The wine flowed freely.
Jue Ji soon appeared in the living room.
Bai Ye was slightly startled; Jue Ji was the courtesan from the parade that day.
With a cool demeanor, she entered the hall. Without much preamble, she danced to the music and then went table by table, offering wine to the guests.
When it was Bai Ye’s turn, he seized Jue Ji’s wrist and asked, “Miss Jue Ji, would you care to have a drink with me alone?”
Jue Ji looked up at Bai Ye, who offered a faint smile.
After a moment of hesitation, Jue Ji replied with a smile, “Jue Ji will await you in her room.”
Bai Ye nodded with a smile. Indeed, being good-looking had its advantages.
After Jue Ji had finished serving 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 she favored him.
Meanwhile, Bai Ye followed the maid out of the hall and into the corridor behind, heading in Jue Ji’s direction.
A peculiar feeling washed over him.
Though lanterns were lit in the corridor, it was incredibly dim, giving the entire walkway a strangely deep and secluded aura.
And what’s more…
The rooms on either side of the corridor were all empty.
The maid smiled and said, “Miss Jue Ji doesn’t like crowded places, so she lives here alone.”
Bai Ye nodded.
Soon, they reached the room at the end.
As Bai Ye pushed the door open, Jue Ji had already prepared the tea set. She gestured for Bai Ye to sit, then took out an instrument Bai Ye didn’t recognize and began to play.
She played quite well, though Bai Ye didn’t understand the music.
When the song ended, Jue Ji looked at Bai Ye and smiled, “Guest, what do you think of my playing?”
“It was very good,” Bai Ye replied. “But please don’t play anymore.”
Jue Ji blinked in surprise, then smiled, “Then I shall accompany you for a drink.”
Bai Ye casually grabbed a wine jar and tossed it toward Jue Ji, saying, “Drink it yourself, don’t mind me.”
Jue Ji caught the wine jar and pouted, “Am I not pretty enough?”
“No, you are quite beautiful,” Bai Ye said, looking out the window nonchalantly. “Just pretend I don’t like women.”
Bai Ye felt a twinge of anxiety.
Logically, Bai Ye shouldn’t be worried. Jue Ji was merely bait to lure out the demon.
So, he should just do what he needed to do. If the demon appeared, he would eliminate it. If not, having a beautiful girl for company while drinking was also rather pleasant.
Yet, Bai Ye had a strange feeling now, as if he had overlooked something.
But what had he overlooked?
Bai Ye couldn’t quite pinpoint it for the moment.
And just then…
Jue Ji’s expression sharpened slightly, and her gaze towards Bai Ye held a hint of something unreadable.
The next instant…
The obi at Jue Ji’s waist slowly lowered, trailing along the ground and wriggling forward like a snake, approaching Bai Ye from behind.
Bai Ye was still gazing out the window, lost in thought, completely oblivious to the sudden turn of events. Then…
Suddenly…
The obi, slithering on the floor, lunged upwards and wrapped around Bai Ye’s neck, dragging him backward.
Bai Ye jolted, realizing the danger. But at this moment…
More obis came from all directions, swiftly binding Bai Ye’s limbs. Then, they pulled his entire body into a spread-eagle position, suspending him in mid-air.
Jue Ji approached Bai Ye step by step, a grin spreading across her face. “You may not be interested in women, but you must be interested in me.”
Jue Ji lightly tilted Bai Ye’s chin with her finger. “To see someone as beautiful as I am, and only look out the window… you are truly impolite.”
“If I had known you were a demon, I would have kept my eyes on you from the start,” Bai Ye said, looking at Jue Ji. “Upper Rank Six!”
Jue Ji burst into laughter. She took two steps back and shed her outer garment.
Black stockings, shorts that barely concealed anything, and a black and red bandeau. Around her waist was a pink obi, the very one Bai Ye had destroyed earlier.
Slowly, Jue Ji’s hair turned silver-white, and markings gradually appeared in her eyes.
Upper Rank, Six!
Daki!
“You demon slayers are always opposing Master Muzan,” Daki declared, her hand sweeping forward. “Let me take your head and present it to Master Muzan!”
The obis behind Daki suddenly extended, sweeping towards Bai Ye’s throat.
Bai Ye finally understood the reason for his inexplicable anxiety earlier.
The demon was right beside him, yet he hadn’t noticed.
It was truly embarrassing!
However, he had to admit that Daki, having lived in the pleasure district for so long, had become adept at concealing her presence.
*Boom, boom, boom…*
Lost in thought, Daki’s obis pierced Bai Ye’s body and slammed into the wall behind him, causing it to collapse.
“Hahahahahaha…”
Daki covered her mouth and burst into laughter.
But at this moment…
“What are you laughing at?”
The sudden voice made Daki freeze as if her throat had been constricted. Her laughter abruptly ceased.
Daki looked up ahead. Her obis had indeed pierced Bai Ye’s body.
But there was no blood!
From the wounds, pale blue electric currents flowed and flickered.
Soon, the room, darkened by the fallen lanterns, was suddenly illuminated by the electric currents.
“I admit I made some mistakes, very basic ones, not realizing you were a demon,” Bai Ye said. “But making mistakes occasionally makes me seem more human, doesn’t it? Most importantly…”
Suddenly, a phoenix flame ignited on Bai Ye’s body, burning through the obis that were binding him.
Bai Ye struggled free from the restraints of the obis, landed back on the ground, and looked at Daki. “Even with an opportunity to attack, you are 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 initially intended to ignore them, as they couldn’t hit his elementalized body anyway. However, Bai Ye suddenly recalled a new move from the Goro Goro no Mi.
“Thunder Shock!”
As Bai Ye extended his hand, a large amount of electricity surged from his fingertips.
The electricity spread out like a net, accompanied by high-frequency vibrations that produced a piercing sound.
The next instant…
As the incoming obis struck the electric net, they were repelled in all directions.
*Boom, boom, boom!*
The obis hit the roof, the ground, and the walls, creating loud crashes.
Bai Ye clenched his fist. “This move is quite effective.”
As Bai Ye spoke, he didn’t hesitate. He tapped his toes.
*Zzzzt!*
A current surged, and in the next moment, Bai Ye appeared directly in front of Daki.