The wine flowed freely, three rounds deep.
Jue Ji soon appeared in the living room.
Bai Ye was slightly taken aback; Jue Ji was the courtesan from the parade that day.
With a cool demeanor, she entered the hall, exchanged few words, and began dancing to the accompaniment of music, then went table to table toasting the guests.
When it was Bai Ye's turn, he grabbed Jue Ji's wrist and asked, "Could Miss Jue Ji have a drink with me alone?"
Jue Ji looked up at Bai Ye, who offered a faint smile.
Jue Ji hesitated for a moment before smiling and saying, "Jue Ji will await you in her room."
Bai Ye nodded with a smile. Indeed, good looks had their advantages.
After Jue Ji finished toasting all the guests, a young maid approached Bai Ye and whispered a few words.
The other guests looked on with envy, but what could they do? The courtesan was beautiful and liked him.
Meanwhile, Bai Ye followed the maid out of the hall and into the corridor behind, heading towards Jue Ji's location.
A strange feeling washed over him.
Although lanterns were lit in the corridor, it was dim, giving the entire passageway a remarkably deep and somber aura.
And…
The rooms on either side of the corridor were all empty.
The maid smiled and said, "Miss Jue Ji dislikes crowded places, so she lives alone here."
Bai Ye nodded.
Soon, they arrived at the room at the end.
As Bai Ye pushed the door open, Jue Ji had already prepared a tea set. She gestured for Bai Ye to sit, then took out an instrument Bai Ye didn't recognize and began to play.
Her playing was quite good, though Bai Ye couldn't understand it.
After the song ended, Jue Ji looked at Bai Ye and smiled, "Guest, what do you think of my playing?"
"It's very good," Bai Ye replied, "but please don't play anymore."
Jue Ji blinked in surprise, then chuckled, "Then I shall have a drink with you."
Bai Ye casually grabbed a wine jar and tossed it towards Jue Ji, saying, "Drink it yourself, don't mind me."
Jue Ji caught the wine jar, a hint of hurt in her voice, "Am I not beautiful enough?"
"No, you're very beautiful," Bai Ye said, looking out the window indifferently, "Just assume I don't like women."
Bai Ye felt a sense of impatience.
Logically, Bai Ye had nothing to worry about. Jue Ji was merely a lure to draw out the demon.
So, he should do as he pleased. If the demon appeared, he would kill it. If not, having such a beautiful companion to drink with wasn't bad either.
Yet, Bai Ye had a peculiar feeling, as if he had overlooked something.
But what had he overlooked?
Bai Ye couldn't quite put his finger on it.
At that moment…
Jue Ji's expression suddenly tightened, and her gaze towards Bai Ye held a hint of something unreadable.
The next instant…
Her obi, from behind her, slowly loosened and trailed onto the floor, slithering forward like a snake towards Bai Ye's back.
Bai Ye remained gazing out the window, lost in thought, completely unaware of the sudden turn of events. Then…
Suddenly…
The obi that had been slithering on the floor shot up, wrapping around Bai Ye's neck and dragging him backward.
Bai Ye jolted to awareness, but at that moment…
More obis descended from all directions, swiftly binding his limbs, then stretching him out like a starfish and hoisting him into the air.
Jue Ji walked towards Bai Ye, step by step, a grin spreading across her face, "You may have no interest in women, but you can't have no interest in me."
Jue Ji lightly lifted Bai Ye's chin with her finger, "To see someone as beautiful as I am and merely gaze out the window, you are truly impolite."
"If I had known you were a demon, I would have been watching you from the start," Bai Ye said, looking at Jue Ji, "Upper Rank Six!"
Jue Ji burst into laughter, took two steps back, and removed her outer garment.
Black stockings, shorts that barely concealed anything, and a black and red bandeau. Around her waist was a pink obi, the same one Bai Ye had destroyed earlier.
Slowly, Jue Ji's hair turned silver-white, and characters gradually appeared in her eyes.
Upper Rank, Six!
Daki!
"You demon slayers are always opposing Lord Muzan," Daki declared, extending a hand forward. "Let me take your head and present it to Lord Muzan!"
The obi behind Daki suddenly extended, sweeping towards Bai Ye's throat.
Bai Ye finally understood the reason for his inexplicable unease earlier.
The demon was right beside him, and he hadn't even noticed.
He felt utterly disgraced!
However, he couldn't deny that Daki, having lived in the pleasure district for so long, had become adept at concealing her presence.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
Lost in thought, Daki's obi pierced Bai Ye's body and struck the wall behind him, causing it to collapse.
"Hahahahahahaha…"
Daki covered her mouth and burst into laughter.
But at that moment…
"What are you laughing at?"
The sudden voice made Daki feel as if she had been suddenly choked, and her laughter came to an abrupt halt.
Daki looked up ahead. Her obi had indeed penetrated Bai Ye's body.
But there was no blood!
What flowed from the wound were faint blue electric currents, constantly flickering.
Soon, the room, darkened by falling lanterns, was suddenly illuminated by the electricity.
"I admit I made some mistakes, very basic ones at that, not realizing you were a demon," Bai Ye said. "However, making mistakes occasionally makes me more human, doesn't it? Most importantly…"
Suddenly, a phoenix flame ignited on Bai Ye's body, burning through the obis binding him.
Bai Ye struggled free from the obis' restraint, landed on the ground, and looked at Daki. "Even with the chance to attack, you're still useless."
"Shut up!"
Daki roared at Bai Ye in anger. The obis behind her suddenly split and flew towards Bai Ye.
Those obis…
Bai Ye had initially intended to ignore them, as they couldn't hit his elementalized body anyway. However, he suddenly remembered a new technique from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
"Thunder Shock!"
As Bai Ye extended his hand, a large net of currents surged from the tips of his five fingers.
The currents spread outwards like a vast net, accompanied by high-frequency vibrations that produced a piercing sound.
The next instant…
The flying obis, upon hitting the electric net, were repelled in all directions.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The obis struck the roof, the ground, and the walls, creating deafening explosions.
Bai Ye clenched his fist. "This move is quite effective."
As Bai Ye spoke, his movements didn't falter. He merely touched the tip of his foot.
Zzzt!
A surge of electricity flowed, and in the next moment, Bai Ye appeared directly in front of Daki.