives a worthwhile transaction. After all, their total assets were limited, and giving it all away would only transform them from paupers into even poorer paupers.
The major sects, with their large numbers and solidarity, were not easily subdued by the imperial forces in the short term. However, the martial world became somewhat calmer as a result. With all their energy focused on dealing with the imperial court, they could no longer engage in mortal combat with their sworn enemies.
As the major sects consolidated their territories and drew closer together, the Demonic Cult also began to make its move.