"What are you feeling guilty about?" Xu Lan asked.
Hearing Xu Lan's sudden question, the grey-clothed man's gaze flickered. He said, "My lord, why do you say I'm feeling guilty? I'm merely stating my thoughts..."
"Your thoughts? Very well, tell me why you have such thoughts."
"I am the victim, and yet she is helping Mu Miyan. Isn't that unfair to me?"
"Everything has a cause and an effect. She merely wants to investigate this matter thoroughly to avoid misjudging."
"But Mu Miyan killed me. This is a fact that cannot be changed."
"..." Xu Lan was speechless.
Mu Anxiao calmly looked at the grey-clothed man, who thought he was making a strong case. She said, "Your name is Mu Mian."
"That is my surname. He was originally surnamed Guan," Mu Miyan said excitedly.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Mu Miyan, then turned back to Guan Mian. "You're quite good at this." She looked at the name written on the complaint form, a smirk playing on her lips.
As soon as Mu Anxiao called out his name, Guan Mian's heart sank. He said, "You're not qualified to manage me, you..."
"Shen Yan is not my master, and that is between him and me. It has nothing to do with a junior like you. If you continue to harp on that matter," Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes, "be careful I investigate your past. Think carefully." xxs1
"..." Guan Mian fell silent.
Mu Anxiao glared at Guan Mian, then turned to Mu Miyan. "You can start now."
Mu Miyan nodded slightly.
Mu Anxiao deliberately glanced at the yin messengers recording everything and said, "Write down her words verbatim."
"I know," the recording yin messenger replied without looking up.
Mu Anxiao raised her eyebrows, then turned back to Mu Miyan. "Begin."
Mu Miyan cautiously glanced at the back of Guan Mian's head, then began. "I admit I killed him, but he forced me."
"Forced you?" Mu Anxiao cooperated in this way to allow Mu Miyan to proceed with the topic more easily.
Mu Miyan hummed and continued, "That night, I was outside his door and heard him talking to a man about selling me."
Selling?
Mu Miyan had not told Mu Anxiao this when they were in prison, so Mu Anxiao was also surprised. "..."
Mu Miyan glanced at Mu Anxiao, but seeing no reaction, she continued, "Upon hearing this, I went to ask him that night why he was doing this. He said he was out of money. Ever since that old man died and the demon soul left, everything changed. So he had to sell me to support himself. Since he was my master, I didn't dare to defy him. Just as I was about to agree, he said he would sell me to that kind of place. When I heard that, I refused."
Guan Mian lowered his head after hearing Mu Miyan's words.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Guan Mian, then looked down at what Guan Mian had written on the complaint form: "I don't know why, but one night while I was sleeping, I died. When I woke up, I saw my disciple, Miyan, standing by my body. I was truly terrified. I was so good to her; I even wanted to help her achieve immortality. I truly can't understand why she would do this?"
Two different accounts.
Mu Anxiao knew that Guan Mian's words were definitely false.
But because Mu Miyan had lied in prison, she began to doubt Mu Miyan as well.
Xu Lan glanced at the back of Mu Anxiao's head, then at Mu Miyan, and asked, "Are your words true?"
"True."
"Then continue," Xu Lan spread her hands.
Mu Anxiao stared at the complaint form for two seconds, then looked up at Mu Miyan, who was staring back at her. She thought it best not to interrupt her.
Mu Miyan took a deep breath and continued, "I disagreed, so he hit me. Because he was a liar, and he always encountered dangerous situations when he went out, he would instruct me to carry a dagger on me whenever we went out. That time, when he hit me, I drew the dagger from my waist and stabbed him."
Guan Mian's eyes darkened. "She stabbed me a total of five times, and I only hit her once." He then looked wronged.
Mu Anxiao shifted her gaze to Guan Mian. "Why are you lying?"
"I..." Guan Mian's eyes darted around. He said, "As a cultivator, to be stabbed to death by a weak woman who couldn't even lift a chicken in such a manner, it's too humiliating."
"Too humiliating, so you spew nonsense."
"Yes, but," Guan Mian seemed to think of something and looked up at Mu Anxiao, saying, "Regardless, she harbored the intent to kill me. Based on this alone, I am the victim."
Mu Anxiao: "You are not wrong." She nodded slightly.
However, this was not the outcome Mu Miyan desired. The moment she said this, Mu Miyan, with tears in her eyes, looked at her. "Why am I not wrong?"
"Regardless of the outcome, the party who harbored the initial intent to kill is the one in the wrong," Mu Anxiao's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by coldness. "You killed him, so you are in the wrong."
"But..."
"Recess," Mu Anxiao interrupted.
However, Xu Lan did not want a recess; he wanted to conclude the matter in one go. Mu Anxiao's sudden statement surprised him. "Mu Anxiao, mind the occasion."
The dog-headed demon watched Mu Anxiao with great interest, smiling down.
Mu Anxiao turned to Xu Lan. "There are some things I cannot ask here conveniently."
"Why can't you ask here? I see," Guan Mian's attitude became arrogant again because of Mu Anxiao's words. "You're trying to shield her, aren't you?"
Hearing Guan Mian's words, Mu Miyan couldn't help but glance at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao licked her lips, placing the complaint form on the table and turning sideways to face Guan Mian. She said, "You know in your heart what you did when you were alive. If you say one more word," her eyes narrowed, "then let's see who crumbles first."
"..." Guan Mian's words stirred memories of his life, causing him to fall silent and lower his head.
Mu Anxiao calmly watched Guan Mian as he began to contemplate. She said, "Prepare for battle. Prepare well. I want to see if you will win or if your disciple will win."
Guan Mian cautiously glanced at Mu Anxiao, lost in thought, and replied, "I don't understand what you're saying."
"I knew you would reply like this," Mu Anxiao sneered.
Guan Mian: "..." He clutched the hem of his clothes.
Xu Lan also saw that Guan Mian had a problem and agreed with Mu Anxiao's decision. "Very well, you go and ask."
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao turned to Xu Lan and smiled. "Thank you."
"Go ahead," Xu Lan maintained his stern expression.
Mu Anxiao understood Xu Lan and turned to Mu Miyan. "Come out with me."
Mu Miyan nodded slightly. "Yes."