Mu Anxiao watched the cooks she had just silenced with a single sentence, and couldn't help but smile. "What, you have thoughts of going out to say something?" she asked, picking up a third steamed bun.
"No, just surprised," the first cook cautiously glanced at the second cook and continued, "You've only just arrived and already landed such a good position. Not only that, but your methods are so ruthless. It seems you are indeed the Lord's distant relative, your methods are just like hers."
"Did she ever cut out someone's tongue?" Mu Anxiao asked intentionally.
The first cook gave a dry chuckle.
The second cook looked speechlessly at the first cook, who insisted on saying such things, and gave an awkward laugh. "Not exactly, it's just a… similarity. Don't take it to heart."
"Don't worry, I won't repeat your words. As for you," Mu Anxiao looked at each of them, "just focus on your work here."
"Yes, yes, yes," the first and second cooks replied in unison.
Mu Anxiao smiled faintly and ate her dish.
Then, the first cook leaned over to peek at Mu Anxiao's face, which was covered in mud, and said, "Um, do you want to wash your face after you finish eating?"
"Why wash my face?" Mu Anxiao asked, feigning ignorance.
The first cook smiled, "Your face is so dirty it's unrecognizable. If it stays that way, the Lord will punish you if she finds out. So, I suggest you go wash your face."
"No need, washing one's face for a man is strange," Mu Anxiao resisted, casually changing the subject. "By the way, do you two know the rules of this palace?" she asked, taking a bite of the steamed bun and looking at them.
After Mu Anxiao asked, the two exchanged glances again. The second cook said, "We haven't been inside the palace, but I do know a little about the rules." She said this with an air of humility.
Mu Anxiao's face lit up with excitement. "Then tell me," she said, tilting her chin.
The second cook cleared her throat and said, "Outside the palace gates, there's a mirror of immortal reflection. Any demon that passes through the palace gates will be instantly revealed. Once inside, you must address the Lord as 'Master.' If you address her incorrectly, it's a capital offense. You also have to bow to any servant of a higher rank than yourself. I heard that one maid forgot to bow, and in the end…" she looked around and lowered her voice, "in the end, her hands were severed, and she was thrown into the forbidden forest. I suppose… she's already been eaten by the demon-devouring beasts."
"How terrifying," Mu Anxiao pretended to be surprised.
The first cook nodded.
The second cook continued, "There's something even more terrifying. You can't just barge into the palace kitchen like this. If you're not careful," she cleared her throat, "you'll be turned into dishes and boiled into soup by the heartless demon heads inside."
"Isn't that lawless?" Mu Anxiao finished the last bite of her bun, feeling indignant.
The second cook laughed. "Believe it or not, it is indeed lawless. Those demon heads are especially good at distancing themselves. I heard that once, a servant just wandered around outside the gate, and in the end…" she shivered, "in the end, he was stewed."
"Oh… does the Master know?" Mu Anxiao asked quickly.
"Of course, she knows," the first cook said excitedly.
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao quickly shifted her gaze back to the first cook's face, surprised. "Then why didn't she punish that demon head?"
The first cook gave a bitter smile.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao became even more curious about the matter. "Don't smile, tell me about it."
"Not only did the Master not punish that demon head, she even rewarded him, saying that the demon realm should have such demon heads," the second cook said with a sigh. "In short, we small demons here must be careful."
"Truly perverse," Mu Anxiao couldn't help but exclaim.
The second cook quickly said, "You can say that here among us, but once you go over there, absolutely do not speak recklessly, or you will die."
"I know, but," Mu Anxiao said, putting down her chopsticks, "you're saying those immortals might have gone to the kitchen over there, right?"
"Yes, they're likely in grave danger," the first cook said indifferently.
Mu Anxiao's heart skipped a beat. She realized she couldn't delay any longer, or those immortals would really die. Thinking this, she deliberately suppressed her anxious emotions and said with feigned calmness, "That's just fate," she said, pointing at the food on the table. "Alright, pack it all up."
"This isn't very good, is it?" The first cook hesitated, thinking about the people who were supposed to eat this food.
Conversely, Mu Anxiao seemed indifferent. "It's fine. You two just stay here and relax. I'll handle things over there." With that, she yawned.
"Alright then," the first cook conceded helplessly.
A quarter of an hour later.
Mu Anxiao had just stopped outside the prison, holding the food box, when two subordinate demons suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her path. Seeing them, she immediately showed a look of disdain. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking at the two unwelcoming figures.
Immediately, the first subordinate demon scanned Mu Anxiao from head to toe and said coldly, "We should be asking you that."
"Do you know who I am?" Mu Anxiao retorted, then answered her own question. "I am a follower of Mu Anxiao. The Master just assigned me to her side. Do you know what this is?" She lifted the food box slightly, then put it down.
"Are you bringing food?" the second subordinate demon asked.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao sighed lightly and helplessly turned her gaze to the second subordinate demon. She said disdainfully, "That's right, I'm here to deliver food. But speaking of which," she said righteously, "there are no guards outside the prison, so what are you two doing here? Looking for trouble?" As she spoke, her eyes sharpened.
Seeing this, they were clearly intimidated. "Not really, we just saw you heading this way and thought we'd come over to take a look and remind you, after all, this is a restricted area," the first subordinate demon said, averting his gaze.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao immediately realized that these two were indeed up to no good. So, she began to probe, "How has the Master been recently?" She strongly suspected that these two were sent by Mo Juan.
Immediately after, the first and second subordinate demons exchanged glances, and then left without another word.
Regarding this, Mu Anxiao strongly suspected there was a conspiracy between them. However, thinking of the main task, she didn't bother to dwell on it and headed towards the prison.
A moment later, Mu Anxiao arrived outside the cell where the man was. At this time, Jiong Ye and the wolf demon also returned. Seeing them, she became visibly uncomfortable. "Why are you guys here too?" she asked, walking to the cell door and looking down. The door was locked.
"Mo Juan has arrived," the man said directly, standing up from the straw mat and walking to Mu Anxiao's side.