The Chains of Betrayal
The **Wind Cloud Sect's Grand Hall** was filled with **a heavy silence.**
Elders stood on both sides, their expressions unreadable, while core disciples whispered amongst themselves.
At the center of it all, **Zhou Chuan knelt, his head held high, his once-pristine robes dirtied from the back mountain punishment.** His eyes burned—not with fear, but with confusion and anger.
At the head of the hall, **Sect Master Chu Qintian sat on his throne.** His sharp eyes, aged with wisdom, stared down at the young man before him.
**"Zhou Chuan… You stand here today not just as a disciple, but as a man accused."**
Zhou Chuan's fists clenched.
**Accused?**
He had known **something was wrong** ever since he was sentenced to punishment in the **back mountains.**
Now it was **all falling into place.**
**But who? Who was doing this?**
Elder Yuan, one of the most respected elders of the sect, stepped forward with a scroll in hand.
He unrolled it slowly—**revealing a list of names.**
Zhou Chuan's breath hitched.
**The names of missing disciples.**
**Nine months' worth.**
**Since the time he first started regaining his strength.**
The timing was **too precise.**
**Someone planned this.**
And they wanted **him** to take the fall.
Far from the grand hall, in a private chamber of the sect, **Klaus watched through a floating mirror, his golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction.**
Mike stood behind him, silent, his presence **blending into the shadows.**
Klaus smirked.
**Everything was going perfectly.**
Mike, his most **loyal and terrifying subordinate,** had already done the heavy work.
Nine months ago, **a single disciple had died mysteriously.**
A tragedy? Yes but who cares in sects descipels die but now when when someone is getting accused of using forbidden technique then those doubt deepens
Then, over the months, **a few more disappeared.** Not too many, just enough to plant more seeds of doubt in the sect.
**And now?**
Now was the time to **harvest those doubts.**
**Zhou Chuan was already broken from his punishment.**
His father, Zhou Qi, had just returned to the sect, **injured, weakened—his mind vulnerable.**
And now, Klaus would push the final piece into place.
"Master Klaus," Mike finally spoke, his deep voice calm. "Zhou Qi has arrived."
Klaus's smirk deepened.
**"Good. Now, let's see if a father's love can survive the weight of evidence."**
---
The **grand hall doors burst open.**
A man stepped in, **his steps slow, yet filled with barely restrained rage.**
**Zhou Qi.**
But **he was not as he once was.**
His once **towering frame had withered.** His robes, once majestic, were now torn and **stained with dried blood.**
His injuries ran deep—**scars hidden beneath his robes.**
The moment **Zhou Chuan saw him, his heart clenched.**
"**Father?!**"
Shock flashed in his eyes.
**What happened to him?!**
The last time he had seen his father, Zhou Qi had been **unshaken, powerful.**
But now…
**He looked as though he had barely survived an ambush.**
A whisper spread through the hall.
Even the elders exchanged glances.
"Zhou Qi," Sect Master Chu Qintian spoke, his voice heavy. "You return at a time of crisis."
Zhou Qi's sharp eyes locked onto his son.
Then, he turned to the Sect Master.
"I heard the rumors," Zhou Qi said, his voice hoarse. "But they cannot be true. My son would not betray the sect."
Sect Master Chu Qintian exhaled, a trace of regret in his expression.
**"I wish that were the case."**
Zhou Qi's **brows furrowed.**
Elder Yuan stepped forward.
**"Zhou Qi,"** Elder Yuan began. **"We have traced the disappearances of multiple disciples back to your son.**
Zhou Qi's body **stiffened.**
**"That's ridiculous."**
"Is it?" Elder Yuan's eyes were sharp. "Then how do you explain that the first disappearance happened exactly **nine months ago—when your son miraculously started regaining his power?**"
A cold **chill spread through the hall.**
**The timeline was perfect.**
Too perfect.
**Zhou Chuan's mind raced.**
Nine months ago…
That was when he **first felt something strange in his fate.**
When he **first sensed his luck wasn't as strong as before.**
When he first **felt like someone was watching.**
**Was that the start of this?**
Was someone **plotting against him all this time?**
---
Zhou Qi took a deep breath.
He turned to his son.
His son, who was now kneeling, accused of crimes **he could not believe.**
His son, who **stood against fate itself.**
And yet…
That single **piece of evidence gnawed at his mind.**
Nine months.
Was it really a coincidence?
**Or was his son truly hiding something?**
Zhou Qi's mind was **strong—but it was wounded.**
**He did not know.**
But **Klaus knew.**
Watching from afar, Klaus whispered to himself.
"**And now, you start to doubt, Zhou Qi.**"
His **plan was working.**
The first seed of **betrayal** had been planted.
And soon, Zhou Chuan would be **completely alone.**
---
Just as the tension reached its peak—
A **disciple ran in, breathless, falling to his knees.**
**"Sect Master! Another body has been found!"**
The hall **fell silent.**
Elder Yuan's expression **darkened.**
"Where?" he asked.
The disciple swallowed.
**"…Near the sacred scripture hall. The same place Zhou Chuan was seen before."**
A heavy weight **descended on the hall.**
All **eyes turned to Zhou Chuan.**
And in that moment—
**He realized.**
**This was not just a misunderstanding.**
**Someone was doing this to him.**
**And they were winning.**
### **In the Shadows of Victory**
In the dark chamber, Klaus finally let out a soft chuckle.
"Now, let's see how long you can endure this, Zhou Chuan."
Mike remained silent, his piercing eyes watching his master's **grinning face.**
Zhou Chuan's fate was **sealed.**