5:Shadows of Betrayal

Chapter 5: Shadows of Betrayal

The room was silent, but the tension between us was suffocating.

The assassin stood before me, dressed in black robes, her dagger still pressed against my Hidden Blade after my surprise counterattack.

Her face was mostly covered by a mask, but her sharp, intelligent eyes locked onto mine. There was no fear, no hesitation—only cold calculation.

She wasn't some low-level killer. She was an expert.

And yet… she hadn't gone for the kill.

I kept my grip firm on my blade, my stance steady. If she wanted a fight, I'd give her one. But I needed answers first.

"Who sent you?" I asked, voice calm but firm.

The assassin didn't answer. Instead, she twisted her wrist, disengaging her dagger and stepping back in a single fluid motion.

Her movements were flawless—too refined for a simple hired killer.

I narrowed my eyes. "If you came to kill me, you failed."

She tilted her head slightly, as if amused. Then, for the first time, she spoke.

"I wasn't sent to kill you," she said, her voice soft yet laced with warning. "If I had been, you'd already be dead."

A bold claim. But there was no arrogance in her tone—only certainty.

"Then why are you here?" I pressed.

She took another step back, as if testing whether I would chase her. When I didn't, she continued.

"To warn you."

That caught me off guard. "Warn me?"

She nodded. "You were supposed to die the night you were ambushed."

I clenched my jaw. So she was connected to the Silent Blades Sect.

"Let me guess," I said. "You were watching?"

"I was sent to confirm your death." Her expression remained unreadable. "But I was… surprised."

I smirked. "That I survived?"

"That you changed."

She was sharp. Too sharp.

I took a step forward, watching for her reaction. She didn't flinch.

"You knew the old Ye Qing, didn't you?" I said slowly.

Her silence was my answer.

I studied her carefully. If she had been assigned to track me before my reincarnation, that meant she knew things about my past that even I didn't.

That was valuable.

I lowered my blade slightly but didn't sheath it. "What else do you know?"

She hesitated—just for a split second.

Then, she said something that made my blood run cold.

"You have a traitor in the Demonic Cult."

A Hidden Hand in the Shadows

My mind worked fast. A traitor? I had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed by an outsider meant the situation was far worse than I thought.

"How do you know?" I demanded.

The assassin—who still hadn't given her name—glanced toward the window. "Because the order to kill you didn't come from outside."

I frowned. "Then who gave it?"

She met my gaze, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of something behind her cold exterior—pity.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But I know this… the one who wants you dead is someone high-ranking. Someone with the power to use my sect's services without raising suspicion."

I exhaled sharply. That eliminated low-level enemies.

If what she was saying was true, then my enemies weren't just other divisions of the Demonic Cult—they could be elders or even leaders.

And that meant…

I was still in danger.

An Unlikely Alliance

I studied the assassin carefully. She had come here expecting me to be the same as before—weak, manipulatable. But she had found something different.

A man who wouldn't be so easily killed.

"Why warn me?" I finally asked. "Why not just let them finish the job?"

Her lips curled into the slightest smirk. "Because I like interesting things."

I narrowed my eyes. "That's not an answer."

She sighed. "Let's just say that if you survive, things become… more entertaining."

So, she wasn't entirely against me—but she wasn't fully on my side either.

A dangerous variable.

"Give me a name," I said. "Something to work with."

She hesitated. Then, finally, she relented.

"I don't have a name for the traitor," she admitted. "But I do know the next assassin they'll send after you."

I tensed. "Who?"

Her next words made my stomach drop.

"The Silent Blades Sect is sending one of their Five Shadows to kill you."

I clenched my fists. The Five Shadows—the deadliest assassins of their sect. Each one was a master of death, far beyond the rank of the ones who failed to kill me last time.

If even one of them was coming, then my survival chances had just plummeted.

I needed to prepare.

And fast.

A Deal with the Devil

I took a deep breath and made my decision.

"You're clearly more than a simple observer," I said. "You have inside knowledge. You know my enemy."

She raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"I want you to work with me," I said.

She chuckled. "And why would I do that?"

"Because," I said, stepping forward, "whoever sent them after me is playing a dangerous game. They'll betray you, too, when the time comes."

For the first time, her amusement faded.

She stared at me for a long moment, then finally spoke.

"I'll consider it."

It wasn't a yes. But it wasn't a no, either.

"What's your name?" I asked.

She hesitated. Then, in a softer voice than before, she answered.

"Xiao Rin."

Then, in a single movement, she leapt onto the window sill and vanished into the night.

I exhaled, finally relaxing my stance.

Han Min, who had been frozen in shock the entire time, finally spoke.

"Brother Ye… what the hell just happened?"

I sighed. "We just made a very dangerous acquaintance."

He paled. "Are we going to die?"

I sheathed my blade.

"Not if I get stronger first."

Because now I knew—my enemies weren't going to stop.

If I wanted to survive, I needed more than just training.

I needed power.

And I was going to get it.

No matter what it took...

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Chapter 6 will be posted soon! I'm making sure it's long, detailed, and intense so readers stay hooked. Stay tuned! 🚀🔥