The air in Lan'xia was a sensory assault. It was thick with the scent of exotic spices, unwashed bodies, cheap wine, and something vaguely metallic and unpleasant that Lan Yue suspected was stale blood. The streets pulsed with a restless, chaotic energy, a stark contrast to the orderly, twilight serenity of the Netherworld or even the quaint peace of Silverwood.
They stepped out of a concealed portal point in a desolate alleyway, shrouded in a powerful concealment array woven by Ren. As the illusion dissolved, Xue Lian turned to Lan Yue, a mischievous glint in her amber eyes.
"Alright, my dear Saint," she purred, her fingers already dancing with a subtle, shapeshifting qi. "Time for your new look. We need something… eye catching, yet unassuming. Something that blends in, but also creates a perfect excuse for me to keep you close."
Lan Yue, still adjusting to the cacophony of the mortal realm, braced herself. "Eye catching and unassuming are mutually exclusive, Lian. And what do you mean 'excuse'?"
Xue Lian simply winked, and then, with a flash of qi, Lan Yue felt a strange, tingling sensation on her head and at the base of her spine. She reached up, her fingers brushing against something soft, pointed, and distinctly furry. A quick glance at a nearby puddle confirmed her horror. Black cat ears, twitching with an independent life of their own, now adorned her head. And, from beneath her robes, she felt the unmistakable sway of a long, elegant black tail.
"A cat demon slave," Xue Lian announced with immense satisfaction, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "Common enough in the pleasure districts, easily dismissed, and perfectly explains why you might be… unusually quiet and subservient. And why you cling to my side. Brilliant, isn't it?"
Lan Yue stared at her, utterly speechless. *You… you gave me cat ears,* she finally managed to transmit through the Soul Bond, her thought a mixture of outrage and profound bewilderment.
*And a tail! Don't forget the tail! It's very elegant. Suits you, and you look PUUURRRFFEECT* Xue Lian sent back, her inner glee radiating through their connection. *And it gets us into places unnoticed. No one questions a noblewoman with her exotic pet.*
They started walking, Xue Lian dressed as an unostentatious but clearly wealthy merchant lord, Lan Yue, her black ears twitching with every new sound, following a step behind, her celestial grace slightly marred by the forced subservience of her new role. Their immediate goal: the notorious brothel street. A place like that would be a natural hub for whispers, dark dealings, and men like Feng and Wei Chen.
As they navigated the crowded, narrow streets, Lan'xia revealed itself to be a place of stark contrasts. Opulent pavilions stood alongside crumbling tenements, and the scent of jasmine mingled with the stench of open sewers. And then they reached the brothel district. It was a riot of color, sound, and brazen sensuality. Lanterns cast a crimson glow, music spilled from open doorways, and cultivators of all sorts wealthy merchants, rough and tumble rogues, even a few stiff backed sect disciples flocked to the various establishments.
And then they started flocking to Xue Lian.
Her disguise as a wealthy merchant noblewoman was perhaps too effective. Her imperial aura, even subtly suppressed, combined with her striking beauty, her powerful presence, and the sheer magnetism she exuded, was like a beacon in the raucous, desperate street.
A dozen women, beautifully adorned and fiercely competitive, instantly gravitated towards her.
"Oh, my lady, you are new to Lan'xia, aren't you?" a woman with a shimmering, pearl inlaid veil purred, gently taking Xue Lian's arm. "Such exquisite taste, such an aura of refinement! Perhaps you would honor my humble establishment with your presence?"
Before Xue Lian could reply, another, bolder woman with fiery red silks draped over her ample figure stepped forward, completely ignoring the first. "Nonsense, darling! This lady needs real entertainment! My girls are the finest, the most… experienced." She winked, openly suggestive.
Lan Yue, a supposedly submissive "cat slave" standing silently behind Xue Lian, felt a slow, simmering possessiveness begin to boil within her. Her ears, much to her annoyance, flattened slightly against her head. She watched, seething internally, as Xue Lian, in her element, handled the fawning attention with a blend of regal charm and polite, utterly baffling evasion.
*They're like moths to a flame,* Lan Yue transmitted through the bond, her thought laced with a distinct, irritated growl.
*I know, darling. It's quite exhausting. So many eager… patrons,* Xue Lian sent back, her thought brimming with a mix of genuine annoyance and a healthy dose of smug self satisfaction. *Perhaps I'm simply too irresistible. A natural consequence of being an Empress, you see.*
One particularly persistent woman, with eyes like emeralds, brazenly ran a hand up Xue Lian's arm. "Surely, my beautiful lady, you need no… submissive pet when you could have a night of true ecstasy?" She glanced dismissively at Lan Yue.
Xue Lian's smile widened, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She leaned in towards Lan Yue, her voice a low, seductive whisper audible only to her. "Maybe I should enjoy myself here tonight, my love? All these beautiful women… would you even let me?"
Lan Yue's cat tail twitched violently under her robes. Her hand, of its own accord, subtly clenched a fist. The urge to activate her celestial sword, to cut down this disrespectful fool, was almost overwhelming. She had faced armies with less indignation.
Xue Lian, feeling the potent surge of irritation from Lan Yue through their bond, finally decided to intervene. With a charming smile that hinted at untold power, she gently disengaged from the throng of eager women.
"You are all very… spirited," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "But my… companion," she emphasized the word, her gaze lingering on Lan Yue for a moment, "and I are merely seeking information on the various, shall we say, business opportunities in your fine city. Perhaps you could direct us to a discreet, well connected establishment, rather than… offering us your personal services?"
The women, momentarily flustered by the unexpected turn, reluctantly pointed them towards a less flamboyant, but clearly more exclusive, establishment known for its clientele and its network of whispers.
As they finally managed to navigate away from the throng, Lan Yue glared at Xue Lian, her black ears still flattened. *You were enjoying that entirely too much. And you absolutely knew what you were doing.*
Xue Lian leaned in, her eyes sparkling with unholy amusement. "Perhaps I was," she whispered, her lips brushing Lan Yue's ear, making her shiver. "But it worked, didn't it? And besides, my dear 'cat slave'," she purred, gently tugging one of Lan Yue's newly acquired ears, "it makes you jealous. And that, I find, is simply delightful."
Lan Yue, utterly flustered by the combined effect of the tugged ear and Xue Lian's brazen flirtation, could only respond with a furious, indignant, *Hmph!* as they continued deeper into the alluring, dangerous heart of Lan'xia.