Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 749 - Luring Prey Out of the Den

No one had anticipated Liu Dashan to have a card up his sleeve.

Liu Xue was responsible for the clan's logistics, and he had embezzled 150,000 high-grade spirit stones. This wasn't a small amount, especially since he had only been promoted to his current position half a year ago.

Looking at the accounts before him, Liu Xue's face became ashened.

"Liu Xue, considering that you're a member of the Liu Clan, you shall receive thirty canes, have your cultivation abolished, and you will be expelled from the clan for your crime," said the law-enforcement elder.

"No! Please, no!" Liu Xue collapsed weakly to the ground. If he lost his cultivation and were expelled from the clan, it would be impossible for him to survive in the Central Plains.

Usually, an embezzlement of such a sum could be pardoned as long as he returned the resources he embezzled. But it was evident that Liu Dashan had no intention of sparing him.

"Men, drag him out to cane him thirty times!" yelled the law-enforcement elder. Two law-enforcement disciples stepped forward to drag Liu Xue out of the hall.

"Second Master, save me!" Liu Xue suddenly turned to Liu Xiaotian, pleading for his life. He knew only Liu Xiaotian could save him now, and he didn't want to die.

"Dashan, Liu Xue has only embezzled 150,000 spirit stones, and his crime doesn't warrant his death as long as he returns the embezzled amount," Liu Xiaotian said, looking at Liu Dashan. His tone was less assertive than before.

"That's right! I can return everything! Please retract the decision!" Liu Xue began to kowtow on the ground, looking at Liu Xiucheng and Liu Dashan.

However, the other elders and deacons remained silent, including the Fifth Elder, who feared drawing attention to himself. None of them had anticipated that Liu Dashan would secretly investigate their affairs, and most carried the weight of their own wrongdoings.

Normally, such infractions would be overlooked with a mere reprimand if the embezzled amount was returned. It had been years since the Liu Clan had expelled a member.

"What a joke! Should I cut your head off and glue it back on? Do you think things work that way?" Liu Dashan snorted. As the acting patriarch, few had shown him respect in the past year, especially Liu Xue, who had ridiculed him often.

No one was stupid, and they could tell that Liu Xiucheng wanted to reorganize the clan to weaken Liu Xiaotian's faction. They had to slowly isolate Liu Xiaotian and strip him of his authority before forcing him to leave the clan.

Hence, Liu Xue was simply an unlucky scapegoat who was chosen as a warning to everyone.

The two law-enforcement disciples advanced again, and they wouldn't hesitate to take Liu Xue's life if he dared to resist.

"Second Master, please save me! I have been loyal to you for years, and you can't watch me die!" Liu Xue crawled his way to Liu Xiaotian, pleading for his life. Ever since he became a deacon, he had been enjoying the privileges, and this sudden turn of events was like being cast into an abyss.

"Big Brother, is it necessary to take things that far?" Liu Xiaotian stood up and looked at Liu Xiucheng unhappily. Liu Xue's crimes could be pardoned as long as the patriarch gave the word.

"Second Brother, this isn't about me being ruthless. You've seen the serious internal conflict in the clan, which is plagued with pests. If we don't address these problems now, the clan's foundation will be affected," Liu Xiucheng said with a heavy sigh.

As the tension grew, this wasn't just an internal conflict anymore but a direct confrontation between Liu Xiucheng and Liu Xiaotian. Whoever could dominate this conflict would hold the upper hand in the clan.

Many turned to look at Liu Wuxie, who had been the catalyst for this upheaval. The Liu Clan had experienced ups and downs over the past few days, and Liu Xiaotian's power that he had consolidated painstakingly crumbled like a sandcastle.

"The patriarch is right. Without rules, there will be no order. The clan's recent decline is partly due to the lax management," a deacon said, standing up to support the patriarch's decision to reform the clan. It was time for the pests to be eradicated.

More people raised their voices in agreement, drowning Liu Xue's pleas. Even the elders who held a neutral position nodded in approval.

"Liu Wuxie, this is all your fault. If not for you, how would I’ve fallen into this state?!" Liu Xue roared like a madman as he leaped from the ground, charging at Liu Wuxie. He released his aura in the True Profound Realm, a vortex aimed at enclosing Liu Wuxie.

Since death was inevitable, Liu Xue was determined to take someone down.

No one had expected Liu Xue to attack Liu Wuxie suddenly, but Liu Wuxie merely stood there with a cruel smile hanging on his lips.

"A dog will always be a dog—destined to die for someone else's cause," Liu Wuxie said coldly, and a gigantic palm descended from the sky, crushing Liu Xue into death.

"Clean up the mess!" Liu Xiucheng waved his hand, and servants quickly cleaned up the bloody mess.

The entire main hall was filled with a blood stench, and Liu Xiaotian gritted his teeth because a public execution of his man was no different from slapping his face. The elders and deacons in his faction sat in fear, maintaining their silence.

In a large clan like the Liu Clan, the patriarch's authority was akin to that of an emperor—absolute and unchallenged. They possessed the authority of life and death over others.

