The little cook, seeing Mu Anxiao ignore her, knitted her brows. "Why aren't you talking to me?"
Mu Anxiao replied, "I didn't let him come."
"Why?"
"Who knew you'd come looking for the demon soul? I was only guessing."
"If the boss knew I came looking for the demon soul, he'd be very angry."
"If you know he'll be angry, why did you come?"
"I've learned my lesson."
"You've learned it, so just stand here properly." Mu Anxiao glanced at the little cook.
The little cook: "..." She nodded obediently.
Immediately, Mu Anxiao refocused her gaze on Feng Qishi.
"Strange," she frowned and took a step forward. "Why is he constantly punching? It looks like he's in a lot of pain too. Why is this happening?"
The little cook said, "He's outwardly fighting the green light, but in reality, he's fighting himself."
"Fighting himself?"
"Yes, look at the demonic energy on him," the little cook pointed towards Feng Qishi.
Mu Anxiao followed the little cook's gesture and looked at Feng Qishi again. Her eyes widened. "There's red light all around his body," she said. Upon a closer look, she realized that Feng Qishi's demonic energy was different from the demonic energy here.
"That's the inner demon."
"Inner demon?"
"Yes," the little cook, unlike before, had returned to a normal demeanor. "There's something in his heart that he can't let go of."
"In his heart..."
"When he was young, he must have gone through many painful experiences, and that became his inner knot." The little cook deliberately glanced towards the little girl. "The moment he met the little girl, his inner knot turned into his inner demon."
"Didn't you say you didn't know these things?"
"When did I ever say I didn't know these things?"
"You..." Mu Anxiao thought about it. The little cook hadn't actually said that, so she shrugged. "Sorry, I remembered wrong."
"..." The little cook thought for a moment and said, "I was just surprised when you said he was being controlled, so I blurted some things out."
Mu Anxiao initially didn't want to talk much with the little cook, but after hearing her words, she realized that the little cook knew more than she did.
Following that, she said, "Then tell me, is he being controlled?"
"Yes."
"Then why were you surprised?"
"I was just surprised that the words came from your mouth."
Mu Anxiao: "..."
The little cook said, "If you don't go now, he'll be devoured."
"Devoured?"
"Yes, the little girl seems to have been waiting for him for a long time. Because every time she goes to see the boss, it's just for fun. But I see that she's different with this Feng Qishi. It feels very strange."
Listening to the little cook, Mu Anxiao recalled Zhang Yan's reminder. She frowned. "..."
Seeing Mu Anxiao lost in thought, the little cook asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Mu Anxiao said, turning her back, closing her eyes, and calling out to Zhang Yan in her mind. "Master, Master."
Heavenly Realm.
Zhang Yan was still sitting cross-legged in the old gentleman's celestial palace, holding a thin thread in one hand and tidying his hair with the other. He said, "What is it, my disciple?"
Mu Anxiao asked mentally, "Master, Feng Qishi is about to be devoured by his inner demon. May I go?"
Zhang Yan replied, "Go ahead, use your soul sword."
"Yes, Master." Mu Anxiao replied mentally, and the thin thread in Zhang Yan's hand disappeared.
The old gentleman stood opposite Zhang Yan and looked down at him. "What are you teaching your disciple?"
Zhang Yan stood up. "I'm helping you."
The old gentleman: "..." He looked confused.
The old gentleman didn't know much about Feng Qishi's past, but Zhang Yan, who had lived in the same place as Feng Qishi, understood him much better.
Zhang Yan continued, "Feng Qishi has an inner knot."
"Inner knot?"
"Yes, that inner knot is his mother in his current life."
The old gentleman: "He's Shen Yan now, how could..."
"Don't forget, he not only has Shen Yan's memories but also his memories from his current life," Zhang Yan said, looking around. "Old man, you only think about bringing your disciple back, but you never consider his psychological well-being. Do you know why he can't leave Mu Anxiao?"
"Because Mu Anxiao brought him back from that current life."
"Yes, Mu Anxiao became his reliance."
"Reliance." The old gentleman repeated the word, his gaze lowered as he recalled Feng Qishi's state after Mu Anxiao's departure. He said, "Reliance."
"It was Mu Anxiao who saved him from there, so he developed a dependence on Mu Anxiao. It was also Mu Anxiao who made him instantly cultivate spiritual energy. It's all Mu Anxiao. Haven't you noticed?"
The old gentleman hadn't thought that far, but hearing Zhang Yan say it, it seemed to be the case.
"I don't think it's a big deal. At least Mu Anxiao has become his motivation."
"But this way, he will become a burden to my disciple."
The more Zhang Yan spoke, the stranger the old gentleman found it.
So, he thought for a moment and said, "I understand."
"Understand what?"
The old gentleman tutted. "You, do you feel that my disciple doesn't respect you, so you're afraid he'll disrespect me through Mu Anxiao as well, and therefore you want them to separate?"
Zhang Yan: "..." He began to avoid eye contact.
Seeing Zhang Yan's guilty conscience after his excitement, the old gentleman chuckled. "You old man, you're so cunning."
"He didn't respect me," Zhang Yan said childishly.
"Didn't you also hit my disciple's head with a tree branch?"
"You saw it."
"I saw it."
"Aren't you angry?"
"If any other immortal did that, I would be angry, but you," the old gentleman smiled, "I wouldn't be."
Hearing the old gentleman's words, Zhang Yan lowered his eyes and smiled. "I'm sorry, I intentionally prevented my disciple from helping Feng Qishi."
The old gentleman: "I know. Your words may not be pleasant, but they have reminded me."
"Reminded me of what?"
"Feng Qishi is not Shen Yan, and Shen Yan is not Feng Qishi. Feng Qishi is just Feng Qishi. He has his own past, and I believe your disciple can help him."
"As long as the inner demon is resolved, your disciple's spiritual energy will increase, and many of his magical techniques will be restored."
"Thank you."
The old gentleman had never said thank you to anyone before. Now that he suddenly said it, Zhang Yan felt a little embarrassed.
He then said, "Don't say that, it's quite embarrassing."
The old gentleman: "...." He smiled faintly.
Demon Realm.
Hearing Zhang Yan's words, Mu Anxiao retracted the silver rope, opened her palm, and conjured the soul sword. "You stand here and don't move," she said, glancing at the little cook.
The little cook: "...." She nodded.
Behind Feng Qishi.
The little girl looked at the soul sword in Mu Anxiao's hand, a radian of her lips curling upwards. "Cold-blooded woman, it seems you're about to make a move." She let go of Xu Lan's hand.
Xu Lan looked down at the little girl's expression and asked, "What do you mean by that?"