Chapter 1 A Change in the Atmosphere

In just one month, the atmosphere in the entire Taizhou underwent a complete transformation. It changed from one of general harmony, where people, even if they knew the person next to them was from the Lei Yin Demon Sect or the Dao Ming Sect and didn't particularly like them, would still interact rationally and never resort to violence. Now, the situation was completely different. Several Dao Ming Sect followers, unaware of the situation, stopped in a village north of Taizhou completely controlled by Lei Yin Demon Sect followers to rest. Somehow, they got into a conflict with the villagers and were hacked to death. The Lei Yin Demon Sect practiced the spirit of practice and development more than the Dao Ming Sect, but those Lei Yin Demon Sect followers traveling outside Taizhou no longer dared to wear the sect's insignia, as it could lead to their demise. This was especially true in the Zhenbei Military Command and the camps with Guardian Troops. In the Zhenbei Military Command, the Guardian Troops had brazenly bared their fangs. After a series of assassinations and attacks, although there was no clear evidence or witnesses, everyone knew that the Dao Ming Sect was making a move against the Lei Yin Demon Sect.

Several minor officials who were followers of the Lei Yin Demon Sect were killed in assassinations and attacks. When arbitrating a conflict, a trusted subordinate of Sun Boping was targeted by Dao Ming Sect assassins blinded by hatred and was assassinated in his own courtyard that night, Sun Boping was beyond furious. On one hand, he submitted a sharply worded memorial to the imperial court, describing the Dao Ming Sect's actions as a disaster for the country. On the other hand, he began to openly use Taizhou's limited military force to drive out Dao Ming Sect followers and implement martial law throughout Taizhou. Sun Boping's anger didn't stop there; he directly cut off supplies to the Zhenbei Military Command and imposed martial law throughout Taizhou.

With this, Sun Boping immediately suppressed the situation in Taizhou, but Jiang Xujing wouldn't stand for it. He had also suddenly discovered that his Guardian Troops were showing a tendency to escape his control. On one hand, he constantly negotiated with several of the Guardian Troops' leaders. On the other, he tried every possible means to organize large-scale conflicts between the Dao Ming Sect and the Lei Yin Demon Sect. His main cavalry force formed several patrol squads and patrolled the border between Taizhou and the Zhenbei Military Command, trying to persuade those Guardian Troop comrades who wanted to bring weapons into Taizhou to return to their units and not get involved in the current events in Taizhou. Although it wasn't very effective, it was at least a statement from Jiang Xujing. When Sun Boping stopped supplying the Zhenbei Military Command, Jiang Xujing understood that if this problem wasn't resolved, even if Sun Boping restored supplies to the Zhenbei Military Command under pressure from the imperial court, he would have plenty of tricks to make life difficult for the Zhenbei Military Command from then on. But what could Jiang Xujing do?

Jiang Xujing's memorial was sent to the capital by the fastest courier, explaining the unusual movements of the Dao Ming Sect's Guardian Troops and the actions he had begun to take. Jiang Xujing didn't even dare to say anything about Sun Boping cutting off supplies to the Zhenbei Military Command, but sincerely suggested that the imperial court and Taizhou should quell the current unrest as soon as possible and bring everything back on track.

When Sun Boping's memorial and Jiang Xujing's petition arrived in the capital one after another, a huge uproar arose in the imperial court. Officials who supported, or at least sympathized with, the Dao Ming Sect scoffed at Sun Boping's claims, and the Dao Ming Sect's high-level figures began to lobby in the capital. Some even began to advocate for severely punishing Sun Boping. Before the Western Ling court could come to a conclusion, news suddenly came that Sun Boping had been assassinated...

Sun Boping had actually only suffered a minor scratch, but he understood the imperial court too well. After discussing it with Gu Xi, Lei Huang, and Dai Shikui, the special envoy from Yunzhou who had rushed over, Sun Boping simply retreated in order to advance. Sun Boping was recuperating and unable to attend to his duties, and the entire Taizhou Governor's Office, which had originally revolved around Sun Boping, was thrown into chaos. Sun Boping sincerely requested that the imperial court send someone else to take over Taizhou and turn the tide, and then he made no further comment on the situation.

Lei Huang finally made his move at this time. The young sect leader of the Lei Yin Demon Sect held three grand Dharma assemblies in a row and began to mobilize the Lei Yin Demon Sect's followers to protect themselves in various ways. Although the Lei Yin Demon Sect didn't have its own army like the Dao Ming Sect, the Dongping forces that had been hidden within the Lei Yin Demon Sect's system and the forces of the Western Ling martial world that Lei Huang had constantly accumulated began to quietly mobilize. Purely in terms of operation, the Lei Yin Demon Sect didn't have as much money as the Dao Ming Sect. The Dao Ming Sect could live very comfortably with its huge base of followers and the donations of fanatics, but the Lei Yin Demon Sect didn't have that. The Lei Yin Demon Sect had clear rules for accepting donations from followers, but the Lei Yin Demon Sect had been organizing production and business activities, and even organizing the children of sect members who had to leave home to do business or work as laborers to study together. The Lei Yin Demon Sect had much better internal cohesion than the Dao Ming Sect. The followers began to form patrol teams by village, and large quantities of ordnance from unknown sources were quietly distributed. At this time, the sect members were all in danger and needed weapons to protect themselves, so no one was curious about where the Lei Yin Demon Sect got such a large batch of weapons. Instead, they were grateful that the Lei Yin Demon Sect had been so thoughtful.

