Seduce The Villainess (GL)

Xu Lu held the mirror in her palm and her fingers trembled ever so slightly. She did not even dare to hope… she… she couldn\'t…

Her breathing slowed down as she lifted up the corners of her silvery grey mask and pulled it off her face with shaky movements.

She saw her reflection staring back at her.

With her fingers still shivering, Xu Lu touched the scarred terrain that was once perfectly smooth. 

The mere touch of the scar tissue was enough to bring back a wave of uncomfortable emotions that she was all too familiar with.

Self-hatred and anger.

Xu Lu blinked rapidly as unshed tears welled up her eyes. Her reflection displayed a visage that had become a portrait of cruelty and suffering.

A permanent reminder of what she had endured after experiencing painful torture. 

Long horrific knife mark scars that criss-crossed her face with patches of burnt skin along the edges of the scars.

She had not been cured.

Even with all of her newfound demonic powers… she was still the same…

The same…

(Monster)

"No…" Xu Lu muttered in disbelief as she dropped the mirror. 

The glass shattered upon impact with the ground and the shards scattered across the underground cavern.

The former saintess stood still with her head lowered. A dark expression flashed across her face as she struggled with the feelings and emotions of the original Xu Lu.

"I… I can\'t go on like this," Xu Lu quietly spoke. 

She wasn\'t sure if she was speaking to herself or the remnants of the original Xu Lu\'s emotions and memories.

"I will not go on like this. What that demon cultivator did to me… I will not let it define me… I. Am. Not. A. Monster."

The voice in her mind whispered mockingly in reply to Xu Lu\'s words.

(Yes… you are… look at yourself)

"You are right… I admit it," Xu Lu frankly spoke as she placed the mask back on her face and the voice slowly grew quieter.

"But… I will overcome this. I know you are afraid of being rejected by the world, but I promise you… I will show you that I will live your life without fear," Xu Lu pledged seriously.

(We shall see…)

Xu Lu took in a deep breath and slowly walked out of the cave. The scent of blood hung on her robes and skin.

The crimson liquid had stained her clothes, hair and basically every part of her body. 

Frankly she needed a nice long shower to undress and unwind after this extremely bizarre experience.

She travelled through the long and winding underground corridors with nothing but the sounds of her footsteps to keep her company.

She missed her little white mouse.

Xu Lu could only hope that her furry companion had found a safe place to live and would be able to spend the rest of its days in peace.

The former saintess noticed a few changes to her body as she moved around. For one she felt incredibly lighter as if she weighed no more than a feather.

And it could just be her imagination, but Xu Lu could swear that occasionally dark red markings would flash just beneath the surface of her skin.

Finally, she arrived at the entrance to the cave, Yang Xia was standing quietly in front of the underground passage, but the elderly man was nowhere in sight.

"You succeeded," Yang Xia coldly spoke as she walked up to Xu Lu and stared at her body as if searching for something.

"What… what was that blood altar?" Xu Lu asked curiously as the memories of her encounter with that strange being flashed across her mind.

"A trial… and a death sentence," Yang Xia replied curtly before turning around and walking away. 

She did not offer up any further explanations, so Xu Lu was forced to push down the burning curiosity in her heart.

The pair walked up a wide pathway that led deeper inside the mountain range. The road widened and now Xu Lu found herself in the heart of the Crimson Demon Sect.

The villages, palaces and buildings that formed the main infrastructure of the demonic sect were situated in secluded valleys and surrounded by vast mountainous peaks.

Houses were built by blending elements of darkness, horror, and functionality. 

Most buildings were made from darkened wood and adorned with carvings of mythical creatures and twisted abominations which contrasted with the peaceful landscape.

However, the massive palaces were built out of black rock and polished obsidian stone which rose up from the ground as if they had been grown out of the earth.

Xu Lu could see no signs of construction as if the palaces had been carved out of stone in one single attempt.

Narrow pathways formed a labyrinth-like connection of roads that led to different sections of the sect.

There were central plazas in the middle of every other junction where one could see fountains, thriving marketplaces and fighting rings.

Xu Lu watched as a female disciple ran her sword through the middle of a male disciple\'s chest while the surrounding crowd cheering madly.

Still… this place was not as terrible as she imagined. 

There was a clear sense of community, and she could see cultivators talking, laughing, and gossiping with each other.

Some sold trinkets at makeshift stalls along the edges of the road while others boasted about their adventures and displayed the heads of monsters that they had slain.

She immediately attracted the attention of quite a few disciples and Xu Lu could only assume that word had spread that she was moving around the sect with the sect master.

Or it could be the fact that she was covered in blood…

Either way Xu Lu could tell that the looks and stares directed at her now contained a healthy amount of fear and caution.

Not exactly the greatest of first impressions but in a demon cult Xu Lu would take having a reputation as a dangerous individual.

The original Xu Lu had grown up in a \'righteous\' sect and was taught from a young age that demonic cultivators were selfish violent individuals.

Their sects were nothing more than chaotic slums where regular mass killings, torture and other terrible acts of violence would occur on a non-stop basis.

Demon cultivators were animals who were slaves to their dark desires.

While Xu Lu was not going to pretend that cultivators in the Crimson Demon Sect were misunderstood saints… the truth was it seemed like they were just like the \'righteous\' cultivators.

Some were good… some were evil and most of them were somewhere in the middle.

Xu Lu followed Yang Xia\'s lead as the sect leader took her towards a series of private mansions that had been built near a series of waterfalls.

The air here felt different in a way that was hard to describe. 

There was a charge in the air, and she could feel the demonic energy in her body flow even faster through her meridians.

Xu Lu\'s footsteps paused as she noticed shadowy creatures with grotesque, but oddly beautiful bodies plunge into the pools of water that collected near the bottom of the waterfalls.

Yang Xia did not slow down so Xu Lu was forced to break out into a half walk half jog in order to catch up to her.

The sect leader finally arrived at a mansion located towards the far left of the rows of private houses and the door was already unlocked.

"This will be your home," Yang Xia nonchalantly stated.