Tian You Qing, the new aide of the Green Demon Lord Nie Chuyin was a dangerous foe, and a mysterious one, a curious fellow. Gu Xiao Yu knew this in the way the aide moved, when she parries attacks with martial arts he had not seen in this realm. A quick thinker too, mind moving at a speed even faster than most Immortals. And given that her body was mortal through and through, that was high praise.

She was efficient. Practical and pragmatic, part of the reason Nie Chuyin was delighted to welcome her into the clan.

If anything, she looked like the individual that Feng Jiu was telling him to look out for - because, forgive him for his condescension, Tian You Qing was a master at blending in, that he acknowledged, but heavens help him if he can't distinguish the glaring lack of spiritual aura on her.

Tian You Qing probably realized that blending in was useless for someone like her, so she just let the events go on while not caring too much for being discreet. She probably didn't realize that there was someone like her in this plane, because otherwise, why the hell would she even be there apart from finding a way home?

Easy there, General. You might be laying it on a bit too thick, his subconscious snarks back. Who really knew if the mortal was trying to get home or just plain stupid in her choice of friends?

He doesn't try to talk to Tian You Qing - or whatever her real name was - and instead, goes to Nie Chuyin, handing him Qing Qiu's invitation before he skedaddles to herd Jormungandr from breathing out toxic fumes to the poor fellow that was stuck with him. He doesn't dawdle long enough to convince Nie Chuyin, simply because he knows he will take it.

The Heaven Clan might be playing dead ducks in the off-chance that they actually know about anything going on under their noses, but Feng Jiu had long known about her own issue that concerns the Demon Clan - the one with Miao Hua, not the messy love triangle that involves the sister of the Patriarch of the Demon Clan - and took the matter into her own hands. He tried phishing Cheng Jiao for more news, but the elf was tight-lipped, and looked rather green and horrified at the reminder, so there was that.

"Up and at 'em, we're going~" he cheerily pries Jormungandr's hands away from the neck of the new recruit. He makes note to do a few anger management sessions with the young prince before he blows a hole in the training grounds. It's ironic, really. Fenrir clearly looks the more hot-headed, but he is the one who has his temper under control. Jormungandr, on the other hand, tends to accumulate whatever shit he had and releases them in short, sporadic bursts that is neither good for himself, his surroundings, and everyone around him.

Jormungandr wiped the blood off of his cheek and jerked his head towards the anomaly, grunting. "What about her? I can smell the glamour on her."

Ah, Xiao Yu thought to himself grimly. There was that as well - the heavy glamour, which is kind of pointless considering that her lack of spiritual aura was already a dead giveaway of just how... unusual she was. So either they were in for a shitload of surprises, or the anomaly is just super fucking ugly that she feels the need to beg Nie Chuyin for a glamour.

"Just leave it at that. We'll have Enchantress pick her apart like turkey on the banquet," he sighed, feeling at least ten thousand years older.

The prince raises his eyebrows. "Why wait?"

"Because," he stresses, suddenly seeing the difference between him and his father. "Enchantress has the most say in this situation, and I am only tasked with finding the anomaly. Interrogation is way out of my clearance. We'll see how this thing unfolds at the banquet."

His mentee grins, all sharp and toothy and bloody. "Finally," he rasps in a way that somehow makes Xiaoyu a bit iffy, knowing Jormungandr's history with repressed bloodshed, and prays that his palace doesn't take the brunt of the damage.

::

Demon Realm was fine. Really. It had to be. Nat survived the Red Room. This was nothing.

Despite her initial impression on him, Hong Cexui proved to be a tolerable fella, keeping her entertained and actually taking time out of his incredibly busy clan lord assistant schedules to mentor her about the ways of cultivation. Something about the ways of immortality and to shed her mortal body. Whatever that was. She wasn't really an avid practitioner of religion - KGB reprogramming and child assassins and all.

