The next day, Mao Xuelian followed the overseer as she exited the confines of Crimson Prison, where she and Cui Mang had been held the day before.
There, she encountered a woman in the Blood Sect's Outer Disciple robes, standing in front of the prison yard with a carefree smile amidst a group of guards.
"Hey, hey, Mao'er!" the woman called out cheerfully, as if they were old friends with a shared hometown. "How did you sleep last night? Pretty badly? That's wonderful, isn't it?"
Mao Xuelian looked confused. She glanced between the overseer's cold demeanor and the woman's bright smile, unsure how to respond.
"She's the disciple you will serve from now on. Her name is Huai, an outer disciple," the overseer explained briefly before re-entering the prison.
Mao Xuelian felt hesitant and uncertain but decided to nod her head in acknowledgment. However, before she could do so, Huai suddenly grabbed her hand, still smiling.
"You're going to meet Dean Bao, right? Let's go, hurry!" Huai exclaimed, dragging Mao Xuelian along with her as she laughed cheerfully.
They walked along the paved road of Crimson Prison toward the outer area of the Sect, where outer disciples like Huai lived and trained.
The Dean of the outer disciples was essentially an Inner disciple tasked with managing the living and cultivation needs of the outer disciples.
In typical righteous sects, the Inner disciple in this role was usually the oldest and had reached their limits, often being fatally injured and unable to advance further in cultivation among the Inner disciples.
However, in the Blood Sect, the qualifications were different. Only the weakest among the Inner disciples could become the Dean of the Outer disciples. The Dean was considered the lowest tier among the Inner disciples, someone they would rather spit on than look up to.
Like other Demonic Sects, the Blood Sect adhered to the principle of survival of the fittest as its primary rule—the stronger became the rulers.
Thus, as soon as Mao Xuelian stepped out of the Inner area of the Sect, it felt as if she had entered a completely different world within the same place.
Here, everything was covered by fresh blood or dried blood and organs. Wilder and crueler than even the wilderness, that's Mao Xuelian's impression right after she stepped into this area.
She looked at a dried blood pool on the paved stone road in front of her before turning to the smiling Huai who stood beside her.
"What's wrong?" Huai asked her with a tilted head. "Surprising?"
Mao Xuelian only blinked at her; didn't react, didn't flinch, didn't scream.
She was only silently questioning herself: "Could Isabella survive in a place like this?"
Huai didn't seem to mind at all whether Mao Xuelian responded to her or not. She continued to walk past the bloody environments and buildings until she found a wide open area where thousands of disciples were gathered in front of a slightly better building than the rest of the buildings here, in the outer area.
"Senior Sister!"
"Senior!"
The disciples who had lined up in the field immediately cupped their fists and saluted Huai as soon as they spotted her approaching.
"Good morning!" Huai responded with cheerful waves and wide smiles. She strode confidently to the front of the lines alongside Mao Xuelian, seemingly unfazed.
Mao Xuelian shuddered when she noticed that the disciples' gazes lingered on her for a moment after they greeted Huai. Their eyes held more than just curiosity; there was something darker and more unsettling beneath the surface, though they managed to suppress their hidden desires for the time being.
As she reflected on it, Mao Xuelian quickly understood the situation. It was related to yesterday's Cursed Blood Pool Ceremony, and they must have resented her for letting them down. Cui Mang's current condition was evidence of that.
"Enemies..." she murmured softly to herself, her eyes gleaming with a greenish light.
So many... enemies.
Gradually, her expression grew cold, and a thin smile appeared on her lips as she followed Huai.
...
What awaited Mao Xuelian at the front of the line of disciples was an old man with a chubby, round body.
He was tall, and even while crouching, he had an imposing presence at a height of 1.5 meters.
The old man wore a gentle smile that resembled the kind of smile Huai had.
In front of him, a corpse lay with its chest cleaved open. He was explaining to the disciples how to extract the blood essence of a mortal using a newly crafted technique devised by the Blood Sect's Genius when he noticed Huai and Mao Xuelian's presence.
The old man raised an eyebrow at Mao Xuelian before casting a questioning glance at Huai.
Huai stepped forward with Mao Xuelian and introduced her. "Good morning, Dean Bao! This is Mao Xuelian, my servant disciple! Remember her from yesterday? She was that one girl."
The old man's expression turned gravely stern as soon as he heard Huai's introduction.
"So, it's you," he said, shooting a glare at Mao Xuelian. However, his frown softened noticeably when he noticed the servant disciple token in her hands.
"Yes, Dean," Mao Xuelian replied, smiling calmly.
Her facade had vanished.
Why?
Because she knew she wouldn't survive with Isabella's personality present.
Isabella was an innocent, cheerful, and sheltered little princess of a noble family. She was oblivious to bloodshed and unaware of the world's cruelty.
In the face of the darkest depths of existence, where there were no allies or companions, Mao Xuelian chose to embrace her true persona.
The persona she had crafted arose from the immense pressure she faced from a young age.
She recalled her father's words: the throne was hers—no one else's, not even the gods.
Her mother's sly smiles and schemes flashed through her mind once more.
For her own power and glory, nothing could hold her back.
Mao Xuelian blinked, and in that instant, the trace of Isabella's personality faded from her being, replaced by the Thorn Empress who ruled the Empire alone.
...
Huai.
That's her name.
It has no special meaning—just a simple, practical way to address her.
As far as Huai remembers, she has always been part of the Blood Sect. She was born covered in blood and has lived her life surrounded by it. She has never stepped outside the hidden realm—she isn't worthy yet to see the outside world. So, she feels a deep curiosity about Mao Xuelian, who came from outside.
Who is she?
Why was she welcomed in such a grand manner? And why did the Elder slap her right after the atmosphere turned tense?
After reflecting on it for a while, Huai only knew one thing: it was because Mao Xuelian's talent was ordinary. She is too common for a cultivator, let alone someone regarded as The Destined One.
Perhaps she isn't The Destined One after all. Yet, they didn't kill her in the end.
Why? Huai, a mere senior among the Outer disciples, questioned this in her mind while dragging Mao Xuelian to meet Dean Bao.
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Oh, I know.
Huai smiled, her face lighting up as she watched Mao Xuelian receive her robes and basic necessities from Dean Bao.
So, that's why Mao'er became my servant disciple, Huai thought, convinced by her own reasoning.