The girl averted her gaze, her mind a jumble of doubt about Xi'er's words.
Seeing the girl's silence, Xi'er let out a cold laugh. "It seems you truly have no feelings for Mu Xi. He died for you, and you... he would be heartbroken." Xi'er maintained unwavering eye contact.
As for Xi'er's true intentions, Mu Anxiao found herself completely unable to comprehend.
The girl replied, "It wasn't me who caused his death." She lowered her eyes.
Xi'er's expression stiffened. "You can say such heartless words."
"He..." The girl pondered Xi'er's words, her brow furrowed. "He fell off the cliff while searching for his sister, not for me."
Xi'er had intended to use this to reveal the fact of Mu Xi's death, hoping to see the girl in utter despair and completely broken.
However, fate was unpredictable, and the girl's reaction was entirely unexpected. Xi'er was speechless.
"..."
The girl stated, "I don't want to accompany him." She suspected Xi'er was lying; how could Mu Xi have died so easily?
"He loves you, and you..."
"Loves me?" the girl scoffed. "But he still died for his sister, not for me."
"You..."
"Besides, it was his one-sided affection; I didn't force him." The girl knew Mu Xi was a selfish person, so... she could never have imagined Mu Xi would seek out Mu Anxiao, whom he disliked.
"You are truly ruthless."
The girl dared not meet Xi'er's eyes. "You are the same, you..."
"Silence," Xi'er interrupted. Noticing something amiss in the girl's gaze, she removed her hand from the girl's shoulder, stepped back, and suddenly understood. "I know."
"Know what?" the girl asked, her voice barely a whisper, taking a step back herself.
Mu Anxiao knew it was best not to act rashly, so she remained rooted to the spot, playing her part as a mere bystander.
Xi'er asked, "Do you think I'm lying to you?"
"..." The girl frowned. She did indeed feel Xi'er was deceiving her.
Xi'er also frowned. "Speak."
The girl's eyes flickered. "Mu Anxiao got lost; Mu Xi wouldn't search for her." She was resolute.
Listening to the girl's firm words, Mu Anxiao realized that this girl truly understood Mu Xi.
"..." Xi'er smiled.
The girl, seeing Xi'er suddenly break into a wide smile, stiffened and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Xi'er paused. "I'm laughing because... you really do understand Mu Xi."
"You..."
"Silence," Xi'er interrupted again, pointing at the faint green light emanating from the girl's shoulder. "Let me tell you the truth: I killed Mu Xi."
The girl had always believed Xi'er was merely trying to scare her, and that Xi'er's only aim was to keep her away from Mu Xi. Who would have thought... she had actually killed Mu Xi.
At this, the girl's capacity to accept anything vanished. "..." She stood stunned.
Mu Anxiao watched the girl fall into another uncharacteristic daze, her heart sinking. She wondered if... she was about to lose her mind again.
Xi'er probed, "You don't believe me?"
"...." The girl's senses returned. She slowly raised her eyes to look at Xi'er. "You don't have that kind of power; you could never defeat him." She refused to believe Mu Xi was dead.
Mu Anxiao, hearing the girl's reply, breathed a sigh of relief.
Xi'er continued, "Whether you believe it or not, you'll soon be the same as him." She glanced sideways.
The moment she reacted, waves of green light erupted from her body. In the next second, twenty monsters appeared behind her.
Mu Anxiao's eyes widened in disbelief.
Dagger exclaimed, "Not them again."
The monsters began to howl and shriek.
Conversely, Xi'er seemed to relish the monstrous cries behind her. Smiling, she looked at the girl opposite her, who was backing away in fear. "Xin'er, I've placed a sorcery on your shoulder that specifically attracts them. You can't escape, so just wait to become a lonely wandering soul."
Hearing Xi'er's words, Mu Anxiao frowned. Disregarding the horde of monsters, she glanced at the girl who was retreating frantically. She thought that if the girl was already losing her mind, this would surely break her.
However, as Mu Anxiao was contemplating this, the girl suddenly stopped. She raised her hands, clutching her head tightly, her eyes filled with terror as she looked at Xi'er and the twenty monsters. With a loud cry, tears began to stream uncontrollably down her face.
"..." Mu Anxiao watched the girl's back gradually become infused with green light, her own eyes darkening. "Has... has she also become a lonely wandering soul?" She looked down at Dagger.
Dagger replied, "You should worry about yourself first. Dealing with these twenty monsters will surely drain a lot of your spiritual energy."
"How much is 'a lot'?" Mu Anxiao hadn't yet felt the danger. She simply wanted to see how much more this outsider, Dagger, knew than herself.
Dagger stated, "Almost all of it."
"You're a monster, what do you know," Mu Anxiao glared at Dagger, crossing her arms. She looked at Xi'er, who had shifted her attention to them, and frowned.
Xi'er smirked. "If you become a wandering soul, then the three of you together," she said, "won't that be even more interesting."
"Huh?" Mu Anxiao hadn't expected Xi'er to involve her.
"No 'huh's'," Xi'er said, turning her head towards the now silent monsters. "Alright, you must be hungry. In that case, go ahead and absorb their soul essence."
"...." Mu Anxiao frowned, a sense of foreboding creeping in.
Dagger urged, "Leave quickly."
Heeding Dagger's anxious prompt, Mu Anxiao finally realized the gravity of the situation. Twenty monsters, and only her – how could she possibly handle them?
But, looking at the girl's helpless figure, she thought that if she left now, it would be incredibly irresponsible. She was, after all, an immortal.
And so, she hesitated.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's inaction, Dagger frowned. "Mu Anxiao, go. You can't change the past, and you can't save her."
"I..." Mu Anxiao started to speak but stopped, looking down at her palm. "Is it really possible?" she asked, glancing at the girl's trembling body, then at the imposing monsters and Xi'er opposite them. Her heart softened.
"You can't change the past... Mu Anxiao, hurry and go, or you'll be torn apart alive."
"Torn apart alive?" Mu Anxiao mused. "I can use my soul sword."
"If you use sorcery here, the higher realms will know, and they will track you from now on. You..."
"It was fine just now," Mu Anxiao interrupted.
Dagger earnestly explained, "That was because you only manifested the soul sword, and then..."
"You're afraid, aren't you?" Mu Anxiao saw through Dagger's thoughts in an instant.
Dagger was rendered speechless.
Mu Anxiao quietly stated, "Ever since I became that girl and helped myself, I've already been entangled in this."