"Qing Qiu has given us a great opportunity to witness the royal presentation of their royal grandson, and Bai Feng Jiu's heir," Bai Feng Jiu, the elusive, if the rumour mill was anything to be believed. And also one of the main characters of the scandal of the age from her past marriage with Donghua Dijun and that whole shitshow with Ji Heng. "We will depart for Qing Qiu tomorrow, and you will come with me."

"Is there something you need me to do?" she raised an eyebrow, not bothering with the pleasantries.

"Qing Qiu possesses one of Miao Hua's drops of blood, although the location is unknown. I only need you to locate the blood and report back to me," he answered sternly, unnaturally serious. Everything related to their prime leader always made them serious. The whole loyalty thing was kind of cringe, but weirdly heartwarming. "Can you do that?"

She almost felt offended. "No need to be worried for a simple recon."

Hong Cexui's expression turned confused, and Natasha was wise to keep herself mum.

Righttt, modern terms to ancient people equals to no good translation. Nearly half a century of living in this place never really seemed to beat that out of her.

She loosened her shoulders, the plan already forming in her head. Hong Cexui looked expectant, so he was probably waiting for her input. Well shit, she paused for a moment, sighing, wondering why he can't just trust her, considering she got the Lingbi Stone singlehandedly from the mortal realm for them. But perhaps, that was the baggage with being so morbidly mortal to them.

"I'll sneak inside the deeper parts of the Fox Hole. When I find something, I'll alert you."

Hong Cexui looks at her as if he was pained.

That was, by far, one of the worst plans she's had since she had come out of the Red Room. You don't just sneak in without a modicum of how you're gonna sneak in and say contact when you're not even sure how you're gonna contact someone in an era without comms.

Why on God's green earth would they even want her of all people to search the things of a fucking High Goddess?!

Well, for one thing, her subconscious stated belatedly, they probably needed a suitable scapegoat. She begrudgingly affirmed that thought and settled on a staring match with the glorified assistant.

"I think I need some more context with the how you're going to do those."

Natasha sighed, weariness creeping onto her voice. "Look, pal, if you don't have a floor plan and a list of possible obstacles in that Fox Hole, we're shit outta luck. The most I can do is cross my fingers and hope the wards doesn't recognize me as a threat," besides, you brought me here as an advisor, not a fucking bodyguard went unsaid.

Cexui rolled his eyes, but in a good-natured way, and he gave a shooing motion. "Just prepare for the worst. Clan leader's going to be pissed if this mission fails."

Natasha gives a mock salute and leaves.

::

Qing Qiu is festive, certainly far more cheerful than the Demon Realm, is Natasha's first thought when they got past the barrier that protects the kingdom.

Red, white, and gold colours splash the entirety of what they can see with their eyes, and for a moment, she was tempted to make a Gryffindor joke, before realizing sullenly that there was no one to appreciate her stroke of genius and humour.

Hong Cexui barely understands the basest modern words, let alone get a reference joke from Harry Potter, but he humours her, sometimes, but the result is awkward and kind of dry and it sucks the life out of the perfectly okay atmosphere in their party.

Nie Chuyin is certainly attracted to her, if the way he raked his eyes over her when her glamour was off was any indication – not that she'd ­ever consider it.

When they get to the reception, Cexui whistles, an impressed look on his face. "Qing Qiu went all out," he says, noting the sheer luxury of it all. The last time Qing Qiu had been so grand was Empress Bai Feng Jiu's Weapon Hiding ceremony.

"It's Qing Qiu's mystery royal grandson," Nie Chuyin's bodyguard, Wang Yu, scoffs. "And Bai Feng Jiu's only heir, to boot."

"I wonder who's the father?" Nie Chuyin bemusedly remarks.

"The highest bet is Donghua Dijun's," there was Cexui's laugh.

"Nah," Wang Yu clicked his tongue. "Brat's too young for Dong Hua. Her sworn guard, possibly."

