In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 37 Those not in a position should not meddle in its affairs.
Even though she was a direct disciple of Miejue, Zhou Zhiruo had only been in Emei for a short time, and it was the first time she had gone down the mountain with Miejue. How could she know what Miejue, as the sect leader, was doing outside?
But since Gu Shaoan had asked, Zhou Zhiruo's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she pondered earnestly:

"It will probably be very difficult."

"There are thousands of Emei disciples in the Emei Sect. The eldest sister said that fourteen years ago, she happened to meet a demon in the martial arts world and challenged 108 masters from eight major sects, including Huashan, Kongtong, Shaolin and Huashan, to a duel."

"At that time, the dozen or so strongest elders of my Emei Sect went to the appointment, but none of them returned."

"Upon learning the news, Grandmaster Fengling was so angry that she passed on the position of sect leader to Master before she passed away."

"But at that time, all the masters in the sect had perished, and other forces around saw that Emei was in a weak position, and Master had just succeeded as the sect leader, so they began to have designs on it."

"My senior sister said that during those years, Master was in charge of a sect, maintaining order among its members, and dealing with other sects. He was so busy that he barely had time to rest."

"Having just finished dealing with all the big and small matters within Emei, I have to immediately run around to suppress those forces that want to rebel and the martial artists who are causing trouble within Emei's territory."

Gu Shaoan nodded, his gaze also fixed on the deep night sky, as if he could penetrate the darkness and see the rise and fall of the sect and the heavy burden of the sect leader.

"It's not just difficult, it's like walking a tightrope on a precipice."

Gu Shaoan's voice deepened, "Fourth Senior Sister, look at our Emei Sect. Established for a century, our swords shine brightly, and our prestige shakes the southwest. But have you ever thought about what it takes to maintain this foundation, to allow thousands of disciples to practice martial arts in peace, and to prevent martial artists within Emei's sphere of influence from causing trouble?"

Zhou Zhiruo thought for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "Is it because Master and the others are highly skilled in martial arts?"

Gu Shaoan shook his head and said, "That's only one aspect."

After a pause, Gu Shaoan continued, "In a power, experts are the sharp blades that protect the safety of the sect, but rules are the backbone that keeps this huge system running and the cornerstone that allows it to be passed down."

"Without rules, there can be no circle; without squares, there can be no square. Once the rules are broken, people's hearts will scatter, and a thousand-mile dike will be breached by an ant hole."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "What Senior Sister Ding did today is not just a matter of angering Master. She deliberately plotted to harm her fellow disciple, especially when Master gave a clear order and a formidable enemy was at hand."

"The hidden weapons she sent at us are not just about our lives, but also about the ironclad rules of Emei Sect that have been upheld for centuries, the very foundation that Master, as the sect leader, must defend with his life."

Zhou Zhiruo's mouth opened slightly, and she unconsciously sat up straighter. Gu Shaoan's words struck her heart like a heavy hammer.

Gu Shaoan turned around and looked at Zhou Zhiruo with a solemn tone: "Fourth Senior Sister, think about it. If today Master thinks of Senior Sister Ding's twenty years of friendship with the sect and the merits she has made, or takes into account the little merits she has made, then..."

"What would be the consequences of condoning and tolerating such heinous crimes of openly betraying fellow disciples and disregarding one's master's orders, turning a major incident into a minor one, and simply imprisoning or expelling the disciple from the sect?"

He didn't need Zhou Zhiruo to answer immediately, and continued his analysis: "First, the law is unjust. The laws and regulations are unclear."

"Once there are exceptions to the laws, their binding force vanishes. Master's authority as the sect leader will be greatly diminished."

"If we let Ding Minjun, who deliberately plotted to harm her fellow disciple, go free today, how will we punish the other disciples who make mistakes tomorrow?"

"What will the other disciples think when they see this? They will think that the rules can be applied to different people. They will think that twenty years of friendship and so-called merits can offset betrayal."

"Secondly, the sect is alienated and suspicion is growing. You, me, and all the fellow disciples who witnessed today's events will forever have a thorn in our hearts: it turns out that plotting against a fellow disciple does not require paying a heavy price."

"So it turns out that as long as you have enough 'reason' and enough 'capital,' you can trample on the sect rules without bearing the most severe consequences." "If this continues, what will become of the bond between the fellow disciples? Can they still entrust each other with their backs? Is Emei still a sect that is united from top to bottom? It's nothing more than a place of struggle where everyone has their own ulterior motives on the surface."

Gu Shaoan's voice carried a hint of coldness as he described that terrifying future scenario.

Just thinking about the scenes Gu Shaoan described sent chills down Zhou Zhiruo's spine.

"Today they can harm their fellow disciples for personal gain, and tomorrow they can betray the entire Emei Sect for even greater benefits."

“If such a spark is not extinguished with swift and decisive action immediately, it will be too late to regret once it spreads. A century-old foundation will collapse completely under the repeated 'leniency' and the erosion of ironclad rules by generation after generation.”

"As the sect leader, Master, you bear the responsibility for Emei. Would you dare to let Emei decline in your hands? If you were the sect leader, Senior Sister, knowing the risks involved, would you still dare to show mercy to Second Senior Sister?"

Zhou Zhiruo's face turned pale; she had already vaguely understood the gravity of the situation.

Taking in Zhou Zhiruo's expression, Gu Shaoan's tone became more serious.

"Therefore, Master, today's matter is not merely a matter of whether or not one is 'willing to give up'."

"She is fulfilling the inescapable responsibility of a sect leader, eradicating a cancer that could destroy the sect, no matter who that cancer is."

Extinction is not a heartless thing.

At least when it came to matters concerning the Ming Cult, Extinction's moral standards were still quite high.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have known Ding Minjun's character so well, yet allowed her to act arrogantly and domineeringly within the Emei Sect.

Gu Shaoan could clearly feel the pain of personally killing his disciple whom he had nurtured for over twenty years and with whom he had spent every day.

In Miejue's heart, even she herself was far less important than the century-old foundation of Emei.

Let alone a disciple?
Miejue killed Ding Minjun with a wave of her hand. It seemed ruthless, but in fact, she was also exercising the highest duty of the sect leader: to uphold the sect rules to establish itself in the world and to eliminate internal troubles to strengthen herself.

The position of sect leader is never one that a warm-hearted person can sit in. Sometimes, the person who sits in that position needs the sharpest decision-making and the most stern face.

Those who only care about personal feelings are like bandit leaders in the world of martial arts and chivalry.

It's not easy for a person to make it in the martial arts world alone, let alone a sect leader who leads a group of people.
While establishing a sect or school of thought may earn one respect and reliance, only the person behind it knows the extent of the suffering they endure.

Haven't you noticed that even a master like Zhang Sanfeng has been burdened by Wudang and hasn't been able to freely descend the mountain in recent years?

Finally, Gu Shaoan's tone became more solemn.

"Those in positions of authority should fulfill their responsibilities. As the head of the Emei Sect, Master is destined to set an example for Emei. Many things are both beyond his control and something he has to do."

(End of this chapter)