The girl slammed into the supporting pillar behind her. But to stop the middle-aged man, she could only endure the pain in her back and scurry towards the door that he had opened.
Outside the study, not a single disciple dared to stop the middle-aged man. They all stared at him, wide-eyed, swallowing nervously.
In the next moment, the girl stopped at the door, looking at the middle-aged man who was scanning his surroundings. She called out, "Father, what's wrong? What's gotten into you?"
"Greed," he replied.
Hearing his voice, the girl glanced at Mu Anxiao, who had suddenly appeared beside her, and was taken aback. "What are you doing here?"
Mu Anxiao glanced at the underworld emissary standing beside him, cleared his throat, and said, "I'm just passing by."
"You're lost," the boy revealed.
Mu Anxiao couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in embarrassment and said, "Since you've seen through me, tell me the way to the backyard."
"What are you going to the backyard for?" the middle-aged man asked Mu Anxiao, his eyes hazy.
"Did you have something to drink?" Mu Anxiao retorted.
"No," the middle-aged man said, swaying as he walked towards Mu Anxiao and leaned in to look her in the eyes. "Tell me, where is your master?"
Mu Anxiao smiled. "You should get some sleep."
"I... I refuse," the middle-aged man widened his eyes.
Mu Anxiao took half a step back. "That's not up to you."
At the same time, the man in the light blue robe sitting on the rooftop snapped his fingers in perfect coordination. Then, as a ray of blue light flashed before the middle-aged man's eyes, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, unconscious.
Seeing her father collapse, the girl rushed forward and pointed at Mu Anxiao. "What did you do to my father?"
"Your father is mentally unstable right now. He should..." Mu Anxiao glanced at the middle-aged man lying on the ground. "...have a good nightmare, and perhaps appreciate the beauty of reality."
"You can always come up with the most absurd logic," the girl said angrily.
"Indeed," Mu Anxiao admitted, peeking at the relieved disciples. "You guys should hurry and hide in the room with the statue. The monsters here are about to break free."
"No..."
Before the man could even utter one word, the room, just as Mu Anxiao had said, began to shake violently.
Disciple Number One, hearing the clanging sounds from within the room, quickly said, "This is bad, those monsters are breaking through the seal!"
"Run," Disciple Number Two shouted.
Mu Anxiao crossed his arms and looked at the boy. "What are you waiting for? Hurry and carry your master away."
"Okay," the boy quickly agreed, glancing warily at the study. He ran forward, crouched beside the middle-aged man, and said, "I'm sorry."
"What did you say?" the girl asked simultaneously, crouching down and staring at the boy.
The man also came over.
Ignoring the girl, the boy looked up at Mu Anxiao. "It was wrong of me to treat you like that before."
"It's fine," Mu Anxiao straightened his back. "I'm magnanimous and won't bicker with a little kid like you."
"I apologize to you too," the girl said quickly.
Mu Anxiao looked down at the girl and chuckled dryly. "You'd better not. I'm just a servant after all. For you to apologize to me is a bit beneath you."
"If I was wrong, I was wrong. From now on, I..." the girl hesitated. "I will never look down on anyone again. Please accept my apology."
"Alright, I'll reluctantly accept," Mu Anxiao said casually, though he was inwardly delighted.