Persuasion

The core members of the Heavenly League were at first confused when they were called out of the banquet hall.

But then they were bamboozled when the Elders suddenly began to check their belongings and their robes. 

It was as if someone among the disciples had stolen a precious treasure of the sect and now they were being treated as suspects.

One of them tried to ask Yuan Shuchun what was going on but ended up getting shut up by her. 

She seemed unusually strict and stressed.

Afraid of her having a mood swing, which was no less than a death threat to them, the disciples unanimously decided to keep quiet and follow what they were being told to do.

...

There were only half of the elders present at the scene, the rest of the elders, including the Sect Leader and the Grand Elders, had gone out to round up the remaining disciples on the First Peak who were present at the base when the assassination happened.