Ouyang Ye's current goal was to turn Mu Anxiao into a true cripple under the beating of the vine demon.
This thought had been a spontaneous idea he'd had the moment he saw the vine demon.
Before meeting Mu Anxiao at the Mu family's residence, he had indeed engaged in an intense battle with the vine demon. The purpose of that fight was to ascertain Mu Anxiao's whereabouts from the vine demon.
It was during that time that he glimpsed vague images of his reunion with Mu Anxiao. Simultaneously, he saw the vine demon's future, and the process of the vine demon returning to the past, encountering Xi'er, and resolving the poison within its body.
At that moment, he was still half-believing, half-doubting that memory. In other words, he had only treated the vine demon as an experimental subject.
Therefore, he hadn't taken it seriously, still pinning his hopes on Mu Xiang. To his surprise, just as he had made up his mind to be with Mu Xiang, he encountered Mu Anxiao.
Clearly, this was a good outcome.
It was at that time that he believed he had the ability to see and even change the future.
"..." He glanced at Xi'er without speaking.
Xi'er frowned, "They've arrived, you..."
"I know." Ouyang Ye interrupted, looking at Mu Anxiao who was staring at him, and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
"What do you mean by looking at me? Ouyang Ye, what exactly are you planning?" Mu Anxiao couldn't understand Ouyang Ye anymore.
Ouyang Ye smiled, "Can't you see what I'm planning?"
"Stop with the nonsense, speak." Mu Anxiao roared, casting a cautious glance at the vine demon about to confront her, and took half a step back.
"You can't kill her," Ouyang Ye said, glancing at You Xian who was calmly observing, and then fixed his gaze back on Mu Anxiao's face. "Since that's the case, I'll help you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You'll know in a moment." Ouyang Ye said, looking at the vine demon, "What are you still standing there for? Attack."
Upon hearing this, the vine demon glanced at Ouyang Ye, a smirk playing on its lips. "Mu Anxiao, you have a day like this." With that, it reached out its demonic claw towards Mu Anxiao.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao had no time to speak, turning and fleeing.
She knew that Ouyang Ye was capable of anything, and from his words, she could sense that he... was getting serious.
Therefore, she knew there was no time for further discussion.
Vine Demon: "I will definitely kill you, Mu Anxiao." After speaking, just as it was about to give chase, Ouyang Ye swiftly appeared before it, startling it. "What are you doing?"
Ouyang Ye said coldly, "I want to make her a cripple, not kill her."
"You..."
"If you can't even fulfill this small request of mine, then you can die." Ouyang Ye interrupted.
The previous fight had been a shadow and a fatal blow to the vine demon.
At this moment, seeing Ouyang Ye's unjoking expression, it conceded, "Understood."
"Go." Ouyang Ye uttered a single word, clearing the path.
Subsequently, the vine demon cast a cautious glance at Ouyang Ye before quickly pursuing the direction Mu Anxiao had fled.
Ouyang Ye clasped his hands behind his back, glancing at the vine demon's retreating figure, and then turned to look at Xi'er. "Get ready."
Xi'er cupped her hands, "Yes." As she spoke, she intentionally cast a glance at the vine demon's retreating back.
Ouyang Ye noticed Xi'er's gaze and said, "You find him familiar."
Xi'er nodded.
"He's the one who snatched your green bottle, but you can't defeat him. I advise you not to provoke him, otherwise," Ouyang Ye sneered, "you'll die a terrible death."
"I know." Xi'er nodded.
"That's good. Now, the lives of those people are in your hands." Ouyang Ye made arrangements.
Upon hearing about human lives, the evil spirits became excited.
Yin Ye, hiding behind a tree, peeked out at the evil spirits who were again preparing to take lives. Then, looking at You Xian, who was standing frozen and afraid to move, she frowned, circled around the tree, and tiptoed to You Xian's back, whispering, "Let's go."
Hearing this, You Xian snapped back to attention, turned to look at Yin Ye, and just as she was about to speak, Ouyang Ye shifted his gaze over. "Yin Ye, your movements aren't exactly subtle either."
