boyutpedia Page 98
Page 98
The young master of the Xiao family felt his bones creaking under the weight, as if they were about to shatter at any moment. His internal organs felt like they were being squeezed by an invisible hand, and the pain almost made him faint.
"I ask you…"
"why?"
Mu Qinghan's voice rang out again, still cold and clear.
Young Master Xiao could no longer hold on; cold sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his brocade robe, and his voice was trembling with sobs.
“My...my dad said he has an emergency and can’t come.”
"My family elders are too old to make the long journey and can't come."
As soon as he finished speaking, the oppressive aura around him vanished abruptly.
The young master of the Xiao family felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He slumped into a chair, trembling uncontrollably, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
Only then did he belatedly realize why his elder brother had refused to attend the gathering no matter what.
Mu Qinghan's gathering of the major families this time clearly indicates that he intends to carry out major reforms on the Dao Alliance, and these changes will inevitably touch upon the interests of these long-established families.
What urgent matter could Father have?
It was clearly a ploy to have him test Mu Qinghan's limits. They even deliberately had him bring his concubine, intending to use this frivolous attitude to subtly humiliate Mu Qinghan and deflate his arrogance.
He had anticipated Mu Qinghan's dissatisfaction, but he never imagined that the other party would dare to attack him in front of so many family leaders and try to take his life!
"Whatever Xiao Wancheng has to do, get him over here within half an hour."
"Otherwise, I will go and invite them myself."
Mu Qinghan's voice was completely calm, yet it carried an undeniable command.
"Yes Yes…"
The young master of the Xiao family nodded hurriedly, not daring to even breathe, hoping to leave this suffocating place as soon as possible.
Not far away, Wang Quan Shouzhuo and Dongfang Guyue exchanged a glance, their brows furrowing slightly.
Is Xiao Qinghan planning to use absolute power to forcibly suppress all dissenting voices?
This approach might stabilize the Dao Alliance's situation in the short term, deterring anyone from acting recklessly.
However... the underlying strength is not strong enough, and the foundation is unstable.
Discontent suppressed by coercion will only accumulate in secret, and once the power weakens even slightly, it will inevitably trigger a greater backlash.
With a heart as pure as Qinghan's, she shouldn't have failed to see this...
Both of them were filled with doubt, and their gazes fell on Mu Qinghan again, with a hint of worry in them.
Chapter 118 Even if it means death, I will stop you!
"Gentlemen! I have invited you all here today for two reasons: to discuss the future development of the Dao Alliance and to thoroughly investigate and eradicate the long-standing problems within the Dao Alliance."
Mu Qinghan spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but each word seemed to carry immense force, striking everyone's hearts hard.
The hall, which had been filled with whispers just moments before, fell into a deathly silence. Only his voice echoed between the beams and pillars, like a boulder thrown into a lake, stirring up a storm of emotions throughout the room.
He raised his eyes and swept them across the room, his gaze piercing through everyone's pretense like a sharp sword.
He froze those astonished, solemn, and evasive expressions, his voice growing increasingly cold and deep.
"The Dao Alliance has existed for a hundred years, its original purpose being to protect the living beings in the region and to unite cultivators on the righteous path!"
"But what about now? This Dao Alliance is already rotten to the core!"
“Some people hold high positions but use their power to line their own pockets, treating the resources of the Dao Alliance as their own private property and wantonly seizing them!”
"Some people, relying on their high cultivation level, disregard the rules and bully the weak, plundering the survival of low-level cultivators!"
"Families are even engaging in endless infighting and backstabbing in their struggle for power and profit!"
He suddenly raised his voice, each word ringing out: "Today, I will uproot these cancers in front of everyone and restore order to the Dao Alliance."
Before he finished speaking, a commotion broke out in the hall.
Some people looked troubled, their fingers gripping the corners of their sleeves tightly.
There are quite a few people in the family who profit from their positions in the Dao Alliance.
Some people frowned deeply, unwilling to see their competitive advantage, on which they depended for a living, disappear; others had shifty eyes, secretly plotting how to evade and make excuses.
Mu Qinghan raised his hand, and the faint pressure emanating from his palm instantly suppressed all the commotion, plunging the hall into deathly silence once more.
"Listen carefully! I have three strategies to eradicate these deep-seated problems, and I will announce them to the public today!"
"The first strategy is to investigate past wrongdoings and eradicate the root of corruption!"
"Each family shall immediately elect an impartial representative to jointly audit all accounts from the past ten years with the senior management of the Taoist temple!"
"Anyone involved in embezzlement or misappropriation, regardless of whether they are the head of the family or an elder, no matter how high their status or how powerful they are, will have their ill-gotten gains recovered and will be severely punished without exception!"
"If any family dares to cover up such acts, they will be treated as 'colluding with corruption,' and their seats in the Dao Alliance will be immediately reduced. There will be no leniency!"
"The second strategy is to establish clear rules and regulations to prevent the strong from bullying the weak!"
