Seduce The Villainess (GL)

(Mount Xilean- Holy Sword Sect)

(Fifth Peak)

Months had slowly passed.

Xu Lu stood silently in the middle of a clearing and unsheathed her blade. Leaves fell down from the treetops as she waited for the right moment to strike.

Slash!

A burst of sword qi erupted from the tip of her blade and all the nearby leaves were neatly bisected in half.

The strike was faster than the normal human eye could follow.

One moment the leaves were unharmed and the next they were sliced to pieces.

Xu Lu let out a light sigh and then adjusted her posture to repeat her movements. She was now beginning to incorporate long range strikes using her sword qi into her combat training.

She could feel all of her muscles aching in pain as she swung her sword for the hundredth or maybe it was the thousandth time.

All in an effort to get stronger.

The saintess finished her training and took a small break. She walked over to the wooden shack that she called home and entered inside.

It was still as rundown and in a state of disrepair like before but now it was at least a little bit cleaner.

Xu Lu had broken off a few branches with leaves still on them from the nearby forest and used these branches almost like brooms to sweep outside the excess dust and cobwebs.

She would occasionally wash the mattress in the clean water of the river and then hang it out to dry in the hot sunlight.

Now was this a life of comfort?

Definitely not…

But humans were creatures of habit and she had gotten used to it.

There was nothing she could do except to adapt and overcome. Xu Lu flopped down on the mattress and spread out her arms.

She closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths.

Her master had visited her twice so far and her attitude was… strange.

She was still unpleasant and nasty as always, but she seemed unusually pleased at her cultivation progress.

Why? That was one of the questions that Xu Lu could not answer.

It was clear that her master hated her so why was she so invested in her cultivation strength?

Why did she want her to become a more powerful cultivator?

An easy answer would be that she wanted her apprentice to be the strongest among the younger generation and be worthy of the title of saintess.

That would reflect well on her as a master.

It was an explanation that made sense, but Xu Lu could not shake the feeling that there was another reason why Lei Ying wanted to see her cultivation level increase.

And it definitely was not good.

Xu Lu lay down on top of the mattress and tried to get some sleep. Her eyelids were closed but her mind was still active.

She had been unable to sleep for quite a few months now. Cultivators at her level no longer required rest but Xu Lu still wanted to nap.

"Fuck! Let me just…" Xu Lu slammed her fist against the floor in frustration and muttered a few angry words under her breath.

She got up from the mattress and took in a couple of deep breaths to calm down her mood.

She glanced in the direction of the person-sized mirror and slowly walked towards it.

What she was about to do next was her least favourite part of the day.

Xu Lu's trembling fingers reached for the corner of the mask and slowly pulled it off her face. The familiar face of a girl with mutilated and burnt flesh stared back at her.

The saintess looked at her reflection without saying a word.

She could hear the voice inside her mind begging her to put back on the mask, but it was faint and not as loud as before.

It had been a very slow process, but she had finally managed to look at herself in the mirror without suffering from a panic attack.

Now obviously the next step was to get comfortable with her face being revealed in front of other people but…

Xu Lu had no one that she could really trust.

Sure, she was on friendly terms with Tang Shu and Bai Lu but that was more on the level of acquaintances that actual friends.

Plus, she had not spoken to them since handing over that dagger containing a weapon spirit to Bai Lu.

What to do?

Xu Lu shook her head and then placed the mask back on her face. She needed to take a walk around the sect to clear her mind.

Fortunately, her master was on a diplomatic mission to the Red Lotus Sect and would not be back for a long time.

The saintess walked down the mountain peak and headed for the back of the sect where a forest full of low-level beast creatures resided.

It was a beautiful day.

Xu Lu felt her mood slowly brighten as she headed for the back of the sect while trying her best to avoid the line of sight of any disciples who crossed her path.

She was used to the attention but that did not mean that she enjoyed being stared at like an animal in the zoo.

Besides… there were strange rumors floating about.

Xu Lu did not know who the source of the rumors was, but it was now a well-known gossip in the sect that she was a mesmerizing beauty.

Someone had spread a false statement that she was so good looking that her master forced her to wear a mask in order not to enchant anyone who looked at her directly.

Xu Lu was not pleased about those rumors but could understand the logic behind how they had spread so quickly.

It was a well-known fact that during the process of expelling bodily waste and transforming their physique that cultivators would become more gorgeous.

Those who possessed stronger talents would become even more beautiful than the rest.

Naturally as the saintess of the Holy Sword Sect, most would assume that she was a beauty on par with Helen of Troy.

Was there a Helen of Troy in this world?

Xu Lu made a mental note to herself to check out the mythology books in the central library when she had the chance.

Still… she now had an idea of why the original Xu Lu wanted to abandon the Holy Sword Sect and join the demonic side.

If everyone constantly praised, you for being good looking when your face was destroyed… how would you feel?

And if your mask was ever removed… then those voices of praises would turn to scorn and derision.

Those jealous of your talents would comfort themselves by mocking your appearance. The original Xu Lu was a sheltered girl who grew up in an abusive situation.

Xu Lu was not surprised that she would be unable to cope with the whispers, abuses, and mocking words.

For a brief moment a surge of hatred flooded her mind and the voice that usually whispered began to get even louder.

(Why? Why would they treat me like that?)

(I protected them… I save their lives…)

(And they called me an ugly monster.)