"Starting today, I will reform the entire Liu Clan. I don't care what you've done in the past, but if any of you is found to have betrayed the Liu Clan, don't blame me for being merciless. You will share the same fate as Liu Xue," Liu Xiucheng said, sweeping his gaze around to make everyone lower their heads, including Liu Xiaotian.

After all, the oppression from someone in the Earth Profound Realm was too powerful for them to contend with, and Liu Xiucheng had already achieved his goal of giving everyone a warning. He knew everyone would target him, and the clan would fall apart if he went on any further.

He had sent a message to everyone, including Liu Xiaotian. Many elders who wavered in their allegiance now knew they had to choose to stand with the patriarch or perish with Liu Xiaotian.

Regarding cultivation and leadership, Liu Xiucheng far surpassed Liu Xiaotian. In terms of bloodline, Liu Xiucheng was the direct lineage.

"Since the patriarch has recovered, we need not continue this meeting. Let us all disperse," Liu Xiaotian chuckled. He knew everyone present was under tremendous pressure in this suffocating atmosphere, and he had to end the meeting quickly.

If the meeting continued, those in his faction might turn against him. Thus, the best method was to return and regroup before devising a strategy for this situation.

Liu Xiucheng's return with a strong stance had restored order to the clan, and most people were happy about it. After all, no one wished to have their patriarch changed as it would only be a disgrace to the clan.

"Patriarch, I have other matters to attend to, and I'll take my leave now," the Fifth Elder said, leaving the main hall with an ashen face. With him taking the lead, more people began to leave, and only ten-odd people were left in the hall in the blink of an eye.

"Father, why didn't you press on further about Jiao Ba? He must be the one who poisoned you," Liu Dayue stood before Liu Xiucheng, confused. After all, this was a great opportunity to eradicate Liu Xiaotian's lineage once and for all.

"You fool! You've lived for over fifty years and still think like a child. Even Wuxie sees things more clearly than you!" Liu Xiucheng said, his face turning grim. As Dayue's father, only he dared to scold him so bluntly..

In response, Liu Dayue could only scratch his head with a chuckle.

The Eighteenth and Seventh Elders hadn't left the main hall. They also belonged to the patriarch's faction and had been the only ones who had supported Liu Dashan throughout the years.

"Wuxie, what's going on? Why didn't you press on further since you retrieved the silver needle?" Liu Dayue asked, looking at Liu Wuxie. The others were also curious as they turned to look at Liu Wuxie, wishing for an answer.

"It's not time to confront him yet. I took out the silver needle to probe him and see if this was related to him. Moreover, this also dissolves their unity by planting doubt that he had colluded with outsiders against the clan. The doubts will only weaken their loyalty toward him," Liu Wuxie explained.

Everyone nodded in agreement, impressed by Liu Wuxie's foresight. Liu Wuxie had calculated every move meticulously.

"Since it has something to do with Liu Xiaotian, we should've captured him on the spot and forced him to reveal Jiao Ba's whereabouts," Liu Dayue said, shaking his head. In his opinion, Liu Xiaotian should have been killed outright since he was involved in this incident, and there was no need to beat around the bush.

"Killing won't resolve the issue in the clan, and the Liu Clan will remain vulnerable as long as we can't unearth the mastermind," Liu Wuxie said with a bitter smile. It wasn't as simple as Liu Danyue thought.

"Wuxie is worried Liu Xiaotian would feel forced to take action and leave the clan with his faction. It will cause the clan to be fractured, which isn't our desired outcome. Secondly, we still have to find this Jiao Ba, who remains a hidden threat," Liu Dazhi said with a frown.

The Liu Clan was no longer the same as before, and if Liu Xiaotian decided to leave with his faction, it would be reduced to a second-tier clan.

"What are we going to do then? He nearly ruined our family, and will we let him roam free?!" Liu Dayue waved his fist furiously.

"We just have to be patient. I mentioned Jiao Ba's name on purpose along with the silver needle. Liu Xiaotian will make a trip out of the clan within ten days and give us an opportunity. Mark my words," Liu Wuxie said with a sly smile.

"I understand. We have to capture him with evidence. As long as we can find evidence of Liu Xiaotian colluding with Jiao Ba, everyone in his faction will turn against him, and he will be isolated," Liu Dayue finally understood the plan.

They didn't want to take it that far without evidence, and Liu Xiaotian was definitely a sly fox. It was impossible for someone as sly as him to leave behind evidence in the Liu Clan. So, they would have to wait for him to leave the Liu Clan to find proof. Not only did Liu Wuxie suspect that Liu Xiaotian had colluded with outsiders, but Liu Xiucheng had also realized it.

"This is the 'luring our prey out of the den' strategy," Liu Wuxie explained, and his gaze shifted to the horizon outside the hall. He wouldn't let anyone go if they wanted to harm his family.

"Wuxie, why do I feel that you're not a youth in your twenty but someone who has lived for thousands of years, calculating each step precisely."

Liu Dayue wasn't the only one who felt that, but so did everyone present.