Dou Qi Continent is a world where strength reigns supreme and the strong prey on the weak.
Nie Yuan was well aware of this.
However, he also felt that if Yunlan Sect wanted to grow bigger and stronger, strength alone was not enough; it also needed a good reputation.
Sometimes, relying solely on the strength of the older generation of sects, Yunlan Sect is destined to lack successors and cannot develop in the long term.
After taking over the Yunlan Sect, Nie Yuan established a series of rules, one of which was that the outer sect elders could not use the Yunlan Sect's name to bully others in the local area.
After all, this is a world where cultivation is possible, and who can guarantee that the outer sect elders won't bring trouble to the sect with someone who seems to be a chosen one?
For the past three years, the sect has never slackened its inspections of the outer sect elders.
As for the Mo family of Yancheng, Nie Yuan was naturally aware of their tricks, but Mo Cheng, the old fox, was so cunning that he hadn't revealed his true colors, which was why he hadn't made a move yet.
Nie Yuan remembered that he had obtained the evidence before leaving the sect.
How dare the Mo family invite Yun Yun to a banquet in such a high-profile manner?
"Sect Master, the Mo family's affairs are not so simple. I want to listen to you, but someone won't allow it. You haven't been to the sect recently, so there's nothing I can do."
Yunhai suddenly realized what was happening, and then awkwardly explained his situation.
"Is it Yun Yun?"
Nie Yuan glanced at him sideways.
No, no.
Yunhai hurriedly waved his hand, "The sect leader only took over for a short time at the beginning. Later, she was probably in a hurry to find you, so she handed over the follow-up matters to Elder Yunling."
"What? Who did you just say?"
Nie Yuan jumped up from his seat, wondering if there was something wrong with his ears.
"Elder Yunling".
Looking at the increasingly excited Nie Yuan, Yun Hai's voice suddenly became a little soft.
Nie Yuan's expression froze for a moment.
If we were to assign blame for the destruction of the Yunlan Sect, Yun Yun, Yun Shan, Yun Leng, and Nalan Yanran would all be held accountable.
But if we were to identify the person with the biggest problem among these individuals...
Without a doubt, Yunling has the biggest problem.
Nie Yuan had lived in the Yunlan Sect for over a decade and knew Yun Leng's character very well.
They are concerned about saving face, petty, and vengeful.
Therefore, the moment he took over the Yunlan Sect, he revoked Yunling's power and assigned him to a relatively vacant position within the Yunlan Sect.
Because as long as this old guy is around, even if it's not the Xiao family, even if it's the imperial family or the Mittel family, they won't be able to carry out their work normally.
This person is too concerned with appearances. If even the slightest detail is overlooked, he will escalate it to the Yunlan Sect and use the sect to pressure the other party.
When Nie Yuan made this decision, Yun Leng was still dissatisfied and went to reason with the teacher.
Yunshan also sided with Yunling, because Yunling had followed him for many years and had worked hard even if he hadn't made any great contributions.
Nie Yuan would definitely not agree, and in the end he even said something harsh like "it's either him or me."
Left with no other choice, Yunshan ultimately sided with Nie Yuan.
Hearing that Yun Ling had reappeared, Nie Yuan's heart sank.
"Sect Master?"
Seeing that he didn't speak, Yunhai tentatively called out softly.
Nie Yuan waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.
Yunhai understood and bowed with clasped hands.
After taking a few steps, he stopped and turned around. "Sect Leader, will you attend the sect meeting tomorrow morning?"
"I will be there on time."
Nie Yuan answered.
Yunhai nodded and didn't linger.
...
The bright sun slowly rose on the horizon.
On the plaza, figures diligently practiced their combat techniques. These young disciples exuded youthful vitality, basking in the sunlight, their combined energy creating a vibrant and flourishing atmosphere that permeated the summit of Yunlan Mountain.
With a clear chime, elders emerged from various places and headed towards the majestic and solemn main hall in the square.
The concept of morning meetings was proposed by Nie Yuan.
These things didn't happen in the Yunlan Sect before.
He felt that having the elders report on their work each week wouldn't take up much time.
On the contrary, it allows for a clear understanding of how the sect operates.
Over the past three years, many elders have become familiar with this process.
Each elder entered the main hall and walked to his assigned seat, greeting the other elders along the way.
"The sect leader is back, did you know?"
"That's great! The sect leader's strength has recovered. With a few years of hard work, he might be able to break through to the Dou Zong level. The Yunlan Sect hasn't produced a Dou Zong in many years."
"I wonder if he will show up today. The things the Grand Elder said the last few times didn't even teach me a bit of the essence of the sect leader. They made me sleepy."
The elders gathered together, their chatter filling the hall with a lively cacophony.
"Cough cough..."
Suddenly, a sound came from the entrance of the main hall.
Everyone stopped talking and looked over.
Yun Leng straightened his sleeves, calmly met their gazes, and then strode into the main hall, stopping only when he was in front of them.
Among the crowd, several elders whispered among themselves, their gazes toward Yun Leng filled with disgust.
Ever since Yunling was promoted by the sect leader, the morning meetings have changed their nature and become occasions for showing off.
He always made sure to draw everyone's attention before strode in with an arrogant air.
Nie Yuan had never shown these things before. Every time, he would come in quickly, get a quick understanding, give new opinions, and then dismiss the group.
"The sect leader will be here soon. If you have anything to report, please hand it over to me first."
Yun Leng swept his gaze across the crowd and spoke in a loud voice.
From the back of the crowd, an elder said, "Elder, the grandson of Elder Chen Hao that I reported last week is using the sect's name to abduct other people's wives and daughters. It seems that nothing has been done yet?"
A dark glint flashed in Yun Leng's eyes, but a smile appeared on his face. "Elder Yunhe, there are priorities. Don't worry, Elder Chen's grandson has violated the sect's rules and will definitely be punished. It might be a little later. So, after the meeting, come find me directly and I'll make the arrangements for you."
The elder then said, "This is a trivial matter. We can simply summon Elder Chen to the sect to handle it. I clearly saw Elder Chen come last week."
"Yunhe!"
Suddenly, Yun Leng's voice rose sharply, his tone low, "I told you to come find me later, didn't you understand?"
The others next to the elder exchanged glances, and someone tugged at his sleeve.
Yunhe gritted his teeth and lowered his head.
"Why talk about it in private? Is there something that can't be discussed openly? Wrongdoings are punished! Even the sect leader and patriarch are no exception. Isn't that rule clear enough?"
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out, echoing throughout the hall and clearly reaching everyone's ears.
All eyes turned and finally settled on the entrance to the main hall.
A figure, bathed in sunlight, walked inside step by step.
"Sect Master."
"Greetings, Sect Master."
The elders present all clasped their hands in greeting and bowed slightly to the figure.
Yun Leng's jaw muscles tightened slightly, and her breathing became labored.
"Article 21 of the sect rules states that anyone who bullies men or women shall be punished with thirty strokes of the cane and confined for one month. Yun Ling, how troublesome is this matter? Just send a disciple to inform Elder Chen, and if he dares to disobey, he will be disobeying the sect's orders and be expelled from the sect. Tell me, what's so difficult about this?"
Nie Yuan walked three steps away from Yun Leng with an expressionless face and stared at him calmly.
Yun Ling's cheek muscles twitched slightly as he forced a smile. "Sect Master, Elder Chen's contributions to the sect over the years are enough to rank him among the top five. It's just a small matter..."
"A trivial matter? You call this a trivial matter? Let me ask you, if your wife and daughters were to experience something like this, would you still be able to stand here so calmly?"
Nie Yuan's tone was icy.