At this moment, Ouyang Ye watched the food demon beast's anxious reaction and smiled.
The food demon beast had always believed that with Ouyang Ye's abilities, it could not be harmed in the slightest. Little did it know that a casual remark from itself had provided Ouyang Ye with such an inspiration. Thus, seeing Ouyang Ye's smug expression now, it began to feel uneasy. "What are you laughing at?" it asked in its rough voice.
Ouyang Ye replied, "Can't contact Mu Anxiao, can you?"
The food demon beast knew who Ouyang Ye was referring to. Hearing Ouyang Ye say this, it only then realized that it was indeed his doing. "You did this on purpose," it rasped.
"You deserve to die, and it's a good thing that Mu Anxiao is helping me execute you," Ouyang Ye said, giving a cold laugh. "But then again, it's your own fault for coming to the wrong place. If you hadn't come to my territory, you wouldn't have met this fate."
"You always knew my identity, so why did you play dumb?" The food demon beast finally realized it had been completely tricked by Ouyang Ye.
"Logically speaking, you and I are both immortals who were harmed by the heavenly realm. Although our appearances and statuses differ, our experiences are similar. Who would have thought," Ouyang Ye said, his face falling, "that you wouldn't change your heavenly realm habits? You come here and still arrogantly and indiscriminately execute demons. Truly..."
"Those demons were all let in by you on purpose," the food demon beast growled.
Ouyang Ye sneered. "Although those demons were all criminals, their crimes weren't deserving of death. But you, misinterpreting things, insisted on stirring up trouble in my peaceful forest, making a complete mess. Since that's the case, there's no need for me to keep you."
"You still say all this wasn't designed by you," the food demon beast continued to growl.
"It was all a coincidence," Ouyang Ye said, deliberately placing his hands behind his back. "It seems you've hidden Jiong Ye."
"You... you know everything," the food demon beast exclaimed in surprise.
Ouyang Ye lowered his head slightly. "This is my territory, so naturally, I know everything."
"You... you are truly insidious," the food demon beast said indignantly.
Ouyang Ye chuckled lightly. "To be honest, the Mu Anxiao who will take your life shortly also describes me that way."
"She's not your..."
"I just want to say that many people curse me, and you're not the only one," Ouyang Ye said, intentionally turning his back.
Seeing this, the food demon beast quickly lowered its head and began to try and contact Mu Anxiao.
Ouyang Ye clearly heard the sounds from behind him and his lips curved upwards slightly.
Over by the mist.
The wolf demons and the others, hearing the sounds from the waterfall, dared not make a sound.
Above the waterfall, Mu Anxiao stopped beside a blood-stained tree. She gently tugged the rope twice and said, "Monster, where exactly did you put Jiong Ye?" She then stared at the rope, which remained still for a few seconds, and grew anxious. "I'm asking you a question, speak!" she said, tugging hard on the rope.
Below, under Mu Anxiao's influence, the food demon beast lurched forward a step. However, it was this step that allowed it to find a way. "I will not let you succeed," it muttered and began to struggle violently.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye immediately turned around, looked at the food demon beast, and smiled. "You think you've..."
"Tell me, am I stronger, or is Mu Anxiao stronger?" the food demon beast interrupted, its struggle intensifying.
Above, Mu Anxiao looked at the rope, which had suddenly lit up with a blue glow, in astonishment. She mumbled, "What's going on?" then a red glow appeared around her body. Just as she was about to be lifted, she quickly grabbed onto the blood-stained tree beside her.
Below, the food demon beast stopped the moment it felt resistance.
Ouyang Ye looked up at the food demon beast's suicidal actions and said coldly, "If you move again, I'll..."
"You can't kill me," the food demon beast said, attempting to move again.
Seeing this, Ouyang Ye was about to stop it when Mu Anxiao's voice floated down from above. "Food demon beast, if you move again, I will kill you."
Hearing this, the food demon beast froze.
In contrast, Ouyang Ye wore a triumphant smile. "It seems you're helping me," he said, waving his arm towards the food demon beast. The food demon beast's mouth was sealed shut.
The next second, the food demon beast's eyes widened.
Above the waterfall.
Mu Anxiao was still hugging the bloody tree and said to the rope, "Monster, you're all wrapped up and still trying to harm me. I truly admire you." As she spoke, she raised her head and saw something, then smiled.
At the same time, Jiong Ye, who appeared before Mu Anxiao, frowned. "Mu Anxiao, it's you."
"You're here," Mu Anxiao said, attempting to release her arms from the bloody tree.
Jiong Ye frowned. "You came specifically to find me."
"Indeed," Mu Anxiao said calmly, standing steadily on the ground.
Jiong Ye looked at Mu Anxiao's cautious movements, then glanced behind her, and asked, "Didn't you see the monster?"
"I saw it," Mu Anxiao replied, knowing that Jiong Ye was definitely referring to the food demon beast.
Jiong Ye frowned. "It didn't try to eat you?"
"It wanted to, but it didn't dare," Mu Anxiao said deliberately. She looked down at the bloodstains on the ground and asked, "Were you placed here by it?"
"I came on my own, not by it," Jiong Ye said, his eyes shifting slightly.
Mu Anxiao smiled when she saw this. "You're just boasting. If I'm not mistaken, it put you up here. But then again," she crossed her arms in front of her, "you're quite lucky not to have been eaten directly."
"I understand now," Jiong Ye suddenly said.
"Oh, what do you understand?" Mu Anxiao asked, tilting her chin up.
Jiong Ye's gaze was firm. "You came here to laugh at me, to mock me. All of this," he said, narrowing his eyes, "was arranged by Ouyang Ye, wasn't it."
"What?" Mu Anxiao asked deliberately, wanting to know Jiong Ye's thoughts.
Jiong Ye sneered. "Don't pretend to be a good person. If I'm not mistaken, you must have been sent by Ouyang Ye to kill me."
"Well, since you're so certain," Mu Anxiao said, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, "then tell me, how does Ouyang Ye want me to kill you?"
"Lure me down, and then let that monster eat me, right?" Jiong Ye said, wiping his face with a hand stained with dirty blood.
Mu Anxiao sneered at this. "That monster can eat you whenever it wants. Similarly, Ouyang Ye can kill you whenever he wants. Thinking like this," she shook her head, "is too narcissistic."
"You said you wanted to kill the monster," Jiong Ye said faintly.
Mu Anxiao smiled faintly.
Jiong Ye was baffled by this. "What does that smile of yours mean?"
"It doesn't mean anything, I just feel like smiling," Mu Anxiao said, glancing back behind her.
"What are you looking at?" Jiong Ye asked curiously, leaning forward to peek behind Mu Anxiao.