第45章 第45章

**Chapter 45: The Deadliest Silence**

The traitors' fearful gazes met White Xiaopu's unyielding stare, their hearts pounding in unison as they awaited their fate. One of them, a cunning old man named Mo, decided to take a drastic measure to curry favor with the young cultivator.

"White Xiaopu, please," Mo croaked, his voice trembling. "We were just following orders from our leader, the Sect Master of the Black Mail Sect. We didn't mean to harm anyone, especially not you."

White Xiaopu's gaze did not waver. "You didn't mean to harm anyone? Then why did you betray me, and my fellow disciples, to the demonic forces?"

Mo's face contorted in a mixture of fear and desperation. "It's just that... we were struggling to survive in the Sect. Resources were scarce, and our Sect Master promised us a better life with the demonic forces. We didn't think it would come to this, but—"

"But you still chose to betray us, instead of facing the challenges and working together as a team," White Xiaopu interrupted, his voice cold and detached.

The other traitors looked at each other nervously, sensing that they were about to become White Xiaopu's next victims. One of them, a young woman named Ling, spoke up, her voice laced with false courage.

"We'll do anything to make it right, White Xiaopu. We'll even help you take down the Black Mail Sect and the demonic forces."

White Xiaopu's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes seemed to bore deeper into the traitors' souls. "You want to help me? Very well. But first, you must demonstrate your loyalty and strength. If you can succeed in the trials I set before you, then maybe... just maybe... I'll spare your lives."

The traitors exchanged desperate glances, knowing that they had no choice but to agree. And so, White Xiaopu presented them with their first trial: to retrieve a rare herb from the treacherous peaks of the Dragon's Teeth Mountains.

As the traitors set off on their perilous journey, White Xiaopu watched them leave with a calculating gaze. He knew that this was just the beginning of a deadly game, one where only the strongest would survive.

Little did he know, however, that he was about to receive an unexpected visit from a mysterious figure, one who would change the course of events forever... To be continued.