Chapter 167: Fascinating
Within Origin Light Castle.
Zhu Xianyao sat on a fancy, elegant carriage that was flying over the city.
From this vantage point, it was possible to see the entirety of Origin Light Castle. The sight was quite incredible to behold.
“The Harpies’ Cloudy Tea. It has quite a lingering aftertaste. I must thank you, Consort, for giving me the opportunity to taste it yet again,” Zhu Xianyao said to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner after gently taking a sip of the tea in front of her.
Even though the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner had given Zhu Xianyao permission to move freely throughout the east side of the city, she had not yet once left Zhu Xianyao’s side. Not only that, but a large number of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s experts also went with them wherever they went.
They were supposedly there for protection, but they were actually there for supervision.
When she heard Zhu Xianyao’s words, the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner smiled and said, “Miss Zhu, you are an esteemed guest. How could I not treat you with the grandest hospitality? I cannot bear the responsibility of making even a small slight.”
Zhu Xianyao smiled. “So if I have a request, then would you be willing to help me see it through?”
The Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s master had quite the way with words. “As long as it’s within my power to help you with it, I will do my best.”
Zhu Xianyao clapped her hands together. “Wonderful. I have heard that the Harpies produce a magnificent rose and rainbow hued robe, but it is produced in small quant.i.ties due to the lack of ingredients. It’s not just a matter of money — apparently, there is a long waiting list just to be able to buy one. I heard that the wait is as long as three years…… Would Consort be able to……”
The Rosy Cloud Pavilion’s rainbow robes were well-known all over the continent. The legend was that a Harpy fairy had ascended to the heavens and gathered a unique thread spun from rainbows, from which the robe was then st.i.tched together with.
This robe was incredibly lightweight and portable. Even a swath of its fabric a few dozens of feet wide could be compressed into a ball about the side of a fist. It was comfortable to wear in any kind of weather. And not only that, but its vibrancy could also be adjusted, and it could be made to fit any kind of body figure. Its adaptability was unparalleled; this, coupled with its radiant colors, was what gave it its incredible reputation. For these reasons, many women flocked to obtain it even if it wasn’t very practical to wear into combat.
Zhu Xianyao had wanted such an article of clothing for a long time, but it was too rare, and so she had never been able to secure one.
The Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion Master let out a sigh when she heard this request.
Even though these rainbow robes were quite valuable, they were not useful in combat. If Zhu Xianyao wanted one, then the special conditions they were in meant that she would receive one.
The Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner nodded. “If that’s the case, then we can make a stop at the Rosy Cloud Pavilion.”
“Wonderful!” Zhu Xianyao clapped her hands like a giddy schoolgirl. Even the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner was slightly caught off-guard by her innocent behavior. Zhu Xianyao’s natural charm was truly enough to capture almost anyone’s heart, even a female such as herself.
However, the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner was very much aware of the Slyheart Fox Bloodline’s power, so she was prepared to handle the situation. All of the people responsible for watching over the Zhu Clan were female. Even though the Slyheart Fox Bloodline was powerful, it wasn’t as useful against women. Zhu Xianyao was a genius from the Zhu Clan, and with Su Chen’s a.s.sistance, her charm had reached the next level. But despite all that, this natural handicap was not something that could be overcome that easily.
As such, the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner was only moved for a brief moment before she escaped from Zhu Xianyao’s influence.
After landing at the Rosy Cloud Pavilion, the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner stepped inside and said, “Do you have any rainbow robes on hand? We would like to try one out.”
The maidservant responsible hesitated. “We do have one, but it’s been reserved for the Head of Security’s daughter……”
“That’s alright. Take it out. I will give an account to the Head of Security,” the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner said. She pulled out an item and tossed it over to the Rosy Cloud Pavilion’s maidservant, who no longer protested when she saw it.
Zhu Xianyao, who was standing off to the side, was stunned when she heard their exchange.
The Head of Security was an important position with great authority. In human terms, they had about as much influence as the average Thought Manifestation Realm cultivator.
And the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner was able to s.n.a.t.c.h a coveted item away from a Harpy like that without any reservation.
This was obviously not because her authority superceded that of the Head of the Security. Rather, it showed that the person backing her was able to ignore his authority entirely.
There weren’t many Harpies in all of Sky Country who wielded that much influence.
Zhu Xianyao began to realize that Su Chen had probably stirred up some kind of heaven-shaking commotion.
However, Zhu Xianyao maintained an indifferent expression on the surface.
The rainbow robe was very quickly brought out.
Zhu Xianyao accepted the rainbow robe and headed for the dressing room.
Not long after, she reemerged, this time with an elegant, almost saintly robe draped around her. When she took a few steps forward, the thin veneer of clothing began to transform as the hem began to grow longer and take on a pale blue color. The sleeves shrunk, revealing Zhu Xianyao’s slender, pale-white arms. The rainbow robe took on a semi-ethereal quality when compared to its former n.o.ble, elegant aura.
After taking a few more steps, the rainbow robe suddenly turned fiery red, giving Zhu Xianyao’s attractiveness a splash of burning desire. Any male who laid their eyes on her would probably lose themselves in the throes of pa.s.sion.
Even though they were not of the same race, humans and Harpies shared similar appearances. Zhu Xianyao’s beauty could topple human governments, and she would probably have a similar effect in Harpy territory as well.
Even the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner couldn’t resist clapping her hand and sighing in amazement. “This rainbow robe fits you perfectly. Only someone like you would be able to bring the full beauty of such a saintly garment out.”
“You flatter me,” Zhu Xianyao replied as she bowed graciously to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner. “Many thanks for taking care of me. I will treasure this robe that you’ve given to me.”
“As long as you like it,” the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner replied with a smile.
