At this moment, Mu Anxiao also saw the gap in Jiong Ye's spirit at a glance. His reaction was exactly as she had anticipated, because if she were in his shoes, no matter how she had used the 'Demonic Sword' in the past, its departure would have left a void in her heart. Seeing Jiong Ye's despondent state, she said without hesitation, "Thank you."
Hearing this, Jiong Ye looked at Mu Anxiao in a daze, his brow furrowed. "Why are you thanking me?"
"I've said all this nonsense mainly to thank you. If it weren't for you," Mu Anxiao said, a slight smile gracing her lips, she continued, "I would never have encountered the Soul Sword. In the future, if you need any help, just say the word, and I will do my best to assist you."
"That's very kind of you." After Mu Anxiao's words, Jiong Ye's somber mood... began to lift.
Mu Anxiao chuckled, "What's so kind about it? We've gone through this together, so naturally," she said, glancing at the wolf demon, "you and the wolf demon are both my servants now."
Servants?
Jiong Ye had thought Mu Anxiao was going to say they were friends, but he never expected... she had surprisingly redefined his status. He managed a wry smile and said, "You are truly... direct."
"Since you can say that, I'll take it as your agreement," Mu Anxiao declared, quite pleased with herself.
Jiong Ye chuckled again, "As long as you're happy." He then glanced at the wolf demon beside him, who was giving him a strange smile, and frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm tired," the wolf demon said, stepping forward... and sitting down.
Jiong Ye didn't understand the wolf demon's intention, so he turned his gaze back to Mu Anxiao. "What's wrong with him?"
"He has one advantage," Mu Anxiao said calmly.
As Mu Anxiao uttered this, the wolf demon lay down again.
Then, Jiong Ye glanced towards the wolf demon before looking back at Mu Anxiao. "What advantage does he have?"
"His advantage is that he likes to bully those who are weaker than him, be they people or demons," Mu Anxiao said, a smirk playing on her lips as she walked past Jiong Ye towards the cell door.
Jiong Ye listened, utterly confused, and turned his gaze to the wolf demon again. "Is this truly your advantage?"
"Jiong Ye, right?" the wolf demon said, opening his eyes.
Jiong Ye blinked in surprise. "Yes, you must know my name." He leaned forward slightly.
The wolf demon smiled. "Of course, I know your name, but," he said, sitting up, "I don't know much about you."
"What do you mean?" Jiong Ye was bewildered.
"How is your demonic art?" the wolf demon abruptly changed the subject.
"My demonic art is... passable," Jiong Ye's tone became cautious.
Watching Jiong Ye's demeanor, the wolf demon smiled again. "Can you transform into food?"
"Food?" Jiong Ye was startled. "Don't you know the rules here?"
"What rules?" the wolf demon frowned.
Seeing the wolf demon's utterly clueless expression, Jiong Ye's demeanor shifted to one of extreme caution. "Once you enter here, you are forbidden to use demonic arts. If you do, your limbs will be severed." He didn't forget to glance behind him.
The wolf demon had never heard of such a rule, so hearing Jiong Ye say this, his nerves tightened. "There's such a rule."
"We were imprisoned here mainly for our mistakes. If we continue to err," Jiong Ye said, worried the wolf demon might force him to do something he didn't want to, "then both of us will face dire consequences."
"It's you," the wolf demon pointed at Jiong Ye.
Jiong Ye's expression stiffened, and he gave a dry laugh. "No, you made me do it. Naturally, you are the mastermind, so how..."
"I can deny it," the wolf demon interrupted.
Upon hearing this, Jiong Ye became indignant, as if he had just received a harsh lesson in life. "How can you treat me like this?"
"How are you treating me?" the wolf demon retorted.
Jiong Ye became awkward. "How have I treated you? They say we should share fortunes and face hardships together. Is it right for you to abandon me like this?" His tone clearly softened.
"I know what you're thinking," the wolf demon suddenly said.
Jiong Ye's body stiffened, as if a secret had been discovered. He quickly crouched down. "What am I thinking?" he asked, meeting the wolf demon's eyes.
The wolf demon's lips curled slightly. "You want to leave here," he said, scanning Jiong Ye's face.
The moment the wolf demon spoke, Jiong Ye's face darkened. "I don't," he averted his gaze.
The wolf demon watched Jiong Ye's changing expression and smiled. "Not admitting it means you do. Since I've already seen through your secret, you," he reached out and placed a hand on Jiong Ye's shoulder, "should also do something for me."
At this moment, Mu Anxiao turned to look at Jiong Ye and the wolf demon.
Jiong Ye swallowed twice and asked, "What do you want me to do?"
"If I tell you to go west, you cannot go east. Whatever I tell you to do, you must do it for me, otherwise," the wolf demon patted Jiong Ye's shoulder, "don't blame me if I go to Ouyang Ye and make false accusations."
"You..."
"Wolf demon, I'm still here," Mu Anxiao knew the wolf demon was deliberately trying to scare Jiong Ye, so she deliberately cut him off.
Hearing this, the wolf demon removed his hand from Jiong Ye's shoulder and looked at Mu Anxiao. "I know you're here."
"Stop scaring him," Mu Anxiao said, shifting her gaze to the back of Jiong Ye's head. "It seems you haven't given up after all."
At her words, Jiong Ye's eyes darkened, and he turned back to Mu Anxiao. "It seems you've caught me in another bind."
"As long as you behave, this won't be a bind," Mu Anxiao leaned against the railing and sighed. "Speaking of which, I'm quite curious why Ouyang Ye took Zhao Mei'er away."
Mu Anxiao hadn't mentioned it, but Jiong Ye had forgotten about it. Now that Mu Anxiao brought it up, his heart lurched. "Yes, why is Ouyang Ye looking for her?" he asked, quickly standing up.
The wolf demon glanced at Jiong Ye and remained silent.
"Considering Zhao Mei'er's self-preservation instincts, it's highly likely she'll badmouth you to Ouyang Ye," Mu Anxiao said, deliberately crossing her arms.
Jiong Ye frowned. "Now that you mention it, that's very possible."
"Do you have any other weaknesses she might exploit?" Mu Anxiao, after the wolf demon's intimidation of Jiong Ye, realized that Jiong Ye was quite knowledgeable about the rules here. Thus, she felt inclined to engage in further conversation with him.
"I..." Jiong Ye hesitated, falling into thought.
Mu Anxiao observed Jiong Ye's reaction and then looked at the wolf demon, who was looking at her. She furrowed her brow and tried to communicate with him telepathically. "Are you doing this on purpose?"
The wolf demon gave a faint smile.