The man looked at Mi Feng's hesitant expression, then glanced at the cell again and said in a low voice, "If you miss this chance, you'll truly have no other." With that, he prepared to leave.
Immediately, guided by the man's words, Mi Feng cast all his worries aside and asked, "How did you know I liked roses?" He then looked at the man's mysterious attire and questioned, "And by the way, who exactly are you?"
"Don't ask what you shouldn't," the man replied coldly.
Mi Feng's expression stiffened. "Then can you tell me why you are helping me?"
"I help those in need when I see injustice," the man stated.
Listening to the man's simple summary, Mi Feng reflected on his deep-seated anxieties and the impending loss of roses. He gave a wry smile. "It seems I've become this pitiful." He lowered his head.
"..." The man remained silent intentionally.
Following his bitter smile, Mi Feng looked at the man again. "There are no free lunches in the sky. I believe," he said, his gaze sharp, "you wouldn't help me without seeking compensation. Tell me, how much do you want?"
The man let out a chuckle.
Mi Feng frowned. "What are you laughing at?"
"I laugh if I wish to," the man said casually.
The moment the man spoke, Mi Feng sneered. "Putting aside your talk of helping the wronged, I don't believe you're helping me purely out of pity. If it's not about money," he was direct and pragmatic, "then it must be something else."
"You are quite clever," the man said abruptly.
Mi Feng's eyes darkened. "I knew it. You wouldn't be so kind."
"I am not kind, but what I ask you to do will certainly be less dangerous than what I am about to do for you. You can rest assured about that," the man said, crossing his arms.
"What do you want me to do?" Mi Feng asked.
The man smiled. "It seems you've agreed to help me kill the wolf demon."
Mi Feng frowned. "I've already made my intentions clear. Don't pretend to be obtuse. Just tell me directly what you need."
"Draw me a topographical map of the demon cultivation grounds," the man said.
Mi Feng was taken aback. "What do you need a map of the demon cultivation grounds for? You..." He suddenly became nervous. "Who exactly are you?"
"My Lord says not to ask what should not be asked. If you continue to ask," the man said with a cold tone, "and it costs you your life, do not regret it."
"My Lord." Mi Feng summarized briefly, recalling Mo Juan's usual mysterious methods. Without further inquiry, he said, "Alright, I promise, but..."
"You go and find it directly. I'll handle things here," the man interrupted.
"I don't need to follow you?" Mi Feng asked in surprise.
The man replied, "I am going to kill the wolf demon. If you follow me, wouldn't that expose us?" With that, he left.
Then, Mi Feng pondered for a moment and quickly called out, "Wait."
Hearing him, the man stopped.
Seeing this, Mi Feng quickly ran up to the man and said, "I'll wait for you here. If there's any situation, I can notify you."
"How will you notify me?" the man asked deliberately.
Mi Feng thought for a moment and said, "I'll bark like a dog."
The man looked at Mi Feng's serious demeanor and agreed without a word.
A few minutes later.
The man stopped outside the cell where Mu Anxiao and the others were being held.
Inside the cell, Jiong Ye and the wolf demon, unaware of the man's arrival, both looked at Mu Anxiao, who was sitting on the straw mat, engrossed in thought. "Have you figured it out yet?" the wolf demon couldn't help but ask.
Mu Anxiao waved a hand without looking up.
Seeing this, the wolf demon sighed. "Fine. We don't know how long we'll be locked up anyway, so take your time." He then looked back at Jiong Ye, who was staring at him, and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
"That rose is deeply infatuated with you. How about," Jiong Ye, finding Mu Anxiao unreliable, decided to try and persuade the wolf demon, "you just give in?"
"Give in to what? If I told you to marry Zhao Mei'er, would you agree?" the wolf demon retorted.
Upon hearing this, Jiong Ye said with disdain, "Can you stop mentioning her to me? That kind of woman," he curled his lip, "I don't even want to look at. Marrying her... Hmph, it's simply impossible."
"You're getting agitated," the wolf demon observed.
Jiong Ye snorted and was about to speak when the wolf demon, preempting him, continued, "Your feelings about her are exactly how I feel about roses. Marrying her is impossible."
"Roses aren't as wicked as Zhao Mei'er," Jiong Ye emphasized.
"Wicked or not, I don't like her, just like you don't like Zhao Mei'er."
"That's not the same thing. The nature of it is different," Jiong Ye argued back.
The wolf demon rolled his eyes, then turned to look... and frowned.
Following the wolf demon's gaze, Jiong Ye slowly turned his head towards the cell door and also frowned. "Are you here to deliver food?" he asked, taking a step towards the door.
The wolf demon followed.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao ignored everything around him and continued to ponder.
Moments later, as the wolf demon and Jiong Ye stood at the cell door, the man glanced at each of them and asked, "Who is the wolf demon?"
Hearing the man's abrupt question, the wolf demon and Jiong Ye exchanged glances. Then, intending not to answer, they said in unison, "You're not here to deliver food, are you."
However, the instant the wolf demon and Jiong Ye spoke, Mu Anxiao looked up sharply. After sizing up the man, she stood up. "You two, come here."
Upon hearing her, Jiong Ye and the wolf demon turned their heads towards Mu Anxiao and shuffled over.
Next, the man withdrew his gaze from them and looked at Mu Anxiao. "You are Mu Anxiao, aren't you?"
"You know me?" Mu Anxiao wasn't surprised. Instead, with a calm demeanor, she walked past the two of them to the cell door. "Who are you?" she asked, leaning in to try and peer through the gap at the man's eyes.
However, just as Mu Anxiao attempted to get a clear look at the man's eyes, he raised his hand and pulled his hat further down, saying, "I'm not looking for you."
"What do you want with the wolf demon?" Mu Anxiao asked, her gaze falling disappointedly on the man's mask.
The man replied, "You don't need to worry about that. Tell me, the wolf demon..."
"Take off those messy coverings on your head and face, and I'll tell you who the wolf demon is," Mu Anxiao interrupted.
The man paused for a few seconds at this. He then snorted, "You are just as treacherous and cunning as they say outside."
"They say outside..." Mu Anxiao, halfway through her sentence, suddenly realized something was amiss. "So, you heard about me from those demons outside."
"Yes..."
"But that's not right either. You heard of me, but you haven't seen me," Mu Anxiao said with a thoughtful expression. "How did you know I was Mu Anxiao?"
Seeing her expression, the man casually replied, "I have your portrait."
"Portrait?" Mu Anxiao repeated twice... and fell silent.