Considering that the orders were rather sudden, some people might be traveling abroad, gathering herbs in the mountains, or engaging in seclusion cultivation, making them truly unreachable, but the Magic Sect still needs to report their whereabouts.

For example, if someone goes into the mountains to gather herbs, at minimum, we need to know which mountain they entered and with whom they made contact.

There's nothing much to this, it's equivalent to the sect conducting a comprehensive survey of disciple conditions.

However, the Hall of Sect Rules has decided that any disciple who remains unreachable will have a one-month grace period, and if they're still missing after that, they will be temporarily expelled.

Expulsion is a very severe punishment; according to Wuxia novels, it's equivalent to being expelled from the sect. This means the person will no longer receive the protection of the Magic Sect nor have access to its various cultivation resources.

Yet, having obtained the technique inheritance, this person must not use the techniques to bring harm, or even casually use them, otherwise they could face punishment from the sect, such as having their cultivation destroyed.

Back in the day, when Zhang Yanfei was imprisoned for major offenses, the internal punishment from the sect was only expulsion. Now, merely not being able to contact someone requires expulsion—this is too excessive!

The decision by the Hall of Sect Rules caused an uproar, flooding the Second Elder with calls. Even disciples under the Second Elder and several stewards who could speak with him regularly were bombarded with dense information.

Some disciples or fellow sect brothers might be unreachable due to private matters. Others might be unwilling to fully disclose their information, perhaps involving some secretive affairs.

The Second Elder, nonetheless being the Second Elder, quickly came out to explain. The decision by the Hall of Sect Rules was only "temporary expulsion."

If a person is contacted again within a month and can clearly explain their whereabouts, such as what they were doing, where, and when, they can automatically restore their status as a sect disciple.

Before restoring their name to the roster, if even the person can't be found, does expulsion make any difference? So everyone should quickly submit their investigation statistics within a month!

The Second Elder also emphasized that the purpose of the Hall of Sect Rules is not to probe into personal privacy.

The Magic Sect is not a workplace or trade association; it is a sect that inherits technique and provides various cultivation resources, so it must grasp disciples' dynamics—this is non-negotiable!

Just because the Hall of Sect Rules hasn't done this regularly doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't do so.

He also provided an example, like if someone had been arrested for soliciting prostitution lately, just report back to the sect when they were caught, where they were detained, and for how long. The Hall of Sect Rules would neither notify their work unit or family nor inquire into details of their solicitation.

This might involve some privacy, but as a disciple of the Magic Sect, one must obey orders; it's the fate they've caught up with.

No one dared to negotiate with Elder Ye Phoenix but sought out the Second Elder for petty arguments. As for Elder Ye Phoenix, responsible for overseeing this matter, he was even more blunt—

"If something happens, it's normal to not be reachable for two or three days, and it's possible for not finding someone for five or six days, but the Hall of Sect Rules is giving a month.

If someone can't be found for a whole month, it indicates that the sects have completely lost control and oversight over the disciples.

Not knowing where someone is, or what they're doing, or even if they're dead or alive—how is that different from abandoning their sect? It might as well lead to expulsion first, letting them come and explain to the Hall of Sect Rules themselves!"

...

That afternoon, after leaving the hospital, He Kao contacted Lin Qingshuang again and invited the elder to lunch. The location was deliberately chosen—a restaurant where Old Qian had hosted earlier.

Lin Qingshuang informed He Kao of the latest news causing a stir in the Magic Sect.

He Kao felt very fortunate since he was not a member of the sect, and such matters usually wouldn't be specially notified to him. Thankfully, he knew Elder Lin.

This news was very important to He Kao, arguably more so than to any Magic Sect disciple.

Because when a month passes, Zhao Hai Zhen, Peng Xian, and others are also unlikely to come and explain their situation! As long as no one can find their whereabouts, it means they've effectively been permanently expelled.

Is the intent of the Magic Sect's Hall of Sect Rules to just expel these people first?

On the surface, no reason can be found to expel them because they've vanished, and detailing the matter is unclear, so they opt for a temporary "expelled" handling.

Another angle is that if someone in the Hall of Sect Rules can guess what happened that night, the subtext of this decision is not to pursue the matter of him and Huang Xiaopang eliminating Zhao Hai Zhen and others, at least not from the sect level.

If this matter were exposed and clarified, it would be a scandal for the Magic Sect, only suitable for a cold approach. For Hidden Moth, it would also expose their identity.

There will undoubtedly be people continuing to investigate those individuals' whereabouts: family, friends, fellow members, and police who received missing persons reports, but that's another matter.

The reason He Kao thought so was that when Liang Kai disappeared, everyone believed it was done by Hidden Moth—that Hidden Moth's revenge and warning.

Now Zhao Hai Zhen has vanished in Qi Yuan. If further investigation reveals a batch of Magic Sect disciples also infiltrated Qi Yuan and disappeared along with Zhao Hai Zhen and others, then some conclusions are easily drawn.

They must have been targeting Hidden Moth, their fate being similar to Liang Kai's, likely due to Hidden Moth's intervention. Whether it's Hidden Moth's reprisal warning or self-defense retaliation, a conflict ensued, and Hidden Moth dealt with them.

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