Xu Lanyan, the moment the dog-headed demon spoke, put on a look of panic. "You mean, I'm dead?" he pointed to himself.
"I'm not sure, but you..."
"I remember," Xu Lanyan deliberately interrupted, "When I was falling earlier, the demon spell weakened, and the second my body hit the ground, I felt a force pull me out of my body. Then I was standing beside you, hearing you speak. But you just ignored me. I didn't know why at the time, but now I do."
"Little brother, you should leave now," the dog-headed demon said, cautiously eyeing Xu Lanyan.
Xu Lanyan lowered his gaze and said absently, "Big brother, am I dead?"
"Yes, listening to you say that, it does seem like you are no longer in this world," the dog-headed demon nodded slightly.
Xu Lanyan gasped and reached out to the dog-headed demon. "Big brother, can you hold my hand?"
"Ah?" The dog-headed demon was startled and took half a step back. "Little brother, I can't touch you. You're a ghost."
"A ghost?" Xu Lanyan feigned ignorance, looking down at his hands. "Big brother, I don't want to die."
"Little brother, this is your..."
Before the dog-headed demon could finish, Xu Lanyan suddenly looked up at him. "It's all your fault."
"Eh?" The dog-headed demon pointed to himself and chuckled dryly. "Little brother, how can you blame big brother?"
"Big brother, you said you would go down with us, but you didn't, you didn't," Xu Lanyan said, acting like he had lost his mind.
"Little brother, demons cannot be brought back to life, you..."
"You're talking nonsense. Didn't you say that as long as you found his demon soul and his body, he could be resurrected? Big brother, my body is in that cellar. Help me, please help me." Xu Lanyan interrupted again.
The dog-headed demon hadn't expected Xu Lanyan to have listened so thoroughly to his words and felt awkward.
"Big brother, I don't want to die, I want to live," Xu Lanyan whimpered and started to cry.
The little demons dared not approach Xu Lanyan and retreated one by one to the corner of the wall.
The dog-headed demon looked at Xu Lanyan and said, "Little brother, you really want to live."
"Yes," Xu Lanyan nodded sincerely.
"I'll tell you the demon incantation to go down. You go," the dog-headed demon generously said.
"I need an incantation to go down?" Xu Lanyan feigned surprise and then said, "So troublesome."
"No choice," the dog-headed demon said, spreading his hands and conjuring a letter with the spell, handing it to Xu Lanyan.
Xu Lanyan leaned in and glanced at it, then quickly memorized the incantation. "I'm a ghost, I can't receive it."
"I'll burn it for you," the dog-headed demon said, bending down and tossing the paper into the burning charcoal.
Xu Lanyan glanced at the little demons and said, "I've memorized it. I'll be back to find you soon." With that, he turned and disappeared.
The dog-headed demon breathed a sigh of relief.
The first little demon said, "Big brother, the great demon just instructed you..."
"If the great demon comes looking, I'll say he did it. I didn't go anyway," the dog-headed demon sneered evilly.
"Big brother, you're treating that guy as your scapegoat," the first little demon realized.
"Yes, he's the one who went down, and he's the one who let the rat demon go, not me," the dog-headed demon smugly thought he had a perfect plan.
"But the great demon doesn't care about the rat demons?" the second little demon realized.
"Yes," the third little demon looked at the second little demon and said, "Those rat demons belong to the Rabbit Queen."
"Anyway, that's their business. I'll just say that guy stole the demon incantation then," the dog-headed demon said, thinking himself very clever.
"You're truly amazing," the second little demon chuckled.
The dog-headed demon's lips curved upward.
In the backyard, Mu Anxiao sat on a swing, thinking about what Piao had said to Yan. She wondered, what did Piao mean by that? As she thought, she frowned.
At the same time, Piao appeared behind Mu Anxiao and asked, "What are you doing?"
Mu Anxiao was not startled. Instead, she calmly replied, "Nothing to do. Can't I swing on a swing?"
"You're so old, and you're still swinging. So childish," Piao said, placing his hands on Mu Anxiao's shoulders.
Mu Anxiao turned her head and glanced at Piao's hands. "If I died, would you be sad?"
"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Piao asked.
Mu Anxiao sighed. "I just suddenly wanted to ask."
"I wouldn't be sad. Do you believe me?" Piao asked, a smile playing on his lips.
Mu Anxiao tilted her head. "I believe you."
"Then believe it," Piao said, his voice laced with amusement. He removed his hands from Mu Anxiao's shoulders and said, "I've arranged a little demon to serve you?"
"I don't need to be served," Mu Anxiao said, intending to refuse.
"It's Yan," Piao said, completely ignoring Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao frowned and turned to Piao. "You're trying to get your hands on Yan again."
"You two will be rivals from now on. I'll just watch to see who kills whom first," Piao said naturally.
Mu Anxiao never expected Piao to say such a thing in front of her, so she gave a bitter smile. "I don't like you, so I won't kill anyone for your sake."
"If you don't make a move, Yan will kill you," Piao said.
Mu Anxiao sighed, stood up, and turned to Piao. "You're truly too childish. I am Yan's enemy. It's only natural for her to kill me. I won't kill her, don't worry."
"You..."
"Stop with the 'you.' I'm leaving," Mu Anxiao said, suppressing the fear in her heart and quickening her pace.
Piao watched Mu Anxiao's retreating back and snorted lightly. "Mu Anxiao, you really are philosophical." With that, he followed her.
A few minutes later, Mu Anxiao stopped and turned to look at Piao following behind her. "Why aren't you wearing a mask?"
"I don't want to," Piao smiled.
"If we go any further, there will be rabbit demons. If you don't wear one, I'll tell those rabbit demons that you are the great demon," Mu Anxiao said, worried that Piao would kill any rabbit demons who saw him.
Piao laughed. "I've always been the one to threaten others. Do you think you can threaten me?"
Mu Anxiao smiled. "Are you going to wear it or not?"
"Not wearing it," Piao said firmly.
Mu Anxiao's mouth twisted. "Very well, I'm not going any further." With that, she tilted her head to look at the sky.
Piao looked at Mu Anxiao's profile. "This is your solution."
"Yes," Mu Anxiao replied.
Piao smiled. "I really can't do anything about you." With that, he spread his hands, conjured a mask, and put it on.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Piao, who was now wearing the mask, and the tension in her heart eased. "That's more like it," she said, walking ahead.
Piao followed her.