Chapter 50: Sect Punishment

Chapter 50 - Sect Punishment Well, as for Lordi Payne, he, of course, had no inkling of the chaos unfolding in the inner sect. His mind was too preoccupied with his own troubles to even consider such things. The entire ride back, anxiety gnawed at him. The moment the Corpse Cloud touched down, he leapt off and thrust a piece of spirit stone into the hand of a passing senior brother, hitching a ride on the man's Dao boat to Sect Affairs Peak. Half a day later, Lordi Payne stood in the Affairs Hall, recounting his tasks to a cold-faced disciple who listened with a smirk that is full of meaning. Without a word, the disciple processed his formalities, took the two dead demon beasts, and promptly doled out his rewards. [Task Name]: Courier of the Drainwood Family Letter Just a trifle—mostly travel pay. [Reward]: 20 D$t. [Task Name]: The Flower Demon Beasts [Reward]: 47 D$t. [Task Name]: The Hunt for the Purple-Eyed Mink in Lothgar Mountain As it's a sixth-layer Enlightenment Stage demon beast, the reward reached a hundred stones. [Reward]: 100 D$t. [Total Reward Income]: 167 D$t. Lordi Payne counted each stone carefully, letting out a quiet sigh. Under normal circumstances, this windfall from three tasks would've been a tidy little fortune. But stacked against a five-figure fine? It was a drop in the bucket. A very small drop. As if on cue, the moment he stepped out of the Affairs Hall, a squad of sharp-dressed, high-ranking cultivators blocked his path. Their leader, a man with a silver stripe on his robe sleeve, moved with the grace of a predator. His face was stern, a faint shadow of a beard lining his jaw, and his narrow eyes gleamed like polished blades. A sword hung on his back, its presence ominous even sheathed. "Newly enrolled Ghost Shade Peak disciple, Lordi Payne?" the man said, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. "You're coming with us." Lordi Payne's stomach sank. "Who are you? Why should I come with you?" "Ghost Shade Peak Punishment Crypt," the man replied, his tone calm but laced with an unshakable authority. "You've been found guilty. Walk with us nicely, or we'll make you." The man gestured lazily, as if to say, "After you." Lordi Payne's face cycled through emotions—dread, defiance, resignation—before he finally exhaled hard. "Fine. I'll go." He knew he had no choice. He was in the outer sect domain, surrounded by powerful cultivators. Escape was impossible. Moreover, while the other party's attitude seemed peaceful, their spiritual energy hummed with restrained power. One wrong move, and he'd be struck down like a bug. Another half a day later, Lordi Payne was brought back to Ghost Shade Peak. The Punishment Crypt loomed in a valley to the north of the peak—a towering, three-story structure made of ebony stone bricks. The surrounding area was barren, stripped of all greenery, leaving only a wide plaza of slate tiles stretching out cold and empty. The senior cultivator who had apprehended him—Joe Lion, one of Ghost Shade Peak's three silver-sleeve deacons—was fully responsible for investigating the murder of Lee Sagwon and the other two disciples. "Newly enrolled Ghost Shade Peak disciple, Lordi Payne," Joe Lion began, lounging at the head seat of the interrogation room in the northeast corner of the first floor. He flipped through a crime dossier with an air of casual indifference, as if this were just another mundane task. "Fourteen days, three hours, and two quarters ago," Joe Lion recited, his voice smooth and precise, "you went down the Bone Tomb Vessel from the Square of Eternal Severance and enrolled into the Holy Sect. Then, led by your clan brother Hugo Payne, you proceeded to—" Lordi Payne had been scrambling for excuses the entire journey, but now Joe Lion's words hit him like an icy slap. Sweat beaded down his spine as the deacon laid out his every move—from the moment he stepped onto the Square of Eternal Severance to the time he left the sect with Chen Haunt and his squad. The details were excruciatingly precise, down to the exact second. It was as if Joe Lion had been there, stopwatch in hand, documenting every step. What sent a shiver down Lordi Payne's spine was the recounting of his clash with Lee Sagwon and the other two. Joe Lion narrated the event as if he had been perched in the room, witnessing it firsthand. He described who had thrown the first punch, who had used which martial art technique, and even the exact positions of everyone involved. To make matters worse, Joe Lion flicked his wrist and cast a Circular Projection Light Spell, illuminating the scene on the wall. The projection showed Lordi Payne dashing into the mountain woods, practicing his blade arts in vivid detail. Joe Lion even had the audacity to comment, "Judging from the damage to the bushes and tree branches, this blade art is fierce and impressive—really sharp stuff." Then came another round of razor-sharp recounting, equally detailed and accurate. The only part that was incorrect was he claim that Lordi Payne had sneaked back from the dense mountain forest to ambush and kill Lee Sagwon and the other two in a premeditated act of vengeance. In reality, Lordi Payne hadn't held any such grudge or deliberately sought revenge. Nor had he mastered any advanced footwork techniques at the time. It was purely the AllFullOS system that had taken control of his body, using Lee Sagwon and the others as "practice material" in its reckless cultivation spree. "These were conclusive evidences," Joe Lion concluded, his tone almost friendly as he