Chapter 577 – Scorching Sky Courtyard

Witch Aiko and Danji slowly moved to the bathhouse.

"There is also another path for private baths." Danji nudged Aiko.

"Not a bad idea, but will others come too?" Witch Aiko narrowed her eyes.

"It's unlikely." Danji smirked. After the last 'event' that caused that 'disturbance', she could faintly feel that they were being followed from a distance.

This was just her assumption, but they were being guarded so that nothing bad would happen again.

"But just unlikely won't cut it." Witch Aiko didn't think that it would be a good idea to take this risk, since this place was not completely safe.

The Elders might still be hiding somewhere, so it was better not to-

"Welcome, guests." A cute girl in a kimono greeted them. "I have been assigned to guide you into a private residence, bath included." She bowed deeply.

Witch Aiko's nose twitched. "You smell like the titty bird." She nodded her head slowly.

"P-Pardon?" The girl was startled, since nobody was willing to offend her Master, yet this Fox spoke up so openly and brazenly?!

"Since she smells like rolling pillows, it should be alright, right?" Witch Aiko asked Danji while thinking of even more creative names in her mind.

The girl almost fainted when she heard those nicknames. She couldn't believe that this Fox had no fear of retaliation from her Master!

"She is quite cute, should we invite her too?" Danji teased the girl, since she knew what kind of rumours surrounded Foxes.

"T-t-that-" The girl's eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

Witch Aiko supported her with Divine Sense before placing her against a nearby tree.

"You made her faint. Who will guide us now?" Witch Aiko stared at Danji judgmentally.

"M-my apologies." Danji was flustered, since she also didn't expect this.

"I will guide you there." A male sighed as he walked from the shrubs.

"I hope the others won't 'guard' when we are inside the bath." Witch Aiko licked her lips dangerously.

The guy shook his head. "The residence has its own Protective Array. We will only check if someone is not hiding there before leaving you alone." He explained what they would do, so that the Foxes wouldn't take offence or likeness towards them.

Everyone knew that Foxes loved to be debauched, and since their leader was so cautious about this group. They would try to handle it as gently as possible.

"Any cuties?" Witch Aiko asked. This guy was like an uncle with battle scars, so he was not cute enough.

"Am I not enough?" Danji pouted.

"Then do you also intend to clean this whole residence while we stay there?" Witch Aiko blinked at her speechlessly.

Both the guards hiding nearby and Danji were completely speechless.

Nobody expected this Fox to be so...

*sigh*

"I will arrange someone for later." The guard cupped his fists.

"At ease, at ease. It's not like we will eat you." Witch Aiko sighed. "You are not handsome enough for that."

*Crack*

The guard felt clearly offended, but at the same time thankful, since he already had one 'run in' with a Fox, and it was... an experience to say the least.

He didn't really want to repeat the same thing again.

"Don't be so flustered." Witch Aiko giggled before gesturing to him.

The guard sighed. What a troublesome job he was assigned, but he also understood why the leaders did this.

Other guys would definitely mess up, since nobody had such a strong fuse as his team.

Guiding the duo who were giggling between each other and staring at his body, he felt all awkward, but this was a mission he had to fulfil.

'I don't think he will be able to advance any more, but what do you think?' Witch Aiko asked Danji after assessing his body.

'I don't think so, either. His body experienced too many poisons not to have any hiccups.' Danji shook her head.

'Huh, how did you know?' Witch Aiko blinked at her in surprise.

'His blood has traces of it.' Danji's eyes turned deep crimson as she licked her lips.

'So that's why...' Witch Aiko nodded her head in admiration, smiling happily.

'Why do they keep staring at my rear...?' The guard shivered. 'They don't want me, right? I'm happily married, please leave me alone! That one time was a mistake!' He cried internally while maintaining a stoic expression throughout the walk.

...

"This is the Scorching Sky Courtyard." The guard opened the doors into a beautiful courtyard.

"Whoa. So many Runes..." Witch Aiko's eyes widened as her hair changed. She became less impressive compared to before, but her cool beauty did take a few hearts from the guards.

'How did she...'

The guards were completely speechless. From her expression, this was her first time seeing it, but only the Association Leader was able to see the Runes, so how could a Fox...?!

"I will guide you around." The guard bowed. He was trying to figure out if she was joking or not.

"Come out." Moon Aiko met the eyes of all the guards, making the situation more awkward.

"What?" Moon Aiko tilted her head. "You are supposed to search through this courtyard, so you have to be quicker than when we finish." She smiled mischievously, and the guards sweated.