Natasha decides to tune out the rest of their conversation, preoccupying herself with surveying what she could see and what she could not. Out of all the realms, Qing Qiu is the closest to the mortal world. Its people are simple, undampened by the regality and ostentatiousness of the heaven realm and the darkness that ran rampant in places like the Demon and Ghost Realm.

So it's a little bit simple, a little bit humble, and everything Natasha wanted.

"See anything you want?" Cexui fell behind to match her pace. Natasha shrugged, but kept her eyes wandering around, trying to scout for possible locations she can enter undetected. Cexui is... strange. He's clearly a figure of authority and wields that privilege around but doesn't use it on her as much. But that's fine – one day, she's going to have him all figured out like many others before him.

"I can sneak in from here – probably, I'll keep my fingers crossed," she gestured to one of the stalls. With enough luck, nightfall in Qing Qiu was dark enough for her to slip into the dense forest behind and slip into the Fox Hole.

"We still need you to come in with us in the banquet proper," he answered her. "Too suspicious to have your disappearing before the banquet. You can walk around to familiarize yourself but do prepare accordingly for it."

She nodded and watched their group walk off.

Then when they were far enough to be small blobs of black and splotches of colours, she stretched her hand over her head, popped some knots, and set to work.

::

Qing Qiu is lively and boisterous in a way Calcutta is, the way she remembered when she brought in Banner to the fold. Of course, there was a glaring lack of the poverty that was imminent in Calcutta. Bai Feng Jiu is an elusive monarch, but she is good and just, way better than any of those world leaders back on Earth, most of whom, only fought to save their own hides.

She is good in a way that makes Qing Qiu almost surreal and impossible.

Not that she'd ever let her opinions get to Cexui or Chuyin, of course. The Demon clan had a lot of feelings for the Empress, mostly antagonistic.

But she had a mission to fulfill, so here she was, standing opposite side to someone she actually respected.

Wouldn't be the first time either.

Halfway into deciding whether brown or black hair would suit her better – because yay, she was actually gifted in the one branch of magic that was reminiscent of her job, glamour – a shadow fell over her form whilst she experimented. Natasha paused in her glamour modification, settling on her trademark red hair and green eyes, but went for Doctor Helen Cho's face. Seemed the most fitting face around here.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Clad in magenta and a dramatic make-up with an eyeshadow that had a personal competition with a showgirl's, was the Purple Demon Clan's leader – the lapdog of Empress Bai Feng Jiu. Nie Chuyin's words, not hers.

"Clan Lord Gu," she intoned, neither friendly nor hostile. The Demon Lord flashed her an insincere smile. "It is an honor to meet you here."

Gu Xiaoyu takes a moment to appraise her looks, pitch black eyes seemingly baring her body and soul open to him. She wants to flinch – but her pride does not allow her to. So she stays, holding his gaze, undeterred. Finally, he opens his mouth. "Although red hair is trait to the clan of red foxes, the combination of red hair and green eyes aren't common anywhere throughout the Immortal Realm."

Oh.

His old eyes continued boring in on her.

"I don't think Empress Bai would appreciate someone sniffing out the dead holes of her kingdom," the shiver that passed through her was palpable enough that her hair started standing. She might have faced Loki without so much as a tremor in her skull, but somehow, Gu Xiaoyu was an outlier. "So why don't you run along now, little spider?"

She made a show of fidgeting, her face breaking to show a mummer's farce of fear. She lets her eyes dart to the ground and behind him, her voice breaking. "Ye-Yes, of... of course. I shall go now, my Lord," the little nickname he had given her was something she registered late, and when she did, she wasn't sure if it was intentional or by sheer luck that he managed to compare her with a creature that crawled all over everywhere anywhere.

She scampers off behind him, eager to escape this conversation, when suddenly, Gu Xiaoyu took the initiative to bring her back to him, taking advantage of the fact that she can only do glamour magics.

She yelped when she felt his magic drag him back in front of him again. Natasha resisted against the force that kept her body unmoving before him, glaring at him all the while.

