Chapter 26: Fenix wants to see you.

The air in the hall, which had previously seemed vibrant with laughter, music, and the sound of clinking glasses, changed almost imperceptibly. Damon still stared at the staircase where Lin Yue’s figure had disappeared. Her shadow seemed to linger there, hovering over his mind like a silent spell.

He couldn’t help himself. He turned to the courtesans still surrounding him, who no longer displayed the same flamboyant joy they had before. They were all tense, restless, as if simply paying too much attention to the woman who had come up was a mistake. Damon raised an eyebrow, leaning his elbows on the table, and broke the silence:

“How do I talk to her?” the question came out directly, bluntly.

The girls exchanged glances immediately. One of them, the one in the red kimono, widened her eyes and lowered the glass she was holding. Hana, the one closest to Damon, sighed and fidgeted nervously with her fingers.

“Mr. Damon…” she began, her soft voice almost fading away over the music echoing in the background. “It’s not a good idea.”

“And why not?” he asked, with a half-smile, trying to appear nonchalant. “I just want to talk. I don’t mean to offend anyone.”

The girl in sky blue, still leaning on his shoulder, leaned closer, almost whispering in his ear:

“You don’t understand… Lin Yue isn’t like us. She doesn’t receive clients, doesn’t engage in small talk. She’s the phoenix. If anyone dares to climb up to her without permission…”

The girl trailed off, as if even uttering the hypothesis were too dangerous. The girl in red added hesitantly:

“… Usually doesn’t come down alive.”

Damon arched an eyebrow, but didn’t back down. He took another sip of the liquor and sighed heavily, setting the glass on the table.

“I didn’t say I wanted to run upstairs, nor did I say I was rude.” His eyes roamed over the courtesans’ faces, one by one. “I just wanted to talk. To understand who she is. There’s something about her that… intrigues me.”

Hana gripped the sleeve of her kimono tightly, trying to contain her nervousness.

“Then please avoid that,” she said with rare firmness. “It’s best for you. Lin Yue doesn’t usually forgive prying eyes.”

Damon let out a short, almost bitter laugh. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

“Interesting… you speak of her as if she were a deity. An unapproachable goddess.”

The one in red replied, staring at him intently, as if trying to remember his words:

“Maybe she is.”

The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. Damon, realizing that insisting might only worsen the girls’ mood, nodded slowly.

“Okay, I won’t force anything,” he said with a wry half-smile. “I just wanted to make it clear that I have no carnal desires toward her. It’s not that. It’s… something else.”

The courtesans glanced at each other, but none seemed convinced. Still, the matter dropped there. They returned to serving him, refilling his cup, plucking the strings of the shamisen to fill the silence, but the tension remained.

It was then that the atmosphere in the room changed again.

The rhythmic sound of soft footsteps echoed through the wood. These were no ordinary footsteps—each seemed weighted, as if announcing something inevitable. The courtesans surrounding Damon turned in unison, their expressions transforming from mild discomfort to pure astonishment.

A new figure had appeared before them. It was not Lin Yue, but a different courtesan, unfamiliar to Damon. Her kimono was black with silver embroidery, more sober than the others, and her posture was impeccable, almost military. She approached the table with graceful steps, stopped before Damon, and bowed deeply.

The hall seemed to freeze. Even the musicians stopped playing for a moment.

Her voice rang out clear, soft, yet firm:

“Madam Lin Yue would like to see you.”

The words reverberated like thunder in the silence of the hall. Damon blinked in surprise, as the courtesans around him paled. Hana clapped her hand to her mouth, nearly letting out a gasp.

“What?!” the one in red blurted, unable to contain herself. “This… this has never happened before!”

The one in blue pulled away from Damon’s shoulder, as if afraid that simply being near him now would be risky. Her eyes were wide, filled with disbelief.

“No… this can’t be…” she murmured, her voice trembling. “This is the first time… the Madame has asked to see someone.”

Damon raised an eyebrow, watching the courtesans’ reactions. A slight, almost mocking smile played on his lips.

“So… it seems the phoenix has decided to descend from its nest.” He stood up slowly, straightening his clothes and tossing a few coins on the table to pay for the drink.

Hana grabbed his arm suddenly, with unexpected strength. Her eyes were filled with fear, her voice wavering.

“Lord Damon, please… refuse. Tell her you can’t go. This… this is too dangerous!”

He stared at her for a few seconds, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes. But instead of giving in, he simply placed his hand over hers and loosened his grip.

“Hana…” he spoke in a surprisingly soft, almost sisterly tone. “I’m not the type to run away when fate calls. If she wants me up there, I will go.”

The other courtesans remained in shock, some murmuring among themselves, trying to understand what was happening. The new courtesan, the one in the black kimono, didn’t react. She simply remained bent over, patient, awaiting Damon’s answer as if she knew he couldn’t refuse.

Hana bit her lip, her eyes brimming with anguish.

“You don’t understand… no one… no one leaves an audience with Lin Yue the same.”

Damon smirked, that wry smile he always used when he was about to get into trouble.

“Perhaps that’s exactly what I want.”

He turned away from the courtesans, leaving them in shock, and inclined his head to the messenger.

“Take me to her.”

The woman in the black kimono looked up, her eyes shining with something Damon couldn’t define—respect? Pity? Or just professional neutrality? Without another word, she turned on her heel and began leading him toward the stairs that led to the upper floor.

The courtesans remained seated, motionless, as if witnessing a dark omen. Some hugged each other silently, others simply watched Damon ascend, their eyes filled with uncertainty and fear.

Hana, however, whispered softly, as if in prayer: “May the gods protect you, Mr. Damon… for even they don’t usually intervene against the phoenix.”

And so, under everyone’s frightened gaze, Damon climbed the first few steps of the staircase, his heart racing and his mind consumed by Lin Yue’s figure.

Fate, at last, had opened a door—and he hadn’t hesitated to walk through it.

[Mission Update: Survive Lin Yue—The Demon Phoenix of the Celestial Demon Cult]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep