157 THE WOMAN ON THE BED
She nodded, her bitterness seeping through. "The timing was too perfect. Too calculated. Later, I learned that Cloud Mountain Sect and the Hunter Association of Amoy negotiated a 'ceasefire' between the Koresh Empire and the Eastern Kun Empire. It was a farce."
Leo's expression darkened, his voice low. "Are you saying the invasion was orchestrated by Cloud Mountain Sect and the Hunter Association of Amoy? A plot to eliminate the competition?"
"It's the only explanation that makes sense," Yun-Yun replied, her voice trembling with restrained fury. "The Koresh invaders plundered what they wanted and left, but Cloud Mountain Sect emerged as the most powerful sect in the Eastern Kun Empire. They gained everything from the chaos."
Petunia, who had been silent until now, clenched her fists. "How did you lose your magic?"
Yun-Yun hesitated, her eyes lowering as if the memory pained her. "I was attacked by assassins on my way back to my sect. I was wounded, but that wasn't the true cause of my loss. I ascended to the Ana tier and suffered Destiny's Retribution."
"Destiny's Retribution?" Leo asked, his voice soft with curiosity. "That sealed your magic?"
"It manifests differently for everyone," she explained.
"What about Ma-Shi from the Hunter Association of Amoy?" Petunia asked abruptly, her tone edged with disdain.
Yun-Yun's eyes narrowed. "He's undoubtedly part of their schemes."
"Good riddance if he's out of the picture," Petunia muttered darkly.
During their adventure to Sodom's ruins, Yun-Yun killed Ma-Shi after pretending to help him against Bael.
Yun-Yun turned her attention back to Leo, "What did the lesser elder want from you?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Leo admitted, his voice calm but resolute. "But I'll find out when I return to the family home."
-----
[The journey back to Cloud Mountain Sect]
"Why are we stopping, Elder?" Vreena asked, frowning as the carriage slowed to a halt.
"The journey is long," Elder Mo-an replied, his voice measured. "It's better to rest for the night. There are some abandoned huts around here."
The two descended to a dilapidated hut nestled in the woods. Vreena sighed as she cleared away the dust and debris, transforming the dingy space into something barely livable.
Meanwhile, Elder Mo-an busied himself with the potions he had taken from the Gullee family, his fingers greedily counting each bottle.
"I don't want any of their potions," Vreena said sharply, her disgust evident. "Throw them away."
"These are valuable," Mo-an retorted, his voice tinged with excitement. "Much better than what the sect gives us. Even I, as an elder, have never received potions of this tier."
"Suit yourself," she muttered, lying down on the creaky bed to rest.
As the night wore on, Mo-an's attention was drawn to one particular bottle. He held it up to the dim moonlight. The demon Lilleo, called this pill, Jaguar.
"I've heard whispers of this in the black market, it costs a fortune," Mo-an murmured to himself, a gleam of curiosity in his eyes.
His fascination grew unbearable.
Unable to resist, he opened the bottle and swallowed one of the pills. Almost immediately, a searing heat coursed through his body, igniting a fire of desire that consumed his senses. His eyes darted to Vreena, resting peacefully on the bed.
A wicked thought began to take root.
"All these potions... they're worth a fortune. More than I'd ever see from the sect in years. If only they were mine," he muttered, greed and lust intertwining in his mind.
Mo-an's breathing grew heavier as he approached Vreena. His hands traced a complex pattern in the air, summoning an invisible magic that enveloped her.
"What is this?" Vreena jolted awake suddenly, panic in her voice. "Why can't I move my body?"
"You've been cursed," Mo-an said coldly. "Your magic is sealed until morning."
"Elder Mo-an, what are you doing?!" Vreena cried, her voice trembling.
"Relax," he said with a sinister smirk. "That boy rejected you, but I won't."
With a flick of his hand, her clothing tore away, and Vreena's screams filled the air. "No! Stop! What are you doing?!"
Her cries echoed through the isolated hut, but there was no one nearby to hear.
"I'm sorry, Vreena," Mo-an said, his tone devoid of remorse. "That bastard Lilleo poisoned me with this 'Jaguar.' I need relief, and you're the only bitch around here."
Vreena's sobs and curses did nothing to stop him as he violated her, stealing her innocence in the most brutal way.
When he was finished, she turned her tear-streaked face toward him, her voice filled with venom. "I will kill you for this."
Mo-an sneered. "Blame Lilleo Gullee for your fate, not me. It was his potion that brought this upon you."
"Release me now," she demanded.
As Vreena glared at him with hatred, Mo-an's expression turned dark. "You really think I'd let you live after this?" he said before casting a spell.
A blast of light struck Vreena's forehead, silencing her forever. Her lifeless body fell limp on the blood-stained mattress.
Mo-an sighed, looking at his handiwork. "If I burn her, no one will ever know what happened here tonight," he muttered aloud.
"I'll say assassins killed her. Lilleo Gullee sent them to stop her from challenging him in three years. That's a credible story," he told himself.
Suddenly, voices and footsteps echoed from outside. Mo-an froze.
Soldiers and mages part of a local border patrol of Koresh kingdom approached the hut.
"Damn it, they must not discover me here," Mo-an cursed under his breath.
Grabbing his stash of potions, he slipped out through the window and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Vreena's cold body behind.
-----
The soldiers entered the abandoned hut cautiously, their boots crunching against the uneven wooden floor. The faint warmth of a recently stoked fire lingered in the air.
"Someone's been here," one soldier remarked, noticing the glowing embers in the fireplace.
"Wait, there's someone on the bed!" another exclaimed, stepping closer.
"Hey! This area's been ordered to evacuate. You can't stay here!" the captain barked, but his voice faltered as he approached.
"It's a woman… she's not moving," a soldier whispered, peering at the figure lying on the bed.