Mu Anxiao noticed Xi'er's slight turn of her head. She lowered her eyes, smiled, and said, "Are these all people?" As she spoke, she turned her face to look at several youths hiding behind a flower pot.
The moment Mu Anxiao looked at them and asked this, the youths scattered.
Xi'er said without turning her head, "They're all yokai."
"Yokai, why is there no yaoqi?" Mu Anxiao asked, looking at the back of Xi'er's head.
Xi'er tilted her face and said, "Since you're here, it's better not to be so curious, unless you want to end up like Jiong Ye."
"If you really seal me inside a screen," Mu Anxiao said, putting her hands behind her back, unconcerned, "if Ouyang Ye finds out, your fate will likely be even worse than mine."
At this, Xi'er's eyes sank, and she immediately stopped.
"...What, did I say something wrong?" Mu Anxiao also stopped.
Immediately after, Xi'er gasped, turned around, and looked at Mu Anxiao. "I think you haven't quite understood your own identity."
"What do you mean?" Mu Anxiao retorted.
Xi'er pursed her lips into a smile and walked up to Mu Anxiao. "The Master is not as simple as you think. A year ago..."
"I thought you were dead. Honestly, when I heard that news," Mu Anxiao interrupted with a faint smile, "I was quite disappointed."
"What?" Xi'er was taken aback.
Mu Anxiao: "I mean, the moment I heard Ouyang Ye's massacre, I was quite disappointed. Thinking about it," she glanced at Xi'er's face, "it's quite a pity that you died."
"You..."
"Speaking of which, why didn't you go to the mortal realm? I thought I'd see you again. Who knew," Mu Anxiao intentionally didn't let Xi'er finish, smiling, "that I'd encounter Gu Yan and her gang. I was quite disappointed."
"How is Gu Yan?" Xi'er suddenly asked.
Mu Anxiao feigned surprise. "You still know Gu Yan?"
"I know her, but... not well," Xi'er replied truthfully.
Mu Anxiao smiled faintly. "Ouyang Ye trusts her quite a lot, and she also..."
"The Master's original intention for going there was to have Feng Qishi marry, and now hearing what you're saying," Xi'er tried to interrupt Mu Anxiao, smiling, "Feng Qishi and Gu Yan are probably already..."
"Don't worry, it didn't happen." Mu Anxiao didn't want to hear anything she disliked from Xi'er.
"It didn't happen, then why are you here?" Xi'er asked, surprised.
Mu Anxiao looked at Xi'er's reaction, which could be genuine or feigned, with a calm expression and smiled again. "As the female sect leader of a demonic cultivation land, wouldn't you know what happened to your Master in the mortal realm?" She said, reaching out and patting Xi'er's shoulder. "That's too fake."
Xi'er's eyes flickered.
"I knew you definitely knew," Mu Anxiao said, removing her hand and stretching. "Let's go, I'm tired."
"Tired?" Xi'er frowned.
Mu Anxiao yawned, lowered her raised arms, and said, "It's already dark in the mortal realm. At this time, I would normally be asleep. Hurry up and lead the way." She said, tilting her chin.
Xi'er looked up at the still bright sky and sighed. "Since you're here, I advise you to change your habits from the mortal realm." She then turned and continued to lead the way.
Mu Anxiao put her hands behind her back and glanced back at the youths with a demonic connection, saying, "It seems you've moved the cultivation of yokai here."
"It's the cultivation of immortals," Xi'er corrected.
"Stop insulting the immortals. If you hadn't come here, I suppose," Mu Anxiao said, smiling, "you would have been struck into unrecognizable pieces by Lei Gong and Dian Mu long ago."
"You..." Xi'er stopped abruptly again.
Mu Anxiao didn't stop and continued, "If you want to know what it feels like to be struck, I suggest you ask the wolf demon. I think he has a lot to say on the matter." Saying this, she walked past Xi'er and headed forward.
Xi'er's eyes sank, and she said, "Mu Anxiao, do you know the way?"
"No, but I know," Mu Anxiao turned to look at Xi'er, "the yaoqi of the vine demon and the wolf demon." With that, she walked in the correct direction.
Xi'er followed behind Mu Anxiao, clenching her fists.
After Mu Anxiao and Xi'er had walked far away, the youths gathered and began to discuss.
"That woman is Mu Anxiao." said the first youth, whom Mu Anxiao had looked at.
The second youth nodded. "Judging by her arrogant tone, it must be her."
"She's the first one to go against the sect leader." The third youth said with his arms crossed, "Truly remarkable, but in my eyes, the sect leader is still more powerful."
"I think so too. With her attitude, one day she'll be...disliked by the Master." The fourth youth said gossipy.
The first youth quickly nudged the fourth youth's arm with his elbow. "I advise you to swallow those words. It's best to keep them to yourself, lest the sect leader and elders hear them and take your life."
"I heard that Kun Zi is already... dead." The fifth youth's eyes sank as he spoke in a low voice.
Immediately, the youths shifted their gaze to the fifth youth's face.
"He just said a few too many words, and the sect leader found out, and in the end..." The fourth youth sighed softly, "he was sealed inside the screen and self-immolated today."
"Let's go take a look." The third youth suggested.
They all fell silent.
The third youth knew that place was forbidden. However, the boy named Kun Zi had always been their good brother, and upon hearing this news, he couldn't help but want to see Kun Zi one last time. But seeing their reactions, he gave up. "Alright, I take it back."
"Okay, let's disperse." The first youth suddenly said.
Subsequently, they all nodded and dispersed.
In an instant.
Mu Anxiao stopped outside the courtyard gate, which was filled with the yaoqi of the vine demon and the wolf demon. "This is it," she said faintly. After speaking, she took a few steps back, looked around the empty surroundings, and then looked up, finding that the rooftops here were also white. She froze for a few seconds, then looked back at the golden courtyard gate and inexplicably burst out laughing.
In front of the courtyard gate, Xi'er, hearing Mu Anxiao's exaggerated laughter, clenched her fists and shot a death glare at Mu Anxiao's face. "What are you laughing at?"
"It's too tacky," Mu Anxiao said, looking at the sideways-standing Xi'er.
Xi'er's eyes sank. "This is the courtyard where I usually cultivate. The Master said to clear it out for you, so I did. Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit," she said, widening her eyes.
"So obedient," Mu Anxiao said, walking up to Xi'er. "Is there a kitchen inside?"
"Yes."
"Is there a vegetable patch?" Mu Anxiao asked again.
"Why are you asking these things?" Xi'er asked, suddenly feeling uneasy.