"It's a long story," Mu Anxiao repeated, knitting her brows. "That's not right. Weren't you supposed to be looking for those demon souls? Why are you here?"
"I was looking for them, but none of them were willing to come back. They didn't believe me, didn't listen to anything I said. They even claimed I was jealous of them for living better lives than me," Yin Ye shook her head. "I really don't understand what they're thinking."
"So, you failed."
Yin Ye lowered her head.
Mu Anxiao had forgotten the task she had assigned to Yin Ye. It was only after Yin Ye appeared that she remembered.
Recalling the past, she had already anticipated that the departed demon souls would not return. Yin Ye's mission would either end in failure or... in her aligning with them.
Of course, she believed the latter was more likely, given Yin Ye's palpable hatred for her.
Therefore, Yin Ye's reappearance had, in a way, shattered Mu Anxiao's assumptions.
"..." She reached out and placed a hand on Yin Ye's shoulder.
Yin Ye looked up at Mu Anxiao. "I'm sorry, I wasn't capable."
"Where are those demon souls now?" Mu Anxiao asked.
Yin Ye thought for a moment. "I saw them a while ago, but I haven't seen them in the last few days. I was wondering about it too. However, about half an hour ago, I saw a demon soul enter, so I followed. Who would have thought," she sighed, "as soon as I stepped in here, I was surrounded by red light. I almost died just now. He saved me." She pointed towards Ouyang Ye.
At the same time, Ouyang Ye was also looking in their direction.
Mu Anxiao followed Yin Ye's gaze towards Ouyang Ye and frowned. "He would save you?" She turned back to Yin Ye.
"Yes, I was about to turn into a vengeful spirit. Anyway," Yin Ye said, "he's quite strange."
"How so?" Mu Anxiao temporarily set aside her leisurely thoughts.
"He said I was a burden, that's why he saved me. Just on that point alone," Yin Ye shook her head slightly, "I don't understand him."
"He said you were a burden."
"Yes."
"..." Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes. "That is indeed strange. Him saving you isn't normal." With that, she walked around Yin Ye and towards Ouyang Ye.
Seeing Mu Anxiao approach, Ouyang Ye's lips curved upwards.
Immediately, Mu Anxiao gracefully walked up to Ouyang Ye and said, "What do you mean by that?" She tilted her head up, staring at his face.
Yin Ye stopped behind Mu Anxiao.
Ouyang Ye frowned. "What, what do you mean?"
Mu Anxiao continued, "You called her a burden, yet you saved her. And," she glanced up at the now normal sky, "if I recall correctly, this is your territory. Then, naturally, you have the ability to lure demon souls in..."
"Are you implying," Ouyang Ye interrupted, glancing at Yin Ye, "that her arrival was orchestrated by me?"
"That's why I'm asking you," Mu Anxiao stated matter-of-factly, fearing that Ouyang Ye might have planted something on Yin Ye that would cause trouble for her later.
"There are things you don't know," Ouyang Ye said deliberately.
Mu Anxiao clicked her tongue. "Can you speak properly?"
"Can you think properly?" Ouyang Ye retorted.
Mu Anxiao's brow furrowed. She glanced at Yin Ye, then back at Ouyang Ye, who usually disregarded his own life. She continued, "You'll even save demon souls."
"..." Ouyang Ye deliberately remained silent.
Mu Anxiao asked, "Why aren't you speaking?"
"You come over here, and you've been suspecting me the whole time, Mu Anxiao," Ouyang Ye took a deep breath. "If you have a problem with me, just say it. There's no need to beat around the bush."
"I... I don't have a problem with you," Mu Anxiao replied. "I'm just confused. You'd save her, and even if you did, why call her a burden?"
"She told you that?" Ouyang Ye glanced at Yin Ye again.
Sensing that Ouyang Ye was not someone to be trifled with, Yin Ye averted her gaze.
"She told me because she's my mission."
"Your mission," Ouyang Ye repeated, nodding slightly. "No wonder you two seemed so familiar. So, this is the connection between you."
"You didn't do anything to her... some demonic art, did you?" Mu Anxiao voiced her direct concern.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye's expression froze. "You came to question me because of this."
"You wouldn't do anything that doesn't benefit you."
"You know me quite well," Ouyang Ye smiled.
Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes. "What did you do to her?" she met Ouyang Ye's gaze.
Following that, Ouyang Ye smiled at Mu Anxiao. "You want to know."
"Of course. If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't have come to ask you."
"I didn't expect you to be quite so clever. That's right," Ouyang Ye continued to smile, "I did something."
Yin Ye's eyes widened.
Mu Anxiao remained relatively calm. "What did you do to her?"
"..." Ouyang Ye merely smiled, remaining silent.
Seeing that Ouyang Ye wouldn't speak, Mu Anxiao grew angry. "If anything happens to her, I won't forgive you," she pointed at Ouyang Ye.
Ouyang Ye looked down at Mu Anxiao's finger. "I absorbed the toxins from her body using demonic art. That way, she won't turn into a vengeful spirit."
Mu Anxiao frowned. "Are there any side effects?"
"If you're bitten by a snake and the venom is eventually sucked out, will you still die?" Ouyang Ye retorted.
Mu Anxiao shook her head.
"Then it's settled. I just helped her detoxify," Ouyang Ye said, reaching out and placing his hand on Mu Anxiao's head. "She'll be fine. I have no interest in demon souls." He then removed his hand.
"You do good deeds too," Mu Anxiao continued to meet Ouyang Ye's eyes.
Ouyang Ye replied, "I like to go against bad guys. Furthermore, I am a demon; I need evil energy. This..." he leaned in towards Mu Anxiao's ear, "after you marry me, I'll tell you how to do it." As he spoke, he slightly turned his face to gaze at Mu Anxiao's profile.
Mu Anxiao glanced at him sideways, took a step back, and said, "I don't need that."
Ouyang Ye smiled, straightened up, and looked at Yin Ye, who was watching him with a look of surprise. "What's wrong? Is there something astonishing?"
Startled by Ouyang Ye, Yin Ye quickly looked at Mu Anxiao and asked, "Mu Anxiao, why are you with the evil spirits? And," she cautiously glanced at Ouyang Ye again, "what's your relationship with him?"
Hearing Yin Ye's string of questions, Mu Anxiao's expression stiffened. Just as she was about to distance herself from Ouyang Ye, he said, "She's my person."
"Your..." Yin Ye looked at the male-attired Mu Anxiao with disbelief. "You've abandoned your post, what am I supposed to do?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao sighed, turned to Yin Ye, and said calmly, "Don't listen to his nonsense. I'll take responsibility for you."
"That's a relief," Yin Ye said, visibly relaxing.