Ai Si held Luo Fan in his arms and stood near the City Lord's Manor for a while.
Luo Fan lay in his arms, feeling the crushing pressure bearing down from every direction.
The closer they got to the City Lord's Manor, the greater the pressure became.
By the time they reached the foot of the wall, the pressure was so immense that he struggled to breathe.
The Innate Yang Steel was inside.
Ai Si went no farther.
He turned around and carried Luo Fan back.
Luo Fan squirmed in his arms and meowed.
The meaning was obvious: Why are we leaving?
Ai Si offered no explanation.
He quickened his pace, passed through the streets of the Upper Ring, and returned to their lodgings.
Once inside the courtyard, he set Luo Fan on the stone table.
Luo Fan crouched on the table, tilted his head at him, and meowed again.
"Change back," Ai Si said.
Luo Fan paused, then canceled Mimicry with a thought.
His form distorted, the black cat disappeared, and he returned to human form, sitting on the stone table.
He let out a long breath, feeling as though the great boulder weighing on him had finally been lifted. His whole body felt light.
"Why wouldn't you let me go in?" he asked.
Ai Si sat down across from him, picked up a teacup, and took a sip.
"Even you were discovered sneaking in. How am I supposed to sneak in as someone of the Spell Sequence? Besides, we've already failed once tonight. At least you managed to talk your way out of it. If you get caught again, even a hundred mouths wouldn't be enough to explain yourself."
Luo Fan fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "You're right."
His mind had been sluggish while he was