In the sturdy folk customs of the North, a military confrontation had actually formed between the Lei Yin Demon Sect's followers and the Guardian Troops. In the South, facing the Dao Ming Sect's invasion, the Lei Yin Demon Sect adopted a more active method: counter-assassination. The assassins sent out by the Lei Yin Demon Sect were much more aboveboard than those who came in secret. They sent out the force that had been formed since the beginning of the Lei Yin Demon Sect, had always been hidden within the Lei Yin Demon Sect, and had never been shown to outsiders: the Zongmo Corps (Sect Demon Corps).

The Zongmo Corps currently had a total of ninety-seven people, each with a set of white hooded robes, light and sturdy leather armor inside, and a carefully designed equipment belt outside. They had sharp short swords hanging from their waists and bracers with hidden blades on their forearms. On their backs were combat crossbows and flat quivers, with several throwing knives stuck in the leather sheaths on the outside of the quivers. The most obvious symbol of their identity was the Lei Yin Demon Sect emblem on the left side of their chests.

Most of these people were actually from Dongping and Yunzhou, and the leader was Dai Yun's senior brother. Many of them were quite skilled, including some from the Inner Treasury, retired palace guards, and even some of the Dai family's retainers. After being screened, some of the dead soldiers and experts originally raised by the Dai family came here, and many others were incorporated into the various armies of Yunzhou. Many of them were now junior officers, which was much better than their original prospects.

The Zongmo Corps' first operation was to intercept an assassination attempt against a high-ranking priest of the Lei Yin Demon Sect. When the Dao Ming Sect's people charged out according to plan, the Zongmo Corps, disguised as the high priest's party, suddenly tore open the loose priest's robes they were wearing over their white robes and fought with the attackers. Prepared against unprepared, intentional against unintentional, the Zongmo Corps, who had received advance notice from an informant, made a flying start. Not only did they repel the attackers, but they also relentlessly searched and killed them separately, killing or forcing more than forty Dao Ming Sect members to commit suicide. They didn't want to catch any prisoners. Although some of these people had become believers due to their long-term training in the Lei Yin Demon Sect's secret camps and the strong religious atmosphere, most of them didn't really believe. However, they also believed in a rule written in their training manual: "Respect the enemy." And hoping to be able to extract something from the enemy through torture obviously couldn't be considered respect.

The Zongmo Corps' subsequent actions immediately caused those Dao Ming Sect death warriors who were not sufficiently prepared to cry out in pain. After appearing, the Zongmo Corps split into two groups. One group was composed of experts with reliable kung fu and experience. They went directly to other parts of Western Ling to attack those Dao Ming Sect Feathered Scholars and Taoists who had considerable status. The other group searched and killed those Dao Ming Sect death warriors who had infiltrated Taizhou. The Zongmo Corps was very ruthless and never left anyone alive. Gradually, those death warriors unwillingly turned from small-scale gatherings to large-scale actions in order to protect themselves. In one conflict after another, both sides suffered heavy losses. For a time, the entire Taizhou fell into a bloody storm. The Dao Ming Sect was naturally astonished that the Lei Yin Demon Sect had such power without them knowing it. In the eyes of many Dao Ming Sect followers and high-level clergy, it further confirmed the impression that the Lei Yin Demon Sect had ulterior motives. But for the Lei Yin Demon Sect, these actions showed off their power and gave many sect members who were originally uneasy a backbone and something to rely on. They knew that no matter what, their Venerated God would send messengers to eliminate the enemy...

The imperial court was still arguing, but it was obviously unrealistic to punish Sun Boping. Sun Boping was one of the few people who could stabilize the situation in Taizhou and its surrounding areas. However, before a final decision was reached, the Western Ling court sent Lin Qingxuan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, who first mustered five thousand soldiers in Zhongzhou and then rushed to Taizhou. Lin Qingxuan was not going to take over Taizhou. He was one of the people in the imperial court who had a very good relationship with Sun Boping. He was bringing these five thousand soldiers to Taizhou so that... Although Lin Qingxuan didn't express much opinion in the court's discussions, his analysis of the situation finally made the Western Ling Emperor make a decision. This is what he said: "The current situation is not good for either the Dao Ming Sect or the Lei Yin Demon Sect. Both have grown too large and no longer take the court's rule seriously. Allowing the two sides to fight will inevitably lead to turmoil in the imperial court, and with internal and external troubles, there are fears of unforeseen events. The only way is to temporarily stop the fighting between the two sides and use them to check each other. The Emperor can calmly maneuver between the two sides and slowly plan a solution. Now, the Lei Yin Demon Sect is weak and the Dao Ming Sect is strong. The Emperor will decide how to deal with them."