CHAPTER 581: CHAPTER 581: TRAITOR-1

She clicked the screen. The video started playing. At first, it showed the hallway and the water supply area. Everything looked normal. The water tank was still, and no one could be seen.

But a few seconds later, a figure appeared.

The person was wearing a full black robe and a hood that covered their entire face. It was impossible to tell who it was. Even the way the person walked seemed careful, without showing any clues.

The team stared in shock.

But Gu Jin’s eyes were fixed on something else.

"Look carefully," she said. "Zoom in."

She used her mouse to zoom in on the person’s shoes. The camera quality was high, and magic had been added to it.

There, on the person’s shoelaces, was white powder.

Gu Jin turned slowly.

"Meng Hao," she said. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were cold. "You have gone too far. Admit it. You’re the traitor."

Everyone turned toward Meng Hao.

He looked completely stunned.

"Me?" he asked. "What are you saying?"

His usual lazy and relaxed look disappeared. He stood up, confused and angry.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything. I was in my room the whole time."

Gu Jin tilted her head slightly.

"You’re saying you were in your room? That you didn’t go near the water tank?"

"I didn’t!" Meng Hao said quickly. "I earned my place in this team by competing fairly. I don’t even have a reason to betray anyone."

Gu Jin looked at him for a few more seconds, then said slowly, "I would have believed you, if not for the white powder."

"What white powder?" Meng Hao asked, his voice rising.

"The one on the floor," Gu Jin said. "I sprinkled a special powder in front of every teammate’s door. Each person had a different color."

Everyone’s eyes widened.

"Yun Qing had blue. Bai Yu had pink. Lin Yue had orange. Qiao Feng had green. Zhou Lei had purple. And yours," she said, pointing at Meng Hao, "was white."

Meng Hao froze.

Gu Jin clicked again, and the camera showed another view. This time, it zoomed in on the floor near the water tank. There was a thin trail of white powder.

"Only one person had white," Gu Jin said softly. "You."

The whole room was silent.

All eyes turned to Meng Hao again.

His face was pale. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He took a step back.

"This is crazy," he whispered. "You’re trying to frame me."

Gu Jin’s voice didn’t rise. "I don’t need to frame you. The evidence speaks."

Meng Hao’s face twisted in panic.

Everyone around him was watching now, no longer unsure.

Even Meng Hao, who always liked to joke, looked serious.

Gu Jin stood from her chair.

"You tried to poison Yun Qing. If she had not shouted in time, she could have died. This is your last chance. Confess, and you’ll only be in jail for two years. Stay silent, and I’ll make sure you never hold a cauldron again."

Meng Hao, who had been quiet until now, suddenly glared at Gu Jin.

"You are just scared," he said sharply. "Maybe you are the real traitor, and you are trying to dump everything on me. Maybe you planned this from the start."

The whole room went tense.

Before anyone could speak, Yun Qing shouted,

"Lies! If Gu Jin wanted to betray us, she could have ignored us completely. Instead, she taught us so many techniques and even corrected our mistakes. To say she is a traitor is an insult!"

Meng Hao’s jaw tightened. "I am not the traitor," he said through clenched teeth.

But the others stayed silent, their eyes moving to his shoes. The white powder was still there, clear for everyone to see.

One by one, they began to speak.

"I am disappointed in you," one said.

"So am I," another added.

Qiao Feng’s voice was the sharpest. "I thought you were my brother. I trusted you. And you betrayed me."

Meng Hao’s face fell. He looked crushed, his shoulders slumping. Finally, he lowered his head.

"I will leave on my own," he muttered.

But Gu Jin shook her head. "It is too late to leave. I already called the police."

Meng Hao’s head snapped up. Panic spread across his face. "I am not the one! You have to believe me!"

No one answered. His words hung in the air, ignored.

A moment later, a group of Magic Council officers arrived. They moved with quiet authority, blocking the doorway completely. One of them stepped forward.

"You need to come with us," the officer said.

Meng Hao looked around the room, but there was no one left on his side. His eyes were wide with defeat. Slowly, the officers took hold of his arms and led him away.

When the door closed behind them, the room felt heavier.

Lin Yue patted her chest. "I never thought Meng Hao was the traitor," she said softly.

Qiao Feng nodded. "Me neither. I treated him like a brother."

The others agreed, shaking their heads. But then, from the corner, a quiet voice spoke.

It was Bai Yu. "For some reason," he said, "I feel like Meng Hao is not the traitor."

Everyone turned toward him. Qiao Feng asked, "Why do you think that?"

Bai Yu hesitated.

"Meng Hao is too clumsy. If he were the traitor, he would have been caught on the first day. His personality is not careful enough to hide for so long."

Qiao Feng let out a short laugh.

"That is exactly what makes a good traitor. They act harmless for a long time so we lower our guard. Then, when we trust them completely, they strike."

The room went quiet. A few people shivered at the thought. Slowly, the conversation faded, and everyone went back to their rooms.

Gu Jin had not said a word since Meng Hao was taken away. No one knew what she was thinking, but many assumed she was hurt by his betrayal.

Everyone eventually returned to their room.

Time passed, and soon there was only one hour left before their next mission. After coming out the group gave each other a pep talk.

Suddenly, the door opened again. The Magic Council officers returned. This time, they walked straight to Gu Jin.

"The traitor has been caught," the lead officer said.

Everyone froze.

"What do you mean?" someone asked.

The officers stepped aside, and everyone saw them holding Qiao Feng’s wrist.

Qiao Feng’s eyes went wide. "What? No! There must be a mistake!" His voice shook.

"You do not need to resist," one officer said calmly. "We already have proof."

Qiao Feng’s face turned pale as the words sank in.

"Proof? What proof? I haven’t done anything!" he shouted, his voice cracking.

The Magic Council officer, a tall man with silver armor and a stern face, didn’t flinch. "Video recording and call recording."

The officers looked at each other, and a few of them let out quiet chuckles, as if they already knew something the rest of the room did not.

Then, for the first time since they entered, Gu Jin spoke. Her tone was calm, almost too calm.

"It was me," she said.

Everyone turned toward her in shock.

"What do you mean, it was you?" Lin Yue asked in confusion.

Gu Jin’s eyes swept over the room before settling on Qiao Feng.

"I have been trying to get solid proof," she explained slowly. "Proof that would allow me to deal with the people hiding behind you once and for all."

Qiao Feng’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"You are misunderstanding me!" he said quickly. "You must be! Why would you think I am a traitor? I am not! I never betrayed anyone!"

Gu Jin gave a short, humorless chuckle.

"I knew you would say that," she replied. Then she turned toward the others. "I should explain. Earlier, when Meng Hao was accused, it was not because I believed he was guilty. He and I were working together to put on that scene. The whole thing was planned so I could get the time I needed to set a trap."

Everyone’s eyes went wide in shock.

Just then, the door opened, and Meng Hao walked in. His expression was calm, and a small smile played on his lips.

"Surprise," he said lightly.

The team stared at him with confused and startled expressions.

Gu Jin continued,

"I wanted to install hidden cameras in every one of your rooms. Yes, it is paranoid of me, and yes, I feel guilty for spying on my own team. But if I had not done it, we would never have found out who the real traitor was."

The room fell silent as her words sank in.

Qiao Feng’s voice cut through the stillness.

"Why would you work with him?" he demanded, pointing at Meng Hao. "Wasn’t he under your suspicion too?"

Gu Jin smiled faintly.

"Of course not. Meng Hao could never be one of the traitors. He comes from a very special background."