Chapter 380

Chapter 380: Conspiracy Exposed

Hearing Fang Lie’s words, the Head of the Jin Family froze. He urgently shouted, "No, no! We came here in good faith. How can you want to wipe us out completely?"

"Only ten thousand Green Fox Demons remain from the original hundred thousand. That’s what I call wiping out completely!" Fang Lie roared. "Your Jin Family has thousands of descendants. What’s a few hundred deaths to you?"

"You—" The Head of the Jin Family nearly choked with rage. Knowing he couldn’t reason with Fang Lie, he turned to Mo Wanfang. "Nephew, you must speak for us!"

Mo Wanfang sighed helplessly. "Show mercy where you can. We came to extend goodwill. Killing hundreds of their disciples without cause is unreasonable, don’t you think?"

"I lost tens of thousands! Since when did reason matter?" Fang Lie snapped.

"Wasn’t that all in the past?" Mo Wanfang argued. "Since your rise, the Jin Family and other clans have sought to reconcile. Must old grievances lead to mutual destruction?"

"Don’t you agree, Family Head?" Mo Wanfang prompted with a meaningful glance.

The Jin Family Head quickly nodded. "Yes! We’ve always wanted peace. We’re from the same sect—I was your father’s elder! I truly wish to avoid becoming mortal enemies!"

"Fine words!" Fang Lie sneered. "Had I not known the truth, I might’ve believed this act!"

"What do you mean?" Mo Wanfang frowned.

"If they wanted peace," Fang Lie growled, "why intensify persecuting my people? Three months ago, fifty thousand Green Fox Demons lived here. Since my rise, forty thousand vanished! Is this how they make peace?"

"What?" Mo Wanfang whirled toward the Jin Family Head. "Explain this!"

"That… that was done by lower-ranking members!" the Jin Family Head stammered. "I knew nothing of it!"

"But I know everything!" Fang Lie retorted. "I’ve uncovered your family’s schemes!"

"What schemes?" Mo Wanfang pressed.

"They planned to sell all Ten Thousand Flower Valley’s Fox Demons," Fang Lie spat, "along with every valuable spirit flower and the Jade Peaks!"

"Impossible!" Mo Wanfang objected. "The Valley isn’t theirs! How would they explain handing you barren land? The sect would never permit this!"

"Oh, they devised clever excuses." Fang Lie’s laugh held no mirth. "After I return to Wanxing Sea, they’ll collude with Demonic Path cultivators to raid the Valley. Pretending defeat, they’ll let demons rampage. Then claim poor defense and toss me worthless compensation!"

Mo Wanfang gaped at the Jin Family Head. "Is this true?"

"Lies! All lies!" The man denied frantically, though panic etched his face.

"Multiple Jin disciples confessed under questioning," Fang Lie stated coldly. "They even named the collaborating Demonic Path sect—the Flame Extinction Sect, miles away. Are these all coincidences?"

The Jin Family Head turned ashen, lips trembling wordlessly.

Understanding dawned on Mo Wanfang. He’d thought the Jins merely greedy, but this crossed all lines. Colluding with demons to destroy sect property? Unforgivable.

"You’ve doomed yourselves," Mo Wanfang declared icily, turning away.

"Nephew, let me explain!" The Jin Family Head scrambled after him.

Watching them leave, Fang Lie sneered and ordered, "Execute five hundred Jin disciples. Blood for blood."

Green Fox Demons wept as they drew weapons. Many forewent blades, rending bound captives with claws and fangs until only scraps remained.

That horrifying and bloody scene left all the cultivators trembling with fear. They had once envied the status of the Jin Family’s direct descendants, but now they felt grateful not to bear the Jin surname – otherwise, they might have been the ones slaughtered.

After Mo Wanfang stormed off angrily, he first ordered the Green Fox Demons to disembark from the Qingyun Flying Boat. Ignoring the Jin Family Head’s desperate pleas, he boarded the vessel and departed. Before leaving, he threw one final remark at the Jin Family Head: "Go explain yourself to the Sect Leader!"

The Jin Family Head knew serious trouble was coming. While conflicts with Fang Lie counted as internal Mo Sect affairs where the Sect Leader would mediate impartially, this new situation involved the Demonic Path. Even without concrete evidence, the Jin Family now faced accusations of colluding with external enemies.

In such circumstances, the entire Jin Family could be branded sect traitors. The Sect Leader would never show mercy this time.

Though dreading the Sect Leader’s thunderous anger, the Jin Family Head had no alternatives. The Jin Family, though powerful, couldn’t withstand the Mo Sect’s might. If declared traitors, the over one billion and eighty million Law Enforcement Heavenly Soldiers alone could effortlessly annihilate them.

Abandoning concern for the hundreds of clansmen captured by Fang Lie, the Jin Family Head rushed back to Mo Sect headquarters.

Upon meeting Mo Sect Leader Mo Qianxun again, he found the normally composed leader transformed. Shattered tea cup fragments littered the floor, and the Sect Leader’s face resembled frozen glacial ice.

"What an impressive Jin Family!" Mo Qianxun sneered. "First plunder Ten Thousand Flower Valley’s treasures, then collude with Demonic Path cultivators to burn it down while pocketing massive wealth! Why didn’t I think of such a brilliant scheme?"

Though phrased as praise, these words struck the Jin Family Head like thunder. Without hesitation, he collapsed to his knees, knocking his forehead against the floor three times until the tiles cracked.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader!" he wailed, tears streaming down his face. "This foolish junior lost his conscience! I allowed reckless actions – punish me however you wish! But please, for the sake of my years of loyal service, save the Jin Family!" His forehead touched the floor again.

Seeing this display, Mo Qianxun’s anger softened. The proud Jin Family Head reduced to tearful begging stirred memories of their shared history.

The Mo Sect’s Five Great Family Clans – Mo, Bai, Zi, Jin, Qing – had supported each other for generations. Since childhood, Mo Qianxun had been accompanied by five loyal followers. Three became Family Heads, while two died protecting him. The Jin Family Head had been his devoted guardian, shielding him through countless life-threatening crises.

Faced with this deep bond, Mo Qianxun sighed. "Rise. How could you be so foolish?"

Sobbing, the Jin Family Head explained: "Our vast household requires funds! Fang Lie killed our youths after emerging from the Cycle of Fire, yet we couldn’t touch him. My clansmen sought both vengeance and profit through this plan. Everything was prepared for when Fang Lie returned to Wanxing Sea… but a fleeing fox demon alerted him, ruining everything!"

Mo Qianxun massaged his temples. The scheme had been clever – had it succeeded, Fang Lie would lack evidence. But heaven favored the vigilant.

"Enough excuses," Mo Qianxun finally said. "You failed and got caught. I can only mediate now. If Fang Lie insists on acting, I won’t intervene."