“The Spiritual Palace Sect, Your Majesty. The absent families are mostly powers that are members of this organization… But there are some noble families not connected to that sect that are not present as well.” That member of the Gray Clouds Sect informed Minos.

Upon hearing that, Emperor Stuart made a serious expression, not liking that at all. The powers that had been missing were all organizations their leaders had chosen to believe Mortimer would be the big winner of the conflict.

So he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing against them!

These people needed to be punished as souls who had chosen to rebel!

Not everyone deserves death, but someone would undoubtedly need to die to pay for the many crimes they had committed.

Otherwise, how could the state remain peaceful and without chaos if any rebel could escape the consequences of such a troublesome act?

Minos then ordered. “Send some high-level elders to investigate the whereabouts of these people.”

“All right.” That elder said, finishing leading Minos’ way to where the representatives from all over the empire were, then immediately leaving to resolve those orders.

Minos then entered that hall, where several groups of people were gathered at various points, talking among themselves, many with worried expressions.

As he entered, Minos made them all stop talking and look at him with looks of respect, fear, envy, and various other feelings one would have toward their superior.

Minos saw this and noticed that his people had wisely divided those into three groups.

Those who had sided with him and the imperial family, the neutrals, and those who had joined Mortimer.

Each group was surrounded by members of the Gray Clouds Sect, where some individuals from that sect held flags, indicating the positions of those groups.

Minos then waved to his allies and then to those who had not chosen a side. Finally, he looked meaningfully at the enemies who were now regretting the choices they had made.

“I see there are many rebels here… Among you, the Mountains Sect, whose master attacked the capital.” He said calmly, making the members of that organization feel chills in their souls.

“Sect master Stuart, our leader, was mad and did abominable things.” The strongest elder of that organization, level 78, said this while lamenting. “But we are ready to accept any punishments, even if we did not agree with Nathaniel’s follies.”

Minos ignored that man and looked at the rest of the traitors of the empire. “What about the rest of you? You didn’t even think twice before changing sides…

I don’t know if I would want people like that in my state. What good is it to have subordinates who, in difficult moments, are absent or rebel?

For me, I’d instead eliminate people like that.”

Not only did those who sided with Mortimer tremble at these words, but those who chose to remain neutral in the confrontation also feared the worst.

Minos continued. “On the Black Plain, I have faced several opponents stronger than my territory could handle. But even in a poor and weak area, I could always find men willing to die for the greater good, to ensure the prosperity not of me but of their families.

But you, with such great powers and influence, would rather fear an opponent with a mere one-level advantage than fight…

Tsk!

Even a poor Spiritual Warrior on the Black Plain has more courage than some of you!”

“Sect Master Stuart, we could die…” Someone from a family that had previously been neutral said that.

“Yes, you can.” Minos changed the verb tense, indicating what might happen to some of them as punishment. “I don’t know how the imperial family will punish you, but I assure you this is your luck.

If I were the emperor of this state, I would give you the option to sacrifice yourselves to secure the future of your sects and families… But as I said, you are lucky. I am not your leader.”

Gulp!

Sounds of saliva being swallowed resounded through that area, with those people feeling how close to losing their lives they had come.

It was a blessing for them not to be Minos’ vassals since they knew he would do what he said.

Hell, he had already done something like that to Brown and Cromwell… So it wouldn’t be too unusual for Minos to repeat his deeds with them.

But the Edwardstone family could never afford to sacrifice so many specialists.

That would be too dangerous and bring an unprecedented crisis to the state!

Hence, these powerful local experts were somewhat relieved, as their punishments would certainly not involve anything so drastic.

“However, even though I am not the one who will give you the punishments, don’t think that I will simply accept your repentance. Those of you who have stayed neutral in the war can forget about getting good deals with my organizations and state.

I recommend that you no longer get involved in matters related to me nor stand in my way. Otherwise…

Uh, better we don’t talk about that now.” He smiled awkwardly. “As for those who acted with Mortimer, I will not let you go free easily. In addition to the punishments you will surely receive from the imperial family, I will charge you separately for your defiance.”

“What does that mean?” An elder from a family that had chosen Mortimer asked in doubt.

“You people made me waste my time in this state instead of being in my empire, minding my own business.

At the same time, some of you have dared to attack members of the Gray Clouds Sect since the confrontations began.

The first ones will have to pay for my time here, and the latter will be exemplarily punished.

I will exterminate the entire family of those who has hurt my men.” He said firmly, making half a dozen people there regret that they had chosen to surrender.

Minos did not care if these people were surrendering to him. Just because a criminal surrendered wouldn’t mean they would get rid of the ultimate punishment for their crimes!

A man scheduled to die by the guillotine would not be spared because he surrendered and regretted his crimes!

That was nonsense!

Compassion for the enemy was the same as self-hatred!

Minos felt no restraint in killing an unarmed man after such one surrendered. If someone was marked for death, they had to die, whether or not they were armed, willing, or unwilling to surrender.

As such, he would not accept the surrender of those marked for death and would still destroy the entire lineage of those who had wounded his men in the short war against Mortimer.

In Minos’ view, a strong state was the one that could avenge its men!

“That’s unfair, sect master!” One such culprit shouted, despairing of his situation. “We only did what we did because of Mortimer! What could we do? He could kill us if we didn’t obey him!”

“If memory serves me right, I warned you before all this what would happen to those who chose to stand against me, didn’t I?” Minos looked into that man’s eyes calmly. “Well, now don’t stay in my front saying this nonsense!

Take what you’ve done like a man!

Die with some dignity!”

With those words, Minos’ eyes flashed brightly, and he brought immense pressure down on the body of that level 77 Spiritual Saint, quickly making such a man kneel down.

In the blink of an eye, that individual’s head exploded, causing everyone in the area to take steps backward amidst the silence that would last for a full minute after that.

…