The storm had slowed, but the tension hadn't.
Li Tian stood in the center of the Li Clan courtyard. The rain was now only a soft drizzle, but everything was soaked — the ground, the walls, even the air. Blood from the earlier fight still stained the stone.
One of the Zhao Clan envoys had been taken away. Alive — but barely. Li Tian had spared him.
For now.
But the real danger wasn't outside anymore. It was inside. Somewhere within the walls of his own clan.
Xiao Chen walked up beside him. Quiet as ever.
"They've started moving," he said. "Zhao Yun has called in help from the Nine Heavens Spear Sect. Rumors are spreading fast. Some are even calling you a fake Patriarch now."
Li Tian didn't flinch. His eyes remained on the misty mountain path outside the gate.
"They're planning something big," Xiao Chen added. "If we don't strike first—"
"I already know," Li Tian said calmly.
Then, a notification flashed in his vision:
[Villain Mission Update: Two Factions Converge]
Find the traitor hiding within your clan before the Nine Heavens arrive.
Bonus: Turn the traitor against the Zhao Clan.
Time Limit: 48 hours.
A traitor.
Inside his own home.
That thought bothered him more than the enemies outside.
"There's someone new," Xiao Chen whispered. "A young girl. A healer. She came with a group of wandering monks. But no one can find her records. No name. No history."
Li Tian raised an eyebrow. "You think she's a spy?"
"I think not all spies carry swords," Xiao Chen said.
That night, the rain returned harder than before.
And so did she — the healer girl.
She looked innocent. Her robe soaked from the rain, her voice gentle, her eyes soft. She said she was there to help treat the wounded.
But Li Tian noticed something strange. She didn't look afraid. In fact… she looked like she recognized him.
He watched her work. She treated the guards with care, speaking kindly, acting as if she truly belonged.
But when she tried to enter the inner chamber —where the most trusted guards stayed Li Tian stopped her.
"What's your name?" he asked.
She bowed politely. "Su Lin."
Li Tian looked straight into her eyes. "And who taught you how to use poison, Su Lin?"
She froze. Just for a moment.
That was enough.
Xiao Chen appeared from the shadows, sword drawn. The door shut quietly behind them.
Li Tian stepped closer.
"You think we're blind just because we're quiet?" he said. "You came here with a goal. Don't waste time pretending."
Su Lin's gentle face faded. Her smile changed now sharper, colder.
"You're smarter than they told me," she said.
Li Tian wasn't surprised.
She pulled out a small jade token. The symbol on it? Zhao Clan.
"Speak," Li Tian said.
Su Lin stood tall now. No more playing the innocent girl.
"The Zhao Clan already has men inside your gates," she said. "Three of them. You'll never guess who. The Nine Heavens will arrive by dawn. You have less time than you think."
Xiao Chen stepped forward, angry. But Li Tian raised a hand to stop him.
"And what do you want?" Li Tian asked.
"An offer," she said simply. "I'll give you their names. The real traitors. Let me live and when the time comes, I'll help you destroy them from within."
Li Tian stared at her.
The system whispered again:
[New Path Unlocked]
Option 1: Accept Su Lin's deal (High Risk, Big Reward)
Option 2: Kill her now (Gain loyalty, raise fear)
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he studied her. She was clever. Dangerous. But maybe useful.
"Chain her," he finally said. "Feed her. Watch everything she does."
He turned to leave.
But just before he stepped out into the storm again, Su Lin spoke once more.
"You're more like your father than you think."
That made him pause.
Just for a moment.
Then he walked out, leaving the rain to drown the silence behind him.