Mu Anxiao: "..." She didn't even glance at Feng Qishi.
The five women wore expressions of absolute determination the moment Mu Anxiao spoke.
Mu Anxiao paused for a few seconds, held up the five sheets of paper, and said, "Alright, you can leave now." With that, she cast a spell to retract the silver ropes.
They all looked down at the blue light gradually disappearing from their hands, a smile blooming on each of their faces.
Mu Anxiao said, "You may leave. Take just one step, and I will destroy this. If I do, I guarantee," she let out a soft snort, "you won't get out of here alive; your souls will scatter into nothingness."
Woman number one sneered, "Who are you kidding?"
"Who am I kidding?" Mu Anxiao looked at the completely changed demeanor of woman number one compared to before her return and sneered, "This time, I'm not kidding anyone. If you don't believe me, try it."
"You try it!" Woman number one put on a face of fearless defiance.
Mu Anxiao smiled down, then found the paper bearing woman number one's fingerprint. "Then let's try it," she said, gripping a corner and pressing down hard. A fissure appeared at one corner of the paper.
Woman number one let out a cold laugh. Just as she was about to speak, her foot suddenly ached.
Immediately, she looked down and saw her foot gradually turning transparent. "..." Her face contorted in terror, her eyes wide.
Mu Anxiao: "As long as this paper is completely destroyed," she smiled, "I guarantee you're finished."
Woman number one: "No!" Her eyes remained wide open.
Mu Anxiao asked, "Are you still leaving?"
"I'm not leaving," Woman number one shook her head, responding urgently.
Mu Anxiao asked again, "Will you cooperate?"
Woman number one nodded repeatedly, "Please, I don't want my soul to scatter. I..."
"Come here."
Woman number one: "..." She swallowed, then, completely disregarding her companions, limped over to Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao: "Apologize to me."
Woman number one hurriedly said, "I'm sorry!"
"That's the attitude I want," Mu Anxiao smiled, her lips pressed together. In an instant, she restored the fissure on the paper, and woman number one's foot returned to normal. "There, take a look!"
Woman number one: "..." She looked down and smiled.
Mu Anxiao glanced at woman number one, then turned her gaze to the other women, saying, "Only I can hold this. You..." She eyed woman number one, who was about to reach out and snatch the papers, "...will be finished even faster."
Hearing this, woman number one lowered her hand. "...."
Woman number three asked, "Since you have such means, why did you capture us earlier?"
"The principle of keeping a trump card," Mu Anxiao glanced at woman number three, "you should understand, right?"
Woman number three: "...." She averted her gaze.
Mu Anxiao rolled her eyes at woman number three and then looked at the inexplicably quiet woman number five. "You, are you hatching some ridiculous scheme again?"
Subsequently, woman number five looked back at Mu Anxiao, her eyes darkening. "I lost."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't pretend."
"I really don't understand what you mean," Mu Anxiao shrugged.
Woman number five glanced at her sisters on either side, then walked gracefully to woman number one's side. "I would rather be punished below than disappear in this manner." With that, she walked around Mu Anxiao and headed into the inn.
Following her lead, the others compromised one by one and followed suit.
Mu Anxiao stepped aside, watching the retreating figure of woman number one as she was the last to enter, and called out, "Clarify things with those two underworld bailiffs."
"Understood," Woman number five's voice carried back.
Mu Anxiao: "...." She looked at the papers with great satisfaction, then raised her eyes to meet Feng Qishi's gaze. "Why are you looking at me?"
"Can these truly make them... disappear completely?"
Mu Anxiao: "What do you think?"
"You're lying..."
Mu Anxiao made a shushing gesture.
Feng Qishi leaned in and whispered, "How did you do it?"
"Demonic arts from the Demon Realm," Mu Anxiao raised a finger.
Feng Qishi looked down at Mu Anxiao's fingertip, which faintly glowed red, and frowned. "When did you learn demonic arts?"
Mu Anxiao: "I didn't learn them; I just naturally knew how."
"What?"
"Perhaps..." Mu Anxiao mused, "it has something to do with Gu An!"
"You can't do this."
"I know. I'll only use it here. Once we leave, I definitely won't." With that, Mu Anxiao turned and walked into the inn.
Feng Qishi: "......" His heart sank, and he began to worry about Mu Anxiao.
Inside the inn.
The little girl sat at a table, put down her bowl, and turned to look at Mu Anxiao as she entered. "You're back."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao looked at the little girl. "Why are you here?" she asked, stepping closer.
The little girl: "..." She smiled slightly and lowered her head to continue eating her noodles.
Mu Anxiao frowned slightly, then glanced at the stacks of noodle bowls on the adjacent table, exclaiming in surprise, "Hey, did you eat all these?" She walked to the little girl's side.
The little girl: "..." She paid no attention and continued eating her noodles.
Mu Anxiao: "I'm talking to you."
The little girl: "You shouldn't talk while eating; it's a rule."
"You understand rules, yet you deliberately led us astray."
Immediately, the little girl drained her noodle soup and looked up at Mu Anxiao. "If I hadn't done that," she glanced at the five women standing at the front table, by Xu Lan and Xu Lan's table, registering their crimes, and at Lu Hua, "do you think you would have caught them?"
Mu Anxiao: "..."
The little girl stared at Mu Anxiao's face for a few seconds and said, "You owe me a favor. We'll meet again." With that, she stood up and disappeared.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao was stunned. "Who exactly are you?" she asked, looking around.
Feng Qishi: "...." He stood at the doorway, quietly watching Mu Anxiao's retreating back. He frowned as he thought about what the little girl had said to Mu Anxiao before she left.
At the same time, the young cook, looking weary, brought a bowl of noodles to a table. He looked up at Mu Anxiao and said calmly, "You're back."
Mu Anxiao asked, "When did she arrive?"
"Last night!" the young cook replied, glancing around. "Huh? Where did she go?"
"She left," Mu Anxiao replied, her gaze fixing on the bowl of noodles in the young cook's hand. "Did you make this?"
"Yes, she ate plenty last night and ate this much again today," the young cook said, putting down the bowl. "She didn't even seem full, which exhausted me."
Mu Anxiao asked, "Can I eat it?"
"Yes," the young cook said, sitting down.
Mu Anxiao also sat down. "I won't give you an inner core."
"No need. The boss treated her to this. Since she left without eating it, it would be a waste. You eat it, it's perfect," the young cook said, then slumped onto the table.
Mu Anxiao took a pair of chopsticks from the holder, stirred the noodles, and said, "It smells so good."
"Thank you," the young cook replied weakly.