There is gain in sacrifice, and to obtain something, one must relinquish something else. Mu Anxiao, in order to provide mortals with a better life, had to sacrifice her standing in their hearts.
Of course, what she was doing was undoubtedly cutting off her own retreat. The consequence of doing so would be to be permanently banished from this place, her memories of ten years forever frozen at this moment. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
"What you say makes sense," Feng Qishi said, bending down to scoop up a handful of pebbles. Straightening up, he began to toss them, remarking, "However, your habit of meddling in other people's affairs has never changed."
"What do you mean I'm always meddling? I've never interfered in matters that have nothing to do with me," Mu Anxiao said, glancing at the river. She then quickly snatched the pebbles from Feng Qishi's hand and said faintly, "Don't mistake a step forward for an invitation to advance. Behave yourself." With that, she deliberately tossed all the pebbles into the water and turned away.
Feng Qishi watched the sinking pebbles with a deep sense of helplessness, sighed, and turned to Mu Anxiao, "You should throw the pebbles one by one. It's no fun throwing them like that."
Mu Anxiao paid no heed to Feng Qishi's words, speaking to herself, "I will capture all those malevolent spirits." Turning to Feng Qishi, she added, "You just wait."
"..." Feng Qishi looked at Mu Anxiao's unfriendly gaze, frowning, "No, I'm not a malevolent spirit. Could you please not look at me like that?"
"Because you spoke about me," Mu Anxiao retorted, holding a grudge.
Feng Qishi chuckled, "You're quite the grudge-holder. I just said you were meddling, not anything else."
"..." Mu Anxiao deliberately rolled her eyes at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi quietly observed Mu Anxiao's facial expression and grinned, "If you keep rolling them like that, be careful you don't get stuck." He pointed at her.
Mu Anxiao rubbed her eyes and said, "None of your business."
"I'm showing concern for you," Feng Qishi said, his expression suddenly turning serious.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao asked, "What's wrong?" She lowered her hand from her eyes.
Feng Qishi then brought his index finger to his lips and looked around.
Mu Anxiao, seeing Feng Qishi's secretive demeanor, followed his gaze to scan their surroundings. She then suddenly turned to a particular tree and called out, "Come out."
Upon hearing her, Feng Qishi quickly ran behind Mu Anxiao and said, "You're crazy."
Mu Anxiao, without turning her head or saying a word, continued to stare at the tree in front of her.
The next second, Yuan Yan emerged from behind the tree, "Apologies for the intrusion." He raised his hand.
Upon seeing it was Yuan Yan, Mu Anxiao breathed a sigh of relief, "Why is it you?" she asked, walking towards him.
Conversely, Feng Qishi did not move. He turned towards the river, remaining silent.
Yuan Yan noticed Feng Qishi's action and asked, "Feng Qishi! What? Aren't you looking for me?"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao stopped and turned to look at Feng Qishi, who was still scanning the surroundings. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"There's demonic energy," Feng Qishi said, turning back to face Mu Anxiao. "Likely a demon."
"A demon..." Mu Anxiao repeated, deliberately looking at Yuan Yan.
Yuan Yan frowned as Mu Anxiao looked at him, "That demonic energy isn't mine."
"Not yours? Then whose is it?" Mu Anxiao asked, feigning ignorance. She had already sensed another presence of demonic energy when she was throwing pebbles.
"I don't know," Yuan Yan said seriously. "I just sensed it."
"Just now..." Mu Anxiao started to speak, then stopped. Listening to the sound of the river, she deliberately sniffed the air in front of Yuan Yan.
Yuan Yan watched Mu Anxiao's actions and curled his lip, "Are you a dog?"
"..." Mu Anxiao ignored Yuan Yan and turned, walking step by step towards the riverbank.
Feng Qishi watched Mu Anxiao's approaching steps and asked, "Did you smell it?"
Mu Anxiao grunted and quickened her pace. She ran past Feng Qishi to the riverbank. As soon as she stopped, she looked at the reddening river water, her eyes widening. "Who are you?"
"..." No one responded.
Seeing that Mu Anxiao was not herself, Feng Qishi asked, "Silly Mu, what's wrong?"
"..." Mu Anxiao ignored Feng Qishi, continuing to stare at the river water that was beginning to react again. She repeated, "Who are you?"
"I told you, we will meet again."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao froze. She quickly retreated two steps and then turned to shout at Feng Qishi, "Fall back."
Feng Qishi was startled, "Silly Mu, what's going on?" He also glanced at the river water, which was starting to turn red.
