"No,"
Mu An Xiao had heard about the conditions in the prison.
If she remembered correctly, people said that any child sent in would be tortured, and would emerge with either broken arms or legs. Although Xiao Zeng's behavior was detestable, he was also very kind.
"Why?" Feng Qi Shi released his hand.
The moment his grip loosened, Xiao Zeng quickly grabbed a few flatbreads, stuffed them into his clothes, and ran off.
The second Xiao Zeng ran, the elderly woman looked down at her money pouch and said, "You scared me half to death." As she spoke, she patted her pouch.
The bread seller looked in the direction Xiao Zeng had run with a panicked expression, shouting, "You little brat, you didn't pay."
Feng Qi Shi looked at the bread seller's agitated expression, glanced around at the surroundings, and asked, "Mu Shazi, if I show myself now, will I scare them?"
"What do you think?"
"Yes," Feng Qi Shi nodded.
"That's good that you know," Mu An Xiao said, turning to chase after Xiao Zeng.
Feng Qi Shi glanced at the dejected seller and muttered, "You little brat, you really know how to stir up trouble for people."
A moment later, Xiao Zeng stopped in an alley and, after confirming no one was following, took out a flatbread from his clothes and began to eat.
Mu An Xiao stopped beside Xiao Zeng, calmly watching him devour the flatbread and saying, "Still incorrigible."
"This child's flesh should be quite good."
Hearing this, Mu An Xiao's eyes widened, and she quickly turned to look, startled. "A Xia."
"Don't call my name," A Xia roared.
Mu An Xiao took a step forward and deliberately extended her arm to block Xiao Zeng. "You don't eat meat, do you?"
"I want to now," A Xia said.
Mu An Xiao tilted her head to glance at Xiao Zeng and asked, "Why didn't you appear yesterday?"
"Why should I have appeared?"
"Where is Chen?"
"Chen is already dead."
Mu An Xiao knew the relationship between Chen and A Xia and could not fathom A Xia killing Chen.
But A Xia's indifferent gaze and the casual tone with which she uttered these words made Mu An Xiao half-believe her. "How could that be?"
"If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have died."
"Me?" Mu An Xiao pointed to herself.
"Yesterday, she came to find me and said you wanted to see me. I... I agreed. On the way back, we encountered a demon named Piao. Chen went to confront him, and then... he killed Chen."
The news that Piao had killed Chen overnight was something Mu An Xiao found hard to believe, but seeing the tears in A Xia's eyes, she couldn't help but believe.
"Why didn't you help her?"
"She wouldn't let me help and set up a barrier," A Xia said.
Listening to A Xia, Mu An Xiao suddenly thought of Chen's cultivation level and Piao's abilities.
Immediately, she shook her head slightly. "You're lying."
"You're not crying?" A Xia suddenly said.
However, Mu An Xiao hadn't noticed anything amiss until A Xia said this. Now, hearing her say it, Mu An Xiao suddenly realized, "You're not A Xia."
"You've figured it out."
"Wan Sha," Mu An Xiao said.
"I didn't expect you to be so clever."
The moment her words ended, the A Xia before her completely transformed into Wan Sha.
Mu An Xiao looked at Wan Sha's calm expression and intentionally glanced at Xiao Zeng, saying, "You will not touch this child."
"There's no use keeping a thief like this," Wan Sha said.
"I will make him change."
"You're someone who's incorrigible, and you want to make others change? Who are you fooling?" Wan Sha judged Mu An Xiao's character.
Mu An Xiao wasn't angry, as she had heard such words more than twenty times and was long past caring.
"Say whatever you want, but you cannot touch this child," she said.
Seeing Mu An Xiao's firm stance, Wan Sha was somewhat moved, but thinking of her own experiences, she had no intention of letting Mu An Xiao off.
"Including today, you have two more days," Wan Sha said.
"I know," Mu An Xiao nodded, then thinking of Wan Sha's transformation into A Xia just now, she quickly asked, "Did you capture A Xia and Chen?"
Wan Sha thought Mu An Xiao wouldn't ask about A Xia and Chen, so the moment Mu An Xiao asked, she smiled. "I thought you wouldn't ask."
"Don't harm them," Mu An Xiao said.
"As long as you remember the past, I won't harm them. If," Wan Sha smiled sinisterly, "you don't remember, then I will make them accompany you in death."
"You..."
"Remember my words," Wan Sha said, then turned and disappeared.
Mu An Xiao hadn't expected Wan Sha to target A Xia and Chen overnight.
At this moment, Mu An Xiao felt a sense of crisis.
"Mu An Xiao."
Responding to the call from behind, Mu An Xiao's body stiffened, and she slowly turned to look at Xiao Zeng, who was glaring at her, and asked, "What did you see?"
Xiao Zeng clearly hadn't witnessed Mu An Xiao's appearance. Angrily, he said, "You're following me."
"No."
"Still no, you..."
"The flatbread, did you pay for it?" Mu An Xiao deliberately interrupted.
Xiao Zeng's eyes flickered, and he said, "It's none of your business."
"Were you about to steal again just now?" Mu An Xiao got straight to the point.
"You... you're following me."
Mu An Xiao hadn't intended to admit it, but thinking of Xiao Zeng's bad habits and Wan Sha's words, she became afraid. She feared Wan Sha might target this child, so for Xiao Zeng's sake, she had to put on a stern demeanor.
"I am following you."
"Are you going to bully me behind his back?" Xiao Zeng pouted.
The "he" Xiao Zeng referred to was Feng Qi Shi. Clearly, he dared not speak Feng Qi Shi's name directly, as Feng Qi Shi was considered a very esteemed figure among them beggars.
And Mu An Xiao, in their eyes, including in this child's eyes, was merely an expendable beggar leader, thanked when she helped, ignored when she didn't, and even treated with disrespect.
Of course, Xiao Zeng dared to treat Mu An Xiao so recklessly thanks to the other senior beggars!
Mu An Xiao knew all of this.
"Whatever you think it is, it is. Come with me to the flatbread stall," Mu An Xiao said, grabbing Xiao Zeng's arm.
Xiao Zeng recoiled half a step in fright and said, "You're going to push me out like you did that year."
"I won't do that."
"You definitely will."
"I won't," Mu An Xiao stated firmly.
Seeing Mu An Xiao's stubbornness, a wave of apprehension washed over Xiao Zeng. "I won't. You're definitely lying to me."
Mu An Xiao thought Xiao Zeng had believed her, but to her surprise, the child said such a thing.
At this point, Mu An Xiao was truly at a loss for what to do with him.
"Why would I lie to you?" she asked.
"You must think I'm holding a grudge against you, and you're retaliating."
"Am I as childish as you?" Mu An Xiao asked again.
Xiao Zeng hesitated for a moment and said, "You definitely are."
--Author's Note--
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