CHAPTER 54
The Beginning Of A New Arc: Menlela
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"Say, you are quite the looker."
A clarion voice, pleasant as the early morning chirping of songbirds, rang out in the damp cave. It was followed by a coquettish laughter that echoed off the stone walls—a sound so layered that Lu Xie had a hard time discerning if it was genuine amusement or mocking cruelty.
"Don't worry. I can tell you will grow into a big beauty... just like I, your Big Sister over here."
The seductive lady, Menlela, spoke with a honeyed tone as her hand deliberately streaked over her own ample chest, emphasizing her voluptuous figure in a display of pure confidence.
Lu Xie: "ABCDefu@#?!....@email protected!..."
She remained silent as she was speechless by such bold behavior, but her expression guarded.
"Oh right! Where are my manners?" Menlela struck a pose, her crimson leather creaking softly. "I am Menlela. But you can call me Lela, or by my Coven Title Black Python."
Without even giving the still surprised Lu Xie a breath to process her lagging thoughts, she grabbed Lu Xie's arm—her grip firm and unyielding—and pulled the still-seated girl up from her chair.
"I heard you lost your memory, but Priest Rava tried using his Beguiling Mind Pearl to restore it.
Did it work ?
While it might be effective for transferring language knowledge, the probability of restoring the majority of your personal memories is quite low. Not to mention, it takes quite a lot of time for the fragments to settle."
She when on ranting as waiting for a response hasn't "joined the group chat" yet, dragging Lu Xie deeper into the darkness of the cavern.
---
As they navigated the labyrinthine tunnels, Lu Xie's mind was racing, processing the new batch of "incoherent memories" that had settled in her skull.
The Order of Principalities wasn't just a cult; it was a hidden behemoth.
The original Alia indeed had deep ties to them. In fact, she was one of the Seven Children of the Principalities which were also called the Seven Yogis or Enlightened—a title that made her a candidate to become the next High Priestess, the supreme authority of the entire Coven.
All seven candidates were chosen from various powerful clans at birth and taken into the Coven by force. To preserve their "purity" and mystery, all seven candidates were required to wear a veil from the moment they were born.
This was the key.
Because of this rule, almost no one had ever seen Alia's face. They couldn't tell her apart from a stranger. Even those who had seen her face only saw it a dozen years ago when she was still a drooling baby.
However...
Lu Xie's face darkened as her mind brushed against a terrifying fragment of memory.
There was an exception.
A few high-ranking members had seen Alia's face during a compulsory "Cleansing Rite" just before the tragedy that led to her escape, which the details were still conveniently a blur. And that list included the current High Priestess.
A cold chill ran down Lu Xie's spine.
'I am walking on a blade's edge,' she realized.
She was already at risk of exposure. If she ran into the High Priestess, the game was over. Coming clean wasn't an option; the penalty for impersonating a Holy Candidate was undoubtedly death on the spot—followed by soul torture.
"Hehehe... I don't plan of having such a foolish end after living several millennium." she resolved.
This fueled her resolve to escape this place as quickly as possible.
Lucky for her, Menlela wasn't one of those few who had seen Alia's face recently.
Browsing through the memories a bit further, Lu Xie finally found information about Menlela. She turned out to be one of the Coven's Demonesses. Her rank was incredibly high, inferior only to the Priests and the High Priestess herself.
Though Lu Xie was still on guard against this "Order," her curiosity was piqued. She followed Lela willingly, trying to keep up with the woman's long, confident strides.
After a few more twists and turns through the cavern, they finally reached an exit where splendid, blinding light poured through.
Lu Xie squinted, shielding her eyes from the sudden assault of brightness.
"This... is our Coven's territory," Lela declared with pride.
Lu Xie opened her eyes and took a moment to admire the sight.
They currently stood on a protruding cliff face near a mountain top. It was incredibly high, likely the tallest peak in the surrounding range.
Below them, the world sprawled like a painting of emeralds and jade. The mountain range was lush, thriving with strange flora and massive ancient trees. Winding waterfalls cascaded from high cliffs in the distance, crashing into rivers that looked like ribbons of silver.
It was beautiful. It was majestic. And it felt completely alien.
Lu Xie quickly snapped back to reality. The beauty was a distraction; survival was the priority.
"Big Sis Lela," Lu Xie started, adopting a slightly timid tone, "I don't think it's appropriate for me to wander about the Coven like this. Do you have a red veil I could use, at least?"
She asked with every intention of hiding her face immediately.
Lela glanced at her, eyebrows raised. "Oh? Your memories do seem to be returning. You're adapting quite well to the rules."
She let out a playful chuckle. "I do have a veil you can use. In fact, I actually brought you a new set of uniform robes."
Lela waved her hand, and a bundle appeared.
"Remember, you do not have to wear the uniform unless there is an important occasion, but you must always have your face veil on before stepping out. Otherwise, it would be a catastrophe, and I don't want to be the orchestrator."
She passed the luxurious red robes and a matching silk veil to Lu Xie.
"You can change back in the cave entrance if you are too shy to change in front of I, your Big Sister," Lela added mischievously, winking.
Acting the part of the shy amnesiac, Lu Xie nodded and retreated into the shadows of the cave entrance to change.
---
In just a few moments, Lu Xie walked back out into the sunlight.
She looked stunning.
The robes were a deep, blood-red that seemed to absorb the light. The color was bold, adding an inexplicable, regal charm to her presence. The silk veil covered the lower half of her face, leaving only her grey eyes visible.
Her eyes—a stormy, piercing grey—were the only part of her face that could be seen.
Lela turned around, her smile ready, but it froze halfway.
She stepped closer, her playful demeanor evaporating instantly. She leaned in, her face inches from Lu Xie's, staring intensely into those grey eyes.
"As expected, still as stunning as I remember..." Lela murmured, but her voice dropped an octave, dripping with sudden suspicion.
"No... Wait."
Lela's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"Something is different. I didn't notice this in the cave because it was dark, but..."
She reached out a hand, her long fingernail hovering dangerously close to Lu Xie's eye.
"Your eyes... why do they look like so and your hair, why has it suddenly changed?"
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