The cold stone corridor stretched ahead like a snake's belly. Briar's hands shook as she pulled off her outer robe. The black fabric was rough against her fingers. Years of wear had made it thin in places.
"Here." She wrapped the robe around Ash's shoulders, covering his birthday suit. Her touch was quick, angry. But she covered him anyway. "Elder Anya doesn't like to wait."
Ash pulled the robe tight around his body. The cloth smelled of incense and feminine musk. Something bitter that made his nose wrinkle. He followed Briar down the corridor, his bare feet silent on the cold stone.
The Jade Yin Sect was huge. Massive beyond anything he'd imagined, and this was just the outer part. Stone pathways branched off in every direction, leading to stairs that connected to multiple buildings and pavilions on the top and base of the mountain.
Yes... The sect was built on a huge mountain, and beyond that was an expansive mountain range with forests, lakes, and rivers.
It truly was huge.
Wooden bridges connected buildings high above their heads. The place was like a city carved from mountain stone.
Disciples walked everywhere. Too many to count. Their robes swished as they moved with purpose. Most wore black robes like Briar, Outer-court disciples. But some wore grey robes that looked finer. Better material with cleaner stitching.
'Inner-court disciples.' he thought.
They looked fiercer and walked differently. Heads held high. Eyes that looked through the black-robed disciples like they were beneath them.
Something else caught Ash's attention. Women. Everywhere he looked, women. For every man he saw, there were five or six women. Maybe more.
Their eyes followed him as he passed. Some looked curious. Others expressed unfiltered starving gazes. A few seemed angry at Briar walking beside him.
"Keep your head down," Briar hissed. "Don't look at them."
But Ash couldn't help himself. The memories of his predecessor were still fuzzy, but pieces came back slowly.
From the memories, the only thing he remembered before waking up was that, the merchant caravans transporting him and the slaves were attacked by members of this sect.
They released a strange gas that made the mortal slaves with no cultivation sleep while they killed the warriors guarding the caravan. After that, they most likely plundered the goods, resources, everything on it.
Then nothing until he woke up in chains.
"Here." Briar stopped in front of a wooden gate. "Elder Anya's quarters."
The gate swung open. A spacious courtyard spread before them. Stone pathways wound between neat gardens. A small pond reflected the afternoon sun. Flowers bloomed in perfect rows. Their colors were bright against the grey stone.
It was beautiful and peaceful. Nothing like the dungeon he'd just escaped from.
Two women knelt by the flower beds. They wore simple, brown robes, not the black of outer-court disciples. Their hands worked among the plants. Pulling weeds and trimming dead stems. When they looked up, Ash's breath caught.
Both women were thin, too thin in fact. Their skin was pale as rice paper, with barely visible muscles on them. Dark circles shadowed their eyes like bruises. Their hair hung limp and lifeless. They looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks.
'Blood Cauldrons.' The realization hit him hard. This was his future. What Elder Anya would do to him.
"Senior Sister Briar." The taller woman bowed low. Her voice was weak. Barely a whisper.
"Clean him." Briar pointed at Ash like he was a piece of rag. "Elder Anya will want to see him soon. Make sure he's presentable."
The woman nodded quickly. Too quickly. Like she was afraid of what would happen if she didn't.
Briar turned to leave but then stopped. She looked back at Ash. Her eyes were hard to read. For a moment, something flickered there. Pity? Regret? But it was gone before he could be sure.
"Humph!" she snorted, feeling disgruntled. Then she was gone. Her footsteps echoed down the stone pathways.
The two maids approached him carefully, like he might bite. The tall one had long black hair in a simple braid. The other had short brown hair and scars on her arms. Both looked terrible.
"This way, young master." The tall one's voice was soft. Respectful. But her eyes looke ddead, empty as winter ponds. "We'll prepare a bath for you."
They led him through the courtyard. Past the flowers and the pond. Into the main building. The inside was rich. Silk curtains hung from the walls and jade ornaments sat on polished tables.
The bathroom was bigger than any one Ash had ever seen. A huge tub sat in the center. Carved from white stone. Pipes ran along the walls. Carrying hot water from somewhere deep in the sect. The maids turned valves. Steam began to rise.
"The water will be ready soon." The tall maid wouldn't meet his eyes. "Please wait here."
Ash watched them work. Their movements were practiced. They'd done this many times before. He wondered how many other Blood Cauldrons had been brought here. How many had died in this place.
"What are your names?" he asked. His voice was gentle.
Both women flinched. The short-haired one dropped her towel. They looked at each other. Fear written across their faces.
"I'm Mei," the tall one said after a long pause. "This is Lin."
"How long have you been here?"
Another pause, longer this time. Mei's hands twisted in her robe. "Three years. Maybe four. Time moves fast here."
"What does Elder Anya do to you?" Ash pressed. "Why do you look so weak?"
"Don't ask!" Lin snapped. Her voice was suddenly harsh. Her eyes flashed with anger. Or terror. "Don't ask questions. Don't try to understand. Just do what she says. Maybe you'll live longer than the others."
"The others?"
"Shut up!" Mei grabbed Lin's arm. "We can't talk about this. You know what happens if she finds out."
Lin's anger crumbled. Her shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But we can't help you. No one can help you."
They finished the bath in silence. The water was hot. Fragrant with oils and herbs. Steam rose from the surface. It smelled of jasmine.
"The bath is ready." Mei still wouldn't look at him. "Please call us when you're finished."
They hurried out. Their footsteps faded down the corridor. Then silence.
Ash let the robe fall to the floor. His new body was strange. Lean but not muscular. Pale skin without scars. Hands that look like they had never done hard work. He looked like a young master from a wealthy family. Not a slave.
He slipped into the hot water. The heat soaked into his bones. Washing away the filth of the dungeon. For a moment, he could almost forget where he was.
But only for a moment.
The system had been quiet since its first appearance. Ash closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. "Time to see what this golden cheat could do." he muttered.
"System," he called in his mind.
The golden interface flickered to life. Floating just above the water. Lines of text appeared. Glowing with soft light.