Shen Xian took a sip of tea and said, "Alright, tell me. You went to find the monster, what did the monster say?"
The rattan spirit deliberately hesitated and said, "You might not agree after hearing this."
"You haven't even said it yet, how do you know I won't agree?"
"This..." The rattan spirit gave a wry smile. "How to put it, my plan can only succeed if no one else is involved."
"What do you mean?"
"Fighting alone, you know?"
"Fighting alone?" Shen Xian didn't understand for a moment. "What do you mean by that?"
With success imminent, the rattan spirit looked at Shen Xian's confused expression and suddenly remembered that he hadn't mentioned Mu Anxiao in what he had just said.
So, he said, "I said, Mu Anxiao must go find those monsters alone, she must fight alone."
However, Shen Xian had intended to find some subordinates to secretly protect Mu Anxiao. Upon hearing the rattan spirit, he decisively abandoned that thought.
"I know."
"Hmm, do you agree?"
"To be honest, she didn't want me to send anyone with her in the first place. Remember to help bring her back then."
"Certainly," the rattan spirit said firmly.
Shen Xian nodded slightly.
Kitchen.
Feng Qishi sat by the stove, looking down and thinking about how nervous the rattan spirit had looked outside Shen Xian's door earlier, and the furtive way Shen Xian had spoken to the rattan spirit after coming out of the room. He became suspicious.
At the same time, Piao rushed into the kitchen, looked around, and after confirming the sachet was not there, walked up behind Feng Qishi. "Brother Shen, I heard."
Hearing this, Feng Qishi turned to look at Piao. "Did you go spy on Mu Shazi again?"
"No," Piao said, squatting down and becoming serious. "Just now, I was in the garden... no, I wasn't busy in the garden, I was taking a break, and then... I was lying down..."
"Get to the point."
"The point, oh, right, the point." Piao said, glancing behind him again. "Shen Xian and the rattan spirit went to the outhouse."
"....."
Piao glanced behind him with caution and continued, "They mentioned monsters."
"Monsters?" Feng Qishi was startled.
"Yes, but just as I was about to eavesdrop, Shen Xian set up a barrier."
".... " Feng Qishi, who was already suspicious of the rattan spirit and Shen Xian, now heard Piao say this, and he guessed they definitely had a conspiracy!
Piao asked, "What are you thinking?"
Feng Qishi stopped thinking and looked up, asking, "You weren't discovered, were you?"
"No, I..."
As Piao was speaking, Shen Xian's conversation with Xiang Nang drifted in from outside the room.
Outside.
Shen Xian stopped not far from the kitchen and looked at Xiang Nang, who was entering from the main gate. "Did you go to guard the gate again?"
Xiang Nang replied, "Yes." and walked up to Shen Xian.
Shen Xian said, "Is there anything else unusual outside?"
"No."
"That's good. By the way, where is that Piao?"
"Isn't he in the garden?"
"I just came by, he wasn't here. The grass has grown so much, and he hasn't cleared it. What about Chen?"
At the same time, Chen walked out of the room. "I'm here."
Shen Xian asked, "Why did you go back to your room?"
Chen said, "My clothes got dirty, I went back to change." She walked up to Shen Xian.
Previously, Shen Xian, who never bothered with such things, was now suddenly inquiring about them. Feng Qishi thought... there was indeed something fishy.
However, before he could confirm it, he knew he couldn't act rashly.
"I'll go out with you, you cooperate with me."
"Okay," Piao nodded and stood up.
Then, Feng Qishi also stood up, walked past Piao, and headed out of the kitchen.
Piao followed Feng Qishi.
Outside the kitchen.
Shen Xian called out to the kitchen, "Junior brother."
"Coming," Feng Qishi replied, walked out of the kitchen, and put on a feigned playful expression. "I heard your voice from inside, what's up?"
"Did you see..."
As Shen Xian uttered two words, Piao followed him out. "You were looking for me?"
Shen Xian said, "What are you doing here?"
Feng Qishi quickly said, "I watched those two shows today, spent three inner pills, and exerted a lot of energy. Of course, we need to discuss it."
Piao glanced at Feng Qishi and said, "It wasn't me who came, he asked me to come." He pointed at Feng Qishi.
However, Piao's addition to his own performance was so timely that Feng Qishi found it speechless.
"....."
Seeing that Feng Qishi didn't reply, Shen Xian asked, "Junior brother, how long have you been discussing?"
Feng Qishi pretended to think for a moment and said, "Oh, for almost half an hour. I just went out to use the outhouse and saw Xu Lan outside your door, looking very anxious." He glanced intentionally towards Shen Xian's room. "Hmm? He's gone."
"Oh, I know about that."
"He left?"
"No, he went back to the outhouse."
"Is that so? I was going to tell you, but I thought since you were outside your room, you must have heard."
"I heard."
"That's good then."
"....." Shen Xian smiled at Feng Qishi, then turned stern and looked at Piao. "You go clear the grass behind here, it's almost up to your calves."
"Got it," Piao nodded, turned, and walked away.
Shen Xian's room.
Mu Anxiao sat at the table, clearly hearing the voices from outside. She thought about the rattan spirit's anxious tone earlier and muttered, "Will their conversation be related to tomorrow's action?"
After saying that, she decided she must get some reliable information from Shen Xian later.
A quarter of an hour later.
After Shen Xian and Mu Anxiao finished their boring game, Mu Anxiao stood at the table, rubbing her face, and asked, "Hey, is there anything that can't be said outside the door? Why did you have to go to that outhouse to talk?"
Shen Xian looked at his hand and said, "I didn't hit you, why are you rubbing your face?"
Throughout the boring game, Mu Anxiao hadn't won a single round, but Shen Xian hadn't hit her either.
Now, seeing Mu Anxiao like this, he was also helpless.
"I've lost so many games, it's quite embarrassing. Can't I touch my face?"
"Let's play again."
"Huh?"
"I'll go easy on you."
"If I win, you'll... tell me what you talked about with Xu Lan?"
"....."
Seeing Shen Xian's indifferent expression, Mu Anxiao pouted, "Alright, alright, I won't say it, I won't say it. Come on."
Shen Xian thought about the crisis Mu Anxiao would face tomorrow, and the reality that he wouldn't see Mu Anxiao after tomorrow. He decided to let her be happy for a while!
"Okay, if you win, I'll tell you. If you lose, I'll tell you too," he said.
"That good!"
"Hmm."
"Then come on," Mu Anxiao said, rolling up her sleeves again. "Rock..."