minutes later.
Mu Anxiao hobbled behind Shen Yan and Little Mu Anxiao, hesitating before saying, "Can you do me a favor?"
Hearing this, Shen Yan stopped and turned to look at the now invisible Mu Anxiao. "What favor?"
"It's just..." Mu Anxiao pursed her lips. "You saw just now, I set up a barrier for that girl. If it's possible, after I leave, could you help send her home?"
"She has a home?" Shen Yan asked.
Mu Anxiao was taken aback. "Home..." she repeated, her eyes darkening. "I don't know."
"If you don't know, then don't meddle. When the barrier disappears, she'll leave, and someone will rescue her. You shouldn't bother," Shen Yan said coldly, looking down at Little Mu Anxiao, who was looking up at him. "What is it?"
"Actually, she's quite pitiful," Little Mu Anxiao said, pursing her lips.
"How is she pitiful? She's the one who killed you," Shen Yan said, his tone serious.
"She killed me, but that was Mu Xi's doing. Besides... she was also deceived by Mu Xi. She's very pitiful too. She even said she'd take me with her. She's not inherently bad, I just... angered her."
"..." Shen Yan frowned.
"Exactly," Mu Anxiao agreed. "Help me out, just send her... send her somewhere safe." She didn't dare to ask for too much, intimidated.
Shen Yan glanced at both Little Mu Anxiao and Mu Anxiao, then reluctantly agreed. "Alright."
Mu Anxiao smiled at this.
Little Mu Anxiao also smiled.
Just then, a gasping sound was heard, and Mu Xi, looking disheveled, ran to Shen Yan's side. Ignoring Little Mu Anxiao, he grabbed Shen Yan's arm and said, "Save me." His hands were covered in blood.
Mu Anxiao's eyes widened at the sight of the disheveled Mu Xi.
Shen Yan said, "Let go of me," his face cold as he looked at Mu Xi.
Mu Xi pleaded, "You're an immortal, please save me."
"Don't talk nonsense," Shen Yan said, not wanting Little Mu Anxiao to know his identity. Hearing Mu Xi's words, he felt a sense of crisis.
Mu Xi started to say, "You are..."
"Be quiet," Shen Yan glared at Mu Xi.
Mu Xi immediately shut his mouth, then lowered his head and looked at the Little Mu Anxiao who was staring at him. "Sister."
Little Mu Anxiao was startled and took half a step back. "I'm not your sister," she said, then turned to look at the invisible Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao lowered her head. "Don't be afraid, you won't die."
Little Mu Anxiao trembled, shaking her head, retracting her gaze, and backing away another two steps.
At the same time, as Mu Xi stepped forward, Shen Yan blocked him. "If you dare to approach her, I'll kill you."
Kill?
In Mu Anxiao's memory, Shen Yan had never spoken the word "kill" to a mortal. Now, for Little Mu Anxiao, he was breaking his own vows.
She was also quite surprised to hear it.
"You're an immortal, if you kill me, you..."
"Your mind is quite sharp," Shen Yan said, looking coldly at Mu Xi. "But I am willing to kill you for her, because you are her shadow."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Watch me dare," Shen Yan's eyes were filled with ferocity.
Mu Anxiao looked at Shen Yan, her heart sinking. She then thought of the Shen Yan she knew, and suddenly wondered if the Shen Yan she knew now was the same person she had known that year.
With this question in mind, she slowly looked up at the old man floating in the air, her eyes wide. "Shen Yan's master."
However, the moment Mu Anxiao said this, the sky changed drastically.
In the next instant, a gust of wind blew, and Mu Xi stumbled back several steps, hitting the wall and fainting.
Little Mu Anxiao stood still, looking up at the descending old man. She quickly ran to Shen Yan's side, called out, "Brother Shen Yan," and then tightly grasped his hand.
Shen Yan felt the coolness in Little Mu Anxiao's palm, his eyes darkening. "Don't be afraid," he said, looking up at the descending old man.
Conversely, the old man did not look at Shen Yan but at the now-present Mu Anxiao. "Who are you?"
Mu Anxiao knew she couldn't hide anymore, so she stepped forward and said, "I am the future... Mu Anxiao."
"What?" The old man looked at Mu Anxiao in disbelief.
Mu Anxiao said, "No need for 'what.' My master is Zhang Yan."
"Zhang Yan?"
"Yes, that's all I can tell you," Mu Anxiao said calmly.
"Is that so." The old man nodded, ignoring Shen Yan, and looked down at Little Mu Anxiao. "This memory, you..."
"You can't take my memory."
Mu Anxiao finally understood. No wonder the memories from when the wind stirred were so fragmented; it turned out the old man was responsible.
She felt she had figured out some of the answers.
At the same time, she clearly understood that Shen Yan had already met her long ago, but due to the old man's influence, Shen Yan had lost his memory of her. And she, also due to the old man's influence, had forgotten this memory.
Of course, she knew... the old man must have his reasons. As for what those reasons were, she didn't care.
She only cared about the issues she needed to return to.
The old man smiled. "I won't take your memory, but I will take your childhood memories. In a moment, please transform into that girl who was going to harm her and lead her away from here."
Transform into that girl?
Mu Anxiao listened to the old man's instructions, recalling the girl she used to play hide-and-seek with. Then, thinking deeper, she exclaimed in surprise, "So, that was me."
"What did you say?"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao came to her senses, looked at the old man, and shook her head. "I didn't say anything."
"Very well, from now on, everything here will be entrusted to you. As for that mad girl, you will also deal with her yourself, but the premise is that she cannot die."
"I understand," Mu Anxiao nodded.
The old man smiled, took half a step back, and looked at Shen Yan, who was staring at Mu Anxiao. "Disciple, come back with me. Your master is doing this for your own good." He then began to cast a spell.
Little Mu Anxiao looked up at Shen Yan and said, "Brother, you promised to protect me, you said..."
Shen Yan's heart sank. "Master, I want to protect her. I can't let her be in..."
"This has nothing to do with you," the old man said, looking down at Little Mu Anxiao. "You will live."
"Grandpa..." Before he could finish, the old man cast a spell on Little Mu Anxiao's forehead, and she fainted.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao thought for a moment and quickly asked, "How do I go back?"
"..." The old man withdrew his hand, glanced at Shen Yan, and walked slowly to Mu Anxiao. "Give me your hand."
"Hand..." Mu Anxiao repeated, extending her hand.
The old man smiled and gently touched her palm with his index finger. "You have learned this spell."
"It doesn't consume spiritual energy, right?" Mu Anxiao asked stingily.
The old man smiled. "It doesn't." He withdrew his hand and turned to look at Shen Yan, who was still staring at Mu Anxiao, without saying a word.