Chapter 47: The Traitor's Pact
The streets of Dawnriver buzzed with a tense undercurrent, the midday sun casting long shadows over the cobblestone paths, the air heavy with the murmur of betrayal and the faint scent of street vendors' spices, now overshadowed by unease. The Xun, Hei, Wudu, Bloodshade Abyss, and Crimson Claw clans had declared their alliance against the crown, their treachery a dagger in the kingdom's heart. Lin Xuan moved through the crowd, his crimson eyes hard with resolve, the weight of his 7th Layer Qi Transformation a steady force as he gathered evidence to expose the plot. The Celestial Unity Crest on his back pulsed faintly, a quiet guide as he slipped encrypted messages into the hands of loyalists. "This'll turn the tide," he muttered, his voice low, the parchment crackling under his fingers.
Liu Yue, now at the 3rd Layer Qi Transformation, worked alongside Bai Ningxue, her 6th Layer Qi Transformation aura a complementary glow, as they sealed caches of traitor supplies with Icy Skin mist and Thousand Lotus Seal Art. "We've got to lock these down tight," Liu Yue said, her moonlight eyes focused, her snowflake mark shimmering as frost encased a crate. Bai Ningxue nodded, her seals weaving with precision. "Agreed—let's make sure they can't touch this," she replied, her spirited laugh a brief respite amidst the tension. Liu Yang, his 9th Layer Body Refining qi a powerful anchor, disabled enemy puppets with swift strikes of his blood-forged glaive, his voice gruff. "These things are a pain—good riddance," he grunted, his young face set with determination, though the weight of his bloodline lingered in his thoughts.
Lin Xuan confronted a traitorous general, his 7th Layer qi surging as he struck with a precise Severed Crimson Unity Slash, the blade of energy cutting through the man's defenses, sending him sprawling with a cry. "You chose the wrong side," Lin Xuan said, his tone cold, the general's defeat a stark warning. In the Ji Clan palace, Ji Yunjing, at the 3rd Layer Profound Heavenly Realm, ordered arrests, his silk robes rustling as he paced, his voice resolute. "Round them up—justice will be served." The shock of Ji Weihai's defection—a trusted advisor turning coat—rippled through the court, his bow to the traitors a bitter sting. "I thought he was loyal," Ji Yunjing muttered, his face paling, but he pressed on, his leadership tested.
Lin Xuan planted a Crimson Lance Burst trace on a fleeing traitor, the faint qi signature a thread to follow. "We'll track them down," he said to Liu Yue, his voice steady despite the exhaustion creeping into his bones. The palace halls echoed with the clink of chains and the murmur of planning, the air thick with the scent of incense and the weight of betrayal. Liu Yue placed a hand on his arm, her tone soft. "We'll rebuild from this, Senior Brother—together." The streets outside simmered with tension, the traitor's pact a wound that would heal only with time and resolve, Lin Xuan's mind already turning to the next move.