Chapter 2:Chains of betrayal

As the crowd gathered, their murmurs filled the air, swirling with uncertainty. Bloodied and broken, Snow became the center of attention. The elders and sect master materialized, their expressions a mix of concern and authority.

The sect master's inquiry cut through the tension, "What transpired here?"

Liara, composed but feigning distress, spoke with practiced innocence. "Snow tried to rape me, Sect Master. Xian arrived just in time to save me from his vile intentions."

Gasps rippled through the onlookers, shock etched across their faces. Rape was a grave accusation in the sect, met with severe consequences.

In response to the accusations, Snow, though battered, summoned his resolve. "Sect Master, it's a lie. Liara betrayed me with Xian. They attacked me when I vowed to seek revenge."

Skepticism flickered in the eyes of some elders, but the reality of Snow's crippled form seemed to overshadow his words. In the hierarchy of the sect, the son of the sect master and a promising disciple like Liara held considerable sway.

In the hushed aftermath, the sect master's stern gaze fell upon the wounded Snow, contemplating the gravity of the situation. Death, the customary punishment for such accusations, loomed like a shadow over the proceedings. Yet, the sect master, influenced by unseen currents, pondered his decision.

Liara, a master manipulator in her own right, knelt before the sect master, pleading for leniency with a well-practiced desperation. "Sect Master, Snow has made significant contributions to our sect. Please consider sparing his life."

The crowd, swayed by Liara's plea, whispered in agreement, suspicion now turning towards Snow. The sect master, his decision swayed by both internal conflicts and external pressures, altered the course of judgment.

"Very well," he declared, "Snow shall not face death. Instead, he will be stripped of his cultivation, crippled, and sold as a slave to toil in the mythril mines."

A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. The weight of the altered sentence hung in the air, a compromise between justice and the influence wielded by those entangled in the web of betrayal