Xiao Zeng: "..." He was choked silent by a remark from Mu An Xiao.
Mu An Xiao, seeing Xiao Zeng's silence, asked, "What, did I say something wrong?" She turned to look at him.
When Xiao Zeng saw Mu An Xiao looking at him, he couldn't help but shift his gaze guiltily. "I didn't say you were wrong," he said, intentionally glancing at the silver rope in Mu An Xiao's hand.
Following Xiao Zeng's gaze, Mu An Xiao also glanced at the silver rope in her hand and asked, "Why are you looking at my things?"
"Why is it silver?"
"How should I know?"
Mu An Xiao had never bothered to research the color of the silver rope. For her, the key was whether a weapon was effective, so she gave Xiao Zeng a perfunctory answer.
"It's yours, so you should know." As he spoke, Xiao Zeng reached out towards the silver rope.
Mu An Xiao looked down at Xiao Zeng's hand and said, "This thing is not auspicious. Anyone who touches it basically kicks the bucket."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zeng paused his hand that was nearing the silver rope and asked, "You're lying, aren't you?" He looked up at Mu An Xiao.
Mu An Xiao replied, "Why would I lie to you? It's full of Yin energy. If you don't die, you'll turn into a woman."
"Wo..woman..." Xiao Zeng hesitated, his gaze flickering, then continued, "Alright, I won't touch it."
Seeing Xiao Zeng retreat, Wan Sha frowned slightly and thought, *You're scared already?*
Xiao Zeng lowered his head to prevent Mu An Xiao from noticing anything amiss and closed his eyes, replying, "Yes, didn't you hear her say I'd turn into a woman?"
Wan Sha: *Do you want to see your mother?*
Xiao Zeng: *Yes.*
Wan Sha: *If you want to, then do it. Don't dawdle. This is all a matter of time.*
Xiao Zeng hesitated for a few seconds and continued, "No, if I really do this, I'll become a girl. Then, Mother won't recognize me when she sees me. I... I give up."
Hearing Xiao Zeng's thoughts, Wan Sha's brow furrowed. She glanced at Mu An Xiao and thought, *She's lying to you, and you believe her? I saw someone touch that thing before, and they were fine.*
Xiao Zeng: *I don't believe you.*
Wan Sha: *...*
Xiao Zeng: "Hurry up and remove this demonic sorcery from me. I can't help you."
Upon hearing Xiao Zeng's words, Wan Sha clenched her fist. She turned her head, avoiding Mu An Xiao's gaze, and looked at Xiao Zeng's profile. She thought, *You little brat, you don't even have this much courage. It serves you right that your mother abandoned you.*
However, the moment Wan Sha's words entered Xiao Zeng's mind, he suddenly opened his eyes and thought agitatedly, *Don't talk nonsense.*
Wan Sha: *Of course. I'm a woman, and your mother is also a woman. Seeing you like this now makes me anxious, let alone your mother!*
Xiao Zeng: *You're deliberately provoking me, I won't fall for it.*
Wan Sha: *Provoking you is one thing, but what I'm saying is the truth. Only if you release me can I help you find your mother. I'm telling you, this is also an opportunity for you. If you miss it, you'll truly never see your loved ones again, just like Mu An Xiao. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do.*
Xiao Zeng hesitated: *But if I touch it, I'll become a girl.*
Wan Sha: *She's just trying to scare you.*
Xiao Zeng: *Really...*
Unexpectedly, as soon as Xiao Zeng thought one word, Mu An Xiao's gaze shifted to his face, "..."
At the same time, Xiao Zeng felt Mu An Xiao's stare. He withdrew his response to Wan Sha, turned to meet Mu An Xiao's eyes, and asked, "Why are you looking at me?" His tone was clearly laced with guilt.
Mu An Xiao: "I need to go to the latrine."
"And then?"
"Hold this for me," Mu An Xiao said, handing the silver rope to Xiao Zeng.
Xiao Zeng stiffened, looked down at the silver rope, and said, "I don't want it."
"Are you afraid of turning into a girl?" Mu An Xiao saw through Xiao Zeng's concern at a glance.
Xiao Zeng's eyes flickered, and he said, "Yes, I don't want it." He deliberately put his hands behind his back.
Seeing Xiao Zeng like this, Wan Sha also became anxious. She deliberately said, "You're letting a mere child guard me, Mu An Xiao, do you look down on me?"
Hearing this, Mu An Xiao turned to Wan Sha and said, "Can you say a little less?"
Wan Sha: "No, I don't want to..."
"Shut up," Mu An Xiao interrupted sternly. She turned back to Xiao Zeng again and said, "Do me a favor, and I'll buy you candied hawthorn when we get back."
"I..."
"I was just joking. As long as I agree, there won't be any problems."
Hearing Mu An Xiao's words, Xiao Zeng reached out his hand obediently. "Give it to me."
"Thank you," Mu An Xiao smiled and wrapped the silver rope around Xiao Zeng's wrist with one hand. Then, before Xiao Zeng could notice, she secretly cast a spell on it.
Xiao Zeng: "Done." He looked up at Mu An Xiao.
Mu An Xiao: "Yes, done." As she spoke, she stood up.
Xiao Zeng looked at the silver rope that still held Mu An Xiao's warmth and said, looking up, "I'll definitely guard her well."
"I believe you," Mu An Xiao said, then walked towards the Yin messenger.
At the same time, Xiao Zeng turned to look at Wan Sha, who was smiling triumphantly at him, and pointed at Mu An Xiao's retreating back, conveying, *Wait.*
Wan Sha understood Xiao Zeng's meaning and nodded slightly: *Very good.*
Xiao Zeng: "You'd better keep your promise and take me to find Mother."
Wan Sha: "No problem."
Hearing Wan Sha's firm assurance, the hope that Mu An Xiao had extinguished in Xiao Zeng's heart reignited. He said, "Remember your promise."
Wan Sha: "So wordy."
Xiao Zeng glanced at Wan Sha and deliberately moved closer to her.
Ahead.
Mu An Xiao walked up to the Yin messenger who was squatting by the tree and said, "You haven't found it yet."
"Yes, I'm just puzzled. Why can't I find it?"
"It's alright, take your time."
"Yes, you..." Halfway through his sentence, the Yin messenger suddenly reacted. He looked up at Mu An Xiao's hand and asked, "Why did you come over?"
"I came to tell you I'm going to the latrine, so you don't think I ran away."
"Where's the silver rope?" The Yin messenger was more concerned about this than Mu An Xiao's latrine visit.
Mu An Xiao: "The child is holding it for me."
"Chi..child..." The Yin messenger uttered one word, then hurriedly stood up, turned to look towards Xiao Zeng, and whispered, "Weren't you invisible? How can that child see you?"
"Someone cast a spell, so he can see you too," Mu An Xiao said, too lazy to mention Feng Qi Shi's name. She paused and continued, "Alright, I'm going." She then turned and walked in one direction.
The Yin messenger glanced at Mu An Xiao's retreating back, then looked at Xiao Zeng, who was sitting by the well next to Wan Sha, sighed, and turned to continue searching for the way home.
Xiao Zeng thought Mu An Xiao had sent the Yin messenger to supervise him, so he became nervous. "..." He turned to look at Wan Sha.
Wan Sha thought the same and said telepathically, *Be careful.*
Xiao Zeng swallowed: *I know.*
Wan Sha: *It's good that you know.*
Xiao Zeng nodded slightly, then glanced at the Yin messenger's back, and then lowered his head to look at the silver rope tightly wound around his wrist, taking a deep breath.