A Long walked ahead, not looking back, his mind replaying memories of his youth with his elder.
Then, she said, "Twenty years ago, she saw through my identity."
Hearing this, the elder paused, "What?" He walked to A Long's side.
"She didn't expose my identity that year. For that alone, I must thank her, so," A Long turned her head in the moonlight to look at the elder, "you can rest assured, I am sincere. This can be considered me owing you and your wife."
"Why.."
"If I hadn't appeared that year, if I hadn't helped you, if I hadn't chosen to stay by your side, your heart would have only been for your wife, and this would not have happened. It's all my fault. Consider this my repayment. After this, we'll be even."
"You don't owe me, and you don't owe her. If it weren't for you, I might have died that year. You saved us. Also, because of your intelligence and resourcefulness, I became a businessman who relied on myself, not on family. You.."
"You've said many nice things to me in your life. We've reached this point, so don't say any more. Rest assured," A Long interrupted, continuing as she walked, "when this is over, I will return your body to your relatives. I cannot keep you." With that, she quickened her pace.
After A Long said this, the elder's eyes sank, and he followed her, saying nothing more.
In the city.
Mu Anxiao stopped with the elder before the temporarily erected mourning hall outside the residence.
The elder looked at the mourning banner hanging above, his eyes sinking. He said, "By rights, these should have been done last year."
"Yes." Mu Anxiao nodded and looked at the two elders kneeling in the mourning hall. "Are those two... your relatives?"
"Yes."
"They are quite filial," Mu Anxiao said, peering into the coffin inside. "I thought you had already been buried, yet you're still here."
"May I go and take a look?" the elder asked.
Mu Anxiao said, "Go ahead."
The elder then said, "Thank you!" and floated directly into the mourning hall.
The wind stirred.
The elder's two relatives stood up together and turned to look at Mu Anxiao standing outside the mourning hall.
Then, the moment Mu Anxiao saw their faces, her eyes widened, "Elder, come out."
Following that, one of the men curled his lips upward, "Mu Anxiao, don't you like to ruin our affairs? Then fine, this time, it's our turn to ruin yours."
"Who are you?" Mu Anxiao asked, running inside.
Another man grabbed the elder standing by the coffin and said, "You captured us. Don't you remember?"
Captured?
The moment Mu Anxiao heard this word, she immediately thought of demon souls.
But, looking at the faces of these two men, she had another question, "I don't know you."
"The matter of the cultivation sects, you've forgotten."
Cultivation sects again. Mu Anxiao never expected to be at odds with cultivation sects.
Looking at the two men before her, she said, "Then you're wrong to say that. I haven't captured anyone from the cultivation sects." As she spoke, she glanced at the elder.
Man Number One: "Who said we are from the cultivation sects?"
"Then why did you mention it?"
"I... I just said it casually. Take a good look at us."
Listening to Man Number One, Mu Anxiao recalled the elder mistaking them for his relatives earlier. She said, "You two, change back."
"How did you know we..."
"If you were using your own faces, I wouldn't have failed to recognize you. So," Mu Anxiao said, "change back, and I can see who you are."
Hearing Mu Anxiao's words, the two men exchanged a look. Then, Man Number Two released his grip on the elder's arm and said, "Forget it, then we'll change back."
Foolish demon souls. Mu Anxiao had encountered many before.
However, she had rarely encountered this type of demon soul in recent days. Now, looking at these two individuals cooperating with her and preparing to cast spells, she found it novel.
"You two, hurry up. My time is incredibly precious," Mu Anxiao said, intentionally shifting her gaze to the elder.
Conversely, the elder did not look at Mu Anxiao but continued to stare at the two figures...
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao's heart sank. Without a second thought, she called out, "Come here."
Hearing her call, the elder stiffened. The moment he turned to look at Mu Anxiao, Man Number Two reacted immediately, reaching out to grab the elder's arm.
However, as the saying goes, old ginger is spicier. As Man Number Two reached for the elder, the elder instantly reacted and floated directly towards Mu Anxiao.
Man Number Two expressed helplessness and continued to cast his spell.
Minutes later.
The mourning hall disappeared, and the two men reverted to their original appearances.
Mu Anxiao glanced at the two of them, thinking that since the elder was present, there was no need for his relatives to provide fingerprints. She ignored them and turned to the elder, saying softly, "You go inside. I'll wait for you here."
"You're not coming with me?"
"No. Have a chat with them. It might bring you some peace of mind," Mu Anxiao instructed.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's words, and glancing at the two men glaring at Mu Anxiao opposite them, the elder turned and walked through the door without another word.
The moment the elder went inside, Mu Anxiao spread her hands and conjured the silver rope, saying, "I happen to be short of money. You two have arrived just in time."
However, the moment Mu Anxiao conjured the silver rope, the two demon souls clearly became afraid.
Then, Man Number One, the demon soul, asked, "Do you know who I am?"
"You..." Mu Anxiao uttered a single word, tightened her grip on the silver rope, and walked up to Man Number One. "I remember. You are Shi Yan."
"You can recognize me in this darkness?" Shi Yan expressed surprise.
"Can you recognize who I am?"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao looked at the other man and thought for a moment before saying, "You are his brother, Shi Kuai."
Shi Kuai was stunned.
Mu Anxiao was no longer surprised by their reactions, as all demon souls she had identified before had worn the same expression.
At this moment, she was only puzzled as to why they had waited for her here using such a method. Wasn't a surprise attack better?
Thinking this, she asked, "Why did you disguise yourselves as the elder's relatives?"
"Because you never discovered us," Shi Kuai said.
Mu Anxiao frowned, "What do you mean by that?"
"We've been following you since you entered the city. Didn't you notice us?" Shi Kuai said, kicking a pebble at Mu Anxiao's feet.
Mu Anxiao then lowered her head to look at the pebble by her feet, realizing, "I was wondering why there were so many pebbles by my feet. So, it was you." She looked at the two of them again.