The drinks flowed, and after three rounds.
Waraji quickly appeared in the living room.
Bai Ye was slightly stunned; Waraji was the courtesan who had paraded through the streets that day.
She exuded a cool aura. Upon entering the main hall, she spoke little, instead dancing to the music and then toasting guests at each table.
When it was Bai Ye's turn, he grabbed Waraji's wrist and asked, "Miss Waraji, could you have a drink with me alone?"
Waraji looked up at Bai Ye, who offered a faint smile.
Waraji hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Waraji will await you in her room."
Bai Ye nodded with a smile, thinking that being good-looking certainly had its advantages.
After Waraji had 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 woman was beautiful, and the courtesan liked her.
Meanwhile, Bai Ye followed the maid out of the main hall and into the corridor behind, heading towards Waraji.
A strange feeling washed over him.
Although lanterns were lit in the corridor, it was very dim, giving the entire passage an unusually deep and secluded feel.
And...
The rooms on either side of the corridor were all empty.
The maid smiled and said, "Miss Waraji dislikes crowded places, so she lives here alone."
Bai Ye nodded.
Soon, they arrived at the room at the end.
When Bai Ye pushed the door open, Waraji 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.
After the piece concluded, Waraji 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."
Waraji paused for a moment, then smiled, "Then I shall have a drink with you."
Bai Ye casually grabbed a wine jar and tossed it towards Waraji, saying, "You drink it yourself. Don't mind me."
Waraji caught the wine jar and said with a hint of hurt, "Am I not pretty enough?"
"No, you are quite beautiful," Bai Ye said, looking out the window indifferently. "Just consider me uninterested in women."
Bai Ye felt a sense of restlessness.
Logically, Bai Ye shouldn't be worried. Waraji was merely bait to lure out the demon.
So, he should do what he needed to do. If the demon appeared, he would kill it. If it didn't, it was quite pleasant to have such a beautiful girl for company and drinks.
Yet, Bai Ye had a very strange feeling, as if he had overlooked something.
But what had he overlooked?
Bai Ye couldn't quite put his finger on it.
It was at this moment...
Waraji's expression suddenly turned serious, and her gaze towards Bai Ye held a hint of unspoken meaning.
The next instant...
Waraji's obi behind her slowly lowered, trailing along the ground towards the front, slithering like a snake until it reached Bai Ye's back.
Bai Ye was still looking out the window, lost in thought, completely unaware of this sudden development. Then...
Suddenly...
The obi, slithering on the ground, shot up, wrapped around Bai Ye's neck, and began dragging him backward.
Bai Ye jolted awake, but at this moment...
More obis came from all directions, quickly binding his hands and feet, then stretching him out like a starfish and suspending him in mid-air.
Waraji stepped towards Bai Ye, a smile splitting her face, "You may not be interested in women, but you cannot be uninterested in me."
Waraji lightly lifted Bai Ye's chin with her finger, "To see someone as beautiful as me 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 Waraji. "Upper Rank Six!"
Waraji burst into laughter, took two steps back, and removed her outer garment.
Black stockings, shorts that barely concealed anything, and a black and red bustier. Around her waist was a pink obi, the very one Bai Ye had destroyed earlier.
Slowly, Waraji's hair turned silver-white, and characters gradually appeared in her eyes.
Upper Rank, Six!
Daki!
"You demon slayers are always opposing Master Muzan," Daki said, forcefully waving her hand 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 restlessness.
The demon was right beside him, and he hadn't even noticed.
How embarrassing!
However, it was undeniable that Daki, having lived in the pleasure district for so long, had managed to remain undiscovered by skillfully concealing her presence.
Rumble, rumble, rumble...
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 that moment...
"What are you laughing at?"
The sudden voice made Daki feel as if her throat had been suddenly gripped, and her laughter abruptly ceased.
Daki looked up ahead. Her obis had indeed pierced Bai Ye's body.
But there was no blood!
Instead, pale blue electricity flowed from the wounds, flickering continuously.
Soon, the room, darkened by the falling lanterns, was suddenly illuminated by the electricity.
"I admit I made some mistakes, very basic ones, like not realizing you were a demon," Bai Ye said. "But making mistakes occasionally makes me seem more human, doesn't it? Most importantly..."
Suddenly, Bai Ye's body ignited with phoenix flames, burning through the obis binding him.
Bai Ye struggled free from the restraints of the obis, landed back on the ground, and looked at Daki. "You had the chance to attack, but you were useless."
"Shut up!"
Daki roared at Bai Ye in anger, the obis behind her suddenly splitting and flying towards Bai Ye.
Those obis...
Bai Ye had initially intended to ignore them, as they couldn't hit his elementalized body. However, he suddenly recalled a new move from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
"Thunder Shock!"
As Bai Ye extended his hand, a large amount of electricity surged from his fingertips simultaneously.
The electricity spread outwards like a vast net, accompanied by high-speed 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, emitting tremendous roars.
Bai Ye clenched his fist. "This move is quite effective."
As Bai Ye spoke, his movements did not falter. He tapped his foot.
Zzzt!
A surge of electricity flowed, and then, Bai Ye appeared directly in front of Daki.
...