KevinAscending
Eh, I always liked the notion of cutting out the weeds and collective responsibility in novels. Sure it would be a ****ty thing and completely horrible in real life. But at the same time, there's a certain truth that all the people in the clan have benefited from the actions of the people at the top. So if they can rise based on their clan/sect, then they should also fall based on the clan/sect. Otherwise they're getting a free ride.
Well, there are different mindsets regarding slaughter; on the one hand, kill only those directly at fault (as Terry Goodkind mentioned in Debt of Bones "Enemies are the price of honour"), on the other hand there is a multitude of cases when the MC's family and friends are killed/ tortured by the clan/ sect of the deceased bad guy, so extreme measures are justified. Personally I am in favor of the superhero "hidden identity" approach, so you can pursue the first solution.