"Immediately revise the 'Code of Conduct for Dao Alliance Cultivators,' clearly drawing a red line—cultivators must not bully mortals, nor plunder the resources of lower-level cultivators!"
"Anyone who dares to cross the line will be arrested directly by the newly established 'Enforcement Division'!"
"At best, they will be confined and punished with confiscation of property; at worst, their cultivation will be abolished, and they will be forever barred from the path of cultivation!"
"In addition, 'grievance appeal points' have been set up in various towns and cities so that all those who have been oppressed have a place to seek justice and have grievances to appeal!"
"The third strategy is to restructure the seating arrangement and resolve the internal family conflict!"
"From now on, the allocation of seats and resources in the Dao Alliance will no longer depend on the size of a family's power, but only on 'contribution points'!"
"Whoever helps the Dao Alliance by slaying demons, protecting towns, and nurturing new talents will have their contributions calculated according to their achievements!"
"Conversely, if families fight each other due to personal grudges, regardless of who is right or wrong, both sides' contribution points will be deducted. In serious cases, their council membership will be revoked and they will be expelled from the alliance!"
Mu Qinghan's gaze was sharp as he swept over the representatives of those forces who showed dissatisfaction and secretly resisted, his tone resolute.
"These three policies are not my sole decision! Everyone present today is welcome to raise objections and revise them together!"
"If no one can come up with a better solution within three days, the three strategies will be implemented immediately, without any changes!"
His voice was resounding and carried a do-or-die spirit, echoing in the council hall for a long time, making everyone feel suffocated.
"But...but we can't have no benefits at all!"
The first to lose his composure was the head of the Lu family, who gripped the armrest and said, "How many of our family members have died at the hands of the demon race over the years?"
"What's the benefit of letting us go now?"
“Yes, you want fairness,” the elder of the Northern Royal Family slowly rose, the white tiger stripes embroidered on his brocade robe undulating with his movements.
"But you need to think this through. If it weren't for our families supporting us, the human cities would have been razed to the ground by the demons long ago!"
"We use more resources because every time the demons attack the city, it is our own people who are at the forefront."
"We wield great power because we bear the responsibility of protecting our vast territory!"
The council chamber was filled with a cacophony of voices, the sound of wooden clogs on the bluestone slabs and the clinking of teacups, all blending together to create a lively atmosphere.
Mu Qinghan simply lowered his eyes, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table until the room gradually quieted down, before raising his eyes to look at everyone and speaking word by word.
"Therefore... I want to propose a plan for peace between humans and transvestites."
"Peace between humans and transvestites?!"
The crowd, who had been whispering just moments before, suddenly erupted into chaos.
"nonsense!"
"Mu Qinghan, let alone the fact that the demon race is inherently bloodthirsty, it is impossible for them to coexist peacefully with the human race."
"Even if it could be done, what would be our benefit?"
"That's right! Who would do something without profit?"
"You want to live peacefully with the monsters, and we won't harm them, but what if the monsters break into the village at night and massacre everyone?"
"Can you guarantee that every monster will follow the rules?"
A tidal wave of doubts surged toward Mu Qinghan, but he did not offer any further explanation; instead, he spoke slowly.
"With my Demon Emperor-level magical power."
Before he finished speaking, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body.
The sandalwood incense that had been lingering in the hall was instantly dispelled, and magical power surged out like a tide, first enveloping the entire Mu Mansion, and the windows of the council hall trembled slightly in the magical power.
Immediately afterwards, the aura spread outwards, covering the entire town. Carriages and horses on the street came to a sudden stop, and pedestrians looked up in the direction of the Mu Mansion.
Finally, this force crossed the city walls and enveloped the Dao Alliance headquarters a hundred miles away. Even the birds and beasts in the mountains lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.
The people in the council chamber froze on the spot, their faces filled with shock replacing their doubt.
The head of the Yang family subconsciously took a step back, bumping into a pillar behind him, muttering to himself.
"A demon...a demon emperor? How is that possible?"
"How can a human cultivate magical power at the level of a demon emperor?"
Wang Quan Shouzhuo suddenly turned his head to look at Old Man Mu standing in the corner. He had been silent all along, but now he was standing in the shadows with his hands behind his back, a slight smile on his lips, and a hint of understanding in his eyes.
He turned back to look at Mu Qinghan. The pale golden magic power around the young man was still flowing, and the pressure made his heart pound. His eyes instantly became serious.
In a corner behind the crowd, a rogue cultivator dressed in a coarse Taoist robe suddenly tugged at the sleeve of the person next to him excitedly and whispered.
"See! I told you he was a Demon Emperor!"
The fat cultivator behind him didn't reply; he just stared at Mu Qinghan in the hall with his mouth agape, his face filled with shock.
He had somehow acquired a small knife and was cutting the corner of the table in front of him, shoving a piece into his mouth without even noticing the wood chips stuck to his lips.
Seeing this, the rogue cultivator opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
That's... keeping one's word.
"You ignorant brat, don't spout nonsense!"
In the crowd, an old man's roar exploded like thunder, his withered finger pointing directly at Mu Qinghan.