Lu Zhenghua turned his face away, unable to bear the sight of the middle-aged man.

*Crack!*

Jiao Yihong finally lost control and stormed over to slap him hard across the cheek before barking furiously, "You fool! Do you really think selling out Spirit Beast Gate will earn you what those Koreans promised? Haven't you considered how Park Cheng'en treated you after joining their ranks? If it weren't for Master Zhang arriving later, you'd already be dead from poison!"

Lu Zhenghua had resisted when captured by the spirit eagle. His severe injuries proved clearly enough that this treacherous betrayer hadn't spared mercy either - the beast would never show such leniency to one who endangered its kind.

Jiao Yihong's slap landed just as brutally, showing no restraint at all. As an expert in Inner Strength cultivation reaching the late third tier, Jiao Yihong's strike was far more devastating than Lu Zhenghua could withstand. Spitting blood, he collapsed on his knees, too weak to rise.

His earlier confession had essentially branded him a traitor himself. None present felt any sympathy for the beating - his arrogance had been his downfall. Though outwardly defiant, deep down Lu Zhenghua seethed with regret. How many times hadn't Jiao Yihong's words echoed through his mind? He knew all too well he'd only been used as a pawn by those Koreans now abandoning him.

Initially he planned to flee with the check Park Cheng'en had promised once the spirit beast was taken, escaping to Korea before Gate affairs could settle. But Park Cheng'en never intended that - arriving with the nine-tailed fox instead showed clear intent to wipe out Spirit Beast Gate entirely!

What point was there in denying further? If investigated, his cabin would reveal both the large cash deposit and promises of relocation offered by Park Cheng'en. The truth would surface eventually but perhaps if he vanished before attention turned toward him... However fate had other plans - no sooner had he started fleeing than the Sacred Eagle discovered him and dragged him back without hesitation.

The eagle wasn't naive. Lu Zhenghua's panicked escape spoke volumes about treachery within. How else could an outsider find such a hidden sanctuary? This betrayal almost cost the gate dearly, so mercy from the eagle was certainly out of the question!

To Lu Zhenghua it felt like being cornered prey. The exposed rabbit didn't stand a chance against its hunter. After delivering him to gate members, the eagle simply dropped the verdant fruit in its beak toward Wu Ying and Lightning before circling overhead with piercing cries - this was actually the true reason for leaving the sanctuary!

Zhang Yang knelt beside Lu Zhenghua and asked through narrowed eyes, "Lu Zhenghua, just how many people did you betray our gate's secrets to?" His voice carried subtle pressure as he employed a mind-clouding technique.

"Only one Korean who came today... I told no others..." Lu Zhenghua answered dazedly without thinking.

Zhang Yang exhaled in relief - Park Cheng'en was dead and with Lu under control, the sanctuary remained secure. "Reassure Master Zhang," he said to Elder Liu regarding the gate's safety as long as this traitor was dealt with properly.

Hearing this, Old Gate Master relaxed visibly. The revelation about the sanctuary remaining secret had been a great relief indeed - relocation would be unnecessary now. The entire gate erupted in celebration; finding such an idyllic haven among mountains was already rare enough without competition from other sects.

"May we handle our own traitor?" An elder named Xiao Qi respectfully asked Zhang Yang, his gaze lingering on Lu Zhenghua. With no objections given by Zhang Yang, the man immediately gestured for two assistants to restrain him.

"Lu Zhenghua will be locked in the Sacred Nest where he must clean and maintain it daily for life!" The decision was announced publicly after gaining Old Gate Master's approval.

"What?!" Jiao Yihong exclaimed in outrage, "Are you out of your minds?! This man nearly destroyed our gate!"

The crowd merely sighed collectively. Even Zhang Yang looked puzzled - such leniency felt excessive given the betrayal.

"Our gate has its own ways of dealing with traitors," Old Gate Master explained after sensing their confusion. After all, Lu remained a member and should be judged according to their customs.

"Wasn't that Sacred Nest referring to the three-tier spirit eagle's roost?" Zhang Pinglu suddenly asked.

Old Gate Master nodded - indeed it was, located halfway up the cliff face ahead. Looking upward at those sheer walls, both men imagined Lu Zhenghua's future clearly enough.

The roost sat on a vertical precipice so steep that any attempt to escape would result in certain death by falling. Cleaning bird nests for eternity sounded far more torturous than immediate execution.

After making this decision, Old Gate Master stepped forward and declared, "For some time I'll accompany these elders beyond the sanctuary. In my absence, Xiao Qi will lead your cultivation. Let us all forget worldly troubles like poor Lu Zhenghua did!" This unexpected announcement stunned everyone - even Xiao Qi hadn't anticipated it!

"I'm not abandoning you," Old Gate Master clarified when tension rose again, "just accompanying these two to handle matters first." Gradually the crowd quieted down as Xiao Qi gave a solemn nod.

Once this was settled, Old Gate Master turned toward Zhang Yang and Zhang Pinglu. With nothing else to worry about now, if needed he'd accompany them immediately to meet state-affiliated cultivators.

"Wait," Zhang Yang suddenly said, pointing skyward at the eagle. "Look, that eagle still has something in its beak!"

Zhang Pinglu looked up just as the eagle swooped down after circling for some time, dropping a silver branch with an emerald fruit toward Wu Ying and Lightning. The two quickly retrieved it, then ran back to Zhang Yang's side offering the gift.

"This is a Sky Cloud Fruit?" Zhang Pinglu recognized instantly upon seeing the white branch connected to the green orb.

A miraculous fruit growing only on cloud-touching cliffsides, harvested under specific conditions - during heavy fog when both sun and moon remain partially veiled. Its properties could completely restore depleted inner strength in an instant, making it invaluable for cultivators.

Though grateful for this gift from their savior eagle, Zhang Yang placed the fruit carefully into his canvas bag rather than consume it immediately. While his current state was dire, his recovery rate would soon return him to full power - saving such a precious resource for future battles made more sense. After all, facing another nine-tailed fox might require using energy blasts that left little room for retreat.

"Yangyang," Zhang Pinglu said as they prepared to leave, "let's go."

With the eagle now resting among gate members and the fruit secured, it was time to depart. But first...

"Grandfather," Zhang Yang added thoughtfully, "can I accompany you when meeting those state cultivators?"

"Not that I don't want you there," Zhang Pinglu sighed, "but their organization is extremely secretive. Even for me, I can only notify their office and wait until they approach." The weight of national backing behind these people certainly justified their aloofness toward even grandmaster-level cultivators like himself.

"However," he added with a smile, "they always respond quickly. Soon they'll come to you personally at home where we can discuss further details."