After they all left, Mu Anxiao took off her outer garment.
Seeing this, Feng Qishi asked, "What are you doing?"
Mu Anxiao replied, "He wouldn't want people to see him like this; he deserves some dignity." As she spoke, she squatted down and draped the garment over the beggar's face. Then, she looked at the shattered silver on the ground. "The one who killed him didn't touch this silver, which is strange." She then picked up the scattered pieces.
Feng Qishi said, "I advise you not to do that."
Mu Anxiao stood up. "I'll hold onto it for him, so those villagers don't take it if they see it."
"..." Feng Qishi was speechless. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Can a demon soul wield a sharp weapon?"
Mu Anxiao replied, "By controlling it with demonic arts, but..." She looked down at the beggar. "The wounds on his body seem... not to be caused by demonic arts."
"...." Feng Qishi's eyes darkened.
Mu Anxiao mused, "Could it be a monster?" She couldn't think of who else it could be.
Feng Qishi pondered for a moment and asked, "What about the wolf demon?"
"What are you doing?" Mu Anxiao looked up at Feng Qishi, sensing something was wrong.
"He must have done it."
"Impossible."
"How is it impossible? The wolf demon has done all sorts of things. Remember, the cultivation sect was wiped out because of him?"
"I remember, but..." Mu Anxiao hesitated, but she felt in her heart that it wasn't the wolf demon, because she knew the wolf demon wasn't someone who habitually used sharp weapons.
"Once we find him, everything will be clear."
"I don't think so."
Since meeting Xie Xin, Feng Qishi felt that Mu Anxiao had been constantly contradicting him. Now, hearing her defend the wolf demon, Feng Qishi was also furious.
"If I, Xie Xin, am a monster and you are not, I wouldn't say anything. But now..." He sneered, "You say this has nothing to do with the wolf demon. Mu傻子, what is wrong with you?"
"I'm just stating facts."
"Stating facts." Feng Qishi continued, "Fine. For three days, neither of us will bother the other. I'll go find the wolf demon, and you can go find the killer."
"Is this necessary?" Mu Anxiao didn't understand why Feng Qishi was throwing such a tantrum.
Feng Qishi explained, "Before the wolf demon arrived, no one had died here, and everyone was basically living normal lives. But," he said seriously, "the moment the wolf demon appeared, trouble started. Also, the facts prove that he was indeed not under our watch yesterday, and even disappeared. Don't you find that suspicious? And you're still defending him. I really don't know what you're thinking."
"I..." Mu Anxiao uttered a single word, considering Feng Qishi's summarizing statement. She continued, "But you, what was his motive for killing these people?"
"Where did he live before?"
"..." Mu Anxiao thought for a moment, then replied, "Deep in the mountains."
"Alright. Why did he come here?"
Listening to Feng Qishi's questions, Mu Anxiao realized that she hadn't explained the situation to Feng Qishi yesterday.
So, after a moment's hesitation, she said, "He came here looking for a monster."
"Who?"
"Dog Head."
"Dog Head," Feng Qishi repeated, using Mu Anxiao's words to recall, "The one from ten years ago?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Tell me, why was he looking for Dog Head?"
"He was deceived by Dog Head, so..." Mu Anxiao considered this a secret of the wolf demon and paused, then casually said, "So, he came here to settle the score with Dog Head."
"Don't you find that hard to believe?"
"Hard to believe?"
"I find it very hard to believe. That wolf demon is no good. If you believe him, then I can only say..." Feng Qishi looked coldly at Mu Anxiao, "You're foolish."
"Shen the madman, you're the foolish one."
"How am I foolish? You tell me." Feng Qishi said dismissively.
Mu Anxiao began, "Your disciple..."
Before she could finish, the fake Lin Yan approached. "Master, what is that?"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue and turned to look at the approaching fake Lin Yan. Then, she glanced at Feng Qishi, who was glaring at her, and remained silent.
"..."
Seeing Mu Anxiao's silence, Feng Qishi let out a cold snort and turned to fake Lin Yan. "Disciple, don't come any closer."
"Why?" The fake Lin Yan stopped.
Feng Qishi replied, "This is the beggar from yesterday. You might be scared if you look at him." As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao also rolled her eyes at Feng Qishi and then looked at the fake Lin Yan. "You came out, and Xie Xin is alone in the ruined temple."
"Yes, but she's already awake."
"As long as she's awake." Mu Anxiao nodded, then glanced at Feng Qishi. "You two wait here for those people. I'm going back first." As she spoke, she was about to take a step forward when Feng Qishi suddenly blocked her path.
She then asked, "What are you doing?"
Feng Qishi demanded, "Hand it over."
"..." Mu Anxiao instantly understood what Feng Qishi meant. She took out the shattered silver from her sleeve and placed it in Feng Qishi's hand. "This is all of it. I didn't take any more."
Feng Qishi: "...." He moved aside.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi, who was acting cold towards her because of the wolf demon, and sighed. She turned to look at the fake Lin Yan, who was staring at her. "I'm going back now."
"Okay." The fake Lin Yan nodded.
With that, Mu Anxiao stepped forward, walked around the fake Lin Yan, and left.
After Mu Anxiao had gone far away, the fake Lin Yan walked up to Feng Qishi and asked, "Master, did you have a falling out with her?"
"I know who the killer is," Feng Qishi said with a somber expression.
The fake Lin Yan's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Master, what happened?"
Hearing this, Feng Qishi suddenly remembered that he hadn't explained the situation to the fake Lin Yan yet. So, he sighed and told the fake Lin Yan about the ten beggars who had died.
Subsequently, the fake Lin Yan displayed an expression of shock. "How could this happen?" Tears welled up in his eyes.
Feng Qishi continued, "Those beggars might have all stayed in your ruined temple."
Upon hearing this, the fake Lin Yan slumped down. "...."
Feng Qishi reassured him, "Disciple, don't worry. I will investigate this thoroughly." He reached out and placed a hand on the fake Lin Yan's shoulder.
The fake Lin Yan said, "Even though I used to bully them, they were all my... brothers. Their deaths..." He raised his hands to cover his face and began to cry. "How could they die? Who would be so cruel?"
"I already have a suspect. Don't worry," Feng Qishi, not good at comforting people, patted his shoulder twice. "I will definitely catch the person who committed this heinous act."
"Why is this happening?" The fake Lin Yan cried heartbrokenly.
Feng Qishi: "...." He hadn't expected such a reaction from the fake Lin Yan.
The ruined temple.
Mu Anxiao walked to the well and thought about Feng Qishi's words. Her eyes darkened. She regretted not exposing the fake Lin Yan in front of him just now.
At the same time, the wolf demon emerged from the ruined temple, looked at Mu Anxiao, and called out, "You're back."