Jia looked up at Mu Anxiao, hesitating, "I really don't want to die."
"That's one body, two lives. We've lived long enough anyway. Just agree quickly," Mu Anxiao said intentionally, just to stall for time.
Upon hearing this, and recalling her shared hardships with Mu Anxiao, Jia's eyes darkened. "Forget it. We've been through thick and thin together. Death... let it be," she said, looking up at Hong'er resolutely, "Alright, I'll listen to you. I'll entrust my life to you."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao glanced at Hong'er again, "We've both agreed. Can you let her go now?"
"I didn't expect you two to be such good protectors of these common people," Hong'er said, striking the woman's back forcefully. The woman slowly collapsed.
Mu Anxiao watched this scene, startled, "What did you do to her?" she asked, glancing at the woman on the ground, her heart filled with worry.
"What did I do to her?" Hong'er retorted, stepping over the woman's body and walking towards Mu Anxiao. "You said you would entrust your life to me."
"I did say that, but," Mu Anxiao said, taking a step back, "you also said you wouldn't harm her." She tightened her grip on the saber hilt.
"What... are you angry?"
"What did you do to her?" Mu Anxiao asked, her eyes wide.
Hong'er smiled, "Nothing much. Just... cast a layer of demonic arts on her." As she spoke, she glanced down at the saber in Mu Anxiao's hand. "If you attack me now, it won't do you any good."
"Who says I'm going to attack you?" Mu Anxiao said coldly.
Hong'er pointed at the saber in Mu Anxiao's hand.
"This was lent to me by someone else. Naturally, I have to protect it well. Don't tell me," Mu Anxiao said, making two gestures behind her back, "if someone lends you something, you don't cherish it?"
Behind Mu Anxiao, Jia clearly saw Mu Anxiao's hand gestures. She frowned, then looked up at Hong'er, who was staring intently at Mu Anxiao. Jia immediately understood her intention. She quietly moved a couple of steps to the side, then quickly passed between them and ran towards the pregnant woman.
Unexpectedly, Jia's movement instantly stirred up a gust of wind.
Immediately, Hong'er snorted, "You two have quite a few little tricks up your sleeves." As she spoke, she was about to turn and strike. Mu Anxiao quickly stepped forward, grabbing her arm. Mu Anxiao's lips curled into a smile, and she stared at Mu Anxiao again, "What, trying to stop me?"
"She's pregnant," Mu Anxiao whispered.
"So what?"
"A pregnant woman's physical condition is different from an ordinary person's. You..."
"How is it different? When I was pregnant, I wasn't this delicate." Hong'er sounded defiant.
"Yes, you are a demon, so you don't need to be delicate. She's human... she definitely can't compare to you," Mu Anxiao said, forcefully pulling Hong'er towards her. "I said I'd give you my life, and I will. But the premise... depends on whether you can defeat me."
"What are you going to do?"
"I also think it's not entirely fair for that grim reaper to deal with you with me. If that's the case, let's just have a duel, you and I." Mu Anxiao finished, letting go, pushing Hong'er away, and setting up a barrier for Jia.
At the same time, Jia looked up at Mu Anxiao, "What are you doing?"
"Jia, watch that pregnant woman. This is between me and her..." Mu Anxiao said, glancing at a stunned Hong'er, "business."
"Just you." Hong'er's lips curled into a smile, and she struck a pose, ready.
"If you use demonic arts and I use spells, it would seem like I'm bullying you too much," Mu Anxiao said, tossing the saber into the air. The saber disappeared.
Seeing this, Jia hurriedly shouted, "Mu Anxiao, what are you doing?"
Mu Anxiao ignored Jia, made a few gestures quickly, and her eyes began to emit a blue light.
The moment Mu Anxiao made this move, Hong'er was instantly shocked, "You're casting demonic arts."
"This way, it's fair," Mu Anxiao said, leaping into the air and beginning to attack Hong'er.
Hong'er moved swiftly.
Immediately, red light and blue light collided in the air. Mu Anxiao, suspended in mid-air, effortlessly countered her demonic arts. At the same time, Feng Qishi arrived behind Jia and saw Mu Anxiao floating in the air, fighting Hong'er with demonic arts. He exclaimed, "She's using demonic arts."
"Shen Lu?" Jia didn't recognize Feng Qishi and thus called out this name.
Hearing this, Feng Qishi quickly lowered his head to look at Jia's face and asked, "Jia, what's going on?"
"What could be going on? Mai Liang and the others..." Halfway through his sentence, Jia noticed that Feng Qishi's clothes were completely different from when they were at Mu Manor. Then he looked at Feng Qishi's anxious expression and suddenly realized, "You're Feng Qishi."
Feng Qishi looked helpless, "Answer what I ask you."
Jia said, "Oh," then turned back to look at Mu Anxiao, saying, "That female demon wants to kill me and Mu Anxiao."
"Why?" Feng Qishi was surprised.
"Why else? Half a year ago, the two of us offended her."
"Why does Mu Anxiao know demonic arts?"
"Probably Gu Yan," Jia said, then looked at Mu Anxiao, who was gaining the upper hand, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Gu Yan, before dying, passed on her demonic arts to Mu Anxiao. Who knew she would use them at this crucial moment? She's really crazy." Saying this, he looked down at the pregnant woman lying on the ground.
Subsequently, Feng Qishi followed Jia's gaze and looked at the pregnant woman's face, asking, "Did that demon do this? How is she?"
"She just fell asleep. It's nothing serious," Jia said, casting a spell to place a blanket beneath the pregnant woman. "Her lying like this now might be the safest."
"..." Feng Qishi looked down at the scattered food and said, "Jia, take her home."
"I don't know where her home is. Besides, I need to help Mu Anxiao. Why don't you take her?"
"I have something to discuss with Mu Anxiao. Her home is just in a small alley not far ahead. Go," Feng Qishi instructed, then walked to the barrier.
Jia hesitated, "I'm Mu Anxiao's partner, and besides..."
"A pregnant woman catching a chill is no small matter. Go quickly, leave this to me," Feng Qishi said, glancing at Mu Anxiao and Hong'er who were constantly changing their stances. He reached out and touched the barrier.
Jia, believing he couldn't win the argument with Feng Qishi, squatted down and took the pregnant woman's arm. "I'll come back for you later."
Feng Qishi responded, "Okay."
Hearing this, Jia said nothing, and with the pregnant woman, disappeared.
Outside the barrier, red light and blue light alternated in mid-air. Mu Anxiao, completely unaffected by the outside world, was doing her best, exchanging blows with Hong'er in mid-air, fighting fiercely.
Just then, Feng Qishi broke through the barrier. However, looking up at the situation above, he knew he couldn't intervene. Helplessly, he could only stand there and watch.