A member of the Cultivation Sect? Mu Anxiao never imagined she would encounter a disciple related to the Cultivation Sect again in such a place. She mused that in past missions, anything involving the Cultivation Sect usually led to a 'major revelation.' She thought this time should be no exception!
However, due to Ouyang Ye's caution, she had to suppress her curiosity for the moment. "What did you say?" she pretended not to have heard clearly.
Ouyang Ye replied, "I said... the elder here was once a member of the Cultivation Sect." He spoke louder, concerned that Mu Anxiao might not hear.
This time, Mu Anxiao put on a stern face.
Seeing this, Ouyang Ye feigned ignorance and asked, "What's wrong?"
"You said," Mu Anxiao put on a thoughtful expression and glanced at the 'Taoist temple,' "that the elder here was once a member of the Cultivation Sect."
"Yes," Ouyang Ye nodded.
Mu Anxiao's eyes darkened. "So, I still need disciples from the Cultivation Sect to teach me the method of becoming a demon," she said, letting out a cold laugh. "This is truly laughable."
"Mu..."
"Let me think," Mu Anxiao said, deliberately turning her back.
Ouyang Ye looked down at Mu Anxiao's troubled back, then at the wolf demon staring directly at him. He asked, "What's with her?"
"We're not close, but," the wolf demon said, in contrast to Mu Anxiao, feigning happiness, "this makes things easier."
"What do you mean by that?" Ouyang Ye retorted, genuinely not understanding what the wolf demon was so pleased about.
"It means nothing," the wolf demon shook his head and also turned around.
Immediately, Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes and said, "Since he's a member of the Cultivation Sect, I'm not going," she said, turning back to Ouyang Ye. "Take me back. I'd rather engage in a battle of wits with that woman than waste time here."
"Can you stop being so willful?" Ouyang Ye said, genuinely concerned.
Mu Anxiao snorted coldly. "How could I not be willful, Ouyang Ye?" she pursed her lips. "You know as well as I do that I have a vendetta against them. You..." She trailed off, letting out a cold laugh.
"What's wrong now?" Ouyang Ye was bewildered.
Mu Anxiao placed one hand on her hip, looking up at the confused Ouyang Ye, and then reminisced about all the life-and-death moments they had experienced since meeting. She murmured, "I must be going mad."
"You..."
"You are also my enemy," Mu Anxiao immediately interrupted Ouyang Ye.
Ouyang Ye froze. "So that's how you see me." He couldn't believe that Mu Anxiao would lump him in with the people from the Cultivation Sect.
Mu Anxiao countered, "I've almost died several times because of you. If you're not my enemy, then who is?"
Listening to Mu Anxiao, Ouyang Ye reflected on the perilous moments she had endured and realized that he was indeed inextricably linked to them. However, even so, he didn't want Mu Anxiao to equate him with the Cultivation Sect. "Mu Anxiao, I had no choice then."
"You had no choice but to kill me," Mu Anxiao said, taking a sharp breath. "Excellent. That truly is your usual style."
"You..."
"You're determined to send me here, aren't you?" Mu Anxiao interrupted Ouyang Ye, deliberately saying this.
Ouyang Ye's eyes darkened. "If you don't cultivate the demon path and you..."
"Stop with the nonsense. If you want to go, let's go. Who's afraid of whom?" Mu Anxiao said, sidestepped Ouyang Ye, and headed that way.
"..." Ouyang Ye's eyes darkened, he turned and followed without hesitation.
The wolf demon walked parallel to Mu Anxiao, speaking softly. "The higher we go, the stronger the demonic energy becomes. Be careful." He was concerned that Mu Anxiao might not be able to withstand the stimulation of the demonic energy.
Mu Anxiao said as she walked, "Speaking of which, your shadow over the Cultivation Sect should be deeper than mine."
"I..."
"Don't try to quibble. The Cultivation Sect was the starting point of your failure, and," Mu Anxiao said, a smile playing on her lips, "I suspect... it's not just that elder who's a member of the Cultivation Sect; it's probably almost all of them."
"How do you know?" the wolf demon asked, surprised.
Mu Anxiao turned her head slightly to glance at Ouyang Ye, who was quietly following behind her, then looked forward again. "Intuition."
"You have too much confidence in yourself," the wolf demon said, turning back. He happened to meet Ouyang Ye's gaze, and it was this look that made him lose the courage to walk alongside Mu Anxiao. "I'm going to find the Vine Spirit." With that, he turned and walked away.
At the same time, Mu Anxiao stopped, turned to look at Ouyang Ye approaching her, and asked dismissively, "You can go. What are you following for?"
Ouyang Ye stopped. "Are you truly decided to go, or..."
"Even if I'm not sincere, you wouldn't heed my opinion and take me back," Mu Anxiao interrupted Ouyang Ye, her eyes lifeless.
Ouyang Ye pursed his lips. "Don't worry, they wouldn't dare bully you."
"With your connection, they certainly wouldn't dare," Mu Anxiao said, glancing at Wang Hu and the others standing behind Ouyang Ye. "It's enough to have them accompany me. Aren't you busy? I wouldn't dare waste your time."
"I'll go with you," Ouyang Ye said, stepped up the stairs, bypassed Mu Anxiao, and continued upward.
Mu Anxiao rolled her eyes, turned, and followed Ouyang Ye. "Ouyang Ye, you're really annoying," she said, quickening her pace and running past Ouyang Ye.
Wang Hu and Xiao Yi exchanged glances, not daring to speak, and followed.
In contrast, the Vine Spirit and the wolf demon began to discuss freely. "Do you think Mu Anxiao truly hates him?"
The wolf demon said as he ascended the steps, "Who knows? But I do know," he lowered his voice, "that Mu Anxiao's heart doesn't belong to him."
"You can't say that in front of them, or you'll be finished."
"If you dare to relay what I told you," the wolf demon glanced at the Vine Spirit, "I guarantee you'll be finished before I am."
"I'm not that kind of person," the Vine Spirit said, looking up, and happened to meet Wang Hu's gaze as he turned to the side.
Just then, the wolf demon also looked at Wang Hu, who was staring at them menacingly. "What are you looking at us for?"
Hearing this, Wang Hu immediately shifted his gaze back to the wolf demon's face. "Hu Yuan, you'd better say less, or I'll turn my back on you completely."
"We don't even have freedom of speech anymore," the wolf demon protested.
Wang Hu said seriously, "Yes. What to say and what not to say, I think I don't need to tell you; you should know. He least wants to see that dejected look on Ouyang Ye's face. Although he knew the wolf demon and the Vine Spirit's conversation was inaudible to Ouyang Ye, he thought they would definitely say such things in the future. Therefore, to prevent Ouyang Ye from hearing, he believed he had the right to stop their behavior immediately.