Chapter 577: Chapter 578: Take Everything Away
“Hehe, so it’s Young Master Li and a few friends in person, have you all come to the Punishment Hall to confess and accept your punishment?”

Elder Sun said with a smile, feeling a sense of unease in his heart. If he wasn’t mistaken, the large group of people standing behind the other party seemed to be villagers from a certain village. This fellow had brought an entire village with him.

“Since you recognize us, then step aside. I need to speak with your household steward, and I’d prefer if the others didn’t interfere.”

Li Xiaobai’s expression was indifferent, and he casually waved his hand, indicating that Sun Mu should hurry up and step back.

Sun Mu was choked up with rage. After all, he was a Great Crossing Realm Expert, one of the senior figures within the Punishment Hall, and also known for having a relatively good temper. Yet today, he was being looked down upon by a few juniors.

Others?

He was a decision-maker, wasn’t he?

“Hehe, Young Master Li, I am one of the elders of the Punishment Hall. I can make decisions regarding your issue. Tell me, what’s brought you here today?”

“If you can’t give a good reason, I can only proceed by the book and take you down,” Elder Sun said with a hint of menace in his tone.

Great Crossing Realm Experts all have their own pride. Having been slighted today, he needed to regain control of the situation.

“Today, I am here to expose the true faces behind the masked gang of a few days ago. That’s minor. Uprooting the families hiding behind them is the major issue.”

“If Elder Sun can take charge of the power struggle between the three Great Family Heads of Aolai Country and the dozens of prominent families, then I would be more than willing to settle the matter right here.”

Li Xiaobai squinted, smiling but not smiling as he looked at the other party.

Although the Great Family Heads had not explicitly said so, he could tell that the Punishment Hall definitely knew part of the inside story.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to remain unmoved and make no effort to arrest the murderers after such a big incident. It was clear that they were aware of his agreement with the Great Family Heads.

If one dug deeper, it was likely that they also knew a part of the Great Family Heads’ plans. That’s why they had been so restrained and low-profile lately, allowing the disciples of the various families to act recklessly within Aolai Country’s borders.

This was just right; it saved him the trouble of wasting words.

“Ah, this…”

Elder Sun was stunned, his eyes flickering with panic. He had never anticipated that Li Xiaobai would be so direct, and that he would start by revealing such significant secrets—with other ordinary disciples present no less!

“Elder Sun, these people are here to cause trouble. In my opinion, we should capture them now and interrogate them later at our leisure!”

“And as for this rabble, no matter the reason, they dare to make a scene in front of the Punishment Hall. They must be punished severely as a warning to others!”

A few of the young people nearby had a sly look in their eyes as they spoke hurriedly. It seemed they might have overheard some significant news. A dispute between the three Great Family Heads and the various prominent families?

Wasn’t the conflict supposed to be between them, disciples from well-known families, and Li Xiaobai?

Why were there shadows of the families and the Great Family Heads in the background?

It seemed they had been caught up in a formidable dispute!

“Shut up!”

“Are the affairs of the Punishment Hall something you can arbitrarily discuss?”

“Young Master Li, my apologies for my earlier loss of composure. At this moment, all the elders are within the grand hall of the Punishment Hall. These villagers will be taken care of by someone I will appoint to find another place for them. What do you think?”

Sun Mu’s expression relaxed quite a bit. Given the situation with Young Master Li coming to confront them so boldly, it was clear that he must have caught the culprits and also held leverage over the major families. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come looking for trouble with such confidence.

“Good, however, these individuals seem to be disciples from certain families. The little secret between us earlier has been overheard by them. Elder Sun, what do you think we should do about this?”

Li Xiaobai said with a smile, pointing at the young cultivators who had come out earlier, his tone light.

Their behavior was too obvious, completely protective of the Situ Household—it definitely spelled trouble.

Sun Mu also understood the other party’s intentions and turned to look at the young cultivators nearby.

“Elder Sun, we are all disciples from the Punishment Hall. We always act by the principle of impartiality. We only acted hastily to capture the criminal earlier because we were unaware of the details. Elder, rest assured, our lips are sealed. What happened just now will not be known by anyone else,”

they said with pupils contracting and a layer of cold sweat breaking out on their foreheads, their voices somewhat panicked.

“I remember you’re from the Ouyang Family, aren’t you?”

Elder Sun suddenly asked one of them, his expression amiable, as if he had no intention of taking measures.

The cultivator heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that as long as he survived this ordeal, he would immediately return to the Situ Household to report this earth-shattering news. It was a momentous matter; such important intelligence could significantly raise his status in the Ouyang Family.

It would also earn him greater trust from the Situ Household.

He promptly replied with a smile, “Yes, junior is indeed Situ Feng from the Situ Household. Speaking of which, our elders have quite a close connection with the Sun Family.”

But the next second, he was utterly dumbfounded as a single sentence from Sun Mu scared him witless.

“Hmm, in that case, bring these people in. Take them into custody, keep a close watch on them, and if anything goes amiss, bring me their heads!”

Sun Mu nodded, giving a wave of his hand, and immediately behind him, a group of cultivators rushed out and subdued them all.

“What is the meaning of this, Elder Sun? We are, after all, cultivators from the Punishment Hall. How can you treat us this way!”

“It was merely overhearing a secret, is it necessary to go to such lengths?”

“Yes, if Elder Sun does not trust us, we can leave the Punishment Hall. This act will surely disillusion all heroes around the world!”

The young men’s faces were filled with shock. Elder Sun, whom they had been around all this time, was like another person now and was about to take them down. What on earth was going on?

“Don’t flatter yourselves, you’re from the Situ faction, aren’t you?”

“In other words, you are from the third-in-command’s side, while I am from the Great Family Head’s lineage. Do I need to explain the implications further?”

“Take them all away. Do you truly believe that you can have the disciples of your family infiltrate the Punishment Hall?”

“I’ve merely acted according to the situation. I know exactly who you are!”

Sun Mu’s expression was as dark as still water. He extended a finger and lightly pointed several times in the air, sealing the cultivators’ cultivation levels, and with a wave of his hand, the men were taken away.

“This is impossible, we have never overstepped our bounds, and what does coming from a great family prove? Elder Sun is slandering us without proof, and I will not stand for it!”

“I demand to see the Family Head!”

The leading young man was full of panic, shouting incessantly. He realized that those close to the Situ Household had been exposed.

If they were suppressed this time, he feared they would never come out again. This was a factional struggle, and they, the cultivators at the bottom, would become the sacrifices.

“So you want to snitch to the Family Head?”

“Don’t be in such a hurry; I will be sure to send you two down below to reunite!”