The location within the Forest of Death that the Demonic Cult called their home was a rather large area encompassing several small and large mountains.
They didn't occupy these mountains but rather built their hideout within the valley between these mountains, with only a few buildings being slightly up the slope of several mountains.
Of course, this arrangement was out of necessity due to the dangerous Demonic Beasts within the Forest of Death. The mountains around them act as a natural barrier, hiding them from all prying eyes.
This main hideout of theirs functions like a Martial Sect, a Clan, and even a city. It was separated into the Outer Ring, the Inner Ring, and Main Ring.
Looking at the Outer Ring, one could only describe it as a city. It was mostly regular mortals who can't cultivate live here and due to their numbers, they are of the majority of people living within the Demonic Cult. This also resulted in the Outer Ring being the largest of the three.
However, it is not rare that children from these mortals possess a Spirit Root allowing them to cultivate.
In the past, there were only two Rings. These children would be taken into the Heavenly Demon Academy that was in the Second Ring for training. If their talent for cultivation was high, they would go on to become significant figures in the Cult and subsequently increase the status of their mortal family.
But if their talents were below average, they would be kicked out of the Heavenly Demon Academy and be left to fend for themselves.
It was after the number of these families from powerful cultivators and those less talented cultivators reached a significant amount did they began distinguishing themselves from the Mortals in the once-called First Ring. Thus, the two wings split into three, creating the now Outer Ring, Inner Ring, and Main Ring.
The Inner Ring became a den of powerful Clans that have sway over the entire Cult due to the powerful cultivators that come from those Clans. The smaller Clans inside this Ring are Clans established by those less talented youths kicked out of the Heavenly Demon Academy.
As for the Main Ring, this was the first Ring created by the Demonic Cult when they first entered the Forest of Death, and where the Heavenly Demon Academy is now located. This Ring also housed the Leader of the Demonic Cult and the Eight Demon Generals who are second in command.
If the Demonic Cult was to be described as a spider, the Cult Leader was like the main body of the spider while the legs would be the eight Generals and their Clans in the Inner Ring, who were also known as the Eight Demonic Clans.
However, while the main body consists of the head and has control over the spider's direction as a whole, it is undoubtedly the legs that have to move. So, a delicate power balance formed within the Cult over time between the Cult Leader and the Eight Demonic Clans.
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As Xiao Mo recalled all the details he knew about the Demonic Cult, he silently listened to conversations around him while lying on a long-cushioned bench and resting his head on Mei-Mei's lap.
He also had his eyes closed, which made it look like he was sleeping to the others inside the hall.
As for who these people were and why Xiao Mo was carefully paying attention to their conversations. They were the outstanding disciples of the Heavenly Demon Academy and the future heirs of the Eight Demonic Clans, who would have significant influence within the Cult in only a few years.
Of course, these weren't the only attendees at this banquet. There were also Young Masters and Young Ladies of the smaller Clans in the Inner Ring as well as the disciples of notable Elders in the Cult who decided not to participate in Clan Politics by creating one.
However, it went without saying that they were all flocking around these eight Clan Heirs, making them the center of the conversations and creating a scene akin to stars orbiting eight luminescent moons.
But there was another smaller group within this hall that Xiao Mo paid attention to.
This group noticeably kept their distance from the eight Clan Heirs' group, creating a slight riff in the hall.
This smaller group also consisted of some smaller Clan Heirs and disciples of notable Elders, but with one look, one would be able to tell the main characters of this group were one girl and two youths, who were around the same age as the eight Clan Heirs of the Eight Demonic Clans.
The girl was rather small with rosy chubby cheeks that resembled two apples. She had a cheerful demeanor as she spoke, which when added with her small stature and adorable appearance, cause one to unconsciously want to dote on her.
However, this cheerful demeanor of hers was rather striking to people after they recalled she was a part of the Demonic Cult.
Even though the Demonic Cult was on a path of redemption, it should be noted that it would take several more generations to wash away the inherent cruelty in their nature.
In the past, the Cult was known for their bloodthirsty and scheming nature. Even a family member could be stabbed in the back if the benefits were good enough.
They also took the well-known saying in Jianghu 'the strong thrive on the graves of the weak' to the utmost extreme.
With such a mentality engraved within them, it was hard to get rid of it completely, and that shows in their words and actions today.
Xiao Mo could detect several schemes underneath the conversations between those eight Clan Heirs, and this was all while they were smiling at each other.
However, this girl dressed in a simple female martial artist attire was completely different. She lacked the inherent demonic nature of those eight heirs as if she was simply born without it.
If Xiao Mo wasn't confident he was currently within the heart of the Demonic Cult's main hideout, he would have thought she was a Young Lady from a prominent family in the Righteous Faction.
But she wasn't alone in this, the other two youths next to her similarly lacked that demonic nature.
All Xiao Mo could hear drifting from their side was compliments about the food and wine served in this banquet. Only on a few occasions would they glance over in his direction and talk about the inner workings of the Demonic Cult as well as the relationship between them and the Righteous Faction.
This showed that although they were like those eight Clan Heirs, they weren't ignorant. Perhaps they were like those from the Righteous Faction. Careful of their attitude in the open but wouldn't find it hard to get their hands dirty behind the scenes.
It was unlike those eight Clan Heirs scheming in the open. Where even a few of their comments that were directed at some of those weaker Clan Heirs, would have them shiver and quickly express their willingness to support them.
They feared if they didn't do so fast enough, their Clans would face endless suppression. But afterward, they would receive smiles and toasts from whichever of those heirs they were clinging onto.
Xiao Mo knew that tactic all too well.
It was a way of maintaining allies through threats and coercion.
The Righteous Faction did similar things too, but it wouldn't be done so openly, and neither would it be threats and coercion, but rather coercion and benefits.
The powers in the Righteous Faction would lose too much if the public perception of them was bad, so their methods of handling these matters were fundamentally different.
Suddenly, one of the youths beside the cute girl stepped forward and began walking in Xiao Mo's direction.