Not long after, Mu Anxiao arrived outside the kitchen courtyard, feeling ravenously hungry. To her surprise, the kitchen in this secluded place of cultivation was just like any other in the mortal realm. At first glance, the kitchen's courtyard was filled with various vegetables. Frowning slightly, just as she was about to enter, two young kitchen maids emerged from the kitchen. One of them said, "Do you know where the master has sent those immortals?"
The second kitchen maid, startled by the sudden words of the first, quickly looked around and said, "Is this something you should be discussing? You shouldn't discuss it." She grabbed the first maid's arm, stopping her in her tracks.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao was hiding in the corner outside the courtyard. Coincidentally, she overheard their discussion. 'How would they know about immortals?' she thought, slightly turning her face towards the courtyard gate.
Meanwhile, the first kitchen maid, undeterred, whispered, "I have to say it. When those immortals were assigned here, it saved us a lot of trouble. Now that they're gone," she massaged her increasingly stiff arm, continuing, "we're doing all the work. It's really tiring."
Hearing the first maid's sensible words, the second maid couldn't help but empathize. "Yes, as demons, we can't even use demonic arts to cook. That's one thing. We finally had a few minor immortals to help, but they were taken away after only a few days. Now we're doing all the work. It's truly exhausting."
"There are some things I dare not even say. If they hadn't left, I would still have to endure it, sister," the first maid said, pulling the second maid's arm. "Fortunately, I have you here; otherwise, I wouldn't dare say anything."
"Yes, we can only talk amongst ourselves, sisters. If we said this to anyone else, they would surely spread it," the second maid said, patting the first maid's hand.
Just then, Mu Anxiao had a flash of inspiration. She walked to the courtyard gate and deliberately said, "I heard everything you were saying."
At the sound, the two women tensed up and turned to look at Mu Anxiao together.
Mu Anxiao stepped over the threshold, a slight smile rising to her lips. "What, did I startle you?"
Hearing this, the first and second kitchen maids quickly moved apart and walked towards Mu Anxiao. After exchanging glances, the first maid spoke first, "Who are you? We haven't seen you before." She asked, and along with the second maid, stopped in front of Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao's lips curved. "I am now a favored individual by the master." She deliberately tried to establish her authority.
As expected, the moment they heard Mu Anxiao say this, their faces turned green. After a few seconds of silence, the first maid spoke again, "You are a favored individual by the master, so you..." she said, her eyes filled with fear of Mu Anxiao, "are you going to report us to the master?"
"That depends on my mood." Mu Anxiao guessed that there would be no food in the kitchen now, so as long as she could intimidate them, her stomach wouldn't be empty.
"You..."
"Actually, I'm very discreet," Mu Anxiao interrupted the second maid.
The second maid was taken aback.
Meanwhile, the first maid understood Mu Anxiao's unspoken intention. "What do you want us to do? Just say it." Knowing the second maid was scared, she stepped forward, adopting a posture of facing Mu Anxiao alone.
Seeing that the first maid was reasonably intelligent, Mu Anxiao stopped trying to scare her and stated directly, "Make me a meal; I'm starving." Her expression remained unchanged, still as arrogant as ever.
Upon hearing this, the first maid immediately frowned. "That's all you want?"
"And," Mu Anxiao said, glancing at the second maid, who was clearly less courageous than the first, "talk with me."
"We don't know you, so what can we talk about?" the first maid said with great reluctance.
"Precisely because we don't know each other, we can find common ground," Mu Anxiao smiled.
Then, the first maid cast a disdainful look at Mu Anxiao. "You say you're a favored individual by the master," she said, glancing at Mu Anxiao's muddy face, and continued, "The master has always been a very clean person. How could he possibly have anything to do with someone like you? You're lying, aren't you?"
"Lying? Fine," Mu Anxiao said without changing her expression. "Tell me, what benefit would I gain from lying to you like this?"
"Just for a meal," the first maid blurted out.
Mu Anxiao sneered. "You really have an imagination. I would tell such a lie for a single meal, and then get reported by you, caught..." she said, laughing to herself. "Tell me, was it worth it for me to do this?"
"Are you really a favored individual by the master?" The first maid was moved, finding sense in Mu Anxiao's words.
Mu Anxiao nodded.
"Then..."
"I've always been very curious. What were you just saying about... minor immortals?" Mu Anxiao frowned slightly. "I think I might have some inside information, but before that, you need to tell me how they behaved while they were here." She knew she couldn't appear ignorant, as that would only arouse their suspicion, so she could only feign knowing something.
At this, the second maid's eyes lit up. "Did the master send you?"
Hearing this, the first maid turned to look at the second maid. "Why do you say that?"
"Before this, the master never asked about them. I was wondering why? Now that she's said this," the second maid said, stepping forward, "it makes me think the time has come."
"Indeed." The first maid nodded and turned back to Mu Anxiao. "Did the master send you..."
"Shh," Mu Anxiao said, becoming mysterious with the 'divine assistance' of the second maid. "The master doesn't want this spoken of, so we'll just use eating and chatting as cover."
"It really is the master," the first maid exclaimed in surprise.
Mu Anxiao nodded.
Subsequently, the second maid quickly responded, "We'll go and cook for you right away. Please wait." With that, she pulled the first maid and turned towards the kitchen.
Mu Anxiao breathed a sigh of relief. 'It seems this trip wasn't in vain,' she thought, and deliberately called out, "I want three steamed buns."
Immediately, the first maid, who had rushed into the kitchen to busy herself, quickly replied as she heard Mu Anxiao's call, "Certainly!" and then continued her work.
Hearing the first maid's reply, Mu Anxiao smiled and turned to sit at the stone table.
Unexpectedly, at this very moment... Song Xi arrived.
"Who are you?" he asked immediately.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao immediately turned to look at Song Xi, frowning. "Why are you here?" she said, standing up.
In the kitchen, the first and second maids stopped simultaneously the moment they heard the commotion outside. They exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.