closed the dossier. "Newly enrolled Ghost Shade Peak disciple, Lordi Payne, do you have any rebuttal to defend yourself?" Lordi Payne gave a bitter chuckle. "No, sir." Joe Lion nodded, seemingly satisfied, and pulled out another stack of dossier files. "Then let's talk about the issue of punishment." What followed was an outrageously detailed analysis of the victims—Lee Sagwon, Miu Toanh, and Chou Ease. The evaluation covered everything from the time they had entered the sect to their cultivation progress, contributions to the sect, shopping habits in the sect market, and even the sect's investment in their development. The report also delved into the ripple effects caused by their deaths, painting a picture of loss that extended far beyond the three individuals. Finally, the conclusion was drawn: "The fine is a total of 74,841 D-grade spirit stones. Due in three months from today. Miss a day, and you'll be handed over to the sect's Punishment Crypt for execution. Any questions?" Wait, what? Not the ninety thousand spirit stones he had been dreading—just over seventy thousand? And the Punishment Crypt hadn't even deducted time for his so-called "absconding." In fact, they hadn't even counted his time away from the sect as fleeing in guilt. No, they had acknowledged it as a legitimate task mission. For a moment, Lordi Payne almost felt like he had won. After all, he had been bracing himself for a ninety-thousand-stone fine, with the payment deadline starting from the moment he had killed Lee Sagwon and the others. This... this almost felt like a victory. Almost. But Lordi Payne quickly steadied himself and decided to try his luck. "Miu Toanh and Chou Ease were both fifth-layer Qi refiners," he began, his tone measured. "They ganged up on me with Lee Sagwon. The fact that I killed them in self-defense proves they were untrainable and wasted the Holy Sect's resources. Given that, isn't a 70,000 D$t fine a bit excessive? I think 30,000 would be more fair." Joe Lion's grin widened as he shoved the case papers aside, lacing his fingers together. He leaned back, eyeing Lordi Payne with the amused curiosity of a cat watching a mouse. "Seventy-four thousand eight hundred and forty-one d-grade spirit stones," he said slowly, emphasizing each word. "That's the precise calculation of the Punishment Crypt. In fact, the families of Lee Sagwon, Miu Toanh, and Chou Ease aren't satisfied. They think it should be 90,000." He paused, letting the weight of that sink in. "Especially Outer Sect Elder Lee Bane. Just yesterday, he hosted a banquet for the Cryptmaster of our Punishment Crypt. During the banquet, your name came up... in passing." Joe Lion's smile turned almost conspiratorial. "But our Cryptmaster is a fair and just senior. He insisted on keeping the fine at 74,841 D$t. So, do you still think our judgment is unfair?" Lordi Payne took a deep breath, clasped his fists, and bowed slightly. "I understand. Thank you for upholding justice, Punishment Crypt." Joe Lion waved a hand dismissively. "You're free to go. If you can't pay the fine in three months, we'll find you. Do whatever you want in the meantime. Try to run if you're feeling lucky." "Deacon your excellency, you jest," Lordi Payne replied, his voice respectful but firm. "Laws rule nations, rules run homes. I'm a disciple of the Holy Sect—I'd die before breaking its regulations." Hell, I'd love to run right now, he thought. But Joe Lion's smug confidence made one thing clear: a fourth-layer Qi refiner like him wasn't slipping this net. After leaving the Punishment Crypt, Lordi Payne's mind raced. He needed a plan, and fast. Without hesitation, he made his way to the peak platform at the mountain's waist. Moments later, a senior disciple, grinning ear-to-ear over a payment of three low-grade spirit stones, summoned a Corpse Cloud for him. "Don't worry," the disciple said cheerfully. "If you were looking for other inner sect seniors, I might not know where they live. But I know the residences of the Bloodline Lords like the back of my hand. This Corpse Cloud will take you straight to the gates of Withered Orchid Villa. If Bloodline Lord Wexford isn't there, someone from the Deathveil Bloodline will be. Just ask around. Since Lord Wexford brought you into the sect, they'll definitely take you to him." Lordi Payne nodded, stepping onto the Corpse Cloud. As it lifted into the air, he expected the inner sect to be a place of towering, majestic peaks rising above the clouds. But to his surprise, as the cloud crossed into inner sect territory, it suddenly descended. What unfolded before him was nothing short of breathtaking. A sprawling tapestry of green plains and valleys stretched out as far as the eye could see. Lush greenery exploded everywhere, alive with the chirping of divine birds and the scampering of sacred beasts. Wisps of colorful mist coiled lazily into the air, painting the landscape in dazzling hues. It was a scene of otherworldly beauty, so vivid and vibrant it felt like stepping into a painting. Lordi Payne was still taking it all in when the Corpse Cloud veered sharply into a valley. It came to a gentle stop beside a delicate villa nestled near a magnificent waterfall. The cloud dissolved into the earth, leaving him standing at the edge of the villa's grand courtyard. The yard was empty, save for the soft murmur of the waterfall and the occasional rustle of leaves. Lordi Payne took a moment to compose himself, smoothing his robes and running a hand through his hair. Then, with careful steps, he approached the villa's door and knocked.