While the previous beauty was captivating, this kind of beauty was too dangerous to be alone with. They would have to be exceptionally quick and thorough in order to avoid misfortune.

Shadows passed by them, startling Danji slightly.

"Hm, I'm not good enough. I have counted 7 guards, but 10 passed." Danji frowned at her inability to find all of them.

The guard who guided them almost choked to death. It would be a miracle if they just found one member, but 7 of them?!

"It's fine, there are 13 of them, this guy included." Moon Aiko smiled gently, and the guard staggered, almost coughing up blood.

He turned around to look at the cold beauty in horror.

"Please excuse my rudeness." The guard cupped his fists.

"What is it?" Moon Aiko tilted her head.

"How were you able to figure out our numbers?" The guard asked softly. He knew he was asking too much, but this is what separated them from the other powerhouses in other Sects.

He wanted to surpass them, but it was not like anyone would be willing to share how they were able to find them.

Moon Aiko approached him, swaying her slim, yet sensual body.

The guard was startled, but he didn't take a step back, since he didn't feel any hostility from her.

"It starts here." Moon Aiko placed her soft hands on the location of his Dantian.

The guard stiffened, since he never felt anything so soft in his life, but there was also a dangerous feeling from this.

"Then it goes here and there." Moon Aiko traced parts of his body with those soft hands, but he could feel his blood flowing backwards for some reason.

"And it ends here." As Moon Aiko finished, she dodged to the side as he vomited black blood.

"Vice-leader!" The other guards screamed, trying to assess what had just happened.

"Stand down." The leader told them, since he had already noticed a certain oddity within the vice-leader.

The vice-leader puked his guts out, but not only did he feel healthier, but also stronger.

His hand formed a fist. The sheer pressure he was able to exert caused a crack and a shock wave.

The blood was dispersed and splashed on Aiko, since she didn't expect that at all.

"Ah..." The vice-leader felt embarrassed for causing this mess.

"I apologise for my rudeness. I will buy you new clothes later." The vice-leader felt awful for causing this mess when she helped him.

"Forget it." Moon Aiko shook her hand.

"I insist." The vice-leader was adamant.

"Treat your wife to something good. You won't be able to afford Nightmare Spider Silk." Moon Aiko shook her head.

"I'm sorry." He did a true 90-degree bow, startling her.

"We will do our best so that nobody disturbs you." The leader said.

While this was their mission, they did not have proper 'motivation' to do this impeccably, but now they did.

"Please do. We need rest." Moon Aiko smiled gently as she used her semi-destructive [Clean].

To their shock, not only was all the blood completely erased, but the dress was even cleaner than before!

"Search!" The leader commanded, and even more guards went inside, searching through every nook and cranny.

Moon Aiko could hear some kind of fight from inside, but she was unbothered.

"I will guide you around."The leader, who was guiding them, was an elderly man, with some grey and even white hair, but his complexion was much better than anyone else's.

Moon Aiko felt for sure that he was a powerful individual who treated his body well.

"Please." Moon Aiko bowed gently with Danji.

...

The tour was very simple but meaningful.

The main courtyard was surrounded by a beautiful garden where Runes flew around freely, but the closer to the centre you went. The more 'solid' those Runes were.

There were also Runes that were imprinted onto objects, but it didn't make sense.

'Why is a vase called a tree?' Moon Aiko was confused. Yet every vase had 'tree' written on it.

The deeper they went into the courtyard, the more abnormal things became.

A table was called an apple, and doors were called rocks. It pained Aiko's mind greatly.

"Are you alright?" Danji supported Aiko with her tender body.

"Yeah, I'm just feeling uncomfortable." Moon Aiko slightly grimaced.

'When a certain Fox feels bad, give her this paper.'

The Association Leader's words resonated inside the guard leader's mind.

"Are you feeling unwell?" The leader asked softly, but seeing her grimace, he didn't wait for an answer.

"The Association Leader told me to give you this." The guard leader pulled a paper out of his clothes and gave it to the Fox.

"Chen Boner asked you to give me this?" Moon Aiko was startled.

*Slip* *Crash*

There was a guard running around trying to search the surroundings when he heard that obscene name, which made him slip.

He crashed at almost full speed into a pillar and acted as if he was dead to avoid the consequences of hearing that 'name'.

The guard leader coughed awkwardly. "Please excuse him, they are still not used to this." He was ashamed, but he also couldn't blame them. It took him 40% of his Qi to block his laughing pressure point. Otherwise, he would have to face the Association Leader's wrath...

He was the only Rune Cultivator on this continent! That was the same as asking for death!