Yanyo Hanying soon brought us to the one place disciples tried their best to avoid. The, Law Enforcement Hall. The Law Enforcement Hall was by far the scariest place to most disciples, whether they be common-born from the modern world, or the sect-born who were raised in cultivation society.
They all feared the Law Enforcement Hall for one simple reason. They were all fucking crazy bastards obsessed with impartial justice. So anyone getting involved with them would lose a layer of skin.
The Law Enforcement Hall as a whole was an entire 'cult' formed around the Dao of Justice and following the laws of common morality. And that Dao was brutal. They were rewarded for bringing criminals to justice and likewise exposing evil by their cultivation rising along even their talent becoming better.
So internal corruption within the Law Enforcement Hall? Yeah, that didn't exist due to the act of being corrupt would give such cultivators almost instant Qi Deviation and depending on their severity of said crime.
They could go from puking blood after committing said crime. To explode into a mist of blood at a terrible offense.
That brutal impartial law keeper was how the Five Elements Sword Sect didn't decay after more than a thousand years of existence.
Yanyo Hanying very, very clearly explained that I needed to keep my mouth shut as the disciples of the Justice Hall were fucking hounds for immorality and wrongdoing. So if I didn't want said justice hounds after me.
I should just keep quiet and allow her to speak as an Inner Disciple who would actually be listened to.
And that's what happened as Yanyo explained the clearly bullshit letter to a disciple who was just in charge of noting complaints and crimes being told to the Hall.
"This is a gross breach of corruption. Clearly the elder has lost his seal and the sect itself could lose face should the thief be someone from outside the sect... Imagine if someone from outside the sect used it to pay for illicit or embarrassing things!" The disciple said with clear disgust at seeing the letter.
As for literally not a fucking moment did the disciple also believed that this was a legitimate order sent from an elder.
"Follow me, I will bring you to Elder Taiyu." He said firmly as he led us deeper into the Hall of Justice.
Likewise, as we went, I even saw some 'evil' disciples who were being pulled into the depths of the Hall's lesser crime cells.
In which people who were drunk, caused minor issues, or were dishonorable to a lesser degree in front of fell sect members or while on missions. Were put into gilded cages that would be cycled across the sect's main halls.
So that all may see them. And all may shame them publicly for their foolish actions.
For people who did worse offenses... They were brutally beaten with enchanted clubs and sticks and their then broken forms filled with pain would then be shown around the sect to remind others not to be an asshole.
For criminals who betrayed the sect, killed fellow sect members. Or fell into evil cultivation methods. They were burnt alive after being crippled to enhance the effects of the sect's alchemy and blacksmithing.
Elder Taiyu was an old, severe-looking man with a missing arm at the elbow that had been replaced with a brutal-looking trident, with the trident's three prongs covered in sharp twisted thorns.
"Lord Taiyu, an elder's signature seal has been stolen and a false set of orders has been sent to this new disciple and Inner Disciple Yanyo Hanying." The disciple spoke respectfully.
The elder's eyes snapped open at that, and the letter floated over to him, and he barely even scanned the content of the letter before staring long and hard at the signature. The seal that bore said elder's qi signature to even my own senses.
"This... It is not a forgery. This seal WAS made with Xiaoli Shan's own Elder Seal, which was forged by the Sectmaster's lineage with his own qi and blood." Elder Taiyu said with a dark scowl.
He then looked up to me and Yanyo Hanying and said flatly. "How have you offended him?"
We shared a look, and she nodded to me to speak first. I looked back to the elder and said with complete honesty. "Besides becoming friends with Senior Sister Hanyo Hanying. I have never even seen Elder Xiaoli Shan."
"Besides, possibly his son, being jealous of this senior sister escorting me around the sect to introduce me to it." I added as well.
The man gave me a long, searching look. And I could feel my soul almost being searched by his gaze even as I idly looked above his head to see a dull halo that didn't have any opportunity within it.
After a moment, he said thoughtfully. "You are Jake Bariss... That outer disciple who was pulled in by Elder Cai Xun. Yes it all makes sense now."
And for some reason, it was very off-putting the way he was looking at me in something almost akin to amusement and pity on his scarred face.
Then he just nodded and said firmly. "In either case, you both did well in bringing this to the Justice Hall. I assure you both, that justice will be brought in this case. By that. I mean, the Justice Hall Head Elder will be calling an Elder's meeting with the Sectmaster with Elder Xiaoli Shan's gross misconduct."
I bowed my head in appreciation before I spoke quietly. "Thank you for your justice in this situation, Elder Taiyu."
To which Elder Taiyu chuckled actually and made me pause as he spoke. "It's merely for justice that I do this... Well you will understand at some point Jake. In either case, I will give you a warning. Beware those who will seek to take you as a disciple soon."
The elder leaned in and said with actual wonder in his voice. "Truly... A disciple who reaches Foundation Establishment in not even two months of being within the sect with no actual mentor. Tsk tsk, that fool will regret leaving you in the wild when someone else snatches you up haha!"
Then the elder waved his hand at us and Yanyo Hanying and I were gently pushed out of his large office with the enchanted metal doors slamming shut in our faces as I finally just said flatly.
"I am not leaving my home until I reach Golden Core."
And without giving Yanyo Hanying, the dangerous woman with her beauty, another look. I quickly made my way back home.
As I wasn't even going to go out for fresh air until I reached Foundation Establishment!