Han Yu worked alongside the others.

Examining.

Assessing.

And subtly…

Altering.

A small piece of fabric was 'discovered' within the joint of a damaged puppet. Its texture, its weave, its coloration…

Matched the style used by the Wen Clan.

Elsewhere, traces of Qi were identified, faint but detectable. Han Yu ensured they aligned with the signature patterns associated with the Zhao Clan.

And finally…

A puppet core.

Partially intact.

Its design…

Reminiscent of Qing Clan craftsmanship.

Nothing blatant.

Nothing obvious.

But enough.

Enough to raise doubt.

Enough to shift suspicion.

When these findings were presented…

The reaction was immediate.

Explosive.

The Elder Council descended into chaos once more, but this time, the focus was external.

Accusations flew.

Voices rose.

The clan elders were summoned.

Confronted.

Defensive responses followed.

Denials.

Counter-accusations.

Tension escalated rapidly.

The fragile balance between the sect and the clans…

Fractured.

And as the situation spiraled…

Han Yu watched.

Silent.

Unnoticed.

The fire had been lit.

And now…

It would burn.

The aftermath did not settle quickly.

If anything, the chaos that followed the collapse of the mine only deepened as time passed. What had begun as confusion soon turned into suspicion, and suspicion rapidly evolved into open tension between the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect and the three great clans.

At first, the clans defended themselves firmly.

They claimed innocence.

They argued that the evidence presented against them was circumstantial at best. A piece of fabric, a trace of Qi, a damaged puppet core. None of it was definitive. None of it could directly prove that they had orchestrated the destruction of the mine.

But the Blood Sect was not known for its patience.

Nor for its leniency.

The Elder Council did not accept explanations easily. Especially not when the losses were this severe. The mine was not just an economic asset. It was a strategic foundation of their power. The loss of manpower, the damage to the underground network, and the interruption of Violet Spirit Quartz production were unacceptable.

Thus…

They escalated.

Clan members who had been present at the mine were detained.

Questioned.

Then interrogated.

And when questioning did not yield satisfactory answers…

The sect turned to methods they trusted more.

Cursed techniques.

Mind probing.

And pain.

The kind of interrogation that stripped away not only lies, but dignity itself.

Han Yu had expected resistance.

He had expected denials.

What he had not expected was what came next.

The truth that emerged from those interrogations was not about sabotage.

It was something else entirely.

Corruption.

Deep.

Widespread.

And far more damaging than anyone had anticipated.

The three clans had not merely participated in the mining operation.

They had exploited it.

Under the cover of their involvement, they had been siphoning off Violet Spirit Quartz far beyond what was allocated to them. The theft was systematic, organized, and had been ongoing for a significant period of time.

The deeper sections of the mine had become their playground.

Hidden.

Difficult to monitor.

Perfect for illicit extraction.

And the reason it had gone unnoticed…

Was not incompetence.

It was cooperation.

Several supervising disciples of the Blood Sect had been bribed.

Not subtly.

Not occasionally.

Consistently.

They had turned a blind eye to irregularities, ignored discrepancies in yield, and in some cases actively facilitated the clans' operations.

Han Yu listened to these developments with a calm exterior.

But internally…

Even he was surprised.

This was not something he had planned.

This was something that had existed beneath the surface all along.

And now it had been exposed.

The implications were immediate.

The position of working at the mine, once considered prestigious and valuable, was now understood in a different light. It had not just been about importance or responsibility.

It had been about opportunity.

Opportunity for profit.

For indulgence.

For excess.

The disciples assigned there had enjoyed benefits that extended far beyond their official duties. Lavish gifts. Private arrangements. Access to pleasures that were otherwise restricted within the sect.

The mine had become, in many ways, a detached world.

A place where rules blurred.

Where oversight weakened.

Where corruption thrived.

And now…

It had all come crashing down.

The Elder Council's response was swift and brutal.

The implicated disciples were dragged out.

Publicly.

One by one.

Their connections did not save them.

Not entirely.

Some had backing.

Influential elders.

Powerful families.

But even that could not shield them completely.

The mine was too important.

The losses too great.

Punishments were handed down.

Varied.

Calculated.

Some were subjected to physical punishment, their bodies broken and forced to endure suffering as a reminder of their failure. Others faced psychological torment, their minds fractured through curse techniques that left lasting scars.

Imprisonment followed for many.

Isolation.

Years they would spend in darkness.

Their cultivation stagnating.

Their influence erased.

Demotion was another common outcome. Once-promising disciples were stripped of their positions, their status reduced, their future paths narrowed significantly.

And those who had supported them did not escape unscathed either.

Several elders found themselves implicated in the scandal. Their indirect involvement, their willful ignorance, or their quiet acceptance of the situation came under scrutiny.

The Elder Council turned inward.

Blame spread.

Trust fractured.

Han Yu observed it all.

Quietly.

Carefully.

Cracks had formed.

Small.

But real.

The unity of the sect, while still intact on the surface, had begun to weaken beneath.

Over time, the situation stabilized.

Not completely.

But enough.

The accusations between the sect and the clans gradually subsided, replaced by a more structured resolution.

The clans were punished.

Severely.

Their share of the mine was revoked entirely. Every benefit they had once received was stripped away. They were now obligated to work under the sect's supervision until the damages caused by the collapse were fully compensated.

A debt.

One they could not escape.

And one they would spend years if not decades repaying.

Within the sect, the fallout continued.

Disciples associated with the clans found themselves isolated. Some were avoided. Others were openly provoked. The atmosphere grew tense, with underlying hostility simmering beneath daily interactions.

And among those affected…

Was a familiar name.

Zhao Liumen.