Zhao Xiang cautiously looked up at She Ning, then considered his own situation, his eyes darkening. Under the moonlight, he continued his painting.
After a sentence and a memory, She Ning slowly raised his head to look at Mu Anxiao and said faintly, "This is all my fault."
"Is there no one else?" Mu Anxiao blurted out. She couldn't imagine what it would be like for a single immortal to guard over a dozen villages. She also couldn't imagine what his mood would be like when those monsters were slaughtering villages.
In short, all of this was beyond her imagination.
"Others?" She Ning repeated, then smiled. "Which immortal would be willing to come here? I was also forced to come here. To be honest, sometimes, I truly regret it."
"You were forced?" Mu Anxiao became excited, as if she had heard a secret.
She Ning sighed. "To be frank, I received a mission not long after I became an immortal." He gave a wry smile. "At the time, I thought I had a good position and was happy for a long time. Only after I arrived here did I realize... this job was unwanted by others. The people here are one poorer than the next. Other immortals are worshipped and live lavishly in the heavens, while I am not only not worshipped, but I also have so much to do. To be honest, I've long since collapsed."
"When did you arrive in the mortal world?" Mu Anxiao asked.
She Ning looked down at Zhao Xiang and said faintly, "I don't remember the exact months, but it feels like an eternity."
An eternity?
However, She Ning's reply also gave Mu Anxiao a new understanding of the current situation. Before this, she thought She Ning had been here for many years. Who knew he had only been here for such a short time?
There were very few places in the mortal world that could drive an immortal to collapse. One could imagine how terrible this place was.
Thinking this, she fixed her gaze on She Ning's face.
Just then, Zhao Xiang, holding the completed portrait, stood up. "Here you go." He handed the portrait to She Ning.
She Ning withdrew his stray thoughts, unfolded the portrait, and looked down, his brow furrowed.
Seeing She Ning like this, Zhao Xiang became nervous.
Then, Mu Anxiao also shifted her gaze to the portrait. The next second, her face was filled with disdain. "This is what you drew." Saying this, she looked at Zhao Xiang, whose face was smeared with ink, and frowned.
Zhao Xiang said, "I drew it pretty well." He glanced at Mu Anxiao, then back at She Ning. "It's him."
She Ning stared at the man in the portrait, who looked like a chimera, and took a sharp breath. "You drew it not badly, but it's just..." He thought Zhao Xiang had worked hard to draw it for so long, so he decided not to discourage him and looked up at him. "I can't make it out."
"..." Zhao Xiang froze.
Mu Anxiao reached out and patted Zhao Xiang's shoulder. Then, using a method she had come up with, she looked at She Ning and said faintly, "Can you sense everyone within a few hundred miles?" As she spoke, she thought, since he could manage over a dozen villages, he must have some ability.
As expected, after Mu Anxiao finished speaking, he turned around and fell silent.
Mu Anxiao looked at She Ning's back and couldn't help but fall silent as well.
Immediately after, just as Zhao Xiang was about to speak, She Ning turned back and said, "I can't find him."
"You can't find him?" Mu Anxiao repeated, her expression one of disappointment. "It seems he didn't come here."
"Is that person... important to you?" She Ning asked again, casting aside everything Mu Anxiao had told him before.
Mu Anxiao also threw aside what she had told She Ning earlier. "His master sent me to find him, and also," she said, thinking of the safety of Feng Qi, her eyes darkening, "his life is tied to the lives of several people, so I must find him."
"It's us," Zhao Xiang suddenly interrupted.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao curled her lips and turned to look at Zhao Xiang, who had suddenly interjected, showing disdain. "You're just someone supervising me. You..."
"I want to take this opportunity to find my parents," Zhao Xiang interrupted again.
This time, Mu Anxiao was speechless for a few seconds, then she thought about it and said, "Ouyang Ye didn't assign you the task of supervising me? You chose to follow me yourself?"
"..." Zhao Xiang had indeed deceived Mu Anxiao, so hearing her say that, he was at a loss for words.
Mu Anxiao looked calmly at Zhao Xiang's silent response, then lowered her eyes and smiled. "You're really bold. Speaking of which," she narrowed her eyes, "aren't you afraid that Ouyang Ye will find out and punish you?"
"My time at night is my own. I can say that you asked me to follow you," Zhao Xiang said faintly.
Hearing Zhao Xiang's obvious attempt to shirk responsibility, Mu Anxiao sneered. "Those monsters are all witnesses."
"They don't dare to communicate too much with the master. Conversely," Zhao Xiang said, his mind clear and logic sound, "they don't dare to offend me because they know I am a trusted assistant to the master. Offending me is equivalent to offending the master. Even if they meet the master, they will only remain silent."
"The group of monsters just now seemed to have found your weakness," Mu Anxiao said again.
Unexpectedly, after hearing Mu Anxiao's words, Zhao Xiang clenched his fists and suddenly looked at She Ning. "It's always those guys who slaughter villages, isn't it?"
"Yes," She Ning replied immediately.
Then, Zhao Xiang hesitated for a few seconds and said resolutely, "I am willing to cooperate with you to get rid of them, and then take you to find the master." He straightened his back.
Mu Anxiao: "You want to betray Ouyang Ye?" She couldn't believe Zhao Xiang had such audacity.
Hearing this, Zhao Xiang turned to look at Mu Anxiao, his eyes darkening. "Those monsters killed many of my brothers. As long as they are alive," only hatred remained in his eyes, "they are a threat to me, so they must die." He gritted his teeth.
"You're afraid of them, aren't you?" She Ning pointed out Zhao Xiang's inner thoughts.
Zhao Xiang's eyes flickered noticeably when he heard this. "I..."
"Fear is fear. I like honest people. If you're unwilling to tell me the truth," She Ning interrupted, a smile playing on his lips, "I won't help you."
"We are interdependent," Zhao Xiang said excitedly.
She Ning: "..." He intentionally maintained his silence.
Seeing this, Zhao Xiang thought for a moment and then admitted, "That's right, I'm afraid of them. Their methods are exceptionally sinister and ruthless. I almost died at their claws back then. They," he paused, then continued, "cannot live."
"Alright, don't be afraid later," She Ning said faintly.
Zhao Xiang's eyes lit up. "You're willing to help me get rid of them."
"I will assist you," She Ning smiled. "Not help you."
Zhao Xiang wanted to use She Ning to get rid of those monsters. He hadn't expected She Ning to give him such a reply, and he was taken aback.
The words he was about to say suddenly became impossible to utter.