Under the tribunal of the Judgment Court, Purification Court, and Truth Court, Zelson and the others were sentenced to death.

But this was just the beginning.

Next, Cheka gathered personnel to the Court Barracks to begin concentrated case handling.

The judgment officers from the Judgment Court, accompanied by the military police, started interviewing departments one by one.

Soon, all the elephants in the rooms were identified.

The findings were even more severe than what René reported to Horn.

Some corruption and embezzlement, mostly involving the old bureaucrats, were predominantly economic issues.

Even without Horn, Cheka could gradually address these step by step once Jia Li returned to sign off.

The Loyal Heirs and devout "Believers" of the Saint Father’s Association were not as degenerate as Zelson.

Their most significant issue was conduct.

There were those who helped guilds suppress strikes, those who invisibly oppressed civilians through status, and those who defied the hierarchy in affluent areas under the Priest-in-Charge.

Horn had clearly established that minority should obey majority within the Priestly Order and branches obey the main body, but now it was turned upside down.

Not to mention the repeated elevation of procurement outsourcing standards and the increasingly absurd standards for travel dining.

The priestly leaders once worked in gray robes, but now they seemed ashamed without custom-fit velvet monk uniforms.

The former Wandering Cultivator being carried in a sedan was typical.

Previously, Wandering Cultivators mostly rode donkeys or walked; now the standard is a horse for them, and a carriage for Monastic Leaders.

Horn is not stopping them from pursuing a better material life; it’s just that this situation has gone too far.

Material life changes are allowable; it’s a benefit from the Holy Alliance.

But aligning material life with aristocrats doesn’t make them actual aristocrats.

Since Horn prioritized economic development as a key accomplishment, coupled with the Holy Alliance allocating surplus funds as departmental benefits,

the lifestyle of these monks and Saint Asset industry owners has already set them apart from regular civilians by a vast distance.

They already resembled new aristocrats, despite everything.

For many in Cheka and the military police, these Loyal Heirs and Believers are "our people" and "old comrades."

These actions are somewhat excessive, but shouldn’t be equated with corruption and bribery.

It’s unnecessary.

Horn is equally intolerant of this, just like corruption.

If no internal conflict arises, when they grow stronger, this minor purging will escalate into a major purge.

When that happens, there will be many more executions.

Previous experiences have taught Horn to take risks rather than miss the chance to unite the Holy Alliance through internal struggle.

However, unexpectedly, the notorious Cheka, known for its ruthless efficiency, began to delay at this point.

Cases only progressed if René pushed for them, otherwise they dragged on endlessly.

It wasn’t René and senior Cheka officials resisting; they’re always

but mid-level and lower managers preferred to procrastinate.

They were old comrades after all; Saint’s Grandson might have overreacted.

Seeing this, Horn couldn’t maintain his facade any longer, "Alright, this is how you play?"

At the week’s meeting, Horn proposed:

If a case cannot be completed within the stipulated time, it should be turned over to the military police and judgment officers of the Judgment Court.

If the Judgment Court can handle it, then all similar cases should be handed over to the Judgment Court in the future.

Concerning their own power, Cheka officials couldn’t afford to worry about face any longer.

To prevent the division of departmental power, officials at every level put in tremendous effort for investigation and arrest.

Horn also gave the Judgment Court an opportunity, allowing them to take over many cases from Cheka.

Not only did they take over cases, but also several implicating Cheka.

Since the Judgment Court was established later and remained relatively clean, their operations were upright and they had hardly any cases.

This naturally attracted a slew of newspaper reports and praise, instantly boosting the new department’s reputation.

The Judgment Court received even more reports and cases.

This made Cheka resentful; they endured the hardship and infamy while the Judgment Court reaped the benefits and fame.

They noted this grievance.

Setting up a Purification Court was wise, otherwise Horn couldn’t mildly reform Cheka like this.

Nevertheless, Horn knew political waves easily spill over, ultimately becoming tools of party conflicts and power struggles.

Thus, his directives often led to supreme punishment for ringleaders but did not pursue collateral damage excessively.

This naturally let some escape but was an inevitable expense.

The Holy Alliance gave them another chance; it’s uncertain if they are willing to give themselves another chance.

Throughout the stormy months from start to finish, lasting three full months, scores of officials were dismissed.

A slew of executions, exiles, suspensions, and transfers filled the Trinity Education Team once more.

Horn, who had been idle for over two years, finally found himself busy again.

Besides activities surrounding this rectification movement, he had an important task to undertake.

With several high monks (short for senior monks) gone, naturally many positions were vacated.

Some departments could be gradually filled by deputies or regular staff.

Others, however, had six out of seven gone, creating barren scenarios reminiscent of Gulag times where one person ran an entire department.

Fortunately, Horn still had three backup hidden talent systems: the military, the Saint Asset Bureau, and the Holy Council.

Many of the original early officers had lower cultural levels and struggled to adapt to new tactics.

They were old and couldn’t attend military schools like young people.

The Exorcism Court conducted a civilian examination within the military, transferring a batch of officers to local positions to replace old bureaucrats.

Though they might not match the professional skills of Wandering Cultivators, they certainly surpassed Wandering Cultivators in obeying commands and execution ability.

Simultaneously, Horn urgently conducted several Wandering Cultivator exams, not just in Holy Council’s universities.

Horn opened exams even in middle schools and artisan schools, to fill remaining positions.

Only at this point did Horn have to admit that forcibly promoting education with substantial investments earlier was an extremely correct decision.

In terms of high monk issues, Horn needs to devise strategies.

But ordinary low-level monks responsible for trivial administrative matters are plentiful.

Compared to those from the old Empire dye vat, this group is far more reliable and idealistic.

They tasted the hardships of the Empire as children, attended Holy Alliance primary schools, and Holy Alliance secondary schools when adolescents—groomed entirely by Holy Alliance’s system.

Though Horn acknowledged that similar incidents are inevitable, at least this group is better than old bureaucrats cultivated by the former Empire or church system.

Pick out the bad apples to prevent them from spoiling the rest.

After three ruthless months, the situation finally subsided.

The movement didn’t stop, it’s just major cases were either resolved or in progress, leaving no headlines.

Only minor leftovers remained.

As for Horn, after three months of hustle, he finally returned to leisure.

Unfortunately, his leisure lasted less than a week before new tidings arrived from the Xilan Islands.

Standing at the shooting range, with the letter in hand, Horn glanced over it, brows furrowing.

During these months, while Horn was cleaning internally, the Royal Court experienced tumultuous changes.

Moonlight Bay fell, Black Tower Port fell, and the Blood and Flesh Royal Court’s southern tribal coalition nearly lost all coastal regions.

Only some scattered islands and desert wilderness in the south remained unconquered, given vampires’ inherent disadvantage in intense sunlight.

The Royal Court’s tribal coalition was overwhelmingly defeated despite having almost ten times the forces.

Yet Serafe did not continue advancing south or west but started negotiations, seemingly exhausted.

According to the intelligence from these Holy Tree faction vampires, the clans might soon surrender.

Serafe had sworn at the crater to the Eternal Lord that as long as they surrendered, they would not harm them or dismantle their clans.

Swearing to Lilith at the crater is a noble oath in the Royal Court; no vampire dares tamper with it.

Has it been a year? Is Serafe acting this quickly?

Horn initially thought about collaborating with Falan to play proxy war in the Royal Court.

Is it that Serafe is too strong or the southern tribal coalition too weak?

Horn folded the intelligence, and after a long pause said, "The Dawn Island war needs to accelerate!"