Mu Anxiao had no time to explain and shouted again, "Fall back."
This time, Feng Qishi was struck by Mu Anxiao's warning and obediently retreated.
Seeing the situation was not right, Yuan Yan retreated behind the tree again.
Thus, only Mu Anxiao remained by the river.
In the next moment, a red stone suddenly shot out of the river and hovered in mid-air. Immediately, Jiong Ye appeared beside the red stone.
Mu Anxiao, looking at Jiong Ye, who was much more imposing than he had been in the city, sneered, "You were indeed suppressing yourself."
"What do you mean suppressing myself? I don't quite understand."
"..." Mu Anxiao sneered, "If I'm not mistaken, you deliberately lured me away so you could kill those people, right?" As she spoke, she put her hands behind her back and conjured a long sword.
Feng Qishi glanced at the long sword in Mu Anxiao's hand, his eyes widened. He quickly looked down at his own palm and suddenly remembered her snatching the pebbles from him earlier. He thought, No way? Silly Mu, has she learned to wield my weapon? Strange, who did she learn from?
Thinking this, he glanced at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao looked at Jiong Ye, who was laughing heartily, and disdainfully asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at your narcissism," Jiong Ye said, shifting his gaze back to Mu Anxiao's face. "I'm laughing at your stupidity. Tell me, what benefit would it bring me to kill those mortals?"
"You appear and disappear so mysteriously, you're clearly not a good demon, you..."
"I'm helping you, can't you see?" Jiong Ye interrupted.
However, Mu Anxiao did not see Jiong Ye as helping her. On the contrary, she felt his appearance was a threat to the lives of mortals. She believed he would eventually become her target.
But hearing him say this now, her thoughts became completely chaotic.
Following this, she briefly recalled what Jiong Ye had said in the city, her heart sinking, and she questioned, "What exactly do you want?"
"Those malevolent spirits are transformed from demon souls. I personally witnessed them killing mortals," Jiong Ye said, his eyes darkening. "I couldn't stand it."
"..."
At this moment, Mu Anxiao began to doubt if the Jiong Ye before her was a good person or a bad one.
Seeing Mu Anxiao remain silent, Jiong Ye continued, "They are plotting a plan, a plan to kill all the mortals in the city. They also have a benefactor, and as soon as the benefactor gives the order, they will act. Now, the urgent task is for you to find their benefactor and stop them. Only then can you subdue them." As he spoke, he grasped the red stone and descended.
Seeing Jiong Ye descend, Mu Anxiao deliberately took two steps back.
In the next moment, Jiong Ye landed opposite Mu Anxiao.
Fearing that Jiong Ye might attack Mu Anxiao, Feng Qishi deliberately took two steps forward.
Mu Anxiao sensed Feng Qishi's movement. Seizing the opportunity before Jiong Ye made any move, she turned to Feng Qishi and said, "Don't come over."
Hearing Mu Anxiao's words, Jiong Ye smiled, "You don't trust me."
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao turned back to look at Jiong Ye, who was smiling at her, and said, "I cannot yet believe that what you say is true."
"Is it because I directed that fellow?" Jiong Ye glanced towards Yuan Yan, then shifted his gaze back to Mu Anxiao's face. "That's why you don't trust me."
Mu Anxiao replied, "Yes, and also," she suddenly remembered the dark figure outside the inn and looked at Jiong Ye's black attire, saying, "You know Zhao Meier, don't you?"
"..." Jiong Ye smiled inexplicably.
As Mu Anxiao was about to speak, seeing the smile on Jiong Ye's face, he asked, "Do you know why I'm helping you?"
"I don't know," Mu Anxiao said coldly. She had a nagging feeling that something was not right about Jiong Ye.
"Because I hate demon souls."
"..." Mu Anxiao didn't understand what Jiong Ye meant.
"Why aren't you speaking?" Jiong Ye asked, looking confused.
Mu Anxiao took half a step back, her hand still gripping the long sword behind her back. "You want to distance yourself from Zhao Meier."
"I don't know her."
"You say you don't know her," Mu Anxiao said, recalling the timing of Zhao Meier's and Jiong Ye's appearances and shaking her head slightly. "I don't believe you."
"What do I need to do for you to believe me?" Jiong Ye pretended to be innocent.
Mu Anxiao, having experienced trials and tribulations as a minor immortal, had been deceived before, even failing a mission due to being tricked. She had also lost a considerable amount of silver as a result.
