"You remember." The food-eating beast was excited.
"I remember, but," Ouyang Ye said, glaring at the food-eating beast, "if that female monster comes to any harm, I will not let you go." After speaking, he tidied his long sleeves and vanished.
Immediately after, the food-eating beast let out two proud cries before burrowing back into the water.
Not far away, the wolf demon and the others exchanged glances the moment the food-eating beast cried out, and then fell into silence once more.
At the same time, Ouyang Ye had arrived above the waterfall, but unlike Mu Anxiao's reaction, he showed no interest in anything up here. Instead, he calmly observed his surroundings, his mind filled with worry for Mu Anxiao's safety. "Where is she?" he muttered. He scanned the area and then walked in the opposite direction of where Jiong Ye and the others were.
Outside the cave, Mu Anxiao, after a series of 'calls', still couldn't contact the wolf demon. She opened her eyes and looked at the inverted scenery. She moved her bound hands and frowned, "No, I can't just be hung here like this. If she really eats me, my lifelong reputation as Mu Anxiao will be ruined. No, I must escape." Thinking this, she tried to struggle free while quickly thinking of a plan.
A few minutes later... Just as Mu Anxiao was about to come up with a solution, the female monster emerged. "Oh, trying to escape?" she stopped below Mu Anxiao.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao temporarily ceased struggling and decided to lie, "Who's trying to escape?"
"If you're not trying to escape, why are you moving around? Just say it if you want to escape, I won't do anything to you." the female monster said, crossing her arms.
Mu Anxiao blinked and said, "You mean, as long as I can escape, you'll let me go."
The female monster laughed.
Mu Anxiao was bewildered, "No, let's talk properly, why are you laughing for no reason?"
"I'm laughing at your naivety." the female monster said, looking closely at Mu Anxiao's face. "Although you're plain, you quite fit my..."
"I'm nothing like you." Mu Anxiao quickly interrupted. She decided to anger the female monster, as this would increase her chances of escaping.
The female monster didn't get angry. Instead, she smiled faintly, "I didn't say you were like me. I just feel..." She stared at Mu Anxiao for a few seconds and smiled, "This skin of yours seems quite useful for my future."
"Clarify what you mean." Mu Anxiao, not understanding, said coldly.
The female monster laughed, "Meaning, I'm not going to eat you anymore."
"..." Mu Anxiao had a bad premonition, but due to the white silk, she couldn't unleash any magic. Helplessly, she could only struggle clumsily.
"Do you think you can break free?" the female monster asked with a calm smile, watching Mu Anxiao's obvious struggle.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao, without any regard, struggled and said, "I will not give you my body."
"That's not for you to decide," the female monster said, putting one hand behind her back, she rose into the air and flew in front of Mu Anxiao. "Do you want to experience being scattered into ashes and dissipated into smoke?" she asked.
Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes, "What do you want to do?"
"With your body, I can finally leave this place. Perhaps," the female monster looked down at Mu Anxiao's unwilling expression and grinned, "I can even marry Ouyang Ye in your body. That way, I'll never have to suffer again."
"Ouyang Ye is not as superficial as you think." Mu Anxiao said calmly.
The female monster nodded, "I know."
"You know that and you still want to do this, that's just seeking death." Mu Anxiao said, using a dagger to carefully cut the white silk tied to her palm. With this action, her tense heart relaxed.
"Stop your futile struggles. Now," the female monster said, narrowing her eyes, "as long as you agree, I promise to be gentle."
"It seems that if you want to achieve this, you must have my consent." Mu Anxiao said, the white silk binding her hands had already loosened.
The female monster smiled, "As long as you cooperate with me, I'll let you down now and release that guy."
"You won't lie to me this time." Mu Anxiao said calmly.
"As long as you give me your body, I won't lie to you. But if you choose not to cooperate, or... resist in any way, then don't blame me for being impolite." the female monster said, reaching out her claws towards the white silk.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao quickly said, "Wait."
Upon hearing this, the female monster withdrew the claw she had extended towards Mu Anxiao. "What do you want to do now?"
"You didn't say this to me before." Mu Anxiao said.
The female monster sneered, "This is my temporary thought."
"Perhaps you received advice from someone knowledgeable." Mu Anxiao said, glancing towards the cave.
Following Mu Anxiao's gaze, the female monster slightly turned her body and glanced at the cave behind her, saying, "You think too much. I..."
"The fact that those monsters were caught here means they are all very cunning. If they hadn't taught you, I think," Mu Anxiao deliberately interrupted the female monster, "you wouldn't have come up with this idea at all."
"Do you think... my thoughts can be swayed by them?" the female monster glared at Mu Anxiao, as if insulted, and became angry.
Mu Anxiao smiled.
"Answer me when I ask you a question." the female monster growled.
Mu Anxiao suppressed the fake smile at the corner of her mouth and said coldly, "That's right, that's my opinion."
"You..."
"Unless you haven't been into the cave." Mu Anxiao added, clutching the loosened white silk in her hand.
Then, the female monster seemed to be hit by something and gave a bitter smile.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao deliberately said, "What? Am I wrong? Or did my words hurt you."
"What do you think?" the female monster gritted her teeth, her eyes beginning to redden.
Mu Anxiao was not afraid of this. Instead, she appeared composed, "I say, you're just too thin-skinned. Otherwise, my casual remark wouldn't have hurt you."
"Mu Anxiao, you are truly arrogant." the female monster said, smiling sinisterly, "But the more you are like this, the happier I am."
"Why are you happy? Do you like it when people resist you?" Mu Anxiao said, ready to roll up her upper body and cut the white silk...
The female monster: "Most of the monsters I killed resisted in various ways during their lives. But they didn't know, the more they resisted, the more excited I became. It seems," she said, flying back a bit, "I don't need your consent anymore." With that, she lowered her head and began to conjure her demonic arts.