From past to present, Chen's status in the demon realm has been abysmally low. Despite her high level of demon arts, she was still considered trash by other demons.
Although Mu Anxiao's words were not pleasant to hear, they instilled a sense of confidence in Chen.
"Alright, I'll help you," she said resolutely.
Seeing Chen's determined demeanor, Mu Anxiao also mustered her courage. "Pleasure cooperating," she said, extending her hand.
As Mu Anxiao reached out, Chen's heart leaped with joy. "Pleasure cooperating," she replied, taking Mu Anxiao's hand.
"How does it feel?" Mu Anxiao asked.
Chen smiled, "Warm."
Mu Anxiao chuckled.
Feng Qishi watched the two of them laughing face-to-face, utterly bewildered. "You two are just helping each other out, there's no need for all this, is there?"
"....."
Feng Qishi's words did not reach their ears. They continued to smile at each other for a good tens of seconds before simultaneously withdrawing their hands.
"I'm going," Chen said.
"Okay," Mu Anxiao responded.
Then, Chen looked at Feng Qishi and pointed at his portrait. "You're a great deity, but I won't pay respects to you either."
"Why?" Feng Qishi asked.
Chen glanced at Mu Anxiao. "Because you don't hold an official celestial post, you aren't a proper immortal," she said, then turned and vanished.
Feng Qishi was rendered speechless after Chen's remark.
Mu Anxiao lowered her eyes, a slight smile on her lips, and turned to look at Feng Qishi's portrait. "May I speak my mind?"
Feng Qishi sighed and asked, "What is it you want to say?"
Mu Anxiao pointed at the portrait.
Feng Qishi followed Mu Anxiao's gaze to his own portrait, a strange sense of unease settling in his heart.
At that moment, his sixth sense told him that Mu Anxiao was definitely up to no good.
So, he feigned silence.
"..."
Mu Anxiao observed Feng Qishi's stern expression and the downturn of his lips. "You think I won't say anything good, so you're deliberately pretending to be silent, aren't you!"
Feng Qishi deliberately averted his gaze and walked over to Lin Yan, who had just brought in the second beggar. He asked coldly, "Why so slow?"
"Too heavy," Lin Yan said, panting.
Feng Qishi calmly glanced at the remaining two beggars outside the temple. "You don't need to carry those two."
"Then what should we do?"
"I'll wake them up," Feng Qishi said, walking past Lin Yan and heading outside.
However, the moment Feng Qishi uttered these words, Lin Yan's heart sank.
Following that, he glared at Mu Anxiao, turned, and walked to the hay. He bent down and very slowly placed the second beggar down, then stood up, raised his arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and asked Mu Anxiao breathlessly, "Is it very funny?"
"Yes, very funny," Mu Anxiao nodded.
Mu Anxiao hadn't intended to say that. She had wanted to say a few words of concern to Lin Yan, but for some reason, the moment she saw his face, she lost the desire to speak politely.
She thought, perhaps this was why she found him so irritating!
"You find it funny now, but there'll be a time you cry," Lin Yan said, pointing at Mu Anxiao twice. He limped towards the temple entrance and shouted, "I'm here." As his front foot crossed the threshold, the tip of his back foot caught the edge of the doorframe.
Mu Anxiao calmly watched the tip of Lin Yan's foot catch on the doorframe. Just as she thought he wouldn't fall, he tripped over his back foot and tumbled to the ground.
During this, Lin Yan let out a loud cry, and Mu Anxiao, unable to bear it, deliberately covered her ears.
Outside the temple, after waking the other two beggars, Feng Qishi calmly looked at Lin Yan, who was sprawled on the ground. "You just need to bow to my portrait, there's no need to do this, it's quite embarrassing."
Hearing Feng Qishi's words, Lin Yan slowly looked up and gave a couple of laughs towards Feng Qishi, then, to alleviate his own embarrassment, said, "I believe bowing to you like this is a sign of respect."
"You're flattering me too much," Feng Qishi said.
Lin Yan smiled, "You are the deity in my heart."
"Don't say that," Feng Qishi said, feigning seriousness.
Inside the temple, Mu Anxiao listened to the conversation between Feng Qishi and Lin Yan outside, and then looked at Lin Yan's feet resting on the doorframe. She thought, just go on being proud and suffering for it!
"You truly are my deity," Lin Yan emphasized, pushing himself up.
Feng Qishi turned to look at the two beggars who were now fully awake, then stepped down the stairs. "Since you've finished paying respects, you can get up now."
"Okay," Lin Yan agreed, enduring the pain in his body, and stood up.
Feng Qishi walked up the steps, came in front of Lin Yan, and patted his shoulder. "Don't do this again, I can't accept such a礼."
"You..."
"Remember," Feng Qishi interrupted.
Lin Yan looked at Feng Qishi's stern expression and nodded.
Then, Feng Qishi smiled faintly and walked past him into the dilapidated temple.
Mu Anxiao calmly watched Feng Qishi enter and said, "You're quite good at dodging. I hadn't finished speaking."
"Go ahead."
After Lin Yan's fall, Feng Qishi concluded that even if Mu Anxiao spoke unpleasant words, he could just retort. Of course, even if he couldn't, getting his revenge later would be a different kind of satisfaction.
"I've said it," Mu Anxiao said, looking at Feng Qishi's optimistic demeanor, stammering slightly.
Feng Qishi's face was full of smiles.
Mu Anxiao let out a dry cough, and gestured to Feng Qishi's portrait. "I think you should take this down. It looks too much like... a memorial portrait."
The moment Mu Anxiao said this, Feng Qishi's smile vanished, his expression could only be described as cold.
Mu Anxiao saw Feng Qishi's anger at a glance and quickly tried to salvage the situation. "No, I mean... your portrait is larger than a typical memorial portrait. It's just that the expression in this portrait is too serious, and also... you could ask the artist to draw your lips turned up a little more, it would be more approachable."
She knew Feng Qishi's temper well. She knew that her current explanation would only anger him further, but... even so, she believed that explaining was better than remaining silent.
".... " Feng Qishi.
"I..." Mu Anxiao uttered a single word, suddenly filled with regret.
Then, Lin Yan deliberately added fuel to the fire. "Mu Anxiao, how could you say that about him? You're going too far."
Hearing this, Feng Qishi shot a glare at Lin Yan. "Shut up."
Lin Yan was startled and quickly covered his mouth.
At the same time, the two beggars lying on the haystack woke up.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao saw a shadow of Shen Yan in Feng Qishi, a shadow that filled her with dread.
Recalling the past, she had once angered Shen Yan in a similar manner. Shen Yan had ignored her for a full three days, and then even pushed her into a pile of demons, only saving her at the last moment.
She still remembered that feeling of fear!