Such incidents were not uncommon. She had encountered demons like Jiong Ye before, hence her guardedness towards him.
"..." She deliberately remained silent.
Jiong Ye: "You just don't believe me."
"You are a demon who cultivated from a human, which shows," Mu Anxiao said, "you must have gone through some experiences. Naturally, you are also a demon with secrets, and I cannot easily believe you." She decided to be upfront, because only by doing so... could she see his true face.
"You..."
"Tell me your experiences, and then I will believe you," Mu Anxiao interrupted.
Jiong Ye was speechless.
"You don't want to say?" Mu Anxiao asked, looking at Jiong Ye's unable-to-speak expression.
Jiong Ye: "The fact that I can help you proves I trust you. Your current attitude," he gave a bitter smile, "is it not making things too difficult for me?"
"What's difficult about it? Speak the truth," Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe anything you say."
"You..."
"For a demon soul to transform into a malevolent spirit requires a process, and that process has a time limit. According to normal development, it's impossible for so many malevolent spirits to appear at once. To be honest," Mu Anxiao interrupted, retracting her sword and crossing her arms, "I just don't believe you."
Jiong Ye: "What do I need to do for you to believe me?"
"Speak, do you know Zhao Meier?" Mu Anxiao asked, her sharp gaze locked onto Jiong Ye's face.
Jiong Ye had always thought that by acting mysterious and saying a few words, Mu Anxiao would cooperate and believe him. He never expected... that in reality, she would be so cautious.
"..." He didn't want to admit it and lowered his head.
Seeing Jiong Ye's silence, Mu Anxiao continued to question, "Speak, do you know Zhao Meier? Was it you who had Zhao Meier use a honey trap to find Feng Qishi? Was it you who had Zhao Meier," she remembered Yuan Yan's rope breaking and narrowed her eyes, "harm people?"
When Jiong Ye heard this, he became agitated, "I didn't have her harm anyone." He raised his head to look at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao smiled, seeing Jiong Ye becoming angry under her pressure. "You didn't harm anyone, it seems," she smirked, "you indeed know Zhao Meier."
"..." Jiong Ye knew Mu Anxiao's goal was this, and so he admitted defeat. "Yes, I know her."
"Why did you lie?"
"She wanted to find..." Jiong Ye glanced at Feng Qishi, then turned back to Mu Anxiao, "him. It wasn't me..."
"Do you dare say you didn't tell her where Feng Qishi was?" Mu Anxiao interrupted.
Feng Qishi looked at Jiong Ye, who had admitted everything, and then at Mu Anxiao's aggressive back, his eyes darkening.
Yuan Yan hid behind the tree, watching Mu Anxiao and Jiong Ye, not daring to speak.
Jiong Ye was rendered speechless.
Mu Anxiao lowered her arms and continued to stare at Jiong Ye's face, "What is your purpose? This stone in your hand..." she said, looking at the red stone in Jiong Ye's hand, her brow furrowed.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's gaze fixed on the stone, Jiong Ye's heart sank and he asked, "Do you recognize it?"
Hearing Jiong Ye's words, Mu Anxiao retracted her gaze from the stone and replied, "No."
"You don't recognize it, so why are you looking at it?" Jiong Ye asked, deliberately tucking the red stone into his money pouch at his waist.
Mu Anxiao followed Jiong Ye's movement, glancing at the money pouch at his waist, and asked, "How do you know Zhao Meier?" she said, looking at Jiong Ye.
Jiong Ye: "I met her in the forest, and then she followed me around, and then I..." He didn't know how to fabricate. Mu Anxiao saw through him: "Jiong Ye, if you lie or talk nonsense, I will investigate you." She pointed at Jiong Ye.
Jiong Ye: "On what grounds can you investigate me?"
"On the grounds that you understand malevolent spirits."
"I know a lot, is that not allowed?" Jiong Ye retorted, unconvinced.
Mu Anxiao snorted and returned to the main topic, "What is your purpose, speak."
"I just want you to help me."
"Help you?" Mu Anxiao frowned. She didn't think Jiong Ye could be that simple.
Jiong Ye: "Yes, help me. I admit I know Zhao Meier because she saved me. Honestly, I just wanted to repay her, and then... I helped her find Feng Qishi. I'm looking for you because I want you to go with me to deal with some malevolent spirits."
"Some malevolent spirits?"
"Yes, I've captured some but don't know how to deal with them. You work in the underworld, so if you take them, you can even earn money. How good is that?" Jiong Ye said, seizing Mu Anxiao's desire to earn money.