"Okay," the boy, about fifteen or sixteen, nodded, cleared his throat, and said, "Back then, to make that spirit obey me, I went to find a wolf demon. But the wolf demon didn't trust me, so I had no choice but to use my blood and sorcery to earn its trust. This morning, I took my blood to him, and without a word, he drank it all down in one gulp. Then, he told me to trick the spirit here, after which he ate the spirit. The spirit's soul had my blood infused into it, so I can control her, and she can also kill me."
Mu Anxiao was also bewildered after listening. Looking at the boy, who seemed to think he had explained it clearly, she said, "Um, your blood was drunk by the wolf demon *before* it ate the spirit. How are you connected to the spirit?"
"I put a talisman into my own blood. It automatically enters the soul of the demon I designate."
"This works?" Mu Anxiao was surprised.
"Yes, to put it bluntly, the sorcery in our immortal cultivation sects is all quite bizarre."
"Don't you all have immortal destinies? Shouldn't it be easy to become an immortal then?" Mu Anxiao asked the question that was on her mind.
"None of us have immortal destinies. There's only one person with an immortal destiny," the boy said matter-of-factly.
"Huh?" Mu Anxiao was astonished again.
"You don't know?" The boy put on a surprised expression, just like Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao's mouth twitched. "Little brother, I only arrived last night. You're asking me this," she said sternly, "Are you messing with me?"
The boy gave an awkward smile. "No, I was just asking casually. Anyway, I've told you everything I know."
"You're probably just talking nonsense."
At the sound of the voice, Mu Anxiao frowned and looked up at the roof beam. She saw Shen Yan sitting there calmly, his face cold as he looked down at the boy.
"You really are a demon," the boy said, pointing a trembling hand at Shen Yan.
Shen Yan easily jumped down from above, landing steadily in front of the boy. He said, "There are quite a few demons in your immortal cultivation sects, aren't there?"
Mu Anxiao didn't dare to ask any more questions, simply gazing up at Shen Yan's back.
"I don't understand..."
"This fool understands nothing. You can deceive him however you want, but me," Shen Yan crouched down, meeting the boy's eyes, "I'm not like that fool. Tell me, what exactly do you people in your sect want?"
The boy, momentarily stunned by Shen Yan's gaze, swallowed nervously. He said, "I... I can't say."
"You're locked in here by your master, and you still can't say?" Mu Anxiao interjected.
Shen Yan glanced sideways at Mu Anxiao, then turned back to the boy. "She saved you precisely so you would help us. By hiding this," he looked at his palm, "aren't you being a bit excessive?"
"I... I can't say."
"Why?"
"This is our sect's business; it has nothing to do with you," the boy said, avoiding eye contact.
Shen Yan said coldly, "Very well. If that's the case, then tell me the talisman of the boundary, and I won't pry further."
"The boundary again?" Mu Anxiao exclaimed in surprise.
Shen Yan ignored Mu Anxiao and continued to stare at the boy who kept avoiding his gaze. "If you don't hand it over, I'll have your friend come back and bite you again."
"Didn't she already leave?" Mu Anxiao chimed in.
Shen Yan, annoyed by Mu Anxiao's continuous, casual interruptions, turned sideways and looked at her again. "If you have something to say, you can tell him."