As long as Zhu Xianyao was willing to cooperate and not stir up trouble, a simple rainbow robe was nothing by comparison.
“Alright, we’ve been here long enough. It’s about time for us to go back.”
The Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion owner was naturally delighted to hear that Zhu Xianyao wanted to go back.
They returned to their carriage and headed back towards the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.
As they watched this group of Harpies leave, the maidservants of the Rosy Cloud Pavilion all frowned. “What is this? She just came up here and took the robe that took us over half a year to make. That’s ridiculous.”
“Quiet. Don’t say things like that if you don’t want to stir up trouble,” the steward of the pavilion said as she shushed their dissatisfaction.
The steward had already reported the matter of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner’s seizing the rainbow robe, and the answer he had received was to comply with her request. He was very clear on the importance of this group of people.
They could only lower their heads and acquiesce to their demands.
At this moment, however, another woman stepped out of the changing room that Zhu Xianyao had used only moments ago.
She looked exactly like the woman who had tried on the robe earlier.
What was going on?
The Harpies still present in the Rosy Cloud Pavilion were stunned. They watched as the woman glanced around and said in shock, “Hm? My sisters all left already? They didn’t even let me know that they were leaving!”
Sisters?
Everyone glanced at each other, completely befuddled by the strange situation in front of them.
They hadn’t seen two people enter the changing room. What was going on?
The steward asked in a low voice, “Miss, may I ask when you went in……?”
The woman impatiently replied, “Are you blind? Did you not see me walk in? I helped her change into her new clothes.”
The Harpies present did their best to remember, but they couldn’t think of anyone else who had gone into the changing room to help Zhu Xianyao.
The woman waved her hand dismissively and said, “Fine. If they’ve left, then they’ve left. I’ll just go back on my own. Really, now.”
As she spoke, she straightened her sleeves and flew into the air.
Everyone watched as she flew away before turning to look at each other, dumbfounded. However, they very quickly forgot about it.
Once the woman had flown a ways away, she turned to look back at the Rosy Cloud Pavilion before laughing uproariously.
She was naturally Zhu Xianyao.
Even though the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner had taken precautions against the Slyheart Fox Bloodline’s bewitching techniques, she had no idea about Zhu Xianyao’s other ident.i.ty: Su Chen’s woman.
In some sense, this ident.i.ty was actually even more important than the former — after being with Su Chen for so many years, she had picked up quite a few things from him. This included his unpredictable tactics, his strategic planning, and some of his creations.
Including the Blood Essence Clones.
Wanting the rainbow robe was merely an excuse.
Zhu Xianyao was just looking for an opportunity to ditch her guards without them becoming suspicious.
Even just the short period of time needed to change clothes was enough for her to put her plan into motion.
The one wearing the rainbow robe was actually Zhu Xianyao’s Blood Essence Clone. The real Zhu Xianyao had been hiding in the changing room the whole time. It wasn’t until everyone from the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion had left that she had revealed herself again.
As for the Rosy Cloud Pavilion, even though they had discovered the appearance of a second Zhu Xianyao, they didn’t know the details of the situation, so they were none the wiser. Naturally, they had no intention of reporting it to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion’s owner.
And even if they did, then so what?
The situation had already reached its boiling point. It was quite unlikely that it could possibly get much worse.
At the moment, Zhu Xianyao needed to quickly find a suitable target to capture so that she could understand exactly what had happened in Sky City.
A moment later, a pair of wings appeared on Zhu Xianyao’s back and she flew in the direction of the city’s commerce district. Her illusion techniques also came from Su Chen — even though her mastery was not particularly impressive, it was enough to trick most common Harpies.
Her current goal was to find a target, or more specifically, one capable of providing her with information on what had occurred in Sky City.
This target needed to have a certain amount of status so that they would definitely have accurate information, and they needed to be a male so that her bewitching techniques would work. Finally, they couldn’t be too strong.
The best target that met these three requirements was naturally a Young Master from some high profile clan.
Zhu Xianyao began to survey her surroundings, looking for one such individual.
Perhaps Lady Luck was on her side, as she quickly found one such Young Master from a n.o.ble clan.
A group of Harpies dressed in elegant clothing was headed in her approximate direction. And walking at their very front was a refined prince.
As if he had already been drawn in by Zhu Xianyao’s beauty, the Young Master immediately locked his gaze onto Zhu Xianyao as soon as he saw her, his gaze never wandering anywhere else.
When Zhu Xianyao saw this, she smiled slightly and shot him a provocative glance before walking toward a nearby alleyway.
When the Young Master saw this, he unconsciously followed Zhu Xianyao into the alleyway. His subordinates all stopped outside the alleyway. Everyone undoubtedly knew what was about to happen.
A few of the Harpies who saw this situation sighed and shook their heads, lamenting the degeneration of society’s youth.
Zhu Xianyao led the Young Master into the depths of the alleyway.
She turned to face the n.o.ble Young Master and tenderly asked, “Do you find me beautiful?”
“Yes.”
A sweet expression then appeared on Zhu Xianyao’s face. “Then are you willing to protect me?”
The Slyheart Fox’s charm went to work. Zhu Xianyao was planning on starting with a simple question before getting more and more serious. After asking if the Young Master was going to protect her, she would then whether he would dote on her, obey her, and finally die for her.
This was the process by which she would complete her bewitching.
But when Zhu Xianyao asked this second question, the other party’s reply deviated from her expectations. “Of course I am willing to do so, but my Master might not want me to.”
Hm?
What did that mean?
Zhu Xianyao was stunned.
She watched in shock as the other party’s appearance suddenly began to morph into a very familiar figure.
“Iron Cliff!?” Zhu Xianyao blurted out uncontrollably.
She had almost bewitched Iron Cliff!
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