"My Lord, this is highly inappropriate!"

Gu Xiaoyu scoffed, rolling his eyes. "And so is sneaking around the Fox Hole, but here we are, aren't we?"

Okay wow, Natasha bit the insides of her cheek as she cursed. Four hours in recon and someone already blew her cover. As funny as the thought of Madame B rolling over her grave was, this was not a laughing situation.

Then, in a show of grace and cheek, he slid his arms over hers, so it looked like he was escorting her. The shriek that comes out of Natasha is less dignified that it had been before.

The demon lord stares at her with a hint of mirth in his eyes, then drags her along with him, muttering.

"Interesting... interesting..."

::

It doesn't look like his clothes form Asgard, but just as high in quality as he remembered them to be. His Enchantress Mother was obviously satisfied with the outcome of the clothing, going so far as to reward the seamstresses generously. His mother then placed a coronet in his bun, before she led them to the banquet.

Gun Gun does enjoy the dragging fabric, no matter how impractical they were. He wore suits that ended just past his knees for a reason.

His mother starts the celebrations with enough cheer to last them for a month, and he sits there, sipping fruit wine as he awaits for the real entertainment. He knows his mother's expressions enough when she's waiting for something fun, so he makes do with it. Fenrir and Jormungandr had gone frolicking outside when they found themselves in the company of one another again, leaving him to his own devices.

General Lapuli was still yet to make an appearance even when 2 hours had already gone by, but his Enchantress Mother was not displeased, so he settled himself so, and made himself busy by keeping an ear out for insipid and tasteless rumours and engaging in boring conversations.

So far, the banquet was going remarkably well.

"It's incredibly disrespectful of Demon Lord Gu to be late, Your Majesty."

Gun Gun closed his eyes, heaving a sigh when he realized where it came from. Of course they were going to pick a fight right on his birthday banquet. Splendid. He drank deep from his cups, wishing that it would get him drunk just a little to help him tune this all out. It was obviously his birthday, but who was he to reject attention from a drama queen anyway?

He rolled his eyes, not attempting to hide his distaste at the poor jape made. Nie Chuyin looks obviously affronted and humiliated by such a public slight, but kept his smile well and turned to his mother.

"We all have important matters to tend to, Lord Nie. This monarch will not hold a slight over tardy appearances," replied his mother magnanimously, paying little heed to him. "I must ask you then, Lord Nie, where your young aide has been. I have not seen them since the banquet has started."

Nie Chuyin laughed. "My aide doesn't know her way around Qing Qiu, Your Majesty. I ask for your forgiveness on her behalf."

"Are you, really?"

The Demon Lord pursed his lips at his raised brows, as the noise of the banquet died around them. "I'm not sure what His Highness means?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean, Lord Nie."

He stares the man down, purple against dark browns, in a way that would have made Loki proud. Luckily, he seemed to have sobered up and was wise enough not to push the issue further – alarmed by Gun Gun's surprising maturity despite the baby fat still clinging onto his cheeks. Well duhh, it's his birthday.

Gun Gun looked at his mother, unsurprised at her nonchalance, before he turns to the rest of the room. Along with the action, he feels Gu Xiaoyu's seidr approaching, so he sits back and waves at the entrance.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

"Lord Demon Gu, we were just talking about you."

"Oh my, I find myself undeserving of the attention."

Gu Xiaoyu's unmistakable embossed purple fan comes into view, along with that elaborate purple hanfu he's too glad to drag around – so nothing out of the ordinary. But glued to his side was a plus one – a fairly attractive woman with red hair and green eyes.

Gun Gun sighs, drinking deep from his cups once more.

::::::::::::::::::::

Soooo, the previous chapter has a minor addition, so if you haven't read it yet, go do it now coz I introduced another character in that addition (●'◡'●)

Natasha's spy skills aren't of much help here since she is surrounded by magic users, but she's holding her own (❁'◡'❁)

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