"..." Yin Ye froze, slowly looked at Ouyang Ye, and gave a dry laugh. "You promised Mu Anxiao..."
"I made no promises." Ouyang Ye interrupted.
Yin Ye's eyes darkened. Mustering her courage, she said, "You can't kill her." She glanced at You Xian.
You Xian looked worried, daring not to utter a word.
Ouyang Ye smiled, "This brat has tricked me quite a few times. To be honest, letting her go leaves me feeling quite displeased."
"How can you... be one way in front of people and another behind their backs?" Yin Ye remembered Ouyang Ye looking quite kind just moments ago, and now he had become like this. This perplexed and angered her.
"Aren't all people like this?"
"..." Yin Ye was speechless.
Wei glanced at the evil spirits who were poised to attack mortals, and then recalled Mu Anxiao's words. He said, "Benefactor, didn't you tell us to believe in Mu Anxiao?"
Hearing this, Ouyang Ye turned his head to look at Wei. "Wei, remember this, you can only believe me."
"But those were your words?" Ghost Number Four couldn't help but ask.
Ouyang Ye's face stiffened. "They were my words, and I retract them now. From now on, you are my evil spirits. Anyone who does not cooperate will vanish from this world."
"..." Ghost Number Four was stunned.
Wei had always believed Ouyang Ye to be a benevolent demon.
Who knew... Ouyang Ye, when ruthless, was far more ruthless than Xiong Ye. He figured he was scared.
"..."
Ouyang Ye said, "Those people have arrived." As he spoke, he looked towards the crowd hiding behind the trees in the distance, bending and weaving, and let out a light chuckle.
The evil spirits gripped their weapons tightly.
Yin Ye glanced at You Xian and, taking advantage of Ouyang Ye's lack of attention in their direction, whispered, "Hide."
Hearing this, You Xian pouted, nodded, turned, and followed Yin Ye to hide behind the trees.
Meanwhile.
After Feng Qishi had tested the last person, he looked at Mu Miyan and Shu Jia, who had arrived quite some time ago. "You're here." He said calmly.
Shu Jia asked, "Weren't you poisoned by Zhong Xiang?" He walked forward, scrutinizing Feng Qishi from head to toe.
Feng Qishi replied, "How could I be poisoned so easily?" As he spoke, he looked at Mu Miyan and asked, "Who are you?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Miyan stepped forward, looked at Feng Qishi with a shy smile, and said, "My master is Mu Anxiao."
"So you're Mu Shazi's disciple." Feng Qishi was excited.
Mu Miyan disliked Feng Qishi's words and frowned, saying, "I won't allow you to speak of my master that way."
"Protective of your own." Feng Qishi remarked casually.
"Don't insult my master." Mu Miyan was angry.
Feng Qishi looked at Mu Miyan's small, protective expression towards Mu Anxiao and smiled. "It seems Mu Shazi hasn't chosen the wrong disciple."
"You are not allowed to call my master 'Shazi'. My master is very smart." Mu Miyan was no longer shy, her expression revealing her aversion to Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi smiled slightly, turned, and looked at Shi Jia, who was staring at him, saying, "You lost."
Just then, as Mu Miyan was about to step forward to continue arguing with Feng Qishi, Shu Jia stopped her. "Your master seems to like that nickname. Don't provoke him."
"How is that possible?" Mu Miyan looked at Shu Jia in disbelief.
Shu Jia shrugged his shoulders. "That's their business. Don't get involved."
Earlier, Mu Miyan had witnessed Feng Qishi's work of testing immortal destinies, so upon hearing Shu Jia's words, she said no more.
"What?" Shi Jia was startled and looked at the other twenty-six people who were lowering their heads and staring at their wrists. "How is it possible? Not a single one?"
Feng Qishi chuckled softly, "No."
Young Man Number One asked, "What do you mean by that?" He withdrew his gaze, which was fixed on his own wrist, and looked at Feng Qishi.
Hearing this, Feng Qishi turned to look at Young Man Number One. "It means you have no aptitude for cultivation. Of course," he said, scanning the others, "it's not just one of you; none of you do."
"How is that possible?" Young Man Number Two was disappointed.
Young Woman Number Three said indignantly, "Impossible. When I came here, I already... tested it. I have it."
