Mu Anxiao asked, "I praised you, and you're not excited?"
"That girl praised me yesterday, and now I feel sick just seeing noodles."
"You weren't like this when you made those green leaf sets!"
"It's different. Those mostly lasted three or four meals. This... continuous work is unbearable." The cook waved his hand.
Mu Anxiao smiled helplessly and began eating her noodles.
Meanwhile, Feng Qishi gracefully walked over and sat beside Mu Anxiao.
The cook had fallen asleep.
A quarter of an hour later.
The women and Lu Hua had their hands tied by Xu Lan, and they were led together to Er and the cook. Xu Lan said, "We'll be leaving now."
The cook asked, "You're leaving already? Won't you stay a couple more days?"
Xu Lan replied, "No."
The cook, knowing he couldn't influence others' plans, nodded, "Alright then."
Xu Lan asked, "What will you do next?"
The cook shook his head, "I don't know. We'll have to see what the boss plans to do." As she spoke, she glanced sideways at Er, who was standing opposite Mu Anxiao.
Xu Lan followed the cook's gaze toward Mu Anxiao and said, "We really have to thank Mu Anxiao this time."
"Mhm," the cook nodded.
Over there.
Er looked at Mu Anxiao with reluctance, "Won't you stay a couple more days?"
"No, I have other matters," Mu Anxiao said, spreading her hand and producing a ball of paper, which she handed to Er. "This place isn't good, and it won't get any better in the future. This contains my future plans for you. Take a look, and if you don't like it, then forget it."
Er took the ball of paper and looked at Mu Anxiao, asking, "Future plans? What do you mean?"
"You're not suited to be a boss. Also, the location here is poor. Even if you hang on, you won't earn any inner elixirs. So, pack your bags and go to where you belong."
Er looked dejected, "Where I belong? Where can I go? If I leave this place, I'll only die. If..."
"Stop. If you're afraid of this and afraid of that, you'll end up accomplishing nothing," Mu Anxiao pointed at the paper in Er's hand. "Open it and take a look!"
Originally, Mu Anxiao had intended for him to read it after she left.
But seeing his fearful, indecisive demeanor, she became curious about his reaction after reading her plans.
Feng Qishi asked, "Didn't you say he could only look after we've left?"
Mu Anxiao replied, "Look at him, he's as timid as a mouse."
"You're not going to have him follow us, are you?"
Regarding Feng Qishi's question, Mu Anxiao decided to reply after Er had seen the contents.
"..."
Seeing Mu Anxiao's silence, Feng Qishi also fell silent.
Er glanced at Mu Anxiao hesitantly, then unfolded the paper. The moment he saw the content, his eyes widened. "Is this Mo Lou?"
"You do know it."
Ever since Er knew about the Soul Sword, Mu Anxiao had felt that he must know many things.
Therefore, she wasn't surprised by his reaction.
Conversely, Feng Qishi exclaimed, "You actually know it!"
Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi. "..."
Er said, "Yes, Mo Lou is the most prosperous restaurant in the entire demon realm. The demons there are very sophisticated." As he spoke, he felt inferior. "Can I really go there?"
Mu Anxiao replied, "With me, you're not afraid you can't get in."
"I don't like it like this," Er refused.
Mu Anxiao asked doubtfully, "Are you alright? This inn was left to you by your parents, and you've accepted it. Now I'm finding you a job, and you're not happy?"
"It's not that I'm unhappy, I..."
"It can enhance your demonic arts in the demon realm. Any demon who has worked there is not afraid of monsters. If you don't want to go," Mu Anxiao snorted, "I guarantee you won't last long here before you're killed by monsters."
Er: "..." He was stunned.
Seeing Er's silence, Mu Anxiao nodded slightly, "Alright, I see."
Feng Qishi nudged Mu Anxiao with his elbow and asked, "What do you see?"
Mu Anxiao replied, "I see that he wants to die."
Hearing Mu Anxiao's words, Er quickly said, "I don't want to die."
"If you don't want to die, then go to Mo Lou. It's the best destination for you."
"But..." Er turned sideways and looked at the cook, "What about her?"
Mu Anxiao followed Er's gaze to the cook and said helplessly, "You should worry about yourself first. She doesn't need you to worry about her."
Hearing this, Er turned back to Mu Anxiao. "What do you mean?"
"It means she's a cook and has skills. She can get by anywhere better than you. As for you," Mu Anxiao looked Er up and down, "you're just a cowardly shell. When you get there, I still advise you to temper your courage."
Er: "..." He was rendered speechless by Mu Anxiao.
Feng Qishi, seeing Er's dejected expression and Mu Anxiao's sharp tongue, said, "If you talk like that, he'll..."
Before he could finish, Er said resolutely, "You're right. Instead of being so afraid, I'd rather try. When the future comes," he looked around, "I'll definitely be able to manage this place well when I return."
Mu Anxiao said, "I advise you to give up."
Feng Qishi: "..."
Er asked, "Why?"
Mu Anxiao replied, "The location is poor. No demons will come here. Even if you return with experience, it will be useless. Rather than that, you should find a better place."
"But this was left to me by my parents."
"Let go of your parents' possessions and strive for your own," Mu Anxiao sighed. "Although I know it's not easy to let go, ultimately, your path must be walked by yourself."
Feng Qishi: "..." He thought Mu Anxiao was going to discourage Er, but after hearing her words, he felt that Mu Anxiao was quite eloquent.
"But that girl."
"Girl?" Mu Anxiao repeated, frowning. "You mean that mysterious girl?"
"Mhm, she looked so..."
"Do you know who she is?"
"..." Er shook his head.
Mu Anxiao's eyes darkened, and she became particularly curious about the girl's identity.
Feng Qishi: "..." He looked at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao thought for a moment and said, "She's already gone. You're not related to her. If you want to stay because of her, I won't say anything else." She then turned her back.
Er hesitated and asked, "Can I travel with you?"
Mu Anxiao replied, "You can go by yourself."
"Why?"
"Only by overcoming those monsters can you..."
"Please," Er's voice trembled.
Originally, Mu Anxiao just wanted to use these words to encourage Er to go to Mo Lou on his own, thus not wasting her time!
But unexpectedly, Er's fear of death exceeded her imagination.
Helplessly, she thought for a moment and compromised, "Alright then!"