Mu Anxiao smiled, "I truly want to refuse you."
Piao: "...." He expressed his disappointment.
Mu Anxiao: "...." She lowered her head, staring at the dying embers of the fire, and said, "Pull me!"
Upon hearing this, Piao also glanced at the vine and reached out to grab Mu Anxiao's arm. "You really don't want to be my disciple?"
"No."
"...." Piao sighed.
Immediately, Mu Anxiao looked up towards the sky.
In the blink of an eye.
As Mu Anxiao had predicted, when the fire completely extinguished, everything around them began to change slowly.
Piao was also startled by this. "How did you know how to break it?"
Mu Anxiao: "A feeling." As she spoke, she closed her eyes.
Seeing Mu Anxiao close her eyes, Piao also closed his.
In the next moment, the two of them were standing on a street.
"Alright," Piao opened his eyes first and said.
Mu Anxiao, fearing her eyes couldn't adjust to the light, kept them closed.
At the same time, Piao released his hand and looked forward towards Wan Sha, who was walking out of the white mist. "She's here," he said.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao slowly opened her eyes. After her vision cleared, she saw Wan Sha approaching them and asked softly, "Is this real, or fake?"
Piao: "Real."
"Is it over?"
Piao hummed in affirmation.
Instantly, Mu Anxiao conjured her soul sword.
Seeing this, Piao was startled. "What are you doing?"
Mu Anxiao: "You go."
"Huh?"
"The demon souls here use demonic arts from the demon realm. Shen Fengzi and the others don't know such arts. Go quickly and help them."
"But you..."
"Go," Mu Anxiao said, stepping forward and deliberately blocking Piao's path.
Piao understood Mu Anxiao's character well and said, "Then be careful."
Mu Anxiao nodded slightly.
Then, Piao turned and ran.
Wan Sha stopped. "You're seeking death." She glanced at Piao's retreating figure.
Mu Anxiao: "In any case, you only want to kill me, and it has nothing to do with him."
"Clever."
"Naturally. But speaking of which, I really didn't expect that after you calmed down, you'd decide to defect to the Vine Spirit."
Wan Sha lowered her eyes and smiled. "Whoever can help me, I'll follow them." She then put on a stern face. "Following you, I'm bound to go to hell, but following the Vine Spirit, I can be free."
"Freedom!"
"What, am I wrong?"
"Do you think you deserve freedom?"
"Of course, I do. Then," Wan Sha approached Mu Anxiao, "do you think you do?"
Mu Anxiao stared directly into Wan Sha's eyes, recalling her past actions towards Wan Sha. Her heart sank. "Of course, I do."
"You really dare to say that." Wan Sha suddenly grabbed Mu Anxiao by the neck.
Mu Anxiao tilted her chin slightly. "If I dare to come, then dare to speak, wouldn't that be absurd?"
"Impressive. You've gained quite some spirit after visiting the demon realm."
"Do you know what I went to the demon realm for?"
Wan Sha: "What does it have to do with me?"
"I remember you said something once."
Wan Sha narrowed her eyes. "You still remember what I say?"
"Of course," Mu Anxiao raised her hand and grabbed Wan Sha's wrist. "You said, why is it that humans killing demons is not punished, but demons killing humans is punished. Do you know why?"
Wan Sha: "I don't know."
"Because I don't manage humans, I only manage demon souls."
"You..."
"Humans have specialized underworld officials to manage them, I don't. I only manage you. So, no matter how many questions you ask me, I can only say it was my mission. However, I will still apologize to you."
"You killed her."
"Her..."
Mu Anxiao remembered the events of that time clearly. It was true that if she hadn't interfered, things wouldn't have reached that point.
For this, she admitted her fault. Although Wan Sha's attitude was not clear, it gave her a glimmer of hope for forgiveness.
Therefore, she chose to respect Wan Sha.
Who would have thought that in the end, Wan Sha would cooperate with the Vine Spirit?
This made Mu Anxiao lose her good impression of Wan Sha. "I killed her, but if you weren't involved, she wouldn't have died. So it can't all be my fault."
"You..."
"What are you looking at me for? Am I wrong?"
"It's easier to change mountains and rivers than a person's nature. Mu Anxiao, you admitted all your mistakes before, but now you're going back on your word. You... you're truly seeking death."
Mu Anxiao gripped Wan Sha's wrist tightly with one hand. "Let go, or I'll break your wrist."
Wan Sha: "..." She frowned.
Mu Anxiao added, "I go back on my word, and so do you. We are both the same."
"We are not the same."
"We weren't the same before, but we are now."
"You..." Wan Sha released her hand and took half a step back.
"I once resorted to any means for my mission, thus harming Wan Xia. Now, you, because of the mission given to you by the Vine Spirit," Mu Anxiao said, "are willing to do anything, driven by selfish desires, to harm others. Think about it, what's the difference between your actions and mine back then?"
Wan Sha: "...." Her eyes widened.
"The sunflower turning into a hellflower, do you know what that signifies?"
Wan Sha: "...."
"It signifies that your heart has become dark enough. Also, why don't you think about yourself?"
"Myself?"
"Yes, if you hadn't made a mistake, do you think you would have known Wan Xia? To put it bluntly, you are also indirectly responsible for Wan Xia's death. Don't keep acting as if you're avenging Wan Xia while harming others. Don't you think..." Mu Anxiao's face turned cold, "...you're despicable?"
Wan Sha: "...." She glared at Mu Anxiao.
"I admit, Wan Xia's matter was my fault. After this is over, I will cripple half of my spiritual energy. Do you think this is acceptable?"
Spiritual energy is crucial for a minor immortal.
For Mu Anxiao to say this in front of Wan Sha now was a testament to her sense of responsibility.
However, Wan Sha did not accept it at all. "Not enough."
"Then what else do you want?"
"You die."
Mu Anxiao: "...."
Both spiritual energy and life held great importance for Mu Anxiao.
Of course, life was the most important.
Now that Wan Sha had said this, Mu Anxiao had no room for compromise.
She took two steps back, sheathed her soul sword, and conjured her silver rope. "I cannot give my life to you."
"Are you sure you won't give it?"
"No," Mu Anxiao's tone was firm.
Hearing this, Wan Sha smiled slyly. "Alright, remember this, all these people are killed by you." Saying this, she turned sideways and clapped her hands.
The scene was the same as in the first trial.
Only then did Mu Anxiao understand that those were mere practice runs, and now it was time for the real battle.
"What are you going to do?" she asked Wan Sha, looking at the white mist behind her, feigning ignorance.
Wan Sha: "Since you don't care about human lives, I will kill people in your name. That way, it will all be considered your doing. Do you think that's fair?"
Mu Anxiao: "...." Her eyes darkened, realizing she had just spoken a lot of nonsense.