"So what do you think?" Feng Qishi asked.
Mu Anxiao took a deep breath, glanced around, and said, "He said he didn't want to become a demon soul, and that the evil spirit had a benefactor. I think both those statements are true."
"Which one is false?" Feng Qishi asked again.
Mu Anxiao lowered her eyes and thought, "Some evil spirits..." She paused, recalling Jiong Ye's words and mulling them over in her mind before saying, "He didn't catch the evil spirit."
"That's right," Feng Qishi said with a faint smile.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao immediately reacted, "Shen Fengzi, are you testing me on purpose?"
"I wouldn't dare," Feng Qishi raised his hands. "I'm just reminding you, because some things, you can't just understand them by me saying them casually; you need to think."
"You have a point," Mu Anxiao nodded slightly and looked at Yuan Yan, who was hiding behind the tree. "Come out," she called.
At her voice, Yuan Yan immediately walked around the tree and approached Mu Anxiao and the others.
Feng Qishi turned around upon hearing this.
Yuan Yan smiled when he saw Feng Qishi looking at him, but dared not speak.
Next, Mu Anxiao stepped forward and asked, "Speak, why are you here?"
"I'm looking for you," Yuan Yan said, then stopped.
"You're looking for us?" Mu Anxiao asked. She suddenly remembered Yuan Ye, who had left, and asked, "Did you tell Yuan Ye to leave?"
Yuan Yan nodded. "Yes, I knew you definitely wouldn't want him to be implicated, so I let him go. I also asked him to inform your companions. As for why I'm following you, you should understand."
Mu Anxiao nodded. She knew Yuan Yan was following her solely because he wanted to be reincarnated, and also for his wife's matter.
Feng Qishi frowned, listening to their mysterious conversation, "What are you two talking about? I don't understand."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao didn't want to hide anything from Feng Qishi. She turned to him and said, "He's my mission; I have to protect him." She pointed at Yuan Yan.
Feng Qishi's mind went to Yuan Yan's earlier prejudice against Mu Anxiao. Seeing his current trusting expression, Feng Qishi was puzzled. "No, Yuan Yan, didn't you refuse her help before?"
"People's minds can change so quickly, and so can mine," Yuan Yan said righteously.
Feng Qishi smirked seeing Yuan Yan's arrogant expression. "Alright, speaking of which, didn't you go down with us last night?"
"I..." Yuan Yan didn't want Feng Qishi to know he was a demon soul, so he only managed to say one word before looking at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao understood Yuan Yan's meaning and said, "Shen Fengzi, just do what I tell you, and don't ask questions."
"But it's a mission, we need to understand..."
"Understand what? Besides, you know his situation," Mu Anxiao interrupted Feng Qishi.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's words, Feng Qishi suddenly remembered that Yuan Yan had been killed by his wife. His eyes darkened, and he said, "Why did your wife kill you?"
That topic had circled back again.
Yuan Yan knew Shen Yan was a persistent person, and Feng Qishi was no exception. Especially seeing Feng Qishi's earnest expression, his intention to conceal it faded. "She got involved with someone from a cultivation sect."
"Cheating?" Feng Qishi casually uttered these words.
The next second, Mu Anxiao and Yuan Yan were both stunned. They exchanged glances, unsure how to respond to Feng Qishi's statement.
Seeing their stunned expressions, Feng Qishi explained, "That's what it's called when your wife is involved with someone else." He then looked at Mu Anxiao. "Don't you know what that means?"
"I know... and I've forgotten," Mu Anxiao mumbled.
Feng Qishi sighed at Mu Anxiao's ignorant expression. "I'll have to give you some lessons when I have time."
"..." Mu Anxiao hated lessons. Dealing with Zhang Yan was enough; now she had to deal with Feng Qishi. To avoid creating new trouble for herself, she deliberately turned her face away.
Feng Qishi smiled helplessly at Mu Anxiao's behavior and then looked at Yuan Yan. "Your wife must be dead by now, right?"
"She's still alive," Yuan Yan said calmly.
"Alive..." Feng Qishi frowned and looked at Mu Anxiao again. "Mu Shazi, what's going on?"
"The situation is simple. His wife married him because she was interested in his immortal destiny. However, after they got married, he never pursued immortality. His wife was furious and got involved with a man from a cultivation sect. Later, she and that man teamed up to kill him, and he died unjustly like that."
"..." Feng Qishi hadn't expected Yuan Yan to go through such hardships. Hearing Mu Anxiao's explanation now, he felt sympathy for Yuan Yan.
Yuan Yan lowered his head. "I just wanted revenge, but... after hearing Mu Anxiao's words, I realized revenge doesn't solve anything. Now, I just want to find her, because I heard that man promise her he would help her cultivate."
"You mean, they've already become immortals?" Feng Qishi asked, much like Mu Anxiao, expressing his disbelief.
He also wanted to know why someone like that could achieve immortality.
Mu Anxiao smiled at Feng Qishi's unconvinced expression. "You've forgotten what you said to him before."
"..." Feng Qishi didn't understand Mu Anxiao's meaning and frowned.
Mu Anxiao: "You didn't understand what I meant?"
Feng Qishi shook his head.
Then, Yuan Yan said, "You said that people from cultivation sects, while seemingly cultivating immortality, are actually cultivating demonic arts."
Hearing Yuan Yan's words, Feng Qishi's mind went blank. He then lowered his head and thought, before exclaiming excitedly, "I remember, I did say that."
"You knew that so early, and you didn't tell me, making me guess," Mu Anxiao complained to Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi: "Do you dare say you remember every word you said decades ago? If he hadn't said it," he glanced at Yuan Yan, "I wouldn't have remembered either."
"You always have excuses," Mu Anxiao rolled her eyes at Feng Qishi and then asked Yuan Yan, "How much do you know about that Jiong Ye?"
Hearing this, Feng Qishi was startled. "Mu Shazi, you're switching topics too quickly."
"I like it," Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi, then looked at Yuan Yan, who was contemplating the question.
After some thought, Yuan Yan said, "He said he wanted to exterminate all the evil spirits."
"Anything else?" Mu Anxiao frowned, feeling that Yuan Yan hadn't said everything.
Yuan Yan shook his head. "No, he only said that one sentence to me, and... it was less like he was talking to me and more like he was venting his emotions. Anyway..." He took a deep breath. "I was a bit stunned at the time."
"Alright," Mu Anxiao said with disappointment.
"Mu Shazi, what are you going to do next?" Feng Qishi asked, staring at Mu Anxiao.