Mu Anxiao managed a wry smile and walked away slowly.
After Mu Anxiao left, the flower demon whispered, "She's truly bold. If her Lord finds out, her fate won't be good."
"Indeed," the second flower demon thought of Mu Anxiao's kind side, her eyes darkening. "So, it's better we don't speak of it."
"Understood," they chorused.
"Alright, hurry and prepare the clothes," the flower demon said, glancing at the other flower demons.
Then, they responded, "Yes," and dispersed.
The flower demon breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look in the direction Mu Anxiao had left, and smiled down, "My Lord truly likes blush; she observed it quite closely." Saying this, she shook her head and walked away.
At this moment.
Mu Anxiao and Ouyang Ye walked side by side, yawning continuously. "Ouyang Ye, I don't like women's clothes," she said, not knowing why she had blurted it out.
"You'll like them once you wear them more," Ouyang Ye glanced at Mu Anxiao.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao looked down at the hem of her skirt, which thankfully didn't trail on the ground, and said, "Yes, I really don't know how your eyes work to fancy a woman like me who prefers men's attire. Tsk tsk," she shook her head, "your taste is truly quite poor."
"But speaking of which, this outfit really suits you," Ouyang Ye added.
Mu Anxiao sneered, "Do you think I'll be happy with you praising me insincerely?" She snorted lightly, "How naive."
"If only Feng Qishi..."
"Don't mention him to me," Mu Anxiao interrupted, putting her hands behind her back and quickening her pace.
Seeing this, Ouyang Ye, assuming Mu Anxiao hated Feng Qishi, smiled faintly and caught up to her. "Mu Anxiao, from now on, your hair must be styled like this." He walked alongside Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Ouyang Ye and said, "No, it's troublesome." With that, she flicked her hair, which had been hanging on her shoulder, to her back.
"I really want to see you in wedding attire," Ouyang Ye said calmly.
"..." Mu Anxiao stopped walking.
Immediately, Ouyang Ye's body stiffened, and he also stopped. "What's wrong?" He turned to face Mu Anxiao's pensive expression.
"Wedding attire," Mu Anxiao murmured, then looked up at Ouyang Ye, a smile playing on her lips. "That might not be easy."
"You're going back on your word." Ouyang Ye's face fell.
"Your mood changes quite quickly," Mu Anxiao grumbled, taking a step forward. "You said I could only marry you after I cultivated demonic arts. The me now still has a long way to go to become a demon. If I'm not mistaken, it'll take at least... this long." She held up five fingers.
"Half a year?" Ouyang Ye guessed.
Mu Anxiao shook her head.
Ouyang Ye frowned, "Five months?"
"Five months, what's the difference from half a year?" Mu Anxiao retorted.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's question, Ouyang Ye widened his eyes. "Five years?"
"No, fifty years, or even... a hundred years," Mu Anxiao said matter-of-factly.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye's face immediately darkened again. "Mu Anxiao, are you playing with me, or..."
"I've cultivated immortal arts for nearly a century and am still mediocre. In other words," Mu Anxiao interrupted, her expression placid, "if I can't even cultivate immortal arts, I certainly can't cultivate demonic arts. Since you want to marry me, then... waiting for me shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Ouyang Ye chuckled.
Mu Anxiao was bewildered. "What are you laughing at?" She suddenly couldn't understand Ouyang Ye.
"If I could bring you here, it means I have a way to help you rapidly cultivate demonic arts. Also," Ouyang Ye said, taking out a handkerchief from his embrace and handing it to Mu Anxiao, "cultivating demonic arts isn't as difficult as cultivating immortal arts."
"Not as difficult as cultivating immortal arts," Mu Anxiao said, glancing at the handkerchief and smiling. "That's true. When you were in the Celestial Realm, you were always a minor immortal, yet you've gained such status here. Thinking about it, it really isn't as difficult as cultivating immortal arts."
"You'd better not anger me, it won't do you any good," Ouyang Ye said with a forced smile, extending the handkerchief slightly towards Mu Anxiao's hand.
"I don't need it," Mu Anxiao deliberately put her hands behind her back.
"My patience with you is limited. You'd better not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit," Ouyang Ye said in a low voice.
Mu Anxiao suddenly laughed.
"Mu Anxiao, you..."
"Ouyang Ye, this is how you 'like' me," Mu Anxiao interrupted, snatching the handkerchief and walking past him.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's words, Ouyang Ye's eyes darkened, and he turned to follow her. "What do you mean by that?"
"To like someone means to tolerate everything about them. Even if they have countless unreasonable demands, you'll accept them willingly. The truth is," Mu Anxiao glanced at Ouyang Ye, "we are truly a perfect pair of unfortunate lovers."
Ouyang Ye's heart sank. "You..."
"What you feel for me isn't love at all, it's merely interest. So," Mu Anxiao interrupted and stopped walking, "think it through before marrying me, lest you regret it." After saying this, she looked around and, relying on her memory, started walking back towards the courtyard.
Ouyang Ye fell into deep thought after Mu Anxiao's words...
Just then, Xi'er gracefully walked up behind Ouyang Ye. "Master, what's wrong?" she asked, looking towards Mu Anxiao's retreating back without much thought.
"Have I been too fickle towards Mu Anxiao?" Ouyang Ye blurted out.
Hearing this, Xi'er was confused. "Master, what are you saying? I didn't understand?"
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye snapped back to reality, looked at Xi'er's face, and said, "It's nothing. Do you need something?"
"No, I just saw you standing here and thought I'd say hello," Xi'er said. She paused, then asked, "By the way, about the Golden Gate..."
"Mu Anxiao said she has no interest in your Golden Gate," Ouyang Ye said in a low voice.
"No interest..." Xi'er said, looking down and thinking. She felt uneasy. "Master, I don't think she'll give up my Golden Gate so easily."
"I believe her," Ouyang Ye had been awakened by Mu Anxiao's words.
"Master..."
"From now on, let her do whatever she wants. If you dare to obstruct her," Ouyang Ye said, meeting Xi'er's eyes, "I will make you and Song Xi leave this place."
"Master." Xi'er's heart sank. She hadn't expected things to escalate to this point and was somewhat surprised.
"Remember, find her the best master," Ouyang Ye said, then turned and disappeared.
Xi'er was left speechless by Ouyang Ye's declaration.
On the other side.
Mu Anxiao rubbed the blush off her face with the handkerchief, thinking about the conversation she'd just had with Ouyang Ye. She mused, 'Perhaps after I investigate everything, he'll come to his senses and let me go. Then, I might be able to become a great deity when I return.' Thinking this, she grinned and ran towards the courtyard.
At the same time, Song Xi, not recognizing Mu Anxiao at all, muttered, "Who is that? A flower demon?" He then rubbed the back of his head.