Mu Anxiao knew that Jia would stir up trouble at this critical juncture, so she ignored him and continued flipping through the immortal book.
From their brief time together, Hun Ling understood that although Jia talked a lot, he was also someone who got things done. With that in mind, he deliberately remained silent, walked past Mu Anxiao to Jia’s side, crossed his arms, and stretched his muscles.
Across from them, the three resentful spirits stopped in unison.
Jia scanned the three resentful spirits with unfriendly expressions. Tensing his nerves, he turned to look at Hun Ling, "Do you really want to listen to Mu Anxiao? Attack!" he said, his face contorted with fear as he tried to retreat.
"She'll have a solution. You take two, I'll take one," Hun Ling said, preparing to advance.
Hearing Hun Ling’s words, Jia immediately withdrew the foot he had begun to step back, saying indignantly, "Why should you take two and I take one? That's not fair."
"What's unfair about it?" Hun Ling glanced at Jia. "You're an Yin Messenger, and I'm a Soul Spirit. If I were to attack, wouldn't that steal your thunder? Then, if I get promoted, would you feel good about it?"
"No."
"Then it's settled. Since you wouldn't feel good about it, it'll be you taking two and me taking one," Hun Ling said, walking towards the resentful spirits.
Jia froze, saying, "But they're all very fragile, and we..."
"Just don't move them," Hun Ling said, charging towards one of the resentful spirits.
The resentful spirit locked onto by Hun Ling, seeing him charge, let out a roar.
Immediately after, the other two resentful spirits also began to roar.
Hearing the piercing roars, Jia was terrified, but... thinking of Hun Ling's words, his vanity surged. "I want to earn merit," he said, walking towards the two resentful spirits.
Meanwhile.
Mu Anxiao had found a solution, but... to her surprise, the solution involved writing talismans, a skill she actually didn't possess. So, she stared at the talisman diagrams in the immortal book, trying to figure out a way. "When the wind stirs, I should..." she began, then suddenly remembered her relationship with Feng Qishi, shook her head, and muttered, "Forget it, that guy won't help me anyway."
"I'll help you."
"You, forget it. I'll handle it myself..." Mu Anxiao said, sensing something was wrong, and quickly turned to see a strange man's face. "Who are you?" she asked dismissively.
"The situation is quite critical," the stranger said, pointing to Jia and Hun Ling, who were darting around, afraid to harm the resentful spirits.
Mu Anxiao then followed the stranger's gaze, glanced over, and asked again, "Who exactly are you?" As she spoke, she abandoned politeness, scanned the stranger from head to toe, and found... he looked somewhat familiar.
"A year ago," the stranger prompted gently.
Mu Anxiao frowned. "A year ago..." she repeated, her eyes rolling as she recalled events from the previous year, and then focused on the stranger's face.
The stranger smiled. "No need to think about it. We only met once. It's fine if you've forgotten." As he spoke, he lowered his gaze to Mu Anxiao's immortal book.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao immediately moved her hand holding the immortal book behind her back. "What are you looking at?"
"Let me help you," the stranger said, raising an eyebrow.
No reward without merit. Mu Anxiao hesitated, looking at the stranger who kept offering to help her.
The stranger noticed Mu Anxiao's indecisive reaction and chuckled. "What, you don't want my help, or do you think I'm a bad person?"
"Good or bad, I've seen plenty of both, it's just..." Mu Anxiao stared at the stranger's face. "Why do you want to help me?"
The stranger smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not interested in you."
"You... I didn't say you were interested in me. As the saying goes, we've never met..."
"I said we have met, you just forgot."
"I forgot... Alright, let me introduce myself. Perhaps after hearing your name, I'll remember who you are," Mu Anxiao said, tilting her chin up.
"My name is Yue Ci."
"Yue Ci..." Mu Anxiao repeated the two words absentmindedly, then her expression turned surprised. "It's just as she said. You really are here."
"Who? What are you talking about?" Yue Ci didn't understand Mu Anxiao.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao snapped back to attention and said, "It's nothing. By the way, do you work in the palace?"
"It seems you remember me now."
"Yes, I do. So, do you work in the palace?" Mu Anxiao thought to secretly admire You Xian and pressed further.
To her surprise, Yue Ci chuckled.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao couldn't help but look puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Are you thinking about You Xian?" Yue Ci said blandly.
Mu Anxiao was surprised. "You still remember her?"
"Of course. Her things are still with me, so of course I remember her. But speaking of which, you seem to have broken your promise." Yue Ci said.
Mu Anxiao's eyes darkened as she suddenly recalled the promise she made to You Xian that day. She snorted, "It's all Ouyang Ye's fault. If it weren't for her, I would have escaped and entered the palace long ago. So annoying." She considered Ouyang Ye the instigator of all these troubles.
To this, Yue Ci could only offer a faint smile, unable to refute. "Alright, now that you remember who I am, do you... still need my help?"
"This..."
"Those two won't be able to hold on much longer," Yue Ci interrupted, glancing at Jia and Hun Ling who were darting around the resentful spirits. "Do you need me?" he asked Mu Anxiao again.
"Then why don't you just go?" Mu Anxiao pointed over there.
Yue Ci smiled helplessly. "I know how to draw talismans."
"And then?" Mu Anxiao didn't react immediately.
Yue Ci sighed softly again. "Lend me your immortal book."
"My..." Halfway through, Mu Anxiao suddenly remembered the scene displayed in the immortal book and smiled. "Oh, you need to copy it? I thought you could draw it yourself." She then concealed her embarrassment and took out the immortal book from behind her.
Yue Ci smiled. "Lend it to me."
"I'll flip it open for you, and you can learn quickly," Mu Anxiao said, quickly turning the immortal book to the previous page. "There." She held the immortal book out to him.
"I can hold it myself. Am I going to lose a piece of you?" Yue Ci said, reaching out to take it.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao quickly withdrew the immortal book and said, "No."
"Why not?" Yue Ci couldn't understand Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao thought of the short dagger You Xian had been using, which Yue Ci had taken. Her eyes darted, and she said, "No reason. You can just look at it like this. Besides, you know magic, can't you conjure a piece of paper and some ink?"
"You..." Yue Ci uttered one word, then realized. "I get it."
"What do you get?" Mu Anxiao's gaze flickered.
Yue Ci smiled. "You're afraid I'll run off with your immortal book, aren't you? That's why you don't want to... no, that's why you don't dare to give it to me." He lowered his hand.