Before anyone could respond, a ring of fire erupted around the demon and she yelped scooting the center of the net. 

"Hypocrites do not fare well in this world, Miss Die." Niu Hejun said as he slowly ambled over before squatting to eye level with the woman. "Now what do you have to say to your peers?" There was an air of magnanimity in the way he spoke as if he was scolding a child not a possibly hundred-year-old demon. It was a cold reminder that Zhi Yan did not know anything about her travel partner while he knew too much about her. They say ignorance is bliss but bliss does not stop death.

Xu Ou waltzed forward from her spot, a crimson rope of light replacing the net. "So whose clan are you from, brat? I need an address to send your skull back." She cooed with a saccharine smile. "We don't time entertaining children."

Die-er glared back at the woman. "How dare you call me a child, I have been around since Emperor Qu's rei-"

"So a baby then." Hualing cut in from the couch and Die-er's eyes widened in shock. "I would call a three centuries child's play but honestly it isn't so fitting."

"So why didn't you two detect m-" 

"A fluke. Now whose clan?"

"I am old enough to work here on my own voli-"

"Are we not listening, whose clan?"

"This isn't fair, I-"

"ARE YOUR EARS FOR DECORATION? I AM ASKING WHICH CLAN YOU ARE FROM BRAT. IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME I WILL SEND YOU BACK WITH ONE LAST TAIL." Hualing demanded slamming her hand on the table. 

There was silence and Zhi Yan looked at Die-er who looked like a sibling that had just gotten scolded by their older sister. Then she burst into tears hugging her tails and pointing at Zhi Yan. "WELL I DON'T HAVE ONE!" Hot angry tears ran down her face as the tails around her curled in tighter as if forming a wall. "SOME OF US DON'T HAVE ONE! ALL I WANTED WAS TO MAKE A LIFE FOR MYSELF AND YOU'RE YELLING AT ME?"

Xu Ou's expression faltered as her heart wavered a bit at the sight in front of her. On the contrary, Hualing who clearly had the shorter temper of the two pinched her nose bridge and sighed. "What did I say, Sister? A tantrum. A baby's tantrum." Niu Hejun snickered earning him a hateful glare.

"SHUT UP!" "That is not how you speak to elders." "THIS ISN'T FAIR. I SHOULD BE THE ONE UPSET," Watery eyes spun to angrily glare at Zhi Yan. "SINCE SHE LIED TO ME AND STOLE MY DEMON PEARL."

It was like time had stopped as everyone turned to look at her. Niu Hejun let out a low whistle. Clearly the man was enjoying the show. There was a pause as the accusation sunk in with the only sounds being the quiet sniffles coming from Die-er. Finally, Xu Ou spoke. "Die-er that is not a light assertion to make." 

"Miss Die I have no use for it." Zhi Yan said before the woman could speak.

"Then why would you run if you have nothing to hide? And why would you hit me?"

Zhi Yan furrowed her brows and moved a little closer. "Hit you?"

The aggrieved woman gave a little sniff lifting her chin in a weak attempt to preserve her haughty image. "With a demonic formation and everything turned black."

Heavens above. This mission was starting to feel more like a punishment. "Release her, please." 

"I could kill you."

"You could."

"I could snap that thin pretty neck for lying to me."

"Mmhm." The haughty vixen image was a mere lid for the self-preservation underneath.  "Die-er feel my pulse." 

The two stared at each other, Die-er with a wronged confused look while Zhi Yan with a sort of patient apathy. Finally, an ice-cold hand wrapped her wrist and squeezed hard. Too hard. Childish.

Her head shot up, confused wide eyes searching Zhi Yan's face. Dainty fingers felt along her arms and she patiently watched as the woman furrowed her brows at a loss.

"No qi, no demonic formation."

"But I sensed cultivation on you when I was with you."

Zhi Yan shook her head. "You sensed his on me." And Niu Hejun conjured up a talisman waving it at her playfully.

The woman stared at the ground. Her tails swished around nervously and Zhi Yan felt the grip on her hand tighten. 

"Oh Die-er, pretty people shouldn't look too sad. Maybe it isn't such a bad thing." The man swept over and pulled the two apart. Obviously, the sudden motion was not well received as Die-er hissed at him. "Whoa don't give me such a nasty look. I'm only suggesting it might also solve a certain other issue plaguing you beautiful women." He winked at the women. The issue plaguing them is you.

One look at Niu Hejun and Zhi Yan knew the man was plotting. So did the other two courtesans. "Hejun what do you want?" Hualing snapped letting out an angry puff of smoke from the pipe. 

"Well, don't you think it's a little odd that two powerful and wise fox demons cannot detect someone so weak? For five months, too."

Zhi Yan felt the room plunge into freezing cold temperatures, goosebumps climbing up her arms as both women tilted their heads in an uncanny way to scrutinize him. Hualing narrowed her eyes and walked up to him so that there was barely a foot between them. The air hummed with a growing tension."Don't make me repeat myself, Niu Hejun. What. Do. You. Want."

He shrugged and shot the woman a lopsided smile as if the latter wasn't about to claw off his face. "I am simply proposing our help, in pest extermination if need be. And since you are just dying to know," Niu Hejun tapped his chin dramatically. "I'm thinking of a couple more nights in this lovely mansion of yours and a small favor."

Before anyone in the room could respond, Hualing lunged for the man and a boom echoed in the room as she threw Niu Hejun across the room. The wall behind him cracked where he collided with it and he slid to the floor. She was on him in a second, elongated claw around his neck. "Do not think for a second that you, a human will ever get the best of me, not in mind games not in fights. Just because we keep you around does not mean that we would think twice about disposing of you."

"Aw, I must say healthy c-competition does wond-Erghk" The man coughed as her hand tightened around his neck. Zhi Yan sighed and rubbed her temples. 

"I believe necromancy is not in your skill set, Miss Hualing." And the claw on Niu Hejun's throat loosened for a second. "If he is dead, you will find no use."

"And why should we listen to you, Miss Zhi?"

"Even I can see that your house is growing weeds in its corners."