"You don't." Feng Qishi was firm.
"You..."
"I truly don't know where you get the courage to come and seek cultivation. You're all useless." Feng Qishi deliberately spoke harshly, intending to make them clearly understand their position.
"..." They fell silent.
Mu Miyan, listening to Feng Qishi's words, couldn't help but recall that Mu Anxiao had also once told her she had no immortal destiny. Therefore, hearing Feng Qishi say this, she became truly indignant. "So what if we have no immortal destiny?"
Hearing this, Feng Qishi looked at Mu Miyan. "Mu Shazi's disciple, you have no right to speak here."
"I also have no immortal destiny, and my master still accepted me." Mu Miyan said. "Why should those without immortal destiny be considered useless? It's not good to discriminate like this."
"..." Feng Qishi looked at Mu Miyan and sighed.
Mu Miyan, seeing Feng Qishi sigh, said triumphantly, "Tongue-tied, are we?"
"Mu Shazi accepts disciples not to help them become immortals, but to protect them. Little girl," Feng Qishi said seriously, "you are like them."
To avoid disrupting his own rules, he told himself not to be soft-hearted and to make them face reality.
Even if it was hurtful, he had to do it.
"..." Mu Miyan's eyes sank, and she said nothing more.
Shu Jia also felt Feng Qishi's words were excessive, but he could also see that this group's 'desire' for immortality was higher than anyone else's. Therefore, to avoid disrupting the laws of reality, he also remained silent.
Immediately, Feng Qishi retracted his gaze from Mu Miyan's face, turned, and looked at Shi Jia, who was standing in place staring at their side, saying, "You lost. I'll send you away now."
"I won't." Shi Jia shook his head.
"You won't what? A bet is a bet. I won, you lost, you have to go back." Feng Qishi said helplessly.
At the same time, the group began to cry.
Hearing the crying behind him, Feng Qishi's body stiffened. He then turned to look at the men crying alongside the young women and said, "Men should not shed tears easily. You are young. Isn't it better to go back and find a good job?"
"We are all people with no one to rely on. Becoming an immortal is the only thing we want to do. But," Young Man Number One cried, "we are incapable, we have no money, no influence, and the places that teach cultivation do not accept us."
"Why are you telling me this?" Feng Qishi became increasingly helpless, as his words implied he had gained his status through connections.
"You have luck, money, and influence. When you do things, you don't have to consider the consequences. Just bully us properly." Young Woman Number Five cried.
Feng Qishi was speechless.
Then, these people began to pour out their grievances, one after another.
Listening to their complaints, Feng Qishi fell into contemplation.
A quarter of an hour later.
Feng Qishi yawned, leaned against a pillar, looked at the last young man who had finished complaining, and then looked at the people who were no longer crying and were glaring at him. He said, "Immortal destiny is equivalent to a person's talent. You don't even have talent, yet you want to become an immortal. That's like a fool's dream."
"But some people without talent have achieved things. How do you explain that?"
"That's because those people worked hard and made sacrifices. As for you," Feng Qishi didn't want to be too blunt about their shortcomings, but he couldn't help himself, "the moment you encounter any difficulty, you blame heaven and earth, and you blame me. Did I provoke you? Those people you mentioned, even without talent, they put in more effort than talented people. Naturally, their later achievements compensated for it. You... go home and continue dreaming."
Hearing this, Shi Jia looked as if he had found hope and said excitedly, "Then, according to you, if we... work hard, we can become immortals."
"..."
At this moment, Feng Qishi suddenly realized... he might have said too much!
Subsequently, those people once again shifted their gazes to Feng Qishi's face.
Yuan Yan watched Feng Qishi, who had revealed the truth and brought trouble upon himself, and shook his head.
Mu Miyan glanced at Shu Jia and said nothing.
Shu Jia crossed his arms and looked at Feng Qishi, who had spoken the truth, his eyes sinking. He whispered, "You have no immortal destiny, but you have the aptitude to become an immortal. This might be why Mu Anxiao accepted you."
Hearing this, Mu Miyan's eyes lit up. She turned to look at Shu Jia and smiled.