The narrow, trash-strewn alleyway reeked of stale garbage and forgotten dreams. Neon signs from adjacent buildings cast fractured light across grimy brick walls, creating a kaleidoscope of urban decay. Lin Xiao materialized, her ethereal form momentarily shimmering like heat waves before solidifying into perfect mortal flesh.
Her pristine white silk hanfu, impossibly clean in this filthy environment, contrasted sharply with the surrounding squalor. Delicate embroidered phoenixes seemed so alive that they might come out to dance along her sleeves, hinting at something far more ancient beneath her seemingly fragile exterior. As she strolled along the alleyway, a man approached, his greasy polyester shirt straining against his bulging stomach. Sweat beaded on his forehead, a mixture of excitement and predatory anticipation. He had been enchanted for a whole 5 minutes before he started approaching her.
"Hey, beautiful," he called, voice a phlegmy rasp. "Lost?"
Lin Xiao tilted her head. Mortals. Still slaves to their basest instincts after millennia, Lin Xiao thought as she saw the emotion in the man's eyes. Seemingly not understanding the man at all, her gaze swept the alleyway with the casual detachment of someone observing an interesting but ultimately insignificant insect.
She responded with a nod, blinking her eyes and fluttering her eyelashes, which charmed the man. Her eyes glistened, making the man want to take advantage of her right then, but it was a busy street on the other side of the alleyway. One scream could end it all for him. "How about we head back to my place, beauty?" the man asked. Lin Xiao nodded. She then followed along wherever the man went. He led her back to his apartment. Strangely, no one seemed to be around. Probably because everyone was working or just staying indoors.
The apartment was a testament to bachelor neglect. Unwashed dishes towered in the sink, takeout containers created precarious mountains, and a thin layer of dust coated every surface. Dirty laundry sprawled across a worn sofa, and a single flickering LED light struggled to illuminate the space.
Lin Xiao moved with ethereal grace, her steps silent despite the creaking floorboards. She examined a wilting houseplant, a forgotten energy drink, a collection of unwashed mugs, each item studied with the clinical curiosity of a goddess observing mortal artifacts.
The man's breathing grew heavier. He closed the door behind him, then pulled out his phone, fingers trembling with anticipation. "Beauty, let's make you famous, yeah?" The man grinned, revealing teeth like ancient tombstones. He brandished his phone, its cracked screen glowing like a cursed artifact. "Just need some… private content first."
"How about we take some... private photos?" he suggested, voice thick with desire.
His hand reached out, and then something unexpected happened, well, for him at least.
Pain exploded through his body. Not physical pain as mortals understood it, but something more profound. It was as if every cell simultaneously experienced millennia of suffering. His skin didn't tear, but something fundamental unraveled.
His screams were exquisite, musical, almost artistic in their pure agony.
Lin Xiao watched, head slightly tilted. A faint smile played across her lips, seemingly enjoying the expression he was projecting.
The phone clattered to the floor. She cast a cleansing spell before picking it up. She blew gently on its surface, divine breath purging mortal fingerprints and bad karma alike. The screen awoke, flooding her vision with mortal ingenuity. She turned the phone this way and that, fingers dancing across its surface with childlike wonder.
Around her, a subtle formation shimmered, invisible to mortal eyes. Sound warped, contained. His screams became nothing more than a distant whisper, absorbed by divine magic. As Lin Xiao scrolled through the newly gained item, a phone, a butterfly, iridescent and impossibly perfect, materialized and fluttered near the window before being casually consumed by a passing sparrow.
When Lin Xiao finally looked up, the man was gone. Only a faint outline of dust remained where he had been, as if he'd never existed at all.
She began to explore the phone, her curiosity piqued. Her fingers swiped across the screen, accidentally discovering a world of endless fascination. A live-streaming app burst into life, filling her vision with a kaleidoscope of mortal experiences.
Streams of people eating spicy hotpot, street vendors grilling skewers, elaborate cooking shows, each video more captivating than the last. Drool spilled out of the corner of her mouth, which she quickly wiped away with grace. Lin Xiao's stomach growled, a sound that shook the apartment's foundations. A single tear slid down her cheek.
Plink. Something hit the floor. The object looked like a pearl, perfect beyond words.
She then watched chefs create culinary miracles, street food vendors tossing noodles with practiced ease, mukbang streamers devouring massive meals.
Then came the fashion streams. Influencers twirling in interesting designer clothes, rapid outfit changes, makeup tutorials that transformed faces like magical rituals. Her divine eyes caught every minute detail, every subtle technique.
Music streams entranced her next. Singers performing in glittering studios, street musicians with raw talent, karaoke sessions filled with passionate amateurs. Some reminded her of the celestial music she once conducted across the Nine Heavens.
Merchants selling everything from jade pendants to electronic gadgets caught her attention. The art of persuasion, the mortal method of exchange, all fascinating to a being who had created entire star systems.
A smile played on her lips. This "vacation" was going to be far more entertaining than she'd anticipated.
The Starforge Sovereign had arrived. And the mortal world would never be the same.