She Ning looked at Mu Anxiao, not uttering a single word.
Mu Anxiao, suddenly pinned by She Ning's gaze, felt increasingly uneasy. "Have you figured it out?" she asked, her heart filled with trepidation.
Zhao Xiang, listening to Mu Anxiao's question, likewise fixed his gaze intently on She Ning's face, not daring to speak a word. He began to feel anxious for Mu Anxiao.
Just then, She Ning narrowed his eyes, and just as Mu Anxiao had thought, he uttered her real name, "Mu Anxiao."
Mu Anxiao's nerves tightened. "My name is Mu Xiao," she said, not forgetting to glare fiercely at Zhao Xiang, who had exposed her identity.
Zhao Xiang averted his gaze.
Following this, She Ning sighed, "If only you were Mu Anxiao." He then shook his head, his expression exceedingly melancholic.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao was puzzled. "Speaking of which, where did you hear that name?"
"Those monsters always mentioned that name. They said..." She Ning trailed off.
Mu Anxiao frowned. "Why did you stop?"
"You don't know Mu Anxiao, so there's no point in me telling you so much," She Ning said. He paused, then looked at Zhao Xiang. "Never mind, I'll choose you."
Hearing this, Zhao Xiang's nerves tightened, and he grinned sinisterly. "You jest. Her relationship with the master is not ordinary. I think..." He knew Ouyang Ye detested betrayal. If Ouyang Ye found out he had betrayed him, his parents and his entire family's lives would be forfeit. But Mu Anxiao was different; her relationship with Ouyang Ye was not ordinary. Even if she made a mistake, Ouyang Ye couldn't do anything to her. So, for himself and his family, he continued, "You should still choose her."
Listening to Zhao Xiang's words, Mu Anxiao recalled what Zhao Xiang had said to her not long ago, including his identity as a filial son. Her heart sank. "What do you want me to help you with?" she asked, confident that She Ning could help find the carriage driver.
It was an exchange of favors. She decided to take the matter upon herself. Though troublesome, she had no other choice.
"Take me to your master," She Ning said in a low voice.
Mu Anxiao's brow furrowed. She pointed at Zhao Xiang. "You know, that guy is his master, not my master." She then lowered her hand.
Hearing this, Zhao Xiang's nerves tightened again. "But she has more say," he said, his heart growing anxious, fearing Mu Anxiao would push the responsibility onto him.
Conversely, Mu Anxiao merely glanced at Zhao Xiang, saying nothing.
Seeing Mu Anxiao remain silent, Zhao Xiang pursed his lips.
Following this, She Ning glanced at Zhao Xiang, then at the sole responsible Mu Anxiao, and said indifferently, "Take me to his master." He still decided to have Mu Anxiao help.
Mu Anxiao nodded.
She Ning's lips curved. "Now."
Hearing She Ning's words, Mu Anxiao shook her head slightly. "No."
"You're going back on your word before the task is even done. That's not very good, is it?" She Ning didn't quite understand Mu Anxiao's meaning.
Mu Anxiao snorted. "I don't have the habit of going back on my word. The urgent matter now is for you to help me." She put on a serious face, her demeanor becoming stern.
Seeing this, She Ning sneered, "You woman, you're quite mercenary."
"We're both the same," Mu Anxiao said, her lips curving into a smile as she became serious.
She Ning looked at Mu Anxiao's unsmiling expression and then at Zhao Xiang, who stood by, afraid to make a sound. He said indifferently, "Alright, tell me, what do you want me to help you with?"
"Find someone," Mu Anxiao stated concisely.
She Ning gave a helpless smile. "I know you want to find someone. But tell me," he leaned in slightly, meeting Mu Anxiao's eyes, "what kind of person are you looking for?"
"Have you seen the carriage driver?" Mu Anxiao could only offer such a general description as she hadn't observed the carriage driver's face closely.
She Ning was momentarily speechless.
Subsequently, Zhao Xiang looked at the helpless She Ning and the composed Mu Anxiao and said, "I can draw." He raised one hand.
Hearing this, both Mu Anxiao and She Ning turned their gaze to Zhao Xiang's face.
The next second, She Ning casually conjured paper and a brush, handed them to Zhao Xiang, and said, "Draw."
Zhao Xiang quickly took the paper and brush, saying, "Please wait." He then crouched down, dipped his brush, and began to draw.
Mu Anxiao looked down at Zhao Xiang, yawned, and crossed her arms.
At the same time, She Ning leaned closer to Mu Anxiao. "The Mu Anxiao I mentioned is also an immortal, and so are you," he said, staring intently at Mu Anxiao. "To be honest, I feel... you are Mu Anxiao."
"I don't understand what you're saying," Mu Anxiao replied, not even glancing at She Ning.
She Ning continued to look down at Mu Anxiao, chuckling softly. "I always thought your temper was quite good. Now that I see, I understand..." He paused, deliberately trying to pique Mu Anxiao's curiosity.
Unexpectedly, Mu Anxiao showed no interest in She Ning. At this moment, she was solely focused on Zhao Xiang, not saying a word.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's reaction, She Ning frowned deeply. "Don't you want to know what I want to say?"
"If you want to say it, say it. If not," Mu Anxiao curled her lips and looked up at She Ning, "then don't. I'm not interested."
"You..."
"Hold on," Mu Anxiao interrupted, now intrigued by She Ning's behavior. "Have you killed anyone? If you have, that's a grave sin. I assume you know that."
"I know that better than you do," She Ning said calmly.
"Oh," Mu Anxiao replied perfunctorily, continuing, "Then that means you haven't killed anyone."
"I apprehend people," She Ning said in a low voice.
Apprehend people?
From the moment Mu Anxiao met She Ning, she sensed he was unusual. But she hadn't expected... that She Ning was an immortal with a mission. Before this, she thought he, like Ouyang Ye, harbored resentment towards the heavenly realm.
Now, hearing this, she felt a sense of relief.
"Is that so?" she said.
She Ning frowned. "Yes. There are more than a dozen villages in this area. In fact," his eyes darkened, "I am the guardian immortal of these dozen villages, but..." He paused halfway through his sentence and lowered his head.
Mu Anxiao: "What's wrong?"
"But I failed to protect them." She Ning felt guilt.
Mu Anxiao felt that She Ning was a person with a story. She hadn't expected... that She Ning's story would be so tragic. Not only that, but the person responsible for all these tragic events was Ouyang Ye.
Thinking of this, she clenched her fists, her dislike for Ouyang Ye growing even stronger.
"..." She didn't know how to comfort She Ning, so she tilted her head back and stared into his eyes.
Similarly, Zhao Xiang's drawing hand paused after She Ning spoke.
She Ning gave a wry smile. "If I had a little more ability, they wouldn't have met this fate. It's all my fault." As he spoke, he lowered his head and covered his face with his hand.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao reached out as if to comfort him but then withdrew her hand.