Chapter 3: A Plan to Escape

The days following the council's decision were like a slow death for Lei Chen. Everywhere he turned, he was met with pitiful looks or, worse, disdainful glares. The servants, who once scrambled to serve him, now whispered behind his back. His once comfortable life had become a prison of humiliation.

Lei Chen wandered the clan compound, his mind swirling with bitter thoughts. His father, Lei Tian, was doing everything he could to protect him, but even he could not sway the elders. The Lei Clan was preparing to move on without him.

That night, as the stars twinkled above the silent clan compound, Lei Chen sat in his room, staring blankly at the ceiling. His mind raced with thoughts of escape. If he stayed, he would rot away in this cage of shame. If he left… perhaps there was still a chance.

He had heard tales of powerful cultivators who had fallen and then risen again. Legendary figures who had defied the odds, clawing their way back from the brink of death. He didn't know if those stories were true, but they gave him hope.

"I have to leave," he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing with resolve. "I can't stay here any longer."

The Lei Clan had abandoned him, but that didn't mean his journey was over. Far from it.

Late that night, Lei Chen quietly packed what little belongings he had left. He couldn't risk taking much—just enough to survive for a few days outside the clan's walls. As he prepared to leave, his father's voice echoed in his mind.

"Lei Chen, no matter what happens, remember who you are. You are my son. You are a Lei. Never forget that."

Lei Chen clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "Father… I'm sorry. But I have to do this."

Silently, he slipped out of his room, moving like a shadow through the darkened halls of the Lei Clan. The guards were sparse at this time of night, and Lei Chen had memorized the patrol routes from his training days. It wasn't difficult to avoid detection.

As he approached the outer gate, he cast one final glance back at the compound that had been his home for so many years. His heart twisted with a mix of sorrow and anger, but he steeled himself.

"I'll return one day," he whispered, his eyes glinting with determination. "And when I do… I'll make you all regret abandoning me."

With that, Lei Chen slipped into the night, disappearing into the wilderness beyond the clan's walls.